My favourite shoes

My newest pair of Etiko sneakers

In my ongoing quest to find ethical, environmentally-responsible clothes, I’ve become a huge fan of Etiko sneakers. Over the last few years, I’ve bought 3 pairs and have been really happy with not just the quality of the shoes but the friendly service too. They sell sneakers (similar to a Converse style), alpargatas (outdoor slippers), t-shirts, men’s business shirts and a range of sports balls too. Their website says they’ll be stocking thongs soon too, which will be great for summer.

Their sneakers are made from sustainable rubber certified by the Forest Stewarship Council, and certified organic cotton. Even better, they’re a Fair Trade product with a strict code of ethics for dealing with their workers in Pakistan, to ensure that they are fairly paid for their labour and have safe workplaces. They pay an extra Fair-Trade premium for the goods, which the workers have chosen to put towards a health-care scheme. All of this is fully accredited so Etiko can prove that they’re not just talking the talk, they’re walking the walk.

I think they’ve made a huge effort to create a truly sustainable and just business, and I’m sure we’ll see further improvements as they figure out new things. Instead of making a big splash with lots of marketing and so on, the Etiko crew have focused on one thing at a time, making each new step as good as they can before moving on to the next. Their plans for the future include making dress shoes and running shoes as well, and increasing their distribution.

To me, this is the way forward for workplaces and businesses and even corporations, not an ever-faster race for market share and growth and profit-at-all-costs. We need more people willing to get back to the basics of supplying quality goods for reasonable prices, while treating their employees as people rather than cogs in a machine.

If you’re looking for some sustainable shoes and shirts, I highly recommend Etiko. If their prices are a little out of your budget, sign up for their newsletter so you’ll find out when they’re having one of their regular sales. But also check out their whole site to see an inspiring example of people using their job to make the world a better place.

Fresh green links

I’ve got a lot of links today!

Useful tips

Digital downloads are greener than CDs – according to a new lifecycle study (they looked into other options too, if downloading isn’t your thing).

How to respond to lightbulb excuses – responses to all the usual reasons people give for not changing to the much more efficient and eco-friendly CFL bulbs

Sustainable living tips for renters – I was planning on writing something like this, but honestly, the Victorian government has done a much better job of it than I would have. This PDF covers all the info you’ll need to go greener if you’re renting a home.

Things to do

Eco Kids Festival – if you’re in Sydney on Sunday, September 13th, head on over to Luna Park with your kids. If I was there, I’d definitely be going with my nieces!

Switch off Hazelwood – a protest starting on Saturday September 12th at Victoria’s Hazelwood coal station. It was scheduled to be closed in 2008, because it’s that old and inefficient, but the government has given permission for it to stay operating until 2030!

Animal kingdom news

Illegal trade pushes Sumatran tiger close to extinction – and, in news that makes me want to cry, theives broke into a zoo and killed a Sumatran tiger to trade the body parts on the international market. This interview is from ABC Radio, you can listen to it or read the transcript instead.

Endangered whales breeding off Tasmania – which is a small win, but a very hopeful sign for the future. And…

New Zealand zoos offer to help save Tassie Devils – by taking part in a captive breeding program.

Should you dump your Sigg bottle?

I’ve just read over at Treehugger.com about Sigg bottles having BPA in their old bottle liners, something they’ve been cagey about for a while. I’ve never been one to worry too much about chemicals in my food and food containers, but bisphenol-A is not nice and I can’t say that I’m keen on it.

Sigg has admitted that their bottle linings contain BPA, but the level is below 2 parts per billion, and they feel that this isn’t a risk for their customers. Tests showed that the BPA didn’t leach out into the water in the bottles. The 2PPB amount is also about 5 times less than the amounts in some competing brands, so that’s another thing to consider.

However, any bottle purchased after August 2008 will have a BPA-free lining. They have a section on their website that shows you the difference between the old and the new liners, so you can see which one you’ve got.

In the USA, company representatives have said that they’re happy for people to exchange their old bottle for one of the new types if you mail contact them for details. I’ve emailed Sigg Australia to see if they’ll be offering the same deal, but haven’t had a reply yet.

I’ve got the old liner – I bought my Sigg bottle in early 2008. I’m not sure if I’ll do the exchange or not, since the risk does appear to be quite low. But I’m pretty pissed off at the lack of transparancy in their public comments. It’s just greenwashing and I’d have expected better of them.

Vegie patch update

We got started on our vegie patch a bit late this winter, because it just wouldn’t cool down or start raining. But we’re starting to see some action now.

We’ve also started a potato cage, but it’s not very photogenic at the moment. We did well with potatoes in the ground last year, and are hoping to get lots this year too.

Broccoli, just getting started

Chillies, still hanging on through the rain

Lettuce, going nuts. We’ve got a bit too much right now!

Carrots, which need thinning out

Radishes, which just popped up out of the ground when they were ready

Fresh green links

Renewable energy target passed – yay! It’s set at 20% by 2020. Unfortunately, it also includes windfall profits for polluters, and the world’s strangest definition of ‘renewable’ (it includes gas as a by-product from coal mines – wtf?). Still, now that it’s in place, hopefully we can make it better over time.

250 methane plumes of gas are rising from the Arctic – which is not good news. Methane being released from the ocean is one of the many tipping points that could make global warming happen faster than we can handle.

Cadbury’s have stopped using palm oil in their chocolate in NZ – if you’re not sure why palm oil is so bad, check out my previous palm oil post. A bunch of New Zealanders were annoyed by the change to palm oil and started a social media campaign to pressure Cadbury to lift it’s game, and it worked. Well done, Kiwis! The Mercury says they’ve stopped using it in their Australian factory too.