Browsing: Random

If you’re wondering what Fairtrade means to the producers of goods then watch this short video which documents two Fairtrade certified banana producer organisations, BANELINO and ASOBANU in the Dominican Republic and find out how Fairtrade has changed their lives and livelihood for the better.

Via Fairtrade Foundation

Pearl Jam

Whilst self-destruction is at the beating heart of rock n roll, planetary destruction is seemingly off the agenda nowadays, with more and more musicians and bands jumping on the biofuel powered eco-bandwagon, and doing their bit for Mother Earth. Cynics might claim that it’s just another ploy to raise profiles in an increasingly tough business, but whatever the motivation, the message is certainly getting through.

1. Pearl Jam
In terms of putting their money where their collective mouths are, few bands come close to the eco-awareness of Pearl Jam. In gifting $100,000 to various eco projects during a recent world tour, it was more than a donation, it was a call to arms. The activism section on Pearljam.com makes for great reading, and offers an insight into the lengths the band will go to in order to ensure their impact on the planet is kept to a minimum.

2. Radiohead
When Radiohead recently snubbed Glastonbury, it wasn’t because of the mud, the distinct lack of sanitary toilets, or a sudden dislike for Indonesian nose harpists. Nothing so trivial would keep Thom ‘Smiler’ Yorke and his merry band of men away. ‘Glastonbury’s spiritual houseband’, as the 2003 programme called them, disappointed legions of fans for one reason, and one reason alone – the lack of a green transport system to the site. The message was clear – the biggest greenfield festival in the world just isn’t green enough.

Read the rest of Top 5: Green Thinking Bands »

If we ever need a little inspiration, a push in the right direction, or a kick up the backside to ‘Go One Better’ or green up our lifestyle than we should look no further than our own back yard.

It appears that nature is teaming with busy little environmentalists, all hell-bent on reducing, reusing, and recycling whatever is in their path.

According to Environmental Graffiti, a cracking site for environmentalists who don’t take themselves too seriously, these little chaps are the most eco-friendly bugs around;

3. Environmental Designer Extraordinaire: The Orb Web Spider
The female orb web spider is one of natural world’s top designers, but she’s one of its thriftiest recyclers too. She’s known to eat her web at night, before spinning a new one, to recoup some of the energy expended producing silk that’s rich in protein and stronger than steel.

Read the rest of The Top 3 Eco-Friendly Bug Awards »

Daniel Radcliffe, Lewis Hamilton, Ricky Hatton and Dame Judi Dench’s shoes are all up for grabs!

I know how mad that sounds but it’s true, and it’s all in the name of charity. The Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation is running a ‘De-Feet Cancer’ campaign and a host of stars have got on board to donate their footwear to the cause.

Ecorazzi have attributed the following quote to champion boxer Ricky Hatton “I am used to defeating my opponent in the ring, so I’m delighted to get behind the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation’s De-Feet Lung Cancer campaign. By getting involved with De- Feet, you too can help give lung cancer the knock-out blow.”

Nice pun Ricky!

The shoes are going to be auctioned off starting on September 12.

If charity footwear floats your boat, why not check out Ethical Superstore’s great range of ethical and Fairtrade footwear; designed and manufactured in a planet-friendly manner, meaning that your feet can be encased by eco-friendly, comfy, and stylish trainers!

Whilst perusing the interweb for various hints, tips and suggestions on green living, eco-friendly lifestyles, and money/energy saving devices, I came across this great tool for armchair activists from Troika.

In the modern age where text messaging has taken over from note passing, and emails have replaced letters, why shouldn’t the humble megaphone or loudspeaker be subject to such change? Well, a renowned German designer (Moritz Waldemeyer) who describes his work as a fusion of technology, art, fashion and design, (who has previously collaborated with the band OKGO), has teamed up with Troika, a multi-disciplinary art and design practice, to create such a thing.

This nifty creation is “able to receive incoming sms messages and speak them out loud through its powerful megaphone, thus allowing the armchair activist to shout out its rants and protests in the comfort of his sitting room”.

It was made with the support from Arts Council England and I think it’s inspiring in its modern day, thought provoking design and concept.
                                                                                                                                                                                

(Image via Troika)

Check out this video from BBC 2′s The Culture Show highlighting more of Waldemeyer’s work:[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EPsmrEmQ_lk&eurl=http://www.waldemeyer.com/pressf.html[/youtube]

Something that came to my attention about a month ago (and which I have successfully managed to block out since) has resurfaced thanks to our friends over at TreeHugger. The aptly named Shit Box is supposed to be the answer to all of your festival toilet troubles.

