What choices do we really have?

Take almond oil, for for example. It is a pure product with no ‘harmful’ additives and can be used neat for personal or culinary use. It has little flavour or smell and is packed full of goodness, which makes it ideal for these uses.

As it’s a nut oil, it would take a fair few almonds to make and thus, is not particularly cheap to use (compared to something like a petrochemical or large-scale commercially produced crop oil volume wise).

So for the few that may wish to use a natural product on their skin and are prepared to pay, almond oil is perfect.

What happens if everyone wants a bottle of pure almond oil in their bathroom? The few countries that produce it flatten their virgin land in favour of almond plantations. Bio-diversity suffers, habitats are transformed and populations become more fluid. Local, regional and international transportation use increase exponentially. Jobs are created and economies supported. Families and communities prosper. We now have a product on the scale of sunflower or canola oil.

All of which makes the product less of an option for the eco-conscious consumer who, if they really want to make a difference would really need a plot of land with some almond trees and a cold press…

Candles from soya?

Vegetarians have to make peace with the good old soya bean. It’s the de-facto standard for bulk meat/protein replacement. When it comes to production for consumer use, it’s a shame that the soya bean has a darker side to it.

But first, an illuminating quality of soya; we now have a company manufacturing candles and related products from soya oil – a natural alternative to petrochemical based candles. Although their main raw ingredient comes from the USA, their marketing blurb does say they do not use soya that comes from deforested tropical areas, which along with palm oil, is one of the main drivers of the chopping down of pristine rainforest.

You’ll probably be able to get these candles from your local health shop.

Is there no end to the uses of the humble soya bean?

Recycle drinks cartons with Wasteplan

Tetra Pak are handing out information flyers with the rubbish collection. Ben, the care-taker at my mother-in-law’s complex very kindly put a flyer on everyone’s cleaned wheelie bins today. Apparently you can now include drink cartons with the recyclables – even with the plastic lid in place!

I assume that Wasteplan (who collect our recyclable rubbish) now have the correct equipment to process plastic lined cardboard or pass them on to Tetra Pak (whose sibling founders have more money than one can poke a stick at and can therefore afford expensive recycling equipment).

My bad. I’ve been chucking in drinks cartons since we started the recycling thing with Wasteplan.

Worm farm 2.0

A small balcony-based worm farm does not really consume the kitchen waste fast enough, even for a 2 person household. The fact that we’re mid-winter and the worms are outside doesn’t help much either.

The next option was convincing the trustees and property management that a worm farm in the communal apartment grounds is a good thing. It’s easy to sell the benefit but not so easy the fact that ‘composting’ is involved. No-one wants the compost heap close to their home.

Luckily, with the help of Neville, the care-taker and the garden-portfolio trustee, we found a secluded, shady spot that is perfect for worm farm 2.0. We dug a shallow trench in one of the flower beds and placed some worms and veggies in it. Now all we do is add kitchen refuse.

It’s taking a while to get the worm numbers up and the trench needs some redesign  maintaining to stop the walls collapsing in but the worms have settled in to their new home and are composting and breeding well.

The plan is to move the compost around – the worms moving to the new food area allowing the castings to be removed and placed in plant beds. There is nowhere near the quantity needed for large-scale use; but a small ground-based worm farm in each flower bed may be the easiest workable solution.

Is BP the only bad guy?

We need to look after what we have

Environmental disasters are not nice and every precaution should be taken to prevent them happening in the first place. BP is no doubt carrying much of the blame and responsibility for the mess in the Gulf of Mexico but I can’t help but wonder if these nightmare situations keep on happening as it gets harder to extract oil from the planet’s crust and as our population continues it’s upward trend thus increasing our demand for energy.

It takes two to tango; consumers want to use a car to go down the road to pick up a burger (which has it’s own crazy carbon footprint trail) – energy companies need to look for more oil to satisfy the rampant consumerism. Walk more or use a bike to pick up some locally grown organic veggies and suddenly it’s not worth the cost of drilling for oil in hard to reach places.

