Browsing: Transport

"Brian, are you sure this is the way to Joe and Mary's?"

The Cost of Being Lost

All of us around the globe at one time or another felt that uneasy feeling of not knowing exactly where we are or how to get to where we need to be.  This uneasy feeling has a name, that is hard for many of us to vocalise.  It’s called lost, and in reality it can cost us more than just our pride.  There’s time, fuel, energy, stress, relationships and even the environment to consider too.  Just imagine if everyone drove exactly where they needed to be using an optimised route, without unplanned detours, how much fuel could we collectively save?  It’s an exciting thought.

Raving about Saving

These are just some of the reasons why we are thrilled to introduce our range of Garmin Nüvi Satellite Navigation systems, all equipped with ecoRoute, fuel saving software on board.  It’s not just fuel you could save using one of these, but all the things that seem to disappear when you’re lost; energy, calmness, relationships, the environment…

Around the office, we’ve come up with our top five ways you can save with our Garmin Nüvi Sat Nav range, we think you’ll agree it’s well worth a read.

Read the rest of Save All The Way With EcoRoute »

At Ethical Superstore we just love things which challenge convention and offer a fresh twist. So we couldn’t resist sharing this post about just such a car rally, not only does it snatch rallying from the exclusive grasp of petrol-heads but it also flips the route of the iconic Veteran Car Run on its head, driving from Brighton’s seafront to the waterfront at London’s City Hall

The 2009 Revolve Eco Rally (http://www.eco-rally.org) ‘convoy of cool’ alternative energy vehicles promanade from Brighton right into the heart of London, culminating in a display of all the vehicles outside London’s City Hall.  We could not resist the chance to check out the present and future of sustainable motoring and we were not disappointed.

Sadly we missed many of the ‘stars in cars’ who had actually driven in the rally itself but the fact that so many celebrities were willing to get involved tells you how seriously this event was taken.

We did manage to meet up with the delightful Tracey Smith (author of the Book of Rubbish Ideas), Tom Lawton (inventor of innovative wind-powered outdoor light the Firewinder) & Nick Aster/Jen Boynton from TriplePundit.com not to mention James Cleverly, Conservative London Assembly Member for Bexley & Bromley & the Mayor of London’s Ambassador for Youth

Whilst the gorgeous Eco Elise from Lotus is not likely to end up on that many drive-ways one gets the feeling that innovations like its hemp shell could easily end up in other more affordable mainstream vehicles. It is a work of art to behold really.

The Tesla again is just an incredible machine although quite unaffordable for most of course but one has to again applaud the inventiveness and sheer style. Without these pioneers change would surely be slower to come. Rumour has it that a more family-oriented vehicle is on the way although the cost may still be quite high for most. All positive steps in the right direction though.

The electric car may have been killed off once before but you can’t keep a good idea down clearly and the future of personal travel certainly looks unavoidably to be a mix of hybrid and electric.

What was really interesting to see was just how cool and normal sustainable cars have become. Mostly thanks to the stylish Toyota Prius which broke first mainstream ground and has got us all much more open-minded to the idea of course. When you realise that the Prius now has admirable competition from other manufacturers like Honda & VW you can see just how seriously the car industry is taking alternative fuels.

People were milling around oohing and aahing at the sporty numbers of course but they were genuinely curious, surprised and impressed at the more mainstream affordable vehicles from well-known brands including Toyota, Honda, Citroen, VW, Mitsubishi and so on, not to mention the smaller innovative manufacturers who were there pushing boundaries even further.

Before we all pat ourselves on the back too much though we have a long road ahead, pardon the pun. The car industry has taken a battering thanks to the economic climate and there is clearly greater risk for them in anything other than mainstream vehicles now more than ever. On the other hand this is also a time when one suspects the future of the car industry is being forged by those with the passion and guts to go for it. We can’t wait.

So, there we have it, the Revolve Eco Rally may be over for this year, but the greening up of some our most guilty pleasures in life is only just gaining some momentum in the mainstream.

We at Ethical Superstore can’t help but wonder what the next eco-twist might be?

If you have any thoughts on the matter or if you were lucky enough to see some of the ‘alternative energy vehicles’ drop us a comment below and let us know. . . .

Thanks to our friends over at www.ooffoo.com for sharing this blog post with us.

My husband is not a typical man. Although, like many of us, he is inexplicably drawn to watch Top Gear on a regular basis, his choice of car has never had anything to do with status, speed, fashion statement or comfort (or to do with the consequences of my lack of spatial awareness, as far as I know). In fact, our recent car history has been pretty bizarre by normal people’s standards.

Let’s start with our most ’normal’ choice. Family needs family car; let’s buy a

Read the rest of Our Green Motoring Dilema »

I question whether or not my lunches will ever be the same after last week’s cook-a-thon.  For five consecutive work days me and four of my ambitious colleagues set out to cook up a lunch storm.  Starting last Monday and ending Friday our goal was to cook soup for five on a budget using ‘ethical’ ingredients – the winner to be judged on taste, ethics, and value for money.  In a mouthful, it was a yummy success and although the winner has yet to be announced – I couldn’t care less.  The fact that I was served a lovely bowl of soup every day last week, saving me in the region of £15.00 which I normally spend buying food lacking in all things good and healthy, made me a very happy woman indeed.

