the pull of the Dark Side...

There are lots of thing which seem to remain how they are because we get used to them and there is no real reason to change. Small things - things which we do not even notice.

One such constant in my life is my computer. I occasionally change the desktop image, do a crap clean, defrag and virus check every now and then, but mostly, it remains the same.

I turn on the Internet, and there is the glowing, pristine white of Google, ready to send me to the far flung corners of the Earth to find the solutions to my queries.

And so it has been for an age. Internet, Google, Search, Find. Happy Days.

But then a little report in 2009 tried to quantify the amount of energy every Google search used. The text cried tales of woe, relating every two Google searches to approximately 7g of carbon, or in plain old English, the amount used to boil a kettle for a cuppa.

As you can imagine, the report was littered with selected data, which was disputed left, right and centre by Google and its supporters. On the flip side, the anti Google brigade grabbed hold.

There did not seem, however, to be a definitive answer (it was dependant on searches, servers involved etc etc), and I stuck with Google. Better the devil you know, right?

But then someone introduced me to Blackle.

What I like about this search engine is that the science is simple. It does not baffle with figures, response times and the like. It is based on, and works on a very clear premise.

Black. The screen is predominantly black, with all text grey / white. Serene and slick looking, it is the sophisticated sister to the Google white and multicoloured logo.

So how does a colour save energy? Well, white or light screens use more energy to appear on your very screens than black or dark screens. And if you think how many PCs have a Google or other white based screen as a home page throughout the day, the little bits can really add up. I would love to say that the ecospot is dark blue because of this fact, but I am afraid it is pure coincidence.

The search itself is powered by Google, and for the purists, the above arguments about the big G will still be valid, but Blackle will save you (and ultimately the world) energy, purely on the screen colour. And for those who love numbers, a small counter on the home page tells you approximately how many Watt hours have been saved by Blackle.

So take a look, spread the word and test the inky waters.

Come and join me on the Dark Side...

calendar girl...

I try not to swear.

I try to be articulate and use interesting and creative English when I speak and write.

But sometimes there are just moments in this life when no other words except certain expletives will make the grade.

And so it was just before Christmas when I was doing a bit of pressie shopping...

Picture the scene - a busy shop, a large queue which seemed to be moving at a snails pace with myself around the middle of the throng. My back hurt, I was tired of being pushed about, shoved and tutted at as if I was continually in everyone else's way and all I wanted to do was purchase the book I was queuing with (Wild Gourmets) and go home.

To pass the time, my eyes wandered around the shop, the fellow peed off shoppers and the surrounding 'impulse buys' which were stacked around the tills. They finally rested on a calendar called 'Grow it'.

I found this calendar particularly amusing as it had a wonderful picture of an elderly gent in his back garden veg patch, surrounded by his wares - but wearing a vest, a flat cap and smoking a cigarette. From the colours in the photos I guestimated the photo as originating from the 60's.

'Ha - that is priceless', I exclaimed to my companion, as I spun the calendar over to see what other dated health faux pas were contained inside.

My eyes scanned once more and rested on August.

'Bloody hell - that's my sodding garden'.

A few heads turned. A few eyebrows raised. I stared intently at the image representing the month of August 2010.

It was an image of my first ever show garden staged at the NEC in 2008 - a contemporary vegetable garden based on the 'reduce, reuse, recycle' mantra. Oh, and a recipe for something using courgettes.

Of course, I duly purchased one for the press file (resisting the urge to buy one for everyone I knew - yes - I was that excited) and scurried out of the shop.

Now, I knew nothing about this calendar, and it was pure chance that I picked it up and had a gander. There were no credits for the photos on the sleeves either, so I will never know who took the photo (it was not one of mine - I did check).

So there you go - I can officially call myself a Calendar Girl.

vampire devices be gone...

We all know that keeping video players, TVs, DVD players and the like on standby saps energy and ultimately raises our bills and our carbon footprints.

You are literally bleeding energy and cash, hence the wonderfully apt 'vampire device' phrase (which I love).

But some find it harder than others to remember to remove a plug and flick the switch. Sometimes we just forget.

