The dilemma of supporting local businesses and value for money, especially at this time of year!

 

I am all in favour of supporting local businesses but sometimes it really is not possible to do this.With Christmas and Kings Day rapidly approaching I have been looking here in Ciutadella for things to buy for my lot!

Being English we celebrate more Christmas Day and of course the Big man with the white beard in the red suit, who brings all the goodies!  The Christmas Tree is up, decorated and lit up to send out the signal, now all we have to do is wait!

In the meantime, walking around town searching out suitable presents is fun but can be a bit frustrating, not enough variety, stuff all sold out and of course the price all contribute.  

The problem is that when I find what I am looking for and as is human nature and compare the price to Amazon the difference can sometimes be double the price which is not acceptable, so I tend to get the item or items from Amazon.  If the difference was a few euros then no contest the local shop wins but sometimes the price difference is ridiculous.  I get that the shop here has their running costs but it does not mean that they double the price!The crazy thing is that it seems that because they get less customers they put the prices up, which drives the customers online, it is a vicious circle.

However, if you are an Amazon customer, there is a section in there called AmazonSmile, if you activate it, whatever you spend they will donate a percentage to the Charity that you choose from their list.

They send you updates on how much they have given to that charity from all their customers,

This is from a recent email I received

"Thanks to customers shopping at smile.amazon.com, or with AmazonSmile turned on in the Amazon shopping app, everyday purchases generated over $236 million in donations to charities worldwide so far.

AmazonSmile's impact:

• $2,678.67 to Snow Leopard Conservancy*
• $217,644,976.48 to all charities in the US
• $237,615,915.89 to all charities worldwide

To track donations or change your charity, simply visit Your AmazonSmile Impact page.

AmazonSmile has the exact same products, same low prices, and same convenient shopping experience as amazon.com, with the added benefit of generating donations for charity, at no additional cost to customers."

Trying to support local businesses and juggle the family budget is very difficult and if a family does not have the time to look around for the best deals they are going to buy online!  

When it comes to normal shopping for the house then that is a completely different matter, here on Menorca there is a lot of local produce that we can buy and I do this as much as I can, if the item I need is not produced here in Menorca then I try to use one of the locally owned supermarkets so at least what I do spend does stay on Menorca and not sent somehwere else.

The Llorens Spar shops are great as is Diskont, Suma and Nou Mercat to name a few here in Ciutadella.

So if possible please buy local products or use local supermarkets, they really do need our support.

The blog song for today is: "Itchycoo Park" by the Small Faces

TTFN

Why organic food is so expensive

Why is organic food so expensive?

Organic food is increasingly popular. In the UK, sales of organic food and drink is worth £1.96bn. But organic food still has only 1.4% share of the food and drink market (Soil Association) – with higher prices discouraging many shoppers.

Organic food also attracts a hefty premium over non-organic food. In 2016, in the US, a survey by USDA found the organic premium varied from 7% for fresh spinach to 82% for eggs. In the UK, the organic premium is higher. Shoppers pay on average an organic premium of 89%.

• Carrots and broccoli had the largest difference – with a kilo of organic carrots £1.40, compared to just 46p for non-organic.
• Organic free-range eggs had the highest premium at 112%
• Organic coffee was the lowest premium at 28%. (Food Navigators)

What are the reasons for higher prices of organic food?

1. Higher costs of producing organic food
2. Bigger profit-markup by retailers.
3. An element of price discrimination – supermarkets charging higher prices to consumers with more inelastic demand (similar to first-class tickets)
4. Demand rising faster than supply

Higher cost of producing organic food. Organic food does not allow the use of artificial fertilisers and pesticides. Therefore, farmers may have to rely on more labour-intensive methods of weed control/pest control. More crops may be lost due to disease pest, so the output is lower than conventional products.

Bigger profit margin for organics

Organic farmers often claim that the large price differentials are not matched by the price they receive. In other words, supermarkets take advantage of the organic ‘premium’ label to put a bigger markup on price. A study by French consumer association UFC-Que Choisir found that organic products were 93% more expensive in France But “Only half of the price difference between organic and non-organic food finds its way back to farmers.

