Green (Living) Review

New 'Virtual Skip' App Helps People Re-Use and Recycle Unwanted Goods

2012-02-11T09:03:00.001-08:00

With the launch of the new vSkips app, the developers hope that they can simplify and speed up the process of “reuse and recycle” for consumers, helping to dramatically cut the amount of items needlessly sent to landfill in the UK every year.

Derby, Derbyshire, UK, February 2012 : With piles of unwanted Christmas gifts still lurking in cupboards across the UK and in danger of pushing the “to skip/to charity” collection in households to breaking point, help could be at hand with the launch of the free and long-awaited Vskips app.

With the vSkips app, we have simplified the process of donating unwanted items to a good home so people can start 2012 more generously and greener than ever!

Created by British company The Vyouz Network, the website vSkips.co.uk has already attracted over 36,000 registered members since it its conception. Now, with the launch of the new vSkips app, the developers hope that they can simplify and speed up the process of “reuse and recycle” for consumers, helping to dramatically cut the amount of items needlessly sent to landfill in the UK every year.

The new app has been a long time in the making but it is time well spent, according to Len Willis, managing director of The Vyouz Network: “If we’re honest, the UK probably wasted millions of pounds on unwanted Christmas presents in 2011 and many of them will end up being re-sold online, which does at least adding a welcome element of “reuse” to the equation. However, of the hundreds of thousands of unwanted gifts received, the vast majority will still just gather dust in a cupboard and begin the slow but predictable journey to landfill. With the vSkips app, we have simplified the process of donating unwanted items to a good home so people can start 2012 more generously and greener than ever!

“The interest in the vSkips website since its initial launch has been fantastic but we are committed to making everything we do as intuitive and as simple as possible so an app was the next logical but obviously a time and resource consuming step. Now that we have it, we are confident that we can grow our number of users significantly and the effect of that will be a significant reduction in the amount of items quite needlessly sent to landfill every year.

“There has already been some great work done in this arena by the likes of Freecycle and we have recognised that by ensuring that all Freecycle members and similar groups in the UK like Freegle can use the more advanced platform that vSkips has to offer."

The vSkips app is now available on Iphone, with Android coming later this month (February). http://www.vyouz.com/apps/vskips

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

This article is for your information only and the GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW does not (necessarily) approve, endorse or recommend the product, service or company mentioned.

Schick Unveils a Disposable Razor Made with Recycled Plastic

2012-02-11T08:59:00.001-08:00

Plastic hangers, buckets and trays are being recycled to make the handles for a greener version of the Schick Xtreme3 disposable razor, which made its debut last week.

Disposable razors, items that are designed to be thrown away, are difficult to recycle, which is apparently why Schick focused on reducing the environmental impacts of the product's materials, its packaging and manufacturing.

The razor is the first to use 100 percent recycled plastic for the handle and 100 percent post-consumer paper for packaging, according to Mike O'Malley, the company's director of program management and sustainability.

TimberTech Earthwood Evolutions™ Goes Natural

2012-02-11T08:55:00.001-08:00

According to color expert, Kate Smith, homeowners are more frequently choosing regional color schemes that blend with natural surroundings for their home exterior projects. Recognizing this trend, TimberTech, a leading manufacturer of alternative decking and railing products, introduced the Earthwood Evolutions Natural Collection to provide consumers with additional color choices. Pulling inspiration from nature, the product is now available in Brick, Slate and Brownstone.

Building on the success of the original Earthwood Evolutions Tropical Collection, this long lasting product blends outdoor appeal and indoor comfort. The new boards have a classic hardwood look that makes it easier to color-match furniture and décor to create the perfect outdoor space.

Enjoy entertaining? Clean up is a breeze with this low-maintenance product. Each deck board is equipped with a HydroLock technology that protects the deck so food and drink messes don’t have to ruin the party. In most cases, spills can easily be cleaned with a simple soap and water mixture.

“The simplistic colors in the Natural Collection allow homeowners to transform their deck into a truly unique place to spend time,” said Kimberly Kanakes, senior marketing manager. “We wanted to provide the same high-performance qualities seen in the Tropical Collection but with an additional element of style.”

TimberTech has backed the Earthwood Evolutions line with an industry-leading 25-year limited residential fade and stain warranty, so homeowners can rest assured that their deck will remain beautiful and durable for years to come.

Homeowners can visit TimberTech.com to utilize the interactive color visualizer, deck designer and product selector tools, or to find a licensed contractor in their area.

About TimberTech

TimberTech is a leading manufacturer offering low-maintenance decking, railing, fencing and lighting products for residential and commercial applications. The company offers a wide range of durable outdoor solutions in an unmatched selection of colors and styles. A leader in quality, innovation and brand, TimberTech products are available through a nationwide network of contractors and building products dealers. TimberTech is a Crane Group business. For more information, visit www.timbertech.com, Facebook and Twitter.

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

This article is for your information only and the GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW does not (necessarily) approve, endorse or recommend the product, service or company mentioned.

Eco Green Site Solutions Continues to Support the Renewable Energy Campaign for Connecticut

2012-02-11T08:49:00.001-08:00

Eco Green Site Solutions Continues to Support the Renewable Energy Campaign for Connecticut by Providing Sustainable Solutions to Municipal and Higher Education Clients

Featuring Best in Urban Global Design: BigBelly Solar recycling bin – Smart Grid trash and recycling system!

Manchester, CT, February 11, 2012 : Eco Green Site Solutions, a sustainable solutions company continues to make progress in deploying BigBelly Solar – Smart Grid trash and recycling systems to Connecticut schools, towns and cities. The BigBelly Solar system has been featured in several elite magazines, including New York: The Best in Urban Global Design.

“A live status of how full or empty each device is will be sent to an online database for the entity to manage.”

The BigBelly devices are equipped with innovative technologies which enable departments to effectively manage their trash and recycling operations through any web-enabled device. According to the Sustainability Coordinator at Eco Green Site Solutions, Tony Giordano, “A live status of how full or empty each device is will be sent to an online database for the entity to manage.” Thus far in the State of Connecticut, there are a plethora of schools and cities who utilize the BigBelly – Smart Grid system for their waste management including: Quinnipiac University, Yale University, University of Hartford, Eastern Connecticut State University, Southern Connecticut State University, Western Connecticut State University, Mitchell College, City of Hartford, City of Bridgeport, City of Manchester, Town of Hamden, Town of Middlebury, Town of West Hartford, and more.

In addition to BigBelly Solar, Eco Green’s website (http://www.ecogreensitesolutions.com) reveals many attractive and sustainable solutions. The company is an elite provider of "GREEN" electric vehicle stations, benches, tables, planters, bollards, trash bins, recycling bins and much more. Eco Green's mission is to assist clients throughout the country and relieve their headaches by utilizing their network of sustainable solutions.

For specific product information detailing "BigBelly Solar", which includes both the trash and recycling bins, please visit http://www.ecogreensitesolutions.com/bigbellysolar.html

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

This article is for your information only and the GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW does not (necessarily) approve, endorse or recommend the product, service or company mentioned.

Mesquite ISD School Earns 1st Place for Texas in National Recycling Competition

2012-02-10T10:45:00.001-08:00

Keep America Beautiful’s “Recycle Bowl” for K-12 Schools Is Sponsored by Nestle Waters

Dallas, TX, February 10, 2012 : Keep America Beautiful, Inc., the nation’s largest volunteer-based community action and education organization, today announced the Texas winner of “Recycle Bowl,” the first comprehensive nationwide recycling competition for K-12 students. First place in the Texas “School vs. School” division went to Sam Rutherford Elementary in Mesquite, TX, where students recycled a total of 19,657 pounds of recyclable material (38 pounds per capita), earning $1000 in prize money for the school. The contest is sponsored by Nestle Waters.

Mesquite ISD has demonstrated exceptional leadership in aligning administrators, teachers, and students, as well as janitorial and food service staff, in its recycling program

“We are excited to be the Texas statewide winner for the first annual Recycle Bowl,” said Holly Grubbs, principal of Sam Rutherford Elementary. “The real benefit was not winning the competition but the joy in educating our students who, in turn, educated their families and our community.”

With nearly 38,000 students and 5,000 employees, Mesquite ISD has made tremendous strides in reducing commercial solid waste since 2008, when it first launched its “Clean ‘N Green” campaign. The district was awarded grant funds from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to purchase recycling receptacles for 1,300 classrooms across 45 campuses, as well as administration buildings and two athletic stadiums. In just a year and a half, Mesquite ISD significantly reduced its tonnage of solid waste through recycling, thus reducing the volume of waste going to the landfill and reducing costs as well. Much of the program’s success has been due to campus green teams and the city’s partnership with waste hauler Republic Services.

Recycle Bowl helped Mesquite ISD bolster its commitment to recycling by equipping teachers with more tools for engaging students. According to Matt McKenna, president and CEO of Keep America Beautiful, “Participants reported the competition gave them a mechanism to start or improve their school’s recycling operations. Importantly, they tell us it also provided them with invaluable teaching moments about sustainability, math, science, and social studies.”

