Organic Gardening and Farming in Fiji

Interview With Tony Momoh From Echarger August 12, 2008 · Written by Adam Solar charging has been getting cheaper and consequently more popular, Echarger.co.uk aims to make solar charging affordable to everyone. Life Goggles spoke to it founder, Tony Momoh. Tell us about how Echarger got started and your involvement in it? Echarger started five years ago coming from African roots we have a big issue with power shortage. I started researching of ways to help my people try and find a way they can use alternative energy to charge certain appliances. The idea got so big that it was too much juggling work and doing research at the same time. Then four years ago my mum passed away, God bless her soul, and I had to go home for the funeral which was hard to deal with it. We arrived at the airport and the light was taken off as we arrived we had to wait 10- 15mins before the power generator came on. Everyone had mobile phones but had to go outside and pay some dude a certain amount e.g 50...

Voluntary standards that focus on the most critical aspects of sustainable tourism in order to help travel suppliers around the world meet increasing consumer demand for products and services that will have positive effects on communities and the environment. (UNWTO) - United Nations Foundation Founder and Chairman Ted Turner joined the Rainforest Alliance, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) today to announce the first-ever globally relevant sustainable tourism criteria at the IUCN World Conservation Congress. The new criteria — based on thousands of best practices culled from the existing standards currently in use around the world — were developed to offer a common framework to guide the emerging practice of sustainable tourism and to help businesses, consumers, governments, non-governmental organizations and education institutions to ensure that tourism helps, rather than harms, local communities and the envi...

Three Big Things We Should Do Now to Slow Global Warming The following summary was submitted by Andrea Hill, who works with Durwood Zaelke, President of the Institute for Governance and Sustainable Development . Amidst all the complexity of international climate change negotiations, it is easy to lose sight of actions we can take now, using proven technologies. Such “immediate mitigation” is essential if we are to avoid irreversible tipping points for abrupt climate change. There are three very promising ways of meeting the need for speed. 1. Black Carbon Black carbon, the light absorbing matter in soot, warms the atmosphere by absorbing solar radiation and releasing it as heat. It also accelerates the melting of snow and ice by reducing their ‘albedo’ (the ability to reflect light). This is most dramatically demonstrated by the contribution which black carbon is making to the disintegration of Arctic sea-ice, which in turn threatens to accelerate feedback mechanisms that will spe...

Well it is in my veggie patch I lifted the shallots the other day and now I have got a space for something else. I was very impressed how many I got from the bulbs I put in at the end of Spring. Each bulb produced 5-6 new shallots, so as you can see I have plenty. They have been one of the more successful veggies I have grown this year and I have learnt even more so come next year it will be even better. One of the mistakes I have made was putting in Sprouts and Turnips into such a small bed. They have taken far to much room up and I wont be doing them next year. I have red onions and leeks doing very nicely as well and strawberry plants are around the edge. I have also become a surrogate tomato grower, as one of my neighbours daughter's doesn't have any space so I am looking after it. I have to say though with all this rain and cloudy days I don't think it will do very well as we will probably run out of sun before any of the tomatoes ripen. I also had very green fin...

Switch to Renewable Energy Sources From We Can Solve It website : Switching now to clean energy sources will revitalize our economy -- we can be global leaders in developing and manufacturing clean energy technologies. It will enhance our national security -- reducing the pressure on our troops to protect oil supplies and avoiding the worst climate impacts in politically unstable regions of the world. It will make high gasoline prices less of a burden in our daily lives -- enabling us to transition to clean plug-in hybrid electric cars. It will help solve the climate crisis -- if we fail to act soon, the consequences for our children will be dire. You will see this ad airing during the Olympics this week. Please take a moment to become part of the solution. Take Action at We Can Solve It Endangered Spaces blog

Gardening, Insect Welfare My gardening thus far hasn't been overly successful. My overzealous drip irrigation coordinator over-watered my garden (really just a modest flowerbed) at the beginning, which meant my whole first crop of carrots didn't sprout. I only got two heads of lettuce of a whole row I planted, presumably because there wasn't enough sunlight reaching that corner of the bed each day early on and then because it was too hot, or something along those lines. I tried to grow cucumber plants without a trellis, but today I gave up and started training them up a hastily/lazily constructed trellis-contraption. (I had to go to Home Depot and Co-op to find everything I needed. I hate Home Depot because it has too much stuff and everything's all over the place. I feel almost panicky in there. Ah, consumerism, big box stores, economies of scale, love it, love it, love it. Both stores are frequently sold out of what I need and short on staff that will actually appro...

