The Green Insurance Company knows how much you value your pet. That’s why we offer a wide range of pet insurance polices making it easy for you to find the right level of protection for your pet, plus Motivano users can save an extra 5%!

For as little as £5.13* a month you could insure an important member of your family, giving you complete peace of mind.

Some of the benefits included as standard are:

• At no extra cost to you, choose to donate to one of our chosen environmental charity partners.
• Option to pay by interest free monthly instalments.
• All claims assessed by qualified veterinary nurses.
• Most claims settled within 5 days.

 *Price based on cat aged under 8yrs and area 1 postcode. Price correct as of 26/02/10.

How to order:

Click Here for a quick quote. To redeem your 5% discount simply enter the promotional code ‘GREEN362’ when you purchase your policy online.

Terms and Conditions

The Green Insurance Company is an insurance intermediary, authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Registered address: 1 Masterton Way, Tannochside Business Park, Glasgow, G71 5PU. Qualifying criteria, terms and conditions apply.  These will be explained before you buy.  For your protection and ours, calls may be recorded or monitored. This offer is valid until 31/01/2011, and is open to new customers only, buying directly from The Green Insurance Company.

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

The basis of the British ecosystem is its wild plants.  Sadly, a large proportion of this has been destroyed.  Wildflower meadows are now a rarity and native woodlands have been replaced by fast-growing species of trees.  What we at Really Wild Flowers do is to deliver a portfolio of native plants and provide advice on how to use them to create the foundation of wild habitats and an ecosystem for our birds, bees, butterflies and other insects.  Really Wild Flowers’ portfolio includes trees, shrubs, wild flower seeds, bulbs and plants – all grown from British wildflower seed.

Our plants are used in a range of landscaping situations.  They are used by people within formal landscapes to create a patch of wilderness within a garden, through to large scale habitat recreation projects covering hundreds of acres where we advise and introduce a whole range of habitat creation techniques, such as using seed from donor sites to receptor sites to create wildflower meadows, using planting mixes of trees and shrubs to recreate the structure of native woodland sites, developing wildlife corridors between sites of interest, etc.

The RWF website (www.reallywildflowers.co.uk) is rich with advice on the individual species and habitat creation techniques and provides a one-stop shopping place for the portfolio of British plant material that we supply.

Really Wild Flowers has been operating for 22 years and has been an innovator in introducing new technology for habitat creation and restoration.

Really Wild Flowers is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Enjoy a week or a short break in the Black Mountains, part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Nestled within gloriously stunning countryside the barn sits beneath the Sugar Loaf Mountain peak, hidden in a beautiful serene location overlooking the Usk Valley. The 5* holiday cottage is a recent conversion of a remote mountain stone barn. Skilfully and compassionately restored by local builders, it retains the original structure and features such as the oak beams and traditional stone arrow-slits. The barn is situated about 1km above our farmhouse. Our family hill farm still operates in the traditional ways and we farm organic cattle and sheep. Complimentary welcome pack for those who mention Organic Holidays when booking. http://www.organicholidays.co.uk/at/2835.htm

Organic Holidays is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Po-Zu is pleased to announce the launch of its ethical and ecological footwear retail website www.po-zu.com

The new website now allows customers from all EU countries to buy their Po-Zu shoes direct as well as through the established Po-Zu stockists, including Terra Plana and the Natural Shoe Store in the UK.

Po-Zu is a range of stylish footwear for men and women with an environmental consciousness. They are safe for the people involved in the manufacturing process and their impact on the environment is minimal.  Their coconut fibre foot-mattress is not only biodegradable but also provides a uniquely pleasurable walking experience thanks to its springy fibrous structure.

“The beauty of this web store, is that we are able to offer our entire range for the first time under one virtual roof” explains Po-Zu founder Sven Segal.  “It’s also about being transparent and accessible. The site has been designed to be as user friendly as possible, and you can easily find our retail store partners there too”.

With extreme hot weather in mind, Po-Zu’s spring-summer line uses sustainable, breathable, and lightweight materials which are kind to our body and the planet. Po-Zu has also expanded its selection of Vegan shoes this season by incorporating organic hemp and cork to over 70% of its entire range.

