With the transportation by vehicle of entire film crews, and the disposable props and bottled water of film shoots (not to mention entire large-scale sets being built and thrown away- think of the entire freeway that was built for the Matrix sequels), the sustainability of film-making appears to be a pressing issue.
As part of the BFI’s 2009 London Film Festival, a discussion on the sustainability of the filmmaking was held in association with Time Out magazine, featuring environmental writers and film industry insiders.

Andy Whitaker, of the distribution company Dogwoof, discussed how the premiere for his release of Franny Armstrong’s film The Age of Stupid was a ‘0-footprint’ affair, where big names like Vivienne Westwood turned up on a bicycle rather than in a limo. Next, the Guardian journalist Leo Hickman reflected on the Mayor of London’s recent ‘Green Screen’ report, which examined the capital’s film and television industry. Apparently, 125,000 tonnes of CO2 is emitted by this sector per year (that’s the equivalent of 24,000 households). According to report, the breakdown of the London screen industry’s emissions consists of 40% from studio production, and 17% from location shooting. The report also indicated that London is the third busiest centre for movie production.

Leo picked up on a fascinating project planned for Pinewood Studios, outer West-London, where a ‘living and working community for creatives’ will be created, consisting of 1,400 sustainable new dwellings situated in the re-created streets of New York, San Fransisco, Amsterdam and Paris. This somewhat bizarre place will enable people to live in an atmospheric re-creation of a foreign city, where crews can come and shoot scenes without having to constantly re-build sets or transport a film crew to the foreign city in question. Pinewood hope that the project will bring about a maximum 77% reduction in emissions for the average film or commercial (quite optimistic). A local resident of Pinewood pointed out that, at £300- £400,000 per property, these homes will be far from affordable.

This ‘re-usable set’ concept brought up the ‘Film City’ of Bombay, where a variety of indoor sets exist and are re-used, with slight modifications, by many film crews working on different films. It also brought up slightly humorous memories of the Hammer films and the gothic castle on the Thames which served in many of their 1970s productions.

An interesting company mentioned in the discussion was Green Shoot whose business it is supply green runners to film sets, who are responbible for on-set recycling. They also provide a film set recycling service (currently sets all go to landfill), and carry out green audits for productions. Green Shoot’s founders come from a standard film background, and its creation had more of a financial motivation that a green one, going to show that recycling the elements of film production can be a profitable venture. They’ve greened up productions such as the St Trinians movies, amongst others.

Another issue mentioned was the distribution of films throughout the UK cinema network. At four to eight weeks of release per film, and with over half of UK cinemas still using 35mm film, a lot of large and heavy cans of film (up to seven cans per normal-length film) have to be transported around the country, and indeed the world. The 35mm film is generally thrown away by the cinema at the end of the run.
Nicola Giuggioli of Brightwide.com discussed his own internet platform which streams high-quality eco, green and social film. A great example of a high-quality green film streaming online is ‘Home’, an aerial film of Earth available on YouTube in High Definition.

Despite the emotionally persuasive breed of environmental films ‘emitted’ by Hollywood (excuse the pun), whether they be disaster movies such as The Day After Tomorrow or child-based animation like Wall-E, many factions within Hollywood still stay away from environmetal film-making; one reason for this is that whilst the clients of advertising companies often want to look green for marketing benefits, and will therefore be open to ways to green up their advertisement shoots, larger feature-film companies exist on their own plain and have less to answer to.

However, the talk did highlight the perhaps little-known fact amongst the cinema-going public that Warner Brothers are actually leading the way in recognised, commended green initiatives. What with the wholesale Fairtrade conversion of Starbucks, the weather seems to be finally turning- another omen exists with the rumours of looming legislation, including a ‘landfill tax’ that will make it a financially necessity to green-up film. This pressure is perhaps what is stimulating some of this change.

Although, as one person at the talk aptly put it, if there’s a skip on every film set, why not put a ‘green skip’ there instead?

Posted under Articles, Events, Lifestyle & Fashion

Is leather green?

As a product, it seems to be- it’s natural, will eventually biodegrade, has a decent lifespan and promotes a culture of natural products, against cheap synthetics which are not bought to last and which often use fossil-based energy or materials to create.
Is its production green? It can be eco-unfriendly when chemicals are used to process it, and farming animals can be harmful to the environment. But chemicals don’t have to be used and farming doesn’t have to be intensive.

