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A voice crying in the wilderness

8 Dec 2010 15:07:35

The phrase, “A voice crying in the wilderness” made us think of a message that needs to be heard. One of the most remote wildernesses on earth is the Arctic Circle home to the polar bear.


Man’s consumption of ever increasing amounts of fossil fuels mean that we are now making the polar bear share his home with us as we move in to mine oil and coal.


Polar bears now have a smaller area in which to hunt which means food is harder to find and oil spills and manmade pollution cause danger to polar bears by poisoning their food source and coating their fur so that they can’t keep warm.


We think that if polar bears could talk to us they would ask us to stop spoiling their home and hurting them with our selfish ways.


We believe that we listen to the voice of nature, minimise our impact on the earth and conserve its precious resources and habitats by being green wherever we can. To help convey that message we have made our polar bear from entirely recycled materials that would otherwise have been thrown away.

0 Comments | Posted in Eco Issues General Sustainable Living Events By Stuart Burlton

Stu and I were lucky enough to be invited to a wonderful event last night. It was the launch party for the new green bond from Ecotricity and their wonderful new wind powered car; the Nemesis.

Ecotricity are an amazing and truly inspiring company, they see that it’s not enough to sell green power but that we need to invest in increased capacity and the ability to produce more green energy otherwise there just won‘t be enough available to make the kind of different that we need to.  Ecotricity nemesisThey invest in wind turbines and produce electricity from them which is where the “wind-powered” bit comes from. This electricity goes into the grid and is used to power everything from boiling the kettle for your morning cup of tea to charging up your electric (“wind-powered”) car!

Ecotricity have spent two years working on the car which looks fabulous and is a great way to show that being green doesn’t have to be boring. With a top speed of 170mph and 0-100mph in 8.5 seconds, it’s great antidote to the myth that you can’t get great performance out of an electric car. Apparently it's great fun to drive too, the meanies didn’t let me have a go so I can’t vouch for that though! ;o(


Lucy Siegle who writes on green issues for the Observer was there filming the car and the amazing reaction to it so hopefully you should be able to watch the film via the Ecotricity website soon.


The Ecotricity eco bond is a way for you to invest your money to get a better return that you would at the bank (7%) and because you’re investing directly with Ecotricity you enable them to invest even more in building capacity to product more green energy quicker. It’s a definite win: win situation.


If you’re looking for simple ways to go green and really make a difference without it affecting your life (other than giving you a nice warm fuzzy feeling that you’re doing your bit), then switching your electricity to Ecotricity is a great step. They invest far more than any other energy company in new sources of green energy, which is what we need to do if we want to reduce our reliance upon fossil fuels and make a sustainable change for the future.


Ecotricity don’t charge any more for their energy either, and price match with the 6 main electricity providers so when there’s no premium for using green electricity, what other excuse can you think of for not using it? We can’t change the world overnight, but we can make a difference by working together to take steps in the right direction. Switching to Ecotricity is a very easy first step. We’ve changed over, and I hope you will too. Switch now….

Many people ask us what makes So Organic different from other online companies?
Well let’s cut through all the hype and tell you the facts, we are green and organic to the core!

1. So Organic were the first online retailer to be certified organic by the Soil Association in 2005. We led the way for all other natural and organic companies to follow.

2. The SoOrganic.com online store is carbon neutral. We plant trees to offset the energy used.

3. Our delivery service is carbon neutral, and has been since 2007. So for every delivery made, trees are planted (we like our trees), which is incredibly important for any online company sending out parcels. Oh, and this does include international parcels…even more trees!

4. We work very closely with Parcelforce, our parcel courier. Did you know that Parcelforce is one of the only couriers to have over 50% of their fleet using biodiesel, which has much lower CO2 emissions? And the electricity in their depots is from 100% renewable sources.

5. Our packaging is renewable, and our packing chips are made from maize, and can be put onto your compost heap.

So from the products we sell, to the stores we run, the electricity we use to the package getting to a customers door, from the packaging to the very people at So Organic, we are GREEN AND ORGANIC TO THE CORE!
0 Comments | Posted in Eco Issues General By Michelle Gregory

So Organic, the UK’s award winning online department store for natural and organic products has been asked by the government to help them understand the practical realities for business in the UK. In an initiative led by Mark Prisk MP, Minister for Small Business and Enterprise, senior government figures and civil servants are taking the opportunity to step outside of Whitehall, and into the business world, through week long work placements. Mark Prisk MP said ‘It’s nearly ten years since I last ran my business, so I need to better understand the current issues affecting small firms, if I am to be an effective Minister with responsibility for enterprise. After all, nothing is better than direct experience.’


As part of this initiative, the Deputy Director for Enterprise Policy and Strategy, David Wilson will work with the So Organic Founder Samantha Burlton and Chief Operating Officer Stuart Burlton to see what it is like on the ‘front line’. Stuart Burlton commented, ‘We are looking forward to having David work with us, and showing what running a small business is like in today’s economic environment. The Organic Industry has it’s own challenges, so it will be great to have a senior member of the Department for Business, Industry and Skills working with us.’


The So Organic team have a number of challenges and projects awaiting David Wilson, who is looking forward to stepping in to the business world. David said ‘The experience will be invaluable, and I will be hoping to take back as much knowledge as I can to further the cause of small business within the department.’


The work experience commences in October 2010, and you can follow David’s progress through the So Organic Blog, Twitter and Facebook, and at www.SoOrganic.com.

0 Comments | Posted in Eco Issues General In The Press Organic News By Michelle Gregory

Soil Association Organic Fortnight, is the UK’s biggest celebration of all things organic. This year they are encouraging you to try something organic every day.

Get involved during the fortnight and discover why organic is good for your well-being and your planet, is kind to animals and wildlife and allows us make a big difference - simply through the way we shop.


We're offering 10% off with code CELEB to all customers old and new to try and encourage more people to try organic products.


Also we'll be posting an organic tip every day on our Facebook and Twitter pages.


Finally if you're in the London area come and see us in our Greenwich store for free refreshments and 20% off this Saturday 11/09/10 between 10-12pm!


 



 



 

0 Comments | Posted in Eco Issues Sustainable Living Events Organic News By Michelle Gregory