Healthy Planet Blog

I read an interesting article in the Times on Monday (20/06/11 by Ben Webster) entitled ‘Planting trees ‘does little to reduce global warming’’. The article discusses a study done by Canadian scientists which was published in Nature Geoscience which states that even planting trees on a vast scale across the globe will have little mitigating effect on the warming that climate change is predicted to have over the coming century. At first, this seems a blow to us conservation-minded people because replanting forests that have been cut down has the dual purpose of reclaiming land for biodiversity and also softening the impacts of global warming on ecosystems around the world. However, the article isn’t all doom and gloom it turns out that preserving remaining forest is a much better way to mitigate against climate change. The study said that a tropical tree plantation (of an unspecified size) removes  10 tonnes of carbon a year from the atmosphere, but cutting down a hectare of rainforest would release 250 tonnes of carbon immediately.

The implications of this research pose a few questions for people concerned about the environment and also the work that we do at Healthy Planet. Through our adopt-a-plot scheme, we fund several projects that plant trees in areas that have been heavily deforested. Does this article make them obsolete? Most definitely not. Planting trees does so much more than absorb carbon from the atmosphere as the Kinesi Village project in Tanzania shows. In partnership with WeForest and Global Resource Alliance, we are helping to plant 1000s of trees around this community which has been forced to cut down many of its trees for firewood in order to survive. The trees that are being replanted are chosen specifically because of the resources that they can provide the community such as sustainable supplies of firewood as wells as food and medicine. Almost just as importantly, the project is also educating the local population on how to use their natural resources sustainably so they remain important in the future. Another project that we support is a scheme in the Khao Yai National Park in Thailand where the Plant A Tree Today (PATT) Foundation is planting trees in an area which has been heavily affected by illegal logging and unsustainable farming practices. This project will increase the area of habitat within the park, boosting the strength of plant and animal communities that live there which will increase the ecosystem’s resilience to climate change. When it comes down to planting trees, we must not forget their value to both natural and human systems wherever the planting takes place.

The article is of course great news for the projects that Healthy Planet supports which protect areas of forest from being cut down in the first place. Deforestation is thought to account for 18% of all CO₂ emissions annually, and is more than transport and aviation combined. What better way to help the planet than to protect pristine habitat and prevent climate change? Go to www.healthyplanet.org/adopt to adopt a plot and help protect rainforest from being cut down.

This post is all about pulping, printing and publishing. It came to my attention that publishers have an unusual and incredibly wasteful practice that they call sale-or-return. It all started in the 1930s when a faultering New York publisher, Simon & Schuster, created a selling gimic whereby they would buy back any unsold books from bookstores. This meant that bookstores would incur less risk from buying books from that publisher because if they didn’t sell them to customers, they still make their money back. This deplorable practice soon became so popular that now, 80 years later, it is the modus operandi of publishers across the globe.

Ok, so you might be thinking “what’s the big deal? It makes perfect sense.” The problem is that 65-95% of the books which are returned to publishers are destroyed by pulping so that the value of those books still in the market are not devalued by an influx of free or cheaper copies. I Initially thought, from an environmental perpspective, that as long as these pulped books are recycled, then that’s ok. That was until I read that printing is estimated to be the UK’s 4th most polluting industry. It is mind boggling that in such a polluting industry, between 30-40% of books never get read and are being returned to publishers just to be pulped. That means that upto 40% of the initial damage to the environment caused by printing is of absolutely no benefit to anyone, the publishers themselves lose millions of pounds a year from returns. And that’s even before we consider that the returned books have to be transported back to warehouses and pulp mills from the book stores, considerably increasing the carbon footprint of each book (which would already be at around 3Kg of CO2 per book). Then, if the paper is recycled, the deinking process leaches heavy metals and other nasties like dioxins into water systems as the paper is cleaned ready for reuse.

