Green Daily

Will Britain reach the new EU renewable energy target?

Wendy Davidson — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 15:02:00 EST

Filed under: News, Alternative Energy, Climate Change

Okay, so the world is getting warmer. Even though the average global surface temperature has risen by a seemingly insignificant 0.74C, that small rise has had quite a startling effect on our planet. We've had to rewrite the record books as a result - for example, 11 of the 12 hottest years have occurred since 1995.

So much of this heating is due to the greenhouse effect and is, say the experts, a result of 'environmentally naughty' human activity, such as the huge impact that air travel has and even the heating and cooling of buildings.This is why there's now a mad scramble to find alternative energy sources.

Now, the UK may face a battle to reach new targets of renewable energy sources.

Continue reading Will Britain reach the new EU renewable energy target?

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Vote with your green tote

Wendy Davidson — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 11:02:00 EST

Filed under: Fashion, Polit-eco, Shopping Guide

The upcoming US presidential election doesn't impact too much on my daily life but nonetheless gets a fair amount of TV time in England. Living as I do in the land of super -restrained 'stiff-upper-lip' and 'hide-your-emotions' citizens, I am not used to the passion and publicity that goes into choosing a President.

Nevertheless, here's one advertising idea that I think is really cool. Freddy and Ma's Vote Totes. Even though I'm not much of a flashy person, and dislike proclaiming my political preferences to the world at large, these 'voting totes' are fun, cute and also eco-friendly.

The Fair trade bags are made from organic cotton, they're trendy, stylish and are a great replacement for plastic shopping bags too. At $25 a pop, they're also easily affordable.

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Warm up with candle heat

Wendy Davidson — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 13:02:00 EST

Filed under: Gadgets and Tech, Home, Shopping Guide, Alternative Energy

It's a grim London morning and I am curled up on the sofa, laptop perched on my knees, trying to keep snug with thick socks, a cozy sweater and a fleece throw tucked around my legs. I could easily stay warm simply by running upstairs and flicking the switch on the boiler but I'm alone, and it seems insanely wicked to switch on the central heating and heat up the entire house and all those unused rooms.

As a concession to the chilly day, I have pulled the sofa closer to the fireplace and have a small fire burning on low. (It's a gas-fuelled fire. I live in a smokeless zone). It may sound a bit extreme, but honestly, I am quite comfortable and, apart from keeping my heating bill down, I'm also aware that I'm doing a little bit to reducing my carbon footprint. Which is rather nice.

Now, if you're even more keen than I am to keep heating costs down, and to further reduce the carbon emissions caused by central heating, you might want to invest in this weird-looking Kandle Heeter. (I know, that name raised my eyebrows too.)

It's not just a candle in a terracotta planter either. I doubt that would provide any significant amount of heat. This odd-looking contraption has a 'well-engineered design'.

Inside the upturned pot is the heart of this little radiator, a steel inner core and three ceramic modulators. Heat rises from the candle and then is absorbed into the ceramic, which is a high 'thermal lag' material. (High thermal lag materials store heat well.) The designer says it gets hot - very hot.

I can't imagine this little gadget heating an entire room, but I guess if you keep it close by, it should be sufficient to keep you warm (ish). If anything, it would be enough to stop you from developing that red-nosed Rudolph look.

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Give your bedroom a 'green-over'

Wendy Davidson — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 12:05:00 EST

Filed under: Home, Shopping Guide

I could easily spend an afternoon watching home make-over shows on TV. I'm addicted to them and they have, in the past, been a huge source of inspiration for me. Especially budget-friendly shows, that make use of a lot of stuff you already have lying around at home.

The thing is, none of those programmes deliberately focused on going green with our decor, and why would they have? Green living is definitely becoming more popular as we start to become aware of how we make our not-so-nice mark on the environment, but it isn't yet the be all and end all of our lives. When we think about redecorating, going green isn't usually our top priority and even if it was, it's not always easy to know just how to change a room's look in an earth-friendly way.

I'm soon going to be moving into a new home and have been browsing around the Internet, scouting for ideas, and have come across a few really cool and eco-chic ideas.

