A round-up of this week’s environmental, green and ecofriendly news and updates.
Are you buying clothes now? Perhaps for yourself, or as a lovely gift. Fashion companies have been changing.
Due to public pressure, many fashion brands will now use rainforest-free fabrics. What does that mean? Well, did you know that your current outfit may contain parts of trees from the Amazon or Indonesian rainforest? And that’s terrible – aged trees that make up part of the ‘world’s lungs’ and provide a home to millions of species are being chopped down to make clothing.
So, what can you do about it? Simple!
- Buy rainforest-free clothing! Luckily, many big brands have promised to make the change – VF (Wrangler, Lee, Timberland), Ralph Lauren, Victoria’s Secret, H&M, Zara, Abercrombie & Fitch and more have all signed the CanopyStyle campaign. And don’t forget UK’s Stella McCartney‘s sustainable clothing. Just click CanopyStyle to find out more about rainforest-free companies.
- Some fashion companies continue to ignore the forest destruction and human rights abuses that may be in their products. So, this holiday season pledge NOT to buy from companies that risk rainforest destruction. When you sign the pledge, you’re directly telling the heads of top fashion companies—like Under Armour, Foot Locker, Prada Group, Michael Kors, and Forever 21—that they have to earn your hard-earned money by protecting, not wrecking, the planet.
Autumn or Fall is a lovely time of year. I hope you get to see the wonderful tree colours!
Of course, it can also mean a lot of work – lots of fallen leaves to clear up.
Did you know that there are different types of rakes? And did you know that they have a big advantage over leaf blowers? You can find out more about raking leaves (and the 6 benefits) here.
And if you’re thinking that leaf blowers are more convenient – they certainly are! But which type is best? See the list of the best leaf blowers here.
Once you’ve collected leaves, what should you do with them? Find out what NOT to do, as well as plenty of ecofriendly ideas for using leaves here.
So, you know about the shopping sprees that are Black Friday and Cyber Monday? Well, how about something different this year?
Shop for Good Sunday is all about finding sustainable, ethical and artisan-made products online. It’s the Sunday after Thanksgiving (November 26th this year) but you can use the site all year round.
Apparently over $1 trillion was spent over holiday period last year – and most online sales went to giant retailers who don’t have a social mission. Just a fraction of that amount going to ecofriendly companies instead could have a big impact.
Make a difference this year!
Global Green News:
There’s a Dutch poultry farm called Kipster that sells carbon-neutral eggs – yet interestingly, they’re neither organic nor free range! How do they do it? Well, it’s a fascinating way of looking at egg production.
The most important thing is that the hens are happy – they have plenty of space, fresh air and even an indoor garden.
Organic eggs are laid by hens which have been fed organic grains, which is great – but it takes up land to grow food for animals, and has a high carbon footprint. Kipster hens are fed leftover food from local bakeries – preventing food waste and reducing transport emissions. So the eggs are not organic – but they are green and ecofriendly.
Of course the farm is solar powered – and they produce far more energy than they need so they sell more than half back to the grid. Egg cartons are made from potato starch (no trees), and are made on-site to avoid excess transportation. Kipster produces considerably less pollution than poultry factory farms.
You can read more on their website. I love how this company has thought outside the box – they’re showing that green and ecofriendly is better for humans, animals and of course, the planet!
US Green News:
The original Keystone pipeline leaked 210,000 gallons of oil in South Dakota on November 16th.
Just 4 days later, TransCanada (the company that owns the pipeline) gained approval for the Keystone XL pipeline. Of course, it will NEVER leak, will it?
Bill Gates (Microsoft) plans to build a new high-tech city – in the Arizona desert. He has bought 25,000 acres of land west of downtown Phoenix., and says his “smart” city will have all the gizmos and gadgets of modern, and future, technological society. Called Belmont, it will eventually grow into one of Arizona’s largest cities.
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.
Please spread the Green word and share this info.
And if you’re on Twitter, get a daily green tip by following me – @EcoExpert1 . See you there!
There is so much good information here. Some good, some not so good. We know all pipelines are going to leak. No one seems to care. Signed the pledge. I had no idea though I no longer buy clothing. I have enough to last as long as I do. Anything else I need, I can make with fabric I have. I love that someone is raising happy chickens. It’s about time. I pay extra for free range or farm raised. They taste very different. Thank you for sharing all this.
You’re right Marlene, it’s just amazing that no one seems to care that pipelines leak. They just do, there’s no denying it. Thanks for signing the pledge! I buy hardly any clothes, but I certainly wouldn’t be able to make anything for myself, I’m always in awe of people who can! For sure, free range chickens taste much better. What goes on in factory farms is just horrible.
I’m glad that you find the information useful – several people have said they like having a quick summary each week, they can read more articles in-depth if they wish, or just the main information. Thanks for stopping by, and have a great week ahead!