Love What You Do
After a long cold spell, it’s nice to look forward to a day in February that exudes the warmth of love. That day, of course, is Valentine’s Day and it’s just around the corner. And while it’s easy to say ‘I love you’ with a card or a box of chocolates, try being creative and doing something that will really make a lasting impression on the person you care about. Here are a couple of ideas:
- If you are giving a card, try making your own from re-used materials or sending an e-card instead. Each Valentine’s Day, over one billion cards are given around the world.
- Give your special someone an “experience” gift such as a membership at a local arts or cultural centre, or lessons for something of interest.
- Hold back on the gifts and make a charitable donation instead. And if you select an environmental cause such as Earth Day Canada, your choice will help the Earth in many ways.
- Challenge yourself to make this Valentine’s Day a zero waste day. It can make the day more fun and different from any you have celebrated in the past.
February is also a great time to reflect on what you are passionate about. Every day you have an opportunity to make things better for the planet. This Valentine’s Day, go beyond chocolates, flowers, and romantic dates and commit (or re-commit) to doing your part to lessen your impact on the environment. Sign up on the EcoAction Teams calculator and start sharing the love.
With love,
The‘Team’
P.S. The EcoAction Teams program is here to help you reduce your impact on the environment. Here’s how you can get involved
- Start a team on the EcoAction Calculator and mobilize your friends, family or your coworkers in reducing how much you consume.
- Join our Facebook group and help grow the movement.
- Visit our blog for the latest discussions on environmental issues.
Contest: Tell Us Your Story and Win!
Kick start the year by sharing your eco-friendly actions and win!
Have you contributed to a healthier environment at home, in the workplace or in the community? Enter the EcoAction Teams 2009 Storytelling Contest and tell us what you did to lessen your impact on the environment.
Your story might be inspirational, complex, or humorous but should also describe your efforts to:
- conserve energy
- reduce waste
- shop and garden more sustainably
- save water and
- choose alternative modes of transportation.
Based on your program participation, submit your story in either the “Team” or “Individual Household” category. Panasonic camcorders will be awarded to the regional winners in the team category and digital cameras will be awarded to the first and second place winners in the individual household category.
Please send us your story by: March 22, 2009
Visit www.ecoactionteams.ca/contest for full contest rules and eligibility.
Featured Team: Climate Change Champions
Hamilton Mayor,
Fred Eisenberger.
We are the Champions....
On January 27, Environment Hamilton, the City of Hamilton and Green Venture launched their Climate Change Champions program.
Climate Change Champions is a joint initiative whose goal is to involve 24 organizations in Hamilton, Ontario in cutting energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. Participating groups include a bookstore, a synagogue, a few schools, churches, community centres, and the Hamilton District Labour Council.
If you live in the area, search for the Climate Change Champions team on the EcoAction Teams calculator and join!
For more information, contact project coordinator Julia Kollek (champions@environmenthamilton.org)
Survey Results and Winners of David Suzuki Books!
A big thank you to everyone who responded to our survey this past month!
EcoAction Teams is striving to build a vibrant participant base by making the program more inclusive and accessible. We imagine our participants to be made-up of men and women of diverse ethno-cultural backgrounds who are young and old, single, partnered, or parents, from small towns and big cities across Canada. With your feedback and input, we will work towards making our program more dynamic and relevant to your needs.
The following participants won an autographed David Suzuki book for completing the survey:
Annette in Fort Macleod, AB
Elaine in Oyster Bay, BC
Melissa from Kelowna, BC
Steve in Truro, NS
Jeff from Toronto, ON
Kent in Combermere, ON
Raghad from Toronto, ON
Sophia in Mississauga, ON
Tasha from Kanata, ON
Ting from Mississauga, ON
Congratulations to our winners and thank you once again for providing us with your feedback!
