Environmentally Friendly

I heard an interesting piece on the radio today while driving to a business meeting, which set me off, so feel free to add your own bits to it.

The piece centred around a young girl verbally attacking an elderly woman and claiming the planet was in the condition it was because of her generation, the olds; and the elderly woman replied "in her day they didn't have the green thing.

Is this the same generation who walked everywhere as they didn't have cars, they fetched and carried the shopping by hand, and only used the bus as an alternative mode of transport because that's all there was, not like today's modern women who burn lots of fuel going to a supermarket by car several times a week and wasting fuel. The same people whose children walked to school, or cycled, and did not rely on mummy becoming a school run taxi and burning lots of fuel for a journey of a few hundred yards/metres. But they didn't have the green thing in their day.

Is this the same people who grew most of their food in large gardens and those with smaller properties who had allotments and grew a surplus of fruit and vegetables, and many who kept their own livestock for eggs or meat, not like the youngsters of today who expect it all in their supermarkets and do not care its flown halfway round the world. The same older generation who beat and mixed by hand in large bowls as they didn't have electrical gadgets to do it all for them. The same older generation who pickled onions, cauliflower, cabbage, gherkins and small cucumbers, the same older generation who also bottled fruit and vegetables in the prized, saved large glass jars which were cleaned and used for many years, unlike the modern generation who expect all their fruit and vegetables to be prepared and in tins in their supermarket. The same older generation who made their own jam, marmalade, and other preserves from fruit from their gardens, the same older generation who made their own apple sauce from their apples, and often made their own cider and wines from their fruit, nothing was wasted. The same older generation who did not waste food, often turning sour milk into cheese, saved meat bones and boiled them in water for meat or poultry stock, the same older generation who saved vegetable peelings and boiled them for vegetable stock, unlike todays youngsters who buy it in throw away plastic packaging. But they didn't have the green thing in their day.

The same older generation who had milk, beer, and pop in glass bottles which were washed and sent back to the factory for cleaning and sterilizing and refilled for use, and the beer and pop bottles which had a deposit which was paid when the bottles were collected and returned, often by children. The same older generation who saved their glass jars in large quantities for re-use.

The same older generation who were much fitter because they got more exercise, they didn't get, or expect every store to have escalators or lifts, they walked up the stairs.

The same older generation who supposedly didn't recycle, the same older generation who handed clothes down, they mended clothes or even cut them down for smaller children, the same generation who washed nappies and reused them. Unlike todays generation who's children swap clothes for the latest fashion fad, children who demand their parents buy them, the same modern generation who throw away perfectly good clothing, and use the disposable nappies and would have no clue about their environmental impact, but in their day they didn't have the green thing.

The same older generation who had one radio or TV in the house, a TV with a screen the size of a small handkerchief, not multiple TV's todays generation have to have, the sort with screens the size of a small country, and one in every room.

The same older generation who washed by hand as they had no expensive and high consuming washing machines and tumble driers, they pegged washing out to dry and knew about solar and wind power because they used it to dry their washing, but they didn't have the green thing in their day. They had homes with one electrical socket in each room, not massive banks of sockets with multi way adaptors plugged into them to power the multitude of electrical devices such as TV's digital TV systems, computers, various recording devices, computers, and everything else they deem "a necessity".

The same older generation who packed delicate items in newspaper for posting or transportation, not in mass produced bubble wrap, polystyrene, or foam which is readily available to the youngsters today.

But of course, they didn't have the green thing in their day.

WOW
most be getting old we did all of that and more sometimes.
But even now we have the green thing, we still do a lot of them,
and to keep up with carbon footprint have flow only twice, forced to because of my job HGV driver, 1st stuck in Italy costom's officers went on strike, and company did not wish to pay me for 2 weeks sitting in the sun doing nothing, 2nd time they flew me to Holland to pick up a truck someone had left there. Do not like flying.
but to make up for that me and Dilys have planted over 35,000 trees and a hedge approx 3/4 mile long.
Lucky we had the land to do it, not every body has.

I have a few acres and have reinstated many of the old hedges also, cut down several trees and replaced them in another area with traditional British hardwoods.

