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Conscientious Consumerism |
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Shopping smarter…
 | Shopping less...
 | Becoming a conscientious consumer isn't a Get-Out-Of-Climate-Chaos-Free card. In addition to buying better we need to simply buy less. 'Reduce, re-use, recycle' goes the mantra, but reduce doesn't get much press. We in the West must take the lead, doing our bit to reduce over-consumption and waste.
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The Green Pound: Mother's Day |
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Shopping smarter… MOTHER's DAY
It's time to show your mother (or the mother of your children) just how much you care. While you're at it, show her you care about the planet too, by selecting earth-kind presents.
I love the luxurious candles (above) from  Neom Luxury Organics (hint, hint!). Today's hassled and harried mums could really do with the 'Rebalance: Destress' blend of mandarin, cinnamon and clove. Or pamper her with the 'Luxury Unwind' bath oil (right) with rich organic oils and soothing bergamot, French lavender and patchouli.
Toby Pomeroy and the artisans at his studio use 100% reclaimed gold and silver for sleek yet sustainable jewellery.
If your partner's a mum-to-be, treat her to the Natalia products for pregnancy, birth and beyond from Vital Touch. New mums may still be in shock from the demands of early parenthood, but the New Parent Survival Box can help her recover, with pampering potions for her and baby massage oil (and instruction booklet) to help mum and baby bond. Vital Touch also creates bespoke blended creams or bath oils, making a perfect, one-of-a-kind gift for the woman in your life.
Sometimes what a mother really really wants is to not feel quite so mumsy. Let her know you still see the woman you fell madly in love with (even if she's temporarily hidden beneath a slightly crumpled or crabby exterior) by surprising her with something saucy from the Eco Boudoir range at Figleaves.com.
Treat her to a pamper hamper like the Mother's Day Hamper from Turnham Green, with a selection of tasty treats and some indulgent
extras for bath time, all packed in a smart jute bag. Order your hamper by 3pm Thursday 28th February to ensure delivery by Mothers' Day.
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Shopping less… MOTHER's DAY
What do mother's really want for Mother's Day this year? (2 March in the UK, 11 May in the US)
OK, some really *do* want a diamond tennis bracelet and nothing else will do.
But most mums want a bit of care, attention, consideration, love and especially appreciation – and not just one day, but every day of the year.
It's become a cliché to moan about the commercialisation of Mother's Day, but I believe it's important to celebrate special occasions, to take the time to tell our loved ones how much we appreciate them. This doesn't mean you ignore them the rest of the year – or that you have to spend spend spend on yet more gifts and gadgets.
Make her a homemade gift certificate for a candlelit dinner, a week's worth of lie-ins, a loving (if not expert) massage, or simply name all the chores you'll take off her To-Do list this month.
Spending time together can be the best present of all, so treat her to a night at the cinema (her choice – and if it's The Other Boleyn Girl, try not to wax too lyrical about Scarlett and Natalie's feminine charms), Sunday lunch at her favourite restaurant, an evening of theatre or a day in a spa.
Many mums say the best part of the day is the traditional breakfast in bed (complete with slightly burned toast and lopsided pancakes) and especially the homemade cards. Why If your children are young, why not get them to do a mini-masterpiece and frame it as a lasting memento of this special day.
To go truly green, instead of buying blooms, put a handful of daffs or other flowers from your back garden into her prettiest vase (I love this darling hand-thrown, made-in-Whitstable 'Flower' vase by Keith Brymer Jones at Beth Stevens), but don't be tempted to gather wildflowers from your local hillside, common or park. It may sound romantic, but it's actually illegal without permission (and the last thing she needs on Mother's Day is to have to post your bail!) |
 Homemade biscuits always hit the spot, especially when they're charmingly imperfect, as shaped by tiny hands. (Great for grandmas too.) Pile them high in a sweet pot from Emma Bridgewater: all her earthenware is made by hand using traditional techniques in her factory in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire.
