Clean Air Day is here, and you’ve probably asked yourself what you can do to help. There are many ways in which you can ensure cleaner air and a healthier climate, and the more of us that help, the better the results will be.

People account for roughly 28% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in Canada. That is almost six tonnes for each person, per year! Think about it before you turn on that light, drive to a local store, boot up a computer or do anything else that uses energy. We can help lower the total greenhouse gas emissions.

You can start in your home. The average house has various cracks and gaps in the caulking, around the windows, doors and vents, etc. That makes about 1.50 square feet per house. Use weather stripping and caulk to seal all the leaks in your house, and you can not only help the environment, but also save about 20% on your energy bill!

Insulation is a sound investment, particularly in our Canadian climate . A small amount of money spent on insulation will pay for itself in only a few years.

You can use an automatic thermostat, too, to regulate your air conditioning and your heating, when you’re not home. And clean out or replace that furnace filter, to keep a good flow of air and to allow your furnace to work at peak efficiency.

Installing low flow showers and fixing leaky faucets will save you money on your hydro bill. And purchasing a new energy-wise refrigerator will allow you to consume much less energy than owning an older model, or one with bad seals. Be sure to check the EnerGuide label on refrigerators and any other appliances you buy, and get one that is energy efficient, so it will cost less to run.

Use cold water whenever you can and let your dishes air dry, which will save the heat generated when the dishwasher dries them.

Think ahead, think about the environment, and think about how we can help.

Toxins seep into our lives and our bodies in the most inconspicuous ways. The little things we do every day could be leading us down a toxic super highway: washing our face, brushing our teeth, or taking a shower. All of these have the potential of polluting our bodies and our entire environment. Why? Because of the chemicals contained in the products we use and how industry produces these products.

The air we breathe, the products we use and even the food we eat, all contain traces of toxins. Although Canada has strict guidelines on how much pollution a company is allowed to pump into the air and water and how much and what types chemicals farmers are allowed to use, there is not a total ban. This means pollutants still seep through and into our bodies.

Toxic Nation did a very interesting study of how much toxins the human body contains. They sampled different families from different parts of the country. Read more about the study and the findings, maybe find a family close to where you live.

One interesting point in the BC family is that the teenage daughter has more toxins than her mother and her brother, and both children had more than the mother. This could be because of the priming and primping teenage girls do – putting more chemicals in and on their bodies. Young women are developing rapidly and keeping them away from toxins will make a difference to them and our world now and in the future.

It is virtually impossible to keep every toxin out of our body and our system, but watching what you eat and what kinds of soaps, deodorants and shampoos you use is a good start. As consumers we can choose to live in a way that limits our exposure to toxins as well as limits the amount of toxins we send into the environment.

As we refuse to purchase toxic products, companies will cease to manufacture them and real change will happen.

Wise words from Carl Sagan to give us some perspective this Earth Day.

As Earth Day approached ,my inbox was bombarded by press releases letting me know of all the new and improved products and services that I should tell my readers about. Some were truly innovative and I might mention them somewhere down the line. However, tomorrow is Earth Day. It is not buy more stuff day.

Last year we moved into a duplex with a front and back yard. We didn’t have that much space before and we were not allowed to compost where we lived previously. Since moving, we have set up a compost, a rain barrel and we have recently turned a portion of our front yard into a vegetable garden using the square foot gardening approach. I think on Earth Day, I’ll take time to take stock of what we have done, and what more we could do to take care of the planet.

This will not include buying anything new no matter how much the product has improved over the last year. It’s all marketing. And when I do need something, I am going to stick with the companies that I have taken years to find and add to the directory. They are not spending millions on Earth Day advertising to sell me something that they have formulated just to market on Earth Day in order to capture more market share. They all sing the same song, day in and day out, all year long. I want to support their efforts for the long term.

If we are really celebrating Earth Day we will do something toward improving the planet. One thing I keep meaning to do is to learn what plants to put in my garden to attract the native birds and butterflies. They seem to need the support and they are a vital part of our ecosystem. I took a couple of books out of the library the other day just for this purpose. There is also a great site, Evergreen that lists native plants all over Canada. They recently profiled the Pacific Bleeding Heart, which attracts hummingbirds. I would love to see hummingbirds in my garden. I will ensure that some of these plants make it into my garden this year. I think this would be a good way to celebrate Earth Day.

I would love to hear what you will do (or did!) to celebrate Earth Day.

There is a new business in Vancouver: Growing City. They drop off a compost bin at your place of work and then pick up the contents and clean it out weekly. We wanted to know more about what Andrew and Lisa do so we asked them for an interview.

