Going Green

2018 was definitely the year when The People decided to take action against what is happening to our world. There was a whole-sale rebellion against plastic straws; single use plastic and palm oil were in the news, with all sorts of people vowing to stop, stop, stop... smell the roses, observe the deer at dawn and just appreciate what we have.

But the momentum seems to have slowed since then. Iceland (the supermarket, not the country), which bravely declared that it was going palm oil free in its products, has been slated by some of the press because products with palm oil are still found on its shelves. The CEO's argument that it was existing stock was seen as a sort of skulduggery in a press that can only be described as designed to discredit Iceland's efforts. Don't get me wrong, I understand completely that Iceland's move has an economic motivation as well as environmental, but it seems to me that we, as a society, are quite happy to shoot down any action that questions the status quo.

Take the recent children's environment protests. `What good can it do?' was a comment I most frequently heard. Well, surely the point is that people are taking action. Children are stepping up and effectively saying `not in my name'. Which is a good starting point, but we need to keep following through. As adults, we need to put our money where our mouths are and not blindly buy into products and movements which we know are going to harm us. Will we be able to magically change everything? No. But maybe we can change some things and gradually the change in thought will change the world. We know this - we have seen it before, throughout our history.

Any-way, my own efforts are predictably scrappy, but I do try to make conscious decisions about what I use and how `green' I am. I recycle with a psychotic zeal, regularly berating my family on throwing away items that are recyclable. (And yes, I can hear the nay-sayers saying that it all ends up in a dump any-way, but I have to TRY) and I conserve where I can in terms of resources and growing my own.(The latter with, admittedly, limited success).

Cleaning products are a bug-bear (don't get me started on bathroom products - those are a nightmare!) Despite the impressions I might give to my nearest and dearest, I do, in fact , appreciate a clean-ish house. My sister went through a phase where she only used vinegar and lemon juice to clean. A really good approach, but not suitable to all surfaces and the smell of vinegar doesn't appeal to everyone!

I have tried to winnow down the items I keep at home, the idea being that I have a clearer idea of what chemicals I am using and am retaining some sort of greenish control. Where possible, I try to use products that are touted as eco-friendly. In my kitchen and laundry, I use Ecover products. This Belgian company has a long list of environmental credentials and their dishwashing liquid comes in a bottle made from 100% recycled plastic - a big plus. I do, however, have an axe to grind with Ecover in terms of refills. You can buy most of their products in bulk and I have looked into buying their laundry detergent in bulk (secretly hoarding loads of detergent bottles to facilitate this) only to find that the unit cost of bulk buying is too close to the unit cost of smaller buying to make it worth while! In fact, I went to a `green' store in Bishops Stortford to refill my Ecover laundry liquid to find that I paid more for a refill than I would for a new bottle of detergent! How does that make any sense? Needless to say, Ecover, I think some work is necessary....

My hero product at the moment is Waitrose ECO-logical multi-purpose cleaner. I use it to clean everything, including the carpet that my old dog has the odd accident on. Really like this one!

But if we are to go really, really green, I have to mention olive oil (although I suppose any natural oil would do). After an unfortunate accident involving nail polish remover on our wooden table, I accidentally discovered what a great wood polish olive oil is. Applied liberally, left to sink in and then buffed a bit later to take off any residue - it is brilliant! And then I discovered that it works well on leather too. Our leather sofa is looking a little worse for wear with dogs, child and sun. A quick once-over with olive oil seems to do the trick and moisturise the leather. Very impressive!

None of which makes me a Martha Stewart dressed in flax - but I like to think that I making conscious decisions about the sort of world I live in and want to leave to my children.

I'd really like to hear your views and secret green hacks. We live in a wonderful world, lets keep working at it!

It's gorgeous out there!

I love where I live. Although not as deep in the countryside as I might dream of, my rural-ish existence means that I am surrounded by fields and trees and wake up to birdsong. (Ok - and some traffic noise...)

This morning, a mild and still morning following a night's rain, was the sort of morning I felt I could walk for ever. Of course, I couldn't, obligations and a old and cranky dog being the most pertinent reasons, but I felt I could. And I reflected on how very lucky we are in the UK to have such access to green space. You have to have lived elsewhere in the world to really appreciate a public footpath and an open playing field. How very, very lucky! There are many countries with far more space than our little island, but their land is almost universally privately owned and jealously fenced in. Our right to roam seems an essential part of our civil liberties and one that is incredibly dear to my heart.

Which is why fly-tipping and public littering make absolutely no sense to me. Of the first, why would someone EVER feel it was okay to drive along a beautiful country lane and dump their detritus? What on earth is going through their heads when they decide to spoil an area? Are they thinking `not in our backyard?' Well, I have news for the fly-tippers: it IS your back yard. Our rights of access make every little bit of this gorgeous country your back yard - and mine. And frankly, I am becoming a little pissed off at the regularity of fly-tipping down the lanes I walk. Not only does this habit create an eyesore and unnecessary cost for councils, but it shows an appalling lack of self-respect. Yup - that's what it boils down to: a complete lack of self-respect in that you are showing how little morality and responsibility you possess. And those that pay for dodgy clearances are just as much to blame. Legitimate waste collectors are listed on council websites. If they are not - contact your council. It's that easy. Don't think that your waste is going to be properly disposed of just because the man in the van said it would be. Insist on seeing records from the municipal waste sites. Take some responsibility! Because, of course, the bad news is that councils will sift through the fly-tipped waste and inevitably find some scrap that will bring them to your door - and you will be liable.

And as for those who throw their waste out of car windows...I would bet that the vast majority of those who chuck their McDonalds wrappers out of their vehicles tut-tut in sympathy when watching Blue Planet. As if plastic waste is something that comes from somewhere else.  What on Earth do you think will happen to your Big Mac box or your Costa coffee cup when you fling it out so that your car stays clean? Do you really think it is going to biodegrade? Or do you just not care? Because it isn't on your home turf? Pathetic! When I was growing up in South Africa, we had a slogan that caught on with children. It was `litter-bug, litter-bug, shame on YOU!' And shame on you! This beautiful country, where we all own so much of the breathing space deserves a whole lot more respect. Take your litter home. It isn't rocket science.

I can't say it enough: this country is beautiful. And even though I am its adopted child, I love its lanes, its trees, its fields, its public paths, its vast public parks, its dips, twists, mud, grit and ancient resilience with every bit of me. And it is not just mine. It is ours. And because it is ours, we need to look after it. Every one of us.

Go out. Have a walk. Listen to the birds. Look for the signs of Spring in the snowdrops and black hawthorn and beginning buds. Remember how lucky you are.