Month: March 2018

Earth Hour

Earth Hour

Following on from last week’s commemorative International Day of Forests, this week we celebrate Earth Hour! Hosted by the World Wildlife Fund for Nature (WWF), the event encourages everyone to show his or her commitment to the planet. It has not fixed date other than it takes place at the end of March – this year it’s March 24th. Between the hours of 8:30 – 9:30pm, from individuals to communities to business, everyone is encouraged to turn off non-essential lights. This is to display a unified message of solidarity, a symbol of commitment in protecting preserving our beautiful planet. It is not an exercise is reducing energy however, but rather a simply gesture that highlights the fight against pollution.

Earth Hour’s History:

The event originated in 2007 when Sydney turned off all the lights of their major landmarks. The following year saw 35 countries join in, and larger companies like Google shut down their websites. Over the succeeding ten years, various TV and Radio stations have joined the cause in going ‘dark’ for the hour. Last year, 187 countries and territories took part, from New York to New Zealand; over 3,100 landmarks turned their lights off, nearly 16,000 Facebook pages donated their feed, and #EarthHour trended in 30 countries.

Do Your Part:

Doing your part is as effortless as turning off lights at home, or as involved as hosting a candlelit dinner! Get your workplace involved and go ‘dark’ for the hour, or turn off your phone, grab a bunch of friends and go enjoy a walk in the park – it’s that easy to take part and spread awareness of the cause.

It is all in the name of showing solidarity and support for the protection of our planet. Firemizer and Firebuilder are both emission-reducing, recyclable products – Firemizer helps reduce your solid fuel consumption and amount of particulates produced by your fire, and Firebuilder is completely kerosene and chemical-free, meaning your fires stay clean and green.

Keep updated over at the Earth Hour blog and post your contributions using the hashtags #EarthHour and #togetherpossible.

International Day of Forests 2018

International Day of Forests 2018

The United Nations proclaim that the International Day of Forests will take place on 21st of March 2018. The purpose of this day is to highlight all the wonderful things that trees and forests provide for our planet, and raise awareness of what we can do to help protect and preserve them. Whether it’s on a local, national or international level, the aim is to participate in projects benefitting our fantastic greenery. This could be a small photo competition, art exhibition showcasing natural imagery, or mass tree-planting across communities; everything helps.

Each year, the Collaborative Partnership on Forests designates a particular theme or area to focus on with regards to sustainability. This year, the theme is Sustainable Cities, placing emphasis on the unprecedented urbanisation of the 21st century and subsequent pollution. With the implementation of inner-city parks and forests, we can reduce the vast levels of carbon emissions and pollution for the some 6 billion people living there.

 

The key messages for the International Day of Forests are simple. They are:

  • Trees store carbon, which helps with the reduction of climate change (particularly in areas of high-pollution like cities).
  • Trees and forests improve the local climate, reducing energy needed for heating by between 20%-50%.
  • The placement of trees within cities reduces air temperature by up to 8°C, further reducing energy used on air-conditioning. Trees also act as air filters, removing harmful particulates and pollutants.
  • They produce fruits, nuts, leaves and insects which are used in food and medicines, providing a source of income. Trees and forests also make for perfect animal habitats, keeping the ecosystem stable and helping to maintain biodiversity.
  • Wood from these urban landscapes can be later purposed as fuel, providing a source of renewable energy. This is important as it takes reliance off the burning and consumption of harmful fossil fuels.
  • Also, forests help to filter and regulate water systems and, by storing water in branches and soil, can prevent flooding.
  • The planting and maintaining of forests generates jobs and tourism within green economies, and encourages active and healthy lifestyles that results in better mental health, more sociability and stronger immunity to disease.

Furthermore, the benefits of increased greenery are continuous, and there are lots of parts we can play in the protection of our trees and forests. Do you bit for the planet – plant a tree in your garden, donate to your local park, or perhaps use sustainable, locally-sourced wood as your main heat source, helping it last up to 38% longer (and reducing harmful particulates by 72%) by purchasing a Firemizer today.

