Archive for the ‘recycling’ Category
HUMP DAY LINK LOVE
“Insurgents”
“War Crimes”
“Weapons of Mass Destruction”
These are some of the countless words and phrases we hear each time we flip on the news. In fact, the current war in the Middle East has been raging for more than six years years. It’s no wonder that in that time, every news report from the region blends in with the one before it and the one after. It’s even probably safe to say that we as a Western nation have become desensitized to the brutal reality faced each day by the innocent civilians who know no other way of life.
Last night I watched Brian De Palma’s ‘Redacted.’ Never before did I understand what even a narrow slice of living in the middle of the Iraq war is like – from both sides. It wasn’t until I saw this film that I understood the complete absence of any civil rights in the lives of Iraqi citizens. It broke my heart, it enraged me and thoroughly disgusted me.
You owe it to yourself to see this film. [trailer]
ADDICTED TO GREEN
I’ve been waiting on pins and needles for this weekend’s Green Living Show at BC Place Stadium. Educating myself, particularly with respect to subjects that fit in with my values, has always been something I’ve held in high importance. I’m always excited to go on adventures with Becky, and this was no exception. My plan was to review the show, share some pictures and point you, my readers, in some interesting directions (if you planned on visiting the show). However, it turned out that there was so much to learn, see, do, take in and read about that to re-cap it all in one post will be impossible.
That being said, I plan on creating a series of posts which will appear here and on the frogblog over on the happyfrog website, breaking down some of the ideas shared, products presented and anything else that I think will be beneficial and of interest to you all.
The truth is, sustainable living is something that can be applied to a part of nearly every facet of everyday life, from food and clothing to transportation and construction. Each and every one of us are responsible for doing our part, and to do so is much easier than most may realize. Even just changing one aspect of your life is a change for the better, whether it be eating locally-produced vegetables or incorporating more eco-friendly fabrics into your wardrobe (bamboo is terrific and irresistibly soft). Organic beer is even an option if you just need to take baby steps!
That being said, here’s a look at some of the shenanigans us ladies got up to:
Here’s a quick list of particular booths, products, ideas and services I recommend checking out:
Also, make sure you stop by the Clear FM booth and enter for a chance to win a $2,000 “Eco-Dream Deluxe Bedroom Makeover” from Dream Designs, including 1 queen size organic cotton supreme futon mattress, 1 queen size organic cotton sateen sheet set & duvet cover, 2 standard size organic buckwheat comfort cloud pillows, 2 standard size kapok filled pillows, 1 bamboo filled duvet, 1 hemp shower curtain and delivery anywhere in Vancouver.
Two final pieces of very important advice I leave you with:
1. Though you will be tempted to try samples of all the foods and beverages you see, once your tummy is full of no less than organic chocolate, organic beer, coconut oil, hemp butter, organic wine and hemp milk, that same tummy will be very, very angry with you.
2. The guy running the Zipcar booth is very cute.
GREEN MADE EASY
If you’ve been incessantly scratching your head, attempting to figure out ways in which you can incorporate a little bit more green living into your life, you may be interested in checking out The Green Living Show. From February 29 until March 2, more than 200 globe-friendly companies will be displaying their wares and ideas at BC Place Stadium. Dedicated to “information, innovation and inspiration,” the Green Living Show has a wealth of ideas and information for those who already live a wholly green lifestyle and those who are wondering where to begin.
Adult ticket prices are $10.50 online and $12.00 at the door. Please visit The Green Living Show’s website for more information on vendors, tickets, location, green tips and more.
——————————————————
It seems that I’ve been watching a lot of classic British cinema lately, and I believe I’ve found a new love in doing so. Last week I finished the entirety of the BBC’s ‘Pride and Prejudice‘ from 1995 starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. My first thought as the credits rolled was “forget ‘Dirty Dancing’ because this is my favourite new love story.” How I never saw it before this year is beyond me because it’s a fantastically acted movie that tells a smile-inducing story. The tension and chemistry between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett is perfection. That being said, I have no desire to see the recently released version starring quite possibly one of my least favourite actresses, mostly due to the fact that you can’t build on perfection, so the 2005 film would be nothing but a let-down.
Photo: BBC/Television Heaven
A few nights ago I began watching a BBC mini-series that was released in 1971, “Elizabeth R,” which chronicles the rise, rule and reign that Queen Elizabeth I held over England in the mid-1500s. In what is said to be the most accurate portrayal of England’s beloved Queen, the incomparable Glenda Jackson commands the audience to watch and be enamored.
What I love most about this film, besides the fascinating story, is the acting. By way of their exuberant motions and movements, it is rather obvious that the majority of those playing in the film are quality British stage actors who rely heavily on their bodies to convey their character. What is most brilliant about this is that they could all be performing this film on a sound stage in nothing more than jeans and t-shirts, free of props, and the film would still be just as engaging.