Amaze eMagazine is dedicated to organic, natural beauty, holistic, green living and eco friendly content that helps you to embrace and thrive in joyful, whole living. Our Editors bring you the stories, natural products, opportunities and holistic services that inspire you to live well as you care for yourself, your family and the environment. Click to Read the Current Issue Shop for Green and Holistic Products Read the Amaze Eco-Chic Blog ...

Greening @ TheGreenOffice.com TheGreenOffice.com is dedicated to modeling the best-practices of sustainable business. In every sphere of operation our decisions are made to maximize the social, ecological, and financial performance of our company – what is known as the triple-bottom-line. We believe in this philosophy so deeply, in fact, that it was written into our founding documents. Though our company is most easily identified by environmental goals, we are equally concerned with issues of democracy and social justice. From the communities we impact to the people manufacturing our products, we work to include all stakeholders in a decision making process that ensures equity, health, and personal safety. Here are several steps we have taken in the name of greening: Co-op America Business Seal of Approval Bay Area Green Business Program Certified CERES Annual Sustainability Reporting Greenhouse Gas Emissions Offsetting History TheGreenOffice.com was established in ...

A new search engine project, ClimateGift.com , has just made its online debut. Dedicated exclusively to the environment, 50% of gross revenues generated by the search engine's users will go directly to benefit some of the nation’s top environmental organizations, including Reef Check. ClimateGift.com is a fundraising tool that will work 24/7 to help provide funding for these organizations to help them reach their organizational goals. All you have to do is use ClimateGift.com the next time you search the web. Websites and blogs can also make an impact by putting a ClimateGift.com search widget on their site for their users or direct them to ClimateGift.com to develop their custom home page.  In addition, its AJAX portal option offers users a means of customizing their home page as well as  access to a wide variety of information and tools from across the Web. Each organization’s portal includes specific widgets and news that support its initiatives.

Organic Fiji Face & Body Sugar Polish, Lavender, 20-Ounces Ingredients Certified Organic Cold-pressed Virgin Coconut Oil (Certified Organic to the Usda National Organic Program Regulations), Certified Organic Fijian Island Cane Sugar (Certified Organic to the Usda National Organic Program Regulations), Lavender Blend 100% Organic to Include Lavender (Certified Organic to the Usda National Organic Program Regulations), Sweet Orange (Certified Organic to the Usda National Organic Program Regulations), Patchouli (Certified Organic to the Usda National Organic Program Regulations), Orange (Certified Organic to the Usda National Organic Program Regulations), Ylang Ylang No. 1 (Certified Organic to the Usda National Organic Program Regulations), Palmarosa (Certified Organic to the Usda National Organic Program Regulations), Litsea Cubeba (Certified Organic to the Usda National Organic Program Regulations), Cinnamon Bark (Certified Organic to the Usda National Organic Program Regulati...

Organic Fiji COCONUT OIL for Face & Body : Lavender - 3 oz Made using 100% Certified Organic Coconut Oil. Coconut Oil has deep moisturizing properties which rapidly hydrate, condition and shield the skin from moisture loss. Coconut Oil contains natural anti-oxidants to help the skin repair and protect itself from free radicals and other environmental ageing factors. Coconut Oil naturally decongests the pores of the skin. The refreshing fragrance of Lavender elevates your spirit while soothing your skin.

Paper or Plastic? Which type of bag should we choose? If we’re trying to be environmentally conscious, neither. We have a ton of bags at home, stuffed in some drawer or piled up on a table, lining our waste baskets, or filling yet another bag hanging from our pantry door. And yet, whenever the bagger at the supermarket offers us one, we don’t hesitate to take it.    Though some say plastic bags are less damaging to the environment, because paper bags imply the felling of whole forests, as well larger amounts of energy to process paper products, and greater air and water pollution, the answer is not that clear. Yes, it is true that plastic bags consume 40% less energy, generate 80% less solid waste, and produc...

