Most of us have seen those dark maps of the world where a satellite has photographed the earth at night from above. It's a beautiful image, all those tiny dots of light randomly sprawled across the continents; a dense series of sparkles where the major cities of the world lay, patchy where few humans dwell. Beautiful from atop indeed but we also all know what it's like to look up from where those lights shine into the dark sky and see... well... a glow from all that light permeating the darkness around us, so much so that we can't see the most striking and natural sparkles of this world - the stars!Of course we see a few in the city but when we're in the countryside it's a whole other kettle of fish - the entire galaxy shines before your very eyes.

Astronomers have been talking about the nuisance of light pollution for a long time but now as energy efficiency becomes more of an issue with the depleting fossil fuel supplies, campaigns to tackle our artificially glowing skies have greater significance. There is the Campaign for Dark Skies (CfDS) which was created by The British Astronomical Association (BAA) as well as the International Dark-sky Association (IDA), which says the UK Environmental Agency ‘aims to stop the adverse environmental impact on dark skies and to educate everyone about the value and effectiveness of quality night-time lighting.'

Light pollution can also affect wildlife. For example, artificial lighting can simulate a false dawn for some animals, disrupting their natural cycle and behaviours. It can disrupt plants growing patterns particularly those controlled by day length i.e. when leaves fall and flowers bloom. Both moth and turtle populations have diminished in areas where artificial nightlight has increased. When a baby turtle hatches they are distracted by the beachside resorts and away from the naturally moon lit ocean where they would normally be drawn.

Humans too are at risk of a type of light pollution known as light trespass. Studies have shown exposure to light at night whilst sleeping (think street lamp shining through your bedroom window) could reduce the amount of melatonin your body produces. Melatonin is our body's main cancer fighting agent and a lack of it in our blood dramatically increases the risk of cancer.

The good news is because of light pollution campaigns like the above the government is adding it to the list of statutory nuisances in the Environmental Protection Act 1990 so that people affected by light trespass will be able to take action. Also lighting designers, manufacturers, architects and others who have influence on our cities lights are creating lights which use only the energy absolutely necessary, are designed and fitted better and turn off when not required.

The moral of the story - turn off the lights and help make our night skies light up the natural way. Every little bit helps.

I have a little bone to pick.

Just a wee one.

You see, I've decided to run in the Rainforest Foundation's (RFUK) 10km run this Sunday (November 2nd) at Finsbury Park in London. Whilst the idea of getting fit to save the trees is a good one, if we are not also reducing our dependency on our woody friends then we're going to find it pretty hard to make any headway with the cause.

This is why I was a little taken aback when my fundraising pack arrived in the post last week. The fact that it arrived via post (paper) and not email may have been enough to make me wonder. But this was more than just a letter saying ‘thanks for entering'. This was a twelve page information pack and a thirty page Annual Review made of thick card. To say I was happy about this would be like saying indigenous people the world over are gleeful and grateful for being booted out of their forest homelands.

I raised money for the World Land Trust (WLT) in March when I hopped (injured knee) the Barcelona marathon. The WLT sent me an email with a link to their website where I could find out how the donations I raised would be spent. If I really wanted to find out about their financial activities I could have on their website. But I didn't need or want it at the time. It's understandable to make this information available to the public, particularly to those supporting the charity but we don't need to be splashing it about with ink on the very material we're trying to use less of (albeit via a recycling machine).

That said and done, The Rainforest Foundation is a good charity. They do a lot of good things for our Earth. Founding patron Sting is a big believer. They work to protect rainforests and improve the lives of indigenous communities by, amongst other things, helping local people to lobby governments to recognise their land rights and develop sustainable livelihoods.



There are still places available if you'd like to enter this run, or one of the others they do periodically throughout the year. Admission is £17 for the Finsbury Park one and you can enter through The Rainforest Foundation's website.

Happy running tree lovers! 

 

For the super earth friendly car - electric is the way to go if you live in the city. Batteries are used to power the car for up to fifty or so miles, beyond this they use an internal combustion engine to charge the batteries. To recharge you simply plug them into any three-pronged socket. There are charging points across London some of which are free. It takes about four to eight hours to fully recharge the batteries depending on the voltage at the point they're charging from so it's best to recharge at home.

Electric cars have no exhaust pipes and therefore don't emit nitrous oxides and other harsh particles into the atmosphere. Beyond the environmental benefits of electric cars are the huge cost savings - owners are exempt from paying the congestion charge, parking is free in central London and insurance rates are cheaper. Plus with the new road tax penalizing car owners of gas guzzling cars that emit more than 130g of CO2/km, from 2010 onwards, now is as good a time as any to think about going green on the car front.

Woolly winter warmers are always more beautiful when hand knitted... unless of course they're not (I'm thinking mother's Christmas gift in Bridget Jones' Diary). They're even better if the yarn is made of 100% wool and the sheep are grazing on land for conservation purposes.

Sheep are like the Hoovers of the grassland - they eat up bramble and other rough vegetation, allowing native plant species to breathe and flourish as well as open up areas for animals to create their homes.

The Nude Ewe Project has recently been launched by the Wildlife Trust to help conserve meadow and grassland habitats. In order to encourage local graziers to participate in the project it needed to be economically viable.

Enter the nude ewe.

At least once a year the sheep must be shorn - this takes both time and money. To make the project worthwhile for farmers the fleece from the sheep are spun into yarn and sold, the proceeds of which are used to offset the yearly shearing costs of the graziers.

The wool from this initial Nude Ewe project is available for £3.50. It's a beautiful natural brown with white specs. No dye whatsoever is used so you know your getting something pure. Also those who purchase a yarn receive a free scarf knit pattern.

This initial project has been set up with the county of Bedfordshire but if successful will be offered to other graziers across the UK.

To purchase visit Nude Ewe.

Textiles are an integral part of our lives. Lounge sets and cushions, tea towels and bath towels, rugs, carpets and curtains - all made by weaving, knitting, crocheting, knotting, or pressing fibers together. Of course we also wear clothes made from a myriad of different fabrics and most of them touch some part of our skin. Bedding is another material we expose our body frequently. We toss and turn, sweat and snore on our sheets, pillow and duvets.

 

The question is how much of an impact does the fiber our bedding is made from have to our health?

 

Up until the 20th century textiles were made from natural fibres derived from plant (coconut fibre, hemp, pulpwood), animal (goat hair, llama wool) and mineral (metal and glass fibre) sources. In the last hundred years these were largely supplemented by artificial fibres made from petroleum.

You can get bedding made from natural latex, cotton, wool, silk and buckwheat that is classified as organic by leading certification bodies. Organic farmers spend a lot of time and resources working with enforcement bodies to ensure environmental sustainability and purity of products. Synthetic and toxic doused textiles are quick and easy to produce. This is why, for the short term, until more people start buying organic textile like bedding, the price tag is a little higher.

Natural or man made, if a material has been heavily processed i.e. dyed using chemicals, they are not only eco-unfriendly, they can intensify symptoms of existing health issues. Sheets made from organic fibre, without dyes or bleaches are softer so eczema sufferers find relief in a gentler fabric. Natural fibres are more comfortable and breathe easier than synthetic fibres like polyester and nylon, so anyone who sweats a lot during dream time is likely to find a better, dryer nights sleep on cotton sheets. There have also been reports that organic fibres better protect against dust mite allergens, so are healthier for allergy and asthma sufferers.