California Senator Barbara Boxer has just posted her statement at a hearing she convened. She is Chairman of the Senates Committee on Environment and Public Works. Here it is. Its not too long to read.
I just recently did an article on Green Collar Jobs and how this is great way to fight global warming and poverty as well. Many politicians are also starting to promote this idea and it is spreading rapidly across the US.
Whats going on on the other side of the pond? I tend to find Europe always ahead of the game on green issues or is this one issue the US has finally taken the lead?
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Thank you to all the GGG readers who signed the Wildlife Trusts petition fish which I reported about in the Cycling to save our seas post.
On Wednesday 10th October I joined my colleagues from the other 47 Wildlife Trusts in the UK to attend an event at the House of Commons where we took with us a shoal of over 200 petition fish containing over 150000 signatures showing support for the implementation of a Marine Bill.

At the event we met with MPs to gain their support for the Marine Bill and also to launch the Wildlife Trusts new report Marine Reserves TLC for our seas and sea life which explains the urgent action needed to allow UK seas to recover from centuries of over-intensive exploitation for everything from food to building materials and oil.

The UKs seas are extraordinarily rich in wildlife home to more than 44000 animal and plant species around 50% of the UKs biodiversity. However shockingly less than 0.001% of our seas are protected. The Wildlife Trust and other members of the Wildlife & Countryside Link are calling for the Marine Bill to be mentioned in the Queens Speech next month. It is extremely important that we lobby the government to ensure that the Marine Bill comes to Parliament during the 2007-8 session. As mentioned in a previous post if the government do not deliver the Marine Act in the time frame needed then we could lose a variety of marine species and our seas will begin to die. We really do need to provide TLC for our seas and marine life now!

On Wednesday 17th October the Wildlife Trust and other members of the Wildlife & Countryside Link including the Marine Conservation Society will be taking their collected signatures to 10 Downing Street to demonstrate the level of public support for the Marine Bill. To show your support and demand the Bill then write to your MP and email Gordon Brown. Also if you are a scuba diver then why not join the Marine Conservation Society on their Divers March at Westminster on Wednesday 7th November for further details contact them.
I will keep you updated about the Marine Bill campaign.
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The WWF are calling for support in urging the government to strengthen the UK climate change bill.
Strangely the bill doesnt include emissions from aviation and shipping and the government arent planning to include them. Does that make any sense considering they are two of the fastest growing sources of emissions?
WWF will be taking a giant paper boat and paper plane to parliament covered in the names of everyone who supports their request for a change to the bill. Visit http://getonboard.wwf.org.uk to find out more and sign their petition.
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My interest in politics is becoming stronger everyday this is because as I get older (26 next) and hopefully wiser I realise that politics affects every aspect of my life as it does yours. Thus today when the Queens speech was delivered I was very interested to find out which Bills had been included.
By the way in case you did not know the Queens speech is only hers in name as it is the governments script to communicate their long term changes that they think the UK needs. I think that instead of using the outdated fashion of using the Queen the PM should deliver it himself as it is his words.
Anyhow although the government gave us a sneak preview of the proposed Bills earlier on in the year the speech today provided confirmation of what was on their agenda.
In total there were 29 Bills covered including the following four all of which have an affect on the environment:
Climate Change Bill
Through the introduction of this Bill the UK will be set to become the first nation to introduce legislation to cut its contribution to climate change. The Bill should create a legal framework to reduce the UKs carbon dioxide emissions by 60% by 2050.
I think that the introduction of the Bill is fantastic; however it needs to be strengthened in order to be truly effective. Environmental organisations such as Friends of the Earth want to see it increased to 80% by 2050 I agree.
However in terms of the government even delivering their target of 60% I am very interested to see how they propose that the UK achieves this. I think that environmental lobby groups will play an extremely important role in supporting and ensuring that the targets are met as will individuals we can not expect the government to do everything. And yes I personally will take action by taking my lifestyle to an even greener level (will keep you update on GGG).
Marine (Draft) Bill
Hurrah! They mentioned the Marine Bill which I was actively involved in lobbying for as reported in my Can we have the Bill please post .
However.it was only a draft bill which is extremely disappointing as this may mean that it will only amount to another consultation which is what happened back in 2005. The UK Government the EU and the rest of the World need to pay attention because our seas are dying and we have to prevent further species from declining and our seas from becoming polluted.

Further lobbying and strong action needs to be taken to get the Marine Bill took serious. I will keep you updated about my own personal lobbying on this.
Planning Bill
The Bill was introduced in response to issues of unaffordable housing and an increase in population. Thus the PM has pledged to build 3million homes by 2020.
3 million? Where? Urban areas are already extremely cramped in the UK and it is not good for society to live too cramped together for social and psychological reasons. In urban areas green spaces are required for environmental and also health reasons thus cramping in more houses is not a real solution.
Where will they put these new houses then? Brown belt Green Belt who knows perhaps even SSSIs (sites of special scientific interest) may not be safe.
I must admit that the planning bill does also bring in ethical issues as well as environmental because from my understanding we need more houses due to our increasing population of migrants / immigrants. Now I am a descendent of an immigrant (my father came to the UK aged 4 became a UK citizen when he was 18) and I am engaged to an immigrant (who was a refugee and is now a UK citizen). I would have hated to have thought that my father or my fiancé would not have been welcome into the UK due to issues with increased population (there were no problems back then).
However today in the UK I think that there is an ethical versus an environmental issue in terms of population. If the population level keeps increasing then obviously we need to build more houses roads facilities etc potentially even at the risk of losing important green belt land and having an affect on wildlife thus being an environmental issue. On the other hand some of the people coming to the UK could be environmental or political refugees thus raising an ethical issue of if we dont welcome them and house them then what will happen to them? Who will look after them?
I wish that I had the answers to this one however I am struggling. What do you think?
Energy Bill
Through this Bill the government aims to provide greater incentives for renewable energy generation. Which is great if this means that they want to look into solar etc. However the Bill will also include investing into nuclear power which is absolutely disastrous.
Local Transport Bill
This Bill would give local authorities more freedom in terms of local transport policies including the controversial road-pricing schemes. Although I am a non driver (I use pubic transport or cycle instead and I NEVER want to drive) I am sceptical about road pricing we should reduce the amount of cars on the road for many reasons including environmental but would charging people work. Would some find a way round it? Would the poor suffer? Would those who can not walk / cycle and rely on someone like a carer to take them out suffer. I think I will look more into this Bill and see what they are proposing and implications.
Conclusion.
Thank you if you read all the way to the end as it was a long post (sorry). Anyhow in conclusion it is great that the government included these Bills in their agenda but further work is required so lets keep lobbying and also ensuring we take personal responsibility ourselves for a greener (more ethical) future.
Anyhow let me know your thoughts about the Bills. Thanks.
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Today the UKs Prime Minister Gordon Brown has announced that action on climate change is urgent and that developed countries must lead the way in cutting carbon emissions.
Also today the UKs Environment Secretary Hillary Benn has announced the launch of a