So some bright spark (ha ha) at Logicor have devised a device which will take all of the effort and thought from remembering to turn it off at the wall.

The Green Plug Wall Socket looks very much like a standard socket front, and can either be fitted new, or retro fitted to 47mm deep back boxes.

But here comes the clever bit...an air driven power timer switch can be set to turn off the entire supply to the socket after the set period of time. So even if you forget to turn a socket off, it will turn itself off automatically after the set time has ticked away and any connected appliances will consume ZERO electricity.

Each socket can be adjusted separately for period from 15mins to 24 hours and can also be disabled, if you want the power switching back in your own forgetful hands.

The nice thing about this item is that it is very easy to fit, and could save you a great deal of carbon and cash. One of the major gripes with people is that a lot of 'eco' provisions are difficult, expensive or almost impossible to retro fit into an existing property - this is a simple little thing that you could change that could add up to big savings.

So - vampire devices be gone (and no need for the garlic)

Green Power to light up the South Bank...?

There are a few bits about the train journey from Brighton to London which get me excited.

The first is a wonderful tunnel which you whizz through as it undercuts a section of the South Downs. If you crane your neck (or face backwards without puking) you see a beautiful, over the top tunnel surround, complete with towers. A mini Camelot, which was once inhabited.

The next is the views over the back gardens as you speed into Coulsden - I love the snooping factor of this, but is sort of allowed as I am on a train? I also saw a fox asleep on a shed roof here once which made me chuckle.

The last, which prompts the 'get-your-stuff-away' thought is the sudden and imposing view of the wonderful Battersea Power Station.

There it sits, all sad and lonesome, but with an air of dignity and strength, like a once loved and twinkling star who is clinging on to the edges of their fame as it fades gently into time.

I have to admit that I have a particular love for industrial and abandoned architecture - the emptiness and force of the voids, the contrast of textures as they age and how nature winds her way through the cracks. But it is shameful, in a time of the urban sprawl to not make use of these brownfield sites if we can.

Fortunately, Battersea has seen many incarnations since it stopped producing power in 1983, from art exhibitions to film locations, music videos and installations, and quite recently a fantastic snowboarding Big Air Festival and music festival.

More permanent proposals have been brought to the south bank table, but the most recent is very interesting indeed.

Real Estate Opportunities have set forth an eco-renovation for Battersea which is set to include both green energy production and London's first carbon neutral office complex. Cafe's, restaurants, an events centre and open public space will also be included, all within the iconographic skin of the power station.

Destined to begin in 2011 with completion in 2020, this is a quite slow burner in construction terms, but if something is worth doing, it is worth doing well.

I'll keep me beady little ones on this for you...

resolution realisation...

Well, the crimbo limbo is over. New Year has been and gone.

(organic) chicken was eaten, along with unhealthy amounts of venison, duck, pheasant, roast parsnips and home made mince pies. Our elderflower tipple was duly uncorked and consumed.

But now the resolution realisation has kicked in. And with the beginning of a new decade, it sort if feels even more important to look at how I live my life, what I do, why, when and how much - both for my benefit, of those around me and the really big picture which makes my head spin just a bit too fast.

Of course, it does not help that every magazine, supplement, paper and glossy is filled with the 'get yourself thin, young and beautiful for 2010' articles, campaigns and 'buy lists' to aid you along the way. Health, is of course something on many minds after the recent bingeathon, but surely there are other things to add to the resolutions list?

So, when I was pondering the content of this, my 100th post on the ecospot, I thought about what I am going to aim for for 2010 - what are my aims and aspirations?

Firstly I have realised that any huge and massive changes will probably not last much past January 15th. This is something that most people realise but never take on board. Consequently, you feel even worse when the resolution sails past you like a feather on the breeze. Start small and work upwards.

So I begin with my health. I will aim to continue with building up my running which is 1. free, 2. pretty green and 3. will reconnect me with what is going on in the outside world when I am mainly stuck inside. It will also, eventually, 4. take me to places I haven't seen for a while or at all and 5. hopefully make me fitter.

