Freecycle - reach for the Sky

Our Sky box recently finally died after nearly ten years of service. As an occassional TV user, and only using the Sky free-to air service (not to be confused by the new BBC Freesat service) at that, we didn't fancy the full cost of a new Sky box to get us out of our dilemma.

Freecycle came to the rescue. A quick "wanted" advert and numerous offers of redundant boxes where Sky subscribers had upgraded to Sky+ - there's obviosully lots of redundant technology sitting out there...

Big numbers - a small question

Yesterday we finally visited Scotney Castle, a National Trust site - on our list of "must dos" for many years. Beautiful grounds with colourful foliage - and on a bright hot day - wonderful.

Anyway, wandering the grounds, I realised that almost all the "groups" - individuals, couples, families, or larger groups - each had at least one digital camera between them, sometimes more. As we were concluding our visit, Molly asked me how many photos I'd taken - I checked, 87. She then checked her camera, 87. A spooky coincidence or what? Anyway, nearly two hundred between us - the equivilant of three rolls of 35mm film - we'd never have taken that many in a month years ago.

Leaving aside the need to have access to a PC, the cost of photography has dropped dramatically over the past ten years and become a commodity. Where folk may have taken the occassional snap, now they just click away.

So here's the question. How many photos were taken around the world yesterday?

Recycling good news - but it still ain't easy

Recent news suggests that, as a nation, we're recycling more than ever. This is truly good news.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/may/09/recycling.conservation

However, the reality is that as nation we're still not very good at it.

Underpinning this is the fundamental fact that there is no national recycling strategy (that I can make out), leaving local councils to make their own arrangements. The choice of recycling supplier to your local council will dictate what products can or can't be recycled.

As long-term committed recyclers, we continue to struggle with knowing exactly which plastics our local council will or won't take. Trying to encourage folk with less time or inclination on these matters is an uphill struggle.

I am pressing the government for a cohesive "easy to use" recycling strategy.

Choose your poison II - petrol or diesel?

We were recently faced with a decision time relating to our car. The car had started playing up to the point that we felt the time was right to consider what to do with it. The decision was taken to replace it.

In researching the future, we were disappointed to see how the govenerment and motor industry are now presenting diesel as the future - lower CO2 emissions and significantly reduced road tax charges present consumers with a compelling case based on saving money.

But what about the direct impact on humans? Not global warming but the quality of air life for you, me, and our children - here and now today?

Diesels emit substantially greater volumes of particulates and nitrogen oxides than petrol

Particulates cause major repository problems, and contribute to cardiovascular and asthma related deaths by their deep penetration of the lungs. The nitrogen oxides combine with other chemicals to make the smog situation much worse. Ever looked at the reddy-brown haze hanging over our cities on hot summer days?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/may/14/carbonemissions.climatechange

http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/briefings/cleaner_cars_fuels.pdf


So why not bio-fuels? Mmm. Well that encourages farmers to switch from food to energy production, pushing up the cost of food production (which especially hurts developing countries), worsens the world food situation, and adds to environmental disasters such as palm oil/ rainforest deforestation. Even in the UK, the growth of bio-fuels has seen the "explosion" of rape fields.

I don't have immediate easy answers but let's at least stop kidding ourselves and face up to the reality.

No use crying over spilt milk...is there?

Reluctantly we recently canceled our doorstep milk delivery after over twenty five years - many folk would consider this a minor and insignificant decision.

We have always sought to support our local milkman, preserve what can be an important service to folk with limited mobility, and minimise unnecessary use of plastics through the use of reused (not even recycled - remember reduce/ reuse/ recycle) glass bottles.

Sadly our long-time milkman retired a couple of years ago, his replacement served us until early this year and then a further replacement occurred. Since then the service fell dramatically and and that we were left with was a chain of hassle and grief. Reluctantly we canceled the order.

Fortunately we still have a very handy corner shop which we're able to use/ support.

However, the ongoing downside is we realise we're now "supporting" the plastic bottle industry and adding to the recycling problem.

Manderings around the Brecon Beacons

Another fantastic week in the western Brecon Beacons. Weather mixed but what does one expect?

Highlights - sheltering for an hour from an halestorm half way up the Black Mountain; SO many red kites (never seen so many and so low); exploring the Gwydre gorge; some great food; lots of walking in great countryside; Tilly the farmer's pup; peace and quiet (only the sound of birds and sheep); starry starry nights with no light pollution.

Photos to follow on Flickr.

No-meat week on a Welsh sheep farm

We've been staying at a cottage on a Welsh sheep farm for best part of twenty years - this past week we returned. Another faboulus week away from it all. Despite the primary purpose of the farm being the raising of sheep and lambs, knowing the farmers well and how they treat their stock, we feel comfortable continuing to stay there.

Locally we found a couple of great non-meat eateries. Trecastle Tea Rooms is an offshoot of a nearby organic farm - on the day we visited, great organic local veg-based soup and pasta and organic local cheese - scrummy.

And the tea rooms at Newton House, Dinefwr Park and Castle (National Trust although the team rooms aren't NT). A fantasic bean casserole and rice.