What is the UK doing to make Valentine’s Day Green?

February 9, 2009 · Filed under carbon footprint, going green, reduce carbon footprint · Tagged , , ,

Green gifts - Eco Emporia Home

Ethical and Green have come across Eco Emporia who are committed to all things green.  The company are based in the UK and sell items made out of ‘discarded things’.  They sell their products online or you can snap something up from them as they exhibit at various events. The next ‘green fair’ is on Saturday and Eco Emporia will be selling their wares at the Big Green Fair, Whittington Village Hall, nr. Lichfield on Saturday 7th February.  The fair is aimed at people cut their carbon footprint.  If you live nearby why not check it out?

Eco Emporia will be attending the fair with a selection of their ‘desirable objects from discarded things’. Everything Eco Emporia sells is handmade by craftspeople with a passion for reusing and recycling. On offer is a range of jewellery, homeware, stationery and other green Valentine’s gift ideas for him and her.

Obsolete vinyl records are now a hit as hand-painted fruit bowls, decommissioned fire hose becomes a hot fashion accessory and worn out circuit board looks great worn out as smart cufflinks. Many of the items are one-of-a-kind and each has an interesting story to tell about what it used to be in its previous life.

This is the second Big Green Fair, organised by the Whittington & Fisherwick Environment Group (WFEG) who are helping residents work towards a low carbon future. Last year’s event attracted over 1500 visitors from Staffordshire and surrounding counties. The fair takes place from 11am-4pm at the Village Hall, Whittington, nr. Lichfield. Come and see Eco Emporia’s recycled range for yourself or visit their website at http://www.ecoemporia.com.  There really is some great stuff on there.

Comments (1) »

How far would you go to be totally green?

February 5, 2009 · Filed under ethical fashion · Tagged , ,

Going green and being eco-friendly is all the rage at the moment.  Everywhere you look now there are adverts and articles telling you how to be more environmentally friendly.  Environmental issues are now rightfully at the forefront of Government policies and even celebrities try and show off their eco-credentials.  In the credit crunch being eco-friendly goes hand in hand with saving money so more and more people are taking interest in green issues.  But just how far would you be prepared to go for the environment?

 

It is one thing to change your car for a hybrid or recycle your plastic.  It is however another thing to move into the country and go ‘off grid’ being totally self sustainable.  Ethical and Green recently read that if you want to be truely green you need to do all of the above and more…..In fact in order to be as green as green can be you need to become a……nudist!  That’s right- walk around as bare as a bare person.  As we know clothes have a carbon footprint and rather short life span so I guess that wearing nothing is kinder to the environment….I wonder what your work colleagues and neighbours would make of it?!  Surely being totally nude is not the be all and end all….What do you think?  How far would you go to be green?

 

Ethical and Green will be bringing you more information on ethical fashion so that you can wear clothes whilst helping the environment and cutting down the carbon footprint of your clothes.  We also feel that we should remind you that if you wonder around naked the police may pay you a visit……….

Comments (1) »

Liz Earle Natural Beauty Products

February 4, 2009 · Filed under Beauty Products, organic beauty products, organic products · Tagged , , , , ,

 

Liz Earle Essentials Collection

Liz Earle Essentials Collection

A while ago Ethical and Green wrote about the eco-credentials of Liz Earle Beauty Products.  Ethical and Green have had the opportunity to try out the Essentials range and the verdict on the products is now in!

Ethical and Green have been using the skin care products for a couple of months now and there is no going back!  The orange flower hand cream we have been using combined with the hand wash has left our hands smelling lovely.  Despite the cold weather the skin on our hands has been in great condition.  It just goes to show the quality of the hand lotion.  Must be all the natural ingredients!

However the hand lotion is not the best of the lot.  The real winner of the Essential selection was the pure muslin cloths that are used in conjunction with the Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Clenser.  Ethical and Green’s skin has not looked this good in years.  No wonder the product has won several Best of Beauty Products.  Don’t just take our word for it.  Ethical and Green gave a gift set from Liz Earle to a friend and they have also been very impressed.  

Liz Earle Skin Care also do a range for men, oils and various packages of products.  They have starter packs and also a travel range so it is worth checking their website out.  We’ll certainly be trying out some of their other products.  Something else of interest may be the Green Beauty Bible.  Ethical and Green haven’t had a chance to look at it yet so let us know if you have.

