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La cerveza San Miguel Eco se presenta como la primera cerveza española elaborada con ingredientes procedentes de la agricultura ecológica. Entendemos que refiriéndose a productos de producción y comercialización masiva pues, el mundo de la cerveza, y más concretamente la cerveza artesanal, lleva ya ciertos años afianzándose en nuestro país entre los aficionados a este líquido ámbar y donde cada día son más las pequeñas y cuidadas producciones artesanales, muchas de ellas poniendo el acento en el carácter ecológico y orgánico de su proceso de fabricación artesanal y sus ingredientes procedentes de cultivos ecológicos.

La cerveza San Miguel ECO  se obtiene a partir de malta de cebada y lúpulo obtenidos según las normas establecidas por la Unión Europea que rigen los cultivos ecológicos.

Certificados ecológicos

La agricultura ecológica está regulada por normas de la Unión Europea en las que se indican los sistemas y ciclos naturales correspondientes para llevar a cabo una producción sostenible.

Los ingredientes, el proceso de elaboración y la distribución de San Miguel Eco han sido aprobados por el Consell Català de Producció Agraria Ecológica (CCPAE).

Las "ecoetiquetas" suponen una garantía y fiabilidad que nos garantiza la ausencia de impacto ambiental durante el ciclo de vida del producto: fabricación, consumo y desecho.

Sería ideal que esta producción fuese además local, lo que supondría un claro apoyo a los productores locales y reduciría considerablemente la huella, el consumo y el impacto ambiental que suponen los transportes de largas distancias de las materias primas.

No obstante, según nos han informado, el grupo Mahou San Miguel ha obtenido unos de los mejores ratios de eficiencia y ahorro energético a nivel mundial en sus procesos de producción.

La nota de cata de San Miguel ECO

• Color: Amarillo, dorado brillante
• Espuma: Cremosa, burbujas finas y buena adherencia
• Olor: Intensidad media, ligeramente afrutada, suaves tonosde lúpulo y presencia de malta
• Aroma: Intensidad media, sensación de frescor y afrutado   
• Amargor: 4,2º con un punto de amargor fuerte y fino
• Gusto: Fino y dulce con sutiles toques a malta
• Cuerpo: Pronunciado

A nosotros nos ha resultado muy agradable; refrescante, con un tono dorado limpio y brillante, suave pero con un puntito amargo. Falta de matices quizás, pero sabrosa e ideal para acompañar platos frescos, ligeros y saludables.

Por su suavidad creemos que resultará apta para todos los gustos y estamos seguros de que los amantes a la cerveza también valorarán sus características.

La cerveza se puede encontrar tanto en establecimientos especializados en alimentación ecológica como en las grandes superficies, en el formato de pack de 6 botellas 25 cl. Y supone una buena alternativa eco-friendly para nuestra mesa.

Se han cuidado algunos detalles del embalaje como que solo se sirve en botellas de cristal reciclado o que el cartón del pack procede de fuentes renovables y reciclables (aunque no añaden ningún sello FSC al respecto). Creo que en este aspecto se podría mejorar mucho más utilizando papel reciclado y tintas no tóxicas para las etiquetas o proponiendo un tipo de cierre más ecológico y reciclable que la usual chapa.

Soy-eco.com te ofrece la posibilidad de descubrirla

Por gentileza de San Miguel soy-eco.com organiza entre sus lectores y seguidores un concurso para daros la oportunidad de probar y saborear esta interesante cerveza ecológica San Miguel ECO. Para ello solo tienes que visitar nuestra página corporativa en Facebook, hacerte seguidor/-a y participar del concurso de un pack de seis botellines de 25 cl. a través de este enlace: http://woobox.com/4izgdm

'Selfridges is lucky to have a powerful voice that communicates to a wide audience. Over 50,000 people visit our four stores on average every day and well over a million pass our windows every week, said Alannah Weston, creative director of Selfridges. 'We decided it was time to use that power to lead a campaign, that is both educational and entertaining, about something we feel is important to our customers: the environment.'

For the next month, Selfridges' award-winning Oxford Street windows will be dedicated to creatively illustrating the debate, with one incorporating an interactive fund-raising 'totaliser' where donations can be made through smartphones.

A giant ocean-inspired balloon installation created by maverick American artist and sculptor Jason Hackenworth will fill the central atrium of the flagship London store and an ocean-themed fashion exhibition curated by Judith Clark will be on display. Project Ocean products designed by Katherine Hamnett are to be on sale to raise extra funds, pop-up entertainment will appear on Friday nights and a Selfridges fish and chip van will sell sustainable seafood.

The launch campaign runs until the 12 June 2011 but Selfridges is keen to emphasise that this is a long-term CSR commitment; the 100-year-old department store chain has established a Marine Protected Area on the Danajon Bank in the Philippines Central Visayas, which will safeguard local fish species including clownfish, seahorses and angelfish.


