If you fancy a real weepy this week, you could go see The Time Traveler's Wife (I did enjoy the book and Eric Bana looks pretty darn sexy) or you could simply read the front page of yesterday's Guardian: How Global Warming Sealed the Fate of the World's Coral Reefs, by David Adam. In it, some of the world's leading marine scientists explain how coral reefs are doomed. [One not-so-heartwarming snippet: The future is "horrific" according Charlie Veron, a top coraf reef expert.]

 

We're getting used to words like "doomed", "annihilation" and "catastrophic", even "holocaust", all of which appear here. Why are reefs dying? Mostly due to carbon, which increases ocean acidity. Just add a huge dollop of pollution (especially sewage and agricultural and industrial run-off) and the doomsday recipe's practically complete. Now I've never been a fan of scuba diving (read about my shark phobia here), but even I know the importance of coral reefs to the marine ecosystem and to the entire planet's complex web of life.

 

Humankind's only hope? Reducing carbon levels significantly by cutting back and by "sucking carbon out of the air". Can geo-engineering guarantee a happy ending? Don't breathe a sigh of relief just yet. The Royal Society is calling for more (and immediate) research and a global £100 million fund to investigate potential consequences of geo-engineering. This story's set to run and run (and with giant oil field discoveries by BP and Iran, don't count on a global reduction in emissions any time soon).

 

 

It's back-to-school time, and there seems to be a difference of opinion about whether that's good news or bad. Facebook is swarming with contented (smug?) mums posting warm and fuzzy family picnic pics and smiley-faced status updates (typical: 'Sigh... what a simply perfect summer – I'm devastated my precious angels are going back to school.')

 

 

Whether or not you're desperate for a break from your offspring, your house probably is. Give it a September makeover with a deep and thorough clean as it gets a (partial) reprieve from your little ones and their grubby hands, muddy boots, messy craft projects, spilt milk, etc.

 

To clean up (and green up) try the new and improved line from Ecover, my Favourite Find for September. Think 'green' cleaners are well... a bit weedy? Think again – the new Eco-Surfactants can hold their own against conventional (chemical-based) cleansers. Put them to the test yourself (especially the Power Cleaner, right) if you don't believe me. I have and they're holding their own against fingerprints, watercolour stains, glitter (ubiquitous in our house), even the crusty leftovers from experiments with Roald Dahl's 'glumptious' recipes (in The Times last week).

 

After restoring your house to its pristine state (at least until the 3 o'clock bell rings) you'll feel much more relaxed, especially with Ecover's naturally fresh and uplifting scents. You might even muster up the energy for a game of Cluedo (just make sure they tidy up all the pieces this time!).

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You may recall my mentioning that my (very urban) children are terrified of insects. Despite the school's best efforts to teach that 'minibeasts are our friends', they're not convinced. They shriek at itsy spiders, bitsy ants – or on bad days, even a hapless butterfly.

 

They're at the Natural History Museum today (hopefully getting more comfy with large creatures), but I'm at Royal Festival Hall, where there happens to be a giant termite mound outside. No panic – it's just part of Pestival, a festival "celebrating insects in art, and the art of being an insect", on from tomorrow until Sunday. Pestival celebrates how insects shape our world – and how we couldn't actually survive without them.

 

Agriculture is particularly dependent on the little mites, and the Slow Food Harvest Market returns to the Southbank Centre this weekend to emphasise the connection. It's sponsored by Slow Food UK, this week's Website of the Week. Drop by Friday and Saturday (11am-8pm) or Sunday (11am-6pm) for a real taste of fresh, seasonal and sustainable food from ethical and eco-friendly producers. There's food from around the world and even a traditional British hog roast. Slow Food joins forces with Pestival with workshops and demonstrations explaining the vital role insects play in our food chain: over 30% of our food is a direct result of insect pollination. You can also learn about the River Of Flowers project to plant new flower meadows in urban London.

It's all go here, with the buzz (no pun intended) of construction and the hustle and bustle of those setting everything up. Maybe not the quietest day to choose to work here, but it'll all be worth it to see the festival. And see it we shall: as 80% of the planet's inhabitants are insects, I believe it's time my children declare a détente with all creatures great and small.

