Bisphenol-A (BPA) is a key building block of polycarbonate, a lightweight, high-performance plastic used in a variety products including drinks bottles (1)

Bisphenol-A has attracted a lot of attention in the scientific community in recent years as many feared it would have adverse effects on human health. Partly because a number of studies found BPA had adverse effects on laboratory animals, as an endocrine disruptor (2)

In 2002,the scientific uncertainty around Bisphenol A, led the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Food to reduce the amount that could safely be eaten daily by five fold . In January 2007 the European Food Standards Agency concluded that this reduction was no longer necessary. (3)

To me the evidence shows two things. One it’s not safe for animals and two, it is safe for humans. All too often our species-centric ways have landed us in trouble. Because it is safe for humans doesn’t mean it will not end up in ecosystems, much like DDT did in the 1960s. The world is already suffering enough thanks to man-made chemical pollutants.

The New York Times pointed out in August 2007 that it takes about 1.5 million barrels of oil to make the bottles for the bottled water Americans use each year, enough to fuel 100,000 cars. In addition, the paper noted, only about 23 percent of these bottle are recycled.

In recognition of this need to re-use bottles, Camelback have started to convert their entire line of polycarbonate re-usable water bottles to a new material that is 100% free of BPA. Great news for the environment and I applaud Camelbak for acting so consciensciously towards the environment.

Camelbak were kind enough to let me test one of their new bottles over the Summer.

The first thing I noticed about the new bottle was that it did not have the same plastically smell like many other bottles. The bottle is available in nine colors in sizes of 0.50 liter, 0.75 liter and 1.0 liter, this innovative product uses the no-leak CamelBak Big Bite Valve™, which offers easy, spill-proof sipping for active and on-the-go-consumers. I personally found this quite useful. The straw that connects to the vave means you can drink from the bottle whilst it’s upright, however the straw can be easily removed if you require a bottle that can be tipped up. The valve on the bottle also means that there a continuous flow of air into the bottle while you are drinking and therefore no vacuum effect for the drinker. The design is robust and can neatly tuck away in backpacks and even drinks carriers on mountain bikes. I dropped it a number of times and it survived.

Camelbak’s new BPA free bottle is currently only available in the USA, but can be purchased internationally via US stockists that ship internationally.

References

(1) http://www.bisphenol-a.org/about/infosheets.html
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisphenol_A#Endocrine_disruption
(3) http://www.food.gov.uk/news/newsarchive/2007/jan/bisa

ECOutlet.co.uk have sponsored my GreenFestivalMan campaign with two products, including a Puma LED Dynamo Torch.

When I think of dynamo torches I think of big clumsy things, that need continual winding. This torch is the opposite of this . With a new generation 0.5W LED, one minute of winding gives you 20 minutes of light.

Sturdy, and slightly smaller than an average size mobile phone. The torch has 2 light intensities and also a strobe light. The robust dynamo gear tucks neatly behind the torch, preventing it getting in the way.

This is the brightest single bulb LED torch I’ve found to date. Apart from the obvious benefits like never having to buy batteries,or getting cut short in a situation with battery fade, the solid construction of this torch will make it suitable for a wide range of uses: general household use; camping or more extreme uses. (Battery life diminishes quickly in extremely cold environments - no battery, no more problems?).

This torch was perfect at Glastonbury Festival and I have every faith in it for my Arctic Survival Challenge for WaterAid in February 2006.

The Puma Dynamo Wind-up LED torch is available from Ecoutlet.co.uk and other good on-line shops.

For My Kids is a company that produce all natural herbal products that are beneficial for your children and our planet. They’re beneficial in the way that they replace some of the incredibly harmful chemicals that are found in everyday household cleaners and personal care products.

I was sent the “All-Natural Alternative to Antibacterial Disinfectants”, “All-Natural Hand Wash”, “All-Natural Lip Balm”, and “All-Natural Comfrey Salve”. The For My Kids range was created by Christine Stewart who realised that the chemicals she was using around her office and home could be potentially very damaging to her new baby. On top of that there are over one million poisonings in North America each year, with 60% of these being from children under six who have eaten household cleaners.

The first product made was the All-Natural Alternative to Antibacterial Disinfectants which was based on the famous Vinegar of the Four Thieves formula, named after some 17th century thieves who stole from homes of the sick without getting ill themselves. It contains organic herbs and spices (lavender, rosemary, rue, wormwood, sage, peppermint, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, calamus and garlic), organic camphor oil and distilled white vinegar.

The “All-Natural Hand Wash” makes no claims about being antibacterial, but it smells nice and my hands “feel” clean after using, and they definitely looked clean. The vegan lip balm certainly works well, being vanilla it smelt nice and the only part that wasn’t listed as organic was the candelilla wax, which comes from a small shrub in Mexico and southwest USA, so at the very least is natural.

Prices start from $4.59 and they’re fantastic alternatives to the popular non-eco products filling up shelves in your local store..

