Tag: Sustainability

Counting on … day 31

13th February 2025

Waterfalls are dramatic natural features because of their power and beauty. The power of falling water is utilised by water wheels and hydro power plants. Its power is replicated by power showers and power hoses – but in those situations we may want to think whether the amount of energy and water used is reasonable in a world where we are already overusing limited resources.

That said, another way of saving water and energy is to shower less often. Most of us don’t need to shower every day – we can wash bits of ourselves as necessary in a basin and still smell clean and fresh. 

How Much Energy Does a Shower Use?

Counting on … day 30

12th February 2025

Some 30 years ago we lived for a year in Zimbabwe, during a drought. Households were rationed to initially 50 litres of water a day (between five of us). We were able to send our washing to the laundry but for all other needs had to plan how we used our water. Apart from what we drank, every drop was reused – cooking and washing up water flushed the toilet, baths (we used a baby bath) were shared etc. We weren’t allowed to water the garden as all waste water was need to keep the sewers flowing. 

That was an extreme situation, but thinking about how we use every drop of water is relevant at any time.

Counting on … day 25

5th February 2025

Fairtrade helps ensure fair working conditions  for workers which for many consumers is an issue of social justice that means they are willing to pay a higher price for the product. Ensuring workers have a fair wage and good living conditions is also about the sustainable use of resources. People are resources that we need to value and to treat with respect. 

Food systems here in the UK and in Europe, are highly dependant on the use of part time cheap labour. In these situations workers are not paid fair wages nor are they provided with continuous year round work, holiday and sick pay etc. 

This article from the Guardian describes the case of Julia Quecaño Casimiro, from Chile, who came  to pick cherries in Herefordshire. When she left the farm a month later, she was homeless with little more than £100 in her pocket. https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/nov/22/seasonal-cherrypicker-from-chile-files-unfair-dismissal-claim-against-uk-farm?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Counting on … day 23

3rd February 2025

“Farmers are the backbone of our agricultural industry, working tirelessly to bring food to our tables. However, the practice of price manipulation in agricultural markets has severe consequences for these hardworking individuals. One of the most significant impacts on farmers is the financial struggles they face, coupled with a sense of uncertainty about their future.” (1)

Food waste can also be linked with capital waste. Farming requires capital inputs – seed, fertilisers, equipment – for which the return can be unpredictable. Crops may fail due to adverse weather or pests. Prices may fall because of changes in demand or because of the manipulation of the markets by  investors such as hedge funds. 

Recently there seemed to be a surge in demand for British grown fruit – apples, cherries etc. demand peaked and with inflation consumers (and supermarkets) opted for cheaper imports. What do farmers do who have invested in planting orchards? It can be years before the capital is repaid: should they grub up the new trees and cut their losses? 

Do we need more control over prices – limiting the role of investors who are simply playing the market, using subsides to guarantee prices for British grown produce?

  1. https://fastercapital.com/content/Price-Manipulation-in-the-Agricultural-Markets–Impacts-on-Farmers-and-Consumers.html

Counting on … day 22

31st January 2025

Sustainable use of land resource also extends to how we use finite water resources. Some crops use particularly large amounts of water – eg blueberries, strawberries – and realistically shouldn’t be grown in  areas where water is a scarce resource and should be reserved for critical crops and drinking/ sanitation. In Peru blueberries are grown in areas where local crops are at risk from lack of water. Almond trees need more water than pistachios and in Spain farmers are switching from almonds to pistachios in face of the increasing  prevalence of droughts. 

At the same time, such water rich-crops are often vulnerable to damage – strawberries and blueberries are very susceptible to damage and often have a short shelf-life. 

As consumers we can avoid buying foods that are grown with the unsustainable use of water.

Further reading – https://greentau.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/ff0ba-howfairisourwaterfootprintinperu_final_fulltechnicalreportdec2024.pdf

https://yipinstitute.org/policy/california-almonds-weighing-economic-impact-vs-water-sustainability
https://www.food4sustainability.org/awaproject

Counting on … day 20

29th January 2025

Food waste occurs at all stages between field and the fork. 

At the field end, waste may occur because the crop has not grown to a saleable quality which could because of drought or excess water, frosts or excess heat, infestation by bugs or diseases. Food waste may occur  because of delays in harvesting (due to adverse weather) or a lack of workers or equipment. 

