WHEN it comes to adopting green parenting practices, being environmentally aware is not the same thing as being environmentally friendly, says green parent and ‘ mumpreneur’ Claire Lancaster, founder of Dandelion Lounge, a personalised stationery service with a focus on families.

” If you asked my mum raising a family in the Seventies if she was ‘environmentally friendly’ she wouldn’t have been able to answer the question, simply because the term would have meant nothing to her,” says Lancaster.

But in the Seventies, her mother opted for reusable terry-towelling nappies, walked everywhere, purchased from a local farm and greengrocers and didn’t go abroad for holidays. (more…)

When we buy organic or fair – trade food, the benefits are obvious- it’s healthier, it tastes better and we know we are helping producers earn a decent wage.  We love the feel good factor that we are supporting our local farmer.  So why is it practically impossible to get consumers to shop for fashion locally, let alone ethically?

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I am delighted to see that the magic of a good Christmas market is casting its spell over more and more Irish towns each year. Traditional Christmas Markets, held in cities, towns and villages throughout the country, are becoming increasingly popular. Not only do they evoke an enchanting festive atmosphere but in the ever present economic doldrums, they present the perfect and powerful answer to supporting your local economy!

For my book, I can simply not think of a better way of getting hold of that unusual or rare Christmas pressie that doesn′t smack of commercialism.  These markets are full of craft work, artisan foods and gift ideas that are not mass-produced but guaranteed real quality. Add to that a good splash of mulled wine and your favourite Christmas carols and I think you′re in for a real treat!!  Below I have listed the Chrismas markets I myself know about, and also those that our readers have kindly flagged to me!!  No doubt I have missed lots, so if you know of one that isn′t listed here, please drop me a quick email and I will be happy to add it! (more…)

The internationally famous fashion icon Vivienne Westwood made a very special appearance on the Johnathan Ross show this year. Vivienne Westwood is a leader in the world of fashion design and people do follow her. Here is what she said during the interview that night:

That tablecloth looks good on you

“Take the tablecloth if it’s beautiful, and even take a towel if it’s good enough, or the curtains or anything. Put things together yourself and take things from your husband or your boyfriend like boxer shorts or whatever…

Take your old things and keep on wearing them. If you do buy fashion then choose it really well, wear it for a long time, until it sort of drops off your back.”

Can you see yourself following this advice? It’s funny but I can. Lately that’s what I have been doing. I spotted a pair of cords that my husband was going to throw out. The knees were threadbare, but I loved the cut and the way they hung on the hips. He had worn them out. I adopted them and wear them still. They are quality.

Do you think that perhaps we are heading towards a fashion era of wearing old but quality clothes, that we might take the trouble of mending, or that are a little torn or threadbare? Unlike recent past fashion trends, the obvious wear and tear on our clothes will be genuine.

What if it becomes like the old days when people would buy one overcoat to last them for life. Made with the best quality wool, hand dyed.  It would be darned and re-lined every 10 years or so.

They used to dress the children in woolen clothes  that would require little washing and were usually worn protected by light linen aprons that were easy to wash and dry.

I can feel a cliche coming on, but is this a case of “back to the future”?

Following on from my last blog about NASA crashing a probe into the Moon, since the recent return of the Space Shuttle one of the greatest space secrets of all time can now be revealed.  It could be as big as the mystery of the Holy Grail, the riddle of the Sphinx and what really happened to Sheargar combined!

Now over time NASA has sought to justify the horrendous expenditure they have incurred by claiming that numerous amazing inventions have come out of the space programme as side effect benefits.

This is known as the Teflon effect from the assertion that it wasn’t for NASA we may never have discovered Teflon and where would we be today without the Teflon Fry pan?  I mean, would your life fall apart?  Mine would!

They claim this benefit in relation to all sorts of incredible inventions that they say would never have been made if we hadn’t ventured into space.  I mean the pen that can write with the nib above the ink for example.  Awesome!!  It changed my life, how about yours?
That’s got to be worth a few hundred million isn’t it?

