GREEN PUG RECYCLES! and changes lightbulb, carpools...

This little film was made a few years ago. I can't believe I haven't seen it 'til now. All of my friends know how much I love being GREEN and PUGS, so this is the PERFECT combination *wipestear* 

HOW GREEN IS YOUR DEATH: A Green Funeral for my Dad

It is with a sad and heavy heart that I write the last blog for 2007.

It's at this time we look back at what the passing year has brought and look forward to the new one and the unknown things it may bring. I for one would like to draw a line, Etchasketch-like, under 2007 and give a good old shake of the sand to erase some of the past...but of course that is not possible...

With the turning of the year came the passing of my father.

My Dad died on the 9th of December a month before his 77th birthday. An only child, he was born and grew up in Edinburgh. It is to my Scottish father that I attribute my red hair! He was a loner all his life. My brother is a manager in the music industry and my sister is an actress like me. It was always a mystery to us that a man so removed from the world in so many ways could have all three of his offspring make their livings in the performing arts.

The brief inquest revealed there had been a fire in his room. A space heater had caught some clothes on fire. The post mortem confirmed he had died from inhalation of smoke.

Dad lived alone, separated from our mother these last 20 odd years, and he died alone.

That is the saddest part.

It fell to me to arrange the funeral and since I had blogged about Anita Rodick's passing in October and had met Peter Rock with the Ecopod and Natural Death Centre stand at The Sustainability Fair in October, I knew I had all the information at my finger tips (and all the links on my own blog) to make the funeral as eco-friendly as possible.

However, this was the first funeral I had ever arranged and I and my family wanted it to be as simple and as green as possible so I was in need of a lot of instant help and advice.

After sepaking to the coroner's office in Bury St Edmunds, my first phone call was to Adeline O'Keeffe at the Natural Death Centre, a charitable organisation that advises on green burials. Adeline was amazing and so kind, generous and understanding. Not having the time or the where-with-all to order the handbook they publish on green funerals and burial sites, the information she shared with me was invaluable.

She gave me numbers and addresses of green burial sites in Suffolk. She explained the role of the undertaker and why many families who want a green burial opt to not use one. However, she gave me the number of Tony Brown, a funeral director in Saxmundham. He runs a beautiful green burial site near Snape (The Greenwood Burial Ground). One phone call to him and I realised I was in safe and green hands. He does not believe in embalming (a highly toxic and unnecessary procedure) and was so lovely on the phone with a slightly wicked and oh so dry sense of humour that I'm sure helps him through his day.

His opening line to me when we met for the first time at the burial site was
"Am I better looking than you thought on the phone? Say 'Yes'!"

He had just the right tone to stop the proceedings getting too sombre. My Dad would have loved that. As simple as we wanted the burial to be, he listened to what we had planned and advised on the right order of things to make the moments run smoothly.


The advantage of using Tony's services is that he 'undertook' certain things that we as a family could not have done; like picking the body up from the hospital and putting it in the coffin. Adeline explained that some hospitals are reluctant to work with anyone but a professional and as I don't have a burly uncle or a brother-in-law with a Volvo who might have helped with this (can you imagine what a big ask that would be, too?) Tony Brown's services were vital.

Just lowering the coffin into the grave would have posed an impossible task for us. Until I stood at the edge of the grave I had never realised before that six feet under is a long way down! Adeline explained that green burial sites can help with pall bearers and other things so when you don't find a gem like Tony, there are other options and people able to provide these services, even if you take on everything else yourself.

As the coffin has to be biodegradable on a green burial site, Tony Brown uses willow coffins hand made in Somerset. They are very reasonable priced, but unfortunately they look rather too much like a laundry basket to me. No offense, but I didn't want to feel like I was burying my Dad with the dirty linen. I also heard that they can make a rather strange noise when carried. What? Creaking? Squeaking? I didn't want to risk a dark, if humorous, moment.

As I'm an eco design nut, I ordered one of the ECOPOD's I had seen at the Sustainability Fair designed by Hazel Selina. She was lovely and very helpful too. The coffin she has designed is made of 100% recycled, naturally hardened paper and is beautifully organic in shape, based on an Egyptian sarcophagus.

For my US readers, Hazel told me she is about to send a consignment of Ecopod coffins to the States. They are working with Cynthia Beal at the Natural Burial Company in Portland, Oregon. The New York Times Magazine and USA Today who have featured Cynthia's story.

I chose the green coffin with a Celtic cross and knots as part of the design. It has a beautifully natural and organic shape. It was so moving watching the hearse pull up - a very traditional vehicle - with this futuristic looking pod, containing my Dad, inside it.
My Dad was an atheist. He believed that most of the world's wars have been caused by religion. I tend to agree with him, so we did not have a church service. My theatrical side wanted to hear someone say 'Ashes to ashes, dust to dust...' but the committal prayer has religious overtones too.


