Situated in the gorgeous countryside of Wales, the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) is what the modern ecological world is all about. Offering renewable technology courses, launching their Sustainable Land Use Initiative, and keeping their very own secret garden in tact - is there anything this institute of the new world can't do?

We'd like to think they're capable of anything they set their environmentally-friendly sights on. CAT's centre operates like a totem piece for those who want to live a more sustainable life; valuing quality of living and a fair life for all above anything else. What is immediately likeable about CAT is their candid and modernist outlook on the crises that face our country and the human race as a whole:

"We address every aspect of the average lifestyle - the key areas we work in are renewable energy, environmental building, energy efficiency, organic growing and alternative sewage systems," says CAT. "Our Visitor Centre is open seven days a week. Interactive displays show global issues such as energy generation and transport, and practical, everyday solutions for everyone."

As well as a free information service, open five days a week to help answer any enquiries on a wide range of topics, CAT runs residential courses via their Education Department, which also arranges school trips to the centre that can be aligned to classroom activities and the National Curriculum.

"There is a small community living at our Centre, experimenting with different ways of living, putting cooperative and environmental ideas into action. We take the same approach with our work, looking at the environment and everything we do from start to finish.

We hope that through our positive example and promotion of effective solutions, people will be inspired to lessen their impact on the world in the same ways we have for more than 30 years."

CAT is a great place to visit, whether you're looking for something educational and inspiring, or if its a patch of peaceful haven you're in search of, the Centre for Alternative Technology has the solution. It is without a doubt one of the UK's most modern ecological custodians, and sets a good example for any visitor young-and-old.

"The Centre for Alternative Technology exists to promote another way of living, which looks at the outcomes of our actions. If we want to survive in the future without a huge environmental and humanitarian crisis, our best hope lies with understanding and working with natural processes, rather than trying to conquer nature."

But, unfortunately, like most of our eco-innovators, they are relying on your support to grow and continue to display a treasure-house of emergent ecological solutions. You can follow this link by clicking here to find out more about how to become a CAT member, or better yet, give the centre a visit.

Either way, we'd like to encourage as many of you to find out more about what CAT have seen on this year's horizons for environmental education, innovative products, emergent technologies, and intrinsic training - all with "practical solutions to 21st century problems" in mind.

Posted under Articles, Corporate, Eco Reviews

Soup It Up! That's the cry being heard from independent food retailers across the country. And why? Fresh! naturally organic soups are the reason why. Runner up at this year's Natural & Organic Awards for Best New Organic Food Product, there's is a treat to be hold. And if you're lucky enough to have wrapped your lips around one of their sarnies, you'll surely know why.

Fresh! are making sandwiches for the health conscious, eco-enthused, organic eaters out there, who have just not had enough time to fix lunch before they set out on their day. Which is okay, we're all busy these action-packed-days. This is why fresh! want to provide sandwiches and natural foods that don't compromise on taste, texture and the tantalising difference you'll be sure to note thanks to their 100% natural and organic ethos.

"Our sarnies are what put us on the map - fabulous flavours, filled all the way through, just like something you might make for yourself, and all organic."

What came next was a fresh! salad to be excited about. Not like those leaf-and-a-bit-of-dressing boxes we can so easily settle for (even though nine times out of ten they don't live up to their packaging), no. Fresh! salads come in a variety of noodle, salmon and pasta salads that are all extremely healthy and well prepared. What's best about these is that they actually fill you up, so there's no need for snacking through the rest of the day.

After the salad came the pies and tarts, which practically sell themselves, come in both sweet and savoury flavours, and are handmade by fresh! bakers. It is fair to say that you're probably wondering why the fresh! team have managed to kick up such a fuss over these saucy lunchtime solutions. Well, its simple: organic food just is that much more nutritious, delicious and scrum-diddly-umptious. This is what the fresh! team had to say:

"Organic food is not only much tastier than conventional food (well, we think so) but it's also much better for you, which is why we are on a mission to convert the world, one sandwich, pie or tart at a time.

We are an "organic processor". This is a fancy term which very simply means that we take organic ingredients and turn them into great food ready for you to eat. "Organic producers", who grow the produce and rear the animals, are our best friends, as they provide us with excellent food that we use in our award winning products."

