As greater importance is placed on the environment, more and more schools are educating children in a practical way by getting them actively involved in green initiatives. One such school is Brunswick Primary in Sheffield which was recently announced winner of the 2009 Sheffield Telegraph Environment Awards. We caught up [...]
Trees and the copses and woodland they make up are an essential part of our heritage and yet one which, if we’re not careful, would be all too easy to lose. Loss of Native Woodlands According to national woodlands charity, the Woodland Trust, since the 1930’s, nearly half of our [...]
Picture this: pristine white beaches stretching as far as the eye can see, palm trees swaying gently in the breeze, the scent of coconut in the air and transparent water sparkling under an azure sky. Sounds like a dream, doesn’t it. Well the tropical paradise does exist but all is [...]
Mr and Mrs Owen from Hereford are a lively couple of retirement age who have undertaken the enormous project of transforming four large fields of agricultural land into a beautiful hilltop garden. Over the past few years they have created a small lake, three ornamental fishponds, an extensive fruit orchard, [...]
With more emphasis in recent years on pollution, recycling, energy use and other important environmental issues, children today are learning how to look after our planet from an early age. In fact, the government see this as such an important part of children’s education that they have set up a [...]
Climate change is an expression with which most of us are now familiar. Stories of changing weather patterns, rising sea levels and vanishing habitats have been around for a number of years and foremost among them headlines about our vanishing Arctic. The arguments have raged back and forth as to [...]
How much salt? Wrong kind of fat? Too high in sugar? Is it organic? We’ve all been there – staring at a food carton in the supermarket aisle, trying to work out what’s good for us, what might be alright if we’re in a hurry and what’s a complete no-no. [...]
There have been a number of reports in newspapers and magazines addressing the potentially hazardous substances commonly found in the ingredients of many hair care products. It's certainly important to weigh up the evidence available and come to your own conclusions, but to help you do so, we have put [...]
For a long time now there has been concern raised over the safety of electricity pylons and mobile phone masts but until now there hasn’t been enough substantiated evidence to force a change. However new evidence could ensure that a new government review will be carried out. What’s The Difference [...]
There comes a time of year when if you live in Britain the doors stay closed, the curtains are drawn and the heating is turned up. But the simple act of heating our home can also pollute the environment. By taking some simple steps, you can still enjoy a cosy [...]
Most of us have one and many of us couldn’t do without one – but what if you were allergic to them? We’re talking mobile phones. A 40-yr old Debbie Bird is allergic to them. But why? Could they be damaging the health of the rest of us? Mobile Phones [...]
When we think of monitoring radiation levels, Apocalypse images of nuclear fallout immediately spring to mind. However radiation occurs naturally in the environment and we are all exposed to low levels each day. So who does the monitoring and why is it necessary? What Is Radiation? Radiation is the terminology [...]
We are bombarded with information all the time that chemicals can cause cancer. But how do we measure the risks and sort out the facts from the scare stories? Chemicals In The Environment Each day we are exposed to thousands of man-made chemicals, some of which are relatively harmless or [...]
We all like the idea of a quick home make-over - and what better pick-me-up for tired-looking walls than a fresh lick of paint? But the USA’s Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies paint as one of its top five most hazardous substances. Why? Read on to find out. What’s In [...]
Until around about 1970, houses were traditionally serviced with lead pipes and water tanks. However, with the realisation that they could contaminate the drinking water supply they were phased out. So what harm does lead do? Lead In The Environment Lead is a component of the Earth’s crust and as [...]
The chemical Bisphenol A has been the cause for concern for environmentalists for more than seventy years and rose to public attention through its use in babies’ bottles. But what exactly is Bisphenol A and what does it do? What Is Bisphenol A? Bisphenol A (BPA) is a chemical which [...]
For years, we’ve been told that in order to help maintain a healthy lifestyle, we need to incorporate at least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables in our diet each day. But in the past few decades, increased demand for greater productivity and increased pressure from supermarkets to produce ‘perfect’ [...]
