If you are worried about the impact you may be having on the environment through the bank you use, switch to an Ethical Bank or Building Society.

Ethical or Green Banks as they are called, provide all the services of regular banks, are regulated by the same authorities and also have to adhere to the same rules. The difference is that they leave you feeling more positive about your savings and who you are dealing with.

When I first heard about Ethical or Green Banking, I wasn’t exactly sure what to make of it. Were credit cards now being made of recycled plastic material or what?

After researching the market, I was pleased to find that the Co-operative Bank did launch a Greenpeace credit card in 1998 and this was the first non-PVC card to enter the market. Apparently, the Co-operative Bank is still working on converting all of its credit cards to non-PVC plastic but this takes time. Given all of the accumulated toxicity to our environment resulting from the manufacture and disposal of the billions of PVC Credit Cards currently in circulation, I think it is about time that all leading UK Banks started to help our environment by producing only non-PVC credit cards.

Aside from the PVC Credit Card issue, I sought to find out what Ethical Banking really means. EcoSwitch met with the Co-operative Bank at their Headquarters in central Manchester. The first thing that struck us was the fact they were really walking the talk by having a prominent solar tower on the skyline which contributes solar photovoltaic electricity for their offices. It was really impressive to see. When asked what was meant by Ethical Banking they informed us they have a range of products from Ethical Bank Accounts, to Loans, Investments, Mortgages and Credit Cards. I asked how these were ethical and whether they were genuinely ethical rather than being products covered up in a lot of ‘greenwash’! Yes, we all know some companies are guilty of this. But the Co-op reassured me that all of their investments, loans and other financial products are only given to projects that have a positive social or ecological impact. They explained that they have full transparency about the social and environmental projects that they finance. This allows their customers to see exactly where their money is going. I asked for examples and they provided me with a Bank Account Application Form. Although the form was quite long for a Bank Account application, it was thorough. I wasn’t allowed to be connected to the MOD in any way or be involved in any Arms Deals. The criteria used to separate genuine green and ethical customers from the other camp was clear. The Co-op were clearly interested in having only genuinely green and ethical customers rather than just taking on anyone. They brought my attention to their new ’Think’ Credit card. Not only is the APR very reasonable but it has some impressive environmental credentials- half an acre (yes I’m serious) of Brazilian rainforest is purchased and protected in your name when you transact on your credit card for the first time, plus a contribution of 25p for every £100 you spend on the card is made to Cool Earth who oversee the forest preservation project. You may have seen the Cool Earth.org logo around but they are fast becoming a leading organisation for the preservation of our rainforests.

After meeting with the Co-op, I sought to find out what other factors make Bank products Ethical. Rather than publishing all of my findings here which would definitely inundate you, I have decided to publish my relevant findings on each Bank and Building Society separately, in further articles.

In the meantime, if you want to feel good about who you bank with and want to find some competitive deals, I’ve posted some direct links for you below. The most prominent Ethical Banks are:

* Co-operative Bank

* Triodos Bank

* Charity Bank

The leading ethical Building Societies are:

* Ecology Building Society

* Nationwide Building Society

* Norwich and Peterborough Building Society

* Yorkshire Building Society

Posted under Corporate, Environmental News, Money & Finance

The potential benefits of organic farming practices have long been lauded by environmentalists. With fossil fuels running out, the practices of non-organic farming have come under increased scrutiny. For one example, it is dubious whether using fertilisers – the production of which causes CO2 emissions – on crops whose only purpose is to be fed to cows for milk is really a sensible act, and organic milk is now standard in our supermarkets.

The benefits of organic food on the health are hotly disputed and controversial, and many shoppers are now uncertain whether or not paying that extra amount for an organic carrot amounts to a health-style choice. What is certain is that organic farming is a massive step in reducing carbon emissions, and is therefore a massively important area to address in the struggle to halt global warming and the climate change that it creates.

Farming takes up vast amounts of many countries total land, yet the role that farming plays in emissions seldom dominates environmental discourse. We hear much about heavy industry, transportation and the development of renewable sources of energy, but not that much at all about the fact that the journey of a food stuff from field to fork – or pasture to plate, if you are omnivorously inclined – is one that sees emissions shed at many different stages. The potential power that switching to organic farming has for the environment is staggering – it has been calculated that if 10,000 small to medium sized farms in the US converted to organic production then the soil would be able to store enough carbon to offset 1,174,400 cars. Switching soyabean and corn production to organic would be a move that would sequester the carbon for the country to meet 73% of its Kyoto targets.