GoshChina has taxed plastic bags !!! I have just read that from June of this year shops in China will not be giving away plastic bags. If shoppers need a bag they will have to buy one. I think this is fantastic news.lets hope it wont be long before other countries follow suit.
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The presidential race here in the States is really heating up! When Im not working I am glued to the tv watching CNN! I think this has got to be the most exciting race sincewell since who knows as this is the first time we have had a qualified female candidate and black male candidate to go with our usual white male candidates. But who cares! What I really want to know is who is the GREEN candidate of the bunch.
Since our candidates have whittled down a bit I will focus on those still in the race. Let me first fully disclose I am a registered Democrat but in the spirit of fairness I will keep my opinions to myself and just report on the facts. You decide!
The Democrats
Barack Obama- Senator Obama introduced an energy and climate plan in 2007. He calls for improving energy efficiency in the U.S. by 50 percent by 2030 and all new buildings in the US to be carbon neutral by 2030. He supports a phase-out of incandescent light bulbs by 2014. He proposes an increase in research and development for biofuels renewable energy and other clean technologies. He proposes raising fuel-economy standards for automobiles to 40 miles per gallon and light trucks to 32 mpg by 2020. He was a co-sponsor of the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act and he calls for cutting U.S. carbon dioxide emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. He hopes to accomplish this through a cap-and-trade system that would auction off 100 percent of emissions permits making polluters pay for the CO2 they emit.
Hillary Clinton Senator Clintons campaign has been carbon neutral! She supports a goal of the US getting 25 percent of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. She supports raising fuel-economy standards to 40 miles per gallon by 2020 and 55 mpg by 2030. She wants the US to cut its consumption of foreign oil by two-thirds of projected levels by 2030. She also proposes a cap and trade system similar to Senator Obamas; to reduce U.S. greenhouse-gas emissions 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050 and would auction off 100 percent of the emission permits as well as other measures. Senator Clinton has been a huge advocate for energy independence throughout her campaign.
The Republicans
John McCain- Senator McCain has been a leader on cutting greenhouse gas emissions and is probably the greenest Republican candidate of the group! He too supports a cap and trade system for cutting greenhouse gas emissions and opposes the carbon tax. Hes against drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He supports the use of nuclear power as an alternative energy source and a way to reduce carbon emissions and he wants to find a way to use our coal resources without emitting more greenhouse gases. Global warming would be a top issue for his presidency. He spoke out against the current administrations lack of action on the climate change issue! (He will be the oldest president ever if elected. Even older than Reagan!)
Mike Huckabee Former Governor Huckabee is unsure if humans are responsible for climate change but supports the cutting of greenhouse gas emissions because its the right thing to do. He supports raising fuel economy standards to 35 miles per gallon by the year 2020. He supports the expansion of nuclear power. He believes we have a moral and religious obligation to protect the earth and says as president he will send Congress his comprehensive plan for energy independence (yet no one knows what it is?!).
Ron Paul Former Congressman Paul doesnt have much to say on environmental issues at all. He thinks the free market/private companies should have more control of it and the government should stay out of it and see what happens. He supports all offshore drilling. He too doesnt believe humans have contributed to climate change. He would end any special benefits to energy companies.
The choice is yours America choose wisely!
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Im back! Regular GGG readers may have noticed that it has been some time since I wrote a post for this fantastic blog and I would like to apologise for that. However I hope that you will forgive me as I have been in the middle of selling my house and relocating. Whilst I have lots of interesting news that I could post on GGG I thought that I would start off by providing you all with an update about the Marine Bill Campaign.
Marine and Coastal Access Bill
After extensive campaigning from a wide range of environmental and conservation organisations the UK Government has included the Marine Bill (now called the Marine and Coastal Access Bill) in its draft legislative programme. This is absolutely fantastic news for the environment and marine life however before we all get excited I would like to highlight that whilst there is a strong indication that it will be mentioned in the Queens speech (and thus be brought forward to Parliament) there is no guarantee.
Good but could be better
I have read a couple of different summary documents for the Marine and Coastal Access Bill (not yet had time to read the whole draft Bill in great detail) and from what I can gather and what marine experts have informed me (including Lisa Chilton the Marine Development Manager at the Wildlife Trust) the Bill is good but could be a lot better. For example there is concern over the following points:

august is my first

Music has the power to heal cross borders spread ideas inspire and yes bring the people together. Can it also help improve the environment? End wars? Create gender and racial equality?
I think that it can. Historically emotive music with powerful lyrics has played a vital role in a wide range of causes. From the marching songs of the suffragettes to anti-war protests music has helped to unite people together and helped political campaigns.
Categorized by causes here are a few songs containing powerful messages:
**ENVIRONMENT**
Joni Mitchell Big Yellow Taxi (1970)

There are many reasons to use plants as medicines. For example despite many drugs having their origins in plant life pharmaceutical giants are huge polluters not just from the processes of the factories but the secondary pollution caused by the patients themselves when medications pass through their body into the ecosystem. Sewerage treatment works clean up as much of this as they can but there are many chemicals that slip through the net and circulate back into our reservoirs plant and animal life finally passing back into our bodies in the form of drinking water. Now we find CODEX Alimentarius creeping upon us likely to undermine the choices of those of us who prefer to use herbal remedies. We do not know for sure what the wider implications will be but it seems likely that many of the herbal remedies we have all had access to being removed entirely (due to their safety and efficiency not having been

Much of the wild land in Scotland is under threat from large scale developments to meet our future energy needs. In contrast to this approach to the future we have a vision of a more sustainable future where communities in remote areas meet their energy needs without costing the earth.
I work for the John Muir Trust within the Climate Change and Sustainable Communities project. The Trust protects some of the most beautiful remote and wild land in Scotland both directly and in partnership with local communities.
Many of the rural communities we have a relationship with have already started investing in a more sustainable future. You can see what these communities are doing by checking out my blog.
One example we are keen to see replicated comes from the Isle of Eigg with whom we have been sharing experiences. This remote island community leads the way in Scotland as a model of what is possible. Two women Lucy Conway and Maggie Fyffe along with Project Officer Tasha Lancaster have spearheaded the exciting work here. They have developed a two pronged approach which aims to make the community self-sufficient in energy terms within three years.
The first strand of their plan focuses on the software through an education and outreach program called Islands Going Green which recognises the permanent changes needed to bring about a more sustainable future will only come about when there is major buy-in from the whole community.
Islands Going Green encourage people to take action in small communities of around 100 people as that is a human scale. This could be a street a social club a workplace where you commit to having your own green island. They have had lots of fun social events on their journey and have gained huge community support.
The second strand is focused on the hardware elements looking to energy efficiency and conservation measures along with a cocktail of micro renewables to decrease their use of fossil fuels. They wisely are not relying on one source alone for renewable energy but have invested in a mix of wind solar biomass and hydro schemes. Already they seem further advanced in their thinking than the government.
Article by Fran Loots
Energy without costing the Earth http://jmtcommunities.blogspot.com
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With all the recent talk of food miles you might think that antipodean wines were off the menu but Aussie winery Wakefield has been working to develop a range of wines which can be enjoyed guilt-free.
All of the wines from the Eighty Acres range have been declared 100% carbon neutral (based on a life cycle assessment model compliant to ISO14044) a world first for a wine brand!
Production of the wine range which comprises a Chardonnay Viognier 2007 Cabernet Shiraz Merlot 2006 and Shiraz Viognier 2006 is entirely carbon neutral from the moment the vines are planted right through to harvest production of the wine shipping consumption and disposal of the bottle.
The wines are available with an RRP of around

