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The organic vs non-organic debate goes on....

As you may have seen in the press today an independent review of organic food said there was 'no evidence' to support buying organic food for nutritional reasons. Here's the link to the article;

"Anger as organic claims shot down"

Well, that's hardly surprising - a potato is a potato whether grown organically or not. The issue is not, and never has been, about the nutritional benefits or otherwise, of organic food.

The issue, at least as far as I'm concerned ( and plenty of other organic fans...) is about the chemicals used to grow non-organic food.

I like to know exactly what's in the food I eat - preferably nothing, except the food!

As is so often the case with Government-backed reports, they miss the important issues completely! ( If you have any doubts on this, just search google for reports on the Government's 'Twitter' guidelines for its departments!! Then make up your own minds!)

Organic is best, if you want to be sure of eating unadulterated fruit, veg & meat.

Some concerns about solar energy generation

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Some concerns about solar energy generation

I am a big fan of solar energy - from a green perspective it is just about the perfect power source - clean, silent, and plentiful. I have many solar gadgets, from calculators to phone & battery chargers.

The cost of converting your home to run on solar power is high, but coming down all the time, so everything looks great on the solar power front.



So what am I concerned about?

I've been looking at companies who are producing solar energy on an industrial scale - nothing wrong with that you might think - it's certainly better than using fossil fuels!

Maybe I'm being too picky, but looking at the websites of these companies, they show acres of land covered with huge, gleaming, solar panels...

Am I the only one who sees something wrong with that picture?

Shouldn't the land be used differently?

I'm actually of the opinion that solar power should be generated in millions of smalls ways - like the gadgets I mentioned, and on individual domestic scales - each home generating just what it needs.

But of course the power generation companies will argue against that, because it cuts them out completely. They want you to keep buying power from them, so they can make massive profits and pay themselves huge salaries.

What do you think? Am I being too picky?

Solar Energy - The Advantages and Disadvantages

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Solar Energy - The Advantages and Disadvantages

Perhaps the greatest argument that could be leveled about having to use fossil and nuclear fuel is our dependence on it. Global warming, though a real serious threat, maybe something that we could only be very worried about. Singly nothing much could be done about it as it will take serious political will if it is to be addressed effectively , and for now, other countries are not cooperating. But choosing between traditional and alternative sources of energy, that is something most of us can do.



The advantages of Solar Energy:
Solar energy is abundant and free. We can count the sun to rise tomorrow and the day after that. Oil and natural gases on the other hand, are non-renewable, once the sources run out, they are gone forever. Sure, there are other areas that could still be tapped, but sooner or later they will run out as well.

Solar energy does not pollute the air. If anything, the heat coming from the sun cleans the environment and maintains the earth's eco-balance. Not so with oil. Oil, its derivatives and its byproducts are great pollutants. In fact, 22,000 pounds of carbon monoxide will need to be produced first for the oil to be processed and supply a home with electrical energy for a year.

Solar energy harnessing panels are silent operators. Except maybe for the devices that are built into the panels so they can track the sun, from the collection of the suns rays to its photovoltaic conversion, they give neither a peep nor a squeak. It is a world of difference from the cacophony of giant drills and pumps that are used to extract oil from the ground.

Maintenance for the solar panels is very minimal. Except for the mechanical parts that are optional, almost no maintenance is needed. Once it is installed nothing much that can go wrong. The energy that is derived is free. With oil there is no telling what the next pump price would be and when. Oil, being a commodity, heavily depends on market forces to set the price. Often, with the right strategies, even market forces could be manipulated that could cause volatility in pricing.

The Disadvantages of Solar Energy
The cost. While solar energy is free, the cost of installation prevents many households from installing it. Brand new solar energy systems are expensive. Although it tends to pay off over time, the initial cash outlay could run into several thousands of pounds depending on the quality and volume of generated power you require. While solar energy technology has been around since the 1950's, it is only in recent years that its development has been more rapid. While costs of installation could also be subjective depending on the purchasing capacity of a customer, the benefits that could be derived from it are enormous, although mostly in unquantifiable terms.