Follow the latest news and information over at the International Day of Forests 2018.

Still to come in 2018

Still to come in 2018! 

Now that it’s 2018, Microtex have lots of exciting things on the horizon for Firemizer and Firebuilder this year. From new offers and campaigns, to new partnerships and products, to more exhibitions and shows – there’s so much going on! 2018 is going to be Firemizer and Firebuilder’s biggest year yet.

New Website:

We saw a completely redesigned Firemizer website (courtesy of M360), so everything is optimised and revamped for the New Year. The new design includes a simpler layout, sleek design and much more content! This means that picking up a Firemizer or Firebuilder for your home has never been as straightforward or enjoyable. Try out the website and leave us your thoughts or your experiences using our products at https://www.firemizer.com/product/firemizer/. By doing this, you’ll automatically be entered in a competition that could win you a free Firemizer and Firebuilder combo!

Exhibitions and Shows:

2018 will be a bigger year for us in shows and exhibitions after such a great success at Grand Designs. We’ll be attending the Dispatch Home & Garden Show in Columbus, OH introducing Firebuilder to the U.S. this month! With the help of our partners over at Ribtec, we’re certain this show will be both educational and exciting. Back in the UK, the Firemizer team will be attending the Countryfile Live! show in August. Hosted at the beautiful Blenheim Castle, we’ll be amongst the best and most innovative products the countryside has to offer. If you’re attending either of the shows and have questions about the products (or just want to see why Firemizer and Firebuilder could be the perfect products for you), swing by and come say hi!

Finally, our partners at OPR have invited us up to Newcastle for some training in social media and website upkeep. These guys are professionals and will really help us get the most out of our online mediums to make sure you get the best content wherever you are and whatever platform you follow us on.

Stay tuned for more exciting developments and news as the year unfolds – this is only the beginning for us!

The History of Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day

We do love our Mums – it seems a bit lazy to shower them in gifts just once a year. We should be doing this every day of the year, just twice as much on Mother’s day! It doesn’t take much to put a smile on her face; make her breakfast in bed, buy some nice chocolates and flowers, let her put her feet up and relax while you do the jobs and take the load off. Maybe even put on her favourite film and get the fire on (a difficult job made much easier by Firebuilder)? Or run a nice hot bath with some lovely new salts and scrubs? Or give her something personal and hand-made, here are 36 DIY Mother’s Day Gift Ideas to get you started.

 

History of Mother’s Day

Did you know that the reason America and Britain celebrate Mother’s Day on different dates is because they’re different holidays? America celebrates ‘Mother’s Day’ on the second Sunday in May, founded by Anna Jarvis in 1908. She became the campaign to get her holiday observed by U.S. states in 1905 after he mother had died. It wasn’t until 1914 that President Woodrow Wilson officially signed a proclamation that made ‘Mother’s Day’ a national holiday. Despite being the founder of the holiday, Anna grew to the resent it due to its growing commercialisation. Hallmark began selling gifts in the 1920s and she believed gifts should be personal, handwritten instead of pre-made cards.

The U.K. technically celebrates ‘Mothering Sunday’, a Catholic and Protestant holiday held on the fourth Sunday of Lent. In the 16th Century, people would return to their mother church (usually where they were baptised) during Lent. The phrase to do this was ‘to go a-mothering’, but the day gradually evolved into a day in which domestic servants were free to visit church with their mothers – usually the only time they were free to do so. After Jarvis’s campaign in the US, Constance Penwick-Smith sought in 1914 for the holiday to be celebrated in the UK. Like Hallmark, UK vendors saw the commercial appeal and by the 1950s, the two holidays eventually merged into one.

 

Though the histories of these two holidays is different, they are celebrated quite the same – in honour of Mums everywhere.

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