It's true, organic food is the creme del la creme of lunch time pick me ups. But it is the Soup It Up fresh! soups that really pushes the right buttons. Low fat and low calorie, vegetarian and vegan soups that leave you feeling as though you've just had a personal chef liquidise your favourite foods and then let you in on his professional secret: It tastes that good just because it's that darn healthy...

We're going to be keeping an eye out for this up and coming food seller, and hope that more and more independent retailers cry out "Fresh! sarnies...Soup It Up! Keep those calories down" - be sure to see more from these guys.

Posted under Articles, Eco Reviews

Shoes, in my opinion, should aspire to be like a piece of furniture. Let me explain- I’ve had shoes that wear at the toe, or tear slowly and horribly along funny creases, after fairly short lives. I look for shoes that age well, shoes of substance. Shoes that withstand the rot. All shoes die of course, as will any textile, and as a genus they have shorter lifespans than a mahogany desk, or a marble paperweight- but shoes should at least be repairable. Their parts should be upgradable like a well-built piece of machinery. I think of the ideal shoe as being something solid; something deeply coloured and of an esteemed nature. A practical thing, to be admired like a piece of decorative art. An investment. Looking for a green or ethical pair like this- now that’s a whole other nightmare.
Having scoured retailers on the high street (I caught wind of an ethical Australian shoe maker from a friend, only to find out they’d moved their production to the far east), I found- whilst browsing for an ethical winter coat, having given up hope on the shoe front- a green shoe company that outdoes the rest. Let me set the scene.

England: the present day. In rural Devon, by the banks of the River Dart, there is a workshop. Inside, a small group of artisans work, making shoes by hand. Not only are these shoes handmade, by craftspeople, in the country of their sale, but they are made using materials that would please a range of green-minded people. The reason why these green shoes seem to be a cut above the rest is that you can go for a naturally-tanned leather option, if that pleases your reason, or else, a vegan one. So, depending on the shape of your principles, there will be a shoe that fits.
Further, the soles can be made in crepe rubber, wedge rubber, or Vibram tractor (the toughest-wearing). Further customisation is possible- the crepe can be made into a classic looking sole with heel (E.g. for a smart shoe) or a wedge. You can specify the width of the shoe, and they do half-sizes. Part of the ordering process consists of drawing your foot: and measuring your calf, for tall boots. Now that’s a custom job.

What else makes these green shoes so flexible? You can choose the colour, the shoes can be completely repaired (even the elastic and the eyelets) and re-soled, and the children’s shoes can be stretched to incorporate a growing child’s feet- that might come in handy.

This kind of choice is the kind of thing one would expect from a Jermyn street tailor; to have bespoke shoes made to order like this, and to have this choice for *green shoes*- that's what makes this company extra special, and why I've chosen to write about them here.

(Plus, these are handmade. Not, ‘made with hands coming into the process somewhere’,  but handmade- made with hands, by maker-designers; shoesmiths; William Morris types (stop me here).

Some notes on the materials: the eco-leather option (eco-tan) consists of a soft leather tanned using only plants- as opposed to harsh chemicals and energy-draining methods. The leather comes from a small-scale, artisan tannery in Europe with excellent eco-credentials. The vegan shoes are made from Lorica, which is a Roman word referring to flexible yet protective body armour. Lorica is made from microfibres which are dyed and softened in Italy. The glues, soles and threads in the vegan shoes are also non-animal derived. The rubber for the crepe soles is from renewable plantations in Sri Lanka.

The shoes are made to order, so there is no excess energy used and minimal waste. Leftovers and scraps are used to make accessories and jewellery rather than being thrown away.

This, to me, is what green manufacturing is all about- buying for life, or, at least, for a long time. Unrepairable items end up in a bin, with a massive waste of material, and of money; cheap and unrepairable goods have to be bought again and again when they inevitably break.

Ethics, choice and sustainability. With a thoughtfully designed style that make one feel swish and comfortable while the shoes are doing their job of supporting their owner and repelling the aqueous and earthen elements. Head through to the Green Shoes website to have a look at the footwear designs on offer.. www.greenshoes.co.uk

Also, if you live near the area, then check out the shoemaking workshops! The one day programmes are held throughout the year. Visitors can also visit the workshop Monday-Friday 9.30-5.30 to get professionally measured or try on some of their stylish and supple shoes.

