Green Matters
As Christians we try to care for all people and also look after our world. The Greener Church Group was formed in June 2009 and, among other initiatives, has been managing a collection service for church members and the many other users of the premises. We have been collecting spectacles, batteries (over 97,000 up to November 2024!), printer cartridges, mobile phones, DVDs, CDs, unwanted jewellery and foreign currency, digital cameras and other electronic equipment.
A special ‘Big New Year Recycle’ occurs in January. In the past, there have been collection made of: wool for a group knitting blankets and shawls for Ethiopian mothers and their toddlers; suits for unemployed men neeing to look smart for job interviews; and shoes for asylum seekers awaiting decisions about their futures. A second collection of shoes, this time for Shoe Aid, is planned to take place after Christmas 2024. Collections of tools for Tools with a Mission (TWAM) took place in October 2024. TWAM refurbish them before shipping them to needy communities in Africa for livelihood creation.
The Group actively promotes energy conservation, provides advice when needed, and promotes awareness of environmental matters with ‘Green Tips’ in the Church’s monthly magazine, the Messenger, many of which are summarised below.
Green Tips
CHECKING ONE’S CARBON FOOTPRINT: It is always a good time to calculate one’s carbon footprint, not just for the electricity and gas used but your food, clothes, eating out, using your car and so on. There are many websites that can help (Carbon Footprint Ltd is one). This is detailed and one often ends up entering a reasonable ‘best guess’, but it does help one learn. Getting even an approximate figure is better than none.
The table shows the kind of result you might have. Sadly it is way above the average for the country which is now 5.4 tonnes/person. 2 long haul flights were the cause. Don’t forget that if there are 2 in the house you divide the electricity and so on by 2. December 2024
SAVE YOUR WASHING FOR A WINDY DAY: Every day the ‘mix’ of electricity changes. The amount generated by wind turbines goes up and down with the wind and the amount from solar panels goes up and down with sun and gloom, night and day and summer and winter. On calm days in winter, most electricity will be generated by gas. On a windy day in summer most will come from wind turbines and solar panels and none from gas. Indeed sometimes wind turbines have to be switched off. We can help: by timing activities like ironing, washing, computing and DIY – anything that uses electricity – on windy and/or sunny days and not on calm, gloomy ones when lots of gas will be needed. October 2024
GOOD EXPERIENCE WITH AN AIR FRYER: Air Fryers were mentioned in the February Messenger. Air is a bad conductor of heat. An oven’s fan option works by blowing the air in a normal oven around so the hottest air gets near the food quicker. Air fryers take this notion as far as it will go. The fan drives the heat toward the food in a confined space. The food is cooked more quickly and uses less electricity. Roasts and salmon do well. Crumbles are crispier. Fruit cake is good, courgettes and broccoli as well (they don’t dry out) and, of course, chips. Typically cooking takes only half the time and, of course, saves electricity. September 2024
KETTLES GET CLEVERER: They can be transparent so one can see more easily how much is inside and can also heat to different temperatures: 50, 70, 80, and 90 degrees Centrigrade, for example. Green tea is best at 80 degrees – more than that and some flavours boil off. And you don’t always need hot water to be boiling hot. March 2024
CAN YOU HARD-BOIL AN EGG?: We must all know about hard-boiling eggs: put in saucepan, boil water with a pinch of salt (in case the egg cracks), simmer at half heat for 10 minutes, take out and throw away the hot water. Throw … away … the … hot … water? What a waste of electricity!
How about boiling the water with the egg, and then switch off the electricity. The water will slowly cool, perhaps from 100 to 80 degrees Centigrade after 10 minutes, but the egg will still cook and almost two thirds of the electricity will be saved.
This technique of switching off early can obviously be used anywhere where there is residual heat – in water or an oven. March 2024
KEEP FAT OUT OF THE SEWER: In September 2017 a congealed pile of fat was found blocking an old Victorian sewer in Whitechapel. Mixed with wet wipes, nappies, oil and condoms it was 250 metres long (that’s not a misprint) and weighed an estimated 130 tonnes. That’s more than the largest whale. It took 3 weeks to clear and did nothing for the residents upstream who had nowhere for their sewage to go.
