Lately, as I work away in my kitchen striving to create that elusive perfect dish, I have begun to employ the not so new, but new to me, idea of turning the burner and/or the oven off a few minutes before the task at hand is done. The residual heat from that simple act will continue to provide enough warmth to finish the job, be it boiling, simmering, baking, etc. The benefits are plenty – energy conservation and of course, my favourite, some savings on my utility bill.
Hot stuff
Lately, as I work away in my kitchen striving to create that elusive perfect dish, I have begun to employ the not so new, but new to me, idea of turning the burner and/or the oven off a few minutes before the task at hand is done. The residual heat from that simple act will continue to provide enough warmth to finish the job, be it boiling, simmering, baking, etc. The benefits are plenty – energy conservation and of course, my favourite, some savings on my utility bill.another blow to plastic bags
Poor plastic bags. Whole Foods Market - uber grocer of natural and organic foods - will stop handing out disposable plastic grocery bags in all of its 270 stores by this coming Earth Day (April 22). Whole Foods has six stores across Canada.
Over the next three months, stores will reduce plastic bag inventories and increase the selection of reusable bags for purchase.
"More and more cities and countries are beginning to place serious restrictions on single-use plastic shopping bags since they don't break down in our landfills, can harm nature by clogging waterways and endangering wildlife, and litter our roadsides,” said A.C. Gallo, co-president and chief operating officer.
Before Whole Foods decided to do away with the bags, they ran tests at several stores, including Toronto. The response was overwhelmingly positive. They estimate they will keep 100 million new plastic grocery bags out of our environment between Earth Day and the end of this year alone.
If you forget to bring your bag, Whole Foods will still offer a way to leave with your pesticide-free soybeans: 100 percent recycled paper grocery bags, which also are completely recyclable.
Kudos. Read more at wholefoodsmarket.com. (And instead of starting the whole “paper vs. plastic” debate, why not just reuse?)
Air Dry
I was perusing today's headlines when I came across a really great proposal from our fearless leaders in Queen's Park. The province of Ontario is looking to allow outdoor clotheslines for those who reside in detached, semi-detached or row houses. As it stands now, many outdoor laundry lines are banned under municipal by-laws or in agreements made with builders. What about condominiums or apartments, you say? Well that issue will be explored at a later date. This is a really big step in the right direction towards energy conservation and reducing greenhouse gases, not to mention saving money on your electricity bill!The Ontario Environmental Registry is encouraging Ontarians to give feedback on this proposal and will be accepting comments on this matter until March 21, 2008.
To read the full article, go to cbc.ca
Moksha Yoga trade is fair
I am a relatively new student of yoga and have been practising for less than a year. I would like to give credit to my new home and friend of the environment, Moksha Yoga. http://www.mokshayoga.com/
I am partcipating in what is called an "energy exchange" or trading where I trade my energy in cleaning the yoga studio for 4 hours a week for unlimted yoga classes. How is that for anti-consumerism?
To top that off, they use all environmentally friendly cleaning products (such as Au Naturel, Citrosolve, Benefect and Dr. Bronner's - see article) and low-impact methods such as newsprint to wipe mirrors rather than paper towels and old t-shirts as cleaning cloths.
Hurray for Moksha Yoga!
Dear Dr. Bronner: I think You are a NUTCASE but I really like your Magic Enviro-Soap
This past fall while on a camping trip, I was delighted to discover that one of our frequently used camp items, a refreshing peppermint 18-in-1 camp soap was distributed through the proprietorship of a complete Crackpot! This astounding realization was brought to me via the rantings on the label of a brand of soap called "Dr. Bronner's 18-in-1 Peppermint Magic Soap"
His label had hundreds of words of fine print with such claims as, "Stalin was a greater mass murderer than Hitler.", "Have courage and smile my friend. Think and act 10 years ahead! And the man without fault? He's dead!" and basically cleaning the world and filling minds with the “Moral ABC of All-One-God-Faith”.
While I quickly spread the news to my fellow campers (who seemed less impressed than I), the soap was soon forgotten on drive home for the last camping trip of the season, not to resurface until the spring. Or so I thought...
In my recent experience at a particular yoga studio (see article) I was fortunate enought ot ome across Dr. Bronner yet again amoung the facility's wonderful array of enviro-cleaning products.
Not wanting to waste my good fortune, I went staright home to do some research on this enterprising doctor.
My findings included:
- Dr. Bronner's peppermint soap (their most popular) has Organic Peppermint & Mentha Arvensis Oils. It creates an exhilirating tingly-cool body space and increases vitality and clarity.
- They have other kinds: lavender, eucaliptis, tee-tree, baby mild, and almond
- Dr. Bronner is not a real doctor; self-proclaimed becuase of his superior soap-making knowledge
- Dr. Bronner also has a line of organic suncare and hemp-based Alps snacks
- He was quoted saying to his son "RALPH, YOU ARE NO SON OF MINE IF YOU DON'T GO TO RUSSIA AND TELL THE LEADERS ABOUT THE ALL-ONE-GOD-FAITH"
- Dr. Bronner has passed on. On his site under His Story is quotes his name as: Dr. E.H. Bronner 1908 -1997
A Life Dedicated to God, Mankind and Spaceship Earth - I am not joking.
