T-shirt is an introduction to the cotton industry, and how our use of
such a common piece of clothing impacts people all over the world.   

   T-shirt is one of the small books in the Trigger Issues series, whose focus is given as ‘One small item – one giant impact’, and the giant impact of the t-shirt is skilfully revealed in this guide. Troth Wells takes us on a whirlwind tour of the beginnings of the t-shirt itself, through the history of cotton farming and its links to slavery, leading very nicely to the issues surrounding the trade today. In eighty-eight pages she manages to convey a wealth of background information that left me wanting to find out more.

I was very impressed with how detailed the research was, yet the
book was easy to read and kept a sense of momentum right from the
start. I got a vivid impression of Wells’ passion for the subject, and
how relevant the issues raised are for today. I found that there was a
nice balance between statistics, such as in chapter 4 where we learn
how much of the world’s cotton supply each of the main competitors has,
or in chapter 2 where the explosive growth of the cotton trade due to
the Industrial Revolution is outlined; and narrative. I was
particularly intrigued by the development of the t-shirt from its
origins to today’s wardrobe staple, but equally fascinated by, for
example, Charles Ball’s account of slavery in the late eighteenth
century. Another section that I must highlight is also in chapter 2,
when Wells details the role of the East India Company in the
colonization of India. I actually felt slightly sickened at this point,
because it seemed to me to foreshadow the power of the corporation in
the world today. I do not know if this was intentional or not, although
I suspect so, and I do believe that it is an important point to make.

   
T-shirt is not a book for those wishing to do serious or extensive
research into the issues highlighted, such as slavery or exploitation
or the history of cotton; but then, it doesn’t pretend to be. It is,
however, a book that should be used frequently to start discussions, to
raise awareness of the issues facing workers in the garment industry
today, to remind people of the consequences of their shopping choices,
to promote the fair trade movement, and I could go on and on. I know
that I frequently read parts aloud to my husband, and that he was
almost as engaged in it as I was. T-shirt is also an excellent resource
if you need a quick fact, or to loan or give to a friend to start them
thinking.

    T-shirt  is excellent value for money. Although
it is a small book, this is actually one of its virtues as it means it
is easy to loan around and makes it more likely that people will take
the time to read it. The text is broken up by boxes containing
statistics, facts or ‘bonuses’, such as the account by Charles Ball
mentioned above, and this also makes the book less intimidating than it
might have been, without interrupting the flow and pace of the writing.
I highly recommend it to anyone with even the vaguest interest in the
subject.

Rebecca Brown

The experience and enthusiasm of people who have installed renewable
energy (such as solar panels, biomass boilers or wind turbines) in
their home is at the heart of YouGen’s remit of helping make it easy
for people to navigate a complex new market and choose wisely.

Research1 shows that people have difficulty in finding impartial,
informed advice about renewable energy; that 91 per cent look at the
internet for advice; and that they want an installer who is
knowledgeable, trustworthy, reliable and preferably local. YouGen uses
social media to provide a one stop shop for renewable energy.

‘We’re calling on people who have installed renewable energy or made
their house more energy efficient to register on the site now, and help
others by sharing their tips and experiences, and, if they’ve had a
good experience, recommend their installer,’ says founder Cathy
Debenham.

‘Renewable energy is a really confusing market, and most of the early
adopters have a story to tell. While their original motivation may have
been to reduce energy bills, or for energy security or environmental
protection, renewable energy often fascinates people in a way they
don’t expect. It engages you with the energy you use and brings you
closer to nature, making you more aware of its power.’

Companies serving the domestic renewable energy, microgeneration and
energy efficiency markets are also invited to add a free company
profile and describe the services they offer and how they operate.

As well as the user generated sections, YouGen site also contains
independently researched information, which prides itself in giving
practical information, cutting through the jargon and making it easy
for people to see if a technology is suitable for their home. The blog
has regular contributions from YouGen Energy Experts who are
professionals in their field, and are happy to answer questions. It
covers energy efficiency as well as renewable energy.

