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Monthly Archive for September, 2011

Introducing ASAP!

Published on September 26, 2011 in Living ASAP. 2 Comments

As you’ve probably noticed, there are a lot of challenges going on in the world, ecologically, socially and economically. The web is complex and it sure can feel sticky at times. In fact, your concern for it all might be what’s brought you here. Applause! We need you, we need everybody.

Enter Baglady, with her superpositive message to share. She wants to share what we can DO, right NOW, to feel less ‘caught’ in the web and more an integral ‘part’ of it. Baglady’s mission is all about saving the world ASAP, which not only means as SOON as possible, but also as sustainably as possible. So we’ve put together a series of videos to help you know a bit better what it means to live ASAP as well as connect you with other people, organizations, businesses etc., that are doing their best to make a difference.

Stay tuned! It’s time to inspire one another to rid ourselves of rubbish habits and rubbish thoughts!

Excellent Ballymena ASAP has begun!!!

Published on September 24, 2011 in Living ASAP. Leave a Comment Tags: , , , , .

Not 9/11. 22/9/11

A date for New Northern Ireland history; when businesses large and small, local and multinational, came together with people of the community in a meeting about what I call Excellent Ballymena ASAP [As Sustainably As Possible]; hosted at ECOS by Ballymena Council. Both Ballymena Times and Guardian are reporting on the meeting. Look out for people and business and community characters you know… including major employers such as Michelin, Wrightbus, Patton and Moy Park. It’s all happening, at last.

Next week Ballymena Council staff are to go through a sustainability exercise in energy use in council centres throughout the town/borough. Council’s Clive Kyle said that, as these centres are in varying degrees used by the public, council staff will be interacting on the days of this exercise, with any of the public using the buildings. I suggested that Baglady might be in one of those council centres at the right time, to see what was going on, perhaps add my views correct or incorrect and get the story out to the world. So I’ll be at Ardeevin on Wednesday.

I reckon it’s time to END 2 things: Waste, and Bad News. We at Baglady have loads of GOODnews stories to share. We all need to hear these stories, and we need to hear them now. As local people especially children and teachers, have led our political leaders [eg Storey, Paisley Jnr, McKay, Frew] towards sustainable living, using the simple messages of ASAP, so local newspapers must lead the way to the regional, national and global media.

As Baglady, I have thousands, maybe millions of people already leaning in to hear my little bit of this massive story. They want to know more, say more, do more, not because I’m a celeb or sexy item, thank goodness those days are over! but because I’m talking sense about our children’s and grandchildren’s future and, broadly, we all agree.

This is what we met about on 22/9/11.

Our next meeting will be 27/1/12; join us ASAP…

GLO online with Baglady, Friends&Family and help save the world.

Coleraine, Dungannon, Ballymena in latest ASAP events

Published on September 20, 2011 in Uncategorized. Leave a Comment Tags: , , , .

Great meeting last Friday with Coleraine Mayor Maurice Bradley, and Environmental Health director Kieran Doherty, who have responsibility for a beautiful and varied borough, with stunning coastline and rich rural. Coleraine are to table the ASAP Pledge Resolution – still in preparation with Armagh council – and take part in Baglady’s proposed Shop ASAP film project, for European Waste Reduction Week [Nov 19-27]

Visits this week to Dungannon Integrated College – where Baglady will talk with 3 Year 10 classes about their take on Climate Change and what to do about it. Also meeting Mayor and others from Dungannon Council. Our 2007 Dungannon NEEDabag film is on this website and Youtube.

Reports next blog on this, and our Thursday Ballymena meeting: Excellent Ballymena ASAP, hosted by Ballymena Mayor Hubert Nicholl at the ECOS Centre. 2pm.

Look out also for our ASAP map and details of how to TASAP - Travel ASAP with Baglady, friends and family….

donaldson 1st MP in ASAP round 3

Published on September 16, 2011 in Green News and Pledge ASAP. Leave a Comment Tags: , , , .

MP Jeffrey Donaldson DUP

MP Jeffrey Donaldson DUP

Great news. Only hours after we started Pledge ASAP round 3, by contacting all our unpledged NI MPs, Jeffrey Donaldson, DUP MP for Lagan Valley came through with his pledge: turning off lights and doing more walking and cycling. Jeffrey’s the 8th local MP; with 2 more promised.

We’ve also got former UK Environment Minister Michael Meacher who wants us to get 50 MPs on board ASAP. And I want to get this sorted before I set sail for Australia. So scratch your heads MPs: who among your new friends at Westminster will take this daring pledge. On yer bikes fellas!

And please, anyone who reads this: Pledge ASAP, pass it on and send us news of anyone you know who should be joining us. Famous or unknown. THINK about our children’s future NOW.

