planet – Crisbie Coach

Why Returning to Past Habits Would Do Some Good to Our Environment

There are a lot of ways to incorporate responsible actions into your daily life. Climate crisis is one of the biggest challenges the humankind has to face. More and more people are trying to live responsibly and are also becoming aware that even small changes can have a positive impact on the future of our environment.

Time for change has come. Drastically changing your habits and sticking to them may be difficult. But this is the only way to let our planet flourish again (and the humankind too).

Here is the contribution by Smelly Socks and Garden Peas – Returning to Past Habits – to the series being run by the Climate Change Collective

The Climate Change Collective was born out of an exchange between Michelle over at Boomer Eco Crusader and Jamie Ad Stories. They both care deeply about the impact of human activity on our planet, as we all should, and wanted to find a way to keep the climate change message right at the forefront of all our thoughts.

Next to the useful and interesting suggestions of returning to past habits made by Smell, there is also something else you could try, upcycling.

What is upcycling

Upcycling is a creative, design and production process, of recovering existing materials and products that will be transformed into something of better quality or greater value than before. It is part of the recycling processes and is opposed to downcycling, generally perceived as a process that allows to extend the life of a product or material, to avoid waste and reuse, but obtaining something of less value.

With upcycling, on the other hand, the result obtained is something new and generally different, basically unique.

The concept of upcycling, also called creative reuse, is applied today at an industrial and eco-design level, as well as at an artisan and artistic level. Among the sectors that are most suitable for upcycling there are clothing and furniture.

Are you ready to return to past habits and try some upcycling?

Here you can read more about my ideas on the environment.

How You Can Reduce Your Energy Consumption and Save Money by Saving the Planet

Since the beginning of the war against Russia, in Europe we have been experiencing an unprecedent energy crisis. Our governments advised us to reduce our energy consumption and I am trying to cope with that, even though sometimes, I have to admit it, it’s difficult.

However, by taking small steps at home, not only you can save energy (and money) but also you will help to protect the environment by reducing your emissions.

Households generate roughly a quarter of all direct CO₂ emissions produced in the EU today.

And did you know that three-quarters of the energy used by homes across the EU is for heating and cooling?

So, let’s see how you can reduce your energy consumption and contribute to the reductions of the global emissions.

Heating & cooling

Don’t overheat your water. Set your boiler at a maximum temperature of 60°C to make it run efficiently and hygienically.
Use the thermostat wisely. Did you know that your house won’t get warm faster if you turn the thermostat up? This only influences the maximum temperature in your house.
Close your curtains or shutters on hot days to reduce the sunlight entering your home.
Keep cool with a fan. Fans use much less energy than air conditioners.

Insulation

Replace single-glazed windows with double-glazed ones. Double-glazed windows lose 50-70% less heat.
Can’t install double-glazing? Thick curtains or removable insulating window panels will reduce the flow of cold air into your home.
Draught can be a big source of heat loss. You can save energy by sealing gaps around windows or installing draught-proofing beneath doors. Even adding covers to keyholes can make a difference!
Insulate hot water tanks, central heating pipes and wall cavities. If you can’t install cavity wall insulation, fit insulating radiator reflectors on the wall behind your radiators.

In the kitchen

Buy energy efficient appliances. When buying an appliance to help you choose an energy efficient model there are ratings. The rating ranges from A+++ (most efficient) to G (least efficient). An A+++ dishwasher uses as little as half the energy used by a D-rated one, for example.

Check your oven is properly sealed. If you have to replace your oven, go for an A-rated model – this could save you around €200 over its lifetime compared to a D-rated one.
Avoid washing dishes by hand if you have a dishwasher. Modern dishwashers use less water and energy – and most have an ‘Eco’ mode – but only use it when it’s full!
Only boil as much water as you need. If you have left hot water in a kettle only for a few minutes, you don’t need to re-boil it.

Wash smart

Fill up your washing machine. Don’t do a wash if you only have a few items of clothing. Wait until you have a full load – but don’t exceed the maximum weight.
Choose the lowest suitable temperature. These days, detergents are so efficient that they get most clothes clean at low temperatures.
Select the option “reduce time” if available on your washing machine.
Skip the pre-wash cycle if your clothes are not very dirty.
Avoid using a tumble dryer if possible. One tumble dryer cycle can use twice as much energy as an average washing machine cycle.

Save electricity

Replace incandescent or halogen light bulbs with more energy efficient ones. One LED light bulb could save you over €100 in electricity costs over its lifetime of about 20 years.
Switch off your devices. Internet-connected devices like smart TVs, printers and games consoles from 2016 or earlier can use up to 80 watts of electricity when on standby mode. You could use a single multi-socket power strip to switch them all off easily.
Ask your energy supplier about installing a smart meter. Smart metering systems for gas and electricity could save you 3% of your energy use.
Go for green power. Most energy suppliers offer ‘green’ electricity, which support the expansion of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. If your home has its own roof, consider fitting solar panels to generate some of your electricity.