To encourage people to recommend their supplier YouGen is giving away a wattson (the stylish energy meter from DIY Kyoto http://www.diykyoto.com/uk) every month. Everyone who recommends a supplier is entered into the monthly draw.

For more information contact:
Cathy Debenham, e: cathy@yougen.co.uk, t: 01395 597879
YouGen – renewable energy made easy – http://www.yougen.co.uk

Companies supplying renewable energy and energy efficiency products and
services can promote their services free of charge and be recommended
by their customers on a new website. YouGen uses social media to help
people find out about renewable energy.

Ignorance and not knowing where to go for information are just two of
the difficulties YouGen aims to help solve. YouGen provides
well-researched, independent information and, for those who want to go
into the subject in depth, links to sources of more detailed
information.

A lively renewable energy blog adds to the range of information
available, and enables both suppliers and those interested in getting
renewable energy to add comments and join in and discuss issues they
are interested in. Professionals in the microgeneration market act as
YouGen Energy Experts, giving practical advice and information in their
blogs.

“The seed of the idea for YouGen was born when we renovated our house
and wanted to make it as low carbon as possible,” says YouGen founder
Cathy Debenham. “We considered a wood pellet boiler, but found it
impossible to assess the relative benefits (and enormously different
prices) of the products quoted for that we gave up and bought a
condensing gas boiler.

“While there was plenty of information about the different
technologies, there was no advice to help us make the ‘commercial
decision’. That gap is what YouGen aims to fill, by enabling people who
have already got renewable energy to share their experience to help
others.”

Installers, suppliers and manufacturers of renewable energy and energy
efficiency products and services, as well as builders and architects
specialising in the energy efficiency field, can add a free profile to
YouGen. They can upload their logo and photos, and give details about
the service they offer, and the products they supply. Visitors YouGen
will be able to email suppliers from their profile.

“Word of mouth is often the best way for businesses to get new
customers,” adds Cathy Debenham. “As microgeneration and renewable
energy are such new markets that it’s not always possible to phone a
friend for a recommendation. YouGen will bring buyers and sellers
together and offers the comfort of word of mouth on the web.”

Companies who want to add a profile can register now at www.yougen.co.uk. Benefits of having a presence on the site include:

ü  An excellent source of warm leads

ü  It’s free, so there is no risk

ü  Benefit from YouGen’s investment in marketing and search engine optimisation

ü  Only registered companies can be recommended

ü  Making sure that competitors don’t steal a march by getting there first.

Signing up is quick and easy.

For more information contact:
For more information contact: Cathy Debenham t: 01395 597879, e: info@yougen.co.uk

Forget double glazing, triple glazing should be the new standard!

Award-winning
sustainable building products supplier Green Building Store believes
triple glazing should become the standard choice for windows and doors
in the UK to help combat climate change. Triple glazed windows are
around 30% more efficient than double glazed and can significantly
improve the energy efficiency of homes, saving money on energy bills
and reducing CO₂ emissions.

As part of Green
Building Store’s commitment to promoting ultra low energy building
design, the company has switched its own Yorkshire based Ecoplus
window production to focus on triple glazing and, from 1st June 2009,
will be making argon filled triple glazing more affordable by offering
it at the same price as double glazing¹. Currently,
buildings can lose 10-25% of their heat through windows but this can be
considerably reduced by using energy efficient glazing. Ecoplus argon
triple glazed windows have a window U value of 1.0 W/m²/K,
which is 50% better than the requirements of current building
regulations. They are also Forestry Stewardship Council certified (FSC
Pure) in redwood or oak, as well as being hand finished using natural
paints and borate based timber preservatives.

