By Lauren Moore

Everyone seems to be getting in to cycling these days. With the launch of Boris Johnson’s London Cycle Scheme recently and the bicycle auction site Going Going Bike, it seems like bikes are the must-have mode of transport for 2010 (and beyond).

And if further confirmation was needed that bikes have entered the fabled land of cool, on August 5th Apple – the benchmark of all things cool – filed a patent for a “Smart Bicycle System” which is set to add to cyclists’ experiences.

The system, which would be used on your iPhone or iPod, is intended to allow cyclists to track their speed and distance among other aspects using sensors attached to the bike, and built into the iPhone/ iPod to help cyclists monitor their activity.

Another interesting aspect of the system is the ability riders will have to map out rides and set themselves challenges, and being able to share the information with other users of the technology means that you could discover new routes to cycle.

As the Smart Bike System would be available on devices many people already own, even cyclists who aren’t professional can use the technology for fun.

We think this would be a really cool way to get out and explore a new city by bike.

By Lauren Moore

The latest in our inspiring series on recycled fashion…

Inspired to give an alternate and second use to the things around her, Weggart was created by the Prague-based Vera Galic.

Although she has always been making things as a hobby, Weggart only became a full time job for Vera five years ago. She prefers saving objects from being thrown out and reusing them, rather than buying new material for each project.

Creating these pieces can take anything from a second to a few hours, but we think this earring holder is a really inventive way to reuse an old cardboard box.

If you’ve been inspired by Werggart to create something, her top tip is “Keep your eyes open, never throw anything away and see how you can get an alternate use out of everything around you.”

Check out Weggart’s funky recycled products here

Image via Weggart

By Lauren Moore

When Hollywood A Lister Jessica Alba redecorated her home to prepare for the birth of her daughter, she wanted to be a little greener. Buying second hand furniture and non toxic paint made this easy and affordable.

We’ve put together our top tips to help you decorate just like Jessica…

1. Eco paint
This paint is made without the use of any solvents, acrylics and acrylic softeners. Instead, eco paints are water based and free from pesticides, herbicides & toxins. So you can give your home a funky new colour without the nasty fumes. Check out Earthborn’s fantastic range of colours.

2. Bamboo flooring

The Bamboo Flooring Company have a massive variety of flooring to choose from.

3. Eco wallpaper and paste

To hang the wallpaper, use toxin free paste which works just as well as traditional paste.

4. Second hand Furnishings

It’s easy to find bedding, rugs and other soft furnishings to liven up the room on ebay.

5. Accessories

By Jess Wretlind

Calling all music keeno’s. We’ve had once, twice, and now three times a T-shirt up for grabs in our ten week competition. If you made it to some festivals this year, but didn’t quite manage to strip your favourite celeb and get their signed garments, we’ve done the dirty work for you. Global Cool have spent the summer turning your favourite musicians into Picassos as part of our Do It In Public campaign, and have ten signed and designed T-shirts to give away!

Keep your eyes peeled over the next few weeks to see which artist’s scribbles are up for grabs! This week’s T-shirt is signed and designed by Tiffany Page, who we interviewed at Summer Sundae…

All you need to do is answer the question below for a chance to win.

This competition will close on 15th September at 1pm when the winner will be drawn at random.

By Lauren Moore

Tattoos are pretty common place these days, whether they’re a full back piece or a tiny butterfly hidden on an ankle.

They can be a way to show off your personality, or if you designed it yourself, your artistic skills – as long as you don’t get carried away Mike Tyson style and start getting doodles on your face.

Sadly, the inks used to make these pretty designs are usually made from heavy metals, which aren’t only bad for the Earth but can potentially be harmful to you.

Red is the colour most likely to cause an allergic reaction, but luckily blues, purples, greens and blacks are pretty safe, so you can still be pretty colourful.

If you decide that you still want to decorate yourself, there are lots of aftercare products around for making sure your ink stays pretty which are almost 100% natural. These organic balms heal the skin and keep your tattoo looking bright, plus with flavours like rose and lavender, they smell pretty sweet too.

However, if like Peter Andre and Cheryl Cole you met somebody, fell in love and tattooed their name onto your body only to realise they weren’t the one, tattoo removal is starting to be a little bit greener.

To remove tattoos, laser surgery is pretty much the only option, and to be able to do this, skin needs to be kept cool to avoid scarring.

Right now, a new process involving liquid carbon dioxide to cool the skin, rather than the chemical which is currently used, has been developed.

The best option for getting a tattoo is to get a temporary henna tattoo. Henna is made from plant leaves and lemon juice and can be easily removed when you decide that you don’t actually want a scorpion tattooed on your shoulder blade anymore.

Image via Tattoo Lover

By Lauren Moore

Our guide to the best iPhone apps for making you just that little bit greener…

Get Green App

$0.99

This is a really nice app if you’re just starting to get involved with being more green.

