Category: Counting On …

Reflections and actions during COP26 and going on

Counting on … day 40 

24th December 2021 

A word for whales. Whales are important as tiller of the oceans. They circulate nutrients that are essential parts of the food chain and in particular nutrients needed by phytoplankton. These serve the same function as leaves, absorbing carbon dioxide and sunlight to create oxygen. As we count on whales doing their bit to maintain the global ecosystem, so they should be able to count on us not to harm them. 

However as has been widely reported, various groups are launching a last-chance bid to stop Shell using shockwaves in the Wild Coast of South Africa – a fragile ecosystem that is a vital whale breeding ground. The applicants, which included Greenpeace Africa and fishing groups, had been seeking to stop the survey on the basis it could cause “irreparable harm” to the marine environment, especially to migrating humpback whales in the area. (Yahoo News)

Do check out this Green Peace petition:  https://pages.greenpeaceafrica.org/shell-wild-coast?_ga=2.165965239.820789156.1640103673-781902025.1640103673

 Counting on … day 37

21st December 2021

Christmas is often a time when we have more to recycle and possibly a reduced collection service. Both recycling bins and recycling lorries have a limited capacity in terms of volume. Now is a good time to see your recycling box as a Tetris puzzle. By careful stacking, interlacing and flattening, how much can you fit it? 

Counting on … day 36

20th December 2021

 ‘“Supermarket chains play the role of gatekeeper, deciding how food is produced, the (low) prices paid to farmers and what fills the shelves,” as authors of the People’s Food Policy put it. Based on convenience and the suggestion of low prices, supermarkets maximise profit margins often at the expense of people and the environment.’ This short quote comes from a review of supermarkets by Ethical Consumer + https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/retailers/shopping-guide/supermarkets

If we cannot count on supermarkets to act sustainably, we should we be using our purchasing power to show what kind of world we want to live in. You might choose to subscribe to the Ethical Consumer magazine to keep up to date with the ethical performance of retailers and their products.  

Counting on … day 35

19th December 2021

Mincemeat griddle scone: quick to make without the need to heat the oven.

230g flour (I used spelt) plus 2 tsp baking powder or use self raising flour.  60g vegan butter

Rub the butter into the flour. Mix to a soft dough using vegan milk. Divide the dough into two and roll/pat out each into a circle a little smaller than your frying pan.

Start warming up your frying pan. 

When hot add a little oil and one round of scone mix. Place mincemeat on top of the dough leaving a 2cm edge. Cover with the second round  of dough and press firmly around the edges.

Bake until cooked on the bottom (8-10 minutes). The turn over to cook the other side.

Counting On …. Day 33

17th December 2021

Fossil fuel energy we know causes air pollution and CO2 pollution whilst other sources of power do not have the same damaging consequences. One such clean energy source is wind – and wind farms are growing around our coasts – but how about that older type of windmill, the one used to mill flour? 

Priors Flour is milled at Fosters Mill in Swaffham Prior. The current mill was built in 1857 but stands on on a site where mills have been in use site since the 12th Century. Fortunately not only are their people still skilled in the craft of milling, there are also people skilled at repairing and building new parts for the mill. The following link shows the work currently being undertaken to keep the mill fully operational.  https://www.priorsflour.co.uk/christmas-opening-smock-mill-update/?mc_cid=5361ffc79c&mc_eid=17002b1305

NB you can buy flour from the mill by mail order, and good flour it is too!

Counting on … day 32

16th December 2021

Tackling the causes of global warming requires all of us to undertake changes in the way we live. In particular we need to make changes in the way we consume and in how much we consume. We are encouraged to be conscientious about how we shop: shopping locally, avoiding excess packaging, buying fairly traded products, supporting businesses that pay the Living Wage etc. In Sheen we have both a refill shop, a Saturday market, and an Amazon supermarket! It is up to us to make the right choices to shape the high street we want – and we have to count on each other doing the right thing too!