Striking out for a Low Carbon Holiday

Did you know you can catch a train to Barcelona from London?

You can, I’ve tried it.

In fact, it includes an Orient Express-style overnight sleeper and restaurant car.  Minus the chandaliers, but plus pink plastic walls.

Surprisingly fun, especially if you use the earplugs to dull the train’s trundling sounds overnight.  And the bunk beds cleverly turn into comfy chairs. 

So how did the journey go?  The connections from Eurostar to the “Train Hotel” in Paris went smoothly and all the trains there and back were on time. 

As we approached London on the return journey, a sexy French voice echoed out over the PA system “Passengers are warned zat zer ees a Tube Strike in London so you will need to make ozzer arrangements”.

Argh!

So our final step, from St Pancras to North Oxfordshire, was the most fraught in the whole trip from Barcelona. 

• Spain? Si Senora.  No problema. 
• France?  Mais Oui Madame. 
• UK?  Up yours, we’re on strike.

We all want to use public transport as part of our low carbon efforts, but this is totally useless unless we can guarantee service.

Winter Warmer

I’m saving my pennies, as next year, I want to replace my open fire with a wood or multi-fuel stove. 

Why?

My current 1950’s open fire is likely to be only 20% efficient, and although I am burning wood that is locally sourced and managed, it sticks in my throat that 80% goes up the chimney.

Gas prices are only ever going to go up, and if a stove turns the tables to 80% efficiency, I can leave my doors open and heat the house with those local logs, and keep the central heating off.

Water water everywhere?

The thing about adapting to climate change is that it’s very personal.

If you live in Bangladesh, for example, you may find the projections of sea level rises provoke you to move, if you can, to much higher ground.

Those of us in Oxfordshire, however, won’t necessarily want to move house to escape floods.  Let’s face it, it’s a beautiful county.

There are things we can do to gain some level of control, however.  The first step in this is to produce your Household Flood Plan.  This may or may not include buying products that give you an early warning or protect your property.  The main thing is that you have thought about it before it happens.  Make your choices now, rather than be left with no choices, and only consequences, after a flood has happened.  Would it make sense to move those sentimental photos into the loft?

Last night I took part in a flood planning introduction workshop and was surprised at how few people came along.  The events of last July and – for some – even January of this year seem to have already slipped the minds of some of us.  So I urge anyone who has suffered flooding, or who is concerned about that little stream running close to their house, to check out whether they live in a projected flood risk area.  Go to the environment agency website and enter your postcode to see if you are at risk.  If it turns out that you ARE – and this surprises you, i recommend you contact your house insurers and find out how they categorise your property.  Best to do this now, rather than wait for the flooding to get worse, as the experts predict it will.

Gain control.  Make a flood plan while the sun is shining.

Heard the one about the piglets’ carrot ice lollies?

Adaptation brings out the creative in business people – one farmer helped his piglets keep cool by making them a carrot ice lolly. Great for 2006; this summer we need something to combat the rain rather than the sun.

Why bother, the climate is changing anyway?

Hailstorms in Oxfordshire – in July.

Evidence of freaky weather abounds and you would be forgiven for finding yet another call from your local council to change those lightbulbs to energy savers a bit of a waste of time.

But for the smaller to medium sized business, the lightbulbs have already been changed. What’s next on the agenda might be to move the office out of the flood zone.

The UK Climate Impacts Programme (UKCIP) is giving advice and information on how businesses should be adapting to the inevitable impact of the climate change we know is bound now to happen. Don’t be too downhearted – your customers will need to adapt too, and there’s a way you can help them.