Eco - Action

Winter Composting in Calgary

Janice P. — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 01:42:00 GMT

Signs of spring have been happily evident during the past week—birds singing, snow disappearing. I’m reminded of the sadly ignored composter in my backyard.

Each fall I have sincere intentions to continue composting during wintertime. But as the months go on and the days grow shorter and shorter, I find myself tossing my vegetable trimmings in the garbage. Besides my laziness, the size and location of our composter don’t really encourage me to continue composting in the winter.

Our first home came equipped with a wonderful, enormous, homemade compost bin that sat unobtrusively in the corner of the large vegetable garden area, but was also conveniently situated next to the path to the garage. The size and location of the compost bin meant I could easily continue to dump all of our kitchen scraps on top of the frozen mass throughout the winter.

In our current home, we have only one of the City of Calgary composters (like the one pictured). It’s worked wonderfully, but is woefully small for the amount of compostable materials our household of five produces daily, especially after I fill the composter with garden material during fall clean up. The composter is also tucked away in our yard—using it in winter means tromping through masses of snow. This spring, I intend to purchase a second composter and hopefully find a location for it more convenient to our back door.

Green Calgary—no surprise—has a wonderful page on Winter Composting. The City of Calgary’s Composting FAQ page is also very useful.

An Intervention is Needed

Susan — Mon, 22 Feb 2010 07:10:00 GMT

One hot (30 degrees) day last summer as I was driving on the Trans Canada near Kamloops beside the railroad track I noticed cargo containers sitting on the track in the blazing sun. I pondered what might be in the containers and (probably because I was hot and thirsty), wondered if they contained bottled water en route to a grocery store. I imagined that after being off loaded from pallets into the air conditioned store, folks would be buying the shrink wrapped packs in multiples of 12 or 24, thinking how pristine and refreshing this water appeared to be.

In reality, as the water became heated while sitting in a non-refrigerated cargo container for several hours, there was potential for a component in the plastic, bisphenol A (BPA), to leach into the water. BPA is a suspected endocrine disrupter. Another chemical which is present in plastic, PET (polyethylene terephthalate) is fine for single use, but reuse of the plastic bottle can lead to bacterial growth and leaching of dangerous chemicals.

Bottled is considerably more expensive than tap (BW= $1400 per year; Tap ~ .49 per year) Yes, that’s right- drinking the daily recommended amount of water per person from the tap would cost about 49 cents per year! Tap water is more highly regulated than BW and at least 40 percent of BW is tap water anyway.

Why are we drinking this stuff? Convenience? Cachet? What did we do before bottled existed? (when we were kids, thirsty from playing outside, we drank lukewarm hose water- wow - did that taste great!!)

More to the point- how can we break the habit? Let’s each try to do an intervention with one person. Monetary arguments work best, so tell your addict that a litre of high octane gas at the pump is costing about $1.20 these days, while a litre of BW costs about $4.00.

Bonne Chance!

Green Wisdom from Grandmother

Shannon C. — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 01:53:00 GMT

How to Sew A Button and other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew by Erin Bried might not seem like a 'green' book at first glance. It's a simple, no frills, no nonsense guide to the wisdom our grandmothers knew and used in daily life. That's the beauty of it, however. Old-fashioned wisdom was often the best solution for the environment, our pocketbook and our own health.

The chapters are divided up into cooking; gardening; cleaning; dressing; nesting; thriving; loving; saving; joining and entertainment. Learn how to 'repel furry friends' from your garden or start a compost; how to use vinegar or baking soda to clean almost anything; how to fix worn clothes or make art out of pressed flowers.

Don’t overlook the other sections though: the section on How to Write a Letter to your Representative is handy for any environmentalist and the section on How to Win an Utterly Silly Argument will come in handy when dealing with climate change deniers.

The wisdom and stories were collected from 10 grandmothers who lived through the Great Depression and short bios of each are included in the Introduction. Check it out!

