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Transcript of Earth Matters Issue 1 2012
EARTH
Water crisis& the meat industry
MATTERSTi p s t o
g r e e n e r
d r i v i n g
Beauty
without
the
cruelty
+Leona Lewis’
shows support
for Peta
High street style -is it really a fairtrade?
MAY 2012 | Issue 01
7
£2.99
Thismonth...
Hello!Welcome to the first
edition of Earth Matters!
We’re an ethical
magazine, focused on all
aspects of leading an
environmentally friendly
and happy lifestyle!
This month our issue has
something for everyone
whether your car crazy
or waste weary.
We look at the world
wide water crisis, the
huge amounts of waste
food dumped by super-
markets, cruelty free
beauty on a budget and
whether the Kindle is
environmentally friendly,
or not?
Also we look at cheaper
alternatives to High
Street style and if it really
is a fair trade ?
I hope you enjoy this
issue, see you next
month!
Fiona x1
On the cover:
P14 - Beauty without the cruelty
P16 - Water Crisis & the meat industry
P12 - High Street style - is it really a fair
trade?
P4 - 7 Tips to greener driving
PLUS:
P5 - Can’t afford a hybrid but still want to
lower your carbon footprint?
P7 - Supermarket waste - the impact
P10 - Does money really make the world go
around?
P11 - Vegan recipes
P16 - Worldwide water crisis - meat eaters
know whats at steak
P3 - Kony 2012 - How much do people care?
P15 - H&M launch new eco range
P18 - Do e-readers save our planet?
P20 - 5 Tips to an eco-friendly home
2
In the world of celebrity,
looking good is key.
Whether it’s the latest
clothing trend, make-up look
or a new hairdo, the rich
and famous have to have it
all to keep on top of their
game.
But this constant need to
look good has an impact;
many of the brands celebri-
ties use to make themselves
look good, or even use their
name to endorse, test on ani-
mals.
Many celebs, including
‘Britain’s sweetheart’ Cheryl
Cole, are the faces of cos-
metics company L’Oreal,
known for its use of animal
testing. However, many fa-
mous figures are taking a
stand against animal cruelty,
including our cover star,
singer Leona Lewis.
Leona, who won the X Fac-
tor in 2006, has been a vege-
tarian since the age of 12,
and refuses to wear clothing
made from animal produce.
She has been in talks with
Topshop about releasing an
ethical line of clothing, and is
often pictured wearing vegan-
friendly clothing.
In 2008, Leona reportedly
turned down a seven figure
sum of money to open a Har-
rods sale in London. When
asked why she turned the op-
portunity down, Leona told
the press that she refused
the offer as Harrods are the
only UK department store
which continues to stock
clothing made from animal
fur. She said: "It wasn't a mil-
lion pounds that I was of-
fered, as the papers
reported, but even if it had
been, I still would have turned
it down. I got a lot of flak for
that. There were people who
said I should have done it and
given the money to charity,
but that would have been
such a contradiction."
She has been named
PETA’s (People For The Ehti-
cal Treatment of Animals)
‘Sexiest Vegetarian’ two
years running and was
awarded the charities ‘Per-
son of The Year’ award in
2008.
Leona joins a host of
celebrities, including come-
dian Ricky Gervais and for-
mer Pussycat Doll Kimberley
Wyatt, on a mission to end
cruelty to animals. She is a
supporter of the World Soci-
ety For The Protection of Ani-
mals, and is a patron of the
Hopefield Animal Sanctuary
in Brentfield, London.
LE ONA S H OWSH E R S U P P OR T
The X Factor star protests against animal cruelty
L e o n a i n a n a n t i - a n i m a l t e s t i n g c a m p a i g n .
Just How much do people care?
I’m sure there’s no need forme to condescend by tellingyou about Kony 2012.
We all know what it is, we allknow what it was designed to do,and we are all aware of the variousrepercussions.
However; the thing that becameabundantly clear was the incessanthuman nature instilled in the ma-jority of Facebook and Twitter’smasses the need to cast an insin-cere false image of the knowledge-able saintly self.
So, how many really empathised?Is it just a front, perhaps a sedativefor societal guilt?
Take, for example, the Japanesetsunami, or the earthquakes inHaiti, people heard about it, peoplegave some money, and people
forgot. The shocking thing aboutKony 2012 wasn’t the content, butthe ignorance of most if itsrecipients – many of whom wereoblivious to any such crimesbeforehand.
The rallying call of those who tookumbridge with the twenty mintuelong video has taken the form ofCover The Night - A plan to coversome of the biggest cities withKony Awareness posters.
However, this planned rebellionagainst Kony’s evil crimes has beenscheduled to take place a monthafter the video spread. Bearing inmind the method which gave thevideo such a base of attention: isit likely to remain poignant amongthe wouldbe revoutionaries?
When asked about the
reactions, Ben Blankley (ofwarchild.org) said: “Sure, it’s greatthat people are finally aware, but itshouldn’t take this long to evokesuch enthusiasm.”
Think for a second about thepotential number of other warcriminals, who aren’t given such aSocial Network style publicitycampaign; when will theircomeuppance arrive?
“The planned poster campaign isa step in the right direction, butmore needs to be done for causeslike this.
On the eve of Cover The Night (aposter campaign in accordancewith Kony 2012) I put it to you:Posters fall, but true compassionfor a cause will always weather thestorm.
3
7 Tips to greener driving
Slow downRemember the speed limit is the
limit, not something you need to con-
stantly match. For instance on motor-
ways you’ll use 10% less fuel driving
at 50 rather than 70. Also anticipate
your surroundings well to avoid un-
necessary braking/acceleration.
5
Service regularlyMany people skip services to save
money but this is a corner you
should not cut. By servicing your car
at the indicated intervals you will
keep your engine in top condition
and make break-downs less likely.
