You can now save the rainforest by just sitting behind your computer and do your usual web search. Isn’t that fabulous ?
Cliquer ici pour voir la video en français sur youtube
Archive pour la catégorie ‘>POSTS IN ENGLISH’
8 mars 2010
A LITTLE PEE par ISABELLE RIVOIRE-GRANGE
Do not forget to save water ! And paper !
Vitalic – Second Lives (from the album Flashmob)
Via graphism.fr
2 mars 2010
ABSOLUTION? ABSOLUTELY! par Tiffany
There was a time when I thought that mixing raw eggs, honey, and a little black magic might somehow help my skin. Or at least that’s what some teen mag told me I should do to fix my spots. And while this was an organic concoction, it was far from effective. Desperation is the mother of invention, and Isabelle Carron, founder of organic skincare line Absolution, has had more luck with the invention part of things than I have.
Absolution sprung from Isabelle’s desire for organic skincare that actually treated her skin’s needs. When I think of « organic » as a concept, there are a few qualities that come to mind : simple products that smell clean and leave my skin feeling brand-spanking new. So, Absolution smells good. And there are only eight (eight !) products in total, and if you are a man, well, it’s even easier. There is still some mixing involved (which takes me back to my eggs-and-honey days, but removes the element of chance from the equation), depending if you’re feeling tired, dull, old, or spotty.
What’s impressive is Absolution’s commitment to using ingredients and producers that leave as little trace as possible. At least 60% of the ingredients are produced organically (pretty amazing, considering 10% gets you organic certification). The packaging is recycled and/or recyclable, and only vegetal inks are used for printing. Absolution gives me more than one reason to be happy to have them on my bathroom shelf : I can feel my pores and my carbon footprint getting smaller….
Visit the Absolution site .
1 mars 2010
ARE YOU NUTS? (LAUNDRY TRICKS) par CELINA
Ceci est un sac de noix de lavage. Sans être un(e) intégriste des produits bio, on peut tout de même faire quelques essais et s’apercevoir qu’il existe des produits naturels pouvant être aussi efficaces que les produits issus de l’industrie chimique. Exemple pour ces noix de lavage, qui proviennent d’un arbre Indien, dont les fruits sont à coques, elles-mêmes riches en saponines. Ces molécules, naturelles, ont des fonctions détergentes (lavantes et moussantes). Ainsi, mises par 4-6 dans le petit sachet en tissu joint quand on achète ces noix (cf devant sur la photo), elles permettent de faire une lessive. On trouve beaucoup d’informations sur internet sur le mode d’emploi de ces noix. Par exemple, surnoixdelavage.com, la noix de lavage.fr, webecologie.com, etc. On peut associer des produits adoucissants, ou bien quelques gouttes d’huiles essentielles pour parfumer (j’ai essayé avec de la lavande, et ça marche). Personnellement, je préfère utiliser une lessive « classique » avec le blanc (mais quand même contenant des tensioactifs naturels comme Ecover ou L’Arbre vert), et les noix avec la couleur.
This is a bag containing laundry nuts. Being not a « green » integrist for organic product etc, I admit that there are some natural products which efficacy equals chemistry-derived products. These nuts for instance come from an Indian tree, which shells are rich in saponins. Such molecules are natural and have detergent properties (foaming and cleaning). When you put 4 pr 6 of them in the little bag they give you (see on the picture), you chan wash your clothes. A lot of information is available on the internet on how to use the nut shells, i.e. noixdelavage.com, la noix de lavage.fr, webecologie.com, etc. You can addd some softeners or essential oils to perfume your laundry (I tried with lavender and it works). I prefer to wash my white clothes with a « classical » laundry product (containing natural surfactants such as Ecover or l’Arbre Vert), and the nutshells are dedicated to color clothes.
26 février 2010
VIVIENNE WESTWOOD RED LABEL par ISABELLE RIVOIRE-GRANGE
« THERE WILL ONLY BE ONE BILLION PEOPLE LEFT ON EARTH BY THE END OF THE CENTURY DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE »
« LOYALTY 2 GAIA » … That’s what you could read on Vivienne Westwood’s Red Label Autumn Winter 2010 fabulous Collection, a few days ago, at London Fashion Week.