The winter brings about the most perfect weather for diving into cinematic classics, so I’d suggest tackling this one if you’re up to the task. Because let me tell you, those Brits are most certainly dedicated to their craft.
——————————————————
The second Kokanee Day For Dudes of 2008 is happening this Friday at Mount Washington, which is reason enough for Becky and I to make the trek to Vancouver Island. For 59 bucks, men can ride, take a lesson and enjoy some apres good times in the lodge, sponsored by Kokanee. Did I mention you also get to oggle Becky and myself when you catch glimpses of us shredding up there?
MAKE IT A GREEN 2008 (YOU REALLY HAVE NO CHOICE)
The City of Vancouver is making it much tougher for you to be lazy when it comes to taking care of your community (and your planet). As of January 1, 2008, new garbage restrictions in Metro Vancouver will limit what you can stack at the curb or toss into the garbage bins behind your apartment.
Photo courtesy of unity.project on Flickr
The following items are strictly banned when it comes to tossing it in the trash:
For more information, please visit the City of Vancouver’s website.
I still have yet to find a composting solution for downtown living aside from worm composting. If anyone has any ideas, solutions or knows of a downtown location at which to rid of compost materials, please e-mail me at keira at keira-anne dot com or leave a message in the comments.
DREAMING OF A GREEN CHRISTMAS
When I was a little girl, our family always trekked onto the snow-blanketed farm at my Uncle Alfons’s and picked out the most beautiful tree we could find for Christmas. I loved bringing it home and decorating each and every branch with all things twinkley and bright. What I loved even more was the rich scent that filled every corner of our house.
In the last ten years or so, it seems that Christmas has instead become a time to pay hommage to Radiohead with a fake, plastic tree in our household.
My family isn’t the only one to take on the ideal that it’s better to have a fake, reusable tree rather than cutting down a real one each year. However, if we really get to the “root” of things, it doesn’t seem as though that’s the case.
Photo courtesy of Janet Moore-Call on Flickr
Dr. Faisal Moola of the David Suzuki Foundation supports an excellent case for trimming a real tree each Christmas rather than hauling that big box out of storage.
“Real trees are far, far more superior environmentally than a plastic tree that is non-biodegradable and can’t be recycled,” he notes. “Most cities have programs where they will collect Christmas trees and pulp them or chip them and then they’ll use them as a growing medium in our parks and natural areas so the nutrients the tree acquired while it was growing are then returned back to the earth.”
Still not convinced? Time for a breakdown.
1. Real trees are biodegradable; fake, plastic trees are not. (Just make sure you remove all scraps of tinsel and garland when disposing of the tree).
2. Local Christmas tree farms grow the trees for this very specific purpose, and you can rest assured that as soon as you hack your tree down, another seedling is planted in its place.
3. Growing trees, whether in nature or on a Christmas tree farm, produces oxygen and absorbs carbon dioxide – your lungs will thank you (and the trees smell grrrrrrreat!)
4. Sure you can use your fake, plastic tree for a dozen Christmases, but did you give much thought to the environmental pollution generated to have that tree shipped to you from China? And further, even though it’s fake, the tree will ultimately still reach the end of it’s life and will simply be another chunk of non-biodegradable plastic in the landfill.
5. Shop for your tree at a local, sustainable Christmas tree farm and you’ll be supporting your local economy.
GOING GREEN GETS EASIER ALL THE TIME
Tuesday is the one day each week where you can skip into any entertainment retailer and grab the newest releases in movies and music. Being that HMV is supremely convenient for me, it’s where I go. Today, as I paid for my purchases, I discovered that shopping at HMV is going to be something even easier for me to do; not for convenience sake, but in terms of shopping with a clean, green conscience.
“Oh! And check this out…our bags are now biodegradable!” the eager young salesman pointed out.
HMV has swapped their trademark shiny black and pink bags for white transparent ones with the same logo splashed across the side. The bags are made with EPI Environmental Technology:
“Once discarded in landfill sites, the exposure to sunlight, oxygen and heat will convert the plastic in this bag into water, carbon dioxide, mineral salt and biomass. Like a fallen leaf it will disappear over time and leave no harmful residue in the soil.”
I’m applauding yet another retailer making a small effort in the big picture.
——————————————————
While I’ve got you thinking green (and shopping, for that matter), I want to tell you about a brand new website that just launched. ClickGreener is something I heard about through the grapevine (the grapevine being Bethany), and it seems as though it arrived just in time for Christmas.
