October 2009
(27th October 2009)
I've written an article for the Huffington Post on a fascinating trip to Mozambique where I looked at how UNICEF is leading an effort to clean up open defecation with Community-Led Total Sanitation.
→ Cruising
(27th October 2009)
US politicians yesterday introduced legislation that would stop cruise ships from dumping sewage in coastal waters. When I was at the Port of Felixstowe last week, I noticed a list of dumping regulations on the wall of the mess room. I don't remember the exact details, but I remember being shocked that any ship could dump garbage and paper anywhere, outside certain ...
(21st October 2009)
Some great recent stuff from the indefatigable John Sauer at Water Advocates. First, an op-ed on taking the die out of diarrhoea, then an exploration on whether there's a buzz in sanitation, and if there is, what good it might do. Powerful argument and lots of useful links, on Huffington Post. Go, John!
→ Rabbits
(18th October 2009)
I have written plenty about Biogasmax, an EU-wide biogas project. Today I learned about Biomal, another EU-wide initiative which aims for "a new concept for a safe, environmental advantageous, economical sustainable, and energy effective system for handling animal by-products in Europe." Apparently, this means burning bunnies. Stockholm apparently has an excess of wild rabbits (pet rabbit offspring that has gone wild). The ...
(15th October 2009)
Happy Global Handwashing Day. To celebrate, I'll remind you that in the UK "more than 1 in four people have faecal matter on their hands! Britain's 12M cases of norovirus, gastroenteritis, MRSA, E-Coli and now Swine Flu infections are mainly down to dirty hands. washitoff! (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine)." The report on our filthy hands is here.
Also if you're in London ...
(14th October 2009)
In anticipation of Global Handwashing Day tomorrow, UNICEF/WHO today released a report into child diarrhoea and why it's still killing up to a million children a year. I haven't read the report yet, but the press release at least mentions the need to improve sanitation, though this plays second fiddle to treatment such as rotavirus vaccines. Still, better than nothing and good to see ...
(13th October 2009)
I'll speak at the Bristol Festival of Ideas tonight with Tristram Stuart. About waste, top and bottom-end. Details here.