This is not my... Week 41
13/11/06 - This is not my's Lara
09/11/06 - Got told off yesterday
08/11/06 - Efficiency?
This Section; Background; The point
14/11/2006 - As the saying goes
|
If you can't beat them... |
Ok ok - after Lara's evocative Christmas eulogy yesterday perhaps the time has come to start thinking about the festive season.
CHRIIIIISTMAS!!!!
Despite the fact that it is dragged out and wasteful it is also the most amazing celebration.
So how can we have the best time ever whilst curbing the negative impact of our over consuming?
Well - lights wise - LED's are good as they use a lot less energy than normal bulbs but there is loads more that we can do.
I am going to start a Christmas focus later on which we will grow over the next month with all sorts of hints, tips and ideas.
Will add a section with loads of recipes too.
I am a useless cook (I was once allowed to make the stuffing as it was the packet variety. I maintain that it didn't specifically point out that cooking was required after adding the water...) but I mentioned it off hand to Lara and found my inbox full of them this morning!
There are loads of benefits to seasonal food and communal eating so that will be great.
Mind you - I haven't checked them out yet and knowing La she has got really excited about the Christmas aspect and forgotten the energy reduction one - cue loads of festive pineapple and kiwi fruit combo's!
Anyhow - first things first though - Christmas cards.
There are apparently 1 billion sent each year. So quite a few trees needed for that.
Which is why I have - and for the past 27 years - decided to avoid sending any at all.
I would like my friends and family to know that this has never been laziness or the fact that I have forgotten their addresses but an entirely ecological measure...
That being said - if you do want to send cards we had an idea for the communal card yesterday. You make one and then everyone passes it on to another person who adds their own festive drawing to it and passes it on. Easy as that.
Well - apart from the fact that the artistic talent of those discussing the idea wasn't huge.
If you happen to be an artist and all of your friends and family are artists it could work though...?
Failing that there is always the email card (nice and cheap) or recycled card (not so cheap but some on www.recyclenow.com) or simply reusing ones you got last year.
I don't joke.
My Grandma and her sister have been sending each other the same card (written in pencil then rubbed out annually) for 20 years.
Why not?
It is, after all, the thought that counts!
x
13/11/2006 - This is not my's Lara
|
tends to keep a low profile.
But she couldn't keep quiet on this.
Over to you little La... |
When we all set up this website I think we had ideas about the way it would go and what it would be and I think I was always a bit of the odd one out - needed to be convinced to dress up as animals and parade ourselves around the city (somehow I still managed to get out of it), joining protests, essentially becoming activists.
I was the bad one who would sneak off shopping (but only once in a while) and then pretend that I had had my new shoes for a while, or buy the non organic meat the supermarket because my financial month was coming to an end I wanted to save on cash.
I'd leave the hallway light on in the evening so I could see my way back my room so as not to knock into Susie's chest of drawers (common occurrence!), only to find it in darkness again after susie had been through.
I am terrible, I know I am and maybe not a true activist as Susie and Ollie (okay, no maybe about it), it is just not in my nature, I am more passive which is bad - we need more of Susie and Ollie. If they can bring me to action anything they can bring anyone.
But my point is sometimes we have differing opinions.
The campaign again Christmas lights? I read Susie's editorial on Friday as I do on a daily basis, and I closed my eyes, and all I could see was a Christmas in darkness.
I grew up in Quebec where people take the meaning of Christmas decorations to a whole new level. When I used to drive back from university for the holidays you knew when you had crossed from New Brunswick into Quebec by the multi colour glow eminating from the country side and as you got closer you would see that Father Christmas had multiplied 20 million times over and was on each and every rooftop between one border to the next. (okay, I exaggerate, but trust me, Quebecers LOVE it.)
So I pictured christmas, the snow falling (as it usually does in abundance here) the fire roaring and looking out my window and seeing darkness. I know we are talking about Oxford Street, but it starts with one street and then it leads to another, and another and then before you know it there are no Christmas lights.
There is something about that feeling that you get walking up the dark glistening street from the rain or the snow. The smell of egg nog, cinnamon and gingerbread or whatever else is wafting from the street vendors, roasted chestnuts. Whatever it may be, doing your shopping, visiting the Ogilivies christmas window on St Catherine Street and then maybe going ice skating at the old port and all along the way the lights line the streets and the trees.