Recycle recycle recycle – It is as easy as taking the aluminum can and dropping it in the recycle bin. Along with plastic bottles newspapers and glass bottles this is a simple and effective method.
Use Paint that does not contain VOC Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) are toxic chemicals found in furniture tables wallpaper paint and basically anything that is manmade or is sprayed with manmade chemicals. One easy way is to avoid paints and wallpaper that contain VOC. If you are not sure about the ingredients then definitely buy well known low toxic paints (like Ieko or Earthborn).
Buy Already Used Craigslist is gold for great products. Why spend $2000 on a sofa when you can buy it on craigslist for $300 AND avoid the fate of the landfill. People are always moving in a rush take advantage of that by buying great furniture products that dont end up in the garbage and pollute the environment.
Buy Bamboo Bamboo is a grass not a tree and so it grows quickly and is versatile. Bamboo can be used in flooring window blinds or just about any living room furniture. The only downside to bamboo is that it uses a lot of water during reforestation but takes little time to reforest compared to trees.
Stop with the Polystyrene Cups You know it as Styrofoam from the Dow Chemicals Company but actually Styrofoam as a cup does not exist its actually polystyrene . You go to parties and they have Styrofoam cups and plates and it is terrible.
Take cloth bags to the grocery store Those little plastic bags used by grocery stores are flimsy and not recycled by people. Considering that large cities like San Francisco are charging consumers for plastic bags start now and use nice cloth bags. Even a backpack is great for filling up heavier items in it.
Stop with the bottle water – Really? You NEED bottle water? Youre incapable of putting a filter on your tab for 40 bucks and rather spend $1.20 per bottle every day? More than 1.6 Billion bottles are not recycled in the UK each year. Bottled water takes up space. Bottled water is a waste. Bottled water use plastics; which in turn use petroleum. Instead use a hard plastic bottle fill it with water and take it to the gym work car. If you are concerned about tap water not being clean put a filter on. Remember just because its from a bottle doesnt make it clean water either; the Perrier scandal taught a lesson there.
Article by Preeti Pradhan
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Known for an uncompromising commitment to organic agriculture and sustainable business practices Mountain Rose herbs is raising their eco-efforts to new heights by launching a new program aimed at helping employees reduce their carbon footprint.
The new program focuses on preventing pollution caused by commuter traffic by offering cash incentives to employees who carpool and bicycle to work. According to the Environmental Defense Fund U.S. autos emit more than 333 million tons of carbon dioxide each year which is more than one-fifth of the nations total carbon dioxide emissions. Thankfully programs like the one offered by Mountain Rose Herbs can make a real difference.
The program is easy to understand track and offers tangible awards. It pays staff members who carpool to work 12-cents per mile for each passenger and for those who bicycle to work 20-cents per mile. In addition to the cash reward for each mile Mountain Rose Herbs also offers a yearly $500 cash bonus to the staff member who has logged the most miles.

The Beach Shack Project specialises in handmade unique pieces of jewellery made from flotsam and Jetsam. Sea glass old Victorian pottery shards driftwood nylon monofilament plastic shells and stones all make up the unusual components used in each design.
Although the beach is a great place to source new objects and inspiration the items gathered whilst beachcombing can also pose a threat to the coastal eco system. For example huge tumbleweed sized balls of monofilament discarded by fisherman or thrown over board can be an unfortunate end for any bird or fish unlucky to become entangled. They are also un-biodegradable so can become a very permanent feature on the beaches. These tangled balls are collected and laboriously unraveled unknotted and even reknotted until the nylon is left in workable strands. These balls are then washed thoroughly in antibacterial soap so they are squeaky-clean and then ready to design with.
I can find working with found materials limiting but this can result in an unusual creative output. It makes you really think about what you are using because you work with what you find.
Currently here at the Beach Shack Project we are working with Surfers Against Sewage by donating a percentage of profits from the reclaimed nylon range of jewellery to their campaign.
Surfers Against Sewage is a campaign group set up by surfers who wanted to use clean safe oceans. One of their missions is to reduce

Welcome to this weeks ECW run down.
Click the links below to read more. Enjoy!
Alternative Consumer
New to the eco savvy style scene is a line of beautifully handmade purses totes messenger bags and iphone cases from ZAUM.
Green Cotton
END Footwear: Defining the cutting edge of eco-trail and road running with soy rice PET and more

Fashion Evolved
Terra Planas new line of

Well after a long break Eco Chic Weekly is back with a vengeance.
Find all the latest in green and ethical fashion from those in the know
Fashion Evolved
Check out this weeks Five Eco Fashion Finds
Eco-Chicks
Features the the Sweater Chop Shop: Sewing One-of-a-Kind Creations from Recycled Sweaters
Green Grechen
Says Angel Court revamped jewellery is a must-have!
The Eco Diva
Pono jewellery line giveaway and interview with its creator Joan Goodman
Ethical Style
The eco bomber jacket for men by Canadian label Thieves
Feelgood Style
Taxi DCD specialises in re-vitalising vintage items to create beautiful new clothes
Green Lashes and Fashion
Bows galore on vintage and green clothes and accessories
Heidi and Seek
Give us the run down on natural cloth pads by Naturally Hip
Inhabitat
Classic organic dresses for this Autumn by Velvet Leaf
Modern Hippie Mag
5 signs that youve found a great natural beauty product
Organic Beauty View
Tries out natural skin exfoliators
Alternative Consumer
This ones for the green bag lovers Mandinka Designs
The Thrifty Chicks
Consider thoughtful gift giving
TreeHugger
Calls for entries for the Planet Green and hessnaturs Eco T-shirt Design Challenge
Green Girls
Video interview with Leila Hafzi about the US debut of her

This weeks round up of everything stylish and green
Eco-Chick
Check out the 2009 Collection by Samantha Pleet
Ecco*Eco
Leblas collection Filigree Chic.
Eco Fashion World
5 Cheap & Easy Ways to Green Your Wardrobe
Eco Diva
Review of Flip & Tumble shopping bag.
Girlie Girl Army
Pinups for Pitbulls. An original way to raise awareness and funds for pitbulls!
Ethical Style
iWood Sustainable Sunglasses is on their wishlist.
Green Grechen
Vintage Week: How to Shop for Vintage Clothing.
Green Lashes and Fashion
Looking for the Best Vintage Skirts!
Greenopia
Natural make-up by Suki.
Organic Beauty View
Introducing Sabon NYC new organic skincare line.

