Safe and Green

Message for you out there!!!

2011-05-11T14:59:00.000+01:00

Only after the last tree has been cut down.... Only after the last fish has been caught..... Only after the last river has been poisoned.... Only then you will realise that money cannot be eaten!!!!
'Cree Indian Prophecy'...

Green Christmas

2010-12-17T10:50:00.003Z

If you want Green Christmas keep in mind the three Rs--> Reduce- Reuse- Recycle!!!
and use them in that order for the preparation- before, during and after Christmas!!

Buy your Christmas dinner from farmers market

Give out green useful presents

Decorate your home with natural and recycable materials

Recycle your wrapping paper

Any left overs from your yummy Festive dinner... transform them to wonderful dishes for Boxing Day and beyond!

Recycle or even be extra creative and reuse your Christmas cards

Make your New Year resolution.... a GREEN ONE

Enjoy your Green Christmas to the full !!! Green love ..... Your Eco Knight!!!

2010-10-18T11:22:00.002+01:00

Lord Young last week published his report on reforming health and safety law, and tackling the increasing "no win, no fee" claims culture, which has now become endemic in our society. The HSE has welcomed the report.

Judith Hackitt, the HSE Chair, said:

"Lord Young's report is an important milestone on the road to recovery for the reputation of real health and safety. HSE welcomes it and will be actively pursuing those recommendations within our remit.

"We welcomed the review when it was announced by the Prime Minister in June and we are looking forward to contributing to its implementation.

"Publication of the report is a tremendous opportunity to refocus health and safety on what it is really about - managing workplace risks. Getting this right is good for employers, employees and Britain as a whole.

"We've been saying for some time that health and safety is being used by too many people as a convenient excuse to hide behind. Often it is invoked to disguise somebody's motives - concerns over costs or complexity, an unwillingness to defend an unpopular decision or simple laziness. Lord Young is sweeping these excuses away.

"HSE will continue to champion a sensible and proportionate approach to dealing with serious risks in the workplace - not eliminating every minor risk from everyday life."

To read the full report visit www.hse.gov.uk

http://www.hse.gov.uk/press/2010/hse-lordyoungreport.htm

Jogging to Health.

2010-10-06T16:11:00.004+01:00

In an effort to promote a healthier lifestyle, and to consider reducing his own carbon footprint, our very own Nick Woodrow (manager of the Central Skills Training Facility) is pictured setting his stop watch in preparation for his jog home.
Nick changes out of his business suit to replace it with his shorts and jogging top at the end of a hard day to enjoy his brisk run home. Of course, many rumours circulated that a taxi was waiting for him just around the corner on Glaisdale Drive, but I can assure you that this was not the case!!

There are many things an individual can do as an alternative to jogging to change their lifestyle to a more healthy one; such as stopping smoking, eating more fruit and vegatables, and cutting down on foods that are high in saturated fats.
Taking regular exercise will also improve health. You don't have to jog like Nick, but even walking to work or college will improve your overall fitness, as well as helping the planet by reducing the number of car or bus journeys you make.

Nick hopes that other members of staff and learners will follow his example to strive for a healthier lifestyle and reduce greenhouse gases. Naturally, as the darker nights draw in, I would advise that you consider your safety when jogging by wearing some form of High-visibility garment so that you are clearly visible to motorists.

Keep on running!!

Go Green..... Go Car Boot

2010-09-03T12:18:00.002+01:00

Go Green .... Go Car Boot.
End of summer... start of autumn. The perfect time to have a clear out... The weather is still promising, the spirits are high after holidays... and it is the ideal time of the year to get rid of unwanted new or used items, gain some extra pennies, practice your sales skills, have fun and of course be Green.
Refer to your local newspaper and find out of Car Boot functions around your area. Take the kids, along, enjoy the outdoors, teach them how to bargain and achieve the best deal; educate them on how to be green. ‘One man’s junk is the other man’s treasure’ they say.
Car booting is one of the most wonderful green ways to enjoy your local community, de-clutter your home and be extra GREEN

Mariel O'Meara, tutor

REAL INCIDENT

2010-08-31T11:07:00.001+01:00

This real incident highlights just how important Risk Assessment is in our line of work, which involves sending employees out into other premises or domestic dwellings.
Source: www.hse.gov.uk

