Our friends over at Firebox have a real treat coming to UK streets in September: it's a shiny new scooter that looks like a gas-loving mean machine but runs entirely on electric power.

Scooters are a great way to get around town, avoiding any congestion charges and beating the traffic, so an electric model is the perfect choice for the urban eco-warrior. This one is specially designed for cities, and best of all, charges from the mains just like your mobile phone, and costing you a piddly 8p for a full charge. Try comparing that with current petrol prices! Also, the absence of traditional fuel means it doesn't make that godawful 'Rrrrrrrrrrrrr' noise that most scooters do. And that, IMHO, is a big plus.

The Ego electric scooter is available to pre-order now, shipping on 3rd September 2008, priced at £999.95.

Related: The retro electric scooter | The Vectrix electric scooter: yay or nay?

Emily Tan writes:
At last, Yes to Carrots an organic line of skincare, haircare and body care products making waves in Australia and Asia have hit our shores. The range bases its ingredients on Dead Sea mud and minerals (to purify), along with organic fruits and vegetables that are chock-a-block with antioxidant Beta Carotene (a carroty form of Vitamin A).

As the line is paraben-free, and sources all its produce from organic farmers certified by the Israel Bio-Organic Agriculture Association (IBOAA), it has earned some big hippy-points from us.

It's never nice being the bringer of bad news, but this story was one I didn't feel comfortable ignoring: it's been reported that Arctic sea ice is retreating so quickly that scientists say there is now a 50-50 chance that it will have gone completely by September.

The Independent broke the frankly quite terrifying story at the end of last week, and bloggers are now beginning to catch on to the enormity of the situation. The fact is, we've never seen anything like this before -- never in human history -- and if it happens, there'll be no more denying that climate change is real. But are we doomed? And more to the point, will it be too late to do anything about it?

Someone recently asked me if I was 'in favour of sunscreen' (presumably in response to stories like this) and I almost jumped out of my seat. Being an eco-warrior is one thing; burning to a crisp and getting skin cancer quite another. So I decided to revisit the eco friendly suncare products out there to prove that it's quite possible to enjoy the sun safely without losing any green points.

If you're worried about damaging ecology, Nigel's Eco Store has a good range of sunscreens by Green People that are free from chemical nasties and go up to factor 22 (there's also a kids' branded product in factor 25).

Read on for more fish-friendly sun products...

The sales are now in full swing, and I've never seen so much ethical fashion going cheap (not a contradiction in terms, I promise). Now is your chance to snap up all those feel-good items that were just outside your budget, and stock up on sexy, eco chic items while the sun's still hot. My personal fave has to be this 'sunshine dress' at Natural Collection, third time winner of the Observer Ethical Awards; reduced from £67.50 to £29.95. Wow!

Follow the jump for our pick of the eco-friendly sales, as well as some top bargains to be had...

Can we possibly handle any more eco skin brands? Well, I for one am not going to complain about this sudden abundance of goodness, which now included Trilogy Skincare, new in at How on Earth. So how does it compare to all those other 'nasty-free' products vying for our attention?

Unusually for a skincare review, I'm going to start with the packaging. Trilogy has kept it plain and simple, which is commendable in an industry where most products scream at you to take them home. It looks that way because all containers are biodegradable, can be recycled and are printed with non-toxic dyes.

Related: Video review: paraben-free body lotion roundup | Neal's Yard Remedies extends frankincence range

I don't know why these North Face shoes are called 'ex-girlfriend sandals' and am more than a little concerned. Are they made from the recycled remains of someone's better half?

North face offers little in the way of explanation for the name, simply telling us that 'the Ex-Girlfriend is a super comfortable sandal that's built with an organic and eco-friendly direction; bridging the gap between the waves and the gazebo.' A closer inspection reveals that they're made from a cotton canvas with recycled PET lining. Great eco footwear you won't want to 'dump' for any old cheap knock-offs! Pick them up for £20 at Cotswald.

