Sorven Media Fairtrade Guide

To celebrate the end of Fairtrade fortnight, the Sorven Media team thought they would put together an article that explains exactly what Fairtrade is, and why you should do your best to buy their produce. .

What is Fairtrade?

The concept of 'fair trade' has been around for over forty years but did not include a formal system until the late 1980s.

It was established by Christian Aid, CAFOD, Oxfam, Traidcraft and the World Development Movement and later joined by the Women's Institute. The first product to be certified was Green & Black's Maya Gold Chocolate followed by Cafedirect coffee and Clipper Tea.

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The concept has taken off dramatically since these first products were certified and now includes a variety of food, clothing and gift ranges. The Fairtrade Foundation is an independent non-profit organisation which envisions a world in which sustainable development, equality and fair pay form the basis of any trade structure.

In order to achieve this, Fairtrade attempts to transform previous trading structures in order to help the disadvantaged and poverty-stricken. They work with businesses, communities and individuals all around the world to improve the trading rights and position of organisations who are often taken advantage of.

Why Should You Buy Fairtrade?

Fairtrade is not just any non-profit organisation. Not only do they provide a fair and honest service to the communities and businesses involved but they also provide the consumer with great quality produce at a fair price. You reap the benefits of investing in Fairtrade products.

The Fairtrade certification enables the consumer to make informed decisions about their purchase choices and means they can be safe in the knowledge that their money is providing a reasonable income for those people who are involved. The quality of the produce is well worth the price, especially with the realisation that the people putting in the groundwork get fair compensation for their services.

Fairtrade Towns

Fairtrade also promotes the education of local communities involved with trade structures and issues. As a charity it believes that ordinary people can make a dramatic difference to the livelihood of the producers and aims to increase awareness of this belief. Fairtrade towns are those which are committed to promoting understanding of trade issues in their local community – to find out more please take a look at the Fairtrade website.

Fairtrade Fortnight 2010

Fairtrade Fortnight 2010 took place from the 22^nd of February until the 7^th of March and was labelled 'the big swap'! Fairtrade asked the nation to swap their usual produce choices to Fairtrade – whether it be coffee, chocolate, fruit or socks. By doing this the general public proved that they care about their responsibility as consumers and can make a real difference to the lives of the people who grow or sew that which we buy, eat and wear.

Fairtrade fortnight was a phenomenal success with celebrities such as Emma Watson creating Fairtrade fashion lines, Oxfordshire schools hosting a week of incredible green events and Cadbury's offering songs from the likes of Paolo Nutini and Sway when you registered your swap to Fairtrade.

The nation spoke out and showed the world that Britain cares about the lives of the farmers and workers that provide us with so much of our material goods. Why not try to make the swap to Fairtrade certified products yourself and reap the benefits of great quality products that make a real difference to the lives of the producers.

Why Green Events are So Important

Intro: This article highlights the importance of the increase of green events as a means by which to educate the consumer about their purchase choices and raise awareness about the issues of climate change and ecology.

In recent years there has been an exponential growth of green events – everything from festivals to  film screenings have been proposed, funded and managed by a wealth of different people and organisations. These events are a wonderful means by which to increase awareness of green issues and engage with members of the population who are not predisposed to reading or learning about climate change.

Green festivals promote the awareness of ecological concerns whilst engaging with entertainment Festivals such as Chorlton's Big Green Festival (27^th March), the Real Food Festival (7th-10^th May), The Green Festival (22^nd May) and Fiddler's Green International Festival (18^th-25^th July) promote positive change whilst providing fun, interesting and thought provoking days out for the whole family. The Big Tent (23^rd-24^th July) is Scotland's biggest eco festival and has been a phenomenal success in the past providing a format that everyone can benefit from. The Croissant Neuf Party (13^th-15^th August) won the Greenest Festival of the Year award in 2009 and combines exceptionally great music with renowned street theatre, workshops, open mic sessions and sports activities. Perhaps one of the best known green events comes in the shape of the Big Green Gathering (dates tbc) which is a wonderful five day camping event in Somerset. Grown out of the Green Gatherings and Glastonbury Music Festival events it is definitely not one to be missed.

