Friday 24 October 2014

Dinosaurs, Mother Nature and Human Destiny

green providers directory


Various theories exist about the event that ended the dinosaurs' dominance of the Earth. Whatever the cause, it was certainly cataclysmic. Dinosaurs had been around for some 135 million years – by comparison humans are believed to have lived on Earth for only 2 million years. In cosmic terms, humans have existed for the blink of an eye. Shorter still is the industrial era and technological developments that have allowed humans to dominate every facet of the Earth and control its very destiny.

We revel in our brilliance and ingenuity in mastering Mother Nature but as the Nobel laureate Richard Feynman once famously said, "For a successful technology, reality must take precedence over public relations, for nature cannot be fooled." Ultimately Mother Nature will prevail - she always has and she always will. The big difference, of course, is that unlike the dinosaurs' fate, humans may ultimately inflict their own demise. And we can see it coming.

These are not doomsayer predictions but rather inevitable consequences of our own actions unless we change course. For example, our very economic system is predicated on the ever increasing consumption of unlimited resources, which is fundamentally flawed given that Earth's capacity is obviously finite. Yet governments of all persuasions pursue unmitigated economic growth as a panacea for domestic bliss and, where democracy exists, for improving their chances of re-election by appeasing the masses.

At the same time, governments have been largely inactive in terms of mediating unsustainable growth in the global human population due to fears of a religious backlash and accusations of 'big brother' interference in personal lives. It is estimated by the Guttmacher Institute, for example, that 222 million women worldwide have an unmet need for modern contraception due to limited cultural acceptance, the level of female empowerment, affordability or problems with distribution.

A rocketing human population demanding Western lifestyles and consuming ever more resources to fuel economic growth clearly cannot be sustained in the long-term. Whilst technology improvements, energy efficiency, improved methods of food production and the discovery and extraction of fossil fuels from untapped areas such as the Arctic and the use of fracking will buy time they are not the solution (remember the jubilation at North Sea oil in the 1970s).

On the flip side, many of those involved in the environmental movement have been too quick to predict disaster. When it hasn’t happened there has been ridicule and consequential loss of faith in the predictions. Coupled with powerful corporate influences on public understanding, this has resulted in apathy and a large proportion of the population simply not believing the science. Changes are occurring but more gradual than some of the more perilous predictions. Others within the environmental movement have taken an almost fundamentalist line, which has played directly into the hands of the corporations and media who portray them as tree-hugging, sandal wearing hippies out of touch with reality.

The problems facing our planet in the coming years are considerable, but they are not insurmountable. Better education and empowerment of women are keys to bringing down high birth rates. This has been proven to be effective in developing countries and examples such as Malala Yousafzai provide real inspiration. The shift away from dirty fossil fuels to renewable energy sources is continuing and will accelerate as the cost-effectiveness of newer green technologies improves. Scotland, for example, is predicted to be entirely renewable electricity-powered by 2020. Consumer demand and campaigning for sustainable and fair trade products is forcing many suppliers to adopt more ethical practices. Demand for eco-friendly, fair trade products has surged according to the market research company Nielsen, and this trend is likely to continue.

We tread a fine line but ultimately we are masters of our own destiny.








Thursday 23 October 2014

Drive an eco friendly car? Don't miss out on green insurance savings!

There has been a rapid rise in the number of low emission vehicles and hybrid cars on Britain's roads as more drivers look to cut costs with saving on fuel and tax.
 
What many don't realise is that insurance on these types of cars is often lower too, with many green insurance companies offering discounts for eco friendly and low emission vehicles.
Some green insurance companies also offer to offset your carbon emissions or contribute some of their profits to good causes.
 
If you drive a low emission, eco friendly car then don't miss out on potential savings on your insurance too whilst helping to protect the planet!
 
The Green Providers Directory provides a list of green insurance companies who specialise in this area.
 
