We’re giving away two tickets to see ‘Radical Nature‘ at the Barbican in London. It’s the first exhibition to bring together key figures across different generations who have created utopian works and inspiring solutions for our ever-changing planet.
Radical Nature draws on ideas that have emerged out of Land [...]
Ever wondered what the future of green looks like? Insider Trends has, and it’s set up an event to find out the answer. It’s called ‘Interesting Things For Interesting People: The Future of Green’, and it’ll be a fast, furious ‘speed presentation’ night.
In central London [...]
The most distinctive quality of the urban environment lies in its landscape. Each individual city has its own sense of character, unique infrastructure, and physical presence. As the urban setting becomes increasingly advanced, we are leaving behind our roots – the tree canopy coverage in the developed city is declining. At present, [...]
Are you one of those people who would prefer not to have a car but aren’t quite sure how life would work without one? Or maybe you’re just dreaming of ways to be greener but don’t have a clue how you can change the way you live? [...]
The global recession has finally caught up with us here in South Africa and we are starting to feel the pinch. I’m putting some work into finding ways to cut our expenses, all the while staying green, and in some aspects, becoming even greener.
Here are [...]
Piper and I have been sowing seeds for winter vegetables this afternoon. It’s fun to do with children of any age when outside is stormy and wet, and inside is a much nicer prospect. Northern hemisphere folks sow summer veg for a school holiday activity.
Learning to grow [...]
Spinach seedlings, cos growing your own is as green as it gets.
Mark Berger put into words a couple of weeks ago something that I’ve been thinking since being back in South Africa, and that is' [...]
Give some moms a big pile of recycling and instead of dropping it off at the nearest recycling centre, they come up with an inspired toy for their kids. This cute WALL-E robot is made out of what “Kitten Muffin” (not her real name, surely) found in her recycling bin, [...]
It’s vegetarian recipe day here at EcoStreet because eating less meat is better for our planet. Today I’m sharing with you a recipe that I improvised after eating something similar at Millstone Cafe at the Oude Molen Eco Village. I’m not 100% sure what goes [...]
Down here in the Southern Hemisphere the shortest day of the year less than a week away, and we’re counting down to planting season. Just this past weekend in the rain, my lovely husband was chopping a great chunk out of the lawn so that I [...]
For those of you, treasured readers, who have always looked to EcoStreet for green titbits (I love that word) of the British variety, but have noticed that the flavour has been distinctly African of late, here’s a belated explanation for you.
Although I spent 13 years in England (which is where [...]
CAPE TOWN – Here’s something really worthwhile to do on Tuesday’s public holiday. I’m going because I like to make a contribution to keeping places that I enjoy in good nick, and because I want to teach my children that being a member of a community is [...]
Life is not orderly. No matter how we try to make life so, right in the middle of it we die, lose a leg, fall in love, drop a jar of applesauce. – Natalie Goldberg
It took me a while, but I finally get what our US [...]
One Tuesday a few weeks ago I accompanied Duncan Drennan (The Art of Engineering), Duncan’s beautifully pregnant wife Donne, Pia Taylor (Mother City Living), Stefan (a lecturer in applied mathematics at Stellenbosch) and Ruan (a helicopter pilot in training) on a tour of the Fezeka community garden [...]
It’s World Environment Day and the launch day of Open Green Map, a global initiative to map out local natural, cultural and green living sites, to help people make greener lifestyle choices. There are launches being held around the world today: Cape Town, Geneva, Jakarta, Stockholm, Baltimore, Pereira [...]
Live and work in or around Jo’burg? If you’ve ever dreamed of living in an ecovillage, this may just be your chance. The Oak Avenue Trust is looking for people who are interested in co-designing, co-building and co-living in an inclusive, inter-generational and ecological co-housing initiative at [...]
This is the first time on an EcoDIY feature that I’m not going to suggest that you try this at home, unless you have the necessary know how to avoid electrocuting yourself, or similar. But I think that this incredible chair is still worth telling you about, check this out.