For mass consumption, distribution lines are needed and this remains to be a big issue. Antiquated distribution lines used to transfer electricity and other modes of fuel into the home are clogged-up in many regions, so that to deliver solar energy to them will require a different approach.

Be that as it may, the benefits from solar power far outweigh its disadvantages. It is an ideal source of energy that it may soon be the norm in power generation.

Saving Energy - Help Save the Environment

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Saving Energy - Help Save the Environment

As the cost of living continues to rise, energy reports and broadcasts are crammed with energy saving tips and suggestions. Some energy saving tips require initial investments, some just solicit a change of lifestyle. The best energy saving tips are those that require almost nothing but changing a habit. This one is about the wise energy saving choices.

1. Limit, as much as possible, the use of water. Of course water is not that expensive (at least for now); but saving water saves energy. When cleaning the driveway, the deck or patio, using the broom instead of the hose would save several hundreds of gallons of water a year.

2. A push mower is a good idea to mow a small lawn. Aside from not using electricity or fuel to ride the mowing machine, it is also good exercise.

3. Rakes are good leaf movers. Like the push mower, you do not need energy to fuel up a machine to get the job done. There is also a sense of nostalgia in using this traditional tool.

4. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs to light up your driveway or as a security light. CFLs are one of the most handy and energy efficient products that you can have. If you are worried about bugs sticking to the light, there are yellow CFLs that are available.

5. When shopping, avoid going for the disposable ones. Disposable products need more landfills and landfills emit dangerous gasses. Go instead for items that could be used several times over. Again when shopping, go for products that are made of better quality. They might be a little more expensive but generally, quality products last longer.

6. Bring your own bags when shopping. Paper bags are made from trees; the environment can use more of them. Plastic bags on the contrary are oil based and are not biodegradable. If you bring your bag with you, you do not only help in saving energy, you could also get a discount from your store.

7. Batteries contain toxic materials. They produce heavy metal like zinc, zinc, arsenic, cadmium, mercury etc. Thus, disposal needs proper care. Once the heavy metal in batteries seeped into the ground it has a good chance of contaminating the ground. When buying products that would need batteries, pick those that are rechargeable. That way battery disposal is limited and you save on the cost of buying new batteries.

8. Good thing that SUV sales everywhere are going down (well, at least for the environment and not for car manufacturers). SUVs use much more energy than compact sedans for the same distance. While using SUV's could be fun, there is also that tinge of indifference to the current energy issues and environmental problems we are facing. Reducing the use of SUVs on the street may not mean much in terms greenhouse gas emissions but is a signal to manufacturers to build more energy efficient vehicles.

9. The use of solar power is an excellent idea if you want to tackle the issues of energy conservation and environment protection. If there is one thing that the world needs most at this time, it is the widespread use of solar power.

10. Energy saving devices may cost a little extra but the pays offs are much more than the extra cost in terms longer life spans and energy saved.

The Battle Between Eating And Sustainable Power

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Today climate change is a reality that is acknowledge by even the most doubtful of skeptics. The warmer temperatures in areas where its supposed to be cool, scorching summers, and bone-chilling winter have become a pattern that people cannot simply ignore.

What's The Battle About?
Funny enough it seems that people are getting desperate and all are turning to bio-fuel like it’s the saviour of all mankind. So what is bio-fuel? Bio-fuel is any gaseous, solid, or liquid material derived from biological materials. The argument ensues when people talk of the future. Bio-fuel’s raw materials are usually agricultural crops that are made to undergo fermentation and certain processes in order to produce bio-fuel.

The Problem
Who is the world’s largest oil consumer? Those with the highest number of vehicles running their roads, countries like the US, England and generally most of the European nations. When you think about it bio-fuel is made from corn, sugar-cane, palm oil, vegetable oil, and etc; where do these agricultural crops come from? Third World Countries.

In Mexico they have this “tortilla crisis”. Corn which is the basic ingredient of tortilla is now sold five times the price it used to be marketed for. The reason for the inflated prices? The demand of bio-fuel in highly developed countries has severely altered the business people’s sense of profit. Why sell for a dollar when you can for 5 because the demand is now higher.

