There is a horrible saying that goes with working in a city and owning a car; Drive to Work, Work to Drive. Unfortunately, this little axiom has a rather grim underbelly. When you consider the statistics – it costs the average car owner over £4000 a year; and in terms of time, that equates to 3 months of work, just to own and run a car! – it becomes increasingly clear why so many are finding alternatives. But look no further:

Bikes are a fantastic place to start. Do away with polluting the Earth and wasting your time, and bring out your bike before setting off to work. If you need more convincing than what you can save in terms of your personal life, then put this in your mind’s eye: for every gallon of petrol used in your car, 20.4 lbs of CO2 emissions will be released into the environment. Still hard to see a clear reason? Well, in the case of sustainable energy use, bicycles are 2/3 more efficient than cars – even if you factor in the energy to produce the extra food the cyclist requires.

There are literally hundreds of essays and articles all brimming with facts on Why we should be taking to the streets on two wheels instead of four, but for those still stuck between the two, who like the idea of the bike ride to work or play, but with a little less pedaling; here at EcoSwitch we have found the perfect solution – and they call it ECO-PED.

The Bike

The ECO-PED is an electric bicycle company which assembles electric motor kits (lithium ion battery) onto lightweight frames, available for sale throughout the UK and online in stores. ECO-PED pride themselves on their reliability and accessible practicability for any customer type, and it shows! The electric bicycle company mount their ECO-PED kits onto a range of user friendly and comfortable bikes, making them a sure thing for those who are still a little unsure. Prices range roughly from £600 to £899. And the kit itself is available to buy if you fancy yourself as a bit of a D.I.Y expert, retailing at £499 inc. VAT.
However, if you already own a bike and was wondering whether or not you’d be able to use an ECO-PED kit to power your favourite two wheels, then take the cycle down to your local dealer and they’ll be able to advise if this is possible – most bikes are fine, and for around £90 service charge you could even have it fitted then and there.

The Benefits

Compact and lightweight, the ECO-PED box is fitted on to the lower seat-stem or inner side of your bike frame, and serves as a perfect sign for the gadget’s efficient and sustainable intent. The range in distance from a fully charged battery is approximately 25 miles travelled (dependant and gradients and weight involved in journey) and is recharged to full power in 4 to 6 hours. Maximum speed from an ECO-PED power kit is around 15mph. And when you consider the average urban bus speed is about 12mph, then this really is a great Eco-solution.
Other specifications include ignition keys for added security; handle bar dials which signal Full, Half and Empty, so you know when to recharge the battery; and a thumb throttle to allow you to feed in the power without pedaling once you are on the move, coasting past all that unnecessary traffic.

ECO-PED bike kits and bicycles are another great way that shows how innovative and intelligent technology is being used to make every day a little greener – as well as a little healthier now too!

Posted under Articles, Cars & Transport, Eco Reviews, Lifestyle & Fashion

In 1971, environmental activist Barry Commoner published The Closing Circle; nature, man and technology. In it, he said:

The environment makes up a huge, enormously complex living machine that forms a thin dynamic layer on the earth’s surface, and every human activity depends on the integrity and proper functioning of this machine…This machine is our biological capital, the basic apparatus on which our total productivity depends. If we destroy it, our most advanced technology will become useless and any economic and political system that depends on it will flounder. The environmental crisis is a signal of the approaching catastrophe.

What lies behind the destruction of that machine is a way of life that is based on consumption. Since the 1950′s, we have used more resources than we had during the whole of human history up until then. Victor Lebow, in 1955, said in essence that to function, we need to consume. Lebow was an American economist who pretty aptly defined what was to become one of the fundamental, guiding principles of society. Under the heading the Real Meaning of Consumer Demand he said:

Our enormously productive economy demands that we make consumption our way of life, that we convert the buying and use of goods into rituals, that we seek our spiritual satisfaction, our ego satisfaction, in consumption. The measure of social status, of social acceptance, of prestige, is now to be found in our consumption patterns. The very meaning and significance of our lives is today expressed in consumption terms. The greater the pressures upon the individual to conform to safe and accepted social standards, the more he tends to express his aspirations in terms of what he wears, drives, eats-his home, his car, his patterns of food serving, his hobbies.*

Which brings us to the subject of this item? Annie Leonard travelled for years, tracking the life-cycles of products and put together very clever, powerful and educational dynamite. In the 20 minute Story of Stuff film, she adds this to the Lebow quote:

‘…we need things consumed, burned up, replaced and discarded at an ever-accelerating rate.’