3Rev lessAs the cost of fuel continues to rise,
even boy racers can’t afford to rev
away fuel unnecessarily. By changing
gear when your car revs between 2-
3000 rpm you’ll burn less fuel and also
notice your fuel gauge falling slower
than usual.
2
Plan aheadUnless you’re out a spontaneous drive (which wouldn’t be
green at all) you will have a rough idea where you want to
go, so plan your route before you leave. Try avoiding busy
town centres where you’ll be forced into stop-start traffic
and traffic jams. It’ll make for a less stressful drive too.
1
Lose unnecessary weightBasically, if you don’t use it lose
it. Driving around with unneces-
sary objects in the car make the
car heavier and increase the
amount of fuel you use. Also take
roof racks off when not in use as
they create extra aerodynamic
drag.
4
Turn it offIf you’re going to be sitting wait-
ing for more than a minute or
two, you’ll save fuel and emis-
sions by turning off your engine
rather than leaving it idling.
6 Keep your tyres pumped upUnder inflated tyres cause more drag
and therefore use more fuel. By keeping
them pumped up to the correct PSI you’ll
save money and lower emissions. Lots
of petrol stations have air stands you can
use and the recommended PSI for your
car will be in your handbook.
7
4
If you can’t afford a hybrid but
still want to do your bit for
the planet, these superminis
are just a few examples of
what can be had for an af-
fordable price. These city
cars offer low co2 emissions
as well as cheap running
costs. Here we highlight the
best of this competitive sec-
tor.
As fuel prices
continue to
soar the small
car sector has
never been
more competi-
tive. If you’re
looking for an
eco-friendly car
without the
hefty price tag,
a supermini is
the way to go.
Thanks to
their small di-
mensions,
these cars are
naturally frugal. And thanks to
clever engineering we now
have cars capable of 80+ mpg
with a miniscule co2 output.
One of the best examples is
the Ford Fiesta Econetic. It
emits a minuet 87g/km of
CO2 and can achieve a com-
bined fuel consumption of
85.6mpg. It achieves this
through a variety of tweaks to
the 95bhp 1.6 TDCi engine as
well as some aerodynamic
tweaks. The engine feaThtures
stop-start, which cuts the en-
gine out when the car is put
into neutral in traffic, clever re-
generative braking and revised
gear ratios which are just a
few of the things that help it
reach these impressive fig-
ures. Thanks to these figures
the frugal fiesta
is exempt from
road tax and
the London con-
gestion charge,
adding to its ap-
peal. However
all of this tech-
nology comes
at a cost. But if
you can afford
to spend
£14,445 this is
where we would
put our money.
Thankfully
there are
cheaper alternatives available
that boast green credentials.
Take the Fiat 500 Twinair for
instance. It uses a clever 2
cylinder turbo-charged 0.9 litre
engine, which emits just
95g/km of CO2 and yet deliv-
ers 23% more power than the
traditional 1.2 power plant. It
costs from £11,660 brand
new but if you look about you
could pick up a 1-year-old
model from as little as £8,995.
Because this car emits so little
CO2 it is exempt from road tax
and the London congestion
charge. Add group 1 insur-
ance, the lowest possible band,
and you’re looking at truly
cheap and eco-friendly motor-
ing.
Cheaper still is the Hyundai
i10. There is a blue version
which is powered by a 68bhp
1.0 litre engine and emits just
99g/km of CO2 making it too
exempt from paying road tax
as well the London congestion
charge. Add mpg figures of
67.3mpg and we've got an-
other frugal supermini, which
is sure to keep costs down. Un-
like the first two, we are not
recommending the 'eco ver-
sion' of the model as the stan-
dard 1.2 litre engine is still very
economical and is far cheaper
to buy. It's no hazard to the en-
vironment either with CO2 fig-
ures of 108g/km and you'll
only pay £20 on road tax for
the year. The 1.2 is capable of
60+ mpg and when you con-
sider that you can pick up a
brand new 1.2 from as little as
£8,345 it really is an eco-bar-
gain. Any one of this trio of city
cars will cost you pennies to
run and ease your environmen-
tal conscience.The fiesta is the
most capable motorwaycruiser here, so if you do a lot
of motorway miles its the car
to go for. Meanwhile the Fiat
and Hyundai are at their best
in town, zipping through city
streets and making light work
of tight parking spaces. The
main thing to remember is
that all 3 of these cars are
good in their own ways and it
depends on what you use your
car for. All three cater for dif-
ferent needs whilst maintainingan enivronmental conscience.These superminis’ prove there
is life in the conventional en-
gine yet and that there are far
cheaper alternatives to plug in
hybrids or electric cars readily
available. One thing is certain:
the petrol era has life in it yet.
Eco Supermini heroesCan’t afford a hybrid but still want to lower your carbon footprint?
By Jack Walsh
The Hyundai’s interior is very practical
The fiesta’s controls are clear and easy to use
5
If you can’t afford a hybrid but
still want to do your bit for
the planet, these superminis
are just a few examples of
what can be had for an af-
fordable price. These city
cars offer low co2 emissions
as well as cheap running
costs. Here we highlight the
best of this competitive sec-
tor.
As fuel prices
continue to
soar the small
car sector has
never been
more competi-
tive. If you’re
looking for an
eco-friendly car
without the
hefty price tag,
a supermini is
the way to go.
Thanks to
their small di-
mensions,
these cars are
naturally frugal. And thanks to
clever engineering we now
have cars capable of 80+ mpg
with a miniscule co2 output.