Office paper, tissues, toilet paper, kitchen roll, and bouncing baby nappies – they have all probably undergone a bleaching process to bring them to you in all their bright white purity. But how squeaky clean are they in reality? Paper Love We love paper in the UK and hold the [...]
We’ve all heard the striking phrase, ‘gender-bending chemicals’ but what exactly are they and should we be worried? Why ‘Gender Bending’? Gender bending chemicals are a vast and diverse group of chemicals which have been found to mimic, block, or alter the effects of growth and developmental hormones causing reproductive [...]
Remember the days when the first strawberries of the year were the ones shown on television at Wimbledon? How times have changed, for now all kinds of exotic fruits and foodstuffs are available the year round at our local supermarket – flown perhaps thousands of miles around the world so [...]
In the UK we enjoy some of the highest quality drinking water in the world, but in order to get it so clean; various chemicals first need to be added. These chemicals cause some scientists to worry that a gradual accumulation of small amounts may eventually serve to damage our [...]
Chlorinated water has been around for the last 100 years or so, with its first recorded use as a water disinfectant being in 1897, when it was used to help control and reduce an outbreak of typhoid in Kent. There is no disputing that chlorine performs a much-needed task as [...]
More than two thirds of the Earth’s surface consists of water and man can’t survive without it. However, our water sources, the world over are becoming more and more contaminated with pollutants. So what are these pollutants and how can we help to preserve the cleanliness of our water? When [...]
Aluminium is one of the most common metals found in the Earth’s crust and so it is naturally present in the environment, in many food stuffs and in water. But is it harmful to us? The jury is still out on this one, but read on to make your own [...]
I’m sure most of us keep a can of baked beans in the cupboard for emergencies or use tinned tomatoes in our cooking. But are they good for our health? Why Can Food? Canned food has been around for quite some time. Back in the early 1800’s a French confectioner [...]
The heavy metal contamination of fish does not mean that the oceans are buzzing with the sound of salmon and tuna, head banging to AC/DC – although that would be a rather nice image! Rather, it is the more serious issue of our marine life being poisoned by toxic levels [...]
Most people use pesticides at some point in their life – whether it is something to kill those persistent weeds, to get rid of slugs, flies, or ants, or even to treat a case of head lice on your child. But if they’re designed to kill plants and animals, what [...]
A couple of years ago there was a story going around that if you didn’t want to suffer pesticide poisoning, you had to chop at least the first two inches off a carrot because of the amount of pesticides which would have soaked into the top part of it. But [...]
Sky glow is the orange light that we get at night above a town or city. Although light in the right place, makes urban areas safer and more pleasant to be after dark, if not designed properly, it can also have negative effects. What Causes Sky Glow Sky glow occurs [...]
It’s almost impossible to get away from traffic noise. Even in the deepest countryside, with the right prevailing wind, the hum of traffic is never far away. Most people manage to filter it out and accept it as part of the price we pay in the modern world for the [...]
None of us likes the thought of moulds and damp in our home even though we are probably quite happy to drink beer and wine or to eat bread and cheese made with it! So why are some ‘bad’ and how can we protect against them? What Is Mould? Mould [...]
Noisy neighbours can be irritating and we’ve probably all shouted at someone to turn the music down but do these things constitute noise pollution? Noise Is Personal Our experience of sound is different for all of us, what constitutes noise pollution will be, by its nature, subjective. However in general, [...]
We all love the feel of fresh cotton sheets on the bed, soft cotton balls in the bathroom and light cotton clothes in the summer. But at what price to the environment does our cotton come, and should we go organic? What Is Organic Cotton? Organic cotton is cotton which [...]
We all understand that if you live near a flight path, then the resulting aircraft noise would be very disturbing for most people. However, can it directly affect your health? The HYENA Project Scientists recently conducted a study to show that noise from aircraft can actually raise your blood pressure, [...]
