Sustainable But really !

For the last year Ive become increasingly cross with hearing the word sustainable used in ways that really dont make sense. So after a little bit of thought, and the knowledge that its New Years Day and Im always promising myself Ill blog more here, I thought Id write a bit about what I think sustainable really means.

And maybe I need to explain what leads me to live what I hope is a fairly sustainable life and why.

In 1976, in the middle of that dreadful summer of drought, my mother said to me

"Youll be alive when the oil runs out".

I was 6. I didnt know what that meant but I knew I needed to find out, and so find out I did.

And in my mind that meant, at that age, no cars, no electricity and the need to find alternatives. I remember talking about solar power and wind and water being things that could be used to create power. And I remember thinking that resources were precious, whatever they were, and realising at that early age that Earth wasnt a finite resource if we carried on the way we were.

And then the 1980s happened. The world forgot about the problems and consumerism hit. Thát hard, cold consumerism which seemed so exciting but in actual fact set us on a completely ridiculous road.

Anyway, enough of me. Except to say that all of the above has led me to lead a life where Ive constantly had that tiny phrase in the back of my head, in every thing Ive ever done.

"Youll be alive when the oil runs out".

So what is sustainable?

And actually what is sustainability?

Are they the same?

For me they have to be. A sustainable life is one where you consider your every action, your every purchase. 

Food that travels half way around the world so we can have strawberries at Christmas.

Food distribution systems that mean food grown in the south of the UK, often travels to the Midlands or further, and back, before it lands in stores.

50% of fresh foods ending up in the bin before they even hit the shops.

Cheap clothing being made in sweat shops so we can have more.

Cotton being the crop that worldwide uses the most chemicals than any other.

Continual use of chemicals that have an adverse effect on our pollinators because the companies that make them claim theyre safe.

Monoculture.

Soil degradation

I could go on. 

The point is that none of these things are sustainable. And yet we carry on and ignore the issues. Its just the way it is.

Or is it? Is there another way? 

Well of course there is. And it doesnt have to be about becoming a yoghurt weaver!! 

Its about personal responsibilty and not being afraid to speak up for whats fair and right. Its about having a set of ethics and sticking to them, even when people think youre a bit odd.

But mainly its about having respect not just for the human species but for all the species on the earth and for the earth itself. Its about seeing worth in both people and things and being prepared to pay for that worth. Its about seeing things through, and not just seeing things as a project that probably wont last, but about making sure everything we do has legacy and makes a change. And, and heres the one most people squirm at, its about making sure we all are paid our worth in whatever we do, and not being afraid to state our worth.

And there I will stop.

Happy New Year to you all. And remember, together we can all make a change.

 

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BrightFarms has a really cool business model

I recently found out about a New York City based company called BrightFarms that has a really cool, unique business model.  They "finance, design, build and operate greenhouse farms at or near supermarkets."  So basically, theyre creating hyper-local food sources for various supermarkets.

Theyre working with McCaffreys Supermarket in Yardley, PA, which is only about 20 minutes from my house.  I drive by the greenhouses on the way to work every morning.  This is pretty darn exciting to see something like this happening in my area.  Im planning on moving to north New Jersey, and then to NYC in the next year or two, and Id love to try to work with BrightFarms.  Theyre doing great things!

Heres a TED talk from Paul Lightfoot, BrightFarms CEO.

Can you imagine supermarkets across the country with greenhouses on the roofs?  How cool would that be?

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Windowfarm update

Hey everyone!  Its been a while since my last update, and Ive been seeing some great growth in my windowfarm recently, so heres an update.

The Basil is growing pretty slowly.  Its on the top shelf of the windowfarm, so maybe its not getting as much light as the rest of the plants.

The parsley is jumping out, stretching towards the window!

The Rosemary plant is growing strong.  This one was bought from Home Depot a few weeks ago, so it was already growing.  Ive been using it in some recipes too.  I threw some sprigs into the slow cooker with some pulled pork that I cooked last night.  It turned out incredible.

The Strawberry plant is growing well, too.  The leaves are getting bigger, and Ive seen a bunch of flowers bloom.  The white flower petals fall off, and it looks like a baby strawberry.  Ive never grown strawberries before, so Im not sure if these will get bigger and turn into strawberries or not.

