Green death: Why eco burials are on the rise
Sad news of the week: Elephant poaching in Africa is 'out of control'
PETA Fashion Awards 2013 winners announced: Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood and Topshop among winners commended for their animal-free fashion
Enough Food for Everyone IF: 100 charities join forces to tackle world hunger
A great gift for boys and girls - both young and old. This cool space explorer kit is made up of fourteen easy to assemble wooden parts to build and paint - making your own rocket!
There's more. The box is printed on the inside layer with cut out shapes to make a space mobile with!
Talk about a great way to reduce packaging and make recycling fun.
Feeling artistic? Get the space rocket kit from Pea Green Things for £14.00.
Photo: Pea Green Things
Ok, so I might be a bit too old for a toy car, but it would make the perfect present for the Little Mr or Little Miss in your family.
With no motors, batteries, lights or sounds, each car is hand made with love and attention for a child to treasure and one day pass to the next generation.
The Baghera retro pedal cars are the perfect mode of transport for pint sized passengers. Made by a reputable French manufacturer, these timeless metal cars are built to last a lifetime. The range is inspired by vintage classics, and includes cars, fire trucks and helicopters.
What is not to love about them!
Prices start from £59.00, and the cars are available from selected retailers nationwide, including:
The Shock Group
T: 01630 656737
www.craftandplay.co.uk
Pedal Car Shop
T: 0800 955 0916
www.pedalcarshop.co.uk
Surbiton Natural Health Centre
T: 020 8399 2772
14 Claremont Road, Surbiton, Surrey, KT6 4QU
According to Bouf.com, "Kusu likes to laugh. It doesn't matter what you tell him. He likes the colour green and colouring with felt-tip pens. Watch the walls!"
From Spanish brand Hommu, comes a small initiative to help conserve forest eco-systems: Green Folk. The collection is made up of four characters representing a small part of the Iberian fauna: a bear (Kusu), a rabbit (Pon), a fox (Bon Bon) and a bird (Honobono).
For each 'Green Folks' that is bought, 5% of the value goes to various local NGOs to support efforts to replant forests destroyed by fire, efforts to reintroduce native species and much more.
Hommu is not about just pretty design, they're about quality, ecology and creativity. Working only with suppliers who are environmentally sustainable, Hommu uses 100% recyclable material in both their packaging and products.
For more info and to buy Kusu the Bear (£21.00) head over to Bouf.com.
Do you remember Tamagotchi, the hand held digital pet that emerged from Japan in the late nineties and took tweenies by storm?
Since then, digital pets all over the world have moved into social gaming and have found a home on Facebook, where they have created their own Pet Society. With over 13 million players joining in each month, Pet Society lets you create uber cute virtual pets that you then need to care for; nurturing their health and happiness by dressing them in the latest fashions (much like reality really) and lavishing them in luxury virtual goods.
But what about real animals who also need some TLC to live happy and healthy lives?
The creators of Pet Society, Playfish is supporting the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) and its efforts to protect the future of nature. Between 1st November 2010 and 1st January 2011, Playfish will donate 10 cents to WWF for every new player who installs Pet Society via the Play to Give website.
So when your kids ask for a puppy this Christmas why not set them up with a virtual tiger or polar bear on Pet Society instead?
And the best thing about the game, after donating to WWF of course: it's free! But we won't tell anyone.
Since July 2009, Playfish has donated 10% of the purchase price of every WWF virtual item in Pet Society to WWF, with a guaranteed contribution of $100,000 per year. More than 520,000 items have been sold to date.
What do adults do when try as they might, they can't come up with a solution to a seemingly intractable problem? A popular solution is seeking an answer through the mouths of babes, and when the issue is as pressing and as controversial as the environment, why not seek the ideas of those untainted by the million and one problems and prejudices that plague adult pundits?
That's what Persil figured, and they've enlisted Phillippa Forrester to help prise out those planet-saving solutions. In this video, you can see just a few of the bright ideas they've already managed to glean from young minds up and down the country.
Question: How do you get your kids interested in green issues? Answer (well one answer anyway): Buy them an inexpensive robot building kit of course!
Not only does your child get to build 6 different robotic masterpieces - including a dog, a boat, a windmill and a car - but also gets to learn about solar energy in the process. All the instructions are easy to follow and the kit only has 25 parts to it. The best bit - no screws in sight! Oh, and don't worry that the UK's lack of sunlight might spoil your kids' enjoyment as the solar charger can also produce power when exposed to a bright halogen lamp. [Paul Ridden]
This year has been a great one for ethically-minded parents, and it feels like not a day went by in 2008 when someone didn't alert me to a new toy, clothing label or washing product designed specially for children. There was the launch of Method's new kids range, a delicious-smelling selection that makes bathtime lots of fun, a menagerie of wonderful handmade soft toys including the lovable Bobby Dazzler range, and a real treat for young fashionistas with a clothing range from Bindi Irwin, daughter of the late crocodile hunter.