"Help Pacific with climate change, NGO urges Monday, August 18, 2008 Update: 10:20AM A group of over 100 non-government organisations is calling for Australia and New Zealand to do more to help the Pacific with climate change ahead of this week's Pacific Islands Leadership Forum. Radio Australia reports that a letter setting out an action plan for dealing with the displacement of Pacific Islanders has been sent to Australia's Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and the New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark. The leaders will be discussing climate change at a meeting in New Zealand tomorrow before the forum. Damien Lawson, from Friends of the Earth Australia, said both countries need concrete plans for resettlement and migration." Help Pacific with climate change, NGO urges - Fiji Times Online

By ERIC ROSTON Grist is the Colbert Report of climate change, the Daily Show of deforestation, the Oprah of oil dependency — except with real reporting and analytical journalism. Also, Grist staffers have never had a dust-up with David Letterman. (Not yet.) The e-zine delivers news and news-you-can-use on pivotal topics — with punny, sometimes corny headlines, such as "Diversifying Your Stalk Portfolio," a recent article on hunters and climate change, or "Let's Call the Coal Thing Off," a take on the growing popularity of "coal-bashing." One of the site's m...

Tips for a greener workplace How to adopt environmentally sound practices at work We are becoming increasingly eco aware, making simple changes in our everyday lives to create a greener lifestyle. But should these changes be made at home only? Let’s not forget that we sometimes spend less time at home and more time somewhere else- the work...

Easy ways to reduce your impact at home before and after your trip T here has been great talk in recent years about the ecological footprint and how to reduce it. But, what exactly is this concept, and how does it affect us? Basically, the ecological footprint measures the extent to which human beings are using nature's resources faster than the planet can regenerate them. When we consume these resources at a faster rate than they can be reproduced, we are depleting our natural wealth and negatively affecting the environment in the process. It’s obvious, then, that we need to find ways to reduce our impact on the environment to achieve sustai...

Help the environment by reducing waste Over 100 million trees get used for junk mail every year in the U.S. You can help by stopping your unwanted mail. ProQuo makes it simple for you to pick and choose which offers you want to receive in the mail. After creating your ProQuo account, you will have your own electronic "“dashboard." Here you can request removal of your personal information from thousands of lists and organizations that have your information on file. Here are the types of lists that we help you manage: Coupons & Weekly Circulars Learn more... Coupon lists are used by businesses to deliver local and national coupons to your mailbox. Envelopes are typically red, white and blue or light blue. Weekly circulars are newspaper-style advertisements delivered to your mailbox. They look like Sunday newspaper inserts. Marketing Lists & Data Brokers Learn more... Ma...

Green Building 101: A Basic Guide to Green Building Industry Resources & Information Thank you for your interest in Rate It Green's Green Building Industry Resource Guide. Green Building 101 provides a connection to and listing of the top green building industry information resources we have found throughout our research. Information that used to take hours, weeks or months to find will now be available in minutes! Green Building 101 lists trade associations, resources, and tools as well as resources that may be helpful to everyone such as green building media, forums, resource centers, directories, guides, and more. Green Building 101 will serve as a valuable research tool for a variety of green building professionals and consumers: Click here to see a sample section Secure Online Ordering ...

Rate It Green Welcome to Rate It Green! Our goal is to facilitate information sharing to support further industry growth, to help increase industry confidence and openness, and to offer a place for community building. On our site, members learn and share information through product and service reviews as well as by posting entries and asking questions on The Green Forum. Our industry guide is aimed at providing the entire market with information that can be difficult and time consuming to find. Current site features include: ■ Green Ratings : Find and rate green building products and services ■ Rate It Green Forum : Ask questions, and offer advice based on your experiences. ■ Green Building Basics : Learn more about green building ■ Green Links : Read about top green building and related resources Rate It Green's Industry Resource Guide: Green Building 101 Announcing Green Building 101, Rate It Green’s industry resource guide! Featu...

Ingredients Certified Organic Cold Pressed Virgin Coconut Oil, Certified Organic Fijian Island Cane Sugar, Extract of Pineapple and Coconut, Made With Love By Fiji Islanders. Made with 100% certified organic virgin coconut oil. From the earth to your skin: 100% Certified organic virgin coconut oil combines with Fijian Island cane sugar to bring you most effective, natural exfoliants on the market. Organic Fiji Sugar Polish is a gentle exfoliant that doesn't sting or scratch the skin and is a simple way to transform dull, dry skin into a beautiful glow. Sugar is a natural glycolic acid which helps slough off dead skin cells and promote cell rejuvenation, while the anti-oxidant rich coconut oil penetrates the skin to replenish moisture and nourishing vitamins. USDA Organic. Australian certified organic. Not animal tested. Cruelty free. Made in the Fiji Islands. Directions Fast and Simple to Use: The scoop provided inside the jar precisely measures the amount needed to polis...

