March 25
Today I started early making presents for Christmas
Probably the most important lesson I’ve learnt in life is that leaving things to the last minute is a recipe for stress and anxiety. Leaving action on climate change and nuclear disarmament until 100 seconds before midnight, according to the Doomsday clock, is not conducive to mental health. Today I read that microplastics have been discovered in human blood for the first time, with scientists finding the tiny particles in almost 80% of the people tested.
We are cutting it very fine to act on reducing our plastic consumption.
Today is 9 months until Christmas. My action for today is to start early and make presents for everyone I hold near and dear. Presents filled with love to protect their long term health and fill their lives with hope and beauty. Gifts to help bring them along the urgent path we all need to be taking. We can no longer pass the buck to anyone else for our future … we ALL need to take action NOW and in the most focused ways possible. We cannot wait for government; government cannot wait for business; business cannot wait for individuals … everyone has been waiting far too long for everyone else to act.
After battling two hours to work out how to use my machine, I finally knocked out my first recycled lace curtain produce bag. I have piles of old lace curtains, so I’ll be making a set for everyone.
When you look at the alternative it’s simply a no-brainer. Instead of single use plastic that will enter our bloodstream, I’m creating beautiful, functional objects that keep textiles out of landfill. They can be used to both buy and store produce in the fridge and are washable and reusable. A huge thank you to Michelle who posted this as her inspiring action last week! Together, we can help each other negotiate the best way forward.
Having taken an action every day now for 84 days, all I can say is that I’m happier, healthier, living a more creative and fulfilling life, and I’ve saved heaps of money. What’s not to love. Living in a way that restores planetary health is BY FAR a better, more beautiful and more enjoyable way to live. It’s a life driven by internal values, by aspirations for a better world, and by a love for all life. It’s the gift I want to give this Christmas.
PRODUCE>CONSUME
It’s been a difficult year for seed saving with this constant rain, and I can’t even trust that seeds that fall naturally in the garden will germinate. So, today, I went out into the rain and salvaged all the rocket seeds I could find, even though they were soggy, not dry. I planted them immediately in punnets that I’m keeping inside. If they germinate there will be enough for home, the Planetary Health Garden and the Community Farm.
PLANT-BASED EATING: Surprisingly interesting Chard Pasta
Today I downloaded the fabulous FREE Greenpeace cookbook ‘Recipes for a Healthy World’ – a collaboration of chefs, cooks and food bloggers from around the world, celebrating plant-based foods.
I tried the first recipe tonight and it was so scrumptious that I know it will become a regular go-to in our home from now on.
It featured coloured chard – something that’s thankfully managed to thrive in this wet wet season.
I had all the ingredients except walnut oil, so just substituted avocado oil ….
Suprisingly interesting Chard Pasta
- 6-8 stalks coloured chard, separating leaves from stalk, dicing the stalks into 1cm cubes and the leaves into fine strips NB. My chard stalks were tiny so I used double this amount
- 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp cumin seeds
- chilli flakes (to taste)
- handful raisins
- handful walnuts, chopped
- 400 gm spaghetti
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp walnut or hazelnut oil (I used avocado oil)
- olive oil
- pepper and salt
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Heat a large pot of salted water to cook the pasta while you fry the chard stalks.
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Put a pan with some olive oil on low heat and fry the garlic with the cumin seeds, chilli flakes, raisins and walnuts. When everything starts to smell good, the chard stalks can be added. Raise the heat a bit and stir regularly so that nothing burns. When the stalks are almost soft, the leaves may be added. Keep stirring until everything is done. Season well with pepper and salt.
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Drain the past and mix under the chard. Stir the walnut and sesame oils through the pasta.
WHAT ACTIONS ARE OTHER PEOPLE TAKING?
Meredith has been doing a video series that’s free at the moment called Wildcrafter’s Toolkit to learn more about the art of wildcrafting medicinal plants sustainably https://learningherbs.com/wildcrafters-toolkit/
Libby made another plant-based recipe from Teya Brooks Pribac’s new cook book- ‘Not just another vegan cookbook’ – salt and pepper tofu with spinach and veg from her garden. She also joined the Blue Mountains Wombat Conservation Group
Debra’s mother in law (95 years) was so excited about the street library she built that she donated a bundle of books to add to it. In less than a week they were gone and now it’s full again.
Carla went to Springwood RSL today and wanted to celebrate them for their toilets!! Re-usable hand towels, no touch taps and general thoughtfulness!
She also bought seeds and seedlings ready to go in as winter veggies and cooked up locally made potsticker dumplings for dinner.
Others have continued to email me about actions they hope to do on the 7th April for World Health Day so that we can try to reach 365 actions in one day. Would love everyone to contribute on that day if you can!
Research by academics at Leeds University, engineering firm Arup and the C40 Cities climate group has identified that 73 per cent of all changes needed by 2030 to keep the world on course to meet the Paris agreement targets need to be made by governments and industry. But private citizens have considerable influence over the remaining 27 per cent. So let’s get cracking!
2 Comments
Sharron · 26/03/2022 at 8:12 am
For Earth Day I’m going though my groaningly full old filing cabinet, pulling out stacks of old files and paperwork that’s not been looked at for years and feeding it through my shredder before mixing it into my compost bins.
Panetary Health Initiative · 26/03/2022 at 7:58 pm
Happy Earth Hour! That’s a great action …. I’ve been digging out all my old wool scraps that I haven’t touched for 40 years and when the lights go out I’ll be finishing off a half finished granny square rug that’s been waiting to come to life for 4 decades …