An element of price discrimination. It is not true price discrimination because organic food is a different product to non-organic food. But, there is an element of taking advantage of different elasticities – with supermarkets charging higher prices to those willing to buy the more expensive organic food. Those who buy organic food are more likely to have higher disposable incomes and have more inelastic demand for food. Organic food is a luxury good. As income increases, consumers are willing to spend a bigger percentage of income on organic rather than conventional.

Organic food on left has slightly higher Marginal Cost (MC) but demand is inelastic, so profit maximising price (P1) is significantly higher than for conventional food (P2).

Demand rising faster than supply

The demand for organic food is growing faster than the supply of organic food. Despite farms converting to organic production the increase in supply is less than the rapid rise in demand. One issue is that converting to organic can be a long process – three years to gain a full certificate. This can discourage farmers from making the investment when future revenues are uncertain. With demand rising faster than supply, it is to be unexpected the market mechanism will push up prices

It’s also important to note that you don’t need to buy all foods organic. The Environmental Working Group’s Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides has a "Clean 15" list of the 15 types of produce lowest in pesticides. Save your money for the other organic produce and buy the conventional versions of these:

1. Onions
2. Sweet corn
3. Pineapples
4. Avocado
5. Asparagus
6. Sweet peas
7. Mangoes
8. Eggplant
9. Cantaloupe — domestic
10. Kiwi
11. Cabbage
12. Watermelon
13. Sweet potatoes
14. Grapefruit
15. Mushroom 
    

So at the end of the day it seems there are some supermarkets that are overpricing the organic food because they can get away with it. 

Here on Menorca there are shops which are not too expensive, one of them is the granel shop I mentioned in a previous blog.  Here are some photos to remind you!

The blog song for today is: "20th Century Boy" by T Rex

TTFN

I made some reusable cleaning wipes! And they work!

Woohooo Great Joy!  I tried out one of the cleaning tips this afternoon and made some of the reusable cleaning wipes.  They came out very well indeed. Here are the instructions!

 

 

Things You'll Need

• 450ml of water

• 2 tablespoons of Castile soap

• 10 drops of lavender essential oil

• 10 drops of lemon or other citrus essential oil

• reusable kitchen cloth

• airtight container

   
  

Step 1

Cut reusable wipes so they will fit in your container.

Step 2

Add 2 tablespoons of Castile soap to your container.

 

 

Step 3

Add 10 drops each of lavender and lemon essential oil.

 

Step 4

Place the reusable cleaning wipes in the container.

Step 5

Add water to container and shake well.

How to Use Reusable Cleaning Wipes

1. Remove a cleaning wipe from the container and squeeze to remove some of the excess liquid. The cleaning wipe should be damp.
2. Clean surfaces with cleaning wipe.
3. Wash wipes in washing machine with other laundry.
4. Set aside until you are ready to make a new batch.

 And there you go!  They leave a really lovely smell behind too !

I worked out the cost of making these things and the grand total came to :2 euros and 20c, this includes the cost of the cloths (1 euro), the actual ingredients came out at 1 euro 20, which is very good considering they are natural! I think that the liquid maybe used at least twice!

The blog song for today is "Xanadu" by Electric Light Orchestra

TTFN

 

 

 

Break out the Vicks VapoRub- it does more than you think! Including repelling Mosquitos!

 

 

Wow, I have just come across this useful snippet of information about Vicks VapoRub.

Some parents everywhere swear by the healing power of vapor rub. It's been used to treat cough and cold symptoms since the 1890s, when Vicks VapoRub was invented. But vapor rub — a mentholated ointment that includes topical analgesics among other ingredients — can do a lot more than quiet a cough. Its strong odour and pain-relieving qualities makes it a truly multifunctional item to keep on hand.