Another fantastic way of promoting the green agenda is by getting involved with an action day. Fairtrade Fortnight is currently underway and Walk to School Week will commence on the 17^th of May – a great way to get the kids involved! World Environment Day takes place on the 5^th June, recycle week begins on the 21^st of June, World Water Week on the 5^th of September and Buy Nothing Day takes place on the 27^th of November.  The most famous action day comes in the form of Earth Day which celebrates its 40^th anniversary on the 22^nd of April. These days provide an opportunity to show your support for a great cause and teach your family about the impact of their actions on the environment at large.

Or how about the EcoBuild exhibit (2^nd-4^th of March) where sustainable designers, innovators and constructors come together to provide more than 100 free conference and seminar sessions? Or One Life Live (18^th-21^st March) which provides inspiration and advice to those who feel they want to make more of their lives? These fantastic events combine volunteering opportunities, seminars, career advice and business acumen to help you make a difference.

If you're still not convinced then check out UK Aware (16^th-17^th April) which brings together 200 exhibitors, 15,000 visitors, 100 low carbon vehicles and over 50 world guest speakers or Sustainabilitylive! (20^th-22^nd May) which is the UK's largest forum for excellence and innovation in environment, water, energy and land and is guaranteed to have something for everyone.

Click this link to purchase tickets for £6 now rather than £15.00 on the door.

Another record broken for January CO2

Atmospheric CO2 was 388.63 parts per million (ppm) in the first month of 2010, according to scientific data released February 10, 2010, by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the United States.  Atmospheric CO2 was 386.92 ppm one year earlier in January 2009.   

As noted in Atmosphere Monthly in January 2010, the 2009 annual mean concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere was 387.35 ppm, up from 385.57 ppm in 2008.

These rising levels are significantly higher than the natural range (~180 ppm to 300 ppm) that existed for at least 2.1 million years until the start of the industrial revolution.

Mauna Loa Observatory, Hawaii  (USA) 

Multi-storey bicycle parking

Japanese cities have limited space and cyclists are regularly fined the equivalent of £35 for illegal parking. Tokyo is increasing its parking space capacity with a graceful, high-tech solution; the bicycle is taken by lift and parked automatically and securely.

The Top Ten Most Sustainable CEOs

This top ten list was carried out by Nick Aster at Triplepundit. The results from their orginal poll are posted below.

You can see the entire list at the bottom of the original post. Before you get too excited about the ranking, we want to emphasize that there was nothing scientific about this process and its real purpose was as much to provoke conversation as it was to give recognition to some of our most enlightened business leaders.

Yvon Chouinard, Patagonia (Owner/Founder) (30%, 407 Votes) - Though not technically a CEO, Yvon Chouinard ran away with the top spot according to readers. Patagonia’s “Let my people go surfing” philosophy has enamored the company among those who strive to create an ideal working environment where employees thrive and get more productive at the same time. Patagonia’s environmental ethic is second to none, having helped found 1% for the planet and revolutionizing supply chain transparency with their Footprint Chronicles, among many other things.

George Siemon, Organic Valley Company (21%, 281 Votes) - Organic Valley is not a company we’ve had closely on our radar, but evidently a lot of readers did. The company formed out of a farmers coop in 1988 and has grown since then to encompass over 1,300 farms of varying types and half a billion dollars in sales. Siemon himself was one of the founding farmers in the cooperative.

Mick Bremans, Ecover (20%, 271 Votes) - Recognized by Time Magazine as one of 2008’s heroes of the planet, Mick Bremans has been running Belgium’s Ecover company since 1993. 3p’s Jen Boynton and I had the privilege of visiting Ecover’s headquarters last summer and can vouch for an impressively sustainable operation as well as a refreshing and open philosophy on work and life.

Jeffrey Hollender (Former CEO), Seventh Generation (16%, 225 Votes) - Another legend in the cleaning products space is Jeffrey Hollender, whose excellent personal blog, Inspired Protagonist, reveals as much about him as the philosophy and culture that makes up the company. Like Ecover, Seventh Generation was built from day one on the principals of environmental sustainability and on revolutionizing the toxic cleaning products industry to great success.

