This is the time of year when many of us review what we have accomplished and set goals for the new year.  For Christmas I received a Business Calendar from Polestar, located in Slocan Valley, British Columbia.  My calendar was printed on 100% post-consumer recycled off-white text paper, processed chlorine- and acid-free, using vegetable-based inks.

After having a look through it, I really like it and look forward to using it over the year. At the beginning of each month, there is a page with Goals & Objectives, To Do This Month, and New Projects/Ideas. Then, each week, there is a space to write in meetings, deadlines, work as well as space for weekly correspondence and a weekly to do list. For more information, check out Polestar Business Calendar.

If you are looking for a more family or school oriented calendar, they have them as well. You can order them online or go to their website for a list of stores in your area where you can find them.

I know, there are many online alternatives that would eliminate my need for a paper version but I am just not there and may never get there. It’s not that I don’t use them. I do. My online calendar lists all of my life’s activities, including my children’s current athletic adventures, family appointments, school events, work, and the list goes on. I find I need a separate calendar just for work so that I can focus my attention where it needs to be.

If you are like me and still need to hang on to one paper based calendar, then Polestar is a great option. Not only are they a fabulous Canadian success story, they are an ethical business and they have put a great deal of time into making calendars that really work.

In my previous holiday-gift-related post, I promised to give some more attention-worthy local designers/independents some justice. The definition of “green” is definitely not static; different designers and businesses are inevitably going to be transforming business-as-usual in different ways, whether it is using reclaimed materials or contributing to small-scale business and strengthening local economies. 

I’m going to do my best to list some notable hip-to-the-groove designers and local business owners from across Canada but please feel free to add suggestions in the comments section if I missed someone spectacular! Some of my picks were influenced by the oneofakind show that made its first stop in Vancouver and of course BC’s funky design community. I apologize if I’m leaving out the guys a little; I’ll square things up in the new year.

Since I can’t be everywhere at once I’m sure some of our readers in different areas can clue us in to what’s happening in their particular region. If my suggestions are cutting it a little too close to the big day, don’t forget - everyone loves belated gifts! Oh, and I’m generally a size medium, for the record…you know, in case you’re feeling generous.

ST. JOHN’S, NF
Johnny Ruth
Not only does this store cater to women of many different sizes, it is a “socially responsible, ethical and transparent retailer.” At EC, that’s what we like to hear. Johnny Ruth researches suppliers to ensure manufacturers abroad are complying with the International Labour Organization’s standards for fair labour practices and urges shoppers to opt for “clean” clothes. Nice work, Johnny Ruth! We hope other retailers follow the great example.

Living Planet T-Shirts
Wow, a screenprinting company that uses soy-based cleaners and the most eco-friendly processes available? Awesome. A screenprinting company that specializes in printing works by local artists? That’s awesome too. A company that does both? Double awesome! Owner Dave Hopley’s been at it for 20 years so it sounds like a guarantee you’ll be happy with what you find here - and can feel good about it to boot.

MONCTON, NB
Sandstones Art Gallery and Flower Shop
If it’s special artistic treasure you’re after, look no further than Sandstones Art Gallery and Flower Shop which features items created by local artisans. Find everything from pottery to stained glass to jewellery and candles. Sounds just about right for last minute holiday purchases! My mom would love this stuff.

HALIFAX, NS
Love, Me Boutique
This cute little boutique stocks Canadian handmade, small-run independent products that are far from crunchy. In fact, they are quite funky! Perfect for aspiring eco-fashionistas and grown-up ones alike.

MONTREAL, QC 
OOM Ethikwear
“Today’s responsible consumer is more conscious and understands that his purchase has great influence and wlll encourage the awakening of a mentality that values equality.” Hurrah! OOM makes clothing that is both ethical and urban, supporting local social causes as it goes. Clothing that expresses the owners’ social values? OOM gets our vote.

OTTAWA, ON
Kania
Ok, a piece from this designer is definitely on my wishlist. It was love at first sight the minute I came across the vibrant and cozy designs from Kania, a luxury street style clothing line based out of our nation’s capital. Oh, Canada! You do know how to dress a girl.

GUELPH, ON
Sole Earth Apparel 
An environmentally and ethically conscious company, S.E.A sells everything from unique recycled paper beads to household items. Guelph has always had a bit of a green thumb so if you’re in the area, support this new local venture!

TORONTO, ON
green is black 
green is black backs its chat when it comes to “being green.” Their assertion of “voting with our dollars” to support socially responsible business aligns quite well with what EC is all about. The store came into being when the green is black owners-to-be were frustrated with not being able to find sustainable fashion that was actually fashionable. Each product’s environmental and social impact is measured before being purchased by the store, ensuring its origins are the best they can be. All hail green is black.