If you've ever had a mosquito bite on your ankle, you know that a single tiny bite can drive you absolutely mad. The next time a little pest takes a bite out of you, apply some vapor rub to the area. It'll relieve the discomfort and itching, and should help minimize swelling.

You can't help it that all the neighborhood insects are naturally attracted to you. Luckily, if you treat your first insect bite with vapor rub, you may notice that bugs start steering clear. Vicks VapoRub includes cedarleaf oil, a natural insect repellent. (Other brands of vapor rub may contain different ingredients.)

Vapor rub isn't only for sore and aching muscles caused by sickness. It can be a useful tool for athletes and anyone who suffers with aches and pains. When you pull a calf muscle or wake up with a crick in your neck, try massaging vapor rub into the affected area. Bonus: the mentholated odour will wake you up as effectively as coffee.

Vicks is great for clearing up your sinuses, but it also works wonders on your muscles. If you're like half of the people on this planet who complain about lower back pain, you need to try this hack. Massage some VapoRub on your sore muscles for at least a few minutes. If your muscle pain is simply agonising, wrap a towel or an elastic bandage around the problem area. Make sure you don't wrap it too tight, but also not too loose!

Before you sleep, put a small amount of Vicks on your pimples or acne. In the morning, wash your face, and repeat for the next couple days until the problem is solved. 

Vicks VapoRub is extremely moisturizing, which means it can make your cracked heels look as good as new. Before you go to bed, rub some of the ointment on your heels. In the morning, wash your feet with cold water and scrub away dead skin, and then moisturise.

The cream is also great to cure toenail fungus. Apply the ointment on the affected nail every night, and then wear an old, but clean, sock. In the morning, wash your feet and clip off the infected nail.

Most people use oil to lubricate their door hinges to stop them from squeaking, but oil sometimes has a  funny smell to it. Instead, use VapoRub to get your doors moving smoothly, and the bonus here is that your house will smell amazing.

 I have just had a brainwave! I am going to attempt to make my own Vicks, I am in the process of learning how to make my own soaps, shampoos and cleaning products, so why not try this instead.  How hard can it be!!!!

The blog song for today is: "Our House" by Madness.

TTFN

 

Changing our eating habits to help save the planet!

 I read this very interesting article on the WWF website the other day and thought it may interest other people too!

"Eating with the climate crisis front of mind"

Posted on 23 November 2020

We urgently need to shift our patterns of consumption towards diets that are better for the planet and better for us, writes Vanessa Perez-Cirera, WWF’s Global Deputy Climate & Energy Lead.

Today, we are eating our way through the planet. Our global food system is destabilising the climate, destroying natural habitats, over-using water and, in many cases, it is making us unhealthy. We urgently need to shift our patterns of consumption towards diets that are better for the planet and better for us,

Food system, food security vulnerable to climate change

The global food system is responsible for 27 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. It is also the main driver of tropical deforestation and nature loss. A good way of looking at this is through the lens of land-use. Since about 1850, around 38 per cent of the planet’s land area has been converted to agriculture. On the flip side, food productivity and food security are extremely vulnerable to climate change and, if left unchecked, could see increased conflict and hunger. And climate change also means the food produced is less nutritious. 

However, looking at food systems with a focus on diets allows us to identify powerful choices for addressing climate change both at the individual, and at decision-maker level. Adopting planet-based diets could reduce the food sector’s greenhouse gas emissions by at least 30 per cent, delivering up to a fifth of the climate mitigation we need by 2030 to meet the 1.5oC temperature goal of the Paris Agreement. It could also reduce the amount of land used by agriculture by at least 40 per cent, relieving pressure on vulnerable habitats. And such diets would be better for us, reducing premature deaths by 20 per cent or more.

Governments must address whole food system in NDCs

Governments have an unchecked opportunity to increase their climate pledges through looking at food systems. They must go further in making the links between dietary guidelines and national climate goals. Sound dietary advice that shifts consumption patterns towards foods with a lower climate impact could help inform more ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). 

