Vote between elections…

There was some information about junk mail here but it has been merged with another post here.

Talking of mail, while in the process of setting up a postal vote and I came across this government organised website called Vote England. It is a secure online voting platform where registered voters can make their opinions known.

They also have Vote…erm other places in the U.K. like, you know, the small place full of sheep…. or those with the sporrans….

You register to vote with them, (you need to be on the electoral roll), and then you get busy telling the government what you think.

Obviously, unlike a vote in a ballot box, these are not private votes. You could see this as a problem. You are telling the man every thing about yourself and leaving a data trail of your political opinions. Or you could look at it as your chance to be an online politician standing by your beliefs.

In your role as baby politico you can also propose an issue to be voted on.

If that seems too far too fast how about signing a petition?

There’s this asking Dairycrest to keep delivering milk in glass bottles

The ban that didn’t?

18th April 2015 by Plastic Is Rubbish Posted in 3.6 Good to know Tagged 1.3 Polystyrene / styrofoam, 4.8 The Rest 6 Comments

Got all giddy when I read that Oxford Council were banning plastic takeaway packaging….. only to be disappointed. Very disappointed!

On the 18th April 2015 The Independent reported that Oxford Council was to

ban non-recyclable plastic food containers

The story quoted one in the Oxford Mail published Tuesday 14 April 2015 in News

“NON-recyclable takeaway boxes are to be banned from Oxford food vans.

Under new rules approved last night, packaging and utensils used by street traders, including burger and kebab vans, must be either recyclable or biodegradable.

Businesses will be allowed to use up existing stock that does not comply, but will have to make the change when they apply for their next annual licence from Oxford City Council.”

With thanks to the Oxford Mail

Hooray!!!

And the Independent quotes the council as saying

“The city is thought to be the first in the country to announce such a measure, and the city’s Labour council leader Bob Price told The Independent he was “sure many other local authorities will be taking the same approach as Oxford” soon.

“Plastic take-away food containers are an environmental disaster and recyclable and biodegradable alternatives are easily available,” he said.

“As a society, we should be relentless in driving down the amount of rubbish we send to landfill and increasing the level of recycling and re-use of materials.”

More cheers!!! But wait…

technically polystyrene, and other plastics, are recyclable. It can be difficult and expensive and food stained items, full of half chewed kebab, floating in last nights slurry of spilt beer, (and worse), are less likely to be recycled. But they can be recycled!

“You can recycle foam meat trays and clamshells (#6 polystyrene) if they are free of food stains and food odors. Wash with a little soap then rinse and let stand to dry. If food stains persist, toss them into trash. To recycle them, bag them separately.”

So it is the plastics industry who are now cheering thanks to this amendment…

“Oxford polystyrene U-turn hailed by plastics industry Posted 15 April 2015 by Plastic & Rubber Weekly

“following a plea made by Martin Kersh, executive director of the Foodservice Packaging Association, the council amended the wording.

It now reads “For food traders all packaging and utensils for use by customers shall be made of biodegradable or recyclable materials.

Kersh told PRW: “The councillors agreed that the phrasing of the by-law should be altered from biodegradable and recyclable to be biodegradable or recyclable.

“It would be very difficult to enforce a ban on polystyrene.”

Following the council ruling, British Plastics Federation (BPF) director-general Philip Law said: “A victory for common sense and a recognition that plastics packaging products are recyclable, save energy and help reduce the carbon footprint of retailers. The Food Service Packaging Association and Incpen, together with the BPF were active in informing Oxford’s local politicians and council staff.”

Oxford Council confirmed to PRW that as polystyrene is recyclable then it can continue to be used.”

Hmmm…. all plastics are theoretically recyclable and as technology advances are becoming more so, so what exactly have Oxford Council banned? Not plastic, not polystyrene, what? Is there actually a non- recyclable plastic packaging in common use, out there? If so, what is it called? Really, I want to know?

The point surely should have been that plastic does not biodegrade. If not collected, and specially disposed of, plastic litter is out there for ever - a permanent visual blight on the landscape and a threat to the ecosphere. So while it may be recyclable, using it for one-use, disposable items that can become everlasting litter is a misuse of plastic. And clearing it up is a misuse of council resources.

What we need is a ban on the misuse of plastic.

