It's here again and I can hardly wait!

This year's Soil Association Organic Fortnight, kicks off with the Soil Association Organic Food Festival which takes place on the 6-7 September 2008 in Bristol.

It's Europe's largest celebration of all things organic and is sponsored by the yummy Yeo Valley Organic.

The event is set in Bristol's famous harbourside and the Festival incorporates bustling food markets, the very best organic food, drink, fashion, skincare and homeware products, a green planet pavilion, demonstration kitchen, talks programme, food cruises around the harbour, and an arts and entertainment fringe!  read more »

...quite literally!

The thing is, when you have children, by the time you get to mid-August, the funds are tight and you may well have exhausted all the free options in your immediate vicinity.

So what to do?  There's at least a fortnight to go and your sanity needs an anchor.  read more »

...amidst a pile of rubbish!

I've had my head down for about 6 months, penning 'The Book of Rubbish Ideas' and am delighted to finally report.....it's FINISHED!

It was quite an involved process and it zapped all my spare creative juice, so a few things had to take an extended holiday, my green blog here being one.

But a proper work/life balance is important and now I can get back to doing a few of my favourite things, including writing 'this', so hold onto your eco-knickers and pin back your ears...

I'm back!

More later today,

TS x

People in central London and other major cities can now benefit from a new service that helps them map out ‘fresh-air routes’ that avoid pollution areas.

The online walking route planner, www.walkit.com, has worked with the City of London Corporation and seven London boroughs to gather information for their website to help people avoid the Capital’s more polluted streets.

The new service will benefit everyone, but will be particularly helpful to people who suffer from respiratory and cardiac conditions, such as asthma, bronchitis and emphysema.  read more »

It's Wednesday, my favourite day of the week - radio day.

I had lots of tongue in cheeky fun today with a phone-in about our worst eco-sins!

Listeners were invited to call me, anonymously of course, with their most awful eco-sin and at one point, it turned into a confession booth on the airwaves!

There were things like....

"Occasionally, I'll go for a McDonalds and when I'm feeling desperate, a KFC!"

and  read more »

It's official. 

The Co-Op have released a statement with a startling and well received claim following a Food Ethical Policy consultation, from which Ethical Trading was identified as the number one priority by 27% of members.

They say:-

In response, from February 2008 The Co-operative will become the first UK retailer to convert its entire own-brand hot beverage range (worth over £16m) to Fairtrade.

What absolutely fantastic and ground-breakingly optimistic news!  read more »

I had an email plop into my box a short time ago and despite the fact that I'm fighting an urge to get my chicken casserole on the hob for tonight's tea, I thought I'd let you know what it said first!

Ehem.

"This spring we (or rather 'they', as in the people at glossy read 'She Magazine') are launching the first-ever SHE Inspiring Women Awards 2008 and we would like you to nominate your own choices.

They could be selfless, unassuming mothers who bring so much to their
local communities or well-known entrepreneurs who've carved a firm
path to career success.  read more »

The average British family now spends £456 a week, according to the Annual Report on the Expenditure and Food Survey, reports the BBC today.

It is the 50th outing of this report and there is a special section dedicated to comparing weekly outlay from today, with 50 years ago.

It seems we are spending a greater proportion of our earnings on mortgages or rent and much less on food, than was the case in previous generations.  (No surprises there then!)

Based on the original FES expenditure classification, housing (including mortgage interest payments and rent) is now the single largest item accounting for 19 per cent of spending. In 1957, housing accounted for just 9 per cent.  read more »

I came across the 3'R's video on YouTube recently and just had to share it with you.

It's a track on Jack's album, 'Curious George' which was actually a soundtrack. 

Here's a little background for your reading pleasure.

* "Faced with the task of giving a voice to a central character that does not speak, Universal Pictures turned to Jack Johnson to craft songs that could provide a voice for Curious George. As a new father, it gave him the opportunity to make an album for both parents and children.  read more »

By David 25/01/08

Acquired from the rich resource of EcoTravelling but I've added links to the recommended places to make it easier :o)

Families lead the way on eco-holidays  read more »