Bin less bus stop

There is no waste bin next to the central Waterlooville bus stop on the Asda side of the street.

So fast food trash just gets dumped around the seats.

At least on this occasion most of it was biodegradeable.

Milton Road Roundabout bus stop - has a litter bin!

The Milton Road Roundabout bus stop finally gets a litter bin.
My first post on this subject was in August last year. The council finally did the right thing and there is now a bin. Not only that, it looks like it's being used.

See my previous posts and photos of the Costa cups and packaging that littered the floor.





http://lovelywaterlooville.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/apparently-havant-borough-council-does.html
http://lovelywaterlooville.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/a-day-in-life-of-milton-road-bus-stop.html
http://lovelywaterlooville.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/the-cost-of-costa.html

A day in the life of Milton Road bus stop

Big Brother fridges

Most newspaper reporters get their facts wrong, some are obviously better than others, but it appears that the Daily Mail has gone into absolute fantasy mode with their latest story about 'big brother' fridges, the journalists claim the fridges will turn off from time to time, without your permission!

Oh, my god! An electrical appliance with a mind of its own, these fridges must be unique, no other popular appliance does that! Or do they? There must be a massive conspiracy between government, fridge manufacturers and energy companies, they are all scheming to ruin your food and control your fridge.

The headline goes:

"Big brother to switch off your fridge: Power giants to make millions - but you must pay for 'sinister' technology"

 So what exactly is this evil technology and how does it compare to other household technology?

Well, I have known about this tech for about 5 years or so, it is a British invention that is a world leader (yep, the Mail in the rush to blame the EU, is attacking a Brit engineering company and invention).

The Technology

Lets get something straight from the start, the technology DOES NOT send information about you or your energy use to the government or power companies and they CAN NOT control your fridge remotely.

So how the journalists come to the conclusion that it is 'Big Brother' technology is a mystery. The only reason for doing that is to spread propaganda against renewable energy and climate change measures.

The technology has been developed by a company called RLtec (now called Open Energi) and they teamed up with Indesit and and Npower in 2009 to trial the system in fridges and freezers. It ties in with the idea of a future smart grid technology that will enable energy to be used intelligently. Sainsburys already use the technology in their stores, so logically Sainsburys are a part of this big brother conspiracy that The Daily Mail has invented.

The technology is an automated version of what national grid managers do every day. Like the technicians managing supply and demand of electricity, the fridge technology will monitor the frequency of the mains supply, which is 50hz (actually old digital clocks monitored it to keep time - badly!), any deviation from this frequency means that either there is to much demand for electricity or there is to little demand (to many generators producing energy).

In the case when there is to much demand (to many kettles on at the same time), the circuit will switch off the fridge or freezer for a few seconds (or less). If you have tens of thousands of fridges all switching off for a few seconds, it will have no impact on the fridge perfomance but will reduce the load on the generators. Thus the frequency will return to 50hz again when balance is achieved!

The idea of course is to help integrate renewable energy into our grid system. It's actually a brilliant and non-intrusive idea (completely the opposite to the impression the Mail gives).

Other 'big brother' technology you use everyday:

1. Car - most vehicles today take control away from you at many levels. For example you don't control how much fuel goes into the engine, the car decides that based on what you desire it to do.
2. Lighting - many organisations install lighting that automatically turn off when someone isn't in the room, and of course lighting can turn on when someone is present.
3. TVs - some new TVs turn off when no one is watching them!
4. Thermostat - heaters, fridges, kettles all have thermostats that switch on and off electricity without your permission! I mean what right does a fridge have to turn it self off automatically? Must be the government trying to control our lives.

The reality is many appliances turn off internally or reduce the active circuitry without you knowing it, so the question is, why the fuss about a fridge?
The answer is of course extreme politics and the 'no evidence needed' political ideology of modern times. Rumour, black propaganda, misrepresentation and lies, count for more than actual reality.

Big Brother

In the book 1984, Winston Smith had a job in a government organisation where he was required to lie about reality and in particular about the past. The government 'snooped' on individiuals and lied about it's enemies.
Of course no one could accuse Daily Mail journalists of lying or snooping on individuals could they?

Updates

It appears that the Telegraph are running the same story with the same people interviewed. My suspicion is that a lobby group (that is against renewable energy) has made a press release in an attempt to undermine renewable energy policy.

29/04/13: found a Daily Mail article about the same technology published in 2009. The tone is completely different and the article received no comments. I think the article is still technically incorrect in that it refers to a signal from the energy company, which probably refers to the detection in frequency change, it also incorrectly implies that lose control of your electricity.

