Copenhagen, already one of the most sustainable cities in the world, has launched a new reward system for tourists called CopenPay. If you travel by public transport or volunteer on a litter pick or at one of their urban farms, you can claim a variety of free activities.
It’s been gratifying to see the immediate binning of stupid ideas this week as the UK’s new government takes office. Among them is the withdrawal of government support for a new coal mine in Cumbria.
Well done Wales for passing a new bill that automatically registers voters for the first time, a simple measure for widening the electoral franchise that I hope to see adopted across the country in time. (Here’s the Electoral Reform Society briefing on why automatic registration is important.)
Teacher friends, get yourselves along to one of these conferences taking place all over England in September, looking at the many new ways to bring sustainability into education.
It’s been end of term performance season for parents this week as well as pre-summer rush in schools work, so again I haven’t got much writing done. I haven’t finished reading a book either, which is practically unheard of. So just the two posts, and a note on repair below.
This week’s articles
Meat the hybrid sausage
There was a quiet news item in the food industry press that caught my attention recently. Quorn is to be blended with meat for the first time in a range of new foods. I know, right? Hold the front page! Hear me out and I’ll get to why this is worth mentioning in a little…
What green policies have we won?
A couple of weeks ago a friend wrote to me about their frustration that climate change was scarcely visible in the election. How could something so important be so overlooked in the conversation? I replied that you could probably say the same about education, healthcare, the constitution, Brexit, and a number of other things. To…
How I fixed my Fairphone
Over the years I’ve mentioned Fairphone a number of times, for their modular design, their transparency in the supply chain, or their attempt to make devices that last longer than the standard mobile phone. Friends who were early adopters had a few complaints about the first iteration or two, so I held off until the Fairphone 3 came out, read the reviews and ordered one.
It’s now around four years old and has performed perfectly throughout, without slowing down noticeably the way some of my previous handsets have done. However, the screen started freezing recently when using the camera or playing a video. I ran updates, took it apart and cleaned it, and followed any troubleshooting tips without being able to resolve the problem. Then it froze me out entirely, no longer responding to the touchscreen to be able to enter a password. So I ordered a new screen module from Fairphone’s spare parts shop and installed it.
When you buy a Fairphone, it comes with a tiny screwdriver and the invitation to fix it yourself if needed. I have been divided over this, hoping I don’t have to use it while also rather looking forward to testing the repair process and seeing if it’s as easy as they claim. And then writing about it, naturally.
As it happens, the part arrived promptly. I removed 13 tiny screws and plugged the new screen in. It took about 15 minutes and it’s working perfectly again. So yes, it is as easy in practice as they intended. The step by step instructions and video tutorials are very clear, and most Fairphone users would have no trouble doing this kind of repair themselves.
The Fairphone isn’t cheap as handsets go, and neither are the parts, but if it lasts longer than other mobiles then ultimately it will balance out. Fairphone are so confident in their repair system that their latest version comes with €100 credit for spare parts, aiming to see you through until 2029. As they say, “the most sustainable phone is the one you keep.”
The Earthbound Report 