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Friday 29 June 2007

Go Paperless - Save Paper!


I Got a superb email at work earlier:
"In that we are all “going green” these days, I was thinking of e-payslips – you would get your payslips via email. This could be to any email address so if people wanted them going to a personal email address rather than an office email address that would be possible. The other benefit would be that people would get them earlier."

Gold star to the accounts team!

Other areas I am going 'paperless':
-Credit Card Statements
-Bank Statements

Any other suggestions?

Thursday 28 June 2007

Smart Kitchen Recycling Bin



I just found thiis while surfing through some amazon homeware (im moving next week!)

Expensive but cool all the same:





It seems like more of these recycling bin products are becoming available, lets just hope they are environmentally friendly to produce in the first place!

Wednesday 27 June 2007

Camp For Climate Action



The Camp for Climate Action 2007
Tuesday 14th August to Tuesday 21st August - Heathrow Airport

Eight days of low-impact living, debates, learning skills, and high-impact direct action tackling the root causes of climate change. Why?

The science is clear - we have 10 years to save the world from catastrophic climate change. We must act now to take action against the worst polluters and create real sustainable futures. The fate of life itself for generations to come is in our hands. The time to act is now.


Should be good - At an airport of all places!

Monday 25 June 2007

Environmentally Friendly Footwear


Check out the range of eco-footwear on Vegetarian shoes.

All footwear on the site is 'Animal Friendly'. You will find no leather here, only breathable microfibre materials. So if eating meat bothers you this is the perfect online shoe store!

All the factories are people friendly. Based in Portugal, the factories are NOT sweat shops.

The shoes are also environmentally sound as the soles are made from recycled car tyres.

Personally I think they have some decent designs on the site, like the cool sandals pictured above.

Don't line unethical companies pockets such as the nikes of this world. Wear something 'green' with pride!

Friday 22 June 2007

Lights Out London in Photos


Check out these amazing images of lights out london on the guardian website.

Wednesday 20 June 2007

Green Factoids of the Week

* Appliances in standby mode account for 8% of UK household energy use
* Lighting accounts for 25% of all electricity consumed worldwide
* When doing the dishes, washing them by hand requires on average 37% less water than an energy efficient dishwasher
* In most homes, lighting accounts for 10 - 15% of the electricity bill
* UK households use £1.2 billion worth of electricity every year on lighting
* If every UK household installed three energy efficient light bulbs it would save enough energy in a year to supply all the country's street lighting
* Depending on age, if a TV, photocopier or computer is left on standby it is still using 40 - 70% of the energy it would if being used
* A photocopier left on overnight uses enough energy to produce over 1500 copies
* By switching your washing machine to 40 degrees instead of 60 degrees, you can cut your electricity consumption by a third
* Lighting an average office overnight wastes enough energy to heat water for 1000 cups of tea
* Denmark will use wind for 50% of the country's electricity by 2030
* Remember to switch off your computer monitor when it is not in use. Monitors use over 60% of your computer's electricity output
* In the UK, we buy over 680 million non-rechargeable batteries each year
* Energy efficient light bulbs emit 75 pounds of carbon dioxide less per year
* 95% of the energy used by the phone chargers in this country is wasted. They're only doing their job - i.e. charging phones - for 5% of the time
* The energy saved from recycling one glass bottle is enough to power a light bulb for four hours.
* We use over six billion glass bottles and jars each year. It would take you over three and a half thousand years to sing "Six Billion Green Bottles"!

Lights Out London - TOMORROW!


Remember that LIGHTS OUT LONDON is happening tomorrow.

To take part, simply turn off all of your lights tomorrow evening 9pm - 10pm!

This is what organisers Capital FM have to say:

Lights Out London aims to prove that we can all make a difference to the future of our planet. On Thursday 21st June - Midsummer's Night - we are inviting the whole of London to turn off all lights and non-essential appliances between 9 and 10pm.

As well as promoting long-term understanding of green issues among Londoners, this simple display of solidarity will show the world that we care. We can all make a difference - saving the world isn't just for superheroes!

Getting involved couldn't be simpler. Register now to show your support, then all you have to do is remember to turn off all your lights and non-essential appliances on Midsummer's Night. Remember to tell all your friends though - the more people that take part, the bigger difference we can make.


Even Picadilly Circus famous advertisements are shutting down - for the first time in 68 years!

Monday 18 June 2007

Planet Repairs DIY Toolkit For Londoners


The London Mayor/Government have launched a major Green initiative for residents in the greater London area.

You can order a DIY Planet repair toolkit from the website. This kit contains stickers, a mug, and a 4 minute shower timer. All essential items for a 'greener' London, im sure you'll agree.

You may have seen adverts for this all over the shop if you live in the greater london area...

Friday 15 June 2007

The Big Green Gathering


My link of the day is The Big Green Gathering or The BGG for short.

The BGG takes place between the 1st-5th August 2007.

Heres what its all about, in their own words:
The Big Green Gathering is a 5 day camping event which is currently located in the Mendip Hills in Somerset. It has grown out of the original Green Gatherings of the 1980's and the Green Fields of Glastonbury Music Festival. It has developed organically in response to a desire from people within the green movement for a festival that was focused on Green issues. Now we have somewhere between 15,000 and 20,000 people expected this year. Staying Green is now a bigger challenge than ever.

The Big Green Gathering is for people who care about health, the environment, sustainability, our children's future and life in general. It is a celebration of our natural world and our place within it. As such it is a place for enjoyment, learning and fun. Unhealthy activities are not encouraged. The only things taken in excess should be love, peace, joy, and friendship.


