Little things to help the environment

[Parafox]

1 hour ago, WigstonWanderer said:

Stick a solid state drive in your old PC or laptop

How technical is it to do? We have 6 yr old laptop that won't start up beyond the opening screen. We don't want to get rid but not sure of the best way to sort it. Will your suggestion make a difference?

[Free Falling Foxes]

1 hour ago, Parafox said:

How technical is it to do? We have 6 yr old laptop that won't start up beyond the opening screen. We don't want to get rid but not sure of the best way to sort it. Will your suggestion make a difference?

Install Linux?

I didn't have clue either, but read up on how to do it and our old lappy (10 years?) has a new lease of life.

Google, lubuntu install.

 

Edit: Sorry, info a bit brief there - just popping out. Further details on request if needed.

Edited 13 April 2022 by Free Falling Foxes

[RoboFox]

I've cut a lot of meat out of my diet.

 

If I'm having say, breakfast lunch and dinner every day, only 4 or 5 meals per week will now incorporate meat. 

 

I like cooking and veggie dishes are banging if done right. 

 

Waistline's looking better for it, too. The only downside is that you sound like a right twat at a house party when you start talking about it.

 

Edited 13 April 2022 by RoboFox

[WigstonWanderer]

12 hours ago, Parafox said:

How technical is it to do? We have 6 yr old laptop that won't start up beyond the opening screen. We don't want to get rid but not sure of the best way to sort it. Will your suggestion make a difference?

If you look on YouTube there’s almost certainly a video showing you how to replace your HDD with an SSD for your particular model. You can then just do a clean install of Windows 10 by booting from a flash drive containing the installation media. Again this really isn’t difficult, but you might need another computer to create one or borrow from someone else. If you have access to to another computer you should be able to create a suitable flash drive using the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool. With the advent of Windows 11, Microsoft seem to have made finding this a bit more difficult.

 

Once you have your flash drive inserted into a USB port, most computers will automatically boot from it when switched on if there is no alternative, such as if you’ve just installed an empty SSD. After that just follow the instructions. You can rescue data from your old hard drive if required by putting it into a cheap USB container, effectively turning it into an external HDD.

 

If your computer was already running Windows 10, it will automatically activate online, so no licensing issues.

 

I’ve done this for loads of customers with computers of all sorts up to about 12 years old and the results are brilliant. Please remember that the cvnts at Microsoft have decided to drop support for Windows 10 in 2025, and most computers older than 4 or 5 years won’t easily run Windows 11. Just like with Windows 7, the computer won’t stop working when support is withdrawn, but there are arguably security and other issues that progressively increase with time, though personally I’d be happy to carry on using it until say 2027. You could probably even force an upgrade to Windows 11 eventually if that was an issue.

 

EDIT: Media Creation Tool still available here: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

 

Edited 14 April 2022 by WigstonWanderer

[HankMarvin]

10 hours ago, rachhere said:

I think the two go hand in hand (and I guess this is what prompted you to make the thread). So much of living costs are out of our control, but key things we can control include our consumption and our use of the resources we already have (or more specifically working as a society to make better use of our collective resources). 

 

I am a big fan of smol products - I get their liquid detergent and cleaning products https://smolproducts.com/ The cleaning products in particular are a no-brainer for me - why on earth are we shipping water round the country in one-use bottles when we can just take a small tablet and dilute it in our existing container at home. 

 

If you have items you no longer need which still have life in them, help them find a new home. Great options are local facebook groups, Olio app or local whatsapp groups. We have a whatsapp group for our road where things are always been offered out, or people text to see if they could borrow something from a neighbour rather than buying new (e.g. a particular tool you might need for DIY). Utilise places like Vinted for clothes, particularly if you have kids who move through sizes quickly. Generally if I am buying something these days the first thing I will do is look to see what is being offered second hand. A while back we picked up a couple of armchairs which perfectly match a sofa we already owned. They had barely been used, we got them for a fraction of the price of brand new, they were going to the tip otherwise... it just makes sense! 

 

Avoid buying food on the go - so much plastic comes from convenience food, or look to places like Subway or Leon where you can generally avoid plastic. 

 

One for the ladies (sorry guys!), but reusable sanitary items can save so much money, and likewise cut down on a huge amount of waste. For those with kids using nappies, look at reusable nappies. 

 

A bit of a shameless plug, but one of my best friends has a blog for sustainable living which might be a good source of inspiration: https://thegreenerguru.com/blog/ 

[rachhere]

2 minutes ago, HankMarvin said:

I am sorry, but it's just part of life! 

