bemoreeco

Equa are sponsoring a fantastic ethical fashion show at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London on Sunday 9th November.

The show is part of the V&A’s Conscious Style day, an event to explore the growing popularity of ethical fashion, with swishing, styling workshops, talks and the fashion show, all taking place in the V&A’s new Sackler Centre for education.

The fashion show will feature high street and one-off pieces by labels such as Noir, Del Forte, People Tree, Stuart & Brown, Amana and Wildlifeworks.

All events are free. No prior booking is required; some events will be ticketed on the day as numbers may be limited. Tickets for the fashion show available from 1pm. For the full programme visit Conscious Style at www.vam.ac.uk/events.

>>> Please read the full article here

>>> For more information on green events click here

Volvo have launched a campaign to make people more aware of the dangers that car emissions pose to our health.

Did you know that as many as 50,000 people a year are dying prematurely due to toxic air emissions, linked to fossil fuel combustion? That’s more than 20 times the number that die in road accidents in the UK each year! [source: Environmental Audit Select Committee]

The most dangerous of these emissions NOx, Hydrocarbons and Particulates. But together, we’ll call them “Nasties”. Watch this animation to see the Nasties in action.

Find out more about the Fight for Your Right To Clean Air at www.facebook.com/insidevolvouk and join the debate at www.twitter.com/insidevolvouk

2010 has seen some fantastic green events already. As eco innovation develops and more and more consumers demand sustainable companies it is important to keep on top of the new trends, technologies and fashions in the eco-friendly world! Eco-online stores are your first stop to learning more about going green but if you want to check out the products, services and technology first hand look no further than these fantastic events:

Earth Day - The 40th Anniversary – April 22nd 2010

Marks the anniversary of the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.

Real Food Festival –  7th to10th May 2010, Earl’s Court

Discover some of the best food and drink from small producers from around the world. Tastings, workshops and more.

Walk to School Week – 17th – 21st May 2010

Walk to School Week is an action-packed awareness week in spring each year. We encourage parents, teachers and local authorities to run fun events and activities to raise awareness about walking to school. Each year we set a new theme and produce loads of bright and colourful resources to go with it and to help you take part!

Sustainabilitylive! – May 20th to 22nd, 2010

Sustainabilitylive! taking place at the NEC, Birmingham from 19 – 21 May 2009, is the UK’s largest forum for excellence and innovation in environment, water, energy and land.

Green Festival – Saturday 22nd May, 2010

Planning is underway for the Green festival in 2010. 2009’s festival was a big hit and the planners are currently looking for a theme for this years festival!

World Environment Day – 5th June 2010

World Environment Day, commemorated each year on 5 June, is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action

Newcastle Community Green Festival – 5^th – 6^th June 2010

The North’s biggest free environmental festival. In 2008 they had over 16,000 visitors and if you’re on the lookout for a weekend of fun for all the family then look no further! The weekend festival is jam packed full of top class entertainment, workshops, activities and music to suit all tastes and ages. Combining the weird and the wonderful to spread the environmental message.

Their aim is to promote positive solutions to environmental problems and raise awareness of green and ethical issues. From mad-cap bike powered music stages to a solar powered cinema – they have something for everyone! The festival takes place in the picturesque setting of Leazes Park – a 5 minute walk from the city centre. Check the site in the new year for details of dates etc.

Brighton Naked Bike Ride 2010 – June 13th

In June 2010, in cities around the world, people will be riding bikes naked to celebrate cycling and the human body. The World Naked Bike Ride demonstrates the vulnerability of cyclists on the road and is a protest against car culture.

Recycle Week – 21nd to 27th June

It’s easy to get involved this Recycle Week which is organised by Recycle Now.  We can all help by doing anything from re-using our carrier bags to recycling old electrical items – remembering to put as much of our recycling out, reducing our food waste and home composting of course! However you choose to waste less, it’s easy, it helps the environment and you might even save money in the process.

National Shed Week - 9th to 14th July 2010

“Do you have a garden shed that is unique?” asks Uncle Wilco head sheddie of readersheds.co.uk. “Maybe it’s your own little bolthole away from the trials of life. Maybe you have converted your humble garden building into a pub, or it’s just a normal wooden building that’s special to you.”

Fiddler’s Green International Festival – 18th – 25th July, 2010. Rostrevor, Northern Ireland.

The Fiddler’s Green Festival has come a long way in the last 24 years. It began as a one day event, progressed to a weekend one and now extends to eight days and seven nights of music, culture and craic. With up to 200 events the festival caters for music fanatics, families who wish to enjoy a safe, child focused festival, and those who come just to soak up the scenery, the friendliness and the free outdoor music. Based in the scenic village of Rostrevor, preparations for the 24th festival are well in hand.