Though some may joke and tease, I think that Dr. Bronner's son summed it up very nicely by saying, "While we disagree with Dr. Bronner on some idiosyncrasies in his philosophy, we revere him for his efforts to unite humanity and his exhortations to lead a more responsible life in respect to our environment and each other."
Soaps and other products can be purchased online at their website: http://www.drbronner.com/
Other amusing articles about Dr. Bronner can be viewed at: http://www.drbronner.com/articles/Chicago%20Tribune.pdf
I promise you WILL NOT be dissapointed!
how to really eat local (or, the anti-SUV diet)
One of the most earth-friendly things we can do is to buy local foods, yet we're supermarket shoppers, pushing around endangered sea bass flown in from Chile next to bananas shipped in from India, so most of us don't really know how. And until recently, no one seemed to care.
The surprising popularity of Alisa Smith and James MacKinnon's book, The 100 Mile Diet has turned eating local into a movement. Their inspiration? "When the average North American sits down to eat, each ingredient has typically travelled at least 1,500 miles - call it 'the SUV diet.'"
So, for one year, they bought or gathered their food and drink from within 100 miles of their apartment in Vancouver, getting up-close-and-personal with issues ranging from the family-farm crisis to the environmental value of organic pears shipped across the globe.
So what's a supermarket shopper to do? Start with these sites:
CBC's Marketplace did a show on food ingredients...and where they really come from. For example, if it claims to be ice cream but doesn't contain any cream, it's probably not from around here. Read their tips here.
NOW Toronto's cover story on local eating. 'Your Local Farmers Market' in Vancouver has some fresh tips here. For Ontarions, a great list of home delivery and natural food buying clubs.
I've said it before and I'll say it again, buy Adria Vasil's ecoholic! Lots of ideas here for you to chew on.
need a tote bag?
Help us spread the word to step lighter with a snazzy new tote bag or mug. Check out our store at cafepress.com/steplighter. More products coming soon!
nalgene: guilty until proven innocent
Lycra-loving Lululemon is the second Canadian retailer to pull polycarbonate bottles containing bisphenol A from its shelves. New water bottles arriving in stores will be made of acrylic and free of the controversial chemical. Outdoor lovers have been unable to get the hard plastic bottles at Mountain Equipment Co-op stores since a ban came into effect in early December.
Toronto-based Environmental Defence applauded the company's decision, and urged other retailers to put restrictions in place. "The dangers of bisphenol A in food and drink are becoming clear, and it won't be long before this chemical is gone completely from food and beverage containers," said the group's spokesperson.
Despite this push for bans on bisphenol A products, research surrounding the chemical's effects has been inconclusive, and many argue that small amounts of the chemical are not harmful. Hmmmm. Health Canada is examining the health risks of bisphenol A, commonly known as BPA, and is expected to report back to the federal government by May.
Read the media release>>
green dates for 2008
Here's what's happening across Canada this year...27th Guelph Organic Conference, Expo & Sampling Fair
Jan 24-27, Guelph, ON
Calgary Home & Garden Show 'Green with Envy'
Feb 28-Mar 2, Calgary, AB
GLOBE 2008
Mar 12-14, Vancouver BC
EPIC - The Vancouver Sun Sustainable Living Expo
Apr 18 - 20, Vancouver, BC
Earth Day Canada
Apr 22, across Canada
2008 Green Toronto Festival
May 23-24, Toronto, ON
International Conference on the Environment
Jun 30-Jul 3, Edmonton, AB
Organic Islands Festival and Sustainability Expo 2008
Jul 5-6, Victoria, BC
Parks Day 2008
Jul 19, across Canada
Winnipeg Folk Festival
Jul 10-13, Winnipeg, MB
10th World Leisure Congress and Canada's 2008 National Parks and Recreation
Oct 6-10, Québec, QC
greener cavities
Having just returned from my dentist - who surprised me by asking for tips on greening their practice - I came across some excellent ideas from Treehugger.
Suggestions include buying green power to run surgery, using 'composite resin' as an alternative to mercury-based amalgam fillings and digital imaging instead of traditional x-rays (which means 75 to 90% less radiation).
North of the border, here's a Toronto-based practice that promotes eco-friendly dentistry - Front Street Dental. And a shout out to 720 King West Dental - just because they're great.
green film festival
For the next two days, Toronto's City Playhouse plays host to the 2008 Green Reel Environmental Film Festival.
The festival features an environmentally-themed collection of international documentaries, mainstream Hollywood and independent productions, including several free screenings sponsored in part by the David Suzuki Foundation, the National Film Board of Canada, Joe Public Films and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
The schedule of over twenty films includes 'A Crude Awakening: The Oil Crash', 'The Edge of Eden: Living With Grizzlies', 'Black Gold' and 'Who Killed The Electric Car?', Michael Moore’s controversial 'Sicko', the award winning 'Being Caribou' and the powerful Canadian documentary 'Toxic Trespass'.
Link to the schedule here >>
going green...with help
It's never too early to mark your calendars for the return of the Green Living Show to Toronto which runs from April 25-27th at the Direct Energy Centre. It will be a fantastic opportunity to learn and share as there will be over 300 exhibitors offering tips, advice, services and products for all things green.
A show in Vancouver has also been announced and will run from February 29th til March 2nd at the BC Place.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)