Inconvenient Truth

[Jamie]

I just watched this film for the first time last night and I was shocked by the scale of the issue and how long the knowledge has been denied the human race.

As my own personal follow up to the programme I would like to know if everyone on this forum uses Low energy bulbs?

I would also like to campaign for people to stop using their cars to get around ED. I must say after seeing this film I worry that we are not individually and as a collective doing nearly enough.

Anyone else have any thoughts or has seen the film?

[Mark]

Haven't seen it, could you tell us a bit more about it

[edited] it's OK, I've found the website http://www.aninconvenienttruth.co.uk/

[Edited once]

[dulwichmum]

OK then, I will try driving that ugly Prius today then, but I won't like it, I just know it.

I shall never use that recycled toilet paper though, it is so like..... well - paper! I am sure it could cause a minor injury - or as I have heard it described in the past - a "m injury!"

[Huguenot]

DM, you're a crudosaurus.

We drove a Prius a couple of weekends ago. Bumbalina and I thought it was excellent. Yes, it doesn't accellerate like a 911, but the average speed of traffic in London is 10mph.

I do think that in ED we should be intelligent enough to make our driving decisions with our heads, not our schlongs. I do hear a lot of tired excuses for car ownership that thinly disguise ego. (Imagine that.. "yeah but it's a Porsche, it's a Lotus", read "Yeah but I'm pooing, on your doorstep, on your future, on your children")

37 yrs old, and still never owned one!

[Jamie]

Mark, watch the film as it makes you realise how good a man and a public speaker Al Gore is.

Huguenot, if you do happen to meet anymore of those in need of an "extension" then please tell them about the hybrid lexus cars which supply all the schlong (dependent on what level of status they require of course) you need in an environmentally friendly manner. They even have a 4x4 version for the family.

DM - 9/10 soft bottoms choose high quality Nouvelle recycled

[Kathryn]

Energy saving light bulbs, reycyling, composting and using local shops. Its quite easy in ED to do quite a lot. When are we going to see more individual wind turbines net to our chimneys and better grants for solar pannels. Why oh why oh why is it not compulsory for all new builds to have to have grey water recycling, wind turbines and solar pannels.?

[capt_birdseye]

My company gave me a free copy of the film, I shall be watching it soon and will be happy to then lend it out to concerned fellow citizens.

By the way, Thames Water are currently offering composters for ?10 including delivery.

[dulwichmum]

Dear Jamie,

thanks for the tip regarding recycled Nouvelle. I shall put it straight onto my Ocado list.

We got our water butts and composter last year from Thames Water. The children watered our tomato plants all summer long - guilt free! It is a great idea from Thames Water - I must admit Mr Capt Birdseye.

Mr Huguenot, the Prius is so quiet, and it has a nice high driving position, I was extremely pleasantly suprised! I enjoyed the looks of approval I had from the que outside William Rose butchers earlier. There was no stigma attached at all - not like that odd looking G Wizz contraption.

I must have at least saved a small penguin sized portion of snow all by myself today!

[Chartwell]

We have a wormery which is great for recycling all that kitchen waste (including teabags). It produces great compost and some rather putrid liquid that when added to water is just fantastic for the plants - forget the baby bio. The worms are also great for when kiddies come to visit as they seem fascinated with them. Also worms are perfectly fine when you go on your hols as you don't need to put them into a kennel or anything...

It was bought from Wiggly Wigglers and they have loads of great green things...http://www.wigglywigglers.co.uk/

We also have a water butt and have another one waiting be fixed to the wall - although one attempt has already seen the drainpipe break!

I hired a Prius a few weeks ago to go to Norfolk and like Huguenot found it great. It was also my first introduction to Sat Nav which I thought was fab - almost worth buying a car for!

[dulwichmum]

Dear Mr Chartwell,

I am awaiting the delivery of an Egglu thingy to keep chucks in the back garden, so perhaps a worm farm is the way to go! Great suggestion.

[Chartwell]

Dear dulwichmum,

What a great idea to have chucks - your very own fresh eggs and you will be teaching the children skills in animal husbandry. At the risk of sounding as though I have a fox obsession - I hope the Egglu is fox proof - I'm sure that must have been one of the first design features when the idea was first thought of.

Don't get a cockerel though! In Key West for NY and there they keep the scorpian population down and, therefore, are protected and roam free all over the place. They cock-a-doodle-doo'd to each other from 2.00am onwards every night!! I would have strangled them if I could of got hold of them!

C

[Michael Palaeologus]

Do the worms need - worming?

I did a geography degree 20 years ago (yes indeed, I didnt have a clue what to do with my life on leaving school - so geography in Brighton it was).

We were discussing all of the current environmental issues then, it has taken the world 21 years to catch on.

i use low energy light bulbs and recycle.

When I start growing plants on the balcony I may water them with my own urine as I do not have a fox problem.

[Chartwell]

I hope that your balcony doesn't overhang the street, Mikewbate!

The worms need very little attention and seem to thrive very well on the organic bananas that they get fed as I never seem to be able to eat them fast enough before they go off - the bananas that is, not the worms.

[bald marauder]

If you're interested in making a positive difference to our world through your shopping and domestic behaviour, there's a new online magazine which features some interesting things that progresive companies are doing.

http://www.betterthinking.co.uk/magazine

DM and spymum, I think that Daylesford Organic will appeal to you (unless you're already loyal customers - East Dulwich Deli used to stock their cheddar cheese).

