As the climate crisis continues to creep up to boiling point, I’m sure most of us are now starting to feel a mild sense of panic.
If it wasn’t for the widescale disbelief in the science behind it all, I think we may be in a state of anarchy.
As crazy as it sounds, my rationalisation behind our sinister state of affairs, is a universal sense of helplessness.
None of us really know (or believe) that we can make a difference to the dire situation we find ourselves in. Instead many of us have decided to bury our heads in the sand, carry on as normal and pray to god that the scientists have got it wrong.
As terrible as it sounds, it is an understandable coping mechanism that we have conjured up to help us get through the day. Life is already too tough for us as it is!
It is also understandable when you consider that the odds are stacked against us. Government doesn’t seem to care, supermarkets seem to get it but are making changes at a snail’s pace and the transport sector are being equally as slow in securing a mass emission crack down.
This basically means we are left with no choice but to go cold turkey.
I for one have been trying to dip my toe into the eco-friendly water for some time; but have found it a challenge.
However, I’ve now stumbled across one way in which to make a difference that excites me…
This is the idea of self-sufficiency.
And the idea was actually born out of the disappointment at having very little garden space.
I wanted to make my granite grey yard look a bit greener and so I went in search of some compact garden inspiration.
During the weekly shop, it is safe to say I found what I was looking for.
I stumbled across a miniature grow house that just happened to be the perfect size to slot into the corner of the yard.
Made from wood and equipped with greenhouse Perspex, it looked like the ideal home for nature to flourish.
When I noticed the price tag, I was amazed at how affordable my idea suddenly seemed.
This little gem was on offer through Aldi’s special buys and I couldn’t recommend it enough!
Obviously, I wasted no time in buying and with such an ease in putting together, it was ready for business in no time at all.
I started with a strawberry plant on its last legs. Its little leaves looked lonely in its new home at first.
And so I decided to give it some company.
I purchased a few small pots, a bag of compost and a few sachets of seeds.
I returned home with pipe dreams of tomatoes, cucumbers, peas and various other herbs.
I soon had 2 full shelves full of mud pots and embarked on my voyage to culinary independence.
At first it looked like a waste of time.
But then after about a week, the late spring propelled us into summer and this nurtured the birth of my first little shoot.
I was instantly flooded with excitement.
From then on, I haven’t looked back!
One by one the shoots came.
I then decided to add a bucket next to the grow house. My aim was to capture and recycle the rain water for watering the plants.
Within weeks everything started to grow like wildfire.
Every single night after work I come out to water the goods and admire their progress. And every night it fills me with joy to admire the latest developments.
And so after 2 months of TLC I have finally been rewarded with some of the sweetest strawberries you can imagine.
Knowing that these little beauties are free, free from chemicals and only a stone’s throw away, makes me feel on top of the world.
Any day now I can see an army of tomatoes, eager to ignite.
But the best thing about it all, is that it doesn’t make me feel as depressed about climate change.
I know this process will make a difference.
No polluting plastic is needed, no ammonia is churned out and no car fumes are being unleashed by driving to the supermarket.
If only everyone decided to take this small step, I think the road to environmental recovery might actually turn out to be more realistic than we are told is possible.
C.P Riches 