Hello Hello Hivians.
Don't you just love how the female of the species has the right to keep us waiting!
Quite right too because let's face it we would be nothing without females.
Today I am unveiling the She.
For those of you who read my Wednesday Walk post on Wednesday Typical Spring Weather in Scotland for our walk and were curious to see who She is, and I am looking at 
That post is the here and now...
Meet Betty the Shark
This was what faced me when I turned the corner onto Little King Street...
A fluffing big black shark who was called Betty!
What the fluff was a shark doing in the shopping centre!
There are a load of signs which tell you what this is all in aid of. Have you guessed what she is made of?
The sign at her tail explains much more about who she is and why she was created!
Betty was created by Edinburgh-based artist Jonathan Elders.
Betty is a life-sized (or colossal) sculpture of a basking shark.
I am sure you have seen that Betty is not your ordinary shark, she was constructed from electronic waste (e-waste). Loads of discarded computer keyboards and water cooler panels.
Betty the Shark is an innovative piece of art activism
Betty was first displayed at the Edinburgh Science Festival in 2019 in the Grand Gallery of the National Museum of Scotland as part of an installation called "Devouring Technology." You can see that is highlighted in the sign I showed previously.
Why was Betty portrayed as a basking shark?
The picture above is the perfect answer...
The basking shark which is native to Scottish waters, was chosen because it's a large creature that is constantly consuming. Yep just like us humans and our society's consumption of technology.
Inside Betty's mouth, there is footage displayed showing the often unregulated and hazardous handling of e-waste in other countries. More about this later in the post.
She has since toured various locations, including Ocean Terminal in Leith (in response to COP26), Westside Plaza in Edinburgh, Thistles shopping centre in Stirling, and St. Enoch Centre in Glasgow.
I think you know where she is going if you look at the sign on the picture!
Her appearances are often linked to promoting recycling, proper e-waste management, and broader climate action.
Betty the Shark was made using discarded electronic waste, collected by CCL. North.
CCL. North
These guys are a company based in Irvine which process and recycle WEEE (waste electrical and electronic equipment).
It really is quite fascinating when you dig into it.
We Leave No Trace.
Protecting your data and protecting the environment. We specialise in secure recycling and data destruction of IT and WEEE ensuring zero waste to landfill and recovering critical materials for reuse.
WEEE Recycling
WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) is the fastest-growing waste stream worldwide. CCL (North) Ltd. is proud to offer the most comprehensive WEEE recycling service in the UK, allowing our customers to meet their legal obligations to properly dispose of WEEE equipment, whilst going far beyond minimum required standards for environmental protection.
Betty was recently located at Edinburgh's St James Quarter, which is where we are looking at her now.
She will be there for about another three weeks.
Betty is the perfect metaphor for our appetite for the latest tech, consuming without thinking about the consequences.
I know I consume less and less tech every year.
What about you?
Not all e-waste is handled ethically or the way CCL process it.
Much of it is sent to countries where the handling of it is less regulated. If you look in Betty's mouth, you can see footage of a worker in Coté d'ivoire who is processing European e-Waste with no protective equipment and only basic tools
She is scheduled to swim over to the Edinburgh Meadows for the Edinburgh Climate Festival on June 28th, 2025.
The festival aims to ignite community conversation on climate-related issues.
I am not sure if we are free but I shall try to attend.
At this point we bade our goodbyes, Betty flexed her tail ...
... and showed me the path she would take to get to The Meadows in time.
So long Betty, until we meet again!
Reference Information
Edinburgh Climate Festival Saturday, 28th June @ The Meadows, Edinburgh , note they are needing volunteers and you can apply through the facebook page
Edinburgh Climate Festival Facebook page
Thanks so much for popping in and may you have a fluffing awesome June.
All images and ramblings are from me, the mad Scotsman TengoLoTodo unless otherwise stated.
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