A Green Valentine’s Day

Janice P. — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 02:38:00 GMT

Red and pink are the colours most often associated with Valentine’s Day. For this Valentine’s Day, perhaps we can all start to add a little bit of green. I don’t expect to see a sea of green hearts, green cards, green flowers (though, if they’re natural, why not) and green (ugh) candies and desserts. But can’t we show our loved ones we care at the same time we show a little love for the environment? Here are just a few suggestions on how to make your Valentine’s Day a little bit greener.

Cards

With Valentine’s Day only a few days away, chances are you have already bought (and possibly mailed) your Valentine’s Day cards. But if not, why not consider sending E-Cards to let your loved ones know you’re thinking about them. There are cards designed for spouses, children, grandparents, partners and friends. Or go even simpler and just send an email letting someone know how much you care.

If you prefer something more tangible, try making cards with paper you have around the house. Get creative; no one said that all Valentine’s Day cards had to be red or pink and contain hearts. Try using old photos to make cards.

Flowers

Cut flowers (especially roses) are a traditional valentine’s day gift. How about giving a potted plant or potted flowers this year? Something that will last longer than a couple of weeks and can perhaps even be planted in the garden in warmer weather will be a longer reminder of how much you care.

Chocolate

Okay we all know about the chocolate problem, don’t we? Perhaps that’s another blog entry for me. But for now, just know that purchasing organic and/or fair trade chocolate for your beloved is the far superior choice. Plus, the chocolate will generally taste better. If this isn’t possible, then at least Bernard Callebaut chocolate doesn’t have far to travel before you purchase it.

Consumables

“Consumables” may not sound terribly romantic, but purchasing something that can be used up---personal care items, food, a book that can be passed on after reading---means less stuff.

A Night Out

Take your loved one(s) out to a movie, out to dinner (especially at restaurants who support the local food industry), to a concert, for a long walk. Time is the most precious gift you can give.

Nothing at all

For the cynics who believe that Valentine’s Day was created in large part by the greeting card industry, perhaps it’s time to just start ignoring the day. Though it still never hurts to find time to let your loved ones know that you, well, love them.

Grooving on Lucid Food

EcoMiser — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:17:00 GMT

In my last post I wrote about my coming to terms with what an unfriendly eco-eater I was, and made a resolution to go veggie one day a week. Gentle reader this was a momentous decision for me, because I am one of those people who think that if it doesn't have meat, it isn't a meal. I could count on one hand the number of days I've gone without meat since graduating from veggie puree in baby bottles.

But so far not only have I stuck to my goal, I've found I've reduced the meat I eat on "non-veggie" days as well. It seems my body just doesn't crave it as much as I thought it would. It is too early start making firm cause and effect statements, but I find my general energy level is higher. But the most surprising thing I have discovered is that low and no meat cooking can be delicious. Seriously. I can point to two factors that have contributed to making this transition so easy for me: (1) My wife is an excellent cook who could probably make my shoes taste good, and (2) The discovery of "Lucid Food: Cooking for an Eco-Conscious Life" by Louisa Shafia. I love this book because it is a combination cookbook and guide to making eco-friendly food decisions. I suppose that much of the information here might be common knowledge to some, but to an eco-food newbie like myself this book is perfect. Sprinkled amongst the recipes are articles on such topics as urban foraging, drinking water and what seafood to buy to support sustainable fishing. If these are topics that interest you, you might want to visit Louisa Shafia's website: www.lucidfood.com or, better yet check out a copy of the book from the library. So far we have only tried a few of the recipes but they are really tasty!

Green Building and Renovation

Janice P. — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 16:31:00 GMT

If you’re building or remodeling your home, there is no shortage of information on how to make greener choices:

Building “green” homes generally has a higher cost than the average home. Russel Gehrke’s Renewable Energies for Your Home: Real-World Solutions for Green Conversions (644 GEH) takes a look at green home improvements that will help you be kind to the environment without emptying your wallet. The book covers:

Energy savings and environmental benefits
Biomass fuels, including biodiesel, ethanol, used fryer oil, and wood
Producing your own biodiesel without titration
Assembling a biolight grill and fire starter
Making bioburn-a firewood substitute
Wind turbines
Solar lighting, heating, water heating, and electric generation
Building a solar heat collector
Creating a wind/solar hybrid electric system

