Post by Prabhjit Banga

Did you know that the average North American woman throws away 10,000 disposable menstrual products in their lifetime? That’s a whole lot of waste, but I can believe it.

During a shoreline cleanup event I attended, over half of the waste we collected ended up being tampon applicators and pads! Even when in landfills, many of these substances can leach into groundwater, streams and lakes, posing environmental health concerns.

Most tampons and pads contain a whole lot of things that do the body and the environment no good. Surfactants, plastics, adhesives, additives, and dioxin – a known carcinogen and by-product of the bleaching process.

If you are looking for more environmentally-friendly menstrual products or have concerns about the chemicals and synthetic materials used to make regular pads and tampons, you should know that there are many proven eco-friendly alternatives on the market.

Cloth Pads

Most reusable cloth menstrual pads are made from natural fibers such as cotton making them cool, breathable and comfortable to wear. By using organic cotton, you can reduce your cumulative exposure to toxic chemicals by ditching your disposable pads. Also, cloth pads cost a fraction of what it takes to keep buying disposable pads every month.

Sponges

Sea sponges are another alternative to tampons –they absorb and expand but require care to be reused again. Sea sponges come from the ocean floor and contain no synthetic materials – just try to find ones that have been sustainably harvested like sponges made by Sea Pearls. One sea sponge will last for about six months.

Cups

Another great reusable product is a menstrual cup. A small cup is worn internally to capture the flow. Contents are contained within the cup until it is removed, and can then be emptied. Some reputable brands include DivaCup, The Keeper, or the Mooncup.

Have fun finding new approaches to your monthly visit from Aunt Flo!

Post by Prabhjit Banga

Just 2 weeks after my Love your Lips post about the lead content in lipsticks, Annie Leonard (authour of Story of Stuff) released a new short film about the toxins in our cosmetics. The Story of Cosmetics is an 8 minute video where Annie talks about our “toxics in, toxics out” cosmetics system and how we got to where we are.

From the lipsticks you smooth across your lips to the shampoos you lather up with the morning, the $50 billion cosmetic industry is a chemical giant that is pumping potential cancer and birth defects into the millions of users that purchasing its products.

To learn more I encourage all of you to take a look at Annie’s enlightening video:

Post by Prabhjit Banga

The weather is warm and summer’s marquee fruits and vegetables are well on their way to your kitchen. And the best place to get your share of this local bounty is at your local farmers’ markets, most of which are now open for the season.

Farmers’ markets are a great way to eat local, high quality, super fresh food. It also means supporting local artisans and farmers to positively impact your environment by buying products that are produced within the shortest distance to where you live. That cuts down on the use of fossil fuels, which leads to significantly reduced levels of pollution and resource depletion over your produce bought at the local supermarket.

Talk to local farmers who grow and care for our food, and learn about different varieties and other flavourful varieties you won’t find at groceries stores. And remember, farmers’ markets are not just for your fruits and vegetables, although those items alone are enough reason to pay a visit. Expect to find meats and fish, herbs, honey, mushrooms, garlic, eggs, cheese, bread and other baked treats, preserves, jams and even plants and flowers.

 As a fellow market-goer , I have learned a few helpful strategies:

Get there Early
Showing up in the late morning means big crowds and picked over produce. Beat the rush by going early and getting the best of the season.

BYOB
Remember to bring your own reusable bags.  

Be adventurous
One of the advantages of shopping at a farmers’ market is that you get the best of the season from local farmers, which is likely to be different from your normal grocery store purchases. There’s nothing wrong with buying foods you know you like, but try to be adventurous with new produce.

Ask questions
You may not know everything there is to know about seasonal vegetables, but the farmers who grow them certainly do. Walk up to each vendor and ask them what their favorites are this week. If you’ve never cooked with them before, ask for a sample recipe or serving suggestions.

Cash only
Most farmers do not accept credit cards and the line at the local ATM machine is a wait you could live without. Pick up some cash on your way to avoid the headache.

Shop around
Samples are commonplace at farmers’ markets and allow you to find the best produce to match your taste. Nothing is worse than buying a basket of strawberries, then finding better ones two stands away. Shop around a bit before deciding on the best purchases.