Toilet paper is designed to break down in water but, obviously, not wet wipes and so on. Fat will stick to the sides of sewers in any case but wet wipes, for example, make this worse. They can snag at pipe junctions and form a base for fat and more to build up. The message is clear. Keep as much fat as possible out of your drains. Wipe what you can from the frying pan etc. and dispose with general waste. Clear what remains with plenty of hot soapy water. Any blockage will cause sewage to back up and flood out causing pollution. July 2023
SAVE MONEY: FINE TUNE YOUR HEATING: Many households’ control their central heating in 2 ways. First with a time switch which switches the heating on and off, usually once or twice a day but sometimes at different times during the week. Second with a thermostat set at about 65 degrees Fahrenheit (19 degrees Centrigrade), often in the hall. As the house cools, this thermostat switches the central heating on until the temperature returns to 19 degrees Centrigrade and then off again. More sophisticated systems have valves on radiators so that it becomes possible to have different temperatures in each room, usually higher in lounges than bedrooms.
Whenever the heating is on, some is being wasted, leaking away through windows and walls. The higher the temperature in the house, or an individual room, the faster the leak. One way to save energy and money, is to turn down the thermostat to, say, 14 degrees Centigrade or the radiator controls from, say 4 to 3 or 2, when you are out for the day or when not using a room. You will return to a cooler house or room, but this will soon warm when the controls are re-set. April 2023
IS THERE MORE I CAN DO TO SAVE ENERGY?: We are living in a time of real energy crisis (’22). A friend said “But I don’t know what else I can do? My walls have cavity foam, I’ve 12 inches of insulation in my roof, nearly all my lights are LEDs”. Here are 2 sets of suggestions: the first immediate, the second, longer term. First, when it is cooler, go round the house searching for draughts. You must have some air coming into the house to keep it fresh but there can be too much. Check round external doors obviously, but would a flap over a letter box help? Check around window frames: some filler might help. Can a chimney be closed off when not in use? How well does the loft hatch fit? Do you have a room above a garage? Is that floor insulated?
The longer term suggestions are both disruptive but the benefits last for ever. First, one can add insulation to the inside of external walls. Insulation boards, often 60 or 100 mm thick, or false walls with insulation behind can be used. Clearly skirting boards, any light switches, radiators etc have to be moved but one room can be done at a time. Second, floor boards can be raised and polystyrene blocks fixed between the floor beams. September 2022
PLASTIC IN CLOTHES GETS LOST: In 2019 Britons spent almost £60bn on clothing (about £1,000 for every man, woman and child). Before the WW2 most clothes were of cotton or wool but 80 years ago plastics were added. They were lighter, stronger, cheaper and more hard wearing. They could put the shimmer in dresses and could stretch and return afterwards unchanged. Nylons replaced silk stockings. Non-iron shirts and fleeces followed. Lycra sportswear is now ubiquitous. Today there are all kinds of mixes of natural materials, especially cotton, with plastic to take advantage of the different qualities.
But (there is always a but) tiny plastic micro-fibres are escaping down our rivers and entering the food chain, via of the sea life there. Many come from our clothes. They break off in our washing machines.
So wash only when absolutely necessary and at the lowest temperature you can get away with. Keep clothes as long as possible. Always wash full loads. Reduce spin speeds and, better still, hang out clothes to dry whenever possible. All of this helps reduce abrasion and loosening fibres as well as saving electricity (and
money). Late March 2021
ATTRACT MORE BIRDS TO YOUR GARDEN: Birds don’t visit your garden to admire the roses: they come for food, particularly juicy bugs. We can make bug hotels (see right) but, really, any old pile of rotting wood would be good and weeds in a wild corner can provide great bug habitats. Early March 2021
DO DRIVE GENTLY: Around 50 million lorry, van but mostly car, tyres are sold each year. The ‘rubber’ is part plastic. When we buy new tyres we rarely wonder where the 6 millimetres of ‘tread’ has gone. Most goes down road drains into our rivers. The River Avon gets a lot from the M1. If we drive gently avoiding fierce braking and fast cornering, we reduce pollution, make our tyres last longer – and save money. Early March 2021
BIRMINGHAM’S WILDLIFE TREASURES: There is something uplifting in natural places. The 3 examples below are all near Birmingham’s city centre.
The Centre of the Earth is an education centre formerly a derelict corporation site within the Soho loop of the Birmingham Canal between Winson Green Prison and City Hospital. The address is 42, Norman Street, Birmingham B18 7EP, Tel: 0121 515 1702.
Eco Park is another education centre and less than a mile from the city centre. It is in Bordesley Green about a half mile south of Heartlands Hospital and has ponds, woodland and meadow. It is mainly used by schools, but anyone can go by appointment. The address: 258a Hobs Moor Road, Small Heath, Birmingham B10 9HH. Tel: 0121 785 0553. April to July is the best time to visit.
