Baglady’s son Joe Lewis’s first film from Bondi, Australia.
Our friend Karen over at The Rubbish Diet recently caught up with former Friends of the Earth director, now Green Party candidate Tony Juniper.
By cutting down the amount we’re putting in the bin, we can make a huge reduction to our overall carbon footprint, and advance the cause of social equity: because in the end, there’s only so many resources to go around… if just a few of us in the global population are using everything, that’s going to be a real block on ending poverty in the future.
Rubbish is more than an inconvenience; it’s a global issue.
Downshifting is about slowing down your pace, finding a better work/life balance, consequently embracing living with less and leading a simpler, greener and happier life!
The suggestions from the InterNational Downshifting Week team are relatively easy to adopt, yet can have great bearing on your everyday life and the way you spend your time and money.
‘Slowing down’ could mean anything from not doing that extra hour of overtime, because you want to get home and see the family.
Generally it refers to us tipping the favour of the work / life balance in favour of ‘life’. The consequence of this is that usually, you earn less money.
As a result, you become a little more thrifty and get clever with your money, making things last longer. You ditch lavish restaurant meals and cook a few from fresh using delicious seasonal, local ingredients instead.
To find out more, and get some ideas for your own downshift, check out the website.
Baglady will be contributing to a new project alongside The Rubbish Diet’s Karen Cannard, Rachelle Strauss from My Zero Waste, Downshifting Week originator Tracey Smith, and many others. It’s a collaborative blog dedicated to providing information on how to reduce the amount of wasteful packaging in your big each week or fortnight.
This is where our hardworking team of zero waste detectives scan the shelves and let you know the best of the products out there which can help you create zero or minimal waste at home.
Why not head over there and read more about it?
Notice: Baglady Productions is undergoing software upgrade!
There may be a few irregularities over the weekend. Please don’t be alarmed, we’ll be back to regular operating procedures shortly.
The Green Party annual conference will take place on the Saturday 25th April, 2009, at the Radisson SAS Hotel (click link for directions), from 10.30am to 5pm.
Main speakers will be Green Party MLA Brian Wilson, Irish Green Party leader and Environment Minister John Gormley and Green Party MEP candidate Steven Agnew. Other guest speakers will be Liz Snook of Plane Stupid, and Glynn Roberts from NIIRTA (Northern Ireland Independent Retail Trade Association). Baglady will also be in attendance.
[Northern Ireland Environment Minister] Sammy Wilson’s decision to ban a TV advertisement on climate change provoked outrage, but Ballymena’s very own dedicated green activist – the Baglady would like to thank the Environment Minister.“The Environment Minister has provoked debate up and down the country… but… his actions and comments are unacceptable in this day and age when the evidence to support climate change is overwhelming. This man is supposed to be in charge of environmental issues here in Northern Ireland.”
Original story at Ballymena Times.
For more information on the Sammy Wilson story, see the Green Party Northern Ireland website.
RESPECT is the cornerstone of the Baglady ethos; if we all think about it more often, the world won’t be in such a mess, and our lives will be much happier. Here, Mehary from Lalibela, Ethiopia, tells us his word for RESPECT, and what it means to him.
TELL US: What’s the word for RESPECT in your language? What does RESPECT mean to you?
Send us piks, drawings, poems, whatever…
He was a gift for three children (all under 10) who treated him like a toy.
The novelty wore off so fast they didn’t even bother to give him a name.
Needless to say, he’s incredibly nervous and wets himself if you go to lift him.
Ballymena’s Diane Wilson from Mid-Antrim Animal Sanctuary writes:
Dear Friends,
As you are no doubt aware, the current financial climate has left everyone tightening their belts, leaving Sanctuaries such as Mid-Antrim in an even more precarious position. Family pets, along with their veterinary treatment and upkeep, are no longer a priority in most households; the impact of which has hit charity organisations in the worst possible way. The influx of unwanted Christmas ‘presents’ and general apathy towards long-time family pets has put us in a crippling state financially. As such, we ask that if you have a talent or trade to offer, no matter how insignificant you feel it is, we could certainly use your input!
There’s nothing more fulfilling than the act of giving.
Karen says:
The Rubbish Diet blog has been shortlisted for the MediaGuardian Innovation Awards 2009, in the independent media category.
Needless to say I am chuffed to bits…what a fantastic platform to promote the power of household waste reduction and the opportunities for Zero Waste. The awards ceremony will be in March when the winners of each category will be announced.
A huge congrats to Karen. We had the pleasure of meeting her last September on our visit to London. Head over to The Rubbish Diet to read more, and look out for the results late in March at the MediaGuardian Innovation Awards site.
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