Great tip from the Daily Green on saving resources, not to mention time, by downloading software online instead of buying it - packaged - in store. According to ElectronicsRecycling.org, more than a billion unwanted computer disks are tossed out each year...
Software Tip
Great tip from the Daily Green on saving resources, not to mention time, by downloading software online instead of buying it - packaged - in store. According to ElectronicsRecycling.org, more than a billion unwanted computer disks are tossed out each year...
Obesity Costly Problem For Airlines
It might come as a surprise that the World Health Organization now says obesity afflicts more people in the world than malnourishment. But it’s no surprise to airlines, which are well aware they are carrying larger and larger passengers. This may not seem like fodder for this blog, but a new estimate suggests global carriers are spending an additional $673 million in fuel costs to lift the extra pounds - and burning more carbon for it. Read more>>
Toronto and Sustainable City Transit
As part of Toronto city council's works committee next week, efforts are being made to make the city more pedestrian, cyclist and public transportation-friendly. This pleases me personally as on my daily bike-commute to work today I rode past what looked like the remnants of a major car crash from the road onto the very same bike path that I was riding on. If I had been riding half an hour earlier, I would have been toast. While the article states that decreasing use of cars in favour of more sustainable forms of city transportation will require initiatives, they are ones that I will whole-heartedly support.
Possible solutions brought to the table are a pedestrian-only street, pedestrian crossing at intersections that allow for all directions of travel (including diagonally) to prevent risk from turning cars, increasing rush-hour parking times to keep traffic moving, and a city spanning bike lane from Etobicoke to Scarborough.
I must say, however, that Toronto has been doing a fairly good job thus far of encouraging walking, biking, ans public transit use. I am a frequent visitor to Chicago and, as beautiful as the city is, would be wary to ride in those narrow downtown streets.
Lawn Care not Green
An article in today's Globe and Mail states, while many towns and cities in Canada have outright banned pesticides for your lawn, the green grass may not be as green as you had thought. Gas-guzzling lawn mowers can emit the same amount of smog in one year as a car travelling 3,300 km. While in Canada only 15% of homes use pesticides, the quest for that perfect lawn still persists.
What the article does not mention is that lawns are one of the most inefficient plants to cultivate on your property. They take up a lot of water, most of which in Canada would be otherwise potable water. Lawns do not soak up nearly as much carbon dioxide as, say, a tree or an herbacious garden. They also allow for runoff and land degradation as the root structure is not very deep.
If you must have a lawn, watering early morning or evening is better than mid-day when the sun cannot dry up the water as quickly. Let grass clipping lie (In Toronto, it is now a by-law) as they help shelter out drying sunlight, protect roots, and eventually compost to help nourish the soil naturally. Let grass grow to at least 4 inches before cutting. The longer blades will create more shade and shelter roots. Mix in small gardens and trees throughout your lawn for shade and plant variation.
Events with a Smaller Shoe Size
Traditional events - weddings, corporate functions, birthday parties - place a sizable strain on the environment, a fact conveniently overlooked by most planners. That's why we give two thumbs up to compananies like Vancouver-based Greenprint Events, who work with clients to incorporate environmentally friendly practices into every step -from setting up recycling and composting systems, to finding alternatives to disposables, sourcing local caterers and examining transportation options.
"big impression. small footprint." That's what we like to hear.
Brick Works Farmers’ Market, Toronto
Saturday’s until October 27th. 8:00am to 1:00pm. Planet and family friendly. Ontario produce, socially & environmentally conscious goods, artists, entertainers, storytelling and educational activities. Part of the inspriring Evergreen project to transform Toronto’s historic Don Valley Brick Works factory from an underused, deteriorating collection of buildings into a thriving environmentally-based community centre that engages visitors in diverse experiences connected to nature. See you there!
Saving Energy One Search at a Time
In January 2007, a blog post titled 'Black Google Would Save 750 Megawatt-hours a Year' proposed the theory that a black version of the Google search engine would save a fair bit of energy due to the popularity of the search engine ("a given monitor requires more power to display a white (or light) screen than a black (or dark) screen." Roberson et al, 2002). Enter Blackle.