Jan Blittersdorf, NRG Systems (15%, 198 Votes) - Another Vermont company, NRG Systems has been making measurement systems for the wind energy industry since 1982. The company’s headquarters runs entirely on solar power, wind and wood pellets.

BethAnn Lederer, Working Wonders (13%, 182 Votes) - BethAnn Lederer has built Working Wonders into one of the larger resources for green interior design material and products for the home and workplace. Her company was another nomination that came from under the radar for us and we’ll look forward to learning more about her.

John Mackey, Whole Foods (9%, 129 Votes) - Despite recent conflicts about Mackey’s stance on health care and other issues, he remains a household name in the world of sustainable business. You have to have built an empire to earn his level of controversy, but there’s no question that Whole Foods’ ascent has pushed other retailers and the mainstream public toward more organic, more healthy eating.

Jeff Lebesch and Kim Jordan, New Belgium Brewery (8%, 111 Votes) - Mmm beer. In addition to producing excellent brews, New Belgium Brewery has almost single handedly brought downtown Ft. Collins, Colorado to life – a tall order in the suburban sprawl of the front range. With a wind powered brewery, most employees biking to work, and a corporate structure that includes the Four Principals of Sustainability, New Belgium bleeds green. Also, the Tour de Fat bicycle event is as fun as a company sponsored party can be.

Eric Schmidt, Google (7%, 101 Votes) - Google’s slogan, “Don’t Be Evil”, has more or less been followed even if it’s meant to be tongue in cheek. From green buildings & data centers, to donating millions to worthy causes, to standing up to the Chinese government, Google earns a prominent position on this list. Not manufacturing anything physical might make embracing sustainability an easier task, but Google’s inclusion on the top ten is still well earned.

Ray Anderson (Former CEO), Interface Carpet (7%, 90 Votes) - Ray Anderson is so well known among sustainable business types, we often speak of a “Ray Anderson moment” as being the moment when a CEO has an epiphany about his or her company’s impact on the world and the fact that, most likely, there are a lot of negative externalities wrapped up in it. Some might wonder how he didn’t earn the number one spot, but perhaps the fact that he’s number 10 speaks volumes about how much progress others have made.

Eco Friendly Valentine's Day Top Tips

LOVE THE EARTH AS WELL AS EACH OTHER WITH PLANET-FRIENDLY VALENTINE'S GIFTS IDEAS (HIM &HER), TIPS AND HOLIDAY RETREATS FROM THE TEAM AT SORVEN MEDIA.

Celebrating Valentine's Day can use a huge amount of the earth's resources from trees cut down for cards, carbon emissions for transportation to pesticide laden roses.

Here at Sorven Media, with help from MoreEco and EcoTrendSpotter we have come up with a range of ideas for a Valentine's Day that is all about giving love to the earth as well as each other.

Valentine Eco Gifts

Find the perfect eco gift for your loved one this valentines day! MoreEco has searched the web for the best in eco gifts for her and him.

Valentine's - Eco Romantic Get-Away's

Finding eco romantic holidays can be tough so MoreEco has found the best in UK eco destinations for you to whisk your loved one away to this valentines!

Sorven Media Eco Valentine Tips

• Make your own card or support a local artist who hand makes cards from recycled materials.
• Give your loved one a locally-grown plant! Bouquets in florists' windows have usually been grown on the other side of the world, have been transported thousands of miles and are covered in pesticides. Choose a locally-grown bouquet or plant instead.
• Celebrate with organic wine or champagne.
• For indulgence with a conscience give organic or fair trade chocolates to your loved one.
• If you are splashing out on jewelery how about something fair trade, recycled or vintage?
• Give organic, or hemp lingerie for your lover instead of pesticide-sprayed cotton or non biodegradable polyester.
• Save energy and dine by romantic candlelight. It's more romantic and you'll save energy too! Use natural, beeswax or vegetable based candles that are biodegradable and smoke-free.
• Make a meal at home - source local, organic, seasonal produce and add the ingredient of love to a meal especially created for the man or woman of your dreams.