Anna Clark, president of Dallas-based consultancy EarthPeople, first introduced the Recycle Bowl to Mesquite ISD while designing and implementing an environmental education program in the district. “When I heard about this competition, I knew Mesquite ISD would make an ideal candidate. This district has demonstrated exceptional leadership in aligning administrators, teachers, and students, as well as janitorial and food service staff, in its recycling program. I am proud to see Sam Rutherford Elementary earn some well-deserved recognition and compensation for their efforts.”

EarthPeople is a consulting and communications firm that transforms organizations through profitable sustainability strategies. Since 2005, EarthPeople has helped create and implement corporate social responsibility initiatives for clients from startups and school districts to municipalities and Fortune 500 corporations. For more information, visit http://www.earthpeopleco.com.

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

This article is for your information only and the GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW does not (necessarily) approve, endorse or recommend the product, service or company mentioned.

GardenToolbox Prep for the Approaching Spring Season

2012-02-10T10:40:00.001-08:00

In the online retailing industry it’s always important to be one step ahead and know what you’re going to be doing next week, month and sometimes even year. GardenToolbox know this all too well and have already started sorting out some of their spring products. http://www.gardentoolbox.co.uk

In spring, we go that mile extra and ensure that all the popular products that customers may want at this time of year are presented in an easy to find manner, just to make life easier for them

Currently, not many people would believe that spring is just around the corner, but despite all the cold weather and flurries of snow this February; spring is still not far off. GardenToolbox is taking this cold spell on the chin (mainly because they’re in heated offices) and using the time to prep their spring product line-up and promotions.

Spring is a time of year where people seem to get into the gardening spirit, usually in the hope to get their garden looking perfect this summer. So it goes without saying that people at this time of year will start seeking out the perfect garden tools to get their garden looking pristine.

This is ideal for GardenToolbox, one of the largest online retailers of gardening equipment in the UK as it allows them to get the site ready for the ‘spring influx’ of customers.

Scott Morris, Marketing Manager/Guru at GardenToolbox gave us a few minutes of his time to run through the website changes for spring: “Well, we keep the site maintained quite well all year round, as people want to shop with us every month. In spring, we go that mile extra and ensure that all the popular products that customers may want at this time of year are presented in an easy to find manner, just to make life easier for them. We also go out of our way a few months before hand to source new, quality products which we can then offer to visitors at a great price. We like to think we do that bit more to help out our customers than any competitors do; and we have a top notch customer service team to help out with any enquiries!”

Scott’s not wrong and in fact there is a wide range of new material available on the GardenToolbox website, ready for the spring. A couple of minutes browsing unearthed some great new additions to the wheelbarrows and chainsaw section; giving customers a wide choice of new items to compare and choose from.

James Cook, Web Admin at GardenToolbox added; “We aim to give every product a full description and detail every specification possible, just so customers can compare products more accurately and end up with the tool that will meet their requirements. We try to eliminate customers ordering an unsuitable or wrong product as we don’t want to waste their time, especially as most people lead extremely busy lives at present!”

GardenToolbox.co.uk is the sister company of the ever expanding Plumbworld Network. Plumbworld was an early pioneer of online trading, started by James and Anita Hickman in 1999 and sold to the Grafton Group PLC in December 2006. Plumbworld now employs more than 50 people in its purpose built warehouse and offices and boasts an astonishing 50+ websites selling everything from bathroom taps and chainsaws to barbecues and bathrooms. The business has a turnover in excess of £18 million and is growing at more than 20% year on year.

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

This article is for your information only and the GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW does not (necessarily) approve, endorse or recommend the product, service or company mentioned.

UK Retailers Test-Drive Greener Fruit Packaging to Cut Food Waste

2012-02-10T10:36:00.001-08:00

Two U.K. supermarkets are testing packaging technology that promises to extend the shelf life of tomatoes, strawberries and other fruits.

Marks & Spencer and Tesco are each committed to reducing packaging and food waste, both through company-led programs and the industry-wide Courtauld Commitment.

Lowering those waste figures takes many tactics, and the latest being trialed by the retailers are strips made by It's Fresh that absorb the gas that makes fruit ripen and get moldy.

The strips contain a mixture of minerals and clay that remove ethylene, a gas given off by ripening fruit that accelerates ripening, from inside packaging.

Obesity and Diabetes. It’s obvious where we have gone wrong.

2012-02-10T10:31:00.001-08:00

Re-educating people to eat closer to nature is key to the battle against obesity and diabetes.

Around 188,000 years ago our species left Neanderthal man behind to become Homo Sapien. Since that time our genetic make up has changed by only half of 1%. For 187,900 of the years since then, our diet was essentially the same. However, in just the last 100 years the food that we eat has changed beyond all recognition and when you plot this change against the human evolutionary timeline and the explosion of obesity and diabetes it becomes glaringly obvious where the problem lies.

Kate Walker of BeNiceToYou.com told us “You have to ask if we are genetically so different today than we were 75 years ago, for example, from when margarine was invented in an attempt to overcome the social unease being caused by butter rationing. Until then butter had been what everyone used, we have been using it for many thousands of years and our bodies know what to do with it. The government even went so far as to tell us that margarine was better for us than butter anyway and as a nation, we believed them, so much so that margarines and spreads still outsell butter today by a considerable margin. Yet manufactured fats are so completely alien to our bodies that we cannot properly process them, our bodies simply don’t know how to.” Kate continued, “Many of the oils and fats we use in cooking, processed foods, manufactured foods, fast foods and diet or light foods are the manufactured fats that our bodies struggle to process. The consequence is that these fats are not being properly used by our bodies, they are being stored, in ever increasing quantities. It’s the same story with sugar and manufactured sweeteners. Sugar appears totally naturally in many nourishing foods, manufactured sweeteners do not. For millennia our bodies have processed sugars such as fructose in fruit and glucose in root vegetables, but our bodies have little concept of what to do with massive quantities of Aspartame and Saccharin.”

The more we process and artificially change our food, the further away from the original raw ingredients it becomes, the less nourishing it is and the more alien it becomes to our bodies. We need to look again at the food manufacturing industry and start regarding what it produces for human consumption with a new perspective. The manufacturing process reduces the goodness in food whilst increasing the profits for the manufacturers. "Re-educating people to eat closer to nature is key to the battle against obesity and diabetes." If you want to eat more of what our bodies are designed to eat, the best advice is to do 90% your shopping in the produce and butchery aisles, eat natural sugars and natural fats and only venture into the rest of the supermarket for the very occasional treat.

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

This article is for your information only and the GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW does not (necessarily) approve, endorse or recommend the product, service or company mentioned.

BRITISH ADVENTURERS JOIN BIGGEST EVER FIELD IN CHILE ECO-RACE

2012-02-10T10:27:00.001-08:00

A record 19 teams – 76 adventurers – to take on an extreme wilderness course
Race to raise awareness of the endangered wilderness in Chilean Patagonia
UK team returns to defend their title in 10th anniversary race

PUNTA ARENAS, CHILE: Two teams of British eco-adventurers will head into the Patagonian wilderness on Tuesday (Feb 14th) in an extreme endurance environmental multisport race designed to protect one of the most remote parts of the planet.

Competitors in the Patagonian Expedition Race will compete non-stop over 360 miles through a region highlighted by Frozen Planet’s Sir David Attenborough as ‘one of the world’s great wildernesses’ – but the kayak, bike and foot race is so challenging fewer than half the teams are likely to make the finish.

The 10th anniversary race – which will involve competitors from 19 different countries – begins on Valentine’s Day but Londoner Nick Gracie is more than happy to trade a romantic meal for two for a backpack full of energy bars as he heads off into the Chilean wilderness.

Gracie, whose AdidasTERREX-Prunesco team of four won last year, said: “I am going back to try to retain the title, because if I win a race I want to go back and win it again. We’re going to a different part of Patagonia this year and it’s going to be tough.

“We’re going further south, so it will probably be colder and it can snow down there quite a lot, so that can be quite challenging – but the weather in the UK in last two weeks has been pretty cold and snowy so that’s been perfect for me. That’s ideal training!”

The race will begin in Punta Arenas and travel through the flat wind-swept plains of Tierra del Fuego before rising into the awesome unnamed mountains of the Cordillera Darwin – with a finish in front of a 200m-high glacier.

Race founder and director Stjepan Pavicic said: “This year we are celebrating the 10th edition of this fantastic event and we have created a spectacular course that will certainly test the competitors to their limits.

“The route will lead teams through many natural marvels that have remained pristine and untouched by mankind – but it is also important to understand, as we enjoy its beauty, that we must conserve it and protect it so we don’t lose it.”

This year’s race will inaugurate a trail built by organisers NIGSA as part of a drive to generate eco-tourism in the region.

The event showcases the importance of protecting this stunning wilderness – but it also highlights the changeable conditions of such extreme environments. In 2009, an American team got lost for three days and had survive on wild berries. This year’s route is set to be the most remote ever.

British teams have won the three most recent editions of the competition, which runs for a maximum of eight days but is usually completed by the top teams in five or six. This year Gracie will contest the race with two New Zealanders and a Spaniard.

British cavers Chris Jones and Dave Powlesland - who have explored some of the world’s longest caves together – will join London-based New Zealander Richard Bramley and Auckland-based Irish woman Clare Dallimore to make their race debut as the only other British team.

