New Blog Post Seesmic_conversation

Posted by andyh on 3rd July
Tagged with: charmin lemeur loic redesign seesmic sew
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I met the rather charming and sussed Suw Charman the other day and had a very interesting chat about social media type things. She was kind enough not only to listen to me waffle on about Green Thing, but to suggest an online conversation about what Dothegreenthing.com could do next. We're in the process of re-thinking/re-designing V2 so it would be great to get thoughts on that very topic.

So she kicked off just such a conversation on Seesmic -the new video startup from French uberbloggerdude Loic Le Meur.

 You can check out the Green Thing video thread here and feel free to join in (or comment below on what you'd like to see in Green Thing V2).

2gether08 conference

Posted by andyh on 2nd July
Tagged with: 2gether08 conference
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Blogging this from the 2gether08 conference. I'll be interviewed about Green Thing by the grotesquely clever John Grant in the afternoon, meanwhile enjoying all the talks. David Wilcox kindly did an interview preview which is on the 2gether blog here.

Green Things happening at the Lift Festival

Posted by bluemoon on 1st July
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Please do check out the excellent Lift Festival 2008 at Southbank Centre in London. Running until 6^th July, the festival mixes local and international events in a rich eclectic programme, igniting conversation about issues that affect all of us around the world: climate change, development and migration.

At the heart of it all is The Lift - a unique mobile arts venue designed for interactive cultural experiences - an extraordinary public space where people can see performances, watch screenings, participate in workshops, view exhibitions, relax, reflect, eat, drink, meet and talk.

And amongst the series of programmes is ‘A Parliament for Climate Change’, a collection of lively discussions, activities and diverse presentations featuring everything from the experiences of an Arctic youth expedition, the global social experiment of transition towns, to a hands-on night with the marvellous Tipping Point.

Many thanks to Lift for kindly giving our Green Thing videos the big screen treatment.

New directory helps you recycle with Passion

Posted by bluemoon on 29th June
Tagged with: allthingseco directory passionfortheplanet recycling
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Green radio station Passion for the Planet has teamed up with Allthingseco to produce a handy comprehensive directory of all things recycling. The UK-wide directory can tell you where to recycle your stuff, buy recycled goods and also has listings for charity shops, scrapstores, swap and auction sites as well as council initiatives and business info. You can check it all out here.

Ashden celebrates those who have chosen to take action

Posted by James on 27th June
Tagged with: ashden green thing mathaai
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My highlight last week was attending the 7th annual Ashden Awards for Sustainable Energy – and I’m not just saying that because Ashden are generous donors and supporters to Green Thing.

Why?  Because it left me inspired as to all of the positive things that are going on in the world and demonstrated that the Daily Mail really could find some better things to write about.  

You can find out more about the Awards and the Winners and Finalists here.

Speakers included Sir David King, the former Government Chief Scientific Advisor, and Dr Wangari Maathai, the tireless campaigner for environmental conservation and social justice and Nobel Prize-winning tree-planter whose work with the Green Belt Movement her work has led to the planting of 40 million trees across Africa.  Yes 40 million.  We are also delighted that she is one of Green Thing’s Advisors.

Sir David King provided a brilliant synopsis of Climate Change.  Spare just 11 minutes and you’ll be given both a history lesson and an up to date primer on Climate Change.  A few things that stood out for me:  that scientists have been aware of Global Warming since 1896;  and, that the Greenhouse Effect really ought to be called the Duvet Effect if you want anyone to understand it.  Sir David is not prone to over-exageration and he did not mince his words saying that  “climate change is the biggest challenge that our civilisation has ever faced.”  In conclusion he stated that, in addition to individual, corporate and government action, it was critical to embed a low carbon culture throughout society.

Next up was Waangari Maathai.  She spoke so peacefully yet powerfully and had such an aura about her.  Her simple observation was that “we can all take action”.  She urged us all to act with commitment, patience, urgency persistence, determination, respect and gratitude.  You can watch her speech here.

Two thanks.  Firstly – to Sarah Butler-Sloss and the Ashden team – what a fabulous initiative so brilliantly executed.  Secondly - to the finalists and award winners themselves.  Their work and their stories are inspiring

As I cycled home with a big smile on my face and passed posters advertising Sex in the City, it did make me wonder what the world would be like if more people were introduced and exposed to the work of the winners and people like Wangari Maathai.  Surely this would inspire us and help us move to a more sustainable future more quickly. Come on the Daily Mail.

Green Thing Manifesto Word Cloud

Posted by andyh on 27th June
Tagged with: cloud green manifesto tag thing wordle
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Thanks to the rather cool wordle this is what the Green Thing Manifesto looks like as a lovely word cloud.

