Tuesday, September 13, 2005
Five things I would like us all to do for the Earth.
First, thanks to The Detritus Depository for this idea. I've encountered the "Earth" list in a few other spots on the web now and I'm more impressed with humanity every time I see another. So without further adieu, my list:
1. Avoid consumer goods with ridiculously unfriendly packaging.
You know the stuff I'm referring to ... for instance a three inch pocketknife that, with all of the blister packaging becomes a 12"x20" bohemeth. I don't know whether to blame the manufacturer, the retailer, or both but Costco is absolutely famous for this. I suspect it costs more to create, ship and store these packages and of course, that plastic once torn from your new beloved possession goes straight to landfill.
2. Equip your home to harvest rainwater.
If you use a well system or pump your water directly out of a nearby lake or other body of water, this one isn't quite as applicable to you but feel free to follow along anyway. For the rest of us though that rely on the municipality for our water supply, this is a biggie. Every drop of water that is delivered through our faucets goes through an extensive treatment process which consumes energy and introduces all sorts of wonderful chemicals. Rather than collecting the water as it falls from the sky for the purpose of watering our lawns and gardens though, instead we allow rainwater to run directly back into storm sewers, off to be treated for release into lakes and streams. So where do we get our gardening water from then? Why, the tap of course!
3. Reduce, reduce, reduce.
Conservation is by far the best way to generate electricity, for a penny saved truly is a penny earned. It's not as exciting as solar panels and wind turbines and all that, but by simply using less energy, we make more of the existing supply available to others. In fact, according to the Energy Star website, "If every household in the U.S. replaced one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL), it would prevent enough pollution to equal removing one million cars from the road." Not too shabby, eh?
4. Keep your garbage in your car!
Fortunately it doesn't happen very often, but every now and then you'll see somebody pitch something out the car window that they feel belongs at the side of the road. It's usually a drink container or the plastic wrap from a pack of cigarettes. What goes through your mind when you commit this absolutely disrespectful act? "Eww... garbage. Not in my car!" Do us all a favour please and put your trash at your passengers feet until you reach your destination.
5. Condiment moderation.
Okay, I realize this one sounds silly and requires further explanation. For fast-food restaurants that insist on single-serving packaging for condiments, try not to take more than you need and return what you don't use. I'm not talking about wandering back up to the counter with a half-consumed package of mustard because trust me, they don't want it. But when you're at Taco Bell and you grab a handful of hot sauce packages only to discover that you only needed two, please put the others back. They're sealed ... your fellow diners won't mind.
So there you go ... my list of things that I would like everybody to do for the Earth. They're not as grand and sweeping as some of the other ideas I've encountered, but they're easy.
1. Avoid consumer goods with ridiculously unfriendly packaging.
You know the stuff I'm referring to ... for instance a three inch pocketknife that, with all of the blister packaging becomes a 12"x20" bohemeth. I don't know whether to blame the manufacturer, the retailer, or both but Costco is absolutely famous for this. I suspect it costs more to create, ship and store these packages and of course, that plastic once torn from your new beloved possession goes straight to landfill.
2. Equip your home to harvest rainwater.
If you use a well system or pump your water directly out of a nearby lake or other body of water, this one isn't quite as applicable to you but feel free to follow along anyway. For the rest of us though that rely on the municipality for our water supply, this is a biggie. Every drop of water that is delivered through our faucets goes through an extensive treatment process which consumes energy and introduces all sorts of wonderful chemicals. Rather than collecting the water as it falls from the sky for the purpose of watering our lawns and gardens though, instead we allow rainwater to run directly back into storm sewers, off to be treated for release into lakes and streams. So where do we get our gardening water from then? Why, the tap of course!
3. Reduce, reduce, reduce.
Conservation is by far the best way to generate electricity, for a penny saved truly is a penny earned. It's not as exciting as solar panels and wind turbines and all that, but by simply using less energy, we make more of the existing supply available to others. In fact, according to the Energy Star website, "If every household in the U.S. replaced one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL), it would prevent enough pollution to equal removing one million cars from the road." Not too shabby, eh?
4. Keep your garbage in your car!
Fortunately it doesn't happen very often, but every now and then you'll see somebody pitch something out the car window that they feel belongs at the side of the road. It's usually a drink container or the plastic wrap from a pack of cigarettes. What goes through your mind when you commit this absolutely disrespectful act? "Eww... garbage. Not in my car!" Do us all a favour please and put your trash at your passengers feet until you reach your destination.
5. Condiment moderation.
Okay, I realize this one sounds silly and requires further explanation. For fast-food restaurants that insist on single-serving packaging for condiments, try not to take more than you need and return what you don't use. I'm not talking about wandering back up to the counter with a half-consumed package of mustard because trust me, they don't want it. But when you're at Taco Bell and you grab a handful of hot sauce packages only to discover that you only needed two, please put the others back. They're sealed ... your fellow diners won't mind.
So there you go ... my list of things that I would like everybody to do for the Earth. They're not as grand and sweeping as some of the other ideas I've encountered, but they're easy.
Monday, September 05, 2005
Skype prank
A profile is put up with a girl's name and picture, and put in "Skype me" mode. Within minutes some seedy guy will invariably try calling/chatting, and there's a little program I made running the whole time which will partner up people 2 at a time, and send messages from the first person to the second, & vice versa.
read more | digg story
read more | digg story
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
What won't Apple think of next?
After spending part of the day discussing the latest swirling Apple rumours, I decided to throw this together for the guys in the office to giggle over.