 

On Friday evening we went to moreLondon's free performance of Jason & the Argonauts at The Scoop, the amphitheatre next to City Hall, just in the shadow of Tower Bridge (kudos to the performers for enduring two short but intense rain showers with aplomb). As we left, we happened upon Critical Mass, the monthly cycling protest. We really cheered them on, but they seemed a bit shocked – I suspect the typical reaction of motorists and pedestrians is less (positively) effusive, but I fully support their cause. There should be better and safer cycle lanes if we want to call London a civilised city.

 

Several cyclists chirruped "We're off to Climate Camp!", pricking my guilty conscience.  People keep asking if I'm going, but I'm afraid my reply is "Sorry, but have you *ever* actually read my site?" I've made crystal clear my aversion to camping (even glamping, right). Usha (in The Archers, but not 'of The Archers') has it right. Camping is no holiday. Why wax romantic about the good ol' days before mod cons? Madness. My mother's mantra still rings true: "My idea of roughing it is a night in a Holiday Inn!"

 

I even got out of camping at our annual pilgrimage to Cropredy. A friend who lives in the village let us stay over: (Thanks again, Em!). Bliss – all the fun of camping (a touch of fresh air, etc) but with hot baths and soft, warm beds.

 

I do support the Climate Camp cause, of course. Enjoy (almost) all the fun of Climate Camping from the comfort of your own home at the Camp for Climate Action website. Find out more about the cause, the protests and how you can throw your support behind the cause. Who knows – maybe you'll even join in for real next year. It seems some of the participants actually have quite a sensible vision of 'roughing it', left.

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If you want the latest on green transport, don't ask Clarkson (who can't even utter the word 'hybrid' without spluttering), ask HybridMile.com, a recent Website of the Week. If you're feeling discouraged about the slow rate of global conversion from gas guzzling cars to green ones, the site will certainly cheer you up. It's a division of the excellent AMP Blogs Network, which began with the About My Planet blog.

 

With Boris proposing a 'hydrogen highway' of hydrogen filling stations around London, alongside his earlier plans for 25,000 'juice points' for charging electric cars, it seems finally the tables are starting to turn. Now if our car club (Streetcar) would just order a few of those new electric MINIs on trial...

 

 

My wish has come true – don't get excited; not my great big wish, just the wish that Flip & Tumble bags would be distributed in the UK. The company doing the honours is BagsyIt, this week's Website of the Week.

 

The UK’s first plastic bag-free day will be Saturday, 12 September 2009, so now you can get a head start on just saying no to plastic bags once and for all. The stylish 24-7 bag is just fantastic, rolling up to a tiny ball that fits in the bottom of your regular handbag (or manbag). And now it comes in eye-catching patterns too. No more excuses (such as overseas shipping charges). Order yours today.

Feeling frisky? Create some (eco-friendly) electricity in your bedroom (or somewhere more exotic) with Astroglide Natural. It's made with botanical ingredients that enhance pleasure (such as soothing chamomile and aloe vera) and without glycerin, parabens, alcohol or hormones.

If you're the exhibitionist (or aspiring director) type, enter the Astroglide Natural video competition and show everyone how you go green in the bedroom. A bit naughty is fine, but I suspect the judges may be more impressed with subtlety or wit than with cringe-inducing close-ups (less Paris Hilton's infamous video, more her cheeky chihuahua talking about the birds and the bees). You be the judge: the vids will be posted on YouTube – just find out all the competition rules before you come over all Tarantino. Or Hitchcock. Or Woody Allen. Or Peter Weir (ooh, a little repressed Amish passion a la Witness might just get my vote).

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I've been recovering from surgery (fine, thanks for asking) so have had plenty of time to contemplate life from the comfort of the Wimblecouch (great timing, eh?).

 

I'm not the only one with time on my hands. It seems a lot of you(whether from illness, redundancy or just the new-found inertia of these cash-strapped days) are pondering how to wile away the hours you used to spend glamming it up in chi-chi restaurants or even visiting the cinema (now £30 in central London, even before you factor in popcorn or babysitter).