Already
commonplace in regions with colder climates, such as Scandinavia,
triple glazed windows are also popular in countries such as Germany and
Austria where low energy buildings and Passivhaus² design
are encouraged. Chris Herring, Director at the Green Building Store
said, “In order to fight climate change we urgently need to improve
energy efficiency standards in UK buildings but necessary energy saving
measures also need to be made affordable. By increasing our production
capacity and absorbing the extra costs of triple glazing we hope that
this will allow more people to consider ultra efficient windows and
doors as a viable option when designing and refurbishing buildings.”

Green
Building Store has just won a Queen’s Award for Enterprise: Sustainable
Development 2009 for providing ‘cutting edge sustainable products’ and
for its ‘pioneering approach to sustainability’. As well as making
ultra efficient timber windows and doors, the company supplies:
water-saving sanitaryware (toilets, taps, showerheads etc); Passivhaus
products (windows, ventilation, airtightness products etc); and natural
building materials (sheep’s wool insulation, natural paints and
finishes etc). For more information, go to www.greenbuildingstore.co.uk or ring 01484 461705.

Cyclists who break down are now able to call out a recovery lorry in much the same way as car drivers use the AA.

The Cycle Rescue service is included for free with a new type of cycle insurance launched this week by ilovemybike.co.uk in time for National Bike Week (13-20 June).

Director at ilovemybike.co.uk, Andrew Davis said: “Motorists get all manner of extras thrown in for free when they buy insurance – the service for cyclists should not be any different.”

A poll conducted on behalf of ilovemybike.co.uk ahead of Bike Week found that over 4 million British motorists would be prepared to cycle more to cut their motoring costs.

5 reasons to cycle:

1. Bicycles can be very cheap to buy, they don’t need an MOT or fuel and can be parked almost anywhere for free.

2. Cycling is a low-impact activity, which means it doesn’t put a strain on your joints. It’s cheaper than the gym, too.

3. 75% of all personal journeys are less than 5 miles long – that’s half an hour on a bike.

4. Cycling helps to reduce noise and air pollution as well as traffic congestion

5. It makes you feel young

Win Red Robot and Camping gear in time for the summer worth £200. The competition ends 12th July.

Offers

Save £10.00 on any Red Robot Men’s Sweatshirtuse offer code MENSUMSW (terms apply)
Save 25% on any Red Robot Women’s Sweatshirtuse offer code WMSUMSW (terms apply)
Save £5.00 on any Red Robot Men’s T-shirtuse offer code MENSUMTS (terms apply)
Save £5.00 on any Red Robot Women’s T-shirtuse offer code WMSUMTS (terms apply)

http://www.redrobot.co.uk

The Honda Insight, a new family-sized hybrid that is already providing stiff competition for the ubiquitous Toyota Prius, has been named Green Car of the Year 2009 by the Environmental Transport Association (ETA).

The least green car was found to be the 8-litre Dodge SRT-10 sports car. A year’s driving in the Dodge emits the same amount of CO2 as is absorbed by 322 mature trees – the equivalent of an acre of oak forest. *

The ETA examined over 1300 models of car currently on sale in Britain and compared their power, emissions, fuel efficiency and even the amount of noise they produce to create a definitive guide to buying the greenest vehicle.

A fully searchable database of the results and full details on each car will be published at www.greencarawards.co.uk on Wednesday 17th June 2009.

Green Transport Week is (13th – 21st June 2009)

Best and worst by category (C02 g/km)