EC: Thanks for taking time to tell us more about yourselves. We love the idea of a composting service. Tell us your story. When was your ‘aha’ moment?

Andrew & Lisa: The idea for Growing City was sparked by a trip to Desolation Sound. We were staying on this beautiful island where composting was mandatory and we experienced firsthand how powerful composting can be in reducing overall waste. The garbage we ended up having to boat off the island was minimal.”

We returned to our work lives in the city with a new awareness and sensitivity to the amount of organic waste we were throwing in the trash. We knew that the most effective way to get people composting would be to make it as simple and easy as possible.

EC: What types of clients do you service? Do you service schools? Residential? Or just business?

Andrew & Lisa: Our clients include large mining companies, small creative start-ups and everything in between. We also service schools and high density residential.

EC: I think teaching kids to compost and recycle is incredibly important to our future.

Andrew & Lisa: We totally agree. At the school events we’ve serviced, we’ve seen serious composting commitment from the kids. We also speak at schools and let students know that they have the power to educate and make a difference. Kids get it right away and are excited to tell their friends and families about composting. Youth are some of the strongest green ambassadors we have.

EC: I notice that you have been running a ‘beta’ program. What are some of the challenges you have faced? Has this trial period allowed you to iron out the details?

Andrew & Lisa: We wanted to be sure our clients were getting the ultimate service, so we spent time tweaking bin sizes and collection procedures to see what worked best. We’re constantly striving to impress our clients, so we’ll always be interested in their feedback and ideas.

EC: Sometimes it is difficult to get people to wash their own coffee cups at work. Have employees embraced the program, or is it an educational process to get people to compost at work?

Andrew & Lisa: (laughs) We know what you mean - however composting with Growing City is even easier than washing a cup - no cleaning or washing required!!

We do offer introductory presentations for our clients, where we introduce their new green initiative, explain how it works, showcase the benefits of composting and answer any questions their team may have. We also provide our clients with monthly diversion updates that showcase how much waste they’ve diverted from the landfill. These impressive diversion figures reinforce the positive impact they’re making and encourage usage. We also find that because our service is a tangible environmental initiative that employees participate in everyday, teams are quick to adopt the good composting habits. We also accept a variety of organics, which makes it easier for the client. Coffee grounds, food waste, cut flowers, paper towels, paper plates, stir sticks are all compostable and Growing City friendly.

Andrew and Lisa of Growing City

EC: What happens to the food once it is collected?

Andrew & Lisa: We take the waste to a local composting facility to be composted.

EC: What happens to the resulting soil?

Andrew & Lisa: The waste is processed by a local composting facility and is distributed to farmers, landscapers and gardeners. Businesses have the option to acquire the compost they helped create and use it to fill their planters in the spring - a great example of a complete waste reduction cycle!

EC: Thanks for taking the time and we look forward to seeing Growing City grow like a weed.

Andrew & Lisa: Thanks so much for the support and for the work you do!

We also wanted to let your readers know that throughout the year we volunteer with a diverse range of inspiring organizations and friends. We invite you to join us! Give back to your city, meet some fun people and experience something new. Get in touch with us to learn more - GrowingCity.ca.

Our official launch is taking place April 17th! Please see all the information below.

Growing City’s Flower Power Party
Place: The World in a Garden
located at the corner of West 57 and East Blvd., Kerrisdale, Vancouver, BC.
Date: Saturday April 17th
Time:10am-3pm

On Saturday April 17th we will be celebrating Growing City’s official launch with the folks from World in a Garden. There will be community garden organic flowers for sale as well as other garden goods. Seeds of Plenty’s Tricia Sedgwick will be giving tours of the remarkable urban sanctuary she helped design. Get to know the garden even better by working on it! Guests will have the opportunity to plant, shovel and weed from noon until 3pm. BBQ will be served care of Choices Markets, with all the proceeds going to support urban agriculture. So come hungry and leave healthy!

Between the toilet, sink, bathtub and shower, the bathroom might just be the most water-unfriendly room in the house. Today is World Water Day, so here are some easy, conscientious and FREE ways of conserving water in the bathroom. We will follow up with two more water wise articles, one for the kitchen and one for the yard.

o “If it’s yellow let it mellow, if it’s brown flush it down” - Once just a humorous guideline, now a motto to live by… in your own home, anyway. Let your recycled toilet paper sit there for a while and flush only as needed.

o Finally, a good use for a plastic water bottle - If you don’t have a low-flow toilet, fill one with water and add to your toilet’s tank; this will help reduce the amount of water drained when the toilet is flushed.

