Where the Emotional Action Is

Posted on December 6, 2006
Filed Under Commercial Trends |

The success of tech blogs leaves me wondering if the brightest minds out there are focused on the wrong target. We need more emotion and we need more objectives in blogging. it’s easy to be pro- Wii, and to comment on a google story or a new techncrunch discovery…. but aren’t the eco boys ringing more bells?

I just posted some of this over on wripe where our eco section is ringing up members at a rate that equals all other sections put together.
”
“Newsweek’s recent end of oil special is one of the most commendable supplements from a stable of the majors for many years….”

Because it went into the detail of how things are about to change.

This is where the intrigue begins. What will be first to disappear if petrochemical plastics become too expensive to make: Vinyl flooring, sewer pipes for new homes, PVC guttering, all plastic packaging, bins, spandex, acrylic clothing, syringes, sports racquets, duct tape….

Being in the edge of the transformation of everyday objects is exciting but Newsweek is complacent on other issues. The idea that western agricultural systems can be given over to biofuels, biotextiles and bioplastics assumes we’re prepared to do more damage to the earth than we already have.

To be efficient biofuel base-crops need to grow at four times the density they do now. It’s achievable but only with more intense farming and, potentially, genetic adaptation. We may not eat it and the land may not be used for food crops but is it such a benign alternative to oil?

Already commentators including Newsweek are saying energy efficiencies have to multiply - so the five mile restaurant and 100 km house are becoming increasingly important. The future landscape also looks as though land close to cities will increase in value for agricultural purposes. And that also means diversifying crop types in urban and semi-urbam areas.”

Being a mean gardener I’m not too worried - in fact I wonder if my chances of a more than modest income are best served with the spade than they are with writing blogs!

Comments

WordPress database error: [Can't open file: 'wp_comments.MYI'. (errno: 144)]
SELECT * FROM wp_comments WHERE comment_post_ID = '584' AND comment_approved = '1' ORDER BY comment_date

Leave a Reply