BRITISH / UK-BASED COMPETITOR DETAILS

Nick Gracie: Based in London, Nick worked in the West End in advertising for ten years and now runs his own company. He won last year’s Patagonia race with his four-person AdidasTERREX-Prunesco team and also won the World Championships of Adventure Racing in 2009.

Richard Bramley: A London-based New Zealander, Richard, 27, was in air-sea rescue before moving to the UK. He is now an economic consultant and his work takes him to some wild countries – which has seen him training for this race in Kosovo, Ghana and Kenya.

Chris Jones: Born in Cumbria and now based in Cardiff, Chris, 23, is an optician and a keen caver. With his team-mates, he recently explored a complex vertical 800m cave system in Europe – but he has never competed in an adventure race before.

Stuart Lynch: A Bristol-based New Zealander, Stuart has been in the UK for two years and works in computing. He is an experienced adventurer and won the World Championships of Adventure Racing in 2008.

Dave Powlesland: Based in Cardiff, Dave, 24, is an outdoor instructor and energy consultant. He is a keen caver and has explored some of the world’s toughest routes. He has never competed in an adventure race.

COMMENTS FROM LAST YEAR'S WINNER NICK GRACIE

Q: Why are you going back?

NICK GRACIE: “The main reason to go back is to try to retain the title, because if I win a race I want to go back and win it again! But we’re also going to a different part of Patagonia this year and it’s an amazing place, so I want to see more of it. We went north of Punta Arenas last year and that was really pretty. This year we’re going south, and it will be nice to go to the Chilean part of Tierra del Fuego.

Q: So what was your best memory from last year’s race?

NG: “There was a place during a trek where we stopped briefly beside a massive waterfall with a big lake, a big glacier and a big snowy mountain behind. That’s probably the most beautiful place I’ve been in my life. I’ve no idea what it’s called – in fact, it was so remote it probably hasn’t got a name!”

Q: And what was the bit you’d like to forget?

NG: “We did a lot of river crossings and when it starts to rain the rivers get quite big so that can be pretty scary. Also, in this race you can’t just stop and escape to one of the nice hotel’s around there – we’ve got to keep going. So when you get wet, you stay wet, and you get quite cold.”

Q: What are you expecting this year?

NG: “We’re going far south so I think this year it will probably be colder and it can snow down there quite a lot too, so that can be quite challenging. It adds another dimension when you’ve got snow because it’s harder to see where you’re putting your foot down.”

Q: So the UK’s cold snap’s been good preparation for you then…

NG: “Ha, yep the weather in the UK in last two weeks has been pretty cold and snowy so that’s been perfect for me because I’ve been able to get out there in really quite cold and tough conditions. That’s ideal training!”

Q: So how do you think you’ll do?

NG: “Well, there are usually a lot of long foot sections, and that actually suits us because we’re really strong on foot, it plays to our strengths. I think there are other teams who are stronger at biking than us, but this year we’ve also got a really strong paddling team. We’ve probably got the strongest team that’s been to Patagonia, so I think we’ll take a lot of beating.

We don’t know who the competition will be, though, so it depends what other teams turn up.”

Q: The race is all about conserving Patagonia…

NG: “Yeah, and it’s a great event to do that because those who race in it and those who watch the TV show, see the photos and read the stories really get to understand what a majorly pristine place Chilean Patagonia is – and places like that should stay unspoiled.”

Q: So how special is it – how does it rate amongst your top places to race?

NG: “People always ask me where’s the best place to go, and I would say without a shadow of a doubt Chilean Patagonia is the most beautiful place I’ve raced. In fact, it’s the most beautiful place I’ve ever been on the planet. It’s pretty special. It’s just so, so big, so epic, it’s awesome. And there aren’t many people there, so that makes it a very special experience. You can go to some beautiful parts of Scotland, but there’s always going to be quite a few people around. Down there, you go to some places where you think, my God, I might actually be the first person to ever put my foot down in this valley. It’s a real feeling of exploration.”

The Patagonian Expedition Race is an annual eco-endurance adventure race that takes place in the southernmost region of the world. It aims to raise awareness of the environmental issues facing Chilean Patagonia and wilderness regions around the world as well as raising money for the ‘Save the Huemul’ project. It sees up to 20 international teams competing on bike, kayak and foot in spectacularly rugged and climatically diverse terrain in the Chilean Patagonia region located between southern latitudes 49º and 56º. The terrain includes plains, mountains, glaciers, native forests, swampland, rivers, lakes and channels. Past routes have incorporated the Southern Continental Ice Field, the Torres del Paine National Park, the Strait of Magellan, Tierra del Fuego, the Darwin Range, and the Beagle Channel.

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

This article is for your information only and the GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW does not (necessarily) approve, endorse or recommend the product, service or company mentioned.

Recyclebank awards 2 year contract to Contact Centre with a Social Mission

2012-02-10T10:19:00.001-08:00

Call Britannia, a contact centre based Croydon, is delighted to be providing customer service support for Recyclebank’s current members as well as the many new customers that will be joining the, soon to be launched, partnership with TFL (Transport for London) that rewards people for cycling and walking around the capital.

Call Britannia recruits people who have been unemployed for 6 months or over and aims to provide opportunities in areas of high unemployment. This was a significant factor in Recyclebank appointing Call Britannia as the social ethos and personality of both businesses are a perfect fit. Both companies have a commitment to make a contribution to make society better and demonstrate this through their social policies and actions.

There have been over 200 agents who, having been long-term unemployed, are now trained and experienced in delivering excellent customer services, quality assurance and sales programmes on behalf of UK organisations. As a result of the new partnership with Recyclebank, Call Britannia can offer yet more opportunities to those impacted by the current challenging economic climate and its impact on jobs.

As well as Recyclebank, Call Britannia clients include TalkTalk and Kidney Research UK.
Recyclebank provides services to the Royal Borough of Maidenhead and Windsor, Lambeth and Holten.

Sarah Anderson CBE, chair of Call Britannia said: “The new relationship with Recyclebank is a great example of two like-minded organisations working together to support communities through their business partnership.”

Rob Crumbie, marketing director, Recyclebank said: “The partnership with Call Britannia is an important one for us. We like to ensure new members get up and running with ease and that queries of existing members are dealt with quickly and seamlessly. Call Britannia is excellently placed to do this job and support us during an exciting growth phase.”

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

This article is for your information only and the GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW does not (necessarily) approve, endorse or recommend the product, service or company mentioned.

Fernwood's Spring Garden Symposium

2012-02-09T11:17:00.001-08:00

Designs with Purpose: The People and Plants Behind Them

Saturday, March 24, 8:15 am to 3:30 pm

Niles, Mich, February 09, 2012 : Fernwood Botanical Garden and Nature Preserve announces the line-up of award-winning speakers and authors for its Annual Spring Garden Symposium on Saturday, March 24. These speakers show us how they use their artistic instincts, environmental consciousness, and knowledge of great plants to create garden designs with social significance.

Janet Marinelli is the principal of her own firm, Blue Crocus Consulting, a consultant to public gardens around the globe, and a prolific author. As a former director of interpretation and publishing at Brooklyn Botanic Garden for more than sixtyeen years, Marinelli has been at the forefront of the sustainability revolution that is transforming landscapes and buildings. She has been called "an ecological and horticultural visionary." Marinelli has written three books: Stalking the Wild Amaranth: Gardening in the Age of Extinction, Plant, and The Climate Conscious Gardener, and she is a columnist for Public Garden, the publication of the American Public Gardens Association. She has received numerous awards, including the American Public Garden Association's 2010 Award of Merit and the American Horticultural Society's American Gardener Award for making a "significant contribution to horticulture."

Marinelli will take you on a whirlwind tour of the history of landscape design, explore discoveries on the frontiers of science, and show how every gardener can harness nature’s power to create a sustainable landscape that helps repair the tattered web of life.

Bob Hyland is an accomplished plantsman who spent 25 years at public gardens including Brooklyn Botanic Garden, San Francisco Botanical Garden, and Longwood Gardens. Hyland developed and managed Loomis Creek Nursery in Hudson, New York, from 2002 to 2010. He has a design and consulting business in Portland, Oregon, and has designed public and private gardens, including Martha Stewart's, and has appeard on The Martha Stewart Show.

Hyland will speak about how well-chosen plants are the heart and soul of “good” garden design. With new plants hitting the market at record speed, how do gardeners choose wisely and develop an adventurous, sustainable personal style?

With his award-winning work in botanic gardens and arboreta, landscape architect Gary Smith masterly blends artistry with sustainability. Author, artist, and landscape architect, Smith celebrates the connections between people and plants, combining art and horticulture to explore ecological design and artistic abstraction. Smith's work can be enjoyed at Longwood Gardens, Ladybird Johnson's Wildflower Center, and Garden in the Woods. His garden of fairies and woodland spirits a Winterthur offers a blend of fantasy, imagination, and horticulture. While visiting Fernwood, Smith will offer his assistance in the design of its new Children's Nature Adventure Garden. Smith received both a Gold Medal and an Award of Distinction from the Association of Professional Landscape Designers. He released From Art to Landscape: Unleashing Creativity in Garden Design in 2010.