Leather is a substance that, as a natural material of durable quality and ancient origins of ritual craft, has regularly intrigued and enchanted this EcoSwitch writer. Synthetic materials- whether they be straps on bags or grip-tape on a cycle’s handlebars- certainly are resistant, but abrasively so- a cut or burn from synthetic fibres sting deeply and seems wholly unnatural; the material will get shabby and unusable without losing its integrity, meaning that it becomes a useless shell; and if and when the item made from synthetic material gets ripped or torn (more the case with less durable synthetics like thin polyester clothing) the thing seems irreparable and as if it has nowhere to go- it wont rot, so what the hell do you do with it?
Leather, on the other hand, doesn’t burn you and wears in naturally. It is strong enough to be stitched (in most cases) and repaired. An old leather belt looks good and feels good. There are other natural materials than leather, of course; but it is a strong and protective fibre. If one has enough green-consciousness, one will keep irrepairable or soiled leather items for some future use, and will not go crazy on purchasing leather items; they will treat each piece of leather as a sacred object (of sorts) and appreciate all the energy, life, craft and time that has gone into each piece. A green-conscious leather-user, then, will exercise respect, care and moderation (one mustn’t forget that over-consumptive non-greens could probably make an environmental crisis occur through the overuse of hemp, or by planting too many trees in the wrong place- the key here is moderation).

Leather, then, seems to have the potential to be as renewable as sustainably produced meat. If organic beef can be cultivated sustainably, with an accreditation system and recognised certification bodies, then the ‘next step’ of extending these systems to the side-product of edible meat doesn’t seem to be an impossible goal. Leather has been used for millennia; think of the heroic characters of Homer’s epics who wore leather circa 1200BC, aside from much more ancient instances (which is not to say that leather production has always been a ‘noble’ trade; aside from perhaps the native Americans, in many civilisations, the trade was considered foul because of the urine and faeces that was used to tan hides).

The fact that leather is most often a by-product makes it seem an efficient and resourceful use of an animal- be it a cow, ostrich or bison; dependent, of course, on the processes and industries that sustain and ultimately kill the animal. The commercial beef industry has been much investigated and rightfully exposed for its many wrongs. Looking at another animal, the ostrich, also highlights the dangers- ostriches were at one point in history hunted almost to extinction, and in the 1700’s were hunted purely for their decorative feathers. Ostrich leather is a highly luxurious item, and is even today used to make handbags for high-class fashion houses- there is, however, a market for ostrich meat, meaning that the frivolities of consumers with disposable incomes has not led, at the present time, to a complete, massive and wasteful hunting of the bird. Naturally-tanned leather, then, gained as a by-product from the sustainable, small-scale farming of animals, will surely appeal to meat-eating greens as an eco-friendly option; with the proviso that such leather items are necessities (this elimnates leather-coated tooth-pick holders, for instance, from the equation), and that a responsible use and purchasing of leather is maintained (buying clothes for life, etc).

Leather can in theory be produced on a small scale, and without ruining land. The analyses of those more thoughtful than this writer have shown that certain animals- e.g. bison- have less of an impact on their environment than cows, the traditional source of our leather: aside from needing less water and grass than cows, bison are said to help till the soil with their sharper feet. Being primarily pastured animals (many cows, in contrast, are kept in cage-like homes) they also fertilise this tilled soil with their waste. Bison are in fact distributed in both North America and Europe (the European species being known as the ‘wisent’); this use of bison would, though, have to be squared with the meat-production of the animal (there would need to be a market for parts of the bison other than its hide to make its farmed life ‘worthwhile’).

Leather can also be produced without hard chemical involvement. Bark tanning was actually a precursor to ‘chrome’ tanning; chrome tanning is an industrial innovation, used because it’s a lot faster than plant-tanning. Amongst many other things, it has been shown in studies to be a human carcinogen when inhaled. The risks for tanning-workers adds to a negative picture of this chemical-intensive process; the chemical tanning of hides also uses fungicides and other aggressive ingredients to preserve the leather.

Natual tanning processes, on the other hand, which use the tannins in plants for the tanning procedure, use only salt water to rid the hide of bacteria. Plant tanning is the ancient precursor to chrome tanning, and was the primary method before chrome came along; it can be found throughout history, whether in early modern western civilisations or, it is speculated, in cultures such as the Egyptian world of 5000BC. Eco-tanneries use sustainably harvested pure plant agents.