Very well written Assassin. Although some of the younger generation might scoff at my past I feel fortunate to have been born towards the end of WW2. One of my Grandfathers was a poultryman on a mixed farm in Dorset. The farm cottage had no power so cooking was done using a range and a paraffin heater contraption. The food, some of which came from the large vege garden, was gloriously tasty and definitely free of preservatives and modern day crud. Lighting was provided by oil lamp and I lit my way up to bed each night by means of a wee willie winkie candle holder. Music came care of 78 records on a wind up gramophone and my Gran did the washing in a copper heated by a small fire underneath. Bath time was in the tin bath in front of the range and clothes ironed using a heavy iron heated on the range top.
When using the outside toilet at night one used one of those battery powered bicycle lamps with the screw top to light your way. A quick scan of the ceiling located how close the daddy longlegs were and where the rough toilet paper was. When caught short in the night there was the potty under the bed and on the side board was the jug of "cold" water and a bowl for washing. The spare bedroom smelt of of apples wrapped and stored under the bed for use out of season.
Where as today kids appear to exist on litres of carbonated each day I had to make one screw topped bottle of Corona delivered once a week. I amused myself with the inevitable home made catapult, hoop and stick or go cart made with pram wheels, rope and planks. Must not forget the conkers which are apparently a hazard these days. Being before H&S I freely wandered around the farm and fearlessly explored the machinery and sheds. I studied the creatures in the troughs and was fascinated by the water boat-men. We lived near a market town so each week we would travel by coach to visit the animal market.

I could prattle on about even more memories of those halcyon days. I smile when what has been, is suddenly re-invented and deemed worthy of adulation to its recent (re)creator. Farmers markets, organic food to name but two. We were being green then in many ways. Granted a huge amount of coal was consumed to provide transport ( my other Grandfather was an engine driver ) and industry but the vacuum that exists in that young girls head prevents her from realizing the huge infrastructure and bulk of technology that exist in the UK and beyond are care of that older woman's generations efforts and sacrifice.

It happens with each generation when the youth tend to poo poo the wisdom or advice from their elders. What goes around!. I however feel there is a difference with the latest transition. I believe society is devolving and some people are intent on climbing back into the trees. There is a distinct lack of respect and civility and appreciation. Much like that from that young woman. It used to be "I want never gets ".

Besides, around the time I was a sprog being pushed around in one of those huge period prams an icon was being created. A Land Rover! It went on to help develop the world and later to inspire other marques to follow with their version of a capable off roader.

Lets at least drink to that. And be Merry!

I particularly liked the comment about what has been reinvented, it set me thinking.

I had a neighbour, illiterate, innumerate, and if someone had something he had to have it bigger and better than them to overcompensate for his inadequacies, he bought a Ford Mondeo which had a twin cam engine, and being him he had to brag about it for effect as according to him it was the newest and latest thing. Suddenly i shot him down in flames when i said my BMW had had twin cam engines in for 17 years and BMW don't think it even worthy of bragging about let alone using it as sales publicity, i then went further back in time to a 1925 Bentley engine which had three overhead cams and five valves per cylinder. He went very quiet.

Now to really show my age.

About 30 plus years ago I recall watching a segment on what was then Tomorrows World with Raymond Baxter. ( I think I have the right programme and TV host. ) The item was about an old chap who lived in what appeared to be a somewhat ramshackle abode in the English countryside. He was collecting the gas given off from chook manure, "cleaning it ", compressing and storing it for the sole purpose of powering his Series Land Rover. Hows that for low cost energy. ( That was before Red Bull )

There was another short item, not sure of the programme, where a Chinese peasant family were cooking with methane gas given off by pig slurry stored in a pit next to the sty. Not the most hygienic set up but it worked. Here we are in 2011 still fluffing around trying to figure how to produce renewable green energy. Seems after all the chook and pig poo, that has been and gone, we have not got very far yet.

Having just checked on the net I see the Farmatic Biogas outfit set up at Holsworhy Devon back in 1998, may still be operating. It had a dodgy time there for a while because they couldn't get a decent price for the power produced for the grid. So anyone who can design a small efficient biogas digester with power generator that is economical for the farming industry could be on a winner. Small farm collectives could produce renewable energy for any number of applications. Lighting, and heating for themselves and their immediate community.

" More importantly some of the energy could be used to power some of those with V8s in 4x4s." Also way back then they complemented diesel with injected gas to reduce smoking road trucks. It certainly worked and gave an increase in power. Seems that development died.

Over here in NZ, and possibly a number of other countries, there has been a lot of fuss about ruminants burping and farting thus polluting the atmosphere. Of course all this comes as a result of numerous individuals who spend their lives sat discussing non- sensicle policy to irritate, confound and generally hack off everybody else who just wants to enjoy their time on this one and only wondrous orb. During breaks from this non productive pastime they care to enjoy their lattes made from MILK, and their meals based around MEAT.

