Five Green Things To Do This Week

In the home
Resist turning the heating on. Why? Many reasons. Because it's not cold yet - we've had a warmer than average September. Because you'll appreciate the heating more if you hold off as long as possible. Because you'll save money. Because it gives you an excuse to wrap up in chunky knit cardigans and jumpers and feel snuggily and autumnal. Because it's nice to get reacquainted with a hot water bottle. Nothing beats a good film, a sofa, a mug of hot chocolate and a hot water bottle (known as a hottie in our family - am I alone there?). Roasting radiators would ruin the cosy vibe.

At work
Remind your boss how expensive sending company waste to landfill is going to become. Landfill tax is going to increase by a whopping £8 per tonne every year, from next April. Better prepare now, or pay the price later. 

In the garden
Do something useful with autumn leaves. Pile them into a black bin bag, add a sprinkling of water, tie up the bag and then a pierce a few holes in it. By next spring, you’ll have mulch, or more accurately, leaf mold. It’ll be rich in calcium and magnesium, nutrients that are essential for healthy vegetables

Out and about
Go and see A Crude Awakening, a documentary that explains why we should all be thinking about how we will adapt to an oil-free future. It looks at the phenomenom of "peak oil"; when and why it is running out and how we are going to adjust. Quite bleak, but grippingly so. At the premiere, the audience was made up as much of oil industry insiders as Green Party activists. Interesting in itself, this suggests the industry recognizes time is running out. I only wish I was part of the Transition Town movement - then I would be feeling quite smug.

Getting around
Londoners! Learn from the recent tube strike and look into alternatives ways of getting to work. Type your journey details into this Walk It website to find out how long it would take you by foot; how many calories you would burn, and the CO2 avoided. By bike, look for your nearest cycle path at Sustrans. It says 75 per cent of us live within two miles of a National Cycle Network route.

In the kitchen
Don’t stop at apple crumble, there’s a million things to do with this season’s glut. Apple cake,
baked apples, even plain old stewed apple, cooked with a cinammon stick, and served with Greek yoghurt. Or, for a main course, put a few slices of apple, a little vinegar and sugar and some flecks of butter on a pork chop and bake it in the oven. Yum. And don't forget Apple Day on 21st October - read about it here.

n

Comments

[hedgewizard]

must... not... touch... thermostat! Where are all those apples coming from, then? ;-)

[Kitchen Witch]

We are having our chimney swept on Saturday, and will be lighting the woodburner for the first time this autumn shortly thereafter! I can't wait - our house feels completely different when we're using the stove regularly, as it's our only heat source. Cue lots of casseroles cooked with wood!

[Eco Worrier]

Obviously apples came from deeply sustainable source. Erm, Sainsbury's? But clearly twould be better to pluck them from your local farmer's market or organic box...

[Neil]

ah, I thought it was just us with an apple glut.

[Robert Holton]

Unless you explain the physics of 'global warming' I will consider you mad.

[JOe]

Meat production makes up 80% of agricultural emissions and agricultural emissions are a bigger source of global warming than transport. Why do none of the media ever mention meat consumption in articles like this???

[Mango]

mango, design and manufacture the finest furniture, sustainably sourced directly from the heart of India. We produce superb collections that embrace a traditional practicality with a contemporary twist. Simple, quality handmade furniture.
Please visit:
http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Mango-Furniture-Shop

[Josh]

Mango your furniture looks quite tacky and you are very sad for trying to blag some free advertising.

[Eco Worrier]

Neil - I gather some people are having an apple glut. I am certainly not. The squirrels got all mine.
Joe - the emissions produced by meat production is a subject well covered by the media. I have written about it several times. Here are some links:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/science/article2051364.ece
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2007/jul/19/climatechange.climatechange
A recent feature I did including an interview with a farmer who made the case for meat production, as a vital part of our agricultural system
http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/body_and_soul/article2406270.ece