Ethical Consumer, the not-for-profit research co-operative is re-launching its website with even more must-have information for the... ummm ethical consumer.

 

Ethical Consumer continues to cut through the greenwash with thorough research into the social and environmental records of thousands of companies.

 

Ethical Consumer produces independent reports and buying guides and gives the best products its stamp of approval, the 'Best Buy' label. Find out more at the revamped site, where you can download the searing report on children's clothing 'Made for Kids – by Kids?' Download it here for just £3. 

 

If you're all het up by the recent focus on sweatshop labour and child labour, including the Panorama special Primark: On the Rack and the Channel 4 documentary The Devil Wears Primark (pulled but slated to be broadcast at a future date) you'll want to ensure your children are wearing ethical threads. After all, when you see a £2 price tag and think "I don't know how they do it!" you do, in fact, know how they do it: by exploiting vulnerable people and children.

 

For all the latest news, subscribe to Ethical Consumer magazine (sign up for a risk-free trial subscription here). 

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Could turning veggie save the planet – or are vegetarians simply jumping on the green bandwagon? After even a cursory look at the facts it's clear that not only do vegetarians deserve complimentary bandwagon tickets, they should get a free upgrade and some tasty snacks (though ix-nay the bacon sarnies).

 

Paul McCartney has kicked off a new PETA ad campaign to encourage everyone to stop eating meat – or at least to cut back. Sir Paul suggests 'Meat-free Mondays' as a way to reduce meat consumption – and its impact on animal welfare, world hunger, health and the environment.

 

"If anyone wants to save the planet, the single most important thing you could do is just stop eating meat," says Sir Paul. "One of the most significant conclusions of the recent report on climate change was that we should eat less meat. This is not the Vegetarian Society that said that. It's the UN."

World hunger: The world's cattle eat enough calories to nourish 8.7 billion people (more than the Earth's entire population).

 

Water: You need 2,500 gallons of water to produce a pound of meat, but only 25 gallons to produce a pound of wheat. 

Land, pollution and resources: On 10 hectares of land, you can produce meat to feed two people, maize to feed 10 people, grain to feed 24 people or soya to feed 61 people. Animal agriculture pollutes waterways and creates methane. Since 1950, half of all the world's rain forests have been destroyed to make way for grazing animals. Animal agriculture also encourages desertification.

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Find out more about Alexandra Harney's new book The China Price: The True Cost of Chinese Competitive Advantage. I haven't actually read the book yet (sorry, Alexandra – haven't made it through the weekend's newspapers yet either) but I did catch her on Radio 4's You and Yours (listen again here) discussing the hidden cost of our addiction to cheap goods.

 

Of course we all know in our hearts that you can't actually make a £3 shirt or a £1 toy on the other side of the planet without some consequences somewhere: for the labourers – and the environment.  

 

When Western manufacturing started moving to China at speed, we were all told globalisation was a great thing. Now that most of our clothing, toys, shoes and computers are manufactured in China (along with a huge proportion of electronics and furniture) how rosy is the picture? Former industrial centres in the west may be ghost towns with high employment, but so long as shoppers were happy with their cheap goody bags, no one seemed to mind. Now that the secrets behind many cheap goods are being revealed (including unsafe and unfair conditions for factory workers, environmental pollution and associated disease) are we shoppers still tempted to brag about our bargains?

 

In addition to problems for the Chinese workers, recent scandals over product safety mean our own health is threatened (so maybe we'll finally sit up and take notice). These scandals also show how companies lose control when manufacturing is subcontracted. 'Shadow factories' (as revealed by Alexandra's book) are used to flout international rules and regs (including laws against child labour and forced labour). 

 

We often wonder how slavery continued for so long, but wasn't a big motivation the comfort of the middle classes? (After all 'free' labour does mean cheaper goods.) Will future generations wonder how we could sleep at night knowing our high streets are stocked with the fruits of slave labour? Free trade doesn't mean free workers.

 

Alexandra stresses that the problem isn't limited to China. If manufacturing costs rise, dirty manufacturing will simply move on to other countries where it can exploit people and resources at will. The only solution lies with the multinational corporations – and with us, the consumers.  

 

Can we make better choices (and simply buy fewer things?) I've just completed a feature on sustainable fashion for the Environment Channel at MSN.co.uk. Watch this space for a link once the feature is live. 

 

And if you're free on Thursday the 12th of June, pop into London's Chatham House to hear Alexandra's talk (details here) about the issues in her book. And for the in-depth story, read it yourself – instead of hunting for 'The China Price' from a multinational corporation, why not support your local bookshop?

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'Modern Art is Rubbish' is the theme, so it's no surprise that at the Recycled Sculpture Show at ZSL London Zoo (29 May-5 September) you'll encounter a polar bear cub made of plastic bags, a shark wrought from old hubcaps and a dinosaur made from discarded tyres.

 

The Recycled Sculpture Show kicks off the Love London Love Your Planet festival (1-21 June). It also coincides with Global Environment Day (5 June). The show features the work of 20 sculptors who have incorporated everyday waste materials to highlight awareness of pollution and the impact of human beings on threatened species and habitats.