I oft think of the Goon show episode of the exploding shirt tails. How appropriate that would be at such times. Mind you there is a theory that too much time sat at a desk can lead to oxygen starvation of the brain.

It appears there are still to many hurdles in some peoples minds. Principally in those of the bureaucrats.

Seems I may be able to persuade my wife that if I buy her some chooks, which she has a soft spot for, I could buy and run a V8 on the cheep!.

Im young or younger, and I do share similar views.

When I worked as a Bench Joiner before health problems, myself and the company were very concious of buying only timber and wood, from sources that were replanting trees that they had cut down. Like the FSC and other forestry survival commission's.

We even were involved in a large scale repopulating of trees in the UK. Mainly Oak and Douglas fir.

And I enjoyed it.

I Even had the chance to drive the Terracan through the forest to the sites!

Think back to WWII when they had no fuel and most vehicles were still petrol, many of them had a great bag on the roof which was filled with gas which they ran vehicles on, so again something reinvented. How many remember Captain Mainwaring in Dads Army riding along in Jonesies van with one on the top.

Assassin wrote:

How many remember Captain Mainwaring in Dads Army riding along in Jonesies van with one on the top.

Nope....

Terracan Jas wrote:

Assassin wrote:

How many remember Captain Mainwaring in Dads Army riding along in Jonesies van with one on the top.

Nope....

Yep

Must be wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy before my time....

TJ:

You really need to watch "Dads Army", apart from inoffensive totally British humour it also shows many factual events based on technology of the time, its just used in a comical sense.

As an aside, Dads Army and Are You Being Served are the two most popular old comedies among the younger generation.

What about Porridge? - Funny stuff I thinks

These are all comedies with good comedians or comedy actors who had served their time, often many years or decades before getting a break into the big time, not like todays comedians and comedy actors who want it all now and without serving decades within their craft.

Gas bags! No, not an insult to those posting here, just gas bags ...








Or even better ...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=43c683YY18w

Brings a whole new meaning to the term "gas guzzlers"

And the only thing you need is a good supply of brussels, baked beans, curry, and mushy peas and you are self sufficient in fuel.

Not forgetting Guinness as a starter and some form of " Collecting or Trapping device ". Reminds me of those school days in the Chemistry lab with the gas passing through water on its way to the large glass vessel. Then it was Strike a match! Of course how you did that depended on the weight of the gas. I don't how I survived my pre teens with the Chemistry set my parents bought me.
I somehow think these days obsessed with health and safety a set like that wouldn't be available. Of course then one went for the development of hydrogen sulphide and not an underpants or shoe bomb.

Keith

Many of the issues arise because people do not repair things any more, its too easy to replace something which is broken or deliberately subscribe to consumerism and simply not bother because there is no need to. Many parents occupy such a position and their children lose out by not being practical people, but owning and modifying a 4X4 encourages participation in repairing and mending items of equipment as many people are practical and less pragmatic because they have to be. This encourages such skills, and particularly the skills of yesteryear where things had to be repaired.

It never ceases to amaze me where people are unable to undertake basic repairs on items such as vehicles which they use everyday, and take for granted, how many people even know where the jacking points are on their vehicle, let alone where the jack and spare wheel are, and how to change a wheel. For so many people its often too easy to join a breakdown organisation and simply call them out, wait for an hour or longer for them to attend and replace a wheel when they are capable of doing it themselves in all but a few minutes. Many do not know where or how to perform many other basic tasks such as checking and replenishing basic fluids such as engine oils, brake fluid, power steering fluid, screen wash water, and the numerous other items requiring regular checks. Years ago a car was not a disposable item it was an expensive luxury and owners knew the basics, and much more.

It makes me think how many people would go on with a 4X4, would they call out the AA or RAC for a flat tyre when they were off road in a remote location? and what would they do when these services refused to attend? oh the lessons of yesteryear.

All nice ideas. but fantastic resource for finding information on being environmentally friendly as well as businesses, organizations and resources for living the eco-friendly lifestyle.

Saw an advert the other day for Meccano. It is good to see it still survives but how different it is from the original coloured steel sections and the small nuts and bolts. By all accounts it fell out of favour because young kids could swallow these small items. Providing it went down the right hole it would probably do no harm. What kid has never stuck something up a nostril or in the ear. The real pain was suddenly having a nut or bolt lacking a partner. That taught one to use care to avoid disappointment.