Continue reading Give your bedroom a 'green-over'

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Fuse your plastic bags for funky recycling

Wendy Davidson — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Fashion, Home, Reference/Green 101

The easiest way to recycle is to sort through your waste, haul it all off to those big recycling containers that your local councils dot about town, and simply throw your unwanted junk in there. Plastic bottles in bin number one, glass bottles in number two and paper products in number three. Whatever. You empty your car, piously toss the junk, and mentally pat yourself on your back. And why not? You deserve to feel that you've contributed to 'saving the planet'. You've done a good thing, no doubt about it. It's far better than simply tossing everything out for the rubbish collectors to deal with.

The problem is that recycling takes energy and power too, so it's not always the best eco-choice. What you could do before discarding your waste is go through the very first step of recycling: look at what you're about to ditch and think about another way you could use it.

Plastic shopping bags are one thing that can be reused, and in a very trendy way too. Fuse them. Yes, you can fuse your plastic bags. At home. With your iron. No mess, no fuss. It's as easy as that.

I came across this idea on Etsy Labs some time ago and now the tutorial is up and it is so simple. I'm one of those clumsy, walking-accidents people and yet I managed to fuse a whole bunch of bags in no time at all. Of course, now I have a stock of thick, fused plastic that I need to turn into something useful and even that should be a cinch now that I've seen these really cool and trendy tote bags by Etsy seller, Eclipse.

It's a perfect project for a rainy day.

Gallery: Funky uses for fused plastic

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Trendy recycling for junk shop finds

Wendy Davidson — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:03:00 EST

Filed under: Fashion, Shopping Guide, Reference/Green 101

Some time ago I got all huffy and puffy with manufacturers for the amount of packaging they wrap their products in. If you think about it, it's ludicrous. I had fantasies of stripping my purchases of all the unnecessary packaging right at the till as I paid for them, and leaving the mounds of cardboard and plastic for the shop to clear away. Of course I've never actually done this - I doubt I'd get away with it. (Visions of uniformed security guards bearing down on me are just a tad off-putting). But the idea is very tempting and rears up whenever I've been out shopping.

The way we shop has a massive impact on the amount of waste we produce. However, instead of gearing up into activist mode and doing something that could land me in hot water, I had a rethink about the way I shop.

I now get the bulk of my fruit and vegetables from open markets and use a wicker basket (or mini-backpack if there's a lot of stuff) to cart it all around. I scour thrift shops and charity shops for small furniture items and clothing that I can jazz up, and stock up on used books to feed my relentless reading addiction.

Simply by buying recycled or used products we save a lot of energy and raw materials. One of the coolest and trendiest ways to go green is to reuse old items in new ways. Designer Liz Saintsing does exactly this with her fantastic retro and trendy Untamed range of vintage finds which she reworks into gorgeously functional items.

Wonderful junk shop works of art that are entirely practical too - which is the point of recycling, isn't it.

Gallery: Liz Saintsing's bags with attitude

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Is nuclear power the best energy source for our future?

Wendy Davidson — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:35:00 EST

Filed under: News, Polit-eco, Activism, Alternative Energy, Climate Change

When I hear 'nuclear' I'm afraid my mind stops at Chernobyl. At the time of that disaster I was living far away in South Africa, and I clearly remember thinking how damned glad I was not to be anywhere near Europe. Even now, almost 22 years later, the effects of that catastrophe linger on.

Until recently I lived in a tiny village in North Eastern France and my French landlord was a victim of the fall out from Chernobyl. A few years ago, he was diagnosed with leukemia, and that ended his days as a farmer. He is also far from the only person living in that part of France to have been affected and whilst I lived there I never drank tap water, having been strongly advised against it by local residents.

When the UK government gave the go-ahead, last week, for a new generation of nuclear power stations to be built, I blinked more than a few times. I just could not believe that nuclear power is being embraced as the only way forward to secure Britain's energy supplies, whilst simultaneously meeting their international commitment to reducing carbon emissions.

Continue reading Is nuclear power the best energy source for our future?

