Environment & Ethics Magazine by Oxford University Student Union

A NEW OUSU MAGAZINE LOOKING AT OUR IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND ETHICS

ENVIR

RONMENT AND

ETHICS

ENVIRONMENT&ETHICS

CREATIVE EDITOR

MATTHEW ROBINSON

DEPUTY EDITORS

FREYA BRADLEY VIOLET BRAND VICKY CLAYTON ILANA MASAD LYDIA RAE JAMES RAINEY YARA RODRIGUES-FOWLER MAEVE SCULLION

ILLUSTRATIONS

ALEXANDRA PULLEN

PHOTOGRAPHY

MATTHEW ROBINSON

AN OXFORD UNIVERSITY STUDENT UNION MAGAZINE, LOOKING AT EVERYDAY ISSUES FROM AN ENVIRONMENTAL AND ETHICAL VIEWPOINT

EDITOR IN CHIEF

SARAH SANTHOSHAM

CONTRIBUTORS

FREYA BRADLEY MOYA BURNS VICKY CLAYTON MICHAEL DAVIES CLAIRE FENNER BETH HANSON-JONES JENNA HOLDER ALASTAIR MARSH ABIGAIL MOTLEY EVE MCQUILLIAN LYDIA RAE JAMES RAINEY MATTHEW ROBINSON ROBERT SCHOONMAKER

PRINTERS

OXUNI PRINT

WITH THANKS TO MAX RICHARDSON THEO SUNDH

FOOD FAIR TRADE / 8 VEGETARIANISM / 10 FORAGING / 11 INSECTS AS FOOD / 15 OXFORD MARKETS / 16 ENERGY BRIGHT IDEAS / 18 TIPS TO SAVE ENERGY / 19 RECYCLING PLANT TOUR / 20 ETHICAL FASHION SHOOT / 22 UP-CYCLING / 26 ETHICAL SHOPPING / 28 MONEY LIVING WAGE / 30 BIODIVERSITY GREENING SPIRES / 34 COLLEGE GARDENS / 36 BIODIVERSITY AROUND OXFORD / 38 FEATURES CLIMATE CHANGE SCIENCE / 40 CLIMATE CHANGE UNRAVELLED / 41 INTERVIEWS PROFILES / 42 PETER SINGER / 46 GREEN GROUPS INDEX / 48

PHOTO/ Splash

E&E

CONTENTS TRINITY TERM 2013 - OUSU PRESENTS ENVIRONMENT & ETHICS

EDITORIAL

PHOTO/ Technochaun

very day we are faced with new research informing us about the devastating effects of climate change. Faced with such content, it is easy to be overwhelmed and disengaged – the issues are too complex, we’re not sure which sources to trust, or perhaps we don’t think our individual actions can make a difference. The truth, however, is that environmental and ethical issues needn’t be perceived as so complex, and we don’t need degrees in Environmental Science to understand what’s going on and how we can do our part to mitigate the risks of climate change. Environment & Ethics magazine stemmed from an idea to challenge the doom-mongering way in which literature on climate change is written, and to make the issues facing us accessible, interesting and relevant to students’ everyday lives. It is not the intention of this magazine to tell you what you should and shouldn’t do. Rather, we have provided an approachable introduction to a range of topics we regularly interact with – from food to fashion, energy to education – and have covered them from an environmental and ethical standpoint. We’ve put together features on issues such as “can insects be our new food source?”, taken a day trip to a recycling plant and spent an afternoon with some College gardeners to provide a more unusual and interesting approach to the issues we come across so often. Environmental and ethical work shouldn’t be optional extras. As students, it’s up to us to engage in the issues that will affect us all in the future. We hope that your journey though these topics doesn’t end with this magazine. Throughout, we have integrated simple and practical steps you can take to make a positive difference to the planet and its people. In Oxford there are myriads of groups, both student and community led, working on environmental and ethical matters. If any of the issues covered have inspired you to take action and get involved, we’ve profiled 18 local groups at the end to help you get started! Sarah Santhosham Editor in Chief

FAIR TRADE EXPLAINED

WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT? “Fair trade’s a nice idea, but I don’t really have the money to buy it, and whatever I choose isn’t really going to make a difference - I can’t remember there being much in Tesco’s anyway.” A fair appraisal of what most Oxford students would say? Probably. A fair point? Absolutely not. We’ve all been there, with reps of every description asking for our money, time, or even worse, that we give up stuff. When you’re busy, it is very difficult to care. But Fair trade is so much more than just a ‘nice idea’: if there’s just one good turn you do in your time at Oxford, changing your buying habits is a must. Here’s a brief explanation of why and how. Paying farmers a fair price for their produce is a sustainable way to empower the citizens of developing countries – bypassing the unfair trade rules imposed by the developed world. Fair trade is one of the only schemes to address the structural issues causing poverty and inequality in developing nations. That’s a bit less patronising than doling out aid money, which bandages the problem but doesn’t change it. You have to do your shopping anyway – if fair trade is cheap and easy to get hold of, why not buy it? There are schemes in Oxford: oxcoop.com - which has an online ordering system; or OxHub’s shop, open on Fridays, where prices are only 10-30 percent more than supermarket own brand (a matter of pennies). OxHub stock from a catalogue of over 482 Fairtrade products – everything from cereal to soap. Fairtrade@St Michaels, on Cornmarket, has beautiful gifts, clothes and crafts, as well as food. If you’re out for a coffee, google ‘Oxford fair trade map’ for a list of participating cafes: TSK, Greens and Art Cafe are favourites. Feeling more convinced? Ask your JCR to stock Fairtrade in their cafes, bars, and especially welfare teas (OxCoop do special deals) - then it’s not even your own money! Ask your E&E or charities rep. Sign up to receive OxHub’s weekly email which will tell you about fair trade events in Oxford – inspiration is key to keeping yourself on track when it comes to lifestyle decisions! Whatever you do, the important point is to get into the habit of considering the effect your buying choices have on other people. So, if you want a way to make a difference, ‘give’ your money to spending a little more on food. This is something which will stick with you for life, and think how much cumulative difference, and influence, that could have.

CLAIRE FENNER is a second-year Geographer at Hertford and the founder of OxCo-op BETH HANSON-JONES is a fourth-year Chemist at St Hugh’s and was formerly the E&E Officer for OUSU

IS IT ALL THAT FAIR? Fairtrade goods are expanding into all areas of the global consumer market, and the sale of Fairtrade goods grew by 12 percent in 2011 – despite the economic downturn. It is clear that Western consumers are willing to pay the price to improve working conditions for farmers in developing countries. But is fair trade actually doing all it can to help the world’s poorest farmers? Is fair trade really that ‘fair’? The advantages of fair trade seem clear: it provides a higher, more stable price for farmers in the world’s developing regions. fairtrade boosts incomes, improves quality of life, and gives farmers the chance to invest in improving their own practices. The scheme allows farmers in the developing world to take advantage of, rather than lose out to, the global market. On top of this, fai trade protects workers’ rights by guaranteeing minimum health and safety standards, freedom of association, collective bargaining and no discrimination or bonded labour. This provides a level of security for farmers often lacking in developing countries. There are further benefits, beyond the immediate financial ones. For Western consumers buying Fairtrade products, there is reassurance to be gained from knowing that the goods have been produced in a way that is

environmentally sustainable. 64 percent of consumers believe that Fairtrade has strict standards and 75 percent are familiar with the logo. Fairtrade has clearly had an impact on how consumers choose their products, contributing to ethical considerations in shopping. But there are also serious shortcomings to fair trade. Only five percent of the sale price makes it back to the farmers; even this five percent doesn’t always benefit the poorest. Fairtrade-certified cooperatives have to meet certain standards: this tends to mean that only richer farmers - who have skills, education and capital - benefit. In a recent article, Peter Griffiths, an economist and spokesperson for the anti-Fairtrade movement, suggested that the majority of Fairtrade suppliers are in middle to higher income strata. More developed economies do seem to benefit most from fair trade: the three largest producers of fair trade coffee in 2011 were Peru, Columbia and Mexico. These Latin American economies have a higher GDP per capita, and a higher average wage rate, than most African nations. Fair trade, by fixing the buying price of produce, can incentivize overproduction in a way that depresses the global market price and impoverishes poorer farmers not part of the scheme. Given this - is it really helping those most in need?

