This one kind of slipped by me, but Greenpeace UK did a cool thing a couple days ago. The set up booths at airports and gave away free train tickets.
Over the past hour or so, impromptu ticket exchange booths have been appearing in airports across the UK.
Greenpeace volunteers (fetchingly dressed as stewards and stewardesses – pics here) have been offering BA passengers checking into domestic flights climate-friendly train tickets.
It’s not just because we’re generous souls – it’s also because flying causes 10 times more damage to the climate than taking the train. And it’s responsible for 13 per cent of the UK’s impact on the climate (that’s the government’s own figures).
The Fair Trade label and its many derivatives and relatives have become familiar to consumers in the last few years as awareness of the backstory behind products drives demand for increased transparency. We want to know that the people who produced our goods did so in just and equitable circumstances, and without harming the natural environment or exploiting local resources. These certifications offer values-based consumers the assurance they seek. But the farmers and producers (almost all in the developing world) who send their goods to us with fair trade labels represent only a portion of the number of farmers and producers wanting to join the network of international trade in fair and environmentally-responsible goods. In order to be a part of that chain, though, they have to have sufficient financial stability to create the relationships with international traders that position them for success. If they can’t obtain the financial leverage to prove to trade partners that they’re a safe bet, they struggle endlessly to profit from choosing more sustainable production practices, while on the other hand, if they can’t convince lenders to finance their enterprises, they can never get in the door with the trade partners. Ultimately they may revert… (more)
Bats might not be the first wild creatures that come to mind when you think of species threatened by urban growth, but in London, declining bat biodiversity has captured the interest and concern of one artist and several institutions who together have launched a competition to design a bat house. Artist Jeremy Deller produces socially and politically-charged work primarily focused on the UK, but it was in Texas, while filming a documentary in 2003 (for which he won the Turner Prize in 2004), where he found his love of bats and established an ongoing commitment to their protection. He came back to the UK with a plan to create a public sculpture that could also house displaced bats. Soon the idea grew and became a collaborative national project. In partnership with the Bat Conservation Trust, the Arts Council of England, the RSA’s Arts and Ecology program, and London’s Mayor, Ken Livingstone, The Bat House Project launched a series of design challenges and a competition to collaboratively design a new house for London bats. The Project highlights the potential for architects, builders, home-owners and conservationists to work together to produce wildlife-friendly building design. It connects the worlds of art and ecology… (more)
Barbara Kingsolver's latest book, Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, tells the story of how she and her family lived for a year eating only food they grew themselves or that they purchased from local…
As we’ve noted before, there is a strong relationship between environmental crises and social instability. Similarly, developing world communities with healthy environments and sound practices (from farming sustainably to building greenbelts) often see faster gains in alleviating poverty. This connection between sustainability and social well-being is so pervasive, it applies even to refugees. So it should perhaps come as no surprise that two major recent studies have strengthened our understanding of that connection. The first is a report by WRI, Nature’s Benefits in Kenya: An Atlas of Ecosystems and Human Well-Being, which aims to use mapping tools and available data to show the links between ecosystem services and poverty: Through a series of maps and analyses, the authors focus on the environmental resources most Kenyans rely on such as soil, water, forest, rangeland, livestock, and wildlife. The atlas overlays georeferenced statistical information on population and household expenditures with spatial data on ecosystems and their services (water availability, wood supply, wildlife populations, and the like) to yield a picture of how land, people, and prosperity are related in Kenya. The report itself is exhaustive, but even reading through the journalist’s guide gave me several flashes of new insight into how people… (more)
Editor's note: This week, Lighter Footstep editor Chris Baskind takes a look at reasons not to buy or drink bottled water. This post was originally published on June 19, 2007.
Molecular gears: Image courtesy of NASAThe more I read, the more I come to the conclusion that one of the big problems threatening the environment — and ourselves — today is one created by the gap…
solera : Image Credit: Advanced Glazings, Ltd.Lighting for buildings is a major part of their energy use. Increasingly, green building design is recognizing the importance of providing natural…
Americans alone use and dispose of enough paper and plastic cups, forks, and spoons every year to circle the equator 300 times. Lets break this down, mathematically first…
My Body My HouseWith environmental issues on the forefront of many peoples minds these days, there has been an increase of children's literature on the subject. My Body My House is one such book…