It may be called For My Kids, but it’s not just for kids. Check them out at For My Kids. Plus you can read more eco product reviews over at Life Goggles.

The Guardian recently reported that a study by Julie’s bicycle, revealed that large music festivals (i.e more than 40,000 people) can generate around more the 2,000 tonnes of CO2.

This year I’ll be going to Glastonbury Festival, and Camp Bestival and living by 10 greener festival tips as The GreenFestivalMan.

Number TEN - Fashion
Don’t waste money buying new clothes that will get trashed. Shop around charity or thrift Shops for pre-festival bargains. A large number of UK festivals have charity shops on site.

Number NINE - Toilets
This applies to guys more than girls. Festival toilets can be pretty grim but less grim than the thought of 10′000s of people urinating at random in a field. Doing so is tantamount, to empting the content of a large toilet right over the entire festival. Poor santitation = nasty stomach upsets and ecosystem pollution.

Number EIGHT - Lighting
It’s dark you need light. Use renewable power torches and lights, like the Puma Dynamo Torch available from EcoOutlet.co.uk. (It even has a strobe light).

Lights comes in all forms from solar to water powered.

Number SEVEN - Tent pegs
Made from potato starch, Millets.co.uk have launched a range of biodegradable tent pegs from GreenStake. Reusable, but won’t harm wildlife if you lose them in the ground.

Number SIX - Fire!
If like me you need fire be sociable and gather round someone else’s.

Use deadwood, don’t pull any branches down. Using charcoal? make sure it’s from a sustainable source. Charcoal in the UK should be FSC certified and can be sourced from British woodlands.

This year I’ll be using the WoodGas Biomass Camp Stove. Originally designed for developing countries to minimise smoke pollution. There are only a few UK stockists at the moment, but a larger number in the USA.

Number FIVE - Power
Use recharagable batteries or personal renewable power sources.

A number of personal solar panels are available to charge various different electronics like MP3 players, batteries and mobile phones. Most can be found for reasonable rates on the internet.

A recent addition to the pack, is the HYmini wind powered generator and handheld charger.

Number FOUR - Cleanliness
Use natural, bio degradable, wet wipes. Better still, take a flannel, remember those?

Use biodegradable soap and Eco-friendly toothpaste. Many ‘non-green’ hygiene products release nasty chemicals. These chemicals eventually get into food chains.

Number THREE - Rubbish / Trash
Leave no trace. Leave nothing but footprints. Use on-site recycling facilities or take home waste to recycle and/or compost.

Don’t trash your tent or burn it, give it to an organisation like Globalhand.org for recycling. If it does get trashed, salvage the useful bits. Tent poles can make good flag poles. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle.

Number TWO - Food
Buy local, eat seasonal – try out the local food stalls. Meat eaters can cut back their carbon footprints but eating more vegetarian food. Cut it out or cut it back. This year at Glastonbury I’ll be only eating vegetarian food, but only if I can find another 15 meat eaters to join me. Sign up on www.PledgeBank.Com/GoVegetarian .

If going vegetarian isn’t your bag try to make the special effort to get something that’s local, free range and preferably organic. The meat tastes better that way and will have taken less carbon to produce.

A good range of organic and fairtrade museli and granola bars are available (excellent munchie food).

Decant soft drinks into a re-usable bottle, like CamelBak’s innovative BPA free range.

Alcohol from local breweries will quench the festival thirst. Find yourself stuck with a bottle but no way of getting in to it? Show your friends how old stuff can be reused. EcoOutlet.co.uk retail bottle openers made from recycled metal spoons.

• Number ONE -Transportation

Most of your Carbon footprint originates from the way you travel to the event. Use public transport where possible, many festivals across the world can be accessed by trains and coaches. Rock am Ring in Nurberg and Glastonbury included.

Going by car? arrange a lift share via liftshare.org or find a travelling companion on boards like eFestivals.com or networking sites like isanyonegoingto.com. Whatever your means offset it a few times using audited carbon offset companies like Climatecare.org.

Have a happy Festival and Camping Season. See you at Glastonbury or Camp Bestival.

GreenFestivalMan

(aka Gareth, GGG Editor)

At first glance, the above choice seems pretty straight forward. A new hybrid, like the Toyota Prius, gets much better mileage, so how can it not be the greener choice? A recent article on Cut Your Carbon Footprint says that in many cases buying a used car is actually better for the environment.

How is this so? What your everyday mileage numbers don’t take into account is the amount of energy used up in actually building your car. If you buy a new hybrid, you drive it off the lot with a carbon footprint equivalent of burning 1000 gallons of gas. With a ten year old Tercel, for example, you don’t have to add that to your carbon footprint, giving you an instant advantage. It could take you years and thousands of miles to overcome that initial handicap before your ‘Eco-Friendly’ car is actually the better choice for the environment.

Certainly, this is simplifying the argument. There is something to be said for buying a hybrid car where the money you spend supports further products and investment in fuel efficient cars. As bad as most car manufacturers are for the environment, the truth is that if they didn’t make any money then we would be even further from having the more efficient and electric cars that are so badly needed to stop global warming.