Post by Prabhjit Banga

Lipstick….my first flirt with makeup at the age of 5…20 years later that flirtation never ceased. But now I realize that the product that gives me those glamorous, flirty lips can be endangering my health at the same time.

According to the US Food and Drug Administration, many lipsticks on the market today contain a surprising amount of lead. Lead is a toxic substance that can affect the nervous system and brain and stunt the growth of children. Makeup worn on the mouth is not only ingested but also absorbed through the skin. In addition to lead, there are an estimated 10,000 chemicals that the cosmetic industry uses to produce lipstick.

Ready to trade your tube of red for something a little greener?
Today, there is an amazing array of natural ingredient and certified organic makeup lines featuring eco friendly lipstick. When looking for natural lipstick, check for ingredients such as – jojoba oil, shea butter, coconut oil, avocado oil, hemp seed oil, flowers, natural butters, and botanical extracts. I personally use Aveda’s Nourish-Mint Smoothing Lip Color, which not only comes in a refillable lipstick case, it is also made with 96% post-consumer recycled resin. The lipstick also contains natural lip plumping ingredients such as coconut protein, pomegranate seed oil and bilberry boost.

Checking for Toxins
If you’d like to see how your lip color fares, check out Skin Deep, a very comprehensive cosmetic safety database from the Environmental Working Group. They provide safety ratings and list ingredients that could be toxic and potentially irritating for more than 40,000 products.

Are you concerned about the ingredients in lip products? Are you switching to more natural alternatives? What are your favorites?

post by Cheryl Gudz

Photos care of Turtle Island News

So.. the dust has gently settled on another Earth Day, a great day of community action and a milestone birthday for Earth Day Canada, the organization.

When I tell people I work for Earth Day Canada, most people think I/we organize Earth Day events. It’s a logical assumption, but it’s not exactly true. We do actively support and promote Earth Day events, especially through our Accredited Coordinators program, but we spend the majority of our time working on year-round education, action, and reward programs for Canadians.

No, Earth Day events are fueled by passionate and dedicated volunteers across the country. And this past April 22, Prabh and I hit the road to support three very different community events in southern Ontario…

11:00 am: Turtle Island News Earth Day Festival, Six Nations

An opportunity to meet with eco-friendly people living on the largest reserve in Canada was an invite I wasn’t going to pass up!

Turtle Island News, the largest native newspaper in Canada, played host to two dozen exhibitors who showcased  activities, products, and services that benefit the environment. A couple hundred excited and interested school children (with parents and teachers in tow) came out for the day. We met so many friendly people (thanks Tyler!) and gave out lots of eco-freebies to the kids – what a blast.

5:00 pm: ‘Living Earth Day Every Day’ at Oakville Town Hall

After a full day of fresh air and sun, we packed up our display table, and headed to the next stop: The Town of Oakville. Partner of the EcoAction Teams program, our friends in the enviro policy department (Thanks Donna!) invited us to deliver a workshop for high school students on how to mobilize their peers using the online EcoAction Teams tools. These students were super keen on living green!

8:30 pm: Earth Day at the CN Tower, Toronto

After a full day of making great connections, Prabh and I found our “second wind” and headed over to the CN Tower for an Earth Day Birthday party. Green Drinks Toronto regularly brings environmental professionals and green Torontonians together, and this year they hosted our 20th Earth Day birthday party 1100 feet up in the air!

Wow, what a complete day we had. Earth Day may be over but the impact felt from the surge of activities every April fuels us for the rest of the year.

Did you have a good Earth Day?

posted by Cheryl Gudz

Dear ecoblogist,

We live in BC and have purchased land. We would like to build as environmental as possible. Do you have any suggestions about where we could research alternatives?

Anything would help as this is all new to us and  we want to know what is going to be cost effective as well. As far as we can see, solar isn’t an option as we don’t get enough hours of sunlight being in between two mountains.

Thank you very much and keep up the good work!