The problems with polystyrene - yuck you really don’t want to be eating this stuff.

composting as one…

25th February 2015 by Plastic Is Rubbish Posted in 3.6 Good to know Tagged 4.8 The Rest 8 Comments

Disposing Of Biodegradable Waste

Composting accelerates the natural process of biodegrading or rotting down organic waste material into a rich soil or compost. Its the only sustainable way to deal with our waste… we love it.

It sounds complex, and many treat it as some kind of arcane science, but basically you pile your biological waste into a compost bin, keep it warm and it rots down naturally into a rich soil or compost. I do it without much effort. If it took much effort I wouldn’t! With the right bins you can turn all your scraps into plant food, or, if you don’t need plant food, dispose of your waste ecologically.

Great Reasons to Compost

You can use your compost bin for garden litter which saves on boring trips to the tip.
You can dispose of your own kitchen waste which it gobbles up by the bucket load.
You can keep biodegradable waste out of landfill. Why? Well, biodegradable waste does not do well in the unnatural conditions of landfill. It bubbles away producing methane which adds to the greenhouse effect.
And so, composting reduces your carbon footprint by diverting biodegradable waste from landfill.
It is a practical investment for the future. The Uk government is committed to reducing the amount of biodegradable waste in landfill by 50%, by the year 2020. As 30% of UK domestic waste is organic this will affect us all. Setting up a home composting system is just getting ahead of the game.
Cuts our dependance on waste collection services by taking responsibility for our own waste.
Cut bin liners. No need to wrap my mushy waste as it all goes straight in the compost bin. Read living without bin liners for more information.

How It Works

All natural (as oppose to synthetic) materials do eventually biodegrade or rot. Here’s how long it takes for some commonly used products to biodegrade, when they are scattered about as litter:

Paper ~ 2-5 months
Cotton rags ~ 1-5 month
Natural fiber rope ~ 3-14 months
Orange peel ~6 months
Wool socks ~1 to 5 years
Leather shoes ~25 to 40 years
Tin cans ~ 50 to 100 years
Composting speeds up that process and results in a lovely rich soil additive that can be spread on the garden to feed the plants and micro beasties.
It is also a way of managing your own waste. If every bit of trash was compostable you could get out of that destructive relationship with your landfill bin.

Useful composting information

Biodegradable -Biodegradable products break down through a naturally occurring microorganism, such as fungi or bacteria over a period of time. More about biodegrading here

Compostable - To be classed compostable, items must biodegrade within a certain amount of time, the resulting biomass must be free of toxins, able to sustain plant life and be used as an organic fertilizer or soil additive.

Composting Standards For a man-made product to be legally sold as compostable, it has to meet rigorous composting standards

How to Compost?

So you are now hot to rot but which bin to go with?

A heap…
You can compost in a heap which is just as it sounds. You heap your compostables up and leave them to rot down. However composting works quicker when there is heat. To create heat you need to contain your heap. It needs enclosing.

Build a wooden bin…
These bins are not fully sealed. Animals (rats and mice) can get in so you need to be careful what you put on them. No meat dairy or cooked food. You can quickly and cheaply build a compost bin out of scrap wood or pallets. Or you can buy wooden frames ready made.

Here are some instructions on how to build a compost bin
Here is a ready made wooden bins

Plastic Ready Made Bins
The next option is to buy a ready made plastic bin.
Basic Bin I got my first bin from the council. It didn’t work for me.. rats invaded my bin and refused to leave. Other people manage though. Rats can get in these bins because they are not fully sealed.

Enclosed Systems I use an enclosed system called the Green Johanna to compost everything. Yes its plastic but you can compost meat, dairy, cooked food and NO RATS. Highly Reccomended!

Underground Systems If you just want to get rid of your waste rather than use the resulting compost, you could try an underground composting system. You put your rubbish in and the ground eats it. One such is the green cone that just eats your biodegradable rubbish. Underground bins can also be used to compost your pet poop .

Composting Indoors

Electrical Units
This is a nifty little electric composting unit that you can keep indoors in a kitchen cupboard

Other Ways

Bokashi Bins are not strictly composting but pickling. Great to use in conjunction with worm bins.

Worm bins - a bin of worms that eat your rubbish.

