Prepare to be
inspired when Eloise Grey launches her first luxury fashion boutique, Upstairs
at Purity, and opens the doors for an official launch on Friday 2 October; an
eco-fabulous evening in partnership with leading ethical fashion label,
Makepiece.

As ethical and sustainable fashion gains style
credentials, Eloise Grey’s concept
store carves out a niche in the luxury sustainable fashion arena, and
specialises in UK artisan- produced clothing for women and men.

She will be
selling her own prize-winning organic tweed ladies’ clothing, alongside other
fashion labels that match her exacting standards of sustainability with
uncompromising style and fashion edge, including the contemporary knitwear
label, Makepiece and the stunning eco-silk designs from Elena Garcia.

The evening will not only be a celebration of eco style, but
Makepiece co-founder, Beate Kubitz, will give a free introduction to the issues
driving fashion with a conscience and will demonstrate how you can select style
with substance and choose clothes which you can wear with pride. 

The
complimentary Eco Chic Launch Evening at Upstairs at Purity will be held on
Friday 2 October at 6-8pm.  Please
telephone 01252 820055 or email contact@eloisegrey.com
to confirm your attendance. Upstairs at Purity is situated at 20 Downing
Street, Farnham GU9 7PB.

The popular belief that without the school run traffic would always
run as freely as in the holidays is false, and far from adding to
congestion, the school run reduces it in cities according to the
Environmental Transport Association (ETA).

A spokesperson for the ETA said: “If every child started walking
to school then by next year there would be no lull in traffic levels
over the summer holidays – the extra road space would quickly be
filled by business and commuter traffic.”

Although in a perverse way the school run appears to restrict
congestion, the ETA is not campaigning for more people to drive
their kids to school; children commuting to school by car have as
much (or as little) right to travel in this way as anyone else,
but there are many environmental, health and social reasons why
children are better off walking or cycling.

4^th Annual Green Awards for Excellence In Communicating Sustainability Call for Entries – Deadline 25^th September

Charities
and social enterprises have long been pioneers in producing
groundbreaking and engaging campaigns that raise awareness of
environmental and social issues. To give these organisations and
campaigns the recognition they deserve, the 2009 GREEN AWARDS^TM is now calling for entries for the new Best Green Charity / Social Enterprise Campaign category.

“Innovative and engaging campaigns are fundamental for charities and social enterprises in recruiting new members, activating existing donors and influencing policy”, says Iain Patton, Partner of GREEN, producers and founders of the GREEN AWARDS^TM.
“By introducing this new Award category, we want to help these
organisations gain a competitive edge in a market that’s tough at the
best of times.”

The GREEN AWARDS^TM
recognises excellence in 16 categories from Best Green International
Campaign open to global entrants to Best Green Campaigner for
individuals and small groups championing sustainability.

The Best Green Charity/Social Enterprise award will reward campaigns that show innovation
in media selection and the use of non-traditional marketing channels to
reduce waste and maximise budgets. Campaigns will also be judged on
their ability to influence the political and social agenda on climate
change issues whether through lobbying government or consumer campaigns.

Previous winners from the charity sector include Sustrans, London 21 and the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition.

Closing date for entries is September 25^th.  A reduced entry fee applies to all charities and social enterprises. To enter, simply visit www.greenawards.co.uk to download an entry form.

A brand new environment website – EnvironmentGuardian.co.uk
- is unveiled today, showcasing a host of new content, from video and
data tools to authoritative Q&As on a wide range of green issues.
The site will also ensure that its users are able to participate fully,
from the debate over global warming to household tips on green living.

To mark the launch of the site, and in the run up to the UN
climate talks in Copenhagen in December, the foreign secretary David
Miliband will take visitors’ questions in a live online Q&A at
lunchtime tomorrow.

The new site enhances the Guardian and Observer’s commitment to
environmental issues, and expands the existing award-winning reporting
from around the world.

Ian Katz, Deputy Editor of the Guardian,
said: “The Guardian has long been the leading British source of
environmental news and comment and with our new site we hope to cement
our position as the world’s leading source on all matters green. Having
built a team of six expert correspondents – including one in Washington
DC, another in China and one dedicated to green technology, plus a
fabulous stable of the most influential commentators and bloggers, the
Guardian has made the environment one of its top editorial priorities.”

