December 2008 - Posts
Christmas is over, the nights are cold and long, and news of a recession deepens by the day. What is there to do but turn our faces to the light of a new year, and hope?
As Christopher Reeve said, "once you choose hope, anything is possible". This is the season in which we imagine a brighter future, a different way of doing things. We talk about what we hope for, because the future is unknown and hope offers us a more powerful and joyful way to live.
That is why I love Chris Turner's new book, The geography of hope: a tour of the world we need. Chris Turner, an award-winning Calgary writer and journalist, traveled the world to see what people were doing to save the planet. He visited communities looking for examples of ecologically-friendly living and put his findings together in this inspiring book. Yes, once you choose hope, anything is possible.
As 2008 winds down, pick up a copy of The Geography of Hope, listen to Chris on YouTube. And most importantly, reserve a seat right now to hear Chris speak at Calgary Public Library on Wednesday, January 14th. Seats are limited, and you don't want to miss this event.
"There are as many solutions as there are gazes prepared to look at this city – any city – with hope and vision." ~ Chris Turner
Last night I wrapped up all the gifts I’d purchased for my family and friends. They formed quite an impressive little mound and represented a few solid hours of shopping. I enjoy giving gifts, but I do experience a twinge of green-guilt at this time of year when I think about all the stuff I’ve bought and multiply it by all the stuff we’ve all bought, all over the world.
It’s easy to pine for an “old-fashioned” Christmas, when the gifts were small and simple, and the focus was on family, good food and fun. The modern day version of racing through the mall like a rat anticipating a chunk of cheese at the end of the maze pales in comparison.
So it’s comforting to know that since the earliest days of Christmas commercialization, people have longed for the simpler holidays of past (which historians say never existed, but that’s another story).
In 1850 Harriet Beecher Stowe published a story called “Christmas” in National Era magazine where one of her characters laments the stress of Christmas shopping:
"Oh dear! Christmas is coming in a fortnight, and I have got to think up presents for everybody! Dear me, it’s so tedious! Everybody has got everything that can be thought of… Every shop and store is glittering with all manner of splendors” so it was difficult to know what presents “to get for people that have more than they know what to do with now."
The act of giving Christmas presents started to become common when Stowe was a child in the 1820s. Now 188 years later we feel exactly the same way she did when we contemplate hitting the shops.
One major difference between now and then is that we now know the ecological ramifications of our largest holiday. The Story of Stuff is a great little video to remind ourselves of the big picture. But if you’re enjoying Christmas and all its trimmings today, then maybe save the video for the New Year, when you’re already depressed at having to go back to work.
The Story of Stuff has inspired my New Year’s resolution: to go one month without buying any stuff beyond groceries and basic necessities. After being a Christmas rat in a mall-sized maze, I won’t want any more cheese anyway.
I take my role as eco-blogger very seriously. That’s why when Cody Torgerson from Green Drinks Calgary invited me to the next Green Drinks meetup, I couldn’t decline. The fact that beer and wine was part of the deal had nothing to do with it, I swear.
Green Drinks is simply a time to get together with other enviro-minded folks, enjoy a drink (alcoholic or virgin), have fun, socialize and network. Think of it sort of like a green nudist club, but with clothes on. The first Green Drinks started in the UK in 1989 and in Calgary it has been growing since 2007. It takes over Vicious Circle (1011 1 Street SW) the third Tuesday of every month from 5 p.m. until everyone gets tired and goes home.
I met a few mechanical engineering students from U of C, a peace activist, an Energuide expert, folks in construction, and I.T. and Calgary’s most active activist (as voted by FastForward readers), Grant Neufeld. Conversation ranged from debates about politics (surprise, surprise) and the upcoming Greenpeace action camp to a discussion of how to avoid uncomfortable family dramas during the holidays. Over 70 people showed up for the December 9th get-together.
The next night I went to the Young Environmental Professionals Christmas party, green socialite that I am. This was a quieter, more conservative and corporate affair. YEP has monthly meetings the second Wednesday of the month from 5:30 to 8 p.m. at Ceili's Irish Pub (803- 8th Ave SW). Usually the night begins with a speaker, but this evening was the Christmas party so on the agenda was food, drink and conversation. I met a bunch of U of C master’s students in Environmental Design, won a door prize and was on my way to the next green event, the Calgary Dollars Christmas potluck.
"Potluck" is a bit of a misnomer, because I didn’t see any food. (Granted, I didn’t bring any food, but I wasn’t planning on eating any either.) Apparently no one brings much food, so the main event was the Christmas trade show.
Clean Calgary was there with a range of green wares for purchase along with other groups like Food Not Bombs and individuals with artwork and products for sale. By becoming a Calgary Dollars member you can offer your goods and services in exchange for Calgary Dollars (or part Calgary Dollars and part government-issued currency as they call it). In effect you become part of a small but growing local economy which encourages and supports local production and consumption. I bought a Christmas present (okay, it was for me) and met lots of great people, some of whom were at Green Drinks the night before.