Perhaps ‘something’ to help developing world farmers is better than nothing. Here, the counter-argument is that fair trade can result in an excessive focus on increasing wages (by relatively insignificant amounts) rather than much-needed focus on transforming local economies through agricultural investment and social change. Development charities such as Wordwrite have criticized fair trade on this count, pointing out that - rather than fundamentally altering the system that produces poverty - fair trade locks farmers into that system and does little to change their situation in the long term. What Fairtrade does do, is provide a useful branding tool for companies that may otherwise be engaged in unethical practices. Consumers buying Fairtrade products feel they are doing their bit to solve global poverty, when the actual implications of fair trade are far from clear. Despite its popularity across the world, Fairtrade has arguably done little for the world’s poorest farmers. Nor has it fundamentally changed the situation of those it does benefit. While Fairtrade has contributed to a boom in ethical brands and brought the sourcing of products to the forefront of consumers’ minds, it seems that on the whole Fairtrade has not lived up to its own selling point - of being truly fair.

PHOTO/Liverpool Echo

THE DEBATE

VEGETARIANISM IT’S A PERSONAL CHOICE; LET’S MAKE IT AN INFORMED ONE

t’s very easy to justify our own actions. Talking earlier this

I understand if biodiversity, energy efficiency, deforesta-

week with friends who happen to be vegetarian, the general

tion or animal rights sound very abstract, far away and ir-

consensus was that, though we all had initially one specific

relevant, but they have very real concrete consequences: you

reason for choosing vegetarianism, we realised that the longer

can feed a lot more people on a vegetarian diet. The world

we adopted the eating habits, the more reasons we adopted too.

has enough food to feed everyone but yet a billion peo-

My ‘journey’ towards vegetarianism began with energy effi-

ple go to bed hungry every night. It requires on average six

ciency. Remember those Year 7 biology lessons? Every time you

pounds of grain to produce one pound of edible meat: five

go up the feeding chain (from plants to animals, and animals to

extra pounds could go to feed humans on a vegetarian diet.

humans) energy is lost, meaning that eating cattle which have

This is a very human-centric way of looking at it, but it’s my

been feed on grain is far more energy-inefficient than eating

way of looking at it. We can question whether we have the

the grain ourselves. Energy efficiency may sound like an odd,

right to use animals for our needs at all, and ask “why?” in-

rather abstract and ideological reason to stop eating sausages

stead of “Why not?” when we know that our actions cause

but the way I see it is that it has very real effects on lives of others.

harm. These and a dozen other questions were considered

Rising meat consumption around the world due to increasing

and answered. Though they were less central to my deci-

wealth has led to large scale deforestation to make way for

sion, I at least considered them: if one is born into some-

pastures to feed livestock. This has considerable environmen-

thing (including vegetarianism), it doesn’t mean that it’s

tal impacts including loss of biodiversity and the destruction

necessarily the best course of action. Ultimately, what one

of habitats. Crucially, however, deforestation is a major con-

eats is a personal choice: let’s make it an informed one.

tributor to climate change: Indonesia and Brazil are now the world’s third and fourth largest emitters of carbon dioxide not because of industrial prosperity but due to the rate at which forests are being burned for agriculture. As you may also know (and have sniggered quietly at), cattle produce A LOT of methane, which has 20 times the impact on climate change when compared with carbon dioxide. The effect of greenhouse gases is already being seen in some of the world’s poorest countries.

VICKY CLAYTON is a second-year Human Scientist at New College where she is the Environment and Ethics rep

WHAT IS FORAGING? Put concisely, foraging is collecting food or drink ingredients from the natural environment. More loosely, it’s going outdoors into common natural environments (e.g. hedgerows, meadows, footpaths, even carparks) to responsibly gather small amounts of wild leaves, flowers or fruit, for use in cooking.

However, avoid areas immediately adjacent to busy roads, and anywhere which may have been sprayed with pesticides or weedkiller (e.g. formal gardens). In addition, foraging is not necessarily permissible everywhere, so do check what’s allowed and what isn’t.

LEGALITY AND ETIQUETTE WHY FORAGE? 1.

It’s food for free (and there’s not even any rummaging in bins involved). 2. There are plenty of vibrant flavours that you just won’t find in the shops. 3. Enjoyable exercise – a great excuse for a walk outside. 4. It’s rather fun – once you’ve tried it a couple of times, you’ll be hooked. 5. Your friends will love it too – who could say no to an aromatic glass of rose lemonade? Foraging perhaps used to be seen as a throwback pastime belonging to a bygone rural age. However, the opposite is true – many top chefs (such as Magnus Nilssen at the renowned Faviken, one of the world’s best restaurants) view wild ingredients and flavours as indispensable to their dishes.

HOW TO FORAGE? Firstly, identify what you’re after – choose a particular plant you’d like to use, and keep an eye out for it. There are several recipes on the next page that involve common, easy-to-find wild ingredients. The internet is a good resource, and there’s a plethora of cookbooks that use wild ingredients in their dishes. Secondly, establish where you’re likely to find it and how to identify it. Correct identification is obviously of utmost importance – however, as long as you follow identification guidelines correctly you’ll have nothing to worry about. If ever in doubt, don’t use it.

WHERE CAN I FORAGE? A garden, hedgerows along footpaths, and at sides of fields are great places to start – but the best advice is to keep your eyes open! You’d be surprised at the variety and abundance of wild plants in mundane places. I live in a town, yet within five minutes walk I can find a huge variety of edible leaves, fruit and flowers.

The law dictates that one obtain permission from the landowner before foraging. However, a commonsense approach is required: if somewhere is very obviously private property (a garden, a farm, etc.) then absolutely do get permission first. The best foraging areas are often footpaths or woods on public land. Follow these points of etiquette: • Never strip a plant of whatever it is you are picking – a rule of thumb is to take a maximum of one third of the plant. If there is a group of plants, only pick from every other plant. • Never pull up plants. • Don’t disturb obvious animal habitats, like birds’ nests. • Only take what you need. Foraging is not about being able to survive in the wild – it’s about responsibly using small quantities of wild ingredients to enhance cooking. There are simply not enough plants around, for all of us to have a go at being Ray Mears or Bear Grylls.

SAFETY Always make sure you’re 100 percent confident that you’ve correctly identified a plant before using it. If in doubt, don’t use it. All the ingredients used in the recipes which follow are easy to identify and have no nasty lookalikes – but some aren’t so straightforward. Plant height and appearance, leaf shape, fruit shape or colour, flower shape or colour, and smell, can all be used as indicators. An excellent pocket-sized identification book is Food for Free which costs less than £5. Remember to give all wild ingredients a wash before you use them. Naturally, some leaves and fruit will be tastier and in better condition than others. A rule of thumb is: if it doesn’t look tasty (e.g. a withered, browned, or with speckled leaves), it won’t be.

The following recipes feature wild ingredients that are: 1. Very common and easy to find 3. Distinctly flavoursome, but not too zany for most people’s palates I have made all of these before myself, and can wholeheartedly recommend them! Use the illustrations and descriptions provided to be sure

PHOTO/Sarah Santhosham

2. Easily identifiable (with no nasty lookalikes)

you’ve got the right plant.

SALAD EXTRAS PHOTO/ lovestruck

Wild ingredients: Hawthorn leaves, hawthorn blossom Where to find? Woods, hedges, scrubland, meadows. How to recognise? Leaves: deeply lobed and glossy green on spiky branches. Flowers: white/pink When to gather? April to May for the leaves (earlier the better), April to June for the flowers.

Wild ingredient: Lavender flowers Where to find? Gardens – be sure to ask permission and only use if no pesticides or herbicides have been used on the flowers.

Use the leaves and/or flowers in salads with other

How to recognise? Tight clusters of purple flowers on long thin stems,

spring greens. They also go well in a cheese sandwich.

growing up to three feet high, but usually less. Easiest way to recognise is to smell whether the flowers have the distinctive lavender scent. When to gather? May-August 20 lavender heads 500ml (18fl oz) boiling water 150g (5½oz) sugar 1.2 litres (2 pints) cold water

LAVENDER LEMONADE

5 ripe lemons

• Check there are no insects hiding in the flowers. Give them a gentle shake to make sure.

• Put the flower heads into a saucepan and pour over the boiling water. Bring to the boil and simmer for 2 minutes. •

Turn off the heat and leave to infuse for 10 minutes.

•

Strain the liquid through a sieve to remove the flower heads

•

Add the sugar and stir to dissolve.

•

Add the cold water.

•

Squeeze the lemons directly into the pan – watch it turn pink! – then strain again to get rid of any lemon seeds and pith

•

Have a taste then, when serving dilute with water to your liking.