Who Suffers?
The first world countries will have to export goods from the third world countries to fuel their increasing demand for energy. The third world countries are usually tropical ones located near the equator, hence a higher crop growth of corn, and all those needed to manufacture bio-fuel; but for these countries corn is food, so is sugar cane. For the first world to survive, the poorer countries must either starve in hunger, or break their back working to be able to afford the price hikes of the most basic of all commodities: food.

A Compromise
So what should we do? We need to address the problems of the environment and pollution, but it is also not right that to solve a problem we must create one. Think about it if the agricultural countries go into decline because its people can’t afford food then who will till the land to supply the giants with endless bio-fuel?

Sustainable energy is geared to sustain life, not make it harder. A proposal is in order. Since the crops needed for the production of bio-fuel can only survive in tropical countries then the governments of the more well off countries will have to invest in the agricultural countries to supply their own demand. These crops must be independent from those for local consumers. Stringent rules governing pricing and distribution must be implemented to further protect the source of the energy.

Sustainable power means the world working hand in hand to create a better way of life for the future. The road to betterment is paved with hard work and dedication. The ancient Egyptian used sails to go up and down the Nile; they were patient and they reached their destination. Let us all be patient but diligent in our quest for sustainable power to sustain life.

Ten Tips for Spotting a Green Scam

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Do your bit today to keep Britain Green!

In an earlier post I mentioned how some companies were perhaps not as green as they claimed to be - I discovered that this is known as 'greenwashing', Here's a quick guide to spotting 'greenwash' when reading company literature or adverts;

Ten Tips for Spotting a Green Scam

Communications company Futerra has compiled an easy guide to spotting greenwash. Here’s what to look out for,

1. Fluffy language
Words or terms with no clear meaning, e.g. "ecofriendly".

2. Green products v dirty company
Such as efficient light bulbs made in a factory which pollutes rivers.

3. Suggestive pictures
Green images that indicate an (unjustified) green impact eg flowers blooming from exhaust pipes.

4. Irrelevant claims
Emphasising one tiny green attribute when everything else is "ungreen".

5. Best in a class?
Declaring you are slightly greener than the rest, even if the rest are pretty terrible.

6. When it's just not credible
"Ecofriendly" cigarettes anyone? "Greening" a dangerous product doesn't make it safe.

7. Gobbledygook
Jargon and information that only a scientist could check or understand.

8. Imaginary friends
A "label" that looks like third party endorsement ... except it is made up by the company itself.

9. No proof
It could be right, but where's the evidence?

10. Outright lying
Totally fabricated claims or data.

Remember - be careful what you accept as fact!

Using 'Xeriscaping' to Save Time and Water;

Make every day 'Green Britain Day'!! Do your bit today, to make Britain greener!

Using 'Xeriscaping' to Save Time and Water;

While having a full fledged garden is rewarding and enjoyable, lots of people simply don’t have the time that is required to maintain it. Whether you have too much going on at work or too many kids to take care of, you should never try to operate a garden if you don’t think you can handle it.

For those people who are just too busy for a normal garden, I would suggest a somewhat recent method of gardening known as Xeriscaping. This minimal yet stylish theory first emerged in the US when water levels were at an all time low. It is a great method of having a great looking yard or garden, without having to maintain it or water it very often at all.

If your area is undergoing a drought, you should check with the water utilities and see if they are offering lessons in Xeriscaping. If you attend those, you will be able to get advice specific to your region (e.g. types of plants to grow, how much to water
them, etc).

To some, the name Xeriscaping conjures the image of a yard that consists of a giant rock bed. However, this is known as 'zero-scaping', and it is a considerably different concept. It focuses on reducing your yard to nothing that requires any maintenance whatsoever. Unfortunately this is usually just rocks. But this shouldn’t be your goal. While keeping maintenance at a minimum, it is still possibly to retain a nice looking yard that won’t attract the negative attention of everyone who passes by.