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Satisfy your sweet tooth with an organic sweetener

Wendy Davidson — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 14:27:00 EST

Filed under: Food, Health, Shopping Guide

I used to be the laziest of the lazy when it came to finding out how to go green and why organic is better. Why, I used to wonder, is it better for me and better for the planet? I knew that organic food is usually tastier but along with that was an increased price tag and I couldn't see how those prices were justified.

The thing is, organic really is so much nicer. Not only in flavour, but also in production processes that have strict eco-standards and principles. So fine. I now try and buy organic whenever I can. However, one thing I'd never thought could ever go organic are sweeteners. But they have and it's about time too.

You see, I use sweeteners a lot. My number one vice is coffee. I need at least 4 cups of coffee every morning if I'm to have a hope in hell of revving my brain into something resembling awake and alert. Into each of those cups go 3 tiny little sweeteners. It's not that I particularly like sweetener, I don't, but until now it's been a choice between saving calories or avoiding chemicals (that might cause cancer in rats). And, I'm almost embarrassed to admit, calories wins hands down every time.

Well not anymore - I've found some cool alternatives. With these two babies, ZSweet and Wholesome Organic Zero, I can now go green with my coffee habit. ZSweet is chemical-free and Wholesome Organic Zero is, well, organic. Its only ingredient is organic erythritol, which is a naturally occurring sugar in fruits and fermented food. Even better, both these sweeteners are good for cooking too.

Sweeteners that taste better and are healthier for me, get a firm thumbs up from this caffeine junkie.

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Are women more 'green' than men?

Wendy Davidson — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 12:10:00 EST

Filed under: Home

Have a look at this somewhat annoying video that the CEA people cobbled together and played in every CES-associated hotel room. The slightly-condescending, preachy tone had me gritting my teeth in annoyance and it was difficult to watch it to the end. What we have there is the idea that men are complete dorks when it comes to green issues and need a woman to educate them on how to be eco-friendly.

I thought about it after I'd deglazed my eyes and wondered if there is any truth at all to that pompous message. From my own personal experience, I'd say no. The thing is, it's my partner who first brought the plight of battery hens to my attention last year. Before that, I never gave it a thought. He is the one who unplugs the cell phone chargers - I tend to remove my phone and leave the cord plugged in at the wall socket. And he is the one who encourages me to walk, take the bus or the Tube, instead of jumping into the car. (In London one has to be utterly mad to drive into town. The Congestion Charge is a horrific £8 a day , parking costs anything up to £5 an hour in garages and street parking is almost non-existent. To top it off, parking fines, currently at £60, are set to double. Only a nutter would use their car).

However, I switch off the tap when I clean my teeth and he doesn't. I use cloth towels in the kitchen to wipe up spills and he grabs a roll of paper towel. When it's cold, he turns up the heating and I prefer to grab another sweater. It's even-stevens, in my opinion.

In a recent comments thread on Treehuggers on this issue, readers picked up this argument and debated back and forth about who is more green. Men or women? Some of the remarks were sarcastic and facetious but they did deliver a giggle. One anonymous 'gentleman' said the following:

No kids without women, so without women, population drops to zero. That's about as "green" as you can be.
Men use less toilet paper and lots of men don't wash after taking a leak, ergo, water conservation.
If men like me had to cook for ourselves, I'd eat a lot of sandwiches. Less stove and oven use is greener.

Who knows. Men? Or women? What do you think?

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Shiny crops for a bright and shiny future?

Wendy Davidson — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 10:02:00 EST

Filed under: Climate Change

I love experimental cooking. Give me a pan, some vegetables, herbs and spices and I'll do my best to whip up something mouth-wateringly delicious. The problem is, it's all too easy to get the balance of flavourings wrong and once you have too much of something, it's very hard to correct it.

I look on the changes to the Earth's climate like a recipe gone haywire. We have messed up royally and now the race is on to limit the damage and restore our climate to something resembling normal. It's hard. All these destructive greenhouse gases, that we fight to reduce with endless protocols and international carbon emission limits and deadlines, just keep on increasing. It's scary. To effectively stop the climate crisis, we need to bring carbon emissions down to zero within the next 2 decades. Or we need to find other ways to restore the balance as fast as we can.