Tribute to Jørgen Philip-Sørensen CBE

It was with great sadness that we learned that Jørgen Philip-Sørensen passed away in Switzerland on the 18th January after succumbing to a long battle with illness.

Our thoughts and sincere sympathy lie with his family, his wife, children and grandchildren.

His Memorial will be on the 26th February at Worceter Cathedral.

Jørgen Philip-Sørensen was undoubtedly the architect of the security industry as we know it today and was instrumental in creating G4S - an organisation which has become one of the world’s leading companies and largest private employers – touching the lives of millions of people along the way and ultimately chairing an organisation which employs 590,000 people.

Born in Malmo, Sweden in 1938 Mr N J Philip-Sørensen was a Swedish citizen and was educated at Herlufsholm and Niels Brock in Denmark.

He started work on his father’s security company in Sweden and England as a security guard, supervisor, salesman and area manager. His first assignment outside of Sweden was in the UK in 1958, and in 1962 he was sent to Belgium by his father with a one-way ticket and £5,000. 

He created the Belgium operation, which subsequently became Group 4’s second largest operation after the UK. He started the majority of the Group 4 companies outside of Scandinavia, principally by organic growth, with a few exceptions. He was well known for his entrepreneurship.

Jørgen Philip-Sørensen initiated the campaign for licensing of the UK private security industry in 1971 and saw his ambition realised with the Royal Assent of the Private Security Industry Bill in 2001. He also initiated the entry of the private security industry into Public/Private partnerships such as the management of HM Prisons in the United Kingdom. These activities operated under the name Global Solutions Limited.

In 2004 Group 4 Falck demerged its Global Solutions and Safety & Rescue companies, and merged its security business with Securicor plc to form Group 4 Securicor plc.  The Group, since renamed G4S, now operates in more than 110 countries and is listed on the London Stock Exchange with a secondary listing on Copenhagen.  Employing 590,000 people, G4S is the largest employer quoted on the London Stock Exchange. Jørgen Philip-Sørensen was Chairman of the Board of Directors until June 2006, and remained its major shareholder and President Emeritus until his death.

In 1992,  Jørgen Philip-Sørensen became owner of Ecover and it is under his ownership that the company has risen to its highest successes. As Chairman, he strongly supported the further development of  the company as an example of sustainability in the soap and detergent industry.

Jørgen Philip-Sørensen enjoyed sailing, travelling, photography and collecting books.

He was a personal supporter of the Save the Children Fund, the Foundation for Liver Research, the European Centre for Allergy Research, and was a founder “Globetrotter” Member of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund.  He held a number of directorships for commercial and charitable entities, including Ecover International BV, Skagen Food A/S, Danish Yacht A/S, Skagen Harbor, Dormy House Hotel, Sorven Holdings Limited, Cotswold Conference Centre Limited and the Foundation for Liver Research.

In 2000 he was awarded an honorary CBE (Commander of the British Empire) by HM Queen Elizabeth II for services to the private security industry.

In 2008 he was awarded the Ridder of Dannebrog (Knight of the Danish Flag) by HM Queen Margethe II of Denmark.

He will be sadly missed and our thoughts are with his family  during  this difficult time.

Article Information provided by Brian Sims at SMT

MoreEco has joined the  Green Earth Appeal partner program.The Green Earth Appeal is a partner of the UNITED NATIONS Environment Programme and is a social enterprise committed to the reduction of carbon emissions through the act planting trees.

They work with strategic partners, including MoreEco, to allow visitors to their site the opportunity to plant 10 trees completely free of charge simply by making 3 Green pledges.

The Green Earth Appeal and the United Nations Environment Programme are working to reduce the carbon in the atmosphere through tree planting. They are also promoting the use of renewable energy because 30% of the UK’s carbon comes from burning fossil fuels to generate electricity.

Partners, sponsors and advertisers pay for the trees to be planted which promotes them as ‘Green’ companies. Working with the Green Christmas Appeal they are focused on planting 100,000 trees by Christmas 2010.

If you make 3 completely free and simple pledges to help Green Earth Appeal towards their aim they will in turn offset 12 months of your carbon. Although offsetting helps you should also reduce your footprint by using less electricity and opting for renewable energy sources such as wind and solar.

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