This might sound like it would be hard to implement without making your yard into a hideous mess, but this is not so at all. The theory basically involves choosing plants which are low maintenance to begin with, then putting them each in environments that are ideal. It is usually applied by figuring out what side of the house to place it on to get the best amount of shade, and figuring out how to group it with plants with similar water needs.

To get started in your Xeriscaping approach, you first need to pick out all the plants you will be using. They should for the most part require a low amount of water. This doesn’t mean you can only grow cactuses in your yard. Just cut back on the really thirsty plants that you have to water every day to keep alive. You’ll want to stick with local plants for the most part, and don’t go with anything too exotic as these generally require larger amounts of water.

The second most important principle of xeriscaping is placing the plants in ideal areas. If you place them all together with plants that require essentially the same amount of water, then you will end up saving lots of water. Also place the plants in areas where they will be protected from wind or excessive sun, depending on the needs of the plants. Xeriscaping is almost the same thing as microclimating, just with more of a focus on adaptation to harsh conditions rather than avoiding them. So if it sounds good to you and you’re looking to save time and water by renovating your garden, you should try xeriscaping!

A to Z of Water-Saving Tips!

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A to Z of Water-Saving Tips;

In the 20th Century, conflicts were about land, or vaulable energy resourses such as oil - In the 21st Century, I predict we are going to see conflicts about the most precious resource on the planet - WATER!

The challenges facing the world in the provision of clean water may be daunting, but here are 26 ways you can play your part in conserving water.( Adapted from Thames Water's Waterwise campaign. )

A) A dripping tap could waste as much as 90 litres a week.

B) Brushing your teeth with the tap running wastes almost 9 litres a minute. Rinse out from a tumbler instead.

C) Cool water kept in the fridge means you won't have to run the tap for ages to get a cold drink.

D) Don't use your washing machine until you've got a full load. The average wash needs about 95 litres. A full load uses less water than 2 half loads.

E) Every time you boil an egg recycle the cooled water for your houseplants. They'll benefit from the nutrients released from the shell.

F) Fit a water saving device in your cistern and save up to three litres a flush.

G) Grow your grass a little longer. It will stay greener than a close mown lawn and need less watering.

H) Hoeing stimulates the growth of plants, reduces water loss from the soil surface and removes weeds that take up valuable water and nutrients.

I) Installing a water meter can save you water and money by monitoring how much you use.

J) Just taking a five minute shower very day, instead of a bath, will use a third of the water, saving up to 400 litres a week.

K) Kettles should be filled with enough water for your needs but not to the brim. This will reduce your fuel bills too.

L) Lag your pipes to avoid bursts and leave your heating on a low setting while you are out in cold weather to prevent pipes freezing.

M) Mulch for moisture in the garden. Adding a layer of tree bark, compost, coconut husks or even newspaper keeps the sun off the soil and retains precious moisture.

N) No further watering is usually required for established trees and shrubs.

O) Once a week is all the watering your lawn needs even in the hottest weather. Over-watering can weaken your lawn by encouraging roots to seek the surface.

P) Purchasing a water butt will help you to collect rain water for use on the garden.

Q) Question your local garden centre about the water requirements of different plants. Some thrive in drier conditions.

R) Replacing a toilet cistern can save water. Toilets manufactured after 1993 use less water per flush.

S) Sprinklers can be wasteful. It doesn't take long for a sprinkler to soak your lawn thoroughly. A sprinkler can use as much water in an hour as a family of four will use in a day!

T) Trigger nozzles can save water by using it only when needed. This can save up to 225 litres a week.

U) Use the dirty water when cleaning a fish tank on your houseplants. It's rich in nitrogen and phosphorus, which provides an excellent fertiliser.

V) Very 'water efficient' washing machines and dishwashers are now manufactured. Machines with 'A' ratings are the most economical.
You'll find that they save on energy too.

W) Water your garden at the coolest part of the day to reduce evaporation.

X) Xeriscape means 'to landscape for water conservation.' The idea is to use plants that require less water. You can also utilise objects for decorative effect such as rocks, bricks, benches and gravel.

Y) You can use less water by turning the hot tap down, rather than the cold tap up, if you require cooler water.

