Generation Green visit recycling plant

I was impressed by the passion, enthusiasm and knowledge of many of the children who are participating in the Generation Green youth think tank, sponsored by British Gas. Age 7-14 we met at Dagenham docks to have a look around the Closed Loop recycling plant.

They were told all about recycling plastic bottles and were quite surprised that so much of the process was actually devoted to sorting out the different types of plastics and the different colours. There was also a machine that sniffed the plastic chips to check for any contamination - it had a 'nose' that was four times more powerful than a dogs. And one of the children told us that a dog's nose is 1000 times more powerful than a humans (I don't know if that's true!).

At the end of the day the children came up with some green ideas. These included calling for more recycling bins in city centres, theme parks and fast food restaurants. They realised that domestic recycling was getting quite good but if you're on the move facilities are generally pretty poor. They also complained about over-packaging of toys and suggested that companies making plastic bottles should reduce the number of colours and the materials they use to make recycling simpler.

One of the children recommended green buses promoting environmental issues. Another said that they wished there was green club in their area because they'd join it.

I was their expert advisor throughout the day and told them at the beginning that we wanted lots of questions - as it turned out that wasn't a problem at all. They were amazing and had plenty to say. Here are some quotes from the day:

"I just want to make the world a better place."

"The blades on wind turbines should be painted lots of different colours."

"We should stop using industrial stuff like bricks and fossil fuels." Followed by "That's a bit drastic."

"Humans are greedy."

"Try giving everything up and forget about it." Followed by "I won't'

"Humans have dominion over the Earth so they don't care what they waste."

"We should cut out fossil fuels and make use of the energy around us - solar power, wave power etc."

"I love knowing when you're saving CO2"

"It's a good thing that oil is running out - it might mean we have a greener world - the reality of it means we have to re-think and that renewables are the obvious choice."

The next trip is in the Autumn. We'll be taking the children to the Centre for Alternative Technology in North Wales. And there will be one more trip before we pull together some of their policy ideas and take them to Downing Street. By that time we may have a new prime minister. But whoever is then residing at Number 10, they should be pleased to get some fresh ideas - these children are representing their generation. And they want to be heard.

An inconvenient truth about fish - The End of the Line

A fish collapse. 90% of the big fish are gone. The global fishing capacity is big enough to catch four times more fish than actually exist in the sea. We've just squandered one of the greatest resources on the planet - wild fish.

The End of the Line leaves one in no doubt about the devastating impact of the world's fishing fleet. What really amazed me was how recent catastrophic over-fishing has been. Back in 1988 when I co-wrote The Green Consumer Guide we did point out that cod was facing collapse in the North Sea, that dolphins were being caught in tuna nets and that the sturgeon was being over-fished for caviar but the main focus of our fish section was on pollution, whaling and fish-farming.

Although I've kept abreast of fish issues since then, there were things in the film that surprised me. One of these was the total collapse of the Newfoundland cod fishing industry in 1992 - and that it has never recovered. Another was that the Chinese data for fish consumption was completely inaccurate and hugely over-claimed the amount of fish they were eating. This meant scientists thought there were far more fish being caught than was the case - so the red alert on declining fish stocks was late in coming.

One part of the film that was quite amusing was seeing Charles Clover 'playing' the Nobu restaurant owner about his policy on blue fin tuna. The restaurant is best-known for Boris Becker's antics in its broom cupboard but apparently attracts many celebrities, although I didn't see any when I went there. I won't be going again. Having listened to the facts about the scarcity of blue fin tuna, they are keeping it on the menu, albeit with the information that it is 'unsustainable'. Apparently transparent but this is a classic example of a company simply avoiding the issue - they clearly don't give a damn.

I think that the message at the end of the film telling people what they can do is much clearer than the action messages from An Inconvenient Truth. The recommendations are: 1. Ask before you buy - only eat sustainable seafood 2. Tell politicians - respect the science, cut the fishing fleet and 3. Join the campaign - for marine protected areas and responsible fishing.

Charles Clover pointed out that although this is a serious problem, unlike climate change it's relatively easy to do something about it - and that's encouraging. He explains that the cost of converting 30% of the world's oceans into marine reserves would be less than is currently paid out in fish subsidies. Let's do it.

Pig heaven

A friend of mine called Sarah has bought three not so little piglets. They're only 9 weeks old but already quite porky. They're also rather endearing and very friendly - snuffling and snorting around their wooded enclosure. One of the piglets has been nick-named 'rotavator' because he seems to be particularly good at turning over the soft earth with his nose.