[...]
“What I say is that, if a fellow really likes potatoes, he must be a pretty decent sort of fellow.” – AA Milne
Mashed potato is my absolute number one comfort food. It really sticks to your ribs, makes you feel full and warm and is perfect for [...]
The Twitter bug bit me hard, and I tweet most days, finding new interesting green folks to follow and discovering interesting stories and sites online that I might otherwise have completely missed.
This #EcoMonday, instead of tweeting a few names at you, I want to share some recommended [...]
“Soup of the evening, beautiful Soup!” – Lewis Carroll
Continuing the series of vegetarian food that even non-vegetarians can enjoy (and reduce their carbon footprints accordingly), here’s my roasted butternut soup recipe, a real favourite with my family (secret: neither of my children like butternut, but they both [...]
Not being much of a follower of sport I hadn’t heard of the World Games until last week. And why did the World Games pique my attention? Because the stadium that’s being built specially for it in Taiwan is the world biggest solar powered stadium in the world. It’s [...]
As we come to the end of Bike to Work Week 2009 (a US event that doesn’t feature in South Africa, yet), it was thanks to blogs like Lighter Footstep and Treehugger that I decided to dust off my bicycle, attach Piper’s bike to the Trailgator, [...]
Elaine Dutton of Pure Design wrote a guest post for EcoStreet some time ago all about how the small-scale manufacture of beautiful objects out of sustainable or repurposed materials is better for the environment than the current “throwaway fashion” trend. Recently, Elaine has been in touch with me [...]
Hats off to South Africa’s Optimal Energy for developing an electric car with a range that can cope with the distances between towns here. Let’s face it, the 190km that the Tata Indica electric car can stretch to wouldn’t get you from Cape Town to [...]
When Suzanne Forsling moved from the US Midwest to Alaska, she discovered this novel idea for keeping her salad crops off the cold ground and away from critters who messed with them. She used new guttering, but there’s no reason why you couldn’t use old guttering, either that from your [...]
Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet. — Albert Einstein
I’m not vegetarian. I have been in the past, I even spent a few years following a strictly vegan diet, but I’ve [...]
A groovy alternative to plastic toy kitchens for little eco-warriors, these are just the coolest toy kitchens yet.
The frizzle sizzle toy stove/cooker (above) and the splish splash sink (below) are made by rafinesse & tristesse from recycled olive oil and other tins.
[...]
I’m particularly obsessed with cardboard boxes at the moment, because I’ve just moved house and the empties are everywhere. Of course I could just take them to the recycling depot down the road, but then I came across this awesome Instructable and just knew that this was what my [...]
While most gardeners will agree that the gardening itself is a major part of the pleasure and that the fruits of your labours aren’t everything, there are those who are so busy that they simply don’t have time to plan a vegetable garden and implement it. Cue the food garden [...]
When budgets are tight, it’s important to know which fruit and veg are safe to buy non-organic, and which are the ones that you really should be shelling out the extra for.
More and more scientists agree these days that even small doses of pesticides and other chemicals [...]
It’s times like these when we remember that it’s actually of huge benefit to ourselves to grow some of our own food. So many of us have forgotten that, because it’s “easier” to just pop to the supermarket when we want fresh herbs, or an apple, or some cabbage for [...]
If you’re a parent, watch this, you need to be educated. This new film, Consuming Kids, pushes back against the marketing industry that bombards our children with messages about what they “need” from the word go. It’s an unscrupulous industry by all accounts (but we already knew that, didn’t we?) [...]
mob [mob]
n.
1. A large disorderly crowd or throng.
2. The mass of common people; the populace.
3. Informal
a. An organized gang of criminals; a crime syndicate.
b. often Mob Organized crime. Often used with the: a murder suspect with links to the Mob.
4. An indiscriminate or [...]
I’m wearing this T-shirt today, it’s one of my faves. Two of the parents at my daughter’s pre-school stopped to read my breasts the important message, which makes wearing it worthwhile. It’s from Ban T-shirts.
