Today is one of the latter. I love the word “lassitude”. which means tiredness and a lack of energy and is more physically based I suspect than it’s relatives. Not the same as attitude, aptitude or even lackadaisical (lacking enthusiasm and determination). I can’t say it is depression as such. How on earth foreigners learn English is beyond me. Indians can speak English but they do not understand it, and I think it’s the same with the Chinese. You have to feel the language.
I was due to have a meeting this morning with someone on the Internet, but this had to be put off for this afternoon but by the time the afternoon arrived I was too tired so had to cancel. I can’t only blame the hernia operation on this but I think it does have widespread effect as does any insult to the body. It is clear that I may not do physical work at least until I am declared fit by the doctor.
Yesterday evening, we went to a talk entitled “waste and plastic: it’s not all bad news.” Local entrepreneur and adventurer, Craig Shaw, explained how his career influenced his understanding of microbiology and how he developed the XO thermic technology process to recover energy from both organic and mixed waste streams. Craig shared how larger companies are tackling plastics and introduced us to research that is ongoing to resolve the plastics legacy. I was amazed to hear that microbes can eat plastic sometimese in as little as 72 hours. All that is necessary is to add a certain ingredient into currently manufactured plastics so they will become attractive to microbes.
Craig does not think that households have to separate garbage into up to 7 categories and says the two categories, biodegradable and others, is quite adequate.
Craig said that it is an uphill battle selling the idea to local authorities because they already have their views on how material should be disposed of, with concomitant financial benefits to those in the east chain so a cost-effective method which benefits the environment is not interesting to these people and he believes seen as a threat. He says that he ‘has to just keep on hammering away’. He’s had a fascinating life as a freelance diver working in many countries and I noticed in myself a tinge of jealousy when I saw how someone could pack so much in to one lifetime and currently he didn’t seem that old.
In these days of bad news, it is very interesting to hear such solutions.
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