222 Search Results for "britain from above"
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Food for Thought Food for Thought
- From: RobLyons
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Description:
Whilst I don't subscribe to Vegetarian or Vegan dogmas (after all this world wouldn't have the societies it has without us meat eaters) there is some not so surprising evidence to show some benefits in the Eco world for a few changes in how we live.
On a personal note you might be interested to know there's some payoffs for your health. Compared to meat eaters, vegetarians have lower rates of diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, and obesity.
On an environmental note though, did you know livestock accounts for 18% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions and 8% of water use - and a meatless diet is 50% more effective at cutting CO2 than switching from a standard car to a hybrid. No prizes for guessing where some of those emissions come from directly.
As I said I don't subscribe to giving up meat all together, but you could try for a happy medium - go meatless at least once a week for a substantial effect on environmental and health benefits. Eating a sustainably raised beef burger might be better for the environment, but occasionally NOT having that burger you crave for can be even better.
If only we could get the USA to reduce the standard size of a meal (be it burger or steak). That would be an interesting project.
- Blog post
- 3 months ago
- Views: 44
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Chickens a year on Chickens a year on
- From: RobLyons
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Description:
Well... if anyone remembers we got some chickens last year, and purchased a thing called an Eglu which is nicknamed a chicken caravan by many of our friends. Its plastic and easy to clean. It also has wheels so if you have a large enough garden you can move it round so that when the chickens are in the run they don't destroy the patch of grass too severely.
All good in theory, but with 6 chickens at the time and a small garden, we found out within days there was no way of stopping the chucks from devouring everything and turning the ground into a barron mud heap!
So why did we bother... and more's the point why are we still going at it!? Simple.... the eggs are wonderful and in most people's opinion better even than the free range eggs you can buy from the shop. They all develop their own personality, and in my opinion watching their interactions is much better than playing a computer game like the Simms. They'll be friendly with you (especially if you have food) and they'll even let you pick them up when they're used to it.
We started with 6 chickens but unfortunately over last year we lost two of them through natural causes. I response was to add another 6 making a total of 10! But recently again, we're lost two more, so we're left with 8 chucks now. Getting real about it, I have had to dispatch two of them myself out of being humane.
Here's the reality check: They poo everywhere, eat everything edible, and desttroy anything that's not. Where we used to have a lawn, I had to ring-fence them in and they turned it into a field of mud. If you've got a garden you're proud of I wouldn't recommend you let them have free range of all of it. Mucking them out is not the nicest of jobs, but with the Eglu being plastic its a much easier job... and you can hose the whole thing down every so often.
That said, we're really glad we did it. With 8 chickens now, we're averaging about 7 eggs a day. OF course we can't eat all of them, so our neighbours and friends gladly help in that part of the process in return for a small donation towards their food.
We're lucky we work from home, so we can keep an eye on them at all times, but they're quite happy to run around on their own as long as you can lock them in at night and let them out again in the morning... oh and obviously the odd treat to keep them happy with you!
So all in all, if you're considering chickens we'd recommend it to everyone, and with them being more eco-friendly than most its a bonus!
- Blog post
- 3 months ago
- Views: 61
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margaretsanders
- Views: 52
- Since: 6 months ago
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Fever Fear Fever Fear
- From: ClaireRussell
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Description:
As a parent of young children I worry as much as the next person about my little ones becoming poorly - especially during the winter months when there seem to be a plethora of bugs and nasties doing the rounds.
We seem to have more than the usual coughs and colds to worry about at the moment with the dreaded 'swine flu' lurking around every corner and on every door handle. (I'm not actually sure where I stand on swine flu but that's another story...)
I was very interested to read an artice in this month's Ecologist about childhood ailments and in particular our reliance on 'Calpol' as a bit of a cure-all for our little angel's various sicknesses. I have reached for the Calpol on numerous occasions to combat a fever or to help ease the discomfort of chicken pox, or some such illness. So imagine my horror on reading this article and realising what is actually lurking WITHIN the Calpol bottle.
I think sometimes as parents we fail to see what is staring us in the face - in this case the ingredients - and become reliant on what we come to believe is good for our children. Calpol, a paracetamol suspension, is the number one selling child pain relief medicine - accounting for over half of all sales. Worryingly a recent paper has suggested strong links between children given paracetamol from a young age and development of asthma, eczema and other allergies.
In addition to paracetamol, Calpol contains a cocktail of E-ingredients including E122 (a suspected carcinogen banned in Austria, Japan, Norway, Sweden and and US).