The cork is produced from the bark of the Cork Oak tree Quecus Suber, which grows in Portugal where the shoes are produced. The harvesting does not harm the tree and a new layer of cork re-grows, making it a renewable resource. The hemp is organically grown, unbleached, with low-impact dyes, free from heavy metals.

Apart from shoes there are a few accessories on offer like edible shoe cream and coconut shoebox planters. Also, a sweet, short film follows the shoe production route, from the coconut husk in Sri Lanka, through to England and finally Portugal where the shoes are made.

 Po-Zu was launched in 2006 by shoe designer Sven Segal with the aim of setting new standards in ecological footwear manufacturing. The shoes are made from carefully-selected natural biodegradable materials, free from harmful chemicals, and organically certified where possible. Harmful glues are avoided by stitching the shoes together, which also makes them more breathable, durable, repairable and recyclable.

The brand’s other goal is to provide maximum comfort and pleasure for the people who wear its shoes, while ensuring the shoes are ethically sourced and manufactured.

Po-Zu’s shoebox was nominated for the UK Green Awards 2006, for best packaging. The biodegradable coconut box can be used as trays to grow seeds. As the plant grows, the entire packaging can placed in the ground where it will decompose and turn into earth.

Following its commitment to produce products that are as non-toxic as possible, Po-Zu launched in 2007 a shoe cream that is so safe it can be eaten. Apart from treating leather, the Edible Shoe Cream is also an all-in-one beauty product that can be used as a lip balm, skin moisturizer, hair conditioner, massage oil and cooking oil. You can even spread it on toast for a nutritious snack.

Po-Zu Ecological Shoes is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Finding an installer for a renewable energy technology should be a straight forward exercise. With all the certification an installer has to meet, such as the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS), to enable a client to access grants, the installer has to know what they are talking about and be competent. Don’t they?

Unfortunately, with the installation of heat pumps about to explode due to the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) and other incentives being offered, the installer market will see a number of unscrupulous companies trying to cash in, even if they have the ‘correct’ approvals. 

As an aside, there are a number of companies who aren’t approved who are more than competent, do an excellent job and have been involved in installing renewable technologies for years and are not MCS approved simply as it can be a difficult and onerous process particularly for one man bands, but that’s a different subject. [NB: if you want to benefit from the RHI, you will need to use a MCS accredited installer]

It therefore pays for the client to still do their homework on any potential installer/supplier.

The normal guidelines for entering any contract will apply, such as: references – preferably actually talking to previous clients – ideally ones who have lived with the technology for at least a year; talking to a number of companies to obtain comparable quotes; trade associations, etc.

However you would also expect the installer/supplier to ask you questions, and these questions, or lack of them, should give you an indication of whether the company actually knows what it is talking about.

1. Is the building being insulated to current building standards? This should be one of the first questions the installer/supplier should ask as it will determine whether heat pump technology is right for the building. See my blog on whether heat pumps are suitable for your home).

2. Will a SAP calculation be available? A Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) can be used to calculate the size of a heat pump suitable for the property as it takes into account the form, construction and insulation levels of the property. It can also be used to check the insulation levels of the property.

3. What is the overall area of the building to be heated? In the absence of a SAP, the overall area of the building can give an installer/supplier an initial indication of the size of the heat pump required.

4. How is the property being heated? UFH (under floor heating) or radiators? This will determine the efficiency of the heat pump and will impact on your fuel costs and hence payback.

5. How is the domestic hot water (DHW) being heated? Is solar thermal being installed? The heat pump can provide domestic hot water if required, however the installer/supplier needs to be aware of this as it does have an impact on the amount of ground arrays and the equipment supplied. DHW is an additional load on the ground and is all year round so the ground arrays need to be increased, also any hot water cylinders need to have oversized coils due to the lower temperature generated by heat pumps.

6. What is the floor construction of the building? Joisted, beam and block or other? Floor construction can again have an impact on efficiency for example for a joisted underfloor first floor system the flow temperature has to be higher than the magical 35^oC always quoted for underfloor, as the heat has to be driven through the floorboards.