The victory for the doomsayers removed kids from the two of the most important instruments created by man. The Screwdriver and Spanner. These not only introduced a kid to construction but creativity of the mind. Meccano gave one visual insight to the laws of physics. The right angle, rotation, the arc, gearing, force, effort, angle of the dangle etc. Just outside the window is parked my LR90 which is, apart from being a box on wheels that daily demonstrates the need for effort over wind resistance with its resultant cost, a man sized representation of Meccano. It stops short of being something I know my mother would not have approved of being taken apart on the lounge carpet. God bless her.

The other aspect of tools such as those was the self inflicted pain one suffered when the screwdriver or spanner slipped with over enthusiastic application of torque through lack of concentration. All part of the learning curve as was the lesson of hitting the nail with the hammer when forming shapes with colored wooden sections on the early form of soft fibre board.

Of course the real loss is greater than first seen due to the fact steel has given way to plastic. I quietly weep when I see the amount of oil based plastic wasted producing toys and everyday items of limited use and life expectancy. Next time you go into any large store be it hardware or general, Stop Look and Visualize the amount of oil that would have been used to produce the resultant plastic before your eyes....assuming it is oil based. A good deal of it will soon require yet more oil for its disposal. Now convert that into fuel that could have been used to propel us to the nearest greenland or distant desert. OUCH

With regards to people and their cars some blame must go toward the manufacturer who instruct one to only touch those items highlighted in yellow! I can not be sexist with regard to a good number of people being only capable of putting petrol in the car and nothing more. Many years ago I lent a car to my brother in law. Wonderfully bright and brainy chap. When I got it back I checked the oil level and found I had a chromium plated dipstick. And that was not just the one in the car. What can be frightening to a lot of people these days is a look under the bonnet. My first car was an Austin A30. One could just detect the engine against huge backdrop of tarmac. Now you lose a nut or screw and not only will it never reach the road but may never be found. Two of the most beautiful motors I have gazed upon were those of a Bugatti and a Bentley. The former in one of those famous race cars was a piece of art. There were no big extra bits hanging off of it, just pure silver coloured block and minimal necessary attachments.

The one in the Bentley looked HUGE. One could actually visualize the huge pistons and their tremendous depth of stroke.

Legend has it that way back in the fog of history there was a phenomena called Motoring!!!!! When not banging against the elements in a trudging brick I attempt to remind my self of those days by taking my NA Mazda MX5 for a spin. Top down of course. :

Ah ... Meccano, Lego and Airfix-type kits, all excellent in their own ways. All 'hands on' construction games you'll note. It now seems a lot of kid's stuff is destuctive, electronic games in which you have to blow up or kill the ememy.

Or am I just being an old git?

Totally agree with your post Vicar, i am a qualified, professional engineer and we have been campaigning for children to become involved with such toys as practical ways to appreciate engineering and its principles, as well as developing creativity, something sadly lacking in engineering today with some of the watered down Degree's they turn out today.
Recently had a graduate who after being at University and came out with his degree, could not work out the volume of a storage cylinder which was round, grandson aged 6 can do that, and with just a pen and paper and not a calculator.

Children lack basic skills through schools chasing figures and omitting subjects like metalwork, woodwork, plastic work, which teach basics such as measuring, using hand tools properly, design, and the ability to develop their designs into reality through such craft mediums, how about art? omitted by many schools, nobody seems to be able to produce a basic and clear sketch clearly dimensioned, which can be understood by others. One company director friend moans because his apprentice joiners spend their first 6 months learning what they should have learned at school, meaning they have to compress more learning into a shorter apprenticeship.

My gripe (apologies for the rant) is the general public do not understand or appreciate engineering, do not know how many fields of engineering there are, and certainly do not appreciate what engineering gives them in their everyday lives, imagine no fancy fashionable clothes made on machines developed by engineers, no cars, computers, mobile phones, medical devices, and everything they take for granted, but could not survive without. Their homes built with men and machines developed by engineers, the highly insulated properties designed for minimum wastage and maximum efficiency, the water systems for their taps or toilets and their washing machines, the gas bought halfway round the world in pipelines designed and installed by engineers, and the electricity for their large flat panel TV's which they take for granted. The mobile phone masts and communications networks which allow them to permanently have a mobile phone grafted to the ends of their wrists, and of course their nice cars which gives them freedom of mobility, then there's the trains, trams, buses, and aeroplanes they all take for granted, or the gritters and snow ploughs needed this time of year. How about all their flat pack furniture designed on design software, made from man made boards from massive production lines, and cut to such accuracy with CNC cutting machines, and they still can't put it together.

