Joomla! site syndication http://ethicalpleasures.com 2008-05-13T15:25:04+01:00 http://ethicalpleasures.com http://ethicalpleasures.com/images/M_images/joomla_rss.png text/html 2004-06-12T11:54:06+01:00 http://ethicalpleasures.com http://ethicalpleasures.com/news/latest/welcome-to-ethical-pleasaures.html Welcome! You will find in here information about little pleasures which are good for you and/or good for the world. The online magazine Ethical Pleasures is now known as Happy Mind: The Philosophy and Science of Happiness and can be found at this address: http://www.happymind.co.uk/ (http://www.happymind.co.uk/) Image © Eldan (http://www.eldan.co.uk/). text/html 2006-11-27T06:06:29+01:00 http://ethicalpleasures.com http://ethicalpleasures.com/news/latest/organic-fair-trade-chocolate.html What is it? Organic chocolate is created using cocoa beans which have not suffered heavy pesticide spraying. Fairtrade means that the cocoa (and sugar) farmers involved in the process are guaranteed to receive a fair price for their produce. Why is it a pleasure? Chocolate's melting point is slightly below human body temperature, so it melts in the mouth. Chocolate is also high in certain substances which affect mood, such as tryptophan (a precursor to serotonin), phenylethylamine (an endogenous amphetamine) and anandamide (an endogenous cannabinoid), as well as sugar and the stimulant caffeine. text/html 2006-11-30T13:28:46+01:00 http://ethicalpleasures.com http://ethicalpleasures.com/news/latest/ethical-presents--decorations.html The holidays are coming, so here are some ideas for presents and festive decorations...Why not participate in the Practical Presents (http://www.practicalpresents.org/) scheme? This is how it works: you purchase a gift idea, an alpaca veterinary kit, say, or an harvesting tank; the veterinary kit or the tank goes to someone who needs it; meanwhile your friend gets a gift pack detailing the gift idea you have chosen. As for ethical stocking fillers (http://www.yourtomorrow.co.uk/category/17.php), check out this selection by Your Tomorrow, which include a paper recycling kit, colourful fairtrade felt bags made by a cooperative of women in Nepal, handbags made of see grass and paper made of elephant dung (which could make the ideal present for your mother in law). text/html 2006-11-27T14:41:40+01:00 http://ethicalpleasures.com http://ethicalpleasures.com/news/latest/vegetarian-shoes.html What are they?They are shoes which aren't made using animal products. (And no, you will not need to feed them carrots and peas.) Why are they a pleasure?Well, that depends on whether you like them, but they do come in a lot of styles and shapes. text/html 2006-11-27T13:54:21+01:00 http://ethicalpleasures.com http://ethicalpleasures.com/news/latest/wwoof.html What is it?The WWOOF (http://www.wwoof.org/) program allows you to work in an organic farm in exchange for food and accommodation. You pay for the membership, but the rest is free.What does WOOF stand for? WWOOF stands for World-wide Opportunities on Organic Farms. It was founded in 1971 by an English woman, Sue Coppard. Back then the program was called Working Weekends on Organic Farms and the first working weekend took place in Sussex, at the biodynamic farm at Emerson College. Image © Eldan (http://www.eldan.co.uk/).