Read all about these bins here……

Bokashi Bins

Because I love all things compost, I invested in a Bokashi kit - two bins with taps and bokashi bran ...
Read More

Carpark composting

It's a compost bin... in a car park.... next to the other rubbish bins. How cool. How French! ...
Read More

Compost Bin - underground

You can put ALL your food waste into your Green Cone including meat, fish, bones, dairy products, vegetables and fruit. There ...
Read More

Compost Bin basic - cheap but rats!

I’ve had my compost bin for 14 months now and I am very pleased with it. I use it for ...
Read More

Compost bin in a kitchen cupboard

I am lucky enough to have a garden where I can keep my compost bin. However if you don't have ...
Read More

Compost Bin the Green Johanna

I started composting with a simple black bin, the economy discounted version from the council. I chucked the food in ...
Read More

Dog poop disposal

This is something I really hate …. plastic bags of dog @*%! hanging from the bushes. But then plastic bags ...
Read More

Worm Bins

Composting is a great way to dispose of kitchen waste and reduce your carbon footprint, but what if you don’t ...
Read More

Plastic and Composting

Buy

There are plenty of links in the posts links above to the suppliers

If you can’t do that then I have put together and Amazon catalogue. Yes I know..


Biard Eco Recycled Platic Environmentally F… £27.99	Blackwall Twin Pack Bokashi Bin £36.00	Bokashi Bran 3kg £16.50

Green Johanna Hot Composter £104.00	Hatch for Blackwall Compost Converter £7.50	Wooden Composter Large £34.99

Wooden Compost Bin 328L in BeeHive Style 337 £54.95	FSC Classic Single Wooden Compost Bin £84.99	FSC Classic Triple Wooden Compost Bin £209.99

Amazon is a very dirty word at the moment and I thought long and hard before suggesting them. Heres why I went ahead….. No we are not entirely happy with Amazons recent history. However, we have always found their service to be good and their packaging usually compostable.

If you buy a product via this link we do get an affiliation fee for this. This is not why we do it.

https://wp.me/s4gI1n-9595

Sung to the tune of… can you guess…. on the count of three

Imagine no incineration
No chimneys towering high
no clouds of toxic ashes
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Composting today…

Imagine there’s no black bins – it isn’t hard to do
Nothing to burn or landfill
so no methane too
Imagine all the people
composting in peace

You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will compost as one

Imagine no recycling
I wonder if you can
No more single use dipsosables
only products with a long lifespan
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world…

You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will compost as one

See our composting posts here

Recycling your apple

19th December 2014 by Plastic Is Rubbish Posted in 3.6 Good to know Tagged 4.8 The Rest 3 Comments

Get an Apple Store Gift Card for the value of your old device.

Turn that iPhone, iPad, or computer — Mac or PC — you’re not using anymore into something brand new. Send it to us and we’ll determine if it qualifies for reuse. If it does, that means your device has monetary value that we’ll apply to an Apple Store Gift Card, which you can use for purchases at any Apple Retail Store or the Apple Online Store. If your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or PC doesn’t qualify for reuse, we’ll recycle it responsibly at no cost to you.

Here’s how to get your gift card:

Tell us about your device.
Only iPhone, iPad, and Mac or PC desktop and notebook computers qualify for the Apple Reuse and Recycling Program.

Get your estimate and ship your device.
Apple contracts with external partners, who will estimate the fair market value of your product. These partners will provide convenient prepaid options to package and ship your product to their facility for evaluation.

Receive your Apple Store Gift Card.
After a short time, your Apple Store Gift Card will arrive. Use it for purchases at any Apple Retail Store or the Apple Online Store.1

Get started
Recycle your computer or display free.

If all you want is to dispose of your unwanted equipment — regardless of brand — we can help you do that. Apple contracts with Sims Recycling Solutions to responsibly recycle computers and displays from any manufacturer. Generate a prepaid shipping label by going to www.applepoweredbysims.com. Then pack up your equipment using your own box and send it off. For more information about Sims Recycling Solutions or questions about this program call 800-966-4135.

Recycle Mac batteries free.

Bring your old Mac batteries to an Apple Retail Store near you and we’ll recycle them free.

In the back of the van…..Karen Cannard!