We buried him at 11am on the morning of the 18th of December in a winter wood with leafless trees. It was very beautiful. My brother sang 'Wish You Were Here' by Pink Floyd. I don't know how he got through it. Tony told him to look up to the trees to help stop from crying. Good advice that seemed to work. I read a poem. My sister brought her portable iPod speakers and played 'Yesterday Once More' as they lowered the coffin into the grave.

Dad loved Karen Carpenter's voice and played The Carpenter's greatest hits over and over in the car when we were kids.
We realise we all three still know all the lyrics.

"Every sha-la-la-la, every wo-wo-wo still shines....
Every shing-a-ling-a-ling that they started to sing's so fine..."

The whole ceremony took less than twenty minutes and then we all drove to Glemham Hall for drinks and sarnies (that's sandwiches for my American friends). The setting was highly appropriate as my father had been butler to the Marquis of Bristol at Ickworth Hall for many years. I'm so grateful too to our hostess, Raewyn Hope Cobbold, who knew my Dad very well as she had once owned the house where he had lived.

We sang more songs and drank, cried and laughed til there was no more singing, crying, drinking and laughing we could do.

Watching the coffin being lowered into the grave knowing my Dad was inside and about to go back to the earth has to be one of the most profound moments of my life. We see it so often in the movies, don't we? But when it is happening for real, you feel like you are watching the movie of your own life from a slight distance. That night when I went to bed I reflected on the day and that little video of the lowering moment kept playing over and over in my head as I cried myself to sleep...

A friend who had recently lost both of his parents wrote to me this week.
As the saying goes...

"You have to dig deep to bury your father"

This is the poem I read:

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am in a thousand winds that blow,
I am the softly falling snow.
I am the gentle showers of rain,
I am the fields of ripening grain.
I am in the morning hush,
I am in the graceful rush
Of beautiful birds in circling flight,
I am the starshine of the night.
I am in the flowers that bloom,
I am in a quiet room.
I am in the birds that sing,
I am in each lovely thing.
Do not stand at my grave and cry,
I am not there. I did not die.

My Dad used to say that he could die happy when he saw all of his children sorted out and doing well. So he didn't have to worry about us anymore, I suppose. I'd like to think that he is now in each lovely thing in our lives and won't worry about us any more.
We will be just fine but will miss him terribly.

With the new year comes new hope and new opportunities to do well and in my case do the best I can for a stylish and eco-friendly environment too.
I look forward very much to sharing the things I do right here on my blog in the months to come.

Here's wishing you all a happy, green, peaceful, healthy and abundant 2008

To Cut or Not to Cut a Christmas tree

Had to post this.
It came in from a friend in Portland, Oregon who sells wonderful organic cotton and fairtrade children's clothing on her site Go Natural Baby. I think it it a great solution to the Christmas tree dilemma...EW

About one week ago I asked my five year old if he wanted to go to a farm to cut down our Christmas tree.
He said," cut a Christmas tree?"
"Yes," I said with some trepidation.
"I don't want to cut a tree. That would hurt it," he replied.
Our conversation progressed into me explaining to him that this is how we get Christmas trees. He then decided he wanted a fake tree. I have to admit I was not too keen on the idea of having a fake tree in the house. Although at this point in the conversation I was also feeling that I did not want to cut down a tree. My stomach tightened a bit when I thought of "giving" up our real Christmas tree. This was a mom moment when I thought I need to think before I speak.
"How about we don't get a tree at all. We can plant one in our front yard and decorate it there," I suggested.
"No, I want a tree..... in the house," he said.
Hmmmm, I was stumped. I told him we should think about it. The next day I received the newsletter from my son's school and believe it or not the head of the school was suggesting that families rent their Christmas tree. Yes, that's right I said "rent". I have never heard of it before (Portlanders be gentle, I am new to the area after all).
My son came home from school and I told him about renting a living tree. He loved the idea. I told him that they would deliver the tree and we would need to take care of it, including not putting lights on it. He did not care about the lights. I then proceeded to tell him that after the holidays they would come pick up the tree and it would be planted.
"Will it live forever?" he inquired. Well, that is another story.

You can learn more about renting a Christmas tree at: Living Christmas Trees

Happy Holidays to each and every one of you!
warm regards,
Justyn

More Green Christmas Gift Ideas and Things...

"BUT...AREN'T CHRISTMAS TREES GREEN, ECO WARRIORESS?"

Yes, yes, so your Christmas tree will be GREEN, obviously... (living, in a pot and organically grown, of course) and it will twinkle with low energy LED tree lights, but how else can you make it a cool, eco/ethical and stylish Yuletide? You will find out here! Read on....