Greenest car overall: HONDA Insight 1.3 IMA ES (101g/km)
Worst(least green) car overall: Dodge SRT-10 (488g/km)
Large Family – best: BMW 3 Series 320d with particulate filter (144g/km)
Large Family – worst : BMW M3 (309g/km)
Supermini        - best: TOYOTA Yaris 1.4 D-4-D 6-speed (109g/km)
Supermini        - worst: RENAULT Clio Renault Sport 200 (195g/km)
Small Family – best: Honda Insight 1.3 IMA ES   (101g/km)
Small Family – worst: VOLKSWAGEN Golf R32 4MOTION (255g/km)
City – best:  TOYOTA iQ 1.0 VVT-i (99g/km)
City – worst:  FORD Ka, Post 2006 1.6 Duratec Sportka (182g/km)
Sports – best: VAUXHALL Tigra 1.3CDTi 16v (124g/km)
Sports – worst: Dodge SRT-10 (488g/km)
MPV – best: S-Max 1.8 Duratorq TDCi (164g/km)
MPV – worst: MERCEDES R-Class R63 AMG (387g/km)
Small MPV        - best: RENAULT Modus 1.5 dCi 86 Quickshift 5 (119g/km)
Small MPV        - worst: MERCEDES Viano 3.5 (284g/km)
Executive – best:       BMW 5 Series 520d saloon with particulate filter (136g/km)Executive – worst:    CADILLAC CTS-V (350g/km)
Off road        - best: SUBARU Outback AWD (153g/km)
Off road        - worst: CADILLAC Escalade 6.2 V8 (383g/km)
Luxury – best: JAGUAR XJ 2.7L Diesel Saloon (209g/km)
Luxury – worst: Bentley Brooklands Coupé (465g/km)

Andrew Davis, director at the Environmental Transport Association,
said: “The discrepancy between the greenest and the least green cars
in Britain today is striking, but the market is changing and a combination
of consumer pressure alongside government leadership will result in
an increasing choice of environmentally-sound cars.”

“The big problem is not the Dodge SRT-10s and Lamborghinis because
there are not many of them on the road,” explains Andrew Davis, director
of the ETA.  ”The concern is that people are continuing to buy cars
that are much too big for their real needs. “

The popularity of large 4×4s like the Porsche Cayenne, which is many
times more damaging to the environment than for example a BMW 320d,
winner in the Large Family Car category, is already on the decrease;
a new system of emissions-based road tax means owners of gas guzzlers
pay over £400 per year.

“With the increasing costs of motoring and the threat to the environment
there has never been a more important time to choose greener cars.”

Why do diesels do well in this survey?
Half an hour of sniffing diesel fumes in a busy city street is enough
to induce a “stress response” in the brain, according to scientists
who measured volunteers. The response continued to increase even after
they had stopped breathing the fumes. There is speculation that the
changes in the brain may trigger other body responses to diesel fumes,
such as oxygen deprivation in the heart. Previous studies in rats
have shown that minuscule soot particles can make their way directly
to the brain via nerves in the nose.

There is a popular belief that because of their lower average CO2
emissions, diesels are better for the planet. Unfortunately it appears
that it is people, particularly those in built-up areas that might
be paying the price.

However, the advent of diesel particulate filters (DPF) such as fitted
to some of the category winners heralds a dramatic improvement in
the environmental rating of diesels. DPFs remove all trace of soot
form the exhaust gases.

How many of these cars are eligible for the scrappage scheme?
Many of the most-polluting cars on British roads, and most of the
worst-performing vehicles in this guide, are  signed up for the
government’s scrappage scheme, an initiative described as ‘green’
because it aims
to replace older vehicles with new, fuel-efficient models. In theory
it means someone who scraps a 1999 Volkswagen Lupo TDi 3L, (81g CO2/km)
and buys a 2009 Bentley Arnage (465g CO2/km) would receive a £1,000
taxpayer-funded payment. The Bentley produces over 5 times as much
CO2 as the smaller car.

As part of Article 13’s United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) commitments (http://www.article13.com/csr/ungc_iip_values.asp) for 2009 to ‘work against corruption in all its forms, including extortion and bribery’, we have written the first of a series of  five best practice cases studies on Transparency and Anti-Corruption (T & AC).  The aim of the case studies are to disseminate T & AC best practice and to advocate take up, to our network of partners, clients, associates and the Article 13 visitors through the use of a well recognised organisation/ brand.

This case study focuses on the Ford Motor Company’s (Ford)  T & AC
policies. To conduct this case study, there was an interview with David
Berdish, Manager of Sustainable Business Development for Ford Motor
Company who also manages Ford’s Human Rights Code of Basic Working
Conditions.

