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Greenhouse Weekly Round-Up

Sally Hill | 30.07.10

This week we chose Sophie Thomas as our Eco Hero. She is a designer with a difference – everything she designs is designed with its impact on the enviornment in mind – from a complete product lifestyle perspective. She is engaging and challenging – and this is why we love her.

Even Lloyds Bank this week has started talking about PEAK OIL!

The Met Office came out with more evidence – for those who are still not convinced – that climate change is really happening ...

The Government came out with plans for the UK to be renewable by 2050 (good news), then asked us what sort of energy we want (questionable) and then failed to report on where the funding would come from (the vital and pressing question for everyone is where does the investment come from) ...

An interesting thought is that it is not just oil supply that is running out – but any other resources are nearing their end. Our Eco Hero this week, Sophie Thomas talks about this. She says: 'Indium is an interesting material that not many people think about often but which we use a lot in LCD screen technology. The way we’re using it at the moment, business-as-usual, we have about 5-10 years left of it. But we’re going to need it for all our future PV’s [photovoltaics]. So if our future energy is going to come from the Sun we need to start designing to recover all our indium.'

Here are the links we loved this week:

'Eco Hero: Sophie Thomas'
Designer-activist Sophie Thomas talks social re-design and peak materials.
(Greenhouse)

'Peak Ashphalt: Why We Are Running Out of the Stuff'
Ashphalt used to be a waste product but is increasingly sought after to be refined into gasoline.
(Treehugger)

'Indoor Living and the Global Greenhouse'
Humanity's shifting to an indoor lifestyle: what does this mean for energy use and how can we get around it?
(Dot Earth)

'Caroline Lucas: Now is the Time to Invest in a Green Economy'
Video: Caroline Lucas tells how we're missing an opportunity to green the economy as we restore it.
(Guardian)

'Go For Nuclear or Ramp Up Solar with DECC's Carbon Calculator'
Online tool allows users to explore different ways to manipulate energy supply to reduce greenhouse gases.
(Guardian)

'British Meat and Dairy is Destroying Rainforests'
Swathes of rainforest are being cleared every year to feed livestock for factory farms in the UK.
(Telegraph)

'Is Driving Into a Bike Zone Actually Illegal?'
Great blog and commenter debate about the use of London's road by cars and bikes.
(Guardian)

'Localism or Localisation: Defining Our Terms'
Blog by Transition movement founder Rob Hopkins puts these terms under the microscope in the contect of the Big Society agenda.
(Transition Culture)

'Sea Shepherd's Sea No Evil Art Auction'
Stunning artwork raises money for Greenpeace acitivism.
(Treehugger)