And this is what I have given to my babies when they have been unwell? :(
We are lucky that both of our children are robust and healthy. We feed them fresh, home cooked food and avoid processed foods. I'm sure that it is no co-incidence that they are rarely ill and I will be making an even greater effort to sustain their bodies and build their immunities in this way - in the hope that 'prevention is better than cure'. Hopefully when they are ill we will feel able to let their immune systems do the work, along with cuddles from Mummy and Daddy - rather than reaching for the Calpol.
- Blog post
- 10 months ago
- Views: 152
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Bamboo Bicycles. Bamboo Bicycles.
- From: adeymoore
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Description:
On the outskirts of Lusaka, Zambia, next year's crop of bicycles is being watered by Benjamin Banda.
"We planted this bamboo last year," he says, "and now the stems are taller than me. When it's ready we'll cut it, cure it and then turn it into frames."
Mr Banda, is the caretaker for Zambikes, a company set up by two Californians and two Zambians which aimed to build bikes tough enough to handle the local terrain.
Co-founder Vaughn Spethmann, 24, recalls how it all started with a game of football.
Bamboo is the fastest growing woody plant in the world
"We were here on a university field trip and we organized a match against some locals. Afterwards we asked them what they did, and they said: 'Nothing'. They didn't have jobs.
"So we decided to come up with a business which would be a source of employment and provide a useful product."
That product was the rugged, bright yellow Zambike, assembled at the firm's smart red-brick workshop set in sun-browned farmland.
Other projects followed as the mechanics' skills improved: a sturdy cargo bike, a bike trailer and a bike-drawn "zambulance", now in use at 10 clinics around Lusaka.
Good vibrations
Meanwhile Santa Cruz-based bike designer Craig Calfee was experimenting with bamboo as a material for bike frames.
His prototypes proved that the strength and lightness of the plant made it a great substitute for metal.
As a bonus it had excellent vibration-dampening properties, making it comfortable for riding over long distances.
It was eye-catching too - Mr Calfee's stand was besieged when he unveiled his first bamboo frame at a bike show.
Mr Calfee hatched a plan to manufacture the frames in developing countries, distribute them in the US and share the profits.
He had already set up a workshop in Accra, Ghana, and started looking for more bike producers, nicknamed "bambooseros".
The industry telegraph started humming and soon he was talking to Zambikes.
"We were so excited," says Mr Spethmann. "The thought of Zambian-made products being sold in the USA. That just doesn't happen."
There are many reasons why it's so unusual: capital is difficult to raise in Zambia; tools and raw materials - if available - are expensive; skilled labour is in short supply; and bureaucracy isn't.
In this context having a low-cost raw material on the doorstep is a godsend.
"And of course there's very little impact on the environment," says Dustin McBride, the other American on the Zambikes management team.
Growth market
Inside the workshop, bike mechanic Elastus Lemba is setting up treated bamboo pieces on a jig made from plumber's pipes and bicycle parts.
It looks low-tech, but that's intentional.
Mr Calfee wanted a production process that did not require sophisticated machinery.
With wood glue holding the frame in place, Mr Lemba binds the joints using sisal - tough cord made from plant fibre soaked in epoxy.
Hand-making the frames in this way takes at least a week.
After a final sanding and coat of varnish, each batch of bamboosero bikes will be shipped to the USA, tested, fitted with wheels, pedals, handlebars and brakes, and put on sale.
So will the bike be a success?
Mr Calfee thinks so, based on all the enquiries and advance orders he has received.
"Hundreds of people have asked when they can buy one. From a bike messenger who wants an affordable fixie to a wealthy collector who wants one from each bamboosero location."
He is convinced the price tag - $475 (£290) for road or mountain bike frames, and more than $900 (£550) for a finished bike - won't put people off.
"The only criticism I've had is that they might be too cheap.
"After all, buyers are helping to get self-sustaining businesses off the ground in developing economies, and they're getting a unique bike into the bargain."
The mood is optimistic at Zambikes too.
Operations co-ordinator Divilance Machilika, watches company cook Fabian Mumba taking a finished bamboo bike for a spin around the yard.
"I can see these selling well in America. They'll like them because they're natural," he says.
Mr Machilika lived in a tent on the site for a year while the workshop was being built.
A quick learner, he soon mastered construction skills and bike mechanics. Now he oversees day-to-day running of the workshop.
Benefit to the community
One of the founders, Mwewa Chikamba, says Mr Machilika is an example of what Zambikes wanted to achieve.
"It was never just about bikes. We wanted to give our workers practical skills and reward their dedication. We want to change lives," he says.
Assistance is also offered in the form of business coaching or discretionary loans - Mr Machilika used one such loan to buy a plot of land.
"I want to build three houses there. I'll use the rent money to start other businesses and employ people myself."
Instead of charging interest, Zambikes asks staff to demonstrate that the investment made in them is benefiting their community.
Perseverance and an innovative approach to product design and working practices have helped Zambikes put down strong roots.
