Category: Counting On …

Reflections and actions during COP26 and going on

Counting on … day 84

4th August 2026

Resilience is about being able to cope with emergencies. Having a first kit is part of that. Ditto knowing how to administer first aid. The British Red Cross and St John’s Ambulance both run first aid training courses. They also have a downloadable handbook. Not included in a first aid kit, but nevertheless useful are essentials such as paracetamol and other such standard medications depending on why you would normally use.

As well as a first aid kit, it is sensible to have in hand a spare medication if you have some you need to take regularly. 

The British Red Cross has a useful emergency first aid app – https://www.redcross.org.uk/get-help/prepare-for-emergencies/free-emergency-apps

Counting on … day 83

3rd August 2026

As well as knowing where the stopcock is, a bucket could be another useful asset in the case of emergencies.

Another handy item would be at least one torch and some spare batteries – or a rechargeable torch that you do keep fully charged. In the past we would have said have some candles but from a safety point of view a camping style lantern that runs on a battery would be better. 

Equally useful in a different way would be a head torch – handy for washing up or cooking in the dark.

Counting on … day 82

31st July 2026

Knowing where the stop cock for your water supply and the off switch for your electricity and gas supplies is sensible. In the event of a flood all three should be switched off.

The other sensible thing is to make sure they are working. We recently had a dripping tap. When we tried to turn off the water, we discovered the stopcock was not working. When we tried to turn off the water in the street we found that that too was not working! So first we had to get Thames Water to fix the stopcock in the street, and then a plumber to fit a new stopcock inside before we could tackle the tap!!!

Counting on … day 81

30th July 2026

As well as keeping a supply of water to hand, we also keep a supply of food – against a situation where we can’t get to the shops for 3-7 days (which could have been the situation during COVID, but could cover a situation where say power cuts/ internet outages/ floods might disrupt food supplies).

These supplies include dry goods like beans, flour, cereals; tinned foods; preserves such as bottled fruit, jam, chutneys; non perishables such as sugar etc. Having established enough for 3-5 days minimum, now when we use anything, we replace it so maintaining the supplies.

We also keep a 7 day supply of cat food which Hilda (our cat) says is absolutely essential!

Counting on … day 80

29th July 2026

Saving or conserving water is good at any time – emergency or not. 

Some eco houses have proper grey water systems that collect waste water. We have a basin in each wash basin, and a jug on the floor. Water from hand washing is collected and is used to flush the toilet of poured in the jug for later toilet flushing. The toilet flush is used when a good flush is needed.

Counting on … day 79

28th July 2026

With a few to having a degree of resilience should a crisis cut off our supply of water, we keep stored about 12 -14 litres of water (for a household of three). Rather than opting for a stock of plastic bottled water, we use a mixture of glass bottles and Demi johns, refilling each as we empty them, and rotating them so that they don’t have water more than about a day old. 

We use the water for drinking, cooking and washing up. If the water supply was cut, we would use this bottled water purely for drinking and rely on the water in the header tank in the roof space for washing up etc.

Counting on … day 78

27th July 2026

Collecting washing machine water for the garden.

Over the next few days I plan to share a few ways in which our household is trying to be more resilient in the face of the climate – and other associated -crises.

Last week Thames Water introduced a hosepipe ban which didn’t come as a surprise given a) how hot it has been and b) how little rain we have had these past few months. 

Routinely we try to minimise our use of water – water is a scarce and valuable resource. But now that our several water buts have run dry, we have moved one but so that we can use it to collect the water from the washing machine – 50 litres (5 buckets) per wash. At the same time we switched from us in a laundry liquid to an eco egg which produces less soapy water. This water is then used on plants in the garden – fruit bushes, squash plants, rhubarb etc. 

Counting on 2026 …. Day 77

10th July 

This may not be so readily quantifiable, but there is, I believe, ‘joy in enough’. The consumerist model that urges us to buy more, to buy bigger, and to buy more frequently does not per se makes us happy. Indeed it may cause us stress as it :

  • constantly challenges to keep up with the market ideals; 
  • fills our homes with things we must store, guard, insure etc. 
  • consumes time and many 
  • diminishes our confidence as independent beings.

Without these stresses, we can be happier, we can have more free time to spend with family and friends or out in nature, we can find pleasure in making things for ourselves, and very simply we can more readily enjoy what we already have.

‘Joy in Enough’ is the name of one of Green Christian’s projects. You can find out more here – https://youtu.be/dXX9b-8j0fE?si=8e29R7zjaH6QcUk-

Or – https://greenchristian.org.uk/introduction/action/joy-in-enough/

https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/ethicalcampaigns/corporate-equity-fines?utm_source=ECRA+Weekly+Newsletter&utm_campaign=6c5404e75b-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2026_05_08-equity-fines-subs&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-52b9476e4c-320424697

Counting on 2026 …. Day 76

9th July 

Scientists and health experts are equally agreed that active travel benefits not only benefits the environment but also our own health.

“People who do regular physical activity have a lower risk of:

Research also shows that physical activity can boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing your risk of stress.” (1) 

Driving less and using active travel – walking, cycling, public transport – is good for us as well as helping to reduce climate damaging emissions. And the benefits don’t stop there!

https://communityhealthpartnerships.co.uk/sustainability-update-for-tenants-active-travel-and-cycling-feb-2024/
  1. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/exercise-health-benefits/

Counting on 2026 …. Day 75

8th July 

Allwood in his book Promise the Earth (1) advises that we not only reduce our consumption of meat and dairy but also of rice in order to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. (2) Traditional rice growing in flooded paddies produces both methane and nitrous oxide – both powerful greenhouse gases which have a particular high impact on temperatures rises in the short term. Emissions from rice growing have doubled in the last 60 years. (3) Work is ongoing to develop rice growing techniques that reduce emissions and ensure more sustainable water usage. 

Shaping our diet to be both healthy and environmentally friendly does prompt us to think – and investigate – about where our food comes from and its impact on the environment and its contribution to the wellbeing of those who produce it.

For example choosing to eat what is in season and what is grown locally, enables us to reduce resources used and emissions produced in the transport of our food. Buying locally supports our local economy and can help us build up a relationship with those who produce our food. Buying ultra locally could mean we actually see how the produce is grown or how the livestock is reared.

Equally we can choose to buy fairly traded products such as tea, coffee and chocolate so that we can be confident that those who have grown these foods have been well paid within a  safe working environment. You can use Ethical Consumer (4) to research which makes and brands are best. 

For more thoughts – https://greentau.org/tag/fairtrade/

  1. https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/promise-the-earth/31E27442471A864A6582BA751ECD239F
  2. https://www.cambridgebookshop.co.uk/products/promise-the-earth
  3. https://phys.org/news/2026-05-global-rice-paddy-greenhouse-gas.html

(4) https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/food-drink/shopping-guide/tea