In Smith's presentation, you will learn some simple graphic techniques that unleash the artist within yourself to make meaningful gardens that express the relationship between the site and your own creative spirit.

The symposium qualifies for three Michigan Master Gardener continuing education credits. Lunch is included. Fee $120 (Members $100). Register by March 22.

You can now register for Fernwood classes online. Details on the Spring Garden Symposium can be found here:

http://www.fernwoodbotanical.org/education/symposia.html

Fernwood recently launched an all new, redesigned website featuring an easy-to-use, online registration for Fernwood classes and events. Stephen Antisdel, manager of Precept Partners, the website's developers adds, "Not only is registration easy, but the new Fernwood website uses the latest technology to insure the security and safety of all transactions on the site."

Fernwood is a favorite of all who love nature—flora and fauna. Call 269.695.6491 to confirm status of classes. Fernwood is located near Buchanan, Michigan, at 13988 Range Line Road, Niles. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm, and Sunday from noon to 5:00 pm. The Fernwood Café winter hours are Tuesday through Sunday, noon to 3:00 pm. Fernwood is closed on Monday. Visit Fernwood's website at http://www.fernwoodbotanical.org.

Precept Partners develop and manage the design, implementation and marketing of industry leading websites serving clients in retail, manufacturing, professional services and non-profit sectors. Client awards include the Inc. 500, Internet Retailer 500, The Webby, and the Top 100 Best Retail Websites Award, with recognition in The Wall Street Journal, Business Week, Inc. Magazine, NPR, Internet Retailer, and other national media outlets. For more information, visit http://www.NetNitrox.com.

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

Farm and Food Security Coalition Raises Concerns Over House Hearing

2012-02-09T11:12:00.001-08:00

Save America’s Food and Economy (SAFE) advocates want Congress to focus on passing market-based approach now.

A growing number in Congress are beginning to recognize what we in agriculture already know: E-Verify without a workable, economical way to ensure a legal agricultural workforce will be a disaster for American agriculture.

Washington, DC, February 09, 2012 : Save America’s Food and Economy, otherwise known as SAFE (http://www.saveamericasfood.org), today expressed concern over a House Judiciary Committee hearing scheduled later today to discuss the current farm labor shortage crisis. Titled Regional Perspectives on Agricultural Guest worker Programs, the hearing may promote the H-2A federal guest worker program as the only solution to the crisis despite significant objections from the farming community.

SAFE argues that the H-2A program structure fails to admit migrant workers into the country in a timely and reliable fashion to fill temporary agricultural jobs in the absence of domestic labor. Coalition members support more viable solutions introduced before Congress, including Rep. Dan Lungren’s (R-CA) Legal Agricultural Workforce Act that proposes a new, more efficient agricultural worker program run by the Department of Agriculture in consultation with farmers. They also support realistic options for experienced farm employees whose labor feeds America.

SAFE warns that relying on H-2A as the only solution could dramatically undercut the nation’s food production infrastructure, shutting down farms, raising food prices and creating a destructive economic domino effect.

“While some in Congress think tweaking H-2A offers a quick fix, it will not work to solve the problem and secure our economy and food supply,” said SAFE President Craig J. Regelbrugge. “The Lungren bill is a sensible, smart part of the solution. We’re very concerned that the Committee may choose to push an approach that is failing when farmers have overwhelmingly said no to it.”

Some states with large farming communities are already seeing the consequences of passing stringent E-Verify laws without solutions for agriculture. Georgia’s economy has suffered from millions in economic losses as a result of laws passed last year. Alabama is already seeing a massive exodus of migrant farm labor from the state and could see its economy shrink by nearly $100 million. Even in states that have not mandated E-Verify, the labor crisis looms. Apple growers in Washington have described their industry as near a “chokepoint.”

“A growing number in Congress are beginning to recognize what we in agriculture already know:
E-Verify without a workable, economical way to ensure a legal agricultural workforce will be a
disaster for American agriculture,” said Paul Wenger, President of the California Farm Bureau Federation and a witness scheduled to testify in today’s hearing.

SAFE contends that an ideal solution is not mutually exclusive from the need for enhanced immigration control tools. Since gaining momentum last year through increased media coverage and a growing coalition of thousands of supporters, SAFE has pushed vigorously for a solution that takes agriculture’s urgent labor needs into account.

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

Advancing Compassion Project Launches New Model of Charitable Giving

2012-02-09T11:06:00.001-08:00

California-based nonprofit fosters innovation within community-based organizations and enables donors to play a more active role in promoting change.

Most people want to make a difference in their communities and appreciate the need to 'think globally and act locally.' By bringing hearts and minds together for change, Advancing Compassion Project helps put those words into action.

San Diego, CA February 09, 2012 : Advancing Compassion Project (ACP) announces the launch of "ProPhilanthropy," an initiative designed to raise awareness and support for innovative projects addressing human, societal or environmental issues, and help donors make contributions having more strategic and lasting value. Moving beyond charitable giving as a "transactional" process in which individuals are asked to write checks to various causes with little if any control over how funds are spent, ProPhilanthropy presents a more transformational approach in which supporters foster novel solutions to proactively address the issues they care most about.

ACP and ProPhilanthropy represent a melding of venture philanthropy and charitable giving – and reflect an emerging trend toward increased donor involvement and a focus on sustained impact. A newly released book that has now become a New York Times Bestseller by Laura Arrillaga-Andreessen, founder of Stanford's Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society, frames the issue as follows:

"Every day millions of ordinary people exhibit extraordinary generosity. Regardless of age, income, religion, and beliefs, we want to touch the lives of others. Yet philanthropy is often reactive – we write checks when natural disasters strike, we give to our schools and places of worship, or we support friends running a marathon for a cure. How can we transform these occasional acts of giving into consistent generosity that creates enduring impact?" Giving 2.0 – Transform Your Giving and Our World (Wiley, January 2012)

Advancing Compassion Project presents one answer to Arrillaga-Andreessen's question: a more proactive and strategic model of community-based giving. Programs of interest are evaluated through in-depth interactions between ACP's contributors, advisors and charitable organizations. Ongoing or proposed projects need to be:

Innovative - the project must represent a novel or improved approach that more effectively addresses problems through prevention or earlier intervention;
Efficient - the program must be able to demonstrate the improvement in a way that does not require substantial new overhead or non-program expenses; and
Transformational - the organization must be capable of translating project success into additional support needed to make it a model for sustainable change.

Promoting improvements within existing organizations allows ACP, which comprises volunteers and pro bono advisors, to operate without significant overhead. It also enables contributors to directly interact with programs, which increases awareness of needs and potential solutions and facilitates support going beyond the financial. In particular, bringing together diverse people who share an interest in solving a problem can lead to additional contributions such as relevant experience or connections, potential access to grants, supplies or services, and other assets that help charitable organizations better accomplish their objectives.

Similarly, ACP enables donors to play a greater role in promoting change. Compared to event-based fundraising such as walks, runs and rides, ACP encourages participants to influence and assist projects rather than simply hearing about them. Like some church or civic groups, ACP addresses issues at a community level, but it focuses on novel solutions that allow supporters to maximize the value and longer-term impact of their contributions.

"Unlike a traditional nonprofit, ACP operates more like a high-tech angel investor or early-stage venture fund, focused on spurring innovations that effectively increase our and our donors' returns on contributions," says Tyler Dylan-Hyde, president and chief executive officer of Advancing Compassion Project. "Treating these investments like any entrepreneurial venture, there will be active involvement with the partner program and support will generally be staged or 'tranched' based on achieving agreed upon milestones."

Dylan-Hyde, a San Diego entrepreneur who has successfully advanced several healthcare ventures and has been a supporter and volunteer in a number of humanitarian programs adds that, "Most people want to make a difference in their communities and appreciate the need to 'think globally and act locally.' By bringing hearts and minds together for change, Advancing Compassion Project helps put those words into action."

Projects currently being evaluated include those addressing youth homelessness. For example, a proactive outreach effort to help kids either find their way off the streets or become more aware of health and other risks represents a far better solution than treating HIV and other diseases spread through survival sex, or managing the downstream effects of drug abuse. ACP intends to focus on these and other projects that can help individuals at risk and at the same time increase awareness and support for improved solutions to problems affecting our communities.

An affiliated "communitarian" service program that will connect ACP volunteers to both targeted projects and other activities is to be launched on Valentine's Day.

Advancing Compassion Project welcomes donors, supporters and volunteers interested in making a greater difference with their contributions, and solicits proposals from innovative projects having a demonstrable model for promoting change. More information on ACP can be found on the web at http://www.AdvancingCompassion.org, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AdvancingCompassion, and on Twitter at @HelpLoveGrow.

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

UK’s world-leading small wind industry endangered following suggested feed-in tariff cuts

2012-02-09T10:53:00.001-08:00

Greg Barker admits ‘dramatic reduction’ in support for small scale wind
Hundreds of high-tech UK manufacturing jobs at risk
Development rights for small wind urgently needed to bring down costs for consumers

RenewableUK, the trade association for the wind, wave & tidal industry, has expressed high levels of concern over the Government’s proposed new levels for feed-in tariffs for small wind turbines. Household-scale wind turbines have had their tariffs slashed by over 40%, while farm and small business-scale turbines have seen cuts of over a quarter. These reductions have been described by the Minister for Climate Change, Greg Barker MP, as ‘dramatic’.

