Recent Comments

1. Get someone to join the Generous Community - 08 Mar 2006

   Friends of ours are waiting to get back on-line and I think they will join when they do. I am spreading the word to some others too. Hadn’t thought about asking my mum.

2. Sign Up Online To Become An Organ Donor - 08 Mar 2006

   I have always had a donor card and didn’t know you could join on line, but I have done now and so has Jerry. This is one thing I feel so passionately about that I believe that we should opt out rather than opt in to organ donation. I have known several people who have been given the gift of life through another’s death and I also know some who are still waiting for that chance.

3. Get Rid of Your Car - OK, ambitious, but... - 08 Mar 2006

   Four years ago we moved to the country, and as a city girl I felt I could not manage without a car. Then I realised that the car sat outside the door most days and I used it about twice a week. So when it recently came up for it’s MOT etc we decided to do without it. This was our second car, so we do still have a car. So perhaps I am cheating on this one, but Jerry works 40 miles away and could not reasonably get there on public transport (bus, two trains, bus, three hours each way).

4. Recycle Your Old Mobile - 08 Mar 2006

   Our children’s primary school is what’s known as an ‘eco school’ and one of their actions is recycling old mobiles. They also collect used printer ink cartridges. So the items get recycled and the school gets the money and the money gets spent on planting and outdoor spaces and so it all goes round.

5. DIY vegetables! - 08 Jun 2006

   We’ve been growing veg in our garden for the last three years and it’s great to wander down to the bottom of the garden and pick some lettuce and rocket or some peas to eat fresh with our supper. Beats plastic bags of lettuce from the supermarket any day.

6. Switch off and unplug appliances and chargers - 08 Jun 2006

   You can actually save a lot of money as well as reducing emmissions on this one. PC Pro magazine ran a Switch It Off campaign and estimated you could save hundreds a year from switching off the computer and the peripherals especially if they are older models which are less energy efficient. Apparently you can save £12 a year by not leaving the TV on standby overnight, £35 a year switching off the PC overnight. But just reading through the comments here makes me realise how many things are made just to be on using and wasting energy all the time. Our landline phone for example runs of a transformer and does not work if you switch it off.

7. Get Rid of Your Car - OK, ambitious, but... - 08 Feb 2007

   We’ve now gone down from two cars to none although this was more enforced by cost than choice as where we live makes not having at least occasional use of a car rather difficult. It probably won’t last long, but I’m thinking of all the emissions we’re saving.

8. Plant A Tree - 08 Feb 2007

   We have planted four trees in our garden recently. Also a little orchard has been planted on the other side of our garden wall by the local community. Our school is about to plant an orchard with 200 trees too.

9. Get Rid Of Some Of Your Books - 08 Feb 2007

   I tried to sell some books on greenmetropolis.com but so far no one wants them. Boo hoo. We have also taken a few boxes along to the local charity shop. There’s a nice idea at a website called bookcrossing.com The idea is that you leave your book in a public place for someone else to pick up. You include a bookplate explaining the process and books can be registered on the website. One book has been read by 295 people. I think this is a great idea and it’s nice to be able to track your book as it travels.

10. More tea vicar? (Don't overfill your kettle.) - 08 Feb 2007

    Have been doing this for a while. I now start to get annoyed when other people fill the kettle right up to the top for one cup of tea. A friend has told me that boiling water using a kettle on the gas hob is even more energy saving. Does anyone know if this is true?

11. Slow Down, Calm Down (Stick to the speed limit) - 02 Jun 2008

    Having recently bought a car with a trip computer that tells you your fuel consumption, I have been making a determined effort to drive differently. I rarely drive above 60 on any road and take care with accelerating and slowing down. On some journeys I am getting 52 miles to the gallon in my little petrol car which is pretty good and given the price of petrol, necessary. This is just a win win situation, if a little slow. The chance of accidents is reduced, fuel emissions are lower and I spend less money.