THE IN BETWEENERS

Yesterday it was Rachel Carson's 100th birthday. Although she died in the early 60's she's often credited with creating and inspiring the modern environmental movement.

That is of course a very eurocentric way of looking at "the environment", but Carson's writing emphasised that our urban biased "command and control" attitude towards nature had us up to our elbows in the proverbial.

Silent Spring was published in 1962. USA's proverbial was DDT and Carson spelt out its impact in breathtaking detail. One of her prime observations was of urban DDT use to control tree insects, and the gradual residue buildup in our ecosystem.

Our very presence between the forests and grasslands, and the waterways on which our dominant economic model relies is a strange no-mans-land. Marston Bates wrote a brilliant book about the same time as Carson. The Forest and The Sea emphasised the symbiotic relationship of the two, and it is especially in that context that our beloved production system is typically nothing short of "in the way".

The two main nature old timers were Henry David Thoreau and a century later later Ralph Waldo Emerson. Way back in 1854 Thoreau wrote the magical not-too-wilderness account of Walden pond. Thoreau's was a position of observation. So too Emerson's A Sand County Almanac. A lay person in someone elses patch.

Carson and Bates were largely observational but with a little more analysis (they were after all scientists). They had the luxury of observation when our urban presence was perhaps most aggressive.

It was appropriate then that I caught Planet Earth last night on Prime. Rich, rich observation and even richer imagery. In no way does this detract from analysis of the seemingly simple but amazingly complex system that is our biosphere.

It seemed to me a perfect way to end Carson's birthday, and of course to reflect that our in between-ness requires a whole lot more respect of the planet than we generally show.

Some advice: catch Planet Earth next Sunday on Prime...

LOST HIGHWAY OF CONSUMERISM

David Lynch of Twin Peaks, Blue Velvet, Mulholland Dr, etc fame makes great movies. He doesn't like corporate hook-ups (hat tip The Piton):



The way I see it product placement is inevitable. But David Lynch is right. It bites. It not only has potential to subvert viewers soft opinions (eg. product preference), but also has the potential to subvert the film makers message.

On the other hand where there's no message to subvert - most Hollywood films are pulp after all - the viewer is simply a consumer.

Coke placed on US TV most frequently last year - 3,346 times (2nd to bottom). An old BBC article squares up to a few product placement issues, and this blog post covers a few specifics.

There is huge potential for new-industry products (super efficient/sustainable goods) to benefit in the same way so we shouldn't cry wolf.

DEREK TROTTER WAS AN INTELLIGENT MAN
So intelligent in fact that British scientists are developing a test to determine whether bottled water is sourced from where it claims to be. Better late than never.

An episode of Only Fools and Horses screened in 1992 depicting a classic Delboy Trotter scam. Del, Rodney, and Gradad bottled and sold water sourced in their kitchen as "Peckham Spring" water.

That episode influenced one Lancashire chap, and had similarities to a failed 2004 Coca Cola product launch in the UK. They love their bottled water in the UK. Probably because their tap water is often rubbish.

In a 2005 NZ Consumers Institute survey, 44% of Kiwis "seldomly or never" purchased bottled water. Consumer have also got a summary of unsubstantiated NZ bottled water claims (rego needed). We instinctively know it: New Zealand tap water is generally fine (but maybe not from roof fed tanks). ESR administer a (pretty shitty) website summarising national quality data - as we know, it's good stuff but water is a resource under pressure.

The bottom line is this: buying bottled water is largely a waste of time and money. It's environmental cost is significant, and it doesn't make much sense to process something that does not need processing. Whats more (sorry, I couldn't help it) water and gaming consoles don't mix.

Don't bother yourself worrying whether the bottled stuff is any good. Do yourself and the planet a favour. Drink water from the tap.

SATURDAY SENSITIVITY - AFRICAN MELODY
Next in the ongoing Saturday Sensitivity series is Harry Belafonte. This is probably my favourite Muppets piece that doesn't involve Raquel Welch. It's mainstream magical and quite possibly the epitome of sensitivity.