My father was a keen gardener, but unfortunately though blue-green eyes are hereditary, green thumbs are not. It would have been a safe bet that if I was ever featured in the gardening section of a Sunday newspaper it would be for crimes against nature, but all bets are off as of this past Sunday.

 

To kick off Compost Awareness Week (and as I'm only in charge of a postage stamp patio so any gardening crimes are at least limited in scale) we were contacted by The Mail on Sunday to sing the praises of compost bins and show off our shiny new Can-O-Worms, doing our part to encourage people to keep slimy leftovers out of landfill. (It doesn't get more glamorous than this, does it?)

 

To find out more about Compost Awareness Week visit my Website of the Week page. And if you're a keen gardener, you'll love May's Favourite Finds. 

 

Ever waggled your finger in a litterbug's direction (and lived to tell the tale)? If you want the nation to clean up its act, but you're no longer willing to risk life and limb, you'll appreciate the no-threat-of-being-shouted-at-or-spat-upon-in-a-public-place aspect of this week's Website of the Week, Stop the Drop.

 

 

Well, compared to last night, when we witnessed the magical musical mystery that is the simply magnificent Björk, onstage in Hammersmith. I was chatting to someone last week about live performance, with its inevitable carbon cost. Every night at hundreds of theatres and halls around the country (and the world), actors, musicians and the like hit the stage, many of them having jetted in with their entourage and tons of electrical kit in the bargain. Surely it's more eco-friendly to do a performance once, film it and put it online. True, but there's something distinctly and intrinsically human about live performance. It has a vitality and power you just can't get from a screen, so I think it may be one of the last things the human race is willing to sacrifice if carbon rationing becomes a reality. Maybe we'll just decide to let very talented people have a bigger slice of the carbon pie. But who will judge which acts are 'worthy'? Perhaps instead of a citizenship test, they could craft a musicianship test that would just ensure you have the basic ability to read notes or play an instrument or sing on-key (without electronic 'help'). And in the bargain, maybe when kids are asked what they want to be when they grow up, they'll once again say 'a bass player' or 'a musician' instead of 'a pop star'.

 

Björk is far from a bottom-line-obsessed corporate operator simply totting up the ticket sales. She cares deeply about her art and about serious issues, as she showed at her March concert in Shanghai where she allegedly shouted "Tibet!" after performing the exhilarating Declare Independence, which she sang last night: Declare independence! / Don't let them do that to you! / With a flag and a trumpet / Go to the top of your highest mountain! 

 

We live on a mountain / right at the top / this beautiful view / from the top of the mountain / Every morning I walk towards the edge / and throw little things off / like car-parts, bottles and cutlery / or whatever I find lying around / it's become a habit / a way / to start the day  

Instead of taking that too literally, visit my latest Website of the Week to find out how to dispose of those little (or large) items you no longer have use for... Otherwise you're just another of the Earth Intruders.

 

When you read in tomorrow's papers about clashes between police and protesters along the Olympic torch's route through London, just remember that the overwhelming majority of us were not thugs or troublemakers. We were peaceful protesters simply speaking up for the Tibetan cause. After all, can chanting "Stop the torture in Tibet" really be that controversial?

 

Our pre-protest picnic at Jubilee Gardens seemed a daft idea in the snowstorm, so we cheerfully set up camp in the warmth of the Royal Festival Hall. A fortuitous move, as the riverside grandstand hinted at a major torch pit stop. After lunch we moved outside, where dozens of protesters mingled peacefully with spectators along the cordoned-off route. Even non-protesters seemed friendly and mostly supportive. Well you can't imagine them striking up a rival chorus of "Continue the torture in Tibet!" 

 

On the balcony the show was all-singing and all-dancing, but with no torch in sight. We all cheered when the cordons were dismantled as rumours spread that protests had halted the relay. I think the crafty authorities were just trying to get us all to give up and go home (and get out of camera range). In truth they sneaked the torch in via a back route so it could make a momentary appearance on stage, though without much fanfare.

 

Were we wrong to protest? Should sports and politics be separate? If so, why did the torch make a visit to the Prime Minister in Downing Street? I agree with Tessa Jowell, Minister for the Olympics who said the protests were "a good advert for democracy". Steve Redgrave also defended the right to protest. At the end of the day, it's a striking difference between living in a tolerant democracy or a repressive regime. Here you can speak your mind without fear of a thumping or a night (or decade) behind bars.

