Ecoteer

EcoHab – our future home

Ever since we first saw the EcoHab units we had to find out more. Ecoteer interviews the designer of these space age homes which are a reality in 2010.

1) what inspired you to do this? what was the defining moment?

Buildings and structures have always inspired me (Aidan Quinn – Managing Director and Designer). I have always been fascinated by the great domes of Rome, Venice and Florence. Being a product designer, I have always wanted to build my own house but I wanted to step away from conventional architecture and build something that would appeal to me in every sense. I wanted something that offered me a sense of space without being too extravagant. I wanted something that offered me a sense of style without being too expensive. I wanted something that was efficient, well lit, economical and comfortable; a home that was future proofed against energy costs and CO2 emissions.
2) what is the largest EcoHab you have built and how much did it cost?

Right now, we’re constructing our largest to date, a 3 domed pod for a prestigious client in Cheshire.
This order is to the value of approx £80,000.00. It’s total floor area is 88sq Meters.

3) do you have one?

(Aidan) I have lived for 4 months in one of my dual level prototypes if that counts, but no, I live in a conventional house unfortunately!! I must sell each Ecohab I produce to generate enough funds to continue the project. I do plan on installing one in Spain which I can retire in when the time comes.

4) whats the worst bit about living inside them?
Our office is a 4m diameter dual level EcoHab and the only downside is that you cannot buy standard furniture because of the curvature of the internal walls. The internal furniture must be built and curved bespoke to each build. Fantastic if you love to be different, but it may not appeal to avid IKEA shoppers!!

To find out more speak to Gemma at www.ecohab.co.uk

Soapnuts — Mother Nature’s Answer to Wash and Clean

Have you ever realized that to make our household clean and tidy, free from dirt and dust, we used a lot of commercial detergents and cleaners? For example, we have washing detergents for dishes, laundry detergents for washing our clothes, floor cleaners to clean our floors. Imagine the amount of harmful chemicals and other stuff that we are using just to make sure that our house is clean as well as these products are then dumped into the sewerage and environment after used, multiply that amount by the number of people in the world, that is a very scary and alarming thought.

For people who can really afford it and environmentally conscious, there are many so called natural ingredients based cleaners and detergents that are currently available on the market, but the price of these products are usually a bit pricey for the rest of us. But even then, each of these products has its own plastic packaging and manufacturing process to produce it, this would translate to a significant amount of the carbon footprint and waste just to get that natural cleaner and detergents out to consumers. It has since been a quest of sorts for me to search for the ultimate cleaning agent from Nature and finally after so long, I’ve finally been able to come across what I believe is Nature’s best answer to my quest so far and the best part of it is that it grows on trees. ☺

Soapnuts are actually a kind of berries that grow on the soapnut trees which are usually found in the wild in Indonesia, Nepal and India. Once the fruits have ripened, they are gathered by hand, dried in the sun and with its seed taken out. The scientific name for soapnut is Sapindus Rarak or Sapindus Mukorossi (depending on where it is grown) reveals the powerful magic that gives it the ability to clean and wash, this magic ingredient is called saponin. Soapnut releases saponin when it is wetted, it is the saponin that helps to effectively wash and clean a wide range of items, from doing the laundry, doing the dishes to be used as a pesticide for plants. The saponin from the soapnut effectively replaces the current use of chemical detergents and commercial soaps that are currently found in today’s markets.

If we can replace all the commercial detergents and cleaners in the world, just imagine the amount of carbon footprint and environmental related pollution that would be significantly reduced by just using berries that are grown from trees. For those people who want to have live an eco-friendly and green lifestyle, this is really living the concept of coming from nature, going back to nature.

Soapnut Applications and Uses

1. All purpose cleaner
2. Laundry Detergent (Good for High Efficiency washing machine)

3. Great for washing of batik, silk, linen and delicate fabrics

4. Floor Cleaner

5. Jewellery cleaner

6. Window and glass cleaner

7. Dishwasher detergent

8. Hair Shampoo

9. Pet Shampoo

10. Vegetable wash

Online resources on using Soapnuts

1. How to Wash your Clothes Naturally with Soap Nuts

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HUm5S6Svomg

2. Soapnut Recipe 1 Making Liquid Cleaner

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR2SLj7bZFM

3. Soapnuts Recipe 2 Foam Cleaner

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASjw9QYcYFw

http://www.soap-nut.info

1. Bloo Lagoon Village, Bali

2. AIONA Guest House, Bali

3. Balila Guesthouse, Bali

4. Annabel Inn, USA

5. Salon Pacifique, Finland

6. Paskins Townhouse, UK

Responsible Travel

There are numerous accounts of where tourism has destroyed the original reason why people came to the destination in the first place the opposite of Responsible Tourism. The natural progression for a tourism destination involves one of low impact moving into mass tourism then the demand from tourism destroys the main attraction. Examples include the Pyramids in Egypt which are eroding away due to tourists or the great barrier reef which is dying with a large proportion of the blame being laid at the feet of the tourists themselves.

So what is Responsible Tourism???

Responsible tourism is tourism that strives to minimize its impact on the environment, to respect local people and cultures, to offer economic benefit to local businesses and communities, and to provide a memorable experience for travellers and protects destinations for future generations. Using small-scale lodging, local transportation, supporting locally-owned businesses, and incorporating community-based ecotourism projects into tours are some ways travel can work towards sustainability.

The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) provides a conceptual guide for the sustainable development of all tourism:

Responsible tourism development guidelines and management practices are applicable to all forms of tourism in all types of destinations, including mass tourism and the various niche tourism segments. Sustainability principles refer to the environmental, economic and socio-cultural aspects of tourism development, and a suitable balance must be established between these three dimensions to guarantee its long-term sustainability.

The UNWTO provides further guidelines at unwto.org.

Ecoteer Responsible Travel endorses the Global Responsible Tourism Criteria, an international initiative to create a common understanding of responsible tourism. Four main themes drive the criteria: effective sustainability planning; maximizing social and economic benefits for the local community; enhancing cultural heritage; and reducing negative impacts to the environment. To learn more or download the criteria go to the Global Responsible Tourism Criteria website.

How is Ecoteer Responsible Travel practising Responsible tourism?

The Global Responsible Tourism criteria can be segmented into fours easy to answer questions. All Ecoteer Responsible Travel packages must adequately answer the following questions:-

1. Does the project have a clear aim?

Without a clear and concise aim a project will not be focused and ultimately fail to fulfill its intended purpose therefore making efforts by the project largely obsolete;

2. Does the package have a low tourist impact?

Small tourist numbers ensures minimized negative social and environmental impacts. The small group sizes ensures greater involvement and connection time per tourists with the local community and/or environment maximizing enjoyable, meaningful holiday experiences;

3. Does the tour package contribute to the local community?

With each tour locally owned accommodation and restaurants will be sought and a stated proportion of your fee will go towards the local economy ensuring your dollar goes to the hands of the people and animals who need it most;

4. Is there an element of environmental and/or cultural conservation?

On each tour you will be introduced, and where possible, asked to embrace the local culture of the people you visit, building an understanding and respect between the tourist and the host community. On many of the tours, particularly the voluntours, you will actively partake in social or environmental projects helping to conserve the culture and environment which ultimately are often the purpose of your travel in first place.

It is important to know that the projects associated with Ecoteer Responsible Travel are run 100% independently and Ecoteer Responsible Travel are providing them with the opportunity to be able to achieve their aim more efficiently.

Go Rubbish free for a year

Check this video out. It has inspired me to reduce my waste!