 Make sure your flowers aren't costing the earth. Scented Narcissi grow on the Isles of Scilly, 28 miles off the coast of Cornwall, so travel only a fraction of the distance of South American or African blooms and arrive in a biodegradable box (from £29.95 for a box of 100). Order online between October and April.
If only roses will do, get these gorgeous pink and red blooms from The Organic Flower Company at By Nature. Each bouquet is delivered with a card seeded with wild flowers seeds to be planted in her garden.
Arena Flowers claims to be the first UK florist to sell a selection of flowers and plants accredited by the Fair  Flowers Fair Plants (FFP) Organisation, set up to monitor and check ethical standards. Instead of blossoms, try plants like this gorgeous orchid, which Mum can enjoy for longer.
A tree is a lasting tribute to your wonderful mother. The beautiful Silver Birch Tree, known as the 'Lady of the Woods' symbolises birth and fertility, so is a perfect choice for Mother's Day; just £24.50 online at Tree2MyDoor.
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The Green Pound: Shoes |
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Shopping smarter… SHOES
Forget floppy, shapeless Jesus sandals – green shoes have come a long way, baby. Today’s creative
eco and ethical shoemakers make it easy to clad your feet in green cred. Alongside comfy green shoes at Hempathy (right), cruelty-free footwear at Ethical Wares and vegetarian shoes at Freerangers, there's a growing selection for the fashion-conscious with a conscience.
I am a big fan of Green Shoes (right) with its smart boots, pretty pumps and comfy sandals. Handmade in Totnes, the shoes can be resoled and repaired (for the ultimate green halo). There’s a handsome range for men and a colourful kids' selection, which can be adorned with appliqués. Green Shoes favours eco-tan leather in natural tones or gently dyed in toxin-free colours. There’s also a vegan range.
For city chic, try Terra Plana (left), winners of the Observer Ethical Fashion Products of the Year, 2007. They're made from eco-friendly materials such as chrome-free leather, vegetable tanned leather, recycled fabrics, recycled rubber soles and 'E-leather' made from leather by-products. |
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Shopping less… SHOES Am I the only woman in the Western world without a shoe fetish? I keep reading about a section of women's brains devoted to shoe worship (I always suspected I was a few brain cells shy) but I never slaver over shoe porn or need a loan to cover excessive binges. For me, shoe shopping is more chore than indulgent luxury.
Why am I lacking a passion for shoe fashion? It's partly the result of my tomboy years and partly due to the Cinderella complex, or more aptly the 'Ugly Stepsister Complex'. When one’s feet are not petite, trying on shoes is no fairytale experience – though not quite so grim as in the original Brothers Grimm. Whilst trying to cram their fat feet into the glass slipper, one stepsister hacked off her heel and one sliced off her toes, all to impress Prince Charming. Sadly, today's wannabe princesses are also submitting to the knife (toe shortening and straightening, nail narrowing and bunion removal) in order to seduce Mr Right with sky-high heels and teensy-toed sandals. Plus ça change.
Back to my shoe shop shame – when I spy a lovely little slipper on the shelf and ask for a pair in my size, the assistant returns bearing a box containing the true ugly stepsisters, swollen and misshapen shoes that look as if they've eaten all the pies (not to mention Big Macs and Krispy Kremes). Cinders, your reign is assured.
I loved Sex and the City, but glazed over when the talk turned from fellatio to footwear. At one point Miranda calculated that Carrie had wasted 40 grand on her shoe obsession. Tsk tsk. Oh dear – perhaps I'm more like that Miranda than I care to admit. |
Beyond Skin (below) is catnip for shoe divas, with  sleek shoes made to order in the UK using no animal products. Sui Generis is its luxury label. For top trainers visit Worn Again (below) 'powered by’ Anti Apathy and made by Terra Plana. The  shoes are crafted from recycled materials such as prison blankets, car seatsand reclaimed jeans. Protest against sweatshop labour with
Blackspot Sneakers by Adbusters (left,produced by Vegetarian shoes) and NoSweat trainers (below).If your old trainers are too shabby for the charity shop, Nike takes its own back with its
Reuse-A-Shoe programme, where shoes get a second life as bouncy basketball or tennis courts and running tracks.