 

I left the 21st Century Challenge lecture on low-carbon energy at RGS last Wednesday feeling more glum than ever. No, not just about missing both the England/France friendly *and* the first night of The Apprentice, but glum about the prospect of any government actually being brave enough to tackle climate change. Lord Browne was pragmatic and made some interesting points, but Malcolm Wicks (after an optimistic start) seemed ready to admit defeat. On the topic of airport expansion he claimed he's "not interested in hairshirt regimes" which doesn't sound like the government is planning any tough measures to reduce emissions. He also implied that it's inevitable that China will dig up every crumb of coal under its soil. Listen to the speeches and audience Q&A here (including questions from Neil Crumpton of  Friends of the Earth and Mayer Hillman, author of How We Can Save the Planet.)

 

Should we all just shrug our shoulders and give up? Not just yet. In The Carbon Tariff (part of the 'Coming Home' report published last week) Jeff Rubin of CIBC and Benjamin Tal posit an interesting possibility, that carbon tariffs could drive manufacturers back to the West. The next US president is expected to cap greenhouse gas emissions and bring in carbon credits/tariffs. This means countries with cheap labour but dirty energy won't look so enchanting to western companies. So would China move towards cleaner energy in order to keep its stranglehold on manufacturing?

 

Do you consider 'stranglehold' too strong a word? Try boycotting 'Made in China' goods for a month (whether in protest at the regime's actions in Tibet or just to reduce transport miles and your carbon footprint). It's harder than you think. If you want to take a public stand against China's actions in Tibet, join the Tibetan Freedom Torch Rally on Sunday. We'll be at the South Bank Centre as the torch passes through (after a picnic in Jubilee Gardens). 

 

 

 

 

My Favourite Find for April is a collection of colourful recycled, refashioned and refurbished tea sets by Christine Misiak. They're mostly green on the inside (and sometimes on the outside too). There's also fairtrade tea to pop in the pot – you don't want to spoil your green cred with a bitter brew that exploits farmers and leaves a nasty aftertaste. 

 

 

 

...with her good works, as you can see on this week's Website of the Week. No, this isn't Ms Christie, it's Lorraine Bowen of The Lorraine Bowen Experience, who sings a dynamite tribute to JC (hear a snippet in this YouTube clip from the film Better Than Chocolate).

 

Lorraine was on stage at the Royal Vauxhall Tavern for our engagement party in 2000 (well, we did see her perform at Duckie on our first date) and she's playing there again in April and June. In case you think I'm totally off-topic, Lorraine actually has several songs with eco themes. Not only are there two fab tunes dedicated to cycling ('Bicycle Adventure' and 'Matching Bikes') there's the informative yet entertaining 'Compost', 'Lost Love in the Recycle Bin' and the ode to vegetarianism 'Burger Song':

What goes into a burger?

What goes in between the buns?

If we knew the answer I'm sure we'd be more fickle

If we knew what we were chewing with our dill pickle!

 

Still, I confess a real soft spot for not-necessarily-green tunes such as 'Richard', 'Interesting Mail' and 'Cup of Tea in Bed'. Add a touch of 'Suburban Exotica' to your life: buy one of her CDs, pop to a gig or hire her for your next big party. Get a taster at LorraineBowenTV.

 

This week's Website of the Week puts serious issues on the map. Have a closer look here.

 

 

My green cred has gone out the window. Well, on the window actually. These are the new window stickers my mother has sent the kiddies for Easter. My children love them, but I feel I must report that they are not biodegradable, made from recycled materials or otherwise in any way earth-kind. In fact, they're made in China, shipped to America, then sent to us via airmail. Still they're awfully cute. Hey, I never promised you a gleaming green halo. Luckily my husband has added a Tibetan flag he picked up at the Free Tibet demo last weekend, which at least restores some ethical cred, but green? – 'tis not the season round our way. Note to self: alert the Easter Bunny that treats should henceforth be fairtrade or organic with minimal packaging.

 

I was atoning for my sins on Saturday morning by setting my wormery to rights. I'd just found a 'Wormery Fame Opportunity' email in my inbox (Every Action Counts is scouting for wormeries with real star quality) and it made me realise mine isn't really ready for its close-up. It's bog standard (if a little boggy), certainly not Hollywood material.

 

Speaking of the silver screen I had a 'Delicatessen moment' while I was trowelling leftovers into the wormy morass. A neighbour was having a far more pleasurable morning and though the bedsprings weren't squeaky, the shrieks of delight provided a very rhythmic (if a little frenzied) tempo for digging.