Posted under Companies, Eco Reviews, Lifestyle & Fashion, Product Innovations

Located in the green pastures of Suffolk, the family run partnership of Essential Care was established five years ago in 2003 as a mail order company by team-leader and mother Margaret. She began researching the special formulations back in the 80s, whilst studying aromatherapy and herbal medicine. Like most mothers, it was the lack of suitable products for her family's very sensitive and eczema-prone skin that were available in the health care market.

Basing her ingrediants on organic herbs, plant oils and natural active elements that are effective on the most sensitive skin, are all hand made and unique to essential care. And winning Best Organic Bodycare Product in the Soil Association and Natural & Organic Awards 2009, there's something about mother's touch that is a sure success for this family!

The Coconut Candy Scrub - RRP., £21 for 200g - also won its way into The Green Beauty Bible this year. And it's no wonder: 100% of the product is organically grown or produced, and these products are also sourced from certified Fairtrade suppliers too! This is what the Essential Care team had to say:

"This is probably the tastiest product we've ever made: An exquisite, luxurious body scrub with gently exfoliating sugar cane crystals, rich in glycolic acid to rejuvenate tried skin, delicately blended with deliciously fragrant virgin coconut oil and cocoa butter to leave skin sliky smooth and moisturised."

The Essential Care ethos is a back to basics mantra: the best organic products, for the best results, using the best most valued ingredients.

"All ingredients must have therapeutic value, as well as making the product a joy to use. We use herbs and essential oils in therapeutic concentration for optimum benefit. Plant oils must be virgin and cold-pressed so that they have their full antioxidant vitamin-content intact, so as to actively nourish the skin and protect it from premature ageing. Our products are free from all potentially unhealthy synthetic chemicals."

Essential Care's family run business has all the quirks and charms of an in-house operation, but, importantly for any online shoppers, it retains a professionalism that can only be backed by a passion and dedication to herbal and therapeutic healing.

"We will not compromise the quality and effectiveness of any of our unique products to cut costs. We continually source natural raw materials to offer our customers the best value for money, highest quality, organic, pure, and ethical products.

All the ingrediants we use, except for the emulsifier beeswax, are plant-derived. All Essential Care products are handmade in small batches to ensure maximum feshness."

And it is this refreshing approach to beauty care that sets Essential aside from other competitors. Its natural and organic product range does not compromise any detail for maintaining the opulent quality it is growing to be associated with. Award winning, customer satisfying, and 100% naturally obeying - Essential Care are a family run success story that have many happy endings in sight.

For further information on the Essential Care team, and a full listings of products and prices, click here to find out more.

Posted under Articles, Eco Reviews

There are a hundred and one things to do on your days off. Whether you're taking a break from work, school, or simply lazing about, why not try taking a 'bake' this time! It's easy. But remember, don't just pop down to your local supermarket and pick up packets of This and sachets of That, here at EcoSwitch we think we've found a tasty organic alternative to those supermarket-synthetic mixes, so you won't have to look any further.

And they call it: Bacheldre Watermill Baking Kits.

These four packs cover the fundamentals of baking in your home kitchen - Pizza, Cookies, Golden Bread and Chocolate Muffins. The team at Bacheldre have really thought of it all. And what's more is that these smashing little kits recently won Best New Organic Food Product at the Natural & Organic Awards 2009! So you won't just have to take our word for it, it is now an accredited product that sets a benchmark for excellence and raises the standards for innovation, quality and commitment to the natural & organic sector. Take a a closer look at the products and see for yourself what the experts at Bacheldre Watermill have to say:

Gromit's Smashing Pizza
"We have developed these organic pizza kits with cracking stoneground flour, organic yeast and Gromit's favourite pizza sauce with tomatoes and herbs. Creating a pizza at home is an incredibly easy task and cracking good fun and you will create a pizza that is so much better than anything you can buy as it will have your favourite toppings."

Wallace's Cracking Cookies
"One of Top Buns latest recipes and a favourite of Gromit's, Spelt and Oats Cookies, they are delicious! Spelt is an ancient relative of modern wheat with a delicious and distinctive nutty, wheaty flavour. Spelt has excellent properties, including a fragile gluten that allows it to be easily digested. Oats are a delicious source of wholegrain and are nature's way to lower cholesterol.