PS: If anyone finds a fake Christmas tree (can't believe I just wrote that!) made from recycled plastic - or some other sustainable source - please let me know!!! Likelihood is, most artificial trees will have been flown in from China and give off all sorts of nasty VOC's and that actually, nowadays a British grown tree is what you will find at your local Christmas tree vendors. Bottom line for me: Christmas means nothing without that pine needle smell. As long as your council will pick up the tree and chip it for mulch, you should be doing OK.

Here's a good article in the Guardian giving info on both sides of the decision...you decide...and try and make sure you dispose of the tree properly. Oh, the sad sight that it is of so many dead trees lying brown and crispy on the pavement well into January. When is that going to end?

Anyway, as promised I have compiled some of the green festive gift ideas I have come across in the last few weeks.

TREE DECORATIONS

On the subject of Christmas trees... my green friend, Sarah Baulch, design maven at REVAMPT has a range of very lovely tree decorations that she has made from her recycled vintage fabrics.
I'm particularly proud of them because these very wooden curtain rings were salvaged from a window treatment project by, yes,
Yours Green and Truly!!

BAGS AND BACKPACKS THAT PACK THEMSELVES

We all know by now that we should be taking our own bags to the supermarket and these are some of the most practical I found for your forgetful friends...

One Green Earth sell these handy bags that are made of parachute material and pack into their own a little bag that clips to your handbag. Works as a keyring too!

The bags are made by ONYA who also have cool shoulder bags and backpacks. Those are my fave!!

GREEN KNICKERS

Everyone needs knickers - unless you're Lindsey Lohan, of course - so for your pleasure and green self respect, Sarah Lucy Smith and Rose Cleary-Southwood have a really cool and totally ethical underwear company called GREEN KNICKERS They make organic cotton and bamboo fabric undies for girls and boys.










I bought some of their Magic Global Warming Knickers which are made from 100% Fair Trade Organic Cotton and change colour too!
As the knickers warm up with your body heat, the sea overcomes the land to show the effects of Global Warming just so you never forget...now that's 'Sexy Time'!!

FELTY THINGS

Helen and Kate at ONE ECO HOME have put together some wonderfully seasonal gift ideas. Love that wine rack and the cute little felt angels can be sent flat packed as a Christmas greeting and then double as a decoration therefore eliminating the need for a paper card.
Can you imagine how many tonnes of Christmas cards get recycled every year?
Oh, my head hurts just thinking about it...

FACE THINGS

Alice Sheffield is the director of Bare Faced Cheek. My chat with her revealed her passion for beauty and skin care products that are the most ethical and natural that she can find. That means more and more often she is choosing to carry British made products on her website. When she finds an organic or natural product that's home grown she replaces one of her foreign made lines.

Spiezia is a British-made organic line of products that are also certified by the Soil Association. Alice carries a miniature organic facial gift kit that contains a Facial Cleanser, Lip Balm, Daytime Moisturiser, Floral Skin Toner and a 100% Organic Cotton Flannel for £25.00.
Mmmmmm, yes please...

BAGS AND OTHER COOL CARRYING THINGS

Made from, can you believe it, Portuguese street lamp banners TELA BAGS are the design brainchild of Lupe Castro. I have seen this idea at LACMA in Los Angeles. Like Lupe, they sell these fantasically unique, one of a kind bags made from the large PVC advert banners that hang from street lamps in the city. The banners only live the short life of the ad campaign or exhibition they are advertising and then...what? Here in Europe, Lupe has recycled the weatherproof, hard-wearing printed PVC into stylish, practical and unique carrying items. She has commissions from the Centro Cultural De Belem in Lisbon an Harrods who realise the impact of so much of their PVC going to the landfill and want to recycle their advertising banners into useful, fashionable items.

My favourite bag is the large 'METRO'. Compartmentalised with 3 separate bags that detach from the inside, it can be used for dividing up your recycling, kids toys or for putting in the back of the car to carry files around. It is very versatile...

FLASHING THINGS

Chaps are always so hard to buy for, aren't they? But if they are cycling chaps, here is the perfect eco bike light. It's such a simple concept: The PEDALITE is powered by kinetic energy that comes from pedaling so has no need for a battery. They keep flashing even when stationary at traffic lights. The pedals fit almost all bikes designed for people over 9 years old. They are £34.99 a pair.

KIDS THINGS

I'm one for buying books and clothes for children's gifts. The grandmas seem to be able to take care of buying the brightly coloured, tacky plastic things that make obnoxious noises which my 2 year old nephew way prefers to the tactile hand-painted wooden toys his Mum would love him to play with....Oh well!!
If you are so inclined, start your little Eco Fashionistas on the green and ethical track as young as possible by dressing them in NIXIE Children's clothing.
Aren't they cute?
Designer Nicole Frobusch, uses sustainable and recycled fabrics to combine romantic bohemian style with a 70's crafts aesthetic and all garments are made in the UK.