23rd June 2014 by Plastic Is Rubbish Posted in 3.6 Good to know Tagged 4 plastivan, 4.8 The Rest 4 Comments

Last week our U.K. tour took us through Bury St Edmunds which pleased me more than I can say. Why the boundless enthusiasm? For sure its a nice enough town. And it has a Poundland, rapidly becoming a favourite of mine. But it was not this that excited me so.

No, I had been invited for tea and buns with the first lady of waste, the founder of the rubbish diet, her trashness herself Karen Cannard. A highly pleasant afternoon was spent discussing recycling rates, rubbish reduction, Portuguese tarts (the pastries!) and plans for the future.

Mine include;

being a Zero Waste Ambassador for Zero Waste Week, now in its seventh year and running from the 1st - 7th September 2014.
girding my loins for plastic free July.

Karen news is also very exciting but sadly not mine to tell. For now you will have to be satisfied with a photo of her in the back seat of our van - enough excitement for any one!

Thanks for a great afternoon.

Apples with stickers? Nope, thats a laser tattoo.

14th January 2014 by Plastic Is Rubbish Posted in 3.6 Good to know Tagged 4.8 The Rest 3 Comments

You go to the supermarket clutching your cotton reusable produce bag to buy some apples

Immediate eco dilemma. Can’t buy British because they are all bagged up in plastic bags. So I have to buy French apples.

Not happy - even less so when I realise that every single frickin apple has a plastic sticker on.

Apples with stickers …..why? Apparently they need to be tracked! Don’t they come packed in boxes? With labels on?

Well I might look back to these as the good old days.

The European Union approved new regulations that means food products can now have labels lasered onto the skin using iron oxides and hydroxides. Previously, the chemicals were not allowed under European law.

According to the Grocer, supporters of the measure praise its efficiency. According to the Telegraph, consumers may not respond well.

You can read more here

Ecovan Build

3rd January 2014 by Plastic Is Rubbish Posted in 3.6 Good to know Tagged 4 plastivan, 4.8 The Rest 1 Comment

Building a new van and I want it to be as environmental and as plastic free as possible. Decorating is very dirty work and needs a lot of research.

we will be using
timber which will have to be finished/treated in some way
natural insulation
biodegradable flooring.

we will try to avoid plywood because of the nasty glue!

Check out our research posts here

Latex, Rubber & Glue

Latex Is, it seems biodegradable In a composting environment, biodegradation rates over 24 weeks were twice that compared to the ...
Read More

Some notes on insulation

The green van. You can see all our related posts here Thermal conductivity, often denoted by the greek symbol λ ,measures ...
Read More

Wood treatment

Building a new van and I want it to be as environmental and as plastic free as possible. Decorating is ...
Read More

Duvet

There are lots of synthetic duvets on the market full of polyester and the like but even before I went ...
Read More

VOCs

Volatile organic compounds VOCs are a class of chemicals that are volatile (evaporate easily) and are organic compounds (contain carbon ...
Read More

Limewash & Paint

Building a new van and I want it to be as environmental and as plastic free as possible. Decorating is ...
Read More

Waxes, Oils & Varnish recipes

Building a new van and I want it to be as environmental and as plastic free as possible. Decorating is ...
Read More

Oils Used In Natural Varnish

Drying oil is a vegetable oil that dry to a hard finish at normal room temperature. Such oils are used ...
Read More

Polyurethane

Polyurethane is a general term used for a class of polymers derived from the condensation of polyisocyanates and polyalcohols. Polyeurothenes ...
Read More

2014 Plastic free July, in a van

Last month (July) we took part in plastic free July (pretty much as it sounds) . We are did it in a van. This ...
Read More

Rubber

There are two major categories of rubber; natural and synthetic. The most popular compounds are; Natural Rubber Vulcanised Rubber Synthetic Natural ...
Read More

In the back of the van…..Karen Cannard!

Last week our U.K. tour took us through Bury St Edmunds which pleased me more than I can say. Why the ...
Read More

Plastivan and the plastic free UK tour…

We have done the plastic free home and nailed backpacking plastic-free - it’s time for a new challenge. How about ...
Read More

Ecovan Build

Building a new van and I want it to be as environmental and as plastic free as possible. Decorating is ...
Read More

Glue

So many glues, so many man-made polymers. Plastic? In glue? Oh don’t get me started! Yes lots of it, and ...
Read More

Latest Finds

“True” natural linoleum (as opposed to synthetic vinyl, which is often confused with linoleum) is made from linseed oil and pine resin, which are natural, renewable resources. It is one of the “greenest” flooring options sold. It is great for heavy wear, such as homes with pets and children, and doesn’t require waxing to maintain a protective top layer. It is also stain- and water-resistant, so especially suitable for bathrooms and kitchens.read more

What is Marmoleum?