Feelgood Style
Osea new organic skincare from the sea
Eco Chic Weekly is coordinated by the fantastic ADQ of Fashion Evolved.
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This weeks eco fashion roundup from those in the know.
Fashion Evolved
The Life and Times of Victoria Klein.
Ecco*Eco
Frei Designs opens shop
Eco Fashion World
Interview with Pivot shop owner Jessa Brinkmeyer.
Eco-Chick
Its love at first sight with Teich bags.
Eco-Diva
Organic Essence Vanilla Lip Balm review.
Ethical Style
Glamour Runs Unretouched Photo of Plus-Size Model
Feelgood Style
Kazam Natural Body Care.
The Girlie Girl Army
At Home Facials for the Broke Glamazon.
Green Grechen
Eco Fashion Deals and Steals.
Green Lashes and Fashion
Ten Vintage Vegan Bags
Inhabitat
Save the world with your underwear at PACT.
Modern Hippie Mag
Spotlight on McFarland Designs.
Organic Beauty View
Eco Tools bath and body collection
Planet Green
Five free ways to reverse summer skin and hair damage.
Alternative Consumer
Enamores 2010 eco undies.
The GIN Lady
Ruby London: Style led ethical fashion.
The Green Girls
Green-Minded Skin.
The Thrifty Chicks
Thirft stores: Do you shop where you drop?
Treehugger
Nau bags theyre completely different.
Eco Chic Weekly is coordinated by the fantastic ADQ of Fashion Evolved.
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Heres the latest on everything chic stylish and green.
Fashion Evolved
Interviews Jaszy McAllister creator of ethical beautiful Jaszys Jewelry.
Eco Fashion World
Interview with Maroussia Rebecq founder of Andrea Crews.
Eco-Chick
Keeps us updated with the weeks eco fashion news.
Eco Diva
Shows us how to go local with Etsy.com
Ethical Style
Bangladesh Garment Factories Going Fair Trade
Feelgood Style
Popomomo introduces the Curatorial Collection
Green Grechen
Milk silk and the environmental effects
Green Lashes and Fashion
Amazing finds from organic fashion sales
Greenopia
8 Best Ways to Get The Closest Eco Shave (for Men and Women!)
Inhabitat
NoonSolar Bags: Solar Power Your Electronics with Your Bag
Modern Hippie Mag
Ask the Beauty Chick Question and answer about chemicals in hair oil
Planet Green
Take the quiz to find out if youre a green beauty
Alternative Consumer
Gorgeous upcycled vintage red bag
The Green Girls
Obsessed with vintage jewellery this fall
The Thrifty Chicks
Standing naked in a thrift store.
Treehugger
Beyond Parabens: 7 common cosmetics ingredients you need to avoid
Eco Chic Weekly is coordinated by the fantastic ADQ of Fashion Evolved.
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Wow its September already! Lets see what the autumn ECW will bring
Fashion Evolved
Interviews Fabulous (and Glamorous!) Fitness Guru Lisa Johnson.
Ecco*Eco
Are all eyes on Ada Zanditon
Eco-Chick
Has had a make-over and is looking good!
Eco Diva
Dr. Alkaitis holistic organic skincare giveaway
Ethical Style
Vogue editor Anna Wintour and why she doesnt really shop much.
Feelgood Style
Vapour Organic Beauty: Weightless make-up
Girlie Girl Army
Must-have boots for fall / winter 2009
Green Grechen
Tells us how to buy vintage shoes.
Green Lashes and Fashion
Eco fashion finds for a sweet soiree.
Greenopia
Extend your sun-kissed look into fall
Inhabitat
Top 7 Favorite Eco Shoes for this fall
Planet Green
Flea Queens Guide to Thrift Shopping.
The Alternative Consumer
Defy Recycled billboard bags with killer style
The Thrifty Chicks
Say faux (vintage) is foe!
Treehugger
Features 7 Hot Models Who Are Also Environmentalists!
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Start your week with the wonderful Eco Chic Weekly roundup.
Ecco*Eco
Organic by John Patrick Spring/Summer 2010 collection
Eco Fashion World
Talk about new materials being used in eco fashion
Eco-Chick
MuiChic Accessories for Autumn
The Eco Diva
5 natural beauty tips (old school style!)
Ethical Style
Justify their fashion love
Feelgood Style
Theres still lead in lipstick but the FDA says it is OK
The Girlie Girl Army
Say leopard print is here to stay.
Green Grechen
Recycled suede pouch from Manimal.

Green Lashes and Fashion
Shows us some great upcycled fashion finds
Greenopia
The best eco jewelry for Fall
HipHonest
Explores recycled textiles Marielle Leenders
Inhabitat
Their top 7 favorite green shoes for Fall
Organic Beauty View
Covers New York Fashion Week!
The Alternative Consumer
Eco fashions night out NYC
The GIN Lady
Estheticas showcase of 38 ethical designers
The Green Girls
How to have way too much fun preparing Your green wedding!
Treehugger
Six Fall fashion disasters to avoid.
Eco Chic Weekly is coordinated by the fantastic ADQ of Fashion Evolved.
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Were a little later than usual with our round up this week but as they say good things come to those who wait.
Ecco*Eco
Fair Trade line Sunos 2010 collection
Eco Fashion World
Performance at the World Congress on Organic Cotton.
Eco Chick
Fall Eco Fashion Accessories: Drama Color & Recycled Metal
Eco Diva
Juice Beauty Organic Facial Mask Product Review.
Ecouterre
Answers the question

Heres this weeks eco style round up. Enjoy!
Fashion Evolved
Introduces you to Flora & Fauna.
Ecco*Eco
Ariel Clay: The Fresh Face of Eco Style
Eco Fashion World
DIY Fashion Fashion for All
Eco-Chick
Raleigh Denim: Jeans Showcasing the Future of Style and Sustainability
Eco Diva
Ask the Eco Diva What is Greenwashing?
Ecouterre
7 Ways to Makeover Your Shoes for Fall.
Feelgood Style
Safe and Beautiful Hair Colour
Green Grechen
7

Its that time of the week again! Heres our fabulous Eco Chic Weekly round up.
Fashion Evolved
Loves the Swiss organic skincare line Edelbio.
Ecco*Eco
Vivienne Westwood says

Hello Everyone! I havent posted in a while as Ive been out recovering from a pretty major surgery a few weeks ago. All is well now and Im starting to get my energy back and feel like myself again. My doctor is encouraging me to walk as my strength permits me (and the pain medication I might add it keeps me pretty drowsy) as this will help in my recovery.
Well it turns out one of my favorite websites is trying to get everybody to walk. Lime has launched Live The Change. The goal is to have people walk 24900 miles which is the equivalent of one lap around the world! If they reach this goal they will have: Reduced 20772 lbs of CO2 emissions from car use burned 2490000 calories and walked 498000 minutes.
Besides the health benefits to walking they want to let people know about the environmental benefits as well: Reducing just 10 miles of driving every week would eliminate 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions a year. The cost of operating a car for one year is approximately $5170. The cost of operating a bicycle for a year is only $120. Walking is free!
As of this posting 2420 miles have been walked! They encourage you to post your photos videos blogs and any comments on Lime about your daily

My sister is in the process of trying to help organise the first carbon neutral triathlon (A swim followed by a cycle ride and then a run for those non-sporty people of you out there) with her club Crystal Palace. Anyone who has ever taken part in a triathlon or has been to watch one will have seen how many plastic water bottles the triathletes get through the amount of promotional merchandise that is produced and will know like most big events that transportation and energy consumption is high.
Hopefully this will be a first for this type of event and as the triathlon is the fastest growing sport in the U.K could be a great example of how to plan other eco friendly sporting events and races.
If you would like to know more about their plans or could help with sponsorship of the event please get in touch.
Kate
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When my friend Anna-Lisa told me about her adventurous plans to carry out a fundraising bike ride with her fiance over the bank holiday period I was so impressed by her energy and committment I wanted to share it with you.
Anyone who gives up a potentially lazy long weekend to raise awareness about the devastating effect were all having on our marine life has to be given a voice on GGG.
I asked Anna-Lisa who works for Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust to tell us about her trip the issues that are affecting the British coastline today and what we can all do about it
1. Hi Anna-Lisa first of all can you tell us what the Wildlife Trusts Operation Seahorse Campaign is?
The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust launched the Operation Seahorse campaign in conjunction with the Wildlife Trusts national campaign Save our Seas. Both campaigns aim to raise awareness about the importance of protecting our seas and its diverse marine life. The UKs seas are extraordinarily rich in wildlife home to more than 44000 animal and plant species around 50% of the UKs biodiversity.