Mental Health Matters Ltd, a North East-based registered charity has been fined £30,000 with costs of £20,000 after one of their employees was killed by a service user.
Ashleigh Ewing, a 22-year-old support worker employed by Mental Health Matters, was attacked and killed by service user Ronald Dixon.
Mental Health Matters provide support and housing services to people who suffer from mental health problems. They pleaded guilty to a charge brought by the Health and Safety Executive for a breach of Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 for failing to do all that was reasonably practicable to ensure Ms Ewing's safety.
Newcastle Crown Court heard that Ashleigh Ewing was visiting Ronald Dixon at his home in Heaton, Newcastle upon Tyne on 19 May 2006 when she was attacked and stabbed to death.
Ashleigh had started work with Mental Health Matters exactly six months prior to the date of her death. The attack occurred on the final day of her probation period.
The prosecution told Mr Justice Keith that Ashleigh's employment by Mental Health Matters exposed her to certain obvious risks, particularly in the context of her dealings with Mr Dixon. His mental health was known to be deteriorating and Mental Health Matters failed to respond to a number of warning signs. The court also heard that they failed to afford Ashleigh the level of protection that the nature of her job warranted.

Mrs Pam Waldron, HSE's Head of Operations said:
"This is an unusual case which shows the need for employers to assess risks to employees who visit individuals in their homes and for arrangements to be reviewed when changes occur.
"We believe that if Mental Health Matters had carried out a risk assessment, it would have resulted in the visiting arrangements being reviewed."
Notes to Editors:
1. The service user, Ronald Dixon, who killed Ashleigh Ewing, pleaded guilty in October 2007 to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility and is detained indefinitely at Rampton Secure Hospital.
2. Working alone is not in itself against the law, and it will often be safe to do so. However, the law requires employers and others to think about and deal with any health and safety risks before people should be allowed to work alone. For more information about lone working http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/indg73.pdf
3. Section 2(1) of the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 states: it shall be the duty of every employer to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health, safety and welfare at work of all his employees.

INTERNATIONAL YOUTH DAY.

2010-08-12T10:29:00.003+01:00

It is International Youth Day on 12 August
The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 includes particular responsibilities aimed at young people in the workplace.

All people are at particular risk of injury in the first six months of a job as they may be unaware of existing or potential risks. Young people will frequently be in this category

Young people may lack experience or maturity or may be unaware of how to raise concerns.
They may not have reached physical maturity and therefore lack the strength demanded
They may be eager to impress or please people with whom they work.
Everyone involved in the employment of young people needs to understand:

# Young people and the law.
# Risks to young people at work.

Those who employ young people can help them to understand the importance of health and safety at work. It will serve them well not only in their working life, but in their everyday life as well. Sensible health and safety at work is about managing risks rather than expecting them to be eliminated.

Periods of work experience and work-based learning will be the first time that most young people experience the work environment. Good preparation and organisation of placements is essential if these opportunities are to be rewarding and safe introductions to the world of work.

Work Experience should be taken to include reference to Work Based Learning. There is a wealth of guidance produced to help those employing young people or involved in work experience. The HSE provides guidelines for those involved with young people at work and on work experience. For authorative information, follow the links on the HSE website to the specific guidance and refer to the relevant legislation. The new HSE legislation site provides information on the range of health and safety legislation that applies to workplaces in Great Britain.

Information sourced from www.hse.gov.uk

2010-08-03T16:28:00.002+01:00

Did you know... Disability
‘Health and safey’ is sometimes used as a false excuse for not employing people with a disability. However, research has shown that disabled employees are as productive as their colleagues.

Find out more about diversity disability issues.
Quick facts
1.Disabled employees have less time off sick; stay longer in their jobs and have fewer work accidents;
2.20% of the workforce, 6.9 million people, have some form of disability or impairment;
3.Only 17% of people with a disability are born with that disability, the majority acquire their disability during their woking life;
4.Estimates from the LFS indicate that self-reported work-related stress, depression or anxiety accounted for an estimated 11.4 million lost working days in Britain in 2008/09.
5.“Reasonable adjustments” can make a difference to the working environment of people with a disability or long term health issue;
6.‘Reasonable adjustments ‘ can also be made on a temporary basis;
7.For muscoskeletal disoders (MSDs), altering a task, equipment or workload an individual faces can significantly reduce the risk of MSDs occuring;
8.The 5 steps to risk assessment is a useful tool for employers.
Remember that disabilities are not always visible. Everyone has a duty to be health and safety conscious and be aware of the health and safety risks in their workplace.

