Green Issues

It's cold out there tonight. My thermometer shows -1 at 1am, so I'm guessing it's going to get colder up here throughout the night. We seem to be a bit of an odd microcosm up here on the downs in north Berkshire. Nestled around the ancient Ridgeway on high, wind swept chall hill's we seem to largely have a climate of our own. A mile down the road and you can drive off the downs and end up with completely different weather.

The grass tonight though is crunchy under foot and the roads are quite slippery. The dog's of course love the weather, bounding about and eating anything frosty, smelly or both.

It's interesting tonight as at the time of writing there is no wind up here. Something that seems quite unusual, but something that also shows what much of the country must have been like in the early 20th century - at least in terms of heating. We are mostly solid fuel up here and as you walk around the smell of coal and wood burning is heavy in the air. Without the wind blowing it away our houses and of course all of us live in this smog.

We are of course just a very small village, so the pollution we must have endured in the towns or cities must have been appalling. We have come so far from these days, but of course we have just replaced one fossil fuel (local coal and wood) with gas and oil that may have been transported half way around the world. It's true that you don't get the smell and visible smog of smoke and that the heating appliances are on the whole much more efficient; but is their net CO2 increase really that much better when transport and storage are taken into account?

I am happy that my mostly coal and about one fifth 20% wood burn on my multi-fuel stove adds about the same net new co2 as a good gas boiler. I am happy that my sources for my coal and wood are only within the UK with the wood coming no more than a few miles.

So does Adrian Hollister recommend that we all move back to wood and coal? No. But we do need to invest heavily in industry areas that support sustainable heating sources. The use of heat pumps (ground or air source); the use of biomass; and the use of community heating systems would vastly improve our co2 emissions in this country. What are we waiting for?

Free event at Thatcham's Nature Discovery Centre will feature activities, displays and ideas on being green - from the Newbury Today web site.

Article follows:

AN environmental event organised by West Berkshire Council will be held tomorrow (Saturday). The event, called Think Green, Act Green, will be held at the Nature Discovery Centre in Thatcham and will include activities, demonstrations, and ideas on show to help local people think about saving the environment. Activities will include pedal powered generators, fuel efficient transport, puppet shows, face painting, wildlife displays, live music, and lots of local foods on display and refreshments for sale.
Waitrose, Volvo, Hill View Farm produce, 'WRAP' composting activities, and Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust are just some of the featured names taking part in the event. West Berkshire executive councillor Graham Pask (Con, Bucklebury), said: "Green issues are now firmly in the spotlight, and this is a great chance to get some ideas on how to help make a difference."

The event is being held from 11am until 4.30pm, all are welcome and entrance is free.

End.

Did a car boot today with the things donated to help Green Party funds. The car boot was in Newbury Racecourse and seems to run every Sunday. Not a bad price either at £7 to get in for traders. We shifted quite a bit of stuff and donated the rest to charity. Darn hot morning's work though and I seem to have a bit of a sun tan

Great fun today had a long walk with the dogs to raise money for the green party. We started at Great Bedwyn and walked down the Kennet and Avon canal to Newbury. It's about 15 miles and is a stunning walk. Most of Great Bedwyn to Hungerford is unspoilt by selfish dog owners and has stunning views. Why does anyone go on holiday abroad when we have such amazing things right here in England? Anyway, for anyone thinking of doing it - Great Bedwyn is on the train line from Reading. Walking back towards Newbury you follow the A4 and the railway line - so if you get stuck you can always ask for a lift or jump on a train.

Did my first fund raising Jumble Sale ever today. Pam did a great job arranging everything - Thatcham's Catholic Church Hall was packed with stuff and people. There was one big scrum to get at our wares. Not only have we made money for the Green Party but we have recycled a whole bunch of items that are now back into use. Thanks to everyone that turned up with of course special thanks to Pam, Gif and our families who helped out. I hope that we can run another one of these for the Green Party in Newbury, Lambourn, and Hungerford. So we are well on our way to secure funds to allow Adrian Hollister to stand for Parliament at the next election and field a good few candidates in the regional West Berkshire council elections too.

Pam Ayres gave an excellent and, if you think about it, very disturbing poem 'Nowadays We Worship at Saint Tesco'. You may be able to still hear it on BBC iPlayer here or find out more here. It is scary how she seems to have captured our greedy nature and our recent need for stuff to make us happy - still as she says we have Saint Tesco to help us.

