Ethical & green gifts
If you decide that what's been missing from your life is a small, light-seeking technicolour robot, then your luck may just be in. Meet Bert: he's one of a whole colony of 'bugbots' currently seeking a home over at Tinyminds' shop.
Each robot is powered by a tiny solar panel on its back, and will crawl towards any light source. Just make sure you keep an eye on yours, as butbots have an unfortunate habit of leaping to their doom.
[Via The Alternative Consumer]
Friday fun
We've all got them: old jumpers that are no use to us at all in summer, and probably won't look any more attractive in the winter, when they emerge moth-eaten from the depths of our wardrobes.
But as this fun idea demonstrates, old jumpers have a summery side they're just itching to bring out: they make great, hard-wearing picnic mats. Follow the jump for step-by-step instructions on how to make one of your own.
Related: Picnic responsibly with veggie-based cutlery | Biodegradable picnic kid from Firebox
Continue reading >>
Friday fun
So many celebs are falling over themselves to prove their eco-worthiness that it's easy to forget that there are still A-listers out there with the carbon manolo-print of a small country. Chicago Tribune has published a damning list today, featuring 8 of the worst offenders.
Culprits include: Celine Dion (I'm not sure why, but this somehow fails to surprise) and her habit of getting through 6.5 million gallons of water at a house she hasn't even moved into yet; Liz Hurley, and the 'best day of her life' which turned into the bane of her life; John Travolta, who enjoys playing with aeroplanes and David Beckham, who laid claim to the 'world's highest carbon footprint' in 2006.
Click here for the full hall of shame.
Friday fun
This looks to me like one of those products that desperately wants to be green but can't quite give up the short-haul flights. The thinking behind it is that you pop the wooden 'sleeve' over a standard issue coffee cup, and hey presto, you've got a sturdy cup you can use again and again. But the blurb also suggests you use it as a bracelet, suggesting you do go ahead and ditch the coffee cup after use anyway, which really means all it does is keep your hands cool and makes a nice bangle. And are takeaway coffee cups really re-usable anyway?
The most good I can see this doing is removing the need for the additional heatproof sleeves we sometimes use to protect our hands from scorching coffee, but that's not going to save a whole lot of trees (not least the ones it's made out of!). I suggest you keep the cool bangle and invest in a nice flask to solve the hands/coffee issue instead. [Via DVICE]
Friday fun
Forget Earth hour! 1st April is Energy Wasting Day. A list of tips on the best ways to waste energy has been published in advance of the occasion, including "fill the kettle right up to the brim and make yourself a nice little cup of tea" and "turn your thermostat up to the max and pop on a pair of shorts".
Friday fun
If Mayoral candidate Sian Berry's Alliance Against Urban 4x4s isn't hardcore enough for you, here's a campaign from the states that really lets you vote with your, um, fingers.
The F*** You Hummer project aims to give the 'ultimate H2 salute' to anyone selfish enough to drive one of these gas-guzzling monstrosities.
The site's owner urges readers to send in pictures of their 'giving the bird' to Hummer H2 drivers, and surprisingly, 4566 people already have. But remember kids -- as the site itself admits, the H2 is a 'death machine' and ought to be approached with caution...
Arts & information
Recycled art is all the rage, and plastic makes a great basis for an arresting sculpture: it's tough, comes in every colour of the rainbow and scores highest in recycling points as it would otherwise take so long to biodegrade.
Artist Robert Bradford is using discarded plastic toys to full effect in his upcoming exhibition, which will be in London from the start of next month. 'Plastic', which features as well as the dog above a much less friendly AK-47 made out of toys, will go on display at the Trafalgar hotel, just off Trafalgar Square on 2nd April.
If you decide that what's been missing from your life is a small, light-seeking technicolour robot, then your luck may just be in. Meet Bert: he's one of a whole colony of 'bugbots' currently seeking a home over at Tinyminds' shop. 
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