Gromit's Golden Bread Kit
"There is nothing better than freshly baked bread especially when you've made it yourself! Make a delicious loaf or tasty rolls for pack lunches or picnics. Using the best ingredients of stoneground flour, organic yeast and sugar creates a natural loaf every time."

Wallace's Double Chocolate Muffin Kit
"Wallace's favourite double choc muffins are a smashing and indulgent treat. Muffins are a deliciously moist cake which are quick and easy to make and will vanish even quicker. Wallace has made sure that the muffins have a generous helping of choc chips. These muffins are filling and satisfying and will stave off any hunger pangs for a good while!"

You see, there really is nothing as good as home baking for your family or with friends. Especially now you can do it with Wallace and Gromit's tasty mixes of natural and organic ingredients, created by Bacheldre Watermill. Get online and visit there website or call direct for more information about what Bacheldre have been cooking up for us all this year.

For further information you can visit the Bacheldre Watermill product website.

Posted under Articles, Eco Reviews, House & Home

Situated in the heart of Brighton's very trendy North Laines, Infinity Foods has established itself as one of the South East's most successful and thriving vegetarian and organic retailers. Priding itself on its bustling and beautiful customer rapport, it all began for Infinity in a small shop way back in the early seventies. Times have changed but luckily for us the atmosphere and buoyancy of the Infinity work team hasn't: they've moved several times since their first premises and have expanded along the way, making room for even more organic essentials. So is it all in the name: does this organic retailer really know no bounds; when it comes to customer satisfaction is this food shop and bakery truly set on Infinity & Beyond!

Okay, so maybe it is a little easy to get carried away. But being a local seasider and visitor to Infinity's open doors its easy to see that the shop has put a smile on many-a-face over the years. On the corner of North Road and Gardner Street it is a delightful store for visitors, regulars and residence of Brighton. An Infinity spokesperson has this to say about the shop:

"Come inside and discover what is probably the largest selection of organic and natural vegetarian and vegan foods in the South East. Our on-site bakery produces delicious hand-made breads daily, we sell a seasonally changing range of organic fruit and vegetables and we stock an impressive array of natural bodycare products."

It's true, Infinity have an incredibly wide stock list with everything organic and all that is essential for wholesome and natural food. Their selection of fruit & veg are all organic, sourced as locally as possible, and seasonally changing too - which adds a nice amount of variety to your cupboards!

"We have close connections with our local farmers built up over many years. Sourcing locally and building strong relationships with nearby farmers and growers has always been central to our ethos at Infinity." They continue

"One of the rewards of this is that at a time when demand often outstrips supply of locally grown organic produce and supermarkets sell tired looking produce, often heavily packaged, we are able to provide our customers with vibrant, freshly picked produce straight from the farm."

And this is simply how it works at Infinity. Their products range from Wholefoods, Groceries and Frozen Foods, to Special Diets, Wine & Beers, all the way over to Houeshold, Gardening and Body Care. Infinity's commitment is to its customers, and this commitment is delivered the only way it knows how: through ethical beliefs. One of the best things about Infinity is that it is a worker's co-operative - a business that is run by, and for, its workers. It is these same workers that uphold Infinities high ethical standards and make sure that they are kept in line with Infinities core principle "We won't change". And let's face it, when a shop's like this, why would they...

So next time you're down by the seaside, or doing an entirely different sort of surfing, check out Infinity's store and see what's on offer. Or click here for further details.

Posted under Articles, Eco Reviews, House & Home, Lifestyle & Fashion, Uncategorized

Starting out by selling candles made from the beeswax produced as a by-product of their honey business, then expanding to an abandoned bowling alley, emerging into the cosmetics industry, and taking on the world with its environmental conservation, Burt's Bees has only been around for a short 25 years, but its business policy is really setting standards. And we're going to show you what the buzz is all about!

Burt's Culture of Care

It is simply about working together. Burt's Bees believe in an honest, harmonious work environment. Their passionate team have embraced change and developed their brand without losing a hint of its personality. Everything from the packaging to the clear cut quality of the final product, Burt's Bees really do deliver:

'We've worked hard to create products that are honest and authentic, just like us. They reflect the culture that really exists within our walls - not flashy or fancy, but highly dedicated to doing the right thing for our brand and our loyal consumers,' they say. 'Burt's Bees is a company that cares about its consumers, the environment and the community and, equally as important, we care about each other.'

