La Vie en Green

Green Production

2008-04-19T13:09:00.000-07:00

Hollywood's most prominent television and film studios revealed yesterday a guidebook with rules they plan to follow to reduce carbon print and workplace waste.

Tinseltown's not so glorious history regarding environmental conservation has been highly criticized, in late 2006 university research announced that the film industry was a major source of pollution in the highly populated city of Los Angeles, topped only by oil refineries.

And, along comes "Best Practices Guide for Green Production", an ec0-friendly guide announced by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) which offers ideas for responsible approaches ranging from filming on sets, transport, post-production work to even hair and makeup.

MPAA Chief, Dan Glickman commented on the emerging concern for the conservation of the environment among Hollywood's production companies.

He said: "A new norm is emerging in which eco-friendly practices are best business practices and behind the scenes, every major studio is getting on the act."

Gary Petersen, member of the California Integrated Waste Management Board further supports Hollywood's ability of greatly contributing to sustainable development.

Mr Petersen said: Studios' waste reduction and recycling efforts are having areal impact on reducing greenhouse gasses and they have implemented many other responsible practices that showcase how the private business sector can contribute to sustainability."

Oh, if only there was a Best Improved Industry oscar....

Vote Blue, Go Green?

2008-04-17T17:27:00.000-07:00

British politician and Conservative Party leader, David Cameron launched today the Conservative's 'Vote Blue, Go Green" local election campaign in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire. Dave the Chameleon ring a bell?

Mr Cameron claimed that the environmental campaign's message is simple and represents the true essence of the Conservative's councils because being green "goes to the heart of what the conservatives believe".

On 1 May 2008, voters in many parts of the country will be going to the polls to decide who will run their council. According to the Party Leader: "This election is a chance to vote for change and to send a message to this failing labour Government."

The Tories Representative stressed that the Conservative councils are greener as they are leading the way in the fight against climate change, giving examples of innovative projects such as installing high-efficiency fluorescent lighting in Bournemouth (a town in South West England) and making school building more eco-friendly.

Yes, all said very well, however, is it going-green that really "lies in the heart" of Mr Cameron? Let's reflect a little:

Wind turbines, a proposed solution for renewable energy and hence an inseparable component of sustainable development. First, in 2005 Mr Cameron infamously refers to them as: "giant bird blenders". Then in 2007 to demonstrate his "true" environmental concerns he puts one on the roof of his house but then a week later and it is vanished, such consistency... And of course, not to forget the Daily Mirror's exclusive back in 2006 on Mr Cameron's touching habit of cycling to work. Only problem there was that his chauffeur-driven gas guzzler followed behind carrying his shoes and briefcase. Then moving on to February 2008 when the Tory Leader ditched plans for 'green taxes' due to fears of a backlash from voters unwilling to pay for climate change. Actions do speak louder than charismatic speeches...

Bottom line is that you do not have to vote blue to be green. Reducing, reusing and recycling will do just fine.

India's First

2008-04-06T20:35:00.000-07:00

India's first English Monthly magazine dedicated towards the environment, which goes simply by the name: "Sustainable Environment", was launched today.

The magazine was launched by Andhra Pradesh (a state in southern India) Chief Minister, Dr Rajasekhara Reddy. Dr Reddy believes that the protection of nature through the preservation of ecological balance and pollution free environment should be one of the primary concerns in his state.

Sustainable Environment will aim to target the issues of environmental degradation by providing environmental education and hence explaining the necessity to stop the depletion of natural resources. The magazine consists of 68 multicolor pages of glass news print, with articles targeting a vast range of issues, titled as: Nature Conservation and Spirituality; Effects of pollution on new born babies; How to use energy efficiently; 100 ways to save the environment; Attitude of people towards our environment and many others.

At a press conference today, Sustainable Environment's Publisher and Editor in Chief, Mr Mujahid Ali Khan spoke of the escalating greed and the sad lack of care or concern of our generation towards their home.

He said: "The stars, the sun and the mood would have disappeared long back, if they would have been within easy reach of human hands. We will realise that we can't eat money, only when the last river is polluted, last tree is cut and last fish is caught."