Created by Heap Media, Blackle searches are powered by Google Custom Search. Whether or not the energy savings are significant, they believe there is value in the concept because even if the energy savings are small, they all add up. Plus, seeing Blackle every time we load our web browser should remind us all of the need to take small steps in our everyday lives to save energy.
Solar for SickKids
On Thursday, The Hospital for Sick Children will unveil Canada's first hospital-based solar thermal energy site design. The installation of solar energy panels on the hospital's Atrium roof will supplement SickKids' hot water system, increasing savings for the hospital and reducing energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
Who's In Control of Our Water Supply?
I'm a broken record, you'll all learn that soon enough. One of the things I just love to repeat is how the average person seems to have no clue where water comes from, how important it is, and that it can never be taken for granted as being clean, even from your tap.Here's why. The people we pay (through taxes) seem to be incapable of giving us trustworthy service when it comes to supporting the infrastructure needed to ensure clean water. Although there are likely dozens of instances of contaminated water supplies all over the region, province, country (you choose the geography), I'm sure few get detected. I'd bet fewer still get reported.
One instance of a water mishap that DID get reported was the failure of a sewage pumping station on the banks of the Grand River. Don't worry everyone, the guys who run it say they "don't believe there are any contamination issues". I don't believe in a lot of things. Does that mean I'm always right? Hmmm. I'll have to give this theory a try. But I digress. Even though a resident living near the sewage spill went to the hospital with a burning sensation in his eyes and on his face after simply washing his cat (who fell into the spill), the people in charge of our water supply are sure there will be no contamination of nearby drinking water wells, never mind the river itself. Now I know that water which causes burning sensations in my eyes is still safe to drink. What a relief.
I could go on all day but I think you get my point. Don't trust these morons with our water and your health.
Can't Buy Your Health
It seems living in an economically developed country doesn't give you all the advantages in life as we might expect. Turns out living in affluent places like Canada or the US makes kids with allergies more likely to have asthma - four times more likely than kids in not-so-rich areas of the world. No one is sure, but things like exposure to pollutants and housing conditions might play a role in this lopsided finding. Figure? Gee, I wonder if diet, exercise, or rampant pesticide use were considered. Or maybe this asthma thingy is being caused by a lack of religious education in our school system (future blog/rant subject).
Studies with results like this always make me chuckle a little on the inside. When these studies get reported it is almost as if we are supposed to be surprised that living in a rich country has disadvantages peppered into all the good stuff like late-night drive thrus and no late fee movie rentals. Who doesn't know of a kid with some kind of severe allergy, real or perceived? The question is what are we going to do about it? Wait for a medical cure in pill form or get off our fannies and solve the problem at its source?!
Maybe its time we try out a government who will take environmental issues seriously for a change.
Green Party of Ontario: http://www.gpo.ca/
See how pollution affects your lungs: http://www.cleanair.utah.gov/SWF/lung_control.swf
See the CBC article on the subject: http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2007/09/14/asthma-affluent.html
Walk Like a Queen
Adam Thornton has become a tourist in his own city. He has just embarked on a self-imposed project to "rediscover his home turf" on foot. His plan is to board the city bus at the main terminal, ride it to its last stop, then get off and walk home on a more scenic route taking pictures and notes along the way. He has accomplished two such journeys thus far and plans to eventually do every bus route his city has to offer.
I think this is a fabulous idea!! To paraphrase Adam, by doing this you can see parts of your city you otherwise wouldn't consider even existed. And the exercise! Just think of the mileage on your pedometer. I think this could be the next big eco-tourism trend.
Adam is also a drag queen available for hire as party personality "Muffy St. Bernard". I love this crazy world.
Now get on that bus and walk!
Check out Muffy's blog for the latest walk-home chronicle:
Also see the story that inspired my entry:
http://news.therecord.com/article/242373
http://news.therecord.com/article/242373
Hot, Hot, Hot.
