Wednesday 25th November 09

I came down briefly as the boys were getting ready to go to school but as everything was going smoothly, I wasn't needed (infact my presence might have been counterproductive!) so I went back to bed, read and fell asleep. Gill joined me when she got back from delivering our youngest to school.

So, a lazy morning but got going just before lunch by cycling round to the bread shop for 'Yesterbake', the unsold bread from yesterday sold at vastly reduced prices. Great to reduce waste. Good on the pocket too, when on a low income! I called in on Lynne too, to pick up the remaining posters about the LETS Xmas Fayre which I hope to deliver on Friday to places which will display them.

I've been very moved by the scenes of destruction from Cumbria following the heavy rain last week and the flooding which ensued. Lives have been wrecked, businesses disrupted, and it'll take years to recover. But there's something doubly bad about this, and similar weather-related catastrophes. It is almost unquestioned now that a warming world will have more energy in weather systems and therefore stronger winds, heavier rain, greater extremes. So we need to expect more 'one in a thousand year' events, more often. BUT, the aftermath of these events has an even bigger carbon footprint that 'business as usual'. Looking at the Cockermouth example, with bridges washed away, people are no longer able to walk from one side of the town to their work or school on the other... they now have a 2 hour drive. Every house affected by floodwater, often contaminated with sewage, will throw out furniture, electricals, carpets, foodstuffs, cars... plaster off the walls even. And most of this will be replaced. Think of the carbon cost of that! And the same goes for rebuilding the bridges and getting the roads and other infrastructure back in working order... not only will this cost many tens of millions of pounds but it will have a huge carbon footprint, adding to the already vast problem.

I'm thinking ahead to when London floods in the same way as Cockermouth just has, or Canvey Island and the East Coast in 1953. This could happen anytime... in a few weeks, with a storm surge plus high tides plus extreme heavy rain, or in a decade, with higher sea levels and extreme weather, or many years ahead. It will happen, we just don't know when. If the barriers are topped in the next few years, it is likely that much of the damage will be repaired and Londoners will try to get back to 'normal'. But in a few decades, when the price of resources and fuel have risen because of peak oil and increasing consumption, it may be deemed too expensive to try and rebuild in the same place. It may be deemed silly to try to rebuild, as the risk of flooding in the same area will be steadily increasing due to sea level rise and even the fact that the East of England is slowly subsiding, geologically-speaking.

The UK has plenty of land well above sea level, but places like the Maldives, Kiribati, Bangladesh and the Netherlands are particularly at risk. The sea level rose about 20cm last century and that has been enough to engulf a couple of islands in Kiribati, and contaminate fresh-water wells, wash away farmland, etc. Kiribati today, London tomorrow.

These scenarios are just one of the reasons I'm committed to living a low carbon lifestyle. I don't want to be 'blamed' for these kind of difficulties. I really have a desire to be remembered as a 'responsible ancestor', but one who had fun living that way too.

If readers are interested in flood maps connected with sea level rise, visit this interactive map http://flood.firetree.net/ and go to the part of the World you're interested in and put in the level of sea level rise you're concerned about. Predictions are a metre higher by the end of this century, but it could be such a lot more... depending on the amount of, for instance, ice melting off Greenland. If this all goes, we should expect 6 to 8 metres increase in global seal level. This is unlikely to happen in this century, but it does depend on the amount of warming the area is subjected to. Sea level rise is not just caused by melting glaciers etc, but also by the water expanding as it gets warmer. The science is clear and simple, but the predictions are very varied.

I didn't spend all of the day pondering this or researching it... I did a good bit of work in the garden and some housework too, finishing the tomato soup I started yesterday, cooking the other bits for tea, on the woodstove of course, as I get increasingly unwilling to use the gas rings to heat things up. I did some more log stacking as we're going through a lot more now the weather has cooled down and our big stove is going 24 hours a day.

David popped round at lunchtime to deliver the CD with my new Fiddlesticks publicity leaflet on it, and some of the photos he's taken to prepare for this document. Now I have to find a printer who is prepared to use recycled card and run me off a few hundred of them...

I had a phone call from the BBC film-maker to ask a few questions and to find out if I'm available to go into the Look North studios next Wednesday. They'll show the short film with the low carbon footprint person and the don't care person, and then have a discussion live in the studio. They invited Gill and the boys to come too, and watch how the programme was made. This will be confirmed in the next few days.