PHOTO/net_efekt

RECIPES

ALASTAIR MARSH is a fourth-year Materials Science student at Corpus Christi, previously serving as Environment & Ethics Officer for OUSU

ROSEHIP TEA Wild ingredient: Rosehips Where to find? At the sides of playing fields and hedgerows. How to recognise? Red, oblong fruit about an inch long or less. Rosehips are the fruit of wild roses, which are recognisable by their pink or white flowers, which tend to bloom in June and July. When to gather? August to November. • Wash the picked rosehips. • Either dry them on newspaper in the sun – or if the sun’s not out, put on trays in an oven with the door open on a very low heat until dry. When dry, they will have shrivelled, and will feel crinkly. PHOTO/ Eidoloon

• Blend the dried rosehips in a food processor for less than 20 seconds – the pieces should be large enough not to pass through a sieve . •

Sieve them until as many of the fine hairs from inside the hips have fallen through.

•

Done! Store in a glass jar. Use 1 or 2 teaspoons for a pot of tea – leave to infuse for at least 5 minutes.

PHOTO/ wallygrom

SLOE GIN Wild ingredient: Sloes Where to find? Woods, hedgerows. How to recognise? A small, round, very dark blue berry.

Wild ingredient: nettle leaves. Only use the youngest leaves at the

The tree it grows upon, the blackthorn, has distinctive dark

top of each stem.

spines on its branches and small, oval leaves.

Where to find? Footpaths, hedgebanks, fields.

When to gather? After the first frost of the year (the frost

How to recognise? Heart shaped, serrated green leaves – and a sting!

softens their skins) – usually around late October.

When to gather? Late February to early June.

450g sloes

About half a carrier bag full of young nettle leaves

225g caster sugar

50g butter

1 litre pint gin

2 medium onions, chopped small

• Prick the skin of the sloes all over with a knife and

1 medium potato, peeled and chopped small

put in a large sterilised jar (to sterilise, pour in a little

2 sticks celery, chopped

boiling water and slosh around).

1 clove garlic, chopped fine

• Pour in the sugar and the gin, seal tightly and shake

1 litre chicken or vegetable stock

well.

2 tbsp double cream – plus a little more cream to garnish

•

Salt and freshly ground black peppercorns, to season

other day for a week. Then shake once a week for

• Wash the nettles in cold water. Be sure to remove any thick stalks. • Melt the butter, and cook garlic, onion, potato and celery in a

at least two months. •

large pan until they’re soft but not browned.

•

Cook for at least ten minutes (or until the nettles are soft).

•

Season to your liking, then remove from the heat. Blend once it’s cooled a little. Stir in the cream and then reheat without letting it boil.

•

Serve with crunchy bread, and a swirl of cream in each dish to garnish. Serves six!

into a sterilised bottle.

PHOTO/Gary Huston

boil (boiling water kills the stings).

When you’re ready to bottle, strain the sloe gin through a sieve (or a sheet of muslin if you have it)

Add the nettle leaves and stock to the pan and bring to the

NETTLE SOUP

•

Store in a cool, dark cupboard and shake every

MEAT SNOBBERY AND THE RISE OF INSECTS

y foray into the world of eating insects – entomophagy

some accident of history rejected by Western Europeans, who

– started with ambitions of becoming a restoration

prefer delicacies such as bee vomit (honey) and I-can’t-believe-

ecologist. The colossal forests which cloaked Britain

it’s-not-horse burgers. It makes me sad that our culture permits

and Ireland following the retreat of glaciers around 10,000 years

the consumption of a few species of mammal and bird, whilst

ago, and the rich tapestry of grassland and fen which replaced it as

ignoring the almost 2,000 species of known edible insect.

human influence increased, have been reduced to tiny fragments by

If even a small proportion of curious people decided to taste

the spread of modern agriculture. In order to reduce the likelihood

test the various hexapods on offer, and subsequently replaced

of continued local extinctions in our remaining habitat patches, they

one portion of beef per week with a plate of delicious cicadas,

need to be joined up once more. So why does entomophagy come

ants, or beetle grubs, a significant area of agricultural land could

into this you might wonder? It all comes down to meat snobbery.

be freed up, and allowed to transform. Perhaps a forest type

Conventional meats pose serious threats to the future wellbe-

which once occurred on the pre-agricultural soils could be resur-

ing of humanity and the diversity of life on Earth. Not only is

rected, preferably one with a suitably poetic name, like Fraxi-

the livestock sector the largest source of water pollution and soil

nus excelsior-Acer campestre-Mercurialis perennis woodland. A

erosion, but a massive 30 per cent of the planet’s land surface is

reduction in the required animal feed could also relax drivers of

dedicated to it - a percentage that is still increasing, and there-

deforestation elsewhere, particularly in the tropics.

fore driving deforestation and preventing ecosystem restoration.

With so much to be gained from expanding our meaty ho-

In spite of this, conventional meat production is highly inefficient

rizons, my insect eating experiment was launched just over a

- if crops were diverted from feeding cattle to nourishing people

year ago: mealworms, sourced from the local pet shop, were

directly, the protein value per kilo could be increased ten-fold.

fattened up on Rice Krispies whilst I searched for recipes. Then they were frozen, flash fried, and dipped in sauce. For a first at-

der ten kilos of feed to generate copious amounts of dung and

tempt (by someone with no culinary skills whatsoever), they were

one measly kilogram of beef, I could invest in producing a nine

pretty good. Hopefully, more professional suppliers will top me

kilo army of six-legged land prawns. And a tasty army at that,

up in future, as adventurous foodies increase demand for our

beloved by 80 percent of the world’s human population, but for

most diverse meats.

JAMES RAINEY is a first-year Biologist at Balliol and OUSU E&E Chair

PHOTO/ Christopher Marley

Thankfully, not all meats are equally bad: rather than squan-

ILLUSTRATION/ Alexandra Pullen

FLOWER POTS

SCRUBBING GLASS MADE EASY

Cut it to size, add a trim and voila! You have a shirt apron! This is from a Russian website:

PHOTO/ ocv.org.uk

h t t p : / / w w w. l i v e i n t e r n e t . r u / u s e r s / 3 1 7 3 2 9 4 / post145479436/

WANT TO DO SOMETHING ACTIVE?

Oxford Conservation Volunteers is a voluntary organisation that carries out practical work conserving the wildlife and traditional landscape of Oxford. They organise work parties every weekend. Sign up for one of their upcoming events! ocv.org.uk

HATE FOOD WASTE?

Need ideas for cooking with leftovers?Every year 7.2 million tonnes of food and drink is thrown away in England, most of which could have been eaten. Love Food Hate Waste have launched an app for iPhone and Android, which allows you to keep track of food planning, cooking and making the most of leftovers. england.lovefoodhatewaste.com

NO ROOM FOR PLANTS? No excuse! Green Upgrader is a handy website featuring fun and simple ways of leading a more green lifestyle. Create your very own â&#x20AC;&#x153;green wallâ&#x20AC;? or herb garden using just a shoe organiser! greenupgrader.com

PHOTO/ realsimple.com

Real Simple has some top tips for reusing all the aluminium foil we use for cooking. Scrub out the dish you used with the scrunched up ball of foil! realsimple.com/new-uses-forold-things

PHOTO/ greenupgrader.com

PHOTO/ www.liveinternet.

Want to give a handmade present? Dos Family have some great ideas for handmade presents, like this one: save some old tin cans, give them a new life with some colour and add a plant! dosfamily.com

NEED A USE FOR AN OLD SHIRT?

PHOTO/ renewpurpose.com

Renew purpose is another great blog with creative ideas for giving a new lease of life for old domestic items. Their ideas for resuing lightbulbs are particularly innovative, like these salt and pepper shakers (though please take care when hollowing out lightbulbs!) renewpurpose.com/blog

PHOTO/ dothegreenthing.tumnlr.com

PHOTO/ dosfamily.com

BRIGHT IDEAS FOR REUSING LIGHTBULBS!

NEED SOME MOTIVATIONAL GREEN WALL ART?

Do The Green Thing is an environmental charity that uses creativity to inspire people to be more sustainable. They have a range of posters designed to spur viewers to action. dothegreenthing.tumblr.com

. Turn lights off when they are not needed. The power saved from one 60W light bulb could run a MacBook Pro

. Oven cooking a meal can use five times the energy of microwaving one. When baking, cook multiple portions of food at once. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve now created your own handy ready meals which you can later reheat in the microwave

. Close your curtains at dusk to keep heat indoors

. Towel dry hair thoroughly to cut down hair drier time

O RO BA TH . When showering, turn down water to half flow. For each five minutes of your usual shower time, you will save enough power to run a small hair drier for a few minutes, which might be all the time you need if you...

TC H

. Defrost frozen food in the fridge. Frozen food will help cool the fridge, reducing its electricity requirement

LA UN

. Wash clothes at 30oC rather than 40oC to use 40 per cent less energy and only use the washing machine when thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a full load. . Air dry clothes rather than using the tumble drier. Your delicate, heat-sensitive fabrics will thank you

SAVING ENERGY IN THE HOUSE

For long journeys try to take the train rather than a plane. A London to Paris train journey results in 90 per cent less CO2 per passenger than the equivalent flight!

