Biome Lifestyle Blog: Eco Design, Ethical Fashion and Green News

I am surprised to read a  recent report claiming that eco ‘ biofuels have been found to be more harmful to the planet than fossil fuel. The Department of Transport aims to increase the level of biofuel in fuel sold across Britain however, a new Government study states this will result in millions of acres of forest being burned down and turned into plantations. This of course will have a drastic impact on the environment and will worryingly destroy acres of natural habitat.

The findings of the study showed that using palm oil instead of fossil fuel increase emissions by 31 per cent, failing to meet the European Commission standard of each litre of biofuel reducing emissions by 35 per cent. It is shocking to think that burning down a rainforest to build a biofuel plantation released carbon, stored in trees and earth, which can then take up to 840 years for a palm oil plantation to soak up!

A subject which is close to my heart is the destruction of rainforest in Sumatra , which has very sadly lead to the near extinction of the orang-utan in the area. After seeing many orang-utans in the wild in Borneo, it is distressing to think that this beautiful animal could be at even further risk. It was stated in the Daily Mail that “There is now four times as much land used for palm oil plantations as there is containing natural orang-utan rainforest habitat.” Around 127 million litres of palm oil (then added to fuel) was sold to British motorists just last year. If the Department of Transport continues to pursue aims for an increase in biofuel, it will be interesting to see how they react to these recent findings…

Recently I have been asking myself the question, is Christmas really ethical? Obviously spending time with ones family, catching up with old friends and generally enjoying the holiday festivities can’t really be that ethically detrimental.

However, the other side of Christmas; buying presents and the general over-the-top nature of the festivities, may seem wasteful. The ethical consumer may feel by cutting back on spending, keeping some cash in the bank (where it’s really safe!), and looking for the simple pleasures of life, can seem like the best response to both the financial crisis and the perilous state of the world generally.

But does this really help? Are there any other ways the ethical man or woman can approach the issue of Christmas spending?

In a word; “Yes”.

On the general economic principle, when someone who’s got a secure job chooses to cut back their spending, they are adding to the odds against someone else’s job being secure. It’s a rather deadly move in the old game of “beggar my neighbour”.

And then there’s the question of “who is my neighbour”. Maybe the things the ethical man or woman chooses not to buy were made, say, in a tiny cooperative in Mali, by local low income people, out of the only raw material they have, which could be, say, recycled tin cans.

Actually this isn’t a hypothetical example. Here’s our Christmas wreath, made in Mali from old tin cans!

It does seem to me that going totally over-the-top can really never be morally justified. But can it be “ethical” to make savings in a rich country at the expense of the poorest people on earth?

Please let me know your thoughts…

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….