Hippyshopper

Etheco rates the greenness of products and services

What makes the washing machine here greener than other mass market washing machines?  It's front-loaded, which is more energy efficient and gentler on clothes than the top-loaded variety.  With an energy rating of A+, and washing and centrifugal efficiencies rated A, it comes out tops at Etheco's green rating system.  And at only £213.64, upgrading will ultimately pay for itself in reduced mains, hot water and clothing costs.  Etheco also helps you find green energy and service providers across the corporate spectrum.  [GT]

[Via New Consumer]

Etheco

More utilities and services

Organic Assistant: your own personal (hippy) shopper!

If you want to live a totally organic life, you're going to need a bit of help tracking everything down. And that's exactly what a new website called Organic Assistant aims to do.

Whether it's a hotel serving organic fare or an organic meal for your moggy you're looking for, the website will find it in its database of thousands of organically-certified products and services, via an easy browse feature that lets you locate those nearest to you.

[Via New Consumer]

I gave it a try today, and found no less than 300 organic shops within five miles of Shiny Towers, some of which I didn't know existed, and I think it would be even more of a handy tool on trips away from home, when you're unfamiliar with the local area. The layout is very clean and simple too, which is always a relief on sites that are there to provide information. So give it a try, and let us know what you think!

Delocator - helps you find an independent cup of coffee

Well done to the folks behind Delocator; they have come up with a great idea. You put in your postcode and the website tells you where your nearest independent coffee shop is. Say goodbye to corporate coffee! Resist globalisation!

Okay, so the site is nowhere near comprehensive yet, but you can help out with that by adding your local cafe.

[Via EcoWorrier]

Related stories: Starbucks fair trade claims | Even fairer coffee | Black Gold

Eco-Marketing puts eco-green with money-green

The saw about the world beating a path to your door if you invent a better mousetrap was surely disproven by a lot of developments in the computer industry. Same is true in environmentalism, but Eco-Marketing is about clearing that up. Pairing corporations who have green aspirations and cash but no eco-sense with eco-mavens in a long-arms-deep-pockets situation, sectors covered range from recycling to alternative medicines, and services from research to telemarketing. [GT]

Eco-Marketing

Related stories: Saving Green by Going Green: turn your business hippy | Top concern for ethical investors is workers' rights | Monday ethical celeb: Sir Paul the garbage picker

Barnet Council tries to phase out the bath

Barnet council is consulting its residents about planning rules it's proposing that will encourage builders only to install showers and not to provide baths.

The rules would apply to house extensions and developments of less than 10 homes. Planning committees will look at whether water flows to power showers have been restricted, water meters have been fitted and a water butt installed, but ultimately the council could refuse planning permission to developments that unnecessarily include a bath.

Presumably the subjective term of 'unnecessarily' allows them to wave through things like housing developments for people of restricted mobility. As a new father, however, I might even argue that I need the bath to wash my daughter, since I doubt she would appreciate a shower at her tender age.  (Not that she enjoys baths either.)

No doubt there'll be a lot of hoo-hah made about this proposal (Vanessa Feltz was on the BBC this morning doing her 'outraged' thing, which put me right off my breakfast) but as Hugh Ellis of Friends of the Earth said: "I would hate the whole debate to get focused on baths... We have got some excellent local authorities that have led the way in addressing climate change and London should be very proud of that."

Fines and bath reduction - council level green action [via How to Save the World for Free]

Related stories: Tameside Council's £30 fine for leaving PCs on | Green Building Company's one stop shop for water saving |

Photo credit:  Bathtime Kitty - the plughole mystery by Prozacblues used under the Creative Commons Attribution Licence

Tameside Council's £30 fine for leaving PCs on

Tameside council "is to fine its own departments £30 for every computer left on overnight in a bid to save energy." The council reckons a computer left on all day costs £37 a year to run, £27 more than it would cost if users simply switched if off at nights and at weekends.

When the council left warning stickers on PCs which had been left on overnight in a kind of trial run, the resultant change in behaviour saved £4,000 in one building in three months. Leaving aside the obvious environmental benefits, I'm sure council tax payers will be happy to see that kind of saving.