Anyway, a nondescript evening with the only high point being Justin Rowlatt's one-hour outing recycling much of the Newsnight stuff he did travelling across America. Good to see it packaged up in one programme 'This World: Can Obama Save the Planet' (BBC2, 7pm). Sad not to see Joe Jenkins my composting toilet hero. I watched this whilst peeling pumpkin seeds... I have rather a lot to do!

Later on, more fruit drying and washing up... pretty standard stuff in this house!

Tuesday 24th November 09

Up at a much more normal time and got my paperwork together to get three cheques out and to pay one cheque in.

Cycled down to town to the bank and the Building Society to do those chores, back for lunch, via Country Fresh to pick up the recycling. a sack and a box... including a load of reasonable tomatoes which look soup-worthy to me!

During the afternoon I spent an hour preparing the tomatoes and made a load of what should be very tasty soup. The only 'paid-for' ingredients are one onion and a splash of extra virgin olive oil. The tomatoes and peppers were thrown out as unsaleable. But that doesn't mean they were unusable!

In the evening Gill did a simple stir fry with cabbage and cashew nuts, parsnips and sprouts. I had mine with a couple of dolmades, or stuffed vine leaves. The boys had a cheese toastie with theirs.

Then I went out to the first York in Transition Directors meeting, at Barry's house, and this went well. I walked some of the way into town with Edward who was very supportive with regards to my difficulties at York Rotters, and offered a bit of a solution. I'm glad that I have so many people around me who think I have wonderful strengths and don't seen to mind my frankness, occasional faux-pas and talkativeness. I'm sad that some people cannot cope with these same qualities!

I got home and did some washing up and watched Channel 4's provocative drama 'Cast Offs' which I'm not sure that I like.

Monday 23rd November 09

I got up at the normal time and helped get the children ready for school, but went back to bed soon after. Gill went down to Lord Deramore's with our youngest and went to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park on a school trip.

I was woken at lunchtime by one of Gill's friends ringing and wanting to catch up with her, I had a nice chat, then had a late lunch and did some housework. At 3ish I went to Freshways and picked up 3 sacks of greens and exotic fruit... all too far gone for doing anything edible with, so destined for the compost heaps...

People came home happy, which was good. I went out to the Co-op and bought pasta parcels, boiled some parsnip and sprouts to have with them, all cooked on our trusty woodstove. The boys had a friend round who had tea with us. Gill did a banana and chocolate cake in the microwave and that went down well too.

I had a quiet evening... still tired.

Sunday 22nd November 09 'Sound Mind' gig

What a day! I got up and packed my juggling stuff, balloons and Fiddlesticks costume ready to get to the station to pick Jess up at 10.30... but got a phone call saying she'd just missed that train but would be on the next one. That gave me a little bit more time and although she didn't get off the train I thought she would, I found her wandering in the portico area and we picked up my bike and walked in to El Piano for a cuppa and some lunch.

At about 12.30 we made our way to The Duchess where I was due to compere a ten-hour fundraiser for York and District Mind, called 'Sound Mind'. I got into my Fiddlesticks attire and pretty soon it was time for the first act to be announced, 18 year old Natalie Clarke. She started by singing a version of 'Fever' whilst playing the bass guitar and then did a handful of songs whilst playing an electric piano. Towards the end of her 20 minute spot, it became clear that the next performer hadn't turned up, so she had the opportunity to do an encore, but decided not to. I announced an open mike... and was surprised to see her 10 year old brother, Peter Clarke, come up on stage and play a piece on the piano. What a brilliant start to the day!

Then there was a poet, Laurie Farnell, followed by the wonderful Chechelele Choir who were too numerous to use the stage so they used the centre of the venue and blew us away. Another poet, Brin Price, followed with five very personal poems, and then, for me, one of the highlights of the afternoon, Calabash Drums. This local group, like Chechelele, couldn't use the stage so sat in front of it and did some very clever pieces with just a large number of hand-drums, bongos, Djembes and perhaps one snare drum. Oh, and a pile of pint beer glasses! Awesome!

