HP - the final frontier?

Captain Kirk (aka William Shatner) has declared war on HP over its continued use of toxic chemicals in IT products. In an action backed by Greenpeace, Shatner's voice was used in a recorded message that greeted HP staff arriving at their desks at its Palo Alto HQ. Greenpeace claims HP has gone back on a commitment to stop using brominated flame retardants and PVC in its products by 2009, and that its environmental record is poor compared to competitors like Acer, Apple, Dell and Lenovo.

Activists also painted the words "Hazardous Products" in (non-toxic finger) paint on the roof of HP's HQ.

The Big Lunch

A great idea from the Eden Project - The Big Lunch takes place this Sunday. The brainchild of Tim Smit and Paul Twivy, the idea is to help restore a sense of community in our neighbourhoods, despite the pace of life and increasingly fragmented social structures. So, on 19th July each year, The Big Lunch plans to bring together strangers and turn them into, if not friends, then at least acquaintances.

I really like The Big Lunch website - it has a comfortable style and offers guidance without being preachy. You can search for Big Lunches in you own area, and join in online. There are even great recipes from chefs like Jamie Oliver and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall.

We found out about it by visiting the Eden Project - and I'm not sure it has had time to gather enough momentum yet so suspect that this year it will be quite a small affair. But I'm already thinking about organising one next year, and I'm sure it has the potential to gather space year by year. And anything that brings communities together and reminds us of what we share, rather than what divides us, can only be a good thing.