There will be free outdoor ceilis, an open air stage, art exhibitions, children’s entertainment and even a literary pub crawl, with the emphasis on ‘literary’ rather than ‘crawling’! All musical tastes are catered for (folk, blues, country, classical), with lunchtime, early evening and night time folk clubs Each year the Festival bestows two special awards; the Hall of Fame Award which celebrates lifelong achievement in Irish Music, and the Creative Arts Award to acknowledge achievements in the Arts and Literary fields, the first award having been presented to poet laureate Seamus Heaney. The recipients of these awards are traditionally named closer to the Festival’s formal launch.

The Big Tent 2010 – Saturday 23rd-Sunday 24th July 2010

Scotland’s biggest eco festival

The Big Tent Festival of Stewardship, will be held in Falkland, Fife – expect a return of activities like the Climate Challenge Ceilidh, Earth Climate Champion’s Zone, Earth Action Talks sponsored by WWF Scotland, a Family Zone, a brand new Wood Zone, plus the return of our celebrated Food Village.

National Allotments Week – 9th to 15th August 2010

A week to promote awareness and availability of allotments both locally and nationally as well as showing the public and the local authorities the strength of support and interest for the heritage of allotment culture.

Croissant Neuf Party – 13th-15th August 2010

Greenest festival of the year 2009 The Croissant Neuf Summer Party is brought to you by the team responsible for one of the oldest features of Glastonbury festival – The Croissant Neuf Solar Powered Venue.

As well as great music expect internationally renowned street theatre, workshops of all kinds from dancing to bushcraft, open mic sessions, sports activities, and more.

World Water Week – 5th to 11th September 2010

Experts from 100 countries are assembled this week in a global effort to improve human; welfare and the planet’s health.

International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer – 16th September 2010

International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer – reflects the urgent need to preserve the ozone layer, which filters sunlight and prevents the adverse effects of ultraviolet radiation reaching the Earth’s surface, thereby preserving life on the planet.

Peace One Day – 21^st September 2010

To some it’s just a single day. But to us, 21 September is a 24 hour-long platform for life-saving activities around the world and an opportunity for individuals – particularly young people – to become involved in the peace process.  21 September is the UN International Day of Peace, a day of global ceasefire and non-violence: Peace Day.

By 2007, the UN estimated that over 100 million people from all walks of life actively supported Peace Day around the world. That same year, Peace One Day was instrumental in securing the conditions by which mass polio vaccinations could be carried out in Afghanistan on Peace Day; 1.4 million children were vaccinated in some of the most remote areas of the country. And in 2008, an additional 1.6 million were treated. That’s an estimated 3 million children in Afghanistan alone – on Peace Day.

On Peace Day 2008 in Afghanistan the United Nations Department for Safety and Security, which monitors security related incidents, recorded a 70 per cent reduction in violent incidents on the day itself.

World Carfree Day – 22nd September 2010

World Carfree Day is an annual celebration of cities and public life, free from the noise, stress and pollution of cars.

World Toilet Day 2010 – 19th November

Did you know there is currently a world sanitation crisis? Hard to believe that 2.5 billion people do not have somewhere safe, private or hygienic to go to the toilet! World Toilet Day is all about raising this sort of awareness and converting awareness into action.

Our partners WaterAid work hard to educate people on this serious issue and to enable some of the worlds poorest people to gain access to effective sanitation. It’s not just having a safe, clean place to go to the toilet that’s important but washing your hands after too! The simple act of washing hands with soap and water after going to the toilet can reduce diarrhoeal diseases by over 40%.

To read more about this worldwide call to action follow the link below.

Buy Nothing Day – 27th November, 2010

Everything we buy has an impact on the environment, Buy Nothing Day highlights the environmental and ethical consequences of consumerism. The developed countries – only 20% of the world population are consuming over 80% of the earth’s natural resources, causing a disproportionate level of environmental damage, and an unfair distribution of wealth.

As consumers we need to question the products we buy and challenge the companies who produce them. What are the true risks to the environment and developing countries? The argument is infinite – while it continues we should be looking for simple solutions and Buy Nothing Day is a good place to start.

Big Green Gathering 2010 – date to be confirmed

What is it? The Big Green Gathering is a 5 day camping event which is currently located in the Mendip Hills in Somerset. It has grown out of the original Green Gatherings of the 1980’s and the Green Fields of Glastonbury Music Festival. It has developed organically in response to a desire from people within the green movement for a festival that was focused on Green issues.

For more information check out MoreEco’s Green Events page

This years earth day was a massive success, with people all over the world becoming involved in this momentous occasion.

Designed to provide inspiration and awareness Earth day highlights the importance of looking after our environment in any way we can. MoreEco tries to do its bit by recycling, saving energy and reducing our carbon footprint in any way we can. How do you help the planet? It doesn’t take much.