Adding further he stated: "What I am trying to do is to stand out and do something which is much needed. We all gain a lot of education in our lives. But, I think environmental education is the one which relates to humanity, a noble cause, a social justice and something that has become essential for us and our future generations".

The magazine which was introduced in Andhra Pradesh will become gradually available in the South and the rest of India. It is sold at a reasonable price and is expected to be well received at the market place.

For more detail on Sustainable Environment click on the following link:

http://www.indianews.com/pressrelease/20080406/109324.htm

France & Britain Got Their Green On

2008-04-06T15:53:00.000-07:00

Britain and France lead all things ethical with booming sales of ethical cosmetics and skin care products.

The ethical shopping trend has most definitely taken both of the UK and France's beauty industry by storm as it now accounts for 74 per cent of the market, according to the market research firm Mintel's GNPD database.

Mintel analyst, Nica Lewis commented on the market dominance of this emerging trend: "Beauty manufacturers are innovating by making their products more compatible with the emerging lifestyle trends of ethical shopping and eco-consciousness. They are clearly looking at ways to cut down the amount of packaging they use and are trying to reduce the negative impact production can have on the environment."

This is further supported by Mintel's recent statistics which claim that 25 per cent of French women and 20 per cent British women insist upon purchasing recyclable beauty packaging.

Ms Lewis believes that product packaging is now becoming one of the key priorities of cosmetic firms everywhere: "Today manufacturers are focusing more and more on using recyclable packaging or packaging made of recycled materials. The next step will undoubtedly see a move towards products that need hardly any packaging at all."

This eco-trend looks set to continue dominating and fears no future slump with more than 420 new ethical products already hitting the shelves of European beauty stores. 2008 is all about ethical consumption!

That Little Plastic Bag

2008-04-03T17:21:00.000-07:00

The widespread international movement of eco-fashion has not escaped fashion designers from Israel, Irit Vilensky found her own way to incorporate eco-friendly principles into her fashion range. Her fabric choice? Plastic.

Irit is on a quest to prove that plastic can indeed be fantastic. Not to worry, she doesn't suggest you wrap yourself around with a cling film, but perhaps refresh your closet with innovative accessories that don't only look good but mean good. She recycles the ubiquitous plastic bags that litter Israeli beaches and parks, transforming them into an uber-chic, colourful line of accessories called Satik.

The fact that organic fibers are practically impossible to find in Israel and can only be imported at a high expense, does not stop young Israeli designers alike Irit. They do not look for ways to purchase expensive materials from abroad, instead they create designs from materials that already exist at home.

Irit explained what pushed her to use plastic as her building block: "I wanted to create something beautiful out of something that everyone has at home, so I decided to use plastic."

Each piece she creates is one of a kind, and whether it is a wallet, purse or a bracelet they are all handmade. Irit says that the concept of using noxious non-biodegradable plastic bags (already banned in numerous countries due to its environmental damages) serves two purposes: firstly it reuses waste and secondly it discharges the world's landfills of a few more plastic bags.

Other Israeli designers who can be appreciated for their innovative ways of design are: Gili Ben-Amir who makes bright, eye-catching necklaces by stringing together car fuses, Ayala Froindlich who recycles comic books and even encyclopedias to make her eco-friendly bags and Elanit Neutra who uses the inner tubes of black rubber tires to make her signature soft-leather like accessories.

Yes, creativity goes a long way and the world is but a canvas to the imagination.

World's First Climate Change Festival

2008-03-29T12:47:00.000-07:00

The city of Birmingham, an industrial city in west central England will play host for the world's first climate change festival. It will make a direct link between the issues revolving around climate change and the design of the city, because: you can't create a sustainable city without getting the design right!

The festival which will take place this summer (from 31 May to 8 June) is organised by CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) together with the Birmingham city council. It aims to show how a successful response to climate change can completely transform and heighten the quality of life for the people who live and work in it.

According to CABE, climate action is all about reinvention, the redesign of the way that out cities function. This of course does not mean that our ole' comfortable way of life will remain untouched; changes will be necessary. BUT, these will most definitely be worth making as the reward will be a completer transformation: a healthier, greener and more prosperous environment to live in.

This new low carbon, sustainable city will consist of vast areas of beautiful public spaces which will make both walking and cycling safer and more enjoyable. Well designed homes, offices and community lots with clean air and more surrounding trees. Suburbs which will be more effectively integrated to the city centre. All of this will inevitably result in a less stressful and more efficient place to spend your life in.

