Back to the Argentinian Dick Smith

Viral BTTF-themed ad for an Argentinian chain of electronics stores? Don't mind it I do.

FUBAR

Uhmmm... yes.

Gentleman rapper showdown

Oh it's ON. Professor Elemental has laid down the challenge to Mr B - there can only be one Gentleman Rapper.

Ackbar Troll

LOL

Convoy of Carbon Footprint

So... this Convoy of No Confidence thing, huh? A bunch of truckies driving from all over Australian into Canberra, to show that they don't like the people in charge. Riiiiight.

The full text of their petition can be found here, but the gist of it is that:

The Government has been compromised into wilfully and intentionally misleading the Australian people by introducing a 'Carbon Tax' without the consent of the Australian people and, that would be normally decided by a free and unencumbered ballot.

Good on them. I'm sure they are all highly informed and knowledgable on issues surround climate science, and can make a reasoned argument for why... yeah, never mind.

Then there's the fact that their demands are actually constitutionally impossible. Asking for a double dissolution election is rather pointless, as the conditions have not been met. Well done.

Eleven convoys of trucks taking an otherwise unnecessary journey to our nation's capital got me wondering just what the resulting carbon footprint would amount to.
So I did some calculations:

Convoy 1: 5749kms
Convoy 2: 2672kms
Convoy 3: 1591kms
Convoy 4: 1298kms
Convoy 5: 863kms
Convoy 6: 2917kms
Convoy 7: 1218kms
Convoy 8: 825kms
Convoy 9: 635kms
Convoy 10: 820kms
Convoy 11: 690kms
(Source)

TOTAL: 19278kms

If we take the International Trucks 9200i cab (picked at random) as average, it has a fuel consumption rate of: 53.57 l/100kms. (This is probably not very accurate, as I wouldn't assume everyone in the convoy has a brand new truck, but it gives us a vague number to work with.)
(Source)

19278 x 53.57 / 100
= 10327.25 litres of fuel

CO2 emissions/Litre of Diesel fuel: 2.7kg
(Source)

TOTAL CO2 EMISSIONS:
27883.575kg (27.9 tonnes)

This number is purely a calculation if ONE truck drove all the kilometres of ALL 11 convoys. The event page for the convoy lists 70 trucks taking part, but we don't know how many are doing the longer drives vs the shorter ones.

Being fair, we can only say that the convoy will produce MORE THAN 27.9 tonnes, but I would expect  this number to be significantly higher.

To put that in perspective, in 2008, Australia was emitting 18.9 tonnes per capita. So this one political stunt can be guaranteed to increase Australia's emissions by the output of nearly two people for an entire year. Oh, and here's a picture showing what one tonne of CO2 looks like.

If this convoy was initially setting out to show a lack of understanding or disbelief in climate change, mission accomplished.

Museum objects LOL

This had me wetting myself last night.

So, this pic is from the Harvard Museum of Natural History, which hosts an annual event that allows artists to set up installations and performance art inside the museum.

What's so funny?

Well, Maggie Koerth-Baker over at Boing Boing wondered if it was a reference to this present given to the King of Sweden in 1731.

Oh my yes.

The End of Polio

Today we’re keen to showcase a great campaign by our friends at the Global Poverty Project – The End of Polio

Ending polio is the right thing to do – we should take steps to reduce and eliminate debilitating diseases wherever they are. But beyond that, we need to end polio because:

• It’s a generation defining achievement.
• It’s part of a global movement for justice, and the end of extreme poverty.
• Polio anywhere is a threat everywhere.
• Eradication is cheaper than containment.

Our generation stands on the brink of eradicating the second human disease in history. Global efforts ensured the eradication of smallpox in 1979, now we have the opportunity to rid the world of polio, a debilitating and potentially fatal disease that threatens the lives and prosperity of millions. It’s sometimes hard to see that humanity is making any progress against injustice, and ending polio would show a generation that change isn’t just possible, it’s real.

Polio eradication and the elimination of preventable disease are essential ingredients in the fight against extreme poverty. The continuing existence of this debilitating disease risks the livelihood and futures of vulnerable communities; threatening to pull them deeper into the cycle of poverty. With a simple public health intervention we could not only protect future generations from polio, but also demonstrate that progress in the fight against extreme poverty is not only possible, but happening right now.

The continued existence of polio remains a global threat. Between 2003 and 2005, 25 nations that were previously polio-free faced re-emergence as travellers carrying the infection brought polio back to their country. Ease of transmission means that even polio-free countries must continue to ensure high levels of immunisation coverage to prevent the spread and re-establishment of the virus in their communities. If not completely extinguished, polio could spread rapidly. For the safety and health of all communities, we must commit to eradication.

A study published in the Lancet in 2007 showed that the cost of merely trying to contain polio to current levels would exceed the cost of eradication by billions of dollars over the next 20 years. When compared to routine immunisation, the incremental net benefits of achieving global eradication are estimated to be between $40 to $50 billion – reflecting the economic impact of treatment costs and gains in productivity. Already, the elimination of polio in the United States has yielded net economic benefits that exceed $180 billion.