This warm attitude towards teamwork does not exist solely inside the hive of their success. Burt's Bees employees work hard on developing community initiatives to spread the good vibes out and about the centre. Recent community initiatives include helping Habitat for Humanity build the first Earth-friendly and affordable housing in North Carolina. Other such work can be seen in ECOBEES (Environmentally Conscious Organization Bringing Ecologically Empowered Solutions):

'As a company, we have set clear sustainability goals to reduce our impact on the environment. Our ECOBEES is a group of volunteer employees that helps to develop company-wide initiatives that both educate and implement our sustainability goals, including recycling and efficiency programs.'

Proof is in the Product

Burt's Bees sell all sorts of health care and cosmetic products, entirely sourced from natural produce. Their goals and values are intrinsically entwined to each batch of beauty product:

'At Burt's Bees, our goal is to help create a world where people have the information and tools they need to make the highest ethical choices and do the best for themselves, their families and the environment. That's no short order, but it is attainable.' They continue, 'We've started with a strong and on-going commitment to a set of values and activities that support the well-being of people and our planet. We call it The Greater Good.'

And it's this Greater Good that has encouraged the business to sort out more rigid definitions for companies using the buzzword 'natural' under false pretenses. Working alongside the Natural Product Association, Burt's Bees have outlined a standard guideline to help regiment which ingrediants can truely be understood as natural. Such considerations take on board more discursive areas such as Responsibility, Sustainability and Safety, and bring them together under a concrete label - Natural now has a consciousness.

But after all's said and done, Burt's Bees delivery a rare quality that, we hope unlike its name sake, is not facing exstinction - and continue to Bee the buzz around town!

Burt's Bees products can be found in the UK via www.myburtsbees.co.uk

Source: Burt's Bees

Posted under Articles, Eco Reviews, Wildlife

The micro-world of technology is everywhere - it's a fact. Gizmos and gadgets are getting smaller and smaller, more compact, and, thank goodness, more energy efficient. Once upon a time, if you wanted to take your mobile phone out-and-about on business, then a week spent at the gym buffing-up the strength needed to carry its battery holdall would seem a necessary preliminary. Nowadays its all a little bit more futuristic: there are mobile phones which can fit around your ear, personal planners that will peek out your top pocket, and now there's a very modern, waste-conscious laptop that can fit in the palm of your hands!

Fit-PC 2 has declared to the technological world that it is 'the first ultra-low power, full-function computer, with the performance of a standard desktop PC but requiring just 10W max to power it'. This, on average, equates to an energy saving of around 90% when compared to traditional operative laptops. It is no surprise then to see that the product has already received an energy star rating.

The PC unit itself is no bigger than the mouse you need so you can navigate your way across the few inches worth of visual screen. However, the fit-PC 2's size is the largest factor for its energy saving secret. The entire unit measures in at 10 x 11 x 3cm, which is about the size of a floppy disk or an overly confident drinks coaster. But it is thanks to this 'revolutionary' economy of scale that, plain and simple, your new fit-PC can be powered using less energy than an energy-saving light bulb. Which is no small detail!

What is most reassuring about this little laptop is that it still can stand tall with the big kids. The unit is fitted with an Ultra-Low Power Intel Atom Z510/530 Processor, with 1Gb of DDR2 RAM. The unit runs 4 USB ports as well as a mini SD card slot, so uploading photos will be a doddle. And, best of all, if you're worried about straining your eyes from squinting at the small screen all day long, you can use the line in/line out audio and DVI port to plug it into a larger monitor and run it alongside a wireless keyboard.

Perhaps the only real thing to modify with the fit-PC 2 is how we can see it fitting in with our daily lifestyle. Since the launch of the notepad and then its ever-active sister, the netpad, there have been increasing numbers of tiny laptops popping up in most public spaces - on trains, taxis, coffee house, parks - their versatile applications, small and lightweight size, and practicability edges them above the rest.

The fit-PC 2 has gone that step further. What we can expect to see now are crisp packet sized laptop cases being toted by media professionals throughout the city, and an over excited market, eager to cut their energy waste in order to be the lowest, most eco-friendly laptop out on the market. And right now, the title of Greenest laptop also belongs to the Smallest - introducing the fit-PC 2.