 

Afterwards, as I wiped my fevered brow I recalled a beautiful, sun-drenched evening last spring, when I found myself sitting around a picnic table with a bunch of disgruntled wormers. In my head was David Byrne singing "And you may find yourself.... at a composting workshop. And you may ask yourself, 'Well – how did I get here?'" Let's just say it's a long way from the red carpet. Fortunately, we learned our sad and soggy wormeries were down to a design flaw with the council-made boxes that led to clogged taps and slushy, smelly worm soup. I ordered some rescue supplies from WigglyWigglers and gave my compost a new lease of life. Still the taps don't work properly and one box is literally splitting at the seams. I think it' s time for an upgrade.

After oodles of research I'm about to order the Can-O-Worms, which seems to be one of the most hassle-free designs. Wormeries aren't generally very attractive (most are made from recycled plastic) so if you want to put an elegant face on things, try the Steel Camellia (left). It's definitely a splurge, but promises to tart up your garden or patio while you're doing your green duty. 

 

 

 

If you're only reading my blog, why not venture out and explore the rest of the site? If you haven't yet read this month's Favourite Find, take a closer look here. Of course this site isn't solely about shop-shop-shopping our way out of climate chaos (which, let's face it, just isn't going to happen). Take a closer look at underlying issues and potential solutions, starting with this week's Website of the Week.

   

 

 

Spare a thought for plastic bags. They've had a really rotten week, victims of a modern-day witch-hunt. Even Prime Minister Gordon Brown was on their case, announcing in the Daily Mail (which launched a high-profile campaign to cut plastic bag use) that he aims to make supermarkets stop giving away free plastic bags within the next year. M&S was basking in the green spotlight after announcing it would start charging for plastic food bags from May, annoying IKEA which hastily reminded us all that it's saved 100 million plastic bags since launching a 10p charge in June 2006, then phasing out plastic bags in July 2007.

 

Why are plastic bags suddenly Billy-No-Mates? (well, Tesco is still happy to be seen with them, vowing it will resist a bag charge). Plastic bags aren't the most serious factor in climate change, but they do eat up resources and cause major pollution and damage to wildlife, on land and especially in the seas. And it's not just the odd dolphin; apparently the entire ocean is now a 'plastic soup', according to Charles Moore, the American oceanographer who founded the Algalita Marine Research Foundation and discovered the 'Great Pacific Garbage Patch', a swirling mass of over 100 million tons of rubbish that's now twice the size of the continental US. When it drifts close to land, even pristine beaches suddenly become no-go zones (as seen recently in Hawaii).

 

Revelations about the amount of plastic in the sea (both big bits and microscopic particles) are sharpening the minds of many as we realise that the 17.5 billion plastic bags given away each year in the UK alone (more than 290 per person) don't just lie low in landfill after being chucked in the bin. Speaking of bins, many people are asking me what they'll line their bins with if there's no ready supply from supermarkets. This sets off a big conversation about how much rubbish we generate in the first place (mostly packaging and food) and how we might be able to reduce that waste in future. Here's where the big supermarkets could really made a significant difference, with reduced packaging and naturally biodegradable packaging.

 

I recently met several inspiring women at (go figure) an 'Inspiring Women' event (by FreshIdeas Events) including Kresse Wesling of Bio-Supplies, Babaloo and EAKO. Kresse is a real powerhouse. Instead of namby-pamby ideas about wanting to be a bit greener, she finds real, practical solutions to reducing waste. Her first company Bio-Supplies makes environmental packaging alternatives. This is just what the world needs, 'invisible' solutions that the consumer doesn't have to fret about: coffee cups made from waste grasses (instead of virgin trees), biodegradable food packaging (so one can enjoy the occasional ready meal without too much green guilt). When eco becomes easy, we're freed up to make even more significant lifestyle changes to reduce our carbon footprints. Kresse's second company Babaloo makes chic ethical and environmental products for parents and babies (including a 'bio-nappy' she's launching next year), and her new business EAKO turns industrial waste into covetable products (like transforming old fire hoses into smart bags) while giving 50% of profits to relevant charities (See Fire-Hose.co.uk). "Business is the fastest way to make change," says Kresse, and she knows what she's talking about: she won the Entrepreneurial Woman of the Future award at the Real Business awards last November. (By the way, if you have any mass quantities of unwanted textiles, she'll take them off your hands and figure out something clever to do with them.)

 

 

I hope all the mums out there had a wonderful Mother's Day. If you missed it, have a closer look at my recommended Mother's Day gifts in The Green Pound, my section on conscientious consumerism. After all, there's always next year...