It is of course the consequences of a system based on eternal growth with finite resources. The Story of Stuff is now, 16 months after it was first played online up to 5.5million views but many more have seen it in different contexts, on YouTube, in classrooms and other places. It is inspiring in spite of being a horribly gloomy picture. Annie Leonard writes on the Story of Stuff blog:

Ecology and economics share a common root: the Greek word oikos, meaning ‘home.’ Economics and ecology both are about managing our home. In our current situation, we have messed up both. Continue reading here. We’re obsessive over economic indicators. We track indicators hourly, panic at the slightest decline, invest billions when it is shaky. Yet, we have a huge collective blind spot to the other ecological management, even though it’s a bigger problem, both in terms of survival and even in terms of finances. There is a growing call coming from all over the world, to integrate our understanding of the economic and ecological crises and to ensure that a solution to one is a solution to both.**

Hoping that Annie is reaching as many as possible, we supply the link below. Happy viewing and happy EcoSwitching...

See Annie Leonard’s The Story of Stuff here.

Download factsheet in Pdf-format here.

* Journal article ‘Price Competition in 1955′ by Victor Lebow in the Journal of Retailing (1955), read it here. (Retrieved from Scribd.com on the 9th of April 2009)

** Blog post ‘ The Opportunity in this Time of Crisis’ by Annie Leonard on the Story of Stuff blog on the 20th of November 2008, read it here

Posted under Environmental News, Lifestyle & Fashion

March 11th 2009 saw the introduction of EU legislation that will further restrict the use of animal-testing with regards to what Nature News describes as, the ‘acute toxic effects of beauty products’. Everything from lip gloss and nail polish, to shampoo and toothpaste falls under the Cosmetic Directive, initiated in 1976 with the aim of improving safety standards within the industry. In 2003 the Directive established two deadlines, March 11th in both 2009 and 2013, that would phase-out the use of animal-testing in not just the final products but the ingredients used in cosmetic products. As one would expect in a multi-million Euro industry, the legislation has been met with both praise and scepticism, as some cast doubt on the apparent sincerity the ban might suggest.

Possible inadequacies with the new laws have been highlighted by various opposition groups. One of the most significant being that local councils will be responsible for their enforcement and thus sufficient funds and resources would be limited and prosecution subsequently less likely. Dr Dan Lyons, of Uncaged, writes that corporations such as Procter & Gamble (whose brands include the likes of Ariel, Crest, Gillette  and Herbal Essences amongst many other cosmetic and non-cosmetic products) may also use their broad product range, to hide their use of animal testing; testing the same ingredients but under the non-cosmetic banners and thus falling outside the scope of the Directive.

With regards to the wider use of animal-testing for scientific and other experimental purposes (covered under Directive 86/609), the EU portal site, Europa suggests, there is a need to balance the

effects on industry competitiveness and research in the EU, administrative compliance cost and socio-economics on the one hand, and improvement in science and welfare of animals, the animal lives and individual animal suffering/distress on the other.

With the first of the two deadlines now passed for the Cosmetics Directive, it seems that the industry has, at least on paper, moved a step closer to an effective eradication of animal-testing within the cosmetics industry. All tests will not be officially banned until 2013 and in reality it seems likely that the kinds of economic concerns suggested above, may increase the chances of loopholes being stretched.

Follow the embedded links to find out more.

Posted under Companies, Corporate, House & Home, Lifestyle & Fashion

Fancy an eco-friendly cruise? A little bobbing up and down in a Caribbean lagoon while the mighty white bulk of the RMS Queen Something is preparing for the New Year celebration? Ready to make the bet you are polluting less like this than last years round the world flights? You might as well put all your money on the Titanic making it to New York. Cruise ships then and cruise ships now are both heading for the bottom at least when it comes to environmental impact. The New York Times recently reported on developments on the waterfront.*

According to Climate Care, a United Kingdom-based carbon-offsetting company, their statistics show that cruise ships emit nearly twice as much carbon dioxide as airplanes. Justin Francis from Responsibletravel.com, partner of Climate Care, says:

We now know they are far more polluting per passenger kilometre than planes. Add to that the fact that many passengers fly to the port of departure before boarding and you have a double carbon whammy.

