Living generously: our pledges
UK-based website A year of living generously is an online experiment based on a shared hunch that looking after this planet and its people is what we are all here for and that if many of us can make small changes in our everyday choices then over time we can make a big difference for everyone. To this end, readers are invited to change their actions for the good of the planet, and embark on a year of living generously.
The actions range from one-off pledges like becoming a blood donor to more regular lifestyle changes like not over-filling your kettle. And we at Shiny Media have decided to set our own goals, and chart our progress here to see how we get on. Here's what the Shiny staff have decided to do:
'Gadget Queen' Susi Weaser Editor of Shiny Shiny has set herself a huge challenge as a technology journalist: she's going to unplug all gadgets she's not using, avoid over-charging her phone and never leave it charging overnight.
Production Assistant Stuart Waterman has taken on a double quest: he's going to refuse plastic bags at the supermarket, and continue to wage war on his local council (Barnet) which has been a bit backward in coming forward when it comes to taking away his recycling.
My own pledge is to shower more, bathe less. According to the Environment Agency, a 5-minute shower uses about a third of the water of a bath – can save 50 litres every time. This is going to be a toughie for me, because I really do love my baths. I've recently limited them to one or two a week, which is actually a big improvement from the daily sessions I used to indulge in only a year ago! I'll be interested to see how I cope with this as the weather cools...
As a team, the Shiny Media office is going fairtrade and organic. Although our intentions started off well at the beginning of the year, some non-fairtrade tea and coffee has crept into our cupboards, and this will not be happening again.
