How convenient.....

.... it is that Monsanto, the GMO giant, has purchased Beelogics a firm researching the collapse of bee colonies. It is very convenient as Monsanto's GMO corn is thought to be a main reason for the death of bees...
(LINK - pic taken from article.)

D-I-Y

Grow your own food! Don't have the space? That's alright, as long as you have a window! I bet we'll see these solutions in IKEA in the future, talk about economical living!

Britta Riley - Windowfarm

Paradigm shift

We are entering the beginning of an immensely interesting and exciting time. I believe we are facing the biggest paradigm shift since the industrial revolution. We are in the process of changing our way of life, changing the way we view the planet and our resources. It is exciting and frustratating but it's inevitable.

Plastics cause all sorts of problems, environmental and social, and less than 5 % is recycled. That can be altered. Hear Mike Biddle out (10 min!):

Natural Capital

This speech by Pavan Sukhdev, my favourite economist, shines a stream of light in the darkness that is our economy. As he says, we do not value our natural resources. However, him and his team have done calculations to clarify the real costs of our operations. This is the future!

Exciting

I'm so excited and nervous and happy and why is time going so slowly?!

Stroke of insight

If you have happened to miss this brilliant speech take 20 and enjoy

Jill Bolte Taylor

Baby, it's cold inside

You learn from your past mistakes? Nope. I froze my ass off once in Australia and I'm about to do it again. How is it that a country that experiences such hot days in summer and nearly freezing nights in winter does not insulate its houses? I don't want to go on a complain-rant. All I shall say is that I'm cold.

Tomorrow night, however, I'll be warm...

Beanie b'day party

After three hours of shopping at Myers I finally bought a pair of shoes and Grace an dI could go back home and go out to Whispers wine bar in Freo.

Dave: Tomorrow
Fynn: 4 days
Exciting!

Saturday was a busy busy day! Got up early to go volunteer for the Sea Shepherds, headed into the city at noon to attend the No Fracking WAy protest against fracking in WA. Watch Gasland to get a good overview over the issue...

Saturday night was spent at Dan's house, four people celebrated their birthdays and there was a fundraiser for leukemia. Shelley shaved her head for cancer and raised funds. It was a beanie themed party but in case you failed to bring something there were wigs at your disposal......

Me, Evelina, Reggie and Dasha

Birthday boy! 

Coolest head piece of the night!

The "gay" guys haha

I'm pretty sure I was making fun of him
but he looks a bit too happy for that...

The most gorgeous couple!

How does one take him seriously?

Thanks so much for an awesome night guys!

Particulate matter

Right people, check this out. 

OECD report

By 2050 air pollution will be the biggest cause of premature death. What is interesting though is that already it is  a bigger issue than malaria. Now, no one can possibly have missed fund raising campaigns against malaria. As it turns out, air pollution, inside and outside, are bigger issues. Yet, how much is being done against that? Lots of conventions and commissions and other words on C but because you have big corporations and powerful people who choose to believe its bullshit people are dying. 

(Particulate matter are particles small enough to get into your lungs and cause irritation and eventually maybe cancer....)

Representing!

Sweden

Marianna (Finland) and me (Sweden)

at Multicultural Day at Murdoch. Wish I would've had more time to prepare some swedish goodies such as kanelbullar but oh well, next time maybe... 

The other inconvenient truth

Jonathan Foley: The other inconvenient truth

We have a massive food crisis ahead of us and we need to work together if we want to feed 9 billion people. Foley brings up some very important issues in a very interesting way. Basically we are farming land relative to the size of South America. Include pastures in the calculation and we need to throw in the size of Africa as well. That is insane. We cannot use more land, we need to use it more efficiently and honestly, eat less meat. Pastures for farm animals take up the space of Africa!! Add the fields of corn and soy beans used as food on top of that! Insane. Meat-Free Monday really isn't that huge of a sacrifice people...

Century of Cycling

The century of automobiles has past, we are entering a century of bicycling! The 21st century is all about walking, cycling, health and the environment! I guess in Europe we take bike lanes and good public transport a bit for granted. However, living in Perth has taught me the value of being able to bike safely, actual existing pedestrian paths and freedom to move around... Tonight Linda and I were walking to the bus stop when the path just suddenly ends. Leads out onto the road. There is no were to cross though, so either you venture out on the street or you walk through 30 metres of sand and bush, which you really don't want to do in the dark. Then again, not really in the day either. It's shit. It's a city made for cars. It's noisy and polluted and unsafe. 

A lot of research all point towards the same thing: Australia and America have the highest rates of obesity. 64 % are considered overweight and if it keeps going in this rate, every single on in America is going to be overweight. It's a shocking problem. Diabetes, heart disease and depression are all increasing issues in these countries and they are increasingly beginning to be related to our car-based society. We are no longer getting that passive exercise from walking and cycling because we're taking the car everywhere. The more we use our cars the bigger the roads and freeways leading to more noise pollution leading to head aches and stress and so on. It's time for change. It's time to prioritise humans.

New York is one of the cities in the world reclaiming the streets.

From this article

Madison Square

Broadway

Bogota has done amazing work to promote cycling and public transport. Where the minority wanted bigger roads and more freeways Mayor Penalosa decided to create a city for everyone. A city that did not increase the already big social differences. The Bogota bike path system is impressive to say the least. In areas where they barely have housing at least they have high quality walk and bike paths contributing to a healthier and safer environment. The paths join up schools and playgrounds with work and home making it easier for families and providing work opportunities. It has been a great success!

In Seoul a massive freeway was removed to bring back the buried river and create a beautiful public space.

Before

After

Copenhagen has gone so far as to, not only have a successful bike sharing system, but to make cycling fashionable. They have taken help from fashion bloggers and really promoted cycling as healthy, environmentally friendly and cool. The Copenhagen Wheel:

helps you to peddle in heavier sections and it records the air quality of your route, downloadable to your iPhone or computer you can see which sections of the city you should avoid and which sections have the best quality of air (least polluted).

There is hope.

Too old

Man I've not been out the door today. I'm never drinking again....

Awesome night in Freo though! Totally worth it.

Who's your mumma

 Poor Jack, designated driver and tortured by the girls...

 Wasn't allowed to go home because the house keys were ehm hidden... and so were the car keys.

 I randomly threw the car keys for Jared to catch and it landed in his chest pocket. Legendary!

Benny's

Metro

(I think)

 The funniest random dude in a ridiculous suit.

Thanks guys for an awesome night!

Caving

Yesterday Linda, Evelina, Cilla and I went on a road trip south. We visited Giant Cave, the less touristy one where you have to do some climbing and scrambling, takes about an hour. As we were descending into the darkness I came to think about the horror film the descent. Luckily I managed to get it out of my head because otherwise it would've been pretty scary...

Excited girls!

It was pitch black down there!

 At one point we decided all to turn off our lights but quickly turned them back on again! Completely dark and quiet. Such an amazing experience!

Cartoon eyes ;)

Squeeze!

Peek-a-boo

We continued up the coast on caves rd towards Cape Naturaliste and Dunsborough, stopping at Yallingup for this beautiful view!

All the heath and low vegetation, this is probably what it would look like if it was ever sunny in Scotland! ;) (Fynn will kill me haha)

 The whale watching spot at Cape Naturaliste - unfortunately the season starts in June. I'll be back. I'll camp there until I see a whale if I have to.

 The end of fun times - Evelina refused to drop us home without a picture with the car... So here it is: Our little pearl!