Last year Fairwind, with MA Assist, raised £10,000 to renovate a local school in Ambrolauri, Georgia. The school is in the poor cone picking region where the locals risk injury and death collecting Nordman Fir tree seeds for the European Christmas tree industry. Fairwind has been working with Fair Trees, the pioneer of fair trade Nordman Fir Christmas trees, to improve the lives of people in this region and to raise awareness of the ethical issues that surround our most popular real Christmas trees.

The Georgian goverment matched our donation and the work started on the school at the end of August. Here are some photos of the work in progress. It’s an amazing transformation – to see the difference please go to  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150309593029520.361450.68667474519&type=3
to see the school in its original, shocking state.

New floors and windows have been put in as well as a new heating system so the children can now stay warm in winter. New lighting and redecoration has transformed the school into a light and inviting place to learn. Even halfway through the renovations the school is unrecognisable.

The whole renovation has now been completed and we will post photos of the finished school as soon as we receive them. Apparently the children and staff are thrilled, and we are pretty chuffed here at Fairwind too! This is a concrete example of what Fair Trade can achieve, and we would like to say thank you to everyone who helped with this fund raising and donated money, especially MA Assist.

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The EcoPint Show is the first of its kind – solely based on Sustainable Print. To be  held in Berlin September 26th -27th it promises to be an exciting opportunity to discuss and explore the innovations in sustainable print today. As a Director of Eco Print Uk I have had the great pleasure of working as an Ambassador for this event and will be attending the Show and taking part in a panel discussion on ‘Challenges and Opportunities for Sustainable Printers’. For further information of the Show take a look at the website http://www.ecoprintshow.com/ecoprint-vision

I will keep you updated

James

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The combination of activists occupying streets across the globe, and the pull of an ever worsening economy, is brewing up the perfect storm for banking. With liquidity pricing at its highest since the fall of Lehman Brothers, it could well get a lot worse. But, despite this, the fundamental role of banks in society still isn’t receiving the attention it deserves.

Perhaps as a society we’ve become so blind to banking’s potential for good that, while we express frustration at the unacceptable behaviour of banks, we can’t actually imagine them doing anything else. But it doesn’t have to be this way. The role of banks is no longer an academic exercise, but a timely and fundamental question.

Picture society as a human body. If money is its lifeblood, then banks should act as society’s heart, pumping it around as needed. If the heart is healthy, the body will be able to access the resources it needs to remain healthy. But without a conscious approach to the flow of money, the malaise in the society will feed back to the banks and infect them. The financial crisis has proven that, when the banks fail, the whole of society suffers. And, after bringing the economy to its knees, it’s morally and practically right that banks take an active role in helping to build it back up again.

So what should the future of banking look like? We believe that banks should act as enablers of positive change, focusing more on the real economy and supporting its future, rather than short-term shareholder returns. Research commissioned by Triodos shows that five in six people believe their bank should play a role in helping society. Two thirds (64%) wanted to see more investment in communities. Just 3% of savers feel banks are transparent about what happens to their money. We can guess why. At present, only a fraction of the money lent and invested by the main banks is used to bring about positive change. Clearly the banks’ customers do not think this is good enough. It’s a call to action for policy-makers, shareholders, and bank executives: they have to ensure the banking sector gives more back to society, rather than just taking.

A compelling alternative would see a shift towards smaller banks, and more of them. This would deliver benefits to society while limiting the financial sector’s potential to harm it. These smaller banks could operate on a human scale. They could specialise, and pass expertise onto their customers. The more focused they can remain on the direct impacts of the finance they provide, the more emphasis they can place on its environmental and social advantages.

The Global Alliance for Banking on Values is an independent network of banks which aims to use finance to deliver sustainable development for people, communities and the environment. It demonstrates how a new model made up of smaller, interconnected banks can work. While they serve very different communities, from urban San Francisco to rural Mongolia, they learn from each other, sharing ideas on long-term sustainable thinking, new forms of ownership and economic cooperation.

Crucially, scaled-down banks would be small enough to fail. One of the cruellest ironies of the financial crisis has been that banks – which often act as judge, jury and executioner for struggling businesses – have not been forced to play by their own rules. Arguably, smaller banks would not benefit from the economies of scale enjoyed by today’s banking behemoths. But, while it’s questionable whether these savings are passed on to the consumer, there’s no doubt what the cost of their failure has been.

The banking industry owes an awful lot to society. A little open heart surgery is exactly what it needs to start making repayments.

Bevis Watts is Head of Business Banking, Triodos Bank.

This article originally appeared in Green Futures, the leading magazine on environmental solutions and sustainable futures published by Forum for the Future.