Environment Canada says the summer of 2007 was hotter than average. Prepare yourself, they also figure this sort of thing is becoming normal. Temperatures across the country were 0.9 degrees Celsius higher than average this summer, with Nunavut recording the highest numbers. While this wasn't a record breaking year for heat, the temperature increase seems consistent with this whole global warming thing, if you believe in these kinds of ideas. Rush out and buy central air conditioning. That should solve the problem.
Smog Free Freight
Challenger Motor Freight rolled some new smog-free trucks into its fleet this week. The new trucks are fitted with something called a particulate trap that removes the stuff from engine exhaust known to cause smog. The engines are also built to run on a very low sulphur diesel. Obviously these trucks cost more to put on the road (and some say cost more to operate) but are a step in the right direction in terms of vehicle evolution in my opinion. So the cost of freight, and hence retail prices, will go up incrementally. But isn't this just another example of paying a fair price for the overall value of products? I think so.http://news.therecord.com/article/241235
Everything Has a Price
The Canadian government announced they will be paying out $20,000 to each alleged victim of Agent Orange spraying that took place at a New Brunswick military base way back in the 60's. Only those persons who worked at the base or lived within five kilometers of it in the years 1966 and 1967 - and only those with Agent Orange related symptoms - will be getting compensation. The chemical was used as a defoliant during the Vietnam war and was officially tested at CFB Gagetown in New Brunswick during those two years. Others say Agent Orange was used for decades to clear brush around the military base. Either way, Agent Orange is thought or known to be responsible for many human ailments including Hodgkin’s disease, lymphoma, respiratory cancers, prostate cancer and Type 2 diabetes. Nice stuff. And pesticide bans are bad because?
http://www.canada.com/topics/news/national/story.html?id=f9f6be7a-0c3f-4b9d-9e22-320601fca1e0&k=5290
For a background/justification on Agent Orange from its maker:
Green Furniture
While searching for a new couch online (I do a lot of shopping online), I stumbled across a link to eco-friendly furnishings on the "Home Furniture" website. The link explains the many different and obscure ways their furniture is built in an environmental way - like using reclaimed lumber or screws instead of glue. Worth a look if you want to know where your furniture comes from. Reasonable prices too. I also try to buy furniture made in Canada whenever possible, but that's another story.Hit the Home Furniture site and follow the "Going Green" links.
http://www.homefurniture.ca/bev_bell.html
http://www.homefurniture.ca/projects/expert_tip9-2007.html
Also see Treehugger for a very comprehensive guide to buying green furniture.
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2007/01/how_to_green_your_furniture.php
Baker Babe Approved
Shamless plug here for fab cookies from Toronto-based New Moon Kitchen. Totally natural, certified kosher and vegan. Made with organic spelt flour and totally free from dairy, eggs, nuts and preservatives. Each cookie is even hand pressed...delicious! newmoonkitchen.com
Flying Makes Me Feel Bad
Mark Anderson takes sides on the latest “cause célèbre of the eco-set” today in the Ottawa Citizen. Although a “thriving mini-industry has sprung up offering carbon 'offsets,' a way to assuage guilt over corporate travel, without actually limiting flights” some (i.e. Suzuki Foundation) are concerned that purchasing carbon offsets won’t encourage companies to actually reduce air travel. As for Anderson? “I'm not willing to give up my upcoming Alberta fishing trip in the interest of environmentalism.” Fascinating. photo from www.nataliedee.com
Toronto Film Industry* Vows to Print Double-Sided
Since you can't escape the Film Festival anyway, here's more news: yesterday, Toronto's film production industry announced the Green-Screen initiative, aimed at reducing waste and energy use during shooting. Spearheaded by studio operators, unions and guilds, ideas include serving food in biodegradable containers and transporting stars in hybrid cars.
“The Incredible Hulk,” currently shooting at Toronto Film Studios, has production crews communicating electronically where possible, printing double-sided, and using a pine wood in place of rainforest woods for set building. We think this is great news – even if the initiative is voluntary – since film production is really only a step lower on the carbon-footprint ladder than F1 racing (sorry Matt ;)
(*so why the picture of Brad Pitt? well, he's in Toronto, he makes films, and you probably read this because of him)
Give Micro Hydro a Chance.
