Live chat with Sheherazade Goldsmith Wednesday June 18th 1-2pm

[carriemumsnet]

You magazine eco columnist and editor of a Slice of Organic Life, Sheherazade Goldsmith, will be joining us for an online chat to share her green tips on Wednesday June 18th from 1-2pm. Sheharazade is an eco mum with three children under ten. She's launching the Peter Rabbit Naturally Better initiative which sees the well-loved Beatrix Potter creation become the first ever licensed character to go green.

Created in 1893, the naughty little rabbit is the oldest licensed children's character in the world and this new initiative reflects the importance that Beatrix Potter placed on the natural world and the environment.

If you can't make it on Weds, you can post your questions in advance here. Otherwise, we'll see you with your organic salads (home grown of course ) on weds lunchtime.

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i have more bricks than i need lol

but freestyle for soil isnt something i thought of

and in fact it would be somewhere to dispose of surplus bricks

and er shower tray

tho maybe i make that into a planter? it is stone ware

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Totally agree that the high price of farm shop and organic food/cleaning stuff etc is a barrier for so many people.

I simply cannot afford to do a big 'green' shop for my family each week - it would add far too much to our monthly shopping bill.

My family gets through so much food a week - we have two older boys with big appetites. Gone are the days when a single fairtrade mashed banana passed as 'pudding' and a small bowl of organic pasta with three organic cherry tomatoes is 'lunch'.

Take bacon for example - I can buy a huge economy pack of cooking bacon for around £1.50 from Sainsburys. This will last us a week. Or I can spend £3.99 on eight rashers of their finest organic bacon that will last us one breakfast.

It will be interesting to see how high priced 'green' food suppliers fare when food prices are going up so much.

What tips does sherahzade have for shopping 'green' on a budget in today's economic climate?
PS: I cannot keep a pig in my back garden.

there is also too much branding and packaging

i dont want to pay for luxurious attractive packaging on green stuff or marketing exercises

i want plain food

but people it seems cant make food outside the hyper marketed sector

unless they are selling to welathy people

in fact people are not generally interested in selling to the least well off in the green sector it is exclusive

getbackinyouryurtjimjams - I think I know the farm shop you mean. Shame on them. They must have a big publicity budget as I am always seeing their ads and leaflets when I am down your way. You'd think they would invest more in staff training and selection.

Agree about the cost of organic food tigermoth

Also clothes. I would love to buy non-sweat-shop clothes. I really would, but I can't afford it. I bought an outfit from Sea Salt last year. The top shrank the first time I washed it and I can't afford to replace it with the same. In the meantime my £8 pair of Primark jeans have been worn (and washed) every week, still look fine and fit well.

I feel guilty every time I get dressed though.

How does one do ethical clothes shopping on a budget?

(I do buy from charity shops if I happen to see something I like, but working full time, with 3 children, one severely disabled I do not have the luxury of time to rummage around charity shops).

Tigermoth- exactly re the farm shop. I don't think the green image counts for much if they can't be even the slightest bit inclusive.

it would also be good if there was at least some kind of compromise available for being ethical on a budget

food labelling has improved so that we can look at labels and see calories, protein, vitmain content etc

why cant some effort be put into green auditing of food so some simple value placed on greenness in a product like th energy labels

so AA equals excellent G equals poor

then even if you didnt have access to the best option then at least you could choose from what is avialable

this Peter rabbit approach sound slike bollox to me just packaging and frippery

no real substance and it is the making real of green issues that is needed not more window dressing

green issues seem divisive at the moment dominaated by the more well off sectors as purchasers and producers

green auditing of aall products by maanufacturers so instead of this is organic t shirt range in new look each item has a green value

this would mean manufacturers looking at this at the initial design stage

there must be the potential for designing a programme/system which could work this out

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I would assume that should she still turn up, there will be no chatting on this thread. Surely she will get a spanking new one, hence the unsticking.

a spanking new one with no questions?

LOL zippi, there is that

Maybe mumsnet will cancel then and make up an excuse to her and us......

I think you may need to define 'budget' Yurt. That is simply doesn't mean cutting back on long haul flights

I'll miss the live chat I think. But I really would like some of the 'how do you live the eco/ethical dream on a budget' questions asked.

I think that's the key for the majority of us isn't it? We all want to do our bit - but it's incredibly hard when you are cash and time poor.

OK if you have £150 a week to feed and clothe a family of 5 (which I think is very generous tbh) - and you have no spare time because you're working full time (and you don't take holidays so can't cut out one of those)- how do you do it?

i would like to see those questions answered too

but i cant see that happening

all the current stuff in the media re budgeting and the credit crunch has led to fanciful discussions which dont touch on reality and i think green issues suffer from the same thing

people who do know about being green on a budget are older people who lived through the second world war i think they developed skills which have been forgotten

recycling is i think easier to do than buying stuff which is both green, cheap and what you actually need to fulfill your requirements

oh that £150 would be cleaning materials and all entertainment as well. You know - all the non-billed stuff.

Think you are really right about the older generation zippi. My parents don;t throw anything out, they just re-use and re-use and buy second hand etc.

i think thinking in a green way is a bit like exercise and the gym...you have good intentions but actually making it work can easily be something you procrastinate over

so how do you make it as easy as possible for people to achieve? what are the absolute prioroties for someone jusst starting to think about this?

The gym is pricey too

well exactly....

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aw I think MN are made of sterner stuff than that

just want this bumped up my threads i'm on...
what does SG think the credit crunch is doing to the chances of real change in people's behaviour? because imho it's blowing green right out of the water. 'green' product ranges, at least.

(and i note that 100 years ago i mis-spelled advice. )

Another question, if she does turn up.... is it true that Zac won't allow plastic toys in the house for the kids? If so, how the hell is that enforced and what do you do with any that they might receive as gifts? Are they now OBSESSED with plastic and non- eco junk food?