 

Hopefully you've got willpower enough to sidestep the abyss of mind-numbing, slebs-eating-worms-in-the-wilderness TV and endless, ego-fluffing Facebook quizzes. You may even be tempted to roust your creativity from its cobwebby cupboard, dust it off and set it to painting, knitting or even waxing lyrical with discarded cutlery, beads and baubles (as above). Fine, so long as you accept that your creations may look more like church tombola fare than these catwalk-worhty creations from the experts at 'socially conscious art collective' Magpie, my Favourite Find for July.

 

The Magpie team are eco-friendly too (bonus points) crafting extravagant decorative objects from all sorts of 'rubbish': discarded bottle caps, shiny bits of plastic and retrieved glass beads and baubles.

 

Now, two of their chandeliers ('Princess' and 'La Riche Ella') have pride of place in the White House (the fabulous Obamas, bang on trend yet again!). 

 

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After my mention of Flip & Tumble (see below), the lovely team sent me a free sample (hot pink). Can I just say, this is the best little must-have, never-forget, compact, clever eco bag ever? It is a total cinch to fold and is strong as an ox. When will someone in the UK start stocking these babies?

 

Based on the overwhelming success of the write-a-blog-get-a-freebie tactic, you can now look forward to my upcoming blog on the eco-friendly aspects of four-bedroom period homes with views over Hampstead Heath.

 

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The 'Energy Revolution' campaign from Friends of the Earth (this week's Website of the Week) asks us all to contact our MPs to ensure the UK government's Renewable Energy Strategy (to be published in June) is an 'Apollo-style', ambitious strategy that will aim to make renewables the number-one source of energy in the country.

 

With the economy in freefall, it may seem counter-intuitive to spend money on renewables, but the advantages are obvious: in the short term, jobs and business stimulation; in the long term, energy independence and cheaper energy (as oil runs out and prices rise and without the clean-up costs of nuclear waste).

 

Find out more at Friends of the Earth and contact your MP. You may have a few other things on your mind you'd like to share while you're at it. Meanwhile I'm off to see In the Loop. Used to think it was fiction, didn't we?

 

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My Favourite Finds for May will help you shop smarter. Why am I going on about shopping in the middle of a global financial meltdown – just to rub it in that the halcyon days of careless (and carefree) retail therapy are finito? 

 

No. Even though you may not be putting the plastic through its paces as in days of yore, I guarantee you're still buying something, at least food (unless your allotment's significantly bigger than the one we've been on the waiting list for these past two years).

 

Step 1: Don't drive to the shops for a big weekly shop. Which leads to Step 2: Only buy as much as you can carry. When you're on foot you're keenly aware of your limits (even if you do want to build up those biceps). 

 

Speaking of biceps, smarter shopping also comes in handy if you've had to sacrifice your gym membership. Combine low-impact fitness and low-impact shopping by walking to your local independent shops.  

 

Keep wrists happy with these colourful Flip & Tumble bags. Cute as a button (and only slightly larger) they're perfectly transportable and definitely unforgettable (unlike those other reusable bags gathering dust in your cupboard). You can easily fit several in your bag to be whipped out at the till. 

 

UK ecomaniacs love a trusty trolley, so don't miss the colourful selection of green (in some cases, literally) ones from Funky Shopping Trolleys.

 

Steps 1 and 2 lead to Step 3: Buying smaller amounts really cuts back on your food waste. For inevitable (and inedible) peelings and those just-can't-face-those-leftovers-again moments, try composting. Get top tips from this week's Website of the Week, Compost Awareness Week 2009.

 

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It's time to get your social life out of hibernation and ready for summer. Think I can't be serious – what with the recession, climate chaos and a global pandemic on the horizon? Well, I can't help with the third problem, but the first two are sorted, party-wise: parties don't have to cost a fortune – or the earth. Instead of fretting about the food or getting into a frenzy of flower arranging, just relax and go for it! Your real friends care more about quality time with you, and if they're like our mates with young children, they'll be effusively grateful for any excuse to get out of the house for some (grown-up) fun.

