🥕 💡 The carrots are cooked #1
Veggie recipes + Climate Readings + How to make your own dishwashing liquid
G’Day!
And welcome to my first newsletter, The Carrots are cooked. In French, it is an idiom that means something is done and there is no turning back. Don’t worry, I am not here to tell you that the end is near. Quite the opposite.
I named my newsletter after the orange vegetable because I am going to be sharing some recipes each week, amongst other things.
It started with a few people coming to me and asking about tips on how to reduce their meat or fish intake, because they realised how much our diets are impacting the planet.
I’ve decided to help them and (hopefully) others by starting a weekly newsletter, that includes some of my veggie recipes, but also some of the learnings I’ve been collecting along my sustainability journey.
So, every week, in a lively 5-8 minute read, you’ll get a friendly, update straight from Bondi to your inbox with:
What I am planning to cook - for inspiration on how to cook great meals without meat and fish.
What I am reading - curated research and news on climate change and how we fix it.
An “order of magnitude” - to help you get up to speed on the problem - or a tip on how to live a more planet-friendly lifestyle in Australia.
My focus is on climate change, but I am also conscious about other environmental issues such as plastic pollution and biodiversity loss, so I’m trying to keep a holistic lens.
The recipes I share are “tested and trusted” recipes I am actually planning to cook on the following week. You also get the list of groceries to buy for convenience.
If you like the content, please subscribe, share it with friends.
Recipes of the week
Next week, I am planning the following (click on each link to access the recipe).
For your grocery list of the week, click here.
Recipe #1 - Crunchy Quinoa, Butternut, Goat cheese
Recipe #2 - Beetroot & Ginger soup (husband doesn’t like beetroot and isn’t a great fan of soup, but he did say he liked this one the first time I made it)
Recipe #3 - Quick mushroom and truffle fettuccine (husband LOVES truffle and pasta so hoping to make it up to him with this one in case he doesn’t like the above anymore)
Climate readings
Projected global warming drops to 2.4 degrees - new analysis from Climate Action Tracker
Following the Climate Summit held by Joe Biden on April 22-23, a few countries (including the US, the EU27, China and Japan) announced new targets and pledges to reduce their emissions. An analysis by Climate Action Tracker shows that these announcements have brought down projected end of century warming by 0.2 degrees C, with the projection now at 2.4˚C. The gap to between the Paris agreement pledges and a 1.5 ˚C pathway has been narrowed by 11-14%.
-> This is good news, though there is still a lot of work to be done. Keep in mind, country pledges need to be backed by a solid strategy and roadmap to meet the targets. Australia was notably absent from the Climate Summit and has yet to update its own targets and pledges.
Thousands march in France to demand real action on climate change - Associated Press via France 24
-> There is huge momentum in France - the Citizens Convention on climate seems to have played a big role. Who would have thought just 2 years ago that 115,000 people would march in the streets for a climate protest?
Macquarie Bank announced plans to exit coal by 2024 - The Financial Times describes this as a “a symbolic move that coincided with a bitter political debate in Australia over banks’ withdrawal from the sector”.
-> This is a big move from just 6 months ago when Macquarie was challenged for not willing to commit on a date (MarketForces). Banks play a huge role in the transition to a low-carbon world, and citizens have the power to influence them.
Tip of the week: How to make your own dishwashing liquid
This is my #1 SUPS (single use plastic swap) for you. Find the list of all my SUPS here.
I’ve been making my own dishwashing liquid for about 2 years, as part of my journey to reduce my plastic consumption.
Dishwashing liquid might seem like a trivial one to tackle, but if you think about it, an average 4-person Aussie household uses 9 x 500ml SUP (single use plastic) bottles of dishwashing liquid every single year. That's 765 in a lifetime (Source: Zero.com.au).
So it’s worth looking at ways to get ride of that plastic. I’ve experimented with a few recipes, and found this one which is super simple, easy and cheap. It works for me.
Is it as effective as a standard supermarket dishwashing liquid? Probably not. But it’s also not full of harmful chemicals. And it does the job.
Here’s my recipe (taken from Waste & Rebel)
170ml liquid Castile soap - I buy mine at Scoop Wholefoods, it’s made in Australia and is palm-oil free.
2 tsp baking soda - I buy it in bulk at Scoop Wholefoods as well
600ml warm water
3 drops essential oil
a soap dispenser and maybe a jar for the surplus
Mix the Castile soap with the baking soda. Add warm water, and the drops of essential oil if using. Et voilà!
It takes me literally 2 minutes to make, less time than it would take to walk to the aisle in the supermarket.
If DIY is not your thing, here are a few Ozzie brands shaking up the home cleaning category with zero-waste options:
Resparkle - Natural cleaning products with plastic-free refill options. Australian-made and plant-based formulas. I’ve tried their handwash, all purpose cleaner and laundry powder, and can recommend them.
Pleasant State - Similar to Resparkle, they sell concentrated cleaning products in small tablets. You simply fill your bottle with warm water, drop in the tablet, watch as it fizzes and dissolves, and you’re good to go!
Zero Co - A Delivery / Refill / Return model for home cleaning (bathroom / kitchen cleaner, dishwashing / laundry liquids etc) and personal care (handwash, bodywash). I have not tried their products.