Every now and then I come across a book that just grabs me and won’t let me go until I’ve finished it.  It’s not always obvious at first and I have to confess that I was unsure what I was in for when I opened John-Paul Flintoff’s new title.  But once I started I was hooked.

The author is a journalist and a committed environmentalist  who delights in all things that are away from the mainstream.  You know that ‘game’ where you decide on people’s personalities based on the Winnie the Pooh characters?  Well, John-Paul is most definitely Tigger….  In the book he throws himself into a dizzying array of different situations getting largely enthused by much of what he comes across in his search for a new purpose in his life.

The cast list in the book includes an eclectic mix including Richard Gere, Jeremy Clarkson, Rob Hopkins and Prince Charles’ tailor.  Add in posthumous contributions from the Buddha, Mahatma Ghandi, Aldous Huxley, Adam Smith and John Ruskin and you begin to see the breadth of material covered.

The subjects John-Paul looks into range from religion and peak oil to sweatshops and consumerism.  But central to it all is the matter of clothing, how it’s made, who makes it, who profits, who is exploited and who decides what you wear.  J-P experiments with crocheting, knitting, treadle sewing machines and making yarn out of nettles, plastic bags and the wool of a blue faced Leicester.

I found Through the Eye of a Needle an inspiring read.  It conveys an infectious joy in all of us taking individual actions in our lives to address the calamities we see all around us.  As J-P says when a dinner guest rubbishes what he is up to on the basis that people can’t do anything meaningful “Like many people, this woman was paralysed by the scale of the problems facing us, combined with the urgency.  She should relax: we can’t do everything at once.  We can, make a great deal of change incrementally.  And there’s nothing we can do except as individuals.”

Taking his own advice John-Paul makes himself a pair of underpants……

Take my advice and read this book – you’ll feel all the better for it.  If you don’t I’ll eat my hat (so long as it’s made from nettles of course).

‘Through the Eye of a Needle’ is published by the wonderfully sustainable Permanent Publications for a miserly £7.95.

Want
to get crafting and lacking in inspiration? Perhaps you’re looking for party
bag gifts or stocking fillers? Or perhaps you’re just looking for a token gift
for someone who has everything? Look no further, our Fair Trade Beading Kits
are the perfect starting point! 

The
small tin contains everything you need to make your very own necklace including
beads, string and clasp.  With ten colours to choose from, you can be sure that
each necklace will be as unique as the person that’s made it.

Produced
in India by TARA Projects, a non-profit organisation.  They help to generate
steady work and income for their craft workers by providing opportunities and
helping to develop skills.

For further information click HERE (http://www.onlyfair.co.uk/acatalog/Beading_Kits.html) to
view the item.

The Green Building Bible, Volume 2, 4th Edition The natural choice for anyone interested in eco-building.

The fourth edition of The Green Building Bible, Volume 2, has just been published. This book gives in-depth technical information and data on the strategies and the systems needed to create low energy, green buildings. The new edition builds upon the great success of the previous edition, which sold out earlier this year. The new edition has been completely updated and extended (now 295 pages) with new sections on glazing systems, conservatories, post occupancy evaluation, hydrogen and fuel cells, biomass heating systems, thermal mass, optimum insulation thickness, whole life costing and embodied energy and heat pumps. It offers comprehensive information, in an easily understood, full colour format that is certain to help anyone interested in protecting the planet and reducing their fuel bills at the same time. Both books have been written and edited specifically to guide the reader through the processes involved and to help them to understand what is possible and what is not.

Subjects covered in detail include: climate and energy, siting buildings, the building’s form and function, fabric and elements, complying with the Building Regulations, infiltration and ventilation, air tightness, energy and renewables, lighting and heating, cooling, water conservation, energy management and monitoring.

With all this information, the book cannot fail to inform and educate both professionals and homeowners about the opportunities available for improving the quality of their home for their family, the community and the wider environment. The authors are all green building experts.

Volume 2 costs just £9.95 inc. p&p. It can be ordered online at www.greenbuildingbible.co.uk or direct from the Green Building Press: PO Box 32, Llandysul,SA44 5ZA

Collaborating with Hemingway Design, Wildcard Creative have designed and produced another dynamic space in which to showcase the most exciting talent in the Danish Architectural community.

Taking over the underground car-park of the Arne Jacobsen designed Danish Embassy for an exhibition of sustainable Danish Architecture, Wildcard transformed the entire space with over 1000 CAD cut cardboard profiles up to 3 metres high, incorporating plasma screens, audio and digital print. The entire installation uses recycled materials and will eventually be recycled at the end of its life.

 "The opportunity to showcase forward thinking, sustainable architectural projects in such an unusual yet iconic location just couldn’t be missed. Everything we do comes from a sustainable viewpoint, and being able to show just exactly what can be done with the most humble of materials, cardboard, is really exciting for us" says Director Jamie Douglas. Part of London Festival of Architecture, the event is open to the public until 12th July, Tues – Fri 3-7 PM, Saturday 12-4 PM.

The exhibition is due to travel to other Danish embassies around the globe, schedules to be announced.

Wildcard consider every aspect of their projects with a view to sustainability, and were the first exhibition contractor to be audited and achieve Low Carbon Product and Low Carbon Supplier status through Put Something Back, part of the Carbon Clear initiative.

Wildcard believes that a sustainable approach to design shouldn’t come at a premium or with any compromise on creativity.