AS THE green building movement in India gathers steam with growing numbers of real-estate developers adopting eco-friendly construction methods, it is trying to overcome a huge shortage in green-friendly industry professionals.

ALREADY acknowledged as one of the leaders in environmentally-friendly construction, India could surpass the United States within four years to become the country with the most space covered by 'green buildings', according to the agency that sets standards and certifies eco-friendly realestate development. The Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), which today has about 110 million sq ft of green real estate registered with it, is targeting a nearly ten-fold increase in eco-friendly property development to a billion sq ft, the council's chairman Prem C Jain said.

Orange juice, light bulbs and the humble potato will now display labels telling shoppers the size of each product's carbon footprint, Tesco has announced. Tesco says the labels will help their shoppers make more informed choices A range of 20 products will bear the Carbon Trust's Carbon Reduction Label allowing customers to compare the carbon impact of the items in their shopping trolley. The scheme follows the trial of the labels on other products including Walkers crisps and Innocent drinks.

Andy Redfern, co-founder of the website Ethical Superstore.com, has no illusions about consumers who claim to be green. "We had a rush last year on solar iPod charges . . . and most of them were going to Glastonbury," he says. Even if people who buy things with an environmentally friendly claim do so for selfish purposes, there is no doubt that people are buying more of them.

Japanese designer adds recycling, polyester to luxury in 'ecological fur' TOKYO

Northeastern states have exported bamboo products worth Rs 24.85 Crore in 2006-07, which was Rs 17.28 crore in 2005-06 and Rs 14.18 Crore in 2004-05, newly appointed Industry and Commerce Minister of

RETAIL: The toy industry is changing as more people are asking for environment-friendly products. Laurie Hyman had a busy time in the New York Toy Show, the US industry's biggest annual event, with more than 1,200 exhibitors. Her start-up company, Green Toys, sells toy teacups, bowls and gardening tools that are made in California from recycled plastic milk containers, and sold in boxes made from recycled cardboard. "We're getting a lot of interest

In an effort to promote eco-friendly Ganesh festival in the city, Mayor Shubha Raul has proposed workshops in all civic wards wherein devotees and interested people will be taught how to make eco-friendly idols. Raul also wants the civic administration to set up artificial lakes and wells for immersion of these idols in each ward. Although Raul has been promoting

Bob Crebas still introduces himself as "an old hippy.' But these days it is not recycled washing machines and bric-a-brac that the Dutchman trades in. He has swapped all this for fashion collections made from stinging nettles, designed and produced by his fast-growing business Brennels.nl. Four years ago, Crebas and his business partner were selling second-hand wares through a trading website called Marktplaats.nl when they were approached by eBay, the hugely successful auction website, and made the kind of offer you can't refuse. The American firm bought out Marktplaats.nl for