All this of course is hubris of the highest order because if in fact any of these great discoveries truly are to the benefit of mankind then we could have discovered them simply by focusing on the need down here and seeing what would help alleviate suffering, food shortages, disease or whatever.

You don’t need to go to space to see the need you just need to open your eyes or pull your head out of your backside!

Which neatly brings us to the latest NASA uber invention.

And it is ……. underpants you don’t have to change for a month and maybe more!!
Apparently one of the astronauts was trying these out for a month without telling his crew mates (what a cool guy huh?) during the latest expedition.

I wonder if these undies are also made of Teflon?
They might not need changing for a month or more but wouldn’t they chafe a bit?
Maybe with a bit more tweaking and refinement we can come up with a dual space saving invention of undies that you can also fry your food on in Space?

Remember, you heard it here first folks!  I could be rich next time I write!

Tony Kearney
www.whoownsthefuture.com
05/08/09

This lovely plarn bag featured recently on the Guardian

Plarn,  or plastic yarn.

One day you’ve never heard of it, next day it’s everywhere.

Lately, I’ve become interested in crafty ways of transforming rubbish, and especially plastic rubbish, into useful things and even attractive presents.

One of the simplest tricks I’ve discovered is making plarn from  lengths of plastic carrier bags.

It is amazingly quick and easy to do, and would be perfect for kids and school projects.   I’ve posted a little ‘how to’ note here with a link to an excellent 2-minute YouTube video tutorial.

Once you’ve made your plarn (a matter of minutes only), you can knit, crochet or braid it into any number of things.

Judging by the internet, rugs and bags seem to be most popular but I’ve even seen it braided into a pair of waterproof sandals!

The gorgeous knitted clutch bag pictured above is from a recent article in the environment section of the Guardian.

I particularly like the the fact that plarn gives a new lease of life to plastic bags that might otherwise end up in landfill, where they will spend centuries slowly decaying.  ‘Plarning’ — have I just coined a new word?  — may mean we can dramatically reduce the amount of plastic rubbish that we dump.  Something that would greatly help our ‘rubbish diet‘.

I know some people think this kind of ‘recycling’ is nothing more than “slow motion landfill”. But I have to disagree: if we can transform the plastic into something useful, such as a bag or rug, it means that item is not being made anew, so we are helping to reduce the consumption of scarce resources.

Of course, it goes without saying, that we should all be trying to reduce the number of plastic bags we end up with!

(c) MaryMulvihill.net 2009

Making plarn, or plastic yarn, couldn’t be simpler. it’s perfect for kids, and would be great for school projects to use up plastic bags.

(I’ve written more about it here, and what you can make from it.)

The only tool you need is a scissors, plus of course a pile of plastic bags. And it takes just a few minutes.

All you need is a scissors. Simply fold the bags and cut into strips. And that’s it!

Here is a 2-minute simple YouTube tutorial that shows you how

Once you’ve made a sufficient length of plarn, you can knit, crochet or braid it to make everything from rugs and bags and even waterproof sandals.

The only limit is your imagination.  But you’ll also find lots of ideas out there on the web.

(c) MaryMulvihill.net 2009

It’s getting easier and easier to make every purchase a conscious choice, as the technology and the options get better all the time.  The following is a personal survey of some of the sites out there that combine a social ethos and green processes to make products and gifts that can make everybody feel good.  In the spirit of good globalism, some of them are in Ireland and others are international.  And of course, please feel free to share your own favourites…

Starting at the beginning of life, Hug the Bundle is an Irish eco-parenting blog set up by a mother in order to share her experiences, generate discussions and generally provide a place were like minded mothers can ‘meet’ in order to chat about anything! They also stock great products like a new range of bamboo cloth nappies direct from Little Comfort based in Donegal Town.

Nest is a nonprofit organization dedicated to changing the lives of women in developing countries by helping them create sustainable entrepreneurial businesses. To do this, Nest provides micro-credit loans to be used for the purchase of the supplies and materials necessary to begin and/or maintain art or craft-based businesses. The funds for these loans are generated by selling a unique line of clothing, accessories and merchandise for the home produced exclusively for Nest by a group of artists and designers.