RenewableUK’s Director of Policy, Dr Gordon Edge, said: “Government needs to work with industry, to lift barriers for manufacturers and to ensure that these cuts don’t take a scythe to Britain’s world-leading small wind manufacturing industry, which employs hundreds of people across the UK,. It’s really important confidence is retained, and we’re keen to work with Government on progressing development rights and developing pre-registration to secure sector confidence..

“Household & business-scale wind turbines have been deployed in line with the Government’s predictions – if anything, deployment has not been as strong as we would have hoped because of the difficulty of securing planning permission for even small wind turbines. The Government points to capital costs for some turbines coming down – but overall project costs have been rising across the technology sizes and manufacturers will face real dangers with the proposed cuts – we want to work with Government to ensure lower costs for consumers and protection for our UK-wide industry”

Unlike solar panels, wind turbines require planning permission to erect, presenting a barrier to potential customers and additional costs to homeowners and businesses seeking to generate their own energy. An Act passed into law in 2009 required the Government to bring forward proposals to ease this restriction for domestic and non-domestic small wind turbines before the middle of 2010.

Former Conservative MP and renewable energy campaigner Peter Ainsworth, who brought forward the Green Energy (Definition & Promotion) Act 2009, said: "It is disappointing that the Government has yet to comply with the provisions of the Green Energy Act, which had Cross-Party support at the time it was passed. If we are to make our energy more secure and less expensive in the medium term, we need to make it easier for every household to play its part."

The new feed-in tariff bands are proposed to start in October 2012, giving consumers little under eight months to get planning permission for small wind projects starting now. This process can take up to twelve months.

Dr Edge added: “It’s key that today’s announcement doesn’t follow last year’s consultation on solar power by producing a chilling effect on all new projects – with all the implications for jobs that entails.”

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

WESTERN GRAY WHALE SPOTTED ON THAMES

2012-02-08T10:46:00.001-08:00

WWF launches campaign to help protect critically endangered whales

WWF floated an 11 metre whale down the River Thames in London on Tuesday, January 7, 2012, to highlight the plight faced by one of the world’s most endangered whales.

With as few as 130 whales, including only 26 breeding females thought to remain, the western gray whale is teetering on the edge of extinction and their critical feeding ground off the coast of Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East, is now under threat.

Two drilling platforms already exist next to the key feeding ground as part of the Sakhalin II oil and gas project, and Sakhalin Energy Investment Company is currently making plans to build a third oil rig in the area. The third platform was not part of the original environmental impact assessment, and if plans go ahead, this already vulnerable population of whales could be pushed closer to extinction.

WWF is calling on the European project lenders – BNP Paribas, Credit Suisse and Standard Chartered – to oppose Sakhalin Energy’s plans for another platform and request that the project is limited to the two existing platforms as originally agreed.

Colin Butfield, head of campaigns at WWF, said: “The western gray whale is on the verge of extinction, and the additional platform, which was never part of the original proposal, sets a dangerous precedent for all future oil and gas projects in the region. WWF is calling on the banks to take action and oppose the plans - before it's too late for these critically endangered whales."

The Western Gray Whale Advisory Panel, a group of 11 independent scientists focused on considering how to reduce the impacts of oil and gas operations on the whales, is meeting with lenders and Sakhalin Energy on 12-14^th February.

The public can visit the whale on London’s Southbank this week, and will have the chance to learn more about the campaign by picking up a copy of ‘The Daily Whale’, a WWF newspaper being handed out at tube stations. WWF is also inviting the public to help encourage the banks to say no to a third platform, by signing our petition online at www.thelast130.org

Western gray whales feed in the waters off Sakhalin Island during the summer and autumn months. Gray whales are the only large whales that feed from the sea bottom, churning up the sea bed and filtering the disturbed invertebrates through their baleen plates. The shallow waters close to the island are the only waters that are suitable for mothers to teach their calves how to feed in this way.

If Sakhalin Energy’s expansion plans are successful, there will be increased risk in these critical feeding grounds from noise pollution (especially that caused by seismic surveys), increased likelihood of oil spills, lethal whale and ship collisions, and chemical pollution.

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

Get on my land! New report shows thousands benefit from community farming

2012-02-08T10:42:00.001-08:00

An impact assessment of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) in England has found that CSA schemes are providing manifold benefits not only to thousands of members, but also their communities, local economies and the environment. CSA offers an innovative approach to reconnecting people with their food, and helps to build strong partnerships between communities and farmers.

The report was commissioned by the Soil Association, lead partner supporting the development of CSA as part of the ‘Making Local Food Work’ programme. It found that CSA schemes in England count at least 5,000 trading members and feed at least 12,500 people a year.

CSA schemes help empower communities to take control of their food supply by providing their members with a variety of local, often organically produced food from vegetables and meat, to milk, bread and honey - an impressive two thirds of members are supplied with all, or nearly all, of their vegetable needs. In addition the report shows that CSA schemes deliver many other benefits.

Key findings include:

· Strengthening communities: Almost half (45%) of CSA members feel their scheme has had a positive impact on the wider community.

· Increasing wellbeing: 70% of members say their quality of life has improved and 46% say their health has improved. 70% say their cooking and eating habits have changed, primarily through using more local, seasonal and healthy food.

· Reaching out: 12% of members have a household income under £15,000 and nearly 40% of schemes offer a service for those at risk of social exclusion.

· Developing and sharing skills: Over 75% of schemes provide training and over a third of participants say being involved has increased their skills.

· Providing local employment: CSA schemes tend to show high levels of employment relative to the land available (equivalent to 0.14 employees/hectare compared with a mean of 0.027 employees/hectare across UK agricultural as a whole). Over a third of CSA members are involved as regular or occasional volunteers.

· Offering farmers an opportunity to diversify: For many farmers developing CSA has provided a life line. Turnover for CSA schemes is over 0.2% of total farm income for England, reflecting the high productivity per acre of CSA and additional income from traded produce and other services.

· Supporting organic farming and improving sustainability: Over two thirds of CSA schemes have increased the amount of land they manage to organic principles. Over two thirds have increased their diversity of production. 55% have planted more hedges and trees and 61% have introduced new wildlife areas.

· Encouraging wider access to farms: Over 50% of initiatives make land more accessible to the public.

Gerald Miles, farmer at Caerhys Farm in Pembrokeshire, comments: “CSA is the best thing I’ve ever done as it has connected the farm with the local community.”

Bonnie Hewson, CSA Project Manager at the Soil Association, comments: “This evaluation report confirms that CSA is powerful on many levels. It is a proactive response to concerns around resilience and transparency in the food system and provides a logical step for consumers towards reclaiming sovereignty over the way their food is grown, processed and traded.

“Members are largely motivated by an awareness of global environmental issues but the schemes operate at a very local scale. They not only have a positive impact on communities but it is clear that the schemes have a far reaching impact on individual members too.

“Those concerned about justice and sustainability in our food system should consider seeking out or establishing a CSA in their area. In total there are 200 CSA enterprises trading or developing in the UK and we hope that our CSA resources help the creation of many more.”

The report ‘The Impact of Community Supported Agriculture’, can be downloaded here [PDF, 2.66MB]

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

US Composting Council’s Annual Conference Inspires and Educates while Producing “Zero Waste”

2012-02-08T10:37:00.001-08:00

RONKONKOMA, NY, January 2012 : For the 20th year practitioners and supporters of commercial-scale composting came together for the world’s largest conference and trade show dedicated to the recycling of organic matter. The 800 attendees came from 44 states or territories plus 13 countries representing Asia, Africa, Europe, North and South America. The conference, held at the Renaissance Hotel in Austin Texas, provided attendees with an array of technical sessions, receptions, an extensive trade show, the annual awards dinner and live demonstrations of some of the newest and biggest equipment on the market.

After a strong keynote from Whole Foods Global Vice President Lee Matecko, attendees chose among the twenty-one technical sessions that were organized into seven tracks over two days and covered nearly every aspect of the industry. Talks ranged from increasing the collection of organic discards from restaurants and households through improved processing efficiency and safety, to developing and expanding new products and markets. A full day track was devoted to “compostable plastics”, where representatives of all parts of the “value chain” could share recent advances and work together to overcome challenges in this emerging field.

The trade show featured 110 exhibitors represented the diversity of the compost manufacturing industry. There were manufactures of giant grinders, churners, screeners and other equipment that help transform organic materials into finished product; vendors of integrated composting systems that can control airflow and temperature and reduce odors; haulers who collect the raw materials, suppliers of compostable plastic bags, utensils and other products; educators, consultants, laboratories, media, and allied organizations.

The conference also served as the annual meeting of the USCC. This year, in addition to the usual financial and committee reports and plans, the members had the opportunity to meet the new USCC Executive Director, Michael Virga. Mr. Virga is bringing new enthusiasm and a fresh perspective on the challenges and potential to the industry.

The conference is never complete without the presentation of the annual awards, in such areas as research, grass roots organizing, and water protection. This year’s coveted Composter of the Year went to McGill Compost Systems, which operate facilities in North Carolina and Virginia.

