I’ve worked on the EcoAction Teams program for over three years, and I’ve learned that taking positive environmental action in my life is not only simple but contagious. I’m not an environmental scientist or engineer, just a concerned urban dweller who decided she needed to mesh all her passions with environmental work. I also love words and social commentary, so blogging is a good fit. Born and raised in friendly Manitoba, I live in Toronto with my trusty bicycle.
Blogger: Prabhjit Banga
Since being captivated by the cartoon movie FernGully at the age of five, Prabhjit (Prabh) Banga has been an avid supporter of green causes. Prabh has over four years of experience working in the environmental sector on diverse topics, including conservation, waste management and environmental education. She recently received a Master of Resource and Environmental Management at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Born and raised in Toronto with roots in India, Prabh loves to travel and discover new places!
About ecoblogist
Like the tagline says, this blog is all about news, views and tips on living green. Read ‘em, share ‘em – we’re all in it together. Once you start doing a few things differently, it’s pretty hard to turn off that chip in your brain that says, “Should I be buying this? Should I be doing that?” Maybe it begins with remembering to bring your own bag when you go shopping, then suddenly you’re thinking about dual flush toilets, power bars, and energy efficient coffee makers before bedtime.
Ask Us
We won’t pretend to know it all, but we do know where to find the answers. Send us your green living questions and we’ll be happy to address them in an upcoming post.
You’ve been so busy cultivating and growing this summer, why not take a moment to show off your labour of love? Just snap some shots of your garden and add them to our Earth Day Canada Facebook page.
Post your pics by Friday, August 13 for your shot at winning a garden care toolkit!
Earth Day aside, St. Patrick’s day is probably the greenest holiday in the calendar. But if you really want to go green on St.Paddy’s day, don’t drink the tinted brew, opt for a true green beer.
Mill Street organic beer
The truest green beer is an organic brew (made from organic barley and hops). Choose one of these fine Canadian brands if you can find them in your beer store or at the pub:
Failing that, choose a locally-brewed beer. Microbreweries make great craft beers and you’ll be supporting your local economy while reducing the transport greenhouse gas emissions required to ship the heavy glass bottles around the country.
On Sunday, we welcome the Year of the Tiger. The Chinese New Year celebration is the most important of Chinese holidays. It is a time for the family to come together, feast, renew ties, make a new beginning and wish each other good fortune for the coming year.
The New Year is a vibrant festival and great fun to celebrate at home with traditional food, handmade lanterns, storytelling and music. Have your own eco-friendly family traditions durring this important time of year? Send us your suggestions!
For the last eight years, I have celebrated Valentine’s Day with a significant other. I’d like to think that we stayed clear of the clichés and put our own spin on the day. We supported local restaurants, organic and fair trade products, sweat-free clothing shops and other independent businesses. No blood diamonds for us!
This February, there is no better half, and Valentine’s Day is way more annoying than it used to be. Unless you are holed up in some sort of dungeon with no TV or computer, Valentine’s Day ads are everywhere – reminding you that you are single and should not expect to have a romantic surprise to look forward to.
But Valentine’s Day doesn’t just annoy the recently-single. It has a bad rap among enviro-conscious people with its crass commercialism and its forced love message. So if you find yourself annoyed this Valentine’s Day, here are some eco-savvy ways to make it a little more bearable!
1. Surround yourself with people who share your values (environmental or otherwise)
Maybe now is the time to join that action and resistance group you’ve wanted to or look into some community gardening opportunities for the spring. If you’re not up for meeting new people quite yet, hang with your crew. They like being around you and will keep you busy.
2. Make a coffee date (at an independent coffee shop)
Still not wanting to see lots of people? Then opt for one-on-one time with someone who brings you comfort or who inspires you. Now might be the time to reconnect with an influential person in your life who has provided you with guidance in the past. Is there someone that you admire intellectually or creatively?
3. Indulge in some organic sweets and treats
Hey, we all have to eat right? What better way to treat yourself and put some money towards equitable consumption. A truly win-win scenario.
4. Make a commitment to your health, holistically
Are there several things ailing you? Sore back and neck? Digestion issues? Lack of energy? Get thinking about taking your health into your own hands. Think about how some of your issues might be inter-connected and talk to people who make those connections. Many are actually environment-related. My chiropractor practices from a holistic perspective and helps me see the connections between my eating habits, allergies, sports routine and home and work environment.
Being good to the planet is a bonus on Valentine’s Day. No matter what you choose to do, love yourself. A healthy, happy you is the greatest gift you can give yourself and to others.