Z) Zero water-waste is the goal. It's also the end of the alphabet but not the end of water saving ideas - why not tell us of any you've discovered? Just leave them as comments and I'll feature the best ones in a later post!

It's Green Britain Day!! Do your bit today, to make Britain greener!

Check out the Green Britain Day website;

Green Britain Day




Seven Ticks For Organic Gardening!

Organic gardening is the way of growing vegetables and fruits with the use of things only found in nature.

Why would one want to indulge in organic gardening?

1. One can easily make compost from garden and kitchen waste. Though this is a bit more time-consuming than buying prepared chemical pesticides and fertilisers, it certainly helps to put rubbish to good use and so saves the environment.

2. Organic farming does not use chemicals that may have an adverse affect on your health. This is especially important when growing vegetables. Chemical companies tell us that the chemicals we use are safe if used according to direction, but research shows that even tiny amounts of poisons absorbed through the skin can cause such things as cancer, especially in children.
On average, a child ingests four to five times more cancer-causing pesticides from foods than an adult. This can lead to various diseases later on in the child's life. With organic gardening, these incidents are lessened.
Remember, pesticides contain toxins that have only one purpose - to kill living things.

3. Less harm to the environment. Poisons are often washed into our waterways, causing death to the native fish and polluting their habitat.

4. Organic farming practices help prevent the loss of topsoil through erosion.

5. Cost savings. One does not need to buy costly chemical fertilisers and pesticides with organic gardening. Many organic recipes for the control of pest and disease come straight from the kitchen cupboard. Sometimes other plants can be grown as companions to the main crop. An example of this is the marigold, which helps to repel aphids from vegetables.
Mixing 1 tablespoon of bio-degradable washing-up liquid and 1 cup of cooking oil can make a cheap garden pest spray. Put 3 tablespoons of this mixture in 1 quart of water and spray on plants.

6. A simple mulch of pine needles or bark will help to suppress the growth of weeds as well as keeping the moisture in.

7. Organic gardening practices help to keep the environment safe for future generations.

Easy Ways to Make your Home More Eco-Friendly

GREEN BRITAIN DAY 10TH JULY 2009 - Just one day to go!

We all want to do our part to protect the environment, but that can be seem difficult, if not impossible without spending loads of money. But doing your part doesn’t have to be hard. Small steps add up to a big difference, you just have to know which ones to take.

Use less water.
Saving water is all about small steps, here are a few that will help save big.

1) Turn off the tap while you brush your teeth
2) Take showers that are a minute or two shorter
3) Only flush the toilet when you need to
4) Only run full loads of laundry and dishes
5) Buy from sustainable producers. These are farmers and other producers that use techniques that pollute less and use less water. You can do some research online or ask at your local organic market to find these products.

Use less energy.
If you don’t have the money to buy a hybrid car or convert your house to solar power, you can make a big difference with small changes.

1) Buy energy efficient appliances. They may be more expensive, but make up for the increased cost in lower energy bills.
2) Unplug chargers when you’re not using them. Mobile phone and other chargers use up power even if there’s nothing attached to them.
3) Use renewable energy sources where possible - e.g. Solar-Powered Phone chargers etc
4) Put devices with remotes, like T.V.s, DVD players, and stereos, on a power strip and turn it off when you’re not using them. These devices use a lot of power to run the remote receiver even when the device is off.
5) Walk or ride your bike for short trips.
6) Buy local products. It takes energy to transport food and other products across the country. Buying local not only supports your local economy, it helps them use less energy.


When it comes to saving energy and water, it’s a great idea to get your kids involved. You can even make it a game. Have them track how much water and electricity everyone is using. You can compete to see who uses the least water. You can often count on your kids to help keep you on track when given the task.

Reuse.
Most of us know the three R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, but when we work on conserving, we often leave reuse out of the picture. While you can often find tips on how to reuse common products from other people, what you need most is creativity. With a little thought there are many items around your home that can be reused - toilet paper holders can be used to sow seeds for the vegetable patch. And old yogurt containers can be cut into strip to make plant labels. Old food jars can be refilled with homemade foods or can make great impromptu vases.

