While I've been away....

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Back from France last night ready and recharged for a return to the fray. Have I missed much? I'm still catching up but it seemed the last couple of weeks sustainability-wise consisted of the usual heady mix of Government and industry initiatives/laws/plans/reports being proposed/disussed/consulted on/delayed etc etc etc. Did I return from across the Channel with any new thoughts? Yes. Here's a list:

• I read Wired magazine - On the way back in the train (yes I didn't fly) and it's very good. I was thinking the US monthly was just a Bible for techies and web geeks but it's much more than that. It appears to be on the finger of the latest cultural zeitgeists, if that doesn't sound preposterously pretentious. And environmental issues played a significant part in the May issue I read. The highlight was a great piece on the new Dongtan Eco-city in China, concentrating on the role of Arup in conceiving the scheme and the involvement of staff member Alejandro Gutierrez. The article dug much deeper into just what is planned than anything else I've read which led me to reassess my initial thoughts that the scheme was mere hype.
• Slow travel has its ups and downs - The aforementioned Wired runs a Jargon Watch column with hip new words entering the ether and mentions two relevant ones - Ecosoexual (a person into hybrid cars, low energy light bulbs etc) and Slow travel. Feeling myself to be at the cutting edge of culture (stop sniggering at the back) made up for what was an eventual journey to and from Toulouse. Not much to fault with Eurostar from London to Paris but the domestic French experience had it's ups and downs. The sleeper down was pretty cramped and we discover as we bedded down that we would be sharing a berth with another traveller. As it happened she proved amenable and gave me the opportunity to try my pigeon French out. She was travelling all the way down to Africa for a cultural festival. On our return we witnessed the French equivalent of train rage where two men had a heated dispute over who's seat was who's with one as far as I could understand inviting the other back to his place for some serious fisticuffs.
• Philip K Dick had it right - I read Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, the novel that inspired cult film Blade Runner. Was there anyone more prescient writing in the last century about what would befall us in this one? I doubt it - Dick introduces the term Kipple during the novel to describe how rubbish is threatening to take over the planet.
• Is France sustainable? - I'm unable to answer this at all scientifically. Well, there was a wind farm near to the farmhouse I stayed in and its regions retains a very local feel which encourages local produce and events etc. Not too sure how much public transport there beyond a great train service and we didn't see much recycling going on beyond glass.

Comments

[Mel Starrs]

Slow Travel - Ed from Futerra is currently on a low carbon world trip http://www.lowcarbontravel.com/

Whilst I myself have been low carb in recently taking the train from St Petersburg to Beijing, the 5 days from Moscow to UB in Mongolia did have me questioning the reasoning in this decision...

[Phil Clark]

Wow, my paltry trip to south France pales into insignificance in comparison...

[Rob]

Re. Wired: With Bruce Sterling's help, those guys have been thinking green for years... this piece on bamboo was an early example that was often cited during my education:

http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.01/futuretekture_pr.html