March 2009 Archives

As an archaeologist I've spent much of my life immersed in humanity's past; increasingly over the last years I've been focusing on its future. Occasionally, however, the present intrudes. A friend exclaims on the pleasure of an abnormally warm day. Peer pressure means I smile and say, "Yes, spring is early this year", not "every warm day reminds me the climate is changing". An acquaintance asks me where I am flying off to this summer. I keep smiling and respond, "We plan to go cycling in Cornwall, not, "Get real--I want to enjoy the world, not ruin it! Even a short flight to Europe would up my carbon footprint by 20%."

I have, however, come to the conclusion that, despite peer presure, we do actually need to do big things in the present if we are serious about our the future. I've also come to the conclusion that doing big things not only saves money, it really makes you feel good. My list of big things
1) Travel slowly. Explore the world you can reach by bike, train or coach. It's gorgeous! Use Skype as often as you like to smile at your loved ones in Australia and America. (I'm trying to avoid saying, "don't fly"...)
2) Eat organic, eat seasonally, avoid red meat.
3) Insulate your home really well and turn the thermostat down a notch or two.
4) Get on your bike or your bus and leave the dreaded car at home.
5) Buy less, buy used, buy quality to last.

These five things can halve your carbon footprint, change your life, change our world. Go and watch "Age of Stupid" and think, this isn't going to happen--it isn't going to happen because I've changed, so everyone can change. Real change is do-able.

Hi my name is Alex and here is my take on being young and environmental...

Most young people's idea of an enjoyable night involves the words Xbox, Sky Plus, car and mobile phone so it was no surprise when I went to a Susmo meeting to find that I was the only person under thirty in attendance.
To make matters worse I was only there through the desire to meet new people and get out of the house I am living in which closely resembles a squat, meaning that if my house was ever so slightly more habitable there would have been not one person to represent one of the largest demographics and future generations.

I am what you could call a typical twenty-something girl, a slave to technology and my social life. I would like to add a slave to fashion but anyone with taste would disagree. I am a marketers dream and Starbucks is a staple part of my diet, yet I was enthralled by my first Susmo meeting.

I was greeted by a table of warm, friendly faces who didn't judge or interrogate and even though a lot of environmental jargon was lost on me I understood the main focus of Susmo was to simply help cut carbon emissions on a local level and couldn't help but feel disappointed that people of my generation seem to be avoiding direct involvement with the environment like an episode of Heartbeat.

The environment has experienced what you could call a makeover in recent years with the word 'organic' being put in front of everything to make it more appealing. Nowadays it's difficult to find something that isn't organic with even make-up and chocolate being 'natural' and it is very credible to be seen taking your reusable shopping bag to the shops. In fact to be perceived as an environmentalist can have a positive effect on your image these days but how many of these people are actually taking their commitment to the environment any further?

Ok so it's a start, lots of young people have cut out plastic bags and eat 'organic' but there is so much more to do and that can be done. A key issue that was raised at the Susmo meeting was getting young people involved in visible projects.

There are a million ways that people of my generation can make a difference and impact on the environment in their area, some of which I will discuss next time. If you can think of or are aware of anything then get in touch, get yourself heard and support Susmo.

Ok, you have ridden your new bicycle along the local canals, adjusted the saddle to be exactly comfortable and discovered some fresh air, exercise and how to travel many miles, easily, but without creating that dreaded CO2! Now you want to cycle where you really want to go, from your home to where you work, let's say. But you have heard all sorts of scary tales about potholes, loads of traffic, big traffic islands and impatient drivers!

• Those potholes. Well, unless you are riding with your eyes shut, you will probably see 'em ahead? Potholes tend to be near the gutters and close to the kerb, which is also where drainage gratings are placed and rubbish collects, so a first rule of road cycling is

• Ride away from the kerb! Many cyclists tend to 'hug' the kerb, trying to keep 'out of the way' of the traffic. But you are ONE OF the traffic! The recommendation is to ride at least 1 metre away from the kerbline and, if the road is narrow, to ride in the centre of your lane.

• Loads of traffic. Well, sometimes there is, on the main roads, so ride in a position where they can easily see you. Become part of the traffic, not shy away from it. Or look at your 'Cycling and Walking Map of Birmingham' available from Birmingham City Council Transportation Strategy and find quieter alternative roads.

• Big traffic islands. As you gain riding experience and particularly if you do drive a car, you will learn to handle these too. Again, riding well away from the outer kerbline is essential (yes, despite what the Highway Code recommends), so too is making 'eye contact' with vehicles joining and leaving.

