Blogs
Green blog archive19 May 2011

Steve Cain
27 Feb
10 secrets to charity shop success
I get most of my clothes second hand, and a lot of these are from charity shops. I love the feeling of finding unusual items and supporting a good cause. Even better, research shows there's plenty of environmental benefits to buying from charity shops.
I have more than 50 suits and 27 jackets ranging from vintage to the latest designs, and have only ever bought three from new.
When my friends comment on my outfit, I always make a point of telling them where I bought it, as part of my personal mission to spread the word charity shops are fun, fun, fun! more ...

Alex Gregory
27 Feb
Olympic gold medallist Alex Gregory: get training for The Big Green Bike Ride
Training is tough at the very best of times. And never more than when the British weather is at its wintery worst. But there is very little that is more satisfying than achieving a goal you have set however big or small. That's why I want to encourage you to sign up to the Big Green Bike Ride and challenge yourself to ride from London to the New Forest to raise money for Friends of the Earth. more ...

Amelia Collins
26 Feb
Glass half full: Environmental Photographer of the Year 2013
Looking through the images from CIWEM's Environmental Photographer of the Year 2013 , I was heartened by a sense of positivity. I don't mean that climate change, social inequality or development issues are no longer there to be photographed. Rather, the tone of the photography is changing. This series of images demonstrates that beauty can be as powerful as negativity in portraying the challenges we face.
more ...

Neil Kingsnorth
25 Feb
EDF's legal threat could threaten us all
Like so many others last October, I was incredibly impressed by the campaigners from No Dash for Gas who spent a week occupying EDF's new West Burton gas-fired power station in Nottinghamshire. more ...

Benita Matofska
21 Feb
Facing the future: making and saving money by sharing
Make sharing sexy: stop selling the message 'buy more', start selling the message 'share more'.
Benita Matofska considers how we can profit by sharing in the last of her articles. more ...

Nithya Natarajan
15 Feb
The future of mobile phone design
What exciting innovation would you like to see in your next mobile phone? Bendable glass, super-fast-charging batteries - these concepts are not far from our shops.
Mobile technology is moving fast. It would be great to see companies developing phones that reduce their impact on people and planet. We're not asking for the impossible - compare today's slim smartphones with clunky 80s handsets.
Here are 5 steps to greener phones, from Professor of Sustainable Design and Consumption Tim Cooper. more ...

Karen Simmons
15 Feb
How to make double chocolate cupcakes
As part of our series of recipe blogs, here's how to make double chocolate cupcakes - by far the moistest and most reliable cupcakes I've ever made.
They're so delicious and easy, in fact, that I made them for my wedding. And who doesn't love chocolate? They went down a storm.
I try to use Fairtrade cocoa powder and sugar, which ensures a fair living for the people producing them.
Oh, and they're vegan too.
Recipe
Makes 12 large cupcakes. more ...

Janet Gunter
15 Feb
Learning how to repair and value electronics
We need to learn for ourselves what needs to change and demand action from manufacturers.
Guest writer Janet Gunter, The Restart Project
Who hasn't been frustrated by a laptop with a dodgy dvd drive or a camera that suddenly goes on the blink?
The Restart Project believes that we must regain the repair skills to make our electronics last longer. This keeps them out of landfill and cuts down on waste. But the real magic is when we lose our fear and take apart gadgets, reclaiming control over the technology we depend on. more ...

Annabella Macris
14 Feb
Sneak preview of George Monbiot's 'Feral' in our Book Club
I'm very excited by next week's Friends of the Earth book club on 20 February 2013, 1-2pm, at our London office. more ...

Alison Benjamin
11 Feb
Keeping bees part 9: Bees and cold weather
Bees are just fine in cold weather. It might be freezing outside the hive, but inside the bees will be huddling together in a cluster and vibrating their wings to keep warm.
A layer of snow, say, on the roof of the hive might even help insulate it further against the cold.
In fact the hive can get so toasty it will attract mice, so you'll need to guard them by fastening a galvanised metal strip called a mouse guard over the entrance.
The main worry at this time of year, however, is whether the bees have enough honey to eat when it's too cold to leave the hive. more ...

Benita Matofska
07 Feb
Facing the future: share to survive
Sharing is what makes us human. It's what unites and connects us.
Guest writer Benita Matofska - in her first of three articles
Making TV programmes requires teamwork but sharing isn't endemic. After 20 years in broadcasting, I decided that the shortage of sharing in TV was a microcosm of the world.
As a society we've survived through sharing. Sharing is the most important lesson we learn as kids - but by the time we grow up, we forget how to share. more ...