So if you want to visit a true 'alternative' gathering which isnt some commercial venture, this is the place to be to learn about the environment, and what you can do to help.

Thursday 14 June 2007

Plastic Grocery Bag Holder


Plastic bags are kind of a necessary evil still in our society, but here is an item designed to help you re-use these bags!

Simple and stylish, this grocery bag holder should be able to reduce the clutter in your kitchen.

Recycle Your Old Mobile



Earn cash for your old mobiles by trading them into envirophone. You simply sign up and they will send you a freepost pack for your old mobiles. Good for the environment and good for your pocket!

Thursday 7 June 2007

G8 Summit Protest Pictures






Energy Crisis: Laser Fusion


Check out the BBC article about using Lasers for Nuclear Fusion.

"The UK funding bodies, including the Science and Technology Facilities Council that own and operate most of the UK's large science instruments, are making positive noises about stumping up the necessary cash to build and host Hiper in the UK."


Interesting stuff indeed! Lets hope it gets the funding to be researched.

Wednesday 6 June 2007

Download Festival Goes Green



The download festival has loads of eco events going on this year. One of the most interesting is the giant Arty sculpture which is going to be made from the festival-goers used cans. What a great idea!

There will also be pedal bike-powered mobile charging stations, recycling stations, green toilets and a liftshare scheme to name but a few.

Check it out

British Gas: Make It Greener Now


British Gas are offering free 'Green Survival' packs from their website makeitgreenernow.co.uk. You can also win VIP tickets to their Fete for the Future event. Well, worth doing to get some free lightbulbs!

London Sustainability Weeks


There are many environmental events happening in London over the next few weeks!

London is a huge and dynamic city. There's plenty in it to love! However London is also a hungry city. Food, fuel, building materials, water and much more pour into London from all over the world. What we do here has an impact on the whole planet and it's time to make some changes.


Check out the love london website for more information on this amazing event.

Tuesday 5 June 2007

Fly Carbon Neutral - Go Green!


SilverJet are the World's First Carbon Neutral Airline. They won the Institute of Transport Management's environmentally aware airline of the year, 2007!

They do this with a mandatory carbon offset contribution, which is invested by The CarbonNeutral Company, to ensure that every tonne of CO2 associated with your flight is matched by one tonne saved through climate friendly projects around the world.

Examples of projects supported by Silverjet to neutralise its carbon impact are:

* Jamaican energy efficient project – subsidises the cost of energy efficient lightbulbs to encourage use. Benefits to the island include less dependence on depleted oil reserves and less power cuts, which in turn promotes the prime industry – tourism

* New Zealand wind farm – one of the few gold standard carbon offset projects worldwide, this provides an alternative to non-sustainable power sources

* US methane – methane is 23 times more powerful than CO2 as a greenhouse gas, and it leaks from many disused mines. This project captures methane and ‘flares’ it which converts methane into CO2.

Silverjet specialise in business flights from London Luton airport to New York.

For visit www.carbonneutral.com

The Big Green Issue

If you are interested in climate change and doing your bit for the environment then buy the latest copy of the Big Issue. It is packed with GREEN features. A good read! I feel a bit guilty as I owe the old guy who sells it 50p. I think he has Parkinson's Disease too, poor blighter.

Monday 4 June 2007

China Climate Change Stance

Challenging times are ahead for climate change policy.

Check out the story on the bbc website about China and developing countries policies regarding climate change.

Looks like the UK must lead by example... LETS DO IT PEOPLE!

Recycled Ipod Case


I was shopping online for a new case for my branded MP3 Player and I came across this.

Ok, Ok, I know its a bit expensive but at least someone out there is thinking along the right lines.

I didn't buy it but it has got to be better than those rubber and neoprene ones.

Kitchen Recycling Bins


Most councils have a recycled materials collection each week in the UK. One of the problems is separating and storing all the bottles, paper, in a neat fashion.

These kitchen recycling bins are a great idea, being both stylish and functional.

Set of 3 Storage Bags. Suitable for Plastic, Paper & Glass. Lid contains magnetic strip which keeps it sealed and rope handle for travel convenience.


Well done Heals!

Friday 1 June 2007

Grow Your Own Veggies


Although I only have a balcony I just bought this book, to help me see what I could grow.
It has lots of lovely pictures and seems pretty easy to follow. I'll keep you posted on my results!

First Order of Business

So you're interested in Climate Change and changing your lifestyle for the greener eh?

Well the first order of business is to check out an Inconvenient Truth, which is absolutely essential viewing. Al Gore (the former 'next president of the US') takes his global warming slideshow around the world to inform us all of the harm we're causing our planet daily. It sounds like a snooze-fest, but is actually truly fascinating and an eye opening experience. It's also one of the scariest films I've seen in a long time!

HMV have it here - with recycled packaging! Definitely worth checking out one and all, believe me.



Green factoids of the week


For every tonne of paper recycled the savings are:

1. At least 30 000 litres of water.

2. 3 000 – 4 000 KWh of electricity (enough for a 3 bedroom house for one year).

3. 95% of air pollution as compared to “virgin” paper.

I’m sure you’ve all printed off an email or document that you didn’t really need to. The key to saving paper is not to print in the first place! If you do need to print, that’s ok! It is understandable that some things need to be printed out, however when you’re done with the paper there are things you can do to help:

▪ Look on the reverse of your print out. If it’s blank you can use it again as note paper before you recycle it. Saving twice the amount of paper!

▪ Make sure you put it in the PAPER RECYCLING BINS if you have them. And if not, get some! It’s not difficult, if you spot someone throwing paper into their desk bin, STOP THEM!