in.this.together has moved!

In case anyone was wondering where I've been these last few months...

I just don't have the time to keep up with blogger anymore - I don't find it very user-friendly and I spend most of my free time reading about sustainability and other 'green' topics, leaving little time to then write about it!

BUT I have created an 'in.this.together' Facebook page where I share interesting things on a daily basis. I'd really appreciate it if you could head on over there and 'like' it:

https://www.facebook.com/InformInspireInvolve

I may still post here occasionally, but don't expect much!

Thanks for reading!

Make Seats Match Votes

I promised a political post and here it is...

Don't worry, I'm not about to tell you which party you should support, or claim that my political opinion is the only one that matters! This is important to any UK citizen who believes in freedom and fairness, regardless of which party you prefer...

On the day of the recent election I was compelled to post this status on facebook:

"I will be voting today, but I do believe our voting system needs a serious update to make it fair and representative!"

By the time the results were announced, there was so much more I needed to say:

"Can we all just take a moment to think about how ridiculous our voting system is? Conservatives got the majority of seats but just 36.9% of the votes. That means 63.1% DIDN'T vote for them. UKIP came in third in terms of votes with 12.6%, the same as SNP and Lib Dems COMBINED. But UKIP's 12.6% translated to just 1 seat, whilst SNP and Lib Dems' 12.6% translated to 64 seats! (What's more, SNP make up 56 of those 64, despite having almost a million less votes than the Lib Dems). The Green Party received over 1 million votes, not far behind SNP, yet only 1 seat! And to put that more in to perspective, Plaid Cymru didn't even hit 0.2 million votes, yet they have 3 seats."

That status was a little 'ranty' so let's just make this as clear as possible:

1. Conservatives - 11,334,576 votes - 331 seats
2. Labour - 9,347,304 votes - 232 seats
3. UKIP - 3,881,099 votes - 1 seat
4. Lib Dems - 2,415,862 votes - 8 seats
5. SNP - 1,454,436 votes - 56 seats
6. Green Party - 1,157,613 votes - 1 seat
7. Plaid Cymru - 181,704 votes - 3 seats

As you can clearly see, votes do not match seats, and there are millions of voters with next to no representation in parliament.

About 50% of the UK population live in areas that are considered 'safe seats' anyway - where one party continuously wins. If you happen to live in one of these areas, it doesn't really matter which party you vote for, as you won't affect the outcome. 

I have long taken issue with the way our voting system works, but as votes are being stretched across more and more parties, it becomes more and more apparent how unfair our current system is. As just one example - under proportional representation, the Green Party would have had 25 seats instead of only one!

Thankfully I wasn't the only person that was outraged at the results, and several petitions sprang up online calling for change. The most popular ones were: 

Make Seats Match Votes
Reform Our Voting System

On Monday of this week, the combined petitions (with almost 500,000 signatures) were delivered to Downing Street, accompanied by key members of five political parties (Greens, Lib Dems, Plaid Cymru, UKIP and SNP), including Natalie Bennett and Nigel Farage. It was amazing to see people put aside their political differences for the greater good, and the support from the SNP was especially encouraging as they have obviously benefited greatly from the system that is already in place.

Sadly it's very unlikely that the Conservative party are going to do anything about this. They won their majority because of the 'first past the post' system that currently exists, a system that has benefited them many times and keeps the other, smaller parties down. 

So the only way we are going to see any real change is if we keep on talking about this. Delivering the petition was just the first step.

What Can I Do To Help?

• If you haven't already, sign both petitions (links above). It doesn't matter that the petitions were already delivered, the more signatures gained the stronger our case becomes.
• Share the petitions on social media, discuss it at work, explain it to family, spread the word!
• Use the hashtag #MakeSeatsMatchVotes - lets get it trending!
• Join the facebook groups: Voting Reform Team, Unlock Democracy, and Electoral Reform Society
• Donate!
• Write to your local MP asking if they would support a more proportional voting system. 
• Spread the word! I can't stress this part enough!

Watch / Read / Act

Just taking a little break from the 'not-so-weekly links' to try something new!