Even though these pigs are destined to become ham, bacon, sausage and pork chops, they appear to be living in a pig heaven. Plenty of shade, crumbly soil and regular supplies of food. They're given pig nuts to fatten them up. But the remaining part of their diet is a little more controversial.

I was horrified to discover that it is actually illegal for any food that has been through a domestic kitchen to be used for pig food. That includes potato peelings, carrot tops and apple cores. If you go to the supermarket and buy some fruit and vegetables you can give it directly to the pigs - but not if you've stopped off in the kitchen en route.

This is yet another example of the over-the-top nonsensical legislation that has been brought in following BSE and foot and mouth. Laws are being passed that are more mad than the mad cows - or pigs - they are trying to prevent. They are being devised on the basis of what could be a problem and applied across the board, whether it makes sense or not.

The result of this is that for the first two days in their new home these piglets were being fed whole bananas and fresh vegetables that were fit for human consumption. My friend then went to Waitrose to see if she could have some of their food waste. The request was refused even though it transpired that the waste from that store all went directly to landfill. The local Sainsbury store was better - they were sending food waste to a nearby wildlife sanctuary.

More positively, I can report that Sarah has found a local organic retailer who is happy to provide a bucket of pig feed every week. The piglets will apparently be joining some other animal consumers in hoovering up the leftovers.

On average, waste food has a carbon footprint that is 10 times greater than packaging. But whilst there's uproar about the excessive packaging on food. In most developed countries we actually waste about half the food we produce hence the campaign Love Food Hate Waste. And increasingly councils are trying to collect food waste either for composting or for anaerobic digestion - to collect the methane gas from it and use it for fuel.

But pigs are a traditional dustbin for food waste. It seems to me that it's a crime to remove their integral role in the domestic food chain. My garden isn't so suited to pig rearing as Sarah's but if I ever manage to go that route, I'm pretty sure I'll be flouting the law and giving my pigs all sorts of delicious peelings and scraps. B***** the bureaucrats.

Food waste for fuel in London and beyond...

I had an early start to get to London for the start of a workship on AD - anaerobic digestion. It might be a bit weird but it's a subject I'm rather passionate about. AD is essentially like composting in an enclosed system. It can be used to treat food waste, farm waste, sewage sludge and pretty well anything that's slushy and compostable.

At the end of the process you get biogas, which can be used to generate electricity, heat boilers or as a vehicle fuel. And the remaining sludge left at the bottom is an excellent fertiliser - replacing energy-intensive agri-chemicals.

In 2006, when I was researching The New Green Consumer Guide, I realised that AD had huge potential but was barely being used. At the end of the year I organised a conference with South Somerset District Council called 'Biogas - Explosive Potential'. Amazingly the conference hall was full to bursting as interest in the issue was just getting going.

Back to the London event. Organised by BiogenGreenfinch, who describe themselves as a company pioneering food waste recycling for biofertiliser and renewable energy. The workshop entitled AD in the City - solving the urban food waste challenge was aimed at London councils encouraging them to use AD.

They appeared to be pretty keen on the idea. Ealing Council signed up with BiogenGreenfinch last year, for 5,000 tonnes of food waste but this is a very small proportion of the 2.5 million tonnes apparently produced by Londoners - and that's only domestic food waste. Two other West London boroughs have just signed up - Richmond and Hounslow - and Hammersmith & Fulham look like they'll be joining the fray. And following the workshop, other councils are apparently queuing up to have a look at whether it might work for them.

The London Councils are being encouraged by the London Waste and Recycling Board. This body was set last year to boost recycling - and is chaired by the London Mayor - Boris Johnson. They said that food waste in London is contributing about 210,000 tonnes of CO2 to the atmosphere each year.

I don't think much food was wasted from the lunch served at the end of the workshop. Cooked by Oliver Rowe, who runs a restaurant near Kings Cross called Konstam, it was delicious. The unsual feature of the restaurant is that it sources 85% of its ingredients from within the M25. this means using apple balsamic vinegar, rape seed oil, rosehips, nettles, ground elder and wild garlic. It also means that the menu is very seasonal. We were served the most appetising pork with crunchy crackling and rhubarb sauce, served on a bed of lettuce with roast potatoes.

Cycling to school

This photo was taken in 2007 - not on the way to school...

