Chicken Out! An Update

I’ve been eagerly watching for news and to see whether they made their target of £86,888 to have the resolution heard at Tesco’s annual general meeting. They made it! You can read here what Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall had to say about it.

Chicken Out! Campaign

More than 850 million chickens are slaughtered in the UK, every year. More than 95% of those are reared inside sheds that are enclosed. As the birds start to grow, they have less and less room to roam or even stretch their wings. A typical shed holds 40,000 birds. They never get to leave the sheds and they never see natural light.

Whilst I’m not a vegetarian, I just don’t see how anyone can think that this is acceptable treatment of an animal. A chicken should live outside – it’s only natural. Free range chickens have space to roam outside, play and they can go inside if they wish.

Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall is behind The Chicken Out! Campaign which is demanding higher welfare conditions for chickens farmed in the UK and fairer conditions for the farmers that rear them. You can read more about the campaign and the changes Hugh is looking for here. Unfortunately it would appear that the supermarkets don’t share his concerns when it comes to the welfare of chickens. It has been reported that Tesco are demanding a staggering £86,000 for Hugh to put his concerns to their shareholders. You can read through the articles on the Chicken Out! Press Page.

It only takes a few moments, so I’d urge you to follow the simple instructions and put your support behind the campaign.

Alternative Reusable Bags – New stock now in!

Regular readers of the blog will know I’m fully behind the campaign to rid the UK of plastic bags. So, I’m very pleased to say that I’ve added to the range of reusable bags at Only Fair.  New in stock are the Recycled Rice Shopper and the Nylon Rooster Shopper.

I really like both of these as they are different to the usual jute and cotton bags available, these are something brighter and quirkier.  The Recycled Rice Shopper is actually made from recycled rice and cement bags, showing yet again how something dull can be trasformed into something quite fun when recycled. 

You can view the bags here.

World Environment Day is Here!

So what have YOU been doing to mark it?

Jessica Aldred’s blog marks some of the more inspired and uninspired (and believe me, they are uninspired!) events taking place around the world and within the UK.

World Environment Day – 5th June

Tomorrow, 5th June, is World Environment Day!

World Environment Day is used by the United Nations to promote world wide awareness of the environment. WED was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 1972 to mark the opening of the Stockholm conference on the Human Environment. A further resolution on the same day led to the United Nations Environment Programme being created.

Kick the Habit! Towards a Low Carbon Economy is the slogan for 2008. The United Nations Environment Programme recognises that climate change is becoming a defining issue and is asking countries, companies and communities to focus on greenhouse gas emissions and how they can be reduced, such as improved energy efficiency, alternative energy sources and eco-friendly consumption. WED will highlight resources and initiatives that promote low carbon economies and lifestyles.

To quote UNEP:-

“On this World Environment Day, let us examine the state of our environment. Let us consider carefully the actions which each of us must take, and then address ourselves to our common task of preserving all life on earth in a mood of sober resolution and quiet confidence.”

There are plenty of steps that can be taken to reduce our carbon footprint and many websites that can offer hints and tips to help us along the way. You can see what events are taking place in your country on the WED website. Don’t forget to check out “12 Steps to Help You Kick the CO2 Habit”.

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