Reducing our Carbon Footprint

I was born in 1957. In those days, we didn't have central heating. We burnt wood and coal in our fireplaces and could visibly see the impact of this on our environment...all you had to do was simply look out of the window! We used to have fog and smog for weeks on end and sometimes it was so bad you couldn't see further than a metre or so in front of you. 

The consequence of this was that many people suffered with breathing difficulties. 

As a child, I often wondered where all the fresh air was coming from....was it unlimited???

After all, we only have what is on, in, and immediately around our planet.  At the rate we are going,  we will only have another 3 or 4 generations worth? That's not a lot. Global warming is melting the ice caps, raising sea levels and changing weather patterns. The destruction of our rain forests and micro plastics in our oceans means our air supply will most certainly be slowed down or even halted completely. 

The consequence of this is not so obvious as the fog and smog I remember from my childhood, but it will be soon enough! We are the cancer of this earth and we will render it uninhabitable and useless....unless we begin to do something about it now.

NOT tomorrow or next week or next year

Governments around the world are slowly waking up and are now taking positive action but there are lots of countries who are lagging well behind. 

We've come to rely heavily on transport such as cars, planes and boats, not just for pleasure but for work (and let's face it we all have to work!). Electric cars are becoming more popular but at a great expense many can't afford. We could lessen our trips in our cars, maybe walk more or cycle especially on short trips.

But we can certainly do something about our waste

... that empty bottle, that sweet wrapper etc

On a larger scale we could cut plastic out either partially or if possible completely and start using compostable, biodegradable or vegetable based products which do the same job as plastics but do not harm our environment. Its not just the air that is effected, sea life is dying after being tangled, trapped and eating all the discarded micro plastic. 

We (us humans who caused this problem in the first place and are top of the food chain) end up eating the fish which then causes illnesses in us. Again another not so obvious consequence of our actions! But as the saying goes 'You sow what you reap.' There is Cause and Effect in everything we do, sometimes not manifested until years later. 

Some of us have been conscious of this for some time, while others are just beginning to realise and others are still oblivious, or simply don't care (I recently went abroad and was really disturbed at the volume of plastic waste on the side of the roads, the pavements, gardens, public areas...even in the remote desert! Wow!)

 Our resources are slowly diminishing...but our planet is fighting back with extreme changes in weather...storms, floods, droughts etc!

Here at Kefalonia Cruise, on the Lady O, we have run an annual 'Clean up' cruise for the last 2 years. This year is no different. We will ask for volunteers to join us to clean up Vardiani Island. It's amazing how much rubbish accumulates over the winter. This is rubbish which in time will break up in small pieces which will be eaten up by the local fish, turtles (often killing them),  or eventually micro plastic which will stifle the eco system.

We will spend the morning collecting plastic and taking it back to Argostoli to be properly disposed of. We will then enjoy a relaxing afternoon on the beach with a nice BBQ and drinks.....what do you say, would you like to come along? Last year we had 35 people join us, and we collected over 40 big black sacks worth of rubbish. 

Please contact us for a place on the Lady O on the 25th May 2020 - it won't cost you anything, we will transport you there, provide the BBQ lunch with wine, water and soft drinks on the beach as a thank you for your hard work in the morning! 

Come and be part of our annual clean up cruise and make a difference.

Let's cruise (and clean) together!...


Nicos