A new environmental blogger has hit the web and his name is Steve Waller. Bringing a new twist on traditional eco blogs, GreenSteve positions himself somewhere between consumer advisor and newspaper as he brings a vast array of topics to your attention.

He’ll advise you on ways to use less energy, create less waste and contribute to an ever growing movement of like-minded people determined to bring about real change through coordinated action.

GreenSteve also doles out the advice to business and gives his own opinions on the role of governments both here in the UK and around the world in tackling climate change. He believes in a holistic approach to bringing about action and knows that it will take consumers, industry and politicians working together to acheive the right end goal.

Some of his best posts so far in his brief blogging career include advice on how to stay warm this winter without burning the cash, ways to become a waste conscious shopper and an investigative approach to supermarket sustainability.

To get the latest updates from his blog sent directly to your inbox, you can sign up to his newsletter or follow him on Twitter or Facebook.

There is plenty more to come from this ambitious young guy and he hopes that his blog can convince people to change their habits for the good of the environment.

GreenSteve is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Bristol-based wholefood producer and wholesaler Essential Trading is celebrating its Ruby Anniversary year from September 16, 2011 to September 2012.

A variety of themed activities and promotions will run throughout the year, culminating in a celebration in September 2012.

“The last 40 years have seen the wholefood market grow exponentially,” says Eli Sarre, marketing manager for Essential.  “Back in the 1970s health food stores were novel and the foods they stocked relatively limited,” she explains.  “But now, through education, a distinct rise in vegetarian and vegan diets, growth in free-from diets and the shift towards organic and ethical foods, we have a strong and thriving industry.  It has been most gratifying for Essential to see the changes and improvements down the decades, and we are looking forward to seeing what the next 40 years will bring.”

“Essential supplied organic and fairtrade food long before it was trendy to do so, for ethical reasons,” says Eli.  “The last few decades have seen significant turning points and boosters for our market.  Of particular note were the F-Plan Diet in the 1980s that encouraged people to eat more fibre and less processed food and Gillian McKeith created a massive demand for pulses,” she recalls.

Despite the supermarkets moving into the ethical, organic and wholefood markets in the 1990s, Essential has stayed true to its values and supplies only the independent health food trade.  This helps retailers retain many unique lines that they know customers cannot find elsewhere.

Essential adheres to a strong code of ethics that runs through its business, employees and suppliers.  It actively supports organic and fairly traded goods and continues to call for the banning GM crops.  It currently carries over 6,000 products as a wholesaler including over 100 of its own Essential branded goods.

www.essential-trading.coop

For more information, contact:

Katherine Selby, Katherine@prworkshop.co.uk; 020 8657 4422

Essential Trading Co-operative Ltd is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Green Building Store’s new Ecoplus³ range of windows & doors launched today (Thursday 30th June 2011) aims to meet the energy efficiency requirements of 2050 and beyond and comes with ultra efficient triple glazing as standard. Ecoplus³ also aims to systematically address the environmental impact of window manufacture, through use of FSC Pure timber, natural timber finishes, boron preservatives and UK manufacture.

Ecoplus³ is the third evolution of Green Building Store’s Ecoplus range since its launch in 1995, and is the most energy efficient Ecoplus range yet, with whole window U values as low as 0.86 W/m2K. Not surprisingly, Ecoplus³ triple glazed windows have also achieved an ‘A’ energy-rating in the BFRC energy rating scheme. Ecoplus has been at the cutting edge of sustainable window design for over 15 years. In 1995 it pioneered the use of safer boron timber treatments and, in 2005, was the first UK manufactured range of windows to be made using FSC Pure 100% timber.

According to Chris Herring, Green Building Store Director and designer of the Ecoplus³ range:
“Ecoplus³ is one of the most energy efficient oak or pine timber window & door ranges made in the UK and offers a unique environmental specification. Ecoplus³’s elegant outward-opening window design also works well in either traditional or contemporary settings, offering a beautiful and sustainable solution for retrofitting homes to low energy standards.”

Buildings can lose 10-25% of their heat through windows but this can be considerably improved through use of energy efficient glazing. Green Building Store believes that only triple glazed windows and doors will be the correct specification to complement the necessary super insulation measures which the existing housing stock needs to address the threat of climate change.

As well as offering high thermal performance, the Ecoplus³ range combines a number of  sustainable features. Ecoplus³ is handmade in Green Building Store’s Yorkshire workshops to high standards of quality and durability, using FSC Pure engineered pine or oak. Ecoplus³ is also treated with inorganic boron-based mineral salts, widely recognised as the safest and most environmentally benign treatment available.  It is then finished with OSMO natural plant based finishes, which are so safe they have been deemed safe enough to use on children’s toys (safety standard EN71).

As a special introductory offer, Green Building Store is offering 10% off all Ecoplus³ orders placed before 15/08/11. For more information on Ecoplus³ or for a FREE quote,  contact Green Building Store’s Ecoplus³ department on 01484 463336 or email: emma@greenbuildingstore.co.uk.