7. Is a single or three phase electrical connection available on site? Some manufacturer’s single phase heat pumps are limited in size (Kensa can offer a 24kW, which is one of the largest in the market place). Three phase is better as the heat pumps are more efficient and it is a more stable electricity supply but expensive to put in.

8. Is an area roughly twice the area of the property available for the ground arrays? For ground source heat pumps horizontal arrays, i.e. slinkies or straight pipe roughly twice the area to be heated is required for these. If this isn’t available then the alternative is boreholes. While equally effective they can be expensive. 

9. Has planning permission been obtained? Ground source are a permitted development, but air source currently still require planning permission.

10. Finally be aware of any significant differences for claimed COPs. This should be quoted at standard conditions as laid out by EN14511-2 and should provide a means of comparing like for like. Any other standard will give different figures. In fact COPs from one brand to another should be roughly the same as many will contain similar if not the same key components

About the author: John Barker-Brown is special projects manager at British heat pump manufacturer Kensa engineering. First published on YouGen blog on heat pumps

YouGen is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Ipouches are handmade from fabric-backed 100% cork. Naturally water repellent and shock absorbing.

At Pure Design we are passionate about design, people and the planet. With hundreds of eco friendly gifts and accessories to choose from – you are sure to find something truly unique!

Offer available from Friday 28th and midnight Monday 31st May 2010. For full T&C’s click here.

Pure Design is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

These sturdy 19th century cottages nestle on our family-run farm in the heart of the Wiltshire countryside. Rooms are spacious and sunny with big windows and stunning views. A wonderfully light and well equipped kitchen makes cooking a joy. Why not try the farm produced organic beef, sausages and bacon? And game when in season. If you’re too busy to cook your hostess will rustle up breakfast and barbecue supper hampers, or simply stock the fridge with locally sourced quality foods. We encourage our guests to be environmentally friendly by recycling and conserving power and heat. After a day’s exploring, return to your pretty garden terrace to relax and enjoy the views. Visitors are also welcome to walk on the farm. http://www.organicholidays.co.uk/at/2833.htm

Organic Holidays is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Now that the incandescent lightbulb has been removed from the shop shelves we are all adjusting to the shape and light of the low energy lightbulb. But how many of us are put off by the size and odd shapes of the standard CFL bulbs out there? As a designer, I am appalled to see the tubular top of a low energy bulb sticking out of a beautiful wall light or chandelier where a lovely candle bulb used to sit.

With the new range of retrofit low energy bulbs available at www.geccointeriors.co.uk this problem is a thing of the past. The range includes lovely shaped candle and golf balls for all types of fittings, they use just 7W instead of 35W and cost just £3.98 each.

Check the new low energy light bulb range out today and make your wall-lights beautiful again!

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

El Buxaus is an eighteenth century farmhouse in the region of La Selva in the Parc Natural del Montseny. We cultivate the land and have a number of farm animals. We offer five ensuite rooms for guests. We cook with the products of the garden, depending on the season, and pick walnuts, hazelnuts, blackberries, quinces, figs, chestnuts, etc from the orchard and surrounding area. We like to prepare homemade dishes, using recipes from our mothers and grandmothers. The house is surrounded by green areas with natural terraces and several species of trees, mainly chestnut, beech, oak and walnut. Relax in the garden on the deck by the pool and enjoy incomparable views over the plains of La Selva, Selva and part of Guilleries. http://www.organicholidays.co.uk/at/2832.htm

Organic Holidays is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

We are a working organic farm with cattle and various other farm animals, on the border of the Weir Wood Reservoir Nature Reserve. Surrounded by picturesque farm fields and woods, it is a quintessential rural setting. We have a handmade and built Mongolian yurt with a sustainable wood-burner for cooking and heating. The yurt includes fold out beds, bedding, kitchen equipment, storage, outdoor seating. The location has space for up to four extra tent pitches surrounding the yurt [additional charge for extra tents]. Cook fresh and eat from our farm garden knowing that everything we do is organic. Collect your own eggs for breakfast, and peruse and choose fresh produce daily from the organic vegetable garden and greenhouse. http://www.organicholidays.co.uk/at/2831.htm

Organic Holidays is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more