One of the best examples is
the Ford Fiesta Econetic. It
emits a minuet 87g/km of
CO2 and can achieve a com-
bined fuel consumption of
85.6mpg. It achieves this
through a variety of tweaks to
the 95bhp 1.6 TDCi engine as
well as some aerodynamic
tweaks. The engine feaThtures
stop-start, which cuts the en-
gine out when the car is put
into neutral in traffic, clever re-
generative braking and revised
gear ratios which are just a
few of the things that help it
reach these impressive fig-
ures. Thanks to these figures
the frugal fiesta
is exempt from
road tax and
the London con-
gestion charge,
adding to its ap-
peal. However
all of this tech-
nology comes
at a cost. But if
you can afford
to spend
£14,445 this is
where we would
put our money.
Thankfully
there are
cheaper alternatives available
that boast green credentials.
Take the Fiat 500 Twinair for
instance. It uses a clever 2
cylinder turbo-charged 0.9 litre
engine, which emits just
95g/km of CO2 and yet deliv-
ers 23% more power than the
traditional 1.2 power plant. It
costs from £11,660 brand
new but if you look about you
could pick up a 1-year-old
model from as little as £8,995.
Because this car emits so little
CO2 it is exempt from road tax
and the London congestion
charge. Add group 1 insur-
ance, the lowest possible band,
and you’re looking at truly
cheap and eco-friendly motor-
ing.
Cheaper still is the Hyundai
i10. There is a blue version
which is powered by a 68bhp
1.0 litre engine and emits just
99g/km of CO2 making it too
exempt from paying road tax
as well the London congestion
charge. Add mpg figures of
67.3mpg and we've got an-
other frugal supermini, which
is sure to keep costs down. Un-
like the first two, we are not
recommending the 'eco ver-
sion' of the model as the stan-
dard 1.2 litre engine is still very
economical and is far cheaper
to buy. It's no hazard to the en-
vironment either with CO2 fig-
ures of 108g/km and you'll
only pay £20 on road tax for
the year. The 1.2 is capable of
60+ mpg and when you con-
sider that you can pick up a
brand new 1.2 from as little as
£8,345 it really is an eco-bar-
gain. Any one of this trio of city
cars will cost you pennies to
run and ease your environmen-
tal conscience.The fiesta is the
most capable motorwaycruiser here, so if you do a lot
of motorway miles its the car
to go for. Meanwhile the Fiat
and Hyundai are at their best
in town, zipping through city
streets and making light work
of tight parking spaces. The
main thing to remember is
that all 3 of these cars are
good in their own ways and it
depends on what you use your
car for. All three cater for dif-
ferent needs whilst maintainingan enivronmental conscience.These superminis’ prove there
is life in the conventional en-
gine yet and that there are far
cheaper alternatives to plug in
hybrids or electric cars readily
available. One thing is certain:
the petrol era has life in it yet.
Eco Supermini heroesCan’t afford a hybrid but still want to lower your carbon footprint?
The Fiat 500’s retro cabin is full of character
The Hyundai’s interior is very practical
6
It would seem that Benjamin
Franklin’s famous ethos ‘Waste not,
want not’ has gone completely unno-
ticed these days, as the world
teeters on the brink of drowning in
its own refuse. An alarmingly high
rate of total world waste is food;
fresh, clean and ready to eat - the
United States food waste in one
year alone would feed the world’s
hungry many times over.
Here in the UK the statistics are
just as shocking: the UK wastes
around 16 million tonnes of food
each year, with a high percentage of
that waste coming from our super-
markets. This is perfectly good food,
with a value of around £20 billion,
sometimes with little more than
packaging faults, which fills our land-
fills each year, emitting millions of
tonnes of methane. Needless waste
of food contributes to masses of
wasted energy and resources, with
much of the waste coming down to
consumer negligence, but with a lot
of it being tied up in supermarket
policies and health and safety bu-
reaucracies that stop tonnes of food
as it comes off the production line.
Some of the nit-picking displayed by
supermarket chains when it comes
to judging a food by its appearance
is completely baffling. From bent
carrots and curvy cucumbers, to po-
tatoes with too many eyes, anything
that doesn’t meet the particular cri-
teria is sent away, either to landfill
sites, or as is becoming increasingly
common, back to the farmers who
grew the food to sell in the first
place. Another seemingly needless
practice carried out by several of
the big supermarket chains is to
throw away the crusts and the first
two inside slices of their loaves, re-
sulting in millions of slices of good
bread being thrown away every year.
WRAP (the Waste and Resources
Action Programme) estimate that
bread is the most wasted household
item in the UK. WRAP spokesper-
son Mark Newman recognises the
seeming lunacy behind some of the
standard operating practices:
“It is true that a lot of the big super-
markets have specific policies when
it comes to the presentation of their
bread, as well as other foods. They
tend to say that this is what the cus-
tomer wants although we have yet
to see any research that backs up
this assertion. People are throwing
away up to thirty percent of their
bread at home, and the retailers are
binning almost a quarter of a loaf
before it reaches the customer, it
makes for some pretty miserable
reading.”
Supermarket
Waste - THE IMPACT
By Greg Thomson
7
Earth Matters lifts the lid on the amount of foodneedlesly thrown away in the UK each year
When we consider bread wastage
alone, and the amount of time, en-
ergy and resources that goes into,
first of all producing, packaging and
transporting the bread, and the
amount that then goes into dumping
it for no good reason, it certainly
highlights the extent of our collective
ignorance. Although there are peo-
ple out there trying to salvage all the
food they can, even if it means re-
sorting to desperate measures.
Bin-diving is fast becoming a cheap
alternative to paying over the odds
for food, food that in all likelihood will
be in the supermarket bins the fol-
lowing day. Rummaging through
bins for food is nothing new; people
have been doing it for as long as
there were bins to rummage
through. These days however it is a
big part of many people’s lives, and
is a major tenet of ‘Freeganism’.
