NEWS: The Poyzer Philosophy?
Have decided to do regular updates after each episode of the NO WASTE LIKE HOME show as I figure lots of you non-UK folks, and even some of you UK people, will not have the chance to see the show.
Tonight's episode was all about six students who one would have thought would be quite active on green issues (another student stereotype broken) and yet to begin with were sending 14 bags of rubbish/trash to landfill EACH WEEK!!! With zero recycling. All cooking independently and generally living extremely energy inefficient lives.
By the end of the show Penney had of course tackled all the issues and got them to happily reduce their waste to landfill by an immense 93%. Along the way Penney also got them to reduce their gas, heat and water consumption and dramatically increase their recycling. Oh and they ate communally more and observed that communal conversation had massively increased.
Some of the six housemates had really caught the bug and having been challenged to become activists managed to help green the kitchen of a local restaurant. Impressive.
Not only that but one of the students decided to grow potatoes in the garden as that was their main staple. They sought advice at a local allotment (Do you have those in the USA? If not they are local green patches you rent for a year to grow stuff on) and discovered that an allotment cost only £30 per year and yielded all the vegetables for one guy from his patch. He bought no vegetables all year round! Stunning! Kind of reminds me of those good Pasadena, California, based folks at Path To Freedom who produce something like 5 tons of produce a year from a regular urban garden. Wow!
Anyway the Poyzer Philosophy seems to be emerging and we think it is as follows:
1) Learn to connect cause and effect
2) Think laterally
3) Be active and be an activist
So City Hippy has decided to do the following:
1) Find and visit our local landfill
2) Find out how to grow potatos and do just that
3) Evangelise about our local Freecycle group at our local recycling center
Should be interesting...watch this space. And if you can do watch Penney's show. Thursdays 8:30pm BBC2. Remember USA readers to lobby BBC America to get the show on in the USA.
Namaste
CH
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posted by City Hippy @ 11:56 PM
4 Comments:
The reality TV I get living just south of Hollywood really sucks compared to yours. I don't think we have "local allotments" in the US -- as I've never heard of them -- though they may exist in some more progressive areas like Berkeley, for all I know. We do have some co-op farms around, but to be honest, the gas I'd burn trying to get to the garden to try and grow things would probably offset any good I did by growing veggies.
However, my organic potatos are delivered to me every 2 weeks by Organic Express in a reusable box :) I like the idea of growing my own produce, but realistically, it just seems very difficult. And to be honest, not enjoyable -- I've tried to keep little plants before, but they keep dying! I'm currently considering a little cactus for my room --
Maybe NO WASTE will come out on season DVDs? :)
Hey Siel
I think BBC tv shows are a lot more like the USA's PBS...we have to pay a licence for a TV here (crazy eh?) and that all goes to fund the BBC...kind of like PBS but without the excruciating telethon marathons of Are You Being Served...hahahaha!
We get a lot of good quality informative objective stuff...and a lot of crap too of course.
Co-op farms sound cool...have heard about them recently...almost like people buying a share in a farm and even working on it for their own food. Great idea.
Agree about getting stuff locally though...no point driving for miles and burning loads of gasoline.
Organic Express are cool...as are most box schemes...whatever works eh? We all just do what we can do. Not all of us are green fingered...we are looking forwards to growing potatoes but we may just suck at it. Hahahaha watch this space.
I would recommend emailing BBC America to lobby them to get the show either imported or redone Stateside stylee!
Visit: http://www.bbcamerica.com for more info.
Namaste
CH
I started growing potatoes this year, and they we're surprisingly easy to grow!
Here's my post: click here
I suggest keeping them watered regularly, getting a nice shin to knee high loose mound of soil, and let them do their thing. You'll get a nice harvest in the fall of some large potatoes, and many medium to small size ones.
They are more fresh and delicious out of the garden than you'd think...
hey baloghblog
Thanks for that...awesome advice...will use for sure...will name my first batch after you in your honour ;)
Namaste
CH
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