However, despite all these potential pluses the Guardian newspaper has, in a study conducted for them by market researchers TNS, found that sales of organic products have slipped off from their ledge of £100 million a month earlier this year to a less lofty £81 million in the last four weeks.

The Guardian analysis attributed the drop off to the sharpening pinch of the credit crunch and the gathering clouds of recession. Even though the fall off is recent, many farmers are switching from organic to non-organic practices, as they fear that the more expensive organic methods will not be partnered to future consumer demand.

Shifts in consumer attitude are highly vulnerable to increased prices, as the reality of our budgets is slipping away from our exalted principles. Even though we still pay a far smaller percentage of our wages on food than we did in the 1970′s, this report suggests that many shoppers view organic products as a luxury rather than as a long standing alternative to non-organic products. Clearly, green rhetoric is going to be tougher and tougher to live up to as wallets feel lighter, but maybe some people will see it as a challenge.

Posted under Climate, Corporate, Environmental News, Lifestyle & Fashion, Money & Finance, Wildlife

The Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP) is an initiative for UK home owners, which seeks to bring forward the demonstration and deployment of energy efficient technologies. Formed under the UK Environmental Transformation Fund (ETF) and managed by the Energy Saving Trust, the LCBP have provided grants to help towards the installation of micro generation technologies all across the country, including; solar photovoltaic, wind turbines, small hydro, solar thermal hot water, ground sources heat pumps, bio-energy and more.

Since the publication of the BERR’s Micro generation Strategy in March 2006, the LCBP have opened their doors to householders, public, not for profit and commercial organisations across the UK, and have already set about showing how energy efficient and micro generation can work together to create low carbon buildings.

The aims of the programme are simple. To support and see demonstrated the national awareness of a more holistic approach to reducing carbon emissions, whilst integrating both energy efficiency measures and micro generation products in individual developments. In short, the LCBP are providing some of the finances required to encourage and emphasise Britain’s capability of becoming a more sustainable and energy efficient nation.

To be eligible for a LCBP grant candidates must first ensure that they are using a BERR certified installer and an accredited product. All of which can be discovered before any money has to be spent, through LCBP directly.

Once the product and installer are certified, you should ensure that your application is inline with the LCBP’s energy efficiency measures. These measures are set to ensure that you are minimising your energy requirements and are not just after a quick fix of cash – they include; making sure you have fitted appropriate loft insulation, cavity wall insulation, controls for your heating system, etc.

After your specific requirements have been met and checked, the LCBP grant can supply you with up to 50% towards Solar photovoltaic, 30% towards Wind turbines, £2,500 or 30% Small hydro costs, and many more initiatives that look to encourage the positive approach displayed already.
There is a maximum limit on grants per household. Households can apply for more than one technology but LCBP funding will be limited to a maximum of £2,500 per household, depending on the technologies involved.

One thing that the LCBP want to make clear is that micro generation and energy efficient technologies are here, today, to help us endorse a change. The BERR and LCBP are searching for candidates who deserve the financial encouragement that a grant can give. It is this sort of financing that is really helping Britain adopt a more eco-aware outlook. But more to the point, it is organisations like LCBP that are sourcing all areas of the UK with a contribution in which we can begin to make our own.

Posted under Articles, Building Services & Suppliers, Companies, Money & Finance, Uncategorized

Green cleaning can have many interpretations, but the main aspiration of green cleaning is to use cleaning solutions and methods that keep the environment healthy and safe. There are many ways in which people can take this aspiration into their homes.

For some people, green cleaning means that only use substances like baking soda, vinegar, and lemons to clean the home surfaces. Other people may find commercial cleaners that are healthy for the environment. They want to avoid phosphates, chlorine, artificial fragrances, and artificial colours. Many cleaners that are available on the market now are marketed as being biodegradable.
Other cleaning products may use recycled packaging or donate some of their profit to environmental causes.

