Climate Change

Flowers are probably our most common default present - in the UK we spend £2.2 billion on cut flowers every year. A nice bunch for your mother-in-law to say happy birthday. A get-well gift for an ailing auntie. A token of love for your partner. Even a treat for yourself to brighten up the house after a long week at work. Flowers lift our spirits and speak words of condolence, comfort, celebration and love. And yet, our addiction to cut flowers is a bit of an ethical nightmare.

Did you know that oceans cover nearly 71% of the Earth’s surface? This vast blue kingdom provides 99% of the Earth's living space- the largest space in our universe known to be inhabited by living organisms. Even more thrillingly, more than 90% of this habitat exists in the deep sea known as the abyss and less than 10% of this living space has been explored by humans.

World Environment Day is the United Nations Environment Program’s annual call to arms. Taking place on 5th June, the theme for this year’s World Environment Day celebrations is Think.Eat.Save - an anti-food waste and food loss campaign that encourages you to reduce your foodprint.

People choose a vegetarian diet for many reasons; religious, ethical, health and moral being some of them. It could be argued that with our population growth and unsustainable living choices, environmental reasons could be top of the list. Research on why vegetarianism is the best choice for our planet reveals some pretty shocking statistics.

World Water Day is an important occasion, held annually on 22 March. Its aim is to focus attention on the importance of freshwater and advocate for the sustainable management of freshwater resources. The United Nations founded the day in 1993 as an international celebration of freshwater as a right for everyone. Freshwater is crucial to the lives of everyone on our planet.

Feeling gloomy about all the rain we seem to have been experiencing in the UK? Imagine living in Arica in Chile, South America, one of the driest places on earth. Less than 1mm of rain falls per year, meaning that a coffee cup would take around 100 years to fill. Almost makes you grateful for grey skies! World Meteorological Day falls on 23rd March and is an opportunity to find out more about the wonderful world of weather with your kids.

Calling all green kids! Go Green Week is an opportunity to get your school, college or university involved in action on climate change. Go Green Week is the brainchild of People & Planet, a student-led movement that empowers young people with the skills, confidence and knowledge they need to make change happen, at home and globally.

Christmas can bring out the best and the worst in us. Best; it is about celebrating family, sharing and enjoying time together and caring for others. Worst; it is a marketing nightmare, and a selfish and greedy scram. The rise in charity gifts is a direct antithesis to this, and each year charities get more inventive with what they offer. Here are our five favourites for children.

National Tree Week from 24 Nov - 2 Dec is a perfect excuse to get out and about with the family, finding out about your wonderful local trees. There are events taking place up and down the country encouraging us all to take a more active approach in conserving and tending to the trees that give us life.

Join 1.8 billion people in 135 countries around the world and switch off for Earth Hour on 31st March. The fact that our modern lifestyles are taking their toll on the planet is hardly news. But when WWF came up with Earth Hour, it was a fantastic way for the world to come together to do something about it.