Ecology Begins At Home
'Ecology Begins At Home', by Archie Duncanson, a 64 page booklet obtainable from the author at Ornstigen 9, 183 50 Taby, Sweden (tel 08 768 63 20). ISBN 91 7328 737 7. Price L6 incl. p&p.
In a letter to the Institute the author writes that 'this booklet is about what we can do as individuals to clean up our world and make it beautiful again - now.
'I published it myself, 500 copies, at the Writers' Book Machine, a printing co-op for self-publishing authors in Stockholm, where I did the mounting, layout, sorting, binding and trimming.'
'Making his own bubbly drinks - chop a grapefruit, pour boiling water over it; when cool, strain and add sugar to taste and a pinch of yeast; bottle with tight caps and the drink will be bubbly in four to five days'
Archie Duncanson tells the tale in this book of how he gradually cut down on his contribution to pollution and how we can all begin to make similar choices. He has been fairly radical: a self-confessed 'car junkie' he now restricts his car use to special occasions; a lover of fizzy drinks, he now avoids buying drinks in aluminium cans by purchasing them in returnable bottles or by making his own bubbly drinks - 'chop a grapefruit, pour boiling water over it; when cool, strain and add sugar to taste and a pinch of yeast; bottle with tight caps and the drink will be bubbly in four to five days'; he used olive oil with added vinegar to polish his furniture; vinegar and lemon juice for cleaning the toilet; strong camomile tea and hanging clothes in the sun for bleaching; he lets his hands dry naturally rather than use hot air blowers in public toilets; he makes do with radio instead of newspapers (except on Sundays!); he keeps a diary instead of taking photos; he takes the train instead of flying; he eats frozen bananas on sticks instead of manufactured ice cream; by trial and error he has discovered that a clothes washing machine only requires a single tablespoon of washing powder and thus only one rinse cycle; he tries to eat food that has been grown within thirty miles of his home; all his vegetable peelings, eggs shells, coffee grounds, tea leaves, etc, go under his sink for a week to begin fermenting, then into the compost box on his flat's balcony.
'He eats frozen bananas on sticks instead of manufactured ice cream'
Go thou and do thou likewise!
As Duncanson points out: 'We can look at the enormity of the whole world's pollution problem, and think 'what difference can I make?' - and do nothing.
'Or we can look at our own share which we have control over, take responsibility and say: 'I am going to do something about it!'.'
'A class competition to see who can most cut down on their own or their family's garbage and pollution that term'
This would be a very good book for schools to use in their science classes. The pupils could make some of the alternative foods, drinks and household chemicals and composts he describes, and could have a class competition to see who can most cut down on their own or their family's garbage and pollution that term; or an inter-school competition to cut down pollution and resource wastage by schools.
In Sweden the book is in use at day care centres, schools of all types, universities and adult evening classes - thus encouraging people to look at their own lives, to set an example and truly to make a difference in the world. More than 10,000 books have been printed to date.
Note: The Writers' Book Machine printshop co-op is c/o Arne Jakobsson (the founder), Forfattares Bokmaskin, Box 12071, 10222 Stockholm, Sweden (tel 08 6535880).
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