Micro what? Microhydro. The production of electrical power up to 100 kilowatts using a generator and moving water. Think Niagara Falls just really small. Believe it or not, this is an actual industry in more remote places where a home or business or school can be powered using a local stream or waterfall with minimal investment. So why do I bring it up? I think this sort of thing has a place in our not-so-remote society. I read a news article today (see links below) that outlined an ownership dispute over several old mill dams right here in Ontario. The funny thing is that the dispute is over who doesn't own the dams - nobody actually wants ownership of these alleged liabilities. This absolutely blows my mind. The very rivers and waterfalls - the prime real estate of another time - that literally powered a young industrial Canada are now considered useless and costly. ???? Why doesn't someone start producing power with these dams again? Cities could use the power to light park or street lamps and maybe even the odd small office or two. In some cases the power could even be sold back into "the grid". The equipment needed for a microhydro site is reasonably inexpensive and easy to install. Considering any town or city in Ontario (or Canada) that has been around for a hundred years or so probably has a mill dam, it is clear that many, many, many watts of power could be locally produced instead of being pulled from the Hydro One sources. I can even see communities getting together and going "co-op" with this sort of thing. Now get out there and build a microhydro plant!! Who needs more nuclear with ideas like this?!
What Did the Romans Know Anyway?
Thinking of building a house or addition? Want to save money on heating and cooling costs? Want to use technology that dates back 10,000 years? No, I'm not suggesting anyone go crawl into a woolly mammoth carcass and hang up the home-sweet-home poster. I'm talking about what some hope is the next big thing in modern building practice, rammed earth. This simple and ancient technique has been refined and updated for 21 st century use and utilises only natural (and local) building materials - sand, clay, gravel, and cement.
The preferred material of the Romans in Europe, rammed earth is fireproof, earthquake resistant and clearly very long lasting. It can also be quite pretty. Widely and consistently used in China for centuries (one third of the Great Wall is rammed earth), the practice of building with hardened soil fell out of vogue in other parts of the world with the rise of the brick and lumber industries.
Something to consider for your next home....and it only costs 5 to 15 percent more than building with "conventional" materials.
Check out the links below, including one to David Suzuki's "The Nature of Things".
Burning Water for Fuel
A cancer researcher recently stumbled across a way to make ordinary seawater burn and hopes to refine the technique to perhaps power cars and other machinery in the near future. Claimed to be the most significant water science discovery in 100 years, this technology would surely make salt water a hot commodity for years to come. Salt water is the most abundant resource on earth. The US Department of Energy and the US Department of Defense are being pursued as research funding candidates. Anyone see any potential problems with this? I didn't think so.
For a video clip of the burning water go to:
http://www.glumbert.com/media/saltwater
http://www.glumbert.com/media/saltwater
Give a Butterfly a Home.
In an effort to curb the decline of the endangered Monarch Butterfly, grow-your-own butterfly kits are being marketed to the general public. These kits give a person everything needed to grow five Monarch caterpillars into fully grown butterflies that are then released back into the wild. The fun part is watching the process from start to finish. The feel-good part is knowing you helped the species. I've done it several times and it is truly amazing. While kids love it (teachers buy a lot of these kits) I have found that most adults are more interested than you might expect. These butterflies are amazing and beautiful creatures that migrate from Canada to Mexico and back every year, although it takes several generations to complete the round trip. Pretty cheap entertainment for $79.99, and you will be helping repopulate the continent with pretty flying insects as a bonus.
http://news.therecord.com/article/239785
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch_butterfly
http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/monarch_butterfly.htm
Facebook. Cause of All the World's Problems?
Okay, so this isn't exactly an environmental issue, but I do find the whole phenomenon interesting....and it might just shed some light on some of our global problems.
According to British scientists, while users of social networking websites may rack up dozens and dozens (and dozens) of online "friends", most people still only have a network of five actual close friends. The study revealed that in the vast majority of cases face-to-face contact was necessary to solidify the bond between two people, possibly highlighting limitations on the human brain.
