E,w,a&f #greenLiving Air 1; carbon

There is a stark reality in the reduction of carbon and the improvement of air quality. We produce most of this through our use of cars.

We also contribute by warming our houses, eating tropical foods, and through our purchases.

Firstly cars.

Simon Douglas.
https://www.instagram.com/sjedouglas/

There are very workable solutions: walking, cycling, buses, boats and rail. The worst decision you can make is to fly, rather than travel overland – including oversea.

Diesel [internal sleep conversion]

I have contributed. My LandRover was stolen and rather than replace it I moved to an MG. Once a smaller car became available I ‘Dipped the Grand‘ dropping to a 999cc Picanto; it is more than sufficient for my needs. It has a 40, 40, 400 ideology. £40 tax, £40 fill and a reward of 400 miles. At most I fill up less than once a month; and my insurance has just gone down again … [under 5000 mikes a year].

Both cars were passed down from parents and so up-cycling practiced.

Great for a whizz, not so good for economy.

During Lent I have been substituting journeys, mainly on my bicycle, and no, I haven’t got wet yet. I have wasted some time scraping ice though on the brisk days I chose to drive.

So how do you get 400 miles out of a tank? Mostly by challenging yourself. The least efficient manoeuvre is pulling away. The lights here change quickly, so coast towards them rather than stop dead.

Pull away slowly utilising all of the gears. We have a short stretch nearby where the limit is 40, but drops quickly to 30. Most drivers accelerate to forty, braking hard … a waste of carbon and cause of pollutants.

See the maximum speed as that, a maximum.

Driving at sub-optimal speeds produces less carbon, costs you less money and introduces spaces into the traffic system – improving efficiency. It also improves thinking time making residential areas safer; no brainer. The ideology that the optimal is the maximum is wrong, air resistance increases exponentially with speed. ±

If you drive through a 40 limited zone at thirty your followers are also reducing carbon by 25%, and if it us a row of ten cars, so are they.

Sit on a motorway with the lorries at 50 or 60, a tank of fuel gets me up to the Lakes, from Dorset, §and back.

Mostly though, low carbon car use is about culture. Picking the kids up from school [why?], popping to the shops, the supermarket run, collate these ‘jobs’ and do them once a month with the tip run. Your children will grow up as expectant car owners, mine didn’t; they are walkers [for pleasure] and cyclists, neither have a will to drive.

Next: food.

Moretonhampstead

There is no greater way to understand a place than to stay a while. Mort nestles nicely on the eastern edge of the North Moor, Dartmoor. Easily accessible from the main A30 the Sandy Park Inn guides you in when the road narrows.

I am a camper, a bunkhouser and rarely afford the luxury of stable accommodation but with a cold spell and the freedom of a long weekend I approached booking dot com and air bnb. These were new experiences for me and whilst most have used their services I was surprised at the invasive nature of the latter.

Booking dot com took my money, booked the Old Post House and allowed me to arrive at the allotted time. Air bnb started hassling me the Wednesday before, reminding me to pack and arrange my hire car for me! I was driving.

The Central Cafe

The Old Post House was fine. A room in the gods, clean, warm and with a view. I visited the lounge, hoping to scoop up some company but got chocolate so felt suitably rewarded.

I headed out for food to the Union, from the roadside frontage it seemed closed but shunted around the side the rear hall was suitably spaced and sterilised. Mostly, the welcome was superb, all the staff cared and the steak pie appeared on a platter for £10;excellent value.

The pizza at Bertos was the same price, arrived immediately and with a BYO attitude made for another excellent value evening. I drank water, hummed to the jazz and the clientele were spot on. I will come again but booking might be a good idea, this is a venue which quickly fills.

My Saturday night was at the Old Smithy on Lime Street. The information received from Air bnb was weak, missing a key line of the address but the host was lovely. The room was very comfortable, as was the lounge and a bijou ‘en suite’ catered for my needs well. This was a welcoming experience.

After Berto’s on Saturday night I wandered up to the two main pubs on the square; the Hart and Horse. Having visited both before I felt that little divided them. I read the rules carefully, sanitised, added mask and then sat at an unreserved table ready for service – as instructed on the door. The barman bellowed across the room once I had removed my coat. “Do you have a reservation”; we are fully booked. No table service, no mask, no gentle explanation. I will not be returning.

Some cracking curios

Mind made up I wandered into the Hart where they apologised they did not have a table in the bar, sitting me in the lounge. Beer appeared, good quality and later the lovely girl came through to let me know a vacancy had become available in the bar; the difference could not have been greater.

The moral of the story in Mort? The Hart beats the Horse hands down.