Saving the world

Living on the water we are directly affected by the tides, the winds and the weather. It isn't just about getting wet on the school run or deciding when to put the heating on, its about living with the weather and the river, literally moving with it's moods. We all feel and see the seasons changing. One of the striking things through lock down was watching the change from Spring to Summer. The seasons are vital to our world and its delicate ecosystem.

Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter

 

The other day we watched the David Attenborough programme A life on our planet. It was quite shocking and if you have not yet seen it I would definitely recommend it. Whilst it was an incredible programme with stunning images the message was very hard hitting. The change we have been talking about for years is happening now. The loss of seasons and changing weather patterns are steps towards a mass extinction event. That is a big wake up call. 

It can feel very much like there is little we can do in the face of such dramatic planetary change but if we all try and do just a little bit that will add up and it could make the difference. Greta Thunberg has become a divisive advocate but she is trying to do what she can. The same as David Attenborough and the same as so many others quietly going about making changes here and there doing their little bit. Between us all, we could drag the planet back from that tipping point and literally save the world.

Our world is finely balanced

 

Whether it's picking up rubbish from the beach, building a bug house or thinking about the food we eat there are things we can do and changes we can make. The point of this blog is to keep the conversation going and share what we have tried to hopefully encourage others to think about the difference they can make too. Words in themselves in a blog are not enough though. What are we as a crew actually planning to do?

Our galley/kitchen sink drains straight in to the sea. What goes down there can affect the environment around us which makes you think before anything goes down the plug. Using the water from the tanks and needing to refill them gives you a very real awareness of how much water is being used. Obviously our shower water is not included but we know roughly how long our tanks last and we are careful about the water we use. Some of our energy comes from solar panels and we previously had wind turbines providing a proportion of our usage. They will probably be refitted at some point but the gears needed work and the pole had become unsafe and needed to be removed. All our lights are now LED.

 

Bug hotel at Babbacombe model village

 

We have already tried to reduce the amount of throwaway stuff we use and recycle as much as possible. We have replaced disposable razors with reusable alternatives. We have experimented with soaps and hard deodorant instead of shower gels and other plastic bottle toiletries. We use refillable water bottles and we try to avoid over packaged items when we can. We're not suggesting for a minute that we are wonderful or eco-warriors. We do have a thing for crisps and make far too much plastic rubbish from individual crisp packets. Eating meat is somewhere else we could make a real difference. We have reduced the amount of meat we eat a few times in the past but then always seem to creep back up to eating a lot. So we are again making an effort to eat more vegetarian meals and we try not to buy anything with palm oil in.

There is nothing clever or special about the changes we have made. They are things anyone could do and we do all need to be thinking about - and talking about - what we can do. We have to listen to the stark evidence. We have to all do our bit because there really are no new worlds.

 

 

A light art installation: 'Speedwell' in Devon - No New Worlds