Chinese Government Failing to Clear the Air

A bit of unsettling news was published in newspapers and news sites worldwide yesterday. It would appear that a bit of information skimming concerning air quality has been happening in Beijing since 2009. Naturally, we’ve all known for even longer that many of products coming out of China are generally not natural at all.

China’s Foreign Ministry demanded of the U. S. Embassy to stop measuring and reporting on the cleanliness of the city’s air because it conflicted with their own publications. The Chinese Bureau only covered the pollution in large particles. The disclosed reports from the Americans also covered the concentration of smaller particles which pose the greatest risk to human health. I think that’s something well worth reporting on.

So how can you trust that a product of China is natural or organic if it simply says that it is?

Answer: you can’t.

Photo source: http://alanpaul.net/2011/11/yes-beijing-pollution-is-really-that-bad-a-big-in-china-excerpt/

The silly season is definitely taking hold

Busy, busy, busy. That seems to be the slogan of the season.

It has definitely been true here at Cascada. We have been so busy in fact, that the blogs have gone waning.

One big new development has been the upcoming redesign of the website. Lots of new pictures are going up this week and even detailed information about our brand new Jeannie range of wraps as well as our scrumptious socks and cosy mittens.

Bigger still was the monstrous 500kg delivery of stock from Bolivia. The new designs and the old favourites are gorgeous as ever and I cannot wait to get them into homes nation-wide in the new year.

The new year is bound to be a fantastic one and we are definitely hitting the ground running. If we don’t speak again, have a glorious Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

How easy is it to become more sustainable?

I believe the education of green and sustainable is all our responsibilities.

The time has passed where we can sit back and either pretend it will all go away or believe that it’s not up to us!

It is up to us, and we can all do something about it.

Remember Joni Mitchells sobering words    “…..don’t it always seem to go that you don’t know what you got till it’s gone…… green paradise……put up a parking lot…….”?

Why should we wait for the politicians and governments to bring in mandates and laws? Surely it is up to us to take responsibility.
It’s about people educating people, using their creativity to inform and create a better world.

I heard a simple suggestion this morning by the journalist Gerladine Brooks on the ABC, suggesting why we as individuals can’t start greening all the rooftops of apartment buildings?  But why stop there? How about rooftops of garages, walls with vertical gardens……..

Not only as an attractive more pleasant vista for the cityscape, but what a difference it could make to the carbon footprint of a city if all walls and rooftops started to green up.

The more we are open to education and communication of all things green and sustainable the better our lives can be.

Eco Concsious Warriors

How wonderful that so many celebrities are lending their weight to the ‘green’ cause.

I am not into the whole media obsession of the celebrity thing,  but this time I am happy to promote those that are eco conscious.

Lets start with possibly the worlds biggest celebrity duo. Brad and Angelina..

They started the Jolie Pitt Foundation in 2006 after Hurricane Katrina almost demolished the township of New Orleans.

Their foundation builds eco friendly homes to help replace those lost in the hurricane. Their foundation donates millions of dollars worldwide protecting wildlife, natural resources and helps fight extreme poverty.

This is one couple who puts their money where their mouth is.

Organic Cotton?

When one thinks ‘organic’, one tends to think of organic food or organic skincare. It seems the last thing on people’s minds is ‘organic textiles’.

It’s really strange, but it seems when pursuing a healthier and chemical free lifestyle, the last thing on peoples mind is a textile.

I’ve had a few enquiries of late about “Why Organic” so I thought I’d start a new stream of various organic textiles out there.

When moving to an environmentally friendly lifestyle, one of the key elements to consider is fashion. Did you know that our skin is our largest organ? Just thinking about this, it is therefore obvious what effect all those chemicals leached into our skin must have on our health.

Lets start with Cotton and what the difference is between organic and non-organic cotton.

Fairtrade co-ops supported by Etiko

I have had a much adored ETIKO Fairtrade football kicking around in my garden for a few years now, not realising Etiko was an Australian company.

Etiko’s aim is to support and produce fairtrade products such as shoes, clothing and sportsballs. They started in 2005 after finding that, no matter how hard they tried they couldn’t buy stuff that they could be 100% confident hadn’t been made by a child or by cheap exploited labour.

The producers of Etiko’s funky Alpargatas (pictured) are the Purporé Workers Co-operative. This tiny worker owned co-operative is based in one of the poorest suburbs of Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. Commencing in 2005, a group of unemployed, skilled, people directed by social activist Reyes Guerrero, decided to take their future into their own hands by creating this co-op of which the workers share the profits.

Textiles Timeline – Very interesting

New England Economic Adventure Past Exhibits: Textiles Timeline.

This story is fascinating.. So many different textiles from the 1800s until now!

The 600km March to stop the Amazon Highway

The smh.com.au has reported on the story we have been following about the march to halt the highway through the Amazon. It seems that sometimes people power can work.. Read the following story posted from www.smh.com.au

PONGO, BOLIVIA: About 2000 Bolivian Indians were near La Paz on the penultimate day of a gruelling, weeks-long march to protest against government plans to build a highway through an Amazon nature reserve.

”We have no confidence in the Bolivian government. All they do is lie,” Fernando Vargas, the leader of the demonstrators, said, gasping for breath as the group approached the highest capital city in the world.

The marchers, including women, children and elderly people, left the northern city of Trinidad in mid-August and have endured heavy rains, low temperatures, difficult mountainous terrain and police brutality during their 600-kilometre journey.

Ready, Set, Shoot!

All systems go for the photographic session for the new exciting range of my Eco Cashllama blankets and throw range. They really are as soft as Cashmere!

I have found the most beautiful house perched on the cliff top of Whale Beach overlooking Barrenjoey Head and beyond.  Simply stunning!

This time its an all girl crew. Photographer, model, stylist, my PA and yours truly! How exciting!

My stylist (Francesca) has just picked up a gorgeous little bassinet for my baby blanket photos.

Wow.. Chanel at Paris Fashion Week

Need I say anymore.. How beautiful are these sets!