 As well as a new design and increased editorial, new features on the site include:

• A new video series fronted by the Observer’s green-living guru Lucy Siegle
• A new environment data store making available the best quality data from sources including the World Resources Institute
• An environment research directory, including authoritative background guides on many subjects

James Randerson, editor of EnvironmentGuardian.co.uk,
said: “The Guardian has built this unrivalled team in the belief that
environmental issues, and in particular global warming, is the defining
issue of our age, combining politics, economics and social justice. The
new site, like the 10:10 campaign, which launched last week, will
enable everyone to understand and influence the debates. The site will
showcase the range of our content, from world-beating international
news coverage to practical tips about green living. We hope that all of
the new features on the site – together with the enthusiastic
participation of our visitors – will serve as an invaluable resource
for anyone wanting to understand the context behind the headlines.”

It’s already been ten weeks since we launched the Power Predictor, and you’re starting to generate some great information about the suitability of your sites for wind turbines and solar panels.

Exmoor farmer George Halliday appeared in our Case studies section when the Power Predictor helped him to determine the energy savings he could make and the most appropriate wind turbine for his farm (in this case a Proven 15kW).

He
has since been trying to secure planning permission for this turbine,
which, as he is in a National Park, is proving challenging. However, an
application for a 20kW turbine was recently successful on the West Ilkerton Farm in this National Park, so we’re crossing our fingers for George. We will keep you posted on his progress.

Our news . . .

Last week we appeared in the guest spot on The Guardian’s ‘Ethical Living Blog’. For anyone who would like to catch up on what was discussed, find our more here.

We’re pleased to introduce our Irish partner C-Mc Energy, distributor for the Power Predictor in the Republic of Ireland. Those interested in site assessment in Ireland can purchase a Power Predictor by contacting C-Mc Energy via their website.

We’ve set up a ‘Green Energy Blog’
on our website, which will be updated several times a week. Look out
for our pick of useful developments in green energy that we think you
should know about!

In the news . . .

This month in the news : A new generation of turbine has been developed, we’ve seen ideas to replace roads with solar panels
and we’re saying goodbye to the incandescent light bulb. Zopa and a new UK financing initiative can help finance your microgeneration project,
10 new Low Carbon Zones have been proposed in London, but can someone tell us why Britain is still investing in coal power?

Competition!

And finally, are you FEELING LUCKY?! We have just launched our free competition to win a Power Predictor! To enter simply pop over to www.bettergeneration.com. Good luck!

For daily updates join us on Twitter and Facebook!

All the best,

the Better Generation team

In speeches given by the leader of the party, Caroline
Lucas (twice voted Green Politician of the Year), and the deputy leader
of the party Adrian Ramsay, the Green Party outlined its strong
commitment to ethical consumption.

In her speech, Lucas, parliamentary candidate for Brighton
Pavilion, called for an end to the current “turbo consumerism” –
alongside demanding domestic cuts in emissions, without resorting to
outsourcing our pollution to other countries.

Adrian Ramsay, parliamentary candidate for Norwich South, also
critiqued the unsustainable consumer society characterised by “cheap
imports”, stating that the hidden costs of these are being ignored by
the “old parties”, and that:

“Products are not disposable, people are not disposable, the planet
is not disposable; the throw-away society has had its day – it’s time
to throw it away”

Ramsay also outlined the problems stemming from intensive farms, emphasising Green opposition to intensive farming.  

The conference also saw a host of fringe events, workshops and talks, including:
- a talk from Trucost on the responsibility of pension funds to invest responsibly and with the environment in mind,

- a screening of “Pig Business”, a film shedding light on the
problems of intensive farming, and a linked discussion session, and,-
for conscientious female consumers, there was a session on
endocrine-disrupting chemicals, which may increase the risk of breast
cancer.

Conference goers also had a chance to attend workshops,
on subjects as varied as agriculture and geo-engineering, and even a
taste of fair trade chocolate. 

25th September new deadline for entries into the 4th annual Green Awards for excellence in communicating sustainability

14th September London -
Organisations wanting to demonstrate their commitment to communicating
sustainability now have until Friday 25th September  to enter the media and marketing industry’s fourth annual GREEN AWARDS^TM.

Whether they’re companies, government bodies, charities, or individual campaigners, the Green Awards
offers a golden opportunity to demonstrate how entrants use creative
communications to push social, environmental and economic
sustainability.

The GREEN AWARDS^TM
recognises excellence in 16 categories from Best Green International
Campaign open to global entrants to Best Green Campaigner for
individuals and small groups championing sustainability.