Moseley Bog and Joy’s Wood in Wake Green is an open site. it was the childhood playground of The Lord of the Rings author JRR Tolkien and the inspiration for the ‘old forest’ in his books The Hobbit and The Lord of The Rings. The entrance is off Yardley Wood Road and the postcode B13 9JX. There are lots of walking trails with bluebells in abundance in Spring. Tel: 0121 523 0094 for more info. February 2021
DON’T RUSH TO WAIT AT THE LIGHTS: Economical driving is helped by good anticipation. If you see a queue ahead, aim to time your arrival to maintain as much momentum as possible. Ease off the accelerator or even brake gently early. The problem might clear. Rushing and braking uses extra fuel when you get going again, costs money and unnecessary pollution. June 2020
LIMIT SHORT CAR JOURNEYS: Despite media reports, new diesels are very clean due to the development of modern catalysts. Indeed small diesels emit no more carbon dioxide than all-electric cars when power station emissions are taken into account. But catalysts don’t work efficiently until they reach full temperature. Short journeys therefore cause disproportionately more harmful pollution, especially in urban areas. Every time one walks, cycles or catches a bus for that short journey instead of using the car, it will be a major help. September 2019
ZAP THOSE WEEDS: Weeds are tough but herbicides may persist in the ground and do harm. Mains powered zappers are an alternative. They use electricity rather than chemicals so use them on sunny, windy days when most of the electricity will come from renewable or nuclear low carbon sources. July 19
SAVE THE PLANET: PLANT A TREE: Surprisingly 10% of England’s land surface is still covered by woodland (about the same as at the time of the Black Death in the mid 14th century) and has been steadily increasing since the end of the 1st World War (from 5%). Trees ‘mop up’ carbon dioxide, the main global warming, greenhouse gas. Always replace trees where they have reached the end of their lives and add extra ones where there is space. May 2019
PLASTIC? WHAT CAN BE RECYCLED? Plastic is not one material but a range. Much cannot be recycled: it is too difficult or expensive and there are no markets, so it needs separation. There is an American ‘triangle’ scheme which helps if you can find a small (sometimes very small) triangle on an item with a number 1 to 7 inside (and sometimes letters beneath. The groups and common uses are: 1, 2 and 5 can be recycled; 3, 4, 6 and 7 not.
- PET (or PETE) Water and other drinks and liquids bottles
- HDPE A softer plastic than PET used for milk, household cleaners etc
- PVC Very common in guttering, window frames, sheathing electric cables but also used for bubble wrap and packaging
- LDPE A flexible plastic typically used for 5p shopping bags, shrink wrapping, magazine sleeves
- PP Bottle tops, straws, yoghurt pots, food containers
- PS (Polystyrene) disposable cups, insulation, packaging.
- Other (sometimes PC) Everything else. April 2019
LESS MEAT MORE VEG? We eat to live: to maintain all the various bodily functions, to grow and repair the body, and provide energy. Besides calories, the body needs specific nutrients: 10 vitamins (A, B1, B2, B3, B6, B12, C, D, E, K), 2 acids (folic and pantothenic) and 15 minerals including iron, calcium, salt and traces of others such as copper and zinc. Meat is a rich source of iron and B12, so vegetarians need alternatives lest they suffer from anaemia. Dairy products are rich in calcium so vegans need additional alternatives or supplements, lest they risk weakened bones, teeth, muscle action and blood clotting. Though the healthiest advice is to enjoy ‘everything in moderation’, a re-balance away from meat, especially beef, would help the environment. Dec ‘18
RECYCLING BATTERIES: Virtually all shops selling batteries are required by law to take them back for safe disposal. Complain loudly if your shop doesn’t. November 2018
LOOSE TEA, NOT TEA BAGS: The UK consumes 60 billion cups of tea a year, 96% using tea bags. A plastic goo seals the bags. Alternatives are being sought but using leaf tea helps. June 18
MORE LEMON FOR YOUR SQUEEZE: A simple law of physics means you get more juice from a lemon if it is warm. Just put it in a microwave for 5-10 secs before you squeeze. May 2018
BRIGHTEN GARDENS: Bring birds, butterflies, bees and blossom into your garden! Some plants are particularly good at this by providing the necessary food (directly or as insect) and habitat. Lavender, Buddleia, Ceanothus, Pyracantha are good shrubs; Cornflower, Lobelia, Alyssum, Lupin, Sunflower, Aster and Cosmos, good flowers; Fennel, Dill, Borage, Marjoram, Chervil, good herbs. March 2018
HOUSEHOLD CHEMICALS CAN BE DANGEROUS: Many bottles and cans of stuff we have in our garages, sheds, kitchens and bathrooms are toxic. Left overs of pesticides, herbicides, lawn feed; old paint; paint thinners, paraffin, petrol; battery acid and anti-freeze, some household cleaners – all need safe disposal. In Solihull take them to the Bickenhill ‘Tip’. November 2017