All in all Liz Earle Natural Skincare Products have managed to combine good quality products that work, with stylish packaging and an eco-friendly approach to their business.  Many businesses could take a leaf out of Liz Earle’s book.  Take a look at Liz Earle’s eco-credentials here.

If you are interested in sampling any of Liz Earle’s Skin Care products you can go straight to the website at www.lizearle.com.  Alternatively John Lewis are stockists of the range.

Comments (2) »

How green is Barack Obama’s Inauguration speech?

January 29, 2009 · Filed under carbon footprint · Tagged , ,

Tuesday 20th January 2009 was a historical moment for the world as Barack Obama became President of the United States of America.  As he was sworn in America and the whole world was expectant and full of hope. During his campaign Obama revealed his green credentials.  Here we take a look at how environmental issues were mentioned in his inauguration speech.

Point One

‘Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet. ’  

Point Two

‘We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. ’

Point Three

‘And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world’s resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.’

So there we have it.  Obama makes reference to the environment three times in his speech which is pretty good going.  It shows that green issues will be taken seriously within the White House.  Barack Obama appears to understand the importance of looking after the environment and using new technologies to reduce our carbon footprint.

Will Obama’s time in the White House bring about big changes in environmental policy both in America and the rest of the world?  Ethical and Green hope so……

Leave a comment »

NHS plans for reducing its carbon footprint

January 26, 2009 · Filed under Carbon Dioxide emissions, Companies going green, carbon footprint, carbon neutral · Tagged , , ,

Today saw leaked information about the NHS’ plans to try and reduce its carbon emissions.  The NHS has a special Sustainability Group that comes up with ideas on how to become more green.  Their great idea is, and prepare yourself, it is amazing- is to reduce the amount of meat it serves in hospitals!  Wow!

The powers that be think that by reducing the amount of meat they buy in it will reduce their carbon footprint.  It is true that the NHS is one of the biggest buyers of food in the UK but even so is this really the best idea they can come up with?!  In the UK the NHS accounts for more than three percent of carbon emissions in England which isn’t bad considering it is the largest employer in Britain and the third largest in the whole world.  The NHS also has a lot of properties throughout the country.

Whilst it is true that the carbon footprint of food is quite high there are other things the NHS could do to reduce its carbon footprint.  However, instead of cutting down on meat products perhaps the NHS should actually buy in locally sourced, fresh produce rather than microwave meals that come from goodness knows where.  In fact this might keep patients healthy, they might actually enjoy the food and it is better for the environment!

We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see the full outline of the plans to reduce carbon emissions and go carbon neutral.  We’ll keep you posted!  Ethical and Green wonder what Jamie Oliver will make of this considering he is promoting British meat at the moment?!

Comments (2) »

Prince’s Rainforests Project Award

January 25, 2009 · Filed under going green · Tagged , ,

image005.jpg@01C9603A.EEDCD7B0

Ethical and Green have recently found out about the Prince’s Rainforests Project Award and the Sony World Photography Awards.  Check out the information below from Sony:

Budding amateur environmental photographers now have until 28 February 2009 to submit their work to The Prince’s Rainforests Project (PRP) Award, a major new initiative for the 2009 Sony World Photography Awards. 

Joining together the need to better understand the importance of the rainforests to the global climate and to increase awareness of The Prince’s Rainforests Project, the award seeks images which capture the essence of what the rainforest means to the photographer.

A selection of the best images by amateur photographers will be displayed in Cannes during the Sony World Photography Awards in April 2009, and these images will be used by The Prince’s Rainforests Project and Sony on various initiatives throughout the year to help communicate this important message.

Running parallel to the amateur award, professional photographers are also invited to submit their portfolios before 31 December 2008.  The winner of the best professional photographer award will receive a special Environmental Grant from Sony, to document the glory of the rainforests, the causes of their destruction and a few inspiring tales of heroism. The resulting images will be exhibited globally and will form part of a book highlighting the plight of the world’s rainforests.

