On this week's Earth Beat: Europe bans the old-school 100W incandescent light bulbs; a bridge in Mumbai may ease congestion but at what cost; and we explore the merits of the Repair Manifesto.
No more 100W bulbs in Europe
Europe’s hardware and DIY stores are preparing for a last rush this weekend to buy old-style 100W incandescent light bulbs. As of September they will be not be available anywhere in the EU – sacrificed in the battle against global warming. And, over the next 3 years, all lower wattage incandescent bulbs will be phased out too. Their disappearance has provoked protests from a wide range of traditionalists, who dislike the light emitted by new low-energy bulbs, the idea of being told what to do and the price of newer bulbs. Thijs Westerbeek went to a lighting shop in Amsterdam to check out what’s left on offer for consumers.
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Pros and cons to a new bridge in Mumbai
Mumbai is India’s Manhattan. It’s a hip-happening over-populated island of a city whose inhabitants fight a daily battle through gridlocked traffic to get to work. A new bridge called the Sealink - hailed as a showcase of Indian engineering - now straddles the inlet of Mahim Bay and promises to cut congestion by 75%. Commuters may be pleased but the project has been dogged by controversy and objections, particularly from Mumbai’s fishing community who claim that since construction started, fish have disappeared. Earth Beat's Marnie Chesterton went to investigate.
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A Repair Manifesto challenges the throw-away society
Have you ever thrown away something you know can probably be fixed? Your Ipod breaks and you cringe at your dependence on the Apple store. Or perhaps your washing machine is busted and you have a hunch that it's something simple, but you haven't got a clue. That feeling of helplessness as you realize that all your years of education have taught you nothing of mechanics or electronics. Earth Beat's Jan Huisman takes you along in search of empowerment, prompted by a Repair Manifesto he received in the mail from Amsterdam's Platform 21.
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Read the Repair Manifesto written by Platform 21.
That’s all for this week but tune in next week to find out what insects ever did for us.























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