Now I must quickly point out that I am not dissing paper recycling at all and any damage it does cause to the environment must be seen as collateral to the prevented deforestation that results. In any case, the process of creating recycled paper produces 35% less water pollution and 74% less air pollution than is created when producing ‘virgin’ paper. What I am getting angry about is the wasteful practice of overprinting and then destroying the books that don’t get sold. Finding a solution to this problem rests largely on the shoulders of publishers to reduce the amount of waste they create in the first place and to more carefully predict how many copies each publication will sell and respond to demand from book shops. There is, however, something that you can do if you want to reduce the environmental impact of printing and pulping; you can start reading second-hand books.  By doing this, you can get more use out of the resources that went into making each book and through reduced demand for new books, decrease the impact that printing has on the environment.

Since July 2010, Healthy Planet has saved 30 tons of books of unwanted books from being pulped or thrown in to landfill, and we’ve given them all away for free! Visit http://www.booksforfree.org.uk/ to find a books for free store near you and send a message to publishers that an unsold book doesn’t mean an unwanted book.

Waterless washing machines and hydrogen fueled busses are just some of the ideas being discussed as part of  Climate Week UK this week. The aim is to celebrate positive steps that have been made to combat climate change. It is hoped that, by focussing on the positive rather than the negative that this will provide momentum for thousands of other initiatives accross the nation in the future.

This means that, right now there are thousands of businesses, charities, schools, and organisations  putting on all kinds of events, nationwide.    Events include a summit of religious leaders and  Britain’s largest environmental competition.

Climate Week UK involves partners from Business, Education,  Politics, Local Government and the Science communities.  Eminent names involved include David Cameron the Prime Minister, Kofi Annan (former UN Secretary General) Michael Palin, Sir Paul McCartney, Musicians Mark Ronson and Jarvis Cocker and actress Sienna Miller.

There’s still time to get involved as any gesture counts  no matter how small, because hopefully this will be a story that will run and run.

“Climate Week is about……..a better future.  What could be more important?” Michael Palin

 For information visit

http://www.climateweek.com/

by Kate Wreford

Recently, the Founder of Healthy Planet has been asked by more and more people to increase the level of my online activity (i.e. Facebook, blogging, etc) so our fans and followers can learn more about who we are; our values and activities.  I am gradually winning him over and I am hoping this is the first of regular messages – it’s a little bit deep, but like most Healthy Planet ideas, it’s easy for anyone who wants to take the message on board in their normal daily life.  He emailed me the following:

Reading this email (See below) that arrived ‘spam’ style, I noticed it was different to the others and it struck a chord.  Until now I have never sent a ‘forward’ message on through Healthy Planet as they tend to have some sort of ‘send me emergency money’ or ‘you must pass it on for good luck’ mentioned in it, but there is no such equivalent here. Plus it has a couple of ‘hidden gems’.

Firstly, it reminds me of my 2 mothers – the one that brought me up; and the other one – the one that I trod on every day and who takes all my rubbish, literally (In case you still aren’t sure, that’s Mother Nature).  Granted one nags more than the other, but I try to show ’All Due Respect’ to them both as best as I can.

The second hidden gem is not one that is commonly known or talked about – having peace of mind and an appreciation of non-material things are key to good mental health.  And good mental health brings with it better physical health and a greater respect for the planet, people, belongings and our other ‘stuff’.

Messages straight from the Founder (or his Mum) may be few and far between, but I will try and get them out to you Healthy Planeteers as often and as clearly as I can.

Take care.

Appreciation

This is a powerful message for our modern society – some parts of which may have lost its bearing & sense of direction, while some are able to contribute more to the world through these mod-cons, like seeing, adopting and connecting with plots of land through Google’s satellite images.

One young academically excellent person went to apply for a managerial position in a big company.

He passed the first interview; the director did the last interview.
The director discovered from the CV that the youth’s academic achievements were excellent all the way, from the secondary school until the postgraduate research, never had a year when he did not score.

