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and they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
 and their spears into pruning hooks:
 nation shall not lift up a sword against nation,
 neither shall they learn war any more

If I had £100 billion would I spend it on ...

... building more hospitals, employing more doctors and nurses, ensuring that every child had access to a good school, investing in the public transport infrastructure, supporting individuals and their families with physical and mental needs, sponsoring medical research, providing shelter for the homeless, funding research into sustainable energy, ensuring that everyone is paid a living wage, eradicating extreme poverty ...

or would I spend it all on a nuclear deterrent?

Hmmm.

No Impact Week - Day 8 - Eco-Sabbath

I'm afraid I didn't do very well today. I was to have planned a day of rest and relaxation but the weather wasn't fine enough for the walk I'd fancied, and I'd wasted so much time the day before that I was left with a long 'to do' list. So much for my New Year's resolution to be more organised!

However I'd still like to reflect on the week that has passed and what I've learned from my No Impact experience.

Day 1 (Consumption)
It was no surprise to realise that I consume too much, but writing a list at the beginning of the week, and not just for food, was a good idea and might help reduce the likelihood of impulse buying.

Day 2 (Trash aka Rubbish)
An opportunity hasn't arisen this week to use the no-waste travel pack I put together, but I'm sure its day will come. I have, however, been using the fabric shopping bag I've been carrying around with me in my handbag.

Day 3 (Transportation)
Without appearing to blow my own trumpet I think I do pretty well in this area, so it's difficult to see what more I could do, except more of the same. Lobbying the government is the only other action that springs to mind. Not that it's likely to make any difference!

Day 4 (Food)
Buying food from local independent retailers ties in very well with the Stop Sainsbury's campaign I'm involved in. I can't commit to living on a 250 mile radius diet but I can pay more attention to how my food's produced and whether the producers get a fair deal.

Day 5 (Energy)
I can switch off lights and swathe myself in blankets, but I spend far too much time watching the telly and surfing the net. A lot of it can be justified on the grounds of entertainment or education, but there has to be a limit and I know I'm exceeding it by a long way.

Day 6 (Water)
By far the biggest revelation was learning how much hidden water I'm using. I can't stop eating and drinking, but I can reduce my meat consumption, especially beef.

Day 7 (Giving Back)
As with transport I'm already doing a fair amount but perhaps the time I'm going to save by cutting back on energy I can devote to other people instead.

Day 8 (Eco-Sabbath)
My parents brought us up to keep Sunday special. We went to church and spent the rest of the day as a family, playing games, going on picnics, visiting friends etc. There's a lot to be said for taking time out from the normal routine. Next Sunday we've got friends coming round for lunch. Perhaps we should do so more often.

It's be a worthwhile experience and thanks to Karin, the Smiths, Realfoodlover, Craig and Blue Hands for their inspiration and support. I feel the better for it.

No Impact Week - Day 5 - Energy

I've made an inventory of everything in our house that uses energy to operate. I make it 31 appliances, from our fridge freezer to my ipod charger, but there may very well be others I've forgotten about. Some of them are switched on all the time and others spend most of their time in a cupboard in the kitchen.

So which of them am I prepared to mitigate or even eliminate?

Perhaps I should start by listing those that I'm nowhere nearly ready to give up. I'm talking about my fridge freezer, my washing machine, my cooker, my kettle or my radio. I just can't imagine life without them. Or rather I can, but it wouldn't be at all pleasant.

As for the rest, with a few notable exceptions, I really do believe that I make sensible use of our appliances. I turn lights off when I leave the room, I don't overheat the house, I wrap myself in a blanket, I buy energy efficient appliances, I turn off at the socket etc.

My weak spots are the telly and the computer. I watch too much of the former and spend too much time on the latter. Some of it's justified, after all we all need educating and entertaining, but it's too easy to carry on watching/surfing ad infinitum instead of switching off and doing something more useful, even if it's only getting to bed before midnight.

So my challenge is to be more selective in the programmes I watch and set a daily limit on my internet fix. An hour a day sounds reasonable.

Today I am grateful for
Hugh Fearnley-Whitingstall
The Fight Fish campaign
An invitation to a 50th birthday party
Phonecall to an old friend
The last piece of Christmas cake

The Appliance of Science

Yesterday we took delivery of a new washing machine to replace the old one which kept trying to boil our clothes. We'd had a man round to have a look at it who suggested a new thermostat, but it didn't do the trick and we regretfully decided that we had no option but to buy a new one.

I can't remember how old our washing machine was but certainly nowhere near as old as Doris Stogdale's fridge which is still going strong after 58 years.

I hate throwing away stuff until it's no longer useable. So for months now we've kept our washing machine from overheating by setting a timer and turning the dial on to the rinse cycle after 15 minutes. It was annoying but we learned to live with it.

However there's a balance to be struck between continuing to use an appliances that are no longer energy efficient and casually upgrading them. Our old machine was removed by our supplier and will be disposed of in accordance with WEE regulations, and we've replaced it with an A rated model, but I can't help feeling that it's still a waste.

I grew up in India where you could find someone to repair almost anything that was broken. It provided employment and prevented you from having to replace stuff quite as often.

Perhaps that explains my attitude. Or maybe it's my Scots blood.

Anyway I look forward to turning my back on my new machine, safe in the knowledge that it won't shrink my jumpers.