Counting On … – Page 95

Counting on ….day 215

16th June 2022

‘Air pollution can impact every organ in everybody – not just those who are vulnerable. Even though we can’t see it, air pollution impacts our health from our first breath to our last’ – Larissa Lockwood, Director of Clean Air at Global Action Plan. The simplest thing we can all do is to cut out short car journeys and walk instead – better for both our health and our environment. The focus of this year’s campaign is on contacting our local authorities to tell them what actions they can take to make walking easier in our own area. https://www.globalactionplan.org.uk/news/clean-air-day-2022-theme-confirmed

NB The Met Office produces an air pollution forecast – https://uk-air.defra.gov.uk/forecasting/locations?q=+M50+3AZ

Counting on ….day 214

15th June 2022

Tomorrow is World Refill Day. Refills are more sustainable than a constant flow of single use glass or plastic bottles – even if the latter are recycled (as opposed to reused). I noticed in one of our local cycle shops a refill point for bike cleaning liquid. Keeping your bike clean will keep it in working order for longer – ie improves its sustainability – so why not go further and make the process of keeping it clean more sustainable too?

Counting on ….day 213

14th June 2022

Strawberries and raspberries are in season. Now is the time to preserve their flavour for enjoyment later in the year. I have been making jam and bottling these soft fruits. As strawberries and raspberries are quite delicate fruits, I bottle them with rhubarb. I precook the rhubarb till it is soft, mix in uncooked soft fruits and fill the jars with this combination before sterilising them in hot water.

For tips on preserving fruits and vegetables, including jam making and bottling, see https://greentau.org/tag/jam/

Counting on … day 212

13th June 2022

To ‘put your skin in the game’ is a business term that describes someone’s commitment to a project. Last Saturday cyclists literally bared their skin as part the WNBR London Naked Bike Ride. The campaigns objectives are to: protest against the global dependency on oil, curb car culture! obtain real rights for cyclists, demonstrate the vulnerability of cyclists on city streets, and celebrate body freedom.

NB cycling without protective clothing makes you vulnerable if you have an accident. Helmets protect your head and neck. Clothing protects your skin from the abrasive nature of the road’s surface.

Counting on ….day 211

12th June 2022

Last Saturday I attempted a nature survey of the church garden which was impeded by wet weather. Once the sun came out, so did the insects and with the gentle back ground buzz that reminds us how the summer should sound. I saw three different types of bee, several hover flies, a shiny emerald rosemary beetle and some tiny mint moths. It is worth spending half an hour just observing a few plants to see what’s there.

Counting on … day 210

11th June 2022

This morning to my great delight we were visited by a family of greater spotted woodpeckers – mum, dad and junior. Junior has a red patch on the top of his head, dad has the same patch but at the back of his head and mum has a plain head. They settled on the palm tree from where the two adults flew back and forth to the feeder bringing their offspring a succession of tasty snacks.

The day before I had spotted a newt in the pond, a resident I had not seen for the last few years.

Both filled me with joy and I realise how much I count on these moments of encouragement.

Counting on …day209

10th June 2022

According to the WWF, ‘Local communities are key to equitable, sustainable food systems’. They see working with local communities is the best way of developing climate resilient farming practices that enable communities to feed themselves. The charity Practical Action takes a similar approach using on the philosophy of Dr E. F. Schumacher that ‘small is beautiful’. The Fair Trade movement also puts communities at the heart of its work. Supporting groups like these and opting for fair trade products are ways of creating a sustainable world.

Counting on …day 208

9th June 2022

Sustainability is also about maintaining communities. Communities are good because they provide support for those who are vulnerable as we saw when neighbours helped with shopping. Communities are good because they can rally together, sharing skills and resources, whether that is to celebrate jubilees or to cope with disasters such as floods. According to the World Bank, ‘Sustainable communities are resilient to social, economic, and natural shocks. They are well prepared for natural disasters, which are increasing in intensity and frequency due to climate change’.
Being good neighbours, being committed to our local communities, means we can count on each other to share the hard times and celebrate the good times.

Counting on … day 206

7th June 2022

Consuming less but enjoying more!

Consuming less can be eating locally organically grown food rather than imported, intensively produced food. Take strawberries: eaten out of season we are consuming not just the fruit but the extra carbon footprint of importing them – often as airfreight. Additionally we may be consuming excess quantities of water – strawberries grown in Spain are reliant on artificial irrigation which is draining natural aquifers and jeopardising river and wetland habitats. Strawberries are also a labour intensive crop often invoking seasonal workers who are often underpaid and/ or abused. As strawberries become an everyday rather than seasonal treat, so supermarkets put pressure on suppliers to reduce costs. Strawberries often come packed in single use plastic boxes and even though the plastic may recyclable, the punnets themselves are invariably made from virgin plastic.

Sustainable strawberries are a treat to be waited for and savoured – hold out for ones with flavour and aroma! If you have the opportunity, grow and pick your own!

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/feb/08/bitter-fruit-strawberry-boom-water-plan-raises-fears-for-spanish-wetlands?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/jun/29/fresh-abuse-claims-from-women-picking-spain-strawberries?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other