How so? Once you’re firing on all cylinders, the potential you have to make some great things happen (and attract great people) is unlimited…
Also called the festival of lights, Diwali is one of the most popular festivals in the South East Asian culture. The occasion celebrates the victory of good over evil. Lamps and candles are lit to chase away the darkness of ignorance and welcome the bright light of enlightenment. This is a time of reflection, thanks and renewal. This Diwali take the time to reflect on the things you can do to make your Diwali celebration an eco-friendly one.
Diwali Cleaning In preparation for Diwali every year my family and I clean our home from top to bottom. The cleaning is done to harmonize the space around us to derive positive energy. Any unwanted clothes and household items are donated to our local shelter. Cleaning up, not only means cleaning your home, but also cleaning our environment, so pick up some litter from the ground!
Avoid the Fireworks As a kid lighting firecrackers was the highlight of Diwali. The brighter the sparkles were and the louder the noise they made, the more excited I got. But I soon came to realize that the temporary joy of watching firecrackers was replaced with a stinky toxic smell. Toxic substances used in the firecrackers aren’t very good for us or the environment. Celebrate by lighting candles and diyas (small clay pots filled with oil in which a wick is lit) and avoid the fireworks.
A Candle-Light Diwali Being the Festival of Lights, this is a good time to remind ourselves of all the energy and resources it takes to light up our homes and businesses. On Diwail, many people leave all the lights on in their home. Please avoid this. I prefer the look of diyas and candles, instead of electric illumination, not only do they look nicer, but it also cuts down energy consumption. If you’re putting up outdoor lights, use LED lights; they come in bright colors and use 80% less energy than traditional lights.
Also, keep in mind that the deeper meaning of Diwali is not about lighting up our homes, it’s about dispelling darkness in our lives and ushering in positive feelings and energy.
Buy Less Since Diwali is also a celebration of abundance and wealth, many people believe that it is a good time to buy. Often, people go out and buy new items even when they don’t need them. Cut down your shopping list and avoid purchasing unnecessary things this Diwali. Instead of buying gifts, make them! Bake some goodies, paint a picture or take one of your mom’s old sarees and drape it over a canvas to make a great piece of art (see picture below).
This Diwali take the time to reflect on the things that you can do to live responsibly and reduce your impact on the environment. A little thought and care can make a huge difference.
It’s hard to believe that summer time is coming to an end and “back-to-school” is here. Whether you’re helping your children get ready for school or going to college/university yourself, this year plan ahead and go back to school in eco-style.
Reuse supplies from previous years
Before you hit the store, do an inventory of any school stuff from previous years. Most supplies, such as sturdy backpacks, lunch kits, pencils can last more than year, so you don’t need to buy them every year. If you do have to buy, look for items that are sturdy, long-lasting and contain recycled materials (see below for more tips).
Moving on?
If you’re moving away for college/uni, ask your family or friends for unused furniture or household items. If you do have to buy, check out your local thrift store or on sites like Craig’s list and Kijiji…it’s cheaper than buying new and you’ll be recycling!
Litter-less Lunches
When preparing your kid’s lunches, think litter-less! Not only does it save money, since you won’t always be purchasing brown bags, but it also reduces the amount of waste you’re producing! For older students, its easy to fall into the trap of always eating at the cafeteria, but if you bring your own healthy homemade lunches, not only will you save money but you’ll also avoid the freshman 15!
School Green Clubs
Last but not least, encourage your kids to join the school’s green club and if there isn’t one, help to start one! In elementary school I learned a lot about environmental issues through my school’s green club. Most colleges/unis also have environmental clubs… they’re a great way to take part in environmental causes as well as to network and meet people in the environmental field! I found my first environmental job through my uni’s green club.
Here are some more ideas for back-to- school prep:
- Buy a sturdy, comfortable backpack that you or your child can use year after year. Avoid backpacks made of nylon or new plastics, especially PVC (vinyl), and look instead for bags made from recycled materials or natural materials, such as hemp.
- Purchase recycled paper – then try to use both sides to reduce waste even further.
- Reuse last year’s pencil case. To make it look new, decorate it with fabric paint and create a new look.
- Buy beeswax or soy-based crayons, water-based paints, and water-based markers and glue, all of which are better for the environment than oil-based products.
- Buy in bulk and avoid individually prepackaged items.
- Healthy lunches and snacks are important for children and help with concentration and learning, so pack nutritious lunches with vegetables, fresh fruit, dairy, protein and water.
- Have your children walk or take the bus to school. If you do need to drive your kids to school, try to start a carpooling initiative with other neighborhood parents and kids.
- Encourage a non-idling policy for your school, so school busses and parents picking up their kids are not idling in front of the school.
In Toronto, this is the issue that can’t be put to bed.
Must be all that caffeine.
The City of Toronto now says it plans to ban paper coffee cups sold with plastic lids by the end of 2009. Recyclers don’t want mixed paper and plastic because one contaminates the other.