As a special introductory offer, Green Building Store is offering 10% off all Ecoplus³ orders placed before 15/08/11.

Green Building Store is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

As we approached Barnes, there were shops and my kids were so bored of sitting in the car, their faces said it all – “oh no not more shopping”, but then we turned left off of the high street. As the sat nav said “you have reached your destination” the kids peered out of the window and all they saw was a gravel car park – “Wow Wee, we are in for a really fun day out, NOT!!”, came from my oldest daughter’s mouth as she rolled her eyes – a look I am getting used to.

As we walked over the bridge to the entrance of the London Wetlands Centre the traffic and hustle and bustle of ordinary life seemed a distance memory. We bought our tickets and went through into the courtyard to begin our adventure. Apart from the odd plane going overhead to and from Heathrow airport, this place is a haven.

We saw all different types of geese, swans, ducks and more exotic birds and we completely forgot that we were so close to London. We hooked up with a group of people who were following a keeper feeding the birds. When the birds saw the keeper they became very vocal and couldn’t wait to be fed. It was funny to see them all quiet and going about their own business and when they realised that lunch was on its way how excited they all became.

We walked around for ages, enjoying the tranquillity and beauty all around us. We hid in the hides and tried to spot unusual wildlife, peered into ponds hoping to see something looking back at us and took funny photographs of ourselves with plants that we had never seen before.

Job Done! Happy Children

Animal Days Out is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Sunday 10^th October, 10:10:10, is a global day of positive action on climate change. From sumo wrestlers cycling to training in Japan to 10,000 schools planting trees in Croatia and Russia; from a carbon-cutting telethon on national TV in the Netherlands, to hundreds of people in the UK sitting down to low-carbon Sunday lunches, it is going to be a really inspirational day.

Children’s lifestyle brand Tatty Bumpkin has always been at the forefront of ethically sourced clothing and this year saw them become the first children’s brand in the UK to launch an entirely carbon neutral collection. It has complimented their existing range of fairtrade, organic and sustainable clothing and accessories.

Government website Actonco2.direct.gov.uk recommends easy ways to cut your fashion carbon footprint: “Look out for labels such as Organic, Öeko-tex, Fair Trade, all of which show the garment has been made in a way that minimises its impact on the environment”. In addition to being carbon neutral, Tatty Bumpkin uses SKAL certified cotton and Öecotex certified bamboo; dyes are all enzyme free making them perfect for sensitive skin.

Through a company called Piqqo, the carbon footprint for the lifespan of each of the carbon neutral garments in the Tatty Bumpkin range has been calculated and offset through carbon credits. In this case, the offsets are all in support of the Kikonda Reforestation Project in Uganda. The Reserve employs and trains local people to restore and expand forest areas through tree planting initiatives. More than 200 people have found work through the reforestation activities and their families have settled in the surrounding neighbourhood making the Kikonda Forest Reserve one of the most peaceful areas of the district.

When a customer purchases one of Tatty Bumpkin’s carbon neutral garments they will receive a tag with a unique code which, when entered onto Piqqo’s website, details the project and how the carbon credits are being used.  

Another factor in reducing one’s fashion carbon footprint is the longevity of items.  Tatty Bumpkin road-test their clothes on their own children, so you can be guaranteed that they are going to last no matter how active your little one is. “To make a tonne of clothing uses more energy than to make a tonne of steel. Yet in the UK we buy 2 million tonnes of clothes every year, and chuck more than half of that into landfill sites. Buying to last means you can splash out every now and then on well-made designs that will last longer – and you’ll be tackling climate change in the process.”

For more information on Tatty Bumpkin or their ethical credentials please contact Amy. 01732 812212 amy@tattybumpkin.com

To view the full range of Tatty Bumpkin products please visit http://www.tattybumpkinshop.com

For more information on Piqqo and the Kikonda Forestation Project please visit http://www.piqqoprojects.com

For more information on 10:10:10 please visit http://www.1010global.org/uk

Tatty Bumpkin is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Big news today as we launch our major new FREE booklet – The Modern Life Survival Guide.  Just click this link to visit our website to download it.www.lifesquared.org.uk check out our other free guides, courses and resources!www.lifesquared.org.uk
info@lifesquared.org.uk
Visit my new blog – http://changestar.blogspot.com
Become a fan on Facebook
Follow Life_squared on Twitter
 

The guide is a beautiful 48 page booklet that examines some of the problems and pressures of modern life – including consumerism, stress and our fast pace of life – and sets out some of the practical steps we can take to flourish within these conditions, including how to be more resilient, how to simplify the world, how to live in line with your values and how to live at your own pace.

We need your help to spread the word about this guide, so please forward this email to anyone who you think might be interested in it.  Many thanks!