Ultimately, the decision has to come down to the individual and there is no ‘right answer’ for everyone. But don’t get trapped by looking only at the mileage of a car when there are in fact so many other aspects of the car that contribute to your carbon footprint.

Bionsen kindly sent me a bottle of its deodorant for me to test. Usually I’m a spray deodorant kind of guy but not being able to send aerosols through the post, I opted for the pump spray. At £2.49 it’s not unreasonable, although I tend to choose my spray by being on special offer so is probably a little more than I would pay normally.

I was also reticent about the pump spray and the fact it would be wetter on my underarms, but I’ll try anything so I ploughed on. Bionsen is a hypoallergenic range containing Japanese spa minerals (whatever they are) and is aluminium and paraben free. There’s some science behind the deodorant as instead of it blocking the sweat glands like anti-perspirants, Bionsen (and other deodorants) tackle the odour instead. The “antiseptic agents and germ-killing ingredients target and kill the bacteria that causes body odour on contact. Fragrances also work to combat body odour but the natural, finely-tuned balance of the body is not affected”.

So does it work? As I said before I was worried about the wetness of the spray but after a couple of times you work out the right amount so it doesn’t dribble down your side and then I left my shirt off for five minutes after that too to make sure. And it really seems to work. I actually chose the two hottest weeks of the year to start my testing (May is the new August it seems) and it performed admirably. In fact even when I was sweating a lot, I had to get the Tube one day, there was no bad smell whatsoever. I still sweated, but sweated in a sweet smelling way.

I’m not sure it’s better than other deodorants or anti-perspirants I use, but I know it’s better for me and it’s certainly not worse which I suspect some people would think it would be. I like the smell more than other products I’ve used and think I’ll use it from now on. I discovered the girlfriend uses the roll-on as well when she tried to steal this as she thought it was for her. The roll-on is a bit cheaper at £1.99 and there’s also an aerosol spray at £2.99, stick at £2.49 and this pump spray is also £2.49. It’s available at high street chemists, supermarkets and John Lewis.

Something new has appeared in the canteen at work. I thought it might be worth a mention here. Miya Coffee claims to be the first coffee in the world that is 100% Fairtrade, 100% organic and the estimated 7000 miles it has taken to get to the UK from Columbia is all offset.

There is a lot of contention over the success of carbon offsetting programs but I like to take the simple view that they have to be better than doing nothing. Miya Coffee contributes to reforestation projects in Kibale National Park, wind turbines in India and the supply of biomass ovens to people in India and smokeless stoves in Honduras.

Just to make sure though, Miya triple the total estimated delivery distance and offset 21,000 miles rather than 7,000.

It tastes pretty good too. Next time you buy a coffee why not mention it.

Useful links:

http://www.miya-coffee.co.uk/index.html

This video made my day. It’s small, it’s real, it’s brilliant.

It’s a great example of how media is changing from something through which to disperse information to becoming a tool for (collective) action. It’s a little long, but worth the patience.

“As citizens and as consumers, we may not be able to wield a great deal of power. But when we do things together, our power is ridiculous!”

Carrotmob Makes It Rain from carrotmob on Vimeo.

One of the reasons why I haven’t been writing regularly enough for GreenGuysGlobal has been the amount of work that I’ve been doing on my friend of GGG site, Life Goggles.

We’re a green product review site, so to celebrate our redesign, we’ve launched a massive eco product competitions. Currently there are 83 prizes with a total value of $3,721 / £1,860 but this is going up all the time so might be higher by now.

Prizes include those from Guest Editor and green store, Nigel’s Eco Store, shaving products from Male Organics, Bulldog grooming products, a fairtrade soccer ball, lots of gift certificates, books, hats, make-up, bags, shoes, gadgets - plenty of items for men, women and children.

We’d love you to stop by and enter, you’ve a great chance of winning something green.

It looks like a Jam Jar, but this light hearted gadget is actually a solar lamp. Sucking up the sun’s rays, through a small solar panel concealed beneath the opaque lid. The jar was designed by a guy called Tobias Wong and just like a jam jar it is perfectly waterproof. Making it ideal for use inside or out.

I had one of these given to me as a present. They are rather fun, and it has provided an unobtrusive light on a few night time fishing trips over the last few months. Over the summer I have plans to take it camping. I think it’s waterproofness will be perfect for the British summer.

To be honest, while the Sun Jar is a fun gadget it doesn’t give off enough light to be anything, other than an ambient light. But what’s wrong with that, after all that is what a tea light does, and it does give off 5 hours of light from a full charge.

Sun Jars are available in a number of countries including the USA and UK and come in 3 different light colours, blue, orange and white.  Try searching for ‘Sun Jar’ using your favourite search engine.

Summary: A solar gadget which makes a good eco talking point, but could be improved if the manufacturers used recycled glass.