Reflections and actions during COP26 and going on
19th June 2022
Sometimes it is the little things that bring joy – like this little butterwort that has come into flower. We bought a couple of these plants as they ‘eat’ soil gnats which tend to breed in plant pot soil. The shape of the leaves is always beautiful but when a delicate flower pops up, it’s the icing on the cake!
18th June 2022
Earlier this week the Guardian featured an article on foraging for food. I do this occasionally in the wild – picking blackberries, sloes, and juniper berries – but more frequently in our garden. Whilst not a complete wilderness, I take a relaxed approach to weeding and encourage plants to seed where they will. Most lunches we have a salad from the garden being a mix of what ever I find: rocket, lambs lettuce and mustard are staples as they self seed and grow all year round; mint, sweet cecily, marjoram, and fennel; in the spring baby dandelion leaves; and in the summer nasturtium leaves and flowers.
17th June 2022
The hot weather is back. Here are last year’s tips for keeping cool: https://greentau.org/2021/07/14/eco-tip-how-to-keep-cool-in-hot-weather/
16th June 2022
‘Air pollution can impact every organ in everybody – not just those who are vulnerable. Even though we can’t see it, air pollution impacts our health from our first breath to our last’ – Larissa Lockwood, Director of Clean Air at Global Action Plan. The simplest thing we can all do is to cut out short car journeys and walk instead – better for both our health and our environment. The focus of this year’s campaign is on contacting our local authorities to tell them what actions they can take to make walking easier in our own area. https://www.globalactionplan.org.uk/news/clean-air-day-2022-theme-confirmed
NB The Met Office produces an air pollution forecast – https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/forecasting/locations?q=+M50+3AZ
15th June 2022
Tomorrow is World Refill Day. Refills are more sustainable than a constant flow of single use glass or plastic bottles – even if the latter are recycled (as opposed to reused). I noticed in one of our local cycle shops a refill point for bike cleaning liquid. Keeping your bike clean will keep it in working order for longer – ie improves its sustainability – so why not go further and make the process of keeping it clean more sustainable too?
14th June 2022
Strawberries and raspberries are in season. Now is the time to preserve their flavour for enjoyment later in the year. I have been making jam and bottling these soft fruits. As strawberries and raspberries are quite delicate fruits, I bottle them with rhubarb. I precook the rhubarb till it is soft, mix in uncooked soft fruits and fill the jars with this combination before sterilising them in hot water.
For tips on preserving fruits and vegetables, including jam making and bottling, see https://greentau.org/tag/jam/
13th June 2022
To ‘put your skin in the game’ is a business term that describes someone’s commitment to a project. Last Saturday cyclists literally bared their skin as part the WNBR London Naked Bike Ride. The campaigns objectives are to: protest against the global dependency on oil, curb car culture! obtain real rights for cyclists, demonstrate the vulnerability of cyclists on city streets, and celebrate body freedom.
NB cycling without protective clothing makes you vulnerable if you have an accident. Helmets protect your head and neck. Clothing protects your skin from the abrasive nature of the road’s surface.
12th June 2022
Last Saturday I attempted a nature survey of the church garden which was impeded by wet weather. Once the sun came out, so did the insects and with the gentle back ground buzz that reminds us how the summer should sound. I saw three different types of bee, several hover flies, a shiny emerald rosemary beetle and some tiny mint moths. It is worth spending half an hour just observing a few plants to see what’s there.
11th June 2022
This morning to my great delight we were visited by a family of greater spotted woodpeckers – mum, dad and junior. Junior has a red patch on the top of his head, dad has the same patch but at the back of his head and mum has a plain head. They settled on the palm tree from where the two adults flew back and forth to the feeder bringing their offspring a succession of tasty snacks.
The day before I had spotted a newt in the pond, a resident I had not seen for the last few years.
Both filled me with joy and I realise how much I count on these moments of encouragement.
10th June 2022
According to the WWF, ‘Local communities are key to equitable, sustainable food systems’. They see working with local communities is the best way of developing climate resilient farming practices that enable communities to feed themselves. The charity Practical Action takes a similar approach using on the philosophy of Dr E. F. Schumacher that ‘small is beautiful’. The Fair Trade movement also puts communities at the heart of its work. Supporting groups like these and opting for fair trade products are ways of creating a sustainable world.
The Green Tau 