Credit: Contagious Magazine

Todos los que usan esta aplicación pueden votar y comentar las ideas de los demás. Las más votadas van cambiando “su color”, de modo que cuantos más votos, más verde y ecológica es la idea. Con la recopilación de las 100 mejores se ha creado el ecoBook “A Simple Idea. 100 eco-ideas de los fans de A Simple Switch”.

Este ecoBook puede ser descargado en cualquier tipo de ordenador, en smartphones y tablets, ya que ha sido creado en formato PDF. El prólogo está escrito por Margaret Fenwick, una reconocida escritora y blogger especializada en temas medioambientales, y también cuenta con la colaboración de otros expertos en ecología y desarrollo sostenible.

 Incluido Soy-Eco en la categoría de reciclaje :)

Gracias a la colaboración entre Philips y la Fundación + Árboles, el hecho de descargar este ecoBook repercutirá en la salud de nuestro planeta: por cada veinte descargas la fundación plantará un árbol. ¿Quieres participar? Además de descargándote el eBook en el enlace que te facilitamos abajo, también puedes enviarle la página de descarga a tus amigos por correo electrónico, compartirla en Facebook o tuitearla. Y si tienes un blog, A Simple Switch te dará un widget para que lo insertes en él y todos los visitantes puedan ver tu compromiso con el medio ambiente.

¡Súmate al movimiento ecológico de A Simple Switch!

• Descargar ecoBook www.asimpleswitch.com/lang/es_es/b2c/specials/ecobook
• Proponer ideas ecológicas en A Simple Idea http://apps.facebook.com/asimpleidea

Collecting rainwater is an excellent way to reduce your daily water consumption. Here are just a few ways in which you can reduce the amount of tap water you use with captured rainwater.

The simplest way to collect rainwater is to use an old bin or other large container. Place an old bin or container under your guttering downspout, or use smaller containers which are lighter and easier to move. These can be swapped on a regular basis for tasks such as watering your plants.

You can reduce the amount of tap water you use with captured rainwater in a number of ways: Wash the car, clean and wash down the driveway, rinse handwash-only or delicate garments, water the lawn and plants, indoors and out, top up the garden pond in hot weather, flush the toilet, wash your windows, the walls of your house and the garden furniture.
Saving your rainwater also means your children can have fun without you worrying about the cost involved. Use it to fill up their water guns and small plastic containers for the best water fights.

Research has shown that plants actually respond better to rainwater than tap water because rainwater is naturally filtered and doesn’t contain the minerals or chemicals that you find in tap water. Attach a piece of cheesecloth or gauze to the end of your guttering pipes, to prevent dirt and leaves collecting in your water.

For another effective way of watering your plants without using litres of water check out the Iriso Water Dripper in the Soy-Eco Water Saving section.

Image credit: Ben (Falcifer) @FlickR

Wind-powered machine knits scarves sustainably

We've seen wind power harnessed for many purposes, but until recently, knitting hadn't been one of them. Enter the Wind Knitting Factory, a creation from London-based Dutch designer Merel Karhof that harnesses the wind to knit a continuous series of winter scarves.

Powered by a 1.2-metre windmill, the Wind Knitting Factory made its debut as part of a Royal College of Art exhibition. There it was installed on the college's façade, where passing winds caused the resulting knitted product to move through a window and into the building's interior. From time to time the knitted yarn was harvested and rounded off into individual, 2-metre scarves, each labeled with a date and a description of how long it took to create. 

Since its debut, the device has appeared at numerous other design shows, including last month's Object Rotterdam 2011. 

This video on YouTube demonstrates the Wind Knitting Factory in action.

Whether it's powering consumers' mobiles, homes or aesthetic needs, there appears to be no end to the wind-based possibilities. Be inspired!

Article and image courtesy of SpringWise.com

Recursos Ambientales Integrados es una iniciativa que sirve de conexión entre productos, actuaciones y prácticas pro-medioambiente. Publicitan y distribuyen los primeros, informan sobre las segundas y realizan cursos de educación y sensibilización a todos los niveles para potenciar las terceras.

Desde Soy-Eco, os invitamos a visitar su página web www.eficienciamedioambiental.es confiando en el interés que su propuesta pueda despertar en todos vosotros, no solo participando en sus proyectos sino entrando a formar parte de nuestra eco-comunidad.

Why Water?

Right now, almost a billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water. That’s one in eight of us.

Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of diseases and kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Children are especially vulnerable, as their bodies aren't strong enough to fight diarrhea, dysentery and other illnesses. The UN predicts that one tenth of the global disease burden can be prevented simply by improving water supply and sanitation.

But, water moves beyond just a human rights issue. It’s an environmental issue, an animal welfare issue, a sustainability issue. Water is a global issue, deserving a global conversation.

The statistics below are not minority statistics, they are majority. Please understand those of you who have constant access to clean water supply are in the minority, so please think again before you turn on the tap:

Right now, almost a billion people on the planet don’t have access to clean, safe drinking water. That’s one in eight of us. 

health and sanitation: Unsafe water and lack of basic sanitation cause 80% of diseases and kill more people every year than all forms of violence, including war. Children are especially vulnerable, as their bodies aren't strong enough to fight diarrhea, dysentery and other illnesses.