Watch / Read / Act

WATCH:

A short, satirical film, narrated by David Mitchell, which tells the story of how tribal peoples are being destroyed in the name of ‘development’.

ACT:

http://www.survivalinternational.org/actnow

WATCH:

Fashion for a bargain - that‘s what everyone wants. A T-Shirt for 2€ isn‘t inconceivable nowadays. Unfortunately, people don‘t often consider who is paying the real price.

ACT:

http://fashionrevolution.org/get-involved/

READ:

The Shoe That Grows: The clever shoes that grow five sizes and last five years to help children in poverty.

ACT:

https://www.theshoethatgrows.org/be-involved.html

READ:

Microbeads: From Face to Fish

ACT:

http://5gyres.org/how_to_get_involved/action/

Products I’m Loving Lately... Dorset Cereals and Braintree Socks

Hello! I’m sorry it’s been a while, but I have some great ideas for future posts up my sleeve, I promise!

Right now I’m still reeling from the utterly frustrating election results, but I need to gather my thoughts on that and save a political post for another occasion.

So here’s something simple and light-hearted for a Saturday evening...

Products I’m Loving Lately:

Dorset Cereals – Simply Nutty Muesli

How can something comprised solely of dates, barley, oats, wheat, brazil nuts, almonds and sunflower seeds taste SO good!!!??? Seriously if I could eat only one thing for breakfast for the rest of my life, it would be this - smothered in all-natural yoghurt of course (because I'm weird and I think pouring milk on food is a bizarre practice which I don’t care to indulge in!) 

The cereal is an affordable £2.79 online, but is stocked in most major supermarkets and I have often seen it on offer for much less!

Added bonus:

No added sugar, chemical additives or preservatives. All natural ingredients. Suitable for vegans. Packaging can be recycled. Environmentally responsible company. Dorset Cereals have planted over 20,000 trees through partnership with the Woodland Trust.

Nuts not your thing? Try something else from their delicious range of muesli, granola, porridge and cereal bars!

Braintree – Bamboo Socks

In a range of colours and patterns, for both men and women, Braintree Bamboo socks are the best things I have ever put on my feet! The bamboo fibres are breathable, naturally anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, suuuper soft and they last for ages! They definitely won’t go bobbly or get holes in after a few washes.

At £4.90 a pair they are not the cheapest socks on the market, but they are WELL worth the money. If you can’t justify the expense, do what I do - ask for a few pairs every birthday and Christmas – there’s always that one relative that buys you nothing but socks anyway!

Added bonus:

Made from natural, organic and sustainable fibres. Environmentally responsible company. Braintree promote ‘Slow Fashion’ (that’s well-made, timeless classics that can be worn over and over again, rather than the cheap throw-away fashions of big high street chains). Braintree collaborate with The Ethical Fashion Forum to promote the practice of sustainable fashion. 

The Weekly Links - Week 3

I clearly need a new name for this section as I simply don't have the time to make this a weekly feature! Feel free to make suggestions!

Quote of the Week:
"The activist is not the man who says the river is dirty. The activist is the man who cleans up the river."
- Ross Perot

Photos of the Week:

20+ Powerful Street Art Pieces That Tell The Uncomfortable Truth

Overpopulation, Overconsumption

Inspiration of the Week:

THIS GUY:

Man cleans up trash from riverbank on his way to work!

Check out his facebook page too:

Project Schone Schie

Yet more inspiration...

2015 Goldman Prize Winners

Good News of the Week:

KFC is the latest company to release a new, deforestation-free palm oil commitment, and it’s because of you!

Sad News of the Week:

Guarding the last male northern white rhino on Earth

Graphic of the Week:

A surprising map of the most energy efficient countries

Videos of the Week:

Earth Hour 2015 Highlights!

My Last Vote - Dignity in Dying

The Problem With Overfishing - An animated film that will open your eyes!

Petitions of the Week:

Hugo Boss: Give your workers a living wage and respect their right to unionize!

Nestle: Stop taking water from drought stricken California!
Tell the Navy and NMFS To Save Whales From Sonar!

