Reflections and actions during COP26 and going on
1st February 2023
Protect our rivers and local environment by a) ensuring plastic waste does not escape from the recycling system, and b) ensuring we don’t misuse our sewers.
Yesterday Greenpeace launched another campaign against the fossil fuel industry. For further info see https://action.greenpeace.org.uk/stop-drilling-start-paying?source=EM&subsource=ECCLJUPEEM06BG&utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=Stop+drilling+start+paying+20230126&utm_term=Non-Signers
31st January 2023
Support campaigns for restoring rivers. Allowing rivers to follow their natural course rather than being dredged and straightened helps control flooding and provides a more secure habitat for river wildlife. Cleaning rivers of physical pollutants also helps prevent or limits the affects of flooding – wind blown and carelessly discarded plastic and other rubbish can block inlets and outlets and be a death trap for river wildlife. Cleaning rivers of chemical pollutants enables rivers once more to become vibrant places of biodiversity as well as becoming safe places to bathe!
Clean and biodiverse-rich rivers are rewarding places to spend leisure time and we are increasingly aware of the health benefits of blue spaces. What’s not to like?
https://theriverstrust.org/our-work/cleaning-up-rivers#main-content
30th January 2023
As climate change leads to more extreme weather conditions, it is not only droughts that affect us, but floods too, as we fluctuate from periods of no rain to sudden downpours. By reshaping and adapting our local environment, it is possible to mitigate some of the effects of heavy rain. For example replacing hard surfaces such as tarmac and concrete with soft surfaces such as gravel and grass, limits a rapid run-off of water that can overload drains and watercourses. Replacing grass with trees and bushy plants further slows the rate at which rain enters rivers and drains. Allowing rivers to both meander and to overflow into water meadows and areas of marshland, enables rivers to cope with excess quantities of water.
Even in our own gardens we can take evasive action – replacing hard driveways with soft ones, installing water butts – and ponds – and planting trees and shrubs.
For more ideas – https://greentau.org/2022/01/19/eco-tips-17/
29th January 2023
As with energy, conserving water is important. Last year’s heat wave and drought were a timely reminder. Whilst as a proportion of all the water used in the UK, domestic water use is small (accounting for less than 10%) it is one area which we can control. Using less water when washing, turning off taps when we’re not using them, chowing water efficient appliances, reusing water where appropriate etc. if you’re not too squeamish, flush the loo less often: ‘If it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down.’
For further information
https://greentau.org/tag/water-efficiency/
and …
28th January 2023
Sign a petition asking the big banks to stop funding fossil fuel investments
27th January 2023
Green your money. Just as we can buy our energy from a green supplier in order to reduce carbon emissions, so we can green our money by using green money companies.
For more information-
26th January 2023
Recycle what can’t be repaired or reused. More and more things can now be recycled meaning that we should have less and less to throw into the dustbin. (Our dustbin only needs emptying 2 or 3 times a year at present and we’re working in reducing that).
Again the net result is to make better use of scare resources and to protect the environment.
For more information –
25th January 2023
Carry a keep cup and/ or a water bottle. We can help cafés avoid using throwaway cups by having our own ready to hand. (My preference is to sit in with a china cup but there are times when that is not possible!) There are some takeaway outlets that will fill you lunch box rather than supplying a throwaway container – https://www.refill.org.uk/
There are more and more places – including most main railway stations – where you can refill water bottles avoiding the need to pay for water in a single use plastic bottle.
Saying no to the plastic bag, or looking for the least packaged items is a good starting point. If you feel a product has too much packaging or has non-recyclable packaging you could post the problematic packaging back to the manufacturer with a letter of explanation – it might nudge them to respond. For a lot of food items you can shop at the increasing number of refill shops where you can take in your own containers or use paper bags or make use of a milk delivery service. Milk and More for example delivers not just dairy milk in refill bottles but also oat milk, laundry and washing liquids, fruit juices etc.
For more information- https://greentau.org/2022/01/24/the-green-tau-issue-31/
23rd January 2023
Support ethical/ eco friendly/ fair trade businesses – use your money like a vote. By opting for fair trade coffee one is ensuring that the people who grow the beans get a fair wage – or buy specialist beans where again the suppliers guarantee a fair wage. Fair wages are needed in the UK too. Opt for companies that pay the real Living Wage. Equally look to buy from companies that pay their taxes!
For further info – https://greentau.org/2022/02/24/eco-tips/
The Green Tau 