In order to reach the above long-term aspiration the upcoming Climate Change Festival week will consist from a number of well though of events. These will range from community-based projects to a hothouse event for professional working in the built environment sector and a green day for schools. Moreover, the festival will also include the launch on World Environment Day of Birmingham's first ever climate change strategy.

If all goes as green as planned, the aim of making the festival an annual event involving at least eight cities in 2009 and going international in 2010 will be reached. Long live the Green Revolution!

To read in more detail about the upcoming Climate Change Festival click on the following link:

http://www.cabe.org.uk/default.aspx?contentutemid=2414

Arctic Paradox

2008-03-20T13:14:00.000-07:00

Rising temperatures, melting ice caps, changing landscape and one emerging conflict.

Ever since the 60's , the Winter sea ice around the Norwegian arctic island has thinned to less than one meter. It is this continuous melting that started to reveal a very different Greenland.

The world's largest island has swiftly become the center of attention, a prosperous area of vast mineral wealth which is highly perspective for commercial shipping and the exploration of both oil and gas. This sudden interest has given Greenland's small population a hope for independence from Denmark (even though the island has internal self-government, Denmark is still the one responsible for foreign policy and according to the BBC provides it with almost half of its domestic budget).

Aleqa Hammond, the foreign minister in Greenland's home-rule government, like the majority of the 56,000 people living in Greenland hopes that the attraction of oil and mineral companies' will bring with it profits to the country and in turn help in making it economically self-sufficient.

Yes, so it is what lies under the surface of Greenland that has triggered such a scramble, but putting economic dependence aside what about the fact that the once upon a time permanent ice sheets are rapidly disappearing?

Global warming is affecting the Arctic more than anywhere on Earth as it continues to experience the fastest global temperature rise. A NASA high-tech aerial showed that: "more than 11 cubic miles of ice is melting along Greenland's coasts yearly, accounting for 7% of the annual global sea level rise." Additionally, measurement over the last century indicate that sea levels have risen 9 inches, enough to trigger floods in low lying areas.

Moreover, oil and gas companies' heavy industry will inevitably bring with them high levels of pollution. This will further contribute to the already existing problem of climate change and undoubtedly trigger further destruction...

So, can Greenland really gain independence by losing its country's identity and ignoring the well-know consequences of Global warming?

Click on the following link for The Independent's feature on Greenland's debatable situation:

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/greenland-the-emerging-nation-402602.html

Green is the New Black

2008-03-16T17:15:00.000-07:00

Ladies and gentleman, roll out the Green Carpet, it seems that the fashion industry is raring to create a new and a timeless trend. Haute Couture in all of its big sun-glassy glory started to develop a new wave of fashion followers: the Ecoture. Perhaps last season was all about mixing brights and stripes, the conscious Eco-fashion invasion is all about mixing ethics with aesthetics.

In recent years the fashion industry has become very conscious of climatic change and the issues of environmental degradation, everything from Green spreads in magazines to clothing made from recycled materials are offered to consumers. This going-green trend puts environment in the spotlight and hence is all about "identifying and promoting innovative techniques and technologies that restore the balance between human and natural systems" as announced by Earth Pledge, a nonprofit organization promoting sustainable development which originated as a United Nations committee in 1992. Earth Pledge is steadily working with the fashion industry with the goal of raising awareness and ultimately initiating change.

Leslie Hoffman, Earth Pledge's Executive Director said: "We like consumers to learn about these issues but the real focus of our work is working with industries. We're doing the carbon footprint analysis on textiles in China, working with suppliers to source sustainable materials and really teach them about the issues and where they can reduce."

Perhaps many can claim that eco-fashion is far from perfection and won't save the planet tomorrow, nonetheless its impact over the popular culture cannot be denied: Ecoture is a starting point which can largely help by educating customers about the importance of ethical consumption. The fashion industry's immense impact can open the eyes of its consumers not only to pretty polka dotted patterns but to the benefits of sustainable development.