Get Involved this Week:

Sign up for the 28-Day Palm Oil Challenge!
(This is an Australian site, so not sure how relevant it will be to other countries, but registration is FREE so why not give it a try!?)

Organisation of the Week:

Ecosia Search Engine

"Search the web, save the environment: Ecosia donates at least 80% of its surplus income into a tree planting program. Give it a try!"

Tuna Fish 101

Would you eat a panda burger or a tiger steak? – I would hope the answer is “No! Pandas and tigers are not only cute, but critically endangered – eating them would be wrong!”

Yet, in Britain we consume tons and tons of tuna fish every single day.

Tuna may not be ‘cute’ in the traditional sense, but they are impressive creatures – some species can grow up to 15 feet in length, live for up to 50 years, and they are one of the fastest-swimming fish, reaching speeds of up to 50  miles per hour.  According to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, most tuna stocks are fully exploited (meaning increasing fishing quotas is not an option) and some are overexploited (meaning there is a risk the tuna stocks will become critically endangered and eventually extinct).

High profile media campaigns such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s "FishFight" back  in 2010 made huge waves in the UK fishing industry, ensuring practices became much more sustainable.

But in the case of tuna, there is still more to be done.

What is the problem?

The demand for tuna (particularly in the USA and UK) is huge and overfishing is a big concern. The biggest problem occurs when purse seine nets and fish aggregating devices (FADS) are used – fish caught using this method tend to be smaller, and we all know that animals killed before being given the chance to mature and reproduce causes population decline. Another issue associated with these methods is the large quantities of bycatch. Greenpeace produced a shocking video about bycatch which you can view here: https://youtu.be/_JgwL0ohvXA

Also, many people do not realise there are several different species of tuna, and one in particular is getting very close to extinction - Bluefin tuna is used for sushi and sashimi, and is a high-valued delicacy, costing tens of thousands of pounds for a full grown fish. You can’t buy bluefin tuna in tins, you will only come across it in high-end sushi restaurants. If you ever see bluefin tuna on a menu please do not order it, and better still, explain to the restaurant owners why! If we don’t stop fishing bluefin tuna it will go extinct, and this could be in as little as a few years.

Dolphin Safe is not safe enough!

We’re used to seeing the ‘Dolphin-Friendly’ logo on tinned tuna in the UK, but unfortunately it’s a bit of a red-herring! Most of the tinned tuna in the UK is skipjack tuna, which doesn’t even swim with dophins, so of course it is dolphin safe! People feel reassured buying ‘dolphin-friendly’ tuna, but what the logo doesn’t show you is whether the tuna came from overexploited stocks, or if it was caught with purse seine nets and FADS which may kill sharks, rays, turtles and other fish.

What can I do?

• Stop eating tuna! There are plenty of alternative tinned fish products on the market – try salmon, sardines, or anchovies. And here is a great recipe for a vegetarian alternative to tuna – Chickpeas of the Sea! The recipe is American but it could be easily adapted for use in the UK.
• If you can’t resist a tuna mayo sandwich, the most important thing to look out for is the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) logo on tins, or a statement that the tuna is pole and line caught skipjack tuna (the most sustainable fishing method, and the least threatened tuna species). If there is no information on the tin about the species of tuna or how it was caught, don’t buy it!
• Check out Greenpeace’s tuna league tables for the best and worst products on the market (information valid as of 2014) - to summarise - Sainsbury’s is best: their own brand tuna is 100% pole and line caught. ¾ of the tuna they sell (regardless of brand) is sustainable, more than any other supermarket. They also use only sustainable tuna for other own brand products such as sandwiches and salads. Princes and John West are the worst as they both still use FADS, though they have made commitments to phase these out. *PLEASE NOTE THAT SINCE THIS LEAGUE TABLE WAS PUBLISHED ORIENTAL & PACIFIC COMMITED TO USING 100% SUSTAINABLY CAUGHT TUNA BY APRIL 2015.*
• For my friends in the USA – here’s one for you! 
• Even better than supermarket brands is ‘fish4ever’ tuna.  In their own words: “Fish4Ever is an action brand. We will continue to campaign for better fishing and a fairer world but in the meantime our promise to you is simply "good canned fish".” It can be difficult to get hold of, but you can check here to see if there is a stockist near you! 