PHOTO/ Our House TIPS/ Jenna Holder

AWAY FROM HOME

Refreshing your wardrobe? Swap clothes with friends or donate old clothes to charities and buy new ones second hand. Not only does this save you money, it benefits others and you could find vintage items that are not on the high street.

RECYCLING PLANT TOUR B FREYA BRADLEY is studying English and French at Wadham and is on the Oxford Living Wage Campaign Committee

WE TOOK TOOK A A TOUR TOUR OF OF A A RECYCLING RECYCLING PLANT PLANT AND AND SAW SAW WHAT WHAT HAPPENS HAPPENS TO TO OUR OUR RUBBISH RUBBISH WE

efore visiting the Milton Keynes Recycling Facility, I hadn’t realised there were so many recycling skeptics. According to my fellow minibus passengers, however, there are a lot of us who resist the inconvenience of sorting our rubbish because we believe that it all ends up as landfill anyway. Tours of the Materials Recycling Facility – satisfyingly known as a “merf” by the experts – are open to all groups and are tailored to educate the public on what exactly happens to their cereal box. My companions had visited other recycling facilities too – they regaled me with tales of a huge stomach which spins food waste into liquid gold (and methane) and the giant mechanical diggers which graze on our garden waste. Recycling from Oxford all initially goes to Enstone Recycling Centre, and then a percentage of it moves on to Milton Keynes. The recycling arrives on lorries which are weighed on their way in and out on a ‘weighbridge’. The lorries unload the recycling onto the floor of the ‘tipping hall’, while glass bottles and jars are taken off to the glass factory to be remelted into jars and bottles for another day. The ‘tipping hall’ is essentially a mountain of recycling, kept constantly moist to prevent fire, where a digger truck loads it into the bag-splitter all day. The bag-splitter is just the first of many machines which invoke memories of vintage Robot Wars: after the bags are split, the recycling falls onto a conveyor belt which carries it towards the ‘Ballistic Separator’ and the ‘Titech Polysort’. First though, large items which would block up the machines are removed in the pre-sort cabin – human hands are essential to the sorting process. Textiles are sent to be made into clothes or insulation for cars and furniture. The ballistic separator sieves the recycling into two groups, cans and plastics then paper and cardboard, by shaking a set of moving

metal slits called screens. Round and heavy objects roll off the screens, while flat light objects travel over the top of them. Tiny objects fall through holes in the screens. The paper and cardboard ends up in the paper cabin to be sorted by staff from a conveyor belt. Paper is recycled for newspapers and magazines, cardboard is recycled into…cardboard. Cans and plastic bottles continue the journey under a huge magnet, and then through an eddy-current separator to ensure metal and plastic are not mixed. Cans could become other cans or car parts, while aluminium foil is given to a local charity, who use it to raise money for their work with local teenagers. The Titech scans plastic for its size and density as it travels at 2.71cm per second, using powerful air jets to blow it into a storage bunker. Workers in the plastic cabin check that everything has been sorted correctly and pick out coloured plastic bottles – unlike clear bottles, many of the coloured ones become underground water pipes! Huge bunkers store the sorted recycling until it is sent to the baling machines, where it is squashed into big cubes and stacked in the yard to be quickly sold on to factories. Anything that didn’t get properly sorted is sent through the system again, and rubbish which cannot be recycled (around seven percent of non-recyclable rubbish is mistakenly put into recycling bins) is sent to a power plant to create energy. The process is extremely thorough: everything finds a place; nothing is wasted. Huge creativity goes into transforming the rubbish into new products – all over the UK and in Belgium, Germany and Sweden. The extra few seconds of sorting our waste ensures an industry and prevents more hopeless landfill sites. It really is worth it.

PHOTOS/ Sarah Santhosham

CLOTHES / DRESS. INDIGO / JACKET. BLITZ FAUX LEATHER SHIRT. OXFAM / JEANS. VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPHER / MATTHEW ROBINSON MODEL / CLARA COLLYNS

PHOTO/ Gary Harvey

UP CY CL IN G

scheme, giving you the opportunity to bring in

has become a trend in its own right, after high

old, quality clothes, in exchange for credit on

street giants like Marks and Spencer launched

other clothes. This creates a form of sartorial

a new ‘Shwopping’ scheme to encourage the

co-operative, and a fluid chain of clothing ex-

continued use of unwanted cast-offs and to re-

change where vintage shops no longer have

duce the relentless production of the modern

to rely on external producers, which helps to

consumerist world.

create shops that are increasingly independ-

You don’t need to introduce radical struc-

ent and self-standing. The shop is therefore

tural and political changes to create true en-

supplied by and made for shoppers. There

vironmental change; just to induce a psycho-

is more clarity in clothes production and no

logical change in our insatiable materialist

hidden production methods, which has been

society. Much of the Western world is driven

seen behind the commercialisation of vintage

by consumption and buying - clothes being

clothes in national vintage shops, such as Be-

the ultimate indulgence and luxury for the

yond Retro. And whilst swap schemes still al-

majority. But when these clothes are produced

low you to indulge in vintage consumerism,

in distant countries and continents, under

your clothing is no longer finitely owned, re-

distinctly exploitative conditions, can we re-

maining in circulation, and therefore reducing

ally justify our incessant buying? With many

production.

sweatshop workers in South-East Asia earning

So whilst the prospect of making your own

under $5 a day for 12 hours of work, we can-

clothes might seem too daunting, the simple

not claim that this is something that we want

choice of where you shop is not. And with

to endorse. This is exactly where up-cycling

some of the highest quality swap scheme vin-

plays its part.

tage shops located right by Notting Hill Gate

When we spend hundreds of pounds in char-

- an hour and a half on the Oxford Tube -

ity and vintage shops filling our wardrobe with

there’s really no excuse not to change your

clothes which are essentially the clothes of our

consumerist habits. Simple changes to con-

parent’s generation, you begin to wonder

sumer and social habits like this will have an

whether there is any need to buy them at all.

indelible impact on the fight to end exploita-

Now is the time to dig out our parent’s old

tion found at the very the core of the fashion

clothes and make them our own; in a time

industry.

which cherishes mis-matched, ill-fitting fashion, there really is nothing to worry about. The boundaries of up-cycling are truly endless, as domestic and sartorial reinvention overlap: old shirts can be used to create new cushion covers, whilst old curtains can be used as material to create home-made dresses. And it’s not as hard as you would think - by simply cutting the sleeves off an old oversized shirt and adding a belt, you can simply and quickly create a summer dress. So even those with minimal sewing skills, or, indeed, those lacking the determination to make new clothes from scratch, up-cycling really can involve minimal effort. Equally, numerous shops now feature a swap

MATTHEW ROBINSON is studying French and German at Somerville College and is creative editor of this magazine.

UP-CYCLING: AN ETHICAL FASHION

Up-cycling, the process of making what’s old new,

rather than greedy executives.

thical fashion, much like free

you’d normally avoid at all costs; go to

range

may

the King’s Road and Knightsbridge, swal-

Most importantly, rather than being

seem like more of a luxury

low your pride and, rather than splashing

mindlessly and apathetically sucked into

organic

food,

than a sacrifice, reserved only

thousands on designer labels, delve into

the national and international conglomer-

for those well enough off to cover up their

the plethora charity shops on offer. The

ates that we see so readily on our high-

materialism with faux-environmentalism.

clothes are donated by locals and sourced

streets, it’s worth while researching ethical

This simply doesn’t have to be the case!

from the surrounding area, so whilst

brands that offer modern clothing for af-

Environmental fashion is not something to

prices are still shockingly low, the quality

fordable costs, which, by virtue of our cur-

shy away from and push onto the upper-

is incredibly high, allowing you to snap

rent consumerist tendencies, don’t find a

middle class, middle-age subsection of

up designer items at a fraction of the cost.

place on our fashion streets. Brands such

the population; even those of us strapped

And in a time that celebrates past eras and

as Indigo offer contemporary and de-

for cash can indulge our insatiable mate-

vintage style, this might be the key to your

cidedly on trend fashion for competitive

rialism in a slightly more environmentally

new wardrobe.

prices, and so the stereotypical image of

It’s not only well-established charity shops

ethical fashion as a mix of hessian and

The obvious way to avoid mass produc-

that offer unparalleled bargains, but also

sandals is far from the truth. And in this

tion and the exploitation of foreign labour

the new craze of pop-up shops and pop-

light, there is very little excuse for not con-

is to give in to our penchant for vintage

up fashion markets which are appearing

templating a shift in your consumerism.

second-hand clothing; not only does this

all across East London. Found in base-

But if you can’t bring yourself to buy ethi-

reduce production, but it gives our clothes

ments, unused warehouses and empty car

cal fashion on the grounds of its aesthetic

a second lease of life, stopping them being

parks, they can sometimes be hard to find,

and are drawn to the high-street conglom-

cast onto the rubbish heap and becoming

but they are nevertheless worth the effort.

erates, you can at very least recycle your

obsolete. Not to forget the price; whilst

They offer vintage clothing at a frac-

old clothes; for every new item you buy,

iconic vintage hotspots like Brick lane and

tion of the price and above all escape the

there is undoubtedly one which you don’t

Camden have seen prices soar to heights

commercialisation of vintage second-hand

need. This way, whilst you may still be en-

parallel to the high-street, charity shops

clothing that is increasingly seen across the

dorsing global brands which undoubtedly

remain a bargain, and whilst you may

capital. Furthermore, your money supports

exploit foreign labour, you are still sup-

have to sift slightly harder than in vintage

local market workers rather than being

porting second hand charity shops which

warehouses, gems are still to be found.

sucked into the conglomerate empire, and

promote a more environmentally friendly

The trick is to head to the affluent areas

so you are supporting a local community

form of consumerism.

friendly way.

