Hippyshopper

Around the world in...a boat made from plastic bottles

KathrynR — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:31:38 GMT

As far as a PR stunts for saving the planet go, it has to be said that building a boat made from plastic bottles is a pretty interesting one. When I say 'boat' I'm not talking about a model boat,...

Eco-friendly Recycled and Recycling bins

KathrynR — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 21:12:24 GMT

Government statistics suggest that each person in England generates around half a tonne of waste annually. If you need help visualising this then it might make more sense to say that a family of four's annual waste can weigh as...

Encouraging bees in your garden (because Einstein says so...)

KathrynR — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 21:14:23 GMT

If you've ever watched a gardening programme then you might have noticed a crucial part missing from the agenda of green-fingered Alan Titmarsh and co: The green bit. This omission is a bit of a mystery as your garden is...

Fairtrade and Eco-friendly Coffee and Tea

KathrynR — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:25:10 GMT

If "Need...Coffee..." is a common part of your vocabulary, then you'll probably be aware of the ethical dilemma that comes with it; finding the nearest place for your caffeine fix, ignoring the coffee's eco-credentials, vs embarking on a time consuming...

Fairtrade and eco-friendly coffee and tea

KathrynR — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:07:51 GMT

Pic of the day: Model Vida Guerra in PETA hot dog stunt

shinychris — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 22:32:43 GMT

No lame stereotypes of lentils and sandals here. No sir-ee. Yesterday saw sexy Vegetarians in Chilli Pepper Bikinis spice up Capitol Hill in the US. Model Vida Guerra joined PETA's sexy senoritas in a vegetarian Chilli dog giveaway - and...

Volvo announces 'Emissions Equality' initiative with iPhone app

shinychris — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 10:33:08 GMT

Volvo has launched a new initiative to encourage motorists to think about a broad range of health and environmental issues - not just CO2 emissions - when they buy their next car. At a conference held at 'The Gherkin'...

Meet the neighbours at this Sunday's Big Lunch

shinychris — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:53:34 GMT

Get together with your neighbours this Sunday (18th July 2010) at The Big Lunch. It can be anything from a simple lunch to a full-blown street party with DJs and a home cooked feast. To kickstart the event 100 people...

Eco-friendly fashion highlights of the summer sales

KathrynR — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 18:48:50 GMT

Has the hot weather put you off a tiring traipse around the shops in search of a summer bargain? No? Well, maybe I'm just lazy...Thankfully this means that I've spent the day tracking down the highlights of the summer sales...

How do you build an Eco-Friendly home?

KathrynR — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:50:22 GMT

Last month, Bolton Council swiftly rejected footballer Gary Neville's plans for an eco-friendly, multi-million pound home that we told you about in January (here). Despite opposition from locals and planning committees, Neville's bid to build the floral shaped house seemed...

Solar planes. Are they the future for air travel? Let's hope so

shinychris — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:32:46 GMT

I really do hope they are. Often when I've caught a plane (which admittedly isn't so much these days, largely because I hate being treated like branded cattle at airports) I've thought surely there must be a way to...

Solar planes. Are they the future for air travel?

shinychris — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:15:11 GMT

Building an Eco-Friendly home

KathrynR — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 12:52:27 GMT

Last month, Bolton Council swiftly rejected Garry Neville's plans for his eco-friendly, multi-million pound home that we told you about in January (here). Despite opposition from locals and planning committees, Neville's bid to build the floral shaped house seemed pretty...

Video: First Smart ForTwo Electric Drives delivered

shinychris — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 11:24:14 GMT

As a driver of an ordinary petrol Smart car, I'm quite excited by the arrival of an electric version - and not before time. Unfortunately, only 340 electric Smarts - called Smart fortwo electric drives - are currently being...

Gallery: Solar powered gadgets for a hot summer's day

shinychris — Fri, 25 Jun 2010 11:47:30 GMT

Here at Shiny Towers it looks like another scorcher of a day, and we reckon you should make the most of it, writes ShinyShiny's Kate Baxter. No, not by slathering yourselves in cooking oil and frying yourselves to a crisp....

Fairshare Music: download and donate to WWF, Friends of the Earth

shinychris — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:38:39 GMT

Download music legally and do your bit for charidee at the same time. You can't really get more virtuous than that can you? Well that's the proposition of new music download service FairshareMusic.com Billed as the home of 'feelgood...

Take part in Team Green Britain Bike Week

shinychris — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 16:01:07 GMT

It's not too late to get on your bike. Team Green Britain Bike Week (19-27 June) is challenging everyone to rethink their everyday journeys and switch to cycling as the most convenient way to get around. Throughout the week,...

Guide to the Best Electric Bikes for National Bike Week

alanamcverry — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 11:18:20 GMT

There seem to be few Londoners left who still battle with public transport and are yet to be converted to the cycling revolution. Either they feel that work is a little 'too far' to arrive there solely on their own...

Guide to the best water saving gadgets

alanamcverry — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 13:54:16 GMT

The time I chose to visit Australia was one of mass drought. Water saving was of utmost priority, and every drop was accounted for. When my Australian friends visited me during our 'drought', they scoffed that our water saving measures...

Orange Power wellies - use your feet to get mobile phone charge at Glastonbury

shinychris — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 17:34:57 GMT

I thought this was an April Fool. But seemingly not, given we are half way through June. Orange really has developed a mobile phone charging device for your wellies. Billed as perfect for this weekend's Glastonbury festival (handy given your...

Green Britain Day: Get on your bike to reduce carbon footprint!

shinychris — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 15:34:15 GMT

Today (17th June 2010) is Green Britain Day. Curiously sponsored by EDF Energy (not particularly green and not British either!) the idea is to help people to do what they can to reduce their carbon footprint. Presumably use less EDF...

ShinyShiny checks out GoCycle for National Cycling Week

shinychris — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 13:42:57 GMT

Well, we've all got excuses for not cycling more. "It's cold", "I've lost my helmet" and "it's a 30 mile round trip" (well that last one is fair enough). But with environmental concerns and better bike lane provision, bike use...

Trees for Cities Summer auction - bid for Britain's Got Talent tickets

shinychris — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 08:57:22 GMT

Help raise money for tree planting in urban areas with Trees for Cities Summer auction. Due to run until July 10th, the auction comprises several great lots including the following: * A meal at your home for ten people...

Corona Save The Beach hotel highlights rubbish problem

shinychris — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 15:57:42 GMT

I've heard about trashing hotel rooms, but this is ridiculous. It's a hotel made entirely out of rubbish collected on the beach. Created to mark last weekend's World Environment Day, it's been designed to help promote the preservation of European...

Greener Funerals: new technology tries to reduce the environmental impact of cremation

alanamcverry — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 00:08:41 GMT

The ticking time bomb of climate change has induced new technologies to emerge that "green-ify" all aspects of our life. From biofuel, to greener washing machines, to recycled packaging, no stone has been left unturned in the hunt for a...