• Impatient drivers. Well, if you adopt a prominent road position you can make 'em wait! But be particularly watchful of the driver who overtakes and immediately turns left in front of you. Be aware, with mirrors or by looking, that a driver IS overtaking and be prepared to stop or turn with them if they do cut across your path.

There is of course much more to be explained buying bikes and safer road cycling, so I have compiled a presentation which is available to any individual or community group, For more information on this, please Email me! I also have my web site and I can offer training to any adult.

I have not mentioned public transport as an alternative to driving and you may want to combine your cycling with a train journey. With a few exceptions, taking a bicycle on a train usually involves pre-booking and all sorts of restrictions UNLESS you have a 'Folding Bike'. Yes, these clever machines give a normal ride yet, in a few seconds, fold down to the size of hand luggage! So if your journeys often involve trains, consider a 'folder'.

Finally I must mention 'Push Bikes' the Birmingham Area Cycling Campaign. Push Bikes meets with Birmingham City Council to press for improved conditions for cyclists in Birmingham and sends a quarterly newsletter to its members. Why not join us? Click here for the Push Bikes web site Next week's 'Lighter Footprints' blogs will come from Alexandra Haskyn of SuSMO. So cheerio and thanks for reading my 'blogs' about bikes!

Walking into a cycle shop can be bewildering - if you can get into the place at all! There may be loads of bikes outside, then more inside, leaving just a narrow 'corridor' for you to reach the counter and you are bound to catch a few protruding handlebars on the way. Try not to knock any bikes over!

Bikes come in different frame sizes - what size is right for you? Do you want a Mountain bike, or a Road bike, or a Touring bike, or a Hybrid bike? How many gears will you need? HELP!!

Don't worry! The basics are fairly simple:

• Frame size. Everyone has a different stature and, to be frank, 'inside leg' measurement, which determines which frame size will best fit you. Any experienced cycle dealer will have a good idea as soon as you have walked into the shop, so the question will probably not need to be asked! He will invite you to sit on a few bikes anyway to see which size is best for you and he might adjust the saddle height too.

• 'Mountain' bike. These are the ones with wide, thick, chunky tyres and, generally, straight handlebars. The tyres give good grip on poor surfaces and are very puncture-resistant so suitable for off-road (eg. canal towpath or forest track) cycling, but these bikes are heavier to ride on tarmac and the deep tyre tread can be noisy and create vibrations on the road.

• Road bike. Lighter frame than the 'Mountain', slimmer tyres and finer tread. An easier bike to pedal on tarmac but perhaps more easily punctured when venturing along a canal.

• Racing bike. Similar to the Road bike but lighter still, even slimmer tyres and 'dropped' handlebars to allow the rider to lower the arms and upper body. But body position and handlebar hold can be the rider's preference.

• Hybrid: A 'compromise' between Mountain and Road designs.

Maybe a Mountain or Hybrid is a common first choice. At its simplest level, a bike is a bike, and any of the above will give you your first and, maybe, every ride, provided care is taken to get the size right. But as most of my cycling - and eventually yours too I hope - is going places in Birmingham, I prefer dropped handlebars and a Road model. As for gears - go for as many as your budget allows!

So. You have bought your bike, ridden it a bit, the size fits comfortably and you have done some of Birmingham's canal towpaths. Now you want to actually make a journey - to shops, to work, to the library, the Leisure Centre - whatever. My final blog tomorrow will give some advice for traffic cycling, a bit about 'Push Bikes' and will introduce my 'Consider Cycling' presentation.

Hi! I'm Graham Hankins, a regular cyclist and secretary of 'Push Bikes' the Birmingham Area Cycling Campaign. Howard Boyd is one of our chairmen, which is how I got to meet Esther!

Now, personal transport in Birmingham is dominated by the car and sometimes I am one of them. Yet I agree that I shouldn't use my car for every short journey, and driving into Birmingham centre is beset with traffic congestion and limited parking! Walking is an obvious alternative - definitely 'green' and good exercise too, but I find that this takes too long to get not very far at all. So for many trips I get on my bicycle - much quicker than walking, still 'green', good exercise and always somewhere to 'park'!

So why aren't more of us doing the same thing and going some places by bike? Oxford, Cambridge, and increasingly London have many people cycling but Birmingham most certainly does not; at the moment, there are too few cyclists in the city to be reliably measured as a percentage of those travelling!

So why did I start to cycle? I used to drive three miles to work; parking was possible but usually tight, I was getting no exercise and any holdups created stress because I might be late. Then someone mentioned buying a bicycle! Did they still make bikes? Indeed yes, but my first visit to a cycle dealer left me amazed - so many types, how many gears did I want? What size did I need?