This could have an enormous impact in reaching the promise of Paris. Currently, the climate plans submitted as part of the Paris Agreement process, or NDCs, and which are due to be updated by December 2020, taking the latest climate science into account, take us to a 3oC world versus the 1.5oC recommended by science to avoid the worst impacts and potential run-away climate change.  

That said, shifting diets alone will not address all the global food system’s negative impacts. Action is needed from governments and multilateral bodies to promote more sustainable food production, such as conservation agriculture, agroforestry and regenerative agriculture, and food waste must urgently be tackled. While many countries have included agriculture as a feature of their NDCs, 89 per cent fail to account for the whole food system. And so far, none of them includes diets explicitly. 

By including the whole food chain in NDCs, policymakers can improve their mitigation and adaptation contributions from the food system by as much as 25 per cent. Improving production methods and reducing methane emissions from livestock could reduce emissions by up to 1.55 Gt CO2e per year; tackling food loss and waste could reduce emissions by 4.5 Gt CO2e per year; reducing land-use change and conversion of natural habitats could reduce emissions by 4.6 Gt CO2e per year. And finally, including actions on diets and food loss and waste in NDCs could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an extra 12.5 Gt CO2e annually. 

There is no reason for inaction. We can all advocate for #NDCsWeWant and make a personal change to diets within planetary boundaries.

For more information, contact Mandy Jean Woods mwoods@wwfint.org"

Harvesting food

© WW213001_Simon_Rawles

Growing food

© James_Morgan_WWF-US

The unbelievable travelling of your average plastic bottle- amazing!

 As you know I am trying to understand what I can do to reduce how much plastic I use in my household, I was searching the internet and came across this on the New Scientist website, it is incredible reading!

The Long Journey of Plastic Waste Documented

Researchers at the University of Exeter in the U.K. used GPS trackers to follow 25 discarded plastic bottles. They found they can trace up to 1,800 miles in just a few months, New Scientist reports. The bottles were released in the Ganges River and entered the Bay of Bengal, where they could travel as much as 13 miles each day. Bottles that came to rest beside the river were picked up and deposited in the ocean during flood seasons, which flush trash into the Indian Ocean.

Plastic bottles dumped in rivers can travel up to 3000 kilometres in just a few months. Following where bottles end up could help determine how best to tackle plastic pollution.

Emily Duncan at the University of Exeter, UK, and her colleagues used GPS and satellite technology, similar to those used for tracking animal movements, to follow the path of 25 plastic bottles. “We thought if we can track a turtle, why can’t we track a plastic bottle?” says Duncan.

The team released the bottles along the Ganges river in India and Bangladesh, which is the second largest contributing river to ocean plastic pollution. They found that the average bottle travelled at speeds of about 1 kilometre a day. Some ended up in the Bay of Bengal and travelled an average of 6 kilometres a day at sea.

One bottle travelled roughly 3000 kilometres from the Bay of Bengal and circled around the east Indian coastline in 94 days. The fastest bottle travelled about 21 kilometres a day, but Duncan says they have the potential to travel much further and faster depending on ocean currents and wind speed.

Read more: How can India clean up when all of its waste has an afterlife?

The team found the bottles travelled in stepwise movements along the Ganges, with some 40 per cent becoming stranded on river banks. That waste could then get flushed out to sea during monsoon season.

“This can tell us how much effort we should put to inland waste management,” says Marcus Eriksen at the 5 Gyres Institute, a non-profit organisation in Santa Monica, California. “The most value is in what these bottles can tell us about where and when to remove trash from the world’s rivers,” he says.

Richard Thompson at the University of Plymouth, UK, says this data shows that rivers are important pathways for ocean plastic pollution. “Rivers are a one-way conveyor belt of material,” he says. “They connect the sea to people that could be living thousands of miles inland. And their actions can have an influence on the accumulations of plastic in the oceans.”

In 2010, an estimated 5 million to 13 million tonnes of plastic waste entered the world’s oceans.

