Recipes of the week
Recipe #1Â -Â Vegetarian Moussaka
Recipe by my friend Sophie, photo credit Olive magasine
Recipe #2Â -Â Brussel Sprouts Risotto
Recipe by Ottolenghi
Recipe #3Â -Â Vegan Japchae (Korean noodles dish)
Recipe by Bianca Zapatka
All recipes from past newsletters can be found here.
Number of the week: E-Waste
In 2019, the world generated a striking 53.6 Mt of e-waste, an average of 7.3 kg per capita. This number is projected to grow to 74.7 Mt by 2030. Only 17.4% of this waste was properly collected and recycled.
Australia & New Zealand generate 21.3 kg of e-waste per capita
What can I do?
Learn more about the problem with a Digital Collage workshop (let me know if you are interested, I can facilitate a session in Australia)
Keep your devices longer
Repair them when you can
Buy 2nd-hand, refurbished devices (sites like Rebold in Australia, or Backmarket in Europe)
Go for the devices with smaller screens (the smaller the screen, the smaller the footprint)
At the end of their life, recycle them properly (sites like Recyclesmart can help)
Climate News
France launched a repairability index that tells consumers how easily they can fix their devices.
Grist explains why this new index is a big deal. Part of the strategy to fight planned obsolescence is to make it compulsory for companies to disclose how easy it is to fix their products. It’s starting with digital devices but could expand to all consumer products. This is a great step in the direction of creating a true circular economy.
The French government gives up on adding climate change commitment to the Constitution.
The NY times reports on the decision announced by France’s prime minister to drop plans to amend the constitution to include France’s commitment on climate change. It was a key measure of the Citizen’s Convention on Climate and was officially abandoned because the Senate and Parliament could not reach an agreement on the exact wording.
Volkswagen, BMW and Daimler illegally colluded so they could keep making dirtier cars
The Verge reports on the $1billion fine given by EU authorities to the 3 cars companies for agreeing not to compete on reducing harmful pollution beyond EU standards, despite having the technology to do so. This is a separate matter to the Dieselgate scandal that highlighted massive emission test cheating by Volkswagen.
Richard Branson went to space for a few minutes.
Whilst the world is burning and we are set to hit yet another temperature record, Richard Branson got an edge in his d*-measuring contest with fellow billionaires Bezos and Musk.
In times where urgent and radical emissions reductions and energy efficiencies are needed, it seems totally irresponsible to me to think that space tourism, one of the most carbon intensive human endeavours EVER, has any place in our collective future.
Further thoughts on those billionaires chances of escaping into space by the spouse of a NASA flight controller here (click 👇 to read the whole thread, it’s worth it)
If any of you are under the impression that our billionaires might succeed in "escaping" to space, while the world burns, let me put those fears to rest with what I know from being the spouse of a NASA flight controller. 🧵Also we now have a new definition of greenwashing.