The council's Labour-run, so naturally the Tory group leader couldn't just praise the initiative, he had to slag it off, claiming that it was "autocratic to treat employees this way".

Just because people are used to leaving an unused computer on all weekend, it doesn't make it an erosion of personal liberty to come up with a way of encouraging them to change their habits. It's not like the employees are being asked to pay the £30 fine out of their own pocket anyway. Councillor John Bell - you are an idiot. 

Fines and bath reduction - council level green action [via How to Save the World for Free]

Related stories: Google spces standards to save power - LOTS of power | Energy saving for your Mac

Photo credit: 4 am PC glow taken from slapjack's Flickr photostream under the Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivs licence.

MagicMonkee.com Shopping Portal Promotes Charities and Ethical Businesses

Another week, another portal that wants to help you do your ethical shopping more easily. MagicMonkee aims "to encourage users to explore the good causes and ethical businesses promoted on the site and find ways in which they can help others."

It looks like a fairly basic search engine page when you first check in but look carefully and you'll see headings for 'Ethical' and 'Give'. The ethical section provides information on a host of ethical business where users can purchase this year's Christmas presents, while also benefiting others and the environment.

This altruism is a result of the two co-founders having personally benefited from the help provided by a number of the listed charities. Katherine Roberts has multiple sclerosis and James Randall survived cancer at the age of four. James Randall says, "Through MagicMonkee, we're hoping to return the kindness people have given us."

You can find out more about MagicMonkee's ethical and charitable stance on the main site and on their MySpace account.

Related stories: £5 off at the Ethical Superstore | Litegreen shopping directory | Dreaming of a green Christmas | London Remade's green Christmas

New directory enquiries benefits Oxfam

Need a number? Now you can dial with your conscience. 118 918, is a new directory enquiry service that donates 9p from every call to Oxfam.

The 118 918 service costs exactly the same as the market leaders, so you get to give to a worthwhile cause without dipping into your own wallet. 

This could work out as a nice little earner for the charity. In the last 12 months UK callers spent £180 million on directory enquiry services. If everyone who called 118 services last year, had called the new
118 918 number, over £32 million could have been donated to Oxfam. 

Related stories: Services and utilities

No purchase necessary - Swap a Skill lets you trade your skills

Say good bye to filthy lucre, say hello to reciprocal living!

Swap a Skill invites you to "step into a new world of giving, fun and friendship." If you can get past that, however, this service promises a nifty way of bringing barter power into your life.

Rather than, say, ringing twelve plumbers on a daily basis until one of them comes round and over-charges you for bashing your pipes around, you can do a favour for a plumber in your home area, and then they will come and sort out your pipes for free. Brilliant!

Although, presumably, it will help if you have some skills that other people want, too.

The service goes live on the 11th December, but you can register now here

Find local shops with theSHOPPERSbible.com

Last week I drew your attention to a story about supermarkets selling their green credentials.  One of the things I mentioned was how your local grocer was likely to be hugely more energy-efficient than the supermarket, and someone very kindly drew my attention to curiously-cased theSHOPPERSbible.com.

theSHOPPERSbible was set up by a businessman who goes by the delightful name of David Croissant.  His favourite local shop (we're not told what it sold but I like to think it was a boulangerie) shut down after competition from the larger stores nearby proved too much for it.  As a result, he decided to fund and promote the creation of theSHOPPERSbible, which acts as a kind of portal for independent retailers.  Shoppers can use the site to search for local shops for local people in their local area, and use the site to contact the retailers directly if they have any questions.

It's a good idea and anything that makes it easier to find an alternative to the energy-guzzling supermarket is, of course, welcome.  There are some limitations to the site, however.

The search function doesn't allow a search by postcode for local stores.  The concept of 'local' suffers, too, since the site only groups retailers at the county level, not town.  This might be down to the fact that there appears to be few shops currently listed on the site.  The press blurb claims more than 2,000 retailers have signed up but by my reckoning 1,690 of these are listed in the 'Internet and Home Based' category - not really very local.