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Is it just bitterness that makes me scornful of the force-fed 'trends' each season? Pointy toes, square toes, rounded toes – I can't keep up with what’s hot or not and console myself with the thought that it's all just a plot to keep fashionistas in overdraught. My priorities are comfort, puddle power and keeping up with the kiddies on scooters (not the Bridget Joneses).
This autumn's fashion pages have pushed the ankle boot into the spotlight like a Jane Austen matron desperate to marry off her homely elder daughter. (I'd swear some fashion editors must own stock in an ankle boot manufacturer). I can't see the allure myself – all the pain and wobbles of a high heel without the sex appeal. And a sure-fire bet to be on the ‘Going Down’ lists before Christmas (meaning more depressingly disposable fashion).
Recently, respected green guru Lucy Siegle said it's "heresy to tell you to keep your running shoes for longer than the recommended six months – even unworn models lose some of their shock-absorbing cushion after 12 to 24 months." Errr.. Lucy overestimates my exercise regime (which consists of scooter chasing and sprinting to catch the bus). My trainers from 1999 are still going strong, though admittedly they did lack spring during my recent HydroActive Challenge run for Kids In Museums.
 Luckily the course was so crowded at the back, I barely managed more than a leisurely stroll.
Still, I do think it’s time to buy a new pair (I'll take my own advice: left) especially since my feet have expanded a bit post-pregnancy – like the rest of me, if I'm honest. That's it, no more excuses – a new pair of trainers, please (and yes, super size them).
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 Shopping smarter… CARS
You know you should be on your bike or on foot, but there are time when only four wheels will do. I admit the car above doesn't really qualify as 'hot'. Venturi's Eclectic is a high-concept vehicle with solar, wind and electric power but not much pulling power. Still, you can always stay home each night polishing your green halo. Or hit the road in an electric Venturi Fetish, whose sleek and sexy style would satisfy even a man in the midst of a midlife crisis. If you buy an electric car, it should be exempt from road tax, vehicle excise duty and the London Congestion charge. You can even get short-term free parking at meters and pay-and-display bays in Westminster, the City and elsewhere (take a look at electricparking.com for details and info on re-charging infrastructure).  The G-Wiz is the hottest electric car on the block. Winner of several green car awards, it's the most popular earth-kind car in London, with celebs like Kirstin Scott Thomas and Jonathan Ross on board. This nippy car is emission-free (when charged via renewable sources) and even carbon neutral, thanks to distributor GoinGreen's offsets.
Other popular city runabouts include the zippy ZENN (zero emissions, no noise) and the Mega City electric car (built in France and available in the UK exclusively from the NICE Car Company).  
For all the latest green car news, log on to WhatGreenCar.com, the UK's independent guide to the best green cars (including electric, hybrid and low-emission petrol). And visit GreenCarSite.co.uk for car reviews, news and green car classifieds. |
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Shopping less… CARS
This Alliance Against Urban 4x4s T-shirt denounces today's supersized cars, but whatever car is currently in your garage, could you drive it less – or even get rid of it altogether?
Instead of hopping in a car, hail a green cab from Greentomatocars, which has an all-Prius fleet. The Prius emits less than half the CO2 of a black cab.
Take a look at Sustrans for inspiration on all sorts of car-free journeys, and if you're in London, visit the award-winning WalkIt.com (it's like sat-nav for pedestrians!) If you're using public transport, visit Transport for London for news, deals and a journey planner to help you find the most hassle-free car-free way to get where you need to go.