The Weekly Links - Week 2

Can I really call this 'The Weekly Links' if it's been more than two weeks since the last one? 
I've been super busy the last few weeks, my partner and I celebrated our 6-year anniversary in Wales and then we spent the long Easter weekend in sunny Scotland, so I've not been able to keep up with this, but hopefully from now on it will become a weekly feature! 

Quote of the Week:

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

-Margaret Mead

Photos of the Week:

Click photo for info

Click photo for info

Recycle of the Week: 

This talented artist turns hubcabs into incredible animal sculptures!

Inspiration of the Week:
Go New Zealand!
New Zealand is now generating 80% of it's electricity from renewable sources!
New Zealand bans animal testing for cosmetics!

Bad Move of the Week:

Once again, Sea World does a belly flop.

Study of the Week:
A study which claims pesticides do not threaten bees may actually be the first conclusive evidence that they do.

Petitions of the Week:
Oxford City Council: Don't make life harder for Oxford's rough sleepers.
Tell PepsiCo to adopt a responsible palm oil policy that the “Quaker man" would be proud of.

Video of the Week:
Plentitude: The New Economics of True Wealth

Organisation of the Week:
Elephant Branded
"Why do some children have the right to an education whilst others don't?
By buying one of our products, we donate school kit to children in Africa or Asia. Simple as that."


New here? Click to find out what this blog is all about!

Last minute Easter gifts!

Easter weekend is only days away! Do you need a last minute gift that has minimal impact on the environment? Well, look no further, I've rounded up a few of my favourite alternatives to the standard Easter Egg. But hurry, time is running out!

Support the production of organically certified and fairtrade chocolate in the Peruvian Amazon with a gift card from The Rainforest Foundation UK.

I adore these handmade, fairtrade felt slippers from Sew Heart Felt, they come in a range of children and adult sizes! - 20% off ends midday tomorrow!

Eco-friendly, sustainable, yummy chocolate tea from Teapigs! At only 5 calories cup it's a great chocolate fix for those on a diet!  

Need to buy for someone with dietary requirements? Choc chicks Chocolate Making Kit is organic, and free from dairy, gluten, soya, egg, additives, and processed sugar. There's a version for kids too!

If it simply has to be an Easter Egg, then it simply has to be the delicious, fairtrade collection from Divine - the company is co-owned by the cocoa farmers in Ghana.

Product Review: Skin Blossom Shampoo and Conditioner

At least once a fortnight (we’ll see how this pans out!) I plan on reviewing ‘green’ products with an aim to showcase companies that are at least making an effort to help the planet. When I talk to people about boycotting the mega corporations, their first reaction is almost always “well what else am I supposed to buy?” or “but everything else is way too expensive”. Hopefully I can show that there are other options out there if you search hard enough (and because I’m doing the searching for you, that step just got a whole lot easier!)

Skin Blossom Shampoo and Conditioner

Verdict:
4.5 out of 5

The blurb:
“At Skin Blossom we believe everyone deserves beautiful, healthy skin and hair. That’s why we create effective natural products using the finest organic ingredients, without the high price tag.”

Green credentials:

• Made in the UK
• Organic, natural ingredients (Certified by the Soil Association)
• Ingredients from sustainable sources (where possible ingredients come from the local community)
• Vegan friendly – no animal ingredients, no ingredients tested on animals (Registered with the Vegan Society)
• No harsh chemicals or synthetic colours or fragrances
• Packaging can be recycled

Palm oil: 
I asked Skin Blossom to clarify whether or not they use palm oil in their products. Their response was prompt and polite. Here’s the important part:
“We do not use Palm Oil directly in any of our products, however, some of the natural emulsifiers are derived from vegetable oils and this can include Palm Oil. However, this would always be from sustainable sources. As our products are certified by the Soil Association all ingredients have to meet very strict criteria to ensure they are not harmful to health, or to the environment.”