Ford is the fourth largest manufacturer and
distributor of automobiles based on worldwide vehicle sales and remains
one of the world’s ten largest corporations by revenue (www.ford.com).
The case study identifies in great depth, the following:

1.The company
2.The key drivers for change integrating T & AC
a.US legal framework
b.Globalisation
3.Transparency and Anti-corruption
a.Policies and initiatives
b.Reporting
4.Challenges to Transparency and Anti-corruption
a.Globalisation
5.Conclusion

For full case study see:
URL: http://www.article13.com/UNGC/Ford%20anti-corruption%20case%20study.pdf

Have you ever wondered how much green energy you could generate at your home or business? How much money this could save you? Not to mention whether you could reduce your carbon footprint? Well the team at Better Generation believe they have the device that can answer all these questions! The Power Predictor is a new site assessment tool that measures both wind and solar energy, while being low cost, accurate and easy to use.

Collecting accurate data from your site is essential in
assessing its potential for a turbine or solar panel, to avoid making a
very expensive mistake. Small wind turbines have received a
considerable amount of bad press over recent years due to their
installation in a whole number of unsuitable locations (think David
Cameron’s rooftop turbine).

On the other hand, the UK
has some of the best renewable resources in Europe, and the Power
Predictor can help to find the most appropriate technology – solar or
wind – for your site, maximising the money and CO2 you can save.

The
Power Predictor allows you to collect real life solar and wind data
from your site. Once a month of data has been collected it can be
uploaded onto an online account at www.powerpredictor.com where a power
report is automatically generated.

The power report compares
the main wind turbines and solar panels on the market today, terms of
payback time, annual energy generation, cost savings and effect on your
carbon footprint.

To find out more visit www.bettergeneration.com. The Power
Predictor is available for just £99.95.

The
online, certified organic lifestyle store, So Organic, is running some
fantastic offers on Essential Care products this summer.
For every full size Essential Care facial skin care
product you receive a 30ml Essential Care toner worth £7 FREE.

The OFFERS

Receive
a FREE 30ml
Rose Petal Tonic when you buy a: 

• 150ml Coconut Cleanser
• 50ml Avocado
  Replenishing Cream
• 30ml Superfruit Concentrate
• 100ml Rose Petal
  Tonic

Receive
a FREE 30ml Citric Fruit Tonic
when you buy a:

• 150ml
  Lemon &
  Tea Tree Face Wash
• 75ml First Aid Lotion
• 100ml Citrus Fruit
  Tonic

 Receive
a FREE 30ml Rose Petal Tonic or Citric Fruit Tonic
when you buy a 50ml Rose Moisturiser.

Why
would you like to take So Organic up on this fabulous offer? Essential Care
was the
first skin care range to be awarded the Soil Association’s organic beauty tick
of approval so they know their stuff. Despite their growing popularity Essential Care still produce their
products by hand using formulations that are particularly good for the most super
sensitive skin types. Organic herbs, plant oils and other natural active
ingredients are used to create these very effective products. None of the Essential Care products are tested
on animals and most are suitable for Vegans.

These
offers are only available at So Organic while stocks so hurry
if you’d like one of these gorgeous organic products! 

About So Organic

With
over 2000 products, and of the 50 best organic brands available, So Organic
provide a comprehensive range of quality organic products and award winning
service. The leading organic lifestyle store’s own brand range was recently a
finalist in ‘Top Organic Retailers’
in the 2009 UK Natural and Organic Industry Awards and was Highly Commended in
the 2009 Natural Health Beauty Awards. You can buy online at SoOrganic.com, in the So Organic
Greenwich store or via a freephone telephone number (0800 169 2579). So
Organic’s courier delivery service is carbon neutral, everything comes in
either recycled or compostable packaging and all the gift boxes are fairtrade.