Raising the pH helps with the detergent action, also the washing soda “softens” the water - calcium and magnesium in the water form carbonates, replacing the sodium in the washing soda.

You probably could, but IMO that’s an excessive amount of borax in the recipe. Most washing mixes only use a tiny amount of borax, it’s mostly soap/detergent and sodium carbonate (washing soda)

Also the “extra” carbonate group is dislodged as carbon dioxide:

2 NaHCO₃ (baking soda) → Na₂CO₃ (washing soda) + H₂O + CO₂

Baking soda is NaHCO₃ , Washing soda is Na₂CO₃

Baking soda is (incorrectly) called “Bicarb” because there is twice as much Carbonate (CO₃) per Sodium (Na). Heating it causes some to be released as water and carbon dioxide:

2 NaHCO₃ → Na₂CO₃ + H₂O + CO₂

‘A new phase’: why climate activists are turning to sabotage instead of protest (The Guardian, two weeks ago)

“If you want to do anything that is disruptive, the penalty is pretty massive now, and so these draconian laws mean it is hard to get very much pressure … by following the kind of things that [Extinction Rebellion] and JSO have done in the past, because people will be arrested and put away for a long time,” he said.

Most “egg substitutes” work well for a particular use case of eggs, and not for others. E.g.

• Aquafaba (chick pea water) whips up like egg whites and can be used to make sponge cakes, merengues or similar fluffy sweets.
• Chia or flaxseed/linseed are a good replacement binder for muffins and denser cakes (and good for fibre and protein too).
• Tapioca starch and baking powder can also work to give a bit of leavening for muffins (McKensie vegan baking egg subtitute)
• Ground cashews and/or avocado can be used for some richer desserts like mousses.
• Kala Namak, a dark sulphurous salt which adds the smell and flavour of egg yolk, but doesn’t add texture like the above stuff.
• Tumeric is often used to add a bit of yellow colour to make vegan omelettes and scrambles look like eggs.

I haven’t seen any subsitutes that are a straight drop in for all purposes of eggs, usually you have to use several depending on the recipe.

Air pollution: Coroner calls for law change after Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah’s death:

An inquest had found air pollution “made a material contribution” to her death… Ella was the first person in the UK to have air pollution listed as the cause of death on their death certificate, following the inquest ruling …