organic waymarkings
Inspired by canosmose, furry hemp floors and dancing sonic phonic walls, and motivated to make more choices which support peaceful and bio-dynamic solutions, I finally got around to sending three important letters: I wrote to the Labour, Conservative and Green candidates for Southwark and informed them of my 'adoption' of the Simultaneous Policy.
My mum has been beavering away at me from her trulli in Puglia (with it's sundried tomato roof and durum wheat terrace) to do this, and with the UK elections looming (maybe) I went to their website in desperation. I have been feeling disconnected to policies in the UK, gutted by the recent US elections and utterly ignorant about anything FrenchPolitique except that Le Pen stays nearby in Le Barroux where he is invited by the local National Front monks.
What I read was fascinating and courageous. Even better, it can be 'adopted' by anyone, anywhere in the world, whatever party they are voting for.
This is what Noam Chomsky has to say about it:
"The Simultaneous Policy is a peaceful political strategy to democratically drive all the world's nations to apply global solutions to global problems, including combatting global warming and environmental destruction, regulating economic globalization for the good of all, and delivering social justice, peace and security, and sustainable prosperity.
Can it work? Certainly worth a serious try."
I also bought a recyclable bag in the (ahem, don't go there, honest, except for loo paper, milk and red label free range chickens we can afford) Intermarche. And I walked to market. And we are only flushing number twos. And we buy wine in large boxes (but that's mainly because it's cheap and bloody marvellous)...... However I am far from being an eco-warrior. There are squillions of other things I don't do: I do not always recycle plastic milk bottles; we have six digital displays telling us the time because we don't know how to turn them off; I use clinique lipstick for performances although I know Clinique is ghastly to animals because it's all glossy and gorgeous, and I eat all sorts of tasty beasties.....
However, the good news is that asperges, all purple bruised, green-sweet and bitter cream stems of it, are in season so it is pungent wee time, folks. Perhaps we will have to do a bit of extra flushing after all.
posted by ruth at 4:31 PM
10 Comments:
My dear Ruth, if I say that I enjoyed your beautiful picture of asparagus a touch more than the details of your visits to the smallest room in the house, perhaps I just betray my Englishness - but it is a beautiful picture, even without such a thing to measure it against.
Re: the recycling -- give yourself a pat on the back, you're already doing more than most people would bother with.
Nivea products (parent company = Beiersdorf) are apparently not tested on animals so maybe you could try their make-up?
I'm not 100% sure I understand this policy but I like the fact someone is coming up with, or bothering to consider an alternative.
Origins make up is yummy, and not tested on animals.
I wear Clinique (falls on sword).
I shall rethink this.
Yes, I like the fact that someone even bothers to come up with an alternative too. I shall investigate.
Now look, the smallest room is very important - especially to those of us who live on rain water - I get VERY mean with flushing in the height of summer.
Another lovely post Ruth. My, you have an interesting family.
Damn ... I use Clarins ... but girls testing on animals is not the only issue ... a quick scan of The Ecologist informs me that all sorts of nasties are used in our favourite products; the sort that have been tested and discovered to be carcinogenic, dangerous to the respiratory and digestive systems ... and yes even Johnson's Baby stuff has these .. what on earth is a girl to do?!!
Lovely blog Ruth ...
nothing like a bit of lippy to fire up the gals, eh! louise (darling) i thought the word pungent and asparagus were great counterpoint but sorry to affend your E-sensibilities.
oh and by the way, for toner i use the organic lavender water(clarins eat yer heart out) from the co=operative in sault (€3 a litre - also amazing eau de linge for €4 for 5 litres which everyone who has slept in our guestsheets will attest to) and then occitane olive oil moisturiser. i think i'm doing quite well there?????
I think you're doing quite well there too ... kind of envy your access to cheap lavender. Thanks for the link to SP by the way ...
After some work, I've purged myself of my family's puritanical sensibilities re: the smallest room, and in fact nodded my head in agreement with your familial customs therein. Of course, I don't know where we Americans start out relative to the British on the sensibility scale.
Starting next year, the city of Seattle will refuse to collect household trash that contains recyclables (plastic, paper, etc.). I think we're already complying with all of their guidelines, but I guess we'll find out in a few months.
Ruth, I was interested, and somewhat disturbed, about your description of the monks at Le Barroux as being National Front, and that le Pen has stayed there. As I think you know I have stayed at Le Barroux (maybe I slept in the same cell as Le Pen?), and have written about the traditional chant sung in the Offices there. I am ignorant of the right wing accusations, possibly because I live 750 miles away. Can you give any more details?
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