However the real point of this blog is to highlight my soup, the only green and non-vegetarian soup of the week – Twanna’s Easy-peasy Pea and Smoked Bacon soup. A delicious, hearty soup/meal, ideal for lunch or dinner and it doesn’t break the bank. It’s perfect for those of us on a budget during these credit crunching times.

You could say my soup recipe is a little like that of Innocent Smoothies, nice and simple yet not nearly as expensive (sorry Innocent no harm intended just telling the truth – as I see it).

So here it goes – ideally all ingredients are organic and where possible local and/or Fairtrade:

Read the rest of After a ‘SOUPER’ week will lunchtimes ever be the same? »

Will there ever be sustainable palm oil?

Since it’s launch in 2004, the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) finally delivered its first sustainable palm oil into Europe, which  shipped into Rotterdam last month.

Responsible for wide scale tropical deforestation and conflict between local communities, palm oil currently appears in anything from chocolates to cosmetics and is estimated to be in as much as half the products on average supermarket shelves.

Retail giants, such as Unilever and Sainsbury’s, have bought from this first batch. While Sainsbury’s Natural Resources Manager vouched for it’s authenticity, and claimed it to be of ‘a higher standard’ that ‘doesn’t compare with anything we have sourced before,’ Greenpeace were somewhat less convinced.

They said that although the palm oil could potentially be ‘something good’, the current RSPO’s standards and criteria are ‘not strong enough to guarantee that any of the palm oil it certifies is actually sustainable’.

Currently, 80 per cent of global production comes from Indonesian and Malaysian plantations and Greenpeace say it is the leading cause of forest destruction in Indonesia.

Are you still boycotting palm oil products? Do you have any products to recommend that don’t include palm oil? Let us know.

Read the rest of Green News Roundup November 2008 »

and the winner is...

The trouble with arguing with myself is whilst I often win, I almost certainly lose too.
This morning’s argument was simple, bike or car.
The bike has much to recommend it; I’d arrive at work more alert and energised.  I’d have saved on the cost of fuel, both in terms of cash and environmental impact.  I’d have been able to smile at the folk at the bus stop without worrying about looking smug.  My heart would thank me in the coming years and I’d hopefully reduce the amount of fabric I’d someday be forced to consume.
The car however offers protection from the elements (and potentially from other, less conscientious, road users) and, until recently at least, some entertainment too.  I say until recently not because the car radio has malfunctioned, or been stolen, but simply because I’ve lost the will to tune in.  The constant cycle of credit crunch assessment rotated with outrage over licence payers’ money squandered on a poor excuse for comedy leaves me cold.

Read the rest of Go One Better! »

A plane. Yesterday.

How Ethical’s post on Worn Again designers recycled bags posed the question of what exactly we should be doing with old and disused aeroplanes; a concern which became even more poignant with the recent collapse of the holiday company XL, following swiftly in Zoom’s vapour trail.

Read the rest of A Jumbo Recycling Effort »

The latest threat to the American way of life. Photo by Glenn Loos-Austin

In a post snappily titled “The latest threat to homeland security: Bicycles” Timbuk2 (makers of excellent recycled messenger bags) explore one of the more unlikely issues caused by rising “gas” prices in the good ol’ US of A.

High gas prices = cars coming off the road.
Cars off the road = more bikes on the streets.
More bikes = more “obstacles” for inattentive SUV drivers to contend with on their drive back from the liquor store.

This cannot be tolerated. Get these pesky bikes off the road now!

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!

After last week’s hypermiling post, I decided to look into other ways of cutting down on the amount you spend (and burn) at the petrol pump. Hypermiling, after all, can get you a long way, but eventually you need to stop off for fuel, and in the vast majority of cases that means money, pollution and a continuation of the endless fuel consumption cycle which everyone is so concerned about right now. There is, however, an alternative, and it needn’t be as pricey as you think.

It may seem too good to be true, but it is perfectly feasible to give up your gas-guzzling car, and still get around town quickly, easily, and without resorting to stuffing your head into the unwashed armpit of a fellow commuter on the morning train. The number of electric vehicles in on the increase, and this is only set to continue as people realise the benefits that are to be gained by going electric. Until now, however, vehicles such as the Toyota Prius(approx. £13,000 and up) and the Vectrix scooter(around £7,000) could be seen to be a little out of most people’s price range. However, there is now an alternative which may just make going electric a much more appealing option.

The Ego StreetScoota, despite its ridiculous name, is a fully electric moped which rocks in at a frankly amazing £999.95… yes, you read that right – a fully functional scooter which will never need a visit to your local petrol station, all for about the same price as a years worth of travelling on the London Underground. If that’s not reason enough to get one, I don’t know what is.

According to the manufacturers, the Scoota can reach a top speed of 30mph, has a range of around 40miles, and costs a teeny, tiny, frankly measly 8p to charge fully… all with the added benefit of not having to pay road tax, getting cheap insurance (normally around £100-£200), and receiving free parking in most cities. I can’t actually think of a reason not to buy one.