On The Road is an important book for a number of reasons. It is credited with beginning, or at least catalysing, the American road-story genre. Much like other books of the same movement, On The Road is important because it was so shocking and graphic for its time. Kerouac spoke explicitly about drugs, sex and “bum” life. These are all themes that were central to the “Beat” movement that the book belongs to. The story is reality thinly veiled with pseudonyms. Sal Paradise (Kerouac) and Dean Moriarty (Neal Cassidy) spend their days chasing women, drinking excessively and hitching rides across…
Author: Georgia Mannion
We at Seren have been saving some summer treats for you, dear readers. We have a ridiculously easy competition to give away the following books: 1. Environmentalism begins at home! Reduce, Reuse, Recycle: An easy household guide 2. For those of you who have come to the end of your loans: How To Save The Planet On A Student Budget 3. For the seasonal chef! The Good Table: Adventures in and around my kitchen 4. For the environmental philosopher. On Extinction: How We Came Became Estranged from Nature So the question is: Seren is printed on 100% recycled paper, true…
As I write this, I am 3000 words away from the end of my degree. A degree that I have reluctantly struggled through because when I filled in my UCAS form 4 years ago, I barely knew myself let alone what I wanted to do with my life. If you could go back, what would you tell yourself? Not to worry about missing your old school friends? To appreciate having meals cooked for you while you’re still at home? To pick different halls or to pick a different university altogether? I would tell myself not to listen to anyone who…
The FBI defines eco-terrorism as “the use or threatened use of violence of a criminal nature against people or property…for environmental-political reasons, or aimed at an audience beyond the target, often of a symbolic nature.” Unlike actual terrorists, ecoterrorists attack money, not people. They are known for burning down buildings that contribute to pollution, destruction of a natural area or promote urbanisation. The Earth Liberation Front (ELF), established in Brighton in 1992, was the first organisation to be labelled “eco-terrorists” when an American cell burned down a ski resort in Colorado costing the owners $12m. Elf claimed afterwards that “of clearcuts will…
Treehugger This website is very well organised, it’s easy to navigate which is useful because it covers so much ground. The news section is useful and interesting but there are so many areas of interest covered, it’s easy to get lost on there for a good while. Life Goggles This one is interesting because although it’s packed with reviews of everything you could ever need, it also comes up with some nice little gems. We especially like the book reviews. Environmental Graffiti We can’t say much more about this blog than it is SO INTERESTING. There are features on things…
It’s nice to hear that our solar slashing, nuclear initiating government is looking into sourcing energy from a clean and sustainable source. Iceland’s abundance of geothermal energy has attracted the attention of the energy minister, Charles Hendry, who has suggested plans for a European supergrid which would be “an absolutely critical part of energy security and for low- carbon energy”, The Guardian reported. The plan has been called ambitious by the Department of Energy and Climate but perhaps something as “radical” as utilising Iceland’s volcanoes is exactly what is needed, not only to sustain the UK’s energy needs but also…
For all our talk about local food, it has occurred to us that if you did want to venture out of your supermarket comfort zone, you might not know what to expect. As it turns out, the door opposite the counter in Dimensions isn’t an office. Nor will you startle an unsuspecting yoga instructor in use of a compost toilet. It’s where they keep the vegetables! I was as happily surprised by this news as I assume you are. The staff are keen to help and to chat so for the anxious local-shopping virgin there is nothing to worry about.…
Oil moguls plan to profit from dangerous oil extraction through untouched rainforest You would think that after everything that happened around the BP Deepwater oil disaster in 2010 the world might be waking up to the dangers of oil. There might be higher demand for safer, cleaner energy, better technology and for the “fuel of the future” to be something this planet can sustain. Unfortunately Enbridge, the North American oil and gas pipeline company, has plans for a new crude oil pipeline to transport oil from the Alberta Tar Sands to various destinations across the US and the world.…
Longfin pilot whales, like killer whales, are really dolphins. They are sociable cetaceans living in large pods which can communicate through high pitched sounds. Despite having an “unfavourable conservation status” by ASCOBANS, a regional agreement on the protection of small cetaceans (like pilot whales), they are also a staple food for many of our nordic cousins. According to The World Council of Whalers “Many coastal communities rely on the cultural, nutritional and economic sustenance whaling provides”. Though a fair evaluation of the motives for these practices they also say “whaling people today are a far cry from the industrial whalers…
Insulate your windows If you don’t have double glazing (and your landlord isn’t interested in providing it) you can tape cling film over the glass in your windows. Make sure you leave no gaps and use a hairdryer to heat it and create a vacuum. It should last you all winter. Reflect heat from your radiators If you have a gap between your radiators and the wall, stick tinfoil (shiny side out) behind the radiator to reflect the heat back into the room that would otherwise be wasted on heating the wall. Let the sun shine in If…