With Boris now officially elected Mayor of London, we might as well put aside our fears about his shaky green record and focus on his twin solutions to climate change: cycling and recycling.
Cycling to the shops is a great way to a greener life, so the first thing you'll need is a good sturdy basket. My favourite is this one, which is made from old packing tape - what a great way to (re)cycle! Two straps attach it to your bike, and it'll fit most styles. £14 at Hen & Hammock.
Canadian industrial designer Alexandre Verdier has designed what has got to be the ultimate hippy lust object: a classic VW camper van that's as green as current technology will allow.
His idea for the Volkswagen Westfalia Verdier came to him when he was travelling around Europe in a traditional VW camper in 1994. Updated for the eco age his version comes with solar panels, a GPS to calculate the optimal position for maximum sun exposure, an on-boar wi-fed computer, pneuamtic suspension, sliding doors, integrated folding staircase, and a swivel cooking range to cook inside or al fresco. It also has a hybrid engine.
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Dining under the stars before retiring into your earth friendly lodge is a prospect that would appeal to the hippy in most people, and Nature's Retreats can offer you all this and more with their ecologically sound lodges that don't compromise on comfort or style.
Their 'hamlet' of ten lodges in Yorkshire ticks all the green boxes. Renewable energy? Check. Recycled water? Check. Grass for a roof? Er... Check. But the best thing about Natural Retreat's lodges is that you won't be sitting around the communal fire, singing about Mother Earth and having to dash off to use the "compost toilet" when all those beans and lentils get the better of you.
You're much more likely to be lounging around in your modern living room, sipping a glass of organic Shiraz from the welcome hamper, cooking up a dish from the locally sourced produce and all the while listening to your favourite tunes on latest, renewable-energy powered entertainment system. Not exactly roughing it, is it? [via Lost Weekend]
Back in work after the first long weekend of the year, I have to admit I've developed a taste for travel, and am already planning my next break! Will I take another eco-friendly train trip down to sunny Spain, or should I explore the beautiful greenery that this country has to offer?
All that is details, because one of the most fun aspects of holiday planning is thinking about all the bits and pieces you'll be taking on your travels (at least I always think so!) And Florame's organic travel kit is just what every eco-friendly traveller needs to freshen up in style.
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Most people still consider a guidebook an essential addition to their global wandering. Packed with sights, restaurants and bar listings, these weighty tomes generally require a wheelbarrow to cart them around. Geared more to the lifelong backpacker, rather than weekend breakers, a lot of unnecessary paper used to go into these guides, which in turn would add a lot of extra weight to luggage.
Now, however, Lonely Planet is offering readers the chance to download and print any chapters from over 100 of their books, including the Americas and Africa, meaning no extra paper wastage. This is also a great deal for your wallet, guidebooks aren't cheap, but these individual chapters cost as little as £2-£4. Pick them up at the Lonely Planet Shop. [Via Lost Weekend]
The recent "Tourism - Responding to Climate and Poverty Imperatives" conference focused on tourism's role in the global climate change, and the tourism community has agreed to come together and "act effectively on the common cause of climate change response". Linking climate change with the fight against poverty, the UN agency in charge of tourism, UNWTO, is the taking charge and leading the efforts to help address climate change.
This year's World Tourism Day (WTD) will take place in Peru on September 27th and will focus on the increasing awareness of the Davos Declaration Process. Aside from simply helping to advance the awareness of climate change and promote the Davos Declaration Process, they're also going to encourage tourism stakeholders to adapt and to use new technology and "secure financing for the poorest countries".
If you're looking to avoid the carbon cost of flying this year, there are more 'green' holiday destinations than ever, right here in the UK. Conscious of the limitations placed on UK holidaymakers by the weather, many of these are laying on lots of activities to take care of rainy days, and one exciting development is the opening of Bluestone; an eco friendly holiday village set in the ancient woodland of Pembrokeshire Coast.
Due to open in July, Bluestone bills itself as a 'luxurious retreat away from it all' and will comprise of 355 sustainably-built lodges, cottages and studios for self-catering guests. The park is run according to ecologically sound principles, with energy for its attractions coming from an on-site Biomass plant.
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With Boris now officially elected Mayor of London, we might as well put aside our fears about his shaky green record and focus on his twin solutions to climate change: cycling and recycling. 
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