o Put a bucket under the tap while you are waiting for your shower water to heat up; use collected water for your plants, to mop the floor, to cook your Mac and cheese, or anything else that comes to mind.

o Once you are in the shower, get out! Rather, don’t dilly-dally. Lather, rinse, repeat, and then turn off the tap.

o If you opt for a bath, keep the water low and again, reuse; graywater systems are becoming increasingly popular, but you don’t need expensive new plumbing to reuse your gray water – sprinkle your lawn, your garden, or use to flush the toilet.

o “Please don’t flush sanitary products or paper towels down the toilet” – The sign posted in your mall’s public bathroom applies to your home as well. Dispose of your household paper products in the garbage; this will help eliminate the overuse of gallons of water.

o Finally, for the love of whomever you pray to, do not keep the water running while you are brushing your teeth, washing your hands or shaving! So simple, so self-explanatory, so do it.

Incorporate one, two or all of them into your routine, because for all our good intentions, sometimes the most obvious things are the ones that get passed by.

Do you have any other ideas that we have missed? Add them to the comments.

March is nutrition month in Canada. I try to eat nutritious food, staying away from pre-packaged food as much as possible, but sometimes eating healthy food and maintaining a sustainable diet seems complicated: organic vs. conventional, meat vs. vegetarian.

One of the best ways to eat fresh, nutritious and low carbon foods is grow them yourself. Whether a container garden on the balcony or a large vegetable garden in the backyard some vegetables are not too difficult or time consuming to grow. Try beans, cherry tomatoes, lettuce or carrots, if you are just starting out. As you gain experience you can add more vegetables to your garden plans.

Stay away from pre-packaged foods as much as possible. I know this is a challenge. I have two active kids and it can be difficult to always have enough fruits and vegetables and home-baked goods to satisfy them. We are often on the go and it is so much easier to grab something out of the cupboard when I have run out of time. However, preparing food at home and focussing on fresh fruit and vegetables is certainly the best choice.

If you’d like to have a nutritious and sustainable diet, become vegetarian. The truth is that a plant based diet is just as complete as a diet that includes meat and can reduce you carbon footprint by 1.5 tonnes. If you really love meat, then try to reduce you meat-based meals as much as possible and focus on chicken and eggs as they are less carbon intensive than beef and dairy.

I try to buy organic whenever possible, but the truth is this may not be the most carbon-friendly alternative. When it comes to plant crops, organic is more carbon-friendly as conventional fertilizers are carbon intensive.

With poultry farms, conventional farms tend to be more carbon friendly than organic farms. Organic farms are more poultry friendly, however. In conventional farming, chickens are kept in very small cages and can’t move about. It doesn’t take much to fatten them up. Chickens given more space take more time and more feed to grow to market size. I suppose if your only concern is your carbon footprint then conventional chickens are for you. However, if you are concerned about farming practices, then going vegetarian or eating less meat while making more ethical choices is best.

These are just a few of the many choices we face with each trip to the market or grocery store.

There was recently an informative article published at New Scientist, “What is your dinner doing to the climate?” if you would like to learn more.

As omnipresent as it is today, it may be difficult to remember that bottled water was a novelty just 10-20 years ago. It was once a trendy accessory or punch line for pampered celebrities – “she demanded 10 bottles of Perrier to wash her hair with.” Now, thanks to a turn towards healthy lifestyles and aggressive marketing, bottled water has become as common and widely available as, well, tap water.

Credit: Suat Eman

With the threat of privatisation and landfills overflowing with empty plastic bottles, The Canadian Federation of Students, Polaris Institute and The Sierra Youth Coalition have teamed up to spearhead Canada’s first Bottled Water Free Day on March 11th. You are invited to take the pledge to “not drink bottled water where public water is available” and to “ditch the bottle and turn on the tap!” If you are still not convinced, here are some of the scarier facts you may not know about the bottled water industry:

o In terms of environmental impact, consider the following: for every bottle you drink, TWO bottles are used to produce it.

o According to the Pacific Institute, 17 million barrels of oil were used to produce the 31.2 billion litres of bottled water consumed in the United States.

o Between the shipping of raw materials to plants and the finished product to shelves, the industry is a HUGE contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Imagine what it takes to ship Fiji Water from Fiji or San Pellegrino from Italy…

o The energy cost of producing a plastic bottle is equal to filling ¼ of that bottle with crude oil.

o Bottled water and plastic resource companies have spent MILLIONS to fight against deposit return programs. These programs would require them to assume some of the recycling costs and of course, lessen the demand for their products.

o 10-15% of the price of a bottle of water goes to advertising costs.

o What the advertisers fail to mention in these ads is that in terms of quality, NOTHING about bottled water is different from tap water – except its cost.

o In fact, marketing campaigns have been so effective that they have contributed to a diminished confidence in public water systems and have set the ball rolling for privatisation of water services; consumers would be willing to pay more for “safer” water.