In the same vein, Global Goods Partners are dedicated to alleviating poverty and promoting social justice by strengthening women-led development initiatives and creating access to the US market for marginalized communities in Asia, Africa and the Americas.  The goods are all fair trade and you get to see a photo of its creator and learn more about the enterprise group they’re working with.  Unfortunately, they only ship to the US, but maybe you know someone there who would like a present?

At Etsy.com you can buy and sell all handmade goods; it’s a great outlet for small designers without a corporate brand behind them.  This means that some of the goods are a little, well, quirky, but there are also high-quality pieces that are worth looking for.  If you love making discoveries, this is the site for you. And to keep it local you can browse in the shops in Ireland.

Tom’s Shoes are really gorgeous, and for every pair sold, one pair goes to a child in a developing country.  They also have vegan styles – that don’t look it! – but ship only to the UK and Northern Ireland.  If you have friends in either place who might receive them for you, they really do have beautiful shoes, as well as being for the good.

For the rest of your body, check out Mountain Rose Herbs.  Since 1987 they have been delivering quality certified organic products with a strict emphasis on sustainable agriculture. From their bulk organic herbs and spices, to essential oils and herbal teas, the quality and integrity of what they offer is “unparalleled with smiles guaranteed.”  They also support organic agriculture, offer info on herbal education and sustainability projects.  You can order online to Ireland – and they also ship wholesale.

If you’re not ready to buy in bulk, thanks to Susan Mulholland for the tip about Jo Wood Organics – a must if you want to pamper yourself with a guilt free eco conscience.  In a word, yum.

The Irish company everyone must have heard of thanks to the rock n’ roll connection, Edun specializes in Organic Clothing, Graphic Tees, and Eco Clothing with a mission to drive sustainable employment in developing economies. The company was founded in 2005 by Ali Hewson and Bono.

And finally, ladies, if you want an eco alternative to going through the average 12,000 tampons or pads/pantiliners in your lifetime, check out the Diva Cup. It’s not, I stress, any kind of spongey/cloth thingy of which I have a horror. As blogger Mrs Micah testifies: “I can say without a doubt that it’s one of the few products which have revolutionized my life.”  And they’re available in Ireland from thebabyorchard.com, which is worth checking out anyway for cool stuff.

And if you change your mind about any of your purchases, now even ebay is getting a social conscience!    “When your shopping shapes the world” – fair trade and socially conscious goods of a variety almost equal to the old-school ebay and with a clear conscience to boot.

To celebrated Earth day last week, Whatshewears.ie marked the occasion by inviting GreenMe to give advice on what to look out for if you are a fashionista with a conscience.

Obviously we were happy to oblige – Whatshewears.ie brings you the latest fashion and style from celebrity red carpet to casual wear, without having to worry about buying more paper heavy mags to put you in the fashion know! (more…)

With the mini budget robbing us of our fast dwindling resources what better way to revamp your wardrobe or expand your book collection then swapping  .   Fashion Evolution have decided to dedicate May 2nd as National Swap Day.

So why not rejuvenate your wardrobe…clear out your book shelves…root out the old cd collection and dust off that delf…it’s time to swap, barter, bargain, trade and exchange all your tired and unloved goodies and give them a new life in a new home! 

Get down to one of the swaps listed below…they’re happening all around the country on Saturday May 2nd

Dublin
SWOPSHOP            -  Crow Street Bazaar, Templebar – ALL DAY

Shebeen Chic        -  Sth Great Georges Street, Dublin 2 (anything goes!) – 11AM

The South William   – Sth William Street, Dublin 2   SWAP  8 – LATE!!
The FASHION EVOLUTION wrap party!! ….bring your clothes from 6.30PM
Wicklow
Fabric Gallery        -Church Terrace, Bray, Co. Wicklow
Registration             10am         SWAP 11am

Cork
Chambers Bar        – Washington Street, Cork City, Cork

Or have your own swap party on the day.  Either way  happy swapping

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How to shop ethically

Let the swishing commence