Hi Cheryl

I really appreciate what you do.

I’m trying to make a better world, one child at a time as an environmental educator at The Toronto Heschel School. And you are correct; we start with remembering to bring our own bags, we end up saving lots of bucks by power barring our appliances and winning over spouses and children, changing behaviours big time.

I am writing to ask you for information you might have for connecting a downspout from a house and setting up a system of water collection to use your rainwater for flushing toilets and washing machines. My  husband is asking since he saw something on Daily Planet last night…

Dear Ellen

Good for you for wanting more information about wise water use, and thanks for reaching me through ecoblogist.

I think that Riversides (a Toronto organization with ties to the City) may be a good resource for you to consult re: rainwater harvesting. Riversides recommends Stark Environmental, an American company that does work in Ontario, for purchasing and installing collection systems.

But have you heard about grey water systems? Capturing and recycling grey water is another option for you to consider. Grey water is collected from the bath, sink, and washing machine and is then directed to the toilet bowl or for outdoor irrigation. A CBC news article highlighted the products and services of Montreal-based Brac systems, who seem to have a good reputation for capturing grey water in homes.

One pretty easy rainwater collection activity you can do, without much hassle or expense, is to connect a downspout to a rain barrel so you can gather water to use on plants and the garden.

Lastly, you may be interested in this ‘healthy house’ model from the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation or inspiration (and information). 

Let me know how things go as you weigh your options. Best of luck!

photo by Kristin Slota

When it’s your business to do right by the environment sometimes a company can fall short in other areas… Environmental employers may expect their employees to live and breathe ‘the cause’ creating an overworked or underpaid staff; job security and benefits may depend on funding from year to year; and workplace safety is another valuable concern for companies that render construction, retrofitting or recycling services to name a few.

Yes, employee satisfaction is incredibly important to the culture of a workplace and to the services the company provides. With that in mind ECO Canada wants to recognize the employers who get it right with their 2009 Environmental Employer of the Year Awards. This year, the final six were chosen based on results of a company employee satisfaction survey. A committee of HR professionals then evaluates both the organization’s HR practices and employee satisfaction results to determine a winner. Want to know who’s been shortlisted?

If half of the extra CO2 we emit is absorbed by the atmosphere, where does the other half go?

Our oceans.

Dubbed “the other CO2 problem” ocean acidification damages ecosystems and creates inhospitable environments for underwater life. And it’s not pretty…

An international panel of 150 marine scientists declared their grave concern at an oceans and CO2 symposium held last October. They say coral reefs may not survive in forty years and acidification may damage commercial fish stocks, which would threaten food security for millions of people.

The responsibility falls to us, the creators of all the excessive C02 emissions that our planet cannot support, to take action. We need to modify our wasteful behaviors on a massive scale so we don’t continue to cause irreparable damage to our environment – above and below sea level.

Take Action
Do you part for the oceans and choose sustainable seafood. Print out and carry Canada’s Seafood Guide with you and learn how to pick ‘em from the start.

Write the PM and the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans
The David Suzuki Foundation just made it easy for you to send a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper and the new Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Gail Shea. Fill out the form and tell them you want your federal government to invest in the protection and management of Canada’s Pacific North Coast.

Explore an Ocean
Are you familiar with Google Earth? I only discovered it today when my colleague and I were talking oceans. Google recently released Google Earth 5.0, a free downloadable software program that allows you to see real geographic images of the world, down to the street level, and now allows you to explore oceans.

Discover an ocean today, and add ocean acidification to your list of environmental concerns and reasons for conservation action.