Archive for July, 2009

Staycation

Wednesday, July 29th, 2009

I was hoping the sun would stay around a little longer this summer, especially as we have no plans to travel abroad for my sun-fix! Instead this summer my husband and I plus a few friends plan to enjoy a long weekend in Cornwall instead (any suggestions for dog friendly cottages welcome!!).

However it doesn’t seem like we will be the only ones residing in the UK this summer. With people counting their pennies and a poor exchange rate for the Euro, the buzzword this summer is ‘staycation’.  According to Visit Britain, one in five Britons who holidayed abroad last year will be staying at home this year, meaning an estimated five million extra people will be spending the summer locally using their own home as a base for day excursions or traveling a little further afield and staying for longer on the British coast or countryside.

Thankfully we have many beautiful places to choose from in the UK, however to help you make your choice, I have selected a few websites below which will hopefully offer some ideas. Happy holidays!

For places to stay:
www.organicholidays.co.uk
www.featherdownfarms.co.uk
For places to visit:
www.nationaltrust.org.uk

Posted in Eco-tourism | 1 Comment »

Indian children slave away for western cosmetics

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

Children as young as six years old have been found working in the jungle of Jharkhand state in eastern India. The young girls work up to 12 hours a day in an open-cast mine, sifting through jagged stones for a substance called mica. Mica is a shiny material which is used in some cosmetics to add ‘shimmer and sparkle’.

If the girls found enough mica then they could earn 63p a day, if they found nothing then they would probably go hungry as stated by Sita Dave, an impoverished mother whose 5 sons all work in the mine, “If we earn 50 rupees in a day then we eat”.

The mica then goes onto cosmetic and pharmaceutical giants, whose products are used to create pearlised and gold effects in make-up.

In desperate need of money to survive and with no funds to send their children to school, these children are forced to work trapping them further into the poverty cycle.  Many of the child labourers reported how they suffered from daily exhaustion, aching limbs, broken bones, snakebites and malaria.

It really is quite disturbing to hear that young children are slaving away in mines in order to beautify women from all over the world! I hope that cosmetic companies take action against child labour and work with communities to try to break this terrible cycle of exploitation and poverty.

Posted in Fair-trade news, Green News | No Comments »

Retailers miss plastic bag reduction target

Friday, July 17th, 2009

I am sad to hear that unfortunately efforts to cut the number of plastic bags given away to customers have not been as successful as initially intended.

The media have been very vocal about the damaging effects of plastic bags and last year seven supermarkets signed up to a voluntary scheme which aimed to cut the number of bags given to customers by 50% (compared to 2006). However, the supermarkets have narrowly missed their targets reaching just 48%.

The good news is the figures suggest that fewer carrier bags are being used every month (a staggering 346m). However, ultimately their use needs to be eradicated altogether.

Let us know your views on how… should supermarkets charge more per bag… are the retailers loyalty points awarded (for reusing your own bags) enough…. would you be interested in a free eco shopper bag with purchases over £50….

Posted in Green News | No Comments »

1000 New Eco Designs

Wednesday, July 15th, 2009

We are delighted to be included (numerous times!) in the fantastic new book titled “1000 New Eco Designs“, carefully written by Rebecca Proctor.

The book is packed full of beautiful eco furniture, home furnishings and products and is a fantastic gift which also provides a whole heap of present/shopping ideas inside too!
The synopsis is below:  1000 new eco designs

As we become only too aware of the damage man has caused to the planet, more of us want to furnish and decorate our homes with products that do not harm the environment. But being sensitive to the environment does not mean you have to sacrifice good design. More and more designers are creating products that are both beautiful and ethical. 1000 New Eco Designs is a showcase of contemporary product design and interior products that are ecologically sound. Informative and visually inspirational, the book acts as a handbook, guiding readers through the complex issues involved in creating and choosing eco friendly designs for the home. A series of icons show each productâs âgreenâ credentials; highlighting the use of recyc

led materials, sustainable materials, carbon neutral, low air miles, so that readers can see at a glance the individual characteristics of each product. The book also provides full information on where to source and buy the work featured.

My colleague kindly bought this book for me the other week so I am really enjoying flicking through and looking out for some of Biome’s own designs! Thanks for the mention Rebecca!

Posted in Biome Lifestyle, Eco Living | No Comments »

Eco Event – Kent

Friday, July 10th, 2009

As a child I used to love visiting The Great Yorkshire Show! For all you urbanites, this must sound a ludicrous event – but for me watching cattle, sheep and horses parade around was a great day out! Ahem…

The Yorkshire Show begins this week in Harrogate, North Yorkshire and is well worth a visit if you live nearby and also enjoy looking at pigs and sheep! However, now I am south-based I intend to visit the  Kent County Show instead to get my country kicks. Interestingly this year the show is hosting an Eco Village, which will be interesting to see… The Eco Village will include numerous eco exhibitors from food stands to jewellery so hopefully it should provide a fun day out.

ecovillage-event-specific-2-web-only

Posted in Green events | No Comments »

This weeks eco design!

Tuesday, July 7th, 2009

This week I have come across this fantastic eco chair made from a reclaimed jungle gym slide that the chair’s maker, Evan Dublin, found at the Build It Green salvage yard in Astoria, Queens.

I love this design as although it is very cool and stylish, it isn’t an obvious ‘eco piece’ at first glance… I would definitely give it the Thumbs Up!

eco chair made from a jungle slide!

Posted in Design | 2 Comments »