At the beginning of this week, the IPCC issued its latest report on climate change. There is now overwhelming scientific evidence that human beings are having a significant effect on the earth’s climate as a result of various greenhouse gasses. We can all expect the effects to become more noticeable over time. What are we to do? The key is reducing our use of fossil fuels (and thus greenhouse gas emissions) and this is something that we can all contribute to.

Chris Field, co-chair of the IPCC working group says this:

We definitely face challenges, but understanding those challenges and tackling them creatively can make climate-change adaptation an important way to help build a more vibrant world in the near-term and beyond.

And that’s what we need to do, to be creative and to understand that we can each take a little bit of responsibility and make a difference. Over the nearly two years that I have been writing this blog, I’ve discussed all sorts of small steps that I (and others) have taken to lead a life that is a little bit greener and, therefore, contributes a little bit less to climate change and destruction of the planet in other ways.

So, I thought that now would be a good time to list some of the creative things that I’ve been doing that help…

First, in our house, we try to mend things rather than throwing them away as soon as something goes wrong. So, this is our solar-powered wind-up radio in its current (much repaired) incarnation:

Our eco-radio

And (much as I dislike it) I do darn things:

Darned slipper sock

Recently, the base plate on our old Dyson vacuum clearer broke, but we managed to get a replacement secondhand one, so that should survive a bit longer:

Mr Snail attaching the new base plate onto our original DC01

Second, we try to cut down our food miles by growing our own (remember we only have a little garden behind a modern bungalow):

All from our garden

and by buying from local producers like:

Blaen Camel farm shop

Lampeter people’s market

The local water mill

And preserving food so that we don’t waste any surplus:

Storing the apple harvest

We have reduced our use of petrochemicals and fossil fuels by using products that contain natural ingredients:

Buying natural and in bulk

Increasing our use of renewables:

Our solar panels

Boiling water using wood from our willow hedge

Cutting down on the heating bills:

Curtains provide good insulation

Stylish ways to keep warm

Fingerless mittens in action for warm hands

And reducing our use of plastics:

Homemade cotton shopping bag from scrap fabric

We’ve also enjoyed some repurposing:

An old cat litter tray now used as a laying box

Potatoes growing in old dumpy bags

Toilet roll middles as biodegradable pots

Curtains would probably be a more stylish option for insulation, but oven mitts did the trick temporarily!

And just, generally getting creative with waste:

Hexipuffs for a quilt… made from sock wool oddments

A camping toilet, for discreet and civilised nitrogen collection

Apple scraps, fermenting naturally to make vinegar

And, of course, sharing…

… by blogging…

… teaching…

… and, of course, over coffee and cake…