Fairtrade Soccer Ball Eco Product Review

Sometimes we get sent products to review that aren’t that much fun, but as I love soccer (football in my language…) it wasn’t exactly a hardship testing this fairtrade ball.

Called “Right To Education”, this ball is eco-certified and certified Fair Trade. Union-made and vegan. Fair Trade means the adult workers who produced this ball received a fair wage - at no extra cost to us! Fair Trade Sports donate 100% of after tax profits to children’s charities.

I’ve put together a short video (click here if you can’t see the embedded video) of me and the Fairtrade soccer ball. Not sure why I choose that music, the banjo just appealed to me!

EDIT: If you’re looking for similar balls in the UK, Nigel’s Eco Store have a selection.

Solar Powered Car From University Of Michigan

Besides the glitzy car manufacturers, one of the most interesting parts of the Detroit Auto Show 2008 were the solar cars from the University of Michigan.

The University of Michigan Solar Car Team is a non-profit, entirely student run organisation whose purpose is to design, finance, build, and race a solar-powered vehicle. They displayed two of their vehicles, the Momentum 2005 (1st place North American Solar Challenge, and 3rd place World Solar Challenge), and the Continuum 2007 (7th place World Solar Challenge - partly due to a crash).

The North American Solar Challenge was founded in 1989 and is now a 2,400 mile race between Dallas, Texas and Calgary, Alberta. The World Solar Challenge is the premiere solar car race in the world and takes place in Australia for 1,800 miles. Changes in the rules, such as the number of solar cells allowed and the driver having to sit upright necessitated changes in design from the 2005 Momentum to the 2007 Continuum. You can see the new solar cells that use parabolic mirrors in the 2007 design below.

Traveling on public highways, the vehicles can reach up to 87mph, converting solar energy to electricity through triple-junction cells, structured in three layers to maximise sunlight. The power captured is stored in high capacity lithium-ion or lithium-polymer battery packs.

For more informations, check out the University of Michigan Solar team website.

Eco-Friendly Skateboards

Comet Skateboards from San Francisco uses poplar and hickory from sustainable forests for a board’s core, topped with bamboo or maple veneer and coated with water-based paints. They’re also working with manufacturers and universities worldwide to help develop ‘green’ epoxies, reinforcements and coatings.

The boards are designed and manufactured in the world’s only solar-powered skateboard factory, in downtown San Francisco. The company is committed to manufacturing locally and sources supplies locally whenever possible. Of course, a green aura isn’t enough to sway buyers from other brands, which is why Comet also builds boards that are stronger and lighter than most.

[Via: Springwise]

Liverpool Bus That Wasn’t Used

Even being a Liverpool fan, I have to admit this is funny.

Bungee Jump Fun

As a 30th birthday treat for our good friend Rich, and for all you readers, here’s his bungee jump a few years ago, over Victoria Falls in South Africa. Brilliant. Happy Birthday mate.

How to Win a Spelling Bee

So, it was New Year’s Day 2006, I was in Chicago with my wife. Being about -40F outside we were surfing the TV channels in our hotel and on ESPN they were showing a Spelling Bee. Whilst not actually a sport (don’t get me started), it is a competition I was told, and there would be prizes (oh, where do I sign up?).

I haven’t seen Spellbound, the documentary film about US kids entering spelling competitions, but apparently it’s very good, if you’re in to that sort of thing. I’m not, but have been wowed with tales of my American wife’s wondrous childhood in such competitions (I’ve seen the Winner ribbons.) I thought I’d give it a watch.

It was clearly not live as a) it was New Year’s Day and b) it was 10pm at night, but it was enthralling. Round after round of children being crushed by words not spoken since ancient times. Constant asking of “What is the origin?” and “Could you use that in a sentence please?” rained down on the judge as if it made an actual difference to the spelling. Ah, it’s Anglo-Greek, not Swahili, which means it must end in isk and not esk.

A few hours later the wife was asleep and the final round of, frankly, odd children was upon us. The girl who had to answer correctly to win started celebrating before she answered the question, but when she did it was a glorious sight, with proud friends, family and probably school teachers in one giant hug that only Americans can do. The trophy was lifted from its secure location and as it was handed out, the deep-voiced announcer said “Ladies and gentleman, it has been a wonderful evening and all the contestants should be proud. However there can only be one winner, so please stand up and welcome the winner of the 1998 Nat..” and frankly I didn’t hear much else. 1998? One Nine Nine Eight? For the last three hours, until one-o’clock in the morning, on holiday, I’ve been watching an eight year old spelling competition involving people who are now probably 20 years old?

In hindsight, they weren’t dressed in the most modern of dress, but I had just assumed they were a few years behind the times, and anyway their real love is words and not fashion. The judge’s jacket and glasses did seem to be from the 1970s so there was no clue there, and the kids were all in the same polo shirts.

I knew I should have stuck with my instinct and watched the first series of 24 played back-to-back. Or at least this could have been on:

Who is Rainham Steel?

Every time I watch a Premiership football match, I see adverts for Rainham Steel. It’s become an obsession of mine. Why would a steel company advertise there? Do they think a lot of people watching are interested in buying some steel. “When I think of steel, I think of Rainham Steel”, or something.

The advertising boards are predominantly behind the goal in a position so the camera’s pick them up. All of a sudden they’re everywhere and in my brain - help! Advertising works!

So I looked them up and:

Welcome to Rainham Steel Online, the website of the UK’s leading stockist of structural sections, hollow sections, reinforcement and piling products.

Rainham Steel currently supply to a diverse range of industries including, steel stockholders, structural engineers, steel fabricators, construction companies, civil engineers, house builders, groundwork contractors and aggregate suppliers.

So that’s that really. Mystery solved. They do steel, stadiums are made out of steel and err they advertise at those stadiums.

I feel slightly let down.

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