Good News for 2024

Positive Eco news for 2024

I don't know about you but the constant trickle of bad news can't be good for us so every now & then I like to add a bit of positivity to our lives. 

Here's some feel good stories for this year - hope you enjoy!

1) Could Cement be used to Store Energy?

Renewable energy solutions often involve sun & wind power but these can be unreliable due to fluctuating weather conditions. 

These innovative concrete batteries can be used to store energy & in turn could prevent our over reliance on lithium batteries.

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240610-how-the-concrete-in-your-house-could-be-turned-into-a-battery

Also check out this article on sand batteries – it’s great to see such innovative ideas!

https://happyeconews.com/sand-battery-energy-storage-for-renewables/

2) Harnessing Energy from Bacteria

Soil microbial fuel cells are being developed on farms, which can capture energy from chemical reactions occurring naturally in soil. 

When connected to carbon-based electrodes the electrons created by microorganisms in the soil are turned into energy, which can then be used by the farm.

https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/06/12/install-and-forget-soil-powered-batteries-could-bring-cheap-clean-energy-to-farms-in-europ

3) Scotland Exceeds Energy in Renewables

Recently released data shows that Scotland covered over 100% of its energy needs in 2022. 

Wind and hydro power helped them generate the equivalent of 113 per cent of Scotland’s gross electricity consumption. That’s wonderful news!

https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/01/29/enormous-potential-inside-scotlands-green-strategy-to-power-the-nation-solely-with-renewab

4) Gas Emissions Dropping in Europe

Greenhouse gas emissions in the EU dropped 8% last year. 

This brings greenhouse gas pollution below 1990 levels. Mostly driven by the use of renewable energy, I’m hoping the trend continues!

https://www.positive.news/society/total-net-greenhouse-gas-emissions-in-the-eu-dropped-last-year/

5) Is your Wallpaper Electric?

An innovative project in Glasgow is trialling eco friendly electric wallpaper to heat tenement housing. The paper can be added to ceilings & creates heat within minutes.

Made from copper strips & graphene, it has a surface that emits invisible infra red into the home helping to warm the property & thereby reducing mould.

https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/10/19/glasgow-is-trialling-eco-friendly-electric-wallpaper-to-heat-its-ageing-homes

6) Animal Friendly Wind Turbines

Wind turbines can disturb animals, particularly in the flight paths of birds. A new motionless turbine has been developed which collects wind via airfoils in a sleek design. 

The 1st UK prototype has been installed in Oxford on the roof of BMW’s car plant.

https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/09/05/could-these-motionless-turbines-solve-wind-energys-noise-and-wildlife-problems

7) Wind Power in a Tree Design?

Sometimes nature can inspire us to up our game & this nature inspired ‘tree’ may fit the bill. It has micro turbines to convert wind into energy & could be used in built up areas. They run silently & benches can be placed underneath. 

One ‘leaf’ on the tree can produce 1,000 kilowatts per year. Not suited to be connected to the grid but they can power buildings individually.

https://www.euronews.com/green/2023/11/12/could-wind-trees-with-micro-turbines-be-a-solution-to-green-energy-in-tight-urban-spaces

8) Spoonbills born in the UK

Spoonbills were previously extinct with no chicks born since 1668. The RSPB have celebrated the birth of spoonbill chicks in Cambridgeshire this year!

Chicks have also been born in wetland reserves in Yorkshire, Suffolk & Norfolk.

https://www.rspb.org.uk/media-centre/spoonbill-breeding-success-sparks-renewed-hope

9) Tree sleeves made from British wool

British Wool have collaborated with a company to produce eco wool-based tree guards. These will help prevent young saplings being nibbled by passing animals or trampled underfoot.

The new tree sleeves will be biodegradeable & made using wool from British farms.

https://www.farminguk.com/news/british-wool-invests-in-firm-behind-eco-wool-based-tree-guards_64897.html

10) Cosy Houses from Tennis Balls

Wimbledon goes through many tennis balls (55k per year). They become less efficient when they lose their smoothness so often get discarded. However, they’ve been found to make perfect homes for field mice & they’re waterproof too.

Field mice can help aerate the soil & disperse seeds so they’re useful for supporting eco systems, a win-win for all!

https://happyeconews.com/wimbledon-donates-tennis-balls-to-be-used-as-homes-for-field-mice/

〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰

Lots more news to keep ya positivity chips re-charged in the link below:

https://www.euronews.com/green/2024/10/31/positive-environmental-stories-from-2024

Happy Christmas & thank you so much for reading

〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰

(Check out some of our previous posts to help you make eco friendly choices this Christmas):

🌟

🌟🌟

Books Galore

Festive Dreams

Green Christmas

Cost of Living Tips!

