personally I can't help finding it a bit perculiar that a man paid to be rude and offensive on TV is eventually sacked when he fulfils his contract, but few others seem to share that view. That is, surprisingly, apart from the famously unforgiving PETA, which has revealed a rarely-seen, softer side to its character and refused to bow to a barrage calls to have the potty-mouthed celeb removed from the cover of its Vegetarian Starter kit. In its blog, PETA stated that Brand (who it once crowned 'world's sexiest vegetarian) apologised and that it's therefore 'time to move on'.
I believe the appropriate internet terminology du jour is "om nom nom": The Organic Cupcake company is a green foodie's dream come true. Making cupcakes of all shapes, sizes and colours, the company sticks firmly to its principles of using 100% organic ingredients in its decorative and delicious little cakes, all of which can be made bespoke and delivered for events. They also make fantastic cakes for kids.
If you'd like to order a set of your own organic cupcakes, the company's contact details are here. Meanwhile, check out their cupcake gallery for a bit of Friday afternoon eye-candy
We've all been there. Sat, just after midnight at your PC, shivering because the heating's not on. You wrap a blanket around you, but you know that at some point you'll need to turn the heating on, because you're nowhere near done with your work for the evening.
What you need is something that will save you getting up, because getting up is cold. But if you also want to ensure you don't overdo it on the energy usage; keeping an eye on the temperature as it creeps up, you need the Ecobee - a Wi-Fi thermostat. It syncs with a web server, so you can control your heating from afar - turn it on before you leave work, for example. It could even adjust the heating depending on what the weather conditions are like outside - if it knows there's a cold snap coming, for example.
With the first October snowfall in 70 years and the temperatures dropping rapidly, it's around this time of year that saving energy at home becomes the biggest challenge. Big Green Smile offer all kinds of gadgets and gizmos to help you heat your home as efficiently as possible, and in the name of driving down carbon emissions in homes everywhere, we've joined up with them to you the chance to win a bumper energy saving pack in time for winter.
Follow the jump for details on how to enter
Do you like watching these videos? I don't know whether to assume that the pointed lack of response thus far is the stunned silence of disapproval or quiet appreciation. Either way, here's Gary Cutlack exploring the energy demands of 'Mr swirly and his big fat mouth'. And I wouldn't argue with him; the washing machine is currently my greatest eco nemesis, too...
Determined not to be out-done by our American friends, we've really upped the stakes on Halloween here in the UK, and what was once no more than a bit of fun for the very young has now become a major highlight of the year. And like any other event on a large scale, that means a lot of potential for waste.
Follow the jump for a few tips on greening up your spooky celebrations without losing any of the fun.
With 007 fever in full swing, Greenpeace has unleashed a potential blockbuster of its own: 'Coalfinger', which stars Peep Show's David Mitchell and features a score by David Arnold, is a star-studded spoof aiming to bring the dangers of coal pollution to public attention. The film is well put together and a lot of fun, so I'd recommend checking it out here.
The film makes no secret of the fact that EON, the company behind plans to build the first new coal power stations in the UK for 30 years, is its real arch villain.
Heads-up Apple fans: the popular Macbook range got an overhaul last night, with the launch of the new 13-inch Macbook and the 15-inch Macbook Pro. There was a tempting price cut, but more even more exciting are the eco-conscious tweaks that Apple has been working on for this new range of laptops.
So how are the new Macbooks greener than the old ones?
London's iconic Hackney cabs have been subject to plenty of makeovers in the past, but never before has anyone tried to make them greener. At present, the taxis run on diesel, and aren't especially efficient but all this is about to change: the Chinese automaker that co-owns the company that produces black London taxis, has met UK government officials about bringing electric-powered cabs to the UK capital. This would result in a fleet of super-green plug-in taxis that could play a major role in reducing the capital's carbon emissions; a prospect that Mayor Boris is already pretty excited about. Current estimates put the rollout of the first 'green' black cabs at being only a year away. Let's just hope there'll be people who can afford to pay the fares by then!
[Via the Londonist]
Feet starting to feel a bit chilly as you stagger out for your morning shower? A fluffy bathmat makes the whole experience a whole lot more bearable, but in my experience it's hard to find one that isn't made of synthetic fluff (or horribly expensive). No prizes for guessing what I'm about to suggest as a solution then! But did you know you can make a great bath mat out of an old towel? Towels are bulky and can be hard to dispose of responsibly, so this is a lovely recycling project that you won't regret embarking on.
Follow the jump to find out how
[Via Ecologue]
Going to any winter weddings? What could be a better gift for newlyweds than the promise of a really comfortable night's sleep for years to come? If married bliss alone won't provide that, then perhaps this fairtrade cotton fairtrade duvet set will help. You'll sleep safe in the knowledge that no harmful chemicals went into the making of this luxury bedding, which is made from 100% organic cotton and is completely un-dyed. This means a better life for the workers who picked the cotton, who will also have been paid a fair wage for their labour. A double set, in natural (cream) mocha or 'eco white' costs £120.
While the Isabella Smith range at Bobelle does remind me somewhat of the sort of thing my mother had on her dressing table in the 80s, I have to admit to a certain fondness for this type of old-fashioned, sweet-smelling ladies' powder room fare. The melon bath oil, with emollient apricot oil gives a really rich, relaxing fragrance that will perfume the house as well as your body, and best of all the range is made to strict eco-friendly standards: ingredients are 100% natural and stored in recycled glass. The bath oil is £14 from Bobelle.
Depending on how often you hang out in department stores, it's quite possible that next time you shop in Debenhams you could find yourself basking in heat and light provided entirely by renewable sources. This is because the chain has just signed a first of its kind deal that will ensure all of its electricity comes from 'green' energy.
Scottish Power has agreed that Debenhams will be supplied with 35 MW of green energy per month, enough to light and heat 50,000 homes. This should be enough to cover every one of its 172 stores. This is a major step forward for the renewables sector, and will be seen as a shining example of how greener electricity can work every bit as well as the more polluting sort. Let's hope that Debenhams' shoppers will be inspired by the plan and take the idea of greener energy to the one place it most needs to get established: at home.
[via The Independent]
You'll no doubt be familiar with Katharine Hamnetts iconic, oversized slogan tees as worn by Wham! in the '80s. But did you know she made bags as well? As someone who has never felt entirely comfortable wearing t-shirts (particularly the baggy sort that look so much better on guys) this is great new to me, as I can support one of my favourite ethical designers without having to compromise on style. Her bags are great value too, with this roomy, organic cotton shopper coming in at £35 from Ethical Superstore.
It's concept design eco-lamp heaven. So long as the Krank lamp works a little better than the Gary's look at the wind-up torch, then it's a good bit of work from Mr Efrain E. Velez.
Of course, the danger is that you rip off the head of the lamp from irritated excess kranking every five minutes between reading three pages of your book before the light fades. However, the magnet and copper coil internal mechanism is promised to produce between 40-60 minutes of light with "just a few kranks".I can imagine the Krank being a total pain in the arse but I can also imagine coming round to the idea pretty quickly as the sea-levels approach my doormat.
[via Tech Digest]
From: BEST OF 2008: Eco-friendy and sustainable shoes