Demonstration day, the unique close to the conference, allowed 22 manufacturers to show off 30 pieces of equipment. Hosted by Texas Disposal Systems, several hundred attendees, all sporting white hard hats and yellow safety vests, watched from a safe distance as powerful machines turned whole trees into chips, mixed huge piles of compost to speed decomposition, and screened out larger pieces of wood from mature compost, preparing it for market.

Texas Disposal Systems was also the “Green Event” organizer, providing recycling and composting collection throughout the conference. Specially designed receptacles were places throughout the hotel, and the cadre of volunteers would periodically check to make sure things were sorted correctly. In the end, only 2% of the collected garbage had to the disposed, while 31% (640 lbs) were composted and 67% (1340 lbs) were recycled. The Zero Waste International Alliance defines a “zero waste event” as one sending less than 10% of the collected waste to disposal.

“This was my first USCC Annual Conference, and I could not be more impressed with the passion and energy of the attendees,” exclaimed Mr. Virga. “The excitement here is palpable, and the opportunities enormous. I am already looking forward to next year when we’ll be in Orlando, Florida”.

Established in 1990, the USCC is a professional and trade association dedicated to the development, expansion and promotion of the composting industry in the United States. For more information go to www.compostingcouncil.org.

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

Mitt Romney says he is not concerned about the (very) poor

2012-02-07T10:57:00.001-08:00

With a presidential candidate such as that who needs problems

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

US Presidential candidate Mitt Romney said recently, though he claimed later that he was totally misrepresented and that what he said was taken out of context (don't they always claim that when they make such a gaffe) that he is not concerned about the (very) poor, as they have the safety net of welfare to fall back on. He has only middle America at heart, he said. Those that do not have such a safety net.

No, Mr. Romney, Middle America is not the 1% to which you belong. And therefore I really do not believe that Mr. Romney has but the smallest of regard for the average American, aka Middle America. With the exception, that is, to get them to vote for him.

Mitt Romney, like so many other candidates before him in the GOP, is one of the wealthiest of the wealthy, though maybe not in the Warren Buffett category but... His only regard for the American middle class, aka Middle America, is to bamboozle them enough so that they cast their vote for him.

Not that that really would decide the outcome as to who is to be POTUS. That decision is made in a conclave and not necessarily in line with the wishes of the electorate.

However, from what Mitt Romney has said we can just about work out what he, and more than likely the rest of the GOP, think of people who are not in work, for instance, even if by no fault of their own.

What else, however, could one expect from someone who seems to be able to work the system min such a way that he, with his huge income, pays less taxes than the average auto worker. Nice work if you can get it.

By their fruits ye shall know them, says the good book and that does not just apply to the church.

BBC Reports Hedgehog Study Requests The Help Of The Public

2012-02-07T10:52:00.001-08:00

BBC Report on public request by The British Hedgehog Preservation Society, Rising temperatures threaten hedgehog population.

UK, February 2012 : Richard Black, BBC Environment correspondent this week a public request was announced by The British Hedgehog Preservation Society for the public to help with a study on how climate change is affecting the British Hedgehog, an endangered species. It is widely believed among experts that warmer temperatures mean that the animals emerge from hibernation earlier in the year. By doing this they may be emerging when there is no food available and so could starve.

Rising temperatures also affect the creatures whilst they are hibernating, causing increased metabolism during the hibernation period. This results in the hedgehog’s fat reserves being used up too rapidly, and needing to hunt earlier in the year when it may be too cold for them to do so, especially if the food is still scarce at that time of year. By having the public help with the study it is hoped that the experts will be able to see how the warmer climate has affected the number of Hedgehogs in the country.

This study has been announced at just the right time for people to get out in the garden and start enjoying the warmer temperatures themselves. This is an activity that can involve the whole family and bring them closer together. The findings that each person collects from their individual Hedgehog study need to be uploaded to the societies’ website every three weeks or so. For parents this is an opportunity to teach their children how to use computers, and vice versa if the knowledge is with the children.

The study is sure to generate a lot of revenue for gardening shops as families head out to buy the relevant tools they need in order to dig hedgehog homes. Well-known Brands like Kingfisher Bonnington Plastics will experience a boom in sales as retailers stock up after this sudden rise in demand to be ready for the spring shoppers.

With the whole country helping the society with this study it should soon become evident if there are any changes to the habits of Hedgehogs. Certain species of Birds, Insects and Plants have been affected by the warmer climate and are also emerging earlier after winter than previously recorded. If the Hedgehog is following the same pattern then this could reveal a trend that more species may begin to follow.

Between 1950 and 1955 Hedgehog numbers dropped from 50 million to 1.5 million suspected due to climate change. Environmentalists are hoping that the results of this study don’t reveal a drastic drop in their numbers, if this trend continues we may face the extinction of the British hedgehog.

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

Solar Panel Installation Company Offers Investment Returns Of 10% On Solar

2012-02-07T10:49:00.001-08:00

Solar Panel Installation Company, Spirit Solar, Offers Investment Returns Of 10% On Solar PV

In light of the recent upheavals to the solar power industry following the government’s attempt to reduce the Feed-in Tariff (the amount paid to homeowners for every kilowatt of power they generate from their domestic solar panel system), there has been a lot of confusion amongst potential investors and solar companies alike. Spirit Solar, a leading solar installation company, is offering returns of 10% for systems installed before 31st March 2012 – with potential returns of up to 18%.

Following the legal dispute against the government regarding the cuts and the public debate between the Prime Minister and Spirit Solar’s own MD, Erica Robb, the DECC (Department of Energy and Climate Change) has announced that, “The tariff rate for PV installations less than or equal to 4kW will not fall below 21p for installations with an eligibility date between 12th December 2011 and 31st March 2012.”

Using this information, Spirit Solar has calculated that solar systems receiving these rates have the potential to earn 10% returns on investment. Following the news on 25th January 2012 that the government lost their appeal against the court decision which ruled that the tariff cuts were unlawful, hopes are now high that the tariff will revert back to the original rate of 43.3p per kWh.

A statement released by Renewable Energy Assurance Limited (REAL) announced, “There is still uncertainty about FIT rates paid on installations fitted and registered between 12 December and 2 March as it is not yet clear whether the Government will be allowed to appeal. However, for <4kw systems the minimum tariff that consumers installing in this period will receive is 21p. If the Government's appeal is unsuccessful, or should they decide to withdraw it, consumers will receive 43.3p.”

Spirit Solar has worked out that if the tariff does revert to 43.3p per kWh until 3rd March 2012, installing solar panels before this cut off date could earn investors a return of up to 18%: “If the government does lose [the appeal], then in order to cut the rate from 43.3p, they will have to put fresh proposals before Parliament, which will take 40 days.

Therefore any installation made between December 12th 2011 and the end of this new 40 day period will attract the original higher rates. So anything under 4kWp (i.e. a standard domestic install) will attract a subsidy of 43.3p for 25 years!

So anyone installing between December 12th and the end of the 40 day period gets the double bonanza of the cost savings from drops in technology costs coupled with the higher tariff! This gives a return of 18%. Tax free and inflation linked.”

After 31st March 2012

The government are continuing to make it more difficult to be eligible for the Feed-in Tariff. In addition to the government’s attempts to decrease the tariff to 21p per kWh, from 1st April 2012 all homes will need to have an energy rating (EPC) of C or higher in order to qualify for the tariff.

To anyone whose house is below this rating or who is unsure what their rating is, Spirit Solar recommend installing prior to the end of March before the more stringent criteria are introduced. To allow sufficient time for the installation process before 31st March, the company advises that solar systems should be booked by 14th February 2012.

Spirit Solar is an MCS-accredited solar panel installer based in Reading, UK and specialising in solar photovoltaic and solar thermal installations. They offer a 10 year guarantee on all PV installations which are backed by the Independent Warranty Association. Spirit Solar is also a member of the Renewable Energy Association Assurance Scheme (REAL). http://www.spiritsolar.co.uk/

Disclosure & Disclaimer Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

This article is for your information only and the GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW does not (necessarily) approve, endorse or recommend the product, service or company mentioned.

D. T. Brown's £260 vegetable plots proves a real money saver

2012-02-06T11:53:00.001-08:00

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

A crop of summer vegetables worth £262.54 at supermarket prices – here the reference point is Waitrose which is certainly not the cheapest as supermarkets go – has been harvested during 2011 from a plot just 30ft (10m) long by 9ft (just under 3m) wide by mail order seedsman D. T. Brown. The company grew 16 different varieties from its catalog, a packet of seed each, combined which would have amounted to £31.46. In many cases only a fraction of the contents of the packet was used, so the seed cost could be spread across two years, making the savings even greater.

The most valuable harvest was achieves from a double row of Climbing Bean Pantheon F1 with a yield from August 11 to September 9 of 8.11kg of tender pods worth £46.22. Other valuable yields included 5.16kg of Chard Bright Lights worth £22.47, 3.43kg fruit valued at £12.22 from just three plants of Tomato Favorita F1 and 9.38kg of Runner Bean Equator with a supermarket value of £37.27. Cucurbits did well on the plot, with three plants of Courgette Atena F1 producing 49 fruits (£14.33), three plants of Courgette Pantheon F1 giving 37 fruits (16.35), and three plants of Squash Sunburst F1 yielding 20 specimens (£9.86).

