Severe weather warning, Storm Eva,main characteristics of which will be high levels of rain, locally high wind velocities and high frequency of lightning.
Early hours of the morning, leaving a bar after my dinner at Restaurant Plaka, Storm Eva arrived.
Strong winds, lightning,thunder, followed by torrential rain and the roads awash with water. Luckily I made it before the rain.
Zero, a community hub cum zero waste shop with focus on climate.
ReSpace in action, a large empty retail unit, recycled on behalf of the local community, run by volunteers, lots of little areas suitable for informal meetings, a small stage to host talks, a little eatery (but by no means a coffee shop), a zero waste area (but so far no stock), a seed bank, books, visual displays.
Very much work in progress, my thoughts should therefore bear that in mind.
Please no, the sweets, the only stock in the zero waste zone, focus on quality, loose nuts, cereals, grains, muesli, rice etc. In addition, washing up liquid, shampoo. Never loose coffee beans. They oxidise.
Olive oil and rapeseed oil is a possibility, but I have reservations. It very quickly goes rancid. I would rather see high qulity cold pressed, extra virgin, rapeseed oil and olive oil in bottles.
I buy green olive oil in Athens, it is the very first pressing, and it will have a provenance of where it came from.
A visit to Hisbe in Brighton to check out what they do, is a must.
Serious thought needs to be given to an in-house coffee shop. But not easy. Needs a crowd funder to buy or lease a decent espresso machine (cheap machines a waste of money). Then need a skilled barista or baristas. Would there be baristas in Guildford willing to put in a few volunteer hours? They in turn could show others how to, a valuable life skill. Next it would need planning consent for A3 use. Currently a bean -to-cup machine, a stop gap but by no means ideal.
ReSpace: We recycle materials, why do we not recycle people and buildings? A planning designation, owner pays no businesses rates, peppercorn rent, building brought back into productive use. For the owner, if the building in use, it does not deteriorate.
Those empty laundry detergent containers, empty shampoo containers, do not throw away, take to a zero waste shop and have them refilled.
That is what I did last week, laundry liquid from ecoleaf, the shampoo coconut from Faith in Nature (which matched the previous contents).
But please never put wrong liquid in mismatched container, it is not only the labelling, we have iconic shapes, ketchup bottles, coke bottles.
Classic, weed killer in a Coke bottle on the shelf in the garden shed.
A zero waste shop recently received a lot of stick when a foolish employee bragged she had found a use for an empty ketchup bottle, filling with cleaner.
If have an Nespresso machine do not not buy the disgusting coffee from Nespresso, and if thinking of buying choose an Opal One a superior machine, the capsules buy from reputable coffee roasteries.
Compostable, throw on the compost heap.
Aluminium, obtain a gadget from Colonna, Lakeland or Hotel Chocolat and use to extract the spent coffee grounds, scatter the extracted coffee on compost heap or garden, the emptied aluminium capsules, stack to increase their bulk, drop in a recycling bin.
If order from Riverford, veg box or recipe box, delivered in a card box which can be reused, recycled or composted, inside tins, maybe little plastic boxes, fruit and vegetables loose, strong paper bags or compostable plastic bags. The boxes are collected next delivery.
When we recycle, reuse, compost, we are not only reducing waste and closing the loop, we are also saving on embedded energy used to produce the products, thus helping to cut carbon emissions.
We face several global crisis
When out and about, wishing for a coffee, never takeaway or offer a reusable cup, relax and enjoy coffee served in glass or ceramic. The only exception a kiosk or cart.
Since day one, sustainability has been at the core of everything we do. We never wanted to make empty gestures — we wanted to be pioneers, a brand that leads by example, encouraging bigger organisations to make positive changes in its wake. — Kiss the Hippo
Excellent news, Kiss the Hippo carbon negative.
Kiss the Hippo the only company in London to be recognised as carbon negative.
We hear much from companies that they are carbon neutral. Scratch away the greenwash and what we find is that they have planted a few trees as carbon offsets and are still emitting carbon.