I used the green onions this morning on pulled pork grilled cheese sandwiches (might be my new favorite grilled cheese variation).  I had started them from some green onions that I got at the supermarket.  I cut them a few times, so they werent growing back very big anymore, so I pulled them to make room for something else.

The lavender doesnt seem to be doing too well.  These guys shot up pretty quickly, and then kind of stagnated.  Im not sure if theyre getting too much light next to the window, or not enough because theyre down in the solo cup.

The parsley on the window sill is doing awesome too!

Lana got a Venus Fly Trap that is starting to open up!

I also switched out the airline tubing and the one-way check valve for my airlift.  The thin airline tubing was getting clogged with the solid waste from the fish tank.  Also, the check valve was clogged, and barely working, so not very much water was getting to the plants.  Im not so sure that the airlift is capable of filtering the solids in the tank, so Im considering adding a water filter as well.

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A Bridge Too Far

There is no doubt that the Garden Bridge is causing a lot of discussion across all the social media channels and in the press and that there are a lot of people who believe either that it is a wonderfull thing and equally many who disagree.
When I first heard about it I was thrilled too. Mooted as Londons equivalent of New Yorks High Line it sounded like a really innovative and exciting project that could change the way green space is used in London and be an example to other cities both in the UK and worldwide.
Cities are booming, and by 2050 its estimated that 70% of the UK population will live in an urban area. All around the country cities are addressing how they will manage their green spaces. Visiting Sheffield recently I was lucky enough to visit 2 extraordinarily inspiring projects, The Green Estate and Heeley Park, both of which made me really think about how good design and support for areas that historically have struggled in various ways, is vital in the way we tranform inner city green spaces. These are projects that have changed lives and seen areas with historic problems change themselves through enterprise brought about through good use of the land. I myself am currently working on an inner city project in Bristols Bearpit roundabout, which is a sunken space in the centre of the city that historically has problems with anti social behaviour, to green the space in a way that will bring an oasis of tranquility to an area that will also be a central hub with food businesses  and a vibrant market as well as lots of thought provoking urban art, bringing an unloved and fairly frightening place back into a space that encourages it to be used by all.
These examples, and there are many more, of cutting edge design mixed with the importance of social outcomes are vital if we are to see our cities prosper and the citizens living in them lead healthy lives. Green space is vital for all and it is those that are most vulnerable and for whom getting out into anything that is at all nature like, who often find accessing it the most difficult. For horticulture within cities to be taken seriously, and city councils to see the importance of this in areas of socio economic deprivation and indeed invest in it, any project taking place in the public sphere must have some need for a good social outcome, and for it to effect positive change within the community it is being placed.
At this point I also think its worth talking a little about New Yorks High Line, which began as a project that came about through a group of people, now The Friends of the High Line, coming together and finding the space, getting the necessary permissions and bringing the project to fruition. The friends of the High Line are still very much involved in the project and its worth looking at their website to seee the story of the project as well as the history of the space itself. Their website can be found at www.thehighline.org.
There is no doubt that cities and the way urban greening is being addressed is changing and so I really thought the idea of a new bridge that could be accessed by all and was green in all conotations of the word was wonderful, until I started to hear concerns. The construction of the bridge will mean an area of green space along with 30 mature trees will be lost, at a time when the tree canopy of cities is being looked at and all cities are being encouraged to increase them. Mature trees support a diverse cross section of wildlife and planting new trees nearly doesnt mean that wildlife will remain in the area. The area of planting is apparently only going to be the size of half a football pitch, which makes me wonder what the rest will be used for, and it wont be open to all, 24/7, but be on a timed ticket as it is expected to be so oversubscribed. Apparently this ticket will be free but I wonder who will pay the admin cost? And it is questionable that cyclists will have access to it, or that it will even be used as a bridge in the sense that it will enable people to cross the water from one side to the other as quickly as if the river wasnt there. It will also be closed one day per month for private functions.
However my biggest problem is the fact that £60 million of public money is set to be used for this and it appears that public consultation has been at a minimum. Effectively this is a vanity project, being put into a space where already there are questions over its suitability, that is not there for the people of London or the local area, but for tourists to visit. This is nothing to do with good urban planning or biodiversity, but all about bringing in the tourist dollar. And we are spending public money to do this whilst we have people regularly accessing food banks, more children accessing free school meals than ever before and are still set to see further cuts in public funding going into the future.
With some of Londons inner city boroughs being the most deprived areas of the UK, I question how this is acceptable. Half of the money is from Transport for London and I am quite convinced that £30million could go towards greening stations if it is money allocated to that, making them safer, kinder spaces.
So here is my main question. What are this projects social outcomes? How is it commited to the community in which it will sit? Where is the public consultation that we should all be able to access?
If in Bristol, when we embark on a new project we have to knock on neighbouring doors, ensure we have a questionnaire that is acceptable for that area and be positive that we can answer any questions with a positive spin, as well as then going through a thorough council assessment with their environmental/allotment/park and gardens departments, what has been the relevant consultation undertaken for this?
At this point I would like to say its not too late to change all these things. The building of the bridge and the planting and landscaping could be undertaken by local people, giving them new skills, introducing them to horticulture and construction and giving them a sense of ownership. It would still be a beautifully designed space, but one that had given local people a helping hand. It can be maintained by volunteers from the local community who would talk about it with visitors as only someone can who is deeply and emotionally at one with a garden project. It could become inclusive.
I finish with a horrifying statistic. The projected cost of the bridge, in all, is approx £175million. If each of Londons 32 boroughs were to share that money between them it would equate to the possibilty of there being 53 community projects in each borough, each with £100,000 to spend.
Now that would have seriously good social outcomes.....

