Can flying ever be eco-friendly? - Part One - Biofuel

On Sunday Richard Branson's company,Virgin airlines, launched it's first biofueled flight. The tank was filled with a combination of traditional airline fuel, coconut oil and babassu oil which comes from the babassu palm tree. Branson is apparently committed to a green agenda for his businesses, you can read his recent interview with Freinds Of The Earth here. But even if all Virgin flights ran on biofuel is it enough to really make a difference?

There are concerns, The British Independent quotes The World Development Movement

"...even if all flights in the country used biofuels, the reduction in British aviation's contribution to climate change would be cancelled out by one year's growth in flights."

Maybe this is true but it should be considered that if air traffic is going to continue to increase surely it would be better if they were all flying on biofuel.

Another concern is that the growing popularity of biofuel is displacing food crops in the developing world. The cost of this is spiralling food costs which could eventually lead to famine.

But Branson has thought about this too. The test flight may have been fueled by nut oil but the long term plan is to develop biofuel for the future created using algae from sewers.

Only time will tell if these developments can make a significant difference but for the time being I will continue to try and limit the number of flights I take. Remember it might be quicker and cheaper in the short term to fly from one end of the country to the other but the cost to our future could be devastating.

In part two I will look into carbon offsetting.

Eco Brides and Green Grooms

Whilst researching weddings in an attempt to construct the perfect organic wedding hamper I came across this article in the Sunday Business Post archives. 

There are over 12,000 weddings each year in Ireland, each one creating an average of 14.5 tonnes of carbon emissions. That makes over 174,000 tonnes of carbon in total more that twice the amount that the population of Athy generates in a year. 

If you find these statistics compelling and you are planning a wedding why not make it a green one? Not only will it make a difference to the environment but you will be able to create a day that could truly stand out in the memories of all those who attend.

I found some great sites which can help you with the planning,  this fab site offers a 'challenge us' section for any hard to solve eco problems. The WWF also have a good site devoted to weddings which even includes an eco-friendly gift registry. You can even buy an eco friendly wedding dress. Conscious Elegance  have a great selection including the one pictured above. They tell me that they are planning to launch some party dress designs in May so your guests will be able to find something to wear there too.

Organic Product Review - Booja-Booja Champagne Truffles

I have to declare a bit of an interest in this review. I stock and sell Booja-Booja Champagne truffles and have done for many years. The reason I stock them is because I love them and have done since the very first time I tasted one. I had been searching out the best organic chocolate box for some time but hadn't managed to find one that came up to scratch. It was at a trade show in London that I discovered them, and whilst having a conversation with the sales rep must have eaten my way through a mountain of samples. All of the Booja-Booja truffles are good. As well as the Champagne there are Ginger Wine, Hazelnut Crunch, Around Midnight Espresso and Cognac Flambéed Banana. All of them have been my favourite from time to time but the Champagne always wins out in the end.

When you open a box of Booja-Booja you know you are getting something really special. The truffles are presented in a black box trimmed in gold. When you get inside the cocoa dusted truffles look up at you from gold shiny packaging. Dark chocolate is often quite bitter but as you bite through the shell of these truffles you are greeted with a creamy, very alcoholic flavour. I often tell people that these chocolates are so decadent that you could not possibly eat the whole box at once but I have a sneaking suspicion that if you left me alone in a room with them I might give it a go. All Booja-Booja Truffles are Vegan, wheat, dairy and gluten free.

You can buy Booja-Booja Champagne Truffles from my website.

Booja-Booja Truffles are certified organic by the Soil Association.