h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi, Maggy and the 360 Team!

Further to my earlier query about becoming a part of the 360 Project!

I've managed to convince myself that I was possibly being over-cautious (almost to the point of paranoia!) when I was a bit 'cagey' about revealing the details of the project which has become close to my heart over the 2 years or so I've been researching it: some things you just HAVE to take on trust if you want to get anywhere!

I tried to e-mail you directly but got THREE 'undeliverable' messages for my pains: please let me know if there's a problem with the address?

BATTERIES
Specifically, single-use, non-rechargeable dry-cell batteries.

A frightening number of these simple items are discarded every day. In 1999 (the latest figures I have available) we in the UK discarded almost 800 MILLION of them, almost all of which will have finished up being buried in landfill sites with other household waste.

In about 25 - 30 years, these become "Somebody Else's Problem" (as a much cleverer man than me once said!) when they have corroded sufficiently to release the non-biodegradable toxins they contain (nickel,cadmium,lead .... traces of othr metals, sometimes including lovely stuff such as mercury ....)

These then pollute the subsoil and eventually work their way to the water table, polluting future water supplies.

THERE IS A SOLUTION!
But we in the UK have never seriously addressed the problem in the way our more environmentally aware European neighbours have done.
I would like to establish a collection & disposal scheme based on a highly successful & effective scheme I have seen in operation in Sweden and other places, which works by 'siphoning off' these items AT SOURCE and recycling what elements can be reused via a purpose built recycling facility. One exists in Sweden. There is another facility in France but so far I have had no luck getting a response from them.

So far I've had a lot of encouragement from everyone I've spoken to about the proposal. Talk, however, is cheap: trying to persuade anyone to back the idea with even a modest amount of funding to get it off the ground has been the one thing I've so far been unable to accomplish.

Any thoughts/offers of assistance/sealed brown envelopes filled with small-denomination notes etc. etc. will be greatly appreciated!!!

Not being too sure of the rules concerning telephone nos, e-mail addresses etc. I can be contacted here, or through the h2g2 Campsite

Hya (and happy Christmas),

How odd that you couldn't email me...I think I still exist. Perhaps you were trying Maggie rather than Maggy? It does confuse a few people. However, The Man with the Cat moves in mysterious ways and you've posted your idea instead. It looks great...but, as you say talk is cheap. What we have to see now is who comments; who picks up on it and if there is anyone who's willing to help make it a reality. In the meantime, I can post it for you as a proposed project (if you like).

This site will be going live in Mid-January when people will be able to access it directly via its name (360) and then we are expecting a lot more traffic - and things will start to happen.

I think what Richard (the founder of the site) really wants to to make sure that we can always find the Somebody Else who is dealing with the Somebody Else's Problem!

Best wishes,

Maggy