Janet S

~~~

Great news Janet!

Retrofitting a home is super, but building from the ground up is an amazing and rewarding opportunity. You can explore more options and alternatives that are not always open to the average homeowner. EcoAction Teams participants Donald and Sandra Massé built their own eco-friendly home and shared their story with us last year.

Building green, of course, requires some research into the best options for your region, specific location and budget. Choosing eco-options may cost you a little more up front, but you will recover your costs in a few years.

Here are a few options for you to investigate…

R-2000

R-2000 is made-in-Canada home building technology. The R-2000 Standard is a series of technical requirements for new home performance that go beyond building codes and involve three main areas of construction: energy performance, indoor air quality and environmental responsibility. The R-2000 Standard sets criteria for how a house must perform rather than specify exactly how it must be constructed. The builder is free to choose the best and most-cost effective approach for each home—construction techniques, building products, mechanical equipment, lighting and appliances.

Geothermal Systems

You mentioned solar isn’t an option but how about tapping into the energy a few feet under the ground? Consult The Earth Energy Society of Canada website when you do your research and definitely check out their directory of geothermal contractors in your province to get some local info.

Photo by Kristin Slota

Wind Power

Think a windmill is out of your league? It might be if you live in the city, but not if you’ve got ½ an acre of land, your zoning laws permit it, and your neighbours are cool with it. A small 1,000-watt turbine will set you back a few grand (and don’t forget to add parts and installation) but blowing wind is “the answer my friend” in Canada’s dark cooler months. Check out the Canadian Wind Energy Association to learn more.

Green Roofs

The benefits of turning a boring roof into a green paradise are many: green roofs help cool your home from the sun’s hot rays, they absorb carbon-dioxide emissions, and they can prevent sewer overflows. The best part? You can start growing plants and veggies and hang out in your lovely garden above ground. But greening your roof is actually a little more complicated that you may think. Consult a pro with green roof experience and find a list of contractors here.

Grey Water Capture Systems

Capturing and recycling grey water is another option for you to consider. Grey water can be collected from the kitchen sink, bathtub, and washing machine and directed to the toilet bowl or for outdoor irrigation. Find a local greywater expert to talk about options and prices. A simple kitchen sink solution was created by a BC-based inventor.

And don’t forget these must-dos when building new!

- Your best energy saving method is energy efficiency so cut back on your use before you pursue renewable energy!

- Keep energy from escaping the tried and trusted way – with insulation! Proper eco-friendly insulation these days is blown-in cellulose.

- Re-use building materials (did you know you can buy hardwood floors on craigslist?) or shop at your local Habitat for Humanity Restore for all kinds of building supplies like widows, doors, paint, lumber and lighting fixtures.

- For more on environmental homes and design visit Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s Healthy Housing web space.

Post by Brad Pearson*

How many of you are planning to celebrate Mother’s Day with a good ol’ fashioned war protest?

Seems a little out there, doesn’t it? A little political for a day that’s supposed to be about sweet cards, pretty flowers and maybe breakfast in bed.But it might surprise you to learn Mother’s Day started largely with the poet Julia Ward Howe’s 1870 “Mother’s Day Proclamation”, a pacifist reaction to the American Civil War and the Franco-Prussian War.

Decades later, Anna Jarvis, inspired by her own mother’s efforts to heal post Civil War divides, envisioned a day where we could show our appreciation with simple gestures. (She herself preferred a white carnation and a heartfelt letter.) Jarvis campaigned for the day’s official recognition, until U.S. President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation in 1914 calling for the observance of Mother’s Day. Canada followed suit the following year.

Jarvis was keenly aware of the potential for commercial exploitation. “I wanted it to be a day of sentiment, not profit,” she said, and derided greeting cards as “a poor excuse for the letter you are too lazy to write.”

In 1912, she trademarked the phrases “second Sunday in May” and “Mother’s Day”, and created the Mother’s Day International Association. She then spent the rest of her life and inheritance fighting the commercialization of the day.

So how do you think she’d feel about Mother’s Day in 2010?