So I am veering off track,but the thought of no lights (the cartoon blog) makes me want to cry as I am sure it does a lot of people in the UK, despite the environmental effects. I agree with waiting until December 1st (Susie and Isabella too!) but what I think - is why not campaign for the use of LED lights, the environmental alternative Christmas light that saves 90% of the energy normally used for Christmas lights?
They are brighter, last longer, the whole thing does not break if one light goes out and they are cheaper on the electricity bill!
What more could you ask for?
And while you're at it offset the use of your Christmas lights by... joining Cityhippy's Christmas Light campaign - it's a challenge to buy everyone who you buy presents for this christmas at least one environmentally friendly light bulb in addition to their other present.
If I did that would be almost ten immediately just for my family which would save anywhere from 10,000 to 12,500 pounds of C02 from being added to the atmosphere.
Crazy from one family christmas!
I keep little fairy lights up all year, as I know lots of others who do, I love them. They remind me of Christmas everytime they are on, but it warms me instantly inside and gives me a kind of happy feeling. Crazy that a little light can make you smile and make you all giddy and excited, but it can, Christmas boosts most people's morale and the lights are all a part of that.
I know darkness is better for the environment, but there must be an alternative, somehow I think everything seems better with a little bit of light, it is just a question of getting the right one switched on.
Just my opinion.
Please don't think I am anti environment or mean but I would not have set up this site with Ol and Susie if I was just the eternal optimist who believes that we will find a friendly solution I guess.
Also... speaking of shopping... bought my first bamboo jumper today- who knew that bamboo was used for anything other than panda dining? Not I. (well maybe, but I forgot about it until today).
Lara
xxx
|
merry Christmas everybody's having fun... |
It's CHRISTMAS!
Or is it...?
There is uproar on the streets of London.
Blockades are up, protests have been mounted and the riot police are on stand by... well not quite but Londoners are disgruntled about the Oxford St Christmas lights.
With global warming a big concern and Christmas getting earlier each year pressure is being put on the authorities that be to refrain from putting the lights up quite so early.
Despite being the most energy efficient bulbs to date if they are up for 59 days the Oxford St lights will emit 8,000 tonnes of carbon.
Which seems a bit ridiculous when we are all trying desperately to turn our TV's off standby.
The lovely Isabel Losada mentioned this only the other day and I thoroughly agree. (Check out her blog for more ideas.)
The Cartoon blog is also running a campaign against it.
And though I adore Christmas - much like a particularly irritating child - it does seem crazy. On an environmental level of course but also as Christmas lasts for 4 months of the year.
Which makes it much less magical and exciting than if it were just for the one!
So I am going to hold off all of the excitement for another two weeks while I mentally consider just what kind of fun presents I can get for everyone.
Might start making an on-line Christmas list so if you have any ideas and want to share the inspiration just let me know.
Have a lovely late Autumn - not quite the festive season yet - sort of a day!
Susie x
09/11/2006 - Got told off yesterday
|
By my mother.
Because I hadn't written about sex... |
Far be it from me to shy away from any subtle (or not so subtle and utterly juvenile) reference to sex, men, muscles etc but lo and behold last night I got thoroughly repremanded for failing to focus on it in Tuesday's blog.
The other morning I was awoken by said mother from my slumber on the couch.
She burst into the living room demanding that I 'put on the computer thingy' to find out more about a new condom mentioned on the radio.
A bit confusing at 6.30 in the morning I must admit but I duly rubbed my bleary eyes and googled up....
A condom whose incredible new packaging means that you can put it on in 3 seconds. Or 1 second - according to Ollie and Matt who were also round last night (apparently to do some web design but in reality just to make sarcastic comments).
Anyhow - since I failed to highlight this amazing new device the other day I promised that I would mention it.
The main hope is that by reducing the fumbling around required to get a condom on more are used and it will have positive effect on AIDS reduction.
My additional hope is that by writing about it my mother will stop lambasting me at every turn with her continual condom commentary...
Mum: "Three seconds is very quick you know".
Susie: "Mum - can we stop talking about how long it takes to put on condoms now?"
Ollie: "Don't be embarrassed Susie. Maybe you will find out more about them on your wedding night?"
