Counting On … – Page 23

Counting on … day 31

13th February 2025

Waterfalls are dramatic natural features because of their power and beauty. The power of falling water is utilised by water wheels and hydro power plants. Its power is replicated by power showers and power hoses – but in those situations we may want to think whether the amount of energy and water used is reasonable in a world where we are already overusing limited resources.

That said, another way of saving water and energy is to shower less often. Most of us don’t need to shower every day – we can wash bits of ourselves as necessary in a basin and still smell clean and fresh.

How Much Energy Does a Shower Use?

Counting on … day 30

12th February 2025

Some 30 years ago we lived for a year in Zimbabwe, during a drought. Households were rationed to initially 50 litres of water a day (between five of us). We were able to send our washing to the laundry but for all other needs had to plan how we used our water. Apart from what we drank, every drop was reused – cooking and washing up water flushed the toilet, baths (we used a baby bath) were shared etc. We weren’t allowed to water the garden as all waste water was need to keep the sewers flowing.

That was an extreme situation, but thinking about how we use every drop of water is relevant at any time.

Counting on … day 29

11th February 2025

The drinking water that comes into our homes, comes at an environmental cost. The water has to be purified to a drinkable standard, it has to be stored and pumped, all of which requires energy and resources – pipe work, concrete for reservoirs etc. Once used it has to be treated again to be clean enough to return into rivers and waterways or to be recycled again as drinking water. If we are more careful about not wasting water, then we are improving the sustainability with which we live.

The climate crisis increases the likelihood of both droughts – when the benefits of conserving water are most obvious – and floods. Floods can lead to the contamination of drinking water as well as causing difficulties in remove waste water and sewage.

https://www.wildlifetrusts.org/actions/how-conserve-water

Counting on … day 28

10th February 2025

Climate change is triggering more extreme weather conditions including heavy rain and flooding. Water butts are great in the summer to help tide us over dry spells when plants need watering, but they can also be useful in slowing the flow of water into the drains.

It needs a bit of thinking but if we allow water butts to drain slowly after heavy rain into the drains, then they can be a temporary store for excess water next time it rains – a sort of mini water meadow or overflow reservoir. One precaution that is needed is that empty water butts are easily blown over in strong winds so you may want to put some bricks in the bottom of the water butt or tie the butt to something solid.

For more info – https://www.preventionweb.net/news/if-more-houses-had-water-butts-it-could-help-drought-flooding-and-water-pollution

Or Local Authority web sites – eg https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/environmental-services/flooding/flooding-prevention-reporting-information/why-have-water-butt

Counting on … day 27

7th February 2025

One way of reducing food waste is to preserve excess food. At the end of the week if I have vegetables and fruit left over from the week’s vegetable box, I will often make it into sauerkraut. In the summer if there is a glut of fruit in the garden, I will turn into jams and chutneys or bottle it to use in the winter. This past autumn I experimented with slicing and drying apples and now they are a lovely semi sweet snack. When UK peppers and tomatoes are at a peak in the shops, I will buy and bottle or pickle them for the winter when they will add colour and variety to the range of winter vegetables.

The winter months conversely are a good time to take advantage of seasonal citrus fruits, especially Seville oranges, and use them to make Marmalade.

Eco Tips

https://greentau.org/tag/marmalade/

Counting on … day 26

6th February 2025

70% (6.6 million tonnes) of food waste comes from our own kitchens, of which most (6.4 million tonnes) was edible. (1) This is clearly an issue we can all address as individuals.

Here are some tips compiled four years ago when annual domestic food waste was only 4.5 million tonnes! https://greentau.org/2021/08/09/eco-tips-4/

One of the most commonly discarded food items is bread – so here is a different way of using up bread that might otherwise be thrown away, Chester Cake. It is a variation of bread pudding without the eggs, and baked as a pie. This recipe comes from https://www.wandercooks.com/chester-squares-gur-cake/

https://lordslibrary.parliament.uk/food-waste-in-the-uk/

Counting on … day 25

5th February 2025

Fairtrade helps ensure fair working conditions for workers which for many consumers is an issue of social justice that means they are willing to pay a higher price for the product. Ensuring workers have a fair wage and good living conditions is also about the sustainable use of resources. People are resources that we need to value and to treat with respect.