Update: 17/06/14
It appears Open Energi are now focusing on commercial refridgeration and that does include monitoring of the companies energy use, the participating company obviously being a willing participant. From the latest info available it appears the technology is not available in domestic fridges, although the initial trial did use domestic fridges. If the technology were installed in domestic fridges, then the monitoring part of the technology probably wouldn't be included because of the enormous cost of monitoring individual appliances. Open Energi's web site shows technology that is designed to monitor numerous devices owned by a specific organisation - such as Tescos and Sainsburys - that sort of scale would justify the expense of monitoring.

New Waterlooville recycling facility

The new Waterlooville recycling centre is nearing completion, ready to be opened next week. It is situated next to the pylons and the cables are just above the road as you come away from the centre.

I hope they have checked the height of the high container vehicles that will be servicing the site, when they are stacked up with waste they can be quite high.

The site is bigger than the old one and is set well back behind the existing Taylor Wimpey housing development. This leads to the issue of just how many more homes will be built between the new facility and the rear of the existing Taylor Wimpey development.

Just before you get to the recycling centre there is a water saturated bit of land.

Looks like it is often a boggy area, but I think this years rains have probably added to the water levels.

Just under the pylons there are warning signs about deep water, two swans were paddling in a large pond in a protected area whilst I was there.

The new facility is accessed via the Wellington Park junction nearest to Denmead and the pylons. I'm afraid I don't know any of the names of the roads on the Wellington Park development, that includes the road that leads to the recycling facility.

Pork Pies and Pickles

A long traditional match of two different food stuffs seems to have entered the political arena this week. For many years we have associated Pork Pies with that other cold food, a jar of Pickles. It appears Eric Pickles is carrying on that tradition with his love of Pork Pies.

This week Mr Pickles has come back with his misinformation about weekly waste collections and basic rights. In the past he has claimed that it is a 'basic right' that we have weekly (non-recycling) waste collections. If this is true, is the fat man going to take this campaign to the United Nations and have a mandate drawn up so that the 6 billion (and counting) humans on this planet all have this basic right??

The lack of logic and misinformation in claiming weekly waste collections are a basic right is astounding. Hiding behind the 'carrot' of £250 million that Pickles found, is a political ideology intent on going against waste reduction and environmentally sustainable management of waste. The ideology states that choice comes before the environment and the vocal minority have a right to force weekly collections on us, just because they are often kick up a fuss with their local MP or councillor.

Giving people what they desire often has damaging consequences. Certainly in Havant Borough the system we have works for the vast majority, but Pickles does no one any favours by using national funding to influence local issues. Pickles is using central government funding to manipulate 'localism' and to do what central government want, this is left wing ideology wrapped up in a thin layer of Conservative packaging.

Updates:
Backlash against Pickles in the Twittersphere - http://www.londonlovesbusiness.com/634.article

Press Association - Weekly bin funding plan attacked

Dorothy Thornhill, deputy leader of the LGA Lib Dem group, said: "Eric Pickles has revealed his true colours as an extreme centraliser. His statement flies in the face of the coalition Government's commitment to localism. It appears that local services must be provided according to Eric Pickles' demands." 

Business Green - Waste Industry Blasts Pickle's Weekly Collection Plans

In a statement, the CIWM (Chartered Institute of Waste Management) said the £250m could have been better spent on widening the range of materials collected for recycling, especially food waste, which it said was the main area of householder concern regarding collection frequency.

Keep fortnightly bin collection

In Havant Borough the council have added to and improved the waste and recycling collection services over many years. There is a long way to go because we need to reduce waste and increase recycling.

Earlier today it was suggested on various news sources that the arch enemy of any progress in environmental sustainability, Eric Pickles, had made a U turn on the issue. However the government have been quick to deny that a U turn is being made, this is bad news, we can't have a weekly waste collection, such a move increases the capacity to increase waste and the only place for that stream is either incineration (increasing carbon emissions and particulates) or increased landfill, neither are acceptable.

There are plenty of opportunities to cut waste, especially food waste, which is a major problem in itself. If you waste a lot of food, maybe you deserve the bad smells of rotting meat and veg!
Either cut waste, or put up with the smell. It's your choice, but don't screw the environment up for the majority.

If you need ideas to cut waste, Superscrimpers is a good start:

www.facebook.com/SuperScrimpers
www.channel4.com/programmes/superscrimpers-waste-not-want-not/articles/superscrimpers-we-want-you

More energy saving tips

Here is a photo of a Christmas present, not all pressies are equal, this one is brilliant. Steamers are one of those inventions that can't be faulted, modern and eco-friendly.