It's brilliant. I've started cycling to my son's school in the morning - and back. Rollo and Monty got me going. They decided that they wanted to run to school along the lanes. I was rather surprised to see how far they got - 2 miles on the first day and 3.5 on the second when I had got them to put on their trainers.

The enthusiasm for being fit was contagious. Rather than following after them in the car - and picking them up for the final leg of the journey, I thought I'd try cycling. We got the bikes fixed and set out on Monday morning, only a little ahead of our normal departure time. It's 4.5 miles and took us about half an hour. I think Monty, who was with me, could do it a bit faster but he had to wait for me at the top of the hills!

I thought that the return journey would be the problem. Actually, quite the opposite. I could take a more leisurely pace, look at the view and smell the scents as I rode by. Lilac and May trees are at their peak.

Back in my office by 9am I am feeling fitter and healthier. I just hope we can keep it up - when the weather isn't quite so nice I suspect I won't be quite so keen. This morning it was very cold to start with, so tomorrow I'm going to find some gloves....

My Garden

It's such a wonderful time of year for getting into the garden. I've actually managed to mow the lawn - I'm afraid that I didn't use a scythe. I've also been pruning the apples trees - and getting rid of the ivy that's wrapping itself around them and planting vegetables.

Home-grown food is a real treat. Apart from an abundance of apples, which come regardless as to how much attention I give them, the rest of my produce was a little thin last year. Only enough tomatoes for an odd sweet mouthful. Cabbages, cauliflowers and purple sprouting that withered on their storks. And squashes that never materialised. Although I did have success with my globe artichokes.

I realised that what was needed was nutrients. The farmer next door gave me a whole heap of cow manure, which has now been dug in and planted with seed potatoes. My compost from food waste doesn't look ready for spreading, so I went to B&Q to see if I could get some nice crumbly stuff for planting the other vegetable seeds.

I was rather disappointed to see that they were still selling products containing peat, albeit with a message saying that the peat had come from sustainable sources. I still don't think it's a good thing. Monty Don's comment about peat just about sums it up "Digging it up is like ripping out ancient hedgerows just to make sawdust". B&Q didn't stock compost made by the council from household food and garden waste, so I didn't buy it from them.

Another problem I have is weeds. One patch has been completely over-taken by nettles, dockleaves and buttercups. The gardener who came to help with some digging suggested that I spray it with Roundup. I'm afraid not - my garden is organic. Neither was I very enthusiastic about the recommendation to use slug pellets - I've got a jar of broken egg shells I'm going to try out to deter these pests. Or maybe I'll go slug hunting at dusk.

Rabbits too like to eat my vegetables. Luckily there are two fearsome rabbit predators around - my cat, who likes to leave their remains around the house, and the farmer next door who shoots them and gives them to me for the pot.

This year, I'm hopeful there will be an abundance of vegetables, so my artichokes won't be the only treat.

Regifting - eek

A rather well-wrapped present...

I don't just recycled my rubbish, I recycle presents too. I've recently discovered that this is called 'regifting'. Apparently this is an American phrase and I learnt it from my sister-in-law, who comes from the state of Washington but is now living in Devon.

If I get a present that I don't think I'm going to use I put it in my a large Ottoman box in the spare room. This also applies to presents given to the children. If they don't look that interested or I think they're going to tear through the wrapping and then lose interest in seconds, I seize the gift and store it away.

The present box, boosted by things I have bought too, is then a brilliant resource for birthdays throughout the year. Wrapping paper too is used again - the Sellotape carefully removed and names cut out.

Recycling presents and wrapping paper is good from a green point of view. Clearly it makes sense to pass things on if you're not going to make the most of them. However, there are pitfalls and I've recently experienced one.

Thinking about a suitable present for my 6-year old nephew, I found a remote controlled car still in its box. It seemed particularly appropriate because it required a bit of adult help in putting it together - and my brother (his father) is an engineer and so well qualified for that.

Luckily we arrived with a few presents - some from my children, as well as one from me... Oh dear. My sister-in-law exclaimed when she saw the car "It's a regift!". And she had given it to one of my children for Christmas. Huge embarrassment. Luckily, she saw the funny side. She said that she'd be able to dine out on the story for a little while.

This experience hasn't deterred me from 'regifting' but it will make me more careful to make a note of who has given me what. And, my nephew didn't seem to mind a bit - he was delighted with the car!