The director asked, “Did you obtain any scholarships in school?”

The youth answered “none”.

The director asked, “Was it your father who paid for your school fees?”
The youth answered, “My father passed away when I was one year old, it was my mother who paid for my school fees.

The director asked, “Where did your mother work?”
The youth answered, “My mother worked as laundry woman.
The director requested the youth to show his hands.
The youth showed a pair of hands that were smooth and perfect.

The director asked, “Have you ever helped your mother wash the clothes before?”
The youth answered, “Never, my mother always wanted me to study and read more books. Furthermore, my mother can wash clothes faster than me.

The director said, “I have a request. When you go back today, go and clean your mother’s hands, and then see me tomorrow morning.

The youth felt that his chance of landing the job was high. When he went back, he happily requested his mother to let him clean her hands.
His mother felt strange, happy but with mixed feelings, she showed her hands to the young man.

The youth cleaned his mother’s hands slowly. A tear fell as he did that. It was the first time he noticed that his mother’s hands were so wrinkled, and there were so many bruises in her hands. Some bruises were so painful that his mother shivered when they were cleaned with water.

This was the first time the youth realized that it was this pair of hands that washed the clothes everyday to enable him to pay the school fee. The bruises in the mother’s hands were the price that the mother had to pay for his graduation, academic excellence and his future.

After finishing the cleaning of his mothers hands, the youth quietly washed all the remaining clothes for his mother.

That night, mother and son talked for a very long time.

Next morning, the youth went to the director’s office.

The Director noticed the tears in the youth’s eyes, asked: “Can you tell me what have you done and learned yesterday in your house?”

The youth answered, “I cleaned my mother’s hand, and also finished cleaning all the remaining clothes’

The Director asked, “Please tell me your feelings.”

The youth said:
1. I know now what appreciation is. Without my mother, there would not have been the successful me today.
2. By working together and helping my mother, only I now realize how difficult and tough it is to get something done.
3. I have come to appreciate the importance and value of family relationships.

The director said, “This is what I am looking for to be my manager.
I want to recruit a person who can appreciate the help of others, a person who knows the sufferings of others to get things done, and a person who would not put money as his only goal in life. You are hired.

Later on, this young person worked very hard, and received the respect of his subordinates. Every employee worked diligently and as a team. The company’s performance improved tremendously.

A child, who has been protected and habitually given whatever he wanted, would develop “entitlement mentality” and would always put him self first. He would be ignorant of his parent’s efforts. When he starts work, he assumes that every person must listen to him, and when he becomes a manager, he would never know the sufferings of his employees and would always blame others. For this kind of a person, who may be good academically, may be successful for a while, but eventually would not feel sense of achievement. He will grumble and be full of hatred and fight for more. If we are this kind of protective parents, are we really showing love or are we destroying the children instead?*

You can let your children live in a big house, eat a good meal, learn piano, watch a big screen TV. But when you are cutting grass, please let them experience it. After a meal, let them wash their plates and bowls together with their brothers and sisters. It is not because you do not have money to hire a maid, you want them to understand, no matter how rich their parents are, one day their hair will grow gray, same as the mother of that young person. The most important thing is your children learn how to appreciate the effort and experience the difficulty and learn how to work with others to get things done.

So, everyone has now given you their Christmas gift wish lists and you are gearing up to brave the chaotic, and downright awful, High Street. This is a rather arduous task, and with the awful weather being even more awful than usual, it would seem that Christmas shopping will take stress levels to an all-time high.

So how do we make gift shopping all that less daunting? One (quite) obvious answer is the Internet. The web is often cheaper than what is on offer in stores and the hassle of being in a shop is significantly less of an issue. However, the recent spell of treacherous weather may mean that deliveries will face huge delays, so it is possible that those long-awaited gifts will remain exactly that.