These ships run on what is known as bunker fuel (read: the cheapest and dirtiest fuel oil). Not only burnt to propel the vessel, it is also what powers everything else on board: restaurants, swimming pools and nightclubs among them. To all effect, cruise chips are small floating cities dumping toxins from their enormous amount of waste. In addition to this they pollute the coast lines (affecting beaches, marine life and coral reefs) as well as the air (sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions from their massive engines).

Then we have the issue of waste. According to figures supplied by the environmental group Friends of the Earth, each week of a cruise a large ship produce approximately:

• One million litres of sewage
• 4 million litres of grey water (runoff from sinks, baths, showers, laundry and galleys)
• 100,000 litres of oily bilge water
• 50,000 litres of sewage sludge
• More than 600 litres of hazardous wastes.

And yes, much of the above goes straight into the sea.

Cruising is one of the fastest-growing tourism industries according to Terry Dale, chief executive officer of Cruise Line International Association which represents 95% of the global market. He says to the NY Times, ‘Even in these tough economic times, we are forecasting that in 2009 a record 13.5 million people will take a cruise. [...] As a leader in travel we feel we have to be industry stewards of the environment. We are not sitting back, but rather trying hard to be proactive and meet the challenges. [...] ALL our members have to have environmental policies and practices in place.’

Now that the pioneering of various new green technologies and other initiatives has taken off, there are claims that holidaying with blue skies and calm seas can leave our conscience clean. Most of these sound, quite frankly, like the classic case of a touch of green paint here and there to cheer things up a bit. How about this one: Crystal Cruises started a new programme last year in which guests are encouraged to take home the recyclable hangers provided on board, to, as a press statement says, ‘remind them both of the importance of conservationism and Crystal Cruises’ stewardship of the environment.’ In all honesty there are examples that will go a few steps further but not that much more. Some examples: On-board recycling programs, investment in LED lighting, solar panels and high efficiency appliances. Many cruise companies have an environmental officer aboard all ships to monitor compliance.

As with any other industry these days there are new technologies being implemented and for some smaller vessels these can change quite a lot. Ecuador-based Ecoventura offers cruises in the Galapagos and recently presented one of the first hybrid-energy motor yachts for commercial use. It is fitted with 40 solar panels and two wind turbines on the upper deck, providing power to support approximately 17 percent of the electricity formerly produced by two carbon fuel-based generators.

No matter how much or little these crafty initiatives amount to, we are yet again barking up the right tree. There is a great deal of problems connected to how we spend our holidays; flying, driving or floating all ads up. Taxi to the airport, plane to the seaport and then a week of bunker oil powered disco fever is not as green as the promotional brochure would have it look.

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* All quotes and numbers from the article ‘Cruise Lines Urged to Shrink Their Footprints’ by Jennifer Conlin in The NY Times on the 15th of February read it here.

Posted under Environmental News, Lifestyle & Fashion

2009 is the Year of Many Things. One of them being, The International Year of Natural Fibres as proclaimed by the United Nations. It is safe to say that most people have other things on their mind than what material their clothes are made of. Many probably have cut down the fashion budget but it is true that evermore of what we are eating and wearing is getting labelled organic. Synthetic fibres have only been around since the 50′s after all and 10,000 years of civilisation cannot be wrong. That might be stretching it a bit but wool has been around for at least six thousand years. In recent decades, synthetic fibres have gained prominence and the fact that we have to promote natural materials is, when you think about it, something of a mystery. But along with so many things from the golden age of post-war western society that in hindsight were small mistakes -like ‘Doctor’s smoke Camel’ and other advertisements on the dubious side- synthetic fibre somehow became synonymous with progress. Natural fibres, we have come to realise, are not only healthy and comfortable but also bio-degradable and renewable, a good track record when compared with oil derivatives.

