An eco-friendly commuting solution from Powabyke
Cycling has become an ever-more popular mode of transport as people try to cu transport costs and lower their carbon footprint, but you do require a certain level of fitness to cover any significant distance, which puts many people off, especially beginners. Powabyke Electric Bikes offer an ideal solution. The bikes’ Lithium-ion power pack and 250 watt electric hub motor gives you a fast boost up to 15mph, even in headwinds or going uphill, allowing you to effortless cover longer distances and making your daily commute less of a struggle. Designed to be used in a city and as a real alternative to traditional modes of transport, the Powabykes combine greener thinking and stylish design with state of the art technology to offer a real eco-solution. While they aren’t cheap – they retail at between £800 and £950 – compare this investment with the cost of running a car or buying an annual travel card and they suddenly look like a very sound investment. Even better, the Powabyke qualifies for the Government’s ‘Cycle to Work’ schemes, whereby you can purchase the bike and offset the cost against your income tax (your employer should be able to advise on this). Powabyke recommend their European Electric bike for women, and their men’s bikes come in either a six-speed or 24-speed versions. So there has never been a better time to get on your (electric) bike.
The Solargorilla gives you more solar power
Solar power is a great eco-friendly solution, but the problem with many solar powered chargers is they simply aren’t capable of charging more energy-sapping devices. The Solargorilla solar laptop charger takes solar power to the next level. The Solargorilla is the latest solar charger from Powertraveller and comes with two solar panels. It is capable of charging most laptops, notebooks, games consoles, music players and mobile phones: it even comes with two sockets, so you can charge up your laptop and mobile phone at the same time! Designed for travel, the Solargorilla has tough, durable solid panels but folds up into its Neoprene case when not in use. It even has a special slot allowing it to be hung from a tent, caravan or vehicle, so it’s perfect for travelling. If a Solargorilla is more power than you need, you can always try the more compact Solarmonkey. Also designed by Powertraveller, the Solarmonkey is a smaller device which is ideal for recharging mobile phones, Ipods, and even some digital cameras and games consoles. This device also offers the ability to save energy into a smaller capacity device, the Monkey Nut. This allows you to still use the charger when the sun has gone in, and stores extra standby power – so you’ll always be able to make that vital call! Like the Solargorilla, it comes with a selection of connector tips and a travel case. So whatever your energy requirements, you can go nuts for these solar devices!
Camping needn’t be a dirty business with an eco-friendly solar shower
Although the summer is not officially over for some time, the reliably miserable British weather has pretty much dissolved any hopes of a barbecue summer. Whilst the early indications were such that the summer of 2009 would be hot and dry, the initial fortnight of unseasonally good weather is now all but a distant memory. Nevertheless, the school holidays remain in full swing – as if that could be forgotten – and many people will have time off work, so what better way to spend this period than to head off on a camping adventure?
Of course, Disney World, Australia, Hawaii or Barbados would be much better answers to such a question, but when financial times are difficult expectations must be kept in proportion and a British camping trip is something of a national treasure. However, camping can be a difficult adventure to endure when the availability of warm water for showering is in dearth supply. Moreover, remote camping spots will not usually comprise shower facilities, so the requirement for a portable shower unit becomes important.
Nonetheless, remote locations offering no hot water supply will not usually provide electricity, so any such shower must power itself. In this respect, the eco-friendly solar shower is the perfect companion for an end of summer camping trip. Using the sun’s free, clean and renewable energy, the solar shower is simply filled up with water and hung out in the sunshine (if any can be found) for around three hours, after which time the device will be ready to provide a lovely warm shower! You can make your camping trip even more environmentally friendly by using recycled sleeping bags (made from recycled fabric and insulation) and recycled backpacks. And proving that ‘camping’ doesn’t mean roughing it, you can even make a decent cup of coffee on the move with the Handpresso coffee maker.
Bottled water can be eco-friendly with the new reusable bottles
The bottled water industry is big business, but it is also a big contributor to environmental damage and waste, not to mention its giant carbon footprint! However, as we tend to overlook this unpleasant environmental fact, we may not be so quick to ignore studies which suggest that plastic bottle made from polyethylene terephthalate can leak traces of the chemical antimony into the water stored within the bottles, causing them to become polluted.
Claims from the scientific world suggest that small doses of antimony can causes illness and depression, whereas large amounts can cause violent vomiting and more severe reactions. The amount of time water is stored in bottles containing polyethylene terephthalate, the more antimony leaks into the water, making it more toxic. This is why consumers should also adhere to the “do not reuse this bottle” sign that most bottled waters have on them.
As we are all aware of how important it is to keep hydrated, consumers can get around the issue of buying bottled water, by either just drinking tap water, or purchasing a ’safe plastic’ or Aluminium eco friendly water bottle to take with them instead. (For the design conscious consumer, these come in a range of colours and slogans, including the eco-fashionista fave: ‘Green is the new black’).
Many stores (on and offline) now stock environmentally friendly water bottles, which are designed for re-use and convenience, with an immense variety of reusable water bottles available, in all shapes, sizes and colours and even a childrens’ range as well, featuring characters from films such as Star Wars! There are even designer versions, such as the Brita/Orla Kiely Wottle Reusable Water Bottle. You can even find products such as the Aquapure Traveller bottle, which go one step further and will actually filter and purify your water for you!