97% natural raw materials, 72% rapidly renewable, 43% recycled content

Marmoleum, Forbo’s main linoleum brand, is a natural floor associated with sustainability, durability, high quality and innovative design. Our Marmoleum collection includes solutions for virtually any type of application. Discover the versatile world of Marmoleum with over 300 colours and more than 12 different structures to choose from, available in sheet and modular tile formats.

Marmoleum stands for versatility in application as well as in colour and design. What makes Marmoleum special is that it is created from natural raw materials that give it its unique performance attributes.

All Marmoleum floors now include Topshield2, a double UV cured finish that takes care of beautiful floors with lasting appearance retention, resulting in the flooring solution with the lowest costs of ownership over its life-time.

Marmoleum a natural talent
Forbo’s Marmoleum is made from 97% natural raw materials. So it’s no surprise that it is the world’s leading sustainable resilient flooring. Marmoleum is what it is, a genuine, authentic product.

How it’s Made
• Made from 97% natural raw materials, 72% of which are renewable and will grow back within 10 years.
• Marmoleum is made with 43% recycled content to reduce the need for virgin raw material.
• Marmoleum is 100% biodegradable.
• 100% of electricity comes from renewable sources and our linoleum production sites achieve ISO14001 certification.

Back to the Floor

We collect clean installation off-cuts of Forbo products through our ‘Back to the Floor’ programme.

It’s good for us as it provides material to recycle back into our some of our products and it’s good for contractors as it saves money rather than landfilling it.

Buy Marmoleum HERE

and HERE

Modul’up Adhesive Free Vinyl
Adhesive Free! Hassle Free! Stress Free!

Our NEW Modul’up adhesive free vinyl sheet collection is a ground breaking new floor covering. Heralding a technological innovation as a “lay flat, stay flat” solution that does not require any adhesive, Modul’up will not ruck, move or roll once installed.

Click tiles don’t need glue. 30cm x 30cm Full range HERE

details on fixing here

Timber

B&Q
British company

Planed Timber
For non structural building work where a smooth finish is required.
Whitewood Spruce has a consistent light colour finish for a modern appearance.
Slow grown & kiln dried to make it more stable & easier to work with.
It is advisable to store flat in a dry room. Handle with gloves to avoid splinters
Made from responsibly sourced, Forest Friendly timber

Plastic straps to hold the 4 packs together.

So I’m looking to buy a pressure cooker for the van. Anything that saves cooking time. But I want it to be British?European made and sold. I found one I like - more on that later as supplied by Argos. Not a fan of chains but thought I would check them out anyway.
According to Wikipedia “Argos Ltd, trading as Argos, is a British catalogue retailer operating in the United Kingdom and Ireland,”.
Headquarters: Milton Keynes
Parent organization: Sainsbury’s.
It is a subsidiary of Sainsbury’s. So what of Sainsburys? While Sainsburys is a British company

“As of February 2018, the largest overall shareholder is the sovereign wealth fund of Qatar, the Qatar Investment Authority, which holds 21.99% of the company.[6] It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 Index.
In April 2018, Sainsbury’s entered talks with Walmart about a proposed merger with Asda, which could form the largest UK supermarket company.[7]”

“The Qatar Investment Authority is Qatar’s state-owned holding company that can be characterized as a National Wealth Fund. It specializes in domestic and foreign investment. Wikipedia”

and Walmart? No thanks. So while I might be able to get paper wrapped butter at Sainsbury’s (check out the cheese counter), Im not sure I like their politics.

Outgassing can be significant if it collects in a closed environment where air is stagnant or recirculated. For example, new car smell consists of outgassed chemicals released by heat in a closed automobile. Even a nearly odorless material such as wood may build up a strong smell if kept in a closed box for months. There is some concern that plasticizers and solvents released from many industrial products, especially plastics, may be harmful to human health.[4] Long-term exposure to solvent vapors can cause chronic solvent-induced encephalopathy (CSE). Outgassing toxic gases are of great concern in the design of submarines and space stations, which must have self-contained recirculated atmospheres.

