Combining gift and greeting card, Postcarden is a fun and simple pop-out card that transforms into a mini living garden full of edible cress.

Strike a blow for greener cities and help nature to take control of your tiny tower block town. Encourage the undergrowth to rise up and envelop the buildings. In two weeks exchange a bare urban landscape for a rich forest of foliage.

City Carden is perfect to brighten up any workplace or home. It is enjoyable for all ages all year round – send one to a friend and liven up their day.

Simply open and build into its urban landscape, place on a tabletop or windowsill and add water. In a matter of days your Carden will start to grow and will keep for 2 – 3 weeks.

Contents Instructions and cress seeds
Materials Paper and pvc tray
Dimensions 155 x 18 x 95 mm

Materials used are all recyclable.

A little glue or tape is required but is not essential!

Other styles available.

Innovative and quirky – we love them!

www.the-green-apple.co.uk

The Green Apple is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

With rapidly increasing demand for commercial timber and other wood and paper products, forestry investments are becoming an increasingly obvious choice for investors seeking to gain positive medium to long-term returns. Here we discover how Foreco Growth Investments, a leading provider in the Forestry Investment business, offers products to meet this growing demand.

The Facts

Commercial woodlands are defined as property where timber from the forest is actively being marketed and sold. According to the research house Investment Property Databank, forestry has recently been the best performing asset class, returning 26 per cent better returns compared to 17 per cent for shares. With a continually expanding world population which increases pressures on natural and sustainable resources, timber offers excellent prospects for investment with a real opportunity for profit.

Foreco Growth Investments

Foreco Growth Investments Limited (Foreco) is a unique investment-based company which offers you the opportunity to take part in socially responsible and highly lucrative investment opportunities, bringing benefits to both you and the world you live in. The way our forestry investment proposal works is really quite simple; a client of Foreco is o­ffered the opportunity to purchase a plot on one of its plantations in Europe and becomes the legal owner of that specific plot. As part of the purchase price the plot will be planted up by Foreco with Robinia trees. The client has full control of the investment and manages and maintains the plot and trees by appointing a highly qualified forestry manager for this task. The forestry management company will see to the full management of the plot and provide regular management reports and health-checks. You’ll then have the opportunity to harvest the trees. This is typically after 10 years. Once this is complete, you sell the timber poles and also make returns from the sale of wood chips, which is sold as biomass. Once the development is complete, you have the option to restart the process or sell poles and also make returns from the sale of wood chips, which is sold as biomass. Once the development is complete, you have the option to restart the process or sell the land.

How useful is Robinia Timber?

Robinia (Pseudoacacia) is a timber species that compares well in quality with many tropical hardwood species. Being one of the hardest timbers around it has many applications in the building trade, the furniture industry, and the shipping industry and is virtually maintenance free. One of its biggest advantages however is that the tree grows quickly, about 1 metre in height and 1 centimetre in diameter per annum. This means that any investment has the potential of materialising after just 10 years, whereas an average timber investment would normally see returns after 20 to 25 years. For the more technical investor, it’s worth adding that after a limited test in 2000, Robinia was classified under strength class K30 in compliance with NEN 5498:1997. The visual sorting criteria for Robinia concern the distribution of knots, which is no higher than 0.3 and grain deviation of no more than 1:10.

Determining Demand

Foreco have a clear outlook on the returns possible from timber and the ­gures really do speak for them themselves. After oil, timber is the most intensively traded raw material in the world. The demand for timber rose by 60% between 1960 and 1990. The food and agriculture organisation of the United Nations (FAO) expects this demand to experience a further rise of 50% up to 2010, not including the demand for roundwood. The present supply of hardwoods from managed plantations cannot meet this need. Fifty countries that have joined the International Tropical Timber Organisation, including the EU, USA, and Japan, decided in Geneva that, from 2000 onwards, only hardwoods that are logged from sustainable forests and plantations can be imported. A clear sign of times to come.

Helping save the Environment

Besides the opportunity of receiving healthy returns of anything between 8-15% on your investment, there are several other environmentally sound reasons why potential investors would look to invest in Forestry and Robinia. Firstly, Robinia is a tree species that is known for its phenomenal early growth, during which it absorbs large amounts of CO2. One hectare of Robinia binds on average around 15 tons of CO2 per year. Considering the standard household emits about 9 tons of CO2, it clearly compensates for one’s own CO2 emissions. Also, burning wood to produce energy emits less carbon than burning fossil fuels, especially if the trees are replanted, because plants trap CO2 from the air as they grow. One of Foreco’s key objectives is to promote social sustainability and environmentally responsible conduct, and it’s clear from their product offerings that the company is thriving to meet their commitment to both investor and environment alike.

