Recent Comments

1. Shop Small (Buy local, Switch from the Supermarket) - 09 May 2006

   being a large family it’s hard to imagine doing without the supermarket delivery, but we’re aiming for a gradual transfer …the plan is to cut down the frequency of deliveries, (initially to 3 weeks out of 4 instead of every week),and to change to ‘local’ a bit at a time.

2. Switch To Energy Saving Lightbulbs - 09 May 2006

   Can’t find any low energy ‘spot’ bulbs…? Also please can anyone out there tell us more about the optimal length of time to expect the light to be on for, in relation to the extra ‘start-up’ power? How long do you need to be going away for, to make turning off worthwhile? While we’re at it, what about starting up computers and other appliances v. leaving them standing by?

3. Switch off and unplug appliances and chargers - 18 Oct 2006

   i’m interested to hear comments about wind-up chargers and solar power. have a friend who was less than impressed with the wind-up phone charger she bought…should she have bought a more expensive one?

4. Energy Efficient Cooking - 18 Oct 2006

   We’re totally convinced about the wondrousness of this idea, which we became hooked on while camping in the summer. (nothing like our old camp stove for making you aware of fuel consumption.)Anyway, I can never manage to synchronise meals to have it all ready at once, so nothing to lose!

5. Put Eco Balls in your Washing Machine - 18 Oct 2006

   Been using these for over a year. Fine (with stain treatment when necessary) when combined with a good blow on the washing line; but for drying indoors my teenage daughters sneak chemicals in when they can, to make clothes smell like other peoples’ do. I’m interested in the banging-on-the-stones theory, and don’t know how you can tell when you’re supposed to change the pellets. the natural collection website reckons their ‘t-wave’ version are better, but then they would, wouldn’t they? Why are we all so obsessed with cleanliness anyway?

6. Use your computer to solve global problems - 16 Nov 2006

   we’ve been doing the bbc climate change one for a couple of months with no probs and the turning globe is v nice to contemplate! still want advice on the relative energy savings of leaving the computer standing by vs. turning it off and on again…can anyone tell us how much energy is used to start up the thing after closing it down, compared to leaving it on standby? what is the optimum length of time beyond which it’s better to switch right off?

7. Use your computer to solve global problems - 16 Nov 2006

   i’ve just read the info on the generous action ‘switch it off at the plug: don’t stand by’, with relation to the above question. it seems this one is a second-best, but oh well, life is full of compromises. we’ll carry on muddling along between the two!

8. Take A Mug To Work - don't use plastic - 25 Nov 2006

   Fantastic news about Starbucks, Lucrezia… Anyone had any success with other companies? For anyone thinking of investing in a thermal mug: if, like us, you don’t like the taste of the plastic rim, there are some out there that are all stainless steel (ours are from ikea and have a plastic handle and lid, but you don’t need to drink thru the lid!). If you want one that seals (like a flask) you need a camping shop. Don’t be put off by plastic rims!

9. Take A Mug To Work - don't use plastic - 25 Nov 2006

   re. church: Hollytree and Angelfish, go for it! Our congregation each provided a mug for themselves and another for a visitor. Now we need a bigger cupboard, and have to buy coffee more often, but hey, it’s worth it. Your vicar/coffee organising person will love the idea AS LONG AS YOU OFFER TO DO ALL THE WASHING UP….and wash the tea towels…and buy the washing up liquid, and keep the cupboard tidy…Church leaders are quite human really, and generally in favour of going green if it isn’t going to add up to another job for the same old crew…

10. Don't just recycle, Freecycle - 13 Feb 2007

    totally addicted.

11. Recycle Your Old Mobile - 13 Feb 2007

    currently using a phone i acquired on freecycle, with new battery purchased from amazon. (keeping the old battery for emergency back-up at greenbelt!) i see we’re not alone…how many other families buy extra phones with greenbelt in mind i wonder?!

12. Energy Efficient Cooking - 09 Apr 2007

    the reality is, we’re always cooking in a hurry…despite all resolutions to SLOW DOWN…Hmmm!

13. Encourage Others To Go Generous - 09 Apr 2007

    add this site as a link to all the websites you can (church, yahoo groups, whatever)

14. Shop Small (Buy local, Switch from the Supermarket) - 09 Apr 2007

    we’re waking up to the need to think beyond the supermarket shop…(as in the heading for this action- see above-). we’re now resolving to buy from our local bookshop, who will order for us whatever we’ve seen on amazon or wherever, if they don’t already stock it. it may take a day or two longer, and last time they did have to charge us p&p, but it was half would have been had i ordered online. and well worth it for the friendly human contact. if you can’t email them you can always phone, so you only have to drop in once.

15. More tea vicar? (Don't overfill your kettle.) - 14 May 2007

    i’m also trying to use the water when it boils, instead of getting sidetracked and then having to re-boil it some minutes later… we’ve taken a marker pen to the church urn too, translating litres into mugfuls to avoid boiling up too much, but it’s tricky to predict how many people are going to want a cuppa.

16. Stop Taking Plastic Bags From Shops - 26 Jun 2008

    Our church web forum is of the collective opinion that it’s time to make some noise about the use of small poly bags for fruit and veg, now that the supermarkets have taken the carrier bag issue on board. http://www.stjohnshillingdon.org.uk/forum/post/541 Who’s up for this? If enough of us wrote/ emailed…