Use environmentally friendly products.
When you go to the grocery store, you probably see more and more 'natural' or 'eco-friendly' products every time. There are generally two big problems with these products:
1) Just because they’re more natural than regular products, doesn’t mean they’re entirely natural.
2) They’re often expensive.

If you want inexpensive, natural, safe products, why not just make them yourself. Vinegar is a great way to clean and disinfect glass and other surfaces. Need to remove stubborn stains? Just add some baking soda to your vinegar cleaner. Some quick searching online will lead you to hundreds of other natural safe home-made cleaning products.

We all knowing that going green means better for the environment, but it’s also better for you. Conserving resources also helps save you money, which is something all of us need to do in these uncertain times.

A couple of healthy eating pitfalls.

Green Britain Day - 2 days to go!

In one of my earlier posts I briefly mentioned the on-going food-labelling saga, and how food companies are making their products appear to be healthier for you than they actually are, simply by manipulating the way in which you are presented with the information about them....

Here's a quick question for you;

Which is a healthier option for lunch - A supermarket-bought salad sandwich, or a 'Big-Mac'?

Like most people, you probably chose the salad sandwich - but it's not necessarily the case, as this newspaper article shows;

Salad Sandwich or BigMac?

A few years ago I bought a chicken salad sandwich from a local supermarket's so- called 'Healthy Eating' range. Now unlike the example in quoted in the article above, this one contained no mayonnaise, or other sauces. But I was horrifed when I looked at the list of ingredients - it read like a chemist's lab inventory!

'Healthy Eating'??......I don't think so!!

Unfortunately, by the time I got round to reading the ingredients, I'd already eaten the sandwich, so I couldn't take it back.

So, learn from my mistake - check the ingredients BEFORE you buy pre-packaged sandwiches or better still - make your own, then you know exactly what's in them! ( And if you've grown your own salad for your sandwiches - even better! )

As a general guide, the fewer additives there are in your food, the greener they are.

Green Britain - Green Eating.

3 days to go - Green Britain Day 10th July 2009!

Another simple way of minimsing your impact on the environment is by watching what you eat.

Where you buy your food from can make a huge difference to the environment. For instant, when you buy from a supermarket, the food has had to travel hundreds or even thousands of miles to get to you! (Think of all those transport fumes polluting the air! Urgh!!)

Here is my simple set of guidelines to ensure you eat well, while still doing your bit to be green;

1) Don't buy imported foodstuffs if there are alternatives available in your own country. Imported foodstuffs have the largest harmful impact on the environment because of the enormous distance they have to travel. Also, by not buying imported food, there is an economic benefit to your country!

2) Even ensuring that you only buy foodstuffs produced in your own country is not enough. Even then, some products may still have travelled hundreds of miles to get to your dinner-plate. So, where possible, buy from local farmers markets and other local producers. The distances involved may then only be a few miles - much better for the environment! It goes without saying that whatever you buy should also be certified organic, to ensure no harmful chemicals were involved in the food production.
There's another great reason for buying from a farmers market - farmers are having a tough time, what with the recession and everything, but mostly because the big supermarkets are squeezing the prices they pay to farmers. By buying direct from the farmers, there's no middleman taking his cut, so you're helping your local economy stay prosperous, without spending any more money!

3) The best way of all is to grow your own food - that way the harmful impact on the environment is reduced to zero! And of course, your own costs are reduced to practically zero!
Now, in reality, even the greenest of us can't practically grow all our own food - but we can all be more selective about what we buy and where we buy it from.


To sum up -
1) Grow your own food if you can - if you can't, then buy local produce.
2) If you can't buy local produce, then buy products made in your country from the supermarkets.
3) And ONLY if you can't buy an equivalent product made in your country, should you buy imported food.

That way, you're being as green as you can be, when buying your food!

Green Britain - Some concerns.......

Only 4 days to go to 'Green Britain Day'!

As you will know by now, I am a fan of being green.
To me, being green means living in such a way as to minimise my impact on my environment, to use minimal natural resources, and to try and benefit my environment wherever possible.