Carbon neutral is not sufficient, we need carbon negative. We also need regenerative agriculture, to improve soil structure, carbon capture, grass-grazed herbivores. We also need rewilding, reforestation of our hills and water catchment areas, restoration of peat bogs, reintroduction of European beavers.
Kiss the Hippo is not only carbon negative, they are one of the top coffee roasteries in the country, supplying coffee beans and their Broad Street house blend in compostable coffee capsules.
When we plant trees, we plant the seeds of peace and hope. — Wangari Maathai
I am always wary very wary of enterprises that claim to be helping others.
Tony’s Chocolonely, garish bars, branding exercise, poor quality industrial chocolate, FairTrade scam, chocolate produced by a company with links to slave plantations.
Recently launched Cauz Coffee, branding exercise by Cauz Clothing, buy our hyped coffee and we donate 50% of our profits to cancer.
But it does not have to be. As we learn from conversation Emily Barker and Maxwell Colonna-Dashwood over a cup of coffee, it does not have to be.
Coffee grown at high altitude, in the shade of trees, the coffee cherries ripening slowly the beans sought after for high quality coffee. We need the trees, we need the trees to be protected, sale of the coffee beans brings money into the area and a reason not to destroy the trees.
In Ethiopia, a designated forest, protected status, sadly counts for nothing. A joint project, Kew Gardens and Union. Kew Gardens mapped the forest, Union offered to buy coffee beans collected from the forest. Now local people have a reason to protect their forest. The forest is important internationally. Wide biodiversity, wild coffee trees, watershed protection.
In Peru, Mayni people are harvesting shade-grown coffee from under the canopy of mature trees, with huge benefits for wildlife and the community.
99 Plus reforested a degraded cattle ranch. Panama Geisha grows in the shade of the trees. The green beans highly sought after, micro-lots sell for very high price.
Conservation has to take account of people. If not, the conservation will fail.
Nelson Mandela
It is important for conservation and rural development to be combined. Conservationists must take account the needs of the people around the reserves.
Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique is working with local communities, supporting agriculture, health and education.
The growing of high quality arabica is bringing money into local hands, supports local projects.
We need to see Doughnut Economics Gorongosa, this would address poverty whilst at the same time sustaining the natural world on which we all depend.
The rain shadow side of the Andes was barren, nothing would grow. Non-native, trees, all that would grown in the environment were planted, these in turn protected native species, now a forest teeming with wildlife.
Wangari Maathai
It is the people who must save the environment. It is the people who must make their leaders change. And we cannot be intimidated. So we must stand up for what we believe in.
Founded in 1977 by Professor Wangari Maathai, the Green Belt Movement (GBM) has planted over 51 million trees in Kenya. GBM works at the grassroots, national, and international levels to promote environmental conservation; to build climate resilience and empower communities, especially women and girls; to foster democratic space and sustainable livelihoods.
In England we have heavy rain in the winter leading to saturated ground and flooding. Hard flood defences do not work, sends floodwater downstream. We need rewilding, agroforestry, grass-grazed agriculture.
Airlines, airports and travel industry in general live in a different world to everyone else. They talk of back to business as usual, airports expanding.
Covid-19 has opened up another now. There is no return to normal as normal was not normal, mass tourism was killing the planet. People have become used to bird song, streets traffic free, cities pollution free. They are not going to give this up without a fight.
Aviation a major contributor to global warming, has spread covid-19 around the world, therefore within this context the comments by director general of Easyjet in Portugal José Lopes objecting to quarantine for arrivals into the country beggars belief.
The director general of Easyjet in Portugal José Lopes has said that the resumption of the company’s activity in Portugal is very dependent on the elimination of the quarantine imposed on passengers arriving in Madeira and therefore suggested “the elimination of these barriers to connectivity ”.
Portugal, together with Greece, one of the few countries in Europe to have acted promptly and contained coronavirus. José Lopes wishes to throw this all away.
