Innholdsfortegnelse for 4/16/2018 i The Big Issue

Welcome to The Big Issue’s Earth Day special. Our weather is definitely changing because we seem to be about three months behind at the moment. It’s supposed to be spring but it still feels like winter. On page 28 Chris Packham talks about the problem of plastic pollution in our seas. I’m a fisherman and it’s definitely an issue. Some days it’s not so bad but on others it’s filthy. I’m also a big music lover; reggae, heavy metal, rock, classical. On page 45 you can read about how classical music has been opened up to everyone. If I’ve had a bad day I put on Classic FM and it lifts me up a bit. You can read more of my story on page 54.…

This week, blame the chronobiologists. Go on, you’ll feel better. We all like somebody to blame. They’ll put your irritation down to lack of sleep. That’s what they do, I’ve learned, the chronobiologists. They study sleep, its impact on us. Or, more tellingly, impact of lack of it. Though last week, it was the long-liers who caught it from the chronobiologists. Those who get up late are at risk of an early death. Both lazy AND doomed. Truth is, you might not be able to do much about it. The reasons are complex. Could be because staying up later, you eat badly, maybe eat at the wrong time, impacting health. There are psychological reasons. And some of it might be beyond your control. Your body clock could be largely inherited…

Lots of voices have praised Street Cat Bob’s cartoon debut – but none louder than Brian Blessed. The star gave his booming approval to the first episode of Bob’s new show, which debuted online last week, saying: “What a delight this is, absolutely terrific.” Bob’s owner James Bowen revealed that the film star feline will soon be hanging up his scarf. But his animated swansong still had fans purring in delight. “My young son deeply connected with Bob’s story and always gives a little to those on the streets, even his own pocket money,” said fan Amanda Arias. “For my Bob, Street Cat Bob gave homelessness a real human/feline narrative better than I could.” Even Neil Fitzgibbon, who brought Bob to life in his role as an animator, got in…

PATCHWORK PEOPLE BY JOHN SHEEHY Regular Street Art contributor John was born in south-west Ireland in 1949. He emigrated to London in the 1950s and has worked as a builder and roofer, but endured lengthy spells of unemployment. He has experienced periods of homelessness and suffered mental health problems. In 1999 he first discovered his natural ability and enjoyment of painting, encouraged by The Big Issue. He has since exhibited at Somerset House, The British Museum, The Royal Academy and in Europe. SANDYMOUNT BEACH, DUBLIN BY GERALDINE CRIMMINS Geraldine is 60 and has struggled with drug addiction and been homeless twice, living on the streets around Victoria in London. Now she’s clean and in a housing association flat. She’s coming off sickness benefit and becoming self-employed as an artist and…

Science fiction is as broad a church as any other genre, from full-on laser-zapping space operas to subtle literary speculative tales only slightly removed from modern reality. This week we have two books that fall into the latter category, books that have taken recent advances in science and technology and extrapolated them into intriguing and convincing new places. The superbly titled Theory of Bastards is by Canadian writer Audrey Schulman. Set in an alternate near future, the story revolves around a young female scientist called Frankie Burke who has developed a distinct theory of evolution and is testing it out in a research facility on a group of bonobos. Frankie has endometriosis, giving her a body awareness few others can understand, and she works closely with ex-military biologist David Stotts.…

 We tend to live a fairly sheltered existence. I’ve been out on the ice in the Arctic stalked by polar bears – and you realise that you are not top of the food chain. It doesn’t matter how smart you think you are, how many Instagram followers you have or whether there’s the latest phone in your pocket – if a polar bear wants to eat you, it’s going to eat you. 'Even with a jetpack I couldn't outrun an ostrich' In Beyond Bionic I go up against the superheroes of the animal kingdom, looking at how amazing these creatures are by asking if a human can compete against them. Inevitably the answer is no, so we then look at how much technology I have to use to try to…

Right note I found the article ‘Key Change’ [Music, April 2-8] fascinating but it did imply a required degree of musical knowledge and therapeutic skill. I have messed about with guitars for many years and would in no way describe myself as a musician. However, three years ago as a volunteer with the Royal Voluntary Service I was invited to attend a (free) course with the Silver Linings Project put on by the Sage Gateshead. All “students” worked with older people, either in residential or day care and we were taught to play ukulele and to get older people singing. During that time we have discovered that music is a mild form of exercise requiring deeper breathing and, sometimes, hand-clapping or arm-waving. We have also noted the effects on memory.…

Readers and locals have flocked to much-loved vendor Dave Hale’s pitch with floral tributes after he passed away suddenly earlier this month aged 43. Known as “Happy Dave” by his regular customers on his pitch outside Marks & Spencer in Nottingham city centre, he combined selling the magazine with a role as a vendor co-ordinator for three years. And the shock news of his death has seen an outpouring of grief on his pitch, with flowers and messages laid outside the high street store. Reader Ash Medley said: “Dave had been through several mills, but he managed to secure a flat, which gave him the dignity he deserved. He would do anything for anyone, if he could. And his selfless manner enamoured him to so many people.” Big Issue sales…