However our seas are poorly protected compared to terrestrial habitats and are under increasing pressure as offshore activities proliferate and climate change alters marine ecosystems. Every level of marine life is under threat from the charismatic bottlenose dolphin harbour porpoise and basking shark to the critically endangered leatherback turtle. Even cod our most popular fish is now commercially extinct in the North Sea.
Through the Operation Seahorse and the Save our Seas campaigns the Wildlife Trust movement (and other members of Wildlife & Countryside Link) are petitioning and lobbying the UK government to ensure that the Marine Bill delivers robust nature conservation laws including designating sites as Highly Protected Marine Reserves (sanctuaries for marine life from where NO natural resources can be extracted i.e. gravel) At the moment there is only one UK site Lundy which has been designated as a Highly Protected Marine Reserve and is fully protected from all fishing dredging and other damaging use. However at just 3.3km2 this sanctuary only represents less than 0.001% of the UKs seas.

2. What are the issues around the Marine Bill?
Through previous campaigning conducted by the Wildlife Trusts (and other members of Wildlife & Countryside Link) the UK Government issued a White Paper on the Marine Bill on March 15th 2007. The White Paper revealed for the first time the Governments detailed plans for reforming the way that our seas are managed. The Wildlife Trust felt that overall the White Paper was very encouraging as it includes many important measures that they have been pushing for but there is still a long way to go before we have strong effective new laws in place.
Although a White Paper was issued the Marine Bill has suffered severe delays & Gordon Brown recently (July 07) failed to include it in his list of priority Bills for 2007-8. We need to lobby the government to ensure that the Marine Bill comes to Parliament during the 2007-8 session if we dont show the government NOW how important it is to designate sites as Highly Protected Marine Reserves then they will fail to commit or deliver the Marine Act in the time frame that is needed to protect our dying seas.
3. What motivated you to do the bike ride?
As an employee of landlocked Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust I was already fully aware about the Wildlife Trusts Save our Seas campaign and had signed the Marine Reserves Petition. However whilst looking on the Wildlife Trusts main website I read about Hampshire and the IOW Wildlife Trusts Operation Seahorse campaign and decided to support the cause by purchasing one of their Operation Seahorse T-shirts.
Whilst communicating with the Operation Seahorse Team I discovered that they needed urgent funding in order to undertake underwater biological surveying thus as a keen cyclist and wildlife enthusiast who wanted to visit the Isle of Wight I thought that a sponsored bike ride would be a great way of raising funds and also a great way to promote the campaign.

In order to raise funds I will be undertaking an 80 mile bike ride with my fiancée who lives on the Sussex coast and is also a keen cyclist and wildlife enthusiast. During the three day cycle tour we will be wearing Wildlife Trust Operation Seahorse and Save our Seas T-Shirts promoting the campaign and encouraging people to sign the Marine Reserves Petition.
4. What will be your route and when does it begin and end?
The plan is that on the morning of Saturday 23rd August we will cycle from Rustington in West Sussex (where my fiancée lives) to Portsmouth in Hampshire (this journey is approximately 34 miles). At Portsmouth we will catch the Wightlink Ferry to Ryde on the Isle of Wight. Saturday evening we will set up camp and then on Sunday we will be doing the Ryde and Bembridge 15 miles coastal circular route on the island. On Monday we will catch the ferry back to Portsmouth and cycle back to Rustington. Phew! It might not sound much to some of the more experienced cyclists however it will be rather exhausting for us.
5. How can GGG readers support you on your bike ride?
If after reading this article any GGG readers are enthused to help protect our UK seas then I would be really grateful if they could support my bike ride by sponsoring me for a few pound my fundraising page is:

http://www.justgiving.com/operation_seahorse

In addition to sponsoring me I urge GGG readers to take positive action towards protecting the UKs seas by:
Signing the Wildlife Trusts Marine Reserves Petition calling for the Bill to introduce areas that are fully protected from all damaging activities.
Email friends and family asking them to sign up too or print out the paper version of the petition to collect further signatures.
Join the Wildlife Trusts Save our Seas team a free online campaign group.
Write to your local MP and explain to them why youre supporting the campaign and what you want the Marine Bill to achieve for wildlife. Here are some hints and tips on lobbying MPs.
6. What will the sponsorship funds be used for?
All money raised through the sponsored bike ride will provide the Hampshire and the Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust with essential funds that will help them to be able to undertake urgent survey work. The survey work will provide them with facts about what needs protecting under the sea and where. Unfortunately biological surveying underwater is much more difficult and expensive than surveying on land.
For

Those of you who read Vickys post titled cycling to save our seas on August 20th may have wondered how my sponsored bike ride went and how the campaign is going. Well the three day bike ride and tour of Sussex Hampshire and the Isle of Wight was a great success the sun was shining and we saw some beautiful British coastline and countryside.

The aim of the sponsored bike ride was to help raise some funds and create public awareness for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trusts Operation Seahorse campaign. We raised over

Have you ever really wanted to do something to change the world but felt totally insignificant? Ever thought that just one person couldnt make a difference?

If you havent popped over to Green Guys Global lately you will have missed the news that our very own Green Guy Gareth is about to set off to the Arctic.
Thats right whilst the rest of us (well me) are moaning and complaining about a bit of frost and ice here in the UK this February Gareth will be surviving in temperatures which could dip as low as -50c.

Green Girls Global friend Katie Keegan founder of the fantastic One Green Earth presented Pete Postlethwaite with an award from the people. Heres what Katie says and asks for your support for Pete.
Over to you Katie.
On Sunday 15th March at the premiere of the Age of Stupid Pete Postlethwaite pledged to return his OBE to the queen if the government fail take serious action on climate change regarding Kingsnorth and at the G20 summit in Copenhagen. He also pledged to go to the queen as a citizen and ask her to dissolve the government and he said he would never ever vote labour again.

So I made a Peoples OBE for Pete P which stands for Outstanding Bravery for the Earth. Made out of 98% recycled materials!
We are asking any other OBE MBE GBEGBE KBE DBE and CBE holders to join Pete in his pledge.
Support Pete
You can show your support by joining the virtual event on Facebook Awarding Pete Postlethwaite

Update Aug 09 The HOTmilk campaign has now finished but Knickers4Africa still need your help. If you have underwear that you would like to donate please contact Emma at emma@knickers4africa.org.uk. Visit www.knickers4africa.org.uk to find out more.
The other day my mum told me about a scheme which helps protect women and girls from sexual abuse by donating underwear.
This scheme was set up by Zimbabwe ex-pat Morag Roy who on a return trip there was told by a friend that sexual abuse and rape of young girls was rife. A local priest explained however that having underwear could help prevent this. He said that underwear is expensive and owning these items gives a woman prestige and shows they have money. Women with underwear are considered to be more independent and assertive so men are less likely to assault them.
Morag and her colleague Corrie Peterson had previously set up a course for sexual assault victims and when she told Corrie what shed learned they decided to ask women to donate their bras.

