Last Thursday we were lucky enough to be given a guided tour of BedZED by BioRegional co-founder Pooran Desai. BedZED is one of the UK’s most exciting and inspirational eco-developments that has successfully improved residents standard of living while reducing their impact on the planet. So take that Tony Blair, who recently declared it ‘completely unrealistic to say to people you can’t have a car, you can’t use a motorbike. It is just not going to happen’. At BedZED car usage has been reduced by 64% just through clever design and making sustainable choices easy and normal.
Designed by BioRegional and Bill Dunster architects ZEDfactory Ltd and developed by the Peabody Trust, Beddington Zero Energy Development (BedZED) is the UK’s largest sustainable community with both residential and commercial spaces.
As we walked around the site Pooran explained how the various successes and failures of BedZED led to the development of the “One Planet Living” concept. Seven years on BedZED is a thriving eco-community where residents know on average 20 of their neighbours by name (as opposed to the national average of three!).
The One Planet Living principles have now been brought to life for the first time in a new development, OneBrighton, the UK’s first sustainable development on similar scale. Neo is working with Crest Nicholson BioRegional Quintain LLP to promote the commercial units available at OneBrighton. Watch this space for updates!
The lives of millions of people across the globe are shattered by sexual violence. In order to limit the long-term consequences of rape it is essential that victims receive medical attention within the first 72 hours. This animation aims to draw attention to the urgent nature of the help that is needed. The shattered lives website provides further information on this important issue. Join the campaign by changing your profile picture on Facebook, MySpace and other platforms for 72 hours.
The last 25 years have seen Mozambique ravaged by colonization, civil war, natural disasters and economic instability. Millions of children have been affected by the ongoing cycle of despair within the country. Imagining Mozambique is a thought-provoking collection of art inspired by the children of Mozambique featuring the work of photographers, graphic designers, illustrators and painters. The show aims to bring attention to the uncertain future these children face and raise funds for ASEM, a non-profit organization that helps the children and orphans of Mozambique by providing them with shelter, healthcare and support.
Find out more, leave your own personal message and see what others have written at: Imagining Mozambique
Environmental charity, Thames21, is making use of the relatively recent trend in flash mobbing, to pesuade people to clean up the Thames. Flash mobbing, tied to the growth of social networking sites and easy mobile communications, brings together a seemingly spontaneous crowd for a short period, that then just as quickly dissolves. Thames21 is planning four flash mob clean ups of the river’s shore line between 20th and 23rd August. Exact times and locations will be announced on the Thames21 site!
In Kansas City USA Johnson County Library couriers are making their book deliveries between Library locations in some specially decorated, literary-themed trucks: Captain Ahab’s Fine Seafood, Benjamin Button’s Diaper Service, Kafka’s Pest Control, and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’s Pharmacy with the tag line “Available at Johnson County Library.” The messages on the trucks are part of campaign to promote the library, the many stories that can be found there and to encourage reading, even the classics.
‘The Girl Effect’ promotes the idea that girls, adolescent girls, are the most likely agents of change in the developing world, despite often being invisible in their societies and in the media.
‘The Girl Effect’ is defined as ‘the powerful social and economic change brought about when girls have the opportunity to participate in their society’.
Watch this powerful short film for more on ‘The Girl Effect’.
Lifescape is a monthly magazine aimed at people who want to live a healthier, greener and more sustainable life. Being the only vegetarian magazine available on British news stands, topics range from fair trade fashion and vegan beauty to travel and social issues.
If you are thinking of switching to a green energy supplier, there couldn’t be a better time than now. Neo is currently powered by Ecotricity and we recommend them as a competitive and reliable service provider.