Some reasonable adjustments can be made at little or no cost to the employer. However, Access to Work can offer advice and support for adaptations.

2010-06-25T15:29:00.000+01:00

Safeguarding update.

Safeguarding is an integral part of everything we do at Care Training and Central Skills, and is indeed a key organisational objective for 2010 and beyond.

The Safeguarding team, headed by Bruce Sheeran, has been operational for several months, holding regular meetings to discuss legislative requirements, safeguarding concerns, and to formalise organisational procedures.

What is safeguarding? Safeguarding is protecting the health, safety and welfare of a person, both physically and mentally, ensuring they are protected from any form of harm, abuse or neglect.
Safeguarding vulnerable adults: The Government defines vulnerable adult as a person who is aged 18 years or older and:
• is living in residential accommodation, such as a care home or a residential special school;
• is living in sheltered housing;
• is receiving domiciliary care in his or her own home;
• is receiving any form of health care;
• is detained in a prison, remand centre, young offender institution, secure training centre or attendance centre or under the powers of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999;
• is in contact with probation services;
• is receiving a welfare service of a description to be prescribed in regulations;
• is receiving a service or participating in an activity which is specifically targeted at people with age-related needs, disabilities or prescribed physical or mental health conditions or expectant or nursing mothers living in residential care (age-related needs includes needs associated with frailty, illness, disability or mental capacity);
• is receiving direct payments from a local authority/HSS body in lieu of social care services;
• requires assistance in the conduct of his or her own affairs.
(source: www.crb.homeoffice.gov.uk/faqs/definitions)
Any individual under the age of 18 is classed as a child.
The Government has defined the term ‘safeguarding children’ as:
‘The process of protecting children from abuse or neglect, preventing impairment of their health and development, and ensuring they are growing up in circumstances consistent with the provision of safe and effective care that enables children to have optimum life chances and enter adulthood successfully.’
(sourced from www.safeguardingchildren.org.uk/Ofsted)

Our mission is to provide a safe and healthy learning environment for both learners and staff, free from any form of abuse or neglect, and to provide effective support to enable learners of ALL ages to progress and realise their aspirations.

CTEM’s designated Safeguarding Officer is Bruce Sheeran, who heads a team consisting of: Maria Cooke, Marie Whyman, Lisa Whyman, Mick Ford, Phil Priest and Tom Devonport.

Please ask to speak to any member of the team if you experience or suspect any form of abuse, harassment, discrimination or neglect.

Useful sites for further information:

www.crb.homeoffice.gov.uk

www.isa-gov.org.uk

www.skillsfundingagency.bis.gov.uk

www.hse.gov.uk

www.nottinghamdrugaware.co.uk

2010-06-21T14:18:00.002+01:00

Speak Up, Stay Safe - British Safety Council campaign
A new campaign from the British Safety Council asks young people to take responsibility for their own health and safety. Julie Nerney, British Safety Council chief executive says: "Every 40 minutes in the UK a young person is seriously injured in the workplace. We think this position is wholly unacceptable. By highlighting to young people that they need to be aware of their environment and speak up if they feel unsafe we hope to significantly reduce this number."

The campaign supports young people to feel confident talking to their work supervisor, parent, teacher or friends if they feel that they are in an unsafe situation. No young person should feel pressurised to work in an environment where there is a risk of injury or death.

Neal Stone, head of policy and public affairs for the British Safety Council says: "In 2009, 3,200 young people between the ages of 16-19 were seriously injured while in work. In the past 10 years, 66 young workers have been killed in the workplace. These numbers show how important this campaign is, not just for young workers but to those around them - their parents, family members, friends and teachers".

The Speak Up Stay Safe campaign website [1] provides specialist tips and advice for young people, teachers, parents and employers.

http://www.speakupstaysafe.com/

Information sourced from www.hse.gov.uk

Did you know????