Neil Kingsnorth
01 Feb
Big wins on bees, nuclear dumping and Shell - what a week
People make Friends of the Earth what it is and this week you've helped prove that in a big way.
On Wednesday, three major retailers - B&Q, Homebase and Wickes - all announced they're banning pesticides linked to shrinking bee populations.Then the European Commission proposed laws to limit the use of these dangerous chemicals. It's a big step forward for our Bee Cause campaign.
The same day as the Bee Cause success we were celebrating again. more ...

Annabella Macris
30 Jan
What has nature ever done for us? Q&A with author
- In the week it was published, it was the most reviewed book, according to The Bookseller.
- Three weeks after publication, it's already on its fourth print run.
What's making such waves in the world of publishing? A new Harry Potter book? more ...

Shilpa Shah
29 Jan
How to make momo
As part of our new, regular recipe series, here are my tips on how to make momo.
Momos are in my top 10 list of favourite foods. They are a type of filled dumpling originating in Tibet, and biting into one takes me straight back to Nepal, where I first tried them in a little café in Kathmandu.
I was spending six months in India, visiting family and volunteering with a women's organisation. My two weeks in Nepal were spent climbing mountains, exploring the jungle - and eating momos. more ...

Craig Bennett
15 Jan
Tony Juniper's new book: What Has Nature Ever Done For Us?
So I read a new book over Christmas: 'What Has Nature Ever Done For Us?' by none other than Friends of the Earth's ex Executive Director Tony Juniper.
Personally, I think it is brilliant - one of the best environment books in a very long time. more ...

Brenda Pollack
11 Jan
How we created a new bee haven in Brighton
I love my job. I'm lucky to be a paid worker at Friends of the Earth. But after 20-odd years campaigning anyone could get jaded. That's why I'm particularly chuffed to have spent a recent morning away from my computer and phone, out in the open, making a difference in a practical way. more ...

Annabella Macris
10 Jan
Guilt-free eating
At this time of the year it is waste not waist that weighs heavily with me. Whilst everyone is obsessed with a dieting regime I am actually feeling guilty about throwing food away. So I was dismayed to read the statistics in the new Global Food: Waste Not Want Not Report by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers. Apparently up to 50% of all food produced never reaches a human stomach. more ...

Adam Bradbury
20 Dec
List-eria strikes again. Our 10 most popular blog posts of 2012
It's the season of top this, worst that and 100 most revolting other. So we thought we'd take a look a back at the Green Blog posts you've been reading most in 2012.
And what politically tuned-in, good-food-loving, green-living folk you are. more ...

Brenda Pollack
19 Dec
Compelling TV: Is our weather getting worse?
I've been watching Is Our Weather Getting Worse?. Have you? It's about how we have seen increased extreme weather events in recent years. It showed scenes from Hurricane Sandy in America and the severe floods all around England in November which really brought home to me how climate change is happening right now. more ...

Annabella Macris
13 Dec
Co-operatives - an answer to the economic crisis?
Did you know that...
- More people are employed by co-operatives worldwide than by multinationals.
- Co-operative systems are seen throughout nature and are a successful survival strategy.
- All animals with nucleated cells, including you and I, are living co-ops of different organisms.
All these facts and more emerged at our recent thought-provoking book club. We met to discuss Co-operative Revolution: a Graphic Novel. more ...

Amelia Collins
05 Dec
Christmas gifts all sewn up
I used to leave Christmas shopping until Christmas eve. That was until this year when I acquired god-children numbers 7 and 8 and niece number 4. They do all have names I promise and I can just about remember them all.
I decided I would have to plan ahead. I've made a few dresses before, and they're reasonably cheap and quick to make, but not great for winter. So I hit upon the idea of nightdresses for the girls and, luckily 2 of the boys live in warmer climes, so shorts were perfect for them. more ...

Tom Wright
29 Nov
10 tips on keeping chickens - and why they're not just for Christmas
Have you ever thought about keeping chickens? I admit that until a few months ago I hadn't. Not for a second.
But then my son's nursery took part in a hatching project which ended with the parents being offered 2-week-old chicks.
I figured I'd learn on the job and took 3 home. It's been so much fun - so I thought I'd put together my 10 top tips for keeping backyard chickens. more ...