Freegans take what they can from
wherever they can, they try to live as
eco-friendly and as inexpensively as
possible and although many are ac-
tivists at heart who are trying to
make a statement, many different
people from all walks of life are
adopting freeganism as a viable so-
lution to paying for food. Glasgow
based freegan James Merchant
has been diving for three years,
stumbling across the idea when uni-
versity costs became too much to
bear:
“It was when I was at uni in London
that me and my mates first did a bit
of bin-diving. At first it was a bit of a
thrill and a bit of a laugh and it also
saved us a lot of much needed
money, but it soon became an every-
day thing for me. I mean once you
get used to getting food for free,
why would you want to change
that?”
James swears by bin-diving and has
had better meals from bins than he
could ever afford to buy in the
shops:
“Yeah I’ve had lots of good meals, I
don’t think people realise, it’s not
bits of crust we’re talking about, its
good quality food, with nothing
wrong with it. I’ve had salmon,
steaks, all kinds of dry and frozen
foods that have just been chucked
out that night. There’s always been
lots of vegetables, I’m probably
healthier now than I’ve ever been.”
He now works as a volunteer in
Glasgow and says bin-diving helped
him break free from the financial
web he had found himself stuck in:
“I did start bin-diving out of basic ne-
cessity but it helps you realise just
how much we’re wasting and you
start to notice other ways that you
can free yourself up from some of
the pressures of modern living. I
hate even thinking about all the
money I used to spend on food
every day, your money just disap-
pears. And I don’t need to go out for
food every day, once or twice a week
in general, there’s times when I’ve
found enough to last me for weeks.
I even found a brand new dvd player
one night.”
Ultimately, bin-diving does nothing to
stop supermarkets being wasteful
with the food that they stock, how-
ever it is an effective way of diverting
8
the good food that goes to landfill
sites. According to WRAP, the
greenhouse gasses produced by our
food waste alone in landfill sites ac-
count for around five percent of the
UK’s total yearly emissions. WRAP’s
Mark Newman says:
“If we could eradicate all food waste
from landfill sites, it would be the
equivalent of taking a quarter of the
cars in Britain off the road.”
As well as landfill sites, the other
preferred option in the UK for deal-
ing with food waste is another con-
taminant of the earth’s atmosphere.
Anaerobic digestion, where food is
converted into energy emits up to
500 times the amount of carbon
dioxide that would have been emit-
ted if the waste had been fed to pigs
– a practice that is mandatory in
Asian countries, but illegal in the UK
and Europe.
What is more worrying still is the su-
permarkets reluctance to release
the official data regarding just how
much food they actually throw away.
All figures and estimates up till now
have been the result of chasing up
secondary sources by various cam-
paign groups - how much food
waste enters landfill sites; how
much is taken in at the anaerobic di-
gestion plants; how much is sent
back to the suppliers and how much
is refused on aesthetic grounds be-
fore it has even reached the super-
market? These are just some of the
various avenues that had to be ex-
plored in order to present the public
with the rough estimates that we
have today. In a recent Channel Four
investigation into the lack of solid fig-
ures provided by supermarkets
when it comes to food waste, only
one supermarket giant out of the big
four: Asda, Tesco, Morrison’s and
Sainsbury’s, released their food
waste numbers – Sainsbury’s re-
vealed their total food waste to be
44,000 tonnes per year. The other
three either refused to explain why
they wouldn’t release the figures, or
branded it commercially sensitive.
The picture painted here of our cur-
rent state of affairs regarding food
waste may seem like a gloomy one,
and it is. But there are many cam-
paign groups and charities that are
doing everything they can to try and
spread the wealth, or at least
spread the rubbish. London based
charity organisation Fareshare
works to get its hands on all of the
edible food waste that retailers
throw away and to distribute it
among the poor and the homeless -
surely a scheme that could have
been implemented long ago. How-
ever even with mouths to feed and
charity workers willing to distribute
it, supermarkets are still not taking
to the idea wholeheartedly. Many
still refuse to give away anything
that is past the best-before-date,
resulting in tonnes of food lying in
waste. Sainsbury’s currently give
their entire in-date food surplus to
charity.
But it would be wrong to moralise
the supermarket industry for its
waste while we as a group of
individuals squander more food than
they do. Some say the average
British household wastes nearly 40
percent of all food it buys.
This culture of excess, greed and
mindless waste is something that
has been allowed to grow over time,
and it will take just as long to bring it
to an end.
Until then, the worms in Britain’s
landfills will remain better fed than
the people on its streets.
9
Food Waste Facts:
In one year UK households produce
enough bread and cereal waste to
feed 30 million of the world’s hun-
gry.
We throw away more than 7
million tonnes of food and drink
every year from our homes - most
of which could have been safely
consumed.
10% of rich countries' greenhouse
gas emissions come from growing
food that is never eaten.
All the world's nearly one billion hun-
gry people could be lifted out of mal-
nourishment on less than a quarter
of the food that is wasted in the US,
UK and Europe.
Globally, over half of the food pro-
duced today is lost, wasted or
discarded as a result of inefficiency
in the human-managed food chain.
“Annual income twenty
pounds, annual expenditure
nineteen six, result
happiness. Annual income
twenty pounds, annual
expenditure twenty pound
ought and six, result misery.”
– Charles Dickens
Greg Thomson asks:
Does money really make the world go round?
10
Translated to the modern ver-
nacular, what Mr Dickens was say-
ing was, that if you spend more
money than you make, you will be
miserable.
This might seem like an obvious
statement to many people, but if
happiness really is balanced so
precariously on the edge of your
last pound coin, might it not be a
good idea to start looking for real
inner wealth rather than putting all
of our stock in the material world?
The financial crash of 2008,
coupled with a growing division
between rich and poor, has brought
the subject of the evils of money
back to the fore. But can money be
escaped entirely?