2010-06-15T13:00:00.002+01:00

End of the world: Will 2013 space storm kill us all off?
Solar flares could cause power grids to overheat, causing our electricity dependent lives to go into meltdown, according to Nasa.
Satnavs and air travel will also be hit as major satellites stop working when the Sun reaches a frenzied frequency of sun spots.
A ‘once-in-a-generation’ space storm is forecast to stretch from late 2012 into 2013 when the Sun’s 22- year magnetic energy cycle coincides with its 11-year peak in superpowered sun spot activity.
‘We know it’s coming but we don’t know how bad it’s going to be,’ said Dr Richard Fisher, head of Nasa’s Heliophysics division.
‘Systems will just not work. The flares rapidly change the magnetic field on the earth, like a lightning bolt. That is the solar effect.’
A powerful solar storm could cause more damage than Hurricane Katrina, which left New Orleans with an £85billion cleaning and reconstruction bill.
Prof Richard Harrison from the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire told Metro: ‘The sun is now waking up. It’s been very inactive but there’s a lot of debate about how dramatic its waking up will be.’
And it was not scaremongering, he said, to say the effects could be felt at the London 2012 Olympics – with power cuts in the city and broadcasting disruption as satellites were knocked out of action.

Quoted from http://www.metro.co.uk/news/830946-end-of-the-world-will-2013-space-storm-kill-us-all-off

National Men's Health Week

2010-06-14T20:39:00.004+01:00

Did you know it is National Men's Health Week??

It is National Men’s Health Week during 14 – 20 June 2010. We shouldn’t always assume what the key health and safety risks are for men. Health and safety is not about one size fits all, and can have specific implications for men in the workplace.

Quick facts:

• Men are more likely to have work related accidents (4 days or more) than women;
• Men suffer the great majority of fatal or major non-fatal injuries at work;
• It is estimated that just under 6,500 deaths (about 8%) and just over 10,000 new cases (about 6%) of cancer in males each year can be attributed to exposures encountered at work;
• In agriculture, an industry with a predominantly male workforce, older farmers generally have more experience than their younger counterparts but can be at a greater risk of fatal or serious injury, especially from live stock;
• Although musculoskeletal disorders are the most reported work related health complaint among men and women in Europe, men experience different disorders to women;
• Young men age 16 - 24 have a substantially higher risk of all workplace injury than older male workers;
• Male workers who make up the majority of Britain’s construction industry have a high incidence of occupational ill health, including: back pain, skin and breathing problems, noise and stress
• Research shows that men are less likely than women to talk about and seek medical help for ill health.

For further diversity information, please visit;

http://www.hse.gov.uk/diversity/gender.htm

Source: www.hse.gov.uk

Communicate...green style!!!!

2010-05-25T10:48:00.003+01:00

Every hour of every day approximately 1712 mobile phones are replaced in the UK alone. That’s about 428kgs of potentially harmful landfill created every hour!

By recycling your unwanted handset, you are giving a new lease of life – providing much needed, affordable communications to those who need it most – people in developing countries.

Phones that are too old, or beyond economical repair are sent for safe recycling, ensuring that nothing ends up in landfill.

Infomation taken by: http://www.environmenttimes.co.uk/news_detail.aspx?news_id=1222

New HSW&E working group at Clinton House

2010-04-28T12:39:00.002+01:00

Clinton House now has a new HSW&E team, who now meet on every first Thursday of the month to discuss any health, safety, welfare or environmental issues within CTEM operations. The group consists of: Louise Grant, Kerry Redgate, Richard Smith, Philip Pickering, Keith Cutts and myself.
Please feel free to approach any member of the team if you have any HSW&E concerns, or any issue you wish to be raised in future meetings.

Keep safe!! :-)

Wave Farm!!!! Who would have thought eh?!!!

2010-03-29T15:47:00.003+01:00

The first commercial energy station powered by ocean waves started up three miles off the Portuguese coast. The machine, which resembles a giant red sea snake, generates electricity that’s transmitted via an underwater cable to the nation’s power grid. Two more machines are expected to be added in the coming weeks, allowing the “wave farm” to generate a total of 2.25 megawatts, enough to supply 1,500 households with electricity [Reuters]. If successful, a second phase will see energy generation rise to 21 megawatts from a further 25 machines providing electricity for 15,000 Portuguese homes [CNN].

Information taken from: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2008/09/24/first-wave-farm-sends-energy-to-portugals-power-grid/

A serious Matter!!!!

