I find myself in Adelaide at an English teachers' conference to which I won a scholarship. The prospect of travelling and remaining as 'sustainable' as possible is actually quite difficult, although I think that on balance I've managed to do okay. Essentially this is because I didn't fly. I came over on the train, which besides being fun, is - I think - a much more sustainable way to travel. (I also just watched this thing about 'slow life' I think it was called, in Japan, and it really was nice to have a 'slow' experience of getting here). Of course I purchased food on board that would not have been sustainably made. And really, food is the biggest issue. Because I'm in a hotel without cooking facilities and my lunch is provided at the conference, I don't have a lot of choice in what I eat. It has to be made by someone else and for the masses = generally unsustainable. The hotel seems quite good with their energy usage - those long life bulbs and not changing sheets/towels every day, although their tvs are on standby power. Of course, I'm not that good at home so I can't say much. But, I have only travelled in buses and trams since I got here and mostly I've walked, so that's good. On Thursday I have a free day during which I'll hire one of the free bikes they provide here to do a bit of sightseeing. Then it is back on a bus and the train home.
I did see something quite disturbing today, however. In a session about the multiliteracies of children (younger than 10) we were being told about Penguin Club - kind of like Second Life for kiddies - and how one of the main activities is playing games (that seem to resemble blue collar work) for coins they can swap for clothes and things for their igloos. The 'economisation' of these children into functional consumers at younger than 10 is very scary.
Pitiful Discourse?
14 years ago