If one is an optimist regarding animal farming and its sustainability and small-scale potential- or even if one accepts that people will continue eating meat and therefore feels that the whole animal should be made us of (possibly a controversial position)- then natural leather might well be a material of choice. Plant tanneries and, further down the line, small-scale leather workshops (such as that of Green Shoes, England, mentioned in another article on this site) show that it can be produced effectively without harsh chemical involvement, with low-energy methods and with minimum ecological repercussions when it has finished its use as a serviceable object.

Recycled leather is another issue, and shouldn’t be discussed here; that seems like a no-brainer, seeing as no animals were killed for a second-, third- or fourth-generation item; the ethical issue of wearing dead animal skin is another concern.

Posted under Articles, How To's & Guides, Lifestyle & Fashion

Problems with your compost? Discovered an ingenious way to recycle a lampshade? The EcoSwitch forums have been designed for you. The forum contains over fifty different sections, covering all aspects of green, environmental, and eco lifestyles- everything from green printing to car sharing. In a world of billions, each coming to terms in their own way with a rapidly changing planet, the forums have been created to help channel the interests, concerns and inspirations of green-minded people into a strong body of vibrant conference- an area of unlimited discussion, open at any hour.

From the grass-roots activists to the initially curious, whether you want in-depth answers on specialist topics like solar-panelling or simply want to chat about a great eco-film that you’ve seen, the forums are live and running, dictated by you. Even those on the other side of the fence are welcome- if you’re in two minds about the whole issue, then take a rest at ‘Sceptics Corner’ and open up the debate.

Any question, from the trivial to the gigantic, is welcome. If there’s a topic that you can’t see mentioned on the EcoSwitch website, then post your question in the forum, and the whole of the internet will be there to assist. Or, if you’ve got a bee in your bonnet about a particular issue, then share your opinions online. Aside from harbouring an area of learning and a localised web of knowledge, the forums have been designed as a place for mutual support and encouragement: share your projects, your hardships, and your successes.

One of the key strengths of the environmental movement is its bottom-up nature; not since the anti-nuclear movement of earlier decades, with its CND propaganda and student protests, have we perhaps seen such a powerful, aware and eloquent group. But the environmental movement could even be said to surpass these earlier campaigns; its eager adoption by a range of social strata, and its integration (forced and otherwise) into the everyday lives of western citizens has reached a point where the slow build-up has reached a peak in public opinion and in the habits and practices of everyday people. Only in politics, with the struggle of the Green party to gain members of the English parliament, has the environmental movement not yet become dominant; although green issues are ever present in political discussion and in the words of our political leaders, an out-and-out environmental priority of policy remains subjugated to other concerns. The election and leadership of president Obama, however, with his grass-roots following and social networking-aligned election process, followed up by his relatively immediate action on environmental concerns, shows how the ground-up movement of concerned citizens is nevertheless reaching the top of the tree, and shaking the branches, as it were.

It is to the voices of this concerned majority that EcoSwitch wants to lend a platform. The internet, with its many and various portals to community groups and action centres, is a wealthy and near-infinite resource; an acknowledgement of this pre-existing hot bed of discussion and action is here combined with the desire to direct others, perhaps less directly plugged into such debate, into the conversation.

With your help, we can create an environment where green culture is blown wide open. The discussion and dialogue that we need to articulate and develop our thoughts, to create new ideas, and to engage with the world and move society in new directions, is the world’s strongest weapon- and this weapon consists entirely of people like you. The forum is here for you anytime you need it- just click www.ecoswitch.com/ecoforum. Welcome to the discussion!

Posted under Uncategorized

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

What is Green Energy?

Green energy is all about the production of 100% renewable electricity which typically originates from wind turbines, solar panels and hydro. Its paramount purpose is to combat the emissions of carbon dioxide with zero tolerance vis a vis the involvement of fossil fuels. Good Energy and Ecotricity are lucent examples of green energy suppliers. Doubtlessly, they are conquering the market by offering competitive prices and having the environment at heart. By switching from a conventional energy supplier to a green one, you are also proving that you care for the environment.

What about Green appliances then?

Green appliances have grown in importance and popularity as they stand out to help customers like you and me and above all, the environment. Rooted in their design, they operate similarly to ordinary appliances, with the exception of being energy efficient. They save you money and tackle the problem of climate change as less CO2 is released.