Rubber smell
1. Dilute white vinegar with water.

2. Dampen a cloth or paper towel with the diluted solution.

3. Rub your rain boots all over.

4. Wipe dry with a clean cloth.

Now, go stomp in those puddles with your non-smelly rain boots!

Rubber Pavers

I recently got an email from a homeowner asking about rubber pavers and VOCs. He wanted to know if it was safe to install rubber pavers around his home or if it had high levels of VOCs.

Rubber pavers are a type of flooring usually made from recycled rubber, like tires. They’re porous which makes them very absorbent. So be careful about potential spills. But the amount of off-gassing from rubber pavers varies between manufacturers.

Most of the VOCs in rubber pavers come from the adhesives used for installation. That’s why some manufacturers are producing rubber pavers that can be installed without adhesives. The main thing to look out for is to make sure it doesn’t contain formaldehyde.

Who owns what

11th November 2013 by Plastic Is Rubbish Posted in 3.6 Good to know Tagged 3.2.6. buy local buy British, 4.8 The Rest Leave a comment

This infographic is from reddit and I have no idea if it is true or not! But there is no doubt that very few companies own an awful lot of stuff.

Boycotting plastic means buying unwrapped which often means buying local - from the butcher, the green grocer and the baker.

Which takes back some control and keeps money in the community.

Just another reason we do it

Who owns your daily news……
With thanks to Left foot forward
Newspaper(s)
Combined print and online readership
(In brackets print alone)
Effective owner/s
Information about effective owner/s
Political orientation of newspaper/s
% of combined print and online (Print alone)
The Sun/The Sun on Sunday
13,674,000
(12,765,000)
Rupert Murdoch
Billionaire. Lives in US.
Alleged tax avoider.
Supported Tories in 2010
18.6%
(20.7%)
The Mail/ Mail on Sunday
12,188,000
(9,534,000)
Lord Rothermere
Billionaire. Lives in France.
Non-domiciled for UK tax
Supported Tories in 2010
16.5%
(15.5%)
Metro
7,986,000
(7,597,000)
Lord Rothermere
Billionaire. Lives in France.
Non-domiciled for UK tax
Supported Tories in 2010
10.8%
(12.3%)
Mirror/Sunday Mirror/ People
7,874,000
(7,063,000)
Trinity Mirror plc
Public Limited Company
Supported Labour in 2010
10.7%
(11.4%)
The Guardian/The Observer
5,342,000
(2,898,000)
Scott Trust Ltd
A company with purpose “to secure Guardian’s independence”
Supported Lib Dems in 2010
7.3%
(4.7%)
Telegraph/ Sunday Telegraph
4,998,000
(3,128,000)
David and Frederick Barclay
Billionaires. Live on private island near Sark.
Alleged tax avoiders.
Supported Tories in 2010
6.8%
(5.1%)
The Times/ Sunday Times
4,608,000
(4,418,000)
Rupert Murdoch
Billionaire. Lives in US.
Alleged tax avoider.
Supported Tories in 2010
6.3%
(7.2%)
The Independent/ i/Independent on Sunday
4,002,000
(2,770,000)
Alexander (father)and Evgeny (son) Lebedev
Alexander is a billionaire, ex-KGB and lives in Russia. Evgeny lives in the UK
Supported anti-Tory tactical voting in 2010
5.4%
(4.5%)
London Evening Standard
3,850,000
(3,443,000)
Alexander and Evgeny Lebedev
Alexander is billionaire, ex-KGB and lives in Russia. Evgeny lives in UK
Supported Tories in 2010
5.2%
(5.6%)
Daily Express/Sunday Express
3,118,000
(2,756,000)
Richard Desmond
Billionaire pornographer.
Alleged tax avoider.
Supported Tories in 2010
4.2%
(4.5%)
Daily Star/Daily Star Sunday
2,972,000
(2,873,000)
Richard Desmond
Billionaire pornographer.
Alleged tax avoider.
Supported Tories in 2010
4.0%
(4.7%)
Daily Record/ Sunday Mail
1,719,000
(1,527,000)
Trinity Mirror plc
Public limited company
Supported Labour in 2010
2.3%
(2.5%)
Financial Times
1,339,000
(928,000)
Pearson plc
Public limited company
Supported Tories in 2010
1.8%
(1.5%)
TOTALS
73,670,000
(61,700,000)
Readership of UK press (for papers over 1 million) in March 2013 by effective owners
Effective owner(s)
% of combined print and online (print alone)
Lord Rothermere
27.3 (27.8)
Rupert Murdoch
24.9 (27.9)
Trinity Mirror plc
13.0 (13.9)
Alexander and Evgeny Lebedev
10.6 (10.1)
Richard Desmond
8.2 (9.2)
Scott Trust
7.3 (4.7)
David and Frederick Barclay
6.8 (5.1)
Pearson plc
1.8 (1.5)
Over a quarter (27.3 per cent) of the press is owned by Lord Rothermere and 24.9 per cent by Rupert Murdoch – between them these two men have over 50 per cent of the printed press.

