Buying disposable nappies is an easy way of dealing with a common new parent problem – time. In this dizzy rush we find our selves propelled to an early rushed to grave it is easy to forsake the planet in order to gain a few extra minutes to fill with other childcare issues, from feeding to cleaning, fetching to carrying. I know I have done it; rushed into the nearest shop for a packet of disposable nappies because Terry nappies are such a fiddle seeming to take forever to dry ready for the next pile of poo!

Had the natural nappy kits been available I may have though twice about using disposables. Yes the new style of terry nappies, and the other brands now available, do take time to wash and dry but seem much easier to use. What is more, there is not the horrible danger lurking next to baby’s skin – TBT or Tributyltin which is know to disrupt sex hormones in disposable nappies sold throughout the world. How does it get there? It leaches out of the plastic sheet covering the top surface of the nappy in direct contact with our Childs skin. A child wearing just five nappies a day would be exposed to 3.5 times the tolerable intake.

Back to the new terry nappies. Each nappy is made of organic material ranging from cotton to hemp, even bamboo, with great absorbency and comfort. A thin disposable lining fit the nappy, often produced from natural starches that breakdown in land fill sites or can be flushed down the loo, but it is not recommended. The starter packs for a child of seven to ten pounds costs from £260 and included 30 nappies, a roll of liners and a carry bag with some helpful suggestions. More rolls of liners are available as time moves forward, as are larger nappies as your child grows. The spent nappies are ideal for reuse for the next child or they do make great mop up rags for the garage or shed.
To put it another way, a child uses, on average 5472 nappies in 30 months which works out at £1,203.84 based on a nappy cost per unit of 22p and six nappy changes per day over those 30 months. Therefore, going the natural, non-disposable way will save up to £500 and help reduce the 8,000,000 nappies that go into landfill every day.
There are also companies who will collect and launder nappies for you - try www.naturalnappies.co.uk
For other site try www.littlelamb.co.uk and www.spiritofnature.co.uk

Not real leaves of the ivy but new lightweight solar panels that sit on a frame attached to the side of houses. The solar panels collect energy from the sun by day and at night the small piezoelectric generators on the underside of the panel that work in wind day or night by rising and falling.

Designed by Teresita Cochran and her brother, Sam, as a way to help people improve and move towards a zero carbon footprint. Grow, which is their prototype ivy leaf solar and wind power wall covering, is on show at the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) from February 19th to May 12th 2008.

They are designed to use the emerging technology of the photovoltaic and piezo industries. Composed of ‘bricks’ made up of five photovoltaic leaves, linked to a very flexible piezo generator and a distribution panel in the home.

Plans are to manufacture the ‘bricks’ on rolls so that all components can be fitted quickly and easily before being stamped and attached to their parent frame. At the end of their life cycle, the units are stripped down with the PVs and PGs being up cycled and the plastic recycled back into the manufacturing process.

This is a great addition to the ever growing, innovative, renewable way energy is harnessed. Long may it continue.

With the wind the United Kingdom has been having lately my mind turned to my great hero, Ebenezer Scrooge, who invested in heavy curtains to keep out the draughts and the ghosts. Why my mind went there I have no idea, but it did prompt me to look at using curtains to cut down on heat loss through draughty doors and windows.

For years the material used has been made from heavy cottons that are responsible for a third of the worlds use of harmful chemicals and man made fertilisers, bad not only for the environment, the farmers and workers but for the consumer. The cotton, treated with chemicals to whiten the fabric, breaks down over time giving off harmful vapours into our homes and workplaces.

However, there are a number of companies who now produce organic cotton material with stabilised natural colour prints. These really do make a difference from the organic cottons of just five years ago when the shades available were off white or oat meal. Have a look at www.householdandgardenaddresses.co.uk for some ideas or the established designer Emily Todhunter who has branched out into organic hemp for a thicker, soft alternative. www.todhunterearle.com Another lead is the company that produces luxurious fabrics in a non-toxic, ethical and sustainable way by the community businesses they support, Ecotextiles. www.ecotextiles.com

Not wanting to buy new then there are a number of agencies who have a curtain exchange service so you can go on line or visit the shop and pick up good quality, second hand curtains. www.thecurtainexchange.co.uk And for those in search of something different there is also the vintage curtains flooding in from Eastern Europe to be found on ebay (just make sure you know what you are buying so there are no surprises) or www.countryhouseantiquetextiles.co.uk

What ever you choose, by stopping heat loss at dusk through uncovered doors and windows you will bring heating costs down, thus helping reduce your carbon footprint whilst keeping the family cosy too.