Below is a list of greeny stuffs one should begin to consider:

Green Energy is the Best! It is Anti-CO2 and it makes your bill smile too J

• Apply to a Green Energy company such as Good Energy which supplies 100% renewable electricity. Read our article on Good Energy to understand how it rescues our planet.
• Even conventional energy companies such as EDF offer green tariffs.
• You can install your own domestic wind turbine and/or solar panel depending on your location. Why depend on coal and oil when you can benefit from wind and sun?
• Switch your normal light bulbs to eco ones which utilise 80% less energy and once switched on, they shine as brightly as ordinary bulbs. Your bill will drop significantly.
• We encourage you to buy the Energy Saving Recommended Green Appliances as they are the most energy efficient appliances available on the market. For your information, this brand is a government body that certifies green appliances which ecoswitch.com is currently reviewing.
• Check for the Energy Saving Recommended Green Appliances logo on the products before you buy.  
• Make the switch to an energy efficient dishwasher which saves 40% of energy. It lowers both your electricity and water bills. Among the most popular ones is the Whirlpool ADG 7560 model.
• Choose an Integrated Digital TV (IDTV) instead of a standard one as the former saves you money on your energy bills.
• Order a green kettle as it can reduce your electricity bill by 20%.
• Eco fridges and freezers are designed to reduce emissions of CO2 and alleviate the use of electricity by 60%. The result will reflect on your bills too.
• Cut your energy consumption by 1/3 when doing your laundry by buying a green washing machine instead of an ordinary one.
• An Energy Saving Recommended printer uses about 25% less power when being switched on and 40% less in sleep or standby mode when compared to a normal printer.
• Instead of a desktop buy a laptop, or even better, an eco laptop such as Asus, MacBook or Sony. Desktops might be cheaper in price but they use ten times more energy than laptops.
• Cooking is a passion for most of us. Why not enjoy cooking whilst using less energy with an A/A energy rated oven such as the Leisure LEVC66W 50cm Double oven or the Leisure 100cm CM101FRKP Dual Fuel Range Cooker?
• Did you know that cooking in a microwave saves more energy than in a conventional oven? How more efficient will your cooking time be if you use an microwave oven such as the Whirlpool AMW510.
Now that you know the tricks, stop thinking that you were born to pay excessive bills. Make your money worth it and be gentle to our environment!

Posted under Gas & Electricity, House & Home, How To's & Guides, Money & Finance, Renewable Energy

There is no escape from paying bills. The continuous rise in gas and electricity prices does not ease the situation either. But fortunately, you can change your lifestyle habits which will not only cause a drastic reduction in your bills, but will also save energy and the planet too.

Save Energy and Start Paying your Bills With A Smile:

1. Switch off every light when you leave the room

2. For background sound, favour the radio over the TV

3. Unplug your devices after the battery is charged. For example, mobiles

4. Use a washing line or drying racks, rather than an electric drier

5. Avoid keeping your room thermostat more than 21C

6. Keep the water thermostat less than 60C

7. Boil your kettle with only the amount of water needed

8. Use the water once the kettle is boiled to avoid reheating

9.      Remove washed clothes from washing machine within 2 hours to avoid rewashing

10. Hang your clothes after ironing to avoid another ironing session due to creasing

11. Utilise the eco setting on your washing machine and/or dishwasher

12.    Keep your fridge running properly by defrosting it regularly

13. Turn off the dishwasher prematurely to allow the heat inside complete the job

14. If you have a heater, programme it to drop by half or off after an hour

15. During the day draw the curtains to allow free light to penetrate

16. At dusk close your curtains to retain the heat

17. Keep the back of your fridge clean to boost its efficiency

18.    Switch to a green energy provider such as Good Energy or EcoTricity

Save Water As It Saves Life:

1. Use baths sparingly

2.      Utilise a (non power) shower

3. Use a bucket of water for car washing rather than a hose

4.      Use a watering jug for plants

5.      Turn the tap off when brushing your teeth

6. When washing by hand, use a bowl to soap dishes and avoid running water

7.      When rinsing, use warm water to speed up washing.

8. Use hot water from the kettle to degrease the sink rather than bleach

9. Favour the plunger over the toxic unblocking solution

10. Make sure that you turn off all taps properly after use

11. Check that there are no leaks in the water pipe system

Be Green and Wise in the Kitchen:

