A mouse so small! But look at its whiskers, they are at least as wide as its body. Mouse eyes are designed to maximise distance vision which means things close up are blurred. It is their whiskers (all twenty four) which, through neurone receptors in the brain, tell them where things are immediately around their heads. Researchers at Berkeley University draw the analogy with the way we will use the touch of our fingers to locate what’s on the bedside table in the dark.
The world around us is full of curious, beautiful and amazing things. As small children our curiosity and our amazement knew no bounds. Every day would produce novelties- things to see, things to chew or eat, things to grab and hold, things to poke and explore.
As we have grow older we have often lost that sense of wonder. Things that were new have become mundane. In the rush to be busy, small things flop below the radar. Decorum dictates that we shouldn’t prod or lick things and, unless we’re wine tasters, swirling stuff around our mouth and spitting are frowned upon. Stopping suddenly just to look is discouraged – it interrupts the flow of traffic. Daily routines take over.
And our love for the world wains and falters.
The season of creation-tide runs from 1st September till 4th October, the Feast of St Francis. Let’s fall in love again with creation.
Action 57: Second Hand September is a good reminder to us not to hoard things we don’t need or don’t use. These can be given a new lease of life in someone else’s home – so why not have a autumn clear out and feel less cluttered?
Over the last few weeks Green Tau has looked at various aspects of our
The Carbon Trust has a carbon footprint labelling scheme which it is hoped will grow in popularity
individual/ household carbon footprint and how we might reduce it as part of the overall global target of achieving net zero by 2050.
The things we buy all have their own carbon footprint, whether that’s a pair of socks or a new car or a newspaper. The carbon footprint of things includes growing or producing the raw materials, be that iron, cotton, timber etc. Then there is the processing of those materials – turning iron into steel, spinning the cotton into yarn, timber into paper. And a further series of processes will transform those elements into the final product. Then there is the carbon footprint involved in transportation between the various stages of production and onwards to the warehouse and shop.
It is a complex chain with lots of variables which may explain why it is hard, as consumers, to establish the carbon footprint of most consumer goods. But here are a few:-
A newspaper 0.3 – 0.8kg CO2
A pair of poly cotton pants (underwear) 0.6kg CO2
A paperback book 1 kg CO2
A cotton T shirt 2-3 kg CO2
A pair of trainers 10-15 kg CO2
A pair of jeans 20 kg CO2
A smart phone 55 kg CO2
A lap top 119 kg CO2
A land rover 35 tonnes CO2
Can we reduce our carbon footprint when buying things? Yes.
We can do some research and find out which products might have a lower carbon footprint. For example organic cotton has a lower footprint than non organic cotton because it doesn’t use pesticides and fertilisers. Polyester items have double the carbon footprint of cotton ones, but some polyester fabrics are made from recycled plastic which is better than that made from oil. Synthetic fabrics such as viscose and rayon are made from cellulose – eg from wood or bamboo – but require a high chemical input which adds to their carbon footprint. Tencel on the other hand uses a process with a much smaller footprint.
We can consider the life span of the product. A lap top that only lasts 2 years is less environmentally friendly than one with a lifespan of 10 years as the initial carbon cost is spread over 10 rather than 2 years. We might at this point also consider how easily the product can be repaired. Some laptops are more readily repairable. Maybe the product is something we can repair ourselves such as darning a pair of socks or replacing a zip on a pair of trousers.
We can consider the running costs involved with the product. How much energy will it take to recharge different smart phones? How much energy will different flat screen TVs use? What about buying a hand powered alternative such as hand turned coffee grinder or a manual whisk?
We might consider whether the product has an after life – ie can we pass on to someone else when we have finished with it? Books we have read can be passed onto a friend and donated to a charity shop. The same is true of clothes. Children’s clothes can be passed onto a younger sibling, or you might hold a ‘swishing event’ with friends.
We should also consider how the product will be recycled at the end of its life. Some clothes manufacturers and retailers will take back old clothes and recycle them. This is easier when the fabric is from a single rather than a blend of materials. Newspaper and books can ultimately be recycled with other paper products. Electrical goods are currently less readily recycled.
Alternatively we could borrow, rent or buy second hand. Equally we should consider whether we need the thing anyway! If we are to achieve net zero as a world, I am sure it means we will have to consume less, repairing and reusing what we do have.