 Both of these photos are of Sheffields Green Estate where they have taken parkland and unloved green spaces and encouraged community enterprise through learning. This place goes beyond the extraordinary and should be held up as an example of what cutting edge urban greening and design can do to change communities.

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Chillies Really hot to Grow

Peppers are full of vitamin A, C, Iron and potassium. Follow the article to know important points about growing pepper.

There are two types of peppers sweet Bell peppers and hot chilli peppers.This article is all about growing Hot chillies. If you are interested in growing Bell peppers check out our earlier article.

How to grow chillies?

The Chillies are hot due to the presence of a chemical called capsaicin which is present mainly in the area of the wall and around the seeds. They are very popular among gardeners.

The chillies are actually very easy to grow. You can grow them both in the
backyard or in the containers.

It is a warm seasoned crop like tomatoes. Ideal temperature ranges from 70 to 80 deg F during daytime and 60 to 70 deg F in nights.

You can grow chillies both from seeds and seedlings. For seed germination you required a minimum temperature of 68 deg F. It require at least 6 hours of sun light daily so choose the place it wisely.

Chillies require a lot of potassium in the soil. If your fertilizer or compost contain a large chunk of nitrogen and a very less amount of potassium, you might get a lush green foliage but fruit bearing will be a problem. So choose your composting ingredients (or fertilizers) wisely.

Watering:

You need to provide a lot of water to your plant.It is true that chillies dont like to grow on swamps but they dislike dry soil even more. Use a proper potting mix if you are growing chillies in containers. For growing in backyard make sure you have proper drainage. You can also add a cover of mulch to preserve water.

It is for the betterment of the plant that you need to prune it a bit. Chilli plants have “not so strong” branches so it would be better to loosen some weight of the plant. You should also provide some sort of support for the plant. They are a self pollinating plant so you dont need to worry too much about the pollination of the flowers.

Pest problem:
Chillies are generally pest free; but in some cases you might encounter some like:

Aphids: These are generally a threat to the plants when it starts growing new leaves. Aphids leave a sticky substances called honeydew on the plant. The best way to get rid of this problem is to remove them manually. In most of the cases you wont require any sprays or mixtures.

Nematodes: It is a very common phenomena and can cause the plant to wilt. Read more about nematodesbefore trying any step.

White-fly: This problem can be handled by using some organic sprays to the plant.

Fungal disease: In case the humidity level goes very high (in close environment like greenhouses) the plant grows fungal disease and cause the fruit to rot. Make sure the place has enough light and air supply to prevent this problem.

Harvesting:

Peppers can be harvested by simply just plucking the fruit from the plant. Regular pickings ensures more fruits for the future. Select the green ones while they are still shiny and plump. You can also choose to pick them when they become red. If you have planned for flakes or powder leave them on the plant as it is till they dry.

Storing:

Use a sealed bag to preserve chillies. It will last up to one and half week if you store them properly in a refrigerator.

Do you like chillies? How is your experience? Share it with us:

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