Whenever we look up into a clear night sky and see an orange glow rather than a myriad of sparkling magical stars, it is due to light pollution. What Is Light Pollution? Light pollution is any type of artificial lighting which produces a ‘nuisance level’ of ambient light and which [...]
Making your home more environmentally friendly may conjure up ideas of installing solar panels, compost toilets, and wind turbines. But there are many simple and practical steps you can take which don’t involve making any drastic changes to your lifestyle – or wearing a hair shirt! Read on, to find [...]
PVC has received its fair share of controversy. The chemicals added to it to make it supple have drawn a huge amount of attention from environmentalists as being carcinogens and endocrine disrupters and the sheer volume of plastics filling our landfill sites has long been a cause for concern. The [...]
One of the most ubiquitous of packaging forms in the UK today has to be plastic wrappings. Love it or hate it, plastic is cheap, convenient, lightweight, durable and flexible. In fact it’s grown in popularity so much that today we’re using 20 times more than we did in the [...]
Glass is one of the most versatile and economical of packaging materials when it comes to its recycling credentials. So why does so much still go to landfill? Glass History Glass has been used for thousands of years, with the Egyptians mastering the technology of making glass objects at least [...]
With mass media messages about global warming, energy price rises and carbon emission reductions, it seems that we’re all looking for ways of saving money and may need to adapt our energy-guzzling habits to comply with new government targets to reduce pollution. One way in which we can achieve these [...]
With electricity prices going up and the credit crunch beginning to bite; we could all do with saving a bit of money somehow. And one extremely simple way to do just that is to replace existing light bulbs with energy saving ones. What Are Energy Saving Light Bulbs? Energy saving [...]
In some parts of the country, usually where properties are a little more isolated, houses are not connected to mains gas. In these cases, the best option for heating the home is often oil-fired central heating. Oil and Greenhouse Gases Contrary to popular believe, oil heating does not have to [...]
With the cost of heating bills going up and up, if you haven’t already insulated your loft, now is the time to do so. Read on to find out more. Hot Air Rises Much of the heat from your home will escape via the roof without adequate insulation in your [...]
As the price of heating our homes reaches an all time high, and the pressure to reduce our carbon footprint gently increases, most of us are looking for ways in which we can save energy, cut our bills, and help the environment at the same time. So read on for [...]
Aluminium in deodorants could be the cause of breast cancer in women. Or so it was reported not so long ago. But where did this story come from and is it really true? Why Is Aluminium Found In Deodorants? Deodorants are devised to help neutralise the odour arising from the [...]
Whether we want to look younger, change our image, or improve on what Nature gave us, we’re big fans of hair colour – in fact 70% of us have a go, with most re-applying colour 6-8 times annually. Last year alone we bought 56 million colouring kits and had another [...]
If you have children or remember your own school days, you will know all about head lice. You may even have tried some of the formulas to get rid of them – but what you may not be aware of is what the products themselves contain. What Are Head Lice? [...]
Scare stories have abounded in the press over the past few years about the possible link between using antiperspirants or deodorants and developing breast cancer. But what is the basis for these stories and is there cause for concern? Breast Cancer Breast cancer is the biggest cause of death for [...]
Air fresheners are on the increase. It seems that plain old fresh air is not sweet enough for us and we desire the synthetic creation of ‘clean’ pine forests, sharp-smelling citrus oils and rolling fields or Provencal lavender. But what are all these scenic smells doing for our health? What [...]
The timeless allure of perfume is one which makes many multi-millions of pounds for the cosmetics industry each year, and yet environmental scientists are increasingly concerned about their affects on our health as well as their persistence in the environment. Smell Pollution Some even suggest that synthetic fragrance has more [...]
In the summer of 2007, there were various scares about toxic toothpaste infiltrating the market place in Britain, some of which could potentially do serious damage. But what exactly is in the toothpaste we put in our mouths each day? Be prepared for some startling reading. Toothpaste Is Easily Absorbed [...]