For more information about Earth Pledge and its future initiatives click on the following link:

www.earthpledge.org/mission.html

Butterfly World

2008-03-13T19:17:00.000-07:00

A ₤25 million project was launched yesterday, nothing special indeed simply the world's biggest butterfly house. An immense attraction with a strong message: STOP butterflies disappearing!

The project is led by Sir David Attenborough and has gained the support of some of the key figures of Britain's conservation community. The project initiated due to our impact on the environment and its consequent effect on the butterfly habitat; three quarters of the British butterflies have declined in the past 20 years and many became extinct over the course of the century.

Sir David spoke of this alarming matter, he said: "These declines indicate an underlying deterioration of the environment as a whole. For the sake of future generations we must take action now. Butterfly World is doing just that. It is putting the issues on the agenda and is seeking to help reverse this environmental catastrophe."

Butterfly World will be built just off the M25 near ST Albans, Herfordshire and will consist of a 300-ft wide, walk-through dome where 10,000 tropical butterflies will be able to flutter and spread their wings. Additionally, it will include extensive gardens and meadows for attracting other native British species as well as education and research facilities.

If the project will go as planned and reach its target of attracting a million visitors a year (40% are expected to be children) it can gain the title of Britain's premier environmental tourist attraction.

Butterfly World will open in stages between June 2009 and March 2011, so make sure to leave time in your schedule and pay a visit.

For The Independent's full article on this upcoming project click on the following link:

http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/nature/britain-to-build-worlds-biggest-butterfly-house-794997.html

The Greenmobile

2008-03-12T16:47:00.000-07:00

Some 850 million cars are being driven in our fossil fuel dependent planet, with its continuous discharges of C02 inflicting in return an undeniable burden on our environment.

Japanese maker Toyota's Prius hybrid electric car was the world's first mass-produced hybrid vehicle (went on sale in Japan in 1997 and then introduced worldwide in 2001) pioneered a change. Today, Toyota's Prius car is one of the most fuel efficient mass produced gasoline vehicles and it's developed hybrid technology is considered as the core basis for the eco-cars of tomorrow.

Now, the world's biggest car maker is working on taking their hybrids on another level with the future introduction of the third generation Prius model, which will "definitely" use improved nickel-metal hydride battery instead of a lithium-ion ones, as announced by Toyota's research and development Vice President, Kazuo Okamoto in Tokyo.

Toyota's Prius undoubtedly has helped the company to raise the image of a maker of fuel-efficient cars and so to paint the town green, Okamoto said that Toyota will now give all of its gasoline-electric cars a specific design which will make them instantly recognizable as a hybrid.

Moreover, Toyota plans a green globe domination plan as it sets a goal of selling 1 million hybrid vehicles annually soon after 2010.

Introducing: La Vie en Green

2008-03-10T16:10:00.000-07:00

Like dear ole Kermit the frog once wisely said, it is indeed: "not easy being green". However, it does seem that our 7.29211538×10-5 radians per second rotating world has finally started to slowly realise that in order to keep spinning around, we actually do need to have something left to spin (and shockingly enough, loading the atmosphere with carbon dioxide, overusing natural resources and deforestation are not part of the guideline).

So, what is it that will help us guarantee that we as well as our future generation will continue to enjoy the ride? Clearly enough, development altogether cannot be stopped, as it will both prevent economic growth and lead to reduction in the quality of life, however, it can be altered. Sustainable development undeniably constitutes a part of the solution, as it is all about finding the balance between economic development, the environment as well as the social aspects involved. Unfortunately, it is time to finally realise that unlike the never-ending soap operas, nature's resources are finite. The constant damage to local ecosystems and the biosphere as a whole due to human activity is inevitably leading to environmental degradation...

On the bright side, various companies have started to act appropriately and so are now turning pro-green and underlining the importance of the environment in their campaigns. In these, both sustainable development and ethical consumption are being promoted. Accordingly, the emphasis on preservation by the expansion of environmentally friendly products is constantly growing. This is evident as industries ranging from automotive to fashion are continuously adapting their products to act in accord with the environment rather than against it, all with the goal of reducing the probability of the dangers of environmental degradation.

Hence, this blog aims to explore, present and help to raise the awareness of the current issues revolving around the importance of the preservation of our dearest planet earth.

Yes, ladies and gents, La Vie en Green does not have to be just a grassy dream!