1. Use a toaster to make toast instead of a grill as the toaster is more energy efficient

2. Boil water in a kettle to use for cooking

3. Remove contents from the fridge to cool to room temperature before cooking

4. Maximise the efficiency of your fridge by keeping it full

5. Use a pan matching the amount of food to be cooked

6. Use the smallest pan as far as you can

7. Use a pan that matches the size of the burner, not smaller, to avoid 30% of heat loss

8. Cover the pan with a lid to avoid the loss of heat

9. Keep the oven window clean to avoid opening the oven during cooking time

10. Use the right lid for the right pan to avoid loss of heat through the peeps

11.    Turn off the heater prematurely to allow the steam to complete the cooking

12. Use less fat and liquid to cook at a quicker pace

13. Plan your cooking and make extra to freeze and reuse

14. Leftovers take less time to be reheated. Use them as quick ‘fast food’

15. Pressure cooker and microwave are more energy efficient compared to the oven

Waste can be Recycled

1. Turn your wasted vegetable and fruit peelings into compost

2. Use the compost to plant your own vegetables, fruits, herbs or flowers

3. Do not buy excessively to avoid wastage

4. Reuse aluminium foil for packing food

5.      Where possible, buy loose fruit and vegetables without the wasteful packaging

6. Donate your clothes which you do not use anymore

7. Reuse plastic objects for other purposes

8. Use plastic food containers to plant herbs

9. Use shoe boxes to store items

10. Use food before they expire to avoid wastage. If expired, convert them into compost

11. Recycle cans, paper, plastic, etc…

12. Reuse newspaper for cleaning windows, for instance

13. Think twice before buying

14. Take your Recyclable bag or Bag for life to the shop

15. Reuse old T-shirts to sleep in or when doing messy work such as painting

Good Luck!

Posted under Gas & Electricity, House & Home, How To's & Guides, Lifestyle & Fashion, Money & Finance

The leader of the UK’s Liberal Democratic Party, Nick Clegg, has today announced his vision of a Britain that is entirely energy self-sufficient by 2050. The Brent-a-like politician has dubbed his vision the ‘Apollo project’ comparing the struggle of moving away from Climate Change causing fossil fuels such as oil toward renewable sources of energy, such as solar and wind power, with the effort and money put into landing a human on the moon that America exerted in the 1960′s.

Writing for the Guardian UK, Clegg stated that ‘Britain has no credible energy policy, just a potential economic, environmental and national security disaster waiting to happen.’ He argues that the only way to bring about change is to amplify the efforts that are currently being made to harness natural, renewable energy sources. He argues that Britain needs to ‘be at the vanguard of green technology’ and sees the switch to renewable energy sources as not just benefiting the environment but also the economy. The current plans for renewable energy Clegg describes as ‘measly’, but he understands that they will create 160,000 or so employable positions. ‘Just imagine how many jobs we could find if we took the big leap to a truly green economy,’ he argues.

Clegg is concerned that Britain is reliant on insecure areas of the world for much of her energy needs, and argues that a move toward sustainability and carbon neutrality would stop our energy supply being so vulnerable to unforeseeable political, environmental or economic stresses.

A carbon neutral Britain is a massive aim to set, especially considering greenhouse gas emissions are still actually rising across the UK. Cuts in emissions, which, granted, do occasionally get delivered by businesspeople and politicians are actually just cuts in the expected amount that emissions were expected to increase by, and the fact that Britain looks likely to meet its Kyoto targets is neither here nor there – aviation and shipping are both ignored by the figures.

‘Reducing energy use is important, but we also need to make sure the energy we do use is renewable.’ Clegg said, very much capturing the Zeitgeist. The politician identified the North Sea as an area where renewable energy projects could be successful enough to mature and provide investors with the stability that they need to invest. To make sure people knew he really meant it, Clegg kindly visited the largest off shore wind farm today.

The fact is that Clegg is the enviable position of being able to state his claim whilst having no claim to a state. He, as an opposition leader, can say plenty without actually identifying, in balance sheets and strategies, how his dreams would be accomplished. Whilst it is fantastic that a British politician is serious about how difficult it will be to get business and government to even get Carbon emissions down to 1990s levels it is also easy to dismiss Clegg, who sounded, frankly, flustered when asked about his ‘vision’ on this morning’s today programme, as being responsible for an emission of his own that, whilst it wont cause climate change, is nevertheless not massively beneficial; a load of hot air.

Posted under Climate, Environmental News