In his book, Green home improvement: 65 projects that will cut utility bills, protect your health, help the environment: with projected savings & costs! (690. 837 CHI), Daniel Chiras covers smaller green home improvement ideas that will have long term financial benefits. Many of the ideas in this book are simple and inexpensive changes that will help make a home more energy-efficient. Green home improvement includes the following projects:

Green flooring & paint options
Environmentally friendly cabinetry & countertops
Whole-house insulation & weather-stripping
High-efficiency heating & cooling
Water conservation
Efficient lighting, appliances & plumbing fixtures including Energy Star and WaterSense models
Solar electric and water heating systems
Eco-friendly roofing & siding
Energy-efficient windows, doors & skylights
Green materials for patios, walkways & driveways
Landscaping & irrigation for water conservation and energy

If you’re looking for more information on green building, check out the Canada Green Building Council website and the Canada Green Home Guide, which contain information on the LEED Canada for homes rating system.

Finally, don’t forget that there may be government grants or tax credits available to anyone building or renovating homes for better energy efficiency.

Cocktail Party Chatter

Susan — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 08:00:00 GMT

A former library colleague said that when he went to a cocktail party, he could talk to absolutely anyone about absolutely anything. Working on the Information Desk, helping people with their research on a broad range of topics eventually paid off, in that he knew a little bit about a lot of stuff.

When the environment topic comes up, there are a couple of puzzling comments that people make. One is the notion that we really don’t need to worry much about conserving water because the water cycle will take care of everything. People also comment that when we have a prolonged cold snap in Calgary, why should we worry about global warming?

A nifty little book, Cocktail party guide to global warming : everything you need to know to converse intelligently about global warming in any social situation by Saliken, Annette, 1961- is a concise guide for those who wish they could carry out an informed conversation about the distinction between climate change and global warming, with some suggestions for actions to reduce global warming.

Sometimes, at the cocktail party, we need to shock people by throwing out some statistics like: over 1 billion people in the world need to walk over one kilometer to get their daily water and: two and a half billion people are without a basic toilet. Okay... so that is not good cocktail party banter. How about broaching the topic of bottled versus tap? That’s always good for 10 minutes or so (watch for a future blog rant about bottled water….)

Regarding water, quality is directly related to quantity so pollution and receding glaciers mean that in fact there is less water than there used to be.

For more, check out another source of information about water quality (and quantity) on the World Water Day 2010 Site:

http://www.unwater.org/worldwaterday/faqs.html

Fun Green Reads

Shannon C. — Thu, 21 Jan 2010 19:22:00 GMT

Environmentalists have a bad reputation as overly earnest, dour, end-of-world types. But that’s slowly shifting as environmentalism, or giving a darn about the earth, becomes more mainstream.

Sometimes green folks and green books can be positively … funny. Yes, I said funny.

The best books are those that are funny and get you thinking. Then you don’t feel like you’re being hit over the head with a baseball hat. Don’t get me wrong –sometimes we do need to be hit over the head with a baseball bat, but not all the time. Sometimes we need a break.

If you need a break from heavy, serious eco-lit, let me give you two book suggestions.

The first: Bothered by My Green Conscience by Franke James is not only fun and thought-provoking, but illustrated with funky pictures by the author, a Toronto artist. James decided to sell her SUV and rip up her driveway to plant a garden, and endures the reactions from family and friends, and even Toronto City Hall to her wild, green scheme. Along the way she discusses how social change happens: awareness versus action, empathy versus self-interest, and fines vs. social disapproval. The result is a whimsical look at one person’s efforts to do the hardest thing first to counter climate change in her personal life.

The second: Greasy Rider: Two Dudes, One Fry-Oil-Powered Car, and Cross-Country Search for a Greener Future by Greg Melville is an eco-road story. Melville and his old college chum, Iggy, depart on a cross country tour visiting green hot-spots like Google’s headquarters, Al Gore’s mansion, Fort Knox, a wind farm, a renewable energy lab, and a green home, driving an old Mercedes converted to run on vegetable oil. While I wouldn’t say this book was hilarious, like some reviewers did, it was entertaining and very readable. And not to worry; it doesn’t skirt ethanol’s thorny issues.

