There's been something of a wailing and a gnashing of teeth around the web today, as fans of Innocent drinks discovered that the brand they'd come to see as a sort of fruit-based best friend had in fact been consorting with the bad boys all along. Or at least recently, as it emerged that Coca cola has bought a £30m stake in the company.
Innocent now joins the likes of Green & Blacks, which was bought by Cadbury Schweppes, Pret a Manger by McDonalds and (perhaps most controversially) The Body Shop by L'Oreal. In all these cases, I can't help thinking we're reminded of how unwise it is to associatie a business too closely with our own values, as however 'ethical' a company may seem, it ultimately has to make money to survive. And perhaps it's better to have the fat cats on side if that's where the money to do all the good stuff Innocent does is to be found?
But how do you feel about the decision? Follow the jump for a poll.
Ever since the first Andrex puppy bounded down the stairs and into our hearts, loo roll has been getting increasingly soft, strong and long. At first, this represented a welcome departure from the scratchy, tracing-paper torture that many of us remember from our youth, but even the most posteriorly-challenged would agree that just recently, things have gone a bit far.
The current trend in toilet paper (if such a thing can be said to exist) is for such bloated, padded sheets that it can sometimes feel as though you're wiping your bottom with a king-size duvet. And according to campaigners, the American obsession in particular with multi-ply, quilted toilet tissue is having such a devastating effect on the environment that it could be said to be a worse risk to the planet than all the SUVs in the USA. In Europe, we are doing better, with around 40% of toilet paper coming from recycled sources. But in the States, more than 98% comes from virgin forests. Are we in danger of slipping into such bad habits?
Thinking back to when I first heard about the concept of carbon offsetting, I remember thinking that while it seemed like a lovely idea to absolve your eco sins by adding some scenic foliage to the world, it all seemed a bit too good to be true. I wanted to believe, but it wasn't long before the doubts started to be expressed by those with more of a grasp on the science, I knew it was only a matter of time before carbon offsetting began to sound at best quaint, and at worst, crazy.
A story in the Guardian's Ethical Living Blog gives even more reasons to be sceptical about carbon offsetting, and frankly, I'm sold. But am I being defeatist? Let me know your views on carbon offsetting in by voting in the poll below.
As a long-term veggie and seasoned believer in animal welfare, it came as no surprise to me to see the carnage and mayhem in a shed of intensively farmed chickens last night on Hugh fearnley-whittingstall's Chicken Run on Channel 4. And what's the betting that Hugh's mock-up barn was practically the Ritz compared with the far larger real sheds that don't get shown on TV?
But that familiarity didn't stop me from feeling a sense of sadness and resignation at the fact that some people I've talked to afterwards (even one of those taking part in the show) will continue to buy intensively-farmed chicken because it's so much cheaper -- as much as one third of the cost -- of free range. With this in mind, how has the show affected your choices? Fill out our poll, and be honest!
Last week, we gave you five alternatives to central heating during the colder months. Do you have any better suggestions? If so, we want to know them, so we can compile an ultimate guide to avoiding the thermostat; a guide you can print out and stick underneath the switch.
In the meantime, I'm battling with my own housemates to keep the heating off. By November, I've usually succumbed, but I'm going to see how long I can hold out this year. Living in an upstairs flat, I find that it's rarely necessary to keep the heating switched on, but it's hard to get out of the habit.
So, being entirely honest: at what point in the year do you normally fire up your central heating?
If you've seen our natural skincare roundup, you'll probably be aware that a group of chemical preservatives called parabens are the latest 'controversial' ingredients in cosmetics.
For those who haven't heard, the lowdown is that some people are beginning to avoid using these additives, having read that there is a link between parabens and cancer, while others argue that there is no real evidence to suggest this is the case. But where do you stand on this issue? Are you checking labels on your shower gel and looking out for more natural products?
When Al Gore's grand plans for Live Earth were announced earlier in the year, I remember a lot of green types rolling their eyes and muttering about the current speed of the green bandwagon. And when Madonna was confirmed as a performer, singing her own specially-written Live Earth song, the muttering got even louder and it looked like the whole thing could be a bit of a damp squib. 'Do we really need celebrity endorsement to make us take action?' people asked.
Maybe we don't. Maybe you and I don't, but what about those less educated on the seriousness of global warming? There's something to be said for bringing these issues to the masses, and what better way to do so than by getting a bunch of rock stars to hammer the message home with music. And the Live Earth pledge; a simple set of rules to cut down on energy consumption, are all actions we should be taking, so why not take this opportunity to ensure everyone knows it's better to use energy efficient lightbulbs and not leave gadgets on standby?
digg this | del.icio.us this
| 
Stumble It!
As a long-term veggie and seasoned believer in animal welfare, it came as no surprise to me to see the carnage and mayhem in a shed of intensively farmed chickens last night on Hugh fearnley-whittingstall's Chicken Run on Channel 4. And what's the betting that Hugh's mock-up barn was practically the Ritz compared with the far larger real sheds that don't get shown on TV? 
Last week, we gave you 
If you've seen our 
When Al Gore's grand plans for Live Earth were announced earlier in the year, I remember a lot of green types rolling their eyes and muttering about the current speed of the green bandwagon. And when Madonna was confirmed as a performer, singing her own 
