rubbish at Brave New Films

Message in a bottle from Glastonbury

2008-11-22T16:30:44Z

MI7 and the Recycled Orchestra created a Message in a Bottle from Glastonbury to the world

Dump closure plans threaten Cambodia's poor - 15 June 08

2008-10-26T09:31:07Z

Authorities in Phnom Penh, the Cambodian capital, are planning to close the local dump, but that decision will affect the livelihood of many rural poor who have travelled to the city in search of work.

Al Jazeera's Fauziah Ibrahim reports from Phnom Penh on the Cambodians who will lose their homes if the dump is closed.

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Freegans: Dining out on New York's rubbish

2008-10-21T09:29:34Z

Known as "Freegans", some people in the US are trying to live off what the argue are the tons of food thrown out by Americans each day.

Al Jazeera's Kristen Saloomey reports from New York on a movement that is, by choice, eating from the city's rubbish bins.

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Is Recycling a Waste of Time?

2008-10-18T03:31:04Z

Complete video at: fora.tv

German journalist and commentator Thomas Deichman argues that most modern recycling methods are a waste of time and money.

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"Recycling is a Waste of Time" at the 2007 Battle of Ideas conference hosted by the Institute of Ideas.

With rubbish a major political issue, and threats from councils that residents might be fined if they do not sort their waste correctly, recycling has become a hot political issue. But, why bother to recycle? The benefits are far from indisputable. According to advocates of the new green orthodoxy, recycling is essential if we are to reduce pollution and alleviate global warming, but given its limited impact on CO2 emissions, it often seems as if the imperative to recycle has more to do with conspicuous ‘good citizenship’ than efficient waste management. Perhaps recycling is not only an inconvenient, but an unnecessary part of our daily routines.

Some have hailed the recycling industry of Mumbai as an economic model that we should all take notice of. Many inhabitants of the Indian city spend their time sorting dumped rubbish for recycling. But, how does this resource efficiency match up to our standards of human efficiency? Might a certain amount of wasted material be a price worth paying for the freedom to spend time on other things?- Institute of Ideas

Thomas Deichmann is founder and since 1992 Editor in Chief of the bi-monthly German magazine Novo, published in Frankfurt. Since 1993 he has worked as a freelance journalist and researcher for numerous quality papers across Europe.

During the 90s, Deichmann'’s journalism covered international relations and the civil war in the former Yugoslavia. Since 1999 he has focused his research and writing on science topics, and modern biotechnology in particular. His investigative journalism and his ‘enlightenment’ approach repeatedly cause international and national wide debates. He has appeared on radio and TV repeatedly.

He studied Civil Engineering at Darmstadt University and was awarded his diploma in 1989, spending some years working at Darmstadt University and as a freelance engineer.

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Digging through South Africa's dumps - 3-Nov-07

2008-10-22T21:30:07Z

Not everyone in South Africa is benefiting from the country's economic prosperity, with many of the poor left to scavange through the country's rubbish dumps just to make a living.

Al Jazeera's Kalay Maistry reports from Johannesburg, on the dangers the scavangers face.

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Pozzuoli. Un giorno di ordinaria spazzatura. "Falling Down"

2008-11-22T16:38:19Z

15 giugno 2007. Mattina, ore 10. Esco a comprare il giornale. A 50 metri dall'edicola, vedo una vecchietta -bassina, borsetta a tracolla, vestito color crema-; appoggia la fronte al palo di un lampione pubblico. Mi avvicino preoccupato "Tutto bene, signora?". La vecchina si scuote; s'era forse assopita: "sì, sì, giovanotto. Stavo solo prendendo un po' d'ombra. Da quando la pensilina è stata distrutta da un incidente d'auto, la Ctp non l'ha più rimessa. Ma d'inverno, quando piove, non vi dico!". Inveisco. Compro il giornale; i soliti titoli, così lontani. Torno verso casa, e questa è la scena che mi si propone. La strada è a Monterusciello, in un quartiere che conta più di 28mila abitanti, e che sconta più si 20 anni d'incuria pubblica. I Suv e le station wagon vi passano a forte velocità. Con più cautela, le donne. I ragazzini, ridendo, fanno gimkana con le biciclette. La natura è un personaggio ormai di contorno.La pensilina fantasma era solo un lieve preambolo. La spazzatura come normalità, paesaggio, consuetudine. Mai porre limiti alla realtà...

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