Next, I pledge to streamline what I do. It was not until I was speaking to someone who asked what I did in my free time that I realised that I have none. I seem to run around, head down bum up at such a pace that I am constantly on the go. I forced myself to sit down and read the other day and it was bliss. And I learnt something and felt relaxed for the first time in eons. I also realised that without being centred myself, I cannot effectively do anything for others.

The School of Life is wonderful for looking at these little ideas and how to work them into your everyday ( more on this gem in another post)

As far as pledging for the planet, well, that it a very big ask and one of those head spinny moments. But, as I have said again and again, a little action by each person adds to be a big thing.

So, I am pledging to:

1. ALWAYS have a bag with me when I shop (I have ended up buying approximately 10 reusable bags due to my cotton bag sitting at home) a good option is this little wonder

2. make the most of my local farmers market.

3. throw away as little food as I can (a real wake up call was illustrated in my last post)

4. Smile to people in the street. This will either spread a little happiness about, or I will be sectioned. I am hoping for the former.

So there you go - 2010 here we come. Here's hoping for a better one than 2009 eh?

the really big apple...

I found this little story via Treehugger and I just had to share it with you all.

Can you imagine the amount of food thrown away every day by New york residents? Can you imagine 270,000 lbs of grub?

Many of us can't, and so to illustrate the point City Harvest of New York filled an empty subway train with the equivalent amount of green apples and flooded the otherwise empty platform.

The images are quite amazing - click here for the video.

It would have been magic with stacks of people on the platform though. I suppose that was a little too far to stretch the Health and Safety regulations, and if London's Victoria Line is anything to go by, people would have just climbed in on top of the apples anyway and waited for the train to move on.

Visually amazing and shows exactly what could be utilised for many in need. City Harvest aim to rescue and redistribute 25 million pounds of usable grub in 2009. Amazing.

(and as Treehugger pointed out, no apples were harmed in the making of the event - here is how it was done)

Up the Freegan generation!

the return of the lesser spotted paper lover...

My love / guilt relationship with paper has been covered previously here, but I have realised that it literally does come to a head at the Yuletide season.

If I am being a hard core greenie, I should shun all crimbo cards and send out email versions instead. But I can't. There is something truly lovely about returning home to a little pile of greetings sitting on the door mat. People we haven't seen in ages, spoken to in a while - they are all there waiting with happy tidings for us on a dark afternoon. And if I love returning home to a little stack of cards, how can I deny the joy to someone else?

So, if the electronic version is out, how do I justify the black mark of sending a card - both in manufacture, transportation and deconstruction?

Firstly, I try and get cards which are made from a significant amount of recycled content. This is harder than you may think, but there are some available, including some beauts from Oxfam. This makes me feel a little better. FSC accredited cards are also a possibility and easier to find.

Secondly, I try to get cards which can benefit another person with my purchase - this is the charity card once more, but do not forget that your precious squids can go to both the large international charities or the hospice down the road - most have a card range at this time of year. Whose pockets would you like to line, however small? (it is worth looking at the amount that goes to each charity, which is usually stated on the back of the card)

Thirdly, I think about how the card will be disposed of. If it has any bright spangles, glitter, foil or fancy bits it can be impossible to recycle. These sort of cards can contaminate whole bundles of card, so I avoid them like the plague. AND if you receive any from distant well wishers or Mavis down the road make sure you only place the 100% card bit in the recycling bin after crimbo.

Fourthly, can I incorporate a gift with the card, thus doing two jobs in one (surely this will act as a plus against my guilt???). Some you buy ready done, but how about fashioning your own - a gift card slotted in (do you really need another card and envelope for this?), a pair of earrings, a book token, a charm - nothing too delicate or expensive, but there are a myriad of possibilities.

And lastly, does it say something about me? Now this is not as self centered as you may think. Cast your mind back to the last time you bought a card - I can bet you chose one that was most appropriate for the person you were buying for but also one which you liked or said something about your own likes and character... And so it is with my cards - they never say 'merry christmas' (I am not christian) but usually 'seasons greetings', they never have spangles (see note three above), are mostly nature based or fifties in appearance and are quite graphic. This is me.

So - send your cards and spread a little love, as green as you can manage.

the full monty...

Chocolate.