“It’s also an important visual tool for social change and awareness,” says Duncan. Tracking how far plastic can travel gives communities and policy-makers ownership of their waste and can help stop ocean plastic pollution at its source, she says.

Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestlé Are the Top Plastic Polluters

Green Matters reports that Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, and Nestlé lead the world in generating plastic pollution, according to a new report from Break Free From Plastic. Based on volunteer audits of 575 brands in 55 countries, the report found that of 346,494 plastic debris items collected, 63% were branded packaging. The top polluter, Coke, accounted for 3.9% of plastic waste. The research provides a useful quantification of the often abstract issues surrounding “producer responsibility,” the requirement that a company that makes a product or packaging is also responsible for collecting and recycling it. Extended Producer Responsibility laws already exist in the E.U. and Canada, and several U.S. states are implementing programs. They impose a fee on each item to support the recycling infrastructure needed to collect and process the materials. Visit the Break Free From Plastic site to explore how brands pollute in different countries. Nestlé this week also announced a plan to reduce its reliance on virgin plastic, reduce emissions, and support regenerative farming in its supply chain, GreenBiz reports.

Another great reason to stay away from plastic!  If one family reduces its plastic waste by just one bottle a week, what a difference that would make!  Glass or Aluminium is better! Or re-use your old plastic container and go to a shop that refills it such as the one we have here in Ciutadella called  "Camamilla"

It is so easy to refill as little or as much as you want, a great price and ecological too!  You can use the cleaning products with the confidence that no harmful products are affecting your family or when you rinse them away, the environment.

 

The blog song for today is "Ripples" by Genesis.

 

TTFN

Feel embarrassed about giving old worn out clothes to charity? Don´t be, there is a use for them!

 

 

Have you ever gone to put something the bag to give to the charity shop then felt embarrassed at the state of it? I have done, to avoid throwing any clothing away I have tried to re-use it, the main thing being cutting up for cleaning rags!

I was talking to a friend the other day and the subject of charity shops came up and in particular Caritas here on Menorca.  I was told not to worry about donating clothes that are in really bad condition because they get sorted out and sent onwards to Barcelona to be reused for the thread!  

What a great piece of information!

So the next time I do a sort out I know that I will be putting every last item to a good use!

I do give a lot of things to Caritas because I know that the money they earn will go to help people here on Menorca, so as they say "Charity begins at home".  

Just think if everyone who lived on Menorca gave 1 euro to one or a few of the charities here, what a difference that would make to people, or animals or both! Dream on!

The blog song for today is: "Give a little bit" by Supertramp

TTFN

Surviving the Australian bush fires

 Take a look at this little animal! So incredibly cute! They thought that they had all been wiped out in the awful fires in Australia last year but they have found some still alive! What fantastic news.

The Mountain Pygmy-possum (Burramys parvus) is one of five living species of pygmy-possum, all of which are classified within a single family. It is the largest of the pygmy-possums, and can be easily distinguished from other members of the family by its distinctive “buzz saw” premolar teeth.

Unlike most other possums, it is mainly ground-dwelling, inhabiting alpine and subalpine boulderfields and rocky scree in south-eastern Australia. Males and females spend most of the year separately. Females and their young occupy the best quality habitat.

The Mountain Pygmy-possum is also the only Australian marsupial that hibernates for long periods during the winter. Mating begins in early spring when the possums emerge from their winter sleep.

 

Up to four young are born. The young grow quickly and are weaned 9-10 weeks after conception. They leave the nest a month later. Most pygmy-possums live for only 1-3 years, however males can live to five years, and females to 12.

 

It is nice to have good news! 

My blog song for today is : "I will survive" - by Gloria Gaynor.

TTFN

Homemade cleaning reusable wipes-

 Homemade antiseptic wipes

2 cups water

1 cup rubbing alcohol (at least 70% strength or if you just want to clean and not necessarily disinfect you can use vinegar

1 tbsp liquid detergent or washing up liquid

Micro fibre cloths

A large air tight jar, spray bottle, or size you’d like to use

6 drops lavender oil

Double or triple these amounts to make as much as you’d like.