DOES IT NEED TO BE IRONED? One for the men, perhaps? Most household electricity goes on heat. So, if you doubt whether something really needs ironing – don’t. November 2017
STAND ALONE INDUCTION HOBS AVAILABLE: Cookers with induction hobs have been available for some years but ‘stand-alone’ hobs are now available. Only 2/3rds of the electricity is needed, the hob reacts immediately to the dial setting but remains cold (and safe) when not actively cooking. September 2017
SMELL YOUR FOOD SAYS WRAP: In the past before the various ‘use by’ (a measure of safety) and ‘best before’ (a measure of quality) dates on food labels came in we used sight, smell and taste, to judge whether food was safe to eat. Research in the USA and UK has found uncritical adherence to dates is causing unnecessary waste worth, in the UK, £700/year to an average family. WRAP, the authoritative Waste Resources Action Programme, has asked the Food Standards’ Agency to change the ‘use by’ date on milk to ‘best before’ and review other products. If something looks ok, smells ok and tastes, on the tip of the tongue, ok, it probably is. April 2017
FROM DANISH PASTRIES TO PLANTS: All kinds of pastries come in plastic containers. Don’t throw away. Fill them with soil and grow seedlings. May 2016
PLASTIC BAGS – USE AGAIN: The problem with plastic bags is not their use but disposal. Use instead of bin liners. Use thicker bags to wrap parcels. Cut off the handles and turn them inside out! Oct 15
EATING MEAT: About ¼ the Earth’s land is good for crops but a third of that is needed for meat and milk products. Farm animals emit 14.5% of greenhouse gas emissions (the same as transport). Eating chicken or pig products is less harmful than beef or lamb. Eating fish is even better. October 2014
DISHWASHERS – READ THE MANUAL! Most of us are just relieved when a new machine works but the manual may also tell you how to do half loads and eco and shortened programmes. Experiment to find the most frugal programme. Do the same with your washing machine. November 2013
PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC LIGHTS – USE WISELY: If there are breaks in the traffic and it is safe to cross don’t use the lights. If a vehicle stops unnecessarily it wastes fuel and causes pollution September 2013
BUILD A BUG HOTEL! Birds come to a garden for food, especially juicy insects. A few bamboo poles, a rotting tree stump, a pond or a ‘hotel’, as in the picture, will be better than a bird table June 2013
READING METERS: Read your electricity and gas meters weekly and use charts to show the results. Having the ‘evidence’ in front of you acts as a check on waste. April 2013
TYRES: New tyres have energy ratings for energy efficiency, wet grip and noise. An ‘A’ rated tyre should give you 7.5% more miles/gallon than a ‘G’ rated one. July 2012
GARDEN WATERING: You don’t need a huge tank to store water for use in dry summers. Fill one water butt from a drain pipe and use a pump + hose to fill others at points round the garden. June 2012
FOOD LABELLING: Food labelling can confuse. ‘Best before’ indicates quality. Food, eg biscuits will be safe to eat long after that date. ‘Use by’ dates are for safety but contain margins. If in doubt smell and taste like Grandma did. Ignore ‘sell by’ dates. Those are for the shops. April 2012
FREEZER FOOD: When you want to use something from the freezer, defrost it in the fridge first. It will cool the fridge down and save energy. December 2011
FLATTEN CANS: When you recycle cans or plastic containers, flatten them as much as possible. It is a waste of energy when lorries cart around a lot of empty space. November 2011
ENERGY EFFICIENT APPLIANCES: TV sets are now graded for energy efficiency using the 7 colour A-G labels, and washing machines, fridge freezers and dishwashers now have 3 additional grades, A+++, A++ and A+. An A+++ fridge freezer will be 60% more efficient than an A. April 2011
BARCODE USES: Barcodes give not only the price but lots of other information on a product which can include the material of the container, eg aluminium, glass etc. This can then be used to separate waste into streams for recycling. It is done in some Canadian stores. It could be done here if the public demanded it. November 2010
MAINS NOT BATTERIES: Use mains electricity, not non-rechargeable batteries wherever you can. To make a battery takes around 50 times the electricity they actually contain. Rechargeable batteries are more efficient but more toxic. February 2010
45 MPH IS BEST: Cars run most frugally at around 45 mph. Short journeys, when the engine is cold, are very inefficient, polluting and expensive. December 2009
CURTAINS: When it is cold draw curtains as soon as it becomes dark. Curtains can be as helpful as double glazing. Cut down drafts as well. October 2009