djknibb |
 |
Hi everyone,
I hope you’re all well and enjoying life. Things here on the message board are a little quiet, so I just thought I’d touch base with you all and see how everyone’s getting on…
As far as trying to keep my carbon emissions on the downward trajectory, I’m having some ups and some downs. I’m having a problem getting up early enough to completely eliminate the car for work journeys. Because I live on completely the wrong side of Exeter for St Davids station, to catch the train to Barnstaple (where I work once or twice a week) I would have to get up well before six to bike down there. This, sadly, still seems to be beyond me. I’ve therefore compromised: I drive to Crediton where I can park for free (10 miles each way) and catch the train at 7.01 from there. It’s a cheat, I know, but it still knocks 80 miles per day off my car journey each time. However, my other work journeys (Plymouth and Exmouth by bus; Exeter on foot or bicycle) are going well. With all this extra reading time sat on buses and trains, I’m finishing three or four books a month – a real quality-of-life-enhancing bonus of CRAGging!
For holidays, I’m sticking to this country. We’re off to Glastonbury at the end of the month. In July we’re planning to go to Brighton to see the Earthships (see http://www.grownupgreen.org.uk/features/?id=490). I’m still totally committed to the no-flying thing.
Home-consumption-wise, things are much as they were. We’re pretty well insulated, we turn everything off, we don’t have the heating on for eight months of the year. I suppose we should really be investing in some serious energy-saving measures like underflood heating, condensing boiler, etc., but it all looks scarily expensive – as does solar generation kit. Maybe next year…
Please post any hints, tips and general motivational gossip when you can. Let’s keep in touch!
Cheers,
Dan.
more cragging thoughts
Sue Kay
Thanks for posting, Dan – it’s good to hear there’s someone out there! I’m taking monthly measurements, trying to be energy conscious (as always) and not doing a great deal else at the moment. But I did sell my car the other day – that felt good! My lifestyle has changed so much from this time last year that it’s difficult to judge reductions: I’ve stopped a long commute and am working from home a lot, so much less travel, more energy use at home. But is this really for work??? This CRAG thinking isn’t always easy!
How about a meeting of the Exeter group sometime? It would be good to hear what everyone is doing and how it is going. Or maybe Dan’s message can start a virtual meeting here on the board – who’d like to speak next?
Keep in touch,
Sue