Cockermouth and Wordsworth

Photo from Flickr/Ross-P

Photo from Flickr/morebyless

Cockermouth is, very unfortunately, in the news.  The town is so named because it lies at the point where the River Cocker joins the River Derwent.  What would normally be an attraction sadly leaves it liable to flooding.  The photos above are both from Flickr members, the first showing the floods in 2005 and the second group are the results of the flooding over this last weekend.

It is a beautiful place, Cockermouth, on the edge of the Lake District in the north of England.  The centre of town is much as it was in the 18th and 19th centuries.  The poet William Wordsworth was born there in 1770 and lived in the town until he was 9 years old.  He was always closely associated with the Lake District.

At school, we studied several of Wordsworth's poems and I found the words came back to me as I looked up information about the floods in Cockermouth.

Intimations of Immortality from Recollections of Early Childhood

There was a time when meadow, grove, and stream,

The earth, and every common sight,

To me did seem

Apparell'd in celestial light,

The glory and the freshness of a dream.

It is not now as it hath been of yore;—

Turn wheresoe'er I may,

By night or day,

The things which I have seen I now can see no more.

The rainbow comes and goes,

And lovely is the rose;

The moon doth with delight

Look round her when the heavens are bare;

Waters on a starry night

Are beautiful and fair;

The sunshine is a glorious birth;

But yet I know, where'er I go,

That there hath pass'd away a glory from the earth.

Resolution and independence

There was a roaring in the wind all night;

The rain came heavily and fell in floods;

But now the sun is rising calm and bright;

The birds are singing in the distant woods;

Over his own sweet voice the Stock-dove broods;

The Jay makes answer as the Magpie chatters;

And all the air is filled with pleasant noise of waters.

II

All things that love the sun are out of doors;

The sky rejoices in the morning's birth;

The grass is bright with rain-drops;--on the moors

The hare is running races in her mirth;

And with her feet she from the plashy earth

Raises a mist, that, glittering in the sun,

Runs with her all the way, wherever she doth run.

While I was having to study them, these words were less attractive. Now I find myself much more appreciative of the way they can conjure a scene so beautifully. I just hope the people of Cockermouth will soon be able to return to a normal life surrounded as they are by the beautiful area in which they live.

Fascinating facts about flax

Flax, Linum usitatissimum, is one of the oldest crops in the world and was extensively used in Ancient Egypt. 30,00 year old fibres have been found in Palaeolithic caves in the Republic of Georgia.

Linen is the name given to the very strong natural fabric made from flax.

Lawn (delicate and transparent) and cambric (very fine and tightly woven) are both forms of linen.

Linen velvet is cool and produces a vintage crushed velvet effect.

Crinolines were made from horsehair and linen, stiffened by a framework of steel hoops.

Linen union is made from a mixture of cotton and linen.

Linen takes a dye well because it is a hollow fibre.

Linen canvas for painters provides a smooth and strong surface that lasts.

It is said that linen sheets help people fall asleep more rapidly and that the sleep will be deeper and more refreshing.

Flax plants grow to approximately one metre in height, with the roots extending about the same amount in the soil.  The roots are left after harvest, and that improves the state of the soil.

One hectare (2.5 acres) of flax can produce 20,000 km of thread.

The seeds of flax produce a vegetable oil called linseed oil, one of the components in linoleum as well as being used in paint, varnish and putty.

Flax seed is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Flax needs far fewer pesticides and fertilizers than cotton, and no irrigation.  Processing is mechanical and uses neither solvents nor water.

Retting the flax to separate out the fibres can be done by using water but leaving the flax in the field produces a finer fibre, far less pollution, and uses fewer resources.

Flax waste is used in insulation boards.

Fishing rods, tennis rackets, chairs, bicycles, can be, and are, all made using linen composites.

In the language of flowers, one of the meanings for flax is "I feel your kindness".  It is turning out to be not only an ancient crop but, as a result of its kindness to the environment, one for the future too.

From November 4 to 7, the European Confederation for Flax and Hemp (CELC) held its annual congress in Strasbourg: Natural fibres, innovation and sustainable development.