But in a business environment that leaves much to be desired, it is no surprise that they have not yet seen a profit.
If the bamboo bike shoots out of the shops as fast as Mr Calfee predicts, that may be about to change too.
- Blog post
- 1 year ago
- Views: 414
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LisaFelix
- Views: 115
- Since: 1 year ago
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Chickens - Day 32 Chickens - Day 32
- From: RobLyons
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Description:
Well its day 32 of chickens and they're happily plodding around making a mess of everything.
We finally lost our cool about letting them roam the whole yard. Our poor dog no longer had anywhere to lie in the sun (while we've got some this year) without being in chicken doo doo.
So... off I went down to the shop and got some chicken wire. We cordoned off 2/3 of the grass so they can happily make a mess of that area, and I spent 2 hours with a power jet hosing down the decking and pavings.
Poor dog now has a bit of grass and all the walkways to himself, so he's cheered up a bit.
The eggs are still wonderful and people are now asking if they can buy a few off us weekly.
We've has a small problem over the last couple of days with two of the chickens (Korma and PAsty) suffering from (we think) being egg bound. I checked them this morning and they're looking a lot more perky but I don't think its over yet.
Anyone with any ideas to help them please let me know. There's plenty of stuff on the internet about it, but not so much about helping them.
- Blog post
- 1 year ago
- Views: 303
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National Liftshare Day - 9th J National Liftshare Day - 9th June 2009
- From: JohnRussell
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Description:
If you want a sociable way to reduce local congestion and pollution - and save yourself money - check out LIFTSHARE.
Car Sharing is taking off in the UK: over 330,000 people have already joined the FREE LIFTSHARE NETWORK. You can either offer a lift, request a lift, or take turns driving. There are tens of thousands of journeys on Liftshares database which people want to share, so the odds are that someone who lives near you is also going your way.
The typical commuter who car shares every days cuts C02 emissions by about a tonne a year. And for every driver that starts car sharing, another car is taken off the road. It's also great from bringing communities together - friendships are made that last long after the car sharing arrangment is no longer needed.
Tuesday 9th June is National Liftsahre Day - what better day to give it a try!?!
- Blog post
- 1 year ago
- Views: 243
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Chickens - Day 16 Chickens - Day 16
- From: RobLyons
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Description:
Well, we've had them for a while now.. yep... 16 days.
They're great, but we have had to spend some money on the extra little things, like plastic sealable tubs for the food pellets, and making sure our pressure hose was working properly to shift the "fertiliser" off the walking areas.
Thy've settled in now too. We can just open the Eglu door in the moing and let them alone til dusk. They then naturally want to go huddle up in the sleeping area and they keep quiet too.
A word of warning to anyone thinking about getting some... they seem to wander around aimlessly, eating anything and with their rear orifice seemingly permanently open. Yep... there's s**t everywhere.
What grass we had is slowly turning into marsh land, though I reckon we could probably grow anything we wanted in the soil this summer.We don't let this put a dampener on things though. The eggs are lovely, and all our neighbors so far have been over the moon with the sample eggs we've given them.
We've had a letter of thanks addressed to us AND the chickens from one neighbor; and another has bropped some newspaper clippings about chickens round to us. Two of them have already offered to look after them if we go away too!An omlet tonight I think!
- Blog post
- 1 year ago
- Views: 281
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Eggs in a Box Eggs in a Box
- From: RobLyons
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Description:All 5 eggs from our first lot on the second day of having our chickens...appropriately in an an egg box. They didn't last long
- 1 year ago
- Views: 356
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Chickens - Day 2 Chickens - Day 2
- From: RobLyons
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Description:
Yes!
Well...last night, I had to man-handle the daft birds into the Eglu but they were pretty happy with that after sitting dumbly in the closest corner to the light eminating from the house. Allegedly as dusk comes they're meant to naturally pop themselves into the Eglue, but as a suggestion I put a torch in there to help them on their way.....but NO!...they're just too thick.
So this morning at 6:30 I opened the door and believe it or not they understood to come out all on their very own.
They were clucking quite enthusiastically by 9am and by 10am I had a peek in at the roosting area and quess what!!!!!!!!! All that clucking was from the hard work of extricating eggs!
We got 5 this morning... but they didn't last long as we had a friend round and by 11:30 they were being globbled down by us in the form of fried egg butties!
They were absolutely yummy and didn't taste a bit like little chicklets!!!I suppose what I can't believe is exactly how clean they were for me to pick them out!
- Blog post
- 1 year ago
- Views: 280
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First Eggs from our chickens First Eggs from our chickens
- From: RobLyons
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Description:Here's three of the 5 eggs we got on day two of having our chickens. Yummy yummy...they didn't last long.
- 1 year ago
- Views: 371
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