Freeshare seems to think so. The
site is home to a group of people
who are, getting the most out of
their money by using it less. By
giving away old or unneeded items
instead of throwing them out, the
‘sharers’ are making their money
travel – but for the good of lots of
other people.
One sharer, Stephanie Mackay,
channels the enthusiasm of the
site: “Since becoming aware of the
group I’ve had a pair of ankle-
weights, a bedside lamp, a rug for
my living room and a vinyl record
player with a stack of old vinyl’s. I’ve
given away an old couch and
television that were here when I
moved in, and a broken typewriter
that someone used for parts.
“It’s a relief knowing that I might
not need to spend daft amounts of
money on all those little things that
you tend to buy over time. I’d say
I’ve probably saved more than a
hundred pounds already.”
Local swap-shops are another
good way to do your bit for the
environment by reusing that which
would otherwise be thrown away,
and will help free you up from some
of life’s financial strains.
However not everyone adheres to
modern life’s biggest boundary.
One such hermit of the modern
day is 69 year-old German woman
Heidemarie Schwermer, who has
lived without money for 16 years.
She began by initiating a swap-shop
in her home city of Dortmund where
people would swap not only goods
but skills and services. After seeing
how well this worked Heidemarie
gave up her job, sold all of her
possessions and left her flat.
Now she lives completely without
money and constantly travels,
trading her own skills and services
such as housekeeping and
gardening, and even psychiatry
sessions (she used to be a
psychiatrist) in return for food.
Too many people today put money
straight in at the top of their list,
and then struggle and strive all of
their lives to reach that happiness
which was never there in the first
place.
Maybe its time that skills and
experience take pride of place over
the restrictive bonds of modern day
finance.
Eat GreenEmbrace Veganism
Living as a Vegan isa lot easier, fun andinexpensive thanpeople often firstimagine. Put simply,vegans do not eatanything which de-rives from animals.
Far from being restric-tive, a vegan diet canopen up a new world oftaste sensations, newdishes and flavours.
Fancy trying it? Heresa simple three coursevegan meal:
Spinach, Smoked Tofu and Tomato Salad(Serves 4)
You will need:2 handfuls of leaf spinach. 2 oz (55g) smoked tofu, finely crumbled.4 cherry tomatoes.1 very small clove of garlic, crushed.1 tbsp olive oil.1/2 tsp vegan red wine vinegar.Squeeze of lemon. Freshly ground black pepper.
1.Wash and finely chop the spinach. Place in a bowland add the smoked tofu and the tomatoes.2. To make the dressing, mix the garlic, olive oil,vinegar and lemon juice. Adding freshly groundblack pepper.3. Pour the dressing on to the spinach, smoked tofu
and tomatoes. Toss and serve.
African Stew (Serves 4)
You will need:2 1/2 pints (1.4 litres) vegetable stock.3 cloves garlic, crushed.2 onions, chopped.1 lb (450g) sweet potato, peeled and diced.1 x 400g tin chick peas.6 oz (170g) millet.1 tbsp soya sauce.4 oz (115g) peanut butter. 3 oz (85g) chopped kale.Juice of 1 lemon.
1. Heat a large saucepan with 1-2 tablespoons ofvegetable stock. Add garlic and onion and sauté untilsoft.2. Add the rest of the stock, sweet potatoes, chickpeas, millet and a few drops of soy sauce. Simmerfor 20 minutes. 3. Remove some of the stew liquid from thesaucepan, blend with peanut butter and return tothe saucepan.4. Add the kale and cook for 5 min. Season to tastewith lemon juice and soya sauce.
Lime and Coconut Cheesecake (Serves 8)
You will need:9 oz (250g) vegan ginger biscuits 2 dssp vegetable oil5 oz (145g) block creamed coconut2 limes12 oz (350g) firm silken tofu1 avocado2 1/2 oz (70g) caster sugarCoconut shavings and lime slices to decorate
1. Break the biscuits to fine crumbs using a plas-tic bag and rolling pin.2. Place vegetable oil and 45g/1 1/2 oz of thecreamed coconut in a saucepan, heat gently, andstir continuously, until the coconut has melted. 3. Remove from heat and add the crushed gingerbiscuits. Mixing well and transfer to a lightly oiled7-inch cake tin with a spring bottom. Press downfirmly and leave to cool in a fridge.4. Using the saucepan again, add the juice andpulp of the two limes and the rest of the creamedcoconut. Heat gently until the coconut hasmelted. 5. Transfer to a blender and add the tofu, avo-cado and sugar. Blend until well mixed andsmooth.6. Remove the biscuit base from the fridge andpour the tofu mix into the tin. Decorate with co-conut shavings and lime slices. Place in the fridge
and leave to set for approximately 3 hours.
FairtradeFashion
High street style - is it really a fair trade?