You can make certain choices about your cleaning supplies; there is a huge variety of environmentally friendly choices for those who are keen on cleaning green.
If you are interested in cleaning your home with cheap natural materials, then have you looked into using vinegar, baking soda, and lemons?
Because these are cheap and cheerful ways of cleaning your homes, they date back years and years, and would still be used widely if it weren’t for all of the commercial cleaning products that are forced down our necks, which are also quite pricey, especially in comparison to the price of a lemon.

There are many ways you can use these three substances around your home with ease;

Vinegar
adding ½ cup of vinegar to the rinse cycle of your washing machine saves you from buying a separate fabric softener. Vinegar works naturally to soften your laundry and has the added benefit of breaking down laundry detergent very effectively. This means that less detergent sensitive allergies for families that struggle with sensitive skin. Don’t be put off by the smell of vinegar, because the smell disappears when the vinegar dries.

Baking Soda
after you are done working out at the gym with your sweaty stinking trainers put a sachet of baking soda inside them to help absorb the odours until you’re ready to wear them again. Wrap some baking soda in a small piece of cloth like a handkerchief and tie it with some string or use a rubber band. You will have your own homemade sachet to use in your trainers, no need for embarrassing smelly trainers now.
You could even fill the toe of a sock with baking soda and tie it off. Leave that sock in your trainers over night, but don’t wear the sock after wards.

Lemons;
One use out of many, can be rubbing a lemon onto your wooden cutting boards to clean and deodorize onion and garlic smells and kill any bacteria that maybe living on the wood, this also works well on wooden cutlery and bowls. Go ahead and try it, not only does it work well; it makes your kitchen smell lovely and fresh.

Posted under Articles, House & Home, How To's & Guides, Money & Finance, Uncategorized

What you need to do to build your solar powered heater.

A simple solar panel is backed with black pond liner, which is water proof and also an excellent solar absorber. The panel is sealed with plexi-glass and so it is water tight. You will then need a tube to connect the bottom of the bucket to the bottom of the panel, and another tube connects the top of the panel to the top of the bucket.
As the sun shines down, the panel heats up thus heating up the water which then rises up the path until it reaches the top and passes over into the bucket.

The solar panel is made as pictured toward the top of this article. It is backed with black pond liner which is both waterproof and an excellent solar absorber. The panel is sealed with plexiglass and so it is water tight. A tube connects the bottom of the bucket to the bottom of the panel, and another tube connects the top of the panel to the top of the bucket.

When the warm water leaves the panel, more water gets sucked back into the bottom of the panel. This is colder water from the bucket, therefore the cycle continues; hot water being passed from the panel into the bucket, and cooler water being passed from the bucket into the panel to be heated further. It is a good idea to keep the bucket well insulated and kept sheltered from the wind so that heat is not wasted.

Make sure that you find a good location for your heater, for maximum solar exposure. Find a sunny south facing location, and try and keep it close to the back up heater to minimize the piping distance. Placement and orientation are the single most important considerations. Remember that the sun is high in summer and low in winter.

Once you have found your sunny location, you need to determine where your heater will be installed-roof, platform, wall or ground- keeping in mind that your tank is going to weigh a lot when filled with water. For most applications it is best to keep a large solar heater on the ground on a specially built platform. Ground mounting is easier as you can control the weight easily.

Now its time to choose what type of tank you are going to use, the most efficient are thin cylinders because they have the greatest ratio of surface are to water volume. You can get these cheaply by looking out for used electric water heater cores. Wire brush your tank, and paint it with rust-resistant flat black paint.

You can actually order glass lined electrical water heater cores brand new, that’s if you are picky about using a second hand one.
Make sure that your system will retain heat. There are a number of options for glazing the top and the south facing wall of your unit, including single and double paned glass or fibre glass and plastics designed for extended solar exposure. In most cases, you should use two layers of your chosen glazing] material with an air space between to provide maximum heat retention.

Glass is generally a suitable glazing for owner-built heaters, unless you get severe hail. Twin-wall polycarbonate is a tough alternative. Be sure to flash the glazing carefully to avoid leaks and to glue and seal the panes to avoid condensation, which can limit energy capture.
Now you need to make sure that size of your heater is appropriate, to do this you will need to allow 30 gallons of hot water per person in your household, if you think this is too much you may be able to cope with 10 gallons per person.

