Being green doesn't have to mean being vegetarian or vegan (although there are some persuasive arguments) but I think I'm not mistaken in thinking that a sizeable chunk of Hippyshopper readers fall into one of those two camps. On which assumption, quite a few of you must now be feeling as unimpressed as I am that Mars chocolates will no longer be vegetarian from October. So other than stockpiling Milky Ways, what can you do?
It seems to me that Masterfoods had under-estimated the power of the vegetarian voice when they chose to make this untimely decision; already arch-rival Cadbury is drawing attention to the vegetarian society logo its products now carry. The society itself has thrown its weight behind the cause of retaining the rennet-free Mars bar as part of its Imperfect World campaign, where you'll find a selection of online lobbying tools to get the message through. Otherwise, you could always use the Masterfoods feedback form to express your displeasure.
Related: National Vegetarian Week 21st-27th May 2007 | No more Mars bars for veggies
Chris Goodall's take on preventing climate change is that it's too important to be left to governments and corporations - each of us needs to do our part individually to reduce our carbon emissions.
In his book, 'How to live a low-carbon life' (currently available for £14.24 from amazon), Goodall lays out tips on how to do exactly that, dealing with everything from tumble dryers to public transport. To keep you up to date with all the latest news, there's also a website to accompany the book.
Related: Rubbish! book by Richard Girling | Plant some trees, get climate book cheaper
Wouldn't it be great if all the world's problems could be solved by blogging? If all we had to do was type our grievences about the state of the planet into a little box in one big rant, hit 'post' and wait for some wise anonymous commenter to give us all the answers?
Maybe it's not going to work like that, but we can dream, and I was inspired by this list compiled by Valleywag, with suggestions for '10 online ways to save the world' - so I've come up with a similar list for Hippyshopper: Hippyshopper's top 10 sites to make the world a better place
1. Click4thecause: Until the end of this month, every time you use this search engine instead of your usual one, you'll be donating to ninemillion, a UN campaig set up to help the 9 million children worldwide who are living as refugees. There's some more info on this wonderful idea here.
2. We are what we do. Very slick-looking site crammed full of tips both big and small on making the world a happier place. Helps kick-start your good intentions, and lets you track your good deeds.
3. The Hunger Site. The original free 'click to donate' site that's still going strong. And don't forget, you can also donate to breast cancer research, underpriviledged kids, animal shelters and rainforest conservations projects while you there.
4. ChanceXchange: chanceXchange is a free service where you can trade unwanted films, cds and books for those things that you really want. Earn double brownie points for the fact that you're not only reusing and reducing waste, but you're also making someone's day by offering that unwanted Backstreet Boys album they've been coveting for years.
5. E-Cards. Sending an e-card for a friend's birthday is a good way to avoid the wastage of sending paper cards through the post. And they're not all as naff as you might have feared. Have a browse though this site for some really imaginative designs, including stunning wildlife photography.
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Climate change charity Global Cool are up to their old tricks again, and have come up with another nifty planet saving campaign, launching tomorrow. This one will combine the three mighty forces of Myspace, text messaging and celebs.
Led by a galaxy of stars including Sienna Miller, Josh Hartnett and Rosario Dawson, the campaign provides simple tips via SMS on how to personally reduce your carbon footprint, with all proceeds going to the charity. Visit Global Cool's Myspace page tomorrow to be there when it all happens.
Related stories: Donate a tonne to Global Cool
Google employees are being given free bicycles to help reduce the environmental impact of their travel to work. The company has also installed solar panels at its HQ to provide green energy.
Although I'll ask, I think it's unlikely my employer will give me a bike. The story has made me think though: a lot of people spend more time at the office than at home, so what can companies do to lessen their environmental impact?
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Ecover has recently teamed up with the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition to give you the chance to win a green spring clean for your home, a copy of Ecover's Healthy Homes book, and a copy of the coalition's I count book - all you'll need to ensure your home gets green-clean and stays that way! Instructions on how to enter will be on Ecover's products in coming weeks. Ecover is also interested in your views on being green, and your attitudes towards green living. Why not complete the survey here, and give them some ideas on the sort of green products you would like to see on the shelves?
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It seems our parents' attempts to make us 'think of the starving children' when we left food on our plates were all in vain: Britons, we learnt today, throw away a third of our food, equating to 6.7 million tonnes every year.
I know I'm as guilty as the next Brit, especially since I often cook for myself but still buy family packs of bread, vegetables and other perishable items out of sheer laziness. So I've come up with a few tips on how to reduce your food waste. Please feel free to suggest more!
1. Pay attention to use-by dates on the food you buy. It's not unusual for supermarkets to put new stock next to stuff that's almost past its sell-by. Taking a few seconds to check this means you'll throw out a lot less. You might also want to invest in some re-sealable containers for keeping food fresh for longer.
2. Get a wormery, and turn your rubbish into high quality compost. Worms won't eat all your food waste (citrus and onions are a no-no) but once you've cut down the amount you buy, you can start feeding your wriggly friends vegetable peelings, old fruit, leftover pasta, rice and even small amounts of meat, and they'll soon be happily churning out plant feed. Wormcity sell them from just £20.
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