PHOTO/ Splash

ETHICAL FASHION ON A BUDGET

D ROUN

THE

PHOTO/ Matthew Robinson

E ON Y

MAKE S

OR W

LIVING WAGE T

he Living Wage, currently standing at £7.45, is a rate calculated annually by the Centre for Research in Social Policy as the pay level necessary for a worker to provide the essentials for their family. It’s calculated by identifying what items people need for a minimum acceptable standard of living; these prices are checked at national chain stores, and then minimum costs for nine types of households are identified, with clever averaging and balancing factors, such as the age of children, so as to reach a single number. The campaign began in 2001 with London Citizens, and has been taken up by a myriad of employers from Amnesty International to Barclays, from KPMG to the Church of England. There is a campaign in the USA to fix the Federal Minimum Wage by indexing it to the local cost of housing throughout the country. Closer to home, Oxford City Council is an accredited Living Wage employer. Many of our colleges have paid and are paying a living wage, and recently, after years of lobbying by the Oxford Living Wage Campaign, the University increased the pay of its lowest paid employees, guaranteeing all staff directly employed by the University at least £7.45 per hour. Why have so many – including the Prime Minister and the leader of the opposition – endorsed this movement? David Cameron called the Living Wage “an idea whose time has come”, while Ed Miliband credited the “necessary” campaign with “doing so much to change attitudes to our economy.” Firstly, there is the ethical argument: it is unjust that there are those who cannot afford to provide for their

FREYA BRADLEY is studying English and French at Wadham and is on the Oxford Living Wage Campaign Committee

A VERY LOCAL ISSUE

family even though they are employed. For single parents especially, there is often an impossible choice to be made between earning enough to support their children and being physically present when they get up, return from school, or go to sleep. A cleaner at the Social Science Library was happy to tell the Living Wage Campaign here in Oxford: “It is very difficult to see my son… Sometimes he leaves notes saying, ‘Mum, where are you?’” Low pay and poor hours can lead to the paradoxical and undesirable situation where the family would be better provided for if a parent were not in work. This is an unfair position in which to place parents who want the dignity of working hard and providing the best possible quality of life for their children. Being paid fairly for work is not only good ethics, its good business: 75 per cent of employees reported increases in work quality as a result of receiving the Living Wage. In London, more than 80 per cent of Living Wage employers believe that the Living Wage has enhanced the quality of the work of their staff, and Living Wage employers see large declines in absenteeism. Not only that, but there is an increased recruitment and retention rate, good press as an ethical employer and low turnover of contractors – the list of business benefits goes on. In a city like Oxford, where two huge universities employ such large staff, and many residents take on more than one minimum wage job to keep up with the high costs of living, it is particularly essential. A cleaner at the Radcliffe Science Library pointed out that, even on the Living Wage calculated for the rest of the country, Oxford compares more to London in the cost of rent and utilities.

It is urgent that the University departments and colleges listen. The directly employed staff who have had their pay increased are a relatively small percentage of workers: most are provided by contractors, and so the chain of accountability for fair pay becomes difficult to navigate. This is where students can help, there is lobbying to be done at every level: colleges, departments, central University policy – those in charge need to be shown the social responsibility and the fiscal profitability of paying a Living Wage and including employees in decisions about pay and benefits. If your college does not pay a Living Wage, or doesn’t listen to the needs of its staff, you have the opportunity to work alongside scouts, cleaners, kitchen staff and porters to lobby for change. JCRs often have a lot more power than they realise, and successful living wage campaigns in many colleges – Balliol and Brasenose, for example – show that staff and students can engage in this common enterprise. If your college does pay a Living Wage, and its employees are happy with their pay and conditions, why not lobby for accreditation? This will ensure a lasting benefit for the college long after you are gone, an effect which is impossible, despite the transient nature of student life. This is not idealism. Over 45,000 families have already been lifted out of working poverty because of the Living Wage. It is warranted, it is practical and it is possible.

ustainability is often pigeon-holed as a special-interest – only for people

who enjoy digging organic vegetable gardens, taking trips to recycling centres, boycotting Starbucks, and not washing. Part of this pigeonholing is down to a difference in interests but, for the most part, I believe it comes down to differences in underlying assumptions and a miscommunication of what these assumptions are. This miscommunication is something that Education for Sustainability seeks to address. Sustainability addresses concerns about our current rate of development. Currently, the wants (rather than needs) of the present are compromising the

ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Living a sustainable life is about thinking about how we behave in our everyday lives (what we eat, how we move, what we consume and produce) so that we – and all future generations – can continue to live fulfilling and healthy lives. It requires mass action: we need to think big here. For that reason, in 2005, UNESCO launched the ‘Decade for Education for Sustainable Development’. Education for Sustainability (EfS) is a movement to put thinking about sustainability on the educational curricula for all levels of learning – even higher education. It seeks to develop skills and encourages ‘critical thinking’ among students and the general population about

the so-called three pillars of sustainability: environmental, social and economic issues. It is designed to equip us – as “citizens of the future” – with the ability to tackle the “global issues of tomorrow.” It has been widely integrated into the Scottish curricula, and in England, the University of Gloucestershire is pioneering such curriculum development. Even our very own ‘Teach Green’ project in Oxford teaches primary school children about environmental issues. Proponents are keen to avoid a didactic pedagogy of knowledge transfer: simply telling people hasn’t worked, so critical engagement is encouraged, and the very fact that Education for Sustainability is on the agenda for curriculum development

PHOTO/ Sarah Santhosham

GREENING SPIRES / EDUCAT

35 illustrates a bias towards its importance over other imaginable university-wide schemes like foreign language teaching for all students. Whilst it is not necessary for everyone to partake in schemes such as language learning, I believe it is particularly important for everyone to engage in working towards sustainability. I think this can be done: the precautionary principle states that if an action has a suspected risk of causing harm to the public or the environment in the absence of consensus on that action, then the burden of proof that the action is not harmful falls on those taking part. Whilst I am a lover of languages, the same risk of harm is not as apparent: the world will not go to pot if I misremember my French conjugations.

The aim of EfS is empowerment through critical thinking and capacity-building to achieve change. Critical thinking and capacity-building are what universities do – and have done – for hundreds of years. The aim of achieving change assumes that the current situation is inappropriate and also, I would argue, assumes a certain outcome for the change. Change is a means to an end, not an end in itself. Change could see people deciding that the human species has no real sustainable future and deciding to go out with a bang – End-of-the-World parties on steroids. “Change” in the eyes of Education for Sustainability, it seems, would adopt a specific type of change. The Scottish government’s review of the country’s

progress in 2010 outlined the following vision: “it’s about ensuring our children grow up to be responsible citizens in a fair and equitable society.’’ So yes, a specific type of change is envisaged. I believe in empowering people: there is, however, a “but.” I think a danger lies in assuming that, with similar experiences, people will come around to your way of thinking, and contribute to your vision. If empowerment is a means to an end then one becomes too focused on the end and doesn’t really listen. Part of the value of empowering others is that it challenges your thinking and your values, forcing you to revaluate your position. This is scary for those of us set on saving the world through sustainability but so worth it.

iON FOR SUSTAINABILITY VICKY CLAYTON is a second-year Human Scientist at New College where she is the Environment and Ethics rep

BIODIVERSITY AT WORCE

eople often assume that to encoun-

ing wilder areas to encourage wildlife.

both attractive and sustainable bedding

ter exciting and charismatic wildlife,

Worcester and St Hugh’s have risen to

compost. This avoids the excessive use of

it is necessary to travel across the

the challenge extremely successfully. Af-

artificial fertiliser, which can lead to ac-

world to far-flung exotic countries. How-

ter spending two afternoons with Simon

cumulations of nitrogen and phosphorus

ever, the UK is home to some truly fantastic

Bagnall and Martin Brandom, the Head

in the soil that may damage plants and

wildlife, much of which can be found right

Gardeners at Worcester and St Hugh’s

seep into water sources.

here in Oxford. In the rush and stress of

college respectively, it is inspirational to

At Worcester College, stumps of dead

deadlines, tutorials and the gossip from

see how changes in the management

trees are left in the ground, providing mi-

Wahoo last Friday night, it’s easy to forget

of college grounds can create a positive

crohabitats for insects, woodlice, fungi,

the wonderful species we live alongside,

impact for wildlife.

lichens and mosses. Birds can use these

and yet British wildlife truly needs our help.