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At the end of last month Barrack Obama gave his third sate of union address, with green issues playing more of a prominent role in his speech than has often been the case under past administrations. But, what are the environmental implications of what the president had to say?

Whilst Obama did seem keen to stress his future commitment to the development of renewable energy sources, he also appeared to have one eye on appeasing his opposition, many of whom have rooted interests in fossil fuel. He stressed his support for the industries around conventional power, saying: “I’m directing my administration to open more than 75% of our potential offshore oil and gas resources.”

This was met with much dismay in ecological circles, indeed Green Peace said such action would present “a potential environmental nightmare”. So, what was the reasoning behind such a statement coming from a President who, when he came to power, promised to step up the fight against climate change?

As you might expect, a large part of the address dealt with domestic economic issues, and at times, perhaps worryingly, the President seemed to make the case for promoting domestic fossil fuels as an answer to some of the country’s financial woes, highlighting that a greater use of fuels sourced from within America’s own borders would reduce the trade deficit and provide a large source of job creation, thus boosting tax revenues.

He paid particular attention to the case for the expansion of the US’s natural gas industry saying; “We have a supply of natural gas that can last America nearly one hundred years, and my Administration will take every possible action to safely develop this energy. Experts believe this will support more than 600,000 jobs by the end of the decade.”

These points about the economic importance of fossil fuels may well have been concessions to critics who have been targeting Obama over the fact that Solyndra, the solar power company that benefitted heavily from a government loan programme, recently went bankrupt, whilst, at the same time the government rejected a permit for the potentially lucrative Keystone XL oil pipeline.

So should environmentalists be worried that Obama has been pressured into reducing his drive to incentivise renewable innovation in the face of Solyndra’s failure?/p>

The short answer appears to be ‘No’. Though he neglected to mention the company directly, the president seemed to reference Solyndra as, in a positive twist for the environmentally minded, he switched his focus to arousing support for a greater commitment to renewable energy, saying; “Some technologies don’t pan out; some companies fail, but I will not walk away from the promise of clean energy.”

In an interesting twist he went on to draw attention to the fact that the future economic ramifications of not attempting to develop new technologies could be just as great as if America were to become even more dependent on foreign oil, stating that: “I will not cede the wind or solar or battery industry to China or Germany because we refuse to make the same commitment here.”

Given the proud boast he’d made earlier about increasing the amount of fossil fuels produced in America to decrease the use of imported energy, this point seemed designed to play to the typical Republican fear of America’s dwindling power as an exporter, in what could be seen as a move to generate more cross party consensus for setting up green initiatives, using economic necessity as the basis.

In doing so he gave a strong indication that, whilst he used talk of expanding on the use of natural gases and domestic oil production to appease those on the right in congress who are most sceptical about the prospects for renewable energy, Obama’s real vision for the future lies in cleaner energy sources.

He said; “We have subsidized oil companies for a century. That’s long enough. It’s time to end the taxpayer giveaways to an industry that’s rarely been more profitable, and double-down on a clean energy industry that’s never been more promising. Pass clean energy tax credits and create these jobs.”

An environmental optimist could argue that, given the difficulties his administration has faced in getting reforms of various kinds through congress, it was inevitable that he’d have to pander to Republicans eager to hear about expansion in the energy industry, however, the way he went about doing so suggests Obama really is committed to a greener future. Though of course, this will do little to allay those who fear drastic action needs to be taken immediately.

Steve Waller is an environmental commentator. For more of his take on the world of green politics, visit his blog, Green Steve.

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We have exciting NEWS for you. We have just launched our brand new online ordering service to make it even easier for you to get your materials Eco-Printed.

Rest assured we still offer a bespoke and personal service so feel free to contact us for any information you may need – we are more than happy to help. For large lithographic runs please contact us directly for the latest prices – we aim to keep things as cost effective and up-to-date as possible for you.

So, for all your post cards, greetings cards, business cards, stationery and flyers please visit our new website ecoprintuk.com

Thank you and all the very best.,

The Eco Print Team

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This Christmas, anyone worrying about what to buy for a child should consider another option. Charity Bank, the not for profit savings bank, offers an account for those under the age of 16. The Small Steps account provides an ethical alternative to traditional savings accounts, making it a thoughtful gift that helps charities at the same time.

Charity Bank’s Small Steps account can be opened by any adult on behalf of a young saver. Funds will be kept safe until the child reaches the age of 16, with a nominated adult being responsible for operating the account until then.  Money in the account will earn 2% gross interest per annum which is added quarterly, so the saver can watch their gift grow.

Until the saver is ready to claim the money, it will be invested in charitable organisations, so the child knows that their gift has been used for good. The minimum deposit to open an account is just £10, making it available to any budget.

