If you're fighting the flab and didn't already feel enough pressure to be thin, you might be interested in the news that obese people are being blamed for climate change and the global food crisis.
The theory, put forward by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, is that because of their extra bulk, overweight people 'consume more calories' driving up food production. They are also being held responsible for using more fuel than their thinner counterparts (heavier load on transport leading to higher fuel consumption), leading to more pollution in the air.
Now, I happen to think this theory is nonsense for a number of reasons...
Continue reading >>
Almost everyone's got a bottle of cheap vinegar lurking at the back of the cupboard somewhere, one that only sees the light of day on those rare (or not so rare) occasion that we treat ourselves to chips...but aceitic acid aspires to much more than being a humble flavouring. It was hard work to limit its uses to only ten, but read on to find out my top uses for vinegar as an abundant and natural household product.
1. Removing stubborn coffee stained cups and pots.
Rubbing your crockery with a dab of neat vinegar will banish those unsightly brown marks.
2. Storing cheese
A weird and wonderful factoid that will make people think you're a domestic god(dess); cheese keeps much longer when wrapped in a vinegar-soaked cloth
Follow the jump for more tips
Related: Top 10 eco-friendly uses for lemons | Top 10 eco-friendly uses for salt
Continue reading >>
Brit designer extraordinaire Luella Bartley has designed an exclusive range of printed t-shirts for Tonic Generation, an online fashion spot with a social conscience.
There are four designs in the range: a sun, stag, robin and 'scary douglas', each available in men's and women's styles. Each design supports a different cause, and the t-shirts themselves are made from an eco-friendly bamboo and cotton blend. £23 at Tonic Generation.
[Via Popsugar]
Most compost bins I've seen are dull-coloured, plasticky affairs, but not this one: the far more genteel 'compost pail' won't cramp your kitchen's contemporary style, and what's more, it has integrated carbon filters inside the lid to keep your kitchen odour free.
Made from high quality stainless steel, the composter will tolerate everything from vegetable cuttings and tea bags to egg shells and other organic scraps. £29.95 at Natural Collection
Related: Hippyshopper guide to composting
I'm a big fan of acrylic jewellery, but this is the first time I've seen it sold with the fairtrade label.
The necklace I've picked out here is part of a larger collection of jewellery and accessories by design duo Cassandro and Dong of Dialog, who advised their lady shoppers in a recent press release that "this season it's the jewellery that's acrylic not your nails". That's us told, then!
Each piece in their collection is made under fairtrade conditions and a percentage of sales go towards training and welfare in Borneo and Hong Kong. Available online.
I'm going to write this post through gritted teeth, since DHL are in my bad books right now having failed to get a long-awaited parcel to me twice already this week. But let's set personal grudges aside and look at the positive things the company is doing for the environment.
First, DHL has replaced all of its old delivery bags with eco-friendly ones. The new delivery bags are reusable, recyclable and will only take two years to degrade compared to normal bags that take 1,000 years. (I have to wonder here what's happened to the de-commissioned pouches -- perhaps will see them reinvented as dresses or umbrellas somewhere before too long.) But DHL isn't stopping there: other initiatives include the introduction of CNG powered vehicles and the use of bicycles for deliveries.
There are so many beautiful, ethically made dresses to choose from at the moment I personally don't know where to start. And today, a further spanner was thrown into the works when i discovered yet another new label doing amazing things with old fabrics: Amoosi.
Amoosi make unique, stylish and very trend-aware garments from reclaimed, vintage fabric. The classic range features highly wearable yet distinctive everyday items like halter neck blouses and wrap around shirts, all customisable with different fabrics and at surprisingly affordable prices. The dress I've picked out here is from the more exclusive couture range, but is still reasonably priced at £120. All items are hand-made in London. This is slow fashion with fast appeal!
Related: Eco glam at Equa by Annie Greenabelle
If you're fighting the flab and didn't already feel enough pressure to be thin, you might be interested in the news that obese people are being blamed for climate change and the global food crisis. 
digg this | del.icio.us this
| 
Stumble It!
