What have you done for the Environment Today?

[Paul_B]

I've just been half watching the earthshot award programme on TV and I just got thinking that it promotes the big idea to save the planet. Is that the focus that Attenborough, Prince William, etc should be promoting? It's great to have innovation but surely the big change that society can make is reduce impact through reduced consumption?

The nominated projects were about improving access to power it seemed to me. Programmes to sell excess solar power generated at private homes in developing nations. Hydrogen power to replace diesel generators in homes due to irregular electricity network supply and power cuts in West Africa. All good projects but it's about more, more, more I think. What about less? Perhaps a programme in America or Middle class China or Western Europe to consume less?

I think there's going to be know innovation to help the climate situation but right now I wonder if the things we know will help, right here isn't being done. Where are the awards for schemes to cheaply insulate social or rented housing in deprived areas that would never aff to do it, or to put in air source heating and making the property fit for it? Or projects to end fast fashion? I don't know what but think global, act local is a very good phrase. Perhaps local means sort our own lives out to have less impact.

What do you think? Should awards be about reducing impact not helping it increase but in a slightly greener way?

 

[TLM]

Where are the awards for schemes to cheaply insulate social or rented housing in deprived areas that would never aff to do it, or to put in air source heating and making the property fit for it?

The building code here requires the equivalent of 250mm mineral wool minimum for wall insulation and triple glazing for windows. I guess that on the Misty Isles very little if anything would be needed for heating. Things tend to be relative.

 

[punkrockcaveman]

Finally found a semi decent solution for storage of fish when I'm going fishing. Normally what happens is this: I catch the fish, have to put them in a plastic bag to clean later, or if I'm lucky to be at the coast on the kayak clean them whilst a float, then bag them on shore. Either way I get a placky bag very mucky and it ends up in the bin rather than reused. Today I visited a dairy that made there own ice cream, and outside they had a bunch of plastic tubs, large grey ones with lids, very heavy duty and free to be good home. Probably 45-50cm long. So I snagged a couple. They will be plenty big enough for even the largest whole mackerel, and and should happily fit the largest of any fillets from fish that I happen to catch. If I get a fillet too big, I'll be a very happy man!

 

[Spirit fish]

Mostly a muse - but maybe this could ( should ) become a running thread?

I saw this long running thread :- https://bushcraftuk.com/community/threads/what-did-you-buy-today.70299/

And I just thought , well, that's very commercial isn't it? I mean , its in essence about being a Consumer.

Now I'm not on a massive rant about people buying stuff ( been more than guilty of that myself ) but as I get older I now ask myself ( and this may sound kooky ) about what sort of relationship I want with the item I'm buying??? Does it have too much packaging ? if I buy it I am now RESPONSIBLE for the actual recycling and disposal of that - etc.

So as we are all Bushcrafter's I'd like to pose a new question - WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR THE ENVIRONMENT TODAY??

Could be as simple as picking up litter or rubbish on a local walk , but hopefully is could be something more interesting as planting trees , organising a community rubbish collection , cutting back invasive non-native species etc.

Iv done nothing for the environment today, but I do scatter lots of wild edible plant seeds at certain times of the year English plantain being one I have two fields worth of it growing I like drying out the seeds and making cereal with it

 

[punkrockcaveman]

I have started cooking large batches for evening meals and taking the leftovers for work dinners in reusable tubs, after previously buying in microwave meals in single use plastic wrappers. The food ends up being much healthier as a bonus too. More veg less rice!

Swapped out mayo in squeeze bottles for glass jars too.

 

[TeeDee]

Hoofed up some Birdboxes in the last few days.

Nice to see this morning that already a Blue Tit has been investigating it.

 

[billycoen]

Bought some reuseable muslin teabags off a small company in Manchester.I know they are easy to make,but i like to help small independant companies.

 

[Paul_B]

Put 200mm top up insulation in the loft. It's got between joists insulation, roof insulation and the end above the living/ dining room already had 200mm top up over it. Now there's only the middle third without top up layers.

We also put radiator reflecting insulations sheets behind radiators on external walls.

These will reduce costs and possibly allow us to turn the heating down too.

All this is very small fry stuff but I work on the "everything helps no matter how small" attitude to climate change and making changes to the good. Snow on solar cells so despite sun out we've not had any benefit.

Our next step is replacing double glazing for higher performance triple glazing. We need to replace not least because there's no emergency exit as the windows don't open wide enough. We're planning on replacing windows one at a time as we can afford. We're doing out the house room by room so we'll do the windows as we do the rooms. Hopefully we'll work on sealing draft and gaps as we go.

We also SORNed our car. Only the van on the road but we don't really use it much.

Small changes I know. Not truly altruistic as better insulation reduces heating bills.

 

[TeeDee]

Put 200mm top up insulation in the loft. It's got between joists insulation, roof insulation and the end above the living/ dining room already had 200mm top up over it. Now there's only the middle third without top up layers.