Both colleges have focused on plant-

dead trees as food sources and nesting

Habitat fragmentation, introduced species

ing species of flowers that both look at-

sites, and woodpeckers are commonly

and climate change are just a few exam-

tractive and encourage pollinators, such

seen (and heard!) in the grounds. In-

ples of the issues facing our native wildlife.

as crocuses, snowdrops and anemones,

deed, both colleges have installed bird

As students, we have the privilege of living

producing highly attractive flowerbeds

boxes, and sheltered log piles around

in colleges with beautiful grounds, and

that are literally buzzing with activity. At

the site provide hiding-places for frogs,

these can easily be adapted to encourage

St Hugh’s college, planting rose beds

toads, grass snakes and slow worms. St

and support biodiversity around the city.

with species that require minimal spray-

Hugh’s even have hedgehog hiberna-

A key issue facing colleges in encour-

ing has reduced the impact of pesticides

tion houses, and one is definitely inhab-

aging biodiversity is finding a balance

on surrounding flower beds. Wood chip-

ited by a certain prickly resident named

between the expected formality of an

pings from tree debris collected on site

Bono Jesus!

Oxford college garden, and establish-

are used on many flowerbeds, providing

However, are the efforts at Worcester

PHOTO/ tripadvisor

STER AND ST HUGH’S and St Hugh’s working, and can they be replicated in other colleges?

spotted at both sites. Worcester has become an essential summer residence for goosanders, a species of diving duck, as well as a home to kingfishers, herons and owls. Whilst not all colleges have access to such large and open spaces, the littlest things, such

PHOTO/mpaldridge

snakes, slow worms and amphibians have been

PHOTO/ ahisgett

The diversity of species seen in both college grounds is staggering. Foxes, hedgehogs, grass

as putting up bird boxes, bat boxes or establish-

Even college sports grounds could develop wildflower borders, providing habitats for invertebrates and reptiles, and foraging areas for birds and mammals. There are so many ways in which wildlife can be encouraged, and we, as the residents of our colleges, have the power to establish such schemes.

Abigail Motley, from St Hilda’s College, is a first-year biologist and Events Organiser for the Conservation Society.

PHOTO/grahamdale74

make all the difference to encouraging wildlife.

PHOTO/semantrix_

ing a small flowerbed of meadow flowers, can

38 Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just within the city bounds that beautiful displays of wildlife can be found; wider Oxfordshire is home to a variety of habitats rich in biodiversity. Whether by bike, foot or bus, there are places everyone can reach. Here are some suggestions for every season:

A walk amongst bluebells in woodland is one of the true joys of spring. A great place to see this yearly phenomenon is the famous Wytham Woods. This ancient woodland was bequeathed to Oxford University in 1942 and has since become one of the most researched woodlands in the world. Wytham is not just a research haven; it is criss-crossed with walking trails and open to visitors year-round. Before visiting you will need to obtain a free permit from www.wytham. ox.ac.uk. Once you have your permit in hand, Wytham is just a half hour cycle away across Port Meadow.

TEXT/ Moya Burns

PHOTOS/ Richard Commont

Summer is the perfect time to venture a bit further afield. On the edge of the Chiltern Hills, about 20 miles from Oxford, sits Aston Rowant National Nature Reserve. This is a remnant of chalk grassland, a rich habitat type once spread widely across the country. Spend a sunny day here and you are likely to see swathes of butterflies, including the Chalkhill Blue, and Red Kites soaring on updrafts along the escarpment. Aston Rowant can be reached by taking the Stagecoach Oxford Tube service towards London and getting off at Lewknor Village. From here the reserve is a short signposted walk away.

BIODIVERSITY BEYOND OXFORD A

Shotover Wildlife Reserve hugs the eastern edge of the city, just beyond Headington and Cowley. This beautiful and diverse reserve is a must visit at any time of year, but in Autumn as the trees turn to varying shades of amber the woodland really comes into its own. Take yourself up there on a crisp autumn afternoon to enjoy the stunning views across Oxford. Information about the reserve and how to get there can be found at: www. shotover-wildlife.org.uk

When you havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t seen sunlight for what feels like years and are drowning under a seemingly neverending slog of assignments you need a spectacle of nature to snap you out of the winter blues. Luckily for Oxford residents one of natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most phenomenal spectacles occurs every winter right on our doorstep: the Starling murmurations at Otmoor. This is essentially a winter ballet as tens of thousands of Starlings flock to roost

C O N T I N U E D together in the reed beds on this wetland reserve. As dusk approaches birds swoop in from all directions, gathering together in evergrowing swarms. They rotate and twist, rise and fall, in an hour long display most evenings during November. It is not just the visual spectacle, but the gentle sound of thousands of bird wings beating in unison which will take your breath away. This is an event you should see at least once in your lifetime. RSPB Otmoor is just a 15 minute drive north-east of Oxford. Directions can be found at: www.rspb.org.uk/ reserves/guide/o/otmoor/

ROBERT SCHOONMAKER IS A FOURTH-YEAR PHYSICIST AT CORPUS CHRISTI AND IS WORKING ON THE THEORY OF EMERGENCE IN CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS

THE WOES OF CLIMATE SCIENCE

oliticization of the romantic Gaia Theory – which proposes that life on earth creates ideal conditions for further life, in order to explain the vast differences between earth and other planets – led to a series of fringe movements that claimed the world was a single organism called Gaia with motives and desires. Similarly it seems that politicization of computer simulations on climate change has caused them to be used as precise predictions, despite the fact that such simulations are flawed, and inaccurate even when predicting past data [1]. Presenting these results as evidence is scare-spinning and doom-mongering, say the critics, which exists to drum up support and funding so lazy climatologists can keep their job. However strong motives also exist for denouncing climate change, and one must be equally careful in assuming that greenhouse gas emissions do not change the climate. The consensus is that greenhouse gases are different to other gases in the atmosphere, and that putting more in will change the workings of the climate; all that the results show is that in an earth-like system changes will appear. The truth is that nobody knows what will happen, though it seems inevitable that something will occur. What is more the creation of greenhouse gases is not reversible: once they are emitted they are not easily reabsorbed, and so we should be sure what the effects are beforehand. As Raymond Blanc states when talking about water-based chemistry: “Don’t put too much salt in the soup; remember you

can always put it in, but never take it out”. From this perspective the anti-climate change position seems absurd, as if it expects Gaia will sort it all out, or perhaps has itself designed both us and modern industry anyway and that no harm will be done. So here is the bottom line: the next time you read an article about climate change, read the source material as well, and if you cannot understand it, do not assume that it is correct. When discussing, “I heard” and “It is thought” mean nothing unless you say from whom or how, and you should expect the same from people presenting information to you. With the promise of cheap and secure energy and food, and industrial opportunity and prosperity for the poor, the rewards are too large to ignore fossil fuels, but the risks are equally huge.

THE TRUTH IS THAT NOBODY KNOWS WHAT WILL HAPPEN, THOUGH IT SEEMS INEVITABLE THAT SOMETHING WILL OCCUR.

References [1] G. G. Anagnostopoulos, et al., Hydrological Sciences Journal 55:7, 1094-1110 (2010).