As I'm on holiday in Dinard this week; I'll pass you over to some other mums who are working to raise awareness on big issues, the group behind we CAN.

These yummy mummies are hoping to pressurise the government so they can look their children (and grandchildren) in the eye when asked "What did *you* do when climate chaos threatened the world?" 

 

They're currently focused on the proposed third runway at Heathrow; which would double air traffic and emit as much yearly CO2 as Kenya (making our efforts to change lightbulbs and walk our kids to school look pretty paltry in the grand green scheme of things). This group is fired up and not going to take it anymore. They're looking for sustainable solutions from government: and fast.

 

The group recently held a vigil at the House of Commons and is joining the Greenpeace 'Make a Noise' march at Heathrow on the 31st of May. Join in (and feel free to bring the kiddies to show them Mum means business!)

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If you've gotten a late start on the spring cleaning this year, just head to Summer Naturals for a host of earth-kind cleaning products – you can even buy bulk basic ingredients for DIY cleaning potions. On Friday my first order arrived, including five litres of white vinegar and bicarb of soda (warning: do not mix those two together in a bottle unless you're looking for a few fireworks – the site has recipes to help you get started). I also bought some essential oils of lemon and orange to add a zesty scent. On Sunday I mixed up my basic solution and was so chuffed, my husband even caught me cleaning the windows. I felt a real sense of accomplishment (and he was pretty pleased too, once he recovered from the shock).

 

Like many wannabe greenies, I think my main concern about household cleaners is the packaging. Mixing your own really saves on plastic (just re-use old spray bottles for your new solutions but make sure you label them). It also saves on energy and emissions, as there's no need to transport all the water that typically makes up over 50% of the ingredients.

 

For most people trying to green up the household, a main stumbling block is forgetting to plan ahead: making sure you're well stocked with eco and ethical products so you don't run out and have to resort to less-than-earth-kind substitutes. With my bulk buys from Summer Naturals, I'm hoping my stocks will last for months (despite my vow to try a little bit harder for my domestic goddess badge). 

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If you're trying to go green but your local shops only stock chemical cleaners, sweatshop fashion and toxic beauty products, turn to Natural Collection. It's a one-stop shop for greening up your lifestyle, from sweet ethical threads to natural cleaners and beauty buys. You'll find gorgeous green products for every room in the house (and your garden) from bird houses to bog roll (100% recycled!), eyeliner to iPod chargers (solar of course) and compost bins to cotton sheets (organic, natch). There's a great range of cleaning products, many available in bulk, so you won't run out of the earth-kind stuff and be tempted to dash out for some Dettol. This website makes it easy to turn your good intentions into reality.

  

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It's that time again. Spring (and Compost Awareness Week, from Sunday 4th May to Saturday 10th May). This year's theme is 'Green up Your Environment', and you can start by putting your bin on a diet. One third of the contents of an average UK household bin can be home composted, not even counting all that garden waste. Visit the website for top tips and to find out if your council offers reduced-price compost bins to help you get started.

Visit the site for more green discounts. For instance, during Compost Awareness Week you can get a 20% discount on Woodland Trust membership (direct debit only) – click here for details. 

Don't just get revved up now then let things slip. After all, Compost Awareness Week is just a week, but going green is for life.

 

 

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Worried about food miles and packaging? Or just fretting about the rapidly rising cost of your weekly shop – and the rumours of food rationing of staples such as flour and rice, not just in the far east, but even in America, the land of 'spacious skies and amber waves of grain'? Either way, it makes real sense to consider growing your own fruit and veg.

 

Suddenly all the decking those gardening shows encouraged seems like a daft extravagance and that perfectly manicured lawn just looks like so much wasted (and water-guzzling) space. Saving the earth is the mantra of the day, even if it's just a wee patch in the corner where you could plant a couple of tomato vines and some potatoes.

 

You'll be doing your kitchen – and your purse – a big favour. Fresh, seasonal veg for your meals without having to depend on overseas manufacturers or your high-street shop. If you have children, it's a chance to let them get their hands a bit dirty (especially if like mine they are terribly citified and even 'nature-phobic'); helping them understand the reality of where food comes from and develop an awe or at least a respect for the great wonder of nature.
 

If – like me – you've no idea where to start (and haven't spent the winter clucking over a big batch of seedlings) never fear. Defland Nurseries (OrganicPlants.co.uk) is a leading supplier of mail-order organic transplants. Plants are grown to Soil Association Standards so fit right in with any aims to lower toxins in your home (and diet). For the novice, they provide useful guides to help you plan your plot, including monthly selections of what to plant and harvest dates. 

They sell most outdoor veggies including everything from artichokes and asparagus to leeks and lettuces. There are also herbs and even ornamental flowers (if you have space left over for such fripperies this year). City dwellers like me with only a small patio can get small bits and bobs, but if there's really not enough room or you live in a flat, contact the National Society of Allotment and Leisure Gardeners to put your name on a waiting list for an allotment near you.

 

PS to Rebecca and Mike (who are total green thumbs and kindly let us 'share' their allotment – we know we were shockingly hopeless last year and promise to do better this summer!

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