So, what now?  Well, as Healthy Planet is all about making the time and effort to keep this planet, well, healthy, one gift that can ensure this is the adoption of a plot in Healthy Planet’s Christmas Park, located in the Sub-Antarctic. From £20 per year, this gift will be a great alternative to the naff Christmas jumpers! You will ensure that the wildlife who occupy this land (including penguins!) have a safe, habitable environment for their new year. And what’s more, if you pay £20, 45% of it can be given back to the UK school of your choice, when you use a special code.

So what are you waiting for? Start adopting now!

Log  on to HealthyPlanet’s new website to find out more.

By Yasmina Jackson

Healthy Planet's founder Shaylesh Patel sits on a stack of Books for Free books.

10:10:10 is a global day of positive action on climate change, linked to the 10:10 campaign aiming to reduce carbon emissions by 10% starting this year.

Carbon emissions are one of the major causes of global warming. These emissions are created when we burn fossil fuels to create energy; most of the energy is used in:

• vehicles
• houses
• power stations
• factories.

Here are 10 reasons why you should get involved in the global day of action.

1. It’s time to stand for something

You will not only be benefiting the planet, you’ll be sending out a message that we are prepared to deal with climate change. Come on! Think of it as giving something back to Mother Nature.

2. Cut the cost

Reducing the amount of energy you use not only takes a whole load off the earth, it could also reduce your monthly energy bill. Which means more money in your pocket.

3. Cleaner air – clearer mind

Air pollution is an invisible problem, but it can contribute to heart and lung problems. Road vehicles are a major source of air pollution in urban areas – they are responsible for over half the nitrogen dioxide emissions and over 75% of carbon monoxide in the UK. Using less heat and air conditioning and cutting down on car journeys will help to keep the air clean.

4. Change your life: cycle!

Why not walk or cycle to your destination? You need regular exercise to look after your personal health and well-being. Put the vehicles aside and let your legs or your bicycle be your ride. Not only will you be helping the environment, you’ll feel like a brand new person.

5. Water, water everywhere and not a drop to drink

It’s easy to think that water falls from the sky or pours from a tap, but it’s one of our most precious resources. You can reduce the amount of water you use by simply taking shorter showers, only boiling the amount you need for your tea, and turning off the tap when you clean your teeth.

6. It’s all good inside

Organic food is becoming more widely available all the time in grocery stores across the world, and because it’s all-free of pesticides, herbicides and other chemical non-desirables, it’s better for you and the planet.

7. More green

Every ton of paper recycled saves 17 trees. Trees and plants are our friends. Not only do trees make the environment more pleasant to be around, they also give us oxygen. The more the trees, the better we can breathe.

8. Reducing waste creates more space

Each year in the UK, we throw away around 28 million tons of rubbish from our house. Yes, 28 million! This weighs as much as three double decker buses. That’s why it’s important we reuse materials and try not to create excess waste. Composting is a good way to reduce the amount of rubbish you produce – and it’s good for your garden too.

9. Save me

Here’s a fact. Did you know that the energy saved from recycling one glass bottle can light a 100 watt light bulb for up to for hours. So just think about how much energy we could save if we just recycle materials.

10. Make a change

This is the chance for you to make a change that benefits you and the environment. The less energy we use, the less we depend on the fossil fuels that cause global warming. And many of the choices we make for a healthier lifestyle have benefits for the health of our world too. Be part of something positive and help save the earth. If we don’t then who will?

What’s Healthy Planet doing?

This Sunday, 10 October 2010, Healthy Planet will be celebrating saving 10 tonnes of books from landfill. Instead, these books go to our Books for Free outlets where people can take them, read them and pass them on for others to enjoy.

Join us at our Kensington outlet at 208 -212 Kensington High Street on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 October to browse the books, get involved in 10:10:10 and find out more about Healthy Planet’s work. You will be joining thousands of people across the world taking simple steps to reduce their carbon emissions and sending a powerful message to world leaders that people everywhere are ready to tackle climate change.