Apparently it's NaBloPoMo. Considering I haven't posted for nearly a month I'm not sure I'm quite up to a daily post. Still, at least it might get me back into it. Today I thought I'd write about something that has been in the news a lot lately. No, not Brexit! The other one. The one that I think is more important....Climate Change.At present I am just over half way through at poetry course with Live Canon on writing climate crises poetry. Having written lots of nature poetry and tons on sunrises and sunsets I wondered whether I could do this. Actually, I find the course inspiring and quite often end up with several poems a week, as well as the one that I send in for feedback. The course offers a different theme every week. We've had extinction, movement, protest and this week it is about denial.
I've been banging on about climate change for years. Coming to it via animal conservation and habitat destruction when I joined the World Wide Fund for Nature in my twenties. I've always been one of those people others thought weird for my attitude to animal welfare. My paternal grandmother started it all when she aired her views on circuses when I was a child in the 1960's. When I was older and buying cosmetics I quickly swapped to cruelty-free (which I had to do by mail order in those days! No computers). I finally went veggie in my thirties and now eat 90% vegan in my sixties. I am still signing petitions and voicing my opinion.
Due to all the evidence of what plastic is doing I made a conscious decision this year to ditch plastic where I could. It was now time to find my cruelty-free products in plastic-free containers. As my old brands ran out I set about some research and purchased online. I have successfully swapped moisturiser, toner, toothpaste, make-up removers (& pads), deodorant, lip balm, mascara (refillable), face wash and shampoo (bar), plasters (bamboo), cotton buds, dental floss and sticks. Is it expensive? Yes, in some cases, but I'm allowing myself that luxury because I've never spent the amount I've seen most people spend on face products and the environment is worth it. I am gradually replacing plastic wrap to beeswax or soya and reusing small plastic cosmetic pots as travel pots for my cosmetics/toiletries. I have some reusable veg bags from Lakeland that I take out with me and several reusable cups and cutlery (my Spork even goes on holiday with me).
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| Refillable mascara |
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| Cleansing pads |
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| My trusty Spork |
It's great that supermarkets are waking up. My local Waitrose have finally got compostable bags for their veg (though I still prefer my reusable ones) and Asda are introducing some refill stations. Yet I still find it hard to see so much plastic wrapped veg. It actually offends me.
I have submerged myself into the whole climate thing....reading books and poetry, watching TV documentaries. Certainly one of the most popular genres right now is books about climate change, dystopian novels and nature. One my favourite writers is Peter Wohlleben whose book on trees blew me away. Mike Boyle's The Way Home (I've just bought another of his) is another good one on self-sufficiency, and I have a small pile of other books. I've been enjoying some Dystopian novels too including The Water Cure (Sophia Mackintosh) and Remember Tomorrow (Amanda Saint) and finally got round to reading Brave New World (Aldous Huxley).
I have sympathies with Extinction Rebellion and one day I was up in London on a visit to the National Gallery with an art history class and took the time to mingle with them in Trafalgar Square. It was quite a feeling and I found myself joining in with the chants. There was so much going on and I was reluctant to come away. I spent about an hour and a half there taking photos and observing.
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| The group of drummers were brilliant - music and chanting! |
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| Police removing an obstruction back to the Trafalgar Square safe zone |
It seems my weirdness has become mainstream. Then again I have found some of the predictions quite depressing. All these feelings are being churned out in my poetry. I thought I had my lifestyle sorted. It seems not and it's now constantly on the move. One of the things I've found when speaking to people is the enormity of what is happening and not knowing where to start. Here are a few tips:
No one can do everything. Start with one change and when you get used to it change something else and continue. Invest in a reusable mug and remember to take it with you!
Think before you buy something (such as clothes) Do you need it or want it? There is a big difference. Swap clothes or take to a charity shop and buy from there.
Go litter picking with a local group (or a beach clean).
Use public transport or walk where possible.
Buy from local markets.
Ditch bottled water. Carry your own water bottle. More cafes offer water refills, plus fountains are springing up (sorry!) in places.
Think about Christmas. Don't buy the wrapping that when you scrunch it up it bounces back (the shiny stuff). It's plastic based. Use brown paper and decorate it yourself. Make gift tags out of old Christmas cards. If you have a plastic tree keep it. Ditching it defeats the object because it has to be disposed of. Make your own crackers or buy ones that don't contain plastic. Several places are offering that this year. Buy an Advent Calendar that can be used year after year. A bigger initial outlay but one with pockets or drawers will last a lifetime. Buy wooden toys. Look for ethical toys and make your own presents - bake something. get creative. Much as I realise that buying tons of cards isn't good I can't ditch them. An E-card is just not the same. Buy cards that use recycled paper or are from a responsible source and support your favourite charities. You can reuse some to make your own cards the following year!
Here are some websites I've visited and would recommend. Not all these site offer only plastic-free containers but they do stock a good choice. There are other sites out there too.
https://www.wearthlondon.com/zerowaste-toiletries
https://www.boobalou.co.uk/
https://www.gloworganicbrighton.co.uk/
https://www.naturalcollection.com/
https://whiterabbitskincare.co.uk/pages/about-us
Zero Waste Heroes is a group page on Facebook worth joining. Lots of hints including making your own products.
That's quite enough for one day. Do leave a comment if you feel so inclined. I'd love to hear from you.
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