 

"It wasn't the Exxon Valdez captain's driving that caused the Alaskan oil spill. It was

yours." - Greenpeace advertisement, New York Times, 25 February 1990









Wednesday 15 October 2014

Drapers Organic

Organic cotton and hemp fabric
Drapers Organic are the hemp shower curtain, hemp fabric and hemp homeware Company. They offer you a great choice of colours and sizes in their two stylish hemp shower curtain collections, of which their ‘Purely’ Collection also makes elegant window dressings.

Drapers Organic have now added hemp beanbag covers to their mix and match homeware range of cushion covers, curtains, tablecloths, runners & napkins and have included their ‘Purely’ fabric to their vibrant hemp fabric by the metre range, so you can now make your own hemp shower curtains and homewares too!

Visit www.drapersorganic.co.uk

Call 0333 456 3560











Can you pass the greenwash test?

Unsustainable human consumption
If you listen to the marketing hype of some of the larger companies these days its easy to be seduced into thinking that they're all green and adopting sustainable policies towards the environment.

Its true that some have made encouraging steps forward, which is to be commended. However, a large proportion have cynically jumped on the green bandwagon and added 'eco' to various products and services whilst making no real changes to protect the environment. 'Greenwashing' as its become known, is prevalent across a range of industries.

At the same time, confusion over what is genuinely green and consumer disinterest and apathy, have led to the subject of sustainability dropping off the radar and being kicked into the long grass. Remember the coalition's pledge to be the 'greenest government ever'?

Let's ignore the various claims and counter-claims and look at two fundamental facts, which are quite alarming, and which serve to expose the truth behind the facade.

Firstly, wildlife populations have halved in the last 40 years, according to the latest Living Planet Report by the World Wildlife Fund. The report states that "the biggest recorded threat to biodiversity globally comes from the combined impacts of habitat loss and degradation, driven by unsustainable human consumption". That includes massive human population growth, particularly in Africa. The earth is undergoing a mass extinction due to human activity and we don't even realise it.

Secondly, global greenhouse gas emissions are set to hit a record high this year, with a rise of 2.5 per cent above 2013 levels. In other words, climate change isn't being brought under control - its actually spiralling out of control.

Don't be fooled into believing that we are living in a greener world, run by green governments and corporations trying to protect the environment. The unpalatable truth is that things are far worse now than they were before the so-called 'green revolution.'

If larger numbers of consumers can be better informed and convinced of the ecological dangers we face, then their combined demand for greener goods and services will cause a paradigm shift in buying behaviour whilst forcing traditional companies to adopt policies that reduce harm to the environment.

All of which makes it more imperative to see through cynical greenwashing and push for genuinely green products, whilst adopting more sustainable lifestyles.





Monday 6 October 2014

Essence of Eden Premium Raw Organic Coconut Oil

Buy Wholesale Organic Extra Virgin coconut oil Online


We have a choice... we can continue to ingest hydrogenated oils through our diets causing obesity, digestive disorders, heart disease, premature ageing, diabetes, etc... or...

We can use one of the good saturated fats, used in times before 1920, Essence Of Eden, 100% Organic Virgin coconut oil, "the healthiest oil on earth" Bruce Fife. (Along with healthy diet and exercise).

There are many different brands of virgin coconut oil available in the UK, mainly cold pressed, Expeller pressed or worse copra.

However Essence Of Eden is different because their oil is produced without pressing or heat to extract the oil, which retains the highest possible level of nutrients, therefore giving a Premium oil.

The second distinctive mark between Essence Of Eden virgin coconut oil and others is that their oil is Certified by the Soil Association, USDA and Indocert. This applies not only to the processing plant but the Farm itself, the Process, the Exporter and Importer all inspected and certified plus they are licensed by Defra so you really know you are getting - ORGANIC!!

Thirdly, they present their oil to you in glass jars, to enable you to see the quality of their product and that it has no gray/yellow patches of mould which you would not be able to detect if plastic tubs were used. So please enjoy, being assured that you have the best quality oil available!


Visit www.essenceofeden.co.uk