[...]When I heard about cooking in a hot box on Pia Taylor’s Mother City Living blog last year, I knew straight away that I had to have one. I’m always looking for ways to reduce my energy usage, so a hot box seemed a perfect addition to my energy [...]
I’ve just discovered Freeset bags (& journals) and just love what they are all about… Freedom for the women who have no choice but to roam Calcutta’s streets as prostitutes, and for their daughters.
My pick of the bags are these dragonfly print jute shoulder bags with cotton [...]
Swishing has come to Cape Town. It’s the green solution to getting your hands on a new wardrobe.
The next Fashion Exchange event, happening on the 9th May at Cafe Sofia in Rondebosch. It’s a new venture in South Africa and it’s organiser Tonia Zorbas says [...]
An organic alternative to shoe polish. Being someone who’s into using fruit for purposes other than eating (I like eating it too), this video really tickled my fancy. I am definitely not going to be buying shoe polish any more.
If you have a lemon tree and don’t know what to do with your bounty, how about making some Moroccan style preserved lemons. Here’s how it’s done.
Step 1: Sterilise one or more preserving jars (or just wash them in the dishwasher).
Step 2: Cut your lemons into quarters, [...]
If you can’t read the ad, here’s what it says:
“Green is the new mainstream. Once a global issue taken on by the few, it has now come home. Literally. Recycling, saving energy, choosing organic, preserving the planet, it’s all about embracing nature and discovering innovative ways to [...]
This Earth Day (22nd April 2009), what are you doing to help?
If you’re a Twitter-bug, be sure to let the rest of the Twittersphere know what you’re up to and how you’re contributing to Earth Day. Use the #earthtweet hashtag to share what you’re doing for [...]
“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful” - William Morris.
You don’t have to be a farmer to grow your own food, just a little patch in your back garden should enable you to grow a fair [...]
Driftwood inspires art. It’s soft edges and fascinating shapes carved by the sea have been the starting point of many a coffee table, frame or even totem pole. If you live by the sea (or at least within reach of it) you have the opportunity to keep [...]
After almost a year in South Africa, I thought that it was about time that I shared some green African experiences with EcoStreet readers. Not all of these recycled objects are from South Africa, some are from West and East Africa too, but they all have the flavour of the [...]
Concerned Londoners last week handed out copies of a spoof Financial Times, urging journalists and big business to make the future possible by putting people first. Set in 2020, the 12-page paper revealed how action in 2009 reined in climate change, saving billions from extinction. Carbon rationing didn’t kill [...]
Patagonia are proof that you can have the best possible quality and care for the environment. This is demonstrated by their simple yet inspirational Mission Statement: “Build the best product, do no unnecessary harm, use business to inspire and implement solutions to the environmental crisis.”
Patagonia donate time, services and at [...]
Working to halve the number of people around the world without safe drinking water.
Clean Water = A Path out of Poverty. How the UK is helping people to build better lives.
March 22 is World Water Day, a reminder that clean, safe water enables life. It promotes good health, enables people [...]
Wannabe celeb Dan Power has released the world’s first ever ‘anti-eco’ single ‘Energy Wasting Day’
Dan Power attempts to knock Lady Gaga and Oasis out of the Top 10 and become the UK’s number one in time for April 1 2009.
In his debut music video, Dan Power (a self-confessed carbon junkie [...]
This is a guest post by Dr Gary Robertshaw of The Green Providers Directory.
Reading through some scientific papers recently I was struck by the many, well-intentioned ideas for tackling climate change. These included solar arrays in space beaming back microwave energy to Earth, burying charcoal, [...]
Helen Spoor is involved with organising a large Swishing event at Old Spitalfields Market in London on Saturday 7th March. Here’s everything you need to know to get involved with the swish.
Get a new outfit for free at this fun Swishing event as part of East Festival [...]
When petrol prices peaked at around £1.30 a litre in 2008, more drivers became conscious about the expense associated with motoring. As a result many looked at more fuel efficient vehicles – the majority of which offer the added bonus of being much more environmentally friendly.
