How to make public transport easier

I was at the Environment Agency’s conference on environmental futures today listening to representatives of local government talk about sustainability (including Ken Livingstone, who knocked the rest of them into a cocked hat).

I was particularly interested to hear what Sandy Taylor, Head of Climate Change & Sustainability in my home city of Birmingham, had to say on public transport.

He lamented the fact that while 80% of Londoners use public transport, 80% of inhabitants of other cities don’t. It’s largely due to density of population and avoiding congestion, he said.

But isn’t it also - like everything else - about making it easier for people? In London they have a proper integrated public transport system, which is cheap, reliable and easy to use (I lived in London and moaned about the tube but now realise how much better it is than everywhere else). In Birmingham there is no sense of the train from Four Oaks to Redditch being part of the same system as the bus that goes to the airport, or even as the train out to Walsall. And for people like me who don’t want to travel every day, it’s a pain (and often expensive) to have to buy a ticket every time.

Surely cities like Birmingham could benefit from a system like London’s Oyster card? I’ve got one even though I hardly ever need to use it - but when I am in London I know I can swipe onto any form of public transport and I’ll always be charged the cheapest possible rate.

Is this something that is already happening in other cities? Or are we just behind in Brum (as we have been with recycling). I’d be interested to know.

Don't throw food in the bin - get a bucket

Everyone’s talking about the climate change bill and the possibility that we could be charged for the amount of rubbish we throw away.

I think it’s a great idea. It costs councils money (in wages, equipment and landfill tax) to get rid of every bag we leave out for them, and it makes sense to reward those people who make the effort to recycle.

In future it could pay to find ways to get rid of your rubbish without throwing it in the bin.

So you’re recycling paper, cans and bottles, and you’ve got a compost heap, but what about food waste that won’t compost - meat, dairy and cooked food? Some local authorities collect all this in buckets which you leave out on bin day, but a lot of people are put off by the potential smell and the risk of attracting animals.

There is an alternative, which helps you make use of your food waste yourself - a bokashi bucket.

This is a plastic bucket (yes, I know), with a false bottom and a tap. You put food waste in it, sprinkle a special bran over each time, and when it’s full, you leave it for two weeks and then dig it into your garden or add it to the compost heap. The tap is for a super strong fertiliser which you can dilute and use to feed your plants, or pour neat down the drain as it’s a good cleaner. The bran contains soil microorganisms which break down the food, and produce the magic liquid.

A bokashi bucket will take just about anything, including meat and fish - the only thing the microorganisms don’t like is teabags as the tannin doesn’t suit them (almost as fussy as my son).

It's been used in Japan for many years. I’ve got one and it works a treat - great for the inevitable leftovers when you’re feeding kids.

Why not try one? Find out more at the recycle works and read about how the government is concerned about food waste on the Defra and Independent websites.