Retailers need to pony up to get listed on site, which may explain the sparseness of the listings.  To be fair, theSHOPPERSbible is trying to remedy the situation by offering free basic listings to the first 999 shopkeepers - the ones with actual bricks and mortar shops - to sign up.  At the time of writing, there were 622 free listings still up for grabs.

theSHOPPERSbible is a nice concept but it needs more shops in its listings.  Even then, it needs to add more information about the ethical and environmental aspects of each shop if it wants to get the full Hippyshopper seal of approval.

Barnet Garden Project provides chemical-free veg and a hand up

Barnet Garden Project is now harvesting! Club members are eligible for a box containing large variety of high-quality chemical-free produce, including huge, mild onions, and high quality salad potatoes. Those who work at the Barnet Project are adults with disabilities who, through this, can supplement their stipends without having their benefits affected. They can also gain valuable work experience that enables them to go on to other endeavors (though many choose to stay on with the garden). The garden is primarily irrigated with a drip system and rainwater, and fertilized primarily with compost. [GT]

Barnet Garden Project

Related stories: Los Angeles urban farm bulldozed | A Midsummer Night's Flower Dream | Allotmental

CO2FX: global warming game

CO2FX is what they in the industry call a "serious" game; it intends to educate first, play second. The lines are fortunately blurring! We're a long way from the tedium of Speak'n'Spell and now the educational element is increasingly sneaky. CO2FX hooks the global warming issue to economic, political and scientific decisions that you, as a player, shape. Aimed at high school users, it also wants to be addictive enough to make sure the message gets across. A spoonful of high tech sugar, as it were. The game is in early development stages still, so you personally would be doing them a great service by stopping by and playing. You know, for science. [GT]

CO2FX

Related stories: The Earth Dinner card game | Better than Monopoly: the green board game | Swopex DVD and game swap

GreenEarth dry cleaning goes franchise

It's good to know about GreenEarth dry cleaning in any case, since it's an organic dry cleaner that doesn't use perc, a potential carcinogen, and produces clothes that don't smell nasty.  However, if you're in the industry, take note, because you can actually buy a GreenEarth Firbimatic and add a green alternative to your own business.  I was in an organic dry cleaner the other day and was amazed that the prices were in line with conventional dry cleaners, and the place did not smell compared to the usual.  Will definitely be taking my suits and winter coats there imminently.  [GT]

Product pages: GreenEarth dry cleaning | Firbimatic

Related stories: Waterless washing machine | Wacky washing powder alternative | Ecover discovers the bathroom

Ebico green power and carbon offset

Ebico is a great non for profit company which claims to use the power of the market to tackle social concerns. The idea is simple yet beautiful; unlike other energy providers, Ebico do not charge more for those who rely on pre-payment meters (predominantly low income households) and fund this by enabling customers who pay by direct debit to share there savings. They also have a great environmental policy and easily enable customers to offset their carbon footprint. [Phil]

Service page: Ebico

Related stories: Earth Tones environmentalist phone service | Better world club | Eco Broadband | Save water, world, money

Finding Environmentalist Jobs via environmentjobs.co.uk

If you're looking for an opportunity to make money with green consumerism instead of just, you know, spending it, stop by EnvironmentJobs.co.uk and toss your resume casually onto the top of the recycled electron pile.  Jobs available right now include New Media Fundraising Manager for Greenpeace, Principal Sustainable Transportation Consultant in Dublin and Campaigns Outreach Officer for Campaign to Protect Rural England.  So you can help your green and spend it too. [GT]

Site: EnvironmentJobs.co.uk

Aberystwyth specialist pathway in Environmental Specialist Assessment

Environment Management is increasingly a field not left to chance and Poor Richard's Almanack. In fact, at Aberystwyth offers an MSc in Managing the Environment with a brand-new specialization in Environmental Impact Assessment.

The MSc in Managing the Environment has four skill specialisations: Environmental Sustainability, Environmental Impact Assessment, Coastal, Estuarine & Wetlands and Habitat Restoration. All students are expected to provide a research dissertation of 15,000-20,000 words - which is really the going rate. The program is geared to make you into a Conservation ecologist, Environmental manager, Environmental consultant or Environmental researcher. That is, you'll get paid to care. [GT]

Course info page: MSc in Managing the Environment

Buy Green - By Mail!

