21.7.10
The new location of RedYacT is: http://redyact.blog.com/.
It will not be continued here.
9.7.10
Today I want to draw your attention to Sustainable Livestock Farming.
Over 100 full professors from different Dutch universities and different fields of expertise are contributing to a plea that
criticises mass farming. Let me cite the most interesting points:
All societal costs of meat and dairy production should be incorporated into the price.
Animal welfare should receive a central position in the livestock sector.
The use of antibiotics and hormones in livestock farming must be banned.
The consumption of animal proteins should be reduced by at least 33% by 2020.
The full version is available as PDF.
You can also read a german article about it.
30.6.10
Since over a year I'm getting most of my vegetables and fruits from the fresh-box-service of
Biohof ADAMAH. I feel it's time to reflect on my experiences.
Over all I'm very satisfied with the service. I leave the empty box outside of my apartment in the
morning. In the evening I find the new box with what I need for a week. It's very comfortable. There's
a choice of several boxes and it's easy to adapt the content or inform them of delivery breaks for
the weeks when I'm absent.
I've not found the perfect box for me. I'd like one with mostly local products and with products that
don't need to be cooked. You can have one or the other, but not both. That means: You can either
order a box with fruits and ready-to-eat vegetables, but this also contains bananas or pears from
southern Africa or America. On the other hand, you can order a box with only local products but this
contains also vegetables that can't be eaten in raw state.
Well, this is an inconvenience. The new web-shop offers the possibility to alter the content of your
box. But it means that I have to go to the site in time to check the products, delete the pears,
increase the amount of other products aso.
Another issue is, that sometimes there's a problem with sensitive products. I've had mildewed raspberries
and strawberries. At least you get a refund, when you send them a complaint.
All in all, these are small issues. I'm very happy with the service and the products. Since vegetables
and fruits make up a big part of my meals, my trips to supermarkets have become infrequent. The quality
is for the most part very good. I know where the products come from and am able to buy about 70%
from my region.
20.5.10
Are you using an iPod or an iPhone?
Look at this report
about the working conditions at a Foxconn, a Chinese enterprise that is one of Apple's main
manufacturer contractors. The company also produces for Intel, Dell, HP and others.
The employees work under conditions of slavery and 30 suicides were attempted within the last month.
Are you still happily using your iPod?
19.5.10
Never stop to be on the watch
Last weekend I visited the Plattner Bienenhof,
a museum for apiculture. They have a good exhibition and are located in a wonderful, old farmhouse.
The farmhouse alone, about 600 years old is worth the visit.
They also sell honey and honey products, as you can see on the website. They let you taste the
honey and I bought some of them. Of course, I should have been suspicious about how many
different kinds they had. Only afterwards I looked on the small print and noticed that all
of them were import. One from Romania and one from Spain! What disappointment!
That taught me once more never to stop being careful. It's tedious but you always have to
look at the small print of products.
5.5.10
Last weekend I've been on an outdoor seminar to learn the basics of via ferrata climbing.
(It was not my first experience, but I wanted to learn from scratch.)
This seminar was organised by the Austrian Alpine Club. One would expect this club which is
connected so deeply with nature experiences to have environmental issues in mind. Unfortunately
this is not always the case.
There was a briefing on Thursday evening and theoretically carpools were organised. But this
was only done so that everyone who didn't have a car found a place. When I asked who could
take me, only two people answered.
Finally we were 19 people with 9 cars! It seemed as if everyone had to use their own car.
There was a meeting place and then we changed location several times each day. We could have
left the surplus cars at the first meeting place and used only four cars, but the teachers
didn't bother - very disappointing.
Otherwise the seminar was a great experience and I even found one of the 5 via ferrata
conveniently located to be reached by train.
15.4.10
It is known that there are a lot of companies in East Asia exploiting their workers.
Look at some pictures from a
manufacturer of computer mice and webcams.
When and from whom will you buy your next mouse?
20.3.10
Today I give you information about two totally different topics. Both concern environmental issues.
Dolphin tours
have replaces dolphin hunting in Sansibar. But there is concern about stress that is caused by the tourist boats. The German
article given above draws it's information from
Endangered Species Research.
Have you heard about the Austrian film Plastic Planet? It's about
the effects of plastics on the environment.
Today I found out about a project connected to this film. A family in Graz is trying to live without plastics. Their experiment started in November last year.
18.3.10
Drinking Waste
How much and what kind of waste do you produce through drinking? We are advised to drink about
2l each day. Do you ever think about how much waste is coming from your drinks and how you
could reduce it?
Here's a list of what I do:
- By far the biggest amount is coming from the tap. More than half of my drinks are normal water. Most of the rest is tea made from normal water and syrup diluted with normal water.
- I don't buy mineral water for my home. I only occasionally drink it at work or in a restaurant. Fortunately, we have very, very good tap water.
- I avoid plastic bottles, preferring glass. If I get a plastic bottle, I reuse it and fill it with (see first point).
- Occasionally I buy beverage cartons. They are collected and will be recycled.
- I prefer natural juices to sodas.
- I don't like coffee.
- I never buy cans.
- Think about the drinks you order in restaurants.
- If you frequent public coffee machines, take a cup with you instead of using the plastic ones they distribute.
- Do you use a coffee machine with filter, tabs or direct grinder? What happens to the tabs?
- If you have to buy water, use glass bottles.
17.3.10
Little Impact Clothing
I've put off the decision for some time but now I can't ignore it any longer: I need some new basic
garments. I've looked from time to time on some "green" internet shops but I have my reservations
about internet- or catalog-shopping when it comes to clothing.
I tried to find a shop in my area, but the eco-clothing shops I found don't offer basics. (Btw: I
found this nice shop: Greenground)
Well, yesterday I sent a test order to hessnatur despite all my demurs.
If I can't get it in a shop here, I have to order it. Still, the question remains: Do the advantages of eco clothing
outweigh the disadvantages of catalog-shopping?
My ideal clothes would be:
- natural fibers
- grown and manipulated under ecological conditions ("bio")
- fair trade
- as little travel of material and product as possible
- no bleaching
- no or eco colors
- available in a shop nearby
- natural fibers (cotton, wool)
- grown and manipulated under ecological conditions
- fair trade
- travel, travel, travel
- some with bleaching
- some with colors
- internet order
I'm determined to reduce the main disadvantages of catalog-shopping. I ordered a small amount of different sizes and alternate models but as long as they fit at all I will keep them. After the first order I will decide which models I like the most and order them in bigger quantity.
It's only basic stuff that's not visible in everyday life. It doesn't have to fit perfectly.
When it comes to shirts, trousers and such, I will definitely go to a real-life shop.