© Vivienne Westwood
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Vivienne Westwood not only speaks on her creations, she also has developped Manifesto, her « on the side » project displaying a new way of life. She advocates we should consume less, including buying less of her own clothe ! How cheeky.
« The manifesto is a practice. It is developping the deep interest you already have.
You’ll find that you consume less,
You’ll start to understand the world you live in,
You will start to understand your place in it,
You will have a view on human nature that is really profound.
We need to save the planet, and we need to save the human race with it !
Right now we face the most terrible ecological disaster.
The manifesto is all about the things we can do. »
« If you change your life, you change the world. »
Watch interviews of her explaining the manifesto here : http://www.activeresistance.co.uk
23 février 2010
SIGN OUT / SOLD OUT par ISABELLE RIVOIRE-GRANGE
I love advertising, I find it fun and creative, when it’s well done. But it is usually perceived as a symbol of over-consumption. What if billboards on the highway had nothing to wear ?
Artist Joseph Schulz has taken pictures across the USA, digitally retouched them, and entitled the work « SIGN OUT ».
Then, are naked billboards the symbol of slowlife ? I don’t know, but the images look awesome. Less is more !
10 février 2010
FRUITS AND VEGETABLE IN SEASON ! par ISABELLE RIVOIRE-GRANGE
It seems that either geeks are going green, or eco-conscious people are becoming real geeks ! Here’s another application for iPhone dedicated to those who want to eat more seasonal, healthy, local and tasty.
If you’re a genuine urban lover you probably have no idea of what’s growing in the fields at what time of the year. However, you still can care for your health and for the planet. This app will follow you everywhere and give you advice on what you’re about to pick : is it seasonal ? It also gives you information about nutrition facts, as well as the way vegetables are supposed to look like when they’re fresh, and the best way to keep your products in good shape once at home.
It’s a very useful application, for a change. Even at a restaurant, ask for seasonal products !
Just a little reminder of an info you can’t find in the app : be careful with the top pesticide veggy and fruits : Peaches, Apples, Bell Peppers, Celery, Nectarines, Strawberries, Cherries, Kale, Lettuce, Grapes, Carrots. Try to buy these organic.
« Produce guide » is available here. It costs 1,59 €, probably about US$ 2.
7 février 2010
DES PATES ET DU RIZ par CELINA
Une étude de la FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) indique que les 3/4 du patrimoine génétique agricole auraient disparu au cours du XXème siècle. La responsabilité incomberait aux pays occidentaux, dont les régimes dépendent essentiellement du blé, du maïs, du riz et du soja. Ceux-ci sont souvent consommés sous forme d’aliments transformés ou plus indirectement, de viande (le bétail se nourrissant de ces plantes de grandes cultures). La mondialisation serait ainsi responsable de la disparition de nombreux aliments autochtones et d’une standardisation des coutumes alimentaires. Quel dommage!… il faudra y penser la prochaine (et toutes les prochaines) fois où l’on cuisinera des spaghettis à la maison. Penser à manger d’autres légumes ou féculents : lentilles, haricots, pois cassés, pomme de terre…
Il faut ajouter que la consommation croissante de viande, notamment dans des pays comme la Chine (l’Inde étant évidemment moins concernée pour l’instant), entraîne une surconsommation de céréales. Celles-ci, destinées à nourrir le bétail, sont directement corrélées à une augmentation de la consommation d’eau, d’énergie et d’intrants relatives à ces cultures.
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A FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) study shows that 3/4 of the crop genetic resources woud have disappeared during the XXth century. The responsible would be the occidental countries, which food habit mainly depend on wheat, corn, rice and soya. These are often consumed under manufactured forms, that may be indirectly considered as meat (cattle eating crops). Globalization is thus responsible for loosing indigenous food and standardisation of local cooking habits. What a pity!… One has to think about that the next (and each) time(s) spaghettis are prepared for dinner at home. Let’s think about eating other vegetables, beans, peas, grains, different sorts of potatoes…
It is important to add that the growing concumption of meat, especially in countries such as China (India is less concerned actually thanks of their food habits) leads to an overconsumption of cereals. These crops are dedicated to the cattle and directly impacting water, energy and product inputs for the cultivation.