Insect repellents have been around for thousands of years with evidence of their use by man dating back since before Egyptian times. And their employment doesn’t stop with mankind, for even animals such as the capuchin monkey have been observed rubbing a particular type of millipede into their hair which [...]
The Ozone layer is a thin protective layer of gases in the stratosphere which protect the Earth from the dangers of ultraviolet radiation. In the late 1970’s it was observed that at certain times of year a significant ‘hole’ or thinning in this vital layer of ozone layer appeared over [...]
Your bathroom should be a haven of relaxation and a chance to pamper yourself. But despite glossy ads and super-slick models looking radiant, the very products we choose to lather ourselves with could be coating us in toxic chemicals. Read our low-down on shampoo health hazards. Shampoo Diethanolamine (DEA) is [...]
In this year’s party conference, Gordon Brown announced that he would be setting new, increased, targets for the reduction of carbon dioxide of 80% by the year 2050. In order to do this there will be a growing requirement for companies and households to undertake a carbon audit. What Is [...]
There is a domestic fire every eight minutes in the UK – a statistic which could be higher given that a massive proportion of accidental fires never reach the notice of the fire service. So have a look at our domestic fire fact sheet and make sure you stay safe. [...]
‘Climate Change’ is a term which refers to the way that the temperature of the Earth is changing. It has become a topical issue due to the fact that changes are taking place far faster than for many thousands of years, with possibly drastic consequences. How has the Climate Changed [...]
We hear a lot these days about our carbon footprint and ways in which companies try to offset their carbon impact by planting trees etc. However, we are not quite so aware that each home in the UK contributes 28% of the national total putting the humble home on a [...]
Having a bonfire may seem an innocent enough thing to do and conjures up romantic images of boy scouts, beach barbecues, and Bonfire Night. But bonfires can also be a potential hazard to your health and to the environment. Read our advice on how to have a responsible bonfire without [...]
Unlike industrial chimney stacks pumping out thick furls of black smoke, unless an engine is burning oil, we don’t often see what comes out from vehicle exhausts. However, just because it’s not very visible, doesn’t mean to say there are no consequences - because the effect of traffic emissions can [...]
If you have a nasty niff in the neighbourhood or perhaps a nuisance neighbour causing a stench, then there are procedures in place by which you can complain. The Personal Approach If the bad smell is being caused by a neighbour, then in the first instance, a polite, personal approach [...]
Smoking constitutes the greatest single cause of ill health and premature death in the UK with 16,000 smoking-related deaths each year. A very good reason, then, to stop smoking today. Smoking Facts Smoking causes cancer, heart disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD. Half of all smokers die from [...]
Air pollution is anything that causes the air to become contaminated with pollutants at levels harmful to our health or the environment. The main cause of air pollution in past years has been high levels of sulphur dioxide and smoke resulting from the burning of fossil fuels for both industrial [...]
If you care about the environment and wish to help maintain its complex eco-system, then one way you can do so is to stop using chemical fertilisers in your garden and switch to natural organics instead. What Is Natural Fertiliser? Natural fertiliser, in its most basic form, is anything organic [...]
We all know it – that ‘new car’ smell that exudes safety, comfort, and luxury. Indeed, manufacturers have even produced air fresheners which mimic this smell so that we can reproduce it long after its first flush has faded. Well its time to wake up and smell the roses – [...]
A little retail therapy is a great way to cheer ourselves up. But next time you pop to the shops to pick up a new outfit, think twice before you buy. Many of the chemicals used in the fabric finishing process could be damaging your health as well as you [...]
This month a Royal Society report stated that thousands of people are dying each year because of air pollution, much of this a direct result of traffic fumes. And this figure is set to increase with a prediction of 2,391 direct deaths and more than 25,000 premature deaths by the [...]
When we think of smoke pollution we tend to think of ugly industrial landscapes belching out black furls of smoke, and it’s usually somewhere ‘other’ from where we live. However, smoke pollution can be more insidious and much more local with the cause more often due to domestic fires. The [...]