Photo courtesy of CarleyJane on Flickr
With this season and all its joys comes countless hours of dragging one’s feet through overcrowded shopping malls in search of awe-inspiring gifts for friends and family. ClickGreener endeavors to avoid this annual headache by presenting an online shopping portal – linked full of names and companies that you know and love – with the goal of making shopping greener.
“ClickGreener has carefully chosen its non-profit partners to ensure that every dollar generated from your purchase helps the environment as much as possible
Each partner uses the money generated from your purchase to focus on a specific area of environmental impact. Together, these four areas form a holistic approach to making this a greener world.”
Consider ClickGreener as a smart alternative to your Christmas shopping for 2007.
(And hold your breath because there’s an equally cool – if not cooler – website that I’m going to share with you all in the coming days that’s much more Vancouver specific, so stay tuned!)
——————————————————
The weeks before Christmas are going by faster and faster with activities, parties, shopping, preparations, baking and all things that get me excited happening on a near-daily basis. Mt. Washington Alpine Resort is set to open on December 6th – that’s just two days away! I can already smell the snow, pine and clean air. You and me, Becky – we’re on.
Tomorrow, as you all know, is Wednesday. With Wednesday comes my weekly delve into human sexuality and I am quite sure that most of you are going to have an opinion on tomorrow’s post, one way or the other.
SLOPES AND TOTES
Photo courtesy of Mount Washington Alpine Resort
That exciting day is only 13 sleeps away! Mount Washington Alpine Resort is set to open on December 6, 2007, so pray to the snow gods, keep your fingers crossed,and your board waxed! Life on the slopes gets better and better each year at Mount Washington, now with expanded night skiing, 1,200 acres of all skill levels of terrain, snow tubing and, of course, a wide selection of beer in Fat Teddy’s at the lodge.
For more information on operating times, location, lift tickets and anything else your brain requires, visit Mount Washington’s website.
——————————————————
Photo courtesy of spectruss on Flickr
Last night Vancouver’s local news reported that Canadians use approximately 55,000,000 plastic bags every single week across our country. Re-using your bags is always a great idea, but these will all ultimately end up in landfill. I know many of you are already on board with cloth shopping bags, but lately using these satchels to carry your stash has become much more trendy. If you’re not itchin’ to grab some (which are usually about .99 cents at your neighbourhood grocery store) from Safeway or Superstore, check out BYOB – Bring Your Own Bag.
Developed in 2005 by two Vancouver-area women, BYOB actually designs seasonal cloth bag collections with delicate motifs and tongue-in-cheek slogans. Personally, I’m a fan of the “F*@k Plastic” tote.
THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT
I can’t believe it’s taken me more than two decades to do so, but as of late, my level of environmental awareness has shot through the roof. Perhaps it started with the realization of my near-kindred relationship with killer whales, but taking care of the world around me is something I’m starting to incorporate in my life more and more each day.
As I stood in the line-up at the English Bay Safeway this evening, I surveyed the dozens of customers at the overloaded tills and was shocked at the endless stream of plastic bags being used. So, I loaded up my three reusable bags and hiked home in the rain, hellbent on sharing with you all some easy ways we can start being less ecological jackasses and more educated nature lovers.
- Ditch the plastic bags and grab some reusable cloth bags. They’re usually ridiculously cheap, and many are actually made out of recycled plastic bags. They’re super tough too, so you can stop double-bagging it.
- Not in the room? Shut off the light.
- Unplug any adapters or electronic items you’re not using at any given moment.
- Leaving the water running while brushing your teeth can cause up to 3 gallons of water to go to waste. That’s more than people in some third world countries use in a week, let alone two minutes of brushing your teeth. Shut the tap off.
- Cold? Grab a blanket.
- If it’s possible where you live, compost your organic waste. Those apple peels and egg shells can count for up to 40% of what fills your garbage can. (As I mentioned last week, I recently wrote to the City of Vancouver regarding composting initiatives for those of us living downtown but have yet to get a response.)
- Much of your so-called garbage is recyclable…make sure you throw your soda cans, bottles, cardboard, and newspaper in the blue bins. Some grocery stores have plastic bag recycling bins, so if you insist on being an idiot and not switching to reuseable bags, at least recycle your plastic ones.
For more information on ways in which you can better do your part, visit some of the following links:
Changes Recycling Centre
Metro Vancouver Garbage & Recycling
Recycling Council of British Columbia
Return-It
——————————————————
*Post Edit: In the comments section, many of you have been contributing great ideas of your own so THANK YOU! With Christmas just around the corner, please be reminded that wrapping paper is not recyclable. As another smart-thinking solution, I’ve decided to wrap all my gifts in recycled paper or plain stock paper that I can decorate myself and then recycle. Also, all gifts will be given in reusable bags to spread the green cheer!