You are here: Home / Archives for Isaac Burke

Get set for twitching

January 24, 2012 By

Twitching used to be one of Britain’s biggest pastimes until tweeting came along! In case you’re not familiar with the phrase, twitching is British terminology for “the pursuit of a previously-located rare bird.”

 

Bird watching in the UK has witnessed a comeback in recent years, thanks to the popularity of the BBC’s Autumn and Spring Watch which began in 2005. Bill Oddie, of The Goodies fame, won over the nation because of his comical banter with fellow presenter Kate Humble, during the first four years of the show, and really encouraged the British population to get involved first hand in nature watching. Oddie quit the programme in 2009, but the show is still going strong.

 

Many people have started feeding birds in their gardens and others have gone out exploring their local area to see what species they can spot.

 

If you’re going out bird watching during the winter, you need to wrap up well. It isn’t the kind of activity you can run around to keep warm – any sudden movements and you’ll scare off the birds. So, it’s important to layer up and make sure you can preserve your core body warmth.

 

As well as putting on base layers and middle insulating layers, you’ll need a waterproof shell to protect you from the elements. The North Face stocks a huge range of jackets and these come in the brightest to the most subdued colours. Twitchers generally pick the darker hues, so they don’t stand out against the background and give the birds cause to take flight.

 

You’ll also need a hat, a good pair of thermal gloves and thermal socks to protect your extremities.

 

As well exploring local nature trails, many people go bird watching at one of the Wildlife and Wetland Trust nature reserves that can be found across Britain – there are currently nine in the UK and Ireland.

Filed Under: Wildlife Tagged With: , ,

Organic beauty

January 23, 2012 By

When you’ve turned out your kitchen cupboards and removed anything that isn’t organic, you automatically begin to feel a lot healthier. The same goes for switching to an eco brand of washing up liquid, washing powder and loo cleaner.  Everything you consume is less damaging to the planet, and that’s got to be a good thing.

The step that people sometimes are slower to change is to make sure what they put on their body is organic, too. This goes for skincare products and shampoos, as well as the clothes that you wear.

A quick search online will bring you thousands of natural beauty tips – including recipes for homemade facials and moisturising creams. All you need to do is make sure that the basic ingredients you start out with are organic, and preferably locally sourced.

Some of the most well-known cosmetic brands in the UK are now organic – like amarya, naturismo and mypure. They’re stocked on the high street and are also sold through the internet. You’ll also often find homemade and organic beauty products at the market – check the labels to make sure these are legit, though. Look out for organic accreditation by groups like the Soil Association.

If you’re not sure where to start or which brands are best, have a look at the SuperSavvyMe website to look at some product reviews. The site covers beauty and haircare products as well as household products, too. You can also become a member of the Savvy Circle and get to do your own product reviews on free samples.

Using natural ingredients on your skin is bound to be better for you than using chemicals, and your skin will soon begin to look better because of the change you’ve made.

Filed Under: Featured Products Tagged With: , , , ,

Get rid of your car free of charge for charity

January 19, 2012 By

More and more of us are going green in our motoring choices.

Although the sales of eco cars are still relatively trifling when compared with conventionally fuelled cars, they are still growing like Topsy in percentage terms. Specifically, that percentage is running at somewhere around two per cent in the UK today – but it’s clearly going to go a lot higher if the kind of electrical and hybrid cars being paraded around the world’s major motor shows are anything to go by.

So, great, you’ve decided to go green and to trade in your old banger for that shiny new hybrid car that will ease your environmental conscience. So what do you do next?

No doubt the dealer will offer you what seems an attractive price for your old car. But wait; next ask him or her what the price for her new car would be if you decided not to trade in your banger? Now substitute the real ‘cash’ deal saving difference from the price you were being offered for the trade-in and hey presto, you have the real trade-in price.

If that amount is too small to bother about – and/or if you really want to put the money to worthwhile use, then why not consider getting in touch with Giveacar?

Giveacar will collect your car from anywhere in the UK free of charge. The organisation will then see what value they can realise from the car in whatever way they can – and then give that money to charities. Giveacar also makes sure the old car is disposed of in a way which is best for the environment.

Giveacar is a social enterprise (a business run for charitable purposes). In the last few years, it has raised well over £350k for 500 charities. The thought that your old banger is going to a good cause may ease its parting!

Filed Under: Transport Tagged With: , , , ,

Honda’s environmental vision

December 23, 2011 By

Honda, the Japanese motor manufacturer, is seen as one of the pioneers of green motoring technology. The company has an environmental vision to realise “the joy and freedom of mobility and a sustainable society where people can enjoy life”.

