MARCH 26th, 2010
On the 27th of March 2010, at 8:30PM, individuals and organisations across the globe will mark Earth Hour by switching their lights off for an hour. Billed as the ‘greatest mass participation event in history’ the event will be captured on photos and videos across the world, and uploaded onto a specially created flickr account and youtube channel.
The blogosphere is buzzing with news and opinions, with #earthhour tweets from around the world constantly updating on the Earth Hour website. A staggering 5648816 (including us here at Neo) have signed up, you can join them by clicking here.
MARCH 23rd, 2010
The eco price of battery power has traditionally been high. Typically batteries contain environmentally damaging chemicals and are hard to dispose of. Fortunately, the NoPoPo (Non Pollution Power) battery offers a novel solution: the batteries can be charged with a variety of liquids, including cola and even your own urine. The charge created is less then a traditional battery, however the environmental benefit helps to even the balance.
Source: ohgizmo
MARCH 23rd, 2010
Volunteers, scientists and wildlife enthusiasts are being asked to give us a few hours of their time to help create a national database of Britain’s diverse flora and fauna. The creators of BioBlitz 2010 have organised 16 BioBlitzes across the UK to take place throughout May, June and July.
Each BioBlitz consists of a 24hr period in which volunteers race to find as many different species as possible in a designated natural area. Previous blitzes have discovered between 300 and 700 unique species. For a full list of events and dates click here.
At a time in which a reported two species a year are being driven to extinction, the information gathered will be an invaluable tool for understanding and preserving British Wildlife.
source: guardian, BNHC
SEPTEMBER 15th, 2009
This Friday parking spaces across the UK will be transformed into miniature urban oases as PARK(ing) Day comes to Britain for the first time. PARK(ing) Day is an annual one-day event that has been growing steadily since its inception in 2005, with over 500 PARK installations created in over 100 cities worldwide in 2008.
More than 70% of outdoor city space is dedicated to cars. PARK(ing) Day aims to reclaim some of this space by encouraging artists, eco-activists and members of the public to turn parking spaces into temporary, miniature parks.
Find out more here
AUGUST 25th, 2009
We blogged about it a couple of weeks ago and last Friday we went to take part. So what is this flashmob business all about? Organised by environmental charity Thames21, the idea was simple: get a group of people together and clean the Thames foreshore at various locations. The section of the operation we were involved with ran between Putney Bridge and Wandsworth Bridge.
The whole project was part of the Cleaner Thames Challenge, which has been running for four years and is part of an ongoing drive by Thames21 to mobilise volunteers to clean up waterside grot-spots, remove graffiti and create new habitats for wildlife.
Although the day was slightly too well organised to have the true feel of a flashmob, it was still an enjoyable experience and all in all the morning was a success. It was great to be a part of such diverse mix of people teaming up to clear such a diverse range of rubbish - everything from buired tires to vacuum cleaners and even an electric wheelchair.
AUGUST 24th, 2009
“So many of the photographs I’d seen of polar bears failed to show the power of the animals or any sense of the harshness of the polar environment.”
It was this assumption which led Miguel Lasa to take this amazing shot of a Polar Bear silhouetted in the Polar sunrise. The photo went on to win the Visitor Choice award at the 2008 Veolia Environnement Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition.
The competition, which has been running for 45 years, showcases the very best in international nature photography. This year’s winners will be announced on the website on 22nd October and will be available to view at the Natural History Museum in an exhibition opening on the 23rd.
JULY 23rd, 2009
A collective of social entrepreneurs, activists, policy-makers and social thinkers convened at RebootBritain this month to discuss the challenges and opportunities currently facing the country. Organized by the UK-based National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA), the public event included an activity in which participants were challenged with developing their own idea of what would help to reboot Britain. To get the creative juices flowing, participants built with their hands using LEGO blocks, and came up with same inspiring stuff. View the entire Flickr set of LEGO images here!
JUNE 24th, 2009
Bathed in summer sunshine and surrounded by wildflowers and permaculture gardens, The Neo Team recently spent the day at the awesome Brighton Earthship brainstorming new and creative ways to bring about positive change. The Earthship is a completely self sufficient building using a combination of wind, solar and bio-diesel for power. The roof acts as a giant dish to capture rainwater, and a grey water system feeds into the garden surrounding the rammed earth building. What a perfect place for a day of inspiration! Contact the fabulous folk at Stanmer Organics for your next grid free event!