The Bottom Line

An investment with Foreco allows you to buy a plot of land based at their European Plantation Partner site in Germany with trees planted on it, the timber from which can be cut after a certain time and subsequently sold. There is no joint participation with others and the money paid is for the plot and the initial planting. Foreco differentiates its services from a collective investment scheme by stating that it’s the client who has day-to-day charge over the plot they buy, giving them the control to really prosper from the investment.

Next Steps

To ­find out more about our Robinia Plantations please feel free to call a consultant on 020 7148 7100.

Foreco Growth Investments is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Get you and your family involved with the cooking and give your lives an eco-overhaul. Watch those lbs drop off whilst reducing your carbon footprint – and having fun (what more could you want?!)

1.    Get your Five a Day – If we’ve heard it once, we’ve heard it a thousand times, but getting your five a day is good for you (and the environment!). Filling up on un-processed fruit and veg helps your digestion, clears your skin, rids your body of toxins and keeps your blood-sugar level consistent – stopping you from snacking! The benefits of this are obvious. Un-processed food uses fewer chemicals, machinery, oil, energy and resources and the lbs will drop off if you fill up on healthy, natural produce.

2.    Grow Your Own -  If you don’t own a garden, look into getting a allotment. Gardening is something the whole family can enjoy and as the weather brightens up it’s worth teaching your kids about the benefits of growing your own fruit and veg. Teach your family by example and get your hands dirty – now summer is looming you have no excuse! Spring is the absolutely best time to plant some seeds and enjoy watching them flourish and there is nothing more satisfying than watching that plant go from seed, to seedling, to plant to plate.

3.    Cook from Scratch – Not only is cooking from scratch more likely to result in healthy food, but it can also help you cut down on your carbon footprint. Teaching kids from a young age the benefits of cooking from scratch sets them up for life, and if you have your own home-grown fruit and vegetables then all the better! It also means you will cut down on over-packaged, over-produced and (often) over-priced food and will naturally lower your calorie, salt and sugar intake as hidden additives are often found in processed food.

4.    Support your Community – Local butchers, grocers and bakeries are dying due to the rise of big supermarket chains. Support your local farmers market or local providers by buying your food stores from their shops and help keep your local community flourishing. The produce will also be local, meaning the carbon footprint of your dinner can be reduced dramatically.

5.    Get the Kids Involved – Starting on this journey from a young age, and understanding the importance of keeping our planet healthy, is the first step to ensuring a good future for your children, grand-children and future generations. Teach your children to eat healthily and educate them about where food comes from and watch the enjoyment that comes from their understanding of how to make healthy choices.

6.    Fill up the Dishwasher – It might be dull but cutting down on your energy consumption is the first step towards a greener future. Make sure you don’t run the dishwasher unless it’s full, that way you cut down on your energy bills and your water consumption – saving you money and lowering your carbon impact.

7.    Cut down the Meat – Cutting down on meat can help you shift those pesky lbs (if you keep your diet rich in protein from eggs and nuts) and the manufacturing process of producing and packaging meat products can be costly to the environment. Find some amazing vegetarian recipes and learn that you don’t need to have meat on the plate to have a delicious  meal.

8.    Be Colourful – Make your plates alive with colour! The more colourful the meal, the more likely it is to be full of natural goodness. Think of green and red vegetables, add some yellow pepper, add some natural fibres and protein and you’re away with a meal that looks as good as it tastes.

9.    Be Seasonal – Try to stick to seasonal produce. This way you’ll ensure that what’s on your plate hasn’t been flown in from other countries, cutting down on your personal carbon footprint dramatically.

10.    Try something New – Be adventurous! What’s the point in sticking to the same old food? Try something new and encourage your family to design and create new recipes you can all enjoy. Have fun with your cooking and reap the benefits as your bills, carbon footprint and clothing size decrease…

MoreEco is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Those of us that can read will be shocked to learn of the excessive number of children that leave primary and secondary school without the minimal grasp of English literacy. This concern affects more that the just UK, so what is wrong with our modern teaching resources?

Perhaps the greatest concern of the Department of Children Schools and Families (DCSF) is the continuing poor standards in English. Children are leaving primary school with inadequate criterion to perform in secondary school. The transfer can overwhelm children who find continuing education in all subjects a struggle. The net effect is a barrage of children attempting to enter the employment market with inadequate standards in literacy and numeracy.