 Car clubs are gaining in popularity as people recognise the wisdom of only paying for a car when you actually use it. They're great for reducing road congestion (it's estimated that each club car takes up to 20 private cars off the road) and you should save a packet over owning your own. Club cars average around £5 per hour (you usually need to buy a smartcard and pay an insurance deposit to join up).  The UK’s largest car club is Streetcar, featuring low-emission VW Golfs and Polos and now VW Transporter vans, handy for those times when you need to schlep more than a hatchback can hold.  WhizzGo offers Citroen C3 cars at £4.95 an hour, including VAT, fuel, insurance, 24-hour roadside assistance, road tax, servicing, maintenance and even the London congestion charge. Other car clubs include Zipcar and City Car Club. So what are you waiting for? Join up now to enjoy the pleasures of driving – without all the hassles. |
If you do decide to own a car, get green insurance with Ibuyeco - car insurance, who help you offset your emissions with partner The CarbonNeutral Company (over 18,000 tons offset already!)
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If you're on the lookout for a cool summer tipple that
doesn't cost the earth, why not support the growing UK wine industry – and
reduce transport miles – by trying wines from:
Ridgeview
Wine Estate
Vintage
Roots (which
also has organic beers, ciders, spirits, liqueurs and even soft drinks).
A little-known secret is that many of the world's best
wines are already grown organically, such as Burgundy's Domaine Leflaive – Anne-Claude
Leflaive is famous for her
commitment to biodynamics. (Find it at
independent merchant Imbibros.) Another respected name is California's Bonterra, but surely from
the list above you can find a more local wine that tempts your taste buds.
If beer's your bevvy of choice, sample the heavenly hops from St Peter's Brewery (above). They brew real ales with local East Anglian malts and British
hops and with water drawn from below St. Peter’s Hall. St. Peter's Organic Best Bitter was Champion Beer at the 2005 Worcester CAMRA Beer Festival.
In addition to its own range of real ales and Green Goblin oak-aged cider, Wychwood Brewery has a selection of beers brewed exclusively for Duchy Originals, including the Organic Ale (right) and a special Summer Ale. Wychwood also produces the Brakspear range, including Organic Blonde.
Freedom Beer (makers of the award-winning Freedom Organic Lager) is available at trendy watering holes around the country, such as the Vibe
Bar in Brick Lane, the National Theatre, Shakespeare's Globe and The Flea  Pit,
where we popped in recently for a friend's 40th and found a fab range
of organic and microbrewed tipples.
Cider's my top tipple. Try the refreshing Westons Organic Cider (left) or traditional brews from Pennard (below, right). In addition to organic ale, Samuel Smith also
makes organic cider, and the UK has many small
breweries cooking up all-natural apple-tising ciders. A Lot Of Organics carries several brands, so you can perform your own tantalising taste test.
For a carbon-neutral cocktail (with all organic and/or fair-trade ingredients) visit London hotspot
Ember
in Farringdon. If nothing but a G&T will help you keep your cool this summer, make sure you stock up on Juniper Green's Organic London Dry Gin (left).
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Shopping less… DRINKS
Want to be the hostess with the mostest?
Then you simply must purchase a built-in, state-of-the-art, multi-temperature wine cooler.
When I was a lass, a wine cooler was a
neon-coloured, sickly-sweet drink, but now it's a
mini-fridge being touted as 'essential' for the modern kitchen.
You say you're not familiar with this appliance? They're
everywhere – even Boots
is selling them online. They're popping up in all the homes magazines too –
the drool factor and repeated mantra to 'buy buy buy' are a vital
part of creating demand.
There we were, happily going about with our lives, not
realising that at our next party we'd be a laughing stock if we didn't have
52 bottles chilled to optimum temperature. Yes, that's 52 – some
models hold even more. You wonder if you really need that much
tipple on tap? Pah! You never know when friends might pop round
and make it Pimm's o'clock.
