I have a confession that I’ve been holding out on sharing, and it’s left me feeling both shame and annoyance with myself for taking the easiest, not greenest, option. Earlier this year, in my excitement and haste, I booked a much anticipated round the world trip through a series of chartered flights. As many of us do when purchasing something of substantial cost, I was looking for the cheap and quick option to navigating the world. What I did not consider, however, was its impact on the planet. Text book mistake for an aspiring greenling! Continue reading Why I’m not Carbon Offsetting this summer
Category Archives: Sustainability
Being Green Whilst Travelling…. Eating seasonably in Australia
A while ago Trudi wrote a piece about eating seasonably and all the benefits of it. When I was in England, I tried my best to eat seasonably, as being a lazy girl it was an easy way to be green with fairly minimal effort and you get the food at its best. Everyone’s a winner.
This is something I have tried to continue whilst in Australia. However it’s been slightly more challenging this side of the world for a few different reasons. One of those being that the seasons are reversed here, meaning I have to switch June around in my brain from Summer to Winter, and all the foods I associate with winter which to me is pumpkins, root vegetables, yummy soups and Christmas dinner (Veggie style). Continue reading Being Green Whilst Travelling…. Eating seasonably in Australia
Is Cornwall a new hub for ethical fashion?
I think we’ve all experienced that feeling of excitement, which quickly turns to anxiety, when a special invitation leaves us freaking out about what to wear. It’s one of the oldest and most unavoidable situations, no matter how comfortable and confident you feel within yourself. Whether it’s a party, wedding, conference, or simply meeting someone new for the first time, we all want to make a good impression and visually represent who we think we are inside.
So, when I was recently invited to attend the Observer Ethical Awards, with the scary sounding dress code of “Sustainable style”, I experienced this vain but natural freak out. If I could even claim to have some form of style in the first place, I would feel a little less nervous. But unfortunately, my outfits usually consist of charity shop hauls and friends hand-me downs. Naturally due to my “make do and mend” approach not simply that I’m a complete fashion-phobe!
However , determined to at least attempt some kind of eco sophistication, I did some digging to see if I could find my own unique sustainable style, without spending more money on one outfit than I would normally spend in a year at the Cats Protection charity shop!
The good news is, my search was easier and closer to home than I thought. It turns out Cornwall is already a bit of a hub for eco fashion, so I don’t have to roam too far to kit myself all green and shiny!
Like many counties across the UK, Cornwall has always been extremely proud of its own home-grown produce; not least because down here we see ourselves as a county within itself! From clotted cream and pasties, to tin mining and the iconic surf culture; Cornwall naturally and seamlessly balances both its historic and modern identities. So it shouldn’t really be any surprise that 5 of the best ethical fashion brands happen to be Cornish… Continue reading Is Cornwall a new hub for ethical fashion?
Ben and Jerry’s go Vegan!
Today is an exciting day. I woke up to learn that Ben and Jerry’s have given in to millions of signed petitions and will be releasing a dairy free range next year. Vegan Ben and Jerry’s on a Friday night sounds like my idea of a lazy night in!
But my excitement isn’t just because I want to stuff my face with buckets of ice-cream (though that is certainly a contributor to my happiness right now…) I am also happy that the company, who pride themselves on caring about such issues as equal marriage, world peace, fairtrade and climate change, are finally putting their money where their mouth is.
Interestingly, Ben and Jerry’s claim they are passionate about climate change issues and have even joined forces with Avaaz to encourage people to sign a petition or action. In their own words they are “…calling on leaders of the developed nations and the United Nations to tackle climate change at the upcoming summit in Paris. Our goal is for international leaders to work towards 100% Clean Energy by 2050.” A heartfelt plea from a company whose very industry of mass exploitation and rearing of dairy cows is at the very core of our climates woes.
The WWF estimates that there are approximately 270 million dairy cows worldwide, all churning out babies they will never raise, simply to meet our growing dairy demands. Dairy cows and their manure produce greenhouse gas emissions which are greatly contributing to climate change. Poor handling of manure, which occurs in a large number of industrialised dairy farms, and their fertilizers degrade local water resources. Unsustainable dairy farming (in which standards are lowers and more land is needed) along with feed production can lead to the loss of ecologically important areas, such as prairies, wetlands, and forests.
But still, Ben and Jerrys have always maintained their passion for the planet. So their acknowledgement that dairy is not needed to make a successful and profitable business is very exciting indeed. Not just for vegans but literally for the whole planet!
Are new builds the smart choice for energy efficiency?
Now, I am by no means in a position to be buying a home any time soon – I mean, I’m just about to give up all my worldly belongings and go gypsy for a while across the world! But I know many of my more sensible peers are increasingly looking to settle down and jump onto the property ladder. Most of them are going for the cheaper option, of something older which needs a little bit of work; then putting the hours and money in to make it their own. But when it comes to investing in your first house, is this approach really the most affordable, and green way to go?