THINGS FOR ME, ME, ME!!!

I'm not diamond girl, meself. Yeah, yeah, I know they like last forever and everything, unlike a lot of other things... but they usually come from suspect sources and therefore represent lives of extreme toil and poverty....I think they are highly over-rated and actually I prefer chunky funky designer jewelry. However - jewelers INGLE AND RHODE have amazing designer stuff and also do fabulously contemporary engagement rings and things all made with ethically sourced precious metals and gemstones so they are able to tell their clients exactly where and how each piece of jewelry was created. Now that could take the edge off my conscience...so if you are thinking of popping the proverbial and ethical question this holiday, you know where to go for your guilt-free BLING!!

CALENDAR THINGS

A calendar as a Christmas gift can be a bit of a cop out, unless, of course it is a climate change calendar. For the forward thinkers - yes - it's almost 2008 and you have to start planning now, why not give this wonderful Calendar Of Climate Change put together by Diana Korchien. Diana was an archivist and spent a long time going through photographs from all over the world. It struck her that there was a place for these images to show the beauty of the planet we live in and the plight that faces The Earth and her inhabitants due to the changing weather.

A great educational tool and a daily reminder that the actions we take, however small, however good or bad, can effect us all.

Many of these items and other green gift ideas can be bought from my friend Katie's One Green Earth website and have discounts if you buy through her!

CHRISTMAS WILL BE GREEN THIS YEAR? YOU DECIDE...

Here's the latest installment of the eco house in Notting Hill. It's all coming along...

In the next post, I'll be reporting on some gorgeous green Christmas gift ideas

But in the meantime check out the GOOD GIFTS website.
Last year I decided to bypass all the gorgeously expensively twinkly packaged things in the shops that are SO only there to entice us into buying STUFF for our friends and family - this bypassing being very hard for a stylish Designer Girl who loves her gorgeous things...because you know as well as I that these things are so rarely anything we have a real need for...right?

Eco Warrioress gave instead gifts of a more ethical, green and less consumery nature.
My mum loves her garden, so I bought her a meadow of flowers; my environmentalist friend got an acre of rainforest and a few matcho blokes got a ten quid shot of bull semen for a cow in Africa -

You get the picture!

This year Good Gifts have a list of stocking fillas so that for a small 'stocking filler' price you can put in a little card in that says you have bought a homeless person some socks or given to a medical fund for street children. No expensive wrapping paper that gets thrown away, just a card on recycled paper that describes the gift. LOVE that!!

I found that the words inside the card always brought a smile to the recipient's face and evoked a conversation about the real meaning of Christmas and what giving to those who are truly in need really means to us all. Ahhhh....

ALRIGHT! That's enough of that.... I'm off to look at more Christmassy ideas...
and here's a few gorgeous green things for you to consider too....

GORGEOUS GREEN CHRISTMAS THINGS

See, I'm still not so much into the 'hempy' 'granola' look of eco so will always bring you the sexy and the stylish if I can....Last week I met the young and gorgeous Joshua who owns KANZI HOME. (KANZI means 'treasure' in Swahili ) and his website is FABulous. He is based in Newcastle and is not yet in a lot of stores but I'm so happy to have found this fabulous interiors, accessories and gifts website! Gorgeous!

As well as carrying cushions and cubes made from recycled car seat belts, gorgeous lampshades made from recycled paper and many ethical/fairtrade items, also has some lovely festive bits for your table top and tree.


Kanzi Home also carries SA8000 certified products. This is a rigorously audited human rights and social welfare programme (similar to Fairtrade) that give jobs to communities in need. Most of Kanzi's products are made in Thailand.

There is 10% off any online orders made before Christmas.

FINALLY,

FOR MY LOS ANGELES GREEN GIRLIES...

I will be visiting my friend Sam Robinson over Christmas to learn more about her eco fashion company, but in the meantime she is having a SALE.

DESIGNER SALE

Organic Clothing - wholesale & 50% off retail

earth & sky

Read all about her amazing fashion philosophies in this article in APPAREL NEWS...oh and Cate Blanchett, Kate Winslet, Angelina Jolie & Cameron Diaz love her stuff too!

Heather, Jenni, Rochelle, Emma, Alison, Andrea, April, Bootsey, Carolyn, Casey, Celeste, Celia, Claire, Collette, Eleanor, Hilary, Julien, Linda, Miriam, LInnea and Sarah; if you go, do please comment on the blog and tell us all about it!