The ad for one of these power poachers states proudly, "Show off
your collection in style..."
And here we come to the heart of the matter. It's all about showing
off, like the ubiquitous restaurant-sized cookers which fill today's
'luxury' kitchens, and which somehow manage to keep that newfangled gleam (perhaps it's because the
microwave's working overtime, cranking out the ready meals.)
These wine chillers aren't just an instantly regretted impulse buy
either – I've just spotted one for a cool £2749. Empower yourself by
resisting the temptation to acquire yet another superfluous appliance
(and the associated credit card bills). Have I mentioned the garlic
roaster a relative was given one Christmas – definitely essential, and
who could resist the attractive, garlic-shaped design, which you'll
surely want cluttering up your countertop 365 days a year. Straight
into the cupboard with that and all the other 'must-haves' in
department store showrooms.
I realise I'm not as discerning as many wine buffs – so long as it's white and cold,
I'm usually content. And like most folks, I don't own a serious wine collection,
therefore have no need for perfect climate-controlled conditions for my plonk.
If you actually do, why not invest instead in this
lower-carbon solution: the Spiral Cellar.
Hidden under a trap door, it can keep up to 1,600 bottles in ideal
conditions using the earth's natural insulation plus a
(power-free) air-flow system to maintain its constant temperature. | |
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Shopping smarter…
When you don’t own a car,
shopping is a risky business. Your eyes are usually bigger than your biceps,
and you risk spraining a wrist on the long walk home. At times like these a
pushchair becomes not a burden but a  blessing, doubling up as a handy trolley.
Alas my son’s pushchair days are almost over, so I’m going to have to find
another way to transport bits and bobs. I do sometimes nip to the shops with
the pushchair sans toddler, but tiring of the “Hey, you forgot your baby!” jokes. Besides, it’s really not a
good look.
So now I'm planning my transformation into 21st-century trolley dolly. Shopping
trolleys used to rank just a smidge above Zimmer frames in the fashion stakes,
but now trolleys  are going trendy – amazing what a little splash of colour can
do. If these smart shoppers get people walking to the high street instead of
driving to out-of-town superstores, it’s worth it (organic cotton or not).
The pink Orbita, £62 (top), and psychedelic PSICO, £70 (right) from Rolser are the opposite of wallflowers and make a loud, proud fashion
statement. 
If
you're a label lover, it may take a designer trolley to prise you out of your car. This one's in signature Orla Kiely
style, £200, in brown, red or blue.
If you still think trolleys are more spinster
than hipster, the collapsible Hook and Go by DeWeNe (Designs We Need) 
might convince you. It's £45 for the frame, and the certified organic bags are £17 for four.
It’ll certainly attract attention. It can carry eight full bags (32 kilos) and nothing gets
squashed. Result!
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Shopping less...
If you’re getting an organic farm box  each
week (or even growing your own ), your shopping bags won't be quite so heavy, so you might choose bag lady over trolley dolly.
These tempting totes are so cute you won’t mind carrying them every day, so you won’t get caught out
and end up with a plastic bag (and a red face).
Instead of a carrier bag, try a Carry-a-Bag, a trendy
tote you can carry off with pride. The lined bags are handmade in Hastings,  reversible
and and lined with recycled vintage home furnishing fabrics such as
tablecloths or curtains. Every bag is unique and there’s even one for
the boys. ‘Time to save the Planet, Dudes’, £20 (left) is made from
organic fairtrade calico
lined with vintage Superman comic fabric circa 1978. Ladies may prefer
the 'Luscious Linen' bag, £45 (above), made from pristine vintage
upholstery fabric by Sandersons, and lined with organic calico.
Kat Boon combines the finest cotton,
silk, leather and suede with vintage textiles to create chic home accessories. She even does commissions,
if you have some fabric you want to bring back to life. Her 100% recycled tote bags
are a pleasure to carry. Try this 'Kitsch Kitchen' tote with a quirky 60s print, £20.