The aims of the International Year of Natural Fibres include raising the profile of natural fibres as an important source of income for poor producers in the developing world as well as encouraging sustainability and efficiency in its production. This could move methods for both growing and processing towards a more organic. The cost of some chemical fertilisers has escalated lately and put them out of bounds for many producers, especially in developing nations. This has forced for example cotton farmers to borrow money at excruciating interest rates and switching to organic production will of course alleviate this even if part of the savings are offset by the fact that crop yields tend to go down.

Cotton is a troublesome issue when it comes to sustainability. Together with tobacco it is one of the most taxing crops to grow with a heavy impact on the soil. A large part of this is due to extensive use of pesticides and chemical fertilisers. With an 80% market share of all natural fibres, it is crucial to make it a more organically grown produce. Wool is the second largest natural fibre, accounting for roughly 5% globally.

An anecdote when compared to cotton and wool, the common stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica) is something that has come back in later years. Apart from being the main ingredient in excellent soup, nettle can also be used for making textiles. Related to flax and hemp, it can be used to produce a fine linen cloth. There is evidence that during the late Bronze Age, nettle cloth was made in Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Germany and Russia. In Poland thread made of nettle was supplanted by silk in the 17th century but nettle cloth was produced in both Scandinavia and Scotland. The fibres are white and silky, up to 50mm long and the resulting fabric is very fine and thin.

Other natural fibres include a large variety of grasses, leaves, barks and creepers. All countries have naturally occurring plants that are usable for textile production, some more than others and Papua New Guinea and Swaziland are now trying to develop natural fibre industries.

The next time you are itching for a pull-over of wool, why not make it an organic one from laughing local sheep?

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In the UK, Natural Fibres Direct offers a range of products made from wool, cashmere, bamboo and linen with more coming soon. See their website here.

Posted under Lifestyle & Fashion, Product Innovations

Woman everywhere take note; not only can we be eco-friendly in the way that we live our lives. We can be organic in the way that we ‘make ourselves up’. There are various benefits to using organic cosmetics;

1. It is better for your skin
2. It has been made out of organic materials
3. It benefits the farmers that have made the organic materials for the product
4. It has been made in such a way that it will not affect the environment

There are a number of different shops that offer these products in this particular market. The most well known being The Body Shop. Being the second largest cosmetic franchise in the world, they sell a lot of cosmetics.

“The company also pledge that by 2010, 80% of all it’s products will be artificial preservative free, as the company are researching many ways to use natural preservative, using tea-tree oil for example, one of nature’s natural anti-bacterials.”

To further ensure that the product that you are using is ‘green’, you could make it yourself. This is one of the easiest ways to be 100% sure that the product you are using is;

1. Recyclable; any product left over can be recycled either in a compost heap or via a food recycling bin
2. ‘Green’; you know what you have put into it, therefore you know that the product is made entirely from plants, fruits etc…

There are all different ranges of make-up, however, each of these ranges sell the same products, all claiming to be better than their competitor. I have found that the best organic make-up range tends to be The Body Shop not only does it tend to feel light on your face, it doesn’t give you spots and is a fairly decent product.
Boots Natural Range are also a good manufacturer of organic make-up. Depending on how well-off you are depends on whether or not you are able to maintain your levels of make-up with an organic make. Boots Natural Range is a cheap and fairly reliable manuacturer of make-up and enables you to live the ‘green’ life that you have aspired to lead.

In a lifetime, the human race wash, at the very least, once a day. This means that we a lot of shower gels, body scrubs etc. You name it, someone will probably be using at this very second. Being ‘green’ there are alot of shower gels out there are made from 100% recycled bottles, but there are also organic shower gels, body scrubs etc, that you can use. One that I find nice to use is Jo Woods Organics Tula Cleansing Body Mousse. But there are a number of other organic shower gels that you can use in order to be clean and feel good about your lifestyle. Such as Weleda, Jo Woods, Korres Natural Products, Green People Organic Aloe Vera Shower Gel just to name a few.

To find out more about these products, click on the links provided below:
www.boots.com
www.Korres.com
www.weleda.co.uk
www.jowoodsorganics.com

Posted under Eco Reviews, Lifestyle & Fashion, Uncategorized

With carbon footprints, environment and sustainability permeating every public discourse, our medias are awash with terminology that everyone seems to take for granted. But behind innocent abbreviations, the practical application of units, theories and concepts is strangely elusive. It could be a good idea to clarify some of them. First one out, kWh.

