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Greener Glastonbury!
A staggering 75% of the music industry's carbon footprint is due to live events, which is why so many festivals have decided to go green this summer by introducing new concepts like solar-powered stages and reusable beer cups. Leading the pack is Glastonbury’s "Love the Farm - Leave No Trace" campaign, which will encourage environmentally-friendly practices such as the distribution of wooden cutlery over plastic. The campaign will also feature "green police", who will patrol the campsites in fancy dress and encourage campers to use the biodegradable tent-pegs provided (made out of potato starch), in order to fit in with the eco-friendly theme of the weekend.
But Glastonbury’s not the only festival pulling their eco-weight – last year’s Carling Weekend at Leeds and Reading introduced free beer tokens in exchange for the collection of three bags of rubbish, as well as 10p refunds to anyone who handed in their drink cup for recycling (rather than for throwing on stage at a band member).
And for all you fine eco-conscious festival-goers out there, there’s a new environmentally-friendly tent, called the Myhab. Sleeping two people, it’s made from waterproof cardboard and plastic and is fully recyclable, so you don’t have to feel guilty at the end of a heavy weekend.
Stink bombs can save lives!
Regardless of its off-putting smell, the gas inside stink bombs - hydrogen sulphide - is believed to do more than just leave a terrible odor. Recently, researchers have discovered that it can be used to help patients overcome serious traumas. Researchers have discovered that a small amount of the gas is produced in the brain and influences the chemicals released in the body. In limited amounts, the gas is thought to control blood pressure and help those with strokes and serious injuries; however, in very large quantities, the gas can prove fatal. So next time a stink bomb is let off, consider that however unpleasant the smell of rotten eggs may be, it could be worth putting up with…
Time to wash our hands
What would you rather touch, a computer keyboard or a loo seat? It seems obvious to choose the first option, but a recent survey carried out by a microbiologist showed that a typical keyboard was more bacteria-filled than any loo seat or toilet door handle. In fact, one of their test keyboards was staggeringly 150 times over the acceptable bacteria limit! These germs can lead to all sorts of unpleasantries in the toilet, so the moral of this story is wipe down your keyboard and mouse! (We're about to do ours....)
Stop and smell the flowers
One more reason why pollution is bad: it’s destroying the fresh scent of flowers before they’ve had the chance to spread into the surrounding environment. The problem isn’t just that we like to smell pretty flowers. Without a strong scent, bees and other pollinating insects can’t find the flowers to eat the nectar. This kills the insects and stops the flowers from getting fertilised. Scientists believe that 200 years ago, scent molecules could travel around 1,000 metres. In today’s polluted air, it’s lucky to make it 300 metres.
Cutting Qualifications
The government has just revealed plans for a major cutback of qualifications taken by thousands of teenagers every year, in order to make way for the new vocational diploma.
Currently, there are 6,500 qualifications on offer to 14- to 19-year olds and ministers say that many of these qualifications fail to prepare students for jobs or higher education. They also believe the system is too complicated for students to choose the right path to support career goals – and that this new plan will make things easier. However, opposition says that it will deny students a choice in what they want to study.
The plan will axe hundreds of popular BTECs, City and Guilds and vocational A-levels, including subjects like body massage and nail art, as well as travel, tourism and performing arts. All 14- to 19-year olds will have to choose between four options: GCSEs and then A-levels; one of 17 diplomas; a work-based apprenticeship; or a foundation learning tier.
The new diplomas will be given in areas like hair and beauty studies, retail, languages, engineering, IT, media, construction, manufacturing and product design, hospitality, and science. Last year 195,000 14- to 19-year-olds were awarded BTECs, 50,000 got a City and Guilds and 130,000 a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ).
Cuke Skywalker in Store Wars
It's organic against the mass-produced: Ham Solo, Chew Broccoli and Darth Tater are all characters in the short film, 'Store Wars', which explains the dangers of commercial farming in a rather amazing (and entertaining) way. It's just one of many short films about environmental issues that you can see on Green TV , Britain's first ever eco network. From stories of orphaned rhino calves to the cotton industry in Uzbekistan, Green TV is filled with global issues that you might not know about. And the channel's creator is pretty inspirational as well - he sold his house to fund the project. To read more, go here.
Happy Chickens
