Tag: Water

Counting on …day 1:030

30th January 2023

As climate change leads to more extreme weather conditions, it is not only droughts that affect us, but floods too, as we fluctuate from periods of no rain to sudden downpours. By reshaping and adapting our local environment, it is possible to mitigate some of the effects of heavy rain. For example replacing hard surfaces such as tarmac and concrete with soft surfaces such as gravel and grass, limits a rapid run-off  of water that can overload drains and watercourses. Replacing grass with trees and bushy plants further slows the rate at which rain enters rivers and drains. Allowing rivers to both meander and to overflow into water meadows and areas of marshland, enables rivers to cope with excess quantities of water. 

Even in our own gardens we can take evasive action – replacing hard driveways with soft ones, installing water butts – and ponds – and planting trees and shrubs.

For more ideas – https://greentau.org/2022/01/19/eco-tips-17/

Counting on …day 277 

15th August 2022

For a while we lived through a drought in Zimbabwe where every household was rationed to 50l of water per day (we were a household of 5). Reusing the little water we had was key – you learnt to wash your teeth before you washed your pants. Officially we are now in a drought situation here and must make careful use of our water, using only what we absolutely need and collecting grey water to reuse. A small bowl collects hand washing water to flush the loo. A larger bowl to wash in serves the same purpose. 

 Counting on …day 255

24th July 2022

The more people use refillable water bottles, the less demand there will be for bottled water. The hot weather has reminded us of the importance of staying hydrated – can it also instil in us the habit of carrying a refillable bottle. Lots of cafes have taps or jugs of water for refills, many railway stations have water refill points, and there are a growing number of public water fountains around the country. 

Refill has an app to help you find places to refill water bottles, cafes that give discounts for reusable cups, and places that will refill your lunch box (but not for free!) – https://www.refill.org.uk/

Counting on … day 239

10th July 2022

You see it in some cafés – for a cool drink, fill a jug with water and add strips of cucumber/ slices of lemon or orange/ sprigs of mint/ slices of root ginger/ even melon rinds. Keep the jug in the fridge – it will stand a few refills before the additions loose their flavour. (No sugar, and no bottles to recycle).

Counting on ..day 186 

18th May 2022

This is Christian Aid week. The work Christian Aid supports includes projects to assist people affected by climate change and to make their communities more resilient. Their recent report Scorched Earth focuses on drought caused by global heating. Many large cities around the globe – from London to Cape Town, Phoenix to New Delhi – face running out of water. Whilst the problem is wide spread, the means for resolving it are not. “Cities in poorer countries are also far more vulnerable than those in richer countries as they have fewer resources to adapt to the water shortages. The lack of state funds and infrastructure makes it harder to import water and ensure it reaches those that need

it. Urban drought is yet another example of the injustice of climate change impacting most the people who have done least to cause it.” https://www.christianaid.org.uk/sites/default/files/2022-05/Scorched-Earth-2022.pdf 

Countries that have contributed least to the climate crisis are often the least well financed making the contribution we make all the more important. https://www.christianaid.org.uk/give/ways-to-donate