Anyway, the suggestion was made on a Thursday, so having decided to do this I bought my first bike on the Saturday; by the Monday morning I had 'got used to it' and rode to work using the roads I usually drove. Straight into the old but always empty cycle shed, conveniently outside my office door, on time or a bit early actually, feeling great! So that was that - decision made, cycle to work! Quick, door to door and always space to park because I was the only one who cycled! Ok, if it rained I leaped into the car (still do!) but I discovered how often it not rain. I don't wear 'Tour de France' clothing either but a Hi-Visibility band is useful plus paying as much and more attention to traffic as I try to do when driving.

So, can I persuade YOU to cycle a few trips occasionally? Doesn't matter how short your first rides are, you will soon begin to pedal further. And let me assure you I am not super-fit, far from it - I am simply a bloke who often cycles instead of driving. If you've never bought a bike but would like to ride some of the shorter distances to start with, in tomorrow's blog I will give the basics of buying a bike, before you go into a cycle shop for the first time!

I love my cycle trailer. It's a 'Columbus' - a Danish design of the 1970s, I believe. The size of a car boot, but on a stick!

Instead of getting aching shoulders and sore hands, carrying plastic carriers, I stroll along with everything in the trailer. "Cor, where did you get that?!" people ask.

One use has been taking the recycling materials to the bottle bank and paper bank; then loading up with vegetables from the Farmers' Market. It's good for the garden and doubles as a wheelbarrow, for DIY items, or a trip to the launderette.

If it's too far to walk, I clip the trailer on to the stem of the bike and cycle it there. Some people put camping gear in their trailer, and go off for the weekend. It also goes well with an allotment.

Cycle Trailers - this link shows some other models and prices

Next week the guest blogger will be Graham Hankins of Pushbikes, so let's hear your bike related comments and questions.

John Newson guest blogger;

My Victorian house has a solid brick wall, with no cavity walls to insulate. The central heating used to roar away, but couldn't keep up with losses through the walls and windows of my end- of- terrace house. The gas bill was huge and I was trying to heat the sky. Time to join the 21st century!

I decided to borrow the money and move out, while the walls were fitted inside with foam and plasterboard. This has difficulties around the pipes, the electrics [which I was renewing anyway] and the doors. Today, there are thinner materials that make this a possible DIY job. The Energy Savings Trust has some recommended products, as does theNational Insulation Association.

I wanted timber double-glazing, as uPVC plastic has disposal problems, also timber respects the Victorian construction. It was maybe 10% more expensive than plastic. But with a modern, efficient boiler and a full set of controls, I reckon that had added to the value of the house double what it had all cost me. It's the best investment I could have made. Interest rates are lower now, so It could be a good time to talk to a builder, and Birmingham City Council offers a list of recommended builders and tradesmen.

Studying my bills, I seem to have reduced the house's fuel consumption by 60 to 70%. Old homes are an opportunity to make deep cuts in fuel use and carbon emissions. I have linked up with 25 similar houses that open to the public around the country, to explain how we have achieved such reductions. My home will be open again on May as part of the National Energy Foundation 'Old Home, Super Home' scheme. They are looking for more householders who have made old homes energy efficient and are willing to show what they have done.

I'm looking forward to the Northfield Eco Centre's official opening. on Friday 20th March 2pm to 5pm on Church Rd (next to Oulsnam's). See you there...........

John Newson guest blogger writes;

I first got to know Esther Boyd when the Birmingham Tornado came through our area (July 2005). All the roofs were off in my street, the windows smashed and fences down. Over 400 properties were damaged including churches and schools. 19 people were injured. Many lost their possessions. My neighbours were homeless for nine months, while everything got soaked - then dried out and repairs were done. My house had to be decontaminated of other people's asbestos roof tiles, arrived in a storm of fragments and dust. see pictures Tornado

This hadn't felt like normal British weather! I took our tornado as a serious warning from Mother Nature. Climate change had arrived in Britain, and it wasn't nice. Our 'extreme weather event' was just the first of many such incidents, driven by the warming atmosphere.

My approach to any problem is to stop making it worse. I discovered that the air now has 25% more carbon dioxide than when I was born. That's how quickly the blanket of greenhouse gas has grown. Many people still haven't seen the gragh of these readings of CO2 over the last 50 years.

It was clearly time to tell other people about all this. So, I volunteered with Friends of the Earth, who were pushing Parliament for the world's first law to require cuts in emissions of greenhouse gases.

Friends of the Earth gives us a chance
to ask for tough targets for reducing emissions in the UK.
Or volunteer your time..

More tomorrow on what I have done to cut my own carbon emissions at home....