Anyhow - the rest of the evening was spent trying to figure out how we will be improving the site, eating soup (still no oven) and deliberating which beard you would rather have if you had to have an overly sized beard - so best potter off as there is lots to be getting along with.
That beard dilemma is a tricky one...
Have a lovely day x
08/11/2006 - Efficiency?
|
It's always good to start at home.
(But this might be a step too far...) |
My house mate is a wonderful and very long suffering friend of mine.
She has - miraculously - remained calm and collected about the last 6 months of DIY and responded without violence to such daily comments as... "So it might be that the shower wont work for a couple of weeks... but I've found a great jug we can use..." etc
And in addition she has also been trying desperately to live as ethically as she can.
The toilet paper has been switched to recycling, chicken is off the menu (as organic is so expensive) and recycling has now become habit.
But I am not sure how she will take the latest kitchen issue.... the cooker isn't working and the electrician can't come round.
Argh.
I got an A rated efficiency one but this level of energy saving may be a step too far!
Oh and the bathroom light is broken... and I'm still not sure how to work the timer for the heating so that isn't on yet...
Jumpers and microwaveable soup it is!
Actually had one eye on the news last night and they had a spot-light on food.
They were talking about how reducing carbon from food is not just a question of air miles but a total understanding of how it is produced. I.e. meat and dairy use more energy and tomatoes from neighbouring countries may use less energy as they don't need heating to grow.
Oh it is so complicated.
The key things though are buying local, organic things and more vegetables than meat and milk.
Plus as luck would have it there are plans afoot to create some sort of comprehensive labeling which will be really handy.
Until then though - or until we get an electrician - it'll be raw apples and pumpkin again for one house in the capital...
Sorry Kim!
x
This section will be a daily, well - Monday to Friday daily, editorial. (Have to keep some time aside to keep up the ritual wine drinking / dancing as if being chased by bees.)
I promise to make it my mission to investigate something each day on exciting forays to find new stuff, fun stuff, ethical stuff and anything involving break dancing men with extremely toned physiques.
Let me know if you think of something I should go and visit or if you have any great ideas or information. (Any dodgy suggestions will be politely declined... or not so politely, depending entirely on what they are!)
For today, though, please just have a look below to find out how this whole thing came about. I hope that you are having a lovely morning.
See you tomorrow,
Susie x
Background to This is not my...
 |
What is this site all about?
Well, as all good ventures do, it started in the pub with the ominous words "I know, why don't we...?" |
What was different, though, was that it still seemed like a good plan in the morning (and somewhat less injurious than trying out extreme ironing, the other suggestion...)
Anyway - once again we had been supping beers and putting the world to rights when someone mentioned the unmentionable, despite our disaffection with the state of the world, none of us was actually doing anything positive to change it.
Whether this was complacency or apathy, who knows - but we were definitely leaving it to others to make decisions and take action for us on issues about which we felt strongly.
We live in a free society, but often things seem to happen as a fait accompli. The war in Iraq, ID cards, the fact that we will eventually succumb to watching some of Big Brother no matter how hard we try...
And we just go along with it. But that is ok, right? I mean, we aren't exactly encouraging the abuse of others - are we?
Ok - so maybe my new top might have been made under less-than-perfect conditions and I suppose that means I am supporting those conditions, but - I have to buy something to wear, so what other choice do I have?
And that was the problem. What - and where - are the choices?
So we decided to investigate. Surely in this free society we have other options; we just need to know how to find them.
So we went online. There are some great directories already for ethical and/or environmentally friendly products, but for us these didn't go far enough. We were on a bit of a roll and decided that these products deserved more active promotion.
We wanted to make as many people as possible aware of the practical things they can do to live life in a better way.
So on this site we will provide information about easy, positive and ethical consumer choices. These are choices that won’t necessarily cost you more, either.
In our directories you will find environmentally friendly and ethical companies and products across the following categories:
Clothes
Energy
Food and Drink
Health and Beauty
Home and Garden
Office
Recycling
Restaurants
You will also find debates, downloads, fun stuff and plenty more to lure you back to the site on a regular basis.
We’d love you to get involved with some curious antics to keep important issues in the public eye – and provide us with much entertainment and amusement at the same time.
So - take a look. Explore… investigate… probe away.
We hope you like it; we hope you use it.