WINNIPEG, MB
Andrea Pelletier Experimental Designs 
This designer caught my eye due to her interesting credentials and, of course, passion for the planet. Pelletier enjoys using reclaimed materials and old clothing when possible to reduce the impact of textile waste, which is a huge issue in the clothing industry - and everywhere else. Pelletier makes clothing, wedding gear, fashion, custom and remade clothing. She also offers DIY sewing advice for free…and you can’t get much for free these days, now can you?

SASKATOON, SK
Cassie Danielle 
Independently owned Cassie Danielle creates eco-friendly garments in-house and are committed to sustainable business practices, like using strictly ecologically sensitive fabric, responsible production techniques and keeping environmental impact as low as possible. Cassie Danielle also plants one tree for every item sold to help offset their carbon footprint. Did I mention the clothes are also pretty cute!?

CALGARY, AB
Shisomiso Boutique & Gallery
A crafty three-in-one venture dedicated to independent fashion and design, Shisomiso is a boutique, gallery and work space all in one. Shisomiso’s focus is to support young Canadian designers and offer up hand-selected wares from across the country. Their lovely website, which appears to be designed by one of the two owners, is also a breeze to navigate and browsers can find links and details about all the designers found in the store.

VANCOUVER, BC
Billy Would Designs
Like your jewellery funky, chunky and reclaimed? Look no further than Billy Would Designs. Designer Adea Chung rescues exotic hardwoods from local woodworkers who can no longer work with the “leftovers” and crafts handmade, one-of-a-kind and sustainable jewellery. This stuff is sure to please the “au naturel” beauties in your life…and just might look pretty gravy on you too!

Olie
Get cozy with Olie! This line of cozy, handmade knits is sure to keep snuggle bunnies happy and loungin’. Designs are styled decidedly with city folk in mind; this ain’t your grandma’s poncho! Made locally with 100% Baby Alpaca wool, Olie’s line keeps growing and we can’t wait to see what’s next.

And the winners are

K Barber from Manitoba and Jessica from British Columbia! Congratulations!

Both winners should be in good shape this year for Santa as according to a CBC article - Santa letters tout reusable lunch bags - Santa is responding to kids’ letters this year with green messages. And he has good reason.

The North Pole is in danger of having a completely ice free summer by 2013. Besides not being good for Santa, there are a number of other consequences.

• Northern peoples can no longer live their traditional lifestyles and are seeing their culture, language and communities melt away with the ice.
• Seals can’t build ledges on which they rest, eat and bare their young.
• Polar bears must swim greater distances than their bodies were meant for in order to find decent hunting grounds. Many now drown.

In other words, an entire ecosystem is in collapse.

There is good news. We can all make a difference by reusing rather than discarding our lunch bags, sandwich wrap, water bottles, bags and many other items we use regularly. Did you know that 99% of what we buy lands up in a landfill within six months?

Each reusable sandwich wrap will keep 260 disposable sandwich bags out of our landfills each year if you take sandwiches to work everyday. A reusable sandwich wrap costs $7.50.  The cost of 260 disposable sandwich bags at $0.04 each: $10.40 each year.  So using a the sandwich wrap can save you almost $3.00 in the first year. If you are buying your sandwiches at the local shop each day, packing your own will save you a lot more that $3.00.

Although $3.00 may not seem like a lot of money in savings, add that to what you are saving by bringing your own water bottle, and all the other savings you can come by being green.  Somewhere I heard that being green is expensive. For me, being green has saved me money.

Looking for a yoga studio that honours the environment? This is part one of a two part article on how to create a green yoga practice, that was inspired by and written with Mojgan from Newport Yoga in Port Moody, B.C.

Energy Source/Lighting

Natural light is the best source, of course. If that is not possible, use low-watt energy saving light bulbs. When it comes to yoga though, candles not only add warmth and light the room, but they can also facilitate meditation; try using bees-wax soy rather than petroleum candles. Even though energy sources may not be under your control, if you can, weigh all the options before you make a decision.

Turn down, not off, the heat when the studio is not being used. No point in heating up an empty space. This will also save you money.

Flooring

When it comes to flooring there are many alternative options to hardwood, which are durable, and require less time and energy to clean and maintain. One option is cork – it is soft to the touch providing extra cushioning when you are on your knees allowing you to go deeper into your poses. It also doesn’t reach the low tempratures of other flooring options, so it is comfortable to walk on barefoot. Cork flooring is one of the most eco-friendly floorings available, as “the harvesting of cork is performed in 9 year cycles and all of the harvesting is done completely by hand, ensuring that the cork oak tree will be treated with the utmost care and for this reason the bark of the cork oak tree will grow back” according to Floor Build Direct as cited in brighthub.com.

Alternately, why not use renewable resources such as bamboo. Not only does it have hardwood qualities, but it also will add that zen feeling to your studio.

