Ecogeek pointed out this morning that one of the greenest things you can do is make what you have last as long as possible, and if you do have to get rid of it, recycle it. Makes sense to me.

Here’s my recycled lawn mower:

Reclaimed from my Grandad’s garden shed at the start of the summer, my mower is not only carbon neutral (no fossil fuels here!), but it’s also good for working on the guns.

And push mowers are having a bit of a resurgance. Treehugger reports that sales of some push mowers (reel mowers, as they’re called in the United States) are up by 60%.

But it’s definitely a case of buyer beware!

Apparantly the “liability issue” of having “dangerous”, whirring, unprotected blades is putting people off (in Naperville, anyway).

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Check out the Busycle!

Pretty awesome mode of transport.

Just think how much fun we’d have if we replaced all our public transport with these!

Perhaps Boris should replace his bendy buses with lots of Busycles! Cleaner, greener and the streets of London might be a lot less meaner too if everyone had to work together to get around!

http://www.busycle.com/

We’ve just got wind of a great research project being undertaken by Ryan Cunningham, an MSc media researcher at the LSE. It was posted on the New Consumer website; he’s looking into how people receive and respond to information about energy efficiency and their views on terms such as ‘ethical’, ‘green’, and ‘sustainability’. 

I’ve taken the survey myself and it really makes you think of how and where you find out about green issues and the researcher gives you a chance to receive a final copy of the report.

Take it yourself at http://www.questionpro.com/akira/TakeSurvey?id=988583and let us know what you think.

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.

Alas, National Shed Week has come to a triumphant end! If, like me, you yearn for a simpler time where man and shed were as one and hours could be spent pottering and tinkering in your wooden retreat, then check out the National Shed Week finalists and be inspired to get creative!

Of course, it’s not just about a pub-shed, or creating bike storage, a shed can be the hub from which you begin a regime of great British gardening. Plant some bulbs, grow your own veg, live on what you plant yourself! This is not only an extremely satisfying way of living, but can prove cost effective and reduce the impact that your weekly shop or trips to grocers has on the environment!

Ethical Superstore has some great stuff that would make any shed enthusiast, sustainable gardener, or wannabe compost king whoop with delight! There’s the shed light which works via solar power ensuring that you can always see what you’re doing, the brilliant potting shed kit which includes everything you need to get going, and a wide range of composting and water saving solutions!

So, you don’t need to have an award winning shed to do your bit to live sustainably, reduce your environmental impact, and have a great time in your garden! Just check out the links above, get creative, and do your bit!

One man (or woman!) and his/her shed can really make a difference!

If you do have a shed, organic garden, or vegetable patch that you want to share with us, please feel free to do so!