Ive looked this scheme up online and found various references to it (some of which are listed at the bottom of this article). One article says that bras are needed primarily and preferably in dark colours for modesty reasons but another says that knickers and other underwear is wanted too.
Ive also seen some disparaging comments online saying it is patronising and unhygienic to expect these women to take hand-me-down underwear. I personally feel strongly about the value of second-hand. Surely it is a positive thing if the underwear is clean and if the women are not offended and most importantly if this plays a role in helping them. Rather than throw away your perfectly good undies recycle them and potentially keep a girl or woman safe from abuse.
Maternity lingerie company HOTmilk and their regular freight company Express Logistics are participating in the scheme and have taken thousands of pairs of underwear to Zimbabwe. If youd like to join HOTmilk and help too then you can see a list of outlets in various countries who will pass on your underwear donation to the next

If I could say one thing to the worlds Governments about climate change I would repeat the words of Elvis:

10:10 is a clever and ambitious yet simple project which is aiming to get all sectors of the UK together whether thats businesses individuals organisations educational institutions to reduce their carbon emissions by 10% in 2010.

Now when I first heard about 10:10 I wondered why this project was any different to other carbon cutting ideas. Politicians were already discussing this and had agreed to some extent that emissions needed to be cut with targets in mind. However as the 10:10 folks say:

You may have seen a very interesting video knocking around the internet lately from the innovative organisation Carrotmob. In this video called We Make it Rain they use consumer power to turn a regular grocery store to a much more environmentally friendly one. I dont want to give too much away you really need to watch the video yourself then read the interview below

Carrotmob Makes It Rain from carrotmob on Vimeo.
Carrotmobs ethos really appeals to me. Its all about reaching those with the real power businesses to make actual tangible changes. Plus this isnt done through demonising business negative pressure or boycott but actively encourages businesses to compete to become more environmentally friendly.Here at Green Girls Global were very lucky to be able to get an exclusive scoop on the genius behind Carrotmob Brent Schulkin and find out what inspires him how Carrotmob works and where its going next.

Q1 Welcome Brent. The idea behind Carrotmob and your We Make it Rain campaign is one of the most inspiring Ive seen in ages because it really speaks to businesses in a language they understand profit and competition. Where did you get the initial idea?
Why thank you! I started off thinking about the consumer side of the transaction. Several years ago I read a book called Smart Mobs by Howard Rheingold. It got me thinking about the power that can be created just by connecting groups of people into networks and spurring those networks into action. Later I realized just how promising a network of consumers could be as a carrot to change corporate behavior. The idea of creating positive incentives for business to do good is not entirely new but there are several recent developments that make now a good time for this approach to flourish: First technology now allows us to easily connect and coordinate our activities like never before. Secondly in the last couple years environmentalism has gone mainstream. And third we have a reputation economy and companies are putting huge resources into protecting or improving their reputation. Moreover these days bloggers and normal citizens have much more power over the reputation of businesses. In an age when companies are desperately trying to be seen as authentic and good they have plenty of motivation to try and please an authentic grassroots network of consumers like us since they know we have great power when it comes to defining their reputation.
Q2 How did you publicise your first campaign and gain so much support?
I emailed my friends and then it turned out that people thought that the idea was interesting enough that it was worth forwarding the email to their friends. I would also give a lot of credit to Facebook and other social networks.
Q3 In the Make it Rain video we see a regular grocery store taking part and gaining some real financial benefits. How do you see the same principle translating to big businesses?
Theres something very attractive about having a community event and focusing on local businesses. I want to keep doing that and cultivate little Carrotmob franchises all around the world. However in order to have a greater environmental impact Id like to see our main focus turn to big well-known brands. Once our network is big enough we should be able to go to competing consumer products companies (who make things that your average consumer would want to buy) and have them compete to see how much good they are willing to do relative to their competitors. It will be challenging to develop a system for comparing the proposed actions of companies that may be doing business in very different circumstances but well figure out how to do it and then companies will do what they do best: compete for profits. I think we can use that competition to get them to commit to making significant improvements. And the nice thing about dealing with the heavy hitters is that even if they are only willing to do something relatively small the impact would still be enormous compared to what a little grocer can do.
Q4 Does it matter what a businesses incentive is to improve its environmental practices?
The short answer is no but I must make a few distinctions. There are privately held companies and publicly held companies. When some rich family owns a company they can do anything they want with it. They can be greedy and pollute or they can be environmentally responsible and make sustainable choices. They may be susceptible to arguments about morals right and wrong etc. But when you are dealing with publicly-held companies youre dealing with a cold machine that knows nothing of right and wrong. When youve got a gazillion stockholders and financial institutions calling the shots profit is the only thing that matters. It is actually illegal for publicly-held companies in the US to do good unless that good is also profitable. That goes back to the Dodge brothers suing Henry Ford for trying to give some cash to his workers rather than his investors. But I digress. The point is that when youre talking about these huge companies theres no point in asking what the business incentive is because there is only ever one incentive: money. Its an ironic situation because lots of these companies are filled with people who have very strong morals but even a company with Mother Teresa as a CEO cant get around this situation. Imagine that Mother Teresa decides to take the profits of her oil company and spend billions of dollars to clean up old oil spills give college scholarships to the children of all their workers end world hunger and cure AIDS. The next fiscal quarter rolls around and shareholders find that they didnt get to line their pockets as much as they expected. They have the power to fire Mother Teresa. They also have the power to sue. Mother Teresa isnt calling the shots here its the corporate entity itself that demands a focus on profit. Luckily if a group like Carrotmob exists we can translate good into profit. Mother Teresa COULD get away with it if she knew that in exchange for ending world hunger Carrotmob would send more customers her way her companys reputation would soar the other oil companies would struggle and overall her companys profits would go up. So we dont have to worry about their motivations if we can find and embrace these mutually beneficial situations.
Q5 If someone wanted to start a Carrotmob style campaign in their home town how would they go about it? Do you have starter packs or campaign guides?
I would love to see some local campaigns get going. For now people can go to our list of cities and leave their contact info so that others can connect with them. Once we get on our feet a little more we will try to get some great resources and tools that people can use to coordinate their own campaigns. We want to have a central Carrotmob entity that deals with larger companies and then a distributed grassroots network that uses our site to get things going in their own communities. We can do global AND local at the same time!
Q6 What other ways would you say consumers can work with businesses rather than against them to bring about change?
There is no other option. EVERYONE MUST JOIN CARROTMOB IMMEDIATELY. Ha ha. But seriously. There are a lot of options for socially responsible investing. Shareholder activism is great if you own shares of something. And people working inside companies can do a whole lot of innovation from within. Of course there are a lot of sticks out there as well. Im advocating the carrot approach but I dont want us to drop our sticks and exclusively switch to carrots. It takes a team effort.
Q7 Can others join the Carrotmob movement and is there a place to share ideas?
Everyone is encouraged to join Carrotmob by visiting our site and joining the mailing list. You can also link up with us on:
Facebook
Myspace
Twitter
and Digg
You can share ideas by leaving comments all around the site or on the Facebook discussion board. The next version of the site should have a better forum for sharing.
Q8 Whats next for Carrotmob?
Ha ha Im working on it! At this point I still have another job part-time to pay rent so itd be nice to get some sort of funding so I can work full-time on this but for now Im thinking we will do another local campaign in another retail environment on a larger scale. Help us spread the word and soon we will be the most powerful mob in all the land!
Thank you Brent. GGG wishes you lots of success with Carrotmob and do keep us in touch with your news.
Well you heard him go spread the word about Carrotmob!!
www.carrotmob.org
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As little girls we all wanted a Barbie Doll as grown women we all wanted to be Barbie. Face it as the saying goes