Back in 2006, Honda announced its voluntary aim to reduce global carbon dioxide emissions from its cars, motorbikes and power equipment products by ten per cent before the end of 2010, when compared with year 2000 levels. That goal was achieved and a new target is to reduce CO2 emissions of the same product lines in use by 30 per cent, again starting from year 2000 levels.

As part of its environmental vision, the motor sports engineering facility of Honda Performance Development has installed solar panel technology in Santa Clarita, California. The CIGS’ 100kW, 800 cell thin film panels will supply power to different areas of the building.  They will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 60 tonnes each year.

And every new car that Honda brings out seems to have improved fuel efficiency and better environmental credentials. The new honda civic 2012 is available in seven different models and each has improved fuel efficiency compared to previous generations. Of all the Civic 2012 models, the Natural Gas is the greenest – indeed it even won Green Car of the Year 2012 at the LA Auto Show. As a power source for an internal combustion engine, natural gas produces 25 per cent fewer carbon dioxide emissions than petrol.

At the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show, Honda revealed two electric concept cars – the Micro Commuter which is a three-seater urban electric car and the Honda EV-ster – a compact electric sports car that could have a range of 100 miles from a single charge. The focus of the Honda concept cars at the Tokyo Motor Show was clearly on improving Honda’s environmentally-friendly offerings, but, in fact, the latest reports are that the Honda EV-ster production version will be petrol-powered.

So, while Honda strives to produce the greenest cars it can and reduce the CO2 emissions of its facilities, it’s still on the journey to its greener vision rather than having arrived at its destination.

Filed Under: Transport Tagged With: , , ,

Six Walks in the Fictional Woods

December 14, 2011 By

Six Walks in the Fictional Woods Umberto Eco

Filed Under: Featured Products Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Electric vehicles in a jam

December 14, 2011 By

Governments around the world have been trying to encourage their driving populations to go electric on the road, but even with tax incentives, there has been a lukewarm reception of the idea.

There are three main reasons for this:

Cost

Electric vehicles are still more expensive than conventional cars fuelled by petrol or diesel because of the cost of their battery packs.  However, pricing for batteries is improving as they are produced on a larger scale, and will continue to get better.

Charging

Many people are put off the idea of buying an EV as they fear being left stranded somewhere when their battery runs out of charge. This is a legitimate concern as the range of an electric vehicle is quite low on average, apart from the Tesla Roadster which has a range of 245 miles.

However, this concern is being dealt with by national governments which are investing in the infrastructure required to set up public charging point networks, placing the charging points in car parks and service stations. The UK’s scheme is called Plugged-In Places.

Alternatives

While people can see the environmentally-friendly attraction of using electric vehicles, there are more practical alternatives already available – such as hybrid vehicles.  Manufacturers like Honda and Toyota led the way in green motoring with the launch of hybrid vehicles in the late 1990s.  Hybrids are good on fuel economy and emissions levels, while giving flexibility to the driver, as you can always top up the fuel tank at any fuel station, meaning there’s no ‘range anxiety’.

However, it doesn’t look like the EV industry is dead – it is growing gradually.  The US government has put US$2.4 billion aside to develop the industry and similarly, China has pledged US$15 billion. President Obama wants to see more than one million EVs on US roads by 2035. Other countries continue to offer tax incentives and rebates to those people buying electric vehicles.

Filed Under: Transport Tagged With: , , , ,

Organic packed lunch

December 8, 2011 By

It can often be difficult deciding what to make for your daily packed lunch, but don’t be afraid of the idea of an organic packed lunch. It’s the same as a normal packed lunch, but it is just so much tastier and incalculably better for the planet when you decide to buy organic.

If it is a sandwich you’re after, then purchase some organic bread. It contains organic products and there are an endless amount of healthy sandwich fillings to help you fill the bread with something tasty. Go for organic spreads such as butter, jam, honey, and mayonnaise, which is actually available without egg for vegans.

You can also purchase organic biscuits and cakes or, if you’re not so fond of buying them, then you can make your own if you have a spare afternoon on your hands at the weekend. There are plenty of supermarkets which stock organic ingredients that are necessary for baking, so don’t despair. Organic fruit is much tastier than anything most shops have to offer, so always take at least one fruit item with you as a packed lunch. You should also take some organic juice; both the fruit and juice are a great way of getting your all-important 5 a day!

There are also organic soups available in certain supermarkets or, if you prefer to make your own, purchase organic vegetables and use them for your soup, and whenever you make a roast save the stock for making soup.

Organic pasta is also available. You could try adding some organic cheese to it, along with a glug of olive oil. You will certainly taste the difference. Finally, if you want some snacks in your packed lunch, organic potato crisps and chocolate is most definitely the way forward for all the family.

