saint-spoon's Carbon challenge diary

[saint-spoon]

I have been trying to not use my car this weekend but went out for luncheon with My Mum and Dad on Saturday so the car was the best option, on the plus side I picked them up meaning that we only used one car. After I had dropped them home I used the journey to stop off at the supermarket to stock up with victuals which saved a journey. I haven’t been feeling to chipper so didn’t fancy cycling so it seemed the best option.
Apart from that I have stayed in and felt sorry for myself. I’m back off up to work to Scotland with work again this evening, sharing a car with three others.

Other stuff I have been doing to save carbon........
I made a batch of Thai chilli pork with capsicum, mushroom and spring onions, minced pork is cheap, relatively low fat and cooks in the wok in no time so quite low on the carbon usage. I have portioned it up and frozen the individual portions. Some of these I will wrap up in a towel which will keep them mostly frozen on the long journey this evening; microwaved baked potato with chilli pork for tea tomorrow and Tuesday.

[p.penn]

Well done you - you so seem to be saving wherever you can.

[saint-spoon]

As the bicycle is 470 miles due south so I have been utilising the only other carbon neutral mode of transport available to me this week.... my feet. Yesterday I walking to and from so today I upped the anti and jogged down to work (not the million and a half steps though). I jogged for a bit on the way to the gym after work but after an hour on the cross trainer decided to walk back from the gym. For tea I did Chinese XO seafood noodle soup (purchased from the Chinese supermarket after my cycle ride to the University the other week). Delicious and as they only took 3 minutes in the microwave so pretty carbon friendly (only cost 35p per packet as well so quite frugal).
I have saved up all my coloured wash and that has gone in this evening (not my electricity so it’s free but) and as they are big industrial machines the take quite a lot of laundry.

[saint-spoon]

Two more days of Shanks’s pony to and from work....
I haven’t actually done a lot else except go to the gym but I haven’t used the car once (470 miles due south). For tea I have just used up the last of the frozen pork mince chilli I made on Saturday (mainly vegetables), delicious on a jacket potato and all done in the microwave.
I have used the tumble drier which is annoying because it coughs out carbon. Unfortunately I needed to get the stuff dry quickly so hanging it on the back of chairs to dry wasn’t an option.

A question, does anyone know if laptops use more or less energy than desk top computers? I think that this has been covered before and I am sure that laptops use less because of the batteries etc but I couldn’t be sure.

[p.penn]

Funnily enough SS, I had leftover frozen pork mince chilli and rice for tea tonight, but when I ate it, it turned out to be bolognese. Slightly odd combination, rice bolognaise. Oh well......

[saint-spoon]

Helen the chef

[p.penn]

Obviously not today!