Phthalates (pronounced ‘thalates’) are a group of chemicals which hit the headlines a few years ago when they were proven to be able to migrate from the product of origin into the human body. Of particular concern at this time was the fact that they were used in babies teats [...]
A third of all office spaces in Europe have inadequate indoor air, so much that in many cases it’s more polluted than that of the street outside and the same is happening within our homes. As we live in temperature-controlled, hermetically sealed atmospheres with all kinds of 20th century gadgets, [...]
The word Asthma means ‘sharp breath’ or ‘difficult breathing’ and was first described as a medical condition by Hippocrates, so it’s not a new phenomenon. What is harder to understand is that all these years later, scientists are still uncertain as to why it develops and more particularly why it [...]
We’ve come a long way since the days of bedpans and pots being emptied out of windows directly into the streets below, but reading some of the statistics on sewage pollution incidents, maybe it’s not quite far enough. The Sewers In the ‘Great Stink’ summer of 1858, sewage was literally [...]
From time to time, we all get affected by nuisance pollution, but what exactly is it and what can we do about it? What Is Nuisance Pollution? Quite simply, nuisance pollution is anything that we feel is polluting our home environment and is causing such a problem, that our lives [...]
Compost heaps conjures up images of green-fingered gardeners and steaming stables. However, that doesn’t tell the whole story because composting your natural waste is an easy, clean, and efficient way to reduce your rubbish and improve your garden at the same time. What Is A Compost Heap? At its simplest [...]
What springs to mind when you think of smog alerts? Perhaps the summer weather reports announcing ozone readings, or pictures of the London ‘pea-soupers’ in the 1950’s – or even the panic over smog in the run-up to the Olympic Games in Beijing. Smog does fire the imagination – but [...]
There was a time when we didn’t think too much about the quality of our air. Times during the industrial revolution, the air was black with soot and thick with smog. Then in 1952, as a response to the Great London Smog, the government passed its first Clean Air Act [...]
Almost everything has a smell and for the most part, we live our lives perfectly easily surrounded by all kinds of odours which we have come to recognise and expect as part of our daily lives. However, occasionally, smell can become a problem and when this happens; it can hugely [...]
Over the past few years, the number of complaints concerning nasty smells has increased. The reason for this isn’t necessarily the fact that there are more bad smells in the air (although there possibly are), but also due to the fact that residential and trading areas are built in closer [...]
It would be nice to hear that our beaches are some of the cleanest in Europe – and you’d be forgiven for thinking that maybe you thought they were. Because over the past five years, we have done a very good job at improving the water quality after having been [...]
Compost toilets conjure images of smelly, damp, fly-ridden outside cubicles, but in fact this couldn’t be further from the truth. They have actually been around for a long time with the Chinese using them for hundreds of years. So why not build you own compost toilet? Go on … you [...]
Everywhere you go, you see the ubiquitous mattress or fridge left by the side of the road. So much so, that it’s almost become a British joke. But fly-tipping, as its known, is no laughing matter. What Is Fly Tipping? Fly tipping is the illegal dumping of waste. Whether it [...]
You’d have to have been living on Mars not to notice the push recently for us to use less plastic bags. We’re given incentives to re-use them, re-cycle them, use bags for life, or not use them at all. And yet they are still a major environmental problem. Bag Facts [...]
Disposable nappies – how we love ‘em! Gone are the days of buckets of soiled nappies and big pins, happy are the days of fresh fluffy white bundles which you can just pop in the bin after use – or are they? Because many people are decrying the mega-million dollar [...]
Disposable personal sanitary products make our lives easier and more convenient. However, each year, 2 billion of them are flushed down the toilet causing damage both to the sewer systems and to the environment. It’s an area of waste disposal which has been difficult to deal with because of its [...]
Do You Recycle Your Waste? Well, we all have good intentions don’t we? And it isn’t made easy for us with every county in the land seeming to operate completely different systems – often a mix between kerbside collection, different bin systems, and alternating collection weeks! However, help is at [...]
