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sunpuppy

Women who've made a difference.....

Does anyone know of any women who have started up eco-businesses, or made changes to their personal lives in order to make a difference in helping the environment?

I'm planning an article for submission to a national women's magazine and would like to interview three women for it. The idea is to raise awareness of sustainability/green issues, and encourage people to make changes in their own lives.
Northern_Lad

Anita Rodick springs to mind: founder of The Body Shop
judith

Barbara Jones of Amazon Nails - the straw bale builders.
Blue Sky

Our very own "Judyofthewoods" has a very impressive site that you may find interesting.

http://www.judyofthewoods.com/
sunpuppy

Thanks for the suggestions - I'm not sure about Anita Roddick as I would like to feature less well known people ("the woman on the street", so to speak!) that readers can identify with.

Barbara Jones and JudyoftheWoods both sound like v. interesting people - I will contact them to find out more.

If anyone can think of other potential interviewees, that would be great.....
gil

In your introduction, you might want to mention Lady Eve Balfour (1898 - 1990), one of the founders of the Soil Association, who conducted organic vs conventional trials on her own farm in Suffolk, and was the author of an influential book 'The Living Soil' (1943). Do a Google search on her for more info.
judith

Am I the only person who finds it a bit depressing that we can't think of anyone else? Crying or Very sad
judith

Come on we can do better than this. What about the woman who developed the peat-substitute compost based on bracken? I can't remember her name, but I'm working on it.
judith

Judith wrote:
Come on we can do better than this. What about the woman who developed the peat-substitute compost based on bracken? I can't remember her name, but I'm working on it.


Jane Barker - and the compost is called Lakeland Gold. She is based up near Penrith.
mochyn

There's a potato called Lady Balfour...
ele

What about a woman from the HDRA (Garden Organic) Jackie Gear was one of the founders and the new chief executive is Dr Susan Kay-Williams.
tahir

This is shocking, I've been trying to think of some but my brains a blank
tahir

What about the mooncup, that's a lady isn't it?

Jekka McVicar?

The lady at Prada?
sean

Kimberley Quinn. Probably not the right sort of difference.
tahir

Cherie Blair?
sean

Bugs?
judith

Who started up the first reusable nappy service?
judith

Helen Browning of Helen Browning Organics. I think hers was the first organic bacon I ever saw in the supermarkets.
tahir

Rachel of Rachel's dairy?
ross

from a quick google:

The Green Party's Caroline Lucas?
http://www.greenparty.org.uk/individual/2

someone from the Womens Environmental Network?
http://www.wen.org.uk/
judith

Polly Webber at the Hebden Bridge Alternative Technology Centre:
http://www.alternativetechnology.org.uk/about/index.htm
Mrs Fiddlesticks

what about the lady that set up the battery chicken rescue scheme - no idea of her name though. Confused
sean

The school dinners lady?
sunpuppy

Wow - thanks everyone - all these suggestions are great! Loads to be going on with. I'll investigate all avenues and see which come out the most suitable...

Yer all luvverly...... Very Happy
Nick

Anita Roddick? You're kidding right?

She runs a high street chain of 1,200+ shops, across 45 countries. They make big claims that are at best misleading, at worst lies.
Do you think their stuff is not tested on animals?
Are they involved in substitutes for animal testing?
Are their products natural?
Are they made and sold locally, or are they shipped around the globe?

I have no particular axe to grind with her, but, please don't leave her on a pedestal.
nettie

I have to agree with Nick there - she made a difference to the world's perception of women in the workplace, but you could hardly hold her up as an eco-#######!
tahir

Women and Integrated Pest Management
E. Van de Fliert and J. Proost.
Rural women, on average, spend more time working on pest management than men. Yet truly integrated pest management (IPM) is not possible without women; nevertheless, few publications are available. This wide-ranging book introduces many of the issues, such as reasons for women's involvement (or lack of it) in projects as well as examples of gender-sensitive extension programmes, and health aspects involved.
Publisher: ITDG Publishing
Year: 1999
Format: pb
jema

NickHowe wrote:
Anita Roddick? You're kidding right?

She runs a high street chain of 1,200+ shops, across 45 countries. They make big claims that are at best misleading, at worst lies.
Do you think their stuff is not tested on animals?
Are they involved in substitutes for animal testing?
Are their products natural?
Are they made and sold locally, or are they shipped around the globe?

I have no particular axe to grind with her, but, please don't leave her on a pedestal.


Interesting area this, there are quite a few "eco-entraupenuers" who leave you wondering if they are using the "green" movement simply to make money, and if an "ethical" bandwagon was not where the action is at, would they be making their money in some far grubbier fashion?
alison

Dinner Lady, Jeanette Orray

Chicken lady, Jane Howarth
Mrs Fiddlesticks

tahir wrote:
Women and Integrated Pest Management


Well I've never seen Mums described that way, but I think the cap fits!! Laughing
Lozzie

My friend Sally, who is the chairman of our local Agenda 21 group here in Dorset ...

There are several female organic farmers in Dorset but their names escape me ... will come back later when I remember them Embarassed

Caroline Salt, who runs a SUPERB nursery school along very eco-friendly lines in Dorset ...

I know two or three female primary school teachers who have started eco- or green- "clubs" in their schools to encourage children in this area ...
hotluca

Hi

what about the woman who's done the sheeps wool insulation? Sorry, can't remember her name

HL
judith

hotluca wrote:
Hi

what about the woman who's done the sheeps wool insulation? Sorry, can't remember her name

HL


Good one - Christine Armstrong is her name.
marigold

jema wrote:
NickHowe wrote:
Anita Roddick? You're kidding right?

She runs a high street chain of 1,200+ shops, across 45 countries. They make big claims that are at best misleading, at worst lies.
Do you think their stuff is not tested on animals?
Are they involved in substitutes for animal testing?
Are their products natural?
Are they made and sold locally, or are they shipped around the globe?

I have no particular axe to grind with her, but, please don't leave her on a pedestal.


Interesting area this, there are quite a few "eco-entraupenuers" who leave you wondering if they are using the "green" movement simply to make money, and if an "ethical" bandwagon was not where the action is at, would they be making their money in some far grubbier fashion?


And lest we forget, although Anita is superb at PR it was her husband who RAN the company..... They are selling stuff nobody really needs, with ingredients flown in from all over the world. Personally I think the Body Shop is a con. Shocked
jamsam

my health visitor came to the area 20 years ago to join a hippie commune, learnt welsh and went onto become a real local hero. she is a fountain of knowledge on homeopathic medicine, real nappies, sharing a bed, alternative education, tyou name it, she knows and she spends her weekedns organising rambles!
her name is viv kersey, llandovery, carmarthenshire. Exclamation
sunpuppy

Wow, the suggestions keep on coming, thanks everyone - I'm writing down all the names that people mention. At this rate it's going to be difficult to narrow down the best ones for the article - I'm going to want to put everyone in! Smile
marigold

What about picking one each from different categories? eg. a nappy or other clothing person, a foodie person and a plant/garden person? Or a farming person, a mail-order person and an ethical local shop person?

You could refer to others within the categories as well as the main interviewees if your brief for the article allows? Good luck Smile
jamsam

[quote="marigold"]What about picking one each from different categories? eg. a nappy or other clothing person, a foodie person and a plant/garden person? Or a farming person, a mail-order person and an ethical local shop person?

quote]

thats the best way to do it, then you wont have 3 foodies and no farmers!
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