We hope you enjoy the guide – whilst at

All the best,
 
Richard Docwra
Director
Life²

Life² is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Model Naomi Campbell testified that she was given some ‘dirty looking stones’ in 1997. Read the BBC news story here and hear her testimony:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-10875811

Jeremy Vine gave a wonderful lunch time show  on BBC Radio 2  6th August on the issue of Blood Diamonds, Ethical Diamonds and War Crimes.

Listen to it by clicking here:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/shows/jeremy-vine/

Michelle Tuck called in and spoke  very well on behalf of  UK’s ethical jewellers . Fifi Bijoux maintains that the sale of blood diamonds finances conflict and thus can be implemented in war crimes and crimes against humanity in many civil war situations. Transparency and known provenance of diamonds is the surest method of protecting the consumer and the integrity of the jeweller. We specialize in sourcing ethically mined diamonds from known mining projects and origins.

You can learn more about the context of the case against Charles Taylor by viewing Brightwide’s film click the link below to be taken to their site and look for ‘Pray The Devil Back To Hell’

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pray-The-Devil-Back-To-Hell/10831840869

Fifi Bijoux is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Scaramanga’s new stock of vintage wooden shaving boxes, old money boxes and spice pots are all about colour!

Of course, don’t panic; there is still a new and extensive choice of classic and timeless pieces showing the naturally beautiful tones of the wood. But for those who want something to really stand out or who just love all things colourful, the new selection also includes a fantastic array of colours from blue to pink; with patterns, engraving and without.

Each piece will have been painted at some point in the past by a previous owner, which has faded over time, revealing some of the original colour of the wood underneath: perfect for jazzing up any interior, whilst still leaving a wonderful worn vintage look.

Shaving boxes make great trinket boxes, gifts or women’s jewellery boxes whilst spice pots add a unique touch to the kitchen, or anywhere around the house you like. 

Available in various sizes, colours and styles, Scaramanga spice pots, shaving boxes and small wooden boxes start from £20.

www.scaramangashop.co.uk

Scaramanga is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

Modern life takes place at a frenetic pace.  We are surrounded by influences – including the media, employers and even friends – telling us to go faster, take more action and be more productive with our time.  It is easy to be swept along by this culture of speed and productivity, and easy to lose sight of the fact that each of us actually has a choice as to the pace of life we adopt.

Some people may enjoy busy, frantic  and pressurised lives, but many other people will find this way of living extremely stressful, and won’t want to reach the end of their lives wishing they’d taken more time to ‘enjoy the journey’. 

Our new guide provides a list of simple things you can do to challenge the modern ‘culture of speed’, so that you can make an informed choice as to which pace of life suits you best.  Click here to download it for FREE! 

To download this, or any of our free publications (including ‘The mind diet’, ‘How to find wonder in everyday life’ and ‘How to live ethically’), just visit the Publications section of our website and go through the usual checkout process of purchasing them in our shop – and you will not be billed for them or asked to give any financial details.

Life² is a not-for-profit organisation helping people to ‘live well’ within the pressure and complexity of the modern world. 

www.lifesquared.org.uk
info@lifesquared.org.uk
Visit my new blog – http://changestar.blogspot.com
Become a fan on Facebook
Follow Life_squared on Twitter

Life² is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more

With more and more people working from home, the market for home office furniture has been booming.  Buying a desk for your home is certainly not as straightforward as purchasing for the traditional workplace – the furniture will often be situated within the heart of your home where a modern workstation may not compliment your room scheme.  With space at a premium and many rooms having dual functions, it is essential that when ‘not at work’ your desk space can be enjoyed for its own beauty and be useful within the room.

One viable alternative is to look towards solid wood furniture, designed with the same functionality as a modern work station, but with a natural beauty which fits into your home more discreetly, allowing you to use the room and the furniture itself for other purposes when not working from home.  Here are some useful key points to consider when making your choice:

• Size and space – If a room is used as an office as well as another function (guest room, music room), do consider the space that you are willing to allocate to your work station.  If space is tight, try to opt for a petite office desk and clever storage options.
• Storage options - remember that working from home often entails more than just a laptop on a desk, there is also your printer, paperwork, files and other work paraphernalia to be housed.  Look to purchase complementing furniture such as bookcases, filing cabinets and other storage options to keep your work area functional and allow your office clutter to be stored out of sight once the working day is over.
• Finish and style – as mentioned, it’s not always attractive to have an ultra-modern work station sitting in prime position within your home.  There are lots of great alternatives on the market today, including traditional style and solid wood desks, filing cabinets & bookcases which may be more appropriate for the style of your home. 

Finally, remember that this is a purchase for your home and is furniture that will hopefully be with you for many years.  A few extra pounds of investment on a high quality product now could save you money in the long run… cheapest is not always the best!

See all Myakka’s Home Office range here.   See all of our furniture, textiles and accessories at www.myakka.co.uk

Myakka is an active member of Ethical Junction, learn more