There [...]
In her Book of Rubbish Ideas, Tracey Smith takes us room by room through our homes and shows us how to reduce waste, or rather, how to reduce the amount of waste that we are sending to landfill.
In the first part of the book, Tracey explains all about the history [...]
From Recycle For London:
Despite recent reports of a downturn in the market for recycled materials the Mayor is confident that the recycling market will recover. Over 60 per cent of the rubbish we throw away can actually be recycled and yet Londoners on average are recycling 20 per [...]
Well, perhaps not right now. Let’s just hold off until the snow has melted.
CleanTogether is a really cool site that Nikki brought to my attention last week. It encourages you to go out and enjoy nature, but clean up a little extra (i.e. not just your [...]
This is a guest post by Dr Gary Robertshaw of The Green Providers Directory.
The prospects for the emergence of a genuinely sustainable global economy have been given fresh impetus with the election of Barack Obama, extending beyond the well intentioned rhetoric characteristic of new administrations. [...]
By far the coolest Valentine’s Day card that I’ve seen this year is this Carve Your Own Card kit from Nigel’s EcoStore. It’s a solid FSC certified wooden postcard ready for you to hand carve your own message of love. This is one Valentine’s Day [...]
This is a guest post by Dr Gary Robertshaw of The Green Providers Directory.
The debate surrounding the extent to which the burning of fossil fuels leads to climate change misses a more fundamental point. That is, fossil fuels are an inherently finite resource. This [...]
As part of the Guardian publisher network (we are one of many independent websites who work with the Guardian to sell advertising on our sites), we’re asking EcoStreet readers to take part in a survey that will tell us more about you, what interests you, and what sort [...]
I can’t help feeling that the guy whose birth Christmas is supposed to be about celebrating would be appalled if he saw the amount of waste that was being created in his name. What do you think?
But, Christmas being what it is, we wake up from [...]
With money being as tight as it is, sales are the sensible option. My sister and her partner, for example, decided to wait until after Xmas to buy each other a Xmas present this year, so that they could maximise their pounds by buying in the sales. And then there’s [...]
London motorists who get rid of their vehicles will be given free driving time with car clubs like Streetcar under a scheme backed by London Mayor Boris Johnson.
Car Crunch London will reward those who can prove that they have sold their car with a two year membership of a [...]
The London Waste and Recycling board have decided that they need to look at the capital’s waste as a resource rather than rubbish to be disposed of. They are focussing on three main areas to reduce London’s waste problem, namely increasing recycling of priority materials such as plastics, [...]
Terracycle has introduced a line of cleaners (All Purpose, Bathroom, Window, Degreaser and Drain), all with the Eco-friendly TerraChoice Certified Zerofootprint Seal. These cleaners, comparable to chemical cleaners, are packaged in recycled or ‘out-of-spec” soda bottles.
I went to work on my mirrors and my car windows [...]
In their 2008 competition, Friends of the Earth asked the question ‘Which bit of the Earth are you a Friend of?’ The films came flooding in and we all voted, laughed, cried and got goosebumps watching them.
Now the votes have been counted and the judges have chosen their favourites.
Overall Winner: [...]
Forget the gift which keeps on giving, this is the wrap that keeps on wrapping!
With an estimated 83km2 of wrapping paper (which is enough to cover Guernsey and then some!) used in the UK alone every Christmas, the eco-friendly WrapSack is the ideal packaging for anyone [...]
I was asked to review some products from TerraCycle, and to my joy found it to be stationery. I’m a Gemini, I love stationery. I collected stickers, paper, erasers, pens, in fact any type of stationery as a child, and still do have those tendencies, but [...]
With a quarter of us planning to buy electrical or electronic goods as presents this Christmas, many old items will be gathering dust in our cupboards and cluttering up our houses.
New research by Recycle Now reveals that, on average, we have around three old, broken or unwanted small electrical goods [...]
Here are some ideas for green stockingfillers this Xmas. Every little bit helps.
