NUDGING

A new buzz word

A couple of days ago I met a former colleague at a party and she mentioned a new buzz word used when discussing strategies for a sustainable development.

The word is nudging. So I thought I would give you an update. I was told that a research report was published as late as December 2014 and I have just glanced through the report*.

Nudging is not about changing people's values but it's about arranging the choice situation in a way that makes the desirable outcome the easiest and most attractive option. It is applied to help people bridge the gap between good intentions and good deeds.

Sounds sensible. It is well in line with the motto I (we) had working on sustainable consumption – make it easy for the consumer to act in an environmentally safe way.

One example could be to simplify and frame complex information making key information more salient – e.g energy labeling and displays.

Change the physical setting – layouts and functions in order to make it more convenient for people, show good examples with clear steps and reminders etc.

Of course nudging is not enough to change our life styles into sustainable ones, but in combination with other policy tools, it could be useful.

http://www.speroforum.com/a/NTUACKIKDY21/74868-Good-nudge-bad-nudge-Dont-get-too-comfortable#.VNTC2C4YGOc

*
http://www.naturvardsverket.se/Nerladdningssida/?fileType=pdf&downloadUrl=/Documents/publikationer6400/978-91-620-6643-7.pdf

Rosa Rugosa Alba

White Rugosa roses flower primarily in spring, but also have sporadic flowers until autumn. The flowers have a lovely fragrance. It is extremely cold-hardy & very sun-hardy. Its ideal is temperate coastal maritime conditions, thus it thrives in my garden. The shrub reflowers over a long period, the hips are ripening serially early summer until mid-autumn. I usually leave the hips on the shrub as they are very decorative, but ripe they can be harvested for jellies or other uses.

As with a regular pink rugosa, white rugosa roses sucker & spread into thick six-foot-tall & wide ground cover. They can be restrained with regular removal of suckers, but left to their own devices can sometimes spread quite rapidly, forming impenetrable walls of stickery canes.

I usually get rid of the suckers with the help of my mower, but last summer I dug up one and transplanted it into a new small border. My plan is to create a border with just white flowers. Hopefully the new plant will survive the winter. I am most eager to see the result, and will post a picture when spring has arrived.

The shrub needs to be pruned once a year to keep the shrub in shape. This should preferable be just before spring.

Spring

It does definitely not feel like spring right now, but the days are getting longer and soon....

Maybe we can start up the season with sowing some seeds into little pots indoors? Tomatoes and peppers does need quite some time to grow big enough plants to place in the greenhouse, when it gets warmer.

Some seeds should absolutely not be sown now. I did that mistake with broccoli and kale last year and they germinated right away and grew into very tall useless plants, due to the lack of light. They had to be thrown away. When sown at the right time later, they turned into excellent plants.

My little cat Molly is very interested in gardening.
 

Maud Lewis

Maud Lewis (1903-1970) is a well known Nova Scotian artist. She was an autodidact who lived with her husband in a tiny little house in Digby. This little house she decorated meticulously, almost every inch she covered with her painted ornaments. It has after her death been moved to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia in Halifax. The exhibition of Marie Lewis' paintings and her restored house is well worth a visit. 

www.artgalleryofnovascotia.ca/


 








Maud Lewis is a popular artist and her naive paintings are well loved and copied. Below to the right you find an attempt on my part together with two pictures that I made from the waterfront in Port Lorne; one in acrylic and one in water colour.

Mary Rose

Mary Rose is a beautiful rose that my sister gave to me a few years ago.  It is a hardy reliable garden shrub of medium size with well-shaped, twiggy growth and nice foliage. It is a David Austin Rose, and the fragrance is described by his company as follows: The delicious fragrance is of Old Rose character with a hint of honey and almond blossom.  Size 4 x 4ft.

It is lovely rose and I often cut a few off and put them in a vase so I can enjoy its fragrance  and beauty also indoors. They keep for several days

Arts & Crafts

In our area there are several talented artists and the environment does inspire  your creativity. In our little village we have both a crafts group and a painting group. Not far away in Annapolis Royal you find the ARTsPlace  with art exhibitions, interesting lectures and workshops.

 http://arcac-artsplace.weebly.com/

Betty's cat Rascal painted by Charlotte Klofver

Arts & Crafts Charlotte Klofver

ENERGY BOOSTER

Did you know this about singing?

Music brings about dramatic effects on your brain according to Dr Gunnar Bjursell, professor at Karoliska Institutet (Stockholm Medical University)

We earlier believed that damages on the brain were permanent, but today we know that the brain can be influenced by the proper stimuli and has the ability to repair and rebuild itself. Music is a strong power giving relief from pain and angst. Study after study has found that singing relieves anxiety and contributes to quality of life
Singing together in a group (or choir) has a calming yet energising effect on people. It is like an infusion of the perfect tranquiliser, the kind that both soothes your nerves and elevates your spirits.
The elation may come from endorphins, a hormone released by singing, which is associated with feelings of pleasure. Or it might be from oxytocin hormone released during singing, which has been found to alleviate anxiety and stress. Oxytocin also enhances feelings of trust and bonding, which may explain why still more studies have found that singing lessens feelings of depression and loneliness. Singers have been found to have lower levels of cortisol, also indicating lower stress.


So what's stopping you from joining a choir, going to a Church with lots of music, a music jam or a sing-along event?? A cure with no negative side effects. Perfect

http://ideas.time.com/2013/08/16/singing-changes-your-brain/