got a green idea? pitch the dragons!

Inventors can pitch their green ideas to the Dragons' Den show, live at EPIC: The Vancouver Sun Living Expo, April 18-20.

Inventors will be given a first-come-first-served chance to present a one-minute pitch of their eco-product to a panel, said Nancy Right, director of EPIC, and vice-president of the event sponsor, The Globe Foundation.

If the idea has the potential to grow, the inventor will be chosen to move to the next phase, in a scenario similar to what happens on Canadian Idol.

The Dragons' Den is just one of several events and products to be promoted at the second annual expo, which will offer a range of environmentally friendly products and companies that mix style and quality with sustainability.

Links:
Vancouver Sun article
CBC Dragons' Den
EPIC: The Vancouver Sun Sustainable Living Expo

the trees say thank you

The Canadian Tire catalogue is officially a thing of the past. Canadian Tire Corp. has cited the environment and the increasing number of customers using the internet and online shopping for why the catalogue is being quietly phased out. Savings from the cost of printing the catalogue (delivered to 6 million households, twice a year) will be invested in the continual development of its website, for one.

Full article at the Globe and Mail.

We can all breathe a little better now...

finding the real farmer

A wise neighbour once gave me a handy tip: on your next visit to your local farmer’s market be sure to check out their vehicle licence plates. Farmers usually have specially marked plates issued by the Ministry of Agriculture – plates that have the word ‘FARM’.

That is not to say that every farm vehicle is specially marked, but there is the chance that those that aren’t may not belong to the actual farm, but instead to a wholesaler or third party seller of goods.

I find this trick invaluable when trying to decide which stand to buy from. There’s just something to be said for putting my money directly into the hand of a hard-working farmer.

bringing the green at heart together

Forget facebook...Green Nexxus is a new social networking website where you can share, publish and contribute green knowledge, and learn from others about how to reduce our impact on global warming and the environment.

Creators Ryan Groom and Ric Cuthbertson have been working on the project close to two years. Says Cuthbertson, "We've discovered a niche and we created a highly interactive website that has the potential to capture hundreds of thousands of members...We want to see the site grow to become a collection of communities that will eventually help us reduce our collective environmental impact."

some homeowners willing to pay planet-friendly premium

A TD Canada Trust Green Building Poll conducted last fall by Ipsos Reid found that 73 per cent of Canadian homeowners, or those considering buying a home, would be willing to pay a premium for environmentally friendly features, indicating that some are actually willing to put their money on the line for the good of the planet.

"Going green is good, but the cost of going green is a real issue," says Toronto realtor Catharine Palmer. She says many people are content "to do their `green thing' by taking the vehicle, taking the subway, or buying a bike."

Also, different buyers have different ideas about what it means to "buy green." More people show interest in green homes and products if they think they can provide good, long-term economic return and energy savings, realtors say.

And some Canadians are still skeptical of the movement, Palmer says, with 64 per cent in one poll rating the "green" products claim as a marketing ploy. Not surprising, given the amount of greenwashing we see every day.

Full article at the Toronto Star

slum tourism?

GoGirlfriend.com, a travel-based opinion site for women, reports on a trend that has travellers snapping photos of shantytowns, back alleys and garbage dumps in some of the poorest regions in the world.

Dubai-based Reality Tours and Travel organizes tours in poverty stricken areas to give travellers an honest, up-close look at life in places they wouldn't travel to without a guide: garbage dumps in Brazil or the squatter camps of Rio de Janeiro for example.

Supporters of the trend say tourism dollars open up job opportunities and raise global awareness of poverty and how individuals can make a difference. But is it ethical? Read the whole article here.

Read more articles on ecotourism at GoGirlfriend.com

Even more reason to be green

Back in December, Live Earth asked readers to post comments on their green holidays. I was perusing these responses when I stumbled upon this jewel of an answer:

"The most effective way to go green is to stop buying newly manufactured products, stop buying anything made in China, stop spending your money at big box stores which usually trash the environment and basic workers rights.

Instead, give a service (massage, car wash, child care, yard work, tech support, catered meal, etc.), a hand-made gift by you, or a local craftsperson, something recycled and refurbished. Resolve to only purchase locally made food, products," posted by Kayla.

What an intensely powerful statement. A statement that really sums up all of the important issues of today.

do canadians care about the planet?