Helpful Gas Conservation Tips for Motorists It is apparent that fuel and gas prices are going up and while many are hoping for a change in trend, car owners all over the world would be wise to take alternative measures. Among them is to try and save on gas as much as you can and here are some tips that you can try out to survive these economic debacle and go on with your lives. Lighten up . Clever Dude points out that driving around a 40-pound bag of soil for three weeks is the equivalent of shuttling an extra (little) passenger, which requires more fuel. Carpool . Hitching a ride with neighbors or coworkers lets you make new friends while you conserve energy. Comparison shop . It works as well with gas as it does with shoes. Get sleeker . Roll up your windows and remove that luggage rack and you’ll improve your aerodynamics, suggests a blogger at Open Travel Info. Reward yourself . If you’re forced to pay big bucks at the pump, at least collect any available rebates. Gas rewards cards...

Renewable energy best practices to provide guidance and inspire others in the travel and tourism industry Tourism, the world’s largest industry, has a powerful impact on, and is greatly impacted by, the ecological health of its destinations across the globe. One of tourism’s largest economic and environmental costs is the massive amount of energy required for the transportation of travelers and maintenance of facilities like hotels and attractions. Thus, many businesses are eager to minimize their consumption of non-renewable energy, but are often uncertain on how to make it happen due to the technological complexity and rapid rate of innovation in field of renewable energy. The Renewable Energy in Tourism Initiative (RETI) has recently developed a set of Best Practices in Renewable Energy for the tourism industry to address this need. Sustainable Travel International was the lead author of the best practice manuals, which are intended to serve as an inspiration and guide to bu...

"I am glad to have a chance to have experienced a memorable trip to Matava. Also, you guys there have done a fabulous job contributing lots to the education of our fragile environment and needs to conserving them for the future generations, cultural as well as Improving the social status of the locals. Hope the “ Fiji Special ” will contribute towards your goal." Vinaka Don, Hin Lim Hin Lim Photography 274, Victoria Street Richmond 3121 Victoria, Australia Tel: +61 (0) 3 9421 1548 (available on Thursday and Friday) HP: 0401 012 374

California startup Amyris engineers microbes to transform them into molecular oil refineries, digesting sugar to produce low-carbon equivalents of gasoline, diesel and jet fuel. Now in a bid to commercialize its technology, Amryis (web site http://www.amyrisbiotech.com/ ) has struck a deal to create a joint venture with Brazilian ethanol giant Crystalev to produce biodiesel from sugarcane. Some three-quarters of Brazil's cars run on ethanol made from domestic sugarcane but the country imports diesel. "This is a game changer," Amyris co-founder Jack Newman told Green Wombat this week at Fortune's Brainstorm Green conference in Pasadena. "It gives us the ability to make a difference in terms of scale by tapping into existing agricultural land and Brazil's ethanol infrastructure. It's a great step forward for Amyris, and Brazil gets the option of producing ethanol or diesel from same resources." Most biodiesel today is made from soybeans or recycl...

Misty Gorillas of Kadavu - New Research One fact usually overlooked by visitors to Kadavu Island are the rarely seen primates that inhabit the inaccessible jungle covered interior mountains . The original black & white movie ' King Kong ' was filmed on the island's South West shore in the shadow of Mt Delainabukelevu, the island's extinct volcano. A nearby world famous surf break is also named after the movie and surfers from around the world come to surf the left hand reef break - King Kong . Though never seen near the coast, some villagers with plantations on the upper mountain slopes occasionally see evidence that the gorillas have raided their plantations for fruit. A new scientific mission has been launched to try to track down and research these secretive animals . Head scientist Dr Jouve binhad and his team of researchers and biologists arrived this week on their research ship and set up their base camp anchored off Matava Resort. We will bring more ne...

Stunning Solar Building Will Generate More Power Than It Needs /sci-tech/article/33088 The Masdar Headquarters building will produce more power than it needs (an energy positive building). In fact, the solar roof (one of the largest in the world) will be constructed first, and it will power the construction of the rest of the building. The video link on this page has a great view of the sun-infused interior. The 1.4 million square foot building was designed by Chicago architecture firm Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill. It will serve as the centerpiece of Masdar City , which will end up being about a $22 billion development in Abu Dhabi (the capital of United Arab Emirates). Masdar Headquarters will have the lowest energy consumption per square foot, it will feature the largest photovoltaic system and the largest solar thermal driven cooling and dehumidification system. The building will also have integrated wind turbines. It will consume about 70% less water than a typical mixed-use b...