Smell:
A strong citrusy scent. Somewhere between Corona and lime on a hot summers day, and lemon scented cleaning products. Perfectly pleasant.

Application:
The worry with natural beauty products is that they won’t perform as well as the leading brands. But Skin Blossom shampoo produces a gorgeous silky lather which is a joy to use! (I never thought I’d use that phrase in reference to shampoo, but there it is.) I was however disappointed with the feel of the conditioner, it is not very creamy and seems to just dissolve into wet hair.

Results:
I can’t speak for the shampoo or conditioner as individuals as I always use them both together, but OH MY GOSH MY HAIR HAS NEVER FELT SO GOOD. Even after the first wash I could feel the difference. My hair is naturally dry and super frizzy, some days I really struggle to tame it. But my hair is now soft!!! 

Sorry, I didn't intend to get so over-excited during my first ever review - I don’t want to lose credibility here. It just really is that good! Of course everyone’s hair is different and these products might have different results for you. But I do urge you to at least give them a try!

Price:
The Shampoo retails for about £6.95 and the Conditioner about £7.95 – granted they’re not the cheapest products on the market, but considering the costs involved in producing organic products, the price is very reasonable indeed.

Stockists:
For a full list of stockists click here.

This is not a sponsored post and I am in no way affiliated with Skin Blossom.

New here? Click to find out what this blog is all about!

Earth Hour 2015!

Only 4 days until Earth Hour. Are you taking part???

http://earthhour.wwf.org.uk

The Weekly Links - Week 1

Welcome to the first Weekly Links!
 I'm planning for this to be a regular feature - every week I will compile a short list of links to my favourite, or the most important things I have read/seen that week. 
Please share your own links in the comments too!

Quote of the Week:

"We can bomb the world to pieces, but we can't bomb it into peace"

-Michael Franti

Photos of the Week:

"Earlier this week, the most powerful solar flare in 20 years hit the Earth’s atmosphere, and the results have been pretty goddamn spectacular." - Click photo for more.

"The first visitors have stepped foot on Earth’s newest island that formed earlier this year from underwater volcanic eruptions." - Click photo for more.

Inspiration of the Week: 

In L.A. you can now use city land for a free vegetable garden
Britain's Bio-Bus is the first of its kind to be powered by poop!

Good News of the Week:
World’s largest single marine reserve created in Pacific

Infographic of the Week:

How recycling helps save Eastern Lowland Gorillas

Petitions of the Week:
India's farmers are at risk from Monsanto
Help save Japan's Dolphins

Show of the Week:
Free Speech - BBC Three

Organisation of the Week:
Roots of Peace
"Roots of Peace provides economic empowerment for peace through agriculture in war-torn lands."


New here? Click to find out what this blog is all about!

Palm Oil 101: Why is it bad and what can I do about it?

If you have any interest in the environment, chances are you'll have heard about palm oil. There is a lot of (often conflicting) information already written on the subject. When I first found out about palm oil I remember feeling confused and overwhelmed - Why had I not heard of it sooner? Is it really as bad as people say? What exactly can I do to help? If you have ever experienced these thoughts then the following may help...

(Maybe your environmental knowledge isn't the best - "What on Earth is palm oil?" - but you happen to think orang-utans are utterly adorable? In that case you're still going to want to read on....)

This is a short introduction to palm oil. It's unlikely to answer all of your questions, but it should help to condense some of the most important points into one handy place. I've tried to keep this as simple and concise as possible. I will likely expand on many of these points in later blog posts. This isn't 'Everything You Will Ever Need To Know About Palm Oil', this is simply 'Palm Oil 101'...

What is Palm Oil?
Palm oil is a type of vegetable oil, produced from the fruit of oil palms. Palm kernel oil is produced from the kernel (seed) of the fruit. Both types are high in saturated fat (bad fat!). Palm oil is found in roughly 40 to 50% of all supermarket products. From bars of soap to bars of chocolate, from margarine, to shampoo, to baby food. Most processed foods, health/beauty and cleaning products contain palm oil in some form. It is cheap and produces high yields, so is usually favoured over other types of oil. 85% of palm oil is produced in Indonesia and Malaysia. 