Then followed Holly Taymar, one of York's favourite singer songwriters, accompanied by Chris Bilton, who played a percussed box called a cajun. Two unaccompanied singers with guitars followed, first Leesa Mae, then Aimee Ryan. Casee Wilson then sang whilst playing her keyboard.

At 6.30, the first of the bands went on, an new outfit called The Dark Roads, who were good and rocking, and then Player 1 whom I recognised from a York Green Festival. Boss Caine followed... as soon as I'd introduced him, Jess, Helen and I popped out to get some food. We went to the nearest Pizza place and had a pizza and salad to take out... and back to the Duchess where we filled our faces. Yummy!

Then there was a comedian, Sean Wilkinson, after which I pulled raffle tickets out of a bucket and a table's worth of goodies was won, bit by bit.

I was absolutely delighted to introduce my favourite York band, The Falling Spikes, who did a storming set, which took me right back to my heyday of musical enjoyment, in the mid 1980s, Spacemen 3. Well, some of the way back, anyway!

Finally, Faces of Dorian played a good set, and whilst this was going on, the money raised was totted up. The Duchess did reduce their surprise fee, which Sound Mind is very grateful for! One performer works for United Utilities, and 'match funded' the event with a donation of £250, which meant that the event raised £650 profit PLUS a single person promising to pay £10 per month as a standing order.

I enjoyed my 10 hours of 'on duty' work, though the work itself was very easy for me. I was really happy to have the company of Maggie, Helen, Charles, Jess, Brin, Mike, Rich, Moz and lots of others.

I cycled home and got in after 11pm exhausted. But I had to do my blog before going to bed!

Saturday 21st November 09

The day started well and got better, despite Gill being not very well. Once I was washed and dressed, I went to the bread shop and got some 'Yesterbake' bread plus a couple of pasties which will make tea easy to do.

Mid afternoon I went to Country Fresh to pick up tickets for tomorrow's gig... I'm the Compere so I don't need a ticket, but I've been asked to get two tickets for a couple of friends. Richard, who works there and is the drummer of The Falling Spikes, who are playing at Sound Mind at The Duchess to raise money for York Mind. He told me that the venue, who are going to make loads of money on the bar, and had originally said that the venue would be free, have just announced that they'll be charging £250 for the venue. So that's £250 less for York Mind. I am unhappy about this as all the performers are appearing for free, and the idea is to raise money for a worthwhile charity, not to make extra profits for a venue. Maybe they'll change their mind... I'll certainly be asking the management tomorrow.

I collected a sack and a half of recyclables from Richard, plus some veg and fruit, and a bag of apples and pears for Debbie who I'd popped into on the way down there.

Gill was feeling very poorly... her leg was aching and had swelled up so she rang NHS Direct, but they were too busy and cut her off. She rang the emergency doctor and a GP rang back. His advice was to go to Accident and Emergency, so when I got back from the greengrocers she rang a taxi and went to the Hospital. But she rang me from there saying the place was absolutely full of coughing and sneezing and spluttering people, some of whom had been there since 1pm (over 3 hours) so she got a bus back home.

Whilst Gill was out, we finished the game of Scrabble which was started with the boys last night. I won, but both of them got some awesome words and good scores.

I cooked some potatoes and Gill did the cauliflower, and we had a simple tea.

More fruit drying during the evening... yet another three thown-away pineapple sliced and placed carefully on the racks on the woodstove. They only take about 24 hours to dry, and are greatly improved by the more concentrated flavour. I'll be taking a jar of mixed dried fruit to the Sound Mind gig tomorrow as a raffle prize.

Enjoyed a programme on More 4 about Antony Gormley. I like sculpture... he's not my favourite sculptor, but he's pretty good!

Friday 20th November 09

I got up in time to get to Pauline's for 10am. But whilst I was eating my breakfast I was watching the news, about the 'freak' rain and devastating floods in Keswick and Cockermouth in the North West of the UK, I heard someone say that this was a 'one in a thousand year event'. The floods which affected the same region in 2005 were apparently a 'one in a hundred year event'. So I changed my facebook status to:
2005 'one in a hundred year event'
2009 'one in a thousand year event'
c'mon folks, when are we going to understand that something is going on?

