[18 Sep ’19] Five things I have done today to help the planet - the Electric Car arrived!

A big day on our car front. We have finally gone electric.

I've been going nuts for hazelnuts.

And I've been giving slugs the boot, saying bye to standby, and kicking the shaving cream can off the planet...

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1. Hello Zoe

The day we've been waiting for for a couple of years finally arrived.

This morning we took delivery of an all electric Renault Zoe.

It's only a second hand 22kWh model, with a leased battery, but it suited the budget we had available and gives us a chance to dip our toe in the electric water.

Electric car, and battery, technology is moving rapidly, and prices are coming down, so hopefully in a year or so we will be able to trade up for something more substantial.

This one should do about 80 miles on a charge. That doesn't sound a lot but it will cover 90%+ of our journeys and this model has the special 43kW fast charging facility so we will be able to get a 15 minute top up quite easily.

Stay tuned for tales from The Zoe Diaries...

PS - If anyone wants a second hand Vauxhall Astra I will sell for STEEM...

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2. Hazelnuts, oh hazelnuts

I'm keen on growing trees.

I've already got a couple of hundred young ones of various species coming on in pots.

But this winter I really want to move up a gear with growing from seed.

Today I started collecting hazelnuts. Beech, oak and a bunch of others are still to come.

The squirrels love the hazelnuts too and they are niftier at collecting them so they are taking the lion's share.

But we have a hundred or so hazelnut trees on our land so there is plenty for everyone.

First up I've learnt I need to float them in water. If they sink they are good, if they float (and have air in them) they are bad and won't germinate.

I will be interested to see what percentage of floaters I get.

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3. Slug begone

Slugs are my number one garden nuisance.

They eat my seedlings, they eat my lettuces, they eat just about everything green that sways in the wind.

I'm fully organic so I don't use chemicals. Mechanical methods are my prefered modus operandi.

Beer traps, copper strips, egg shells have all been tried but don't really cut the mustard.

The killer app is the good old torch and boot.

I go out at dusk with a bright light and a wellington.

But I play fair. I make a big noise to let them know I'm coming. They can slime away if they are quick enough.

This evening I only got four. I must be having the desired effect. I was getting at least a dozen a week ago.

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4. Standby for action

I've known about it for years - but never quite got round to changing my habits.

All those electrical appliances that are left on standby at night.

Surely they only use a teeny weeny bit of electricity when they are sitting obediently waiting for our command to spring into action.

But those discrete little blue or red lights give the game away. They are using something and they all add up.

Those millions of standbys across the planet use a whole power station or more...

• Why we should turn off our electrical appliances

So I'm switching off and unplugging every night.

And what's good for the planet is good for the purse too.

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5. A close shave

For many a year I've been using a disposable razor and shaving cream.

I defy conventional marketing wisdom and reuse my razor for a least a month before changing. I'm definitely not a one trick pony with the razor and my face is still in place so no need to dispose the disposable any more often.

Planet smart would suggest I go old traditional razor or even grow a beard but for now I hang on to my little stick of plastic and metal.

But for the shaving cream (usually Gillette Classic Sensitive Skin Shaving Foam) I've been having increasing eco-anxiety about whether there was a better way.

All that pressurised can and industrial chemical just to make my face smooth...

So when the last can ran dry I thought what would happen if I just wet my face and put on some liquid hand soap?

Nothing bad. It worked perfectly. My skin stayed on and the hairs came off.

Result for the planet. No more can and cream. Just a tiny bit of Bio-D Sanitising Hand Wash - and we are just switching to buying that in a 5 litre refillable container as well.

Another small 'planet & purse' victory!

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Another day on the planet.

I found it quite electrifying...

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[ header image from unsplash.com // other images from @pennsif ]