Research
Is auction the answer to landfill battle?
eBay’s auction website can play an important role in the battle against
climate change and environmental damage according to Essex research
Conducted by Dr Rebecca Ellis of the Institute for Social and Technical
Research, Chimera, and funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, the research was
unveiled to the Royal Geographical Society with The Institute of
British Geographers (IBG) at their annual conference.
Second-hand trading on the site is keeping useable goods out of
landfill and reducing demand for some new products which produce
substantial carbon emissions, during their production, according to the
research.
Dr Ellis said: 'What we are seeing is people placing less emphasis on
possessing items long-term, and a small but important step away from the
need to always buy new.'
'Now, people will buy a second-hand DVD, watch it a couple of times and
then sell it on. It’s the best of all worlds – we stop adding to landfill;
don’t purchase new goods which use vital resources to produce; and make
money, too.'
The University has its own resale forum for staff and students via e-mail
accessed through smallads-staff and smallads-students.
Organisational change workshop
As private and public organisations continue to merge, the School of
Accounting, Finance and Management hosted an international workshop,
examining the on-going changes.
Organised by Director of Learning and Teaching, Dr Martin Harris and
Graduate Director, Dr Harro Hopfl the workshop, Post-Bureaucracy and
Organisational Change in the Knowledge Society , attracted international
guests.
Held at the Wivenhoe House Hotel, the workshop included papers from
Prfessor Paul du Gay of the Open University and Professor Jannis
Kallinikos of the London School of Economics. Professor Stewart Clegg of
the University of Technology, Sydney, who gave a keynote paper: 'Something
is happening here, but you don’t know what it is, do you Mr Jones?'
(left to right) Professor Kallinikos, Professor Stewart Clegg of the
University of Technology, Sydney, Dr Harro Hopfl, Professor Paul de Gay
and Dr Martin Harris
Also in the printed October edition of Wyvern:
- Scientist desperately seeking BORIS
- Aid boost for hearing research
- Summing up