Kilowatt Hour. It is the measure used to determine the electricity consumption for much of what we do, from omelet cooking to online chatting. We use them, we pay for them, we talk about them. In order to really know what a kilowatt hour is, we can try and translate them into a more concrete illustration of kWh per basic, everyday human activity. For example, here is what you can do with 1 kilowatt-hour: shave 1200 times with electric shavers (> 3 years), dry your hair 15 times, watch TV for four evenings, listen to 15 CDs, use a small refrigerator for 24 hours, microwave 20 meals, make 250 holes with a power drill, enjoy four evenings of light with 60 W incandescent bulbs or bask in 20 evenings of light with 11 W compact fluorescent light bulbs. As clear as this may appear; the length of your hair, what you consider a TV night, what you microwave and if you you go to bed at 9pm or 1am will influence heavily on the actual electricity spending. For what it is worth, it shows that such a mundane and seemingly irrelevant thing as cutting your hair can be environmentally friendly. Will the next governmental regulation be nationwide mandatory crew cuts for all? And, in these harsh times, we have to remember that this would create a lot of green collar jobs in hair dressing. Going green can be so simple at times, what are we waiting for?

More seriously, listing things where numbers become actions is a good way of understanding our impact. Using a 60 Watt light bulb for one hour consumes 0.06 kilowatt hours of electricity. Using a 60 Watt light bulb for one thousand hours -the typical life time for an incandescent light bulb- consumes 60 kilowatt hours of electricity. If a 100 Watt light bulb is on for one hour per day for 30 days that is 100/1000 (kilowatt) X 30 (hours) = 3 kilowatt hours. But it is almost getting too abstract already, let us stick with the plan: maximum hair length 1 cm.

As a personal anecdote I might add that since the single glazing in my terrace house flat is so useless at keeping the heat inside and so good at letting the cold in, I decided to board them up to get rid of the draft. The question is if the fact that I have to keep the lights on 24/7 negates what I save in heating. This arrangement will probably have to last until April so it means that, since I work mostly from home, I will on an average day (14-18hours) spend: 11 W x 100days x 16hours = approximately 16 kilo watt hours in lighting for my workplace alone. It is a gloomy prospect to spend the best part of three months in a dark cave in the company of a single low energy light bulb.

Oh well. Life is hard Leif. Welcome to England.

Posted under Gas & Electricity, How To's & Guides, Lifestyle & Fashion

I know what your thinking; “What has my lifestyle got to do with being eco-friendly?”

The answer; a lot.

The way that we live our lives can be altered so that we are living in an eco friendly way, for example, why drive to work when you can walk (if your place of work is close enough of course)?

A lot of people have outside lights either by their front door, in their back gardens or possibly in both, and a lot of these people have these lights on even when they are not outside, because “they look good”, which basically means that it is a ‘fashion statement’. If you’re not outside, turn the lights off, they are of no benefit to you.

Driving; a lot of people enjoy driving big cars, especially in the United States, but driving a small, energy efficient car is less polluting and not to mention cheaper. This benefits both your bank account and the environment.

It is estimated that 5 to 15 per cent of household electricity consumption worldwide, is wasted on stand-by mode. Over £150 million worth of electricity is wasted each year in the UK by simply keeping televisions and DVD players on stand-by. If we could eliminate this waste, we could close over one in 20 electricity power stations in the UK.

When you go shopping, like a lot of people, I’m guessing that you use new plastic bags every time that you go. But it is estimated that nearly 750 billion plastic bags are used worldwide every year. The vast majority of these end up in landfill sites. Buying a reusable one involves a small initial financial cost, but it eliminates that mountain of used plastic bags that accumulates in the back of our cupboards. Added to this, shops such as Marks & Spencers and Aldi charge you for the use of their plastic bags and Tesco take away club-card points for every bag that you use.

Drink tap water, not bottled. The difference in taste; not alot. As a whole, the human race like a drink with them on trips to the shopping centre or in the car, but if you use the same bottle, you could eliminate the waste of plastic in your household. But the number of people that drink water from bottles, added with the number of people that DON’T reuse the bottle, and just tend to throw the bottle away, is astronomically high. Recycle these bottles, either by reusing them yourself or putting them in the recycling bins. Or better yet, drink tap water and add ice to the drink.

