The expected £2,000 incentive scheme for drivers who swap old cars for newer models is a motor industry bail out masquerading as  green initiative, according to the Environmental Transport Association (ETA).

Car scrapping initiatives are often labelled green because some subsidise the purchase of fuel-efficient cars, but they routinely
fail to take into consideration the amount of energy required to build a vehicle in the first place.

Director at the Environmental Transport Association (ETA), Andrew Davis, said: “Altering the way you drive and keeping a car longer can be a greener option than buying new.”

“Even if the new model you buy is more economical, once you take into account the energy needed to scrap the old car and build an entirely new one the overall benefits are likely to be tiny.”

The ETA recommends that drivers keep a car until it is no longer reliable and follow its green driving tips:

1. Avoiding harsh acceleration and braking to save fuel and reduce wear and tear

2. Look as far as possible up the road to reduce stop/start driving, thereby reducing fuel consumption and making you a safer
driver into the bargain

3. Remove unnecessary clutter from your car to reduce weight

4. If you don’t regularly use your roof rack or top box, remove it as it reduces the efficiency of your car

Oromo Coffee Enterprise goes Direct Trade!

James Purnell, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, launched the latest Lorna Young Foundation venture, saying “This is a unique initiative that could make fair trade even fairer – and the coffee tastes great too!” Backed also by the Bishop of Manchester, the former Lord Mayor of Manchester, Afzal Khan, and Muslim and Christian faith groups, we are working with recently settled refugees from the Oromo region in Ethiopia who contacted the LYF for ideas on how to set up a self-help project, rather than rely on benefits.

With our support, the Oromo community (who have legal residential
status) have now created a direct trading ‘community to community’
social enterprise – ‘The Oromo Coffee Company’.  As the birthplace of
coffee, the Oromo region of Ethiopia provides some of the finest
quality beans in the world. This direct trade initiative will cut out
middlemen and ensure an even greater level of profit for smallholder farmers  than would be possible
just through Fairtrade.

James Purnell was aware that we have come this
far with no funding — just a lot of good will — and backed our appeal
for sponsors.  He added: “The Oromo Coffee Company has been set up by a
group of people who have said quite clearly that they want to
contribute to society and to help smallholders back home at the same time.  And this
is an outstanding example of what can be achieved when people work
together to develop their different skills in an innovative way…I will
certainly be asking whether this coffee could be stocked at the House
of Commons in future.”

This exciting new venture is being assisted by Bolling Coffee, a
Yorkshire based family-owned roaster, which has generously agreed to
support the OCC with roasting and packaging of the coffee. There has
been a huge amount of interest from retailers and the public, and the
new Fairtrade certified range of coffees will be available in May 2009.

Garedew Yadessa, one of the Oromo community leaders, emphasised the
importance of this self-help initiative: “You can already see what a
difference this project is making to the morale of our community. We have been living here with very little, with very low spirits.  It
has been really excellent to be able to work with the LYF and Bolling
Coffee, and to get advice from Tameside Council. We believe that we
can teach British people a lot about coffee heritage as well as working
hard ourselves – and in doing so, we are helping the smallholders back
home.”

How Can YOU Help? Get Practical!

• Contact the LYF to place an order for the OCC’s coffee for your business/ community group/ workplace/yourself
• Provide some ‘in kind’ support – individuals with skills such as
  business mentoring, PR/ Marketing and financial expertise are very much
  needed by the enterprise
• Make a donation to the LYF in order to support the project/ sponsor the OCC

Contact us now on 07538 690072 or 07944 979721

What is so different about the LYF?
We will work with any smallholder farmers in developing countries who
need help with business and marketing support and learning. We are a
registered UK education charity that seeks to level the playing field
for smallholder producers, so that they can compete fairly in the
marketplace. We are all about empowerment in action – we aim to assist
producers to make the transition from being providers of raw product to
becoming managers of their own businesses, building their
commercial/marketing skills and helping them to develop local brands
and add value to their products.