This may seem to some like a pretentious grandiose notion - but it isn't really - I'm doing it in my own small way because I believe it is right to do so.

However, I do have serious concerns about the motivations of businesses and organisations when they try to convince us of their green credentials. In most of the press and TV pieces I've seen, their 'green' statistics have been, at best incomplete, and at worst, downright misleading.

Businesses jump onto bandwagons for one reason only - not for altruistic motives, but to make as much money as possible.

Now, I don't have a problem with that, as long as they ARE being green - but how many are?

The so-called green credentials of big businesses and organisations remind me of the on-going food-labelling saga;

There was a time when food companies didn't have to worry about mentioning how much fat or salt their products contained. Then it became an issue and they were forced by government legislation backed by health organisations into stating the full nutritional breakdown in their products, in the hope that this would force them into reducing this or that ingredient, to make the product healthier and to help the public make informed choices about the foods they were eating.
Did the foods become healthier?
No.
Did the food companies properly comply with the legislation?
Yes - not to do so would have hit their profits and reputations.
Did they find ways of making the self-same products seem healthier?
Yes - marketing people, like Government spin doctors, are masters at manipulating the information to produce the response they want.

The same thing is happening with green issues - Nothing much has changed, except the way the information is presented to the public.

Here's a case in point; Wind Farms.....
Each giant windmill in a wind farm has it's own 'carbon footprint', which was created when it was manufactured. The Wind Farm's overall carbon footprint depends on how many of these windmills it has.
Now, the companies that operate these wind farms are very quick to point out the benefits of them, but are less forthcoming when it comes to the ecological cost of manufacturing them. ( These companies make so much money, they're not going to do anything to jeopardise their profits - are they? )
If the overall carbon footprint of making them, is bigger than the carbon footprint they save during their operational life, then they are not ecologically cost-effective.

Let me put it another way; You are told that company 'X' made £100 million in sales last year - Sounds like a good investment? Maybe, maybe not. If their costs were £101 million then suddenly your perception of the company changes. If company 'X' wanted you to invest in them, do you think they'd be open about their costs, unless you forced the issue with them, by doing your own research?

Exactly.

Be careful what you accept as fact.

Green Britain - Another use for plastic bottles!

In one of my earlier postings, I showed how plastic bottles could be re-used as mini-greenhouses in the garden - well, here's another garden use for those same plastic bottles!

As before, just cut the bottom of the bottle off, and remove the cap - then dig a hole in one of your flower or veg beds to half the depth of the bottle.

Put the bottle upside-down into the hole so that the open bottom is on top.

Now fill the bottle with water - instant water trap! Great for when there are long dry spells. It solves 2 problems - firstly the water doesn't run off dry, baked soil and secondly, it gets the water deep inside the bed, so less of it evaporates!

Put several of these water traps round your garden and watering is a breeze! Also, when it finally rains after a long dry spell, the rainwater gets to where it is really needed - around the deeps roots of the plants!

Green Britain - 'Companion Planting'

I'm a big fan of growing your own food.

The 'green' benefits are huge - but home-grown food also tastes amazing - and FRESH - from garden to plate in just a few minutes! ( Far better than supermarket stuff, which has usually been 'force-grown' and transported hundreds, if not thousands of miles to get to you! )

I like to grow everything in my garden organically - I don't use chemical fertilisers, or chemical pest control.

So does my garden get attacked by pests and disease?
Absolutely! But there are ways to combat this naturally.

One of the most effective ways is by using something called 'Companion Planting' - This is a very old technique, whereby you plant certain combinations of plants - 'companions' - together to protect each other against pests etc.

For example;
Marigolds, Tomatoes, and Cabbages are good 'companions'....
Plant them alternately in a single bed. The Marigolds protect the Tomatoes by deterring aphids, and the Tomatoes protect the cabbages by being repellent to the diamondback moth larvae which chew large holes in cabbage leaves!

Here's another set of good companions;
Carrots and Leeks.....
Plant carrots and leeks together in the same bed to protect against a number of pests. Leeks repel carrot-fly and carrots repel onion-fly and leek-moth!