Coming Clean

Shannon C. — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 08:00:00 GMT

In past posts, I bragged that I no longer washed my hair with shampoo, but instead used baking soda. I twigged on to this because I’d read about a few people who were trying to reduce their plastic waste to next to nothing. I also didn’t like the idea of putting questionable chemicals on my scalp and in our water supply.

Now I have to come clean with you – my baking soda experiment failed. My hair became so dry that my hairdresser had to cut off an extra two inches of damaged ends. “What have you been using on your hair?!” she asked, nose wrinkled.

I don’t know where these “no-poo” people live, or what kind of hair they have, but for me, living in Calgary, baking soda shampoo was a horrible idea. (That said, I still use it about once a week, just not every day).

I write all this sheepishly, not only because I’m responsible for the damaged locks of a few of my friends and colleagues, but also because I’m taking up valuable space and time talking about washing your hair with baking soda. It’s not exactly an act that’s going to save our little green-and-blue marble now is it?

If you really want to take action why not sign up for Green Calgary’s EcoLeaders 2010 course? It’s a course for people who are working to reduce their eco-footprint, but are interested in learning more and doing more. The deadline to apply is March 4^th and more info is available here.

I’m pretty sure they won’t be telling you to wash your hair with baking soda.

What We Measure, We Improve.

EcoMiser — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 08:37:00 GMT

I love taking those silly little quizzes you find on the internet: while most of them are mindless fun, every now and then I come across one that teaches me something about myself and my world. One such quiz is called How Big is Your Ecological Footprint? which is presented by Redefining Progress, an American think tank seeking to impact public policy. The quiz takes about five minutes to complete and will show you how your lifestyle impacts the environment in four different areas: Carbon footprint, Food footprint, Housing footprint and Goods and Services footprint. Results are compared to the national average, so my competitive nature was gratified to see that in three categories I scored significantly better than my fellow Canadians. However when it comes to my "Food Footprint", well let's just say I'm more of a Sasquatch than a geisha. I was surprised to learn that about 18% of all greenhouse gas emissions are associated with meat consumption. It was also a bit of a shock to find out that if everyone on the planet lived my lifestyle, we would need 3.88 Earths to support us. Ouch. Gee, sorry everyone! I'm not sure I've ever had my over-consumption put in such stark terms, or had it so plainly evident as to which area I need to improve in.

While I'll leave it to an environmental scientist to assess the accuracy of this quiz, I believe it is very useful as a tool for individuals to identify areas they may have over-looked when trying to live a more environmentally harmonious way. The site is also filled with suggestions on ways to reduce your footprint in each of the four categories. After talking with my wife, we have decided to eat vegetarian at least one day of the week, which should benefit our own health as well the environment.

Estimated October to End of 2009 Eco-Savings $80.50 Okay, everybody slips up from time to time and an EcoMiser is no different. I'm not proud that I only managed slightly more in savings for October and November than I did for September alone. With 2010 here, I have started to think of what resolutions for the New Year I can come with that will save me some cash while slimming down my "3.88 Earths" lifestyle, and "going veggie" once a week seems like a good place to start.

Total savings to date: $351.63

Image courtesy Tyla Arabas

Green Resolutions for 2010

Janice P. — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 18:54:00 GMT

Have you made any New Year’s Resolutions for 2010? Most of us don’t keep our resolutions for more than a few months, so the best ones are small, easy changes. Here are a few suggestions of resolutions that will do you good and be good for the planet at the same time:

Travelling Greener

▲ Make a resolution to try walking (or cycling) more this year. Whether it’s walking the 20 minutes to the local store (this will help with any fitness resolutions as well!) or cycling to work one day a week, just try to use your vehicle a bit less often (this also saves money and increases the lifespan of your vehicle!).

▲ If you cannot walk or cycle, make a resolution to either use public transportation or carpool more often in 2010.