Some do. A poll by Nanos Research on high definition TVs found that 48 per cent of male and female respondents rated concerns such as power consumption and toxins used in manufacturing as very important when considering which HDTV to buy (source: CBC).

In January, a poll done for CTV and the Globe and Mail found that 93 percent of those surveyed said they were willing to make some kind of sacrifice to solve global warming. The results showed 76 percent would pay to retro-fit their homes to be more energy efficient and 61 percent said they would reduce the amount they drive in half.

(Sure - since 72 percent also said they would pay more for a fuel-efficient car).

ontario appoints new climate change czar

In the ongoing fight against global warming, Queen’s Park has appointed Hugh MacLeod as Ontario’s climate change czar. He’ll be responsible for ensuring that the various environmental initiatives set out by the province come to fruition.

Some of the province's Go Green initiatives include banning incandescent and inefficient bulbs by 2012 (with the recent talk about CFL’s, especially the disposal process, it’s clear there’s still a lot of work to do), close all coal-generating plants by 2014 and implement new and improved rapid transit.

Read the full article --> Toronto Star

living green : a year in the life

Vanessa Farquharson, columnist for the National Post, recently completed a year of green living where she made daily changes in her life. She wrote that "we need to maintain a constant awareness of everything we do, use, eat and throw away, everywhere we go and how we get there, what we buy, why we buy it and what happens when we don't need it anymore."

I find it's becoming second nature for me to think of what impact my daily activities and decisions will have on the planet. As for tangible goods - where is it made...how far did it travel to get here...but most of all - do I really need it? More and more, I find myself passing on items that even last year I would have bought without a second glance. Do I miss them? Sure, some more than others, but I'm in it for the long haul and that's got to count for something, right?

Each purchase made is essentially a vote..an endorsement. One vote alone is just one, but together they can make such a difference.

Read the full National Post article.

Vanessa Farquharson's blog.

disposables - less terrible, still bad

Starbucks napkins now read "Less napkins. More plants. More Planet. Less Napkins" and claim to be made from "100% recycled fibers with at least 40% post-consumer material in a bleach-free process." Still disposable, but you can feel less guilty about it (that is of course unless you're one of those people gobbling up rolls upon rolls of virgin trees a week in the form of paper towels.)

Starbucks also claims their cups are made with 10% post-consumer recycled fibre, which is more than our old stand-by Tim Horton's can say (since the wax lining in their cups makes them non-recyclable in most places). But shouldn't we be bringing our own mugs anyway?

Hundreds of millions of paper cups are tossed into trash bins across Canada every year, and they all wind up in landfills. Coffee shops have for years offered discounts for those that bring their own cup, but I rarely see people do it, and admittedly rarely do it myself. I guess because it's inconvenient. Or maybe it's because I secretly want to roll up the rim.

But whatever our selfish reasons, it's also time for the food and beverage industry to step-back and take a serious look at what they're contributing to landfills every day. Bridgeable containers and cups are now readily available and should be used. And as for our old nemesis, Styrofoam, it's time to say "absolutely not."

unplugging from the consumer grid

Understanding that it is better to reduce and reuse than recycle, a growing movement of people worldwide are choosing to unplug - instead of buying green, or buying recycled, they're just not buying.

Worth considering, since each of us fills 30 garbage bags across this country every year. Many of those who have sworn off shopping (save for obvious exceptions like food and medication) say it has given them more free time, and that they feel more connected to their community.

Less time shopping means more time in parks and libraries. It also means more borrowing, which requires getting to know your neighbours.

For more, read this Earth Hour article from the Toronto Star, or watch Annie Leonard's online video The Story of Stuff via the link to the right.

tea anyone ?

As an herbal tea drinker, I was pleased to stumble upon Mighty Leaf Tea at a restaurant a little while ago. It was even better yet to learn that the beautiful pouches the teas come in are environmentally-friendly.

The silken tea pouches are made of polylactic corn and are stitched together using unbleached cotton string.

“The beverage of tea is one of the greatest gifts our earth gives us, and so it is only natural that we serve it in a package that is bio-friendly to Mother Nature,” owner Gary Shinner said. “It is most satisfying that Mighty Leaf Tea products can now be enjoyed at another level of gratification as well as pleasure and health. Cheers!”

The teas can be purchased online or at a variety of locations across North America.

Enjoy your cuppa!