Counting On … – Page 102

Counting on …day 208

9th June 2022

Sustainability is also about maintaining communities. Communities are good because they provide support for those who are vulnerable as we saw when neighbours helped with shopping. Communities are good because they can rally together, sharing skills and resources, whether that is to celebrate jubilees or to cope with disasters such as floods. According to the World Bank, ‘Sustainable communities are resilient to social, economic, and natural shocks. They are well prepared for natural disasters, which are increasing in intensity and frequency due to climate change’.
Being good neighbours, being committed to our local communities, means we can count on each other to share the hard times and celebrate the good times.

Counting on … day 206

7th June 2022

Consuming less but enjoying more!

Consuming less can be eating locally organically grown food rather than imported, intensively produced food. Take strawberries: eaten out of season we are consuming not just the fruit but the extra carbon footprint of importing them – often as airfreight. Additionally we may be consuming excess quantities of water – strawberries grown in Spain are reliant on artificial irrigation which is draining natural aquifers and jeopardising river and wetland habitats. Strawberries are also a labour intensive crop often invoking seasonal workers who are often underpaid and/ or abused. As strawberries become an everyday rather than seasonal treat, so supermarkets put pressure on suppliers to reduce costs. Strawberries often come packed in single use plastic boxes and even though the plastic may recyclable, the punnets themselves are invariably made from virgin plastic.

Sustainable strawberries are a treat to be waited for and savoured – hold out for ones with flavour and aroma! If you have the opportunity, grow and pick your own!

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/08/bitter-fruit-strawberry-boom-water-plan-raises-fears-for-spanish-wetlands?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/jun/29/fresh-abuse-claims-from-women-picking-spain-strawberries?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Counting on … day 205

6th June 2022

The Cambridge Dictionary defines sustainability as ‘the quality of causing little or no damage to the environment and therefore able to continue for a long time.’ Earth Overshoot Day marks the critical point each year when we have consumed that sum of resources that can be replenished in the course of the year. Beyond that point we are consuming more than can be replaced and are therefore indelibly damaging the environment. Last year Earth Overshoot Day fell on 21st July: in seven months we had consumed a year’s worth of resources! The situation can be worse if we look at our individual countries: Earth Overshoot Day for the UK this year was 19th May. Sustainable living for most of us has to focus on consuming less.

Counting on …day 204

5th June 2022

Today is World Environment Day, organised by the UN. This year’s strap line is MAKING SUSTAINABLE LIVING THE DEFAULT OPTION. This has to be a motto by which we live: when ever we make a choice, we need to chose that which is most sustainable. Choices will not be clear cut – imported organic carrots versus homegrown non organic ones – but will always be better than options that clearly damage the environment and with it our well being. Is this something we can share with our friends, our neighbours, our employers, the places where we shop? Can users and consumers change the world?

Counting on …day 203

4th June 2022

Today we are carrying out a plant and wildlife survey of our church garden as part of the Churches Count On Nature project. Knowing what’s around in our own locality can inspire us to do more to care for the environment.

Counting on …day 202

3rd June 2022

Forest bathing is the Japanese practice of immersing oneself in nature, especially in forests and paying particular attention to how that environment engages the five senses. Kate Bast, writing for Mental Health Today (https://www.mentalhealthtoday.co.uk/blog/awareness/forest-bathing-how-returning-to-the-trees-can-decrease-symptoms-of-anxiety) says forest it is like a “balm” for mental health and that it has the ability to slow down the fight, flight or freeze response, which is so often on high alert for those with anxiety. Forest bathing, Bast said also softens the intensity of symptoms such as ‘rumination’ which is something that often plagues those living with depression.

The Forest Bathing Institute offers guided sessions, including ones at Kew Gardens – https://tfb.institute/. The National Trust also offers a guide for self guided sessions –https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/lists/a-beginners-guide-to-forest-bathing .

Why not have a gentle walk in your nearest area of woodland?

Counting on …day 201

2nd June 2022

“The Queen’s Green Canopy (QGC) is a unique tree planting initiative created to mark Her Majesty’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 which invites people from across the United Kingdom to “Plant a Tree for the Jubilee”. With a focus on planting sustainably, the QGC will encourage planting of trees to create a legacy in honour of The Queen’s leadership of the Nation, which will benefit future generations.”

https://queensgreencanopy.org/

If you haven’t a garden or sufficient space for a tree, you can sponsor the planting of a tree via the National Trust –

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/plant-a-tree?intcmp=plant_atree_autumn20_inmemorypage_teaser

Or you can sponsor a tree via the NHS where it will form part o the NHS Forest – https://nhsforest.org/get-involved/sponsor-a-tree/

Counting on … day 200

1st June 2022

Walking in woodlands or even just having a tree to look at when you are ill is known to be beneficial – promoting both mental well-being and speeding up recovery from sickness.

A report produced last December by Forest Research and funded by the Forestry Commission, Scottish Forestry and the Welsh Government, recorded that visits to the UK’s woodlands do indeed boost mental health and save an estimated £185 million in treatment costs annually.

Counting on …day 198

30th May 2022

Ancient trees are not only valuable in their own right, they also support a wide and diverse ecosystem – beetles, insects, birds, fungi, small mammals, plants etc – and are key in maintaining biodiversity. The Ancient Tree Forum has a booklet exploring this topic – https://www.ancienttreeforum.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/ancient-tree-guide-6-special-wildlife.pdf

Looking after old trees and woodlands matters!