In the early 1990s I would trawl through second hand bookshops looking for the green and distinctive covers of Penguin crime books. I was after the works of George Simenon, who had invented the detective Jules Maigret in the early 1930s. I could, in some obscure junk shop pick them up for 30p each, at times never paying more than 50p. Then I would try Charing Cross Road in London’s very centre, and the centre of the city’s second-hand bookshop trade. To my dismay you’d have to pay up to a few quid a copy. And pay I did because I had individually, with the aid of no degree in analysing Simenon’s work, picked up my own take on this sleuth. I discovered things that later I found out to…

Trees – and woods – are having a rare moment in the news. The first saplings have just been planted in two vast new northern forests. The tree butchers of Sheffield Council have been forced by protesters to call a temporary halt to the slaughter of their own street trees. Beavers are back in our woods for the first time for over 400 years; and so, too, are pine martens (precariously). There’s even wild talk of the lynx (and the wolf) following soon. The demand for woodland ownership has never been higher. And yet, despite this, Britain remains one of the least wooded countries in Europe, with a paltry 13 per cent tree cover (compared to the European norm of over 35 per cent). Recent figures suggest we could even…

So we know that animals like rhinos and pandas face extinction, but many species are at risk closer to home. During the 20th century we suffered a greater reduction in biodiversity than any time since the last Ice Age – in just 30 years we lost about half of all wildlife – and on these shores the issue is especially pressing, with England recently declared the 28th most denatured region in the world. But it’s not all bad news. While some things have almost vanished, there are hardy survivors which have adapted amazingly well to our fallen landscape. Naturalist and author Mark Cocker runs through the winners and losers. WINNERS EUROPEAN BEAVER Several decades of campaigning have finally borne fruit for this former British resident, and beavers have now been…

Recent media coverage, including Blue Planet II , seems to have helped create a watershed moment in the effort to tackle plastic waste. With most news outlets simplistically sticking to one viewpoint (that plastic is Satan’s own material) few would argue that the amount of plastic waste, including that which ends up in the ocean, is not a serious problem. And yes, that includes those within the packaging industry. Many brands have been moving towards making as much plastic packaging as possible recyclable, which is sensible as long as the recycling infrastructure receives adequate investment, but replacing plastic altogether would be far more problematic. When Iceland announced its ‘plastic-free’ targets, managing director Richard Walker was seen on Channel 4 News holding a paper box which he…

“We can grow food for money, or we can grow food for people,” says Alice-Marie Archer, founder of Bristol Fish Project. “We need to figure out the line between the two.” A Community Interest Company (CIC), the project was founded in 2011, when Archer sought a solution to the challenges of increasing urban waste. Dismayed by the repercussions of the corporate agriculture systems, she saw that aquaponics could be used to not only recycle waste to grow food sustainably, but also help conservation efforts and a disadvantaged community. What, you might well ask, is aquaponics. Archer explains: “Aquaponics is the symbiotic growing of fish and plants, usually in a recirculating water-based system and typically without soil.” To you and I, it’s about ensuring absolutely nothing goes to waste. The technique…

SAMUEL JOHNSON’S DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE (1755) Pride of place has to go to our inspiration for Johnson’s Brexit Dictionary, a wise and sometimes witty masterwork, which doesn’t just define words with delicious exactitude but illustrates their meanings with apt and beautiful quotations. VOLTAIRE’S DICTIONNAIRE PHILOSOPHIQUE (Philosophical Dictionary) (1764) Not so much a dictionary as a collection of brilliantly opinionated essays on Voltaire’s favourite bugbears and preoccupations, especially the fanaticism and cruelty of the Catholic Church, and the superiority of English to French culture and morals. THE DEVIL’S DICTIONARY Ambrose Bierce (1911) A Wildean compendium by America’s answer to Oscar. the kind of dictionary Lady Bracknell might have compiled, which contrasts the noble facades of words with the ugly reality of what they mean in a material, cynical and…

While President Trump continues to disparage climate change, scientists across the world have once again stressed that the hurricanes, droughts, floods and earthquakes that have struck since last summer are a sign that we need to stop talking about the potential threat – it’s already here. Sustainability sits at the forefront of tackling climate change, and for many, it needs to be as much of a priority as profitability. The Big Issue Shop offers a huge range of products that put planet before profit and help you shop with a social echo. To celebrate World Earth Day we’re giving one lucky winner a special Big Issue Shop Earth Day goodie bag, including a print of last year’s Earth Day Special cover featuring the clever cuttlefish, a choice of three #WEARABIGISSUE…

John, The Big Issue seller, who stands outside the Co-op in St Marychurch, Torquay, nearly every day, told me yesterday he saved a man from falling down the manhole. He told me the Co-op had blocked staff toilets yesterday. A man came and pulled up the manhole cover outside the main doors. He did not have enough rods, so went round to his van to make a phone call, out of sight of the hole, no barrier or warning around the hole. A male customer walked out of the shop, looking at his receipt and walked straight towards the hole, a few feet in front of him. John said he saw what was happening and rushed forward. He put his hand out to stop the man and got to him…

