Bob Geldof has never been one to shy away from courting controversy, and here he is, at it again in a blog launched by Lexus that is intended to debate the pros and cons of hybrid cars.
Sir Bob was brought in as a celebrity blogger by the car firm to kick off discussion on the more eco-friendly direction that Lexus wants to take. But so far he's chosen to use the platform most notably for putting forward his own pro-nuclear opinions, which he's given a green slant. On meeting C02 reduction targets he brands renewable energy initiatives such as wind farms "Mickey Mouse" and insists that "to really help the planet, we have to go nuclear, fast".
And on hybrid card, the very subject he was drafted in to discuss: "The reason I drive a hybrid car is simple: to avoid London's congestion charge. I simply couldn't stand paying the f**king thing."
So what do you think: is Geldof bravely putting across a realistic solution to a doomed planet, or completely out of order?
It's a well known fact that parents wanting to get their kids into the local church school will go to almost any length to bend the truth when it comes to getting their little darlings into a less-rough school than the local comp. But as a Hindu school in London becomes the first to enforce vegetarianism as a condition of entry, will we soon see parents pretending their kids are veggie and shopping others they've spied grabbing a sneaky happy meal at McDonalds?
The veggie entrance policy, the first of its kind to come into effect at the Krishna-Avanti school in north-west London is unpopular with Mainstream Hindus, who are claiming it favours the Hare Krishna movement - which is backing the school and whose members follow strict vegetarian diets. But with fierce competition expected for places, the rule may simply be in place as a handy selection policy.
While I'm very much in favour of encouraging children to go veggie, I'm not sure that making a rule of it is right in any circumstances. And it seems unfair to alienate a large percentage of a wider group that could otherwise benefit from living near this school. What do you think?
It was with some sadness that I finally accepted my second solar phone charger had given up the ghost. But after a handful of uses, on both models I tried, the charge no longer appeared, no matter how long I left the panel in the sun. I plugged my phone in - nada.
At first, I put this down to my own technical ineptitude, but then I spoke to two of the biggest tech gurus in this office, both of whom reported exactly the same failure to make their hand-held solar phone chargers work after the first few attempts. Why should this be? Is the technology just not up to it yet? I'd be fascinated to hear from anyone who owns a Power Monkey, Power Chimp, Freeloader or similar and find out what went wrong. Maybe our office is just cursed...
A few years ago nobody would have thought it possible, but it emerged yesterday that the London Assembly is giving the green light to ban plastic bags throughout the capital.
The assembly, consisting of all 33 local authorities, is approving the so-called 'shopping bag bill', which reaches parliament on the 27th November, and aims to cut back on the 13 billion bags handed out to Londoners every year. At the moment, 4 billion of these end up in landfill. The assembly doesn't have the authority to ban bags by itself, but if the bill is approved, it could become law. Just think about it...no more plastic bags!
Or perhaps not. Polls have shown that most people are backing the ban, with 60 per cent wanting a ban or a charge of up to 15 pence per bag. But as ever, there's a fly in the ointment: Defra and the Treasury have already waded in to point out that in Ireland, where a bag tax was introduced in 2002, plastic bag usage overall has not dropped because the demand for stronger, heavier bags has resulted in just as much plastic being used in total.
What do you think about the proposal? Does the Irish example show it to be flawed, or have the nay-sayers got their facts wrong? Will shopaholic Londoners make the switch to reusable bags, and is it possible to police every single store in the capital for polyethylene crimes? If you live in London, will you be writing to your MP to support the ban?
I was browsing an advice column recently (as you do) when I found a post from an obviously distressed environmentalist, bemoaning the loss of a good friend. What had come between them? Not distance, not money or even a man -- but a gas-guzzling 4x4.
After tolerating a number of smaller green misdemeanors over the years, the eco-worrier had finally reached breaking point when her friend bought the offending vehicle. She told the friend that her purchase of the car had upset her, and that she would now find it hard to get on. It was a tall order, she felt, to remain on terms with someone who seemed, in a way, to be undoing all the hard work that she was herself doing in an attempt to live a greener life. Both parties live in London, where having a car at all is seen as unnecessary even by non-greens.
The friend, however, was left baffled, hurt and affronted by the judgement on what she saw as her "lovely car"...
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Londoners alone consume the equivalent of an olympic-sized swimming pool a week in bottled water. Some of this will have been flown in from places as far-flung as Fiji, and almost all of it is bottled in plastic, so the environmental concerns are obvious.
Why do this when there's an abundant supply of clean water freely available from our taps? A group of campaigners from the London Assembly Green Party has proposed an answer in the form of a ban on the sale of bottled water in the capital, and have suggested it is held in 'specially designed carafes'.
The wider Green Party is supporting the proposal, and is urging London Mayor Ken Livingstone to follow the example set by Paris, and remove bottled water from restaurants, cafes and offices. But how do you feel about the idea? Personally, I would fully support removing bottled water from public eateries, not least because it's a sneaky way for waiters to get more money out of you when you make the unforgivable mistake of asking for 'water'. But I'm not sure I'd want it taken out of shops unless access to tap water is vastly improved. Failing that, I think most people would resort to buying more sugary drinks (also in bottles) when they get thirsty on the run.
I was a bit dismayed to see Terra Plana lampooned in the hall of shame that is Shoewawa's 'ugly shoe of the week' feature this week. This 'interestingly' paneled boot pictured was the culprit.
However, I decided it was important not to let the side down in the style stakes, as us greenies have a reputation to keep. So do you think Terra Plana's designers have got a bit carried away with this particular style? I've certainly seen much more attractive footwear made from eco-friendly, recycled and organic materials (most often in TP's stores!) but this style isn't doing it for me.
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