3 février 2010
LOMBRIIIIIIBOX! par CELINA
Ca y est! J’ai enfin acheté ma LOMBRIBOX, et reçu mes lombrics quelques jours plus tard (au bureau, désolée pour mes collègues car je les ai laissés dans le frigo avec les Tupperware de nos déjeuners respectifs). Après un petit stress lors du montage (mais est-ce que je l’ai bien fermée? ne vont-ils pas s’échapper? comment faire pour ne pas qu’ils se noient? etc), les voilà bien en forme…
Comment le savoir ? Eh bien au vu de la quantité de nourriture qu’ils reçoivent, ils ont l’air d’être super actifs!! Parce que le mode d’emploi disait qu’il fallait attendre 2-3 mois avant d’avoir du compost et c’est bien le cas…
Pour tous ceux qui ne savent pas ce qu’est une Lombribox : c’est un composteur de petite taille qui ne nécessite aucun jardin, car ce sont des vers de terre qui digèrent les déchets végétaux (au lieu des microorganismes présents dans la terre des jardins). Plusieurs bacs sont superposés, dans lesquels les déchets sont déposés, du bac le plus bas, où se trouvent les lombrics, au bac le plus haut, vers lequel ils montent au fur et à mesure qu’ils digèrent les déchets. La Lombribox peut être installée sur une terrasse, un balcon, ou même dans la cuisine. C’est un « composteur urbain ». Et je confirme qu’aucune odeur désagréable ne perturbe les voisins. Au cas où, je l’avais quand même placée sous mon buisson de lavande…
C’est finalement simple à monter, et simple à utiliser, dés qu’on en prend l’habitude. Tout le monde dispose des déchets nécessaires à nourrir les petites bêtes : épluchures de fruits et de légumes, feuilles mortes (pour ceux qui ont des plantes), coquilles d’oeuf (il paraît que c’est bon pour pour leur digestion, dixit la notice), mais il n’est pas recommandé de leur donner d’aliments cuits ou de pelures d’agrumes qui sont trop acides.
Ce qui est un peu plus délicat, c’est de récupérer le compost. En théorie, les lombrics montent dans le bac supérieur et l’on peut prendre le compost « tout frais » du bac inférieur pour le mettre dans ses pots de fleurs. En pratique, il faut bien faire attention à ne pas prendre les lombrics avec le compost, car certains (les fourbes!) restent dedans… Il faut donc y aller avec des pincettes (ou ses doigts) pour les enlever un à un. Pas de panique tout de même pour ceux qui perdent leurs lombrics, car on peut en recommander chez le fournisseur!
On peut acheter une Lombribox chez Truffaut et chez Nature & Découverte (en France).
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Done! At least, I bought my LOMBRIBOX, received my earthworms by mail few days later (sorry to my colleagues because I put them in the fridge of our office, with our lunch). After the little stressing for build and fix it (did I correctly closed it? will they escape from it? how can I do for preventing them to die? etc), they seem to be well installed…
How should I know that? Hey… by the great amount of food I provide, they are very active! I have been told they need 2-3 months to make the compost…
For all who discover what a Lombribox is : it is a small compost maker device that does not need any garden, thanks to earthworms that digest plant-derived wastes (instead of micoorganisms in the garden’s soil). It thus should be installed on a terrace, a balcony, a garden, or even in the kitchen. Actually, it is a « urban compost maker ». I confirm, it does not smell. But in cas of it would have been the case, I put it under my lavender bush…
It is quite simple to build, simple to use, as soon as it becomes a habit. Everyone has the necessary wastes to feed these worms : fruits and vegetable peelings, dead leaves (for the ones havings plants), egg cockles (said to enhance worms’ digestion), but it is not recommended to give them cooked vegetables or citrus fruit peels, that are too acid.
What is more difficult is to get the compost. In theory, the worms go up in the upper level and the compost may be taken and directly used for your plants. In practice, pay attention not to take the worms with the compost, because some of them hide in it… You will have to take them one by one with your own hands. Don’t panic if you loose some worms, you may command new ones to the supplier!
We may buy the Lombribox in Truffaut and Nature & Découverte (in France).
13 janvier 2010
H&M IS GOING GREEN par ISABELLE RIVOIRE-GRANGE
No doubt green is in the air. H&M is lounching a collection using organic cotton and linen, recycled polyester (made from PET-bottles or textile waste) and Tencel (renewable material produced with minimal environmental impact). The H&M « Garden Collection » is a nice opportunity to wear organic clothes at low prices. You’ll just have to wait until march 25th to get it. Available all around the world.