As the smaller, more sustainable toy companies flourished we saw the big giants flounder, as Mattel's 'biodegradable Barbie' failed to convince savvy parents that the stunt was anything more than greenwash. But what have we liked in the world of eco-friendly toys? Follow the jump for our favourites, all of which are small and affordable enough to go in stockings.
Follow the jump for stockist details
Related: Eco-friendly stocking fillers for her | Eco-friendly stocking fillers for him
I've seen all shapes and sizes of gloves and mittens before, but never anything quite like this: Oeuf's 'Squeeze Me' mittens allow the wearer to share hand-warmth with their little one one while making sure they're safe at all times.
Cold-handed kids of your acquaintance will thank you for these gloves, but so will their less well-off cousins, as by buying these mitts you'll also be helping indigenous women in Bolivia, who make the garments to provide a sustainable income that allows them to educate their own children. The mittens are available to buy at the marvellous Inhabitat store, where they're on sale for $58.
A great way to use up old fabric scraps and padding is to make toys. Irregular shapes and crazy colours make for fun and imaginative fuzzy friends that kids will love, while adults will know they've come from pre-loved sources, helping rid the planet of excess waste. Snuggle Herd has perfected the art of upcycling and makes the cutest softies out of thrifted t-shirts and stuffs them with shredded wool fiber reclaimed from unwanted sweaters. You can buy members of the ever expanding herd, including Elsa the Elephant (pictured) who was once a sweater here.
I loved the LED penguinso much that I was delighted to see that renewable energy has been packaged in another cute, winged form: this time, it's a bat!
To make him light up, simply squeeze the bats tummy and watch him glow. He works either as a torch or as a nightlight when 'standing' in upright position. What better way to teach kids that you don't need batteries to light up the night sky? Perfect for when Halloween rolls around too (which, believe it or not is NEXT MONTH!) The bat torch costs just £4.99 from Ethical Superstore
Related: Bright guy self-lighting LED penguin
I may be in my thirties, but to me, September still feels like 'back to school' time every time it rolls around: it's the time of year to get organised, re-jig your wardrobe, get down to wok and most importantly...buy stationery!
How can you ensure that all that buying and stocking up has as small an impact on the planet as possible? Here are a few tips in our green 'back to school' guide, whether you're really going back into education, or just like to pretend you're still 12.
Read on after the jump for our suggestions
Dorothy Perkins is not the only clothing company currently doing its bit for the Woodland Trust: Little Blue Dog baby clothes is also turning its customers into tiny treehuggers.
The label's organic cotton, fairly traded long-sleeved tee (pictured) and a matching tote bag for Mums are both being sold to help the Trust's Tree For All campaign which aims to get children into planting and caring for trees. You can buy the top for £14.99 here.
Our very own Katie Lee returned from this weekend's Green Man festival brimming with excitement about what she'd seen at the folky three-day event. But it wasn't the charming surroundings or even the bands that had won her heart: it was a tent full of stuffed toys made from wholesome materials like vintage fabric and lentils by the mysterious Bobby Dazzler...
Related: Daemon or Doppleganger? You decide, in clay.
[Via The Mousehunter]
When we compiled our list of celebs with false claims to greenness, we may have forgotten one of the worst offenders: the blonde bombshell known as Barbie.
Like many image conscious figures, Barbie has tried to woo the green crowd by rebranding herself as an eco-warrior; in this case specially for Earth Day. Mattel created a 'biodegradable Barbie' to mark the occasion, but failed to address its epic scale use of plastic and non-recyclable packaging in all other products. Green bloggers were not impressed!
[Via Be More Eco]
Related: Barbie 'Bcause' recycled bag range
Here's one fish that won't be damaged by ingesting stray plastic bags; in fact, he can't get enough of them! The 'fashionable fish' dispenser from the Child Health Site Store exists for the sole purpose of keeing carrier bags in one place where you'll know where to find them each time you pop to the shop.
This bag would be a great way to teach children about sustainability, and if you're into re-using, will rid your home of all those stray plastic bags you're responsible enough not to chuck in the rubbish bin. They're made under fairtrade conditions by a women's collective on the Thai-Burmese border. $22.95
Related: How to recycle a cup into a plastic bag keeper | Soap bank: slick solution to a slippery problem
From: Eco-friendly cycle wear from new label VELECO