And another thing
Overnight the gale force winds have blown down the netting frame which protects our patio plants from the frost. Sitting amid the wreckage is Ernie looking very pleased with himself. He sees me and the daily race to the aviary is on. I hurry across the lawn, while Ernie tiptoes along the stones that line the border (he does not want to get his feet wet on the sodden grass). I get to the aviary first this morning – Ernie takes up his position against the wire - the Parakeets take to the air. My scolding has no effect on Ernie, he just pretends he is eating grass as usual.
During the morning I wash some tins and bottles that are ready for recycling. Then I drive the two miles to the nearest bottle bank and stick the bottles in their appropriate coloured bin. I think about the energy I have used used to wash and get the bottles to the collection point. Then I think about the energy it will take to move them from the collection point to the reprocessing plant. All this to recycle glass which is, I believe, cheaper to start the production process from scratch. What are we doing?
On the way home a Sky TV van follows me – he is jabbering away nineteen to the dozen on his mobile. Not a problem until he has to change gear, this causes him to veer toward the verge, gear change complete he swerves back on course. I am watching in my rear view mirror as he keeps getting very close. I approach a roundabout and a truck coming the other way drifts very wide as he exits the roundabout, the driver is on his mobile phone. If I can encounter two of these maniacs in a two mile trip then there should be hundreds of them being nicked every week, perhaps we need more policemen?
Back home I shred some documents for security. All the shredded paper is bagged up and I put it in the land fill wheely bin. Our recycling plant cannot process shredded paper. I gather up today’s junk mail and put it in the recycling wheelie and I wonder how much it costs to recycle paper, turn it into junk mail, get the postman to deliver it, get the householders to sort it and bin it, have trucks collect it, take it to a recycling plant, to be turned into paper which will probably become junk mail again. I did think of asking our postman to put the junk mail straight into the bin. Cut out the middle man!
Anyway I can go to bed tonight safe in the knowledge that I have done my bit to save the planet.
Taxing the car is just another civic duty which we all enjoy from time to time. I taxed mine a few days ago and thought I would take the modern on-line option, that was until I spotted the the extra £2.30 for using my credit card. What is that all about?