If you host a web site or domain, think carefully about your provider. I use 1&1 Internet their press release explains why...

1&1 is proud to be the first large web host who relies solely on renewable energy. At 1&1 we believe in a sustainable society for all and that every business has a role in this responsibility. We have therefore made a strong commitment to fight pollution and preserve our natural resources. 1&1 now uses wind, water and solar power in accordance with the Renewable Energy Certification System (RECS).

The use of renewable energy technologies reduces hazardous greenhouse gas emissions compared with conventional power plants.
We Use Energy Efficiently

We do not only strive to use clean energy, we also endeavour to use energy as efficiently as possible. In our European data centres, we currently run some 40,000 servers which consume between 50 and 60 Gigawatts per hour (GWh).

For years, 1&1 has been using energy highly economically, with less than 20 per cent heat loss – one of the best figures in the industry. As soon as the outside temperature falls below 10 degrees Celsius, we cool our data centre using open-air coolers that work without energy-consuming compressors.

The choice of software also plays a critical role in saving electrical power. Based on Linux, 1&1 has developed its own operating system uses server resources efficiently, saving valuable energy.

By hosting your site with 1&1, you choose an environmentally sound and sustainable future and directly support the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions that come from conventional power plants."


You can find their site here.

Today I've got to rant - I'm just fed up with school run speeding. If I'm walking, cycling or driving with the kids all I get to see is mad school run parents driving at bonkers speeds. I see kids all the time flung around by panicing swerving and heavily breaking parents who are going too fast for the conditions.

If your late you should accept the fact that you are late.

Why put people, including your and our children in danger because you are attempting to make up a few seconds on your journey time?

Keep yourself at a sensible speed and please don't pose a risk to you, your family, me, my kids and anyone else. Better still, walk your short journey (yes that may mean you have to leave your house earlier), or start cycling it.

Personally, I'm for a 20mph blanket speed around any school and 20mph in all residential areas where the residents vote for it. I can also see the argument for a strong instant one week driving ban for anyone caught breaking that speed limit.

I don't usually blog about my charity face painting, but today I had a great day out at Paices Wood Country Parkland. The event was arranged by Pang, Kennet and Lambourn Valleys Countryside Project (PKLVCP), which is part of the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group - a national charity. Paices Wood is certainly one of those places that unless you lived near Aldermaston you would never know about - it's a hidden little gem for sure. Paices Wood Country Parkland is accessed through Young (Aldermaston) Industrial Estate, which is on the A340 between Aldermaston and Tadley.

It seems a shame that West Berkshire Council have reduced their grant to the Countryside Project by 50% for 2009/10. I need to make up a logo for West Berkshire - NOT cleaner and NOT greener ?

As always if your in West Berkshire and are in need of someone to come along and face paint for your charity event foc then please drop Adrian Hollister an email.

Good to see that the Environment Agency have finally released their long awaited document on hydro power (usually small scale low head hydro systems such as existing or renovated mill's). It's actually a good document, easy to read with clear guidelines. You can find the document here.

Now where do I search to find a mill for renovation ....

Tesco hides figures after missing target to reduce plastic bag usage. Article from the Times Online, but in summary "Tesco admitted that its figure had been calculated in a different way to the one issued by Wrap." and that "A senior source at Tesco said that the actual reduction had been significantly less than 50 per cent but the company was concerned about negative publicity."

Bad ole Tesco again. When will they learn?

Something strange and rather interesting happened today. Some where around lunch time kids you could hear kids playing over the noise of the birds, bikes were spun up and you could hear people talking over fences and gates.

Our electricity supply is always slightly dodgy up here on the downs, ever time we get a serious thunderstorm or similar event our power goes out. We are high up here and I'm guessing that the electricity cables and poles around here are often the highest point and highly likely to take a lighting strike or two. Well we had one serious thunderstorm Friday here - lasting for several hours with lots of strikes taking out the power with spikes and brown outs. Since then the power has been on and off every few hours throughout the day and night.

A call to SSE Power Distribution (if you've and your neighbours have lost power call SSE on 0800 0727282 or 0845 7708090) confirmed to us that the power would be out for a good chunk of the day - lunchtime until 7pm.

