Going Green for Earth Day!

So what is it?

Earth Day is observed across the globe every year on April 22nd. Founded in 1970 by university student and environmental activist, Denis Hayes, its aim is to inspire awareness of and appreciation for the Earth’s environment, change human behavior, and provoke policy changes.

Earth Day marked the beginning of a new environmental movement. In 1970, over 25 million Americans participated, with the common goal of achieving a healthy, sustainable environment, in the form of peaceful demonstrations in support of environmental reform. Thousands of colleges and universities organized protests against the destruction of the environment, fighting for their shared common values.

Nearly 40 years later, the world needs our help more than ever. Earth Day is now observed in 175 countries, celebrated by over half a billion people each year and is coordinated by the nonprofit Earth Day Network. Hungary has celebrated the day since 1990, and with that in mind we wanted to share some Hungarian eco-tips and facts with you…

Eco-Lit: Acme Climate Action

Instead of telling readers what to do about global warming, Acme Climate Action gives them the tools to do it – and witty, brightly colored ones at that! No scolding, haranguing or harassment, no lists of Things You Have To Do, just something everyone can use to start making a difference. Perfect! You can get your eager green mitts on this fantastically designed book here in Budapest at The Museum of Fine Arts’ (www.szepmuveszeti.hu) bookshop, along with oodles of top tips at www.acmeclimateaction.com.

Saintly Segways…

We know we’re always telling you to get out there and see this fair city, but sometimes the most obvious ways of doing it aren’t all that eco-friendly. So, when we heard about a greener way than a gas guzzling tour bus, we couldn’t wait to tell you all about it! Resembling pogo-sticks with wheels, Segways can carry one standing passenger, reach speeds of 12 mph, cover 24 miles before needing to be recharged and use state of the art gyroscopes to keep you balanced…although, George Bush did manage to famously fall off one in 2003! Though not completely green, they cause 14 times less greenhouse gas emissions than driving a car the same distance! www.citysegwaytours.com/budapest.

On the Theme of Green

  • Climate change took its toll on Budapest last year, with  average temperatures over six ˚C higher than usual (on July 20th it was 41 degrees Celsius in the shade!). The sweltering summer’s hottest days saw the city’s streets almost empty and lives were lost due to the extreme temperatures.
  • 1989 saw the country’s first mass demonstrations since the crush of the 1956 public uprising. Mass outrage was sparked due to the construction of a dam in one of the most beautiful parts of the Danube, The Danube Bend. The protestors won and construction was cancelled. Its partly-built remains can still be seen.
  • Budapest holds the world record for the most participants during the cycling event Critical Mass (see page 102). In 2008, as part of the city’s Earth Day celebrations, a record 80,000 cyclists took to the city’s sunny streets to promote cycling, awareness of climate change and to criticize traffic mismanagement.

Swapping is Sexy

Now we told you all about Hungary’s “second-hand” store scene in our last issue, but feast your eyes on this. Information ‘shop’, Tűzraktér, boasts a fair amount of green info…..but guess what? There’s a FREE shop in it! It’s basically a swap shop: people dump their unwanted items there and pick up anything that catches their eye. Perfect. It all works on the principal of sustainability and re-use, and that’s why we like it! You can drop into the info shop on Thursdays between 6 and 9 p.m. and the free shop will be in full swing during those hours.

Tűzraktér

1061 Budapest, Hegedű u. 3. 

MAP I. C5

http://tuzrakter.hu/ 

http://LMV.hu/infoshop

 

 Bio Best Bits

  • Ökoszolgálat is an environmental advice service in Budapest, and they run a shop near Parliament (Zöld Zug) where you can buy eco-friendly cleaning products…they even sell biodegradable diapers! www.okoszolgalat.hu
  • This place sells retro bits and bobs, mostly made from recycled things, e.g. fruit bowls made from melted 1950s records. www.boltmuhely.hu
  • Ecotours organize all kinds of fabulous nature tours all around Central and Eastern Europe. Their ecotourism aims at providing natural holidays for birders, butterfly and nature enthusiasts in a way that respects the natural environment and contributes to its protection. www.ecotours.hu
  • The biggest bio-shop here is Mediline, which is slightly out of town but very cheap. You can even get a loyalty card! www.mediline.hu
  • For a more local bio selection look no further than the third floor of Mammut II Shopping mall. Here you can find organic everything including make-up, food, fruit and veg, cosmetics and even a café! The main shop is Bioritmus. www.bioritmus.com
  • For all your Hungarian recycling needs, go to the Good to Know section at www.FUNZINE.hu.