From synthetic fibres to lethal dioxins, some sanitary products are a lot less innocent
than those glossy television ads would have women believe. Pat Thomas reports
Want to make sex more sensual and fun? Having difficulty conceiving? Don’t reach for a lubricant to boost your love life, says Pat Thomas, it could harm your health and fertility
What does Douglas Gowan know that everyone else wants to keep hidden? For 40 years the story of Brofiscin Quarry – now the most polluted place in the UK – has been suppressed...
What does Douglas Gowan know that everyone else wants to keep hidden? For 40 years the story of Brofiscin Quarry – now the most polluted place in the UK – has been suppressed...
Mix flour, water and yeast and you’ve got a tasty loaf of bread. But make your bread the industrial way and you’ll end up eating more than you bargained for.
Metrosexual man cares about his appearance. He uses body sprays, hair gel, and fragrances. He maybe even eats salads. Does he give any thought as to what social norms have forced onto his skin?
Metrosexual man cares about his appearance. He uses body sprays, hair gel, and fragrances. He maybe even eats salads. Does he give any thought as to what social norms have forced onto his skin?
Beauty products. Few items are sold to us with more reassurances that they will be good for our health, appearance and well-being. Few items are so drastically misnamed. In this collection of 'Behind the Label' articles, we select five beauty products that shouldn't feature on your bathroom shelf...
Beauty products. Few items are sold to us with more reassurances that they will be good for our health, appearance and well-being. Few items are so drastically misnamed. In this collection of 'Behind the Label' articles, we select five beauty products that shouldn't feature on your bathroom shelf...
In this special online collection of Pat Thomas' acclaimed 'Behind the Label' series, we bring you five food products that shouldn't be on your kitchen shelves...
Just over one week ago, the Ecologist posted a story on its website detailing the Environment Agency's failure to sue Monsanto for dumping tonnes of highly toxic chemicals in a Welsh landfill site.
Freedom Food was set up in 1994 by the RSPCA as the first farm-assurance scheme to concentrate primarily on animal welfare. The Freedom Food mark found on eggs, dairy, meat, poultry and salmon products means the animals involved have been reared, handled, transported and slaughtered to standards devised and monitored by the RSPCA.
Ethical consumerism in the UK is currently worth £29.3 billion, yet 60 per cent of us feel we don't have enough information to make an ethical decision. There is an ever-growing array of eco labels, but what do they tell us? Or fail to tell us? Pat Thomas explains
One of the major causes of rainforest destruction and biodiversity loss in tropical zones is the illegal logging of hardwoods. The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) label, broadly speaking, exists to address this by promoting environmentally appropriate, socially beneficial and economically viable management of the world’s forests.
This labelling scheme, introduced in October 2001 and found on all new cars, indicates how much carbon dioxide a car emits. It also gives estimated fuel costs for 12,000 miles and the vehicle excise duty for 12 months, so car buyers can see how much these will cost before they buy.
The food industry’s attempt to get in on the green labelling act was launched in 2000 to reassure consumers that a range of food products meet independently inspected standards.
At heart, fair trade is a strategy for poverty alleviation. It creates opportunities for producers in the developing world who have been economically disadvantaged by the conventional trading system and ensures they receive a fair price for their goods, and support and education for sustainable farming practices.
All organic food must meet a common set of minimum standards, as defined by the EU. Each EU member state has a national control body; the United Kingdom Register of Organic Food Standards (UKROFS) regulates the activities of six certification bodies in the UK. The oldest and largest, the Soil Association (founded in 1946), currently undertakes 80 per cent of all certification in the UK and is arguably the organic label most trusted by consumers.