Regulation of the bottled water industry vs. regulation of tap water:

o In Canada, bottled water is considered a food product under the Food and Drugs Act and Regulations. Government oversight that exists for these regulations has not been updated since 1973.

o It is estimated that Canadian bottling plants receive, on average, one inspection every 3 to 5 years.

o There have been 29 recalls of 49 bottled water products since 2000, only five of which were made public; products were recalled due to bacterial or chemical contaminations.

o In Canada, the quality and safety of tap water is the responsibility of municipalities and provinces, though federal guidelines also apply when it comes to quantities of microbiological, chemical and radiological substances allowable in the water.

o The City of Ottawa conducts over 125,000 quality tests per year and the City of Toronto checks its water for bacteria every 4 to 6 hours.

Big business and bottled water:

o Coca Cola (Dasani) and PepsiCo (Aquafina) are two of the four “Big 4” water-bottlers (with Nestle and Danone).

o These companies actively pursue beverage exclusivity contracts in public institutions like universities and public buildings.

o School contacts are often long-term (10 years) and contain stiff conditions like quotas and enormous fees for termination.

o Free water fountains are often removed from schools while cost to operate vending machines can rise up to $175,000 per year (paid by the university).

o In Canada, 25% of bottled water sold is reprocessed tap water; most of it is sold by Coca Cola or PepsiCo.

o The bottled water industry has spent BILLIONS on marketing.

o For Coca Cola and PepsiCo, revenue for bottled water (per unit) is greater than soft drinks.

You’re convinced, now what can you do?

o Visit the site, get informed
o Take the pledge
o Keep the pledge – This isn’t just for one day, it’s a real commitment
o Inform others – Talk about it, tell even just one person or print the free advertising materials available on the website
o Get your school/business/municipality to sign up – So far, 3 universities have made the commitment to ban bottled water, as have cities from 8 provinces and 2 territories
o Also, visit Brita’s “Filter for Good” campaign and pledge to replace bottled water with reusable containers.

The bottled water industry is less regulated than municipal water systems, consumes more energy and releases more harmful toxins into the environment than tap water. If that were not enough, privatisation increases the risk of regulation of a resource that is vital to life. And if that doesn’t convince you, I don’t know what will.

‘Waste not, want not’ was a common refrain from Helvi, a friend of my parents when I was young. Apparently, she had what is commonly referred to as ‘Elephant Man’s’ disease, but I don’t remember that. They said she rarely left the house because of people’s reaction to her, but I was young and had no expectations of her physically. I only remember her saying, ‘Waste not, want not.’ and slapping my hand when I fingered the cookies looking for the best one.

She was right, of course. Waste not, want not. She taught me an important lesson. This week is Waste Reduction Week and a good time to reflect on Helvi’s wisdom. So I challenge you to slow down this week and think about what you are using, what you are buying, what you are discarding.

Challenge yourself to use less: less electricity, less water, less paper, and much less packaging and disposable goods.

Each time you reach for your wallet think, “Do I really need this? Could I do without? Could I use something else? Is there a more sustainable option? Will this be in a landfill in the next six months, six weeks, six days?

When you put your foot on the pedal to open the garbage can, question why you are tossing this item into an already overburden landfill. Can you find another use for it? Can you give it away? Can you recycle it?

Every day this week, Ethical Consumer will help you with this challenge by suggesting ways to be less wasteful. We’d love to hear what you are doing to be less wasteful as well.

Did you know that the David Suzuki Foundation has recently started a book club? If you are interested in reading and discussing books that relate to our environment, here’s your chance. To get in on the action, you can sign up at http://www.davidsuzuki.org/BookClub/ The first book on the list is his very own, The Sacred Balance: Rediscovering Our Place in Nature.

You can also get in on the action on the book club’s Facebook page.

This comes at an opportune time. Firstly, David Suzuki recently won the honourary Right Livelihood Award for his “for his lifetime advocacy of the socially responsible use of science, and for his massive contribution to raising awareness about the perils of climate change and building public support for policies to address it”. They call him one of the “most brilliant scientists… of his generation.”

Further, in December world leaders are meeting in Copenhagen for a UN climate summit. The David Suzuki Foundation has been working to make a difference by encouraging people to give world leaders a wake up call that we want change. Today there was a news conference attended by Tim Flannery an Dale Marshall. They both believe Canada should take a positive role and lead the fight. I agree.