So you needn’t feel like an outcast if you’re green in Calgary. There ARE other greenies like you who crave a discussion about vermicomposting, solar panel installation, the tarsands, and car-sharing. You are not alone. The next time you find yourself pining for a friendly green ear, seek out one of these groups and come to the green side. It’s fun. And you don’t have to be nude.
Now that cold weather has finally hit Calgary (climate change, anyone?) it's time to remember that idling your vehicle gets you nowhere! Not only does idling harm the environment by releasing carbon dioxide emissions and contributing to air pollution, it eats up gasoline while you car is just sitting there. Not very fuel efficient! There are so many myths out there about whether you need to idle in cold weather for the health of the vehicle. Test your knowledge with this short quiz (click on intro to begin).
As you can see from the quiz, any time you will be stopped for 10 seconds or longer (except at a red light!), it is a good practice to turn off your vehicle. My personal pet peeve is people who run their engines the entire time they are in the car wash line up! Each car wash takes five to seven minutes and you only need to move forward a few metres each time the line advances. Furthermore, the poor person behind you is stuck inhaling all those harmful exhaust fumes.
In winter conditions, emissions from an idling vehicle are more than double the normal level immediately after a cold start. Driving a vehicle cuts idle warm-up times in half. That means reduced fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. With the fuel money saved by reducing your idling, invest in a timer for your block heater. It only needs to be plugged in for 2-4 hours before starting the vehicle to be effective. Recent studies suggest that in the peak of winter, Canadians voluntarily idle their vehicles for a combined total of more than 75 million minutes a day - equivalent to one vehicle idling for 144 years.
Many people argue that they are just trying to warm up the vehicle or keep it warm on a wintry day. Too many people take a warm vehicle for granted and do not dress properly for the weather. What if the vehicle broke down or got stuck? Proper boots, hats, mitts, scarves and winter coats should be worn whenever stepping out in sub-zero temperatures, no matter what your mode of transport. More tips on winter road safety are available at AMA.
For more valuable information on how to maximize your vehicle's efficiency and reduce its emissions, visit the national office of energy efficiency website.
You would love to make handmade gifts, but time is running out. You missed that craft fair last weekend you were planning to hit. Last minute, last resort, last place open: the mall. There are a few factors to keep in mind to make your mall visit just a bit greener.
- Bring your own reuseable shopping bags, large enough for what you think you may buy.
- If driving, park in the first available spot rather than circling endlessly for the spot nearest the door. This way, you will minimize unnecessary emissions and get a bit of a walk to help focus your senses before being bombarded by mall mayhem.
- Have a snack before your mall trip so you won't have to buy junk food in wasteful throwaway containers at the food court. Bring your own water bottle.
- Use your muscle power to take stairs (if available) instead of escalators/elevators, and use non-automatic doors.
Now, for the shopping:
- Look for items that are local, fair trade or organic.
Many local kiosks set up seasonally in the centre aisles. PaSu Sheep farm near Carstairs sells lovely wool and sheepskin products in several Calgary malls during the holiday shopping season.
One of my favourite local(ish) companies is Rocky Mountain Soap made in Canmore. They have wonderful hand and body butters perfect for Calgary's super-dry winters. Their Calgary store is downtown in TD centre.
Check out these titles to help you make better environmental choices as a consumer:
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Big Green Purse By Diane MacEachern
The Virtuous Consumer By Leslie Garrett
This year, many of the staff at Calgary Public Library are dreaming of a green Christmas.
For example, Shelley who works at the Crowfoot Library, is giving everyone in her family eco-boxes. Shelley decided to go green this Christmas for a number of reasons. She says she's always lamented the commercialization and materialism of Christmas, and when the Library introduced its reusable bags, the seed of an idea for eco-gifts was born. "I knew that I wanted to give everyone in my family at least a couple of these reusable bags and I thought "why not put together a whole box of eco-friendly items for each person?" Shelley was also inspired by Lindsay Luhnau, Coordinator of Environmental Education with Clean Calgary Association, who delivered a program at Crowfoot about green cleaning products.
The container of Shelley's eco-box can be reused to store recyclables, and inside the lucky recipients will find:
This Christmas Shelley will not only be providing her family with unique gifts that can be used year round, but she will also be giving a gift to the planet.
Too bad Clark Griswold didn't have LED Christmas lights when he "lit up" his gingerbread house in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. His family, his neighbours and his cat would have had a much happier Christmas.
If you haven’t yet updated your holiday lighting, it's time. LED lights are 95% more energy efficient than incandescents, and they last seven times longer (about 20 years). Consumer Reports state that LED systems saves you $10 dollar per every 300 hours. These modern lights offer a variety of colours and shapes; and while older LEDs can be noticeably dimmer, the technology has quickly improved. Other benefits to LED lighting include that the bulbs do not grow as hot, reducing the risk of a fire. In addition, LED bulbs are much harder to break than their glass and filament ancestors.
