Modelling eco-systems with Google search tool
August 7, 2008
The Google PageRank formula can be used to model changes to the structure of food webs in an eco-system.
Eco-systems often contain many different species which depend on each other in complex ways. Working out how population changes and extinctions affect the food web is difficult. But finding out which species are key predators and prey in these webs is vital if species or eco-systems are to be protected.
Try searching Cuil for itself.
Cuil isn’t self-aware!
And some other strange results… neither by popularity nor relevance.
Cool Cuil Knowledge
July 28, 2008
Cuil‘s the new search engine on the block. Cuil claims it searches over 120 billion pages, “three times as many as Google and ten times as many as Microsoft”. Cuil says it uses relevancy, not just popularity.
Is it any good?
Merged Books e-Merge Again
July 14, 2008
“Machiavelli’s The Little Prince” – Antoine de Saint-Exupery’s classic children’s tale as presented by Machiavelli. The whimsy of human nature is embodied in many delightful and intriguing characters, all of whom are executed.
Merged Books – two best-selling titles for the price of one.
But who’s got the catalogue?
A reader asks, “What do you know about this symbol? It seems to appear on various organisations’ e-mails. Where does it come from? Is it an official symbol? Can anyone use it?”
The short answer: Anyone can use it. It’s not an official symbol. It’s gained use by popular appeal.
Is it worth using? That’s an entirely different question…
The etiquette of absence
June 2, 2008
How can you tell if a blog has turned into a deadblog? Or when its owner is just too busy?
I expect to get back to regular blogging by the end of June. Meanwhile, from time to time, … perhaps something.
3Rs – Reuse R Repeatedly
March 26, 2008
Say “R R R” and you sound like a barking sea lion!
Once the expression the 3 Rs just stood for “Reading, Writing, Arithmetic”. A catchy little slogan to capture the three important things to learn at school, the 3Rs have long caused either confusion or the opportunity for kids to laugh iRonically at ‘rents’ and teachers’ rules.
Not anymore. Educators take liberties with them, including upgrades to the 4 Rs. Business people have found uses for them too. And there are a few others just to make sure the letter doesn’t feel rejected, not last of which is the eco-friendly slogan.
A diversionary story of changing times, reflected in one letter…
eco-symbols update 2
March 19, 2008
I’ve been in touch with the Green Achiever Scheme about concerns I raised in an earlier entry. The conversation with them gives some good answers, and then some more.
Jyotsna Kotian of Alok Industries Limited, an Indian textile company , commented on my EU Eco-labelarticle asking for some guidance on how to apply. Although I can’t give legal advice, at least I can point them in the right direction. Alok’s Environment, Health and Safety Policy commitments are straightforward and significant. Good Luck to them.
That lead to me correcting a big mistake (that I made) in that article, The EU Eco-label: flowering across Europe.
Two more sites for Recycling Symbols for Print and Web Designers.
Another Finnish site for the Nordic Ecolabel Swan: Scandinavian co-operation.
Edits to the tags to make them more consistent and to connect articles together, particularly Agenda 21. This led in turn to adding more content to Eco-Schools, to reflect its importance as a programmme fitting into Local Agenda 21.
This entry updates parts of the Infomancy Eco-Symbols Series.
Ecolabels: One world, but not one word
March 17, 2008
There are lots of eco-labels for different purposes, and lots of words to name them.
Perhaps as more people write about ecological issues, the tags will help link more articles together.
This list is based on ecolabel in the GEMET Thesaurus(Eionet) and ecolabel on OmegaWiki, with additions as I discover them. Eionet is the European Environment Information and Observation Network. GEMET is their GEneral Multilingual Environmental Thesaurus.
| “ecolabel” | ||
| Български | Bulgarian | еко-етикет |
| Čeština | Czech | značka ekologická |
| Dansk | Danish | miljømærke |
| Deutsch | German | Ökomark, Umweltzeichen |
| Ελληνικά | Greek | οικολογικό σήμα |
| English | English | ecolabel |
| Español | Spanish (Castillian) | etiqueta ecolígica |
| Eesti keel | Estonian | ökomärgis, keskkonnamärgis |
| Euskara | Basque | ekoetiketa; etiketa ekologiko |
| Français | French | écolabel |
| Magyar | Hungarian | ökocímke |
| Italiano | Italian | marchio di qualità ecologica |
| Nederlands | Dutch | milieukeur(merk) |
| Norsk | Norwegian (Bokmål) | miljømerke |
| Polski | Polish | ekoetykieta |
| Português | Portuguese | rótulo ecológico |
| Русский | Russian | экоэтикетка |
| Slovenčina | Slovakian | ekologická značka |
| Slovenščina | Slovenian | ekonalepka |
| Suomi | Finnish | ympäristömerkki |
| Svenska | Swedish | miljömärke |
I am making the information in the Table available under the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
If you know of any more translations, comment please!
This entry is part of the Infomancy Eco-Symbols Series.
Green Coast Award – enhancing unspoilt rural beaches
March 12, 2008
The Green Coast Award is for beaches in Wales and Ireland which meet EC bathing water quality standards and provide a natural, unspoilt environment, meaning that “the special character of such a beach may not be compatible with the level of infrastructure and intensive management generally associated with more urban, traditional seaside resort beaches”.
The Green Coast Award fills a gap left by the Blue Flag Programme. Like the Blue Flag, the Green Coast Award has clear objectives and community involvement in coastal management.
Infomancy 