When we cut the grass a lot of people throw the grass clippings in the bin. But if we throw the grass clippings on the grass, and leave them to decompose, it will improve your lawn AND prevent you from adding to the waste in our landfills.

Posted under Gardening & Outdoors, How To's & Guides, Lifestyle & Fashion

What are eco activities and why are they important?

Eco activities are activities exerted in harmony with nature. The characteristics of eco activities simply spare the environment from potential jeopardy. Normally eco activities do not require electricity or have a slim requirement for it. Ultimately they are poor emitters of carbon dioxide.

It is not compelling to be wild in nature to agree on doing eco activities. Opting for monopoly game instead of play station at home can save much energy and this is a substantial example of eco activity.

Below are some other examples of eco activities which can be enjoyed without worrying about carbon footprint.

• Indoor games e.g. scrabble
• canoeing down a river
• playing beach ball in the field when the sun is at rendezvous
• horse riding
• cycling
• bodysurfing
• camping
• Walking in the forest.

Are eco activities popular nowadays?

Contemporary Hi-Tech society VS Idealistic Eco Society

In our contemporary world, with the rocket rise in newer and more competing technologies, this has driven many of us to restrict our lifestyles to mere electrical devices and oil driven monsters such as vehicles. The outcome has led to an erosion of our bond with nature. It cannot be denied that going green is difficult as we are compelled to follow the trend of racing cars, computer games, internet surfing, etc… But we tend to forget that bonding with nature can be even more fun and overwhelmingly beneficent!

Exceptional experience of eco activities:

Travelling abroad has impressively awakened my adventurous spirit! The Maldives welcomed us with the everlasting radiant sun dazzling dreamily on the ocean. It is the perfect daily setting for jumping in the water. Snorkelling, sailing, walking on the beach and exploring the islands can keep one well entertained. The ultimate beauty is that zero carbon emission is involved.

Bali unveils such trailblazing activities. One can solely be amazed by the splendour of the environmental condition, so far to agree on an unspoilt land to pamper nature lovers.

Eco activities on the Balinese land:

• white water rafting
• doughnut ride down the river
• horse riding along the shoreline
• elephant riding
• tree zip lining
• zoo visit
• reptile/bird park visit.

The merging experience with the Fauna and Flora remained the core to our excitement and fun throughout the short visit in Bali.

Posted under Articles, Environmental News, Lifestyle & Fashion

I know what your thinking; what has lifestyle got to do with being eco-friendly?

A lot of people enjoy driving big cars, especially in the United States, but driving a small, energy efficient car is less polluting and not to mention cheaper. Perhaps we do not even need the car at all. The way that we live our lives can be altered so that we are living in an eco friendly way, for example, we should ask ourselves can we walk or bike to work or school. Many of us can.

A lot of people have outside lights either by their front door, in their back gardens or possibly in both, and a lot of these people have these lights on even when they are not outside, because “they look good”. It is estimated that 5 to 15 per cent of household electricity consumption worldwide is wasted on stand-by mode. Over £150 million worth of electricity is wasted each year in the UK simply keeping televisions and DVD players on stand-by. If we could eliminate this waste, we could close over one in 20 electricity power stations in the UK.

Drink tap water, not bottled. Apart from the fact that tap water in many parts of the world is drinkable, it is delivered straight into our homes eliminating the use of trucks to ship brightly labelled Spring Water. The number of people that drink water from bottles is astronomically high, so many of them not recycled, not reused; simply chucked away in the bin. Forgive me if I am wrong but when you go shopping, I am guessing that you use new plastic bags most of the times and if so, each time you do, that would be one or two of nearly 750 billion plastic bags used worldwide every year, the vast majority ending up in landfill sites. Buying a reusable one involves a small initial cost, but it eliminates that mountain of used plastic bags that accumulates in the back of our cupboards.

When we cut the grass a lot of people throw the grass clippings in the bin. But if we throw the grass clippings on the grass, and leave them to decompose, it will improve your lawn.

Posted under Gardening & Outdoors, House & Home, Lifestyle & Fashion