As if we didn't already have enough limitations with the human brain.
To me this might help explain why some of us are unable to project empathy or remorse across an ocean and therefore enable the exploitation of far away people and environmental zones. Lumber from The Amazon. Clothes from third world sweatshops. Coffee. You get the point.
I'm not making any accusations. I consume this stuff as much as the next guy. I'm just saying that if some of us put as much time into an actual productive cause as we do updating our Facebook page, the world might spin a little smoother.
http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/09/10/science-websites.html
Paper Underwear Anyone?
Disposable versus cloth (reusable) diapers have been hot competitors since astronauts first took to the heavens sporting their chic new pee-absorbing invention. I don't think any sane person can argue against the fact that disposable diapers are a pretty bad idea in terms of annual household garbage production (a whole tonne by the time baby is potty trained), yet this product still has a serious foothold in the baby-product marketplace. An estimated 95% of Canadian families wrap their little people in disposable poop collectors.
Anyone who has actually changed a stinky diaper can tell you why. In the moment, convenience is far more important than environmental preservation when your ten pound bundle of joy just became a slightly lighter bundle of stench. It's an easy argument. And what about all that water that gets polluted when cloth diapers are washed? Is that any better than heaps of indigestible landfill?
Well the whole cloth diaper movement has become pretty much state-of-the-art these days. From rash and bacteria control to ideal scrotal temperatures, not to mention low water usage in the wash cycle, modern cloth diapers services are a viable option. Even if you only do it for the first few months, by using cloth diapers you will be sending a lot less crap to the dump. This is a good thing considering we are running out of space to hide all our unwanted crap.
http://www.bearbottoms.ca/benefits.php
http://www.wastenotvi.ca/The_Problem.htm
http://www.ecobaby.com/cloth.htm
Smarter Food Labels, Healthier People
Although it might not happen for years, The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is considering adding standardised labels to packaged foods in an effort to help consumers make healthier eating choices. The new label system, already used in Britain, resembles a traffic light indicating if the product is low, medium, or high in fat, sugar, and salt. Some companies have already opted to place similar rating type symbols on their products, helping guide customers with their choices. Now if only the want-ads in my local newspaper had this sort of system...
Tired Eyes
A Kitchener, Ontario entrepreneur has come up with a new way to recycle old tires. Viktor Besenschek of NewTire Industries is about to employ 20 people day-and-night to grind up old tires into a more useful rubber powder. This rubber powder is then reused for making new products like toys, railway ties, asphalt, and mascara. The environmentally aware Viktor offers up his grinding and reuse of tires idea as an alternative to inefficiently burning them as an energy source. This also keeps more tires out of landfill - approximately 8 million end up there each year in Ontario alone. Good idea.
Read the full story: http://news.therecord.com/article/238739
Alternative fuel not always better
While the U.S. going full speed ahead in thier quest for Energy Independence, it is important to make sure they are not heading straight for another pothole. As Bush stated in his Jan 2007 State of the Union address, America must decrease their reliance on foreign oil through alternative means. So far, most of this change has come through biofuels, mainly corn-based. They have increased their targets since January.
Now, some companies are trying to brand liquid coal as an “alternative fuel”. While it may be an alternative to oil, it is significantly worse for the environment. Using techniques from Nazi Germany (just to make it sound extra evil) when they were cut off from oil by Allies, coal can be processed into diesel fuel. Yet it produces nearly twice the GHGs as normal gasoline. It was stated that as Prius running on CTL (Coal to Liquid) would produce nearly the same amount of carbon as a full-size Hummer running on gasoline.
Now here is the scary part: One particular coal company bragged on their website that by converting much of their production to CTL would increase their value by 1,250%. Coal producers tend to be very generous to members of the Senate. Interesting things happen when the stakes are high.
Source: http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/200709/lol.asp
That "G" Word Again
When it comes to home electricity, I've long been a proponent of alternative forms of energy production- something we now know as "green" energy. Large-scale political and environmental arguments aside, I simply thought the idea of being self-sufficient was, well, kinda neat. I used to dream about having my own windmill or solar panel (and I don't think I'm alone in this fantasy) but the reality of actually doing this was (and still is) extremely cost prohibitive. Last I heard the payback on a fully solar-powered home in my area was around one-hundred years, and a windmill - also not cheap - doesn't exactly fit into the urban street scape.