Over three quarters (77.8 per cent) of the press is owned by a handful of billionaires. There are only 88 billionaires among the 63 million people in the UK and most of the barons do not even live in the UK.

Timber talk - how much do we import….

4th November 2013 by Plastic Is Rubbish Posted in 3.6 Good to know Tagged 4.8 The Rest Leave a comment

It would be lovely to replace all that plastic with natural products but could we really do that?.. well only by using someone elses wood and shipping it in..

Forestry Commission figures for 2004

Timber Imports

Apparent consumption is the amount of timber (measured as raw wood material equivalent underbark) used as wood and wood products by people and industries in the United Kingdom. It is calculated as total United Kingdom production plus imports, minus exports. This total does not include any allowance for recycled wood and paper that is recovered for use within the United Kingdom, but is reduced by the substantial net exports of recovered paper (see Table 3.3). Apparent consumption also differs from actual consumption by the extent of changes in the level of stocks. It is not practical to collect information on actual consumption.

UK production of roundwood totalled 8.6 million m3 WRME underbark in 2004. A further 52.0 million m3 WRME underbark of wood and wood products were imported to the UK and 15.6 million m3 WRME underbark were exported, giving an apparent consumption of 45.0 million m3 WRME underbark.

Is veganism the only green diet? Really?

2nd July 2008 by Plastic Is Rubbish Posted in 3.6 Good to know Tagged 4 Sustainable Book Club, 4.8 The Rest Leave a comment

Back in the U.K and it seems everyone has gone vegan. But not only have they given up any kind of animal produce they claim to be saving the planet from environmental disaster. More strident still, some claim that this is the most important eco action of all. If you are not a vegetarian they say, you are not an environmentalist.

Ah it takes me back to the 80’s. The joy of watching the green movement tear it’s self apart fighting for the high moral ground!

Vegetarianism has a lot of environmental benefits but in the complex web that is the ecosystem it is becoming increasingly obvious that there is no one perfect fix. So these extreme and sweeping claims need carefully investigating.

I am starting with Meat – A Benign Extravagance written by another ex-veggie Simon Fairle

I say another ex veggie as I too used to be a committed vegetarian and was so because I believe in animal rights.

I said I was vegetarian but I ate milk products and diary.Diary farming and egg production also results in the slaughter of numerous animals. Very simply to get the milk you need to keep the cow in calf. The calfs once born are taken from the mother and often go on to be slaughtered for meat – especially the male ones. Same with chickens. If you want eggs you don’t need roosters. Those boys go straight into the pot.

So I reasoned should either go vegan or stop pretending and use meat and animal products ethically. I went for the latter for the following reasons:

I live in Yorkshire. I like to buy my food locally for a number of reasons; to support the neighboring rural industry, to reduce air-miles and to maintain food security. Come the zombie apocalypse I want to know we can still source some of our own food. Being vegan would mean importing a lot of food I would need for protein from abroad or growing them in hot houses in the U.K.. I don’t see either of those as being a viable environmental option.

There there are the supplements. Vitamin B12 is only found naturally in foods from animal sources and as the Vegan Society says….