In the pursuit of being moreeco-friendly many of us havemade alterations to our homesand lifestyles, however ourwardrobes are the one placethat shut the door on us livinga more environmentallyfriendly lifestyle. After constant awarenessthroughout the past few yearson measures we can adopt toliving a more ethical lifestyle;such as recycling house holdwaste, washing clothes at3O0c, using energy savingbulbs, to name a few. The oneindustry lacking ethical aware-ness is the Fashion industry.The UK high street fashion in-dustry is worth an estimated£44.5 billion fuelled by trendfollowing Brits who can’t getenough of looking good.How-ever, what goes on behind theattractive shop window displaysis far from glamorous. Last yearthe International Textile Gar-ment and Leather Workers' Fed-eration (ITGLWF) revealed ashocking report that factories inAsia are still working in sweatshop style environments supply-
ing clothes and footwear for in-ternational brands. In March this year The Observerand anti-sweatshop campaigngroup ‘War on Want’ unearthed
inhumane working practices infactories in Bangladesh, India,who supply goods for sportsbrands Nike and Adidas.Orders are of high demand assports companies like Nike areselling branded clothing andmerchandise for the London2012 Olympics. It has been re-
ported that workers in a factorymaking Adidas products wereearning around 7 Indian Rupeean hour– the equivalent of ninepence in British sterling. When
interviewed workersadmitted during someshifts that they hadtheir hair pulled, wereslapped and refusedpermission to go to the
toilet. War on Want a charityagainst sweatshopsfound that in 2008‘cheap chic’ store Pri-mark were exploitingits workers in factoriesin the Bangladeshicapital, Dhaka.The charity discoveredthat workers wereworking for as little as
7 pence an hour.Paul Collins, a spokesperson atthe anti-poverty charity War onWant, said: "Our support for ex-ploited garment workers makingUK stores' clothes have helpedwin important gains. These in-clude substantial rises in mini-mum wages, compensation for
12
Lauren Sneddon investigates the use of sweatshops by the UK high street
High street shop windows hide the
truth of sweatshop usage
factory blaze victims and newsafety measures. Like us,shadow Olympics minister TessaJowell has urged the Gamessportswear partner to improvepay and conditions for itsBangladeshi clothing plant work-ers. And many thousands ofpeople in Britain have backedour campaign ‘Love FashionHate Sweatshops’”. For more in-formation visit the website:www.waronwant.org.Swedish fashion retailer H&Mhave been shamed in thepress over recent years aftera number of incidents linkingthem to unfair practices. In2010, 21 of thier workers diedin one of thier factories inBangladesh as they were un-able to get to safety as thefire exists were blocked.Unsafe buildings and harmfulchemicals are just some of thecomponents that make up themachine that is the sweatshopindustry. The input of the workers hardyet unrewarding labour is con-structed in a cheap way and theend result of the clothes are soldfor a low price tag in the HighStreet with the big bosses ofcompanies receiving the fairesttrade as they reap the rewardsof a tidy profit.British people are not expectedto work in conditions so de-meaning yet are happy to buyclothes in the UK High streetwhich are made by people whowork in exhausting conditionswhere their basic human rightsare overlooked.Despite several newspaper in-vestigations exposing high streetstores and a growing number ofanti sweatshop organizations,the fight against unethical work-ing practices is still to reach avictory stage. One developmentthat has emerged within thefashion industry over the lastfew years is the number of fairtrade organisations selling ecofriendly fashion. People Tree, anethical clothing organisation setup in Japan in 1991 launchedthe UK branch of its company in2001. In 2006 it launched its fairtrade on the high street cam-paign by launching ranges at
High Street favourite Topshop,visit: www.peopletree.co.uk tosee the eco fashion ranges avail-able. High Street supermarkets Sains-bury’s and Tesco have alsojoined the fight against sweat-shops by selling fair trade cloth-ing ranges and fair trade foodproducts within their UK stores.H&M have also defied criticism
from eco campaigners bylaunching a spring/summer con-scious collection in all their in-ternational stores this April. Sarah Cordey, press officer forthe British Retail Consortiumsaid: “Even though awarenesssurrounding fair trade fashion isgrowing there is still a lack ofpresence of fair trade clothescompared to high street labels inthe high street which may bedown to price. There is less consumer demandfor fairtrade clothes as the costof fair trade clothing are higherthan the popular high streettrends as fair trade clothes aremade from organic cotton whichcosts more to produce.” Thehigh street sells a huge varietyof clothes made from other ma-terials other than cotton e.g.lace and silk therefore fashionforward consumers are pre-sented with more choice oftrends that they can wearwhereas with fair trade fashionthere look is limited. Less than1% of cotton fashion sold on thehigh street carries the fair-tradecertified mark therefore almostall clothes sold on the highstreet are not made with fairtrade materials. The fair trade
certified mark is an internationallabel that provides consumerswith a guarantee that the prod-uct they are buying supportsthird world producers. Cottonhas a huge carbon footprint forproduction and manufacturingtherefore supporting cottonfarms is important. However because of the highdemand of clothes expected by
retailers, cotton isusually geneticallymodified (GM). Thismeans that pesticidesand fertilisers areused in cotton pro-duction, which isharmful to the envi-ronment.The land used to growGM cotton becomesdamaged thereforefarmers become debt-ridden and oftencommit suicide as aresult. The fair-tradeFoundation has aimed
for at least 10% of cotton cloth-ing sold in the UK to be fair-trade material by this year. Martine Perry, media and PRmanager for the Fair-trade Foun-dation said: “Cotton salespeaked in 2009 with over 18million units being sold in the UKmarket alone however since2009 we have seen a decline insales which we put down to therecession but also pressures onmargins as higher costs haveforced many companies to cutback on sustainable product op-tions. We are launching an excit-ing new campaign on cotton thisJune which aims to boost salesof fair-trade school uniforms,which is growing category forus.”In times when eco awareness isa growing issue amongst house-holders all aspects of clothingavailable should have a fairtrade option so that third worldproducers receive the benefitsthey deserve. More awareness and campaignswill ensure consumers get themessage loud and clear that fairtrade fashion should be seen asthe best trend around, one thatis made to last.
PROTEST: War on Want campaignersprotest with anti sweatshop slogans
13
With hundreds of beautybrands sold in the UK, it’shard to know if you’re buyingcruelty free products or not.
But today, more and more cos-metic companies are going cru-elty free and more affordableproducts are becoming avail-able.
Many companies will claim thattheir products are cruelty free,when in fact only their ‘finishedproduct’ hasn’t been tested onanimals, but the ingredientsused to make the product havebeen.
