Eats plants
Early last month I gave a short talk at Aberdeen Climate Action's Climate Café where I shared my top tips on how to easily and cheaply reduce your carbon emissions. Taking action on climate change can sometimes feel overwhelming or even impossible. Many solutions are just not practical for the individual like putting solar panels… Continue reading Meals that start from 9 pence per person
We went to a COP 26 climate rally outside Marischal College today as part of the Aberdeen Cycle Forum contingent. Gavin Clark who is chair of the forum gave a very good talk about the importance of active travel in solving the crises and the depressing lack of infrastructure in Aberdeen. Will politicians act or… Continue reading COP 26 climate rally Aberdeen 2021
Yesterday we were invited to Duthie Park for a COP26 photoshoot. My contact with Aberdeen Climate Action invited me along as a representative of Aberdeen Cycle Forum so I took my cargo bike because it always looks good in photos. When we got there the photographer took exception to the fact that I wasn't wearing… Continue reading Banned from the photo for my views on helmets
I used to write about climate change quite a bit on my blog. The first posts date from 2013. I was usually prompted to write after having an emotional reaction to something I had read or heard - usually someone denying it was happening. One of my earliest posts was prompted by claims that climate… Continue reading Another report and the message on climate change is still the same – our emissions must be zero
Sometimes I feel sad about the world. I read the things people say online and I feel despair. What hope is there for us? Some people try to do the right thing and reduce their impact on the planet but what good is it when everyone else is more interested in their taste buds than… Continue reading The world needs more Bens
I had such a busy week this week that I haven't had the chance to write since last weekend. It has been mostly work-related busy but also some cycling advocacy busy-ness too. We at the Aberdeen Cycle Forum published a list of ten suggestions for the city council to implement for social distancing. So far… Continue reading Ramblings on cycling, the pandemic, and climate change
Climate change is like borrowing money and getting into debt. Consider this: you borrow a large sum of money and the interest rate goes up every year. You do not make any repayments on the loan and instead borrow more each year. Pretty soon the amount owing is huge and growing because a) the interest… Continue reading Climate change is like getting into debt
These graphs from the Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology show how hot and dry Australia has become. Ironically, they were reported by an American newspaper - The New York Times. The only Australian news source to report the record-breaking heat and drought was The ABC. I cannot find another Australian report of it. Please… Continue reading 2019 Australia’s hottest and driest year
Australia is the hottest place on Earth right now. Bushfires are raging across the country destroying homes and habitats, smothering cities in smoke, and taking lives - two volunteer firefighters tragically died this week. Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has been holidaying in Hawaii. https://twitter.com/RonniSalt/status/1207813570756395008 Yesterday he realised his mistake and announced he's returning home. https://twitter.com/nytimes/status/1207913540406960128… Continue reading When leadership fails
We did our bit and attended the Aberdeen climate strike today. There were about a thousand people there which is pretty good for an oil city. It's definitely the biggest protest I've ever seen in Aberdeen. It was a hot and sunny day. Unusually warm for September but I suppose that's apt given we were… Continue reading Aberdeen climate strike
The global climate strikes begin tomorrow. The Aberdeen event is at Marischal College tomorrow at 11am. I will be there along with Ben and the kids. You can use the map at https://globalclimatestrike.net to find your local event. I am lucky that my employer is supporting me in attending this event otherwise I'd need to… Continue reading Global climate strikes
Ben and I watched the first episode of the TV series Chernobyl last night and it was brilliant! I'm looking forward to watching the rest. One of the protagonists is the same actor who plays the dad in Friday Night Dinner. It's a very different role for him in this series and because of this,… Continue reading Chernobyl
Global climate strikes are planned for September 20 - 27th and I'll be attending the Aberdeen strike on September 20th from 11am - 2pm. There's a map at https://globalclimatestrike.net where you can find your local event. I urge everyone to attend for the sake of your children and grandchildren or, if you're young, then for… Continue reading Global Climate Strike
I just watched an interesting program on Australia's tardiness in addressing the climate emergency. It was published in April this year along with an article outlining Australia's efforts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YprAjQr1CuU&feature=youtu.be There's positive stuff in it that I didn't know, like the boom in renewable energy generation over the last year. But there's also much that's concerning… Continue reading Australia worst country for electric car charging points
I was going to write a post about faith-based leadership when I came across this article - Faith without works: Why the Prime Minister's call to pray for rain is offensive It was written by a Pastor and is very good. The author, Byron Smith, writes about a speech the Australian Prime Minister gave last… Continue reading Faith-based leadership and a climate emergency
Last week the BBC came to our house and filmed us for a story on a low carbon family that aired on the news last night. It also went on the web at The Aberdeen family embracing a low-carbon lifestyle. In some ways I feel like a bit of a fraud because I feel there's… Continue reading Living a low carbon life
Last week Prince Philip was involved in a car crash after pulling out of the Sandringham estate in his Land Rover and onto the A149. He's received a lot of criticism for driving at 97 years old and many people are calling for him to relinquish his licence. The whole affair has outraged me but… Continue reading Prince Philip is setting a bad example
I miss winter. I truly do. Yes, I like watching the garden come to life in spring and the buds blossom but I love the muted lighting of winter more and feeling the cold air on my cheeks. It has been hot and dry here. It has been the driest first half of summer for… Continue reading Fed up with hot and dry
At the Sustainability festival last weekend I received one negative comment that has been on my mind ever since. Overall the community was very supportive but one person approached me and said indignantly, "Why do they [cyclists] get all the space?" I was unsure how to respond because all I could think of was this cartoon.… Continue reading Why do they get all the space?
Why do people feel the need to tell me this? It's not my job to defend cyclists who go through red lights just as it's not my job to defend motorists who go through red lights. Or motorists who drink and drive. Or motorists who speed. Or motorists who go the wrong way down a… Continue reading But I once saw a cyclist go through a red light …
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