KLM Airlines has started testing flights using a combination of sustainable biofuel and regular kerosene. From KLM:

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will be the first airline in the world to make a demonstration flight on bio-kerosene with a select group of passengers. This will also be the first ever flight in Europe on bio-kerosene. On 23 November 2009, KLM will operate a flight using Boeing 747 equipment. One of the aircraft engines will be running on a fuel mixture made up of 50% sustainable bio-fuel and 50% traditional kerosene.

Eco Geek goes into a bit more detail about the fuel used:

The biofuel being used in this test flight will be made from camelina, a feedstock that produces 84 percent less emissions than regular jet fuel and has proven to be a low-impact crop, requiring less water and fertilizer and can grow in areas where food crops won’t be displaced.

Other test flights have been done using other feedstocks like jatropha and without passengers with positive results, but this will be the first using a purely camelina biofuel and with people (other than the pilot) onboard.

Hopefully we’ll see more testing and then it can be introduced into commercial flights.

Part of a growing trend, a Danish family of seven has installed its own wind turbine to produce all the electricity the family needs while reducing its carbon footprint.

I’m sure you all know that Absolutely Gorgeous is one of my favourite Australian online skin care stores. They’ve changed a lot over the last year or so, now specialising on their own range of products.

For those of you who haven’t heard about Absolutely Gorgeous, here is a brief overview taken from their website:

Absolutely Gorgeous is committed to natural beauty and well being..

We specialise in luxurious, skin and body care using pure, organic and chemical-free ingredients.

All products in the range are proudly Australian made, free of petrochemicals, parabens, sulphates, contain no artificial colours.

Great Australian made products at great prices.

Absolutely everything on their site would make a fantastic Christmas gift and if you place your order before the 21st December 2009 you get free delivery within Australia.

Order before it’s too late!

By eating foods produced using commercial fertilisers which only contain nitrogen, potassium,  and phosphorous, are you missing out on getting certain minerals in your diet?

Bonds is a great Australian brand which has been around for decades. They recently introduced a range of organic cotton baby clothes which you can buy online at Baby’s Got Style.

Bonds Organic Baby Clothes

The Bonds baby range includes:

• t-shirts
• leggings
• wondersuits

More on the Bonds brand from Baby’s Got Style:

Since 1915 Bonds has been delivering great cotton fashion basics to Australian families. Built on a foundation of good quality, good cut, and affordable prices- Bonds is iconically Australian. Any Aussie household would be hard pressed not to have at least one item of Bonds somewhere in their closets! Now offering a great range of fashion, kids wear and maternity- we are proud to bring you the Bonds range.

You can order Bond organic baby clothes online from Baby’s Got Style who also sell other great organic brands such as Pure Baby.

Amazing story of a National Geographic photographer who had an unusual experience with a leopard seal in Antarctica.

If you have a garden, or even just a house in Australia, then you have probably noticed a problem… bugs. Well, don’t worry. These tiny pests bother gardeners all over the world, but how are you going to handle them? This is a good question, and a lot of people answer it by saying that they are going to commercially spray for bugs and pests using the popular pesticides and chemicals. Well, while this will get rid of the pests, it does pose another problem… and it is much bigger. In fact, these chemicals may kill the pests, but they are damaging our planet at the same time. You see, when you spray artificial chemicals into the ground, you are hurting the water supply and putting unneeded toxins into the ground. You might ask what other way there is to handle the situation though, and luckily, there is an alternative… homemade pest control.

Home Made Natural Disease and Pest Control

Making your own pest control substances is great for a lot of reasons. For one, they are eco friendly, meaning that they are better for our planet because they lack some of the nastier chemicals. Two, these types of pest control mixtures are cheaper because they can usually be put together with ingredients you already have at home. And three, they actually work quite well! Just remember… these mixtures might be better for the planet, and while they are not as dangerous as the commercial chemicals, they should still be used with caution. Now, here are some of the most popular pest control mixtures being used in Australia today… with any luck, any of these should help you cut down a lot on your bug problem!

For mealy bugs or scale bugs, you can make an oil mixture that suffocates them. To do this, mix about four tablespoons of liquid dishwashing soap into a cup of vegetable oil. Mix this part to about 20 parts of water, and spray it on your plants. It is completely safe for your plants, and it will take care of these pests in no time!

Are you having trouble with aphids, caterpillars, or other insect pests? Well, you can put two tablespoons worth of soap flakes into a liter of clean water, and stir this mixture until it dissolves thoroughly. Spray this directly onto your plants, and it should take care of the problem!

Looking for an organic cafe in Hobart? The Landsdowne Cafe has a great reputation:

This tiny bolt hole of a cafe has swiftly become a local favourite and a poorly kept secret among the West Hobart latte set. One can hardly blame those loose-lipped fans for spreading the word; cafes such as this deserve all the publicity they can get. The tables are often packed with satisfied brunchers, tucking into dishes made with mostly organic, local produce, such as scrambled eggs with buttered leeks or French toast with caramelised orange and organic maple syrup.

Visit The Landsdowne Cafe at:

68 Lansdowne Crescent
Hobart Tasmania

Earth Hour started in Sydney in 2007 and is now a worldwide event taking place in 88 countries and 4000 cities around the world.

Since 2007, Earth Hour has gained worldwide support for positive action against global warming. It all began with 2.2 million people in one city using their light switches to have their say. By March 2009, hundreds of millions of people in over 4,000 cities in 88 countries officially switched off to vote for Earth.

Next year’s event will be held on Saturday the 27th March 2010.

Organic Road is a certified organic brand supplying all the dried food and staples you could possibly need. The range includes:

• Beans, Peas & Lentils
• Cereals & Muesli
• Nuts & Seeds
• Dried Fruit
• Flour, Grains & Rice
• Spreads & Snacks
• Coffee

Organic Road

You can order online and they deliver anywhere in Australia with postage being free for orders over $175.

If you live in New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory or Queensland you can buy from one of many stores where Organic Road is stocked.

Visit Organic Road for more information.