 

Most will bring a bottle along too, so your initial splash-out gets paid back in part (and the goodwill? Priceless). If you're really strapped, host a 'covered dish' party where everyone brings along some nibbles. And if any so-called friends turn up their noses, well that's all the more reason to widen your social circle.

 

We've just set a date for a little get-together (17th of May you nosy parker, so keep an eye on your inbox) and I'm starting my pingg invite now. I've also made pingg my Website of the Week. No jibes about the ethics of blogging about freebies – remember, it's free for everyone!

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I truly hope the G20 protests today go well. In what sense? I hope no one is injured and yobs don't steal all the attention from legitimate protesters and their very serious messages for President Obama (still get a thrill saying that!) and the rest of the world's leaders. (If you can't make it, get in the G20 spirit with these snazzy organic 'Obama pants' from Twisted Twee, right). 

 

 

 

 

 

I was pleasantly surprised to see that one of the protest groups today will be the Stop the War Coalition. I was at the original Stop the War march in February 2003 (left with baby, who looks oddly bored in the hubbub), not that anyone took our very excellent advice at the time. Unfortunately I won't be there today, sheathed in glory (and an organic scarf) scaling walls or holding up placards for the camera crews. I've no exciting get-out-of-demo-free note either, just banal excuses: a sick child home from school and a hospital appointment (nothing too serious, thanks). Still, not exactly the stuff of which eco warriors are made, is it?

 

Our family has attended enough protests for our six-year-old to include a Demo chapter in her autobiography for school (she's less bored of it these days), but of late I wouldn't earn any A* grades. I didn't even make Saturday's G20 protests. I was just across the river, minding my friend Mikala Djorup's jewellery studio and shop in Gabriel's Wharf while she was out of town. (Mikala makes gorgeous jewellery, including new experimental work in sustainable materials such as cardboard and this spectacular flower brooch made from bubble wrap, right.)

 

I also missed the pivotal Campaign Against Climate Change march on 6 December, being en route to Aberdeen to attend my godson's Christening. At least I was on a train instead of a flight, so did eight hours' penance each way (though I really enjoyed the 'me time'). Still, must do better. I've just been invited to the International Day of Climate Action (24 October). Perhaps if I pencil that in now, I'll actually make it on the day.

 

If protests aren't really your thing, at least go see The Age of Stupid (no rain, pesky riot police or embarrassing YouTube footage; just a comfy chair and popcorn). I've seen the film and it's a real call to action; on Radio 4's Today programme, Richard Curtis even said it should be 'essential viewing' for Obama). At least no matter how serious today's protests get, London won't look like it does in the film (above) but if international governments don't act soon, it just might one day.

 

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Thanks, Treehugger for the blog love. Click here to find out more about all the other luvvies this week:

Guardian Ethical Living by Adam Vaughan
Monbiot: Woodchips With Everything by George Monbiot

and yours truly.

 

And don't miss Leonora Oppenheim's fabulous and informative slideshow from our trip to Ethiopia.

 

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Today (Sunday 22 March) kicks off World Water Week. It's also Mother’s Day in the UK. What do these have in common? Around the world water issues affect women most of all. In most of the developing world, water is traditionally the responsibility of women. Women and girls spend up to eight hours each day collecting water, leaving them little time –or energy – for school, household chores or a paid job.

 

So this Mother's Day, why not reach out to mothers around the world, with a donation to WaterAid. And if you're a mum, no moaning about limp flowers or chocs that aren't your favourites (for the record, I don't care for fruity centres). Believe me, these mums won't moan if you give them a gift from the sH2Op for Life such as two tap stands for their village pump (just £12). Coming soon: my report on my eye-opening travels to Ethiopia with WaterAid and Ecover.

 

In the meantime, take a closer look at this week's Website of the Week: WaterAid's Tap into WaterAid scheme for UK restaurants, cafes and bars, making it easier than ever to help the 884 million people worldwide without safe water.

 

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