We *heart* LED lights. They mean you can have Christmas sparkle without the waste, and in this video Shiny Shiny's Zara and I got to have a play with the best eco-friendly lights I've seen this season. They're stylish and tasteful, designed by Oliver Heath, and available at EcoCentric.
Forget the tacky, energy-guzzling fairy lights of Oxford Street that seem to nothing but disappoint more with each year that passes: London's Carnaby Street has proven itself to be ahead of the game in style and innovation once again, with a set of dazzling eco-friendly Christmas decorations that look totally magical. And perhaps best of all - since the decorations did not require switching on there were no z-list celebrities there to 'do the honours'!
The oversized, holographic paper chains are so reflective that they shine brightly in the glow of existing street lighting, meaning no additional energy is needed to set them glowing. Laura and I popped down to have a look when the decorations were unveiled on Wednesday, and shot this little video to share the cheer...Enjoy!
Bikes are faster than cars if you commute in cities -- it's official, and proven to us by none other than Mr. Gas-Guzzler himself, Jeremy Clarkson. But we didn't need him to tell us that.
So what could be faster (and greener) than a bike that does half the work for you? The new Powabyke commuter bike with lithium batter is the first in a series of electric bikes we put to the test.
It's not just Hollywood A-Listers that are zooming around in eco-friendly luxury at the moment - London fashionistas are at it too. I've ganked this video of Shiny Shiny's Zara test driving the latest Smart Car model, the Smart ForTwo; a big hit at London Fashion Week. Being tiny, Smarts are all pretty hot on fuel consumption, but they've improved it even further now. This model's been given a 'very good' overall rating by environmental research unit the Oko Trend Institute. Whizzy!
We got such a great response to our summer dresses roundup in the spring, that I decided to invite Adili back, this time with a selection of green and ethical outfits for Autumn. In this roundup, we've taken some of the more everyday wearable items, including a fantastic trench coat and merino cardi, all made under stringently ethical conditions.
Did you know that energy saving (CFL) light bulbs could be dimmed with a normal dimmer switch? that they can also be brightened, and used to create a soft a glow as a standard light bulb? Well, neither did I until I saw the Light Garden by Jason Bruges in collaboration with Greenpeace.
These new, adjustable lightbulbs are available online now from Varialight, and prove that there is now no excuse to use the old traditional bulbs, which waste the equivalent of two power stations' worth of electricity each year.
Last week, we mentioned Oscar and Lilli, the world's first Faitrade webcam kit (shaped like sea creatures). And since then, Shiny Shiny's Susi Weaser got to meet them. Here she is with the attractive green gadgets from United Pepper, a British company that's pioneering some really exciting developments in fairly traded gadgetry. They're currently available online, but will be coming soon to John Lewis.
Please excuse the fancy dress: the video was shot on International Talk Like a Pirate Day, so Susi did.
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