I just hope some good comes from this horrible time, with houses and property trashed, four bridges swept away, at least one life lost. If it takes a tragedy to get people to realise that we have to change our ways, or suffer much much more of this kind of thing, then it is worth it. But we have a long way to go before we can reduce our CO2 levels back down to 350 parts per million, which scientists suggest is a 'safe' level which will only increase our average global temperature by about two degrees Celcius. However, the level of CO2 today is 385 ppm, up a third since pre-industrial revolution levels of about 280 ppm. The current level of CO2 will give us an increase in temperature of possibly 4 degrees, and as the levels of CO2 are still rising, we might expect an increase of 6 degrees, which would probably give us runaway climate change due to amplifying feedback loops. This CO2 count isn't the only greenhouse gas which is increasing. Methane is probably the best known 'other greenhouse gas' but there are quite a few others, see green living tips for a good simple overview, and Micheal Bloch's other website carbonify has lots of information too.

Anyway, I cycled round to Paulines to help her remove her exuberant potato vine tree, as requested. Her delightful 4 year old great grandchild was there, and she helped in a cute way. As per usual with Pauline, I was rewarded for the work by a good 'real' coffee and soya milk plus chat. I regard Pauline as one of the 'wise women' in my life as she often gives me sound and sensible advice.

I came home via Country Fresh and Freshways and had lunch. As it then started to pour with rain here I did a wash up, and went outside once it had cleared up a bit. I split the logs I collected yesterday and then, as I wanted to stack these, I needed to move the bricks that the chimney removers had left where my logpiles normally are. There were about 60 whole bricks, most of them with mortar still attached. If we're going to reuse these bricks, they have to be mortar free, so I found a hammer and did about 45 bricks in an hour and a quarter. Four of them broke but these might still be useful as hardcore in the wall/fence build foundations. But, as my concentration perhaps wandered towards the end, I hit my thumb nailbed with the hammer, and although it broke the skin, it wasn't painful at first. But a couple of hours later, the pressure under my thumbnail was very painful. I think the nail might come off.

But a happy family evening with good food (yummy fruit salad!) and telly watching together.

Started a game of Scrabble with both my lads... both of whom look like they're going to be good players. I was pleased with how well they did. We didn't finish the game though, but left it on the table to finish tomorrow.

Later, had a lovely long phone chat with a friend whom I've met through facebook, not in 'rral life', and it was good to do this. We may never meet but that doesn't mean the friendship is any less enjoyable.

Thursday 19th November 09

Up early to finish the large job of tidying the back room to make it acceptable for BBC audiences!

Took all my paperwork off the floor, bits and bobs from around the hearth, tidied jars of dried fruit, and used our new super vacuum cleaner. I even cleaned the glass of the stove!

Anna arrived a bit late as she got lost and needed to be talked here from Bootham. She came alone and had her camera, tripod, sound stuff, batteries and tapes. First we just chatted and had a cuppa, then we got down to business.

She first interviewed me inside, sitting at the table, about my small carbon footprint, how I achieve it and why I live like I do. Then she filmed me taking the readings from my electricity meter and gas meter, and inputting them into the Carbon Account on my laptop.

Then we walked up the road to where yesterday, a nice Polish chap had invited me to pick up 5 pine logs. I'd asked him if I could leave it til today, so I could be filmed doing it. He was happy to let me do this. So I walked up there with my bike and her with her equipment. When we got there she realised that she had forgotten her empty tape. So she walked back and got it whilst I looked after the camera on its tripod. We did loads of 'takes', all at different angles and from different places... they'll be edited together and will make up one half of a film about two people with different carbon footprints, me, a little one, and Adam, a York-based radio presenter, who has a big footprint and feels he HAS to use his car as he lives in Tadcaster and works in York.

Then we came home and she filmed me cycling along the road, turning into the drive, unloading the trailer, and finally, me introducing myself. By 2pm she was finished... but I showed her the garden before she motored off and I had a peaceful lunch.

The footage will be shown on Yorkshire Look North (6.30pm, weekdays) during their 'green week' which is in the first week of December, coinciding with Copenhagen.. The other film she's doing is to look at two families, a 'green' one and a non green one. The green family is, by chance, someone I recently met, John Grant from Sheffield, who is an excellent communicator and I am delighted he's doing it as I know he'll be able to explain things well.

The rest of the day was much less 'full on' and I just did a bit of housework and stuff on the computer.