Eating Greener

▲ Many of the earlier blog entries have taken a look at our decision to lessen the amount of meat we eat. This can be an easy switch with large environmental (and health) consequences. Make a resolution to eat meat less often.

▲ Most typical grocery stores now have wonderful organic food sections. Sometimes the organic version of a particular fruit or vegetable is cheaper than the non-organic (really!). Making a resolution to purchase some organic food both sends a message to the grocery stores that there is a demand for those products and helps support a part of the food industry that is conscious of the environment (as well as our health).

▲ During summer, make an effort to purchase food grown locally at farmer's market around the city. You'll be supporting local agricultural producers and eating delicious food.

Living Greener

▲ Instead of turning to your regular cleaning products (even if they are green) this year, consider grabbing some baking soda, vinegar…or even just cleaning without anything. Much of the time I wipe down with just a damp cloth. If you are still using strong cleansers, save them for the big, dirty jobs!

▲ Throw a few more blankets on your bed and turn your thermostat down another degree (or two) at night. Keep it low when there is no one home and you’ll save on money and energy. Put on a sweater and slippers (and move more!) and keep your thermostat lower during the day when you’re home.

Buying Greener

▲ Make this year the year you stop accepting plastic bags from stores who still give them out! Keep a reusable bag (or a few) in your bag or vehicle. A few times recently when I’ve forgotten bags, I’ve taken a couple of trips out to the car carrying my groceries in my arms!

▲ Make a resolution to not purchase any more plastic water (or pop) bottles. Drink tap water or purchase water sold in glass bottles.

▲ Make a resolution to cancel any print catalogues that you receive in the mail. Any catalogue I’ve received is available online—and most of the time I don’t have time to look at them anyhow. Here’s an easy resolution: if you haven’t already, put a “No Junk Mail” sign on your mailbox.

Supporting Green Groups

▲ Finally, the easiest resolution: donate some money—even a small amount—to a group that helps protect the environment.

Saving the World …One Poem at a Time

Rosemary — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 17:40:00 GMT

2009 was a rough year for old Mother Earth. From toxic baby bottles to disappearing honeybees to a failed Climate Change Conference, there wasn’t a lot of positive news.

As we leave behind the noughty decade and enter a new year/decade, I will be making some resolutions around healthier environmental choices. I will also be reading poetry.

Can poetry heal a damaged world? I’m not certain, although I do believe poetry possesses a feral soul and is attentive to this planet in a way that no other writing is. It possesses a unique capacity to restore our attention to the imperiled state of this earth, and in turn to make us better, more conscientious stewards.

Renowned author and speaker, David Whyte, reflecting on the state of the economy and the environment has said of poetry: “A good poem looks life straight in the face, unflinching, sincere, equal to revelation through loss or gain. At the center of our lives, in the midst of the busyness and the forgetting, is a story that makes sense when everything extraneous has been taken away. This is poetry's province; a form of deep memory; a place from which to witness the intangible, unspeakable thresholds of incarnation.”

As we approach the next decade I want to thank our blog readers and supporters, and wish you a life filled with poetry and a happy, healthy sustainable New Year!

Regreen : new Canadian ecological poetry by Anand, Madhur, 1971-

Can poetry save the earth? : a field guide to nature poems by Felstiner, John.

The Age of Eco Angst

Rosemary — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 11:00:00 GMT

Ok, Christmas is behind us and now we’re flocking to boxing week sales. This seems like an appropriate time to be reminded that each thing we buy, give and receive has its own environmental history and future.

The problem is that as consumers, we are blind to the impacts of our everyday choices. And the choices are so embedded in complexity that it is difficult to know which is the best environmental choice.

For example, last year the Calgary Public Library tackled the existential dilemma of paper-versus-plastic-versus-cloth bag question. Plastic bags are made of nonrenewable petroleum and take hundreds of years to decompose, but paper bags take more energy and water to manufacture. The Library did settle on creating a cloth bag made of recycled material, but even then there were questions as to whether the bag was made using appropriate labour. Perhaps the safest thing is to only borrow from the Library what you can carry in your hands. (Just kidding. It’s better to borrow a lot, and use our attractive cloth bag).