Peter Kindersley
29 Nov
Bee Lovely - last chance to sign pesticide petition from Neal's Yard Remedies
We need your help. Our bees need your help.
Most people are not aware that 84% of European crops are partly or entirely dependent on insect pollination. Managed honeybees pollinate certain crops - but wild bees (along with other pollinators like flies and wasps) cover a very broad spectrum of plants, and so are considered the most important guardians of our food supply and our natural biodiversity.
We must take action now to protect our bees and we need everyone to help us pile pressure on the UK Government. more ...

Rich Hines
29 Nov
Why did we take a giant phone down Oxford Street?
It wasn't because we're masochists. It wasn't because we just love dressing up. It wasn't even because we wanted an excuse to blare out Stevie Wonder to morning shoppers (especially that song). more ...

Annabella Macris
29 Nov
A World in One Cubic Foot by David Liittschwager
To understand a complex issue it can help to be able to visualise it. Biodiversity is no exception. No matter how many times we're told about biodiversity do we ever truly appreciate its importance? We rarely see the full picture. Noticing an occasional squirrel is a good start but by no means it. A multitude of creatures exist all around us whose faces we'll never gaze on and whose names we'll never know. more ...

Andy Atkins
23 Nov
Climate goals at risk as energy plans unveiled
There's no getting away from it: today is a kick in the teeth for everyone working towards a low-carbon future in the UK.
After months of delay, the Government has announced the contents of its 'Energy Bill', due to be formally published next week.
Ignore the Government spin, the headline news is this: the Bill doesn't contain a crucial target for making our power sector carbon-free. It's a green light for business-as-usual, high carbon, high cost energy generation for decades to come. more ...

Julian Kirby
23 Nov
Bangka - my trip to Indonesia's tin island
Just recently I crossed the globe to document the devastating effects of tin mining on a once beautiful Indonesian tropical island paradise: Bangka Island.
I knew there was a problem, but wasn't ready for the huge tracts of barren, deforested ex-mining land scarring the countryside.
I also had no idea just how much coral - 70% according to the marine biologist I spoke to - had been killed by the dredger boats' habit of dumping mining tailings into the previously clear water. more ...

Amelia Collins
22 Nov
Are the kids putting us to shame?
The results of the Children's Eyes on the Earth International photo competition do not disappoint. If anything they should be a wake up call. 4 out of the 6 winning expose an environmental issue. If children as young as 8 (the age of the winner) are so frequently facing these issues that they choose to photograph them, surely we should sit up and listen? more ...

Amelia Collins
21 Nov
Free Christmas ecards are here
Free, easy and helps the planet. What more could you want from a Christmas card?
Friends of the Earth has just launched this year's Christmas ecards - which for the second year running showcase the winner and shortlisted images from our Cold Snap Photo competition. more ...