Are you ready to reduce your energy consumption by saving money and saving the planet?

A Vegetable-based Diet for a Good Night’s Sleep

sliced tomato and avocado on white plate

Eating well to sleep better, it seems like a dream. What if I tell you that you could do it?

Studies show that a diet low in fibre and high in sugars and saturated fat makes sleep lighter, and less restful.

Incorporating vegetables into your weekly menu will be a game-changer.

Here are some tips on how to get more energy during the day and sleep better at night.

While we all know that having an espresso after dinner will not help us fall asleep and that it is better to drink water rather than wine before going to bed, studies show that our diet plays a role. Diets high in fibre and low in saturated fat can promote deeper, more restful sleep. The main reason why it is better to go for a vegetable-based diet is the presence of serotonin, tryptophan and melatonin in many vegan foods, essential elements for good sleep.

To boost your production of melatonin, known as the sleep hormone, eat fruits and vegetables like kiwis, spinach, tomatoes, lettuce, avocados, bananas, sour cherries, and red grapes. This hormone helps your body regulate its circadian rhythm and promotes healthy sleep. Researchers believe that fatty fish can help you fall asleep by providing a healthy dose of vitamin D and omega 3 fatty acids, which play a key role in the body’s regulation of serotonin. Serotonin is an essential hormone that works to stabilize mood, provide a feeling of well-being, promote happiness and improve sleep.

This hormone influences your whole body. It allows brain cells and the nervous system to communicate with each other.

In addition, consuming nuts, rice, and oily fish will help you rest. So eat almonds, walnuts, pistachios and cashews. These good treats contain melatonin, as well as essential minerals like magnesium and zinc that support the body in many essential functions, including sleep.

Eat protein to get energy during the day and complex carbohydrates at dinner to have a good sleep.

Did you strain a little last night and feel lazy now? Instead of going for a sugary snack, choose a snack that is high in protein. Experts say that, contrary to popular belief, they are more energizing than sugar. Protein will give you energy by making you alert and active.

Eating complex carbohydrates at night will keep you fuller for longer. In addition, they have the advantage of stimulating the sleep hormone.
Thus, a dinner consisting of food such as pasta, beans, quinoa, rice or potatoes will help for a good night’s sleep.

Last tips. At the supermarket, head straight for soybeans. One cup of soybeans contains 28 grams of protein, roughly the same amount as 150 grams of chicken. Also, stock up on lentils, cheese, sunflower seeds and Greek yogurt.

Are you ready to go for a vegetable-based diet? It would help also our planet!

planet earth — Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

The Tour of the World

Some time ago I saw a nice pair of jeans in a shopping centre, which were not even expensive.

However, there was no label indicating its origin, no “made in”. Curios as I am, I decided to start a small investigation, first by asking to the shop owner, who had no idea. Then I pretended to be a member of a consumer association, I listed a whole series of regulations that he has been violating so that he gave me the address of the warehouse where he bought them.

Once home, I called that warehouse, always pretending to be an exponent of a consumer association. They started immediately to tell me the story of the jeans, without any problems, as some journalists have already made an investigation before. First of all, they were made with cotton from Benin. The cotton threads are then dyed in Spain, before being shipped to Taiwan to be woven into several separate pieces (pockets, legs, etc.).

Cottono Flower – Photo by Jan Haerer on Pixabay

The pieces are then sent to Tunisia to be sewn with Japanese polyester threads. The factory also adds buttons, zippers, rivets which are made in Japan with Australian metals.

So the jeans leave Tunisia for a warehouse in France from where they will be sold all over Europe. In short, the jeans traveled about 65,000 kilometres: once and a half the tour of the world.

The production of these jeans is definitely “globalized”: to sell jeans at the lowest possible price, manufactures look for the lowest cost of production at all levels. The manufacturer multiplies the steps to optimize its overall manufacturing cost. Dyeing is less expensive here, buttons are cheaper there, etc.

This causes several problems: the culture of cotton requires a lot of water for countries that do not have much, the working conditions of the workers are very bad, transport consumes a lot of oil and releases greenhouse gases.

At the end the jeans are very expensive for the planet, even if they are sold at an attractive final price for the consumer.

There are so many other examples like this. Danish prawns are cleaned in Morocco and then sent back to Denmark to be marketed. Scottish langoustines leave for Thailand to be decorticated by hand in a large multinational company and return to Scotland where they are cooked and then resold.

But is it worth? Wouldn’t it be better to bring production closer to places of sale, reducing energy and hydrocarbon consumption, finally doing some good to our planet?

What do you think about it?