Le Damier Fleuri (a patchwork in flower)

In the 18th century, a French garden decorated an area of 2 hectares opposite the west wing of the château of Valençay.

Over the course of time and with changing fashion, in the 19th century it became simple fields providing fodder for farm animals and a pleasant view towards the English garden that Talleyrand wanted. The project wanted to recreate this disappeared French garden respecting both the passage of time and its illustrious owner: to create a garden which could link a rural character to its more recent outlook over an English park.

"Le Damier Fleuri" is a type of garden unique in the Loire Valley, arranged in a patchwork of 66 rectangles arranged in a giant multicoloured mosaic made up of specially selected meadow flowers.  Thirty grassy paths cross the patchwork so that visitors can enter into a flowery labyrinth, a rural and romantic walk, faithful to the spirit of the 18th century.

Even at the beginning of autumn, this area looked pretty. It contains 30 different species of flowers and was designed and put into place by a company called Nova-Flore, which has been helping local communities to make uncultivated patches of land blossom and create flowering meadows.  These areas can be centres of roundabouts, road verges, or just patches of land between cultivated fields. There are different seed mixes for different situations and all conforming to the values of the  company - a passion for flowers, biodiversity and respect for the environment.  The carefully chosen mixtures of flowers are now real tools in the management farmland. All the techniques help towards eco-responsible cultivation of the land.

The Camargue

Blog Action Day 2009

The Camargue, probably best know for its flamingos.....

.... its black bulls....

.... and its white horses.

But it is under threat.

It's a beautiful, wild, different, part of the world.  I was dismayed, though, with some of the efforts being made to cater for tourists.  The white horses may roam freely in some parts but I saw many more of them tethered for hours by roadsides, to attract - possibly - passing holiday makers who might want a ride.  The black cattle pictured above, when they noticed the boat tour approaching, came running over to be fed with bread by the boat owners.  In the bird sanctuary there certainly were plenty of birds to be seen, but there were eagles, owls and others in cages!  All right, they were large cages, the birds could fly, but I do NOT want to see confined birds so close to one of the world's important nature reserves.

The whole area depends heavily on tourism as a source of employment, followed by agriculture and fishing, but it is difficult to maintain the right balance.

The delta is a vast plain where the Rhone splits and meets the sea.  It is criss-crossed by waterways, natural and man-made over the centuries.

Both these pictures of canals were taken near Aigues Mortes, a mediaeval walled town and one of only two in the Camargue.

All these pictures look better enlarged, but this one in particular does.  Seeing this ancient walled city across the salt marshes is quite a sight.

These salt marshes which turn pink in the summer months produce tons of salt every day - one of the major production areas in the world.

The whole area is in a delicate balance of fresh water, brackish and salty water; tourism vs wildlife; wildlife vs agriculture; pollution. Much of the wildlife is adapted to a particular niche and cannot tolerate a change.  And it's not just animal life - the reeds which can be seen growing everywhere can cope with a small amount of brackishness but not sea water.  They too are an important crop, used mainly for roof thatching.

If the climate were to change the equilibrium would be destroyed: the saltiness of the water could alter and rising water levels could flood much of the area.  The delta is rich in biological diversity, but it is very fragile.  The main priority for the National Park of the Camargue is respect for the environment.  We need in our turn to minimise our impact on the environment and climate to avoid losing the wonderful variety of life sheltered by reserves like the Camargue.

This post was published in support of Blog Action Day 2009.

European Destinations of Excellence - tourism and protected areas

This year's European awards have been given for promotion of sustainable tourism in protected areas.  Not an easy task to keep areas protected and yet encourage tourism, but after my visit to the Camargue in the south of France, it's something that interests me.

There were 22 awards made, including the following:

• Biosphere Park Grosses Walsertal (Austria) - in the Austrian Alps, this used to be a depressed area but farming and building methods and care for the environment have transformed it. They have environmentally friendly transport and biomass heating.
  
  
• Viroinval / Viroin-Hermeton Nature Park ( Belgium) - an area free from industry and noise.  The highlights are bike trails, walking, local produce (cheese and beer) in an unspoilt and protected region. The rural look of the villages, plant life, fishing, are all carefully managed.
  