Who Was Lorna Young?
The Lorna Young Foundation (LYF) is named in memory of Lorna Young, a
marketing specialist seconded from Equal Exchange to be the first Sales
and Marketing Manager for Cafédirect. She was a driven and dynamic
Scotswoman who secured the first supermarket listings for Cafédirect
products, and almost single-handedly took Fairtrade coffee from the
margin to the mainstream. She saw the need for smallholder farmers to
be able to gain the skills and confidence to break into their own local
and regional markets, as well as internationally. Lorna died in 1996 at the age of 44; but her name, and her fierce
commitment to championing the cause of producers, live on through the
LYF.

Green driving techniques help you find love

Green driving advice given to motorists works as well in the planning of the ideal Valentine’s Day date as it does in helping to reduce fuel costs and carbon emissions, according to ethical breakdown company the Environmental Transport Association (ETA).

The ETA advice to motorists (and those in search of love) is:

1. Keep it smooth
Avoiding harsh acceleration and braking saves fuel and reduces wear and
tear (Wining and dining should never be rushed – start the day as you
mean to go on with breakfast in bed)

2. Anticipate
By looking as far as possible up the road it’s possible to reduce
stop/start driving, thereby reducing fuel consumption (Book your
restaurant table early to avoid disappointment)

3. Shed weight
Remove unnecessary clutter from your car and you will use less fuel
(Being a weight you are comfortable with will boost your confidence)

Director of the ETA, Andrew Davis said: “Green driving can help save
the planet and your relationship – a year of following our tips can
save enough money to pay for a meal and night’s stay at a top hotel on
Valentine’s Day.”

A combination of cold weather and cost cutting by as many as 3 million motorists is likely to result in a record number of stranded drivers on Monday 5th January 2009, according to the Environmental Transport Association (ETA), a not-for-profit breakdown company.

December’s cold weather is forecast to continue through the New Year period and this will exacerbate the problem of flat batteries – traditionally the main cause of car breakdowns on the first day back at work after Christmas because vehicles have been left unused.

It is feared that the number of stranded motorists this year may be higher because people are trying to save money by cutting back on what they regard as non-essential services – the equivalent of 3 million drivers are prepared to go without breakdown cover in order to reduce their motoring costs, according to a poll of British motorists conducted by the ETA earlier this month.

Director of the ETA, Andrew Davis said: “It’s not just people who can feel flat following the New Year festivities; the sub-zero temperatures predicted for early January mean many car batteries will fail on that first Monday back to work.”

The ETA will employ a fleet of 8,500 recovery vehicles to rescue motorists this January. It offers the following tips to avoid a breakdown:

1. Most breakdowns at this time of the year are due to flat batteries rather than mechanical failure – try and avoid leaving your car unused for days at a time during the current cold snap.
2. If you already have breakdown cover, make sure it covers you at home as there is a good chance that is where a car battery will fail
3. Doing without breakdown cover can be false economy – prices range from £30 a year.

Visit www.eta.co.uk

Don’t let a breakdown ruin Christmas – get 10% off green breakdown cover

The festive period is the time when a car is most likely to breakdown, so make sure you’ve got a breakdown policy you can trust. ETA’s award winning, green breakdown cover starts from as little as £30, and Ethical junction members get a further 10% discount. Don’t let a breakdown spoil your festive plans.

Click here to claim your discount.

The The Environmental Transport Association (ETA) was established in 1990 as an ethical motoring organisation and sustainable travel lobby group. The ETA is now Britain’s largest charity focused on transport and the environment.

Our aim is to raise awareness of the impact of excessive car use and help individuals and organisations to make positive changes in their travel habits.

We are a not-for-profit organisation – our green transport and environmental projects are funded by the revenue from the services we provide and donations from individuals.

A new type of road that generates electricity as traffic drives  over it could mean British motorists will one day become a source of cheap power, according to green breakdown provider, the Environmental Transport Association (ETA).

The Israeli engineers behind the project claim that a 1km stretch of the power-generating asphalt will generate 400 kilowatts – enough power to run 8 small cars.

If the system was installed on every stretch of British motorway, it would generate enough energy to run 34,500 small cars.

Director at the ETA, Andrew Davis said: “The government predicts a massive shift to electric cars, and it may be that roads themselves will provide some of the new fuel – certain vehicles could be powered entirely by the roads on which they drive.”

“If these electric roads can be put in place without harm to the environment they would be a silver lining to the problem of heavy traffic.”