At the end of the day whether you go with the options above, linoleum, or hardwood, you can still contribute to an eco-friendly flooring by how you maintain and clean your studio space. Use non-toxic cleaners, and sweep instead of vacuuming.

Wall Coverings

Why not allow local artists to display their art on your wall? Not only will you be supporting your local artist community, but you’ll also provide interesting and maybe thought provoking ideas and images for your yogis to look at as they are working hard to keep that chair pose. Mojgan, from Newport Yoga finds it also helps during savasana because she have something to focus my mind on.

Newport Yoga Studio

Marketing/Advertising

There are still people who need a paper copy of your schedule and that’s fine. Just print a few at a time and replace them as necessary. Put your schedule on your website and put a note beside the paper schedule to let people know of the option before they take the paper copy. When a new schedule is being posted, email it to all the yogis who have attended in the past year (with an opt out, of course) and encourage them to use it or the one on your site rather than printing it out. If you can control the content of your home page, each morning put that day’s schedule up front and centre so people can quickly see what is happening today. This is also a great place to announce changes and may free up some phone time.

Advertise in non-paper based locations such as online communities and directories. Also implement a referral program. Even if you think you can’t afford it: re-evaluate. If the average clients spends $100.00 per month on yoga or $1200 over one year, and each clients stays an average of five years then each referral is worth $1200 * 5 or $6000.00. That should be worth a free month when one of your loyal yogis brings a friend who signs up for a year and will probably stay as a client for 5 years.

If you are using paper, make good paper choices such as 100% post consumer where possible. So long as you print as little as possible and use the best paper choice available, I say… Job well done!

Stay tuned for part II.

My kids like to hang out online playing games. My youngest even bought herself a Webkinz since mom and dad refused. There are more sites than I can count but there is a new kid on the block that has caught my attention. If you are looking for kid friendly sites that are environmentally sound you will want sign up for myfrog™.

myfrog™ is a safe online multi-player game for kids age 8-12. Designed and created by Lisa Doyle, myfrog™ fills a void of educational and fun content in the 2.3 billion dollar a year casual gaming industry.

myfrog™ is a site that provides kids with a place to make choices and solutions that will help protect and preserve their environment. Dealing with climate change and environmental problems can be scary for a kid, and modelling solutions in the virtual world of Frog Hollow means that the user can eventually apply solutions in their real world.

The site was created in less than six months with a team of designers, programmers and animators and they have no plans to slow down. The next phase - due in January 2009 - will allow kids to earn badges such as the Water Conservation badge or the Recycling badge. As well, in 2009, the virtual world will go real, with web cam link ups to neighbourhoods in various participating cities in North America. These web cams are the precursor to frogstop™, an interactive frog kiosk that will gauge the environmental health of particular neighborhoods. This will create a real world application for online challenges, and will encourage healthy competition among neighborhoods.

Interested kids should hop on over to www.myfrog.ca and have their parents sign them up. Membership is only $5.95 per month. And starting December15th, mention Ethical Consumer when you sign up and you will receive one month free on a three-month membership or four months free on a one-year membership.  I’d hop right on this since it won’t last past Christmas.

Here’s wishing you a Green Christmas!

Aside from the cost of disposable diapers, and the environmental issues, disposable diapers are also known to contain traces of dioxin, a known carcinogen, and sodium polyacrylate, a chemical that was banned from tampons due to its association with toxic shock syndrome and that can cause skin irritations and severe allergic reactions such as vomiting, staph infections and fever. A 2000 study in the Pediatric Department at the University of Kiel, Germany, found that scrotal temperature was consistently and significantly higher during the use of modern disposable diapers compared with cotton diapers, and that prolonged use of disposable plastic lined diapers may be linked to male infertility and testicular cancer.

According to Claudia Froome, President and Co-owner of Claudia’s Choices, cloth diapers also encourage babies to potty train faster than with disposables.

Froome says “parents have so many more choices available these days, including ‘all-in-one’ cloth diapers that are as easy and convenient to use as disposables; no pins and no separate diaper covers. Although using a diaper service is preferable over disposables, washing cloth diapers at home allows parents to go bleach free.

According to Environment Canada, the waste from cloth diapers is properly treated as sewage, while disposable diapers in landfills can be a breeding ground for a wide variety of viruses, including Hepatitis B and Polio from vaccines given to newborns. Also, the effluents from the disposable diaper manufacturing process (plastic, pulp and bleached paper) are more damaging to the environment than the cotton and hemp growing and manufacturing process.

Since cloth diapers are re-usable and they help protect against the depletion of our natural resources, they are eligible for the EcologoM. This indicates that Environment Canada has recognized them as a superior choice to disposable diapers.

Froome says “the decision to use a healthier, more environmentally friendly alternative to disposable diapers has become easier in recent years, as alternative products have become more readily available”.

Claudia’s Choices is a Calgary business offering ‘envirosponsible’ baby accessories, laundry products and cleaning supplies.