Signs of Spring 2: Arctic Sea Ice Extent

N_stddev_timeseries

Graphic: National Snow and Ice Data Center (nsidc.org)

Mid-March sees the Arctic Sea Ice Extent peak for the winter and begin
its descent. I was delighted to see the little blue line venture into
the grey band that marks two standard deviations from the 1979-2000
mean, for the first time in recent memory. I may obsess about sea ice
a bit; this daily graphic is my home screen.

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Signs of Spring

Mustard

Mustard sprouts are the first crop of the season. I can't wait to
have enough to put on a sandwich!

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A seasonal approach to goal-setting

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I have thought for some time that months are too short. Weeks,
laughably so. Who can get anything done in a month, let alone a week?
So my new frame of reference is the season, a bit like the fashion
industry; it seems to strike a balance between stress and
accomplishment. Therefore, Em-official Spring begins today, March 1,
and lasts three calendar months. In that time, I have two main goals:
1) Submit thesis and 2) Defeat eczema. Sub-goals may be added
throughout the season.

Calendar items of note in Spring are:
10 March: Margot's wedding cake dry-run
18 March: Jamie's conference and UK Mothers' Day
15 April: US Tax Day
22 April: Earth Day
28 April: Stu's wedding
4 May: Katherine's hen
5 May: Bird's graduation
13 May: US Mothers' Day
26 May: Eurovision Song Contest
and a special look-ahead for Craig and Katherine's wedding on 2 June. 


Now I am off to reorganise my sock drawer to prioritise springy socks,
while leaving the nice warm ones within easy reach for emergencies.
Wish me luck.

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It's beginning to look a lot like data

Click here to download:
celebrations.pdf (890 KB)
(download)

December first is the day to fill the advent calendar. And also the
day to begin the chocolate-before-breakfast debate anew.

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The Sustainable Lifestyles Framework

Defraslide13

Good work, DEFRA. This set of slides lays out the elements of a
sustainable lifestyle, focusing on the personal level: 9 headline
behaviours, 30 key behaviours, and a smattering of fine-grained
suggestions. What we need now is an easily readable infographic that
summarises this information in a colourful and accessible
poster. Then we will put it everywhere. This brilliant work isn't
going to do much good buried in a report; let's make it sing!

You can view the whole slideshow here:
http://archive.defra.gov.uk/environment/economy/documents/sustainable-life-fr...

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Science is Real

August
Data from HasCRUT3 record of global temperatures, Edinburgh Royal Observatory series 031607

The University of East Anglia has just released an astounding amount of climate data to the general public. A few minutes' fiddling gave me this pretty plot of average temperatures for 133 consecutive Edinburgh Augusts. There are observations from all over the world, covering various ranges of years. It takes a department of scientists to properly analyse the whole data set, but now anyone with Excel can do a little citizen science. This has enormous engagement potential for schools in particular. How about a statistics class based on climate analysis? How about a business class based on presentation of data to a general audience?

Run with it, world. This kind of data dump doesn't come around very often.

Download the whole data set here.

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The Good, the Bad and the Aubergine

Photo

When my husband came home from the Co-op just now and handed me the
(reused) bag, he said, "You're going to love and hate the shopping."
When I opened it up, I knew just what he meant. Hooray the aubergines
are British! Boo the aubergines are individually wrapped!

He went to get vegetables to put in the pasta for dinner, and also
brought home a shrink-wrapped British broccoli, which he had chosen
over a naked Spanish broccoli. So what are we to do? Come on, Co-op,
why must we choose?

And don't even get me started on bananas.

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Small Craft Mornings 1: Upcycled plastic bag necklace

Necklace1

Welcome to the first in my series of quick and crafty projects! This Saturday morning we will be making upcycled beaded necklaces. This style of necklace is popularly made with fabric and beads, but I have reimagined it with discarded plastic bags and twist-ties.

You will need:
5 marbles or biggish beads
1 plastic carrier bag at the end of its useful life
1 or two used twist-ties
scissors

1. Cut the handles and the bottom seam off of your plastic bag. Flatten it out, then fold it in half two or three times, so you can still see the cut ends. Cut the folded bag into 3-inch wide loops (or wider strips for bigger marbles).

2. Cut one of the loops apart into a strip. Lay it down on the table in front of you.

3. Cut six pieces of twist-tie about an inch long.

4. Place the first marble at the bottom edge in the middle of the strip and roll it up in the plastic. Twist the bag tight to the marble, like a piece of candy.

5. Wrap a piece of twist-tie around the bag, close to either side of the marble. Pinch to secure.

6. Gently untwist the bag and nudge a new marble in on both sides. Twist, tie, repeat.

7. Use your favourite method of fastening the ends together. I have tied a loop in one end and a button in the other.

8. Now you are fabulous!

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Home Carbon Emissions

Carbon

(Graphic via imeasure)

For the last two months I have been tracking our home carbon
emissions, as a function of electricity and gas meter readings. I
have learned a few things:

1. The largest part of our energy emissions come from heating. The
high gas readings in March are correlated with winter weather, and now
that we have turned off the heating, we're using just under one unit a
week for cooking. There seems to be little room for improvement in
the summer, but our winter strategy will change as October approaches.
Draught insulation and nighttime window coverings will be key.

2. Our electricity use is mostly stable. It seems to wobble according
to how many loads of laundry we do. The highest reading was for this
past week, when my mother was staying with us. We did an extra load
of laundry, spent more hours watching television (the Eurovision Song
Contest is a cultural experience), and powered a third computer. So
our 42kg should really be split three ways, giving us 14kg per person,
which is much better than we have ever done as a two-person household.

3. There are still actions to be taken. Our dishwasher, for example,
is a dinosaur. Though we don't use it every day, we could cut down
even further, or replace it with an efficient modern model. My baking
obsession is another strain on the electricity. I already try to
double up where possible, making trays of granola only when the oven
is on for another purpose, but I could try to cook more dinners on the
more efficient gas stove top. When I finish my thesis, my computer
usage will decrease, but I'm sure there are efficiency savings I could
be making with behavioural changes. I am also looking into insulating
the gap between the oven and the fridge.

We have gone from a D rating to a C since beginning to measure our
energy usage. Our block of flats was built in 1895, so I'm not
expecting to get a top rating, but I'm shooting for a B by summer's
end.

You can track your own home carbon emissions at http://imeasure.org.uk/.>

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Two amazing things

Appletrees2

These seedlings grew from apple pips my planted by my ever-optimistic
husband. There are five in all. I am amazed that they are doing so
well.

I am equally amazed by the final launch of the space shuttle
Endeavour, which I am watching now. The deeds of nature and the
deeds of man.

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