Tag: environmentalism

  • On Being Able to Walk to a Recycling Centre

    On Being Able to Walk to a Recycling Centre

    Reading Time: 3 minutesFor a few days I fled from the Caribana music festival because during this event it is impossible to sleep due to noise pollution. Switzerland, despite being so strict about other forms of noise pollution is lax about the noise pollution from music festivals. Most people plan holidays to flee it. I…

  • Two Interpretations of Mobilité Douce

    Two Interpretations of Mobilité Douce

    Reading Time: 3 minutesMy definition of Mobilité Douce and the Swiss definition are quite different. For me Mobilité Douce is walking, hiking, cycling and other sports that require a certain dedication and desire to cover long distances. In contrast Switzerland seems to see Mobilité Douce as going from home to the shops, while leaving the…

  • Electricity Maps and HomeAssistant

    Electricity Maps and HomeAssistant

    Reading Time: < 1 minuteThe building I live in has solar panels on the roof and a heat pump. This allows it to be more energy efficient than other buildings. It also has thick insulation on the walls and more. Recently I have been playing with Homeassistant and electricity Maps. Electricity Maps is a real…

  • Stress Testing the Ocean Drive Street E-Scooter

    Stress Testing the Ocean Drive Street E-Scooter

    Reading Time: 3 minutesYesterday I had to drive from Nyon to Founex to do a favour for someone. Normally I would have used the car but it was in for a tire change. I was switching from winter to summer tires at last. On the way to Founex I took farm roads as much as…

  • Recycled Computers and RAM

    Recycled Computers and RAM

    Reading Time: < 1 minuteI don’t like to go recycling for two reasons. I usually end my daily walk just at the time when the recycling centre opens during week days so I don’t want to go back and spend time that I could invest in other chores in something as relaxed as recycling. The…

  • CoffeeB – No Plastic, No Aluminium

    CoffeeB – No Plastic, No Aluminium

    Reading Time: 3 minutesI have played with Dolce Gusto machines and Nespresso machines and both of them have the same flaw. They’re quick and convenient when you’re preparing coffee but less convenient when you need to get rid of the capsules. With Nespresso getting rid of the aluminium capsules is easy, once you have a…

  • Life With an Electric Car

    Life With an Electric Car

    Reading Time: 2 minutesThe more I play with the electric car and the more I feel that it affects how I spend my time. Today I would have written a blog post before going out, but I didn’t. I didn’t write before going out because I knew that the battery would be down to 30…

  • Cycling from Nyon To Geneva and Back

    Cycling from Nyon To Geneva and Back

    Reading Time: 2 minutesCatching the train to Geneva and back to Nyon costs about 14CHF per day, depending on whether you have paid 180 CHF for the half fare or not. In contrast two Continent GP 5000 tires cost about 110CHF and you can go to Geneva and back a few hundred times.  The loop…

  • The Environmentally Unfriendly Farmer

    The Environmentally Unfriendly Farmer

    Reading Time: 2 minutesFor several months I was not bothered by the noise of an environmentally unfriendly farmer. This farmer loves to use a really old tractor. He loves to turn on the engine and let it run for minutes at a time, without moving. It is running now, as he fills the container with…

  • A Camera Bike

    A Camera Bike

    Reading Time: < 1 minuteIn Spain I keep seeing the BKL Prolimp bikes and I like them. They’re tricycles rather than bikes but I think they could be useful. Instead of transporting a broadcast camera and tripod in a car or smart you could transport them on the back of this bike. Instead of a…