The new ‘electric road’ will be tested next month when engineers in Israel drive over a road embedded with tiny crystals that produce energy when ’squeezed’ by passing vehicles.

Red Robot launch first urban street wear collection and it’s 100% organic!

London, UK. Designers Red Robot launch their first collection of urban fashion this month. The new collection includes edgy t-shirts and hoodies influenced by current events, cult films and cool music to give them a really distinctive look. The 100% organic range has a mainstream urban street feel with prices ranging from £17.99 for a T-shirt and £39.99 for a hoodie.

The limited edition range of t-shirts feature uber- cool designs based on current news trends such as the fuel crisis. The music and movie collection draws influences from cult films such as Donnie Darko and the Manchester music scene’s Joy Division and the Happy Mondays.

For a great wardrobe staple, check out the Red Robot hoodie in grey marl. This zip-through hoodie is made out of 100% organic cotton with Robot appliqué on sleeve and Red Robot logotype embroidered on the hood. It’s a fashion front runner and a season must.

The team has designed the range with the belief that you don’t have to compromise performance and style to do your bit for the planet. All clothing sold by Red Robot is assessed against a set of ethical criteria covering  areas such as environmental impact and working conditions.

Director, Gavin Wynne says, “We aim to develop our brand with the most interesting and coolest designs around. Our first collection brings together our love of music, film and current affairs with fashion that cares. Red Robot is one of the first fashion labels internationally to develop a brand philosophy with sustainable development at its core.”

The collection is available online at www.redrobot.co.uk and at selected retailers.

WhizzGo is offering a two months free trial until the end of December

This means residents and businesses who are seeking for an alternative to car ownership can sign up and get their Smart Card to try the service without being tied up to any regular membership fee.

All you have to pay is your usage: hourly rates start at £4.35 with petrol and insurance. At the end of the trial, there is no obligation to stay on. The promo code is FREE2. To take advantage of this offer just visit the Whizzgo website.

Whizzgo operates in 12 cities: Belfast, Newcastle, Leeds, York, Sheffield, London, Southampton, Brighton, Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool, St Albans.

Advent email helps beat the credit crunch and save the planet

Sign up to Christian Aid’s inspired advent email and receive daily tips to help beat the credit crunch this Christmas. The handy hints and tips, which will be emailed daily from the 1st December until Christmas Eve, are designed to help consumers save cash, cut their carbon emissions and have some Yuletide fun.

To register for your daily advent tip, simply log on at the Christian Aid website.

Allen & York, a Wimborne based Recruitment Company, prepare to return to the waves as a strong competitor in the 21st anniversary of the Little Britain Challenge Cup (LBCC) this September.

Market leading recruitment specialists serving the Natural and Built Environment sectors in the UK, are returning to Cowes for the second year running, to compete in the worlds largest industry regatta in the UK after Skandia Cowes Week.
 
Since 1988, the LBCC has welcomed Construction Industry professionals to race in a four day sailing event in support of nine chosen charities. Allen & York have donated £000’s to these charities through taking part in the event whilst rewarding members of staff.
 
As Allen & York are an environmentally friendly company familiar with the importance of protecting the environment and supporting sustainability, it was decided upon for team building efforts to utilize a sport fuelled solely by renewable, wind energy.
 
30 places have been filled to crew the Elan 410 Racing Yacht, GBR 410L. The best managers will sail alongside the best developers, best consultants and best support staff. In addition to the pressure of this years competition, the chosen thirty have last years ‘4th in Class’ title to beat.
 
Becoming the first recruitment company serving the environmental sector to earn the Investors in People Award was an achievement won through the underlying belief that the most valuable asset for any business is the people it employs. Rewarding individuals’ performance successes with places at the event recognizes Allen & York’s commitment to its employees.
 
The Ellen MacArthur Trust, Jubilee Sailing Trust, Paralympic Sailing Team and The Cirdan Sailing Trust are the four main charities that Allen & York are supporting by taking part. They are sailing charities helping disadvantaged or disabled people experience the world of sailing.
 
Mark Allen, the Managing Director, said ‘We are very proud to be part of the Little Britain Challenge Cup again this year. It is an opportunity for us to expand our support to a wider variety of charities whilst providing members of staff with encouraging incentives for high-achieving.’