Tell the Tardigrade - mossy actions (blog #4)
Thank you to all those who’ve left us messages on the Tardigrade Telephone, sharing the small moss-like you’re taking for a brighter greener future… if you haven’t recorded yours yet, or if you have more actions you’d like to share, then please scroll to the bottom of this page to find out how to Tell the Tardigrade!
This blog covers just 3 of the actions we’ve come across recently. By sharing we can support one another to make small changes for a brighter greener future!
Learning & sharing
"I listen to my teacher to find out more ways to do good things for the environment"
This action was shared by a primary school pupil, but really it's one that anyone of any age can adopt and benefit from. No one has a magic cure for climate change and ecological loss, but we all have small amounts of knowledge, and also crazy ideas! When we take time to share we can explore potential steps that might just be really beneficial for the world on which we depend.
At another group a gentleman told me about how he enjoyed sharing his knowledge helping other members to complete social benefit funding forms. Now, some people would question how this is an environmental action, but I think that it’s important to take a more holistic view. When we’re struggling with financial, social, or really any sort of stress, it can be very difficult to find the energy to prioritise the environment. By being generous and helping one another we can provide the support and space needed to consider the bigger picture.
I want to ride my bicycle
We receive many messages about travel, but cycling is probably the most frequent. It's rarely a straightforward step to swap your car for a bicycle - there’s the expense of purchasing and maintaining a bike, the logistics of carrying ‘stuff’, the unpredictable British weather, the worry or road safety… but as someone who has switched about half of my journeys from 4 wheels to 2, I promise you it can be very rewarding. In particular I love to cycle into the city centre knowing that I can lock my bicycle up rather than paying out for carparking.
If this is one you aspire to then it’s worth looking out for local groups and organisations who can help with the transition. Many cities and towns have introduced community bike hire schemes - it’s worth hiring a bike for a test journey or two before getting seduced by the shiny bikes in the shop. In Plymouth I’ve found Bikespace CIC super helpful - a small not-for-profit organisation who service and sell bicycles, with a generous team who are happy to share their experience of what works and what doesn’t, cycle schemes, groups and local opportunities (see Learning & Sharing above).
For many journeys, and for many individuals, cycling just isn’t an option. That’s ok! We’ll cover other low carbon options and ways to optimise journeys in future blogs.
Turning the lights off
Another frequent message on the tardigrade telephone is switching off lights when we leave rooms, and turning off electronic devices when they're not in use. This not only helps the environment but also reduces energy bills. It's a small action but can be difficult to get into the habit of. We at Art and Energy are really interested in the ways that our world is powered, in particular the ways that electricity is generated. Check out these Solar House Kits giving you the opportunity to get creative and make your very own eco-reminder that charges using the suns energy and lights up at night when you switch your main lights off!
Have you got an action you would like us to share? We’d love to hear all about it. Give the Tardigrade a call and record a short message, this will be incorporated into the carpet, sharing encouragement and ideas as we face the climate and ecological emergency.
Mosses might be small, but they make a big difference.
What tiny things are you doing for a brighter greener future?
Leave a message: 07460 488650
(Discover more ways to send in your message and how we’ll incorporate it in the artwork Tell the tardigrade messages — The Art and Energy Collective)
