On living green
A friend of mine sent me a striking picture the other day. She lives in Greece, and the picture was of a swing on the seaside, mountains short distance, fire burning in the background. Fire, destroying the beautiful forest my friend loves. She is lucky though – her family and their properties haven’t been at risk. In stories repeated all around the Mediterranean basin and in North America, many have had their properties destroyed by fires.
This summer has been record-breaking in the Northern Hemisphere. Record-breaking heat in Northern American and Europe, uncharacteristically severe flooding in Central Europe and China, devastating wildfires too numerous to count, and other unexpected weather phenomena, like tornados in parts of the world that never sees extreme weather events.
This is not a one-off freak year. This is what we can expect now, worse every year, with the temperatures rising, icebergs melting, sea levels rising, and the Gulf Stream potentially shutting down, which would have further devastating consequences. The latter, by the way, is realistic enough (though no one knows when exactly it could happen) that airlines are calculating the longer flight times from Europe to America. Not to mention its impact on the climate, disrupting rains in India, South America, West Africa, bringing storms and cold in Europe and rising sea levels on the East Coast.
We all know we have to do something – even if we can’t reverse but at least to moderate. So, other than urging leaders in charge of resources, be that money, people, or whole countries, what can we as individuals do?
Leadership doesn’t come from a title or access. Everyone can be a leader and take action, show the way. So, let’s all lead on this. There are things even those who don’t run companies and countries can do to make a little difference at the individual level.
We all know by now (right?!) that we should actively think about and manage our carbon footprint. I’m definitely not advocating for everyone to stop flying or to turn off the aircon but there are things we can do. Like taking the train whenever possible instead of flying or driving. The reintroduction of safe sleeper trains, planned for 2024 by a French startup, connecting big cities across Europe would be exciting. The other day I saw posts promoting the Barcelona-Paris high-speed train and I’m here for it. As a (pre-covid very) frequent flyer, I find short flights annoying mostly because of the airport transfers, check-ins, securities, waiting around, delays – all for an hour and bit in the air. We spent several years going back and forth between London and Brussels every weekend and I absolutely cannot imagine doing it for half as long as we did, were it not for the Eurostar trains. Much less stressful, much more romantic.
More trains, please.
I’m intrigued by the concept of 15-minute cities, which would significantly reduce our travel needs. In this concept, championed by the likes of Anne Hidalgo, the Mayor of Paris, people’s whole lives, including living, working, shopping, entertainment and relaxation would all be available within a 15-minute radius. As lockdowns got us used to staying close to our homes, long commutes feel even more of a chore than before.
Great cities have strong public transport infrastructure and are increasingly friendly to bikers and walkers. It is important to take advantage of that and leave the car home as much as possible. Walking as much as you can is also a great way to help not just your carbon footprint but your health. Regular walks have been shown to improve fitness levels at all ages; improving metabolism, and are beneficial for mental health. We need more city trails, cycling and walkways. And they need to be made safe during the day, evening, and night. Yes, safe. Safe for women and girls too.
What else can you do? Appreciate, protect and create green spaces.
It is fair to say many of us take green spaces in our cities for granted. We could all do more to keep our parks, big and small, clean and healthy. But if you have a garden, a terrace, or a roof, it is worth investing some time and effort into making them greener.
Parks, trees, gardens, urban living walls and large roof gardens have been shown to offer help with the urban heat island effect, lowering temperatures in the summer. While planting trees is not a cure-all for the climate crisis and carbon capture, it is important to create whole new ecosystems around trees and in gardens. These are not just for plants, they are home to whole ecosystems of birds, bees and insects. Surprising, perhaps, but urban areas don’t have to be hostile to animals. With biodiversity shrinking worryingly all around the world, every bit we can do to foster this diversity is helpful. And we really need bees to be around.
Ah, let’s not forget the easiest of all: eat local and plant-based, as much as possible.
We know that transporting the food we eat from long distances has a high carbon footprint. I am embarrassed about all the out of season vegetables and fruits I’d been eating – transported from the Southern Hemisphere all the way to the Big Smoke. Very naughty.
Eating more local has other benefits beyond a reduced carbon footprint. It creates and supports sustainable local ecosystems of producers and markets. If you eat meat, consider eating less and buying local and better quality. In the UK, with some farmers, it has been possible to trace meat back to the farm and specific animals. These farmers also place a particular emphasis on sustainable farming practices. Eating less but higher quality is a slogan I could definitely get behind (if I actually ate meat).
I am not an ethical vegan. I eat mostly vegan because it is much better for my health and my gut. You could also consider adopting a flexible, plant-based diet. A key element of a sustainable diet is, again, to use local produce as much as possible, which means understanding what’s in season when and cooking with what is available. Substituting your usual vegetables with alternatives is much easier than it sounds, as most vegan recipes are highly adaptable. Really, most of the time any substitution works. Variety is also great for your gut health. And fresh local produce tastes great!
Finally zucchini-d out, I’m quite excited that we’re moving on to winter squash season as I love the smell of roasting kabochas, acorns, red kuris, turbans – give me all the squashes. Pour a lovely tahini sauce over the roasted squashes and a drink (for me), light the candles or the fire... It’s the simple pleasures.
I’m not even kidding about the joy of eating seasonal produce. The anticipation. The limited time. You know it will end and thus enjoy it more.
Until next year watermelons - hello grapes and pears. Hurry up, September.