D. T. Brown's general manager Tim Jeffries explains “The crops received no special treatment. We picked regularly two or three times a week, starting on July 8 and ending on October 4, taking only the best from all the varieties and leaving anything that was 'past-it', so the crop value is on the low side. With better planning and more picking, the spread of the species grown and the value of the crops could have been considerably higher. I appreciate that gardeners also buy pots, trays and compost in order to produce some of the crops, but our experiment shows just how financially worthwhile it is to grow-your-own, with our total harvest worth more than eight times the cost of the seed”.

The figures, as I said already, are based on Waitrose online prices on the day of the harvest for the varieties closest to those which were grown by D. T. Brown. Waitrose was the only online supermarket to offer the full range of vegetables grown in the D. T. Brown vegetable plot.

This experiment, as the company's general manager explained, does give rather weighty proof that grow-your-own is definitely worth every bit of the time and effort and, I would like to add to this once again that you do not have to have a big garden in order to grow food for you and yours.

PEA Business Awards 2012 sponsored by Lloyds TSB Commercial announces winners

2012-02-06T11:50:00.001-08:00

The inaugural PEA (People & The Environment Achievement) Business Awards 2012 which took place on 26th January at The Orangery at Kensington Palace is delighted to announce its inspirational winners.

Paul Turner, Director of Community & Sustainable Business at Lloyds Banking Group comments, “We received entries from many organisations with impressive sustainability credentials who are seizing the opportunities associated with the move towards a green economy. Congratulations should go to each and every entry as all of these organisations are actively demonstrating how it is possible to be both a commercially successful business whilst also minimising their impact on the natural world, whether it be through lower carbon emissions or a reduced reliance on natural resources. Lloyds TSB Commercial chose to sponsor the PEA Business Awards as we recognise that by rewarding examples of environmental best practice in business, we can inspire others to follow suit and together we can make a real difference.”

Jarvis Smith, founder of the PEA Business Awards adds, “We hope that these inspirational people and their companies will set the standard across the board and help to stimulate other businesses to follow suit by assessing the impact that their company has on the environment and cause entrepreneurs to think with a green mindset. Congratulations to all finalists and winners!”

Winners of each category are as follows:

Overall winner sponsored by Celestial Green Ventures PLC

Juliet Davenport, CEO of Good Energy has been awarded this prestigious accolade as she shone out amongst other nominees for her mind-blowingly fantastic work providing an alternative ‘green’ energy. She was also named as winner of The Chief Executive Officer Award Category for her outstanding leadership of a highly successful sustainable company.

Banking & Finance Award sponsored by Ecoinomy Ltd

This goes to Huw Davies, Head of Personal Banking at Triodos Bank with Helen Tandy, Director at The Gaeia Partnership being shortlisted. This award recognises individuals or teams within financial institutions who excel in showing that investment performance can be compatible with socially responsible principles.

Building & Construction Award

This goes to Nigel Keen & The Property Services Team at The John Lewis Partnership with Giles Webber, Operations Director at Dogs Trust being shortlisted. This award is for leadership in sustainable building practices, including new builds, refurbishments and existing building infrastructure.

Chief Executive Officer of the Year Award

This goes to Juliet Davenport, CEO of Good Energy with Mike Biddle, President & Founder of MBA Polymers, Trudy Thompson, Founder & CEO of Bricks and Bread Sustainable Living Centre, Yvon Chouinard, Owner & Founder of Patagonia, Tom Pakenham, Managing Director of Green Tomato Energy Ltd and Peter Kindersley of Sheepdrove Organic Farm being shortlisted. This award is for a visionary CEO who most clearly demonstrates an outstanding commitment to sustainability in their market. The personal contribution of the CEO to their organisation’s growth, market share, competitive positioning and commercial results were taken into account by the judges who looked for a CEO with outstanding green credentials and a sound grasp of what is needed in the future.

Community Interest Company (CIC) Award sponsored by Lloyds TSB Commercial

This goes to Anthony Davidson, Founder & Managing Director of Big Barn CIC with Deborah Watkins, Founder of Funkyjunk being shortlisted. This award recognises an individual or team from within a Community Interest Company for environmentally conscious activity in their sector.

Corporate Social Responsibility Award sponsored by Friends of the Earth

This goes to The CSR Team at John Lewis Partnership with The Corporate Responsibility Team at Olswang LLP being shortlisted. This award is for HR, CSR and other personnel within organisations who initiate cost-effective and positive initiatives to help co-workers become greener.

Environment Manager Award sponsored by Greenwise

This goes to Dr Cecil Stephen Camilleri, Manager, Sustainable Wine Programmes at The Yalumba Wine Company with Glyn Lee, Energy Manager at The East of England Co-operative Society being shortlisted. This award is for a business with all-round excellent environmental management, acknowledging that many aspects of green performance have to be addressed by the individual or team leader responsible.

Food & Drink Award

This goes to Paolo Bray, Director at Friend of the Sea with Brand Team at Suma Wholefoods being shortlisted. The award is for an individual or team member who has created greater public awareness of the range and quality of organic food and/or drink or has developed products with lower ecological footprints.

Marketing and Public Relations Award sponsored by GREEN

This goes to Rick Ridgeway, Vice President, Environmental Initiatives at Patagonia with Fani Moutzouri, Public Relations Officer at Fairfood International being shortlisted. This award recognises effective, innovative marketing and communications initiatives by an individual or team leader that have encouraged greener purchasing habits and lifestyle choices. The merit, relevance, originality, quality of the strategy and tactics used were taken into account by the judges.

Public Sector Award sponsored by Kyocera

This goes to Alexis Keech, Environmental & Sustainability Manager at The Yorkshire Ambulance Service with Eco-fire stations project team at Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue Headquarters being shortlisted. This award is for an individual or team working within a public sector organisation that is committed to sustainability and has delivered a project of direct benefit to sustainable development.

Retail Award sponsored by Aquados Simply

This goes to Plan A Team at Marks & Spencer with Brand Team at Suma Wholefoods, Andrew Thornton, CEO at Thornton’s Budgens and The Junky Styling Design Team at Junky Styling being shortlisted. They were chosen from individuals or teams working in the (online) retail and wholesale sector carrying out programmes or implementing systems to improve their environmental impact. They demonstrated the highest levels of delivery, site engagement, usability, security, innovation and ethical practice, as well as initiatives to make internet purchasing a more sustainable solution.

Social Enterprise Award sponsored by The National Enterprise Network

This goes to Mark Wakeling, Managing Director at Freeset Bags Ltd with Hermione Taylor, Founder of The DoNation being shortlisted. This award acknowledges the work and achievements of the individuals or teams behind the most inspiring and successful social enterprises, whether a start-up, an organisation that holds the social enterprise mark or a business or project led by young people.

Supply Chain Champion Award

This goes to Howard Carter, CEO of Incognito with Emma Tweedie, Owner of C.L.A.S.S being shortlisted. This award is for those who have made greening the supply chain a core strategy and recognises how, through an in-depth knowledge of the supply chain, an individual or team has met robust sustainability objectives and become an eco-efficient leader.

Transport Award

This goes to Tread Lightly Initiative at Eurostar International Limited with the Central Transport Team at the John Lewis Partnership being shortlisted. This award is for an individual or team that has worked to minimise the harmful environmental effects of transport, by such initiatives as fleet management, minimising or changing business travel arrangements.

Tourism Award

This goes to Sylvie Fabre, Marketing Manager at Centre of Alternative Technology with Joanna Yarrow, Owner of Wilderness Wood being shortlisted. The award goes to an individual or team leader who has made an outstanding contribution to responsible tourism. The award was open to those involved in responsible tourism development, whether a new attraction in a deprived area or a sustainable tourism scheme to benefit local people.

The judging panel for the awards was chaired by Leo Johnson (Head of Sustainability at PricewaterhouseCoopers) and included Deborah Meaden (entrepreneur and star of BBC2’s Dragons’ Den) Jo Wood (TV personality and organic entrepreneur), Josephine Fairley (co-founder of Green & Black’s), Alex Lambie (founder of Green Helpline) and Tony Juniper (environmental campaigner, author and editor-in-chief of GREEN magazine) who after long discussions, drew up the shortlist from nominations and decided upon winners of each category.

The charity partner for the evening is Friends of the Earth, who organised a raffle to raise funds to support their vital green campaigning. Prizes included, four magnums of organic prosecco donated by Vinceremos, Two-day cookery course for two people donated by River Cottage and a CSR review and technology focused performance review donated by Eco Consultancy.

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.

Shortage of workers in Germany

2012-02-05T09:32:00.001-08:00

by Michael Smith (Veshengro)

According to the government of the Federal Republic (not that there is a Democratic Republic anymore) there is a serious shortage of workers in the entire country of Germany.

Despite this shortage of workers, however, Germany, like Britain and other countries, has a serious problem with unemployment.

How, how does that add up?

There are only one or two reason that can explain this apparent paradox and neither of them is really a nice palatable one.

