Counting On … – Page 82

Counting on … day 1:011

11th January 2023

Swopping from animal to plant based foods can make a considerable reduction to our carbon footprint. According to Exeter Council’s website:-

1 vegetarian day per week (52 days a year) can save nearly 100kgs of CO2 per year.
1 vegetarian week per month (12 weeks a year) can save nearly 153kgs of CO2 per year.
1 vegan day per week (52 days a year) can save nearly 143kgs of CO2 per year.
1 vegan week per month (12 weeks a year) can save nearly 231kgs of CO2 per year.

The BBC has an interesting calculator that compares the footprint of different types of food – https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46459714

Further information –

Green Tau: reducing our carbon footprint – food

https://greentau.org/2021/10/12/eco-tips-11/

Counting on … day 1: 010

10th January 2023

Over the next few days I want to highlight some of the ways in which we can respond as individuals to the ongoing ecological, climate and biodiversity crisis.

The cause of the climate crisis is the excessive release of carbon dioxide and other green house gases into the atmosphere at a faster rate than the earth’s ability to absorb them. To limit further global temperature increases we need to reduce our carbon dioxide emissions. Calculating our individual carbon footprint does not of itself solve the problem but it does highlight for us areas where we could reduce it.

There are various carbon footprint calculators available such as

https://www.carbonindependent.org/

https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/#/

Counting on …. day 1.009

9th January 2023

Now all the Christmas cards are down, they are ready for recycling. They can go in with the paper and cardboard or you can repurpose them. Some pictures can be cut into gift tags for next Christmas. Others – where there is no writing in them – can be cut up for notes and shopping lists. Or use them to make geometric baubles ready for next year.

Counting on … day 1:007

7th January 2023

With new sleeper services coming on board later this spring, there are even

more ways of getting around Europe without flying. I have once again sign the Flight Free Pledge for 2023. You too can do this at https://flightfree.co.uk/

You can also sign a petition I have set up asking for an end to internal UK air flights – https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/629859

Counting on …day 1:005

5th January 2023

Last year’s Biodiversity COP was more successful than anticipated. The participants finally agreed targets to protect 30% of the planet for nature by the end of the decade, reform £410bn of environmentally damaging subsidies, and restore 30% of the planet’s degraded terrestrial, inland water, coastal and marine ecosystems – https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/dec/19/cop15-historic-deal-signed-to-halt-biodiversity-loss-by-2030-aoe?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Counting on … day 1:004

4th January 2023

Curlew conservation projects. Curlews are beautiful birds of the moorlands and coast, with a burbling call. There number has been in decline for many years due to habitat loss but this is beginning to turn through the effort of conservation projects such as that of the RSPB in the Antrim Hills. From no successful breeding pairs in 2005, last year saw 37 curlew pair produce 69 fledglings.

Counting on … day 1:003

3rd January 2023

Low emissions zones help reduce traffic numbers in cities as well as improving air quality.

Silviya Barrett, director of policy and research at the Campaign for Better Transport reports “TfL estimates that six months after the expansion into inner London there were 21,000 fewer vehicles seen in the zone on an average day, a reduction of two per cent”. Further data from the Department for Transport, shows traffic flow across the capital has decreased by 11 per cent since 2019, when the ULEZ was introduced.

Next year, the ULEZ will expand across the entirety of Greater London.

Counting on … day 1.002

2nd January 2023

12 Days of Hope

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is proposing to ban sand-eel fishing early next year, following consultation with relevant parties. Sand-eels that are dredged up from the sea bed are typically used as feed for animals or farmed salmon. However sand-eels are a key part of the diet of many sea birds including the kittiwake and the puffin, both of which need protecting as their numbers are unnaturally low.

Counting on … day 1.001

1st January 2023

12 Days of Hope

Small actions mount up to create real change. For example people buying Good Roll toilet paper have provided toilet facilities for 4 school across Africa complete with toilet paper and biodegrade menstrual products transforming the lives of over 4200 lives in 2022. And their recycled + bamboo paper products have saved 7230 trees. Our local butchers have raised £10,000 from customers which have provide blankets, food and kitchens for people in Ukraine. Whilst at The Scrubbery, Rosie and her volunteers have over the last 3 years sewn 21,833 scrub items (tops and bottoms), 11,246 scrub hats, 1489 welling being bags distributed to medical staff, and 4625 laundry bags – https://www.thescrubbery.org/about

Counting on …. Day 424

31st December 2022

12 Days of Hope

Tomorrow is the start of Veganuary. This annual campaign encouraging people to rescue their consumption of animal products. 600,000 people officially taking part in 2022, up on the 580,000 who took part in 2021. YouGov tracker data suggests 2-3% of the UK population are now vegan and 5-7% vegetarian – and growing!

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