Big Issue vendors swapped magazines for macchiatos after undergoing training to brew up new barista skills. Two sellers blended in at Cardiff’s Little Man Coffee last week to build up alternative skills that will hold them in good stead with employers. Resident barista Laura Bradford gave insight into crafting a flat white and is planning to provide one-on-one sessions with other vendors in the future. Dean Williams, who sells the magazine at Church Street in the Welsh capital, said: “We learned about grinding the beans and tricks like how turning the press upside down can change the flavour. “There was a lot to take in and it was very technical so I’m not sure if I will be looking to become a barista but I enjoyed it and I’d like…

IN 1981 THE YEAR DOUGRAY SCOTT TURNS 16… Pope John Paul II is shot and seriously wounded in St Peter’s Square / The first London Marathon takes place / Reggae legend Bob Marley dies aged 36 I’d already decided I wanted to be an actor by the time I was 16, having finally given up on the pipe dream of becoming a footballer. I’d been in a few school plays and musicals like Fiddler on the Roof, but it was when I was in a play called Suddenly Last Summer that I thought, this is what I want to do. Acting gave me a cover. I was quite introverted as a young teenager so acting was a real release. It gave me a way to channel all these emotions running…

SCOTLAND VS ENGLAND In England there has been nothing like the project at Doddington Moor in 30 years. In Scotland, forestry is a bigger industry relatively speaking, so there is political support. The Scottish government have also made a commitment to being carbon-neutral by 2050. The policy is to become self-sufficient in building materials, and they are looking at biomass power plants. In England they’ve said: “We’ll build a nuclear power station and that’ll be one big hit that resolves all our problems, right?” North of the border conifers are accepted as part of the landscape and the economic benefit is recognised, whereas in England there are well-funded, loud pressure groups that see conifers as the devil incarnate. They believe we must have nice trees, we can’t have productive trees.…

If you are reading this and you are not aware that 1) Climate change is happening and threatens the future of all life on earth, 2) Tigers, elephants and rhinos are being ruthlessly poached to extinction, 3) Plastic waste is a serious threat to marine life, 4) Air quality in our cities is seriously endangering our health – I could go on. And on – then you are a very rare human. We ALL know about these issues. The critical question is why we haven’t been doing anything about it? It’s always tempting to say it is because ‘they’ should be fixing it. The ‘they’ typically being politicians at local, national and international levels. But come on, look at them. The vast majority either genuinely don’t understand the severity of…

Some mariners unwittingly found themselves written into the pages of We Were the Salt of the Sea . A few years ago, I signed up for an advanced sailing course that would take me along the coast from the end of the Gaspé Peninsula and across the Gulf of St Lawrence to Quebec’s North Shore. I wanted to put my seaworthiness to the test in these freezing and challenging waters, where tankers surge through the fog and the two-faced morning calm suddenly gives way to unforgiving waves. I wanted to set sail and see whales, but most of all I wanted to find my courage. Right from the start, I saw my hopes were going to be dashed. The first night at dinner I joked that my goal was to…

Claire Denis is one of France’s finest filmmakers, and among its most unpredictable. She flits across genres with the same searching intensity with which her roving camera explores the bodies and faces of her actors (Denis’ films have a restless visual energy). She’s made family dramas of sumptuous, silky naturalism like 35 Shots of Rum. She’s made a savage, exceedingly bloody vampire movie (with Vincent Gallo!) in Trouble Every Day. Her 2004 film The Intruder was a bold, dreamlike experimental chamber piece inspired by a French philosopher’s novel. And now she’s working on a big-budget, English-language sci-fi with Robert Pattinson. Her new film is a drama set in upmarket Paris involving well-heeled bourgeois types managing the quiet storm of their complicated love lives. This is a milieu French cinema returns…

In the UK, we have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to listening to classical music on the radio. The two main stations, BBC Radio 3 and its commercial counterpart Classic FM, offer a variety of repertoire, concert broadcasts and magazine-style segments. There’s a healthy sense of rivalry between fans and industry types; some listeners feel that the station they plump for says something about their identity. Needless to say, there is often a snobbishness on behalf of some Radio 3 listeners, who see their station as the preserve of aficionados. But being successful – populist, perhaps – isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Earlier this year, figures revealed that 5.7 million people now listen to Classic FM every week – and over half a million of them are under…

Set against a backdrop of Copenhagen in crisis, Below The Surface is the sophisticated Scandi-noir thriller from Kaspar Bafoed and Bafta award-winning writer/creator of The Killing Søren Sveistrup. On a rainy October morning, 15 Danes have their lives turned upside down when the metro train they are travelling on is hijacked by unknown perpetrators, who will threaten to kill each of them, one by one, if their demands aren’t met. This is the beginning of a historic hostage situation that, over the course of one single week, changes Denmark forever. The politicians argue whether or not to negotiate with terrorists. In the press, there are discussions on where the line is drawn in portraying the captives and seeking out their families, and…