How interesting it was to see people with a slight look of panic on their faces - there is no gas up here so the key source of energy is electricity. Life carried on as usual here, internet and computer powered by battery; cooking and kettle powered by camping gas; and the kids powered by sugar and cakes. It's amazing how we take energy security as a given and not something we need to strive for.

The latest batch of veggie oil has been filtered and is now ready. My method is simple - first run through a coffee filter. This catches the big bits though it can take some time (other people seem to use several layers of tights for example). Then run through a 50 and 10 micron filter bought from ebay. If you just go straight to the 10 micron it will get full up and you will be endlessly cleaning the filter and wasting a lot of oil. My recommendation before adding to a diesel tank is that you add cetaine boosters (there are loads on the market) as this will make your engine as quiet as a mouse (well as good as your gonna get on a diesel) and add a bit more power too.

BAKE WITH COMPASSION WEEK

6 - 12 July

To coincide with its Good Egg Awards*, Compassion in World Farming, the leading farm animal welfare charity is launching Bake with Compassion week from 6 – 12 July 2009 to raise awareness for its campaign against battery caged eggs.

Compassion in World Farming supporters Brightwalton 5-12 Youth Club are hosting a good egg cooking evening on Friday the 10th of July at 18:30-20:00. We are cooking cup cakes and using our own local free range eggs for the event*.

Supporters of Bake with Compassion week include Kate Ford (Coronation Street’s Tracy Barlow), Sophie Grigson, Jo Brand, Alison Steadman, Dave Spikey, David Suchet, Paul O’Grady, Brain Blessed.

Kate Ford says: “I would encourage anyone with an interest in animal welfare to get their aprons on and get baking. When you buy eggs, you can choose what sort of life you want the hen to enjoy or endure. If you buy half a dozen eggs a week just switching from caged to free-range could set a hen free.”

“Hosting your own Bake with Compassion event couldn’t be easier. Just invite some friends round for a coffee morning or run a cake sale in the office. I have to confess that I’ve got a real sweet tooth and can never resist a slice of banana and walnut bread. Here’s my own favourite recipe. Why not give it a go.” (see recipe below)

People all over the UK are refusing to eat eggs that have come from inhumane battery cages where each hen is confined to a space the size of an A4 sheet of paper and cannot even flap its wings.

Sales of free-range shell eggs accounted for 56 per cent of the market value in the UK (TNS data).
Free range eggs have seen an 8.4 per cent growth in the volume of sales compared with a 3.3 per cent decline in the sale of battery caged eggs (TNS data).
For the first time this year, The UK’s Office of National Statistics is including large free range eggs in its 2009 Basket of Goods and Services survey.
Yet, despite increased consumer demand for cage-free eggs, 58 per cent of UK hens are still kept in battery cages.

Compassion in World Farming has produced a pocket guide which clearly explains the difference between caged, barn, free-range and organic eggs and what to look for at restaurants and supermarkets: http://www.ciwf.org.uk/egg_guide

Bake with Compassion fundraising packs can be downloaded from http://www.ciwf.org.uk/help_us/fundraising/bake_with_compassion

For further information on Brightwalton Youth Club event please contact Adrian Hollister at adrian@westberksgreens.org.uk or call 01488 639641.

For further information or to arrange interviews with Compassion in World Farming contact Valentina Moressa on 01483 521952 or 07771 926005 (out of office hours) or email valentina@ciwf.org

Kate Ford’s Compassionate Banana and Walnut Loaf
Ingredients:
90 g (3 oz) organic butter
1/3 cup fair trade sugar
1 free-range egg
1 large fair trade banana
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 ¼ cups self raising flour
pinch salt
1/3 cup plain organic yoghurt
2 tablespoons finely chopped walnuts

Method:
Beat organic butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add lightly beaten free range egg, beat well. Stir in combined, mashed banana and lemon juice. Fold in sifted dry ingredients alternately with organic yoghurt. Stir in half the chopped walnuts, mix until smooth. Spoon mixture into greased and greased paper lined 25 cm x 8 cm (10in x 3 in) bar tin, sprinkle with remaining walnuts.
Bake in a moderate oven for 40 minutes or until cooked when tested. Allow cake to cool 5 minutes in tin, turn out and cool on wire rack. When cold, cut into slices, serve with organic butter.

Sophie Grison
Sophie Grigson’s Compassionate Coconut and Strawberry Cake

This is a favourite summer recipe in our family, though of course, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t make it in the middle of winter, replacing the strawberries with strawberry jam, or lemon curd.