  
• Nacionalni park Sjeverni Velebit ( Croatia) - an area best know for caves and sink-holes.  In order to preserve this recently created and unspoilt national park, there are plans to cater for tourists outside the park itself, in nearby towns.
  
  
• Northern Vosges Regional Natural Park ( France) - surrounded by better know regions, it is nevertheless starting to make itself know in its own right.  Not only is there an abundance of hiking and cycling trails, there are châteaux, glass and crystal workshops, and few foreign tourists. It is within easy reach of several large cities such as Paris, Metz and Strasbourg.
  
  
• Prefecture of Lesvos ( Greece) - not only is it an island with wonderful beaches, it is a nature reserve with a petrified forest, wetlands, salt flats and pine forests.  Evidence of history can be seen all around.
  
  
• Írottkő Nature Park ( Hungary) - peace, hot springs, wine routes, are all part of the first of Hungary's natural parks.  The hot springs were named after the seven tribes that founded Hungary in the 9th century.
  
  
• Marine Protected Area "Penisola del Sinis - Isola di Mal di Ventre" ( Italy) - a coastline in Sardinia offering scenery, walks and boat excursions. Contrasting landscapes provide wonderful beaches combined with birdwatching on wetlands.  Bicycles are being promoted as the preferred means of transport.
  
  
• Nemunas Delta Regional Park - Unique Terrain of Harmony of Nature, Culture and Tourism ( Lithuania) - apart from the expected attractions of such a park, there is a unique Route of Lighthouses, a 14 kilometer tour.  The wetland is partly owned by the Russian Federation but only the Lithuanian share is protected.  Moves are underway to extend the protection.
  
  
• Recreation area and nature reserve "Haff Réimech" (Commune of Schengen) ( Luxembourg) - a 42 kilometer wine route is offered in this region of rich soil and beautiful landscapes.  Most of the area is in a protected zone so that the expansion of the facilities will be eco-friendly.
  
  
• Kars - Kuyucuk Lake Wild Life Reserve ( Turkey) - at an altitude of 1750 metres, the lake has amazing bird-watching, sightseeing and walking.  There is minimal light pollution and the area is full of historical sites.  All this is combined with a high regard for the environment.
  

The criteria were:

1. “non traditional” (the visitor density rating from “low” to “very low” in comparison with the national average)
2. be based on an area that is designated as a “protected area” by national or regional legislation
3. manage its own tourism offer in such a way as to ensure its social, cultural and environmental sustainability, with the management being a partnership between the authorities responsible for managing the protected area and all those involved in tourism in and around the area (e.g. tourist service providers, local communities)

The full list with links can be seen on the European Commission website.

All these places have managed to encourage tourism in a way that isn't in conflict with the natural surroundings.  The Camargue is a protected reserve and is being reviewed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.  It has about 50 permanent residents, but this number swells to 85,000 or so during the summer, so it wouldn't be eligible for this type of award, and you can imagine the problems there must be in managing tourism on this scale.  The tourism industry is one of the main employers in the area.

All the same, I don't believe they are doing all they could to preserve the region.  I saw more and more evidence of frankly cheap tourist attractions.  I'll tell you about them in a following post and - I can't resist - I'll show some of my photos from around and about.

Pain free farming

A few days ago we had twisted wire, but now I've come across what seems to me to be an example of twisted minds.  Pain free farming sounded like such a promising title.

In the UK at least, some supermarkets are starting to label meats and other foods which have been raised in better conditions than factory farms.  Often, though, if you enquire further and read the details you find that conditions are only marginally better.  Free range can be interpreted very liberally and may mean the animal can find fresh air if it can fight its way to a small opening at the right time of day.

So when I found an article in the New Scientist about pain free farming, I wondered what it was about.  Apparently some researchers in neuroscience and genetics are invstigating ways to remove the pain that farmed animals feel by blocking the sensation of pain using genetic engineering.  A philosopher, Adam Shriver, has written a paper which says that we have an ethical duty to consider removing suffering in this way.  Well, I have considered, and I find it so wrong, wrong, wrong.

Does removing pain remove suffering?
Does removing pain mean we can treat animals how we like?
Is it all right to harm them if they can't feel the pain?
Is pain-free the same as cruelty-free?
Would it encourage uncaring treatment towards the animals?

