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Open House London & Sponge |
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Trailblazers. The Sponge Sustainability Network (which researches and promotes sustainable development) has teamed up with Open House London (which promotes awareness of good design) to  bring us London Open House Weekend 2007, on the15th and 16th of September. Sponge has organised two eco-trails, showing off some of London's best sustainable design and construction, taking in the 'zero carbon' Tree House in Clapham and the landmark Siobhan Davies Studios near the Elephant & Castle (by Sarah Wigglesworth Architects).
There is a series of programmes preceding the event; to find out more, click here. Open House has a new pamphlet out, with tips on how to make buildings more green, and Sponge is promoting the green lifestyle with a three-year project co-funded by Defra.
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Compassion in World Farming |
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 A good egg.
Last night – ironically on a hen night – I met someone who works for
Compassion in World Farming
(CIWF). This organisation investigates problems
caused by intensive farming and campaigns for
better living conditions for farmed  animals. The EU is set to
ban battery cages in 2012, but now there's pressure for the ban to be overturned. CIWF's Chickens
Out! campaign aims to keep the ban in place, and its
Good Egg Awards rewards companies who sell only cage-free eggs and use only cage-free eggs in their products. Because my husband is vegetarian
(and does all the cooking) it was easy for me to switch to a meat-free
lifestyle when we moved in together. Unfortunately, last month I
discovered I'm anaemic, and along with iron pills I've added some meat
to my diet. Starting to eat meat again is awkward, as I am aware
of the ethical and ecological consequences of meat production, such as
methane emissions, pressure on land and water resources, plus
the issues of animal welfare (for more details see CIWF's Eat Less
Meat microsite). If you do eat meat, less is more – and of course, sourcing is key. Download the Guide to Compassionate Food Shopping
for helpful hints on decoding the labels so you can be
sure you're supporting ethical and organic farmers with high standards of animal
welfare.
 The Soil Association is currently celebrating Organic Fortnight (1-16 September) so now's the perfect time to take a closer look at the food you're buying and eating. The theme this year is' Wake Up to an Organic Breakfast', which sounds tempting – after last night, a fry-up would really hit the spot.
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Living Streets |
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 Take it in your stride.
As a pedestrian, I am guilty of my own brand of road rage –
at drivers who blaze through red lights (as witnessed twice tonight), drivers
who speed along residential roads (even when there’s a procession of young
children on the narrow pavements) and drivers who zoom down even the shortest
straight stretch like Lewis Hamilton, then squeal to a stop at the imminent intersection. Even my five-year-old rants about speeding cars. It's the effect of being a powerless pedestrian – your feelings of vulnerability quickly translate into anger at feckless, reckless drivers (safely ensconsed behind their steely crumple zones and cushy airbags).
Living Streets is bringing power to the pedestrian by making streets more people-friendly. Part of the plan is to encourage people out of their cars by incorporating walking into
daily routines – improving fitness as well as the environment (see the Walk to School and Walk to Work campaigns). If your little
ones are back to school next week, why not leave the car at home and turn the
school run into a school walk.
If you're a Londoner, visit the London Living Streets site, which strives to make the capital a more pleasant
place for people on foot. Its Green Man Campaign is petitioning for pedestrian phases (green men) at every junction with traffic lights. Sign up today and help make the streets safe (especially
for children and the elderly, who need that guaranteed car-free time to cross junctions).
Oh and don’t miss the Route Finder on WalkIt.com. Just plug
in your location and where you want to go and you get a walking route map with estimated journey time, calories burned and the CO2 saved compared with other means of transport. Now, if I walk to St James’s Park tomorrow, it’s 34-68 minutes depending on speed (but even with the children aboard their scooters, we’ll be at the top end of that range), I’ll burn up to 197 calories, and we’ll save .23 kg of
CO2 compared with the bus. But if it's as rainy as last week, you'll find us at the bus stop – or perhaps simply pottering about at home.
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A step ahead.
If you thought going green meant a life lived in Birks or
Crocs, think again. Step out in style – and in good conscience – in ethical
footwear from Beyond
Skin. Instead of frumpy flipflops, you can trip the light fantastic in sexy stilletos or
cheeky peep-toes in a rainbow of vibrant
colours. The vegan/vegetarian shoes are cruelty-free, with no plastic or animal products. No smarmy sweatshops either – the
shoes are stitched, lasted and finished by hand in a small, family-run factory
in East London. Materials range from man-made satin and suede to organic
cottons and recycled vintage fabrics.
Take a look at the hand-made-to-order
Sui Generis range, with sassy summer shoes, retro peeps and almond toe courts. There’s even a
bespoke wedding shoe service for those who want to celebrate in eco-friendly style.
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Website of the week is on holiday this week – and on strike.
We decided on a last-minute holiday in France, so I had planned
to recommend a ferry site. Unfortunately, the service wasn't up to
scratch – delays and a struggling engine meant we
limped into St Malo at 11pm rather than 7pm (and got not even a
complimentary cuppa for the hassle). At that hour, even the immigration
staff had gone home, not to mention all the taxi drivers, so we had to
queue with two tiny tots for ages for a lift to Dinard. Still, the big
issue for us was the stonking cloud of fumes billowing from the back of
the craft. When I return to London I will investigate further a ferry's
carbon footprint. Knowing there's an airport conveniently located in
Dinard only added salt to the wound, but I know we can do better than
that. Next time we'll Eurostar/train it – much less chance of our
almost-three-year-old going pale and whimpering "I'm not feeling well!"
halfway through the journey. Luckily a jacket potato fended off
disaster, but things could have turned very ugly indeed.