Tim Horton’s, the reigning king of coffee in Canada (colonizing approximately 80% of the national marketplace), is “incredibly dismayed” with the City of Toronto. No surprise that it doesn’t like the idea of a ban. It would be pretty “inconvenient” for them to redesign a cup for the purposes of one city.
But the coffee giant has its own plan. They just announced that they will institute paper cup recycling systems in their stores across Ontario.
Environmentally-sound move? Hmm. Token gesture? More like it. Forgive me if I think Tim Horton’s wants to hang onto that disposable coffee cup with plastic lid combo as long as possible. This from the company who tells its employees to ask you if you want an extra paper cup so you can “roll up the rim to win” even when you bring your own mug.
And really, what good will in-store recycling do? Tim Hortons does not create a coffeehouse experience where you drink your beverage on site, they are all about take-out. i.e. take out of the store to drink and dispose.
Rather than vowing to change the City of Toronto’s plans, I got an idea for you Timmy. How about a “bring your own mug to win” contest? Then we’ll all be winners.
Halloween was no ‘holiday’ for prairie kids. I grew up in Winnipeg and every October 31, it never failed; Halloween was the coldest day of the fall.
We’d be sitting in class in the afternoon, and all of a sudden the sky would turn grey, the wind would pick up and sure enough it would be ice-cold come time for trick-or-treating. Us kids were forced to wear our Halloween costumes over our snowsuits!
Now when I think about Halloween, I think less about the meteorological aspects of the day and more about the socio-environmental. I think about the mass consumption of artificially sweetened candies, chocolates, pumpkins, one-use costumes, and toxic makeup products. I also can’t reconcile the offensive costumes that are still a staple each year (the ‘Indian brave’, the evil witch, and the offensive to good taste french maid outfit).
Of course, I still look forward to a good party, fun costumes, and loads of sweets. And it’s actually pretty easy to bring an environmental ethic to Halloween…
Top 5 Ways to Green Your Halloween
Look for better candy alternatives to give out at your door at the health food store.
Go natural. While you’re at the health food store, check out the line of natural cosmetics. These products are pricier, but you (or a friend) can use them again. Or make your own blood, bruises, and dyed hair with kitchen ingredients like flour, corn starch, syrup, and food coloring.
‘Concept’ costumes are cool. A friend of mine made her own Miss Universe costume but instead of the dress, tiara and sash, she built a solar system out of Styrofoam balls and attached it to an old pointed hat.
Say no to vinyl masks and fake teeth. These plastics may contain lead and phthalates. Now that’s scary!
Lazy? Re-use a costume from Halloween past, pay a visit to a second-hand store or rent a costume.
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations designated this day to bring worldwide attention to the issue of food security.
Climate change and bioenergy are the focus of this year’s World Food Day activities, with events taking place all over the world. World food security affects everyone no matter where you live, but the poor feel it most. Food security and climate change are linked as changing weather patterns affect the rise in food prices, and climate change mitigation strategies (from developed countries) have increased the demand for the production of biofuels.
There’s a lot to uncover about these issues, but it’s worth the time to digest. Check out the FAO site for more information on the topic and for ways to get involved.
It’s rare that I brave a new day without a cup of coffee.
And I am not alone. Some of us dutifully bring our own mug wherever we go, but most of us don’t.
When I was in university, the environmental group on campus ecoMAFIA (eco-Males and Females in Action) collected all the coffee cups discarded on university grounds in one week. The results were pretty revealing: dozens of large see-through plastic garbage bags each containing hundreds of cups each.
Needless to say, the group effectively made its point about the wasteful nature of our daily take-away culture.
The City of Toronto has decided to tackle the issue head on. The City will strongly consider such options as a ban, a levy or tax, and a deposit-return program on cups. When the Toronto Star published an article last Sunday about the city’s desire to address the problem, the online version of the article generated a fury of comments (140), prompting the Star to shut down further comments.
Commentators ranged from wholehearted supporters of the initiative, while others were outraged at the idea of the city policing retailers.
I think a ban is fairly extreme, and would need to take into account all outcomes. For example, it would seem outrageous to refuse to sell coffee to a homeless person because they did not bring their own mug. It would also be unfair to single out coffee retailers only, while other retailers continue to shell out disposable cups en masse (e.g. fast food places, theatres, concert venues, bars etc.)
I for one support the idea of an extra tax/levy on disposable cups. But it would have to be something significant so that people feel it in their pocketbooks. I’d like to see a 50 cent municipal tax for each cup of coffee that goes directly into measurable waste reduction programs – which may even fund the free distribution of reusable mugs to the public.
post by Cheryl Gudz