What to do with your old Christmas lights? Remove the bulbs, which can't be recycled. The remaining wires can be recycled at Technotrash or Recycle Logic.
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The other day I became the proud parent of a half pound of worms. I brought them home from Clean Calgary on a cold night last week, safely hidden from the elements in my jacket. I looked like I was about to give birth. I even had the waddling gait down with one hand on my belly, trying to keep them from slipping out the bottom of my jacket.
These worms are the closest thing I have to a pet, but I won’t be pampering them like a spoiled pooch. They’re going to earn their keep–eating my garbage.
Vermicomposting or worm composting is a great option in the winter (when your outdoor composter won’t work because of the cold weather) or if you live in an apartment because you keep it indoors. It allows you to reduce the amount of garbage you throw out every week, because all your kitchen scraps go to the worms. Plus you get fertilizer for your plants, and you get to impress your friends with your new pets.
Not that my friends were impressed; quite the opposite. News of my new addition to the family mostly elicited wrinkled noses and exclamations of “Ewwwww!” in response. I was surprised; I didn’t think some little red wiggler worms were really that offensive.
The second response I get is “What if they escape?” Granted, the thought of worms wreaking havoc on your house, crawling everywhere – in your bed, in your shower, in your cutlery and sofa – is terrifying. But the chances of them, with their smooth, wiggly bodies, crawling vertically up the wall of your plastic bin and escaping through one of the air holes is as likely as a Liberal MP in Alberta.
Setting up the worm bin was really easy. I bought a plastic container, shredded some newspaper, sprayed the newsprint with a water bottle, and lined the bottom of the bin. Then I chucked the worms (okay, okay, gently placed the worms) in the bin in a pile, covered with more shredded, wet newsprint, closed the lid and voila!
At first you’re supposed to starve them a bit so I only gave them an apple core to eat the first day, and a bit more the next. I haven’t gotten the rhythm down yet with how much to feed them, and what to do with all the scraps I generate in the meantime.
I was warned about bananas though. Bananas are bad news when it comes to vermicomposting. If you have banana peels, you should put them in the freezer for a while to kill all the fruit fly larvae before you bury them in your worm bin. BUT don’t chuck them in frozen because that will harm the worms. Bananas are a bit complicated.
All things considered, my worm farm is doing well. No hideous odors are emanating from the bin, no worms are on the loose, and my banana peels are thawing for the next feeding.
I’ll update you on my little science project in a future post. In the meantime you might want to check out the web sites and books that got me started.
Worms Eat My Garbage by Mary Appelhof
Clean Calgary Vermicomposting Guide
Taking Action Through Vermicomposting to Reduce Kitchen Waste by Alberta Environment
It’s become a nightly ritual. I turn on the television and listen to dire reports about our ‘failing economy’ on the news. What started as the sub-prime mortgage mess in the United States has quickly spread throughout the world and developed into a global recession. Consumers, as they like to call people, are not spending, banks are not loaning and the whole system is falling apart.
But why do we have to buy, buy, buy and spend, spend, spend to make our world go round? If the economy is not growing all the time doomsday scenarios abound.
It’s ironic because studies have shown that during hard economic times smog levels go down, so we can breathe easier, traffic levels go down so we’re in less car crashes, and greenhouse gas emissions go down, so our earth heats up a bit more slowly. But when we start being more frugal with our spending, walking more instead of driving, borrowing instead of buying, our economy takes a hit.
It seems what’s good for our earth, and for ourselves, is not necessarily good for our economy.
Just look at the holy grail of economic indicators, the Gross Domestic Product. Economists use it to measure progress, but all it really adds up is national expenditures. An oil spill boosts GDP because jobs are created to clean it up and money is spent. But it doesn’t take into account the cost of polluted water, lost recreational opportunities and dead marine life.
Some argue that all the green actions we take are not worth a hill of beans if our economic system does not fundamentally change from “grow at all costs” to a system which recognizes the limits of our finite planet. (I don’t know about you, but I don’t really see living on Mars as an option).
The economy is not some magical, mythical monster that transcends the basic laws of the universe, growing forever larger and larger, knowing no bounds, with no repercussions. The inputs (ie. water, soil, plants, animals etc.) have to come from somewhere and the sinks (where we put all the wastes the economy produces) have to be able to absorb the results.
If you’re as tired of the grim nightly news as I am, I recommend turning the television off and instead checking out The Folly of Growth: How to Stop the Economy Killing the Planet in the October 18-24 issue of New Scientist for a special series of articles on this topic. I know someone who went out and bought a dozen copies to give away to friends. Now there’s a Christmas gift worth giving.
Or you might want to check out some of the books in our collection such as:
The Other Side of the Coin: the Emerging Vision of Economics and Our Place in the World by David Orrell.
The Bridge at the Edge of the World by James Gustave Speth.
The Real Wealth of Nations: Creating a Caring Economics by Riane Eisler.