Bright winter sun on frozen water on a frozen river. Isn’t it amazing that there can be both sun – the source of all warmth and light – and ice, a frozen lattice work of water molecules, that only forms when temperatures drop below 0C. Movement goes into suspension, holding what was previously fluid into a solid whole until the sun’s warmth eventually releases its bonds. For now the ice glints and glows as it reflects the sun’s heat away from its surface.
The world around us is full of curious, beautiful and amazing things. As small children our curiosity and our amazement knew no bounds. Every day would produce novelties- things to see, things to chew or eat, things to grab and hold, things to poke and explore.
As we have grow older we have often lost that sense of wonder. Things that were new have become mundane. In the rush to be busy, small things flop below the radar. Decorum dictates that we shouldn’t prod or lick things and, unless we’re wine tasters, swirling stuff around our mouth and spitting are frowned upon. Stopping suddenly just to look is discouraged – it interrupts the flow of traffic. Daily routines take over.
And our love for the world wains and falters.
The season of creation-tide runs from 1st September till 4th October, the Feast of St Francis. Let’s fall in love again with creation.
Action 56: Autumn brings in new fruits and vegetables that are much to be enjoyed – different varieties of squash, apples and quinces and pears, cobnuts, sweet corn …. Why not have a vegan fortnight and see how many different dishes you can make?
Pumpkin Risotto
Dice one small onion and a couple of garlic cloves. Fry gently in a little rape seed oil.
Add 250g arborio rice and stir well. Allow the rice to gently brown before adding a little hot water and stir well.
Once the water has been absorbed, add a little more and stir. Add ground pepper and some yeast flakes for extra flavour. You might also like to add a little rosemary or thyme.
Dice half a small pumpkin, or squash, and add to the rice. Continue to stir and add water until the rice is nice and plump.
Finally add a knob of vegan butter and some chopped walnuts and serve.
This is fern is a ‘male fern’ or dryopteris filix-mas and is native to Britain. Each leaf unfurls from a tightly wound coil known as a fiddlehead or crosier. The latter also being the name of the staff carried by a bishop which has a curled top similar to that of a shepherd’s crook. Whilst still young and small these fiddleheads can be cooked and eaten and are rich in omega fatty acids and iron. But left in situ each fiddlehead uncurls and stretches out into a tall arching frond. Oh that our spines were as flexible!
The world around us is full of curious, beautiful and amazing things. As small children our curiosity and our amazement knew no bounds. Every day would produce novelties- things to see, things to chew or eat, things to grab and hold, things to poke and explore.
As we have grow older we have often lost that sense of wonder. Things that were new have become mundane. In the rush to be busy, small things flop below the radar. Decorum dictates that we shouldn’t prod or lick things and, unless we’re wine tasters, swirling stuff around our mouth and spitting are frowned upon. Stopping suddenly just to look is discouraged – it interrupts the flow of traffic. Daily routines take over.
And our love for the world wains and falters.
The season of creation-tide runs from 1st September till 4th October, the Feast of St Francis. Let’s fall in love again with creation.
Action 55: Nature has a tendency to be over abundant in its fruits, and this year, having had plenty of rain, there is a lovely crop of black berries. Whilst these will feed various creatures, there will be enough for us to garner a few too. Sweet chestnuts are another fruit people forage – but if you go into Richmond Park, please don’t collect them as the resident deer do rely on these for their food.
A woodland path in the Yorkshire Dales, spring time. What can be more relaxing than to wander beneath a lacy canopy of lime green leaves, over a carpet of dappled shade and bluebells? Weather worn stones and ageing tree trunks alongside fresh grass and spring growth: both old and new are intrinsically part of life.
The world around us is full of curious, beautiful and amazing things. As small children our curiosity and our amazement knew no bounds. Every day would produce novelties- things to see, things to chew or eat, things to grab and hold, things to poke and explore.
As we have grow older we have often lost that sense of wonder. Things that were new have become mundane. In the rush to be busy, small things flop below the radar. Decorum dictates that we shouldn’t prod or lick things and, unless we’re wine tasters, swirling stuff around our mouth and spitting are frowned upon. Stopping suddenly just to look is discouraged – it interrupts the flow of traffic. Daily routines take over.
And our love for the world wains and falters.
The season of creation-tide runs from 1st September till 4th October, the Feast of St Francis. Let’s fall in love again with creation.
The Green Tau 