Thursday, January 29, 2015
Monday, November 17, 2014
Thursday, September 25, 2014
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Monday, August 11, 2014
At Home in the Woods
It seems a long 18 months since the static arrived at Court Wood.
Much site clearance has been done (and more is still needed!)
However after many days, weeks and months of planning and designing - theARCproject; #HomeInTheWoods is visible through the trees!
Saturday, May 17, 2014
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Just a passing thought!
The Zeitgeist Movement / Peter Joseph on "Boom and Bust: http://youtu.be/kNgeKy1kPZ8
Monday, February 24, 2014
Breaking New Ground
On Saturday 22nd February 2014, my lovely lady signed a tenancy agreement for an Allotment site in Ealing, West London.
The following is the story of our growing 'Adventures in Suburbia'!!
The plot measures 410 poles or 20ft x 50ft approx. It has an existing shed & store cupboard - the land was used up until the end of 2013, so 'weeds' are not in great abundance.
There is a raised bed on the plot containing some young herbs & two well established Rosemary bushes. A bed of Strawberries and several crowns of rhubarb remain in-situ.
A bed of hedge screening is present with evidence of previously laid trenches and plot markings.
After discussing the options for the best use and highest productivity of the land we decided upon a 'Crop Rotation' system to be managed over a mininum of 4 years.
What i then did was to remark the plots and re designate potential growing areas.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Wales' Future Generations Bill
http://wales.gov.uk/topics/sustainabledevelopment/future-generations-bill/?lang=en
Monday, February 3, 2014
The Leaving...
It always seems harder to say goodbye to a place to which you have become accustomed.
Even for a short time, you notice spaces & places and most often people!
For me, travelling allows me to better notice the transience of life, particularly within the cityscape. Diversity is commonplace and individualism appears paramount!
In contrast when I return to my heartland and home of Cymru I notice a greater connection between people & place. A stronger sense of belonging. Maybe it's the land, perhaps it's in the water?! It could be in the air?!
Mainly for me it's my Home...For Now!
Who knows what tomorrow may bring?
Saturday, December 7, 2013
Approaching the Solstice!
The world keeps turning and things keep changing with a more noticeable and apparent regularity. This is just something you see around you, outdoors in nature. It has always been here! (& probably always will) It is merely our ongoing systemic behaviour as the self imposed dominant species & leaders of Planet Earth PLC. that condition our responses & dull our sensitivity to the Universal Energy that is a part of us all.
This is no longer a point of contention for me. There is no debate to be had here, it just is! No meaningful discussions on the potential cause & affect!! Not many things in life a certain, until you realise that everything is.
While I do much to reduce my dependence on "the system" I am increasingly aware of my dependency on nature, while the world around me is unconcerned with my continued involvement in it!
Monday, June 20, 2011
a damned CAD of an ICT dilemma
Well then...
Small Nations Festival needed a quick solution!
The Problem: Some sketches were drawn from a site visit a month ago, these had since been copied into a digital format and now needed to be altered.
So, what we had was a .JPEG file & the original .XAR file
What they needed was a way to alter these documents!
A Computer Aided Design (CAD) program was needed also!
On the grounds that it is VERY expensive to purchase specialised design software like AUTOCAD, we looked at some of the various Open Source options available!! {Free as in Beer}
First we stumbled upon:
CADEMIA
a nice little German package available FREE to Download!!
Then we needed to find out what a .XAR file was and how to open it!!
It turns out it's XARA
...but they are COSTLY too!!
A bit of digging later and we found...
XARA XTREME - a redundant predecessor!
Now having gone to the 'dark-side' ;-) It now offers Linux / Win & Mac releases. (FREE/TRIAL)
This allows us to open the .XAR file!
Again, thinking of Ease of Access - a multi OS software package is DESIRABLE.
theARCproject works across all three standard OS types {although my personal preference is Sn0wL1nux} Ed.
Looking again at a CAD program that meets all the above requirements, we found:
DraftSight
So, we now have a way to open .XAR files and a CAD program that works in .DWG file format
- but how do we get from here to there??
Simple...J.F.G.I. (Just Fuckin' Google IT!)
We found a little prog. that allowed us to CONVERT .PDF files into .DWG format.
Lo and behold XTREME allows us to EXPORT as PDF!!!
Dedicated to Ms. Izzy Stevenson
'Because We Can!'
x
Small Nations Festival needed a quick solution!
The Problem: Some sketches were drawn from a site visit a month ago, these had since been copied into a digital format and now needed to be altered.
So, what we had was a .JPEG file & the original .XAR file
What they needed was a way to alter these documents!
A Computer Aided Design (CAD) program was needed also!
On the grounds that it is VERY expensive to purchase specialised design software like AUTOCAD, we looked at some of the various Open Source options available!! {Free as in Beer}
First we stumbled upon:
CADEMIA
a nice little German package available FREE to Download!!
Then we needed to find out what a .XAR file was and how to open it!!
It turns out it's XARA
...but they are COSTLY too!!
A bit of digging later and we found...
XARA XTREME - a redundant predecessor!
Now having gone to the 'dark-side' ;-) It now offers Linux / Win & Mac releases. (FREE/TRIAL)
This allows us to open the .XAR file!
Again, thinking of Ease of Access - a multi OS software package is DESIRABLE.
theARCproject works across all three standard OS types {although my personal preference is Sn0wL1nux} Ed.
Looking again at a CAD program that meets all the above requirements, we found:
DraftSight
So, we now have a way to open .XAR files and a CAD program that works in .DWG file format
- but how do we get from here to there??