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Green Knickers |
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 Smart smalls.
If you’re feeling the urge to go green right down to your
undies,
Green Knickers
will provide an ecological and ethical foundation. And it's not just
for the ladies, as you can see (model images ©Ruth Richardson
Child).
Founders Sarah Lucy Smith and Rose Cleary-Southwood are passionate about their pants – and their principles. They use organic cotton and hemp, as well as
specially
designed manmade cellulose fibres and use responsible Azo-free dyers to minimise environmental
impact. Where possible they support local trade to minimise transport miles,
and elsewhere they use fair trade suppliers who respect the workers’ rights.
Sarah Lucy and Rose have also inspired me on my shopping
trolley dilemma (see my recent ‘Conscientious Consumerism’ feature) with their
idea to pimp their rides (they use trolleys and bicycles for moving
stock around London, right).
There’s a sale
on now, so don’t waste a mo. These pretty ‘Save the World’ pants (60%
hemp, 40% silk, handmade in the UK) are reduced from £26 to £18; the
men's boxers, originally £12, are now just £6.
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Hybird's Feather Duster events |
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Green is the new black. With the release today of the Guardian’s report on discount
clothing retailers' exploitation of Bangladeshi workers, there’s no time like the present to find ethical
alternatives to ‘bargain’ fashions.
But going green needn't mean turning up to this summer's picnics and
parties sporting last summer's sundress. Freshen up your
wardrobe the ethical way at a
glamorous ‘Swap ’til you Drop’ Feather
Duster event (from ethical events promoter hybird).
Cleanse your closet of ill-fitting frocks or impulse buys
that still make you blush – after all, one woman's duff duds are another's glad rags. The Feather Duster events are
fun and festive. The next one, this Saturday (21 July)
from 2-6pm at The New Rose includes two-for-one deals on brunch and Bloody Marys, music by DJ Marshmellow Mike,
crafty DIY customisation workshops, beauty treatments and more, all for your £5 entry fee. Any clothes left over are donated to Salvation Army. There will be plenty of wardrobe space for your new,
guilt-free finds, but there's limited space at the event, so email
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
to reserve your spot.
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We're in this Together |
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If (like me) you missed Live Earth there’s no need
to fret. You can still watch it and you can still be a part of it at Live Earth's UK partner We're in this Together. After all, the organisers insist Live Earth is more
than just one day’s music and message-mongering; it's the start of a three-year campaign to
raise awareness and encourage us all
to do our part to prevent climate change. At Live Earth's other UK partner I Count you can pressurise politicians into doing the right thing. And there's still time to sign up to the Live Earth Pledge,
which includes demanding that your country joins a carbon-cutting
treaty, protesting against new coal-burning power stations and supporting eco-friendly
businesses.
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Nag, nag, nag. Your
heart's in the right place, but what about the rest of you? Maybe
you're still slumped on the sofa, making excuses about why – despite
your best intentions – you're still a lighter shade of green. You
say you want to switch to an eco electricity supplier, buy organic
fruit and veg, recycle more, buy fairtrade food and clothing and reduce
your transport footprint, so what are you waiting for?
There's no time like the present, but if you need a little nudge now and then, try The Nag. This cheeky web campaign is the brainchild of Anti-Apathy (motto:
'Because
waking up is hard to do’).
 The Nag is designed to inform and inspire
you to take action, one tiny
step at a time. Sign up and get 'nagged' each month to do one easy
thing to transform into a true ecomaniac.
There's a monthly theme: climate
change, sweatshops, sustainable farming,
chemicals, rubbish, flying, Fair Trade. It’s all part of a grand
‘experiment’ to show that large numbers of people each making small changes can add up to a big
difference for the planet.
July's
nag is about finding out the real story behind clothing labels. After
all, when you buy a box of eggs, you learn practically everything but
the hen's name, but when you buy a skirt, the only info is whether it's
'Dry Clean Only' or washable. To learn more, join The Nag and add
'Going Green' to your list
of things to do this month.
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Earth Huggers |
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 The Earth Huggers team is wary of greenwashing and  committed to finding genuinely green, recycled
products. This UK-based company is serious about tackling climate change and
is doing its part by helping to create a market for recycled goods. The company
has a heart too – a quarter
of profits goes to environmental and humanitarian aid projects around the
world. Help spread the message with this cute T-Shirt made from 50% recycled plastic bottles and 50% recycled cotton,
£8.50. At Earth Huggers, you'll also find recycled glass goblets, recycled aluminium  foil, recycled plastic mugs,
recycled rucksacks and bags, and much more. And if the pretty picnic hampers on my Favourite Finds page are
out of your budget, pack this in your picnic hamper: colourful 100% recycled plastic plates and cutlery;
eight small plates, £3.50; eight large plates, £5; cutlery, £4.50
for 24-piece pack. They’re even dishwasher safe on low-heat cycles and can be used
over and over again.
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Website of the week 