I spotted a really cute recycling idea over on Etsy: it's an egg carton sewing kit.

Unless you've got small children, there aren't a lot of upcycling uses for egg boxes, but this is a great way to turn the awkwardly shaped containers into something really useful. My own mini sewing kits are always disappearing, so I could certainly do with a distinctive box to pop their contents into!

Related: How to give wax crayons a new lease of life | Recycled dog collar tutorial

Over on Dollymix they tend to round off the week with a nice cocktail, so I thought I'd adopt the idea for Hippyshopper (only without the alcohol and with less sophistication). Yes, 'kids', it's a milkshake.

But it's no ordinary milkshake. Clipper's range of instant, thick and creamy milkshakes are made from 100% organic ingredients with no artificial flavours or colours. You can get the whole mouthwatering range online, for £2.49 a pack. Just don't go spoiling it with the wrong sort of milk!

If you want an even more natural Friday treat, read on for some delicious milkshake recipes.

The lovely people at Compassion in World Farming dropped me a line today to remind us all about Hugh Fearnley- Whittingstall's imminent challenge to Tesco, tabled for the chain's AGM this afternoon. So as you chomp away at your egg mayo sarnie, the fate of chickens all over the UK is at stake.

You may remember that Hugh was asking for support from the public earlier in the month to raise the necessary funds for the rare priviledge of talking to Tesco about chickens. The good news is that he's made it, and can now go ahead and put his resolution to the Tesco board. The resolution calls on Tesco to adopt RSPCA Freedom Food standards or equivalent as the minimum for their standard chickens.

Emily Tan writes:
Good news to all who adore Philosophy's cult beauty product, Purity Made Simple Cleanser but miss the luxurious feeling of really sudsing up. The brand has performed a miracle and reinvented the old favourite in a new super-foamy formula -- without the use of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. The controversial ingredient is itself a foaming agent, so it's great to see that Philosophy have found a natural alternative.

Via Kiss and Makeup

Related: Brand new natural beauty products | Grow your own herbal beauty products

Adili, home of to-die-for eco chic gear is always worth a visit, but even more so now it's summer sale has begun.

Remember this fantastic frock by Beaumont Organics? That's just one of the cute dresses now on offer at reduced prices. Of course, being ethically made through and through, none of these items were cheap in the first place, but if you've been hankering after a stylish, timeless garment you couldn't quite raise the funds to buy, now may be your opportunity to find it; there are pieces here by Organic Stereo, Untouched World, Ciel and more.

Related: Video review: Adili's eco chic summer dresses

Do you reckon you can tell the difference between tap water and the bottled stuff? A blind taste test carried out by We Want Tap, a new campaign focused on exposing the stupidity of buying bottled water, has revealed that the majority of us can't.

250 people participated in the test, with 84% of them unable to identify tap water. And when you think about the environmental and financial cost of drinking imported, bottled water, that's actually a pretty low hit rate. Perhaps more surprisingly, 34% of the testers actually preferred the taste of tap water.

There's a lot of buzz on the US blogs at the moment about Factory Green, a young, online store run by two university students. FG sells such desirables t-shirts and hoodies, wallets, and apartment goods, much like another funky store we know...but with all goods produced in fair-trade facilities running solely on wind and solar power.

All cotton used in clothing sold by the store is 100% organic, the homewares are mainly recycled and PVC-free. The store's ethical record looks pretty flawless, so I will feel quite happy filing this one in my hippy shopping bookmarks.

When crayons get all short and stubby, it's tempting to throw them away, and with the school summer holidays looming on the horizon, most parents will soon have a surplus of well-used waxies littering the house. But next time you're about to jettison any, think of the beauty of this little wax model, the work of Crayon Fawn, who melts down the old scribblers and turns them into fabulous works of art.

Over at Haute*Nature, they featured some instructions on how you can melt down your own crayons for model moulding purporses, with tips on how to add glitter or even scents your creation. Read on after the jump to find out how.

[Via Crafty Crafty]