Chief Executives berate the educational system claiming that to employ the workforce they need they are forced to provide lessons in basic literacy and numeracy to new employees. But the problem is not unique to the UK. Six million Australians also don’t have the necessary basic literacy or numeracy skills needed in the workplace. Skills Australia have just released figures that equate to 40 per cent of Australians in work and 60 per cent of those unemployed have inadequate educational standards.

Technology is a double edged sword in the circumstances. Education can benefit from the myriad of technology based teaching resources that are now available. But technology is also removing the lower order of employment opportunities. The general move in employment is towards jobs requiring higher levels of education leaving the failing children trapped. This is bad news all round as employers, failing to find the correct quality and quantity of employees, will struggle to meet the opportunities emerging in a recovery from a global recession

Keen 2 Learn is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Saturday 10 – Sunday 11 July 2010, 9.30am-5pm 

This course will introduce the basics of permaculture design and show how this approach can be applied.

Stanmer Park (near University of Sussex), Brighton, BN1 9PY

The second day will either be at Stanmer Park or another location within 15 miles of Brighton, travel and lift sharing will be arranged on the first day.

For bookings and general information: www.brightonpermaculture.org.uk

Brighton Permaculture Trust is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

1.    Get in the Garden – get outside and have some fun gardening! There are plenty of fantastic green products around and growing your own fruit and veg helps reduce your carbon footprint and persuades you to keep healthy!

2.    Compost Compost Compost! – Make sure you keep a compost bin and make the most of your left over food scraps. Just place all peelings and left over biodegradable vegetables in your compost bin and then watch your home-grown vegetables thrive.

3.    Walk – walk your kids to school, walk to work, walk to town. Reduce your carbon footprint and tone up by ditching the car keys and grabbing your walking shoes.

4.    Watch that water level – Only boil the amount of water you need, fill your dishwasher to the brim, time your showers, limit the number of baths you have and watch your water bills (and carbon footprint) decrease.

5.    Turn it off – turn off those appliances. Turn off the lights you aren’t using. Switch the TV off at the plug each night and don’t leave your laptops and mobiles plugged in all day everyday. Not only will you be helping the environment but you will notice a difference to your energy bill.

6.    Recycling can be fun! – Get the kids involved. Check with your local council what can be recycled and make sure to adhere to their rules. And get creative! Old clothes can be given new life, old containers can be used to make toys (think Blue Peter!) and wrapping paper and gift cards can always be personalised and re-used.

7.    Find eco-alternatives – Going on holiday? Take a train, not a plane. Try and stay local or take an eco-route where possible. Or looking to buy a new book? Head to your local charity shop, they will have plenty!

8.    Get eco-fit – don’t stay at home watching television. Grab the kids, turn off those lights and get active! Take a walk to your local park, have fun and get fit. Learning to enjoy the outdoors will help you appreciate the importance of keeping our environment healthy and getting active will make you feel more energised and less like sitting in front of the TV or computer.

9.    Teach those around you – Make sure your family, your children and your friends know the importance of making small changes in their lives that can considerably reduce their carbon footprint.

10.    Get involved – stick to your eco-resolutions and find out about any local charities or organisations that need help with their green agenda. If you can spare some money look to giving a monthly sum to a non-profit organisation that concentrates on ecological issues and, if you have the time, campaign your local MP and local companies to make green promises (and stick to them!).

MoreEco is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Earth Hour 2010 took place at 8.30pm last Saturday across the globe. WWF reports that over 4,000 cities in 126 countries took part in turning off their lights for one hour to show support for the campaign against climate change.

In a spectacular show of global unity famous landmarks were left in the dark including Big Ben, the Palace of Westminster, the Eiffel Tower, the Great Pyramids, Rome’s Coliseum, Sydney’s Opera House and the Forbidden City in China.

In the UK lights went out across the country at landmarks such as Buckingham Palace, Piccadilly Circus, Tower Bridge, Wales Millennium Centre and Stadium in Cardiff, Edinburgh Castle and the Wheel in Belfast.

Thousands of families and businesses also took part in what is meant to be a demonstration to governments across the globe that we care about the planet and demand action on climate change.

In our household the candles were lit and lights turned off – on fact we just turned the electricity off at the mains. James and I settled down with our 12 year old daughter to a huge game of dominoes on the living room floor! It was great fun and in fact we left the lights off late on as well. When we turned the electricity back on the hum of the appliances around the house was shocking! Perhaps we should implement this Earth Hour more often. There is in fact a call for a monthly Earth Hour – I think we might just join in!

For more information and to see the fantastic photo diaries from around the world check out the WWF UK website. It is truly inspirational.

Gecco Interiors Limited is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more