Here's a list of reasons why you must have a steamer:

1. You can cook all the veg you want on one hob ring/burner, saving energy and money
2. The veg keep their taste
3. The veg retain their vitamins
4. You don't have to cover the veg in water, so you use less water
5. The lid has to be kept on for it to work properly, saving energy and reducing condensation.

So far I have used it to cook carrots, broccoli and white cabbage.

I have also ordered a portable solar shower, designed for camping, but I'm going to try it out in the summer as an alternative to my electric energy guzzling shower. It's basically a big strong black coloured plastic bag that holds up to 20 litres of water, you just hang it up for a few hours in the Sun. The idea is to bring it in once it is warmed up and use it in the bathroom shower tray. Might be a bit heavy if full though? will have to see.

Plastic carrier bags down

It is great to see that supermarkets have cut the number of free plastic carrier bags given out at the checkouts. 48% is an impressive cut and the environmental groups are correct in saying that it shows what businesses and people are capable of doing when they put their minds to it.

I have been using the stronger plastic multiple use bags for some 7 years now. In fact one lasted about 6 years before needing to be recycled and replaced. The trick of remembering to take one when shopping, is to keep one or two folded up in your jackets/coats. In any case, after a while it becomes habitual to look for a bag before you go to the shops.

I actually started this blog because of plastic bags spotted in hedgerows and trees. Hopefully the original subject that got me blogging will be one I won't have to return to in the future?
However there is still a lot of plastic packaging to deal with, we'll have to see how quickly things change.

The demise of the plastic carrier bag

Hmmmm, looks like i'll be turning my attention away from plastic carrier bags if The Daily Mail and Gordon Brown have their way. Maybe if the campaign against plastic carrier bags is successful i won't have to take photos of them flying like flags in trees and bushes around Waterlooville. I think it will be a long time yet though before plastic garbage is completely gone from the trees, grass and hedgerows of Waterlooville and the UK. So you can expect to see more horrible photos of Waterloovilles waste problems in the future until something is done to tackle the problem of crisp packets, fast food containers and other such rubbish.

Havant Rubbish

Had to take the bus to Havant last week and was shocked yet again at the amount of rubbish that can be found in ditches, hedgerows etc. at the road side. It is really appalling and because car drivers don't see it (and councillors), nothing gets done. The Bus stop near the Havant Civic Offices and Health Centre has a nice pile of fast food rubbish and supermarket packaging in a ditch.

I didn't have my camera with me this time so can't post any photos, but will do if i get a chance. On the embankment that leads to the railway bridge crossing into Havant Town centre there is another huge pile of rubbish, again because it isn't visible by the majority of people that pass that point (in cars), it isn't seen as a major problem.

If the majority walked past the point, then there would be a big public outcry about how appalling it is and that Havant should be cleaned up. But because most people drive past it and it is not visible to them, there is no will to do anything about it.

Rubbish Waterlooville

Waitrose bag Asda bag Tesco bag Bag of unknown origin Shopping cart

Plastic carrier bags and other rubbish trapped in hedgerows and grass are an eyesore around Waterlooville. The photos here were taken this weekend near Waterlooville fire station and along the dual carriage way bypass. There seemed to be examples from every local supermarket, Waitrose, Tescos and Asda. The problem is that most people don't notice the mess in the grass and hedgerows, whilst sitting in their cars. You have to be walking past it to really appreciate the crap that is lying around. Car drivers probably use more 'disposable' carrier bags than pedestrians these days, as most pedestrians i see with shopping bags have there own sturdy bags or recyclable 'bags for life'. So not only do drivers ignore the bags, but they are probably also the primary reason why supermarkets in the UK keep supplying 'free' carrier bags to customers. How can the mess be cleaned up? Well one could blame the people that drop the bags on the pavement. But the bags are just as likely to blow out of public waste bins along the street or out the back of waste collection vehicles. So who should take responsibility for cleaning this crap up? I think the supermarkets and other retail outlets in Waterlooville should contribute to a yearly clean up fund. This could be used to pay for a team of people to go around the grass verges and hedgerows cleaning up the rubbish a few times a year. Twice a year is probably sufficient. I don't think that Havant council does anything, i might be wrong but i have never seen anyone clean it up. Of course the other solution is to eliminate the packaging and bags. Biodegradeable packaging has been around for centuries, it's called paper and card! But obviously there are other modern alternatives as well. Banning disposable plastic carrier bags is another obvious way forward. If you don't like it, tough, you'll have to survive without, i'm sure you'll manage.