February 26th, 2010
A great article posted in The Independent recently debated the best way to make progress on environmental issues and it seems that times are changing. The 1970’s saw a surge in the success of the Environmental Protests and Rallies; however there is an argument that ever since these successes, the achievement of protests and mass demonstrations has been in steady decline.
Given last December’s COP 15 debacle, there has never been more proof that our glorious leaders are not listening to us; that they cannot be trusted to act in our best environmental interests when they keep getting distracted by pretty shinning things like money and popularity and that they are no longer taking much notice of physical protests.
There is of course always the lobbying aspect, where campaign groups converge in the paperwork, littering MP’s desks with letters of concern, petitions for action and cluttering up their hard drives with online petitions and e-mails threatening not to vote…
The 1990’s saw a raise in more dramatic feats to get heard, with handfuls of the more adventurers, steadfast protestors scaling huge buildings, tying themselves to things often in fancy dress or taking up residency in trees or on sites of environmental interest.
Although I am being flippant in my descriptions, all of the above represent large swaths of people, action groups and protesters who feel incredibly strongly and are desperately trying to make a difference.
It seems that in 2010, with the rapidly gaining prevalence of groups such as Transition Towns, Transition Heathrow and 10:10, a new form of action is being put in motion. Not surprisingly given the disillusionment of environmentalists following Copenhagen, this new style of making change happen operates on an individual, grassroots level, cutting out government and attempts to change legislation and instead focusing on the reality of modern day living and the price we will all have to pay for it.
The Transition Towns movement is a superb example of this; having lost all hope that local government will lead the way, and acknowledging the fact that fossil fuels are a limited resource, the movement prepares communities for a low carbon future, gradually yet effectively weaning towns off of fossil fuel dependency through a united and conscientious approach.
So are the days of protest marches well and truly over? Certainly not, any positive action will always have its place, however since we can’t trust the government to make the difficult decisions for us, we will simply have to start making changes to our own lives, doing what little we can to make a difference and leading by example – who knows one day they might just catch on.
Tags: Copenhagen, environmental decisions, government, progress, protests, Transition Towns | Posted in Airport Protests, Climate Change, Life Change, Local Councils, Protest Marches, Self sufficiency, education
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February 22nd, 2010
Ever feel ashamed of living in the UK? On the whole I feel highly privileged to live in this country, but just sometimes I’m forced to publically blush at the petty minded bureaucracy which plagues us. Case in point is a story I first came across on a US blog UK Barber Banned from Composting. It’s also been covered by The Telegraph. I had to read both articles twice because I simply couldn’t believe what I was reading.
It seems that a local barber, Jeff Stone from Blackburn in Lancashire, has been banned from taking hair clippings and salon newspapers home to compost: Why I hear you ask?
Is he stealing from the people whose head it once belonged?
They left it behind happily so apparently not.
Is human hair somehow toxic to our delicate eco-structure?
No, in fact quite the reverse, apparently all environmental agencies recognise human hair as fantastic, highly biodegradable compostable material, perfect for adding nitrogen to the soil.
Perhaps he’s taking home so much of it, it’s upsetting the neighbours?
Nope – only one small swing bin every two or three weeks.
Well then, obviously it’s because Blackburn and Darwen Councils have invested heavily in establishing domestic and retail recycling programs and by taking the hair home Mr. Stone is somehow confusing the system?
Absolutely not, documentation received by Mr. Stone confirms that the waste will be emptied at landfill sites at Whinney Hill, near Accrington, and Withnell just outside Blackburn.
Well then, what could possibly be the problem…? Surely it would have nothing to do with money? Surely no council would stoop so low as to force Mr. Stone to buy one hundred Council issued waste sacks, which he doesn’t need and which cost £100, in order to ‘comply’ with their guideline?
Apparently so.
Reassuring isn’t it that Councils have so little to do; that crime levels are so low, housing so abundant, local facilities so immaculate, that they have nothing better so spend our council tax on than paying people to search through our dustbins checking for people who might be ‘illegally’ trying to save the planet…
Tags: biodegradable hair clippings, Blackburn, compost, Lancashire, local barber, Local Council | Posted in Local Councils, News, Recycling, Self sufficiency
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February 3rd, 2010
Looking for some green, environmentally friendly outer clothing? Well the Spudcoat could be the answer to your prayers. It comes in two styles the waterproof cloak (good for the festival goer) or the raincoat (for the more dapper eco-warrior). The spudcoat is made entirely from bioplastic which is derived from potato starch and other natural resources.
The coat is 100% biodegradable and compostable and even has a small clay ball with seeds in it so that once its lifecycle is over; you can dig a hole in the garden and bury it. So the garment doesn’t just return to the natural cycle, it also helps the seeds inside grow into plants – what more could you ask for?
Tags: 100% biodegradable, bioplastic, compostable, Spudcoat | Posted in Recycling, Self sufficiency, Sustainability
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January 25th, 2010
The University of Bath is undergoing a project to find environmentally friendly building materials that can be used as an alternative to the current products used within the construction industry.
A straw house came up as a viable option. Straw is not only a renewable resource, but also a farming by-product, which made it a popular choice for the researchers. It can be locally grown and absorbs carbon monoxide, therefore buildings made from straw have zero or even a negative carbon footprint. It can potentially provide such good insulation that normal heating may not be necessary, keeping running costs low and minimising environmental impact.
The construction itself has been built using prefabricated panels, consisting of wooden frames filled with straw or hemp, then rendered with a breathable lime based system.
Research into alternative building materials is important as cement contributes up to 10% of all carbon dioxide emissions. Hopefully this project, which over the year is to be monitored, will prove that straw is a sustainable building material. Let’s just hope it can withstand all the wolves huffing and puffing and trying to blow the house down!
