Goodness I’m good at this nature blogging lark. Two articles in today’s newspapers touch on topics I’ve already written about. They have, however, expressed them far more eloquently than I, but still, it’s nice to be part of the zeitgeist.
Today in The Independent Michael McCartney reveals his passion for butterflies but worries these days this may be seen as a little ‘soft’.
“For a start, professing such an enthusiasm runs counter to the prevailing tone of our age, which is subversive. We like statements to be wry, knowing or ironic, we like them to be cool, so something as pathetically simplistic as an open admiration of natural beauty is just asking to be shot down”
Yesterday I said,
“I wonder if it is because their [ie. butterflies] beauty lends them an aura of femininity, which encourages uneasiness in reporters and campaigners.”
It is certainly interesting that a high profile reporter of the natural world is feeling the same thing. He goes on,
“Further, I think that admiring beauty has become itself suspect. Beauty is regarded as elitist: why bear it such tribute when so much more of the world demands our attention?”
Again I agree. For some time I have been wondering why the public are being urged to grow vegetables in their gardens. Yes, it’s a fun thing to do, and veg. grown in your own garden tastes far superior to that bought from a supermarket, but what is wrong with spending your efforts on creating beauty and peace in your own garden? It is as if we must atone for having the good fortune in having a garden by making it useful; making it pay its way. Valuing normal suburban gardens in terms of functionality alone is a dangerous path to travel.
My other insight involves teabags. We may not be able to save the world by growing vegetables but we can by putting our teabags in the green bin.
The Guardian reports that Unilever, who make PG Tips, have teamed up with the recycling organisation Wrap to promote a campaign in Chelmsford and Brentwood Councils to encourage people to compost their teabags or put them in the recycling bin instead of chucking them in the general bin which goes to landfill.
If you recall from my post on food waste (I know you pay close attention to every missive) I did find teabags were the major occupier of my little kitchen top box. They take up the greatest volume and weight of any other food item thrown away.
Of course I’m now feeling smug because I do the ‘right’ thing with my teabags, but let’s face it, redirecting teabags is a much easier than growing veg.
