A paper machine in Washington State U.S.A, made by the German manufacturer, Voith.
Trying to find something suitable to wear for the first council meeting on Tuesday I came across various items of clothing that I wore when I worked in the City. Needless to say the things that I could actually get into looked horribly dated, (long jackets and power shoulder pads) so Nick and I had to make a quick trip down to the Harrods of the East, Winch and Blatch, to find something appropriately respectable for the council chamber.
I left the financial world eight years or so ago now. In the eighties I spent some time specialising in Scandinavian companies many of which operate in the paper and pulp industry. A concern often raised by potential investors was what the impact on demand for paper and paper would be from the increased use of computers. Surely electronic mail etc. would lead to a slump in demand? Would that this were the case! In fact demand for paper has risen exponentially as we all print out what we see on the screen. Fortunately this is not too great a concern for the environment; trees when grown correctly are a renewable resource, and recycling has meant that much paper can be re-used.
I have been reminded of the demand for paper issue over the past fortnight. No sooner has the Returning Officer announced that one has been elected to the council, than one is presented with a large envelope, stuffed full of forms and requests for information. Further large envelopes have dropped into the letter box with monotonous regularity since, and on Thursday I staggered back to the car-park with a mammoth ring binder full of more information- all on A4 wood-free paper.
In fairness to Babergh this should be a temporary situation. Once linked electronically to the council server I shall receive a lot of information electronically, and then it will be up to me to decide what, if anything, I need to print out. There remain problems with simply reading things on the screen, so the paper pile is likely to continue to rise albeit a slower rate.
As it happens it turns out that responsibility for reducing paper use by electronic means could in future be part of my new responsibilities. For some reason best known to my colleagues, I find myself appointed to the role of Champion for E-Government at Babergh, concentrating on the introduction of computerised systems throughout the Council. Issues of customer service and increased efficiency are clearly involved, but I shall learn more about it all on Tuesday when I am having a briefing with officers working in the area. I’m wondering if my appointment to this role has anything to do with being the only member who currently writes a blog? Perhaps I should have told someone that the technical skills required for this are rather limited!
Trying to find something suitable to wear for the first council meeting on Tuesday I came across various items of clothing that I wore when I worked in the City. Needless to say the things that I could actually get into looked horribly dated, (long jackets and power shoulder pads) so Nick and I had to make a quick trip down to the Harrods of the East, Winch and Blatch, to find something appropriately respectable for the council chamber.
I left the financial world eight years or so ago now. In the eighties I spent some time specialising in Scandinavian companies many of which operate in the paper and pulp industry. A concern often raised by potential investors was what the impact on demand for paper and paper would be from the increased use of computers. Surely electronic mail etc. would lead to a slump in demand? Would that this were the case! In fact demand for paper has risen exponentially as we all print out what we see on the screen. Fortunately this is not too great a concern for the environment; trees when grown correctly are a renewable resource, and recycling has meant that much paper can be re-used.
I have been reminded of the demand for paper issue over the past fortnight. No sooner has the Returning Officer announced that one has been elected to the council, than one is presented with a large envelope, stuffed full of forms and requests for information. Further large envelopes have dropped into the letter box with monotonous regularity since, and on Thursday I staggered back to the car-park with a mammoth ring binder full of more information- all on A4 wood-free paper.
In fairness to Babergh this should be a temporary situation. Once linked electronically to the council server I shall receive a lot of information electronically, and then it will be up to me to decide what, if anything, I need to print out. There remain problems with simply reading things on the screen, so the paper pile is likely to continue to rise albeit a slower rate.
As it happens it turns out that responsibility for reducing paper use by electronic means could in future be part of my new responsibilities. For some reason best known to my colleagues, I find myself appointed to the role of Champion for E-Government at Babergh, concentrating on the introduction of computerised systems throughout the Council. Issues of customer service and increased efficiency are clearly involved, but I shall learn more about it all on Tuesday when I am having a briefing with officers working in the area. I’m wondering if my appointment to this role has anything to do with being the only member who currently writes a blog? Perhaps I should have told someone that the technical skills required for this are rather limited!