[Suzie the Fox]

20 minutes ago, rachhere said:

I am sorry, but it's just part of life! 

Actually i might be being a bit thick here, but when yo u say 'reusable sanitary products' do you mean things like tampax? 

 

Probably get a <blonde moment post from a certain someone now> but i am genuinely curious about this, as its not something i've ever heard of. 

[ajthefox]

6 hours ago, WigstonWanderer said:

Keep your old tech as long as possible. Most of the benefits of the latest gear are irrelevant for the majority of folk. Stick a solid state drive in your old PC or laptop and it will work just as well as any modern computer for the vast majority people.

 

Don’t upgrade your phone every 2 years just because Apple or Samsung think you should.

I read the other day that buying a refurbished phone saves around 68,000 litres of water. Mostly associated with mining. Don't know how accurate it is but you do wonder.

[rachhere]

12 hours ago, Suzie the Fox said:

Actually i might be being a bit thick here, but when yo u say 'reusable sanitary products' do you mean things like tampax? 

 

Probably get a <blonde moment post from a certain someone now> but i am genuinely curious about this, as its not something i've ever heard of. 

I will DM you... I suspect it may be a bit too much for some people if shared publicly,

[Wymsey]

Motorbike users - try and limit the amount of times that you rev your engines or pace through the countryside.

[Dahnsouff]

Well our heat pump installation was completed today, and it gets commissioned tomorrow.
Goodbye gas.

Exciting times…..(hopefully)

[Wymsey]

An obvious one - put your rubbish in the nearest bin when out and about.

Haven't seen a street in Leicester city centre that isn't half-covered in it.

[kenny]

Get yourself a compost bin for your kitchen waste. We save at least 2 black sacks a month going to landfill using ours.

 

You can compost pretty much any natural product including cardboard (includes pizza boxes that can't be recycled), dust from the hoover, cotton clothing and leftover food.

 

Furthermore, they are heavily discounted by the council.

 

https://www.leicestershire.gov.uk/environment-and-planning/waste-and-recycling/order-a-compost-bin

[Jon the Hat]

On 14/04/2022 at 09:15, ajthefox said:

I read the other day that buying a refurbished phone saves around 68,000 litres of water. Mostly associated with mining. Don't know how accurate it is but you do wonder.

Mining does use a lot of water, and also energy.  I discovered yesterday that about 1% of the worlds energy is used by mining equipment made by my company alone.  As we make more efficient equipment and miners start to use sustainable energy the opportunity is enormous.

[Bellend Sebastian]

Having just read this I'm going to see if I can persuade the missus to let me turn over part of the lawn into a wild flower meadow. Probably won't be a big area, but if 8 dandelions can support a bee as this article claims, then still worth it:

 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/apr/29/no-mow-may-gardeners-not-to-cut-lawns-wild-plants-insects

[Milo]

21 hours ago, Dahnsouff said:

Well our heat pump installation was completed today, and it gets commissioned tomorrow.
Goodbye gas.

Exciting times…..(hopefully)

Let us know how you get on with it, mate. 
 

Was it messy? And when do you reckon you’ll break even, cost wise?

[Dahnsouff]

3 hours ago, Milo said:

Let us know how you get on with it, mate. 
 

Was it messy? And when do you reckon you’ll break even, cost wise?

It was obviously disruptive,  but we expected it would be

So the work was done in 5 days and included 

1. Disconnect 2 tanks in the roof
2. Disconnect immersion heater in cupboard
3. Decommission gas boiler
4. Remove lots of unnecessary piping

Then new stuff was installed

1. Daikin Heat Pump  (outside wall of kitchen)
2. Daikin Altherma 3 (hybrid boiler/inside unit) (inside kitchen linked to #1)
3. Daikin pressurised cylinder in cupboard (linked #2)

These all use 40mm not 22mm piping

 

Cost wise it was 15k BUT

• We get VAT back on all components (3k approx)
• We get 5k back from BUS when it kicks in late May

Notes

• We had to replace 1 radiator, fitting of this was extra (total £400 as it was aluminium)
• Our gravity fed shower upstairs is super powerful now due to pressurised (only had to replace a flow regulator, which was like £2)
• Our hot water is now instant, so no waiting for it get warm
• First world problems - 5 days without a shower is gross

 

