FSC stands for Forest Stewardship Council. It is an independent, non-government, not-for-profit organisation that was set up to promote the responsible management of our world's forests.

For more than a decade the FSC have been developing solutions to some of the greatest problems our forests face. The fact is we cut down trees because our society depends on the materials we can make with their wood. The FSC work on all levels - economic, social and of course environmental - to create measures that ensure our forests are managed fairly.

With offices in 46 countries the council helps set standards, provides trademark assurance and accreditation services for those companies wanting to play their part in responsible forestry. It's a sad fact that, according to the FSC, in some countries up to 80% of timber is illegally harvested. The destruction to protected old growth forests is phenomenal and we need to stop it occurring by making sure we only choose products derived from sustainable sources.

You can help by becoming a FSC donor and by supporting other pro-forest organisations working towards keeping our trees and wildlife healthy.

Check out a sneak peak of the movie 'Buyer be fair: the promise of product certification' featuring the FSC.

Campaigns that capture our attention in an interesting and unique way are more likely to encourage us to participate in their cause. A recent campaign by ActionAid tackles poverty by using the consumers' voice to target the big buying supermarkets like Tescos, asking them to address the issue of spiralling global food prices. According to ActionAid fruit pickers in South Africa barely earn enough to pay for their own food with 80% of their income being spent on feeding themselves and their families. In comparison, the average UK person spends 20% of their income on food.

caught our attention by a card they sent us. One side was a letter to the Chief Executive of Tescos urging him to pay just 5p more per kilo of Granny Smith apples. The other side of the card has a sticky circle for us to place our own 5p. The letter also points out that the supermarket itself only recently announced their half year profits came in at £1.45 billion.

Quite a unique way to capture ours and the big corporates attention - simple and factual information with an easy, tangible contribution on our behalf.

"ActionAid tackles the effects of poverty... also change what keeps people poor." This not for profit has been working for over three decades with over 2,000 civil society partners across the globe to give aid and work with communities to help them fight poverty. They also work on improving women's rights, conflict and debt torn countries, educating the poor on issues like HIV and AIDS.

Vetiver is a not so commonly heard of, but quite often used ingredient in skin care products, perfumes and aromatherapy oils. In fact, it is estimated that 250 tons per year of oil distilled from the roots of the grassy Vetiver is produced across the globe.

Vetiver is quite similar to other fragrant grasses like lemon grass, citronella and palmarosa. As an essential oil it has a sweet, woody, smoky, amber scent however this can vary quite a lot depending on where (climate and soil type) it is grown. It is used in roughly 90% of western perfumes as it has very good fixative properties - meaning its scent holds well with other elements.

Have I mentioned its medicinal qualities yet? Vetiver has somewhat of a relaxing effect on the body and has been used in India and South East Asian countries for centuries to treat muscle aches, oily skin, rheumatism, depression, arthritis, exhaustion and insomnia.



This non-fertile, noninvasive plant is also somewhat of a sustainability warrior, used by The Vetiver Network International to manage soil and water on large scale landscapes areas. The deep roots of the Vetiver hold soil in place and hold back sediment from flows. Planting Vetiver can help to stabalize and restore damaged land, protect areas from flooding, erosion control or prevent the contamination of domestic and industrial wastewater.

Vetiver essential oil is a key ingredient used to create a beautiful fragrance blend for the So Organic range of products.

I was talking to Claire (our beauteous customer service manager) yesterday and she was telling me about the organic millet pillow she bought last week. I've had the same deliciously comfy pillow for years. I even brought it with me when I moved from the other side of the world as I couldn't bear to leave it behind.

The problem is, whilst it is incredibly comfy, I'm pretty sure it's not made from wholly natural fibres. Most likely it's latex foam and contains synthetic materials like polyester which can rigger allergies and asthma or give some people headaches. I'm prone to headaches, particularly when I've pounded the pavement and my spine on a long jog or during the changing of seasons. So when Claire told me that her new millet pillow has revolutionized her whole sleep and that it is 'just divine and soooo comfortable'. I took a little notice.

Laying your head on a pillow filled with millet husks feels a bit like a bean bag with very fine beans. The thing is it moulds to your head and as Claire said about her new dreamy favourite purchase 'it just doesn't go out of shape, it's great.' Organic millet pillows are more resistant to mold and dust mites therefore good for allergy sufferers. They are also better because during manufacturing they don't draw from nonrenewable resources or use chemicals like pesticides to grow cotton or millet grain which conventional production uses.

I think it might be time to let go of my old trusty snooze mate, get myself an organic millet pillow and spend the rest of the winter hibernating!

There is a course of study that is directly addressing the internal human dilemma that so many are now facing with the realisation that climate change is no joke, nor is it going away any time soon. The earth is in fact showing stronger signs of powering over us. And why should it not after how we've been treating it - polluting, taming, and dominating the wild so that in so many parts of the world it can no longer be called wild or natural. Grrrrrrr, rant over.

Ecopsychology is based around the intrinsic connection between our inner world and ecology. An online forum created by The International Community for Ecopsychology (ICE) explores ecopsychology as the ‘synergistic relation' between nature and the personal well being of the individual, suggesting ‘the needs of the one are relevant to the other.'

It is a fascinating area of psychotherapy and one that seems to have taken on board the massive task of healing on every level - the troubled mind and the aching rainforests. The planet we see changing before our eyes is having significant impact on the human psyche. It is perhaps THE psychological reality of our time.

If you'd like to learn more about ecopsychology, Mary-Jayne Rust is a leading practitioner in the field and has a number of interesting and easy to read papers on her website.