Just gone fishing

It seems that if we carry on as we are, the phrase "just gone finishing" may be one of the past as there will be nothing to catch. A new documentary, The End of the Line, has predicted that by 2048 we could have hunted the world's fish popluation to extinction.

What really struck me about the situation are the numbers...

• Global fishing industry is subsidised to the tune of about $14bn a year
• 90% of Europe's fish stocks are over-fished
• 40-60% of fish caught a year are thrown over the side (to keep within EU quotas)
• The mouth of the largest commercial net is big enough to swollow 12 jumbo jets
• 70% of the worlds fish stocks are now fully exploited

The difficulty is that not only are governments trying to protect their interests (i.e. the country's fishing industry) which often leads them to ignore scientific advice, but we are also being advised to eat more fish (the Foods Standards Agency is still pushing its "eat two [fish] a week" campaign). Worldwide we are now eating five times as much fish as we did in 1950 and, in the UK, sales of fresh fish outstripped fresh poultry for the first time last year.

So what is the solution? Should we stop eating fish? Just yesterday Paul McCartney suggested we should have Meat Free Mondays. Should we add to that Fish Free Fridays?

The situation is complex and, although there is some hope from sustainable fishing policies in countries such as New Zealand, there needs to be co-ordinated bold moves from governments around the world. After all if we don't act now we'll be dealing with the collapse of an entire industry and not just the fact that there's no fish to go with our chips.

Dynamic Demand - coming soon?

How do we feel about electricity companies controlling when our fridge compressor kicks in, or our dishwasher does its stuff? Gordon thinks it' s good idea and you have to say he has a point. At the moment UK electricity consumption fluctuates wildly from 30 to 60 gigawatts through the day and the only tool that engineers at National Grid have to cope with the spikes in demand is the "spinning reserve" . This simply means that additional power stations are kept running, but their electricity output is not used, just to be ready for any increase in demand. Estimates suggest that we produce over 2 million tonnes of unnecessary CO2 each year, just in case we all decide to have a cup of tea at the same time.

Dynamic demand attempts to divert attention from the supply side and refocus on managing demand, in order to smooth out the profile. In practical terms this means re engineering domestic appliances like fridges, dishwashers and immersion heaters to "listen" to the grid and operate when demand is low, not high. This seems like a good idea but I'm sure we'll see resistance from those (probably climate change protesters!) who feel their privacy is being invaded.

The role out of smart meters next year will pave the way for this sort of intelligent grid and it seems like it's only a matter of time before you'll be able to blame the utility company for forgetting to turn the dishwasher on.

On yer bike!

Assuming that London Underground don't reach an agreement with the RMT in the next couple of hours, I'll be joining the throngs of commuters cycling into work tomorrow. Actually, I do try and cycle when possible, but as the rest of the team will tell you, I'm very much a fair weather cyclist - however, it doesn't look like I'll have much of a choice tomorrow if the BBC forecast is to be believed.

Interesting to see that TfL are organising extra cycle parking and escorted cycle routes for the influx of new cyclists turning out onto the roads tomorrow. Perhaps this is the start of a cycling revolution. Who knows? But look out for me tomorrow as I dodge the rain showers and the strikers. 

Ahem, I’ll just dig out my Manolos…

I’ve always been a bit scared of shopping in charity shops – it just seems a bit of a hassle! I don’t think I’m alone in thinking this, although the recession has seen a change with more people beginning to turn to charity shops and their second hand bargains. Mary Portas is leading the way with her charity shop revival campaign showcased on BBC2’s Mary Queen of Charity Shops and featured in today’s G2.

Great idea, updating the frumpy charity shop image, encouraging us to adopt a more sustainable approach to fashion and even creating a way for charities to forge links with businesses - but is it really going to work? I’m sceptical, especially as her successful ‘flagship’ store in Westfield Shopping Centre was filled with designer items donated by ‘fashion pals’ and Grazia readers…

Beautiful - but vacuous?

Today is World Environment Day – but being an eco-aware sort of a person you knew that already, right?

It also sees the release of Home, a documentary made by Yann Arthus-Bertrand (famous for his Earth from the Air photography) about the earth's fragile eco-system and the impact of human excesses. If you have an hour and a half to spare, you can watch the whole thing on a dedicated YouTube channel.

French luxury brand owner PPR has backed the film to the tune of 12 million Euros, allowing it to be given away for free to distributors. It’s an interesting (some would say risky) move for the owners of Gucci, Balenciaga, Yves Saint Laurent and Puma - not well known for their environmental credentials.

Narrated by Glenn Close (and Salma Hayek in the Spanish version) it has that polished, glossy feel that you’d expect from a company like PPR. And it’s undoubtedly beautifully shot. But as with all these kind of films, their value depends on their ability to engage with individuals who aren't already signed up to the green agenda. Am I really going to invest time in watching this if I'm not someone who is already pretty interested in the environment and committed to doing my bit? Or are these grand scale cinematic projects aimed at creating an emotional response exactly what we need to change the way people think about climate change?

Let us know what you think...

Can we blame the fatties?

Jonathan Porritt’s claim that fat people are causing climate change got a lot of discussion going in our office. As someone who has been called ‘fattist’ in the past and who assumes that most fat people are lazy and unmotivated, I was the first to put my hand up and agree.

But is it really that simple? Yes they eat more meat and processed foods and get out on their bikes less but does that mean they have a bigger carbon footprint? There is a strong correlation between obesity and lower social-economic class and although they eat more, they probably fly less and live in smaller houses. If we ever moved to a carbon quota system I reckon it may be the thin affluent people who end up buying credits from the poor fat people, not the other way around.

Putting customers first

The recession is a tough time for lots of people and it is pretty difficult to see any silver linings. However, one that I have noticed recently is the fact that it is forcing many companies to put their customers back at the top of their priority list.

Suddenly we are seeing companies discounting their rates, offering new packages, and generally pulling out all of the stops to keep hold of their customers. Even if we are unemployed, companies want to keep us as customers. Check out this recent article in the FT.

It may be self-interested, but it certainly helps some companies get back to basics.