Also, there are some interesting tips in the final article 'What we can all do' that put recycling plastic bags into perspective...

[dulwichmum]

Dear Mr Marauder,

May I call you Bald? Mr Marauder seems so very formal! I don't think that the link above is working, but I did some cutting and pasting and the site you suggested was rather good, I loved the funkey recyclable milk bottles.

I was scooting about all over the locality this weekend in the new Prius, and it really is rather a smooth drive. I am trying my best to keep up with all of my husbands environmentally aware initiatives, but I have just realised that it will be Cornwall for the summer holidays, and so I shall try to stay committed to the cause...

[bald marauder]

Dear DM,

Of course you may call me Bald, after all, I am!

I have edited the post so the link should be working now.

I think the milk bottles are a great initiave too, as are the Ecover refilling stations - it's a pity there isn't one in ED - does anyone know where the nearest one is?

Mrs M and I try to compensate for having a dishwasher by a) buying the most ecological model (has super sensors to tell how dirty things are and only uses 10 litres per wash) and b) using Ecover dishwasher products. I have to say, with baby M creating more washing up, I'm not sure I could give it up now!

As for Cornwall, I don't think one has to give up everything at once (ie ALL air traval), just consistently integrating the principles as best one can - and making solid progress - is a very good start.

Sounds like your husband is very committed anyway - he must be almost doing enough for the pair of you!

[dulwichmum]

Dear Mr Marauder,

It seems that if we skip long haul this summer, we can visit Rick Steins wonderful restaurant, along with a nice establishment owned by Jamie Oliver (although I must admit fifteen was a little disappointing) on the coast. There are apparently some super resorts in Cornwall, one in particular called 'Bedruthan' - which looks amazing, so perhaps it will not be so bad.

http://www.bedruthanstepshotel.co.uk/webcam.html

I must admit, I am a tad sceptical as yet, but the children have not been the same since they saw Happy Feet. James hates to see the children upset, so he has decided to single handedly save the antarctic. I shall even be buying some recycled Nouvelle as per Jamie's suggestion. The chucks arrive next week. I am a changed woman!

[Chartwell]

Dear dulwichmum,

Can you post a pic of your chucks when you get them?

As much as I would like to have chucks at Chartwell House I don't see it happening any time soon and so would love cluck (sorry couldn't help it!) over someone elses.

C.

[dulwichmum]

Dear Mr Chartwell,

Are you sure? I would much rather post a photo of my super new handbag, but if you insist!

I shall be sure not to accept a cockerel, my father-in-law warned me at length. He bought chicks for the children last easter, and I am not convinced that it was the fox that ate them in Wales as was reported to us.

[Parker's Folly]

Jamie Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> I just watched this film for the first time last

> night and I was shocked by the scale of the issue

> and how long the knowledge has been denied the

> human race.

> As my own personal follow up to the programme I

> would like to know if everyone on this forum uses

> Low energy bulbs?

> I would also like to campaign for people to stop

> using their cars to get around ED. I must say

> after seeing this film I worry that we are not

> individually and as a collective doing nearly

> enough.

> Anyone else have any thoughts or has seen the

> film?

I'll use energy saving lightbulbs if you can recommend any that don't protrude above the majority of my standing lamps and table lamps, as it looks so unsightly, never mind blinding my family most of the time. I'll also consider the switch if you could recommend a way around the clash they often have with dimmer switches.

[*Bob*]

I'm afraid I'm with P-Folly. I bought low-energy saving bulbs to replace all my lamps a year or so ago but have reverted back to a mixture of (mostly) incandescent bulbs, some LEDs and one low-energy bulb. The light quality from them is truly PANTS - yes, even the 2700k 'warm white' (ha ha!) ones.

When the technology gets better, I'll have another go!

[Chartwell]

Dear dulwichmum,

Were your new bag a basket you could combine the pics and have a chicken in a basket! (yes, I will be appearing out of season at the end of the pier in Southend)

However, I imagine the only basket you might have would be one that sits on the front of your bicycle - used on the days you're not using the Prius.

C.

[geh]

Agree with Bob re energy saving bulbs - and you certainly couldn't persuade mrs geh to change yet

Waterbut & wormery on order but it?s the transport thing that bugs me, all stick and no carrot?

Would seriously consider buying a hybrid car next time, but where is the fiscal incentive? If say the VAT was dropped I feel it could swing it for some.

[mockney piers]

Funny, it's the whole idea of I consume therefore I am that's been putting this world in the sorry state it's already in, let alone how bad things might be in another 20 or 30 years.

For the sake of all our futures we are going to have to make changes in our lifestyles and yes, make sacrifices. And here we have educated, aware and hopefully conscientious people unable even to make the tiny lifestyle change of energy saving lights because they poke up over lampshades, and then we stick our heads in the sand and say what's the point of our making changes if India, China and the US don't.

I've said all along that as long as society is modelled along current lines, we are, basically f***ed.

It'll be a very different world in just three or four generations and they assuredly will not have the luxury of choosing a nice incandescent bulb that doesn't poke over the Gomer Bolstrood lampshade.

[mockney piers]

** grrr, monday mornings **