Seasonal activities - (presents and general consumption of)

Sort of go hand in hand don't they? I am sure that not many people get through the Yuletide season without some degree of consumption.

But if you are to consume, chocolate is one area I think you should afford to be very particular about. Bad chocolate is, well, bad - not to say a huge waste of your daily kcal intake. But good chocolate can make your eyes sink into your skull with ecstasy and the calories seem insignificant.

Maybe it is because we are a city of gluttons, or maybe because we are so particular, we are blessed in Brighton to have quite a few little chocolate shops of varying specialities, sizes and prices.

Plus, a few seem to have sprung up in the same area of the city in a place I now like to call 'the calorific quarter'.

choccywoccydoodah sits here, with the most magnificent confections in cacao you will ever see. Opposite, you can enter the clinical perfection of Hotel Chocolat.

But my favourite, and the destination my taste buds waft towards is always the fantastic Montezuma's chocolate.

A Sussex enterprise, the story began in good old Brighton in 2000 (and I remember going to the opening and tasting my first chunk of chilli chocolate. I was converted and it is now one of my favourites). Since then they have gone from strength to strength and have won a smattering of awards all over the place for their delicious, innovative and responsible chocolate.

Organic chocolate is a huge hitter here, with many of the offerings being certificated, but the combination of flavours is incredible.

As well as the chilli choc, you can choose from butterscotch, geranium, nutmeg and sweet paprika and strawberry. Amongst others. And that is just the bars....

So if you find yourself in Duke Street, nip into Montezuma's, grab a treat and wander off to get lost in the Lanes...

holidays are coming, holidays are coming...

Someone told me the other day that they do not consider it to be Christmas until they have seen a particular television ad from a particular red and white branded soft drink company.

I do not agree, but I did hear myself chanting the 'holidays are coming, holidays are coming' mantras from the very same ad today. hmmm.

Plus, it does seem to be a bit of an urban myth that they invented Santa himself (well, the red and white version anyway).

So the coincidence was quite uncanny, when I stumbled across a couple of very interesting little pieces about Coca Cola recently - and a couple of positive eco ones. For a change.

Firstly, the announcement that they are introducing recycled material bottles based on plants into the US very soon. The 'plantbottle' is based on the by-product of the sugarcane industry in Brazil and each piece will be 30% sugar founded. The bottle that is. Not the content. I am sure that is more.

Secondly, and much more impressive in the short term, both aesthetically and eco wise, is the lush and beautiful concept can by Harc Lee.

The naked can is stunning, and loses the probably trademarked red and white branding whilst keeping the swoosh and font. I (personally) think this is nothing to worry about, as the iconic design is still there and massive amounts of toxic inducing ink would be saved.

But would this mean that Santa would become a silver only wonder? hmmm.

well, if your going to buy something...

My last posting was about buying nothing on the UK's 'Buy Nothing' Day. Did you manage it? Did you do something creative? I hope so.

But, on this, the first day of Christmas, I have succumed to the perils of gift buying and planning.

I am planning to make a lot of presents this year (including the once yearly gift to my sister of a strangely constructed scarf - this Yule based on a pattern of chains), but there are always people you end up buying stuff for.

And with this in mind, I thought I would make a little list of nice places to visit on the internet to do your shopping - some creative, some ethical, some interesting and some beautiful, but all green in some way or another.

I hope you find some inspiration for your own loved ones (and even not so loved ones) here. Have fun kiddlywinks.

Inhabitat - green gift guide - US based, but fantastic for inspiration

Nigel's Eco Store - really local for me as he lives down the road. but on the web too. great.

Ethical Superstore - massive amount of stuff, so loads of shopping possibilities

The Green Store - nice variety of nicely priced things

Oxfam - get a goat or coat or a goat and a coat here. you know what I mean. really. you do.

Soil Association - what about a gift membership?

EcoCentric - part founded by the lovely fellow Brightonian and eco designer Oliver Heath.

My Eco Store - says it all really?

Love Eco - again - says it all!

ECOutlet - lovely things, from face cream and man candles(?) to vintage bits and bobs. lush.

Ecotopia - again, a great variety of bits, including a voltaic laptop bag. which I HUGELY covet.