The Centre for Alternative Technology wants you - you - to have an easier time of buying green.  To this end, they've put together a free guide, Buy Green by Mail, which is loaded with products, books and gadgets that you can mail-order.  Some you already know, like the Freeplay wind-up DAB, but others, such as books on green construction (Architecture in a Climate of Change, the Natural Plaster Book or Diary of an Eco-Builder) are probably new to you.

Other books cover all aspects of CAT’s expertise, from renewable energy to organic gardening, healthy homes to ethical lifestyles, recycling to water treatment.  And it’s not only books – there are also plenty of handy gadgets and gifts. The catalogue includes low-energy light bulbs, wineglasses made from recycled bottles, fairtrade hammocks, organic beauty lines and mobile phone chargers that can be powered from your bike.  Get yours by calling 0845 330 4592, or emailing mail.order@cat.org.uk.  [GT]

Buy Green by Mail

Related stories:  Yaoh premium hemp and green Bristol guide | Guide to Less Toxic Products | The Ethical Travel Guide | WorldChanging: A User's Guide for the 21st Century | Freeplay wind-up DAB

Earth Tones environmentalist phone service

Last in today's round-up of environmentalist services is Earth Tones, also American, which provides long distance, mobile service, dialup internet (who has that anymore? even my John got high speed as soon as I unpacked my unmentionables in a suddenly empty drawer at his place) and they also fund a variety of environmentalist projects with 100% of their profits. They're so pure they won't even give you a paper bill unless you pay $2 extra. And their mobile service is pretty impressive in particular ways.

The most impressive thing about their mobile service is, of course, that there are no contracts. Starts at $10 with no minutes (charging 25 cents per minute of use) and goes up to $55 with 800 minutes. They don't have some of the perks of other mobile providers (although they also have no roaming charges), but on the other hand, let's repeat, 100% of their profits are going to environmentalist causes. They do give free calls to Congress "and other decision makers". [GT]

Better World Club

So you're on your bicycle. And you're in an American state that has Better World Club insurance. And you get a flat. Call 'em up and they'll come over and fix your tire. Twice a year. (Assuming you have the version of their insurance that covers bikes.) Naturally that's not all that they do. 24 hour emergency assistance, coverage in any car, family coverage, flat tire change, battery jumps, emergency tows (depending, again, on the level of insurance), fuel delivery service, and $100 locksmith benefit. Then there's the actual cash and benefits for hybrids in particular.

If you have a hybrid and are a new subscriber, you get 15% off. (Above all their other random discounts: this month's is 10% off organic screen printing from Millikin.) For signing up you get $40 in gas coupons (except in Minnesota, where they use whaledreck I guess) and a slew of benefits: from $5000 for auto theft to $50 for ambulance. Also they have a full service travel agency, and AAA style trip tickets - and they'll also match AAA rates. I am encouraging John to switch over even as I type. [GT]

Green Singles dating service

If you don't have someone in your life who is as sterling as my John, you may find Green Singles a hope-inducing site.  It's an international service - since 1985 - for linking up vegetarians, environmentalists, and animal rights types "who love the outdoors, holistic living, personal growth and spirituality - a place to meet and network for friendship, dating, romance and the exchange of information and ideas."

Their success stories sheet is gratifyingly long, and with plenty of people asking that they be removed because they've found their soulmate (through GS) and therefore are off the market. How lovely to find the internet being used for something more emotively substantial than porn (not that we have anything against good wholesome porn). [GT]

The Scholar Ship takes students around the world

The Scholar Ship is a passenger ship converted into a floating semester abroad for undergrad and grad students.  Completely outfitted with all the things of a typical dorm: laundry, bookstore, coffee shops, and so on.  Housing 600 people from all around the world, it will visit eight countries on five continents during its sixteen week expedition.  The idea is that you get to see how other people live, and you get to hang out with some other smart people from other places in hope that some of it rubs off on you and some of it rubs off on them, and then, like a desirable avian flu, you take it home and infect your countrymen with brainy tolerance.

