Reflections and actions during COP26 and going on
12th May 2022
“Make do and mend” reduces the amount we consume, making our lifestyles more sustainable. Repairing a pair of trousers so that they can be worn for a couple more years makes good sense.
Repairing sheets – https://greentau.org/2021/09/20/count-down-58/
Darning – https://greentau.org/count-down/
11th May 2022
One victim of the war in Ukraine, is the global supply of wheat. Ukraine is usually a major exporter of wheat but this year will only produce a fraction of their normal harvest. This short fall in wheat supplies will affect many countries across the world – eg Lebanon, Egypt, Somalia and Laos. Across the globe wheat is grown not just for human consumption but as animal feed too. If more people followed a plant based diet, we would be better able to feed everyone.
10th May 2022
In a world where resources are limited, we need to avoid waste them. One way is to ‘make do and mend’. By repairing and maintaining and repurposing things we can prolong their useable lifespan before recycling them. This skilfully repaired dustbin belongs to a neighbour. The less skilfully repaired coffee filter is mine – gaffer tape can mend a lot of things.
9th May 2022
Our local council has retained its Liberal Democrat majority and now has the Greens as the opposition. I hope we can count on this new council to push ahead with radical policies to address the climate crisis – an eco-friendly card of congratulations seems in order.
8th May 2022
Make time to enjoy the natural world. Pause and take time to look at a leaf, to smell a flower, to watch an insect, to follow the line of a branch as it reaches up to the sky.
“What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.”
From Leisure by William Henry Davies
7th May 2022
According to the recent review, the State of the World’s Birds, 48% of bird species populations are in decline, 39% are stable, 6% showing increases whilst a further 7% have unknown trends. The major cause of decline in bird populations is the growing footprint of human consumption. Alexander Lee, of the Metropolitan University Manchester and leader of the review, says that people should not feel helpless: “We all have connections [to birds]. If a company is associated with deforestation in Brazil, don’t buy stuff from them,” he said. “And if everyone spares as much land as possible within their gardens for nature, then that adds up to quite a large area. Another lever is voting – we get the politicians we vote for.”
6th May 2022
As a prolonged period of hot dry weather is forecast, the RSPB is inviting us to provide extra help for the migratory birds that are arriving in the UK. https://www.rspb.org.uk/about-the-rspb/about-us/media-centre/press-releases/mud-pies-for-house-martins/
The RSPB is urging the public to get their hands dirty this weekend and create mud pies to help endangered birds such as house martins, swifts and swallows get enough sludge to build their nests.
A nine-day mini-heatwave is hitting the UK, which coincides with the return of migratory birds here to breed. Many of these birds have flown thousands of miles on their journey. But conservationists are concerned that the ground is getting so hard it could stop them from being able to make their nests.
By leaving out dishes of mud mixed with water, or creating little puddles in the garden, the public can make a big difference, said Becca Smith, of the RSPB. “It’s the easiest thing that people can do to help these birds after they’ve flown all the way from Africa to our shores. Plus, a bit of mud pie-making is fun for the weekend.”
Putting out dishes of fresh water will also provide drinking and bathing for a variety of birds. House martins – which require the most mud for nestbuilding – can mix water with soil themselves, which they then combine with things such as grass, feathers and vegetable fibres to make little cup nests under the eaves of houses. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/may/05/mud-water-to-help-nesting-migrating-birds-during-uk-heatwave-rspb-aoe
5th May 2022
Access to green and blue spaces is important for our own physical and mental health as well as being good biodiversity. The Green Space Index by Fields in Trust found that more than 2.5 million people lived more than a 10-minute walk from the nearest area. The Office for National Statistics reports that one in eight households (12%) does not have access to a private or shared garden.
Campaigners are calling on the Government to do more to ensure everyone has access to green spaces. https://action.wildlifetrusts.org/page/97830/petition/1
4th May 2022
If you are still looking for ways to reduce your gas consumption in response to the invasion of Ukraine, and use gas to heat your hot water, there are several ways you do this.
3rd May 2022
Following up from day 160, ‘bp or not bp’ have produced a short film clip illustrating their recent action at the British Museum: https://twitter.com/drop_BP/status/1519354049254117387
The Green Tau 