The first one will have to be, despite good schools and good vocational guidance in general, including apprenticeships, etc., a lack of (marketable) skills. That is, however, something that can be overcome by training and it is down to the individuals to take steps to overcome that.

The second point will have to be, and I really hate to suggest this, and this is the point where there will be some folks saying that I am attacking the poor and the unemployed, but I must say it and that is that there are far too many lazy people who just cannot be bothered and who seem to be proud of living off the state.

There seem to be a fair number of people who have to be no greater ambition in life, which in the last years of school, than to become “Harzers”, as they would be referred to in Germany now, with reference to the Harz IV law, and to live of unemployment benefits and welfare (like their parents) and others in the surroundings.

Both of those types can be found in Germany as much as and especially in Britain. Lack of skills, as I have said, can be overcome, by training and learning and by self-motivation, in formal and informal ways. Laziness and “lack of ambition” other than a life of dole and crime is not so easily overcome and this applies to everywhere yet again. A good kick up the backside is what many do require to get going.

So, Germany, like Britain, must import skilled workers from abroad, only for Neo-Nazis, there and here then to go up against those foreigners claiming that those “foreign workers” take away jobs from indigenous people. You cannot take jobs away from people who don't want them, are not prepared to take them or are not qualified enough to get them and who are, often, also are not prepared to get the necessary qualifications in order to get such jobs.

There is not so much a shortage of jobs, at least not, as it would appear, in Germany, but a shortage of the right people. Could the same also be the case elsewhere? One can but wonder...

The Horse Trust Gives Sanctuary to 21st Century War Horses

2012-02-05T09:27:00.001-08:00

a number of these modern day War Horses are given lifelong sanctuary at The Horse Trust

The recent release of the Steven Spielberg film “War Horse” has prompted some to ask the question, what happens to the horses serving in the British Army in the 21st century when their working days are over? Whilst many are re-homed to private owners a number of these modern day War Horses are given lifelong sanctuary at The Horse Trust.

The charity specialises in providing retirement and respite to horses and ponies that have served their country or community in the armed forces, the Police service or for charities working with disabled and disadvantaged youngsters. It is a sad fact of life that for some animals re-homing or retirement is not an option due to injury, illness or very occasionally because of a behavioural problem that is serious enough to make the animal a danger to itself or its human owners. Horses are only put down by the Army as a final resort when it is certain they have absolutely no prospect of a pain free or happy, safe and secure future; those that can enjoy a peaceful retirement receive it with either with new owners or at The Horse Trust.

Retirement today

The Ministry of Defence Animal Centre (DAC), Melton Mowbray, the epicentre for the training and management of animals used in Defence, works in close association with The Horse Trust, which relies on public donations, to ensure the retirement needs of military horses are met in the most suitable way for each individual animal’s needs. Amongst the former Army horses retired to The Horse Trust are 26 year old Sevastopol, a striking grey ex-trumpeter with the Blues and Royals, Hapsburg a 19yr old bay gelding from the Kings Troop Royal Artillery and Auriol, a ‘Cavalry Black’, recently loaned to the Honourable Artillery Company‘s Light Cavalry having recovered from concussion laminitis.

His old work on London’s streets was aggravating his condition while his new role will be less demanding and mainly on soft surfaces. When Auriol is no longer able or happy in this work he will retire permanently back to The Horse Trust. The Riding Master of the Light Cavalry, Charles Gillow, commented: “It has been a privilege to give Auriol an opportunity to continue his working career in a familiar role, with less street work, and regular exercise in Windsor Great Park. It has been reassuring to the Light Cavalry to know that the Horse Trust is ready to look after our retirees when they can no longer handle the work. Currently, we have three ex-Light Cavalry horses enjoying their retirement at the Horse Trust”.

One of the ex-army residents of The Horse Trust is former King’s Troop Charger Rocket Ron, a perfect example of how the DAC and The Horse Trust collaborate to secure the most suitable future for horses with very individual needs. Ron started out with the King’s Troop but never settled on parade and so was moved to the DAC centre at Melton Mowbray where he became an invaluable training horse, helping soldiers learn to ride and also training those becoming Army riding instructors. Sadly, he developed chronic girth galls, a condition that strikes when a horse has particularly sensitive skin and being ridden for long periods became too painful for him. Being only 14, The Horse Trust initially tried loaning Rocket Ron to a private home.

However he displayed some highly institutionalised behaviour that made him a potential danger in a very small yard. Back at The Horse Trust, Ron is extremely happy and settled in a larger environment with many more horses surrounding him and his training skills are now being put to great use helping The Horse Trust train young rescue horses and ponies, helping the charity to secure the best possible loan homes for the youngsters.

CEO of the Horse Trust, Jeanette Allen said, “Rocket Ron is a prime example of an ex-army horse that requires a very specific retirement environment. He is now not only happily settled but is able to do light part time work leading young animals venturing onto roads for the first time. He may have never liked parades but out and about he is an absolute dream giving young ponies that have suffered extreme cruelty and neglect, including three from the notorious Spindles Farm case, the confidence to become beloved riding ponies in the future.”

The Horse Trust, founded in 1886, is the oldest horse charity in the UK. Based at Speen, Buckinghamshire, it provides a place of retreat for working horses that have served their country or community and nurtures them throughout their final years. The charity also gives sanctuary to horses, ponies and donkeys that have suffered and need special treatment. The Horse Trust funds non-invasive research that advances knowledge of equine diseases, improving diagnosis and treatment and reducing suffering among equines worldwide. The charity also offers training for professionals and owners, with a focus on equine welfare and quality of life assessment. The Horse Trust relies on donations from the public, to support its work or to find out more please visit www.horsetrust.org.uk.

The Horse Trust – Free Retirement for Horses

The Horse Trust was founded in 1886 as the result of its founder, Ann Lindo, reading the novel Black Beauty and being moved by the plight of London’s working cab horses. 125 years on The Horse Trust, which relies on donations from the public, still provides free retirement and respite for London’s serving horses as well as those working around the country, that are the responsibility of the tax payer or other charities. Back in World War I it cared for those horses, ponies and mules serving on the front line both during and after the conflict.

The Real War Horses

In 1914 The Home of Rest for Horses, as The Horse Trust was named at that time, designed and produced the first motorised horse ambulance to send to France to transport wounded horses from the front line to the veterinary stations. In two years the ambulance had travelled some 13,000 miles and had carried in excess of 1,000 injured horses. So successful was The Home of Rest for Horses’ ambulance that the War Office commissioned it as the official specification for their vehicles for this use. By the end of the war 14 of these vehicles were in operation in France saving the lives of thousands of horses, ponies and mules.

The first equine war veteran retired to The Horse Trust’s Home of Rest for Horses in 1919 was San Toy, a horse that had served in both the Boer and First World Wars and was joined by a number of other WWI Veterans including Roger. Roger’s story was truly remarkable. A German Cavalry horse, thought to have been a German Officer’s Charger, Roger was found rider-less on the battlefield during the infamous battle of the Somme by a British Army Officer who caught him, got him to safety and at the end of the war brought him back to England to retire to the Home of Rest.

Full Disclosure Statement: This article is presented for your information only. The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of it.

Celebrities Help Tweet a Story for Charity

2012-02-05T09:23:00.001-08:00

Ambitious story from The 3hundredand65 Project attracts celebrity writers and over 200 volunteer writers in just one month, raising money for The Teenage Cancer Trust.

What began as a last minute idea, late on New Year’s Eve has grown into a Twitter craze known as 3hundredand65. The ambitious project has attracted support from professional poets, writers, artists and even Olympic cyclists and DJs across the UK as they commit to writing a single installment in just 140 characters in order to raise money for The Teenage Cancer Trust.

A growing audience of Twitter users wait each day for these latest installments to see how the days new writer will shape the year-long story. Each Tweet is then followed by unique illustrations from creator Dave Kirkwood whose work has defined the much loved project. The project, which can be viewed at http://www.3hundredand65.co.uk, is already being followed by readers all over the world.

Dave Kirkwood says, "The way and speed in which this story has been taken on has been astounding. Writers and readers have taken up the call for celebrities to lend a hand in raising awareness and it's wonderful to see how The Teenage Cancer Trust is benefitting."

Fans engage in hot debate, questioning narrative twists or expressing hope for future events. With increasing numbers of people taking ownership of the story project and helping to publicise it, writers take their responsibilities seriously.

DJ and XFM presenter, Clint Boon described the project as "...probably the most imaginative use of Twitter ever and for a great cause".

The story doesn't end there. New initiatives are planned to make it easier for people to access the story and donate, including an App for iPhone that will compliment the excellent website.

Dave Kirkwood says "this project came about because of the very personal way in which teenage cancer deeply affected the family of a close friend."

With teenage cancer being an issue that can devastate families, it is the hope of The 3hundredand65 Project that more celebrities pledge to send one tweet and contribute to a story that is changing lives.

The 3hundredand65 Project was created by designer Dave Kirkwood as a collaborative effort to raise money for The Teenage Cancer Trust by creating a graphic novel over the course of a single year. All proceeds go towards helping the charity continue its important work.

This press release is presented for your information only.

Full Disclosure Statement: The GREEN (LIVING) REVIEW received no compensation for any component of this article.