38,000 Children a Week: Every week, nearly 38,000 children under the age of 5 die from unsafe drinking water and unhygienic living conditions, that's 90% of the 42,000 deaths that occur every week from unsafe water and unhygienic living conditions.

Many of these diseases are preventable. The UN predicts that one tenth of the global disease burden can be prevented simply by improving water supply and sanitation.

women and children: In Africa alone, people spend 40 billion hours every year just walking for water. Women and children usually bear the burden of water collection, walking miles to the nearest source, which is unprotected and likely to make them sick.

Time spent walking and resulting diseases keep them from school, work and taking care of their families.

Along their long walk, they're subjected to a greater risk of harassment and sexual assault. Hauling cans of water for long distances takes a toll on the spine and many women experience back pain early in life.

With safe water nearby, women are free to pursue new opportunities and improve their families’ lives. Kids can earn their education and build the future of their communities.

What can we do?

Donate > Help fund water projects around the world via charity: water

Educate your children > If we want to ensure our children and their children always have a clean, fresh supply of water, educate them now.

Be a Water Educator > Now you know the extent of the crisis, spread the word - to friends, family, colleagues. It's so important to get the message to as many people as possible: the more people that help, the better the water, the more lives saved.

Lead by example > Look to the way you use water in your own home. What can you do to reduce your consumption. Soy-Eco has some fabulous water-saving devices, for taps, showers, kitchens, gardens... They don't cost the earth, but they will help to save it. Click here to see how you can help in the home.

Top image credit 1: uncultured @FlickR    Small image credit: hdptcar @FlickR

Soy-Eco has just listed the fantastic Paperpod Christmas Tree! Now you can decorate your very own Christmas Tree made from recycled, high quality, heavy duty cardboard. It's a great project for children and parents to share over the Christmas holidays.

The Christmas tree is a fabulous idea to get the kids creativity flowing over the Festive period. Children can decorate the trees themselves, making a unique statement in the home, nursery or school. It comes with a set of cardboard decorations that you can personalise and decorate with a whole host of things - colours, glitter, snow, foil, coloured paper.

The tree can then be folded away and stored in its box for next year, or it can also be used throughout the year as a way of introducing new ideas and learning concepts for children - hanging numbers, letters or animals from the branches. Or celebrate each season with different colours and concepts added to the tree.

Flat Pack Size (mm): 722 x 465 x 44

Christmas tree size: 91-122 cm with the star or fairy on top!

Buy one now and enjoy a greener Christmas activity!

Researchers claim that there is growing evidence that combining activities such as walking or cycling in natural surroundings boosts your well-being and mental state.

A recent study published in the Environmental Science and Technology journal suggested the strongest impact was on young people. UK researchers studied evidence from 1,250 people across 10 topics and found fast improvements in both mood and self-esteem.

The investigation took a spread of different outdoor activities including walking, gardening, cycling, fishing, boating, horse-riding and farming in different ‘green space’ locations such as a park, garden or nature trail.

The biggest effect was seen within just five minutes.

The study showed that exercising in a green environment for a longer period of time produced the same positive effects, which were clearly apparent, but were of a smaller magnitude.

Taking a cross section of men and women of different ages, researchers found the health changes, both physical and mental, were particularly strong in the young and the mentally-ill.

Add blue for an even more positive result!

An even more positive effect was seen with exercise in an area that also incorporated water - such as a lake, river or sea.

Study leader Jules Pretty, a researcher at the University of Essex, said those who were generally inactive, or stressed, or with mental illness would most likely benefit the most from "green exercise"

"Employers, for example, should encourage staff in stressful workplaces to take a short walk at lunchtime in the nearest park to improve their mental health." He also said exercise programmes outdoors could benefit youth offenders.

He continued, "A challenge for policy makers is that policy recommendations on physical activity are easily stated but rarely adopted widely."

Paul Farmer, chief executive of mental health charity Mind, said the research is yet further evidence that even a short period of green exercise can provide a low cost and drug-free therapy to help improve mental wellbeing.

"It's important that people experiencing depression can be given the option of a range of treatments, and we would like to see all doctors considering exercise as a treatment where appropriate.

Mind runs a grant scheme for local environmental projects to help people with mental illness get involved in outdoor activities.

It’s an interesting recommendation and one we should all take seriously. Today when many of us take the attitude that we don’t have the ‘time’ to exercise, this study shows that we really need very little; just five minutes can make a big difference to boosting our well-being.

In fact my doctor here in Spain has recommended a similar form of treatment to me on several occasions, over medical drugs. His suggestion was four hours per week doing something I enjoyed was an essential part of life’s mix. Whether it is green exercise, painting or reading, everybody needs something to stimulate them personally, which in turn helps to stimulate you mentally.

Image credit: Andru1308 @FlickR