The inaugural voyage is September 2007, but with only 600 slots and an international calling, probably you should book now to avoid disappointment, as it were.  All the forms you need in order to apply are available online at their web site.  Also available are details about the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI), a standardized test administered at the beginning and end of each voyage to gauge whether or not their plan actually, you know, is working.  [GT]

MyBookYourBook UK book cooperative

Via MyBookYourBook you can request up to five books a month and pay only postage in order to borrow them, and in exchange, you're requested to make ten books available from your personal library.  You browse around, find what you like, click, and an email automatically goes to the book's owner.  You send the book's owner a self-addressed, postage-paid, padded envelope, and they send the envelope back with the book in it.  The book is now yours.  Six weeks later, the system automatically enters your new book into the circulation system, making it available for the next person who wants it.

There is a sign-up charge - £8.95 - which makes it not quite as appealing as similar-idea site ReadItSwapIt.  But if it has books you want that ReadItSwapIt doesn't, and you were planning to pay full whack, it's worth a check.  And don't forget Swopex. [GT]

UK Student Swap Site

StudentSwapShop lets you post classified ads tailored to your particular school, so that you know you're not going to encounter high P + P.  It's a hit or miss site in that it's all segregated by categories, and too often the categories are entirely empty.  Why don't these guys set up so you can just browse - such as at yesterday's swap site post, SwapXchange?

In a semi-random sampling, Durham had a lot of listings, Cardiff just had spam for home business, and my school, Leicester, had absolutely no listings in any of the categories I checked. But since Durham did have some interesting listings, if you're a student, it's worth a perusal. [GT]

Throwplace takes what you don't want

Obsolete computer that works but is now basically useless to you?  Couch you don't need?  Or maybe you need some chairs or a desk at your not-for-profit?  Visit Throwplace.com - a refinement on the Freecycle idea.  You can either offer your castoffs to a particular charity, or designate them as Up-For-Grabs - any charity can get them.  (Charities must be properly registered with some official government body, depending on whether they're US-based or "International" - well, yes, the American sites do tend to have a bit of the Us-Them problems but considering this is such a fabulously good idea we'll overlook that.)  And yes, you get a receipt - it's a donation.

Throwplace doesn't collect - it just facilitates.  You list your item, it gets claimed, you send it to the charity.  Computers that are so obsolete as to be basically worthless are still of interest to recyclers, so now's your chance to clear out the old gear closet.  (Even I put a 17" monitor out by the roadside in hope somebody would just take it off my hands.)  [GT]

Skype goes free in the US and Canada

With a slogan like the whole world can talk for free, Skype is pretty hippy for an internet service.  If you're on the Skype network you can use it to call anybody else on the network for free.  Their long distance rates to call regular phones are also pretty reasonable.  In fact, now you can call within Canada and the US for free - even calling regular phones that aren't on the network.

If you find using a microphone and headphones a little awkward, you may prefer to pick up a headset (starting at around $10 USD) or a USB phone.  IPEVO has some very inexpensive phones (£30 at Maplin, which is near double what IPEVO charges in the States, tsk!) which are PC and Mac compatible and work very much like regular telephones.

Skype is increasingly popular among not-for-profit groups 'cause, well, it's free long distance!  You can also conference up to 5 people at a time, and it supports video.  You can even get a phone number via SkypeIn which provides you with phone service and voicemail for €30 a year (or €10 every quarter).  Area codes are available in United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Poland, Sweden and Switzerland.

It took me a little to get my Skype service set up (we have several computers living on this network so there had to be some geeky configuration) but now that it is, the sound quality is vastly superior to the sound I get on my hateful, crackly land-line.  (So next time I call you, John, it'll be crisp as a freshly ironed Oxford shirt.)

[Strike that- I called John and the static was so bad that I thought he thought I was 'breaking up' with him.  So more tweaking of my settings shall ensue.]

[GT]

Episode 4 - It's not easy being green - heat recovery systems

The fourth episode of the Strawbridge's green renovation focused on a heat recovery system, designed to remove moisture from the air inside the house, after it had been well insulated with recycled denim! Current central heating systems, double glazing and insulation results in our houses having poor air quality, mould and condensation.  Whilst we can open a window for some fresh air or buy more houseplants, we also waste energy through our heating systems.  Heat Exchange System's ensure fresh, dry and warm air passed through vents around the house.  For the first time, Briget Strawbridge proclaimed "its not easy to live a greener life", referring to home life without heating and the struggle to install all the vents around their farmhouse.