Join the campaign that is working towards The End of Polio.
Pic: GOOD magazine

First published on Oxfam Blogs

The future of apps

David Byrne has created a series of ridiculous concept iPhone apps.

WANT

via Laughing Squid

Best house ever.

Holy crap! This house is amazement!

Armin Blasbichler’s house in Northern Italy is one hell of a mind trip. From a ceiling constructed of glass doors, to a new interpretation of the log cabin exterior, it seems to be designed purely to create fun and oddness at all turns.

My personal favourites are what appears to be a slide-away kids bed with dachshund-shaped handles and this Pantone chip mosaic door which features all the colours of the surrounding countryside.

Maru book

Ooooooh Maru has written (albeit with some help from his owner) a book!

WANT.

Kittywood studios

I now know where I want to devote my life's work.

GROW on display

Have you seen our new GROW billboards up around Melbourne? Hopefully we can get in front of an entirely new audience as they drive home each day.

The world produces enough food to feed everyone, yet one in seven people on our planet go to bed hungry each night. So why does hunger exist in a world with enough food for all? Because hunger — along with obscene levels of waste and appalling environmental degradation — are by-products of our broken food system. A system under further pressure from extreme weather events, rising food prices and failing production.

Movements to transform our broken food system have sprung up everywhere. From Australia to Bangladesh, people are working together to alter the way we produce, consume and even think about food. Oxfam wants to build on our ongoing work and help grow these movements to foster a consensus for change.

We are at a turning point. Join with us and be part of a future where everyone has enough to eat, always. GROW brings together issues, elements and campaigns that Oxfam has been working on for decades, all under the one banner of securing food justice for all.

What you can do:

• Check out the GROW Food Price map to understand what is happening around the world
• Sign the GROW pledge to join our campaign and stay updated on actions
• Take the food poll and let us know how you interact with the global food system
• Tell us your ideas on how we should shape this campaign

First published on Oxfam Blogs

Pantone postcards

Pantone have just released a range of postcards that are just 100 different oversized colour chips.

And I want them.

via Laughing Squid

What would Republican Jesus do?

I think this image just made my day.

Waste not, want not

Dougie McMaster is introducing a fresh dining concept to the world, with his Wasted pop-up concept.

Wasted is a modern dining experience designed to shift your perceptions of how and what you eat using ingredients usually considered waste to inspire a more sustainable approach to eating. Dougie explores new ways of cooking that enable a reduction in food waste and prevent precious resources from becoming landfill.

“With this concept, I’m attempting to demonstrate how to sustainable eat and cook. We use as much wasted produce as possible – not necessarily waste itself, but maybe sustainable ingredients or things that aren’t overly used,” says Dougie.

Utilising ingredients that are often discarded, the menu aims to introduce the public to things such as, foraging, nose-to-tail cooking, using fruit and vegetables in unconventional ways, eating with the seasons, and eating local produce.

“I think transport is one of the things that determines how expensive an ingredient is. Supermarkets can charge a lot more, just from delivering a product across the world, like a dragonfruit. Transporting something all the way from Asia to England can really bump up the price,” says Dougie.

“Fairtrade is a good way to ensure that farmers get a good price for their produce. When people choose to buy fairtrade, it encourages small producers and helps their business.”

Soon there will be nine billion of us on the planet. Our societies, and the way we eat must change to meet our needs so we can put enough food on the table for everyone. Concepts like Wasted are helping this change come about.

Dougie McMaster is a GROW ambassador

First published on Oxfam Blogs

New Tron animated series

YES!

Using a 3D printer to create Stephen Colbert's head

This really is the only reason I'd want my own 3D printer.

Incidentally, anyone know of a place in Melbourne where I can pay them to create something for me on a 3D printer?

日本からのキャンディ

Holy shit! Bemmu Sepponen is a goddamn genius.

Having moved from his native Finland to live in Tokushima, Japan, Bemmu knows only too well the appeal from a-far for crazy Japanese shit. Specifically, their lollies.

So, he's set up the Candy Japan club! For only US$23.95 per month, you'll get two envelopes full of weird and wonderful Japanese candy in your post box. GENIUS.

via Laughing Squid

Mapping food price rises

We've just launched our global food crisis map, detailing a range of locations around the world that are currently struggling with chronic food shortages.

Food prices have hovered near an all-time peak since late 2010 sending tens of millions of people into poverty. In the drought-stricken region of East Africa, where parts of Somalia have been officially declared in famine, food shortages have led to price rises of as much as 240 per cent.

The food price pressure points map shows countries that are highly vulnerable to price spikes, have seen price spikes contribute to violence or unrest, or have suffered extreme weather events that have contributed to price hikes.

First published on Oxfam Blogs

Khaaaaaan cat

My latest submission to ICHCB