The creator, who also founded the footwear retailer Office, is Richard Wharton who has since set up the Brown Corporation to manufacturer his little brown brain child. It is a portable, flatpack, lightweight cardboard toilet designed for outdoor use when you need it most. It’s designed to be reused with the use of degradable poop bags – 10 of which come with the Shit Box.

So next time your kids are desperate for the loo in the car, or you’re at a festival and are dreading the long drop – just think – you could be sitting comfortably on a cardboard box, in the comfort of your own tent, emptying your bowels in style!

Seriously though, it’s quite impressive and its eco-friendly credentials aren’t bad either. Made with 70% recycled cardboard, with all of the components degradable, this novel idea might just prove to be popular, not least with eco-conscious festival goers.

We already have self contained solar showers, biodegradable tent pegs, and floatable dinner sets! 

So why not add a Shit Box into the mix?

Have a look at other innovative uses for the humble cardboard box over at Ethical Superstore.

I wonder what’s next . . .
 

(Image via LittleJackShit)

David Cameron’s antics have been hitting the headlines again this week, but unfortunately for him perhaps, it hasn’t been due to political successes, more due to the holiday he is taking. Rather than jetting off to an exotic foreign location Mr Cameron has opted to spend some quality time in Cornwall, whilst the Prime Minister himself is taking a break in Suffolk.

With major public figures in the country choosing to holiday at home, it throws traditional UK holiday destinations back into the limelight.

This is great news not only for Cornwall, but also Blackpool, Brighton, Southwold and hundreds of other choice destinations. Punch & Judy Shows and donkeys all along the coast must be loving it! Well…perhaps not the donkeys…

Image from Flickr: via Deathwaves.

It’s also great news in terms of reducing carbon emissions, as aeroplanes have got to be one of the worst culprits for pumping out CO2. The GoSpain website tells us that a round-trip flight from Heathrow to Madrid generates carbon emissions of 330kg per person, quite a scary figure. The suggested figure by 1aflight.com is that it takes 9 trees 10 years to offset one tonne of carbon, so that equates to (…quick mathematical calculations…) almost 30 years for one tree to offset a round trip to Madrid – eek!

There are hundreds of websites on the net with advice of where you can go and what you can do in the UK, but in my opinion, if you’re going to stay put in the (let’s face it!) unpredictable British climes, you’ve got to do it properly, and that means under canvas!

According to the BBC many people around the country agree, as happy campers are flocking to Wales and other British beauty spots with their tents and not-so-reliable primus stoves. I myself (as a glutton for punishment) tend to head further North and indulge in a spot of good quality hardcore Scottish camping, come rain, shine or midges!

If you do choose to camp this summer, and wherever you choose to go, it’s best to be prepared. It’s even better to be prepared with eco-friendly equipment that keeps up the environmentally sound principals which your dedication to UK camping has established. Don’t forget essentials such as buying midge repellant, but there are also lots of other innovative items which you can invest in before a camping trip. Why not try a recycled materials sleeping bag, or give the idea which is my personal favourite a whirl – the solar heated camping showers mean you’ll never need to queue at the shower block again!

Whether you do heed these British holiday recommendations or decide to go abroad (lets be honest – the politicians will be taking more trips this year, and I’m sure those will be to the sun!), it’s always interesting to know what is generally favoured by the masses.

Our friends at Yahoo wanted to know just that, and conducted a small poll of favourite holiday destinations. The result to my mind was rather disappointing, as 78% of the votes opted for a nice long rest in bed rather than fun in the sun. However when I said small poll I wasn’t lying. Only 7 people actually voted. Hmmm…

But ultimately we can all be thankful that we are neither David Cameron nor Gordon Brown as we head off on our holidays. Imagine being required to put down your ice-cream for imprompu press-calls. I certainly wouldn’t want my holiday snaps being broadcast to the world!

Given the huge amount of interest generated by our post of the 22nd July concerning the Ethical Spanking Paddle, we figured that interest in ‘paddling’ was high…

Wikipedia, that source of all knowledge, helps out with a definition of the ‘paddle’ as a good starting point:

“usually a wooden instrument with a long, flat face and narrow neck, so called because it is roughly shaped like the homonymous piece of sports equipment, but existing in more varied sizes and dimensions, (length, width and thickness)”

This much we had however already established.

You can find out more information and tips about ethical paddling after the jump…

Read the rest of Ethical Paddling…Continued… »

This might make you smile.

facesinplaces.blogspot.com

This is my favourite site of the week (so far).