175g (6 oz) self-raising flour
pinch of salt
115g (4 oz) unsalted butter, softened
250g (9 oz) caster sugar
3 free-range eggs, separated
160 ml (5 51/2 fl oz) o milk
85g (3 oz) dessicated coconut
pinch of cream of tartar

To fill:
150 ml whipping cream, lightly whipped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
150g (5 oz) strawberries, halved
icing sugar

Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. Grease and flour two 20 cm (8”) sandwich tins.

Sift the flour with the salt. Beat the butter for a few minutes until very soft then add 150g (5 oz) of the sugar. Cream together until very light and fluffy. Beat in the free-range egg yolks one at a time. Next beat in about a third of the flour followed by half the milk, repeat and then finish with the last of the flour. Fold in the coconut.

Whisk the free-range egg whites and cream of tartar until they form soft peaks. Sprinkle over the remaining sugar and whisk again until the mixture is thick and glossy. Fold into the cake batter. Divide the batter between the two prepared tins and bake for around 30-35 minutes until just firm to the touch. Test by plunging a skewer into the centre – if it comes out clean then the cakes are done. Let them cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then turn out and finish cooling on a wire rack.

To make the filling, whip the cream lightly with a tablespoon of icing sugar and the vanilla extract until it just holds its shape. Hull and halve or quarter the strawberries depending on size. When the cakes are quite cool, spread the upper side of one thickly with cream, then cover with strawberries. Settle the second cake comfortably on top. Dust with a little icing sugar and keep the whole lot cool until tea-time.

Jo Brand
“I'm pleased to get the opportunity to offer my support to Compassion in World Farming’s Good Egg Awards and would like to encourage everyone to support their work by joining in with their Bake With Compassion fundraising week. I think it's really important to back the production of higher welfare eggs, so please get your aprons out and bake a cake with free-range eggs.”

Alison Steadman
"I first witnessed battery hens in 1974 and the image has never left me. I couldn't believe the cruelty to these helpless trapped creatures. Since then I have never knowingly eaten battery eggs. We must continue to fight for cruelty free farming. I am delighted to support Compassion in World Farming’s Good Egg Awards and would encourage anyone with a mixing bowl and a pinny to get baking in order to help raise funds for this worthwhile cause. "

Dave Spikey
My wife and I have adopted many ex-battery hens through the years and it is one of my greatest joys to see them transform from the battered and traumatized birds that arrive, into these beautiful, inquisitive creatures scratching around my garden and bathing in the sun. I am delighted to support CIWF’s work and would encourage anyone with an interest in animal welfare to join their Bake with Compassion fundraising campaign.

David Suchet
"I hope with all my heart we can eventually provide eggs to the nation from chickens who have been given 'quality life' in return for the eggs they give us. That's a FAIR deal - isn't it?"

Paul O'Grady
"My gang of chickens will be very pleased to hear that millions of hens will live cage free thanks to the Good Egg Awards and the work of Compassion in World Farming. I love a good free range egg when I’m baking and I believe that being a nation of animal lovers – we need to remember that our farmyard friends are animals too!”

Brian Blessed
"Battery hens lead miserable lives confined in cages so small they do not even have room to spread their wings, let alone express their natural behaviours. I fully support any campaign which sets out to end their suffering and applaud those companies being celebrated by Compassion in World Farming’s Good Egg Awards. We have a duty to make sure that the animals we farm enjoy happy, healthy, productive lives. The commitment shown by these organisations is a significant move in the right direction. Please support Compassion in World Farming’s important work by getting baking this July"

Notes to the editor
High res photos of our celebrity supporters are available upon request.
High res logos for Compassion in World Farming and Bake with Compassion are available upon request.
The Good Egg Awards have been developed by Compassion in World Farming to celebrate companies that have committed to source only cage-free (barn, free-range or organic) eggs. Winners include Little Chef, Fox’s Biscuits, Starbucks Coffee Company UK, Virgin Trains and Walkers Shortbread.
The list of 2009 Good Egg Award winners in 17 other European countries is available at www.goodeggawards.com

For further information or to arrange interviews contact Valentina Moressa on 01483 521952 or 07771 926005 (out of office hours) or email valentina@ciwf.org

*egg's are provided by Adrian Hollister from 16 Nodmore, Chaddleworth from his own free range chickens