Submerge cloths in liquid, secure lid and shake. 

Take out and use one at a time, or spray mixture and use cloths to clean surfaces. 

 DIY cleaning wipes

The recipe below is not necessarily antibacterial and germ fighting, rather primarily focused on cleaning surfaces.

1 glass jar

4 cups warm water

2 tbsp. castile soap

10 drops lemongrass essential oil

10 drops lavender essential oil – or any other combo of oils you desire

Reusable cloth wipes

Method:

1. Add 1/2 your water to the glass container
2. Add your soap
3. Add 10 drops of each oil and mix well
4. Cut your reusable wipes in half
5. Roll each one up and put into your container standing up as seen in pics above
6. Add the rest of your water
7. Close the lid tightly and shake well
8. Use, rinse, put back into container and reuse over and over again! 

 I will be trying one of these out this weekend, they look great!

My blog song for today is "Lazing on a Sunday afternoon" by Queen

 

TTFN

 

Electric Cars and the deception behind the "Green" Dream

 

Lately all we seem to hear about is electric cars (or EVs), saving the planet by cutting down emissions and all that other stuff.

But is it the answer?

In fact, building a battery pack for an EV is incredibly energy-intensive, and it takes significant mileage before the EV has worked off the CO₂ released during its manufacture.

 At the moment there is a big problem with mining for Lithium in Portugal, in January 2020, a map began circulating among the various WhatsApp and Facebook groups set up by concerned residents. The map, put together by a local software developer specialising in cartography, appeared to confirm their worst fears. A tapestry of geometric shapes spread across the country’s interior, abutting designated nature reserves. A series of local and national protests, including a march in Lisbon last year, sought to raise awareness about the impacts of modern mining on the natural environment, including potential industrial-scale habitat destruction, chemical contamination and noise pollution, as well as high levels of water consumption. They also raised concerns about the impact on tourism – an economic mainstay for the country’s interior, with an annual turnover of €18.4bn in 2019. 

Apparantly the same problem is happening in Chile.

The urgency in getting a lithium supply has unleashed a mining boom, and the race for “white oil” threatens to cause damage to the natural environment wherever it is found. But because they are helping to drive down emissions, the mining companies have EU environmental policy on their side.

“There’s a fundamental question behind all this about the model of consumption and production that we now have, which is simply not sustainable. Everyone having an electric vehicle means an enormous amount of mining, refining and all the polluting activities that come with it.”

In addition, they will play little part in cleaning up toxic air which plagues our cities and towns. Particulate matter is one of the greatest threats to human health, with no safe levels. And research shows that 45% of it has been attributed to tyre and brake wear in London. Furthermore, they will not make our streets safer, less congested or more attractive places to move around.

The problem of the length of time it takes to recharge the battery is an issue also. It can be anything from 10-15 hours, so unless it is a hybrid then if you have an emergency don´t expect to jump in the electric car and go!

Rather than focusing on EVs, the governments should be doing everything it can to shift people away from driving, to healthy, clean alternatives such as walking and cycling for shorter journeys. This is the best way to reach a zero-carbon future. 

All governments need to put an end to building more roads for cars and instead make walking and cycling the easiest and most convenient options for more people. Pedestrians and people on cycles should have priority and networks of protected cycle lanes on main roads should be the norm so that everyone feels more confident travelling around.

Travelling around in big cities should be made by introducing more public transport at a really good price, we went to Prague last year and found the tram system to be really efficient, cheap and clean.  I am sure there are many more cities like this one!  There were very few cars in the city centre which can only be better for the health of everyone!

I suppose that in the long run then maybe electric cars are better than petrol/diesel ones, but at the moment the high cost of buying one, the amount of energy needed to produce one, along with the use of electricity (powered by conventional fossil fuels) outweighs the positive effects.

The blog song for today is:" Dazed and Confused" by Led Zepellin.

 

TTFN