The aims of the group are probably the hardest thing to put into a succinct statement, but here's our initial effort:
'RAISE AWARENESS OF HOW; AND PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO MEET THEIR NON-MATERIAL NEEDS IN NON-MATERIALISTIC WAYS'
Moving into a new flat provides a rare opportunity for a fresh start and rather than fall into old habits, we're going to 'green' up the place a little.
- To start with, the electricity supplier will be swapped to Ecotricity (a company
who provides power from renewable energy sources at no additional cost to a normal supplier) As there is no other form of energy used in the flat this will cover off all of our heating also. - The kitchen is going to get an overhaul as Supermarkets will
be bumped off the shopping list and replaced with a veg box scheme which will deliver local, seasonal produce straight to the door. Meat, fish, bread and cheese will be bought at the local butchers, fishmongers or at the local producers market on Saturday mornings. This way I hope we can support the local businesses and the smaller artisan producers who struggle to stay in business in the face of the Supermarket onslaught (if you get the chance, 'Shopped' by Joanna Blythman is a bit of a life changer when it comes to seeing supermarkets for what they really are!) In all cases the food miles will be taken into account, but we're already streaks ahead of the supermarket as nothing will be air freighted. 
All household cleaning products used will be from Ecover who manufacture non-toxic, plant based solutions. Ecover also provide a refill scheme which means all packaging can be re-used as it's sent back to the factory - if only more companies were taking note!! The effect of the chemicals we pump from our houses into the water system (bleach, heavy metals etc) isn't thought about enough. The more we pollute it, the harsher the water treatment will become with stronger chemicals and the cumulative effects on us can only be detrimental.- No TV! I know this caused a few laughs and shaking heads in the seminar, but I've already lived without the TV for a month and it means I fill my time with something much more beneficial and productive.
Spreading the word and engaging more like-minded people will be one of the most important steps over the next 2 months. We'll start with trying to get as many friends, family and work colleagues involved as possible. Word of mouth will be very important throughout as first hand recommendations are more persuasive than any advertising can be. Saying that, I will also try my best to work on promoting some of the future events through regular London-centric event newsletters and sites...we'll see how far I get!
1 comment:
Sounds like you guys have a good spot, and an even better plan for making an eco-friendly, socially minded comfertable living situation. I too just recently moved into a new spot. I have the first floor and basement of a 2 story house. My roommate and I have similar plans for bettering the environment and simeotanelously our bills for our new living environment. We have already replaced all the light bulbs and most of the small appliances with green-lightbulbs and energy star appliances. We have already gotten our first energy bill which was an impressive $30 for the entire month. We have planted 2 new trees inside, and have been shopping at local markets and buisness for our food thus greatly reducing what we purchase from the supermarket. (Our goal is to eliminate the supermarket all together.) We have also have street pick up for all recycleable items, So we have 3 bins for paper products and 2 bins for glass and plastic. Our bins are picked up once a week and are taken to the proper recycling facilities. Since we are able to recycle virtually everything we use, our trash can has only been used for food waste. We are talking with our land-lord and trying to get him to allow us to composte most of this food waste, and hopefully after the worms and mother nature do their job we can have some extra soil for our plants. We have also started recycling water to the best of our ability. We have a dehumidifier (for health reasons in the basement where I sleep) that we use the fresh water that it produces to water our plants, and clean our art supplies with. This Dehumidifier produces about a gallon and a half to 2 gallons of fresh distilled water for us each day, the machine also runs on a timer as to not wase electricity all day long. Public and Environmentally friendly transportation is not available to my work, so we picked a location which is only a short (about 10 min) drive away from work. My roommate and I work together so we share a ride in and from work. We are also convienently and safely situated embetween 5 pubs that are walking distance, as well as the several local markets that I mentioned before. There is also a train station a 30 second walk from our house which is able to take us into center Philadelphia. This eliminates our need to drive for any purpose other than the commute to and from work. We are trying our best to eliminate our carbon footprint for our house and it sounds like you too are well on your way. Keep in touch.
~Ian
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