Less Waste at Xmas

Have an Eco Christmas

 Homemade Items for Sale 

 

⛄⛄⛄⛄

❆❆🎄❆❆

The Power of Small Things

Small things

Hello, and welcome to my little post about small things! Little things can make a difference & we can too 😊

Have you made the switch to plastic free shampoo bars? I’ve been using them a while now & enjoy trying different ones. I like Garnier’s Ultimate Blends Oatmeal Shampoo Bar. Because I have sensitive skin it helps soothe the scalp & stop the itch! You can also get a kiddy ‘no tangle’ shampoo bar too for the little ones. https://www.garnier.co.uk/hair-care/shampoo-bars

Another one I’ve been trying recently is the Aussie Koala Bear Shampoo Bar. This is so cute sitting in my soap dish & lathers up really well with a nice soft foam. There’s a ribbon to hang it up too (keep away from running water when not in use). https://aussiehair.com/aussie-products/shampoo/nourishing-hug-solid-shampoo-bar/

Another thing I’ve been trying lately is Dr Beckman’s Magic Leaves Detergent Sheets for your laundry. https://www.dr-beckmann.co.uk/products/magic-leaves-bio-25-sheets/ They dissolve quickly into water even at low temperatures & can cut out plastic bottles altogether.

I found if you add one sheet you don’t get much scent so I added two without a fabric conditioner, but the fabric was still left feeling a little cardboardy. My conclusion is that due to the water quality in our area, that some sort of water softening is required!

Previously I had tried the washing ball called Eco Egg which our local supermarket now stocks. The idea is that you use the egg for up to 50 washes so don’t need a whole line of plastic bottles taking up room in your cupboard (you buy refill pellets to add in to keep the product going).

I didn’t like these as the ball makes an awful clonking noise through the whole wash & the scent was non existent. Plus it takes up space in the washer that the magic leave sheets don’t so I do prefer the sheets to the ball, in fact I gave away the ball + refill for someone else to try!

I've also tried Method Kitchen Spray refill. Available in a tiny bottle the size of my hand, this is strong enough to make up 10 bottles using water & re-using an old spray bottle. The citrus & mango one we tried so far & the smell is divine!

Caught the bug? 

Talking of small things it has been lovely to see bees & butterflies in the garden this year but we have noticed a drop in numbers. I saw mostly small white butterflies, even though we have a large selection of flowers including allium, buddleia, clovers, daisies & home made wilfdflower seedballs, plus we leave parts of our lawn to grow wild.

We avoid using any pesticides in the garden & leave out shallow bowls of water with bug hotels dotted around (for solitary bees). The butterfly watch survey results will be published later this September so will be interesting to see what the trend is countrywide.

🐞  

If you want to help bugs in your garden why not check out https://www.buglife.org.uk/get-involved/gardening-for-bugs/ for some ideas. 

Don’t forget the hedgehogs need our help too. Encourage them into your garden with a small gap in the bottom of your fence for them to travel across spaces. You can map your hedgehog friendly gardens on this site https://www.hedgehogstreet.org/. Why not get the kids involved in designing a wildlife friendly space around your lawn.

🦔

Remember, remember the 5th of November & remember the hedgehogs too. Make sure they’re not hiding out in log piles, if you’re planning to light a fire on fireworks night. 

Meanwhile next year why not take part in a Butterfly Count? You can load an app on your phone to help with recording & identification. You’ll be an expert before you know it! https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/

If you have a wild space you can record your patch in the following site: https://wild-spaces.co.uk/. Folks with just a patio or window box are encouraged to take part too, we can all do our bit to help wildlife thrive & be(e) strong!

🦋

According to bug life, 8 out of 10 wildflowers rely on insects for pollination. Our crops depend on insects too.

Don’t forget that hover flies, beetles, moths, butterflies, wild bees (including solitary bees) & honey bees can all help with pollination so a good range of bugs in your garden can all help!