Source: www.fit-pc.co.uk

Posted under Articles, Computer & Internet, Eco Reviews

The Barbican Art Gallery- Radical Nature
Art and Architecture for a Changing Planet 1969-2009

Forty acres of baffling axis: seven floors of future-heritage; it must be the Barbican Estate, London. In a quiet foyer of the Barbican's dedicated Arts Centre, staircases spiral and elevators hover. The Arts Centre can shift itself against the grain of gravity, or else impose its own depth charge. Within this colossal transfer-unit (moving us through planes, trajectory, space), the Radical Nature exhibition is nestled.

The sense of mutated elevation continues inside the exhibition- trees grow from the walls, grasslands float on wheeled trucks. Upon entering the exhibition one instantly walks into the territory of a guardian-wolf, its eyes and nose raised; what seems to be merely a fashionable piece of taxidermy, standing on a two-wheeled trailer (it seems as if the animal might be driven away at any moment to a new freak-show) has more significance than that: Mark Dion’s tightly-packed corpse (situated in sniffing distance from the gift shop) warns us visitors away from the cataloguing and commodification of nature, urging a native caution in regards to the roots and branches on display. The exo-cadaver of the wolf (not nature at all, but a sculpture slid inside a hide) possesses a realistic sadness; it knows better than us the dangers of holding on for too long to a lifeform that needs to die.

Out of the wolf’s glass sight, and away from its cautionary message, we walk on to more fertile sections. On the left, chicken wire pens of British crop specimens, a re-staging of 1972’s Full Farm (the show delves as far back as 1969). In the centre of the gallery, a bubble-chain: a series of plastic pods floating with the assistance of wires and hooks, forming the plan of Air-Port-City, Tomas Saraceno’s situationist utopia: a visionary architectural model of a flying cell of conjoined cities and transport terminals, ‘similar in status to airplanes in flight, which are bound by international law rather than the rules of one country’. The un-realistic construction of the piece, from transparent plastic sacks, adds another level of interpretation to the model, another shift from the ‘real’; its position inside the Barbican, a realised utopian complex, another.

A room on the left holds plans for symbiotic buildings by the Parisian architectural firm R&Sie(n). Amongst the thin veins of data, blueprints and schema that climb and spread over the white gallery walls- mirroring the viral shoots and nodes of the creeping life that their architecture ‘clones’- rests a snapshot of a mutating architectural mission- unstable and necessary. Amongst the patterns (it seems wrong to call them blueprints) flow mutations of repetitive elements, organic graphs eating into themselves, cloning, hybridising, grafting, perpetual. From the unstable substitutions, the genetic cartographies and territorial alterations, the ‘plans’ of ‘structures’ stutter smoothly out of the blueprints to become something else; the buildings themselves, mirroring the topography of their sites, are colonised and made invisible by invasive plants. Truly impressive.

In a dim room a recycled plywood/MDF bench faces a projection of two films by Robert Smithson. Spiral Jetty, barely heard through the musty fuzz of the audio, nevertheless impresses with its Jurassic maps and hovering camera angles. Spiral Jetty itself is a monumental earthwork on the Great Salt Lake in Utah, USA, constructed with black basalt rocks and earth in 1970- a 1,500 foot long coil that stretches from the land out into the water of the lake. Spiral Jetty is best viewed from above, and an image search on the web will uncover certain photographs that appear to show a blue-green sun (the rounded edge of land) spouting a sun-storm of white flame (the jetty) into red space (the translucent lake).

A grass hillock rests on the gallery floor nearby- as if the peak of a hillside had been surgically sliced and implanted here. Hans Haacke’s ‘real-time system’ Grass Grows, dating from 1969, is alive and fresh, one of the pieces of the exhibition which is nature, regardless of its surroundings. The mound seems to be pushing up through the floor, making the viewer cast their eyes around the Barbican space and view the apparently solid and grounded floor with new eyes. The piece creates a sense of reassertive nature, or else highlights our un-natural level of height, here in the Barbican centre, as in the multi-levels of the surrounding city also.