 

30468-86910

© Lee Dalton courtesy of the Sony World Photography Awards 2009

Photographic entries are judged by a panel of experts including: Stuart Franklin, photographer and President of Magnum (UK); John Sauven, Director of Greenpeace (UK); Cristina Goettsch Mittermeier, Executive Director, International League of Conservation Photographers (USA); Helena Christensen, model and photographer (Denmark); Roberto Smeraldi, Director and Founder of Friends of the Earth – Brazilian Amazonia (Brazil); David de Rothschild, environmentalist and explorer (UK), and Kathy Moran¸ Senior Picture Editor of Natural History at Natural Geographic Magazine (USA).

 

This distinctive panel will be chaired by renowned British photographer and author, Tom Stoddart.

 

In his appeal for entries to the awards judge David de Rothschild commented “Creative expression through photography is a very powerful tool. It not only has the ability to present the facts and tell stories, but it has the capacity to give insights that can turn reflection into change. The Sony/PRP Awards are an ideal platform to harness creativity to implement change and in turn inspire, educate and engage individuals, communities and industry to take positive action for our planet.”

 

Fellow judge Roberto Smeraldi added “While we usually quote figures and studies to show how critical the forest is for our lives, it is crucial that we actually also show the link between the forest, the people and everyday’s life. Prince Charles’ initiative offers to us, in Brazil, a unique opportunity to demonstrate why action is dramatically required and why we have an amazing comparative advantage in this field.”

 

Environmental responsibility has been a significant pat of the Sony ethos for many years and the partnership between the Sony World Photography Awards and The Prince’s Rainforests Project is part of Sony’s eco programme of initiatives and programmes.

 

Emily Young, General Manager, Environmental Communications at Sony Europe explains “This partnership is all about using photography to raise awareness about the importance of climate change. Photography is the perfect way to communicate the fundamental beauty of our environment, and the importance of preserving it for future generations. We are very excited about the outcome of these awards and in aiding the category winner to document some of the major deforestation areas in the world, and to communicate its impact on overall climate change.” 

 

Further information about the Sony World Photography Awards and details of how to enter the competition can be found at www.worldphotographyawards.org

 

Leave a comment »

Google- harmful to the environment?

January 12, 2009 · Filed under CO2 emissions, Carbon Dioxide emissions, carbon footprint, climate change · Tagged , , ,

Google is a company that has ethical and green credentials- or so we thought!  Recent research by Alex Wissner-Gross, a Harvard University physicist has shown that using Google can actually harm the environment.

Google likes to pride itself at being at the forefront of green computing.  There are tools on Google that allow you to calculate your carbon footprint and it is a supporter of Earth Day that highlights environmental issues.  (Interestingly though you will be hard pressed to find figures on the size of its carbon footprint or energy consumption.)  So how can a company that is going green actually be harmful to the environment?

The problem lies in the way Google works. Using a search engine generates CO2 emissions because the search request goes to more than one server that can be thousands of miles apart.  Google have servers in the US, Europe, Japan and China.  It has been estimated that the number of internet searches in a day is around 200 million.  Can you imagine the electricity consumption and greenhouse gases that this releases?  It’s estimated that the global IT industry has a carbon footprint similar to that of the airline industry.  That is to say that the IT industry could account for as much as 2% of global CO2 emissions.

 

Google’s response?  They feel that they are amongst the most energy efficient search engine out there.  However in order to get the fastest search you have to offset the fact that this releases more CO2 emissions.  Perhaps the most interesting statistic comes from John Buckley of www.carbonfootprint.com.  They feel that doing a Google search can emit anywhere between 1 and 10g of CO2 depending on whether or not the computer had to be switched on.  Others have put this figure at 7g to 10g.

 

So are we going to stop using Google for our searches?  Ethical and Green doubt it very much.  The figures show that using search engines in general cause an increase in CO2 emissions.  This is not going to change until companies such as Google look into their processes to make them more energy efficient.  Google is committed to reducing its carbon footprint and therefore you can expect their searches to be the most efficient out there.

Comments (1) »

Freecycle

January 11, 2009 · Filed under Tips for reducing CO2 emissions, going green · Tagged , , , ,

[Freecycle Logo] 

Just a quick note for those of you who have not discovered the joys of Freecycle.  Freecycle is a website that allows you to freely obtain items that people want to discard.  Instead of throwing things away Freecycle allows people to search for an item and then go and pick it up from the designated place.  (For the US site check out www.freecycle.org)

The first UK Freecycle group was set up in London in October 2003.  There are now nearly 1.5 million registered users in the UK alone!  Worldwide there are over 5 million members.  The site also has a calculator that allows you to calculate how many pounds in weight you have saved from the landfill.