Decorous Recycled Glass Tea Light Holder.
These tea light holders are really cute and would make a lovely stocking filler. They can be used all year round, either in winter for lighting up your fireplace [...]
If you haven’t arranged your Christmas turkey yet you’re in for a treat.
BigBarn have set up an online free range turkey guide where you can buy online for Christmas delivery, or even collection, so you can meet the farmer! They have set up 70+ turkey producers around [...]
This is a guest post by Carolyn Algar.
For the past few weeks, I have been taking an ECOBag along with me on my shopping sprees (unfortunately these days shopping sprees involve a lot more window shopping). I have their standard wide natural canvas tote, but they [...]
The Wottle is finally here.
It’s the brand new recycled water bottle from Orla Kiely and BRITA. Renowned designer Orla Kiely and BRITA water filters teamed up to produce the world´s first designer reusable water bottle. For filtered water (or even tap water) with great style on [...]
People across the UK have installed solar thermal panels on their roofs to produce their own energy, but until now none of these small scale generators have been paid by the government or energy suppliers for their power.
Good Energy, the UK’s only 100% renewable electricity supplier, is launching Good [...]
Charity Practical Action are giving you the opportunity to buy a Practical Present for someone you don’t know this Christmas. Here’s how it works. You buy a fluffy duck for your aunt Mabel, and somewhere in Bangladesh a poor family have duck eggs to eat. Okay, I’ll [...]
No need to buy wrapping paper. Just wrap up your presents with what you have lying around at home, and make the gift into an adventure. Surprise balls can be made with scraps of fabric, yarn, lace, bias-binding, rick-rack, whatever you can find in your sewing box, and [...]
This Saturday, November 29th 2008, it’s Buy Nothing Day. The annual day off to put away your wallet and switch off from shopping. 24 hours to detox from shopping, save money, reduce your carbon footprint, and stop being a consumer.
Sinister, innit!
There are events in London, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh [...]
There’s just one week left to vote on who deserves the Worst EU Lobbying Award for 2008, and the nominees are:
The agrofuels lobby (including MPOC, Unica and Abengoa) – nominated for their misleading campaigns to promote agrofuels as green;
The European [...]
What a refreshing change from the old order of US government, I hope that the UK will be maintaining their “special relationship” with US now that the shrub has been ousted. Who knows, Gordon Brown might even learn something from the new guy.
Watch this, you’ll like it. It gave me [...]
While she was working as a scientist advising on energy efficiency, Joan Pick radically changed her life. She hasn’t flown since 1971, and hasn’t been in a motor vehicle since 1973 (except for a trip in an ambulance and one in a funeral car). Joan runs [...]
Greenpeace bring us their latest campaign, Coalfinger. Their video on YouTube tells the story of how Special Agent Green battles the evil coal magnate Coalfinger to stop him covering the world in coal-fired power stations.
Watch the video and visit [www.coalfinger.com].
[via: The Ecologist]
Jonathon Porritt, green thinker, was dubbed environmental personality of the year at the edie’s Awards for Environmental Excellence. Now in their second year, the awards were held at London’s Natural History Museum on Thursday.
From the edie news feed:
Jonathon Porritt, founder director of Forum for the Future [...]
We’re into the middle of November and snow has already fallen this winter. What are the odds for a white Xmas this year? There no guaranteeing a white Xmas, but a green one, that’s not a problem. You can slash your family Xmas carbon footprint with just a bit of [...]
We’re all having to tighten our belts to get through the economic recession that’s spreading across the world. Here’s a solution to your fashion needs at a fraction of the price. Charity shops, online and off and second-hand clothes at online auction sites are the perfect way to shop from [...]
The Big Earth Book by James Bruges, published by Alistair Sawday
Don’t miss our Big Earth Book giveaway below!
As we see massive changes rocking our planet, James Bruges takes us step by step through how we got here. In what is surely going to be considered the layman’s environmental [...]
A great way to light up someone’s life this holiday season is to give the gift of a 