Why is it bad?
Deforestation - Vast swathes of forest are destroyed every day in order to make way for palm oil production. This is causing habitat loss and threatening critically endangered species such as orang-utans and the Sumatran tiger. If deforestation continues at current rates, these beautiful creatures could be extinct in the wild in as little as five years.
Climate Change - Forests are often cleared by burning, which releases smoke (carbon) into the atmosphere. Much of Indonesia's forests are over peat bogs, which are drained for palm oil production, releasing up to 10 times as much carbon as an area without peat bogs.
Social - Palm oil production has been linked to illegal immigration, slave labour, terrible working conditions and child exploitation. Land is often illegally stolen from indigenous people to be cleared for plantations. The indigenous people must either move on, or become plantation workers themselves.
Animal Welfare - Deforestation makes it easier for poachers and smugglers to capture animals for the illegal pet trade, for tourist entertainment, as souvenirs/trophies or using body parts for medicinal purposes.
Health - Palm oil is high in saturated fats and several studies have linked palm oil consumption to health issues such as cardiovascular disease.

What can I do? 
This is by no means an exhaustive list. I encourage you to do your own reading on the subject and form your own conclusions, but if you want to stand up to unsustainable palm oil production, here are some ways you can help:

• Avoid processed packaged foods wherever possible, especially snack foods.
• Always check the ingredients. In the UK it is now illegal to list 'vegetable oil' rather than the specific type of oil, so you will actually see the words 'palm oil' on a lot of products. Look out for alternatives such as sunflower, rapeseed or coconut oil etc
• Learn some of the other names that palm oil can go by including Sodium Laureth/Lauryl Sulfate, Palmate, Palmitic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Stearic Acid. Unfortunately there are at least 30 different names for the stuff, so if in doubt, ask! It only takes a minute to google a company and send a quick email. Or post to their facebook/twitter page so your question is public and will help others make informed decisions too!
• Avoid the mega-corporations and snack food giants. The likes of Nestle, PepsiCo and Procter & Gamble always put profits before the environment.
• Don't just boycott, let the companies know your reasons. If enough of us boycott, the companies might notice a dip in sales but how will they know WHY sales are down unless we tell them. The first email might take some time but after that it's a simple copy-paste job.
• Adopt an orang-utan: http://www.orangutan-appeal.org.uk
• Volunteer abroad: http://www.thegreatprojects.com

One final thing I must mention - there is an organisation known as the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) whose members use only certified sustainable palm oil (you will see this mentioned on packaging, look out for it next time you are shopping), but there is currently debate raging over whether they are actually doing enough to help, or if they are just there to justify the rapid expansion of the palm oil industry. That is definitely another post for another time, but I felt it was important to at least mention!

New here? Click to find out what this blog is all about!

What is this blog all about?

"We are not going to be able to operate our Spaceship Earth successfully, nor for much longer, unless we see it as a whole spaceship and our fate as common. It has to be everybody or nobody."

- Buckminster Fuller

Hello and welcome to in.this.together!

I am a 27-year-old female from England. 

But already that’s more than enough about me! 

This is about us. And how Earth as we know it depends on us.

The aim of this blog is not to preach, to put down, or to point the finger. 

The aim is to inform, inspire and involve. Because we're in.this.together.

• inform – by providing simple, jargon-free, interesting information, articles, product reviews and interviews related to helping the planet. 
• inspire – by highlighting what could be achieved if we all pitch in, and what might happen if we don't.
• involve – by demonstrating different ways we can make a difference, from making small lifestyle changes, to signing petitions, to volunteering abroad, and everything in between!

I (sorry for briefly returning to the ‘I’ word) am by no means an expert. I am learning as I go. I am not a dread-locked, vegan, tree-hugging hippy but I do care deeply about this beautiful planet of ours, and I’m fed up of believing that few people feel the same way. I know you all care too! So this blog is also about finding like-minded people, sharing ideas and opinions and educating myself as well as others. P.S. Dread-locked, vegan, tree-hugging hippies, you are very welcome here!

If you spot any errors, omissions or misleading information please let me know! I’m only human.