September 2021 | Edible London

It’s a day dedicated to bringing change in the way we treat our environment. Edible London’s blueprint supports zero waste, commits its projects to turn spaces from grey to green, which reduces water and air pollution.

Grey to Green

Relative to many London Boroughs, Haringey is well endowed with open space. (4) Statistically, over a quarter (27.8%) of Haringey is made up of green areas, compared to a borough average of 33% for London. The most notable places are Alexandra Palace and Finsbury Park. While all homes in Alexandrea and Bounds Green have good access to nature, just two-fifths of homes in West Green (38%) and Noel Park (41%) do. (2)

Domestic gardens are among Britain’s key nature reserves. Urban domestic gardens of all sizes support a substantial range of wildlife. Some animal species are now more common in cities, particularly domestic gardens than in rural areas. (1)

The Earth has become five percent greener in 20 years. (8) In total, the increase in leaf area over the past two decades corresponds to an area as large as the Amazon rainforests.

Our St. Ann’s Library Project is the perfect example of grey to green by making a hospitable environment for wildlife and people. We have placed two greenhouses on-site and many beds transforming an empty space of a local library into a beautiful and relaxing sitting area full of nature.

Climate change

On 9 March 2021, Haringey’s Cabinet voted unanimously to adopt the Haringey Climate Change Action Plan (CCAP). (3) The document sets out the roadmap for how the borough will become net zero-carbon by 2041. (7)

Gardens help control urban temperatures, protecting us from extreme heat and cold. Urban garden plants and trees help cool the air in our towns and cities, combating dangerous temperatures caused by urban heat waves. (1) Trees and hedges can bring heating costs and energy consumption down in winter by providing shelter and insulation.

Plant growth is declining all over the planet, and new research links the phenomenon to decreasing moisture in the air—a consequence of climate change. (9)

Air pollution

Haringey’s air pollution level is higher than the average London’s and England’s. this has a particularly negative impact on children. The number of kids with asthma has tripled.

Climate records suggest the declines are associated with a metric known as vapor pressure deficit—that’s the difference between the amount of moisture the air actually holds versus the maximum amount of moisture it could be holding. A high deficit is sometimes referred to as an atmospheric drought.

Water pollution

Green infrastructure in urban areas can help to improve the quality of water in urban areas. Urban gardens help keep our cities above water. (1) Garden plants and trees intercept intense rain, slowing runoff and so reducing the pressure on urban drains. Unlike hard surfaces, the soil in gardens naturally absorbs rainwater, reducing the risk of flooding in our towns and cities. That is why we insist on making projects like High Cross Community Garden where we have created a public community garden in an industrial estate.

Zero waste -Upcycling

The amount of waste produced in North London has been climbing steadily at an annual rate of 2.5% over recent years. (11) There are tough recycling targets in place for Local Authorities to ensure that as more waste is produced, there is an increased emphasis on recycling. With no attempt to combat this problem by 2020 an extra 36,000 tonnes of waste will be produced each year. This is equivalent to a 40% growth in waste between 2006 and 2020.

According to the Departure for Environment Food & Rural areas report (2021), the UK recycling rate for Waste from Households was 46.2% in 2019, increasing from 45.0% in 2018. (10)

Environmental conservation is the primary reason for waste management and recycling efforts around the world. By properly reusing materials from trash, we are reducing pollution, energy usage, and greenhouse gas emissions. Recycling various types of materials contribute to energy savings: recycled steel (60% energy saved), recycled plastics (70% energy saved), recycled newspaper (40% energy saved), and recycled glass (40% energy saved).

Also, composting and recycling about 21.5 million of food waste is similar to taking 2 million cars off the road. (12)

Edible London’s mission is to tackle food poverty. To achieve that we eliminate the food waste by distributing food to families and caters, we grow food on our various sites, we do quality control to our donated food and what is rotted gets composted on our sites to be used on our beds.

What can we do to improve our situation?

Recommendations:

1.We should all place greater emphasis on protecting and enhancing gardens and green space in our cities for the benefit of the environment and future generations.

2.Scientific research institutes should build and share expert knowledge of practices that will maximise the positive impact of gardens and gardening, with particular focus on:

• the identification of which trees and other plants are most suited to providing the optimum cooling effect with minimum water use in domestic gardens;

• determining the thermal insulating properties of a wide range of plants appropriate for use in domestic gardens;

• understanding the best plant combinations to encourage a wide range of garden biodiversity.

3. Education and training organisations should safeguard and develop horticultural skills to ensure growth in gardening in urban areas by individuals, school children, and community groups.