José Lopes is not alone in expressing these sentiments, UK Airlines has come out with similar comments. Objecting to quarantine, claiming aviation vital to the UK economy.
What has been the economic cost of coronavirus pandemic, of wild fires in Australia, of floods in England?
Airlines, tour companies, and tourism industry, live in a different reality to the rest of us.
Not satisfied with trashing the planet then spread covid-19 around the world, they are now objecting to quarantine for arrivals into a country.
When other countries closed borders, closed airports, and where open were screening passengers, UK did not. Inbound flights from coronavirus hotspots from around the world, no screening, hop straight onto public transport. Very late in the day, consideration of quarantine, though in reality not quarantine, self-isolation.
At the weekend a friend travelled from Spain to Cyprus via Germany. On arrival at Larnaca she was taken into quarantine. She did not object, even though she has gone from lock down in Spain to quarantine in Cyprus, as she sees that it is necessary to stop the spread of coronavirus.
Covid-19 may have arisen in China, airlines spread it around the world.
Airlines are the fastest growing source of greenhouse gas emissions.
There is no going back to normal as normal was not normal.
We cannot have a third runway at Heathrow, a second runway at Gatwick, airport expansion.
We have to live within the limits of the planet, one of those limits is the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere. We have to reach zero carbon by 2035.
In the future we will have pandemics, we have to be prepared, stop them spreading rapidly around the world.
Aviation contributes little to the economy. We have seen how fragile our supply chains, how easily pandemics are spread around the world.
We have to relocate manufacturing within our own borders, grow our own food.
… there will be a recession and GDP could contract by about 5 per cent. — Cyprus Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides
Cyprus Finance Minister Constantinos Petrides has opened himself up to ridicule by claiming Cyprus economy will shrink by about five per cent.
If we look at European countries in lockdown, with most sectors shut down, economies will shrink by far more than five percent.
Only five percent with total collapse of Cyprus tourist industry?
Or is this a tacit admission that the only beneficiaries of the tourist sector were a handful of hoteliers and the foreign tour companies?
Before coronavirus crisis Cyprus tourist industry was close to collapse, all-inclusive hotels bringing in the dregs of the tourist industry, quality tourists driven away, with little money flowing into the local economy.
One only had to walk the streets and observe the empty bars and restaurants and coffee shops.
EasyJet has grounded its fleet. British Airways suspended its operation at Gatwick.
Tui was in debt to the tune of 2 billion euros before the coronavirus pandemic.
UK has said it will not bailout out the airline industry. A petition before UK Parliament is calling upon the government to not bailout the industry, instead transition to a Green New Deal.
Airlines and tour company tui are dragging their feet to pay compensation for cancelled flights and holidays. Trying to palm clients off with worthless vouchers.
Why have hotels on the front page of their websites no coronavirus information? Why are they taking bookings when not likely to be open, when Cyprus in lockdown, airports closed?
The rare exception Sunrise hotels:
Important Announcement for COVID-19
In accordance with the new measures taken by the Cyprus Government, all Sunrise Hotels will be closed until 30/04/2020.
For direct bookings we are offering the flexibility to amend the travel dates without any cancellation fee. For further information or assistance please contact us at: reservations@sunrise.com.cy.
For other bookings made through Tour Operators or Travel Agents, please contact them for alternative solutions.
When Thomas Cook collapsed, the opportunity was not taken to restructure the tourist industry. Far from grasping the opportunity the collapse of Thomas Cook offered, the worst of all possible worlds, tui was allowed to grab a greater share of the market, bad for hoteliers, bad for tourists.
The opportunity must not be lost this time around.
The focus must be on fewer tourists, quality tourists.
Improve quality everywhere, bars, restaurants, coffee shops, hotels.
Shut down the noisy bars that attract the dregs of the tourist industry.
Replace with traditional tavernas and coffee shops. It would be difficult to find good examples without visiting Plaka in Athens. Paul’s Coffee Roasters and Lazaris (though not for coffee) near St Lazarus Church in the back streets of Larnaca set high standards, take a pride in what they do, as does Nick’s Coffee Bike outside Larnaca Marina, but these are the rare exceptions, not the norm, oasis amidst the dross. Once the norm in Cyprus, until a race to the bottom to attract custom from all-inclusive hotels, a race no one can win.