Brenda Pollack
20 Nov
Why we need activists: lessons from a life well lived
You probably won't have heard of Paul Millmore - unless you live in Lewes, that is. Paul (pictured right) passed away earlier this year and his loss was mourned widely as he was an extremely vocal activist on a range of issues. more ...
15 Nov - Ash tree disaster: why politicians must see the wood for the trees - Oliver Hayes
15 Nov - Soil raked, seeds sown and another wildflower meadow created - Ted Burke
14 Nov - Who'd be in your Fantasy Football Energy Team? - Simon Bullock
14 Nov - On air. What do you think of our podcast? - Adam Bradbury
13 Nov - London Marathon - what have I let myself in for? - Louise Gebbett
09 Nov - Getting into a planning Pickle - Charlotte Chan
07 Nov - Honey we've shrunk the honey harvest: a challenging year for honeybees and their keepers - Angela Woods
31 Oct - Who won this year's party conference popularity contest? - Emi Murphy
30 Oct - Annus horri-bee-lis - Paul de Zylva
24 Oct - Meet the neighbours while you store your stuff - Maryellen Clare
19 Oct - Green is working, says Deborah Meaden outside the Treasury - Marie Reynolds
17 Oct - Will Osborne let us reach the renewable heights of Europe? - Pascoe Sabido
09 Oct - Prix Pictet Photography exhibition - Amelia Collins
05 Oct - What's your favourite graphic novel? - Adam Bradbury
03 Oct - Pesticides and bees - all you ever wanted to know - Keith Tyrell
03 Oct - Doing something to help bees - the Bee Cause Day of Action - Ted Burke
24 Sep - Keeping bees part 8: making honey - Alison Benjamin
13 Sep - Bringing eco music to a town near you - Jess Gold
12 Sep - Saturday's Bee Cause Day of Action was not to be missed - Tom Coupe
12 Sep - Bee friendly apps for your smartphone - Tom Coupe
06 Sep - The Children's Eyes on Earth - new photo competition - Amelia Collins
15 Aug - Buzzing about Conference 2012 - Ted Burke
12 Aug - Keeping bees part 7: an extension to the beehive - Alison Benjamin
03 Aug - Can you guess where this photo was taken? - Amelia Collins
30 Jul - Italians: sustainable food pioneers? - Antonella Scimemi
23 Jul - #50ShadesofGreen - Marie Reynolds
20 Jul - Latitude festival 2012 - Big bee review - Phil Byrne
09 Jul - We need your awe-inspiring photos - Amelia Collins
09 Jul - Secrets of our success - caught on film - Joe Jenkins
06 Jul - A buzz in Norwich: bee campaign hots up - Tom Wright
05 Jul - Prix Pictet photo exhibition coming to London - Amelia Collins
03 Jul - Our new green gardening column - Bob Sherman
27 Jun - Keeping bees. Part 6: Inspecting your beehives - Alison Benjamin
27 Jun - Top hotel opens in Reading: only bees welcome please - Amy Golledge
22 Jun - Where the real action is at Rio+20 - Elaine Gilligan
21 Jun - Friends of the Earth kills TV Dragon - Marie Reynolds
20 Jun - Why the Rio+20 Earth Summit matters - Melanie Kramers
15 Jun - Let it rain: why there's more to wellbeing than the weather - Dave Powell
14 Jun - Clean British Energy flows into my flat and lights up my life - James Dubrey
12 Jun - Bee-autiful poppies: friends of the bees - Amy Golledge
11 Jun - Bee-friendly flowers and black cats - Rita Marcangelo
01 Jun - Time for me to switch to Clean British Energy - James Dubrey
28 May - Welcome back to the short-haired bumblebee - Sandra Bell
25 May - Keeping bees. Part 5: Collecting your bees - Alison Benjamin
23 May - Bee breakfast - where's my coffee? - Sandra Bell
21 May - A bee-friendly garden. Part 3: Soggy spring could hit more than my cider making - Neil Kingsnorth
15 May - Adam's bike challenge. Stage 18: One revolution at a time - Adam Bradbury
14 May - How will you help save the bee? - Amy Golledge
09 May - Adam's bike challenge. Stage 17: Wind, wheels and natural power - Adam Bradbury
06 May - Adam's cycle challenge. Stage 16: We're off and pedalling to Edinburgh - Adam Bradbury
02 May - 10 ways to recycle padded envelopes - Melanie Kramers
24 Apr - If you think Kinder Trespass is a plastic egg, read this - Adam Bradbury
23 Apr - A bee-friendly garden. Part 2: What a slagheap in Wales did for my bee plans - Neil Kingsnorth
20 Apr - Adam's bike challenge. Stage 15: Raising money with song - Adam Bradbury
16 Apr - How to campaign? You tell me. - Neil Kingsnorth
16 Apr - Watch our bee garden spring up overnight - Amy Golledge
13 Apr - The buzz about The Bee Cause - Amy Golledge
12 Apr - Adam's bike challenge. Stage 14: Economic value of the bee - Adam Bradbury
11 Apr - Keeping bees. Part 4: Swarming - Alison Benjamin
05 Apr - Going Swiss - camping out with Young Friends of the Earth - Charlotte Chan
05 Apr - Welcome back to my family garden, my Tawny Mining Bee friends - Neil Kingsnorth
05 Apr - Life after 40 - Joe Jenkins
05 Apr - Supporter of the week: Esmie Ricks - Hannah Booth
29 Mar - Worried about disappearing bees? Get busy with us. - Amy Golledge
26 Mar - My morning at Downing Street - Ted Burke
26 Mar - People and Environment Achievement Awards - Beth Dawson
22 Mar - Supporter of the week: Samuel Hillier - Hannah Booth
16 Mar - Is it good to feed the birds? - Adam Bradbury
15 Mar - Supporter of the week: Roger Ross - Hannah Booth
15 Mar - Saving money on energy bills - Melanie Kramers





