Filed Under: Organic Foods Tagged With: , ,

Consider the planet when moving

December 6, 2011 By

Moving home is a time full of excitement, of discovery of pastures new.  It can also be very therapeutic and cleansing as you sort through all your stuff, getting rid of the old and starting afresh.

Once you’ve got a removal van booked in, you can really start to get organised. Having a limited amount of space on a lorry really helps you decide what you actually need to take with you or not, and moving in with only the things you want will mean that your new home feels nice and spacious.

Many pieces of furniture won’t fit in two different houses, so check the dimensions of your new place and see how your existing furniture measures up.

If you decide you have to make a trip to the furniture store to get yourself a new sofa, make sure you dispose of your old one in an eco-friendly fashion. This means finding a new home for it rather than taking it down to the tip. If you don’t know anyone who wants it – and remember to ask friends of friends as well as your immediate circle – then another option is to call a furniture charity which will pick it up from your door.

And when it comes to choosing a new one, maybe you’ve been craving one of the new corner sofas UK showrooms have so many of these days. These are great choices and can offer make a room look bigger than having two three-seaters. However, before you settle on your choice, make sure it has environmentally-friendly filling for the cushions. The best option is latex foam, but there’s also an increasing amount of soya foam being used in combination with polyurethane.

Don’t arrange the delivery of your new sofa until you’ve arrived at your new home – that way you lessen the journeys it will be making after it leaves the store.

Filed Under: Environmentally Friendly Homes Tagged With: , , ,

Be green when furnishing your home

November 29, 2011 By

When furnishing your home it is possible to adopt a green policy.  What you may have to do is spend a little time researching where and how the products you wish to buy are sourced and made. Most companies are very open about their sourcing policies now, and if you meet any kind of resistance in acquiring information from a company about their supply chain and their sourcing policy, this is probably an indication that the company isn’t doing so well in the environmental stakes.

If you want a new coffee table, it’s probable that you will choose a wooden one.  Wood has always been a popular choice as it is such an attractive material.  But the world’s forests have suffered due to people’s demand for timber. Half of the planet’s original forests have been destroyed and only one fifth have been left completely intact.  The tide is beginning to turn though, with far greater efforts being made to replant and renew existing forests. Another way of preserving the forests is through the use of reclaimed wood for furniture manufacture.

Reclaimed wood can have a lot more character than new wood, as the wood has aged naturally and has a depth of colour and tone that is hard to find in recently harvested wood.

The same thing applies to buying a new sofa, sofa bed or other upholstered furniture.  The frame will usually be made of wood – so check on its sourcing when you’re checking the quality of the manufacture.  It’s also possible to check on the supply chain that the fabric has come from.  Were pesticides used in the production of the cotton, were any toxic dyes used to produce the colours in the fabrics?

Asking questions like these will provide you with sufficient information on the process used to create the piece of furniture. You can then make an informed choice on whether a product can be classed as ‘green’ or not.

Filed Under: Environmentally Friendly Homes Tagged With: , , , ,

Honda’s solar vision

November 24, 2011 By

Although Honda hasn’t yet produced a solar car, the company has started work on a home solar hydrogen station prototype.  The idea is that people will be able to use it as a home refuelling system for their fuel cell electric vehicles.

It has been designed to fit into a single unit that could be placed inside a user’s garage.  The Solar Hydrogen Station has been designed with Honda’s first and only hydrogen production car – the FCX Clarity – in mind.

The solar hydrogen station could produce 0.5kg during an eight hour overnight fill for a fuel cell electric vehicle. This would provide enough range for daily commuting – up to 10,000 miles per year.

A previous solar hydrogen station produced by Honda was very bulky, as it required a separate compressor unit in order to produce high pressure hydrogen.  This also reduced the system efficiency.  Honda engineers have refined the electrolyser with high differential pressure and in so doing, have eliminated the need for a compressor unit altogether. The result is that it’s now possible to reduce the station down to a size that is suitable for home use.

This was an important stage in development as it would make it more acceptable for those motorists with small garages or people who live in apartment blocks and have shared parking areas.

Using the Solar Hydrogen Station people could refill their vehicle at night without having to store hydrogen, and carbon dioxide emissions would be reduced as the unit uses off peak electrical power.   The Solar Hydrogen Station could also export electricity to the national grid during peak power daytime hours.  This would be financially beneficial to the customer.

Honda hopes that the combination of home solar hydrogen stations and fuel cell electric vehicles will lead to the setting up of a hydrogen society, which will reduce carbon dioxide emissions dramatically, and lead to greater energy sustainability.

However, for the moment, the Solar Hydrogen Station remains in the R&D department of Honda America in Los Angeles.

Filed Under: Solar Tagged With: , , ,
« Older Posts
Newer Posts »