This year, the judging panel of
25 sustainability and communication heavy-weights will be pushing the
standards of green marketing even further. Peter White, Global
Sustainability Director, P&G and chair of the UK judging panel,
commented: “Keeping the focus on sustainability in a downturn is tough,
but essential. The GREEN AWARDS^TM 2009 allow us to celebrate those who have achieved this – through creative excellence”.

Previous winners include Nokia,
Marks & Spencer, UNEP and Green Thing. This year’s keynote speaker
will be Jonathon Porritt, Programme Director of Forum for the Future
and Former Chairman of the UK Sustainable Development Commission.

The 2009 GREEN AWARDS^TM are now open for entries until 25th September. To apply visit www.greenawards.co.uk  and download an entry form.

Green Awards^TM and Passion for the Planet team up to push the green radio advertising benchmark

4th
September London – Environmental radio station Passion for the Planet
has announced their sponsorship of the 2009 GREEN AWARDS^TM for Best
Green Radio Award, in a move that highlights the continued relevance of
radio advertisements in communicating sustainability.

Chantal
Cooke, co-founder Passion for the Planet, said: “Communicating
sustainability and encouraging people to make more sustainable choices
has to be about celebrating what’s great about “being green”. It’s
about making it both inspirational and aspirational. That’s what we do
on Passion for the Planet and that’s why we support The Green Awards -
to help celebrate what’s great about green.”

The
Best Green Radio award will reward the best radio ad that most
effectively tells a green story and catches listeners’ attention. At
the 2008 Green Awards no winner was selected in this category, and it
is hoped this will raise the bar for this year’s entries. The judges
will pay special attention to the way the ad communicates the benefits
of going green and will look for ads that include a strong and
motivational call to action to mobilise listeners and encourage them to
go and do something that makes a difference in terms of lowering their
carbon footprint.

The 2009 GREEN AWARDS^TM are now open for entries until 25th September. To apply visit www.greenawards.co.uk and download an entry form.

Thursday
17^th
Sept, 5.30pm St
Wilfrid’s Enterprise Centre, Royce Road, Hulme, Manchester.

Action
for Sustainable Living (AfSL) in partnership with Trafford Council
and Manchester City Council, are looking for twenty local eco
warriors to become Local Project Managers (LPM) in Trafford and
Manchester. We
want local people who are passionate about making their communities a
better place to live and are hosting a LPM introduction evening at
AfSL’s offices in Hulme on Thursday 17^th
Sept.

If
you are an enthusiastic, self-motivated individual able to offer at
least eight hours per week to support AfSL’s activities, why not
come
along and
find out more?

The
role is a challenging yet rewarding one. You will develop new skills
and meet new people. As
a volunteer, you’ll make a huge difference in your local community
helping planning and implementing sustainable projects, complementing
the volunteers who are already working throughout Trafford and
Manchester.

You
don’t
need any previous experience and there’s a lot you can get out of
it. Volunteering with AfSL is a great way to gain invaluable work
experience with a local award winning charity. You’ll get support,
training, resources and mentoring from AfSL and, most importantly,
you’ll be able to see that you’ve made a real difference in your
local area.

Local
Project Managers in
other areas have set up community allotment projects, fair trade
societies, energy action teams, composting schemes, local shop
campaigns and a whole range of interesting, locally-relevant things. 

To
me, the 8 hours per week that I contribute to Action for Sustainable
Living are more meaningful than a full-time job in any
non-sustainable organisation’.
Oxana Poberejnaia, Previous LPM for
Manchester City Centre

We
are looking for LPMs in the following wards in Manchester:
Ancoats & Clayton, Bradford, Fallowfield, Gorton North, Gorton
South, Levenshulme, Moss Side, Old Moat, Sharston Withington,
Chorlton and Whalley Range. In Trafford; Sale, Urmston and Stretford
areas.

Deadline
for volunteer applications is Friday 18 September at 12 noon. If
you want an application pack or have any questions you can contact
Erika at manchester@afsl.org.uk, or by calling 0161 227 0377.
Further information is also on the AfSL website - www.afsl.org.uk.
Please
confirm your attendance at the introduction evening in advance.

-ends-

Press
contact:
Erika
Nagae 0161 227 0377 / 07731 455478

erika.nagae@afsl.org.uk

Event ‘What
not to wear: Cotton and Child slavery’ on Thursday 8^th October,
7pm at Amnesty International UK. This event was originally scheduled to
take place on the 9^th June but was postponed due to a tube strike.

The event is free of charge. You can book your place online
by visiting www.amnesty.org.uk/events_details.asp?ID=1202