2010-02-16T09:18:00.000Z

OSLO (Reuters) - Long-term efforts to help Haiti recover from the earthquake will have to reverse environmental damage such as near-total deforestation that threatens food and water supplies for the Caribbean nation, experts say.
The focus is now on emergency aid -- Haitian officials estimate that between 100,000 and 200,000 people died in the January 12 quake. But President Rene Preval urged donors on Monday also to remember the country's long-term needs.
Experts say deforestation in Haiti stretching back to the Duvalier dictatorships -- leaving the nation with less than 2 percent forest cover -- contributes to erosion that undermines food output by the poorest nation in the Western Hemisphere.
"We need to work...to create mechanisms that reinforce better use of natural resources," said Asif Zaidi, Operations Manager of the post-conflict and disaster management branch of the U.N. Environment Programme (UNEP).
Before the quake, UNEP had decided on a two-year project from 2010 to bolster Haiti's environment, from forests to coral reefs, spokesman Nick Nuttall said.
Among quick measures for donors could be to provide propane to encourage a shift from charcoal-burning stoves. That could be backed in the longer-term by reforestation and investments in renewable energies such as solar or wind power, Zaidi said.
"If you have forest cover, when heavy rain takes place it doesn't erode the land. It doesn't result in flash floods," he said. Hurricanes are more damaging in Haiti than in neighboring Dominican Republic, largely because of Haiti's lack of forests.
LAND RIGHTS
Another big problem is that Haiti has failed to develop strong governance, such as clear laws on land rights, after misrule under dictatorship from 1957 to 1986 by Francois "Papa Doc" Duvalier and his son, Jean-Claude "Baby Doc."
"It is crucial that the priority of boosting agricultural production in the country is not forgotten in the rubble and chaos," the U.N.'s Food and Agricultural Organization said in a statement. Most Haitians live in rural areas.
British-based risk consultancy Maplecroft lists Haiti as number two of 166 nations by their vulnerability to climate change, behind only Somalia and ahead of Afghanistan and Sierra Leone.
"What stands out most for Haiti is resource security -- food security and water security," said Fiona Place, risk analyst at Maplecroft of the ranking that rates countries according to their vulnerability to natural hazards, from droughts to floods.
Years of weak government were also a shortcoming.
Donors have long sought to help Haiti. But a project to plant trees worldwide, for instance, has largely bypassed Haiti.
A U.N.-backed campaign registers 7.8 billion planted trees -- more than one for every person on the planet. But it lists just 140,000 in Haiti which has a population of 10 million.
And Haiti, like many poor nations, has missed out on projects for promoting carbon-cutting technologies in developing nations that have channeled big investments to China and India as part of the fight against global warming.
(Editing by Charles Dick)
For Reuters latest environment blogs, click on: http://blogs.reuters.com/environment/

Slips, trips and falls

2010-02-09T08:26:00.006Z

The myth: There’s nothing you can do about slips and trips and they don’t really hurt anyone anyway.

The reality: Most slips and trips are preventable and many happen when spills aren’t cleared up or clutter tidied away.

Last year, there were four fatalities and more than 10,000 employees were seriously injured when they had a slip or trip at work. This results in broken bones and time off work, costing the economy around £800 million per year. Simple mistakes can shatter lives… Your actions could help stop them from happening. Don’t take things for granted, cut corners or wait for someone else to do it. Clear up!

Ensure the safety of yourself and others at work! Go to www.hse.gov.uk/myth/index.htm to find out more.

Information sourced from http://www.hse.gov.uk/

Recycling....is Art

2010-02-01T09:11:00.005Z

Bored? Lacking inspiration? Do you want to leave your mark into this world but do not know how? Here is a clever idea of how to take recycling into a whole new different level and discover the artist within you...

RECYCLE DEAD FLIES!!!!!

Creativity is the key to success.

Dare and you can save the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Think different.

Green Shopping therapy...Who would have thought?!!!

2010-01-25T13:17:00.004Z

Heat sensitive CO2 Mug
The colours change to reveal the world's most severe carbon footprint offenders!

OWL, the Wireless Electricity Monitor
Tells you the amount of electricity you are using in terms of both power and cost.

This was taken from: http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment

Laura says go and play in the trees and find Robin Hood!!!

2010-01-12T15:08:00.005Z

For the ones who ate a lot over the festivities and feel guilty about it... and surprise surprise decided, as their New Year's resolution, to attempt and lose these extra pounds (and maybe a little bit extra) remember: losing weight is a world issue, because:
1. You will be eating more healthy food, more raw food, more organic and fair trade food.