I could go on and on.  Unfortunately, I think, the comments in the New Scientist descended into arguments for and against vegetarianism.  They've surely missed the point, because there is no way in a very long time that the whole world is going to change.  It would be far better to treat animals with respect and dignity.  For someone to suggest that it would be ethical to tamper with nature so that we could have an easy conscience while mistreating animals seems unethical in the extreme. 

I am well aware that in the developed world we do eat far more meat than we need, but I am a meat eater, and I'm never going become vegetarian.  I do though, attempt to limit the amount of meat I eat and I try where I can to avoid factory farmed products.  A small drop in the ocean perhaps, but the drops eventually do add up. 

My photos are all animals in fields on local farms.

Shiver my timbers

The other day, you remember, that day when the sun was shining, I thought about getting out and about with my camera.  One of the places I wanted to visit was Bucklers Hard, an attractive place in itself, but what interested me was that fact that it was an important centre for shipbuilding in the 18th and 19th centuries, using timber from the New Forest.  Shipbuilders in those days were ideally located near both the ports they served and the sources of timber.  Association of ideas then took me off to the HMS Victory in Portsmouth which I saw earlier this year.

There were so many different woods used on HMS Victory, from the structure of the hull down to the food barrels and the brooms used to sweep the decks.

• Oak

We probably all think of oak as being the timber used - "Hearts of Oak" - and it was, 90% of the Victory was oak.  It took the equivalent of 100 acres of woodland, and the need for regeneration of forests was understood even then.  Admiral Collingwood used to fill his pockets with acorns to scatter in suitable places, to ensure future supplies.  An act of considerable optimism.

• Elm

Elm was valuable to ship builders because it doesn't rot when kept in water.  The keel of the Victory and the planking under the waterline were made from lengths of elm.  It was also used for casing the pumps, in the capstan used to raise the ship's anchor, in pulleys, and for the gun carriages.  Its strong and irregular grain and bendable nature made it ideal for planking in the ship's boats too, used not as lifeboats but as tugs or for transporting goods and people.

• Pine

Scots pine, fir and spruce were used to make masts because they grow tall and straight, as well as being supple and lightweight.  As there wasn't enough Scots pine available, a great deal of wood had to be imported from the Baltic.

The figurehead would have been carved from elm or oak because it had to be able to withstand the elements in the very exposed position it held.

• Ash

The wood from ash trees is strong and springy, and tolerates impact.  It  was used to make the ship's wheel, the tiller, poles to ram shot into the guns, and as levers and pulleys.

• Yew

The wood from this tree was seen in contrasting places on HMS Victory. Below the waterline was the carpenter's store room and where the tool handles were yew.  High above in the admiral's quarters at the stern of the ship, some of Nelson's finest pieces of furniture would have been made from yew.  The beautiful deep colour was much sought after.

• Hazel

Hazel wood is an inexpensive and widely available wood, that regrows quickly when cut back to the ground.  At the time of HMS Victory it was very widely used.  Being flexible and strong it was used for the hoops that bound together wooden casks that contained food such as peas, oatmeal, biscuit and other dried food.  It was also used for hoops on gunpowder barrels. 

• Black poplar

For safety reasons cartridges were transported in boxes from the gunpowder store to the guns.  Boxes varied in size according to the type of cartridges needed for each gun.  They had to be lightweight so the cases were made from poplar and fitted with an elm lid.  There were 240 of these cases on the Victory.

• Alder, birch, rowan and willow

These were all used in the making of charcoal which in turn was used to make gunpowder.  Charcoal was also used to keep the gunpowder dry.  Rowan wood had an additional use in bowls and plates.

• Beech

Beech trees produce hard, fine grained, easily worked wood.  It was used for internal woodwork and furniture and pulleys

• Silver Birch

Finally, last but not least, silver birch. Twigs from this lovely tree were plentiful and cheap. Brooms and brushes were made of them by the ship's boys who were given the most menial tasks. The youngest crew member on the Victory was just 12 years old.

