Green Tipster

Green Getaway

It's the time of year when one's mind starts to drift off and dream of laying by a pool, ipod gently caressing your mind and an alcoholic fruity something to sip under a cool parasol...sigh.

My wife and I have been thinking about our own holiday plans so when Dez (with a z) from Clapham wrote in to test my skills re his own summer getaway strategy I thought this would be a great opportunity to check out our options at the same time. Dez (with a z) said:

Hey GreenTipster

I care about the planet but I need a rest. I am knackered from working hard and I need a break. Can I reconcile my ethical standards with having a holiday? What are the options? Will send you a postcard I promise.

Thanks in advance

Dez (with a z)

Well Dez (with a z) the good news is you do have options.

The assumption that one has to rest by dragging oneself halfway round the world at massive cost, financial and environmental, is a bit odd for a start. If you really want to lie in the sun and soak it up by a pool then get a map and find the nearest sunniest spot that involves the least amount of travel and investigate further. If you live in the South of the UK why not get the train to Nice...lovely sun, lovely food and wine, great markets. Not cheap but gorgeous. And very close compared to the Maldives for example.

But don't for a minute think you have to do nothing to relax and recharge. Your brain needs a rest and as the saying going: a change is as good as a rest. So why not think a bit off the wall and give yourself a treat by doing and experiencing something that is new and exciting? Let's face it - egg, chips and beans on a cheap lastminute package deal to somewhere foreign where the locals speak english is hardly worth the bother. Even traipsing off to Thailand these days rarely means escaping the CNN and Burger King global trail. Know what I mean?

I recommend checking out Responsible Travel for some awesome ideas for greener holiday ideas here in the UK and abroad, the Guardian Travel Site Green section and the Surefish Ethical Travel section for plenty of advice and info on the options out there.

Me? Well this year Mrs Tipster & I have pretty much decided, due to economic constraints (ahem, we have a kid and are skint), that we are going to stay at home and spend our money on babysitters, nights out in Cambridge and London and generally hanging out as a family etc.

Would love to hear your holiday plans and ideas folks?

Until next time

Keep it green

Al

Sustainable Shades

Summer is not far away and as the days get brighter my shades see more and more action.

I have a pair of Oakley Monster Dog sunglasses purchased three summers ago (I think it was three - how time flies eh?) but having a young son has ensured that they were not going to last. Lo and behold they now have a brutal scratch on the left lens.

What to do? Buy new? Seems a terrible waste of materials and money and frankly I like my shades.

I will get in touch with a local supplier to see if I can get the lens de-scratched (?) or replaced.

But wait! What if I needed to get a new pair of sunglasses regardless...what would the ethical options be?

Well Vicky (who used to write for me on CityHippy and is now half of Make Hay Ethical Emedia & the founder of the  GreenGirlsGlobal blog) writes asking exactly that:

If I’m going to buy some decent glasses then I don’t particularly want to get them from the regular high street shops or designer ones (for obvious reasons).

Is there such a thing as sunglasses made from recycled plastic / glass / anything else and where can I get them?

Look forward to hearing your thoughts

Well that got me thinking...a vague and distant recollection of something relevant on Treehugger led me to this specific post. Not sure the designs would suit everyone and at $350 US I can think of another 350 reasons why they would not work for me. Interesting to see though and presume others will be soon to follow.

Some of the commenters in that post mention a few other options including:

• Why not buy from a charity or second hand store - always worth a good browse
• You could always buy a brand new pair (for less than $350 US I imagine) but maybe offset the purchase with a contribution to whatever green causes you support.

I would add checking out Ebay for bargains and trying to repair your existing pair before buying new.

Any other ideas? Great question Vicky.

Until next time...

Keep it green...

Al

Greening the office

A common desire expressed by many people who have managed to be a little greener in their own lives is how to convince their MD at work to actively care more about the environment and take the business itself down a greener path. When it comes to business one has to make the business case to achieve change and this is often daunting.

Priya from Brixton asked me that exact question. This is the answer I give nowadays:

There are a few key areas you can focus on and all of them get the best results when management spreads the word and sets a good example by leading the way. Make your bosses job easy by doing the research and giving him the answers he needs.

Energy
There are many alternate energy suppliers able to offer a business alternative energy. Check out Good Energy & Ecotricity. Lots of companies, big and small, from newspapers to football clubs, are making the switch.

Food & Drink
What goodies does your kitchen or canteen stock? Coffee, Tea, Milk, Fresh Fruit...much of what is purchased can be organic and/or FairTrade...at least they can offer a choice to assess what the staff want. If enough staff sign an email asking for a trial it is likely that the company will take note and act accordingly.

Stationary
How many mouse mats, pens, pencils, staples, Christmas cards, labels, flip-chart markers, paper and envelopes does your company use? Great green office alternatives here (note: shameless plug for my employer). Not saying it will all be cheaper but I will come onto the cost-benefit in a minute.

Personal space
One of the things that used to drive me wild was leaving the office at the end of the day and seeing stuff i.e. computer monitors left on overnight.

I used to wander round switching stuff off for a good 3 minutes every day. Get your colleagues to switch stuff off themselves to save the company electricity bill from soaring for all those appliances left on over night.

And make sure the office lights get switched off...there is nothing worse than an entire floor of lights left on over night for no good reason...and again it is a huge waste of company cash.

Business strategy
Ultimately we know that money is important to a business. Lets assume as much energy is saved as possible it might still be hard to calculate the saving quickly enough but going green is more than just about direct cash.

It is about understanding that the traditional bottom line of profit has two pals that have been ignored for too long: people and planet. Together all three make up what is now commonly known as the Triple Bottom Line. And there is plenty of monetary, and therefore even shareholder, hay to be made by those early adopting companies quick to go green.

Soon not going green will be frowned on by customers so those brave MDs who get stuck in now can make their companies look fantastic for a little extra green effort.

And if they want proof that there is green in traditional businesses going green then just tell them to check out what WalMart, Tesco and Marks & Spencers have all recently achieved in giving their companies lots of free PR and a great green competitive edge.

I am not saying those companies are perfect...but they are taking good steps in green directions and that is to be applauded and encouraged.

Until next time...

Keep it green...

Al

Local, organic or fairtrade?

Another week and another great question. This time from Louise. Take it away Louise:

Hi Al,

I'm not sure there IS a definitive answer to this question, but it's one my partner and I struggle over endlessly! Which is better to buy: Fair Trade or organic?

Thanks for your input!

Louise

This is a great question and one I get asked a lot. Not sure there is a definitive answer though. And it gets murkier when you also include the local option too.

For example: would you pick the locally grown non-organic apples, the organic apples from the other side of the world or the Fairtrade & organic apples from the other side of the world?

Personally I would choose the locally grown non-organic apples.

Local wins for me because food miles, and the carbon emissions they produce, affect us all immediately with regard to Climate Change.

Next come the ethical option, i.e. Fairtrade or fairly traded, as that directly affects and improves the lives of generally less fortunate others.

Last for me is the organic option as that predominantly affects my own body first and then others and the environment in general where the produce was grown albeit to a lesser degree than ethical or local selections affect the bigger picture.

I am sure many would swap the latter two around and it is certainly murky and subjective.

How do you like them apples? Organic, Fairtrade or local?

Until next time...

Keep it green...

Al