In this current climate of the credit crunch, with fears of a looming recession, and with bills on the increase, it’s easy to see why people have taken to monitoring the amount of energy they use with a view to reducing what they can.

There are various makes and models on the market at the minute, claiming that they can show you all those silent but deadly energy guzzlers, and suggesting that they will help you cut your energy use and electricity bills.

So here are my Armchair Activist Top 5 Energy Monitors – one for every budget!

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Whilst perusing the interweb for various hints, tips and suggestions on green living, eco-friendly lifestyles, and money/energy saving devices, I came across this great tool for armchair activists from Troika.

In the modern age where text messaging has taken over from note passing, and emails have replaced letters, why shouldn’t the humble megaphone or loudspeaker be subject to such change? Well, a renowned German designer (Moritz Waldemeyer) who describes his work as a fusion of technology, art, fashion and design, (who has previously collaborated with the band OKGO), has teamed up with Troika, a multi-disciplinary art and design practice, to create such a thing.

This nifty creation is “able to receive incoming sms messages and speak them out loud through its powerful megaphone, thus allowing the armchair activist to shout out its rants and protests in the comfort of his sitting room”.

It was made with the support from Arts Council England and I think it’s inspiring in its modern day, thought provoking design and concept.
                                                                                                                                                                                

(Image via Troika)

Check out this video from BBC 2’s The Culture Show highlighting more of Waldemeyer’s work:

The Credit Crunch. You couldn’t have escaped that fateful phrase over the past few months – but did you know that the bursting of the most powerful financial bubble since the end of the Second World War is coming up to its’ first birthday?! Now, I’m not suggesting we get all sentimental and sing it a couple of songs, shower it with gifts, and get its granny round for tea. But I do think that we should all be made aware of little things that everyone can do to get a little extra cash, and of course, help the environment along the way.

One little tip I stumbled upon this week was to earn cash from recycling! A simple and convenient way to do this is to crush up all those empty drinks cans, take them down to your local cans recycling centre. All you need to do is get as many cans together as possible, give them a ring, go and drop them off, and claim your not-so-hard-earned cash! Check out ThinkCans for more details on this project.

Of course, the more cans you have to recycle the better – for the planet and your pocket – so why not invest in an affordable, simple to use, and convenient can crusher to flatten those aluminium devils and fit more in your containers! Ethical Superstore has a great foot-operated can crusher – suitable for aluminium and steel cans for only £14.99. To top it off, the lovely folks at HippyShopper have made a video review of said Can Crusher to demonstrate its crushing prowess and ease of use.

For more tips on the possibilities of recylcling check out the Recycling Guide, or have a browse through one of our previous posts here at How Ethical; 25 Alternative Uses for Plastic Bags!

So, there you go, the third Armchair Activist post on how you can make an individual contribution to a global problem, and the first to highlight the money making, rather than money saving, Credit Crunch beating possibilities that an eco-friendly, green attitude can bring about.

Stay tuned for more . . . 

(Check out this great chair made from recycled cans by amir zinaburg>>>>>)

Well now, the second of these Armchair Activist posts is brought to you to inspire you to green up your day job or your workplace. According to an article on longer working hours in Britain on the BBC website, the average working week for Brits is approx 37 hours a week. Therefore, even if you are the most socially responsible and eco-friendly individual outside of work, those 148 hours a month spent in the office or on company business could be severely denting your green credentials.

So here are a few tips on how to claw back those ethical points and encourage your colleagues and bosses to do the same!

1. Office supplies: There is a plethora of green alternatives to your average staplers, pens, paper, pads etc on the  market these days. You can now purchase stapleless staplers, FSC certified pens, recycled paper and a great range of recycled and reused pads. So, don’t add to the deforestation plight or landfill-overflow; go for sustainable stationary today!

2. Go paperless: Another alternative to office stationary is to make your office a paper free zone. Replace that mountain of Post-It notes you’re buried under with an organised reminder system on your computer. Email instead of passing notes on, back up data on DVD’s, USB sticks and other digital media rather than printing out and filing endless reams of paper! If all else fails, at least recycle the paper you have to use.

Find out more tips here . . .

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Now then, I’m new to the world of ‘blogging’ but an old hat at armchair activism!

By that I mean doing my bit to help make a difference, create change, influence friends, and ultimately feel better about my life and the way I live it.

I’m not going to start preaching to you because if you needed preaching to you wouldn’t be here, I merely want to pass on any hints, tips, and products I come across to help you in your quest for a more ethically minded, environmentally friendly lifestyle.

So, I’m going to start this series of posts with my Top 5 tips which can help you save money, and help save the planet!

1. Recycle rain water: I live in the north east of England. A pretty wet place. So, I have set up a water butt in my back garden to collect rain water ready to reuse on those odd occasions when the sun decides to shine and my plants need a watering! Still need convincing? Check out this article on the merits of saving water in the UK

2. Compost your food waste: composting is easy, fun, and beneficial to both the environment and your garden! Don’t throw your tea bags, banana skins and potato peelings away, chuck them in a composter and let the worms do the rest!

3. Switch off your appliances: I know this might sound like an obvious one but did you know that about 10% of your annual electricity bill is spent on standby electricity! So either switch off or invest in some standby busting devices now!

4. Keep an eye on your energy use: although this sounds complicated it couldn’t be easier! Ethical Superstore has a range of devices designed to monitor your energy use so you can always be aware of where your money goes. You’ll become obsessed with checking it every five minutes!

5. Grow your own: whether you only have enough room for one pot on your balcony or your garden in the size of a football pitch, there’s no excuse for doing a bit of organic gardening at home. Not only will this save you a bit of cash, but your produce will taste all the better having been lovingly tended to by you!

There you have it, 5 little things that can make a huge difference, see you don’t have to scheme to take down the major supermarkets . . . just do your bit

Any other suggestions or top tips? Send them in!

Thanks to Ned Trifle for the photo.