Consumer advice for the ethically minded

It's not easy making everyday purchasing decisions in life at the best of times.  For the ethical and green-conscious consumer though, supporting ethical lifestyles can be more of a nightmare as there are a wealth of additional factors we need to weigh-up when making smart shopping choices and other consumer decisions.  How do we know what's best and how do we keep up-to-date with current issues when buying paint or carpets or toiletries or clothes or wood - or just when booking a holiday?

To help, BPEC have recently produced a number of Information Sheets which cover a wide range of green and ethical issues, principally aimed at everyday situations - from Food to Financial Services.

Those of you that come into the BPEC resource centre in Surrey Street appreciate the regular book reviews submitted by Len Goldman, our long-standing BPEC member.  We are now giving Len's reviews a wider audience by posting them on our website.

Read more about Len, and see this months's book review here:-

Len's Latest Book Review

Click here for the complete archive 

Have you ever wondered just exactly what you can recycle in our city?  Or have you ever needed to know just how to recycle some of those things that really should be recyclable - from aliminium foil and batteries, through to fridges or even pianos?

Around the world we use around 1 million tonnes of paper every day, with half of the trees cut down commercially ending up in paper products. Yet much of this paper use is wasteful and unnecessary. Despite advances in digital technology we have become careless in our use of paper and too often take it for granted.

Sign a petition

Avaaz.org is a new global web movement with a simple democratic mission: to close the gap between the world we have, and the world most people everywhere want.

Today, they are launching an emergency campaign which will be delivered to the UN Security Council and key world powers, urging them to act to ensure an immediate ceasefire, address the growing humanitarian crisis, and take steps to build real and lasting peace.
Follow this link now to sign the emergency petition and send it to everyone you know:

For Teachers

The teachers resources provided through the Red Cross website provide teaching ideas and lessons plans to help to explore discussions in the classroom about the conflict in the news. The regular news think! bulletin covers the intensifying conflict in Gaza and includes discussion ideas for students.

Sign up to receive news think! and read more at:

http://www.redcross.org.uk/standard.asp?id=43285

The 2009 Brighton and Hove Green Pages is out now and you can pick up your copy from over 200 cafes, bars and shops across the city.  Also our website is live for you to search online for all things 'green', just go to our Green Pages button. If you are not listed in our 2009 edition and want to be, it is free and you can do it yourself by logging on to our website and inputting your own details. Spread the word - the future's green!

With the Christmas Shopping season in full-swing a new film from Freerange, The Story of Stuff, asks consumers to consider what happens to the unwanted gifts of previous years.