what can you do? start here

It's a bit of a catchphrase with me. Or so Mrs Wombling Mum tells me:

"Sure, it's tough, but... what can you do?" I'll say.

"My brain's good for nothing today! Tut tut... what can you do?"

Or "Bloomin' typical, that! Ho hum... what can you do?"

I guess it's not a very constructive turn of phrase.

I guess you could say it might engender impotence and resignation.

I guess there's an argument for a champion of Making and Doing (and Mending!) to abandon an ineffectual affectation like that and plumb for something more positive.

But, well, I like it.  So,... erm,... ... what can you do?

The phrase is staying.

Doesn't mean we can't take the 'rhetorical' out of it, though, does it?

This is the first in a series of easy little lifestyle adaptations and mindful actions which anyone can adopt.  Which won't take much effort. And which make all the difference in the world.

This planet's not quite the place you'd love your children to grow up in?

What can you do?

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

I'll tell you what you can do...

"You must be the change you want to see in the world" - Mahatma Gandhi

small is beautiful

I'll let you into a secret: I'm a bit of a geek.

I want to find out as much as I can about loads of things.

I mean, not everything, of course (I don't really care too much about who's winning Pop Idol, for instance, or how to paint the perfect nails..), but quite a few things, for sure.

You can't do it all at once, though, can you? Little by little, step by step, and all that.  So a few weeks ago, Wombling (that's me) embarked on an eight-week, part-time eLearning course.  "See what it's like," I thought,  "after all, it's being offered free-of-charge.."

And what is it like?  Properly interesting, that's what! I'm really glad I enrolled.

"Introduction to Sustainability", run by Professor Jonathan Tomkin of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for coursera.org is pretty damn top, I'd say (assessment logistics/test feedback aside, at least).  You should check out what else coursera have got on offer - there are loads of different courses to choose from.

Anyway, quite apart from introducing me to new materials and concepts (this week I'm just getting to grips with the 'Tragedy of the Commons' - ooh-er, missus!), the course has been reminding me of some great lecture videos off t'interweb.

One of them, an absolute classic which everyone should watch, is this eight-parter (find the other 7 parts through the links on YouTube) all about interpreting statistics, what percentages really represent, exponential growth, and how quickly tiny numbers can have devastating effects.

See, this maths - and its comprehension by the average Joe - is blatantly imperative for the health - nay, the very survival - of ourselves and the planet, don't you rec? Glad you watched it? I was!

And they say small things can't make a difference.


Humbug.




"Inch by inch, life's a synch... Yard by yard it's very hard" - Wombling's mum's wisdom, inherited from I know not where.

"If you think a small thing can't make a difference, try going to sleep with a mosquito in the room!" - Anon.

"Never underestimate the ability of a small group of committed individuals to change the world.  Indeed, they are the only ones who ever have." - Margaret Mead

these are wombling times!

As it's Thanksgiving Weekend in the USA right now I thought I'd get in the spirit of things with a first blog entry dedicated my fabulous namesake Wombles and their creator Elisabeth Beresford, who sadly passed away a little under a year ago.

As a self-declared womble-at-heart, these lovable upcyclers and the originality and playfulness of their stories have clearly been somewhat influential on my life; for that I feel moved to express a bit of thanksgiving gratitude.. and what better way than with celebratory video clip?

They're just such reassuring little fellows, aren't they? Quite happy to go about their business, quietly tidying up after the rest of us whilst making sure to take time out for kindness and crosswords. Although I'd like to think Uncle Bulgaria might've changed his newspaper preference in light of recent events (!), there's not much you can say to fault them. Wombles rock.