If you're not one to mince words, carry this
brazen bag, £20, from Marissa Vanderzee
Marissa uses natural fabrics  sourced in England, Northern Ireland and Italy and
makes the bags in the UK.
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Water water everywhere... |
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 Shopping smarter…
For those times you're caught out and about without your flask
of tap water, pick up a (guilt-free) biodegradable and compostable bottle of Belu
Natural Mineral Water ( belu.org). The bottles are made from corn (100% renewable!) and can be commercially composted back to soil in 12 weeks
(approximately a million years faster than typical plastics).
Belu sources its water in Shropshire,
cutting transport miles. They also use
wind energy and offset any additional carbon output.
Belu contributes 100% of its net profits to clean
water projects in the UK and abroad, working with WaterAid. Belu is also working
on a ‘rubbish muncher’ to remove 45 tons
of plastic bags, bottles and other detritus from the Thames. Find Belu in
trend-setting restaurants (still or sparkling, served in glass bottles) and top supermarkets. |
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Shopping less…
We all get a thirst on. Luckily, Brits have an ingenious system
that brings us clean water for free (well, around
£1 per 1000 litres). Nonetheless, we've been conned into buying over
two billion bottles of 'blue gold' per year (average price: 95p/litre).
The emperor's new cocktail isn't just dear, it's environmentally
unpalatable, with ridiculous travel miles – Fiji, for goodness
sake? – and plastic bottles. A quarter
of the world suffers from water poverty while the rest of us guzzle
'luxury' water.
Tap water is clean and safe. Really. (See the Drinking Water Inspectorate’s website.) The trouble is, tap water isn't cool. Couldn't some celebs make flasks the hot new arm candy?
Ten out of 10 for Times restaurant critic Giles Coren. He marks down
restaurants if the waiter doesn't offer tap water first, and the only
bottle he accepts is Belu. | |
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Clean up your act |
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Shopping smarter…
 Some people can be accused
of jumping on the green bandwagon, but not Julia Hailes. In 1988, she wrote The
Green Consumer Guide with John Elkington and she's been
campaigning for the green cause ever since. On the 21 st of May,
she launches The
New Green Consumer Guide, completely updated with the best green
products, brands and companies – and the ones who are not as green as they seem. For info on new
products, discussion forums and links to eco sites, visit newgreenconsumer.com.
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Shopping less…
Stop
subsidising big corporations that manufacture harsh chemical cleansers. Clean
up with lemons, salt, borax and those stalwarts of the gleaming green home,
bicarbonate of soda and white vinegar (adding your own elbow grease, of course.) For top tips on natural cleaning see The
Women’s Environmental Network ( wen.org.uk)
– that doesn’t mean the men are
off the hook, by the way! WEN also lists earth-friendly stockists.
Baking soda often comes in tiny quantities, so buy in bulk at Dri-Pak (£11 for 2.4kg of bicarbonate of soda). The site also has helpful hints for going natural. | |
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 Tesco has launched a fleet
of battery-powered, zero-emission delivery vans by Modec, based at
the Green Store in Shrewsbury and some London stores. Each zero-emission van will save 21 tonnes of CO2
per year (51,000 car miles) in
addition to the 6,000 car journeys that an average dotcom van takes off the
road each year. The
Green Store in Shrewsbury will use 40% less energy than a conventional store, with innovative heating and
cooling systems. Rainwater will supply water for toilets and the car
wash. |
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Shopping less…
Smarter shopping is good,
but stopping shopping is even better. For your next
posh party or wedding, go green-but-glam in a hired outfit instead of buying a
new dress
that languishes in the back of your wardrobe for years. Last
autumn I hired a gorgeous gown from One Night Stand (above). Try Having a Ball in London, Froxy Lady in Hemel Hempstead, Posh Frocks in Chelmsford or Cinderella's in Kent. | |
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The Green Pound 