2. You will, hopefully, recycle your eventually old and bigger size clothes (hurray!!!!) by sending them to clothes' banks that will dress others in need.

3. You will become lighter people...in and out...happier human beings who spread positivity and love....

What more can the world can ask for!!!! Go for it!!!! :-)

The above was Laura's idea: Thank you!

Festive Greetings!!

2009-12-21T10:22:00.004Z

My dear all!!!

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all HAPPY FESTIVE TIMES and remember, "Where there is a will there is a way"! Happy green times... all the time!

Merry Green Christmas and an even Greener, Safer New Year!!! xxxxx

Your Eco-Knight (all year around), with love!!

Go Charity this Xmas!!!!

2009-12-16T14:55:00.003Z

Xmas time = present time!! Why don't you spend your money constructively, and fill someone with joy, by giving them a present that is set to save the world? Well-known charities like Oxfam are committed to eco-friendly issues. Read a bit about what they do:

What is Oxfam doing about climate change?
We’re already helping people to cope with severe weather events, and also plan for the consequences of future climate change. Like everything that we do, our climate change work focuses on three core areas:

1. Humanitarian
We are constantly responding to natural disasters which can be linked with global climate change, like our emergency relief efforts after floods in India, hurricanes in Haiti, or drought in Kenya. What’s more, we’re making sure these communities are better prepared for extreme weather events in the future, too. That means things like raising homes up on stilts, or providing early warning systems for when disasters strike.

2. Development
Helping communities to adapt to climate change is a key part of our development work. In South Africa farmers are planting faster-maturing crops, making the most of less-reliable rains. In Bangladesh, villagers are creating floating vegetable gardens, to protect their livelihoods against flooding. And in Viet Nam, communities are planting dense mangroves along the coast, to protect them from storm waves.

3. Campaigning
We’re demanding urgent and decisive action on climate change from world leaders that results in a global deal that is just and fair for all people, not just those with power and money.

This is taken from www.oxfam.org.com

The Wave!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-12-04T10:28:00.003Z

On Saturday 5 December 2009, ahead of the crucial UN climate summit in Copenhagen, tens of thousands of people from all walks of life will march through the streets of London to demonstrate their support for a safe climate future for all.
Part of a global series of public actions, The Wave will call on world leaders to take urgent action to secure a fair international deal to stop global warming exceeding the danger threshold of 2 degrees C.
The Wave - which is not just a huge march but a whole day of exciting campaign activities - is organised by the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition, will show mass support by people from all backgrounds for a better, low carbon future for the UK and the world.

This was taken from www.stopclimatechaos.org/the-wave

A little story with a Green tint!

2009-11-17T08:36:00.004Z

Yesterday, I saw the first house in my neighborhood populated with dozens of festive lights in anticipation of Christmas celebrations. Then my very best friend called me in a state of anxiety in regards to her Christmas shopping, Christmas present wrapping and Christmas card dispatching.

I am only human after all and there is only that much that I can take on Monday evening, after a busy day at work. I put the phone down, closed the curtains in a rush and felt my heart beating faster as I thought, "Christmas! Money to spend, items to buy, cards to write, presents to wrap…. I need a miracle!!!!"

At that very moment, James, my husband walked in… and said,
“I’ve decided this Christmas we shouldn’t send any Christmas cards, but we should call those far and visit those close to us. That's better than a card which will be thrown in the bin - or if lucky in the recycled - don’t you think? And as far as Christmas present wrapping: this year we should use newspapers. Why not? Lets be different, be trendy, be eco - at the end of the day everyone throws the wrapping paper away in an instance anyway!”

Do you think James has a point? I do!

OvO mini- ecosystem

2009-11-09T08:38:00.003Z

Kenneth Cheung, 23, is the founder of BEEcycle Ltd which is one of the environmental start-up companies being incubated at LEC.

Kenneth has invented the OvO, a mini-ecosystem which allows children to observe the decomposition of food into soil in only a week.

Two schools - Moorside and Ryelands Primaries in Lancaster - have bought the OvO, which Kenneth aims to sell to schools nationwide.

Usually composing at school means a bucketful of peelings but the OvO is clear and self-contained so the children can see the composting in action.

