Sustainability stories - Dorking LM

Anne Brewer, Dorking LM

I try to live in response to ‘promptings of love and truth’ so as not to cause suffering to other living beings and so as to contribute, when possible, to preserving the wonderful biodiversity of the Earth. This has necessitated many changes to my lifestyle and involved me in various campaigning activities relating to peace, justice and the integrity of creation.

I swapped to a vegan diet, based on organic, unprocessed, wholefoods UK or Europe-grown as far as possible. We made our house-heating system much less polluting by installing appropriate technology and learning to live in a cooler indoor climate! Both these changes involved challenges at first but resulted in a much reduced carbon footprint and are now an easily accepted part of our way of life.

Transport has presented the stiffest challenge largely because it is a continuing one. We live in a fairly remote country area and have a car but it sits in our garage unused except for emergencies and occasionally delivering orders to housebound members of our SUMA buying group. Otherwise, having been convinced of the threat of severe climate destabilisation about 5 years ago, I now go everywhere by bike, bus and train. In all directions the first 2 miles are downhill there and very uphill back. Come rain or shine I cycle or walk the 4 miles to Meeting on Sundays, and to concerts and green group meetings in the evenings. There are recognisable benefits to my general health but as I toil up the hill on my bike on a dark, wet evening I have to remind myself why I am doing it!

The remaining challenge is also travel-related – we have a son living in California and occasionally fly to visit him. The damage is appalling - in 2010 our home energy and car use footprint was a respectable 0.86 tonnes CO2-equivalent but according to the carbon account calculator our return flight to San Francisco added 5.10 tonnes. This is a challenge I have yet to come to terms with.

We’d love to hear the story of you or your meeting too. Just email sunnivat@quaker.org.uk and tell us about it.