You should plan for 1 to 2.5 gallons of water per square foot of glazing as a general ratio for good heating. Smaller water to glazing ratio speeds up the gain of heat by a considerable amount but can also increase the freezing risk. A smaller system will still provide economical solar water pre-warming and conserve non-renewable energy and cash.
You are planning to use this through out winter, make an efficient freeze resistant connection to the back up system. Minimize the pipe runs and be sure to insulate the pipe carefully using foam or fibre glass with the aluminium jacketing.
It can take up to 72 hours at 12 degrees to freeze an exposed water heater tank; but pipes are much more vulnerable. In other words, you can leave the hot water on slightly to keep the pipes from freezing. In very cold winter temperatures, drain the collector tank and pipes in the fall.

Set the system up so that you can turn off the backup heater and run solar hot water straight to the users, and so that you can shut it down in winter when you want to drain it.

Posted under Articles, Climate, Gardening & Outdoors, Gas & Electricity, House & Home, How To's & Guides, Money & Finance, Renewable Energy

Keeping your home clean free from harmful bacteria is something that you should be able to do without the use of harmful chemicals. Using detergents that are on the market is easy to do, but do you know any thing about what is in them? This can be a matter of worry for some parents who don’t want chemicals around their children, but still want to have cleanliness in the home.
Well there is a solution, there are so many natural and environmentally friendly products that you can use in your own home, with peace of mind as you know exactly what is in it and exactly what it does.
These natural products are primarily; vinegar, baking soda, and lemons. These can keep your home clean on a budget without exposure to harsh chemicals that can be found in some cleaners. Using vinegar, baking soda and lemons is a fantastic way of cleaning your home.
How to clean with lemons:
The smell of a lemon is refreshing and invigorating. A lot of people associate the smell of a lemon with freshness and cleanliness. Washing up liquid and most of the other cleaning products that are available today have a lemon or citrus scented version purely for the consumer’s enjoyment.
Lemons can help with cleaning because they have antibacterial qualities as well as a fresh and invigorating smell.
Lemons are fantastic for cleaning copper bottomed pans, copper fixtures can also benefit from a lemon juice cleaning. Simply cut a lemon in half, dip it in some salt, and clean spots from your copper. It works a treat.
Lemon is something that can also be added to vinegar, as vinegar is a great cleaning ingredient however many people dislike the smell. Therefore, adding lemon juice to vinegar whilst cleansing can help neutralize the strong vinegar scent.

Kitchen units
Stains can be removed from your kitchen work tops by allowing lemon juice to sit on the stain for a few minutes. Scrub the area with baking soda and watch the stains disappear. Do not leave the lemon juice sitting for too long it can be very powerful.

Drains
Lemon rinds can be ground up and poured down your sink into the drain, this can relieve it of the bad stench that sometimes a sink can give out. Another good idea is adding hot water with a little lemon juice, and pouring it down the drain, this will also freshen the drain.

Bleaching
Lemon juice is a natural bleaching agent. Put lemon juice onto white clothing and linens and allow them to dry in the sun. Stains will be naturally bleached away. How easy and cheap is that?
You can also put lemon juice in your hair and sit in the sun for natural high-lights. How cool is that?

Lemons are so easy to use, cheap, and safe and environmentally friendly, so try it for your self, no chemicals, and no stains.

Posted under Articles, House & Home, How To's & Guides, Money & Finance, Product Innovations

An internal watch dog reported this week that – since 1990 – the World Bank has committed in word to environmental projects that it did not commit to in practice.

It is reported that the World Bank estimated a total of $59 billion in investment for environmental projects from the years 1990 to 2007.

With that figure in mind, the watch dog investigated the World Bank’s dealings, and found that a comparatively low total of just $18.2 billion was actually invested in environmental projects that were deemed significantly eco-friendly.

Those deemed over 80% geared towards the environmental were included in the $18.2 million.

It seems that the remaining $40.8 million was invested in small projects with some – but little – environmental impetus.

Official spokesmen for the World Bank are denying the claims.

Since the turn of the decade, the World Bank has indeed invested in a number of environmental projects.

Opened on the 30/11/08, the ‘Land Based Poverty Alleviation Project I’ – which centres on Brazil but gives aid to Latin America and the Caribbean – aims at the development of impoverished nations in the area.

