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.