The next ‘exhibit’ is one of the boldest and most real/unreal. The deep-brown trunks of tropical trees- again, real specimens- grow slowly in height and girth under a sustaining field of artificial light. The thing about this authentic 16-metre-square rainforest segment, however, is that it grows on its side- the forest ‘carpet’ is a base-board situated at 45 degrees to the gallery floor, through which the trees are inserted, their roots immersed in nutrients behind. A square of whispering, weeping forest drapes a leafy canopy gracefully downward through the air, brushing the floor. Suggestive of hurricane detritus or jungle warfare after-effects, Fallen Forest (2006) gives the viewer a one-on-one experience with nature that many will have never had. Actual rainforest, in the flesh; the stuff that everyone talks about so much and that most people vaguely accept as somehow key to the existence of the world, is encountered through a simple physical distortion; a first-experience that, possibly, questions the first-contact with nature that most people experience, occurring through the medium of HD Satellite television and Ipod LCD imagery, or even the banal language of postcard pictures; the Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, &c. In a more obvious way, the forest segment is a brought-forth commodity; a ‘bought-back’ forest; shipped timber; or waste from rainforest destruction, the primal form of office paper. The forest seems to grow towards us in attack-mode, facing us like a mute rhinoceros, defensive and instinctively expressive. The great thing about this and other pieces is that the natural forms do much of their own talking, and their presence is the most convincing argument.

Elsewhere on the ground floor, a room of mirrors echoes and reverberates a square of lush inflorescence into a shaky and mis-printed infinity. Another criticism of artificiality and reproduction, and of false space. An outdoor garden on one of the Barbican balconies gives us our first taste of fresh air.

Upstairs there is less greenery, and more architectural, photographic and performance work. Here one has the strange vantage point of seeing Fallen Forest from above- on the ground, we could walk its length and feel that we had climbed to the top of a rainforest; up here we can fly around the side of the forest, reaching the canopy only by a strange circuit on the upstairs mezzanines. None of this surveying of the forest is done in natural or easy movements.

Philippe Rahm’s indoor installation Pulmonary Space is a baggy form with arms that lead to wind instruments; when blown, the bag inflates at different points. A video of a György Ligeti piece being played ‘into’ it (Ten Pieces for Wind Quartet, 1968) is shown behind the saggy form, along with a chunk of printed theory concerning Hegel, idealism, and physicality.

The 1970s design group Ant Farm are represented by Dolphin Embassy (1974-1978), a funny/serious project (documented with video, designs and promotional material) to promote interspecies communication with dolphins, including a sea-top embassy. An interview between a human ambassador and a dolphin, to see how the dolphins feel about all this, says it all. Ant Farm are particularly admirable for their forward-thinking sense of the ridiculous whilst acknowledging the profound and the important; this is one of the valuable exhibits which question the natural art movement in a major way. Artists such as the British Bruce Mclean made similar jabs at land art in the 1960s whilst still creating ‘profound’ works; Pulmonary Space also questions the possibility of ‘connecting’ in any real way with nature, denouncing philosophical idealism (and romanticism) and claiming physical materiality as its successor.

Next, a construction material. Wolf Hilbertz’s original process of ocean-based mineral accretion promised a natural, regenerative material that was stronger than Portland cement. In the mid-1970s he trademarked Biorock® and drafted his model of Autopia, a spiral shaped island accreted underwater- basically a frame that develops hard ‘muscle’ in the form of a mineral bulk attaching and surrounding itself to it. A scale model of this island is displayed along with sections of life-size Biorock®, in its barnacle- and skeletal-like manifestation.

Elsewhere, Joseph Beuys’ ‘healing and regenerative’ work Honeypump at the Workplace (1977) is on display- two tons of honey being pumped through two ship’s motors lubricated with margarine. Apparently ‘the honey embodied energy as well as the nutritional value of a natural substance produced by an ideal collaborative community’.

Luke Howler’s Bogman Palmjaguar (2007) is a dirty-misty land/mind-scape documentary film about the mental state of the ancient bogland of Flow Country in North East Scotland, as well as its inhabitant, Bogman Bluequartz Palmjaguar, diagnosed as schizophrenic by the local authorities. Definitely worth watching, the film's projection in a very dark room, in-between the gallery walls, makes one feel that the bogland doesn’t exist in this world, just as this viewing room doesn’t seem to.

Lara Almarcegui has kindly printed booklets for visitors to take away and peruse; ‘Guide to the Wastelands of the Lea Valley’ gives us basic photographs and magazine-style histories of East London’s Lea Valley canal ruins, an area popular with artists and given significance by the impending London Olympics, but covered more definitively and in more splendid detail by the writer Iain Sinclair.

