What potent blood hath modest May – so said Ralph Waldo Emerson in his extended poetic evocation of spring, May-Day. And had he the foresight to predict the Internet, he’d no doubt have agreed that the fiery force of the month renews not just the earth but also environmental blogs. So, if you’ve spent the month distracted by the wealth of forms, sidetracked by the flush of hues or even transported by joy in rosy waves outpoured, what did you miss on Isonomia?
The best gem of Isonomia’s cabinet, according to our readers, came courtesy of Wale Bakare, whose article on the waste management problems besetting Nigeria attracted readers from many African nations and was our most read piece of the month. Touring a number of the giant of Africa’s states, Wale highlighted the particular problems facing the capital and other densely populated areas, while seeing some prospect of a surer hope, provided that public opinion can be engaged, trained waste managers recruited and investment made in improved collections.
Placed second was a contribution from Erica Rose, the self-dubbed Crap Fairy. In his poem, Emerson enjoins the birds: your perfect virtues bring,/Your song, your forms, your rhythmic flight,/Your manners for the heart’s delight,/Nestle in hedge… Sadly, the main things nestling in the hedges adjoining the A170 in North Yorkshire appear to be pieces of litter, which Erica strives to tidy up. Her article provided insights into her own motivation and the magical thinking that appears to affect litterers.
We were delighted to welcome Ad Lansink back to the blog, to turn his thoughts to another one of the rungs of his ladder, the precursor of today’s waste hierarchy. His focus was again towards the top, in the form of an analysis of the economic and policy obstacles that hinder the expansion of re-use. Another familiar face was Peter Jones, who bravely delved into UKIP’s election manifesto to see what sense could be made of the party’s waste policies.
As the month drew to a close and gave way to the summer dells, by genius haunted we were pleased to be able to bring you two further articles again aspiring to that standard. First Dominic Hogg shared with readers the somewhat gloomy assessment of the UK’s prospects of meeting its Waste Framework Directive recycling targets. The piece was based on evidence he submitted to the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs Committee in advance of its inquiry into the effects of Defra’s decision to pull back from elements of its role in waste. And last of all, we were joined by another new author with concerns about litter – law lecturer Tom Appleby. Startled by the number of old cotton bud sticks he and a group of UWE students found washed up on Sand Bay, North Somerset, Tom has written to Johnson & Johnson to remind them of the law of public nuisance – and the possibility that selling products that are prone to end up as beach litter might be a breach of it.
Thanks to all those who commented on our articles; it’s something we and our authors really appreciate. Offering a platform for a variety of opinions and generating debate is what we’re all about, so if anything you’ve read here has made you want to get on your soap box or spoil your ballot paper, please do let us know through our comments section or even with an article of your own. We try to provide an informed but accessible viewpoint on a wide range of environment issues, so whether it’s recycling targets or reusing sofas that is on your mind, please do get in touch.
It’s easy to shift from visitor to commentator to author, and we’re always glad to hear from you. Whether you’re from Lagos or Leeds, Maidstone or Boulder, with your help we will create a space where thoughts on topics from across the environment sector can be expressed and explored, enabling communication and cross fertilisation of ideas.
Of course we continue to each month Lifting Better up to Best;/Planting seeds of knowledge pure and June will be no different. We have will be bringing you a new piece from Thomas Vergunst, author of our most read article, about how WEEE can be brought within the circular economy, and Peter Jones will be sharing some thoughts on how waste is managed at the World Cup. A lot more remains in the pipeline, so do keep coming back.
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