But why should we be worried about CO2 levels now? These natural processes create a (roughly) 100,000 year cycle in carbon concentration in the atmosphere. We know this from looking at trapped CO2 in ice air bubbles, the composition of oxygen isotopes in ice, tree ring data and many other methods. These natural cycles had atmospheric CO2 concentrations ranging from 180-280 parts per million (ppm). Today, we’re at 340ppm, surpassing anything the planet has experienced before. By looking at the isotope ratio of past and present atmospheric carbon, the large amounts of CO2 seen today are from burning fossil fuels. This increase in CO2 (and methane, which is actually roughly 25 times stronger than CO2 in acting as a GHG) cannot be balanced out using natural processes. Plants can ‘capture’ CO2 but we’ve massively reduced these natural ‘lungs’ through deforestation. But a warming of 2°C or so would actually be quite nice… 2°C melts ice; seas rise; warmer seas have a reduced capacity to store CO2 which actually means more is released into the atmosphere; oceanic currents that

circulation), which then also changes wind patterns and weather systems. So a warmer atmosphere, even by an amount that seems so small, doesn’t necessarily mean a warmer UK Some countries will get hotter and dryer, but the UK will likely be colder and wetter and more miserably British. We might even have some deathly heat waves to complain about. But I’ve heard Antarctica is actually gaining ice… It is and that’s because ice melts from underneath from warmer seas, not from on top. The seas under East Antarctica are cooler and help form ice. But the seas under West Antarctica, and those circulating around the Arctic, are much warmer and are melting ice a lot quicker than it can be formed. So even though there is ice forming in East Antarctica, the melt rates in other places drown it out. But the science isn’t certain... Greater accuracy and precision doesn’t mean greater certainty. A great scientist will be able to give the probability of the ‘impossible’ occurring. Just because they cannot be 100 percent certain that the probable will occur (by factoring in that ‘impossible’ factor), doesn’t mean the quality of their science diminishes. If anything, it enhances it. Science’s foundation is built upon questioning. So the fact that 97 percent of the world’s climate scientists agree that the recent increase in global average mean temperature is due to anthropogenic activities should be of at least some value. What they’re not certain about is exactly what future warming path we’re heading down. They can give us their best guess and their best guess is not pretty.

CLIMATE SCIENCE UNRAVELLED

the climate has been constantly changing for millennia. All of this was caused by natural phenomena such as, to name but a few, the earth’s elliptical orbit, sulphur particles from volcanic eruptions acting as coolants in the atmosphere, the reflective qualities (albedo) of the earth’s surface and so called ‘greenhouse gasses’ (GHGs) such as methane and carbon dioxide which act to warm the atmosphere.

are partly governed by the law that cooler liquids and denser liquids sink are messed up by changing temperatures and an influx of melted fresh water ice (thermohaline

LYDIA RAE IS AN ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE UEA GRADUATE AND IS INVOLVED IN THE CREATIVE COMMUNICATION OF CLIMATE SCIENCE TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC

ut the Climate has always been changing… Exactly! From ice ages through to super warm periods, from sopping wet to being dryer than the cinnamon challenge,

OXFORD CAMPAIGNERS MAKING THE CITY GREENER

PHOTO/ Sarah Santhosham

THE QUESTIONS WE ASKED

1. What inspired you to get involved with community action? 2. If you could solve one environmental /ethical problem what would it be? 3. Which book would you recommend for people who want to learn more? 4. How can students make a difference? 5. Which is your favourite environmental charity / social enterprise / venture?

WHAT IS OXFORD DOING? WEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;VE PROFILED FIGURES FROM THE UNIVERSITY AND THE LOCAL COMMUNITY TO SEE WHAT THEY ARE DOING TO MAKE OUR TOWN GREENER

HEAD OF ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY, OXFORD UNVIERSITY

1. I wanted to do a job that made a difference and I was really passionate about environmental issues like pollution. Working in the environmental sector seemed an obvious choice – tricky problems with lots of different solutions and plenty of working with people. 2. I’d like to see us all swapping and sharing more. I think initiatives like Freecycle and the University Swap Shop are amazing but we need to step it up a gear and get sharing more. 3. ‘Silent Spring’ by Rachel Carson but aside from books, I would also recommend watching ‘The Story of Stuff’ 4. Student should arm themselves with information about the things they’re passionate about - that is, if they want to persuade the University to do something, check they’re not doing it already. Find out what other organisations and universities are doing it and look for ways that their idea might work. We always happy to talk to students about their ideas – email sustainability@admin.ox.ac.uk 5. I think Sustrans are brilliant. Transport has a huge impact on our carbon emissions so Sustrans promote lower carbon transport choices like cycling and walking which are not only healthy for individuals but they make our communities more sustainable. Their vision is that four out of five local journeys will be made by walking, cycling or public transport by 2020.

JAMES FISHER

OUSU ENVIRONMENT AND ETHICS OFFICER

PHOTO/ James Fisher

PHOTO/ Harriet Waters

HARRIET WATERS

1. We live on a planet that is more than capable of providing every person with a worthwhile and happy life, but instead we see both startling inequality and short sightedness. I am a strong believer in grass roots community action; the only way to enact change is to stand up and make your voice heard. 2. If I could only solve one thing I would make global trade and business more transparent. I really think that if consumers actually knew how the products they bought were being produced they would think seriously about buying them again. 3. The book that inspired me was ‘The River Runs Black: The Environmental Challenge to China’s Future’ by Elizabeth C. Economy. 4. Yes, definitely! There are loads of groups around Oxford such as OxGrow, Environment & Ethics, the Ox Co-op, The Living Wage Campaign and many more to try out. Just pop along to one of their meetings, from my experience they are always really friendly and welcoming. 5. The Inga Foundation is a small but growing foundation dedicated to stopping the process of slash and burn by working with local farming communities. Watch ‘Up In Smoke’ if you want to know more about it.

tunities come along, you can truly express yourself in your response rather than doing what you think is expected of you. If you do that then you will always make a difference. 5. People & Planet give young people the space and support to form their own opinions on potentially terrifying global issues.

PETER LEFORT

1. I have always had a passion for the environment and green issues, and I wanted to work in a job where I felt like I could make a difference. 2. Global warming and the issues associated. 3. ‘How bad are Bananas? The Carbon

footprint of everything’ by Mike Berners-Lee 4. Students can spread the word on waste and recycling issues, ensuring others think about what waste, if any, can be reduced, reused or recycled. They can also volunteer within local communities to support the many environmentally-con-

scious charities in Oxford. 5. Emmaus, a charity operating in Oxford, relies on donations of furniture and household items. It’s a great example of a charity diverts items that might have gone to landfill into supporting homeless people as they rebuild their lives.

RECYCLING OFFICER, OXFORD CITY COUNCIL

PHOTO/ Oxford Mail

COMMUNITY ACTION GROUPS OXFORDSHIRE

3. ‘The Pedagogy of the Oppressed’ by Paulo Friere, beautifully lays out a different way of collaborating and creating with others. 4. Students can make a difference by realising that they don’t have to make a tangible difference right now. Read, learn, discuss, form your own opinions so that when the oppor-

EMILY MARTIN

PHOTO/ Henry Owen

1. Doing lots of volunteering with various projects got me really interested in the idea of mutual benefit. Acting on similarities, rather than differences, is my inspiration for community action. 2. Consumption – the fabricated need to have all of this stuff simply because it’s what we “should” want.

PRESIDENT OF FOOD JUSTICE

2. The problem of the overpackaging of consumer goods and food. 3. Tristram Stuart has written a couple of high profile ones (and also has a good TED talk). 4. Whether you cook yourself or eat in hall, wasting less is an easy way to make a difference. Small choices like eating more locally produced food, less meat, and

foods with less packaging can all add up to a significant difference. 5. The Oxford Food Bank – ran entirely by volunteers from the Oxford community – have a very simple and effective system for turning waste into a really valuable resource for local charitable organisations. The benefits are vast both environmentally and socially.

FOUNDER OF OX CO-OP

1. I wanted to provide a proactive solution for people who want to live a life with as little negative impact on other people as possible, but don’t know how, and also give people who’ve never considered their buying choices a wake-up call: that what they buy might exploit someone else.

2. If humans didn’t want more stuff all the time, that would solve a lot of the world’s problems. 3. ‘A Life Stripped Bare’ by Leo Hickman. It follows a witty Guardian journalist trying to “live ethically” for a year. 4. Students can think about environmental choices in their everyday habits which if

you change now will last for a lifetime. It requires a bit of research, some solidarity with like-minded people, and a lot of commitment! 5. Tearfund’s Rhythms website gives you little environmental/social justice actions to do (e.g. give up meat for a day). Though based in Christian teaching, the actions are accessible to anyone of any/no faith.

PHOTO/ Oxford Mail

CLAIRE FENNER

PHOTO/ Oxford Times

HENRY OWEN

1. Joining Food Justice was an obvious and easy way to make a difference. As soon as I did my first shift volunteering with the Oxford Food Bank, I realised the scale of food wasted in Oxford and the number of charities in Oxford that benefited from the Bank, it was clear that Food Justice’s activities are worthwhile and in many ways necessary.

