I commented on a post on the Big Green Switch today.  It got me thinking.  Energy saving is becoming more and more financially viable.  Indeed, you could go so far as to say it's becoming a financial imperitive - either from new taxes or price rises.  I'm going to have a look at the available savings from various forms of energy saving devices.

Solar Hot Water 

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The Age of Sustainability?

It occurred to me this morning, listening to the news, that the agenda is increasingly being defined by environmental considerations. Today, we have a new terminal opened at Heathrow, hammering home the juxtaposition that so many politicians hold over the environment and aviation.

Meanwhile EU leaders agreed at least in principle to cut emissions from 1990 levels by 20% by 2020. And our leader Gordon's efforts to cut the rate of VAT on Energy Saving Lightbulbs seemed to be making inroads, against expectations.

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Listening avidly to Alistair Darling's debut, it seemed most commentators had pretty dull expectations.  The interest in environmental and green measures is always there though, because they are fundamentally budget neutral - you tax polluters and give breaks for positive actions.

Some Disappointments

Well, he bottled out over fuel duty, delaying the rise til October.  Sure it's expensive but my Sister told me only last night that she chooses to drive to work because it's simply cheaper.  That can't be right.  Aviation's inclusion in emissions trading would be suggested.  Road congestion charging will be tendered.  Plastic bags will be left for the private sector another year.

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Isn't that just political-correctness

I got myself into a real fervour about the flipant nature of the "Gardners' Question Time" contribution to getting people excited about what plants they can grown when our climate warms up.  When our climate warms up! 

Naturally I wanted to shout about it on the Griinu Blog.  Just as I started, I caught myself though.  I'm turning into (already?) an eco-correct whinger.

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With high hopes and visions of a cooking revolution - perhaps even me in the masterchef final I went ahead with my experiment.  Despite a determination to succeed and a well-thought-through premise, I have not achieved this goal!

3 Hours In

After 3 hours, I tested the spaghetti.  The boiled-glass had cooked to some extent and was certainly soft.  However it appeared powdery.  The cold-glass was still quite hard but also chewable.

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Anyone who knows me, knows that I live off pasta and that without it, I actually get withdrawal symptoms.

Inspired by a slightly random tip I found on Big Green Switch, I have decided to try a little experiment!

The Hypothesis

That I can cook about 150g of spaghetti (Sainsbury's own label economy) without a hob.

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Leather is a really interesting case and illustrates the tight bind that you can get into with these types of decisions.

Ecology versus Ethics

Are all ecologically sound products necessarily ethically sound?  Are all ethically sound products necessarily ecologically sound?  There is not a balance in this equation.  It's also vital to know more about a product than simply the component materials.  Leather can be made in more ecologically sound ways and being naturally derived will tend to have a lower embodied energy.  Vegans, however, would certainly dispute its ethical credentials!

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It's that oh-so-exciting time on the political calendar - the Budget!

The extraordinary thing about politics and news in the last year is the space given to the environmental agenda.  This budget seems like it won't be too different.

Technology

I have to admit to loving gadgets and I love to see an innovative solution to avoid waste or to create something from nothing (or very little).  Solar products fascinate me because they run and run and run but unlike Duracell batteries which definitely will run out eventually, solar panels will never stop (even when it's cloudy!).

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