I have to confess I have very mixed feelings about Christmas. I have always struggled with the spend-fest and waste element, which I think for many of us is stressful. The pressure for perfection, and having the best ever Christmas, only adds to the anxiety. It can also be a time when loved ones are […]
Beachcombing season – and an opportunity to get crafty
It’s certainly winter storm time, and the beaches are, as might be expected, full of plastic washed in with high tides. This needs to be cleared as quickly as possible, before it finds its way back into the water to play havoc with fish, birds and other sea farers. Some of the plastics washed up […]
Greening your job – how engagement in your workplace can have positive benefits
I read an interesting article recently that suggested that we should forget about our own carbon footprint and focus instead on the places we work. I don’t entirely agree with the statement; I think our carbon footprint is something we own, and can do something about. By working on our personal footprint we can learn […]
25th October 2023 – Finding the right tribe
The journey to becoming more ecologically aware, and acting upon it, is a multi-faceted one. Sometimes it can be empowering; it feels good to do something positive. However sometimes it can feel lonely and frustrating. In these times I’m really glad for the support of friends who are on the same journey. I’m reading an […]
11th October 2023 – Greening the health system
Inspired by a friend I’ve recently taken up jogging, using the free NHS Couch to 5k app. I’m not a natural runner; I’d much rather be out on a bike, but I figured it would help me to keep fit as I could slot in a 30 minute session from time to time into my […]
27th September – Time to start growing food
I love autumn. I love the turning leaves, the gentle rain, the windswept beaches and the bonus warm days, but most of all I love autumn for the harvest. Nearly thirty years ago my parents planted two hundred apple trees, and two fields of cobnuts and walnuts. At this time of year I find myself […]
30th August 2023 – Time to love where we live
Cornwall is a wonderful place; not only for the beautiful scenery and access to wildlife, but also for the people. I have often thought that although in Cornwall we tend to have low incomes, we have a better quality of life. Instead of expensive holidays, we have beaches at our doorstep to access at any […]
16th August 2023 – Weaning off oil
I have to admit I start this column feeling furious. As you will no doubt be aware Rishi Sunk has agreed to over 100 new licences for drilling for oil and gas in the North Sea. Presumably he’s banking on securing a one-way ticket to Mars for his family, because these licences will undoubtedly worsen […]
2nd August 2023 – How to have a green holiday
School’s out, and it’s holiday time! Even though we live in an amazing place, we all like a change from the norm and to spend time with loved ones. However holidays can be a big carbon drain and over-tourism can also cause problems, as many of our coastal villages can confirm. So how do we […]
19th July 2023 – Building resilience for the future
Reslience. It’s the buzzword when it comes to talking about adapting to climate change. But how resilient are we? I’m sure readers of this column will remember the shopping frenzy that was sparked by Covid. Supermarkets were stripped of toilet paper and shelves laid bare, particularly in urban centres. Panic buying ensued. We do tend […]