Off to Coleraine Council today to meet the Mayor and Director of Environmental Services. More later….

best beams,

Baglady

remembering September 11: a Baglady shout about ending war

Published on September 10, 2011 in Events and Friends of Baglady. 1 Comment Tags: , , .

The Dalai Lama said [1994: 'no matter how pure and positive the motivation for violence... it is very difficult to predict the consequences [so] it is always better to avoid a situation that may require violent means.’

I can only agree, and hope we humans are capable of learning the lesson. We can’t afford any more war and destruction, and we know quite well how to do it otherwise.

Peace and War: 9/11 stories a book by photographer Geoff Bromilow and author Kathryn Pentecost, launches at the Melbourne City Library Gallery

Mural New York

Mural New York

Including work like this photo of a mural in New York.

Larne stars, Omagh stars, BBC stars…

Published on September 7, 2011 in Uncategorized. Leave a Comment Tags: , , , , .

Here’s one of the GOOD things that’s happening in Northern Ireland.

As you go in the front door at Larne Borough Council, guess what you see?

larne leiterdorp sm.jpg

This is just like Baglady’s Leiterdorp. It shows how much solar energy I/we are generating at any moment of the day, how much energy we’ve created for the general grid and our own use, and how much carbon dioxide we’ve NOT created. Bloomin wonderful.

Well done Larne.

And well done Omagh. The Salad Bowl features as the first sustainable shop in our new SASAP series [Shop As Sustainably as Possible with Baglady Friends & Family, around Northern Ireland, around the world. Check youtube, and let us know where YOU shop ASAP. A vital part of Living ASAP.

GOOD news about the BBC. On October 29th, days before her departure from Antwerp, sailing for Australia via the oceans of the world, Baglady will be on air with John Toal on Radio Ulster’s Saturday Live

walking by the river Braid

Published on September 4, 2011 in Living ASAP. Leave a Comment Tags: , , .

First autumn mists by my river. I walk there, I pick up rubbish there.

It’s changed a lot since the dry weather 5 years ago, when Matthew and his cousin picked this dead fish out of the water. There were scores maybe hundreds of dead fish – did anyone ever find out why?

Braid fish 1.jpg

5 years on, we’ve had so much rain, the shape of the river’s changing; I think there’s less rubbish but maybe it’s just the summer growth. A lot of trees seem to have died off and I haven’t seen the heron or the ducklings this year.

A few months back, I reported oil on the water. I still haven’t heard who was responsible, or how big the fine was.

Our rivers, loughs and seashores need care and respect. Who’s picking up and where?? Come on Ballymena. Come on Northern Ireland. Come on world.

Next blog: Thur Sept 7: Larne, or Omagh….

best beams, Baglady

Is anyone out there listening? Baglady asks…

Published on September 1, 2011 in Uncategorized. 1 Comment Tags: , , , , , .

1st drafted August 15th; pik: August 30; PS: Sept 1…

Aren't we gorgeous? BL and Moyle chairperson Paudie McX.jpg

is anyone out there listening? cos I’ve got lots of GOOD news to share…. [says me, Baglady]

I was always told when I was training as a journalist, that GOOD news is not news, that the only good news is BAD news

and I have news! for you brothers, sisters

BAD news has had its day: we are over it. [I even know journalists who are, over it]

it’s time for us ALL/S to get together and save this world for and with our children. Anybody out there?

my message is floating towards you in a bottle, from the high seas of the world [or will be in a couple on months]

and if YOU see that bottle… and you don’t reach over, pick it out of the water, open it, read the message and SHOUT the GOOD news to the world, the danger is, the bottle could drift away into the wide ocean, and no one ever find it……

which would be the greatest tragedy, ever…

so keep watching this space
and get ready to leap
on board Baglady’s Ark…. calling at your nearest port and harbour in the next few weeks and months….

we’ve got good news emerging as we speak which will bring together the fine excellent people of Armagh, Ballymena, Coleraine, Derry, Edinburgh, Fermanagh, Lisboa, Vence, Vancouver, Ballyeamon, Ahoghill, Labibela and of course ‘Australia’… and so the list goes on… avec Michelin de Ballymena, JTI, Wrightbus, Harryville Primary School, the Guardian and the Times; oh yeah and the DoENI…. and Translink. And Nigel the Devine.

PS the latest to join us are Moyle, smallest [and most beautiful?] council in the country, folks.. + Larne, Ballymoney, Limavady... there’s a whole lot already on board and we’re working through the list, so we can tell you who they are and what they’re doing…. WATCH this space and look out for bottles.

and the MOST amazing news of all: I can’t believe it!!! Northern Ireland is getting cleaner. I’ve got pictures. Why? Because wise people are starting to bend the knee and pick up. And other wise people are stopping dropping; and feeling good about it, telling their friends. If you’ve got pictures: send them to us ASAP. And NIEA, and Tidy Northern Ireland. Pledge ASAP and pass on in any way you can…… best beams, Baglady