October Squares | Day One

This month Becky (the Queen of Squares) has challenged us to find lines. In Squares naturally. That is the only proper ‘rule’. I have been dipping into the archives for this one, as well as finding local lines.

“Give me Five”

In partnership with the Natural History Museum, the Cool Globes San Diego exhibit was displayed in and around Balboa Park, the San Diego Port, Seaport Village and the Embarcadero Marina Park from October 2008-March 2009.  Various artists created globes about Climate Change. This one by Blue Man Group is  about stopping global warming and asking each of us to do five things for the environment. Ten years on and we are still talking about it with maybe a little more urgency.

My pledge:

      1. recycle more
      2. use the car less
      3. reduce air travel
      4. buy local produce
      5. conserve water

What will your pledge be?

October Squares | Day One

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Heyjude

I have lived in the UK for most of my life, but when young I definitely had wanderlust and even ended up living in South Africa for several years which was a wonderful experience. I now look forward to a long and leisurely retirement doing what I like most - gardening, photography, walking and travelling.

19 thoughts on “October Squares | Day One”

  1. Globes in a square is a good twist on the theme, Jude.
    I could hardly use my car less than I do. Most weeks, I drive less than 10 miles.
    I save water, by drinking red wine.
    I haven’t been in an aircraft since 2011, and have no plans to do so.
    Everything allowed in our recycle bin goes in there.
    I buy Norfolk-produced veg, fruit, and meat. (Where possible)
    Looks like I am already there! 🙂 🙂
    Best wishes, Pete. x

  2. Excellent set of lines . . . think all world leaders need to write some lines on this.

    You’ve inspired me to write my own this morning . . . .
    1 – I recycle everything we can, and am actively finding ways to reduce the one-use plastic in our home. Much easier in Portugal than it is here though!
    2 – Car use significantly down but got a long long way to go on flights.
    3 – Buy organic and British veg when in England (or at least as much as is possible) and when in Portugal it is nearly always from within a few miles of our home
    4 – Cutting down on dairy and rarely eat meat (and if we do above rules always apply)
    5 – Need to do more though on everything

    1. My plastic recycling seems to have increased! I need to move so we can walk to butchers and markets again. If only Ludlow was near the sea…

  3. I’m trying to do these things: the hardest is reducing use of the car because we live in a village badly served by public transport. We have pledged not to fly, but we also enjoy travel. If only train travel weren’t so expensive! We actively campaign with others in our town to reduce single-use plastic, and many shops in particular are keen to cooperate

    1. I agree with all those Margaret, we also have to use the car, but I try to combine shopping trips with the library and sometimes a walk. We haven’t flown for a few years, but I miss exploring new places too. Cornwall is very hot on the plastic issue and I noticed the other day that Dobbies will take old plastic plant-pots and re-use them.

  4. Excellent start, Jude, and couldn’t be more timely. I think I can sign up to all 5, but especially water. I do need to remind myself to use less in the garden. More mulching!

  5. I drive everywhere I need to go because there is no viable public transport, but like you, combine activities into one trip. The others, I’m doing pretty well on — a lot less air travel than in the past, we can more easily now buy local and we manage to generate very little waste. Water conservation comes easily because we lived for so long on tank water.
    My frustration is that while I’m trying so hard, I’m surrounded by people who obviously aren’t, and are totally resistant to any attempts at the structural change that is absolutely essential.
    Sadly, I don’t think occupying the moral high ground is going to save me from sea-levels rising.

    1. I doubt anything I do will help very much, and I know I could do better if I spent more time going to the butcher and greengrocer, but that would mean more driving and more expense and now we are both on pensions the money is a lot less.

      1. We think and worry about these things, which really pale into insignificance compared to the people clocking up huge air-miles, and forest fires lit to clear land for soy and palm-oil.

        I should stop now… I’m just so grumpy and helpless-feeling about all this.

  7. A fun display of lines with a more serious message. Having a newish modern car helps elevate some concerns regarding fuel usage. We don’t use ours too often and indeed not every day. NZ has now banned single-use plastic bags which is a positive move, and I do have a blog post about that in my ever-increasing draft folder 🙂

    1. Having to pay for a plastic bag definitely helped here, I have been taking my own bags to the supermarket for years and always carry a cotton bag in my handbag. I do think manufacturers have to come up with more biodegradable options. And my next car, if there is a next one, will be a hybrid if not fully electric.

  8. Jude this one is really good, you’ve inspired us!

    I pledge:-
    1. To continue not eating meat or dairy
    2. To continue using an eco egg for the laundry
    3. Re-use whatever plastics I can’t avoid buying
    4. To buy what I need instead of what I want
    5. Use my legs or public transport whenever possible.

    1. Does the eco egg work then? I have wondered about that. Good for you on the dairy – we find it hard to give up cheese, and I am totally with you on number 4.

    1. I suppose we just have to believe that we are doing our best, but overall, truly, I don’t think anything will change unless it comes from governments and big businesses and really all they are interested in is the profit line. 😟

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