Eat healthily, support local organic producers, recycle more, reduce your reliance on oil in general and give the energy giants less reason to find new ways to mess up our home.

Monthly organic market at Camphill Village

Trying to find organic vegetables in Blouberg from someone other than Pick n Pay can be somewhat challenging, especially if wanting something local that doesn’t involve waiting for a weekend market and a car ride there and back. There was a weekly veg-box delivery service from Patagonia Farm but that didn’t last very long. I guess it wasn’t profitable enough a model for the supplier.

Then Lana, from the local health food shop – The Wright Stuff, told me about Camphill Village and their monthly organic market. The market operates the first Sunday of every month and allegedly sells organic veg in season as well as cheeses and dairy products, breads and other farm produce.

We took a chance to drive out on a non-market weekend to see if their farm stall was open – which it didn’t seem to be (the signposting was a bit lacking but I’m sure it’s clear where to go on market day!).

Camphill is close to Atlantis; between the R27 (West Coast Road) and the N7. What makes Camphill special is that it is also a home and refuge for disabled adults who take part in the day to day running of the ‘biodynamic’ farm

Buying local

Travelling around South Africa it’s easy to fall into the routine we are used to at home. The products we use and love are more than likely going to be available which in this day and age, makes life less stressful and convenient – or does it?

Many chain supermarkets do buy local produce – it tends to stand as it’s not the brand you normally see at your home supermarket. What a treat to get fresh and dried local produce at the Swellendam Spar and local fruit and veg shops. Major bone of contention for me – free range eggs at Swellendam Spar – less than R7 for per box of 6. Free range eggs in Cape Town (even the locally produced ones) are R13 per box.

Everything from diced abalone to cheese and enamel bowls...

Driving around our beautiful country, there are countless farm shops and tiny shops in the smallest of villages that sell a range of locally produced stuff. From pickled olives, to dried fruit and the best wines and liqueurs; there is a decent choice for home use or as gifts. These outlets are not necessarily cheaper (which one might think) but when you buy from them you are directly supporting the David of retail and thus promoting home and cottage industry.

This photo is of a larger padstal called Dassiesfontein. They have a bewildering range of products both local and sadly, Chinese made; but worth a visit if you are on the N2 after Caledon on your way to Cape Town.

Local really is lekker.

Natural and Organic show in Cape Town

This weekend sees the Natural and Organic Show at the Cape Town Convention Centre. The show promises stuff for both trade and consumer. Entrance is R50 but it seems you can get free tickets if you go via Urbansprout. Not sure if you can endlessly print free tickets or if you need to register each person but it’s a simple and painless form to complete.

After having spent the week in Swellendam surrounded by local produce it’ll be interesting to see who and what is happening at this show.

Green Drinks

Anyone living in Cape Town interested in ‘green’ issues can network with like-minded people at the Green Drinks monthly meetings. There are currently two groups in Cape Town: one based in Newlands (Cape Town), the other in Sea Point (Atlantic Seaboard).

The general idea is to get together on a monthly basis with no particular agenda other than to meet new people, chat, share ideas and sometimes listen to a guest ‘speaker’.

The Green Drinks idea is global, so if you’d like to find out more; see if there is one local to you (it would not be environmentally friendly to fly to Cape Town, much as we would love to have you here) or start your own group, visit www.greendrinks.org.

Image courtesy of Adam Mada, sxc.hu

Government taking things more seriously now?

My journey down sustainability lane started a few years back when I heard of and investigated peak oil. Then, there was very little on offer in terms of government environmental initiatives.

Today I heard an excerpt from a speech by Naledi Pandor where she is calling for SA boffins to find alternative energies for our transportation needs as (wait for it) fossil fuels “will run out”. She was talking today at the International Aerospace symposium of South Africa in Centurion.

I’m keen to know what else aircraft run on if they run “mainly on fossil fuel”. The guy that pedaled across the English Channel doesn’t count!

At least we’re moving in the right direction!