I just wanted to let you all know about our new blog over at Make Hay Ethical E-Media.
For a little while now Ive been having lots of fun writing Make Hay newsletters for our clients providing news about what weve been up to and links and resources to help ethical business owners and we thought it was about time we shared it with everyone.
On Make Hay The Blog well be talking about useful websites news from the world of ethical business and web design special offers and anything else were inspired by.
Check us out on www.makehay.co.uk/blog
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Ive been expecting a green backlash for a long time. To be honest I thought it would happen sooner and be much more aggressive. Of course there are still the climate sceptics and we could all think of individuals who simply refuse to believe that doing their bit can help change the world but I consider encouraging them to think differently as a work in progress.
What I didnt expect was a backlash from people who are supportive of environmental issues!
This is a very specific backlash I speak of; one towards green and ethical business. Although as I type green and ethical I get a sinking feeling. It seems these and others like them have become dirty words.
Here are a few real examples of conversations Ive had and discussions Ive read.

Nottinghamshire County Council publishes a great magazine called Living for Tomorrow. Its all about Notts people putting sustainable solutions into practice. The latest edition included a very inspiring article about making workspaces greener in a building where I used to work.
The Green Group at the Nottingham Council for Voluntary Service (in the Voluntary Action Centre) formed to help NCVS plan and implement ways to green up their workplace. After discovering that 20% of their energy consumption happened overnight the horrified group members decided to call on the powers of the Green Fairy to help remind staff and volunteers about saving energy. The little virtual helper visits desks anonymously and leaves green tips and advice. She even says

Back in April I was getting ready whilst watching a morning TV show GMTV. I dont make a habit of watching this show (and now I know why) and so what I was about to see came as a quite a shock.
Apparently GMTV run an annual high street fashion award recognising different types of fashion labels and giving the viewing public a chance to vote for the winner. The particular feature I happened to catch was best budget fashion category which included Primark and George at ASDA as nominees as well as a few other well known names. This was enough to stop me in my tracks I couldnt believe this TV show was actually going to reward fashion labels which have been linked to such negative reports about sweatshops and manufacturing practices. I was even more horrified to hear the TV presenter Lorraine Kelly pop star Rachel Stevens and Paula Reed (style director of celebrity gossip and trashy fashion magazine Grazia) sing the praises of these cheap shops. Lorraine Kelly even said something to the effect of

In the days before my fashion habits took on a greenish hue I rarely bought clothes from catalogues or online.
Why?
Because everyone knows that while you may well call a spade a spade you cant always call a 12 a 12 or a 14 a 14. And if the coveted garment didnt fit Id have to package it all up again find a time to get down to the post office and start over. Sometimes Id even end up out of pocket for returns.
Its not just the sizing either; I want to touch the fabrics Im about to buy feel them against my skin what does 80% cotton / 20% lycra actually feel like?
But my green conversion about 5 years or so ago plucked me from the high street charity shops a notable exception and where I spend most of my clothes allowance and planted me in front of my computer.
The eco fabrics and fair trade fashions I was hearing so much about were nowhere to be found in downtown sunny Worthing. Only online had the answers.
Sadly while payment was quick and easy with a careless click here and there I soon discovered the concerns of my catalogue-shy days had not disappeared.
Eagerly opening packages with a 5-year-olds greedy glee my face would fall. Oh. I didnt think it would look like that feel like that. I thought it was going to be longer shorter tighter looser.
Just this month the bamboo maternity jeans which I had imagined soft and silky smooth caressing my (average-sized?) thighs and ballooning belly and which I had ordered a size larger than usual as recommended by the website (although why a company would want to label their clothes a size smaller than the average in these body conscious days is beyond me) turned out to be smaller and tighter than my smallest tightest pair of pre-pregnancy size 12s.
I could barely squeeze into them and heaven help the poor expanding bump that elasticated waistband was not forgiving.
My other purchase the slinky black bamboo / spandex mix trousers did fit but did trail a good 30cm of slinky bamboo / spandex fabric on the floor.
So now I have to sort out returning the jeans and start turning up the trousers (trying not to damage that lovely stretchy material with my inept sewing skills).
Eco stationery angst
Eco stationery is another regular gripe of mine (as my husband will attest). I look online but I want to know what it feels like how tough it is how big it is really (for my dimensionally-challenged brain).
And you know what? I need it now. To finish this report file this document cant I just pop down to the shops?

Please green my high street
What Im building up to here (yes this rant does have a point) is that we need more of a green presence on the high street and where there is one we need to know about it.
Something along the lines of the Delocator website for independent cafes but for shops whether small independents or household names such as WHSmiths to know before you head down there what recycled stationery your local branch holds for example.
Eco clothing retailers who only have an online presence could build relationships with shops on the high street (a chain of charity shops perhaps). Your order would go to the shop you could try it on there (having ordered 2 or 3 sizes to be sure) and if it doesnt fit the shop can sell it on or return it with suitable commissions agreed between the online retailer and host shop.
A bonus of this would be to push the green shopper back on to our beleaguered high street which as the recent Mary Portas Save our Shops programme showed is desperately in need of our support.
Our high street needs you!
If you know of any schemes or websites that are doing this already or are in the start-up stages do let us know wed love to hear about them.
Lets get green on the high street!
Katie
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This September our web design business Make Hay turns 5 years old. At this milestone it makes us very happy to take a look back and a look around to reflect on how weve grown and how responsible business is becoming more mainstream. Theres still a great responsibility for the business world (including us) to increase and improve our green and ethical habits but we should celebrate the achievements too!
How it all started
Make Hay was founded in September 2004. Well thats when all the official bits happened. But before it even had a name Make Hay had been whirring around in our brains for a long time. Disillusioned by traditional business models and encouraged by the potential of business driven by purpose not just profit we decided it was time to take our combined positive experiences and skills and make our contribution to changing the world. I know that might sound a bit cliché but that was and still is the driving force behind our business.

