Green Mobile Company Lives and Dies – C Mobile (Jun11)
C Mobile promised a greener approach to using your mobile phone. Their idea was to give a proportion of their profits to community renewable energy projects, to minimise waste, offer re-conditioned hand-sets and recycle phones wherever possible. Unfortunately they both launched and folded in 2010 and 2011 – they weren’t able to keep up with the big […]
Eco-scrutiny of my Eco-renovation
My London flat must be the most rigorously scrutinised property on the planet – in terms of its eco-performance. I’ve spent the last few months researching and specifying what eco-renovations are to be done – with help from green architect Jerry Tate. But this week, just before submitting an extensive tender document to builders, I […]
Articles for the Financial Times (Mar11 & Jun11)
I’ve started writing for FT House & Home. My first article, co-written with Fiona Harvey in March 2011 was about Feed in Tariffs – Enlightened Energy. The second one was on Eco-technologies at home – Electric Green. It was published in June 2011. Future articles will include one on eco-renovating my London flat.
Ecotricity Advisory Board (Dec10)
Dale Vince, CEO of Ecotricity set up an Advisory Board in 2010. Other members include Jonathan Porritt (Forum for the Future), Charles Middleton (Triodos Bank), Martin Wright – Green Futures Magazine, Anna Guyer (Greenhouse PR) and Lucy O’Shea (Futerra.)
Is the Green Deal a Good Deal? No! (Nov10)
This week I went to a Green Monday event, held in the offices of Merrill Lynch, the theme of this well attended evening was ‘The Energy Bill – The Green Deal’. This Bill is due to go before parliament by the end of this year, but is still in its formative stages. We heard from Patrick […]
I need a new boiler (Oct10)
Our boots, shoes and tennis rackets were all wet. They were stored underneath the hot water tank. When the boiler man came he said that it wasn’t actually the tank that was leaking but the pipes leading to it. The pinhole leak had been created by corrosion. Even worse was the water tank in the […]
Ecotricity Advisory Board (Jul10)
The inaugural meeting of Ecotricity’s Advisory Board was held at Bordeaux Quay restaurant in Bristol Harbourside. Initiated by Dale Vince, Ecotricity’s entrepreneurial and campaigning CEO, the meeting was chaired by Martin Wright, Editor of Green Futures magazine. Other members of the board included: Jonathon Porritt, founder director of Forum for the Future; Patrick Holden, Director […]
My goldfish died along with Labour – Here’s my coalition manifesto (May10)
Zac Goldsmith, formerly editor of the Ecologist, gets elected in Richmond Chris Huhne – New Minster for Energy and Environment Caroline Lucas – the first Green MP in the UK My goldfish died in the night. I’ve posthumously named him ‘Gordon’. It seems rather propitious that their floundering exit coincided. And […]
How Green is Scarlet – Eco-hotel in Cornwall (Jan10)
My first impression of the building was horrendous. It was sitting on the cliff top surrounded by bungalows and modern seaside houses. Looking at the website for the Scarlet Hotel near Bedruthan Steps in Cornwall, I had thought that it stood on its own in a beautiful bay. The picture of the distinctive red hot […]
The Age of Stupid film (Oct09)
I’ve just watched this film at a screening in the nearby village of South Petherton. The village hall was jam packed, although I was one of the few who had taken along my children. At the beginning we were warned of bad language in the film but actually all that I noticed was someone swearing […]
Solar powered lighting is good (Oct09)
My outside light is great. It’s a solar powered security light, with a movement sensor. I’ve had it up for a few months now and it’s works really well. It came from Eco Promotion – a website that sells lots of energy efficient products from light bulbs to radiator panels. (Not any more – Oct18) […]
Generation Green visit recycling plant (Jun09)
I was impressed by the passion, enthusiasm and knowledge of many of the children who are participating in the Generation Green youth think tank, sponsored by British Gas. Age 7-14 we met at Dagenham docks to have a look around the Closed Loop recycling plant. They were told all about recycling plastic bottles and were […]