The World Bank outlined four main policies to help it achieve the goal:

“The components will:

1) Include land purchases by community associations of poor farmers, funded by loans financed through Federal Government budgetary sources, representing the counterpart funding for the Bank financed project components.

2) Include subprojects to be made available to participating communities, eligible for complementary investment financing, and technical assistance (TA), to establish the land settlement, and improve the productivity of the acquired land.

3) Finance TA, seminars and training for community associations, to strengthen the effectiveness, and quality of project operations, through capacity building programs for community mobilization, specialized skills, best practices, and public awareness.

4) Support project coordination, supervision, and monitoring, and, provide the basis to judge ex-post project impacts, and determine ex ante, possible program extensions.”

The ‘Land Based Poverty Alleviation Project I’ is due to close 31/12/08, totalling eight years of aid.

In 2005, they also committed to an active improvement of eco-systems in Africa, with the ‘Africa Stockpile Program’, which centres on Tunisia and South Africa.

It aims to remove harmful pesticides and wastes from production, whilst encouraging the removal of such items in the future.

Once again, the procedures for the program are carefully outlined:

“The project consists of the following components:

1) A full range of disposal, cleanup and prevention activities to achieve the Project objectives in the participating countries.

2) Deliver to country Projects the highly technical and specialized expertise required for implementation, supervision and monitoring of country level activities outlined under Component 1

3) Deliver knowledge management, awareness-raising, strategic studies and outreach services across the entire Africa Stockpiles Programme Project 1.”

The Africa Stockpiles Programme will close on 30/11/10.

With each initiative, then, the World Bank makes sure to stress in detail how it will come to implement the changes, and as each project closes, it undertakes careful reflection and review.

Indeed similar projects were opened this year, including the promotion of a wind power market in Jordan, an investment into the finance of energy efficiency in China, and land administration projects in Vietnam.

Whilst the World Bank comes under criticism, then, it can turn to its own extensive reports for proof of its continued commitment to its environmental initiatives.

Whether or not the criticism over the $59 billion investments is fair, it remains to be seen.

Posted under Articles, Corporate, Environmental News, Money & Finance

Heating water in the home is one of the biggest ways in using up electricity, gas and oil, as we use this in hospitals, offices, schools etc. Solar water heating is a very simple and energy efficient ways of using free energy from the sun and putting it into good use. Solar water heaters transform the solar radiation into thermal energy.

A solar water system has a solar collector and a storage tank. The solar collector is a flat rectangular box (1 sqm per person in a household) which is mounted on the roof so that it faces south. The sun rays enter through a transparent cover made of strong glass or plastic. Inside the solar collector a skinny copper pipe is snake from left to right across the box. Behind the copper pipe is some reflective foil and then insulation so that the suns energy cannot escape. The copper pipe is pumped with water or anti-freeze, and is heated by the suns energy. The hot liquid is then pumped through a coil of pipe in a standard hot water storage tank/boiler. Less energy is required to heat up the tank of water because when the cold water enters it is pre heated by the coil. Most of these systems work very well, even when the ambient temperature is well below zero and can save you a huge 20% off your heating bill even in the cold winter!

Typically, systems with 4sqm of collectors for a household will lead to savings of two-thirds on previous water heating bills and is environmentally friendly. There are other types of systems whish are becoming more popular due to their increased efficiency, which are the Evacuated Solar Water Heaters. These systems are made up arrays of evacuated double glass-walled tubes which each have a space in the centre containing a copper heat tube. About 93% of solar energy hitting the tube is absorbed and used to heat water and the 7% is reflected. With great thanks to this high efficiency prices for these systems start from just 30 pence per watt of energy required.

Making your own solar water heater is simple, and could be done cheaply, saving you a lot of money in the long run.
All you would need is some black pond liner, plywood, a Plexi-glass sheet, a large bucket and some hoses and clamps. Assuming that you dint have all this already, this will set you back about £30. After you have gone to the effort of making one of these you will have a solar water heater which will heat up a 5 gallon bucket of water to well over 40 degrees Celsius (the temperature of a hot bath)

Posted under Articles, Climate, Gardening & Outdoors, Gas & Electricity, House & Home, How To's & Guides, Money & Finance, Product Innovations, Renewable Energy