ME AND MY MOTOR-HAZEL BROWNE

Hazel Browne from Lenamore in Muff steps into the motoring spotlight this week. Hazel is the very active Scout Leader in the Muff Scout Group. Her vehicle therefore needs to be very versitile. One minute it could be being used for shopping, the next it is used for climbing hillsides checking out walking routes for the many hikes that are organised throughout the year for the scouts. The pick up section is used for farm duties as well as carrying around sleeping bags and hiking boots. Because of this Hazel’s choice of car, the Mitsubishi double cab pick up, is a mixture of practicality and rugged off road abilities.

How long have you had the car?
Five years now.

Any plans to change?
No, I am happy with the one I have. (If you do sell it Haxel can I have first refusal! Ian)

Is it reliable?
Very, despite being used for very rough duties. Some people say that I am quite demanding from a vehicle but the Mitsubishi is very strong.

Best thing about the car?
It carries one tonne in weight and it pulls like a train!

How often do you wash it?
Confessions! I never wash it, thankfully my husband takes care of the cleaning.

If you were the minister for finance what would you do to help motorists?
Increase the tax on vehicles that are used for posing in such as the Toyota Amazon or the Range Rover Sport. (My husband told me to say that!)


What would you really like to be driving around in?
I think a new Mitsubishi L200 would do just fine.

GREEN WEDDINGS

Planning weddings are a complicated affair. I remember when I was best man at a wedding I made the error of not checking the car arrival times to pick up the bride for the joyous trip from home to the church. It ended up with me driving like a maniac through a busy town in my own car, to get her to the church on time. Thankfully the bride was seen as being fashionably late and rather dishevelled for the experirience.

Weddings are a big affair and are as different as the couple getting married. More and more couples are now opting to go for a ‘Green ‘wedding now instead of a white one. It starts with invitations being sent on recycled paper then gets more involved.

Every aspect of the wedding can be a real drain on natural resources, if you think of the amount of energy used to bring everyone to the one place for the day for example. Generally people come from all over the globe for such an event.

Here are some ideas. You might not agree with all of them but incorporating just a few into a wedding could make a big difference to the environment (and your pocket!)

Wedding cars could offset their omissions by investing in tree planting campaigns. Food and drink consumed on the day can come from local sources and if not it could be bought from Fair Trade companies. A woman I know in England made all of her bouquet arrangements by using her mothers home grown flowers. Jessica also used a dress from Oxfam, which might not suit everyone’s idea of a perfect wedding but it did save a lot of money and energy. Talking of saving energy, the weddings would save on heating costs if they were held in the summer months

Other items from a wedding could also be environmentally friendly. Presents can be from local manufacturers or dare I say it, recycled from the guest’s homes! The confetti could come from recycled paper or a locally grown grain. The honeymoon could also be a green affair by staying local or, like the car hire, find a way of offsetting the carbon emissions. And don’t forget to make the cake locally too!

Environmental.

ECO -LABELS

If you are anything like me you probably find all of the information labels on products a bit daunting and hard to understand. Take for instance plastic products. There are dozens of different quality grades and finding out if it can be recycled can be a bit of a grey area. Electrical goods are getting better at displaying the amount of energy that they consume and thankfully most decent wooden products on the market have labels to let you know that they are from sustainable sources.

The introduction of the European Eco-label, hopes to make choosing green products a bit easier. The label is administered by the European Eco-labeling Board (EUEB) and receives the support of the European Commission, all Member States of the European Union and the European Economic Area (EEA). The Eco-labeling Board that has initiated the scheme includes representatives from industry, environment protection groups and consumer organisations

The intention of the flower design is to give consumers a guide to easily identify greener products and services. It is a voluntary scheme designed to encourage businesses to market products and services that are kinder to the environment The European Eco-label is part of a broader strategy aimed at promoting sustainable consumption and production. All products bearing the "Flower" have been checked by independent bodies to comply with strict ecological and performance criteria.

TOURISM
The EU Eco-label scheme is open to any product or service, except food, drink, pharmaceuticals and medical devices. There are currently twenty-three product categories, which can receive this award, ranging from home appliances, cleaning materials, and mattresses to office supplies, gardening, Do It Yourself products and more interestingly tourist accommodation services. B+B’s, hotels and self-catering accommodation can be assessed for how they operate. If they are seen to be recycling and reducing waste etc they will be awarded the flower too.