My dream, if I’m honest, is to build my own Tiny House, Grand Design style. But If I had to purchase an existing home, I would always go for the old Victorian house full of character, over a shiny new build, with little history or soul. However – for the sustainably conscious – recent innovations are showing that new homes might actually be the smarter choice; not only for the pocket but also for the green credentials of your home.
In recent years there have been major changes in the way new build homes are designed, to make them more efficient for both the environment and the customer; resulting in hundreds of pounds being saved each year on energy bills. Continue reading Are new builds the smart choice for energy efficiency?
Book Review: The Sustainable Design Book
Ok, I’m just going to go ahead and put it out there. I’m a bit of design geek. Well, specifically an architecture and furniture design geek (and yes, I do include my love of Ikea and Grand Designs in this description…); though I also have respect for anything that is a little quirky, practical, and more importantly, sustainable.
But don’t assume this geek love equates to intellectual prowess, no Sir! Not to be confused with someone who actually knows something of substance about a particular subject, a geek is in fact characterized as someone who is (I quote the Oxford dictionary…) “extremely excited or enthusiastic about a subject, typically one of specialist or minority interest” and that’s me with design. I love it with a creepy, stalker-like passion, but am rarely invited to it’s parties.
It is because of this interest, but lack of knowledge, that I jumped at the chance to take a look at a brand new book on this very subject: The Sustainable Design Book by Rebecca Proctor.
First impressions suggested that this was a dream book for arty, designer types with a profound knowledge of design. For those who would pretentiously ponder techniques, or simply leave around for friends and acquaintances to admire. A coffee table book if you will. But a curious thing happened. As I begun to flick through its beautifully laid out pages, I realised first impressions can be very deceptive indeed…
Earth Day: My favourite spots for reflecting on the world
Happy Earth Day everyone! I know, I know there seems to be a national or global recognition day for most things, but you really can’t ignore a day which is dedicated to this beautiful planet. Even Google has a cool graphic to mark the occasion!
Today, I thought I would celebrate by sharing 10 of my favourite spots on this beautiful planet – both natural and man made – all of which inspire me to keep on my green living journey and remind me what we could loose if we don’t behave ourselves.
1. Mission Bay, Auckland, New Zealand 
Clear blue water, white sand and views out toward the volcanic Rangitoto Island – it’s hard to believe that the modern city of Auckland was build around this stunning exotic bay. Earth at its best.
2. White Cliffs, East Sussex, England
This picture was taken in Seaford, but all across this coastline the white cliffs are both powerful and serene; welcoming you to look out to the sea or back toward land in reflection. I’ve spend many a day chilling on these cliffs contemplating the world.
3. Minnack Theatre, Penzance, Cornwall
What better way to marvel at both natural and man made beauty than watching a theatre production whilst overlooking the stunning Cornwall coast? With views toward the Atlantic and to Sennen Cove (prettiest beach on Earth) this theatre was chiseled into the rocks to create a quirky place to watch the human stories we love to create and share. Continue reading Earth Day: My favourite spots for reflecting on the world
Creating human warming for the love of communities
As Most of you know, in my day job I work at a very inspiring environmental charity – the Eden Project – on a community campaign called The Big Lunch. I’m very passionate about the project, which is all about connecting people and creating a sense of community spirit locally.
I try not to harp on about my job too much, but this weekend I’m working on a very exciting collaboration between The Big Lunch and the awesome Climate Coalition on their For The Love of campaign which I think you lazy green beans might be interested in. All weekend on Twitter we want to get people talking about what they love in their communities, and seek to protect from the effects of climate change. All you need to do is share a photo of what you love about where you live, with the hashtag #fortheloveof.
But what do street parties have to do with sustainability?
The Big Lunch –the UK’s annual get-together for neighbors – encourages people to sit down together on the first Sunday every June to share food and conversation, as a means to promote community spirit. But it’s more than just a street party full of trifles, trestle tables and bunting. People are the key ingredient. Those taking part begin to create friendlier communities in which they share more; from conversation and ideas, to skills and resources.
The UK’s award winning environmental charity and tourist attraction, the Eden project, seeded the idea of The Big Lunch in 2009 with the hope of creating stronger, more sustainable communities. It’s about recognising that, whilst individual responses to environmental issues – such as household recycling and conscious purchasing – are important factors in tackling climate change, the power of collective action cannot be underestimated. When people come together to share ideas, resources and skills, they are in effect becoming more sustainable. The Big Lunch calls it human warming, and last year 4.83 million people got involved to enjoy a taste of it! Continue reading Creating human warming for the love of communities
A Lazy Girl Goes Green 