The increasing occurrence of adverse weather events caused by the climate crisis is going to be an issue for decades to come. Even if we can curtail carbon emissions, it will be  many decades before global temperatures will reduce to a level such that weather patterns will revert to what we would consider normal.

As regards harvesting, much of the work is done by people on short term insecure contracts earning minimal  wages. This is not good for them nor is it good for our food system. Maybe as consumers we should be willing to pay a fairer price for our food. But equally it maybe others in the supply chain need to be taking a smaller profit. The following Guardian article is interesting. But it is not just a UK issue. Similar problems happen in Spain where ‘cheap’  seasonal labour  is brought in from North Africa – https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/ethicalcampaigns/agricultural-workers-rights-almeria

“Employment tribunal hearings are due to begin this week to decide their claims for unlawful ­deduction of wages, unfair dismissal, discrimination and harassment against Haygrove, a business which runs five farms in the UK growing ­strawberries, cherries and other berries.

“It employs more than 1,000 ­people to pick fruit and uses the seasonal worker scheme, a visa programme introduced after Brexit when fruit was left rotting in the fields because there was no one to pick it. Haygrove disputes the claims.

“McAndrew said there was substantial evidence of “widespread exploitation” of people on the seasonal worker visa. Part of the reason is that growers are under extreme pressure from supermarkets to drive down prices, and seasonal workers are usually employed through third-party agencies.

“Research by the Landworkers’ Alliance into the fruit supply chain found that for a £2.30 punnet of strawberries, the farm received 50p, of which just 5p was profit, while workers received just 18p after deductions for tax, visa and accommodation.” (1)

(1) https://www.theguardian.com/global/2025/jan/26/protests-by-fruit-pickers-and-farmers-put-spotlight-on-price-of-cheap-food-in-uk?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Counting on … day 18

27th January 2025

Last September the UN Climate Change News reported that “In 2022, a staggering 1.05 billion tons of food were wasted, while 783 million people went hungry and a third of the global population faced food insecurity…Food loss and waste account for 8-10% of annual global greenhouse gas emissions – nearly five times the total emissions from the aviation sector – and contribute to substantial biodiversity loss, using up almost a third of the world’s agricultural land.” (1) 

Reducing food waste is something we can all do that will help address the climate and biodiversity crises and improve global food security. 

Useful advice can be found here – https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/food-drink/climate-action-10-steps-reduce-food-waste

Counting on … day 17

23rd January 2025

Following on from yesterday, another approach would be to buy less. We probably think we have more stuff than we need so rather than buying something new, maybe question whether you actually need it or whether you have something already that would do. I recently needed some flip flops to walk along the path to the outdoor swimming pool – it’s about 50m of cold concrete – and then it occurred to me to use the old pair of sandals whose soles are wearing out. 

Equally we are often tempted by advertising to buy things we don’t need.

Counting on … day 15

21st January 2025

We can avoid waste by making use of second hand shops, charity shops, pre-loved web sites. If we have something we no longer need/ want that is more than likely someone else who would like it. These outlets enable us to pass the thing on rather than discarding it as waste.

 And by the same token, if we need something we can visit these outlets to buy what we need there rather than buying new – and thus avoiding using up more of the Earth’s limited resources.

Counting on … day 14

20th January 2025

One way of reducing waste, is to repair things. Darning a sock saves a pair going into landfill. Stitching up a hem or a seem to get some more wear out of a skirt or shirt. Sewing a patch on the knee or elbow will add more wear to a pair of trousers of jumper. Sewing a sheet sides to middle will do likewise. 

Re-heeling or soleing shoes where that is possible – sadly the design of many pairs of shoes don’t this as an option. 

Repair Cafes and repair shops can mend household items such as kettles and toasters. Do ensure that electrical repairs are done by someone appropriately qualified. 

Other repairs might simply involve glue, ‘Sugru’ a mouldable silicone substance that can mend a hole in a pot, refix a pan handle or strengthen that weak point on a recharging cable. Gaffer tape mends  a hundred things! Be imaginative. Be creative! Give things you use and love an extra lifespan. 

About
https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/climate-action-how-increase-repairing-upcycling-buying-second-hand
https://greentau.org/tag/repairs/