Balloons are wonderful things – they express fun, laughter, celebration – and when one or many are released into the air, to watch them slowly rise into the sky is a joyous thing. But recently, there has been a move to try to persuade people not to let go of [...]
When it comes to doing battle with weeds, it’s the weeds which usually win! Particularly when in comes to persistent and invasive nasties such as ground elder, brambles or dandelions. And what about those horrible, fat slugs which just refuse to leave our Hostas alone? Sooner or later, even the [...]
There are two main chemicals which worry parents when speaking of babies’ dummies, or items which have been designed for very young children to put in their mouths. Phthalates Bisphenol A Both chemicals have been around for the last 5 decades but in recent years have hit the headlines due [...]
Gone are the days when the maid would take the rugs outdoors and beat them. Now, with our central heating, double glazing and busy lives our rugs rarely get an airing. But maybe we should think again… What’s Wrong With Our Rugs? Rugs can also be hard to keep clean [...]
Dust mites are everywhere, munching their way through our left-over’s. And I don’t mean the food we drop. It’s the bits that we shed each day - we provide about 1g of delicious gourmet skin scales for them each day. So what are they, and how do we get rid [...]
Years of prime-time laundry ads have lead us to believe we should get very excited about finding a wonder-working whitener for our wash – and then tell all our friends so they can share in our discovery. Well, perhaps not. Because there’s no real good reason to use bleach in [...]
Doing the dusting is probably something that most of us would rather put off. And some might think, what’s the point of it anyway? – It just gathers again a few hours later. Yes, it’s true, that we can’t bust dust - but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to [...]
Children should be able to freely learn through play, exploring a variety of stimulating toys. But what if your toddler was putting toxic toys into their mouth and ingesting chemicals that could affect his or her long-term health? Well, this is exactly what has happened. Until very recently, a large [...]
We all use soaps and detergents every day and are conditioned by the advertising world of smiling mums and youthful models, to keep our clothes clean with them, watch dirt disappear with them and wallow luxuriously in the bubbles they produce. But bubbles can’t be trouble – right? Wrong! Well, [...]
We all use a fair amount of electrical goods each day – indeed, it is hard to see how we could ever do without them. But although they make our lives more comfortable, entertaining and fast, they also cause huge amounts of damage to the environment. Polluting Our Homes With [...]
All furniture and bedding has – by law – to be protected with flame retardants and for good reason; we have all heard tragic stories of deaths due to bedclothes or sofa covers catching light from a forgotten candle, dropped cigarette or stray spark from a fire. But there is [...]
Every so often we all get nasty odours permeating our house. Whether we’ve been cooking fish, someone’s been smoking, or maybe just left their old trainers under the bed, there are times when we want to get rid of a bad odour quickly and freshen the air. But don’t be [...]
Despite the rise in popularity of laying wooden floors in modern homes, the majority of floor covering still tends to be carpet. However, there are many reasons why carpets are not a good choice in terms of their environmental impact, both in the way they are produced and also with [...]
We all use cleaning products on a daily basis and probably harbour a whole battalion of various sprays, polishes, unctions, gumptions and miracle powders. But have we ever considered the damage they might do, either to us, wildlife or the environment? What Are Green Cleaning Products? Green cleaning products are [...]
As we clean and polish our homes, buffing up and dusting down, we could be coating every surface in a fine layer of toxins. In fact studies have shown that the air we breathe inside the average home can be up to 10 times more polluted than that outside. This [...]
I’m sure none of us wash our curtains, carpets and sofa as much as we feel we should, but if you’re anything like me, every so often you look askance at the state of the soft furnishings and resolve to shake and vac… Well before you do anything drastic, read [...]
We all buy cleaning products to make our home cleaner, fresher, brighter – but at what price? Many common cleaning products contain chemicals and pollutants to make your blood go cold – literally. Check out the list below to find out which chemical culprits could be lurking under your kitchen [...]