The British Union for the Aboli-tion of Vivisection (BUAV)’s ‘GoCruelty Free’ campaign aims toabolish animal testing in
the UK,and several companies have al-ready signed up to carry thecharities ‘Leaping Bunny’ logo on
their products. BUAV say: “Whilesome products carry labelsclaiming that their brand is ‘nottested on animals’ or is ‘againstanimal testing’, these are oftenconfusing and do not guaranteethat the product is actually freefrom animal testing. Only theLeaping Bunny can providepeace of mind.
Products bearing the LeapingBunny mark are certified ‘cruelty
free’ under the internationally-recognised Humane Cosmeticsor Humane Household ProductsStandards.” Some cruelty freebeauty brands in the UK includeSuperdrug’s own products, MUA,Sleek Make Up, Barry M, JohnFrieda and Urban Decay, someexpensive brands, some not, butall 100% cruelty free.
But behold! Days of partingwith insane amounts of cash toensure your make-up is crueltyfree are gone. By all means,enjoy indulging in expensivebeauty products knowing no ani-mals were harmed makingthem, but for those who arefeeling a little frugal in the cur-rent economic climate, there arenow cheaper options.
Cruelty Free Beauty
Barry M Nail Paints - £2.99
Sleek Pout Polish - £4.30
Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette- £36
MUA Eyeshadows - £1.00
14
H&M go green with new eco‘Concious Collection’H&M have launched an eco
friendly fashion collection with a
huge promo called ‘conscious
collection 2012’ after vowing to
go green after recent public scan-
dals relating to unfair trade prac-
tices.
The Swedish fashion retailer
suffered a bad year in 2010
when it was accused by a german
newspaper of organic cotton
fraud after clothes samples in a
lab in Germany were tested and
found to have traces of geneti-
cally modified cotton. H&M la-
belled their cotton clothes with
organic cotton labels tricking
shoppers into thinking they were
buying organic cotton when really
they weren’t. Their eco friendly
fashion collection is available in
shops from April 12 2012 and
makes use of some of the best
spring/summer trends out in-
cluding tropical print playsuits, flo-
ral dresses and the mid maxi
skirts. The clothes have been
made from 100% cotton, hemp
and recyled polyester. As well as
selling trends H&M may be start-
ing its own trend in the fashion
production industry by ‘ upcy-
cling’, which is when clothes are
made from existing pieces to
make new ones. This collection is
a positive move forward in pro-
moting eco friendly
fashion and is already popular
among celebrities. (See actress
Michelle Williams wearing H&M
below, right). Get your hands on
the collection now from H&M
stores on your nearest High
Street or visit
www.www.hm.com/gb.
Michelle Williams in monochromegown from H&M Conscious Collection
Pale green organic lace top
High Waisted White Shorts
White lace sleeved top
14.99£
£14.99
£7.99Lime green thighsplit dress
£162.00
Fuschia pink thigh
split dress£245.00
Lime greenembellesheddress
£57.00
15
WORLDWIDE
WATER CRISIS -
MEAT EATERS,
KNOW WHATS AT
STEAK
Water is a resource that most of
us in the UK take for granted.
When we consider issues of
water and food security we are
likely to conjure up images
of third world countries.
However, some environ-
mentalists claim that we are in
the midst of a global water crisis.
Worldwide water consumption
rose six fold between 1990 and
1995, double the rate of popula-
tion development and this contin-
ues to rise as demands on
farming, industries and domestic
life continue to grow.
By Kimberley Winning
One of the main perpetrators of global water loss
is the meat industry, and with the water equivalent
of 50 baths needed to produce just one steak, veg-
etarianism could be the answer to this looming cri-
sis.
One third of the world’s population currently re-
side in countries with limited water resources.
Worryingly, this number is expected to rise to as
much as two –thirds by 2025.
Boutros Boutros Ghali, former UN Secretary Gen-
eral goes as far to say;
“ Water will be more important than oil this cen-
tury.”
A strong statement to make, but as populations
continue to grow at a rapid rate, with all we eat de-
pending on water to grow, he may be accurate in
his assumption.
World Water Day was sanctioned by the United
Nations Conference on Environment and Develop-
ment (UNCED) in 1992.
Held annually, it focuses global attention on the
significance of fresh water, and also promotes the
need for sustainable management of fresh water
resources.
The lead up to World Water Day 2012, sparked
numerous half naked protests around the globe,
arranged by People for the Ethical Treat ment of
Animals (PETA).
A UK based animal charity dedicated to establish-
ing and protecting the rights of all animals.
Half naked beauties frolicked in bath tubs in the
centre of London, Edinburgh, Dublin and Hollywood,
in order to promote the meat industries drain on
the world’s water resources.
They sent one clear message, you cannot be a
meat eating environmentalist.
The bathers held up signs reading : "50 Baths =
1 Steak. Clean Your Conscience - Go Vegan,”
Vegan PETA supporters Marika Rea and Helaine
Murrin took part in the Dublin protest.
Helaine said, “"Not only is the meat industry cruel,
it also wastes huge amounts of water and dam-
ages the planet."
"You can't eat meat and be an environmentalist”
Sandra Smiley of PETA said, “The action, organ-
ised by PETA, aimed to show people that the best
way to fight the worldwide water crisis and clear
their conscience is to stop eating meat.
It takes about 15,500 litres of water to produce
one kilogram of beef, compared with just 1,000
litres of water to produce one kilogram of wheat.
As well as giving you a clear conscience, there are
many health benefits to giving up meat, leading to a
slimmer, healthier and happier you.
Sandra continues, “Vegetarians and vegans are,
on average, significantly trimmer than meat eaters
are , and they are less likely to suffer from heart
disease, cancer, strokes and diabetes.”
Elisa Allen of PETA stated: “A recent United Na-
tions report found that the meat industry is "one of
the top two or three most significant contributors
to the most serious environmental problems, at
every scale from local to global".