Malcolm Hayday, Chief Executive of Charity Bank, said: “The Small Steps savings account gives people a great alternative to giving cash at Christmas. The money belongs to the child, but supports charities while it earns interest. It helps young people appreciate the amazing work that charities do in so many walks of life and is a fantastic way to support charity this Christmas, without any added cost to the depositor, or the saver.”

Charity Bank also offers a range of savings accounts that allow adults to earn interest on their deposits while providing charitable organisations with much needed financial support at no extra cost. To open an account with Charity Bank visit www.charitybank.org, call 01732 774040 or email enquiries@charitybank.org .

- Ends  -

About Charity Bank

Charity Bank is the only regulated bank in the UK that is also a registered charity. It lends to charities, social enterprises and community organisations, including those that would find it difficult to secure funding from traditional banking sector. It invests its depositors’ money in loans to support charities and enterprises that benefit society and publishes details of every loan it makes.

Charity Bank is committed to transparency and community involvement. It provides hands-on support to the business and charities it lends to, as well as encouraging its own staff to volunteer within the community. Charity Bank’s innovative approach to banking and its mission to benefit society have enabled it to lend over £160m to charities and social enterprises, touching the lives of 3.5 million people in communities across the UK.

For more information on Charity Bank’s work, visit www.charitybank.org

About Charity Bank’s Small Steps Account

The Small Steps Account is open to children and young savers aged under 16 years.  At 16, he or she can then decide to continue to save with us, or to use the money in other ways

Interest Rates (gross)

Interest is calculated daily and added to your account quarterly in March, June, September and December.  Interest rates are fixed for the full term of the deposit.  Early repayments are not permitted.

Do children have to pay tax? Visit the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) website for full details.

Charity Bank – Ethical Bank is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Here is a simple test we have performed to show how well charcoal inhibits mould growth by regulating moisture.

Day 1

Small pieces of home baked bread without any preservatives are covered with glass – one with a piece of bamboo charcoal (approx. 2g) on the left, and the other without.

Day 7

After 7 days mould is clearly visible on the right and the glass is cloudier with moisture.

The glass on the left is much clearer as the charcoal has absorbed the excess moisture. Only a small amount of white mould appears on the bread.

Day 8

The mould now covers most of the bread on the right and the glass is quite cloudy.

On the left, the bread has some white mould but is nowhere near as the one on the right.

Day 8 without glass

The image without glass: quite amazing!

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Habitat Aid’s “Meadow Anywhere” seed packets, sold through Hillier’s Garden Centres, have now raised £8,000 for Butterfly Conservation and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust.

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Eco Print as a ‘one -stop -shop’

Print and everything else.

Eco Print are a 100% environmentally friendly alternative to traditional printing methods using recycled paper and card. Our new energy efficient digital printer needs less heat in the process and at the end of its use will be broken down and recycled. Our litho printer uses a plate-making process that is totally chemical free and uses vegetable based inks.  

A recent addition to our service is the provision of banners made from biodegradable material – there is no loss of quality it is just when discarded the banner will start to degrade in weeks as opposed to years. We are proud to offset carbon generated in the postage of our printing and we use a telephone provider that carbon offsets and has a good environmental policy in place.

As an environmentally friendly print company you would expect this kind of thing, so what makes us stand out from the crowd?

Well, we have a full Graphic Design service available – our head designer boasts 30 plus years of experience and offers high end work ranging from stationery design to logo design, full branding and corporate I.D. We are also happy to develop your existing artwork and provide simpler designs to suit differing budgets.

 Eco Print is sister company to Addison Design  and both are based next to each other – this allows us to provide the full design service as mentioned above but also Website Design and Build.

 Many of our regular clients benefit from our ‘one-stop-shop’ for all their branding, print and design needs. Our experience means that Eco Pint can build, maintain and protect your brand giving consistency to your marketing materials.

 For more information please contact us:

 marketing@ecoprintuk.com

 01722 340350

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Last weekend I made it to the Design Museum to catch the ‘Brit Insurance Design awards 2011’ It was an inspiring exhibition on many levels, not least because of my perspective as a designer. I very quickly noticed a popular theme in the nominated work, which was that there were many designs that had some form of ethical purpose.

The kind of considerations ranged from products that are created primarily to be an ethical alternative, designs that simply served their purpose in a thoughtful way, through to designs that had their ethical credentials seemingly as an afterthought (though importantly they were still mentioned). My favourites included the winner: Plumen 001 (a beautiful lightbulb intending to make energy efficient lighting more desirable) and the Branca chair (a nature inspired chair made with minimal waste).

Finish reading the article here >

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