Each day you receive a simple tip on how to do something green. You can also save your favourite tips to inspire your friends with.

Tips are carefully planned out according to the season, so you’ll never get advice on how to grow Basil when there’s two feet of snow outside.

By Jess Wretlind

Edith Bowman is teacher’s pet this week…

So who is she?
Edith is a Scottish music critic; has presented music-related TV shows and also interviewed numerous celebrities on her BBC Radio 1 morning show.

Impressive. What else do I need to know?
As well as being on the music scene, she is a charity campaigner, and has a child with Editors frontman Tom Smith.

So she’s a cool girl, but why’s she a Global Cool girl?
Presenting the environmental event ‘Live Earth’ in 2007 brought her onto the Global Cool radar and we are delighted to see Edith further her eco adventures by riding a bike around London. So if you would rather ting your bell than b**p your horn, follow in our friend Edith Bowman’s bike tyres and meet your City on the saddle…

You can find out more about the London Cycle Scheme, aka Boris Bikes, here

By Lauren Moore

Ethical clothing is all the rage these days, with more and more fashionistas realising that knowing your clothes come from a good place can make a spot of retail therapy even more satisfying.

Type “ethical clothing” into any search engine and you’ll be bombarded with online stores, not least our friends over at Fashion Conscience.

But finding ethical clothing on the high street is less straightforward, especially with chain stores like Primark selling clothes at such low prices.

Luckily, there are shops on the high street where you can pick up a bargain, stay on trend and the guys and girls who have made the funky item get paid.

Here are the best high street shops for a bit of responsible retail therapy…

H&M have introduced an organic cotton range to their collection, and have their own policy to make sure they look after all their employees both in the UK and in their factories worldwide.

New Look launched their own Organic range in 2007, but there’s a lot more going on behind the scenes. New Look has a number of policies in place to ensure that it is a responsible brand, including sourcing sustainable materials. The New Look Foundation supports charities in the UK and around the world which provide education on a variety of issues including eating disorders, disabilities and crime.

Gap first opened its doors in San Francisco back in 1969 and has been ethically trading since then. The high street favourites even make their gift cards out of recycled materials. Gap also helps the (RED) campaign, with 50 per cent of the sales from specific products going towards eliminating aids in Africa. Gap has a huge range of wardrobe staples that you could build an outfit from, including jeans, brightly coloured t-shirts and awesome accessories.

Marks & Spencer upped their ethical status when they launched their Plan A campaign in 2007. The idea is to improve in the areas of waste, sustainable raw materials, health, fair partner and climate change. This has included opening an eco factory in Sri Lanka, where renewable energy provides the power to the factory. Marks & Spencer have a range of Fair Trade T-shirts to add a bit of colour to the somewhat grey summer.

Monsoon Accessorize have stuck to their bohemian roots both with their beautiful designs, and the way in which they value their employees, both in shops and the crafters in Asia who produce the products. The Monsoon Accessorize Trust also provides women and children in Asia with the help they need to live sustainably within their own communities. Monsoon have a collection of funky clothes including dresses for summer weddings and kaftans perfect for relaxing at the beach.

Which of these shops has your vote? Tell us in the comments below…

Brought to you by Fashion Conscience

It feels like it is boots weather already. We have already had to pull our old biker boots on twice this week lest our feet got totally soaked. It has to be said it feels strange following five months of naked foot freedom.

But easing us happily into the new season are some terrific boots and brogues we’ve uncovered. Not only are they brilliant shapes and totally on trend for new country and preppy trends this season but they are 100% vegan, and fairly made. You may not be vegan, but these boots have that perfect country to town style, and are of the high quality of non-vegan boots. Wear the brown knee highs with tights and a flirty floral dress and belted cardigan or the patent boots with black jeans and a trench coat for City chic. The vegan lace up brogues are perfect with tapered leg trousers, grey socks, and a silk military feel shirt.

Shop for boots from Fashion Conscience now

Battlefront is a Channel 4 project aimed at getting young people to change the world. Alex’s Meet Your Street campaign is focused on bringing neighbourhoods together so our Do It In Public campaign to get people talking on buses and trains was a perfect fit.

“It’s an issue I’m very passionate about and something I’m working to combat. When I was sat atop a restored Routemaster bus with Alex Sommerville, a professional storyteller, humorously getting the man next to me to pass over a slightly tattered loo roll that I had ‘dropped’ in order to get us talking, I realised Global Cool were onto something!

“People need an excuse to burst their hermetically sealed bubble and reach out and interact with those around them. Unfortunately many of us have been socialised into keeping ourselves to ourselves, and the press-fueled pandemic that is “Stranger Danger” hasn’t helped the situation either.

“So go, go NOW – burst your bubble, talk to someone on your commute home tonight, or pop your head round your neighbours’ door for a quick cuppa! You might be surprised where it takes you …”

Check out Alex’s videos from the Art of Conversation below…

Get tips on the Art of Conversation here