Elsewhere Tue Greenfort showcases his camera-traps, urban ghost-catchers disguised with plastic bags and soda-cups which contain a disposable camera with flash, triggered when a fox nibbles and tugs at the frankfurter attached by string. Photographs are displayed of the surprised foxes, caught in the act- another suggestion of animals as being elsewhere, like the wolf-skin; only mindless vegetable matter can be caught and taken into this gallery, where they rear towards the artificial ceiling from their unnatural bed of air. Greenfort’s Wardian Case (Alustar-Sonatural) (2007/9) is also here- a flatpack green house containing mass-produced orchids.

Radical Nature is a good collection, notable for its international scope and its focus upon the uncontrollable, even as it it cuts, moves and stimulates nature. The lack of indulgence in artists such as Richard Long and Andy Goldsworthy is a good indicator of the exhibition’s focus on dialogue, warning and interrogation; the inclusion of popular artists like these might have added an extra aesthetic appeal to the show, but, as it stands, the exhibition is distinguished by a respect, admiration and awe of nature, in which the place of humans is ambiguous. The visitor sees snapshots, moments, surprises- the glanced portions invoke nature as a wider force despite their disparateness. The autonomy of nature is the centrepiece here, and our place within it is merely as another mutation, a growth. The name says it all- this isn’t a show about shining beauty, but the radical intersection of nature and human projects.

Note- the gallery guide is printed by ‘an energy efficient stencil duplicator’, with soy inks, on 100% recycled paper, and is printed in batches to avoid large-scale waste. The gallery is open daily from 11am-8pm (Wednesday 6pm, Thursday 10pm). Tickets are £8 for adults and £6 online/concessions. Radical Nature runs until 18th October.

The Barbican Centre, Silk Street, London EC2Y 8DS

Nearest tube- Barbican/Moorgate.

www.barbican.org.uk/radical_nature

Posted under Eco Reviews, EcoWarriors, Events, Gardening & Outdoors, Lifestyle & Fashion

Tucked modestly away in two of London's most enjoyable stop-offs, bringing an authentic mix of colour and vibrancy to the often greyed streets of the capital. Residing in Covent Garden and South Bank, respectively, the partnership, formed by Jo Lawbuary and Purnendu Roy, offer a delightful array of products. Anything from a vintage silk sari, or the much toted ultimate party plates (made form leaves, no less!), to a complete itemised wedding list can all be found through the store. The possibilities are endless! And what's more, when you purchase a Ganesha product you can be happy in the knowledge that it has come under the eyes of former editor for BAFTS (British Association for Fair Trade Shops) - Jo Lawbuary herself.

Upon walking into the store it strikes you (and this is to be taken without pretension) that this is no ordinary high-street shop. The assortment and layering of colour is the first clue that sets Ganesha aside from the typical We Sell It, You Buy It stop-and-shop. With an outline and atmosphere typical to that of an Indian sari shop, the shelves and centre pieces are both charming and distinctly interesting in their clutter. And it is this authenticity which is again presented to us by the Fair Trade ambassador's online-site (www.ganesha.co.uk).

It soon becomes apparent as you click-on that there is much more to simply sourcing, endorsing and selling for Ganesha. As you navigate your way through the photographs, press reports and news coverage; links to other fair trade suppliers, as well as their tailored fair trade and environmental policy, the products themselves almost disappear from sight. Instead, what is left is the impression that there is a true 'cause' at work.

 It seems here that the time old truism prevention is better than cure is at play. Not only is the improvement of living standards and the increase of wages in India headed at the top of their fair trade policy, but there are more community-based initiatives also set up - such as microfinance schemes. Trade unions and member associations are also a concerned factor. There is really a lot going on behind the scenes of this London storefront. What is most impressive about Ganesha is their approach to alternative trading as a realistic and viable solution; to not only support suffering economies but to harvest ecological alternatives and supply them here in Britain.

In modern day business it is an easy act to promote an 'ethical' or 'green' business-policy, that, to the stakeholder's utter innocence, has gathered in a much broader and loyal band of regulars than years before. And it's just as easy to spot a fake. But, it is even easier to celebrate a case of the 'real deal'. See for yourself: drop-in and speak with one of the on-hand staff, or instead log-on to Ganesha's website for further details and product information - there's is a guarantee you won't be disappointed in.

Posted under Articles, Eco Reviews, Lifestyle & Fashion