Website aims to share the good oil on ecological living

We launched ecobob.co.nz just over two years ago with the intention of providing a resource for people to find good information on ecological living.

It stemmed from our personal interest in environmental issues and the lack of an easy-to-use, interactive resource for discussing or searching for this kind of information. We wanted a catchy, easy-to-remember name for the website and finally settled on Ecobob. "Eco" is an abbreviation for "ecologically friendly" and the acronym "bob" stands for "best of both".

Our philosophy is that it is possible to have "the best of both worlds" in terms of living in harmony and balance with our environment, while still enjoying the comforts of technology and modern living.

We just need to be a bit smarter about how we use technology by looking at the true downstream cost of what we do.

Behind Ecobob is a team of people who are passionate about encouraging sustainable living. My brother and business partner Daniel Archer and I started the website through our web software company as the "ethical arm" of the business.

But the ever-increasing awareness of environmental issues and our own never-ending ideas for improving the site meant it soon took on a life of its own.

Another key member of the Ecobob team is Carthew Neal, producer of the environmental TV series WA$TED.

Carthew joined in mid-2008 and has played a key part in producing our latest eco-website, www.greenlist.co.nz - a collaboration with the Sustainable Business Network, which helps consumers make more sustainable buying decisions.

One of the most-visited areas of ecobob.co.nz is the searchable list of eco houses in New Zealand. People can browse the eco houses by category, such as solar power, rainwater collection, environmentally friendly insulation and non-toxic paints.

The aim of Ecobob is to foster an online community of people sharing ideas on eco living. The chat forum is regularly used and people can either share their thoughts or ask for help on a particular eco-issue. People often email us about eco-events and new eco friendly products which we can profile on the website.

I think with the recession biting, Kiwis are becoming much more conscious of how they spend their money. The great thing about living in an eco-conscious way is that if done right, people can save money and improve their quality of life.

We hope to play a part in that through the online community on ecobob.co.nz and the listings on greenlist.co.nz. Perhaps we'll see a move towards buying quality stuff that really enhances our quality of life.

* You can share your eco-stories and information with us by emailing info@ecobob.com.