“Very low B12 intakes can cause anemia and nervous system damage. The only reliable vegan sources of B12 are foods fortified with B12 (including some plant milks, some soy products and some breakfast cereals) and B12 supplements. Vitamin B12, whether in supplements, fortified foods, or animal products, comes from micro-organisms. Most vegans consume enough B12 to avoid anemia and nervous system damage, but many do not get enough to minimize potential risk of heart disease or pregnancy complications.

To get the full benefit of a vegan diet, vegans should do one of the following:

Eat fortified foods two or three times a day to get at least three micrograms (mcg or µg) of B12 a day
OR Take one B12 supplement daily providing at least 10 micrograms
OR Take a weekly B12 supplement providing at least 2000 micrograms.

I don’t want to eat processed food or rely on supplements. I want to be in control of my own vitamin intake. I want to buy my protein from the farm down the road. Plus processed food and supplements almost always come plastic packed. I don’t do non biodegradable packaging. Another reason to eat and buy seasonally and locally is that I get my food unpackaged. I have to take my own bags of course and yes in the course of my plastic free project I have sourced loose lentils but I have to drive to another city to buy them. Even then they have been imported from half way round the world. Bacon I can get round the corner from pig Yorkshire born and raised.

I don’t use plastic packaging because I like to be in control of my bins. I don’t want to make any rubbish that can’t be composted or burnt on my wood burner. And it’s not just packaging – that includes boots and suits. Synthetic leathers and fibres may often be touted as animal friendly but they are highly polluting to make and do not biodegrade. That acrylic jumper made from imported oil, is going to be polluting the planet for centuries., mine of Yorkshire wool is not. And don’t get me started on vegetarian leather!

And then there are the practicalities. I come from Yorkshire. I work outdoors. Of course I wear a synthetic raincoat when I need too. I also wear leather and wool, animal products when I need to. Not just because they will biodegrade when done but because they are more comfortable and practical. Farming animals also provides me with wool and leather.

As part of my local food strategy I do grow some of my own. vegetables which has had two consequences: I have discovered that the power of poo is prodigious. I try to avoid synthetic imported oil derived fertilizers and use manure, crap, instead. I get my supply from the local farm. That is from the cows he farms. No cows no crap.

I have become a killer. Gardening is a ruthless business. Sorry but slugs have to die! And I kill them. I drown them in beer which is no bad way to go but it’s still murder. Now of course eating meat might mean twice the cull rate if you feed them on specially grown imported food, grass fed meat is another matter. But basically any kind of farming, or even alotmenteering results in animal deaths.

Stopping certain types of farming would also result in the death of numerous wild animals and insects. It is important to remember that not all farmed land can be used to grow food. Some can only be used as grazing land. Obviously one benefit is protein from grassland in the form of meat. It also means different ecosystems. Much of The U.K landscape depends on grazing animals. You would not have hay meadows or short turf with out them. For sure there are many issues with over grazing but long or short grasslands mean lot’s of native flowers. Supporting the insects (especially bees) that depend on flowers and grasslands. Grasslands are not just good for biodiversity but insects means pollination. Without pollination all types of farming are screwed. Without grazing animals much land would return to climax vegetation – in the case of the U.K. that is forest. Woods are great but they are only one of many ecosystems. There are others, even those that are a result of farming, that are just as valid.

Factory farming of animals is an abomination and should not be encouraged. That is without doubt. Overgrazing is also a big issue. And meat should not be consumed in massive quantities. But is the large scale farming of vegetables always ethical? Or the importing of nuts from an impoverished country halfway round the world a greener option? Or increased plastic packaging for specialist foods and supplements? Synthetic leather?

Surely going vegan because the meat industry can be unscrupulous is a bit like refusing to wear clothes because they are mostly made in sweat shops. Rather then take to the streets naked, (shudders at the thought), you can consume ethically, source fair trade outfits and help create a sustainable business models. Same with farming.

Going vegan because you don’t like killing animals is a personal choice but I advise you not to get an allotment.

I stopped being a vegetarian because it didn’t feel greener. Eating seasonally and locally with out plastic packaging seemed a better option to me. But I left it at that. As veganism is once again part of the debate so I feel I need to read up on the subject.

I am starting with Meat – A Benign Extravagance written by another ex-veggie Simon Fairlie and reviewed George Monbiot here and again here . Blimey even George can’t make his mind up, and that is not usualy an issue with him, so I have suggested we discuss in the Sustainable Book Club. Why not join us?