Category: Counting On …

Reflections and actions during COP26 and going on

 Counting on ….day 221

22nd June 2022

Carbon Independent suggests that having calculated your carbon footprint, you should set a target of reducing it by 10% each year. The two biggest contributors to my carbon footprint are gas for heating and my general spending. Having turned true gas boiler off for the summer, I will see whether that gives the desired reduction. As regards general spending, I will look at the carbon footprint of what I am buying – but the Carbon Independent calculator is not very sensitive so I am will need a different calculator. 

Counting on ….day 220

21st June 2022

This month at church we have been encouraged to calculate our individual carbon footprint. There are various on-line calculators available, some quick and easy, and some more complex but more reflective of the uniqueness of our individual lifestyles. Using Carbon Independent’s calculator my footprint came out at 4.26 tonnes. 

https://carbonindependent.org/

 Counting on … day 219

20th June 2022

Zero waste and plastic free are two main objectives in our daily living so I am really pleased to,find that. The RSPB’s fatty nibbles for birds now comes in all paper rather than plastic packing! Card and paper I will recycle with an easier conscience than plastics. And by buying the  largest size I am minimising the total packaging footprint. 

Counting on …day 218 

19th June 2022

Sometimes it is the little things that bring joy – like this little butterwort that has come into flower. We bought a couple of these plants as they ‘eat’ soil gnats which tend to breed in plant pot soil. The shape of the leaves is always beautiful but when a delicate flower pops up, it’s the icing on the cake! 

Counting on …day 217 

18th June 2022

Earlier this week the Guardian featured an article on foraging for food. I do this occasionally in the wild – picking blackberries, sloes, and juniper berries – but more frequently in our garden. Whilst not a complete wilderness, I take a relaxed approach to weeding and encourage plants to seed where they will. Most lunches we have a salad from the garden being a mix of what ever I find: rocket,  lambs lettuce and mustard are staples as they self seed and grow all year round; mint, sweet cecily, marjoram, and fennel; in the spring baby dandelion leaves; and in the summer nasturtium leaves and flowers. 

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/foraging

 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.