David Cameron – Mythmonger
Energy
David Cameron’s remarks yesterday to the liaison committee of MPs about renewable energy might just play a big part in his downfall at the general election.
His comments were contradictory at best, they laid bare once again the monumental lie that was his promise to lead the greenest government ever, and – perhaps more importantly – ignored a growing tide of feeling in Britain that we need to properly tackle climate change and embrace renewable energy.
Cameron is really out of step with the country on green issues.
This is the year in which membership of the Green Party has doubled; the year in which the IPCC made it clearer than ever that we have to completely give up fossil fuels by 2050 or face catastrophic climate consequences; the year in which climate change made itself more than evident as temperatures in Europe hit their highest since the 1500s. (more…)
David – don’t break wind!
Energy
Just a quick post to share a couple of things we’ve been sent, firstly there’s this petition/campaign which is amusingly titled (borrowed for the title of this post) but is very serious and worth supporting : David Cameron: don’t break wind…support it!
Then along similar lines, there’s this letter to David Cameron penned by one of our customers. We really liked the tone and content and thought it would be worth sharing in case any of you would like to do something similar with your MP, or even to Mr Cameron.
It starts with a letter from our customer Chris to his MP David Cameron:
Japanese Noodle Soup
Food
An article in the Guardian this week states that “curbing the world’s huge and increasing appetite for meat is essential to avoid devastating climate change, according to a new report. But governments and green campaigners are doing nothing to tackle the issue due to fears of a consumer backlash, warns the analysis from the thinktank Chatham House.”
Most people think that transport is the biggest greenhouse gas producing industry but the global livestock industry actually produces more greenhouse gas emissions than all cars, planes, trains and ships combined! Anyway, here’s a tasty Japanese dish you can try – no meat but oodles of flavour.
Vegan Tagine
Food
Hi – Jodie here with this week’s recipe, although World Vegan Month is over now, I’ll carry on sharing some recipes for a bit 🙂
As a family we have all collectively spent a lot of time in Morocco and are always bringing back authentic recipes and spices to recreate our favourite dishes at home. This recipe is my take on a vegan tagine.
With a tagine you do not necessarily need the authentic dish in order to cook this, a large saucepan and lid will work just as well, or an oven proof dish and lid, cook and prep time will not vary depending on chosen dish.
Perhaps we’ll start to see vegan tagine appearing on a high street near you soon? Apparently catering for the ‘plant curious’ is becoming big business.
Are we really quitting on England?
Energy
If you had only read the headline and the opening paragraph of an interview I did with The Times recently “Windfarm owner quits over political interference” (Tuesday 25th November), you may get the impression that Ecotricity is giving up on England.
It’s not quite what it appears. I’m happy to say.
We’ve had a policy in place for some 12 months now, to stop finding and submitting new wind sites into planning in England and instead to focus our efforts on Scotland – for the reasons set out in the article, it’s become very difficult in England, to the point that we were wasting time and money to a degree we could no longer accept. (more…)
World Vegan Month: Vegan Lasagne
Food
This week’s recipe is by far my favourite variations of the classic lasagne. It has the most wonderful textures from the walnuts and lentils together and is beautiful with a simple side such as garlic green beans or a simple salad. As usual this dish can be adapted slightly to your personal tastes. You could even replace the pasta with leek strips if you’re on a low carb diet.
Speaking of which – the results of yet another study – picked up by all mainstream media yesterday – showed, a diet change alone can prevent and even reverse type 2 diabetes. Vegetarian diets have repeatedly and consistently showed the best results in terms of diabetes prevention and a vegan diet has been the most effective in the management and treatment of diabetes. Many people all around the world changed their lives for the better by following a plant based diet. (more…)
World Vegan Month: Vegan Curry
Food
This week’s recipe is really quick and simple, and one of my favourite treats.
For me it doesn’t get much better than a home-made curry.
“The first curry recipe in Britain appeared in The Art of Cookery made Plain and Easy by Hannah Glasse in 1747. The first edition of her book used only black pepper and coriander seeds for seasoning of “currey”. By the fourth edition of the book, other ingredients such as turmeric and ginger were called for. The use of hot spices was not mentioned, which reflected the limited use of chili in India — chili plants had only been introduced into India around the late 15th century and at that time were only popular in southern India.” From Wikipedia
World Vegan Month: Stew and Dumplings
FoodHello again!
In the news this week, it turns out that the paragons of physical prowess back in the day, the Roman gladiators, were mostly vegan!
This week’s recipe is definitely a meal of champions – even if you’ve got no battles to fight, it’ll certainly help you fight the onslaught of winter 😉
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Let’s cut the Green Crap
Energy
I was doing an interview for ITV’s Tonight programme a couple of weeks ago, the show went out last night. I’ve not seen it yet, and don’t know what parts made it to the final cut, but it was a good discussion and it left me feeling that I should try and pull together the main elements of that conversation – they seemed so relevant and current.
The central thrust of the questioning was about the cost of green energy, or green crap as Cameron infamously has it – its impact on our energy bills and whether it’s the right thing to do as energy bills continually rise and become more unaffordable. It’s essentially the narrative of a number of politicians and media outlets of the past months and years – and it’s based on myth and propaganda more than fact.
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World Vegan Day and Month: Mexican Mixed Bean Pie
FoodI’d like to introduce a new member of the Ecotricity Team – Jodie. She’s only been with us a couple of weeks as a Teleservices Assistant, but is already getting stuck in and has proposed to treat us all to some of her vegan recipes in support of Meat Free Mondays and World Vegan Month. It’s great to be in a team of people that are so passionate about making a difference. We’re giving Jodie a regular Monday slot on here for the month (and possibly beyond!), so without further ado, I’ll hand over to Jodie.
My interest in food and cooking began at a young age. I grew up as a vegetarian for much of my life, and lived in a bus with my parents for the most part of my early childhood. My unconventional interest in food stemmed largely from my Mother who was an innovative, resourceful and talented cook. Her Jewish heritage and nomadic background gave us a wide ranging experience of different culinary traditions with a focus on fresh, unprocessed ingredients. It’s fair to say I have pretty much learnt everything I know about cooking from her. (more…)
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