After a long list like that, it's easy to see that woods and forests played a huge part but were quickly depleted.  Three of the ships built  in Bucklers Hard were at the Battle of Trafalgar so the demand for wood was high.  Nelson himself acknowledged the importance of trees to the success of the British navy and, in 1803, wrote to Parliament calling for more trees to be planted to safeguard ship building timber supplies.  Two hundred years after that battle, the Woodland Trust is engaged in a five year project to plant 12 million trees in 33 woods throughout the UK, the Trafalgar Woods project.  Each wood is named after one of the ships in the battle - 27 ships of the line plus support vessels.

The Project celebrates the crucial part played by timber in the UK's nautical past, links the past with the present, and regenerates the landscape.  It is a unique but very appropriate way to remember the battle, echoing commemorative tree-planting done at the time.

Rag rugs or red rags

During the general sorting out of house contents leading up to the house move (date still uncertain) I've accumulated the usual pile of clothes that aren't suitable to give to many charity shops.  What to do with them?  It annoys me to have to throw them out with the general rubbish.

The Salvation Army and Oxfam do recycle textiles, selling on unwearable clothes or fabrics as raw materials.  They can be shredded and used as insulation materials, in roofing felts, padding, or used as cloths in a range of industries.  Wool can be reclaimed and made into yarn by specialists.  TRAID takes torn or stained clothing and remakes into one-off garments which are then sold under the TRAIDremade label.

Boujad rug from Flickr/Luciano Ghersi

Taking TRAID's initiative a step further are women in Morocco who are using pieces of material from old clothes to creating rugs in the Essaouira tradition.  They use a hook to knot the pieces of fabric on to a canvas backing and let their imaginations create beautiful ethnic-style rugs in geometric designs.  Développement Durable has some good pictures of the colourful end product.

There are other ways to make rag rugs - braiding, crochet - but I'm no crafty expert.  I will not be making us a rug out of the odd sock mountain, but I'll be giving them to Oxfam rather than to landfill.

Mental arithmetic

Gordon Brown, Prime Minister:

"I am determined that Britain will be at the forefront of the transition to low-carbon societies. Not only because it is our moral duty to future generations and because climate change, caused largely by the richest nations, hits the poorest and most vulnerable hardest. But because this new approach will underpin our push towards economic recovery - providing new growth, new jobs, new industries and new opportunities."

Isle of Wight:

Unemployment is double the average for the south-east of England.

Vestas, manufacturer of wind turbines on the IOW:

Vestas announced it expected to lay off approximately 1,900 employees, primarily in Denmark and the UK.  As a result of current market conditions in Northern Europe and the planning process in the UK [my emphasis], the company has decided not to move forward with plans to convert the factory in the Isle of Wight.

Car cash-back scheme

The Chancellor announced in the Budget on 22nd April 2009, a voluntary discount scheme under which motor dealers will give motorists £2,000 or more towards a new vehicle if they trade in a car or van over 10 years old for scrap.  The scheme is intended to provide a boost to demand and immediate support on a short-term basis to the car industry and its supply chain in the wake of falling sales.

Somewhere, something doesn't add up.  If they can support the car manufacturers and dealers, why no help for manufacturers of clean energy?

PhotoHunt: plastic

This theme came up just over 18 months ago when I complained about plastic bags. I'm starting to win the battle of plastic bags but plastic as a whole remains a problem.

It seems to be everywhere you turn. Where we live in the UK, very little plastic is accepted for recycling, and we hear too that the economic situation has made recycling no longer cost effective. When you think that all plastic ever created is still in existence unless it's been incinerated, has any progress been made, I wonder?

Join in and find other other players at TNchick's site.

“Happiness is having a scratch for every itch.”

Alternative title:  air pollution, or do academics like fart jokes?

Almost two years ago I wrote a post about the Château d'Ussé which I had at the time recently visited, and was very disappointed to find how shabby it was.  I have been intending to revise the post and that led me to thinking about the problems of maintaining historical sites such as this.

One thing led to another, and I found something called the Noah's Ark project which is hoping to produce guidelines and strategies to minimise the impact of changing climate on cultural heritage sites.  As part of this project, University College London is investigating the likely effects of climate change on wood, brick and stone buildings, to predict changes that are significant for conversation.