PETER SINGER: PETER SINGER is one of the world’s most influential philosophers and writes extensively on the subject of practical ethics for both philosophers and the general public. Here he joins two PPEists in a discussion about the moral philosophy behind choices in environmental and ethical activism.

M P

ichael: Let’s start by looking at your choices; why do you choose to donate to the Oxfam group? eter: I began giving to Oxfam when I was a graduate student here in Oxford. I was impressed with the work they were doing towards poverty alleviation and how they were going about it, so it seemed like a good place to start. This was before organisations such as GiveWell emerged, who subject charities to more rigorous impact evaluation. Such groups calculate the efficiency of a charity, often by looking at the effect of each dollar donated with reference to a measure such as quality-adjusted life years [QALYs], i.e. how many years of healthy life each dollar donated to the charity can produce. The Against Malaria Foundation [AMF] comes out as one of the most cost-effective charities according to such a measure and so I now split my donations between the AMF and the Oxfam group.

ichael: Why not make all your donations to the AMF if they’re the

most cost-effective charity? Is there more to the value of a charity than QALYs?A

eter: I don’t think it’s a question of QALYs or not. I’m quite happy to say that the test of a charity should be how many QALYs it produces. The question is: what do you do with charities where you can’t measure the number of QALYs produced? Organisations such as GiveWell don’t recommend Oxfam. The broad scope and nature of their work means that it’s very difficult to evaluate them and, in any case, they recommend more specialised charities. Though it’s important to go with the evidence, this attitude might be a bit too stringent and there’s reason to believe that the work Oxfam does produces a high number of QALYs, even though this is difficult to evaluate. Take, for instance, Oxfam’s advocacy work. They’ve recently been successful in lobbying the US government to change its Food Aid policy, but how do we measure Oxfam’s specific impact? It’s hard, but I think we need to look at organisations such as Oxfam which address the causes as well

as the symptoms of poverty. I like what Oxfam are doing and so continue to donate to them in addition to the AMF.

ichael: You propose a form of preference utilitarianism – the idea that the right action is that which satisfies the most preferences. You weight the preferences of all sentient beings (not just humans) according to the intensity of their preferences and the degree to which they exhibit the “essential characteristics of personhood”, such as self-consciousness, rationality and autonomy. You conclude, on this view, that killing a baby is less morally deficient than killing an adult because they don’t exhibit such characteristics. But this has worrying implications for arguments for environmental activism. Such arguments centre on the well-being (or rights or preferences) of future generations. But these potential people have no preferences or person-like characteristics as of yet. This “nonidentity problem” is an issue if you want your ethics to justify environmental activism, isn’t it?

THE PROFILE MICHAEL DAVIES is a second-year PPEist at Somerville, former RAG Vice-President and the current OUSU Community Outreach and Charities Officer EVE McQUILLIAN is a second-year PPEist at Somerville and President of Oxford University Amnesty International longer wanted to continue? Lots of preferences would be satisfied, but the utility of future generations would not be realised. which is another rationale for embracing it over preference utilitarianism.

ichael: This will be something to think about for those who are already convinced that they should care about ethical and environmental activism. But how would you convince someone that they should care at all?

eter: Imagine a scenario where you see a child drowning. The vast majority of people

would accept that the right thing to do would be to help the child, even though it might ruin your clothes. We should help someone avoid great suffering if doing so only slightly inconveniences us, right? Poverty alleviation (or indeed environmental activism etc.) is about stopping horrible suffering over buying or doing something you don’t really need to. I don’t have much to say to those who don’t think they should help the drowning child, but I find very few people are of this ilk. Essentially, if you think you should save the drowning child, it follows that you think you should ease other suffering through activism and philanthropy.

PHOTO/ Joeltravissage

eter: That’s a nice point. It’s quite reasonable to suppose that I am a preference utilitarian as I have been for most of my career. Now, however, I’m less confident that that’s right and may be shifting towards classic, hedonistic utilitarianism (the idea that the right action maximises pleasure and minimises pain), though I haven’t yet written about it. This is one of the areas where hedonistic utilitarianism trumps preference utilitarianism, as it’s not clear how preference utilitarianism can respond to these objections. There’s also the problem of voluntary extinction; what if the human race decided as a whole that it no

80,0000 Hours info@80000hours.org

Abundance abundanceharvestsoxford@ gmail.com

Broken Spoke Bike Co-op cassiope@bsbcoop.org

CWW Cooperative Trust cwwcooperative@yahoo. co.uk

80,000 Hours aims to help people have a career that makes a difference in an effective way by providing careers advice, sharing research and maintaining a global community of members who want to make the world a better place. Within Oxford, they organise events to promote their ideas and research and host inspiring speakers.

Abundance works to prevent needless food waste and promote awareness of the abundant urban harvest available in Oxford. They organise foraging trips, run skillsharing workshops and share recipes.

This co-op was founded to strengthen the culture of cycling in Oxfordshire by teaching people to become proficient in bicycle maintenance and cycling. They run classes, organise group cycle maintenance sessions and provide activities for vulnerable members of the community.

The CWW Co-op is a social enterprise to manage not-for-profit social, community, environmental, educational projects for the benefit of the community. They run a community bus for groups in Oxfordshire and have stalls at local markets.

FEELING INSPIRED? AN INDEX OF GREEN GROUPS

OUSU’s E&E Campaign is the focus of environmental action amongst students and lobbies the University for environmental and ethical changes. Recent successes include establishing the Recycling with Honours campaign and preventing the University’s logo from appearing on unethically sourced clothing.

PHOTO/ neleazavedo

Environment & Ethics Campaign eande@ousu.org

Food Justice foodjustice@gmail.com

Geology for Global Development gfgd@gmail.com

Green Broom joe@greenbroom.coop

Hogacre hogacrecommon@gmail. com

Food Justice coordinates volunteers for the Oxford Food Bank, collect food for the Community Emergency Food Bank and raise awareness of food waste.

GfGD aims to encourage young geoscientists to use their knowledge of the Earth to fight poverty and improve lives. Their activities include termly seminars, careers advice, involvement in GfGD’s national campaigns and organising internships with charities and NGOs.

Green Broom is a South Oxfordshire sustainability project, which stewards a beautiful open meadow. They co-ordinate volunteers to create a place where people can enjoy the wildlife and learn about living sustainably by engaging in their projects.

Hogacre is an 11 acre site in Oxford and a resource for people who want to act locally to reduce Oxford’s carbon footprint. It features field, woodland and aquatic habitats and hosts low carbon community activities and events.

Just Love tomas.christmas@lincoln. ox.ac.uk

Orinoco the Oxfordshire Scrapstore howie@oxorinoco.org

OxCo-op oxfordfoodcoop@gmail. com

OxGrow mail@oxgrow.org

Just Love seeks to engage the Christian community in social justice issues. Their four projects are homeless outreach, campaigning against human trafficking, fighting global poverty and encouraging leading a life that is conscious of social justice.

Orinoco is a local charity that collects and reuses good quality, commercial waste materials from businesses across Oxfordshire. The charity promotes re-use, art and creative play through education and direct action.

The Oxford Co-op communally bulk-buys more socially and environmentally sustainable food. They run an online shop for students and a weekly pop up shop. Their activities also include thinking about where food has come from and its impact, through film screenings and discussions.

OxGrow is a creative edible laboratory where volunteers experiment with organic, climate-friendly growing techniques. Their aims include increasing knowledge and skills of food-growing by providing a space where members of the community see different ways of growing food.

IN OXFORD

Oxford Living Wage Campaign livingwage@ousu.org

Oxford Microfinance Initiative contact@ oxfordmicrofinance.org This student-run consultancy provides free services to microfinance institutions, by organizing teams of students to work on projects. They also arrange speaker events on microfinance and the developing world.

With recent success lobbying the University to pay a Living Wage to its staff, OUSU’s campaign focuses on lobbying Colleges to pay their staff an amount they can afford to live on, currently £7.45 per hour. The campaign works with a number of locally based groups and organises events to raise the profile of poverty pay.

Oxford

Students for Animals OxfordStudentsForAnimals @groupspaces.com

Teach Green oxfordteachgreen@gmail. com

ThinkClimate ben@thinkclimate.org.uk

Oxford Students for Animals run a numbers of campaigns on animal issues. In addition they lobby for greater meal options for vegetarians and vegans across the Colleges.

Teach Green aims to raise awareness of local and global environmental issues by hosting weekly sessions at Oxford primary schools. Run by volunteers, they teach environmentally focused lessons featuring discussions, games and hands-on activities.

ThinkClimate is a student-run ‘think-and-do’ tank focusing on climate change and the intergenerational equity issues surrounding it. They conduct research on these issues and lobby decision-makers to take action on climate change.

PHOTO/ Sarah Santhosham