The OvO comes with composting worms which live in a soil cavity which is covered by a clear dome to trap heat, creating the ideal temperature for the worms to grow and enabling the children to observe the whole process.The system provides oxygen for the worms through the air capsule and only needs to be refilled with water every three weeks thanks to an absorbing wick creates a self-watering system.

Kenneth said: "The OvO is a great way to teach children about the breakdown of food waste into highly nutritious compost which they can then plant a seed in. It enables children to understand the food cycle and appreciate the biology and the importance of each stage. "
Once the waste is composted, the children plant a seed and watch their plant grow.

This was taken from www.lec.lancs.ac.uk/business/latest_news.php?article_id=651

A bit of Fairy Magic

2009-10-30T11:03:00.004Z

Disney character Tinkerbell has officially left Neverland in order to encourage us to be a bit greener and keep our world a bit cleaner. The UN has appointed Disney’s most infamous fairy Tinkerbell as an “Honorary ambassador of green” in order to make younger children more aware of the environment in an engaging way.

As the Copenhagen Climate Conference in December is drawing nearer, the UN is working very hard on promoting the importance of environmental issues among politicians as well as private individuals including children. And what a better way to interest children than using a sympathetic green fairy that cares about the environment?

This was taken from http://simpleshoesblog.co.uk/

Eddie is our Hero

2009-10-19T11:08:00.003+01:00

Eddie Izzard has run an astounding 43 marathons in 51 days – covering more than 1,100 miles across the UK, and all to raise money for Sport Relief. Eddie has risen to his challenge - and now you can too. Visit the Sport Relief website for more information

http://www.comicrelief.com/donate/eddie

If you going to do it Green .....Do it Right!........No cooking allowed!

2009-10-15T10:30:00.003+01:00

Of course any eco-extremists worth their salt will not only consider their energy output, but also their input. And the raw food movement is leading the way in fanatically eco-conscious eating.

Devotees of this radical diet turn their noses up at anything that has been roasted, fried, boiled or steamed, and hence tend to avoid meat and fish as well. They point to the diet’s health benefits as well as its environmental merits, which include their reliance on organic and locally sourced food, with carbon wastage in its preparation.

Some environmental fanatics even go beyond caring what passes through their lips, to an obsession with what passes out the other end. Reusable toilet wipes, are now available in a host of, ahem, funky designs from companies such as WallyPop. And many people believe that composting their own excrement is another good way to save the planet... hmmmmmm

This was taken from: http://environment.uk.msn.com/EDF-Team-GB/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=148484012

To be or Not to be...........!!!!!!!!!!

2009-10-06T08:34:00.004+01:00

hmmmmmmmm Halloween subject...lol

How can the extreme eco-warrior ensure that he/ she remains eco-friendly even from beyond the grave? Well a glossy board casket and chemical embalming are certainly out - and cremation also creates a woefully large carbon footprint.

But, given the option of being turned into a nutrient-rich green-brown sludge that may be used as fertiliser, would you take it? The process of resomation is a new, more energy-efficient means of disposing of human remains gaining popularity among the environmentalist community. It works by dissolving fat and tissues in alkali and hot water, leaving only a sprinkling of powdered bone behind. Visit Resomation Ltd for more details.

This was taken from: http://environment.uk.msn.com/EDF-Team-GB/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=148484012

Extreme Green

2009-09-30T10:06:00.001+01:00

Pouring your own sweat into the fight against climate change is no new idea of course, especially for commuters. But we’re not only talking cyclists and joggers here: how about the growing trend of alternative commuters skateboarding through Manhattan, kayaking along the Thames or windsurfing to work along the south coast of England? A handful of Londoners are even navigating the dreaded rush hour in a pony and trap.

This was taken from: http://environment.uk.msn.com/EDF-Team-GB/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=148484012

Get down for global warming

2009-09-24T09:04:00.000+01:00

The idea of harnessing the energy we produce in our daily lives is already in action in a handful of quirky venues. Eco-conscious Londoners can put on their dancing shoes and head for Surya nightclub, which has an innovative spring-loaded dance floor capable of harnessing kinetic energy from the stomping and twirling upon it.Another eco-club in the Netherlands goes even further, aiming to collect the evaporated sweat produced by clubbers, and channel it into grey water circuits to flush the club’s toilets.

This was taken from http://environment.uk.msn.com/EDF-Team-GB/gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=148484012