Grecian Park and Crystal Springs set high standards, few hotels come anywhere near.
Outlaw all-inclusive hotels that are killing the local economy.
Restrict tour operator bookings to less than 20% of bookings, encourage direct bookings. Tour operators forced to settle their accounts at the end of every month.
Reliance on euro bonds is a non-starter as has already been vetoed by Germany and Holland. I would refer to critical comment by Yanis Varoufakis.
Recommendations for the short term.
Furlough staff as in UK with government covering 80% of wage, with a cap of 2,500 euros per month.
A similar scheme for the self employed, 80% of average earning over last three years.
Grants and soft loans to small businesses, but with strings attached, quality has to improve.
For hotels, only to groups of five hotels or less. No bailout of large chains.
No bailout for corporate chains.
In China, one man with covid-19 travelling on a bus, infected nine fellow passengers.
Now imagine on a plane with one person with covid-19, passing through a busy airport, then getting on public transport.
Ever travelled on the packed-in-like-sardines 101/102 local bus that runs Paralimni – Protaras – Ayia Napa? Now imagine one person on that bus with covid-19.
Until such time that Cyprus has temperature screening at airports, facilities to detain, test, quarantine, temperature screening of everyone every time they enter a hotel, cannot even contemplate opening Cyprus to tourists. And even then only for hotels, not apartments.
In absence of such measures why are hotels taking bookings for as early as Easter? And these bookings cannot be from within the country as Cyprus is in lockdown.
EU has closed its borders for the foreseeable future.
No Russians, no one from outside of EU.
Countries have also closed their borders.
Israel closed its borders weeks ago, Russia has closed its borders with strict self-isolating and heavy fines if venture out.
As always, Cyprus grasping at straws rather than doing what it takes, hard graft and addressing systemic problems within the tourist industry.
EU will come to the rescue, Brits will come to the rescue, Russians will come to the rescue.
Latest was, Chinese dirty money will come to the rescue.
With Chinese tourists it overlooks one very simple fact, Chinese tourists are cultural tourists, hence Athens, Oxford, Cambridge. Low life bars in Cyprus, somehow I think not.
FCO advice, do not travel overseas. Lockdown in UK for six months.
Speaking on Channel 4 News, former WHO Director-General Dr Gro Harlem Brundtland has said that she expects coronavirus crisis to last at least 18 months, until such time as a vaccine is available.
Is Cyprus foolish enough to open its borders and risk many covid-19 deaths?
One advantage of being an island, easy to control entry to the country.
Europe the epicentre of coronavirus.
Spain and Italy the death toll exceeds that of China. UK, slow to act, daily mortality rate is fast approaching that of Spain, Russia not far behind.
Cyprus would have to be very slow to open its borders to visitors from Europe. Temperature screening at airports, with facilities to isolate, trace and quarantine. Only hotels open. Temperature screen of everyone each and every time they enter the hotel. Hotels restricted to maximum of half capacity, gyms, saunas, massage not open, social distancing, dining well spaced apart, same true of sunbeds. Moot point if pools open. If open, strict limit on numbers in the pool, strict enforcement of shower before and after use of the pool. Sunbeds thoroughly cleaned every evening. Hotels where clients packed in like sardines on sunbeds, not permitted to open.
Any hotel where cases of coronavirus, quarantined for a month.
Larnaca, minimum of 50% of the sunbeds removed from the beach.
Oh and not forgetting, oil and gas will come to the rescue, conveniently ignoring oil at $10 a barrel and Climate Emergency will destroy Cyprus tourist industry, too hot, rising sea levels and storms will wash away beaches and flood Larnaca.
Covid-19 is not the only crisis, the other is Climate Emergency.
We cannot return to businesses as usual.
Keithpp's Blog 