Thought I'd show you the best of the latest haul from my favourite charity shop. I've discovered something - they hide all the trendy stuff on the 'teen rack'. Perhaps I'm totally self deluded and just a complete "mutton dressed as lamb" but most of the clothes on this rack seem pretty adult-appropriate to me (and in adult sizes too) - ?! If the op-shop ladies think that these clothes are only appropriately worn by those less than 20 years of age they must think I'm a complete tramp! Oh well.
Have to confess to having my resolve not to buy new things a bit tested of late. I've just found out that two of my favourite female musicians - Norah Jones and Angie Hart - are bringing out new albums. Oh the pain! Its made me think more about my friend M's comment about how art should be exempt from my pledge.....I do want to support these artists, but there's still no denying there's a heck of a lot of embodied energy in a compact disc. Hmmm. Perhaps a good compromise would be to forego the CD (for now) but promise to try to make the show when they tour? (if either of them come to Perth that is - ha ha). I've heard that musicians make most of their money from the touring anyway (not from CDs - apparently most of this money goes to the record company).
If anyone else is also needing a bit of encouragement to stay on the sustainability bandwagon, I thought I might share a bit of this with you....Earlier this week the ABC Radio National's Book Show broadcast a recording of the esteemed Sir Nicholas Stern giving a presentation at The Times Cheltenham Literature Festival. I'd urge you to download the full audio yourself (see link below), but the main message that I took away from the presentation was this:
There is a 50% chance that, by the end of this century, there will be a 5 degree celsius rise in global temperatures (in comparison to pre-Industrial times).
The effect of this temperature rise on the world's water will be the main problem, resulting in the displacement of 100s of millions of people. For example, Bangladesh will be underwater. In Sir Stern's words, these shifts will bring about "a severe, prolonged global conflict" which will be "catastrophic" and that "the idea that we will adjust to whatever comes along is...fatuous". Scary, huh? And how do we avoid this? According to Sir Stern, in order to hold global temperature rises below 2 degrees celsius (the threshold for big risks of catastrophe), the developed world needs to cut their carbon emissions by 80% per capita - 80%!
Fingers crossed for Copenhagen, huh?
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