1. Recycle everything you can, including giving old clothes and books to charity
2. Reduce your consumption by planning ahead – meals, days out and activities with the family
3. Enjoy the fresh air – whether it be gardening, going to the local park or walking to work, appreciating the outdoors is the first step to helping sustain our planet
4. Buy well – support your local community and sustainable shops by buying free-range, organic and fair trade produce whenever you can
5. Eco-travel – Cycle, walk or skate to work! Get the train on your holidays and research eco-ways to travel to cut your carbon footprint dramatically
6. Watch your water consumption – only boil the amount of water you need in the kettle and keep those showers short and sweet
7. Watch your energy consumption – turn off lights you aren’t using, turn appliances off at the plug and try not to keep that laptop running endlessly on charge!
8. Invest wisely – spending that little bit more on quality insulation or a well-made boiler could make a difference not only to your long-term bills but also your carbon footprint!
9. Get the family involved – teach your children, or friends’ children, from a young age how to be eco-friendly and see them reap the rewards of your knowledge
10. Talk! – Teach your neighbors, your friends and your colleagues about ways to reduce their consumption. Implement these ideas in your office or local community centre and help protect our planet.

>>> Check out our Green Events page for more information!

This year Earth Hour is on the 27th March.

Hundreds of millions of people around the world came together on March 28 2009 to make a bold statement about their concern about global climate change by doing something quite simple – turning off their lights for one hour.

WWF’s Earth Hour^TM symbolises the concept that, by working together, each of us can have a positive impact in the fight against climate change.

Check out out the 2009 Earth Event here.

Why should you get involved? (Also visit MoreEco to get 60% off your tickets)

UK Aware is a Social Enterprise with a mission – they are not activists, ‘eco warriors’ or scientists but normal people who want to make a difference to the world we live in.

They have undertaken the task of making the right choices the easiest ones for the consumer – in order to make a big difference we need people to live and work in a more eco-friendly manner and this will only come about if being green is both achievable, simple and fun!

They are holding an exhibition this year to showcase some of the fantastic green and eco companies that offer ethically minded goods to the consumer.

They are incredibly passionate and care immensely about what they do. All profits from the event will be donated to Global Action Plan so get down to Olympia Two in London on the 16th or 17th of April!

What are the benefits?

Clearly the resources of our planet are running out. It’s time to make being eco-friendly a part of your everyday life. Whether you attend UK Aware to learn something new, make some purchases, network or simply out of curiosity it is a step in the right direction.

If you are a business you could learn about ethically responsible corporations and partnerships and find new ways to encourage your brand to accept and promote their social responsibilities.

If you are an individual these events are a great way to educate your family, and yourself, about the ways in which you can help lower your carbon footprint and live in a more sustainable manner.

Most importantly, it’s fun! The more people who show their support for events like this, the more the green agenda will be taken seriously and the easier it will become to live in an eco manner.

… and finally

UK Aware will bring together 200 exhibitors, 15,000 visitors, 100 low carbon vehicles and over 50 world class guest speakers.

It is now in its third year – a tremendous accomplishment.

Exjhibitors will showcase thousands of products and services that could prove invaluable to your business, home or family.

Enjoy a fun day out whilst learning about how to keep our planet alive at this wonderful exhibit.

>>> Visit MoreEco’s UK Aware page

To celebrate the end of Fairtrade fortnight, the MoreEco team thought they would put together an article that explains exactly what Fairtrade is, and why you should do your best to buy their produce.

What is Fairtrade?

The concept of ‘fair trade’ has been around for over forty years but did not include a formal system until the late 1980s. It was established by Christian Aid, CAFOD, Oxfam, Traidcraft and the World Development Movement and later joined by the Women’s Institute. The first product to be certified was Green & Black’s Maya Gold Chocolate followed by Cafedirect coffee and Clipper tea. The concept has taken off dramatically since these first products were certified and now includes a variety of food, clothing and gift ranges. The Fairtrade Foundation is an independent non-profit organisation which envisions a world in which sustainable development, equality and fair pay form the basis of any trade structure. In order to achieve this, Fairtrade attempts to transform previous trading structures in order to help the disadvantaged and poverty-stricken. They work with businesses, communities and individuals all around the world to improve the trading rights and position of organisations who are often taken advantage of.

Why Should You Buy Fairtrade?

Fairtrade is not just any non-profit organisation. Not only do they provide a fair and honest service to the communities and businesses involved but they also provide the consumer with great quality produce at a fair price. You reap the benefits of investing in Fairtrade products. The Fairtrade certification enables the consumer to make informed decisions about their purchase choices and means they can be safe in the knowledge that their money is providing a reasonable income for those people who are involved. The quality of the produce is well worth the price, especially with the realisation that the people putting in the groundwork get fair compensation for their services.