If you are interested in reading more about heat exchange systems then read the forum at New Builder. There are a number of companies offering the system - Vent-Axia, Villavent and John Cantor Heat Pumps. Villavent (see pictured diagram) sells a system for a typical 3/4 bed house at £1895.

Dick Strawbridge also traded in his gas guzzler for a 4x4! Briget was not convinced at first but Dick assured her that it was required for "agricultural" reasons. She was soon agreeable after sitting in the "comfortable" car seats and hearing of Dick's plan to run the vehicle carbon neutrally. Dick and Jim then went about setting up a system to make bio-diesel from chip fat. After a few adjustments, they were soon filtering the fat to clean and dry it, before passing it through a reactor (the chemistry bit) to make their top notch bio diesel. Sundance Renewables have set up the first community based bio-diesel production plant in the UK.  Their website (which was designed using 100% solar power by Ecoworks) makes excellent reading. Sundance sell their biodiesel at 95 pence per litre, a bit more costly than Dick's 70 pence, but its still cheaper and greener than petrol.

Next Tuesday (BBC2 8pm or 8.30pm , depending on where you live) Dick is tapping into their springwater, setting up a wind turbine and the heating is on the blink! Great stuff. [Ella]

Related posts: Reviewed - Episode 1 / Episode 2 / Episode 3

Britain using triple its share?

Forty-five years ago, Britain's "ecological debt day" was July 9; in 1981 it was May 14. This year, according to the New Economics Foundation, "ecological debt day" in Britain was yesterday, April 16.  The report is based on how much Britain consumes versus how much it takes to absorb the waste generated.  It would, according to the NEF, take 3.1 Earths to keep up with Britain's pace of consumption.  And some of it is just plain stupid: exporting 1,500 tonnes of potatoes to Germany and importing exactly as many of exactly the same stuff; exporting 460 tonnes of gingerbread while importing 465 tonnes; exporting 10,200 tones of milk and cream to France while importing 9,900 tonnes of the same.  So buy local, guys!

Read more at the BBC story: Britain now 'eating the planet'

[Gabrielle Taylor]

Seven Steps to Green your Office

The Green Stationery Company has a nice little seven-step process on how to cut down on waste generated by your office, followed by five reasons to go green.  Not only is this a tidy sheet to show a sceptical boss, you can also toddle them around the online catalog containing such gems as eco-friendly gel pens in bulk and even wind-up mobile chargers for a very modest £7.95.

[Gabrielle Taylor]

Eco-blog round up

In my latest blog search I have uncovered.............

the weird craze of flowering tea [via Slashfood];

great facts and tips in recognition of World Water Day this week [via City Hippy]; 

the new clothes swap phenomenon [via Treehugger TV]

and a helpful site which answers all your eco-queries [eco-worrier].

Slashfood have uncovered this new per chant for fancy tea.  Take a clear teapot (try Bodum), pop in your 'blossoming tea' - a handmade ball of top quality dried tea and flowers and add hot water.  A delicate aroma is promised plus the benefit of high antioxidant properties.  Available at Nicholas Hitchcock for £2.95.

CityHippy shares his thoughts on the global water crisis, as well as offering his 10 tips for water conservation.  I like tip 4; don't run the tap when you want cold water, just fill up a bottle (or jug) and refrigerate it.  Simple, eh?

Download the latest episodes of Treehugger TV, a new way to absorb cool eco info. Get your dose every week.  Check out the clip reviewing Swaporamarama, how one woman changed the perception of second hand clothing in NY by holding a clothes swapping event.  People customise their finds at sewing machine stations, add '100% recycled' labels and can even show off their creations at a catwalk event.  Check out Swaporamarama's site. Why doesn't someone set one of these up in the UK?

Last but by no means least, Anna 'Eco Worrier' Shephard at The Times now has a dedicated blog, answering all your questions on environmentally friendly living and recycling.  This week, she considers dry cleaning the green way and also what we can do with broken kettles.  Ask Anna any eco-queries that have been bothering you or you can even email me and I will do my best to help!  I think I should also get myself one of those nice pics like Anna.......hmm. [Ella]