 

For example if you had an old video recorder, instead of discarding it, it could be put to good use by someone else.  As the name suggests no money is exchanged for the items- it’s all FREE!!  You can therefore save money and the environment at the same time!

The only downside of the site is that it is rather addictive and Ethical and Green has ended up with some furniture items that we didn’t really need……..

Leave a comment »

Cut your carbon footprint with liftshare

January 11, 2009 · Filed under Carbon Dioxide emissions, carbon footprint, green driving, reduce carbon footprint, responsible travel · Tagged , , , , ,

Something is happening in the world of car-sharing: drivers are no longer happy to sit in traffic jams, surrounded by other single-occupancy vehicles, and more of them than ever have been signing up to car-sharing schemes. The environmental and financial benefits are making it an increasingly mainstream form of transport.

In fact, by the end of January, over 300,000 people will have registered with liftshare,  the UK’s largest scheme – with about 300 new members signing up to the free network every day. But does it really make a genuine difference to how green your lifestyle is?

Well consider this: in 2005, over 60% of cars on the UK’s roads had only one occupant (among commuters, that figure was 85%). Overall, our average occupancy level is 1.6 people per car. In 1965, that figure was 2. Not such a big drop, you may think. Until you realise that it results in literally millions of empty car seats on the UK’s roads every single day.

If occupancy levels only increased back from 1.6 to two, nine million tonnes of CO2 would be saved per annum. The potential environmental impact of car-sharing is enormous.

 

Indeed, it would surprise many people to learn that a fully-occupied car is as environmentally friendly as public transport. If the UK is to enable maximum mobility while still aspiring to achieve its Kyoto commitments, it is essential that we acknowledge the car’s ability to provide one of the greenest forms of motorised transport – when used correctly.

 

Members of liftshare are currently taking 40,000 cars off the road every day,sharing about 70 million miles per year. And many of them are doing it for environmental reasons, knowing that the typical commuter who car-shares with just one other person every day saves one tonne of CO2 a year.

 

Finding someone to share your journey with is very straightforward. Just register your details and your journey on the free website, liftshare.com, and then do a search for people going the same way as you. The journey-matching success rate is increasing all the time as the number of registered journeys grows, and new members are often surprised at how quickly they find someone to share with.  liftshare is a social enterprise so is not a company concerned with making money.  Any profits made are put straight back into the business.

 

But perhaps you’re one of the lucky ones, and are already in a position to take the even greener option of walking or cycling to work. If so, you might have been put off by the idea of doing it alone – especially in the darker months.

 

If you want to give it a go, but would prefer a bit of company to brighten that journey, liftshare also has a smaller but growing membership of their BikeBUDi.com and WalkBUDi.com sites, which are worth investigating. Again, membership is completely free – you just register your journey, and see if someone else is walking or riding the same way.

 

With any of the three sites, it only takes a few moments to sign up, and it could have more benefits than you ever imagined…!

Comments (1) »

What is eco font?

January 11, 2009 · Filed under carbon footprint, going green, reduce carbon footprint · Tagged , , , , ,

As the title of this post suggests Ethical and Green would like to explain what ecofont is.

Ecofont has been developed by SPRANQ in the Netherlands and is a type font that can help save on the ink we use when printing.  In fact Ecofont can save up to 20% on ink and is free to download and free to use.  How?

Ecofont is a font that is made up of small holes.  When printed the words look the same but because of the small holes less ink is used.  The developers feel that ecofont works best at size 9 or 10.  As you go bigger the holes begin to show.  The font can be downloaded for both PC and Mac users.  Below is an example of what the font looks like.

The ecofont website also gives some great advice about how to cut down on energy use in the office.  SPRANQ recommend printing only when necessary and using a modern and efficient printer.  Use unbleached paper.  Another interesting point they make is to look out for ink made from plant extracts.  It is also worth using a printer manufacturer who is environmentally conscious.

Hats off to the folk at ecofont for their innovation in cutting our carbon footprint and helping us all go green.  Check out their website at www.ecofont.eu

Leave a comment »

« Previous Page — « Previous entries
Next entries » — Next Page »