Reflections and actions during COP26 and going on
19th August 2022
Domestic appliances including fridges and freezers, cookers, washing machines and dryers, dishwashers, TVs and electronic displays, and lighting, come with energy efficiency ratings. These labels have been recently updated ranging from A, the most efficient, to G, the least efficient (A+s has been removed). The labels also show the energy consumption of the appliances and, where relevant, water consumption.
16th August 2022
As well as saving water and energy, we can also take positive steps by saving food – or more particularly not wasting it! Some 40% of the food produced world wide ends up as waste each year. This occurs at source, during processing and distribution, and in our own homes! We can address the issue in our homes by planning meals and meals sizes more carefully, by using up left overs and oddments, learning new cooking skills, and making shopping lists to avoid unnecessary purchases. What happens at home is easy to see, but what happens in the other stages of the food line is more obscure. Legislation is in hand to require companies to openly report on food waste. This should improve action on food waste by companies and keep us the consumer better informed. To support this legislation you can contribute to the DEFRA consultation via FeedBack Global’s proforma:- https://action.feedbackglobal.org/page/109702/action/1?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=The%20Oddserver%20%20AUGUST%20%28Yp2bjz%29&utm_content=sign%20their%20email%20action%20here&_kx=7I12iaMPyUTtHKRSEXyzHh4mnvKbosjpuhdAUvBF19MSWyfWVaBduyhvFzkMZphO.Q6bY5H
For Eco tips on avoiding food waste – https://greentau.org/2021/08/09/eco-tips-4/
And eating with a food conscience – https://greentau.org/2022/01/03/green-tau-issue-29/
18th August 2022
When homes are sold they are given an ‘energy performance certificate’ that shows how well the place is insulated and how efficient is its in terms of the energy used. The certificate may also point out where improvements could be made. A second certificate records the ‘environmental impact (CO2) rating’ and measures the carbon footprint for the unit. Both range from A, being the most efficient, to G, least efficient.
17th August 2022
Some food items – such as sandwiches in cafés or packets of lentils in supermarkets – are now carrying a label indicating their sustainability. The labelling system reflects the product’s carbon footprint, water usage, water pollution and impact on biodiversity.
One by Foundation Earth ( https://www.foundation-earth.org/ ) scores products between A (most sustainable) coloured green and G (worst) coloured orange. Another is organised by Oxford University – https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/22/green-food-eco-labels-study-environmental-cost-consumers?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other
The aim is to enable customers to make more informed choices.
16th August 2022
In response to COP26 the five leading supermarkets – Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, Co-op and M&S – said they would reduce carbon emissions, deforestation and the food waste and packaging they produce.The chief executives of the supermarkets, which together serve more than half of UK food shoppers, said in a joint statement: “We recognise that a future without nature is a future without food. By 2030 we need to halt the loss of nature.” Before the end of next year(2022), they also promised to set science-based targets for how they would help to limit global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial temperatures. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59184278
Write to your local supermarket and ask if they are in track to meet climate change prevention targets.
15th August 2022
For a while we lived through a drought in Zimbabwe where every household was rationed to 50l of water per day (we were a household of 5). Reusing the little water we had was key – you learnt to wash your teeth before you washed your pants. Officially we are now in a drought situation here and must make careful use of our water, using only what we absolutely need and collecting grey water to reuse. A small bowl collects hand washing water to flush the loo. A larger bowl to wash in serves the same purpose.
14th August 2022
Last year I suggested “Take a photo of the youngest person in your family. How old will that person be in 2030? By then we hope the world will have reduced our greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% below 1990. This should keep the rise in global temperatures to 1.5C. Try and imagine what their world then will be like? Will summers be even hotter and even wetter than now? Will there be more and stronger storms and floods? Will houses be better insulated? Will they have been adapted to cope with heat waves? Will transport system be all electric? Will they have been adapted to cope with floods and landslides? Will there still be the same diversity of wild plants and animals that we see now or will some have been pushed out of their niche in the ecosystem by climate change? Will schools be solar powered? Will school leavers be finding jobs in a burgeoning green sector?”
Since then we have failed globally and are, according to the IPCC, on pathway to global warming of more than double the 1.5C target. If we are to keep temperatures rises to 1.5C we must ensure that emissions peak by 2025 at the latest. Hopefully our lived experiences of global warming this summer will motivate us to take all necessary actions.
13th August 2022
Following on from the last two Green Tau articles, here is a link to an excellent letter by a Kenyan Christian and environmental activist written to Alok Sharma in the issue of loss and damage. It comes with option of signing the accompanying petition on this issue.
https://actions.oxfam.org/great-britain/climate-justice-solidarity/petition/
12th August 2022
If we are inspired to sign petitions, such as the Fossil Fuel Non Proliferation Treaty, call for an end to the use of fossil fuels, then we must be willing in our daily lives to cut back – and ultimately cut out – reliance on fossil fuels. We need to be reducing our gas consumption, our use of petrol, not flying, not buying things made of or wrapped in plastic. We must walk the talk.
11th August 2022
The effects of the climate crisis could be as dire as that of nuclear war which has prompted various parliamentarians, cities, faith groups, academics, scientists, charities and NGOs to call for a Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty:-
Prevent the proliferation of coal, oil and gas by ending all new exploration and production;
Phase-out existing production of fossil fuels in line with the 1.5C global climate goal; and
Fast-track real solutions and a just transition for every worker, community and country.
You can endorse this as an individual or as a group, church, company or business – https://fossilfueltreaty.org/#endorse
The Green Tau 