So, a good academic project.  Because there was little information - at first glance - on the site, I looked at the image gallery.  This is the picture chosen to illustrate the effect of air pollution on the Tower of London.

You may need to click the picture to enlarge it.  Just what sort of air pollution are we talking about here?

Earth Day

Residents in the Langue de Barbarie section of Saint Louis in Senegal create rock or sand bag barriers to hold back the advancing sea

Photo IRIN/Phuong Tran

You may or may not think that the changing climate has anything to do with human activity on this planet.  You may or may not think that there is anything we can do about it.  The fact remains that the climate is changing,   and that the people who suffer the worst are those who can least afford to do anything about it.

The photo above shows the efforts of local people in Saint Louis, on the coast of Senegal, to combat steadily rising sea levels.  They think about it all the time.  Further north, the Sahara Desert is growing by 1000 sq km a year and people are having to travel further and further in desperate search of water.  In Mozambique, the Zambezi and Limpopo rivers flood with increasing frequency.  In Chokwe, people are learning to build grain silos in trees to keep the crops safe from floodwater.  Some communities are being moved to resettlement sites but then no longer have access to their farms or livelihoods.

Earth Day is not only about the environment, it's about people too.  People need to be able to live.

To those who have hunger, give bread.
To those who have bread, give a hunger for justice.

Eco babble

There is a whole new vocabulary that is growing up in and around the world of climate change and environmental awareness.  It seems to be along the same lines as techno-babble and psycho-babble.  I always think these words and phrases that specialists use are there more to create an aura of mystery, of exclusivity, than to clarify anything.

So, here we are then, some definitions supplied by IRIN and illustrations supplied by me (with a little help from Flickr).  Some more apt than others, because it did become a challenge...

Greenwashing.  This is the process by which assorted products or businesses acquire an eco-friendly spin.  An example would be the way John Lewis touted its waste disposal unit as being green, as I reported last year.

Ecoflation.  Inflation caused by environmental problems such as deforestation or water scarcity.

Precycle.  Reducing waste by changing buying habits to cut down on waste such as making sure any packaging is recyclable.

Locavore.  A person who eats as much locally produced food as possible.

Energy-exia.  Refers to people who keep their energy consumption down to a bare minimum.

Photo from Flickr/Martin Ujlaki

Green audit.  The assessment  of the environmental impact of any activity or product.

Eco-hacking.  An effort to change the environment by large scale projects such reflecting sunlight back.

Photo from Flickr/LollyKnit

Green jobs.  Jobs in environmentally friendly businesses such as renewable energy.

Global weirding.  A term for the extremes of weather which seem to be happening all over the world these days.

Some of these words and phrases are working their way into normal vocabulary, some I've heard once or twice, but many are new to me.  Will energy-exia ever succeed as a word?  It doesn't exactly slip off the tongue.

Waste, waste, waste.

Every day we get junk mail.  Every single day, the junk mail out numbers the useful mail by a long way.  When we are away for an extended period we have someone who comes in to make sure things are all right.  The post is put to one side and kept for us to sort on our return.  This time the pile was 50 cm, 20 inches, high.  The useful part was barely a handful.

It is quite unbelievable how much is being thrown away.  And it's not as though we haven't tried to stop it.  We have catalogues addressed to us, though there's no knowing how they got our address, catalogues addressed to the previous owners, and to the owners before them!  People who have been dead for decades!  Nothing seems to stop the flow.

But it's worse.  Have a look at the picture of today's haul.  There are two of the roughly six reminders to renew a National Geographic subscription even though I've said I don't want it.  Inside each are 4 pieces of paper plus a return envelope.  One piece of paper says, "While all fees support the Society's mission of expanding geographic knowledge, 90% is designated for the magazine subscription".  And how much for waste paper?

Underneath you can see envelopes from two different charities.  At this time of year there is a deluge from charities, who send cards, pens, coins, every sort of gimmick under the sun.  Some of these things are wrapped in plastic. How much does all this cost?   It's not only the cost to the charity, but also the cost to the planet. 

How do I stop the flood of paper?  I've tried "Return to sender", "Gone away", Deceased".  None of it works.  I'm calling in desperation here before I sink!