Food systems here in the UK and in Europe, are highly dependant on the use of part time cheap labour. In these situations workers are not paid fair wages nor are they provided with continuous year round work, holiday and sick pay etc.

This article from the Guardian describes the case of Julia Quecaño Casimiro, from Chile, who came to pick cherries in Herefordshire. When she left the farm a month later, she was homeless with little more than £100 in her pocket. https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/nov/22/seasonal-cherrypicker-from-chile-files-unfair-dismissal-claim-against-uk-farm?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Counting on … day 24

4th February 2025

Producers of products such as cocoa, coffee and bananas also face problems due to fluctuations in prices triggered by speculators. Fairtrade can help, by guaranteeing a minimum price but also be developing direct, long term relationships between producers and buyers.

“Many initiatives in the cocoa, tea, banana and flower sectors aim to improve the social, environmental and economic performance of producers. They typically focus directly on achieving change at producer and worker level ….[However] trading relationships can have an important influence on a producer’s economic viability and capacity to invest in sustainable practices. In the banana sector in Ecuador, for example, more secure contracted volumes enable banana plantations to provide more stable year-round employment to their workers. Without these guarantees plantations are often confronted with cancellations in buying orders, making it too risky to provide job security to workers.” (1)

Sustainable food systems need to protect producers and workers, and this does ultimately protect consumers by better ensuring a steady supply of food.

https://www.fairtrade.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/legacy/doc/The-Case-for-Fairness-in-Trade.pdf

Counting on … day 23

3rd February 2025

“Farmers are the backbone of our agricultural industry, working tirelessly to bring food to our tables. However, the practice of price manipulation in agricultural markets has severe consequences for these hardworking individuals. One of the most significant impacts on farmers is the financial struggles they face, coupled with a sense of uncertainty about their future.” (1)

Food waste can also be linked with capital waste. Farming requires capital inputs – seed, fertilisers, equipment – for which the return can be unpredictable. Crops may fail due to adverse weather or pests. Prices may fall because of changes in demand or because of the manipulation of the markets by investors such as hedge funds.

Recently there seemed to be a surge in demand for British grown fruit – apples, cherries etc. demand peaked and with inflation consumers (and supermarkets) opted for cheaper imports. What do farmers do who have invested in planting orchards? It can be years before the capital is repaid: should they grub up the new trees and cut their losses?

Do we need more control over prices – limiting the role of investors who are simply playing the market, using subsides to guarantee prices for British grown produce?

https://fastercapital.com/content/Price-Manipulation-in-the-Agricultural-Markets–Impacts-on-Farmers-and-Consumers.html

Counting on … day 22

31st January 2025

Sustainable use of land resource also extends to how we use finite water resources. Some crops use particularly large amounts of water – eg blueberries, strawberries – and realistically shouldn’t be grown in areas where water is a scarce resource and should be reserved for critical crops and drinking/ sanitation. In Peru blueberries are grown in areas where local crops are at risk from lack of water. Almond trees need more water than pistachios and in Spain farmers are switching from almonds to pistachios in face of the increasing prevalence of droughts.

At the same time, such water rich-crops are often vulnerable to damage – strawberries and blueberries are very susceptible to damage and often have a short shelf-life.

As consumers we can avoid buying foods that are grown with the unsustainable use of water.

Further reading – https://greentau.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/ff0ba-howfairisourwaterfootprintinperu_final_fulltechnicalreportdec2024.pdf

https://yipinstitute.org/policy/california-almonds-weighing-economic-impact-vs-water-sustainability

https://www.food4sustainability.org/awaproject