sci-tech/article/32798 OLEDs are thin, organic materials sandwiched between two electrodes, which illuminate when an electrical charge is applied. They’re so thin, that they could be applied to rooms as a type of wall paper to glow at the touch of a finger or when someone enters the room. Like LEDs they produce light very efficiently. But OLEDs also have to potential to be made at a very low cost, because they can be printed “roll-to-roll” like a newspaper. GE recently demonstrated the first OLEDs to be made in this manner — the researchers worked for four years on this project. See more at the GE Blog . Via: Groovy Green

Great idea! Stuart ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Written by A Siegel Friday, 07 March 2008 Solar is a highly efficient for heating water. Combine it with underground storage, and a year-round system can be created where the system can cover heating requirements in the winter and cooling in the summer. The Dutch company Ooms Avenhorn Holding BV has taken this concept and moved it a step forward with the Road Energy System ® (RES). Rather than putting tubes on a rooftop, RES lays the collection system within concrete -- think the black asphalt of a road or runway. The piping connects to undeground storage areas. Remember the last time you walked on black asphalt on a sunny August day and you understand the heat being transferred into the water in the pipes. This water is then transferred into the storage area. On demand, in cold weather, the hot water is used to heat buildings and to keep th...

Students of Andrews Primary school on the Nadi back road, like every other schools in the country, go through their daily curriculum but also use outdoor gardening as a learning process. The school was established in 1918 and has a roll of 700 students from Class One to Class Eight. The headteacher, Mohammed Rasheed, said gardening also taught students to have a healthy lifestyle. He said it gave students an insight of what could be done in their backyard at home. He said in the Third Term, students and their gardener would plant pumpkin and harvest it in late January or early February. “When the pumpkin is harvested we plant other crops such as dhania, radish, French and long bean, okra, cucumber, bindhi, tomatoes and eggplant,” he said. “On the hill slopes we plant cassava. The garden is maintained by our school gardener and the children. “This is one form of substituting our school fees which is very low. This is one of the school’s income-generating projects. “When it’s harvest s...

“ To everyone who is part of Matava and the magic that makes Matava the paradise it is, Vinaka vaka levu, We had the most wonderfully perfect start to our extended honeymoon (except it was too short) Hopefully we will find our way back to your gardens, bures and grassy paths but until then we will rave about you to anyone who will listen. Love” Laurie & Josh Kahm

“ To everyone who is part of Matava and the magic that makes Matava the paradise it is, Vinaka vaka levu, We had the most wonderfully perfect start to our extended honeymoon (except it was too short) Hopefully we will find our way back to your gardens, bures and grassy paths but until then we will rave about you to anyone who will listen. Love” Laurie & Josh Kahm

We're listed in BlogCatalog http://organicgardenfiji.blogspot.com/ Listed in: Home and Garden Health Tags: Natural gardening organic fiji farming Added on: Jan 3rd, 2008 Country: Fiji Islands Language: English A blog by Jeanie of Matava about organic farming and gardening as practiced at Matava Resort on the tropical island of Kadavu, Fiji Islands to supply the entire resort operation. Technorati Profile

"I am glad to have a chance to have experienced a memorable trip to Matava. Also, you guys there have done a fabulous job contributing lots to the education of our fragile environment and needs to conserving them for the future generations, cultural as well as Improving the social status of the locals. Hope the “ Fiji Special ” will contribute towards your goal." Vinaka Don, Hin Lim Hin Lim Photography 274, Victoria Street Richmond 3121 Victoria, Australia Tel: +61 (0) 3 9421 1548 (available on Thursday and Friday) HP: 0401 012 374

It is rare to find a moisturizer more effective than Organic Fiji 's Certified Organic Virgin Coconut Oil . Coconut Oil in its purest form is one of the most natural ways to moisturize and treat dry and irritated skin and can even be used as an intensive treatment for damaged hair. Rich in vitamins and anti oxidants, Coconut Oil is a true gift from nature. Certified Organic Virgin Coconut Oil , Essential Oils of Lavender. Organic Fiji products are made with 100% certified Organic Coconut Oil from the coconut plantains on the Fijian Islands. The oils are extracted from coconuts using a cold press technique and through this process the oil is able to retain its natural healing properties. Our soaps are hand made using centuries old Fijian recipe for soap production and our lotions are hand blended and mixed with either essential oil or plant extracts for the ultimate in hydration and relaxation. Heat is never used in the extraction process of the oil or in the production ...