Simple...J.F.G.I. (Just Fuckin' Google IT!)
We found a little prog. that allowed us to CONVERT .PDF files into .DWG format.
Lo and behold XTREME allows us to EXPORT as PDF!!!
Dedicated to Ms. Izzy Stevenson
'Because We Can!'
x
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Monday, October 4, 2010
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Waste Industry Update March 2010
Semple Fraser - Waste Industry Update March 2010: "WRAP boosts AD output
Further promotion has been given for the increasingly popular use of anaerobic digestion (AD) as a treatment method for biowastes as SEPA reveals that digestate produced from this process will no longer be subject to regulatory waste controls, where it meets PAS 110 specification and is applied to land. AD produces both a biogas which can be used to produce renewable heat or power, and digestate, which can be used to return organic matter to soils.
SEPA’s decision comes with the launch of the UK-wide PAS110:2010 specification, produced by WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), Afor (Association for Organic Resources) and the British Standard Institute (BSI). The industry-led specification will support the development of markets for products source segregated from biodegradable materials. Producers can check that digestates are of consistent quality and fit for purpose against the specification.
As a result of SEPA’s regulatory position, digestate which meets the specification will no longer need to register for a waste management exemption with SEPA for the application of PAS110 certified digestates to land, saving significant costs to operators of AD plants.
SEPA’s Regulatory Position sets out the PAS standards for digestates that AD plant operators will need to meet. The standards underpin the twofold purpose of the PAS, which is to ensure that digested materials are made using suitable inputs in the AD process (there are a number of criteria here including that the waste input materials are derived from animal or plant origin and have been collected separately from other wastes and not combined with any other waste amongst other conditions) and to ensure that the process has been well managed and monitored so as to produce digested material that meets market needs and protects the environment.
The full SEPA Regulatory Position on PAS110 digestate is available at:
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Business/WEEE_2009_amendments_factsheet_.pdf
http://www.sepa.org.uk/about_us/news/2010/waste_no_more_for_anaerobic_di.aspx
The full WRAP PAS110:2010 may be viewed at:
http://www.wrap.org.uk/downloads/PAS110_vis_10.308cbce2.8536.pdf
Meanwhile, the potential of AD continues to be explored, as news comes that Wales is to host a number of innovative trials designed by WRAP. Focus will be on the commercial potential of PAS100 compost and digestate within new landscape and brownfield regeneration projects.
Due to start later this month, the trials are geared towards developing end market use in the regeneration of quarries, open cast mines and landfill sites and will demonstrate to local authorities that the diversion of organic waste from landfill holds environmental and economic benefits. It is the first time that WRAP will trial the possibility of AD being used as a biofertiliser. Both green compost and food-derived compost produced to PAS100 specification and WRAP’s Quality Protocol will be tested together with the digestate.
Results from the trials are expected to be reported during 2010 and 2011.
More information on the PAS100 digestate trials in Wales may be read at:
http://www.wrap.org.uk/media_centre/press_releases/wales_to_host.html"
Further promotion has been given for the increasingly popular use of anaerobic digestion (AD) as a treatment method for biowastes as SEPA reveals that digestate produced from this process will no longer be subject to regulatory waste controls, where it meets PAS 110 specification and is applied to land. AD produces both a biogas which can be used to produce renewable heat or power, and digestate, which can be used to return organic matter to soils.
SEPA’s decision comes with the launch of the UK-wide PAS110:2010 specification, produced by WRAP (Waste and Resources Action Programme), Afor (Association for Organic Resources) and the British Standard Institute (BSI). The industry-led specification will support the development of markets for products source segregated from biodegradable materials. Producers can check that digestates are of consistent quality and fit for purpose against the specification.
As a result of SEPA’s regulatory position, digestate which meets the specification will no longer need to register for a waste management exemption with SEPA for the application of PAS110 certified digestates to land, saving significant costs to operators of AD plants.
SEPA’s Regulatory Position sets out the PAS standards for digestates that AD plant operators will need to meet. The standards underpin the twofold purpose of the PAS, which is to ensure that digested materials are made using suitable inputs in the AD process (there are a number of criteria here including that the waste input materials are derived from animal or plant origin and have been collected separately from other wastes and not combined with any other waste amongst other conditions) and to ensure that the process has been well managed and monitored so as to produce digested material that meets market needs and protects the environment.
The full SEPA Regulatory Position on PAS110 digestate is available at:
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/static/documents/Business/WEEE_2009_amendments_factsheet_.pdf
http://www.sepa.org.uk/about_us/news/2010/waste_no_more_for_anaerobic_di.aspx
The full WRAP PAS110:2010 may be viewed at:
http://www.wrap.org.uk/downloads/PAS110_vis_10.308cbce2.8536.pdf
Meanwhile, the potential of AD continues to be explored, as news comes that Wales is to host a number of innovative trials designed by WRAP. Focus will be on the commercial potential of PAS100 compost and digestate within new landscape and brownfield regeneration projects.
Due to start later this month, the trials are geared towards developing end market use in the regeneration of quarries, open cast mines and landfill sites and will demonstrate to local authorities that the diversion of organic waste from landfill holds environmental and economic benefits. It is the first time that WRAP will trial the possibility of AD being used as a biofertiliser. Both green compost and food-derived compost produced to PAS100 specification and WRAP’s Quality Protocol will be tested together with the digestate.
Results from the trials are expected to be reported during 2010 and 2011.
More information on the PAS100 digestate trials in Wales may be read at:
http://www.wrap.org.uk/media_centre/press_releases/wales_to_host.html"
Saturday, February 13, 2010
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