Panda Passport

I just got myself a Panda Passport from the WWF.
It is not a toy!

Panda Passport

Get one for yourself and use it wisely!

Good as new and carbon dioxide

Would you wear shoes that are made from old clothes or parachutes and such? The good people at Antiapathy seem to think so since they have taken the step to design and sell the shoe line Worn again. What do you think? 60 pounds sterling for a pair of shoes does not make them the cheapest pairs of shoes around but they sure stand out compared to the normal designer shoes with the same prize tag :-)

They have even taken the step further to offer you a free repair of the shoes if you send the shoes to them. I don´t know what the local shoe repair man would say if he was given a parachute fabric shoe to repair.

Moreover, they have made sure that the shoes are carbon neutral by donating 12p per pair to Climate Care. The money goes to different charities. Soemtimes I use their carbon dioxide calculator for my flights and send the corresponding money to Vi skogen. It is a Swedish NGO that helps to reforest the area around Lake Victoria and by doing so also helping to people to a livelyhood.

Homeopathy in ecological production

Why is homeopathy and phytotherapy the first choice of treatment of sick animals in the EU rules for ecological production (EEC/1804/1999)? Only in second hand when it is deemed unavoidable should proven medications be used! In a sense phytotherapy could work. It is not for nothing the word biopiracy has seen the daylight. But homeopathy? Please! Is it there just to give sustainable ecological production a bad name, or?

I dunno in how many countries and how many certifiying bodies that use this rule for treatment of medically ill animals. I know that in Sweden the rule is that appropriate care should be given. Since only veterinaries are allowed to treat animals that rules out non-medical treatments.

Have you ever heard of any animal rights group that has saved animals from ecological farms because of animal maltreatment due to farmers that stubbornly stick to homeopathy?

Green clean and clean green

Making a positive environmental impact can start with your cleaning products.

In the case of cleaning chemicals do avoid the following:
- petroleum
- phosphates/EDTA
- phtalates
- antibacterial agents
- chlorine bleach

Instead use the following:
- Citrus- and plant-based oils
- Sodium carbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium citrate, and sodium silicate
- Enzymes
- Non-chlorine bleach

For more insights and explanations read the UCS Greentips "housecleaning made cleaner".

If you are in luck you will find an ecolabelled cleaning product in your local store.
If not, read the ingredient label very carefully!
If you are not satisfied, ask the manager for better cleaning products.

Volunteering

Do you think I should volunteer for something?

Two persons in Alternativa i.e. the local fair trade store asked if I am interested in being a volunteer? I said yes. We will see what it adds up to...

some reading

I have not been outwardsly active lately. I have been reading some books from the Swedish Formas on GMO and ecological farming. It seems that GMO with herbicide resistance does not generally increase the field yield compared to conventional non-GMO farms. Only in situations with very high pressure of weeds and other pests does it have any impact relative to conventional non-GMO farming. 99% of all agricultural GMO are with pesticide resistance and/or contains transgenic toxins. Whereas overall crop failures are only to 10% due to weeds or pests. Around 80% of the losses are due to physicochemical stresses such as draught, too much water, too warm, too cold or too much salt in soil. But then you can not sell a canned remedy for bad weather. I guess it is up to academia rather than industry to come up with proper and sustainable solutions for improving farm yields by decreasing the crop's sensitivity to extreme conditions.

Urge Tesco to be good sports

Today I took part in the the Big Noise campaign and sent this email to the chair man of Tesco:

You must take responsibility for the impact of your buying practices in the UK and overseas. As a market leader, you should be setting an example for other retailers to follow. We want you to ensure that the way you behave as a company gives farmers and workers in the UK and overseas, who supply your products, the opportunity to earn a decent living in good working conditions. For many this is their only chance to work their way out of poverty.

Click on the Big Noise above above and read and when you are convinced, send an email to Tesco you too ...