Here's a few more to try.....

Asparagus - prevents microscopic nematodes from attacking the roots of tomatoes
Chervil - keeps aphids off lettuce
Chives - onion scent wards off aphids from chrysanthemums, sunflowers and tomatoes
Coriander - helps to repel aphids
Dill - attracts aphid eating beneficial insects likes hoverflies and predatory wasps
Garlic - deters aphids and is particularly good planted with roses
Tansy (TOXIC!! DO NOT EAT!) - strongly scented plant deters ants and many other pests.
Plants in the pea family - lupins, peas, beans and sweet peas benefit the soil by taking nitrogen from the air and storing it in their roots
Yarrow - this boosts vigour in other plants and accumulates phosphorous, calcium and silica, which can benefit homemade compost when plants are added to the heap. It attracts many beneficial creatures such as hoverflies and ladybirds

If you found this post useful, and want more information on companion planting - just let me know by leaving comments

10th July 2009 is 'Green Britain Day'

So, 10th July 2009 is 'Green Britain Day' - but why have just one day?

Check out the 'Green Britain Day' website here;

Green-Britain-Day

But, why not make EVERY day a 'Green Britain Day'?
All you have to do, is do something 'green' for yourself every day!

It could be saving money by re-using something you were going to throw away, eat some fruit or veg that you've grown yourself, walk to the shop instead of using the car, using less electricity to keep your bills down, or one of a hundred-and-one other things!

And by doing something 'Green', even just for yourself, you're helping your environment and your planet!

So, be selfish and do something 'Green' every day!

Green Britain Day - 10th July 2009

Do your bit for your wallet and your planet!

I know - you're sick of being preached at to save energy, recycle, and generally live more efficiently! So am I! The information put out by governments and big business is usually bland and not very productive.

I thought I'd redress that imbalance by giving you some information that you can actually USE - TODAY - NOW!

Without further ado - here are my first few tips;

1) I know the growing season is moving swiftly along, but there's still time to plant plenty of foodie-things in the garden - You can still plant peas or beans for a late crop, or how about some green salad items like Pak Choi, rocket, or bean-sprouts. You can't get fresher - and you'll know there's no chemicals involved!

2) Instead of using local authority recycling bins - why not re-use as much as you can yourself?
( And who know's what happens to stuff that goes in them? Besides, the local authority usually makes & saves money from the stuff you throw away - so why shouldn't you? )
Here's a few ways;
a) Empty plastic bottles make great mini greenhouses or cloches for seedlings etc - just cut the bottoms off and cover the seedlings! ( For ventilation during the day, unscrew the cap - to protect them at night, put the cap back on! )
b) Invest in a paper-brick maker - then you can reuse your old newspapers and the like - use them for a barbeque! Old newspapers can also be used to make papier-mache - in the 1800's lots of items were made from papier mache - but it's very much a lost art now, as palstics have become the norm. Why not revive this art? The items made will be fully bio-degradable - unlike most modern plastics.
c) Talking of plastics - food-trays can be re-used as seed-trays! Just thoroughly wash, fill with compost, add the seeds and water. Quick, easy, and cheap! And related to the item above - if you make papier-mache seed trays, you can then plant the whole seed-tray directly in the ground where, as the seeds grow, the tray will decompose, adding nutrients to the soil! ( and you can cover the seedlings with the plastic bottles! )
d) Old clothes which are not fit to go to charity shops can be cut up and made into dusters, or sheets for a pets bedding etc.

3) Turn your heating / air conditioning down! These are wasteful of energy and very expensive - as we all discover when we see our energy bills! In the modern world, we have become soft - we have been conditioned to central-heating etc. Most households have the heating up way too high - so turn it down by one or two degrees. No-one will notice if it's done gradually - they'll get used to it, and you'll save about £2 a week on your heating bill!

4) For a free ebook on being green & saving money click on this link; Go Green - Save Green - it's usually £1.00 but free when you click from here ( that's the 'nice surprise' mentioned! )

Please feel free to add your comments and thoughts!