And then we move on to the debate about which is more harmful: paper books (dead trees!) or e-book readers (chemicals, electronic trash!).

Basically, until we learn to judge which harm is more harmful, which advantage is more advantageous, it is difficult to make an informed judgment about consumer products.

Thank heavens then, for Daniel Goleman who has looked at the complex issues of consumerism in his new book, Ecological Intelligence. Goleman argues that, much as we might wish to buy products and services that are more environmental responsible, in most cases it is all but impossible to find the information we need to make those decisions. Goleman's solution for this mess is a system of "radical transparency". Radical transparency converts the chains that link every product and its multiple impacts — carbon footprints, chemicals of concern, treatment of workers and the like — into a force that counts in sales.

We are still a long way off from shifting the power from producers to ecologically intelligent consumers, but this book significantly advances the discussion.

Along with Calgary Public Library's vast eco information resources, here are a couple of guides to assist you in developing your ecological intelligence:

GoodGuide – largest source of information on health, environmental and social impacts of home products

Skin Deep - a safety guide to personal care products

My Green Resolution is Fishy

Shannon C. — Thu, 24 Dec 2009 22:19:00 GMT

I’m not a fan of New Year’s resolutions. I never make them anymore, as I usually break them days (hours?) after making them. So this year I’ve decided to make one that I’ve already more than half way achieved.

As of January 1, 2010 I won’t eat fish or seafood anymore, unless it’s sustainably harvested fish, from non-endangered stocks.

Why am I even thinking about fish during this turkey and chocolate-dominated season?

Last weekend I saw a documentary called The Cove. It’s a hard-hitting expose of the dolphin entertainment and meat industry, focusing on one small Japanese town called Taiji, which is a major centre for dolphin drive hunting.

Ric O’Barry, the man who captured and trained dolphins for the hit 60’s TV show Flipper, (and now works to protect dolphins) joined forces with filmmaker Louis Psihoyos and the Oceanic Preservation Society to gather evidence of Tanji’s top secret industry and bring it to the world. The result is a gripping spy thriller suitable for adrenalin junkies and nature lovers alike.

But it’s not for the faint of heart. The slaughter scenes were absolutely horrifying. Were it not for the breathtakingly beautiful shots of free divers swimming with whales and dolphins and the passion and dedication of Ric O’Barry, I wouldn’t have made it through the movie and I wouldn’t have made this New Year’s resolution. All oceanic creatures are threatened by overfishing, climate change and pollution. The less we consume the better.

David Suzuki's website has information on options for sustainably harvested fish products here.

The library has the Cove on order. You can get in line by going to our catalogue and placing a hold.

Be a Scrooge this Christmas

Shannon C. — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 01:38:00 GMT

Joel Waldfogel is my kind of economist. His new book Scroogenomics asks us to analyze our gift-giving, especially at this time of year, and ask ourselves if it's really worth it. Waldfogel says that our consumer spending creates huge amounts of economic waste because so very often the gifts we get, aren’t the gifts we want. Think of the book from Aunt Millie you’d never read in a million years, or the sweater your brother picked out which would look better on…him.

Waldfogel is approaching the problem of gift-giving from a purely economic point-of-view and economics is renowned for leaving the Earth out of the picture. The tons and tons of waste holiday gift-giving generates through not only unwanted gifts, but also the packaging, the transportation and the disposal of said gifts is a sign of a consumer culture gone wild.

I’ve always tried to buy things I think my family and friends would like, but sometimes it feels more like a shot in the dark. Does John already have a Leatherman? Would my Aunt like this toque?

Then, when I get frustrated and panicked in the mall, I sometimes reach for something I’d like, and hope they’d like it too. This year I nearly bought my brother and sister each a neti pot, along with the salts and how-to book for cleansing your nasal passages before my sense kicked in and I thought “Maybe they wouldn’t really want a neti pot as a Christmas gift.”

I think next year I’ll remind myself of Scroogenomics and give consumables like home-made granola (insert hippie joke now) or simple gifts like beaded bookmarks instead of haunting the malls with a feverish look on my face—like the Ghost of Christmas Past.