CRI听力:Grand Designs UK Showcases Green Living Ideas

With more and more people becoming environmentally aware when running and even building their own homes, there is now a constant flow of green products flooding into the market place.

One of the items on show at the "Grand Designs Live" event is something that is designed to be placed at the bottom of the garden or hoisted up between trees.

The "Tree Tent" provides an unusual social space, allowing the user to get up close and personal with nature. Jason Thawley is the director of "Tree Tents."

"It's a steam-bent ash and aluminum hybrid as such, to create a lightweight sustainable framework, which we then wrap in a sheep's wool insulation and a waterproof canvas. The idea behind them is that we can hoist them up into the trees and they're actually tree houses that suspend between the trees rather than being fixed to the tree themselves."

Herbal paper with a magic-like preserving power is also attracting visitors at the "Green Heroes" stand.

The "Fresh Paper," can be used inside a fridge or cartons to extend the shelf life of fruit and vegetables.

According to the makers, the 12.7 centimeter square sheets, which are made up of edible organic botanical extracts, can lengthen a product's lifespan by up to four times.

Around 25 percent of the world's food supply is said to be lost to spoilage. Visitor Greg Cribb says "Fresh Paper" is a good idea.

"We're hoping to store a lot of our home-grown fruit so, and you can put these in the bottom of drawers, and it would make the fruit last longer that it would normally do. So, I think it's a good idea, particularly as it's just paper- such a simple idea."

Carole Cribb, is also impressed by the paper.

"When I buy fruit or vegetables in supermarkets, you tend to find they come in plastic punnets, with like, bubble wrap at the bottom. I wash it, put it back in the punnet with a bit of kitchen paper at the bottom. Two days later, it's finished really. If this prolongs the life of my fruit, especially because it's expensive to buy anyway, then fantastic."

One of the main exhibits at the show is the "Eco-Tech House" - which aims to promote the message that caring about the environment does not mean sacrificing the latest gadgets.

Its rooms are kitted out with high-tech green systems and appliances.

Among the technology on show is a fridge that only uses power for the food that is stored inside it and a shower that uses 70 percent less water and 70 percent less energy.

A hand-sized, energy-efficient computer, which is said to have the same processing power as a full-size desktop PC, is also attracting strong interest.

Exhibition organizer Nathan Garnett stresses that going green does not have to break the bank.

"If you want to go for the premium eco products, then yes it's going to be more expensive, but it doesn't have to be. And actually, if you're looking at energy in particular, then you will actually save money over time anyway and it will more than likely pay for itself," says the show manager.

"Grand Designs Live" runs at London's ExCel Centre until May 12.

For CRI, I am Li Dong.