I’ve lost track of all the stuff I’m supposed to buy: a digital camera, a laptop computer, a coffee gift card, a cashmere scarf, diamond jewellery, a digital music player, a bouquet of flowers. It goes on and on. The vision of my Mom sitting in a café, downloading pictures from her camera onto a laptop, headphones in, bouquet on the table, cashmere scarf draped across her shoulders, diamond earrings glittering, sipping her latte just doesn’t seem much like the Mom I know and love.

One year I did what Anna Jarvis suggested and wrote my Mom a letter for Mother’s Day. It was a bit surprising to see her get so misty-eyed — and the hug that followed might have cracked a rib.

If you want to celebrate Mother’s Day, dig a little deeper than your wallet. Find the time, words or simple gestures that let her know how much she’s appreciated and loved. Less “stuff” isn’t just good for the environment; it’s also good for reminding us what’s real and important in our own lives.

*Brad Pearson is the staff web site and graphic designer at Earth Day Canada, and despite this post, definitely no “Mama’s Boy”. Got it?

Images courtesy: WikiMedia, West Virginia Archives & History, and Flickr user “galfridus73/Geoffrey Sperl”

Post by Prabhjit Banga

If only our tap water could talk to us. It might remind us how valuable and vital a resource it is. How many times a day do we mindlessly let the tap run? Brushing our teeth, shaving, washing our hands, rinsing the dishes, cleaning vegetables, getting a cold drink. So it might also remind us to turn it off when we’re not using it. Sometimes it’s so easy to take our water for granted but it is a finite resource and something we should value and conserve.

This week is Drinking Water Week- a week to recognize the importance of water source protection and conservation, as well as the value, importance and fragility of each state’s water resources. For those of us living in the “developed” world, water is seemingly so abundant and accessible that we’re inclined not to worry about this particular natural resource. But as Annie Leonard explains in her new video, “The Story of Bottled Water,” our water usage–and, in particular, our use of bottled water–affects people all over the world:

Our water is amongst the best in the world. Let’s celebrate it and protect it! We’re asking you to celebrate drinking water week by taking time to think about what a valuable and vital resource our tap water is and how you can conserve it.

Post by Cheryl Gudz

There are so many merits to organic farming, but did you know growing organic veggies could also be really funny? When you permit veggies to grow naturally they often take on a life of their own…

The “Unloved Vegetable Photo Contest” was organized by the Canadian Organic Growers to foster a little love and appreciation for the oddities nature naturally produces. Winners are below and were chosen based on creativity, technical quality, composition, and overall impact.

Note: I reveal my fave at the bottom of the post. Now, you be the judge!

1st Place Winner: So that’s what they’re doing under the ground!

Grower: Stéphanie Pelot, Ferme du Covenant Farm
Photographer: Jean-Pierre Béland

2nd Place: Pig on a Stick

Grower: Daniel Hoffman, Cutting Veg Organic Farm
Photographer: Risa Alyson Strauss

3rd Place: The Tomato Sisters

Grower: Barbara Cooper
Photographer: Barbara Cooper

Honourable Mention: Zucchini Duck

Grower: Melody Allaire
Photographer: Melody Allaire

Honourable Mention: Potato Fish

Grower: Faith Mansfield
Photographer: Jim Porter

Come on now, “Zucchini Duck” is amazing. Definitely my pick for top prize.

Post by Prabhjit Banga

The flowers are blooming and the air is fresh – spring has finally sprung! And with the season come the religious celebrations of Passover feasts and Easter bunny treats. 

This year Passover begins on Tuesday, March 30 and lasts until Monday, April 5. Preparations for Passover include getting rid of leavened bread, preparing a large meal, and trying to make your home as clean and fresh as possible. As you prepare for Passover, review our more detailed suggestions for celebrating the ritual with consideration for the environment: http://www.ecoactionteams.ca/pub/resources/green_scene_2010.03.26.php   

As for Easter, if you’re fasting on Good Friday, there is a good chance you are also avoiding meat. Why not go meat-free the entire weekend? When it comes to decorating your home, choose reusable Easter baskets. Not only will your baskets get used over and over again, you can be put to good use during the rest of the year as napkin holders or even as fruit bowls. If you and your children are dyeing your Easter eggs, use natural dyes from items you might already have in your refrigerator. This could include turmeric for yellow, cranberry juice for red, or red wine for purple.

Easter candy is a tradition so instead of grabbing the standard individually wrapped chocolate eggs, go for organic and natural candies. You can help the Easter Bunny leave a smaller footprint and make your children happy at the same time.

A very happy Passover & Easter to you all.

Have your own eco-friendly family traditions during this important time of year? Send us your suggestions 

Image: http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1034013