We also put radiator reflecting insulations sheets behind radiators on external walls.

These will reduce costs and possibly allow us to turn the heating down too.

All this is very small fry stuff but I work on the "everything helps no matter how small" attitude to climate change and making changes to the good. Snow on solar cells so despite sun out we've not had any benefit.

Our next step is replacing double glazing for higher performance triple glazing. We need to replace not least because there's no emergency exit as the windows don't open wide enough. We're planning on replacing windows one at a time as we can afford. We're doing out the house room by room so we'll do the windows as we do the rooms. Hopefully we'll work on sealing draft and gaps as we go.

We also SORNed our car. Only the van on the road but we don't really use it much.

Small changes I know. Not truly altruistic as better insulation reduces heating bills.

I think thats actually a very good shout.
I now work alot with Property U-Values and insulation and its a real hodge-podge of UK buidling styles that make calculating U-values a tricky task for sizing heat pumps and UFH.

Installing extra Insulation is an automatic no brainer. I envisage external Insulation wall cladding will become the next 'big' pushed thing in the UK. Not terrible if the whole street opts in but if you are the only one in the street to opt in it stick out like a sore thumb.

 

[Paul_B]

The trouble is at need storage in the loft so can't just lay top up insulation everywhere so we put it over the main bedrooms. The previous owner did it over the living room / dining room which leaves the middle for storage. The roof has plastic lining and I think it's got insulation under. Need to check but the previous owner kept the house in tiptop condition. There's 8 bungalows the same and this one is the only one with a new roof and solar panels. I think it needed a new roof with the solar panels.

200mm on top of insulation between the joists under the boarding. Should be good enough to feel a difference. One room was cold but now feels a lot warmer. The other room needs the radiator bleeding too.

Next big job is better windows and probably cavity wall insulation. Not sure whether mineral wool type cheaper type or the slightly better and more expensive foam type. Foam deals with damp better I think. No damp in the house but I know people who had cavity insulation in houses without sign of damp that then developed damp problems.

Not sure what else to do, perhaps insulate the garage ceiling which is underneath the living space. I doubt we'll get it sealed enough for heat pumps somehow.

 

[CLEM]

I walked two miles to the bus stop and caught the bus to town, £3 return.

 

[Paul_B]

I've got to get the seat back on the road. Needs a mot and the only one is where I work. That means I'm not using bike and train tomorrow. I feel so guilty at the prospect. That's funny change for me that happened after moving here. It is a change in mindset and we all need that to affect change, its only a beginning but it's a start.

 

[billycoen]

.Oops,i've tried to put a youtube vid up about a bloke named Michael Yellowlees,but i failed,old people and tech eh!!

 

[TeeDee]

.Oops,i've tried to put a youtube vid up about a bloke named Michael Yellowlees,but i failed,old people and tech eh!!

This one?

 

[billycoen]

Thankyou TeeDee..

 

[Robson Valley]

The 3 spruce trees in my front yard are about 12" 16" dbh. With a snow load, the lower branches make it nearly impossible to get to the street. I had all the lower branches brutally pruned a week ago.

Rather than shred and compost the branches, I made 3 brush piles, maybe a meter in diameter and 20-30cm high. Buried under a foot of snow, these become habitat shelters for small animals over the winter. Little Mustelids like weasels and maybe Voles (really big mice with hairy tails).

The wonderful thing to do is wait until there's been big snows then brutal -30C cold. Go out when it warms up (-5C) and lean over to look down at the exact top of each brush pile. Chances are, you will find a chimney, 2 cm diameter, lined with really elegant ice feathers. Somebody is in residence, trying to stay alive.

 

[TeeDee]

Ive got a big old bag of wild bird seed in my car and am putting out a little handful or two on the railings each weekday at work.

 

[Robson Valley]

Lots of fresh mule deer tracks in my front yard snow yesterday. Not seen them for a couple of years. Story is that the big cats killed all the deer (12-15) that inhabited this village in groups of 4 or 5.

My wish came true = we had a really wild blizzard last night. Rattled the windows, not cold (-5C?) was a branch-buster. BUT, my 3 little brush piles are very nicely buried. Just slight hillocks in the snow this morning. Occupation might take a week or less, bad spell of -17C or colder days coming up this week.

 

[TeeDee]

I do this every Christmas period - although due to a busy schedule I've put this one out on Xmas Eve as opposed to Christmas Day itself.

I go up to my local wooded haunts and put out a mixture of animal/bird food for the wildlife and try to encourage other via my social media networks to put a little something out for the animals - more essential in the very cold winters than these damp ones but giving a helping hand out to Man and animal at this special time of the year.







I hope everyone has an enjoyable and relaxing Christmas break during these strange times.

 

[punkrockcaveman]

That looks awesome! Any chance of a how to?