Did you know also that 25% of native UK beetles are pollinators too as they like to feed on pollen & nectar? More useful tips here at: https://earthwatch.org.uk/blog/the-different-types-of-pollinators-and-why-we-need-them/

Video on wild spaces:

A cool idea for bringing more insects into your garden is planting wildflower seeds. Pollenize is a company that sells a blend of 34 native seeds & grasses with an extended flowering season. Once planted they’re encouraging businesses & citizens to record their planting on an interactive re-wilding map https://www.pollenize.org.uk/seed-map.

🌼

If you don’t think your little space helps why not check out ‘The Every Garden Matters’ report? They say ‘green corridors begin at home’.

Small gardens can connect wildlife as they move from one garden to another. We built our houses in their way, maybe we can give back a little to encourage nature to return. https://gardenorganic-assets.s3.eu-west-2.amazonaws.com/documents/Every-Garden-Matters-report.pdf

🌳

The organisation ‘State of Nature’ writes regular reports on wildlife & habitat decline in the UK. Can be depressing but also a reminder on how we can (& must) do more to turn things around.

If you want to help out with insect & wildlife counts in your local area then their site has a list of organisations they work with, including bat counts, mammals, butterflies, birds & marine life https://stateofnature.org.uk/

People’s Trust for Endangered Species are also keen to encourage spotters who can record their findings – from stag battles to hedgerows to water voles - check out their site for ideas: https://ptes.org/get-involved/surveys/ 

Old from new

So what else have we been up to? My hubby has been busy growing tomatoes & chillies & I love to grow herbs. I decided to venture into micro herbs this year. Re-purposed plastics can be good for this (we’re not against plastics but wish to cut down heavily on single use plastics, finding a new life for old is always a good).

Old tubs can be used as containers for growing seedlings. Drill a whole in the bottom of one tub & add some chord. Put water in the bottom pot & the plant with chorded hole next level up & it becomes self watering as the water soaks up the chord.

Cut the top off the upper half of a lemonade bottle & you have an instant cloche which can be watered from the top. Or you can even use an old cleaned Ziploc bag as a mini greenhouse placed over the top. 

Meanwhile, you can use old margarine pots as a micro herb grower (see photo above). You can even turn lemonade bottles into a make shift vase!

A new project for self is to make something ornamental for the garden using old medicine spoons. I have donated old spoons to an artist for paint stirring but built up more since. I have plans to create a flower using the spoons as petals – let’s hope I’ll get around to it some time!

Stocking up for Christmas!

Meanwhile, there’s only a few months ‘til Christmas so I’m pleased to announce that our Christmas shop is now open! I make cotton fabric crackers with seedballs & a poem inside or cracker sleeves so you can make your own crackers using loo roll. Add your own mini gifts inside. They can be used time & time again & can be washed & ironed if they get mucky paws on them!

We also have washing up cloths of various designs that can be composted as they’re all made from natural materials. Plus fairylight bottles made from upcycled whisky, gin, rum & wine bottles. The batteries can be replaced keeping your gift going for longer & helps to light up a Winter’s eve.

New for this year, get a 12% discount on multiple items in your trolley. 

💬 Quote SAVE12 to get the discount when checking out 

Meanwhile enjoy that last little bit of summer, it’ll be soon time to get out your winter warmers!

Check out some of our previous posts to help you make eco friendly choices this Christmas:

🌟

🌟🌟

Books Galore

Festive Dreams

Green Christmas

Cost of Living Tips!

Less Waste at Xmas

Have an Eco Christmas

 Homemade Items for Sale 

 

⛄⛄⛄⛄

Positive News Spring 24

Yay for Positive News!

Summer is just around the corner & I felt it time to bring some uplifting news onto your 'ickle screens! 

Check out our Positive News Section for some other Feel Good Stories too 😊

1) Plastics Ban 1st October 2023

The single used plastics ban has finally taken effect in England from Autumn 2023. 

Previous bans have been introduced in Europe, Scotland & Wales so we’re a little behind the curve ball but good news all the same. 

Some items are restricted rather than banned such as plastic containers for catering as long as it’s pre-packaged or packaged at point of sale.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/far-reaching-ban-on-single-use-plastics-in-england

20 useful tips on how to reduce your plastics can be found here at:

https://www.positive.news/society/20-ways-to-go-beyond-englands-new-single-use-plastic-ban/

2) EU Vote to Reduce Plastic Pellet Spills

MEPs voted in favour April 2024 to place stricter penalties on plastic pellet spills. 

Plastic is frequently transported in small pellet form, known as nurdles which can be spilled during loading or shipping & can make its way into water ways. 

They can easily be mistaken for food by marine life & additionally add to our plastic pollution.