It definitely gets warm enough, toasty in here and showers very warm

Cost wise I will report back as time goes on

Edited 29 April 2022 by Dahnsouff

[Milo]

16 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

It was obviously disruptive,  but we expected it would be

So the work was done in 5 days and included 

1. Disconnect 2 tanks in the roof
2. Disconnect immersion heater in cupboard
3. Decommission has boiler
4. Remove lots of unnecessary piping

Then new stuff was installed

1. Daikin Heat Pump  (outside wall of kitchen)
2. Daikin Altherma 3 (hybrid boiler/inside unit) (inside kitchen linked to #1)
3. Daikin pressurised cylinder in cupboard (linked #2)

These all use 40mm not 22mm piping

 

Cost wise it was 15k BUT

• We get VAT back on all components (3k approx)
• We get 5k back from BUS when it kicks in late May

Notes

• We had to replace 1 radiator, fitting of this was extra (total £400 as it was aluminium)
• Our gravity fed shower upstairs is super powerful now due to pressurised (only had to replace a flow regulator, which was like £2)
• Our hot water is now instant, so no waiting for it get warm
• First world problems - 5 days without a shower is gross

 

It definitely gets warm enough, toasty in here and showers very warm

Cost wise I will report back as time goes on

Re the cost, I paid £10k last year for a gas boiler/water storage system, so £15k for yours plus the bits you get back sounds like a great deal. 

 

I was hesitant to go the ground source route - and I think I may be regretting it!   

 

Kudos to you for going for it!     

[Dahnsouff]

1 minute ago, Milo said:

Re the cost, I paid £10k last year for a gas boiler/water storage system, so £15k for yours plus the bits you get back sounds like a great deal. 

 

I was hesitant to go the ground source route - and I think I may be regretting it!   

 

Kudos to you for going for it!     

Just to be clear, this is an air source not ground source we have installed.

[ajthefox]

27 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

It was obviously disruptive,  but we expected it would be

So the work was done in 5 days and included 

1. Disconnect 2 tanks in the roof
2. Disconnect immersion heater in cupboard
3. Decommission gas boiler
4. Remove lots of unnecessary piping

Then new stuff was installed

1. Daikin Heat Pump  (outside wall of kitchen)
2. Daikin Altherma 3 (hybrid boiler/inside unit) (inside kitchen linked to #1)
3. Daikin pressurised cylinder in cupboard (linked #2)

These all use 40mm not 22mm piping

 

Cost wise it was 15k BUT

• We get VAT back on all components (3k approx)
• We get 5k back from BUS when it kicks in late May

Notes

• We had to replace 1 radiator, fitting of this was extra (total £400 as it was aluminium)
• Our gravity fed shower upstairs is super powerful now due to pressurised (only had to replace a flow regulator, which was like £2)
• Our hot water is now instant, so no waiting for it get warm
• First world problems - 5 days without a shower is gross

 

It definitely gets warm enough, toasty in here and showers very warm

Cost wise I will report back as time goes on

Be interesting to see how you get on bills wise particular with these rises recently and more expected in October.

If you save a hundred a month say, payback would be what, 6 years ish? Highly speculative of me, but anything near that is really not that bad.

[Bellend Sebastian]

5 hours ago, Bellend Sebastian said:

Having just read this I'm going to see if I can persuade the missus to let me turn over part of the lawn into a wild flower meadow. Probably won't be a big area, but if 8 dandelions can support a bee as this article claims, then still worth it:

 

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/apr/29/no-mow-may-gardeners-not-to-cut-lawns-wild-plants-insects

Update: the wife's veto has been applied

[rachhere]

9 minutes ago, Bellend Sebastian said:

Update: the wife's veto has been applied

But the bees! Have you found some photos to show how nice it can look?

[Dahnsouff]

17 minutes ago, Bellend Sebastian said:

Update: the wife's veto has been applied

We got a little lawn left to meadow, it’s real nice   

[Bellend Sebastian]

20 minutes ago, rachhere said:

But the bees! Have you found some photos to show how nice it can look?

The case against has been presented:

 

1) I'll be a pain in the arse about it and get stressed if anyone walks on it (true)

 

2) Our son is terrified of all insects (also true)

 

I'm up against it

[Dahnsouff]

8 minutes ago, Bellend Sebastian said:

The case against has been presented:

 

1) I'll be a pain in the arse about it and get stressed if anyone walks on it (true)

 

2) Our son is terrified of all insects (also true)

 

I'm up against it

That does sound like a tough crowd.