Consumers are beginning to recognise that they can make a positive difference and actively help to protect the environment by buying products that inflict less damage upon it. The EU Eco-label scheme is seen as a simple way of helping you to make informed choices about the products that you buy. The Flower logo is recognised all over Europe and covers a wide range of product groups making it easier to distinguish products that appear to be less harmful to the environment.

REDUCED IMPACT
While no human activity is completely “environmentally friendly”, there are always opportunities to reduce the impact that certain products have upon the environment. The EU Eco-label scheme has therefore drawn up a set of environmental and performance criteria for judging products. Only if products meet all the criteria can they be awarded the EU Eco-label. These environmental criteria will take into account all aspects of a product's life, from its production and use to its eventual disposal (cradle-to-grave approach). I still feel as though we have to be careful when buying products with this label though. Detergents and chemicals can be bought with this flower sign. The EU Eco-label is awarded to products that only need to be guaranteed to be at least as efficient as conventional products. The products could still contain chemicals that would be damaging to the environment. Most cleaning products however seem to be surpassing conventional products by cleaning at lower temperatures and using ingredients that will cause limited harm to aquatic life, soil and the air etc but it is by no means an indication that the products are totally eco-friendly. It looks good, but is the initiative enough? Maybe not, but it is definitely a step in the right direction.

Environmental.

ANTS IN THE GARDEN

I tune in to Highland radio every other Thursday to listen to Gareth Austin from the Lifestyle Garden Centre in Newtowncunningham give advice on gardening issues. Gareth has a very easy manner and I am always amazed at the amount of horticultural knowledge he manages to store in his head. Usually if I am asked a question I have to get on the interweb and spend an hour finding a solution. The internet is a great source of information for us gardeners but it can be a bit of a problem as I have recently found out. I joined a couple of forum pages (the BBC and the Irish Gardeners site) and my family are forgetting I live in the house. I have been weaning myself off them this week as they are far too time consuming. I do like answering questions though, even if I have to constantly refer to the oracles. If you have any please send them in to me (I can pass them on to Gareth to answer then take the credit!)

One question I could answer this week was about ants.

Ian
I have ants in the garden, are they a problem? N.K. by e-mail.

Reply.
Ants turn over more soil than earthworms so to have some in the garden is beneficial. They also clear up debris and dispose of some pests. But they also farm aphids by putting them on suitable plants and milking them for honeydew. Ants also keep other predators away. They can also nest in the roots of plants, in pots and under lawns, loosening the soil and creating their own drainage tunnels to take rainwater away rapidly from the nest, so the plants die of drought. They also bite or sting if disturbed - do not poke a stick in the nest then watch them climb it, they'll be climbing your legs at the same time - to attack. If you've got any problems with ants, then mix a small bottle of clove oil with a large watering can of water and soak the nests. Don't make it stronger or it will burn the plants. At that strength, any slight yellowing of grass will soon vanish - so will the ants!

Horticultural.

SHEEP WOOL INSULATION

I see the All Ireland sheep shearing championships were held this month in County Galway. The event highlights the fact that here in Ireland there is a vast amount of raw wool available to turn into commercial products. Locally, wool for clothing may not be in as much demand as it used to be, and now farmers are selling some wool to be used as home insulation products. There are many benefits in using natural sheep’s wool insulation, the most significant points being that:

- Wool can absorb moisture and still retain its superior insulation properties

- Wool has a naturally long lifespan and will extinguish itself in event of fire

-Wool is perfectly safe to both the end user and the environment.

The only other products in wool insulation are borax and natural rubber. Borax is a naturally occurring salt and acts as a pest-repellent by stopping the development of beetles, moths, ants and cockroaches. Borax also enhances the fire rating of construction materials as well as preserving the materials over time. The natural rubber forms a porous coating that helps retain the memory of the wool.

Wool insulation has a very low conductivity which means it is very difficult for heat to pass from one side to the other, this factor makes if far more energy efficient than other products on the market. It is good to know that sheep’s wool is now being used for all types of house insulation. You can use it for loft insulation, under timber floors, in the internal and external walls as well as in the attic. The Co-op in Carndonagh has more details.

Photo: Francis Doherty from Linsfort helps out with the sheep

Environmental.

BIO FUEL CONCERNS

The European Union has warned that the targets set out for Green Fuels will accelerate the destruction of the rainforests and force indigenous people from their land. The bio-fuel industry is a multi billion-dollar industry and at the centre of a worldwide movement to reduce dependency on fossil fuels. Biofuels derived from agricultural products such as wheat corn, sugar cane and other crops are a key issue and a balance has to be made between the fuel production and the ecology of the planet. Done right, it could mean that it will be the farmers who will benefit.

Environmental.