It is time for us to consider what we can do as in-
dividuals to support our future water resources.
Not just for the future of the human race, but for
all species who rely on , and reside on the blue
planet alongside us.
Vegan supporters Marika Rea and Heliane Murrin protest in
a bath in Dublin on World Water Day 2012
It takes 15,500 litres of water to produce one kg of beef
17
When the subject of pollutionis brought up it is predomi-nantly thoughts of car fumes,refineries and power stationsthat spring to mind, how-ever, the paper and pulp in-dustry is one of the world’slargest sources of pollution.
The main cause for concernpresents itself through the dan-gers of deforestation. Trees areregarded as a ‘renewable’ re-source – when a forest is har-vested, another is replanted inits place. See various advertisingcampaigns for toilet paper forreference – However, just howrenewable is it? The majority ofpaper companies take theirstock from private farms, grownespecially for harvesting andsubsequently an afterlife in thepaper industry. This conceptseems fine at base level, beforethe demand outweighs the sup-ply, and the companies mustharvest natural old forestry tomeet their paper quota – whichbegins to take some of thestrength from the ‘renewable’argument.
The production of paper subse-quently consumes large volumes
of water, and releases a host oftoxic chemicals into the atmos-phere – equally as threateningas that of the ever feared re-fineries and motor vapours.
Enter Amazon’s Kindle – theworld’s favourite e-reader andthe number one substitute forphysical literature. Compact,small, intelligently hooked up tothe ,increasingly present, worldof the web. Human communica-tion is one of ceaseless evolu-tion; from the early beginningsof paintings on cave walls, tothe leap to paper, radio, televi-sion and now the internet - thee-reader was inevitable.
The Kindle uses zero paper, notoxic inks and above all, grantsthe user the ability to carry mul-tiple works, regardless of anyadded weight. So surely, it’s thebetter option.
Perhaps not. There can be nodenying the beneficial elementsof E-readers, particualrly defor-estation and paper waste. Not tomention redundancies of variousharmful chemicals used in theinking process of physical publi-cations. Factors that are oftenoverlooked are that of the
materials used in the creation ofthese devices and the cost oftheir upkeep.
E-readers gain their base ma-terials through extensive miningand use of potentially harmfulplastics, often this miningprocess will incorporate non-re-newable substances such as‘columbitetantalite’ and not tomention the ever precious,lithium (which powers the de-vices’ battery).
Following from this, we havethe perpetual need to charge thebattery of a Kindle (studies haveproven that in North Americaalone, the dedicated serversthemselves use more energythan the entire paper industry).Suddenly the pulping processand energy autonomous paper-books seem slightly less daunting.
Recent figures display thataround 70% of the energy usedin pulping, producing and dis-tributing from the traditionaltangible works is recovered, asopposed to the 18% recoveredfrom electronic means of media.
However, a report produced in2009 by Cleanteach, detailing
>>
Do e-readers save our planet?Philip Wilson investigates the eco-claims of digital literature
18
the environmental effectsof the Kindle showed astounding numbers in thee-reader’s favour.
Emma Ritch, author of thereport, stated: “It’s not justbuying e-books that mat-ters, the key is that theydisplace the purchase of22.5 physical books.”Therefore, 22.5 regulartangible books equate tothe total carbon footprint ofone Kindle.
Ms Ritch argues that, tak-ing the example of a normal book carbon emissions are present bythe fossil fuels needed todeliver them, and the factthat, on average 20-30 ofthose books will be re-turned to the publisher.The publishers will then either incinerate, or (hopefully) recycle them.
The report adds: “Multi-plied by millions of unitsand increased sales of e-books, e-readers will havea staggering impact onimproving the sustainabilityand environmental impacton one of the world’s mostpolluting industries: thepublishing of books, newspapersand magazines.”
Both sides are not without
their faults, and with the ongoing popularity of e-readers, traditional print appears to be
dyingon its feet.
Environmental arguments will
always come downto one verses theother, and in thecase of the Kindleand its associates,the answer reliesupon the user. The threatening environmental impact of e-readerswill only break ifthe user is an avidreader, i.e. savingon potential inkingand pulping damages of purchasing a seriesof new titles on aferquent basis.Time is the mainfactor in ensuringbenefits of e-readers.
So there’s your answer, albeit a
slightly unorthodoxone;e-readers tossus in a hole and
hand us a shovel - they may justsave the planet if used regularly.
50%
of the paper
industry’s raw
materials come
from recycled
paper!
Top 5 paper saving tips
1.Print on both sides of the page orprint two pages to a single side.2.Use an eletronic diary, for example; Google Calender.3.Be ruthless! When deciding whatneeds to be printed and whatdoesn’t.4.Proof read on screen before printing - most paper waste comesfrom reprinting documents!5.Recycle! Most offices will have recycling points. Make use of them!Recycling at home is no more difficult than throwing away yourweekly rubbish. So make sure to getinto the habit.
1Solar Panels
Solar Panels of rooftops can generate energy or even
just heat for water. As far as water heating is
concerned, solar heating panels can save up to 50% of
annual bills.
2Energy Saving
Lightbulbs
Low Wattage light bulbs can save energy in all rooms
around the home and lower energy bills by around £55
per year.
3Take a shower!
Using the shower instead of taking a bath can save
money. A quick shower only uses around 35 litres of
water, compared to a whopping 80 in the tub!
4Switch off!
If you’re not using it, switch it off! Don’t just leave things
on standby; switching electrical products off at the wall
can save you around £70 a year.
5Recycle!
If you can recyle it, do it. Up to 60% of rubbish in your bin
could be recyclable, all of which can be re-used and can
save energy - check online for your local recycling centre,
there are plenty around!
Top Tips For An Eco-Friendly Home
5