I like the designs but I still wonder why brands almost always make organic clothes look so hippie ?
7 janvier 2010
LOCAL ORGANIC AND LOVELY (L.O.L.) par ISABELLE RIVOIRE-GRANGE
Here’s a selection of pictures from the amazing website « the selby ». Todd Selby visits and photographs creative people in their homes. He followed Chef Ignacio Mattos from Il Buco, shopping for organic and local produce at the NYC Union Square Market.
This makes me feel like to go to the nearest market, and get ready to cook !
See more on http://www.theselby.com
6 janvier 2010
BEES IN THE CITY par ISABELLE RIVOIRE-GRANGE
Did you know honeybees are disappearing from planet earth ? They actually are close to belong to the « endangered species » category. They might not be as cute as the WWF panda, but what some of you probably consider as a vulgar insect is actually more useful than you can imagine. Agriculture absolutely needs bees great job of pollination. In the US, beekeeping is a big business. Fruit and vegetable farms rent beehives at very high prices during pollination season. Without bees, an estimated 80% of the flora could desappear from the earth. Freaking out ?
Here’s the thing : in 2006 appeared a strange phenomena called CCD for « colony collapse disorder ». The bees started to loose their minds. Instead of their regular dance -which is a language, yes bees CAN communicate- they started acting strange, could no longer fly and orientate, and never be back to the beehive. Billions of bees never went home and died in the fields, all across the US, Europe and many countries around the World. There was also a sublethal effect : contaminated adults brought the poison to the beehive and killed the babies.
Climate change, electro magnetic fields, viruses, GMO, fertilizers, parasites, have been suspected, but it appears not a single factor is the cause. Most likely, pesticides and fongicides are to be blamed, but we don’t know exactly how. It seems that a combination of several chemicals is in cause. All the chemicals used in agriculture are (officially) certified harmless to bees, but the phenomena might occur when 2 different products are mixed together.
What is unmistakable is the fact that bees are very sensitive to pollution. Then where are these little insects most likely to find a shelter ? In the city !
New York City administration, which had banned bees – along with crocodiles, lions, and pit vipers- are actually changing their mind.
This makes me remember of my own experience in my former NYC home in east village. Bob, the superintendant, was taking care of the garden in the back courtyard, growing flowers and apples. One day he told me his secret : his unofficial job was to take care of Bees. He was a good beekeeper, considering the honey he used to give us in a little box. Very yummy new york city honney !
New York Beekeepers will no longer have to hide, and finally, the city might be the ultimate shelter for these tiny animals…
Here’s an interesting experience by two artists Franz HÖFNER & Harry SACHS who installed a one million honeybees colony in an empty lot in Berlin. « Honey Neustadt », as they entitled it, produced a lot of local honey. The beehives looked like the buildings around. Don’t they perfectly match ?
courtesy www.wendt-friedmanngalerie.com
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I’m afraid there’s not much to do, except, again, buy organic the more your budget agrees with. Especially organic and local honey, and fruits.
Of course, if you have a garden, or a terrace, or even a tiny window box, please forget the chemicals you might want to use as fertilizers or insecticides, just try to grow your plants in a more natural way.
Plus, if you see, by chance, a little bee lost the city, don’t be afraid, it’s just a friend.
Of course, if you have a garden, or a terrace, or even a tiny window box, please forget the chemicals you might want to use as fertilizers or insecticides, just try to grow your plants in a more natural way.
Plus, if you see, by chance, a little bee lost the city, don’t be afraid, it’s just a friend.
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24 novembre 2009
COLOR DIET par ISABELLE RIVOIRE-GRANGE
What you first notice is the beautiful design of this aluminum can embellished with the most famous brandmark in the world. However this package not only looks gorgeous, but could help save tons of chemicals and tremendous energy when recycled. An embossed logo substitutes sprayed toxic paint, which allows the pack to be composed of one unique material : plain recyclable aluminum.
The idea was born in New York, at RYAN HARC, a design studio founded in 2009 by Ryan Yoon and Harc Lee, both industrial designers. Their approach is unusual, international and human centered.
They believe « design starts from culture, which affects human beings on the individual level and the society they belong ».
This design project is not released yet. Let’s wish the best for such a wonderful idea.
More info at www.7760.org