Blog Action Day Update
October 16, 2007
As yesterday was Blog Action Day, a lot of blogs wrote about the environment. With the time difference around the world and so on, not all of them were up at the same time so here’s another great example of how a website with nothing to do with eco-issues, can actually be tailored to the subject.
Here’s Maria’s How Can Personal Change Help the Environment post. Enjoy.
For more links, go here.
Stand Up Against Poverty
October 16, 2007
Directed by a good friend, this short video is asking will you stand up against poverty on Oct 16th and 17th 2007? Stand Up and Speak Out Against Poverty is a global effort to end poverty and hunger in Africa and around the world, supported by the UN.
The Fun Green Roundup #4
October 15, 2007
Another roundup of weird things from the green worldwide web. First up are batteries powered by pee….
No Po Po batteries
Trusty Treehugger has once again found something weird - batteries powered by urine and “other precious bodily fluids”. You can buy them in Japan, and as the writer points out, if they were fitted in an electric car, all you’d need to do was take a lot of water with you on a long journey.
Eco undies
New Consumer magazine reports that underwear company Greenknickers is now certified Fairtrade. It only applies to their cotton knickers although it does have others made from hemp and bamboo.
Who needs a helmet?
Are you a skateboarder? But a greenie too? Try and eco-friendly skateboard! Life Goggles has more here. Then after a few more years practicing you can do this:
Leg power
Why drive when you can walk or use a bike? When driving means exercise with the human hybrid car. Groovy Green reports on a car that is a bit like a a rowing machine for four people. Allegedly it goes 60 miles per hour but from the looks of it I’d be scared stiff going 30mph. Still, I like to see people going to a bit of effort for their daily commute.
Wine glasses are not for wine
Our friend Treehugger has some pictures of an unusual use for old wine glasses - a chandelier. I say old, but they look pretty new so not sure how good these are, eco-wise, but it’s certainly unusual.
Remember if you liked this, there are other articles like it and much more. Just scroll through our archives or do a search on the right-hand side. But you can make sure you never miss an article if you sign up for RSS or our email updates here.
Blog Action Day Is Here
October 15, 2007
Today is Blog Action Day aimed at making all blogs write about environmental issues. At Life Goggles we write about green stuff every day anyway so we’ll just give you a link to more green content. If you can handle it, click here.
A great example of the sort of content you’ll find is Blaine Moore’s The Environmental Impact of Running post which is something not many people think about. Blaine make some really worthwhile points so check it out.
Latest Green News
October 12, 2007
Lots more green news and information for you.
A service will be launched in October 2007 that will vows to reduce business mail costs, along with reducing the impact of sending letters in terms of carbon emissions. The Viapost service entails letters being e-mailed by customers to distribution hubs around the UK, where they will be printed out, inserted into envelopes and sorted, prior to being delivered to the recipients by Royal Mail distribution centres in the respective area. The Viapost regional hubs will be much nearer to the 70 access points run by Royal Mail that deal with post for final delivery and as a result will cut by up to 60% carbon emissions related to sending letters.
Ethical investment funds are beating their mainstream rivals hands-down, a survey from financial information group Moneyfacts suggests. Over the past year the average UK ethical fund has grown by 18.3%, against 13.7% returned by non-ethical funds.
Sales of organic and free-range eggs have outstripped sales of eggs from battery hens for the first time, the Soil Association disclosed, underlining the trend for ethically sourced produce. But the association added that soaring grain prices were reducing the incentive for British farmers to switch to organic cereal production.
Marks & Spencer announced that it is building two new branches which will be powered by windmill. A wind turbine development funded by the company in Aberdeenshire will generate enough energy for a large branch in Pollock, Glasgow, which will produce 95% less carbon dioxide thanother stores of the same size, and one in Galashiels in the Scottish Borders. Both stores are due to open in October.
The Financial Times reported on the trend for retailers to publicise ethical initiatives. Known as the ‘30:3 phenomenon’ because 30% of interviewees told researchers that they thought about workers’ and animals’ rights and the state of the planet when they decided what to buy, but that sales figures show that only 3% actually act on the thoughts.
The Independent on Sunday reported that the success of organic vegetable box schemes and farmers’ markets have enabled farmers to stop supplying supermarkets and operate exclusively through box and mail-order schemes. Sales of organic products through box schemes rose 50% last year to £146m.
Tesco’s recent attempt to present itself as a force for environmental good has been challenged by development charity Christian Aid, which says Tesco’s carbon footprint does not include the emissions caused by shoppers driving to and from its stores or those incurred by its suppliers. The true impact on the environment could be up to 12 times higher than Tesco’s initial estimation. Campaigners from the charity will meet Tesco representatives to urge the company to reassess its carbon footprint, which stands at 4.13m tonnes of CO2 equivalent.
Tesco chief executive Sir Terry Leahy said he was ready to raise prices to deliver a ‘revolution in green consumption’. He was speaking as the company pledged £25m for a sustainable consumption institute at Manchester University, which will investigate issues from the impact of cleaner technologies and recycling to ways of encouraging consumers to adapt to more sustainable lifestyles.
Marks & Spencer has invited the public to return plastic hangers to their stores for recycling.
Song of the Day - Big Casino by Jimmy Eat World
October 11, 2007
OK boys and girls, the latest album from Jimmy Eat World is out and is definitely worth a listen! Big Casino, the opening track, gives you an immediate sense that you’re onto something good. Sorry about the ‘clip’ or lack there of, but give it a go. Simon Says.
As of September 29th, 2007, “Chase This Light” had been leaked onto the internet in full. Jim has stated, on the Jimmy Eat World website that “Chase This Light” would be officially released on October 16th, 2007.
Jimmy Eat World was formed in Mesa, Arizona in 1993. Singer/guitarist Jim Adkins and drummer Zach Lind, who had been friends since kindergarten, joined forces with guitarist Tom Linton and bass player Mitch Porter to try their hand at music.
The name Jimmy Eat World did not refer to lead singer Jim Adkins. Tom Linton’s younger siblings, Ed and Jimmy, fought constantly when they were younger. Jimmy, who was stronger and heavier, would usually win. In one instance, Ed, as revenge, drew a picture with crayons of Jimmy shoving the entire world into his gaping mouth with the caption, “Jimmy eat world.”
24 Goes Carbon Neutral
October 11, 2007
Adam has written a review of the sixth season on the TV show 24, and it now turns out that 24 is also going green!
How are they doing this? “They want to be the first television show to cut their emissions low enough to be carbon neutral. The show will be taking important steps to clean up their sets and make them more efficient. Their generators ran on electricity in previous seasons, and their vehicles ran on regular diesel. They will now correct this by using bio-diesel fuel to power vehicles and generators instead. This will decrease emissions on their vehicles up to 5% and their generators up to 100%, which will be a significant change.
They also hope to incorporate more hybrid vehicles into their sets as well. They will be purchasing their energy from various renewable wind, water, and solar sources. And they will be rewiring the stage to use electric power instead of diesel-generated power.”
[Via: AboutMyPlanet]
Recent Comments