Fairtrade Towns

Fairtrade also promotes the education of local communities involved with trade structures and issues. As a charity it believes that ordinary people can make a dramatic difference to the livelihood of the producers and aims to increase awareness of this belief. Fairtrade towns are those which are committed to promoting understanding of trade issues in their local community – to find out more please take a look at the Fairtrade website.

Fairtrade Fortnight 2010

Fairtrade Fortnight 2010 took place from the 22^nd of February until the 7^th of March and was labelled ‘the big swap’! Fairtrade asked the nation to swap their usual produce choices to Fairtrade – whether it be coffee, chocolate, fruit or socks. By doing this the general public proved that they care about their responsibility as consumers and can make a real difference to the lives of the people who grow or sew that which we buy, eat and wear. Fairtrade fortnight was a phenomenal success with celebrities such as Emma Watson creating Fairtrade fashion lines, Oxfordshire schools hosting a week of incredible green events and Cadbury’s offering songs from the likes of Paolo Nutini and Sway when you registered your swap to Fairtrade. The nation spoke out and showed the world that Britain cares about the lives of the farmers and workers that provide us with so much of our material goods. Why not try to make the swap to Fairtrade certified products yourself and reap the benefits of great quality products that make a real difference to the lives of the producers.

In recent years there has been an exponential growth of green events – everything from festivals to  film screenings have been proposed, funded and managed by a wealth of different people and organisations. These events are a wonderful means by which to increase awareness of green issues and engage with members of the population who are not predisposed to reading or learning about climate change.

Green festivals promote the awareness of ecological concerns whilst engaging with entertainment Festivals such as Chorlton’s Big Green Festival (27th March), the Real Food Festival (7th-10th May), The Green Festival (22nd May) and Fiddler’s Green International Festival (18th-25th July) promote positive change whilst providing fun, interesting and thought provoking days out for the whole family. The Big Tent (23rd-24th July) is Scotland’s biggest eco festival and has been a phenomenal success in the past providing a format that everyone can benefit from. The Croissant Neuf Party (13th-15th August) won the Greenest Festival of the Year award in 2009 and combines exceptionally great music with renowned street theatre, workshops, open mic sessions and sports activities. Perhaps one of the best known green events comes in the shape of the Big Green Gathering (dates tbc) which is a wonderful five day camping event in Somerset. Grown out of the Green Gatherings and Glastonbury Music Festival events it is definitely not one to be missed.

Another fantastic way of promoting the green agenda is by getting involved with an action day. Fairtrade Fortnight is currently underway and Walk to School Week will commence on the 17th of May – a great way to get the kids involved! World Environment Day takes place on the 5th June, recycle week begins on the 21st of June, World Water Week on the 5th of September and Buy Nothing Day takes place on the 27th of November.  The most famous action day comes in the form of Earth Day which celebrates its 40th anniversary on the 22nd of April. These days provide an opportunity to show your support for a great cause and teach your family about the impact of their actions on the environment at large.

Or how about the EcoBuild exhibit (2nd-4th of March) where sustainable designers, innovators and constructors come together to provide more than 100 free conference and seminar sessions? Or One Life Live (18th-21st March) which provides inspiration and advice to those who feel they want to make more of their lives? These fantastic events combine volunteering opportunities, seminars, career advice and business acumen to help you make a difference. If you’re still not convinced then check out UK Aware (16th-17th April) which brings together 200 exhibitors, 15,000 visitors, 100 low carbon vehicles and over 50 world guest speakers or Sustainabilitylive! (20th-22nd May) which is the UK’s largest forum for excellence and innovation in environment, water, energy and land and is guaranteed to have something for everyone.

>>> For more details on all the green events listed above, check out our Green Events page.

Save 60% on UKAware Tickets.
The team at MoreEco have increased their support for UKAware 2010 by securing a stand at the event. Therefore if you have any questions please come and visits us. Taking place on 16th and 17th April 2010, in Olympia Two, London, UK Aware is the UK’s only green and ethical lifestyle exhibition.

Also we have secured discounted tickets for this excellent Green Event.

Click here to buy tickets now and save £9.00.

Click here for more Event information.

One Life Live now takes place at The Vitality Show, giving you access to 2 shows for the price of 1!

The Vitality Show, sponsored by Simplyhealth, is the UK’s largest event for health, beauty and wellbeing. With dozens of interactive features, expert filled theatres and hundreds of exhibitors offering expert advice, The Vitality Show is the ultimate girls’ day out.

Visit the hair salon, get pampered in the day spa, join in a free fitness class or listen to seminars from top health and beauty insiders – a day at The Vitality Show with One Life Live will leave you feeling relaxed, refreshed and enlightened.

>>> Link