It's great to see that 538 MEPS voted in favour, with only 32 against the proposed restrictions. More details will emerge after the June sittings.

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20240419IPR20570/microplastics-meps-want-stricter-rules-to-reduce-plastic-pellet-losses

Read more about hidden plastics including nurdles in my blog post:

https://www.lovelierplanet.com/2020/02/beware-of-hidden-plastics.html

3) Cargo Ships Could be Powered by Wings?

A new wind powered cargo ship set off on its maiden voyage during Summer 2023. 123ft wings (made from the same material as wind turbines) are folded out to enable the ship to be powered by wind, cutting down its emissions by 30%.

This new innovation was designed by a team in the UK headed by John Cooper, who used to work with McLaren Team Formula One.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-66543643

4) Textiles More Eco Friendly

Clothing can often be discarded when no longer used & according to this BBC article less than 1% is recycled into new clothes. What a shocking waste! Some natural materials will eventually break down however products such as polyester are synthetic & won’t easily decompose.

Items such as spandex are nylon (synthetic) based however the Lycra team are looking at ways to use corn based material to create a more environmentally friendly product in the future.

Other innovative ideas to reduce wasteful products include: A U.S. company using material made from the roots of mushrooms, a U.K. company taking advantage of soil based bacteria to help dye products, as it naturally produces rainbow colours.  

Plus a Finnish company using wood pulp which is spun into thread for making textiles. The only by-product from this process is heat which is pumped into the local heating system. Win, win! 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-66985595

Meanwhile Alison Coomber a design graduate from University of Bristol has made highly colourful blinds using old Sainsbury’s shopping bags.

https://www.positive.news/lifestyle/the-green-grads-designing-the-future/

Additionally, Justine Aldersey-Williams, an artist based in the Wirral managed to create her own pair of jeans made from indigo & flax grown in her own allotment!

https://www.positive.news/economics/the-woman-who-grew-her-own-pair-of-jeans

If you have any clothes to get rid of & don’t have a clothes bank near you, why not order a free donation bag from Oxfam & bung it in the post free! 

https://www.oxfam.org.uk/donate/donate-by-post-for-free/

5) Using eDNA to Track Biodiversity

The Natural History Museum are looking at innovative ways to track species in various environments using eDNA. This can help build up a picture of plants & wildlife that are in threat & need our help, whilst also tracking down where species may be thriving. Biodiversity is key to a healthy eco system.

https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-is-environmental-dna-edna.html

Check out this video to learn more: 

6) Renewables Reaching New Highs

The world got more than 30% of its electricity from renewables last year (in 2023). According to Positive News 'China, led the charge, accounting for 51% of additional global solar generation & 60% of new global wind generation'.

Let’s hope the momentum continues 💚

https://www.positive.news/society/good-news-stories-from-week-19-of-2024/

What's Happening this Spring?

🦋 No Mow May! - This is a campaign to encourage gardeners to leave their lawns un-mown each May, which is a great time to allow for lawn flowers to feed the emerging insects from their Winter slumber.

Councils are also joining the movement & wildflowers are becoming more abundant which is great for bees, butterflies & moths which ultimately helps with pollination. https://www.plantlife.org.uk/campaigns/nomowmay/

Did You Know 'We’ve lost approximately 97% of flower-rich meadows since the 1930’s'?

🌼 World Bee Day – Look out for World Bee Day on 20th May 2024

For stories, infographics & factsheets why not check out the following bee-lightful website! https://www.fao.org/world-bee-day/en/ 

🌱 World Biodiversity Day

The International Day for Biological Diversity on 22nd May 2024 (or World Biodiversity Day) is a United Nations international day for the promotion of biodiversity issues. 

The theme this year is Be Part of the Plan, encouraging all stakeholders to come together for a solution. https://www.undp.org/biodiversity-day-2024


🌍 World Environment Day

The World Environment Day will be on 5th June 2024. The theme in 2023 was on Plastic Pollution. https://www.worldenvironmentday.global/

Check out this video for 2024 - 'We Are Generation Restoration'.

____________________

Did you know we have a little shop? 

We have home made washing up cloths, wildflower seed balls, fabric crackers (more available at Christmas) plus upcycled fairy light bottles. Available at:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/LovelierPlanet

Save 12% when you order 2 or more items -
use SAVE12 code during checkout

Thank you for reading my blog!

🌻🌼🌻🌼

🌼🌻🌼