There goes that god damn awful message ringtone again….  Is it the significant other telling them they love you? is it a mate telling you the latest gossip or a rude joke? is it your wife telling you to get home?

No to all of the above.  It is actually your little ‘green’ friend reminding you to put the recycling out!!!

 Text Reminder to Recycle

Introduced in Edinburgh, the service provided by the city council and GreenBoxDay results in a text message to registered users alerting them to when the recycling needs to go out.

Nice idea, is it something that you would sign up for?  Are any of the Edinburgh readers using it?

Or do we really need this reminder?, should we not all be in the habit of recycling anyway (or even better still reusing!)

I must applaud the Scottish education system and a school on the Western Isles for embracing the land in their curriculum by developing a new course in crofting (yes you heard correct!! crofting!!). 

At last a class that allows pupils to really understand what is going on around them and will hopefully result in them making more ’sustainable choices’ as they grow up.  Hopefully it will also embed a passion for locally sourced food, and an understanding of the need to support local indigenous food producers.  The fact that it is taught on the croft rather than the classroom is of significant importance - the pupils can actually truely relate to it, rather than tyring to relate what they are reading/hearing in a classroom setting.

I hope as a result of this pupils understanding of the land and the natural environment around them will be significantly enhanced.

BBC - New Course in Crofting

I came across an interesting story on one of the email bulletins I am subscribed to this week.  It tells the story of Jim Merkell, an ex military engineer, who on hearing the devastating news of the Exxon Valdez accident decided to make significant changes in his life.  He saw the disaster as a sign of our ever increasing desire to consume and decided to take action.

The article details his move towards simplicity and living on $5,000 earnings a year; have a read and let me know what you think:

www.timesargus.com - Jim Merkell

Did you have a similar defining point to make similar changes?  Are the changes he makes beyond your reach?

Although my circumstances are very different and I am unable to go as far as he can I found the piece and his story inspiring.  Now going to investigate to see if I can source his book.