First, those desperate scientists came up with space mirrors to reduce the amount of solar energy zapping our planet. Now, 2 years later, they're talking about shiny trees. Fields of shiny crops, say those in the know, could send more of the sun's heat back into space, and even reverse temperature rises in parts of the world. We could even reduce local day time temperatures by as much as 1.9C. Which might go down well in the Sahara but I'm not too sure about England getting any cooler.

I wonder what's next. Perhaps we could start growing already-tinselled Christmas trees? The mind boggles.

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Happy hens face a free-range future

Wendy Davidson — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 17:25:00 EST

Filed under: Food

I like chicken. I like it so much that I'd have no problem eating it every day. I'm not alone in my lusty cravings either. The rest of England loves chicken as much as I do. Roasted, stir-fried, in curries and sweet and sour sauce, in pies and sandwiches. Yum.

The bad news is that our beloved chooks get a really raw deal. They are raised in stomach-churning conditions and, quite frankly, I'd rather not think about it. But that is just plain irresponsible and selfish. This week I've been watching a series of TV programmes, hosted by British chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, on the life of a battery hen. His focus is on trying to educate people in just how evil the whole process is, and to get them to switch to free-range chickens.

(You can watch Fearnley-Whittingstall's video on the life of free-range hens vs battery hens here.)

Continue reading Happy hens face a free-range future

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Sea sponge tampons - a natural solution to 'damming the flow'

Wendy Davidson — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 15:15:00 EST

Filed under: Health, Shopping Guide

Menstruation. Not a topic one really wants to get into but, in the interest of the environment, it's a topic that must raise its unwelcome head. Apart from the obvious damage to the ecosystem caused by flushing tampons, there are the more hidden and sinister side effects such as chlorine bleaching.

The bleaching process is hugely detrimental and totally unnecessary. We have the 'marketing manipulators' to thank for that, by the way. For some reason or other, they have decided that women want pure white tampons. I want to know why? The visual impact of a used, bleached tampon is no prettier than that of unbleached products. These so-called gurus need to change their marketing tactics and honestly, it's up to us women to start lobbying for change. (Write to them, for starters. I've worked extensively in marketing and they do take note.)

Anyway, moving on. To obtain those whiter-than-white tampons, a chlorine based bleaching process is used. This produces chemicals called organochlorines.

Continue reading Sea sponge tampons - a natural solution to 'damming the flow'

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Does eco-sex really exist?

Wendy Davidson — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 12:23:00 EST

Filed under: Health, Shopping Guide

Babies. Gotta love 'em! I have two kids and they rock. I wouldn't want a world without them. But what if you don't want to hear the pitter-patter of little carbon footprints right now? As a wannabee eco-warrior, what are your options for contraception? Hormonal injections? The IUD? The Pill? Uh uh. We're talking animal testing, the pollution of our water and the resulting harm to wildlife, so that's a no go. Condoms? Well sure, I guess, but if you're trying to reduce your impact on the environment then of course not!

Here's the facts: Condoms are made either from latex or polyurethane. Polyurethane condoms are made of a type of non-biodegradable plastic and are to be avoided if you're concerned about pollution because pollute they will. For a long, long time.

Gallery: Tips for greener sex

Latex is a slightly better option but still takes years to biodegrade. They shoot out of our sewerage systems and bob up and down, obscenely, in the ocean for decades. On top of that, condoms are coated with chemicals. Stabilisers, preservatives and hardening agents (vulvanisers).

Furthermore, latex is derived from rubber and so added to the vile impact of the finished product, there's also the monstrous damage to rubber trees, and the exploitation of rubber plantation workers during the production process. Although The French Letter Company is trying to do their bit against worker exploitation by trading in Fair Deal Trade condoms only.

Or, you could use biodegradable condoms but the drawback is that they aren't effective against STD's so are no good if you like to get out and about.

The bottom line is that condoms are convenient and they're going to be around until someone comes up with a better solution. What you can do to minimise their impact is:

don't flush them - they clog up water treatment plants and the waste water sometimes runs directly into the environment

if you're in a monogamous relationship, have yourself and your partner tested for STD's and then switch to sheepskin condoms

Of course you could refrain from penetrative sex and start getting seriously creative in bed but I guess not everybody will buy into that option.

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