The Meenies did The Green Thing, now help them get onstage with Bon Jovi

Posted by Naresh on 24th June
Tagged with: bon jovi london meenies paper sharp short showers vote
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The Meenies, the far-from-mean band who did the explosive music to this svelte Green Thing video out of their kindness of their heart, need our help. They're one of the last twenty bands jostling for your vote to support Bon Jovi at Wembley in front of 60,000 screaming mums this weekend.

Currently they're living on a prayer but don't give love a bad name - just vote, and do it in the next 24 hours. If they win, they're gonna wear Green Thing T-shirts - what other reason do you need?

www.thelondonpaper.com/bonjovi

Overpackaging – can we make it stop?

Posted by bluemoon on 23rd June
Tagged with: campaigns overpackaging recycling
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This question was posed to us recently by a Green Thing member:

"Are there any specific campaigns out there to pressure for the reduction of packaging for ordinary folk? I know the Women’s Institute have a campaign but have been unable to find one outside of that...”

Actually, there aren’t perhaps quite as many as you’d think but they do exist. The WI’s campaign is probably the most famous one, and they also have a helpful Packaging Campaign Pack you can download from their website.

Here are some others:

Overpackaging.com

These chaps go for the 'naming and shaming' angle. People are encouraged to send in their photos of obscene overpackaging, and the website tackles the retailer over it and prints their response. Amongst the offenders are Amazon, Cadbury and an M&S shirt which had 12 separate items holding it together, as the site notes "this is not just any overpackaging, this is M&S overpackaging."

Dump the Dump / Take it back

The campaign itself seems to be inactive now, but there is a handy pre-written letter of complaint you can download and send off to your local supermarket.

Friends of the Earth has some advice about contacting your Trading Standards Officer, which is precisely what this MP did.

LighterFootstep.com has a piece about 5 ways to fight retailers on overpackaging.

Or you could always dump your packaging at the supermarket and tell them the government told you to, like these 3 Guardian writers did.

Canvass Your MP

Posted by bluemoon on 16th June
Tagged with: bill bloggers canvassyourmp.com carbon change climate emissions green steve webb
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Earlier this month Lib Dem MP for the Environment, Steve Webb, took the unprecedented but commendable step of inviting 10 green bloggers down to Parliament for a brainstorming session, on how social media can be harnessed to persuade MPs to take a tougher stand on the Climate Change Bill. In just a matter of weeks, MPs will be voting on whether to set a new target of an 80% cut in carbon emissions by 2050, rather than the outdated proposal of 60%, which scientists and environmental organisations say just simply won’t be enough to prevent the greater than 2C rise in global temperatures that would lead to catastrophic climate change.

So, as a testament to what can happen when passionate individuals come together with a shared purpose, just a week later Canvass Your MP was launched. The idea: to turn the tables on your MP and turn up on their doorstep (at their surgeries, not their homes) for a face-to-face, frank conversation as to why a stronger, more effective cut in carbon emissions is needed. In case you didn’t know it, absolutely anyone can go along and have a chat with their MP anytime.

The website has 3 simple steps for taking action:

1) Find out who your MP is if you don’t know already

2) Search for contact details and surgery times so you can set up an appointment

3) Once you’ve met with them, report on their response, as to whether they will or won’t support the 80% cut in carbon emissions. 

Please go along and check it out. The issue is just too important to leave to chance in the hope that MPs will vote the right way. And there are good reasons why this approach is likely to work. Firstly, it puts the power back where it belongs – in the hands of the people. Secondly, if there’s anyone MPs will want to keep face with, it’ll be their constituents. Thirdly, personal dialogue between two individuals will always have more impact than a faceless email or impersonal petition.

You can read more about the science behind this and the report by the IPPR, WWF and RSPB here.  And you can also join the Facebook group here.

What are you watching on the web?

Posted by James on 9th June
Tagged with: green channels green television green.v zaproot
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If you're whiling away awhile (does that make sense?) - you may want to check out a couple of sites that are adjacent to Green Thing - and both of whom have been friends to Green Thing - so yes, this is our little way to say thank you to them.

First up is  Viropop's Zaproot. Zaproot is an LA based green video network that aims to highlight the most exciting and entertaining things happening in the new eco-revolution. Its fun and irreverent - and I think shares a very similar Spirit to Green Thing.

Closer to home is UK based Green.TV.   Green.tv is an online TV channel dedicated to films about the environment. It aims toaise awareness of environmental issues and encourage positive action. New films are added everyday from over 100 of the world's leading environmental organisations and you can even upload your own films.  It's even got a channel dedicated to Green Thing.

 Anyway take a look - and do let us know what you're watching by adding a comment below.