Then we have the environmentalists who assume you throw recyclable products in a bin and it comes back as something else recycled, no thought of the lorries collecting their green efforts or the recycling plants designed by British engineers and manufactured by British companies, which are renowned as world leaders in recycling technology and export it around the world. No thoughts as to how their waste paper and card are automatically seperated using compressed air, how their waste glass is collected, ground up, and used as cullet in new glass products, or how their scrap metal products are crushed and broken up using the worlds largest and most efficient metal shredders, and all designed and built in the UK by engineers.

Hear, hear.

One skill that is disappearing (or around Wiltshire) that I would LOVE to learn is smithing, blacksmiths etc.
Iron, steel forging, all and anything to do with this.

There is only one course at a college locally (20 miles) to learn the basics, and at £300 for 12, 2 hour session can it even be useful?
Gone are the older trades, and skills, difficult to learn old skills or even find someone to teach them. There is plenty of research on the internet but Its pretty useless unless a practical lesson is involved.

As some might know, I used to work as a fully qualified bench joiner, carpenter and wood machinist. But had to leave the industry due to it affecting my respiratory condition. Still I did enjoy It and do miss the hands on use of tools and thinking, which is one reason I would like to try smithing.

TJ

It is most unfortunate TJ you had to give up on what is both a creative and satisfying skilled trade. I elected to do the limited course in wood work which was part of the repatriation programme from the RN back into civy street in the late 70s. Doing dove-tailing by hand rather than by router. In retrospect not the most useful long-term course but it appealed to my artistic side.

I thoroughly enjoyed metalwork at school where I made the inevitable fire poker which combined the twisting and folding of the metal. It is one of those basic worldly skills that truly stretches the human imagination and helped build empires. Heat, muscle produced sweat and tremendous eye / hand co-ordination. A very disciplined form of aggression when swinging that hammer. If your respiratory condition will not be affected by the fumes then go for it. If like me you tend to be a monkey see monkey do type of learner, once the course has taught you the basics of the dark art the rest is all in your head. The extent of your Imagination will be your only limit.

Before that it comes down to affordability. The initial cost of the course, then establishing oneself in a somewhat financially suppressed market. What might be helpful is becoming an apprentice to a full time blacksmith. My wife has a few horses so am aware there is still a demand for hot shoeing in that industry. It could provide bread and butter money whilst pursuing wrought iron commissions.

Back in 08 my wife and I went to the Great Dorset Steam Fair. Not only is it my native county but the sight and smell of steam driven machinery has an addictive effect on my remaining collection of synapses that occasionally need a tickle de de. Amongst the numerous displays we came across a young lad making gates, seats and tradition hurdles. No power tools, no sawdust, just wood shavings. Using either a foot treadle lathe or two handed blade he had created some incredibly beautiful objects. With your background in working with wood I thought a similar pursuit could be another arrow in your quiver.

Holding either of these skills could hold huge potential in situations where there is no power and a workable repair in iron or timber would save the day. Out of that would come respect, appreciation and admiration from others and beyond that huge pride in yourself.

Both trades produce the most simple yet effective items. A nail and a peg.

What ever you elect to do TJ may you be very successful. Oh and if you chase the dark art of forging I would like to buy one of your first nails!

Cheers

There is a significant difference between blacksmithing and being a farrier, a blacksmith heats and shapes metal and a farrier is somewhat more limited as he is not a blacksmith and only shapes shoes for horses, but the farrier is trained in identifying and dealing with a horses hooves.

I have done blacksmithing for many years as we had to do it as part of our apprenticeship, apart from showing my age, it was an essential component of a mining mechanical apprenticeship as was rope splicing for large steel ropes. Most of it is practice and experience which can only come from practice, and with a little practice you can make your own forge and blacksmithing tongues and other tools as well as have a little fun creating items in metal.

Last summer i had my forge lit (home made of course) and her indoors demanded two metal hanging basket brackets to her design and they had to be made, painted, and installed within one hour, 40 minutes later they were made, painted, and installed; and i told her to get her bloody hanging baskets up as if she was rushing me to make them, she could hurry up and hang her baskets on them.

If you want help or advice on making a forge Jason i will oblige.

With a forge you can also melt metals such as aluminium for making your own castings, i do this regularly for obsolete vehicle parts on classic cars and trucks, and again its fairly simple with a little ingenuity, you can recycle old car parts such as meduim carbon steels used on coil or leaf springs for making chisels, but you will need to learn hardening and more importantly, tempering, and i have never bought a chisel, i make my own. All you need to make a forge is metal for the frame, sand to line it with, a flue and fan for the air blower, and a little fire cement to form the air blower nozzle as it will stand the heat, a few tools such as tongues, and a little pottery skill to make crucibles in clay for melting metals on the forge.