Back in 2004 the business world was a different place. As we excitedly told friends and family what we were planning to do we were often met with bemused looks or remarks like

Content Pending

We currently have dot-com dot-net dot-gov dot-org and even dot-biz; next up is dot-eco. Two groups are currently going toe-to-toe in who is going to manage this new internet domain suffix One group is in B.C. Vancouver called Big Room the other is located in Los Angeles called Dot Eco. Do we really need a dot-eco domain? Nonetheless this will not only serve as a marketing tool for companies who wish to show their

Writing my new book The High Heeled Guide to Enlightenment saw me undertake several remarkable spiritual adventures. All of these were performed in the pursuit of a higher wisdom and deeper spiritual enlightenment. Each experience aided my understanding and in turn added amusement for my very modern readers. A side effect of my newfound spiritual interest was a burgeoning love for the planet and a deep concern for all the horrific abuses we commit upon her.
To me spirituality now comes hand in hand with a responsibility to make the world a better place. As grand an ambition as they may sound it is nonetheless true. Frankly there is no point sitting upon an enlightened pedestal and then watching the world you love turn to garbage around you. Indeed any wannabe enlightened being had better get used to the idea that balance moderation and mindfulness are going to be key to her peaceful and spiritual journey. Such things come as part of the deal and impeccable spiritual credentials include more than a love of meditation and a connection to spirit. In our godforsaken consumer culture being spiritual also means treading lightly on the earth.
This heartfelt belief was exhibited to me by a number of incredible alternative systems of belief. The one that grew closest to my heart was Shamanism. Shamanic people worldwide feel a deep affinity with Pachamama (Mother Earth). They see nature as our equal and believe that humans are just one part of a greater spiritual organism that makes up this planet and indeed the universe.
Without being privy to our first-world satellite systems or eco-knowledge Shamans have always known that the abuse of Mother Nature will bring us naught but trouble. They know it and for thousands of years they have truly respected it. Nature to the Shaman is a stronger force than any number of intelligent human beings. Shamanic people court nature living in it loving it worshipping it and treating it with reverence. Somewhere along the lines our Western society moved away from pagan earth-worshipping principles and we all got greedy. Leading of course to our wasteful have it all consumer culture.
Shamans were the original environmentalists; their simple lives and naturalistic based beliefs could teach us modern humans a great deal. My personal studies of Shamanic belief have brought strong spiritual focus to my love of nature and the environment. It was good for my soul and in tandem I rediscovered the naturally shamanic part of me that adores the world we live in and the creatures and flora that reside upon it. For all Green Goddesses a side dish of shamanic style spirituality can help bring a meaningful mix of harmony and super consciousness to your sincere eco-friendly lifestyle.
Article by Alice Grist
Read more about Shamanism and other alternative spiritualities in Alice Grists book The High Heeled Guide to Enlightenment available in all good bookstores worldwide.
www.alicegrist.co.uk
www.o-books.com
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There are many ways in which hotels in the Lake District and their guests can improve their carbon footprint.
Many businesses are looking at ways in which to be more environmentally aware green. One such way is by applying for the ISO14001 accreditation. The ISO14001 proves a companys environmental credentials which enhances a corporate image. This accreditation actually saves the company or organisation money by reducing energy consumption whilst at the same time helping the environment.

There are various levels of implementations that can be put into practice within hotels and accommodation providers from recycling and reusing of materials to sourcing materials services and supplies locally. There is then a next step that can be taken for example in the form of creating a renewable energy source for the hotel. One of the hotels in the Lake District that has installed a biomass energy production system which has been enabled by its location amongst a 70 acre managed woodland area.
Some general environmental policies for hotels in the Lake District to follow are listed below:
To develop suitable objectives targets and management programmes applying appropriate operational procedures to minimise the significant environmental impacts during normal abnormal and emergency conditions.
To comply with relevant legislation regulation and other requirements relating to significant environmental impacts.
To prevent pollution minimise inputs of utilities and resources and the outputs of emissions to the atmosphere effluents to waters/sewers and wastes to disposal facilities; endeavouring to re-use recover or recycle materials where practicable.
To ensure that environmental responsibilities are defined communicated and understood at all levels within a hotels organisation and provide appropriate training where needed.
To ensure that suppliers and contractors understand the company policy and assist them in developing appropriate systems and a responsible approach with regard to environmental issues.
To communicate co-operate and respond to the views of interested parties including customers and the general public on environmental issues where this is practicable and likely to result in an overall improved environmental performance.
To strive for continual improvement in overall environmental performance.
Of course it is not just the responsibility of the hotel to conserve energy and be environmentally aware. Guests of Lake District hotels can contribute greatly to the process of helping reduce a carbon footprint.
What you can do:
Help reduce energy consumption by switching off bedroom lights when the room is empty closing curtains in winter to keep heat in the room and turn down the thermostatic control on the radiator to a comfortable level.
Think about water consumption when taking a shower and dont wash hands or clean teeth under a running tap put the plug in instead!
Let the hotel know if you notice any leaking or dripping taps they lose a lot more than you think!
Help yourself to leaflets of local attractions but dont take more than you need and you could even return them after use.
Use a hotels recycling facilities for bottles paper cardboard cans and plastic.
Buy local or Fair Trade produce whenever you can.
Leave the car behind! Use the local transport. Most Lake District hotels have walking and bus routes available at Reception there are great views whilst travelling by bus from all the routes and lots of visitor attractions within easy reach.
Bikes are available for hire.
Dont drop litter. Litter can be very harmful to wildlife.
You can make a contribution to the Tourism & Conservation Partnership to help with local conservation projects.
These small actions will help this beautiful part of the UK stay beautiful for future generations to come.
Article by Jenny Andrew
www.langdale.co.uk
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Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that has many useful properties when incorporated into building materials. With a high resistance to heat and fire it makes an excellent insulator. Its also lightweight durable and flexible and can even be woven into cloth or spun into yarn. For these reasons asbestos has been widely used in many industries. Although it has been highly regulated by the EPA asbestos can still be found in many common places. You may have heard of asbestos abatement projects occurring in your community these are attempts to remove asbestos in the safest way possible. Asbestos is a much talked-about topic especially in the United States the UK and Australia.
Asbestos however has a fatal flaw: its carcinogenic. When the raw asbestos materials or products containing it are damaged or disturbed it releases into the surrounding air microscopic fibers which are harmful to humans. These fibers can be inhaled and once inside the body they cause cells to replicate erratically and uncontrollably leading to a rare form of cancer known as mesothelioma.
Mesothelioma strikes relatively few patients but it is a terminal cancer with no known cure. One of the most devastating aspects of this disease is that it has a latency period of up to 50 years meaning that people can have mesothelioma and not know it for decades.
Since asbestos is a mineral the areas around asbestos and related mineral mines can be contaminated with the airborne fibers and may lead to mesothelioma diagnoses in residents. There have been a remarkable number of cases diagnosed in the residents of the Libby Montana area where chemical giant W.R. Grace ran a large vermiculite mine for many years. Concentrations of asbestos particulate in areas that are not near mines are very low however.
Anyone who works with asbestos should take safety precautions such as wearing protective clothes and using respirators. And anyone who has previously been exposed to asbestos either through their workplace or environmentally needs to inform their doctor of that fact and schedule regular physical exams. Mesothelioma like most cancers can be more successfully treated the earlier it is diagnosed.
Homes and buildings built before the 1980s are at a much greater risk for containing asbestos. If you are worried about your possible risk consider getting your air quality tested by a professional service or finding a company who can test for asbestos specifically. If youre remodeling your home soon youll need to make sure any asbestos-containing materials are removed properly it can actually be illegal to do it yourself. Invest in eco-friendly building materials and insulation. Not only will you be safe from asbestos youll be helping the environment as well.
Article by Anna Clark
Asbestos.net
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