So what's a person to do?
Happy days everybody! Several clever enterprises have sprung up that offer 100% "green" energy delivered right to your home in lieu of that dirty fossil or nuclear stuff. As an electricity consumer you now have the choice of signing on with a utility that promises by contract to ship you nothing but clean electricity. No need to purchase a windmill or waterfall, the "green" utility does that for you. Your appliances will love you.
Two of the windmills pictured above provide just such power. The one in the background sends its power into the "dirty" grid while the other two merrily supply the "clean" grid. The windmill in the background is a slave to Hydro One, while the other two are under exclusive contract to a private "green" utility.
I bet you didn't even know that there are two electricity grids.
Here is where it gets a bit fuzzy in terms of "green" and "dirty". There aren't two grids. All three wind turbines pictured above pump their power into the Hydro One grid. The same grid that transmits nuke, coal, hydro, and gas power. There is only one grid, full stop. Your traditional utility charges you just over 5 cents per KWH to consume electricity from this grid. The green utility charges in excess of 9 cents per KWH for the same power from the same grid. And you still get to pay all the usual Hydro One debt retirement charges as well. Oh joy!!
This is where I get a little political....
While I applaud these green utilities for promoting and selling the idea of clean energy, the whole affair seems a little fake. In fact, it is entirely artificial. Aside from badly informed bragging rights, why on earth would I pay almost twice the money to a middle-man for the same power I already get from my local utility? It is virtual energy and nothing more. A nice idea.
One might argue that private investors wouldn't be erecting giant wind turbines if not for the niche market invented by the green utilities. I tend to agree but insist that private investors shouldn't have to build this kind of infrastructure in the first place. This is what our government is for. This is what our gigantic provincial utility is for. This is what our collective environmental conscience is for. This is NOT what our distinct social classes are for.
Although a rarity, on this issue I say stop voting with your money and use your pitchfork instead. Don't buy this premium "green" energy. Tell your government you want windmills and solar farms to produce your power instead of new nuclear plants. Tell them you want this power to come to your home affordably rather than marked-up as a premium product. Tell them this without artificially inflating the price of electricity. Your toaster won't know the difference.
Form your own opinion:
http://www.bullfrogpower.com/about/about.cfm
http://www.skygeneration.com/projects.html
Lighter coke bottle uses less plastic
Coke will be launching a new plastic bottle that uses 5% less plastic. Reports say that this was in response to critics of the beverage industry and harmful plastics. Seems that Coke has beat Pepsi in this instance to claim green. I bet the person who came up with this idea got a big raise. Hey Coke, any plans to cut back on the chemicals that go in to the beverage?
I ♥ the Escarpment Too
The Barenaked Ladies and Sarah Harmer - both outspoken champions of the environment - are set to play an intimate outdoor concert benefiting PERL (Protecting Escarpment Rural Land) in Burlington, ON on September 29th. All proceeds will go towards PERL's mission to protect the Niagara Escarpment. Tickets are $150, and a live auction will also be held.More info and tickets at maplemusic.com
More info on PERL at perlofburlington.org
Is Eco-Branding Sincere?
In his brandchannel article, The Greenrush: Eco-branding, Dr. Arlo Brady explores the correlation between the green movement - the rise in public awareness of climate change and other environmental concerns - and the growth of green business. Some large companies have managed, successfully, to green their brand (Toyota comes to mind); others have always been that cool, and have benefited significantly (think Ben & Jerry's).
The problem from my viewpoint is that many large businesses are throwing themselves on the bandwagon by slackly integrating the environment into their brand messaging. It feels counterfeit, and half the time I think it is. Happily, we, the public - perhaps thanks to Al Gore and Leo DiCaprio - are increasingly questioning these claims, pressuring companies to make good or get out.
Read Dr. Brady’s article here.
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