Tags: Balehouse, Carbon Footprint, Construction, farming, renewable resource, Straw | Posted in Climate Change, Recycling, Self sufficiency, Sustainability, environment, renewable energy
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November 10th, 2009
Go green with a wormery. Compost leftover food scraps, newspapers, even the contents of your vacuum bag – worms love it! The invertebrate’s waste products create fantastic compost, known as vermicompost, which is full of nutrients and beneficial to both indoor and outdoor plants.
Waste is a huge problem in this country, households’ dispose of around a third of the food they buy. Over 6 tonnes of food is thrown away each year, ending up in landfill sites therefore contributing a large percentage to the methane emissions that pollute our atmosphere. A wormery is a simple and eco-friendly solution.
The wormery comes in the form of a plastic or wooden box. The type of worms used (generally Red Tiger and Dendrobaena worms) live on decaying matter, as opposed to the common earth worm which burrow underground. A wormery comes in varying shapes and sizes, but shallow trays seem to be the most favoured – surface area rather than depth is recommended. This type of environment allows the waste to compost down quicker allowing the worms to feed and breed quicker.
Prices start from around £30 for a basic model and go up to £80 for an ‘executive’ version. Give it a go, it’s good for the environment and the kids will love it!
Tags: eco-friendly, green, landfill, methane, wormeries, wormery | Posted in Climate Change, Self sufficiency, Sustainability, environment
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October 29th, 2009
Halloween is fast approaching, so why not keep it green and keep it cheap? Give the ghouls and ghosts an energy saving, healthy treat by:
Making your own sweets
Grape lollies – take a bunch of loose grapes, rinse them (dip them in sugar, if you must) and put them in the freezer for an hour or so.
Choc fruits – dip strawberries, raspberries and satsuma segments in melted chocolate and set in the fridge.
Ensuring you have no-waste pumpkins
Separate the flesh and seeds as you go and use the flesh to make a warming winter soup or pumpkin pie.
The pumpkin seeds can either be roasted or eaten raw as a light snack. -After Halloween, put your hollowed out pumpkin lanterns on the compost heap so they can be later used to fertilize your garden.
Creating your own costumes
Collect old rags, rip them up into strips, dye them black if desired and pin onto conventional clothes.
Make witches/wizards dresses and capes out of black bin liners
Make monster masks from papier-mâché.
Make scary ‘hands’ by padding out latex gloves.
Use old pillowcases to collect ‘treats’ – dye it with the rags or decorate with felt-tips.
Creating a Gloomy Glow
Switch off the lights and fill the house with candles.
Torches – when out and about use ones with rechargeable batteries or the wind-up versions.
Car Sharing
Share the fuel, hassle and expense by all bundling into one car on way to your trick or treat venue.
Recycling
Take a bin liner with you to collect up all the ‘treat’ wrappers. Recycle what you can on your return.
Closing Doors
When Trick or Treaters appear, close the front door behind you to conserve energy
Tags: energy saving, Green Halloween, Halloween, Recycling | Posted in Events, Recycling, Self sufficiency
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September 30th, 2009
Eco groups say they are ‘recycling’ empty buildings to save the planet. Welcome to the new face of recycling – squatting with a purpose.
This is a craze which is rapidly spreading all over the country, vacant buildings and unused land are being ‘rescued’ by squatters and turned into ecologically sustainable communities.
An example of this is The Spike in south London, an old Dept of Transport building; it was transformed by eco warriors and artists from a crack den into a community centre, with a well-being clinic and yoga classes. Another community have set up at Kew Bridge; it has 15 full-time residents who live on produce or food found on ‘skip-runs’; sound systems, drink and drugs are banned as they alienate people.
Although these groups attract the stereotypical squatter they are also joined by graduates, activists and young professionals. As a result they are well informed on their rights and manage to research their next locations via tip-offs on Google Earth. The groups are insistent that they only ever intend to make use of the property or land while it is vacant and not prevent any development projects.
Is this an acceptable way to beat the housing crisis and/or the credit crunch?
Tags: development, ecologically sustainable communities, housing crisis, Recycling, squatting | Posted in Life Change, Recycling, Self sufficiency
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August 27th, 2009
‘Changing the World One Gift at a Time’
This is the tag-line of an online organisation called Freecycle. It is their aim to keep as much of our reusable junk/throwaways out of landfill sites, items can include anything from old china to furniture, to electronic equipment.
It is an ingenious idea, you simply post on your local site the ‘gift’ you would like to offer or the ‘gift’ you would like to receive and the matching up is done for you. It’s a grassroots and entirely nonprofit movement of people who are giving (& getting) stuff for free in their own towns.
‘Everything posted must be free, legal and appropriate for all ages.’
The environmental benefits are numerous, so if you are interested check out freecycle.org for your local site.
Tags: freecycle, landfills, recycle, recyling, reuse | Posted in Life Change, Self sufficiency
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August 25th, 2009
Not only can Portland boast hosting the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic sailing events, but also in September of this year work will commence to create an eco-friendly, low carbon community.
This new development will be sited at the former Royal Navy Air Station’s Osprey Quay. The 77 new homes promise to reduce carbon emissions by more than half compared with conventional properties.
Features will include wood pellet boilers, rainwater harvesting systems, solar water heating and solar panels to generate electricity. In addition to this residents will have the opportunity to pay for access to an electric smart car which will be kept on site.
The developers are expecting the work to take two years to complete. Let’s hope it is successful and the first of many!
Tags: 2012 Olympics, eco-friendly, electric cars, low carbon community, Paralympics, Portland, rainwater harvesting systems, sailing, solar panels, solar water heating, wood pellet boilers | Posted in 2012, Self sufficiency, Sustainable Energy
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