Today is International Women’s Day. Why is International Women’s Day so important? Why should we be supporting women around the world. How can we support them from so far away?

Why is International Women’s Day so important?
Women around the world are still considered property or second class citizen’s in many countries. They are not allowed to control their own destinies or contribute to the well being of their own communities. They may not make decisions that affect themselves; they do not have the freedom to earn income or even socialize or seek medical attention without consent of another human being. Women all over the world deserve the right to control their own destinies. They deserve dignity.

Why should we be supporting women around the world?
Women deserve dignity. They deserve to have all the rights and responsibilities of every other human being on the planet. Apart from that, it is a well known fact that in many countries, women are responsible for the health, well-being and education of their children. When women are doing well, their children are doing well. Women who control their own destinies have fewer children and the children that they do have, are healthy, better educated and go on to improve the lives of generations to come.

How can we support them from so far away?
First and foremost, as consumers we can buy products that are made by people who choose to work rather than being forced to work, and who earn enough money to supply the basic necessities to their family. Looking good isn’t worth the suffering of another human being.

We are supporting women this month by asking Canadians to lend $25.00 U.S. to a women entrepreneur through Team Ethical Consumer at Kiva. To learn more about our efforts, check out

Supporting Women Entrepreneurs

Next Monday is International Women’s Day. Ethical Consumer would like to celebrate International Women’s Day all month long by offering loans to women all over the world through Kiva.

Kiva is an organization that connects people - like you and me - who are willing to lend money to people who need small loans in order to start or grow a small business. So for example, Edith has a shoe business and wants to expand but can’t because she doesn’t have the capital. She has more orders than she can fill. She asks for a loan through an agency in her hometown. The agency uses Kiva to raise the money for her. People like me - and you - loan her money. I gave $25 (US) to Edith through Kiva. She asked for a total of $700.00 (US) and received all of it from a total of 25 lenders. She will now pay that money back over eight months. Could she default? Yes, but Kiva has a repayment rate of 98.37%, which is far better than any Canadian bank!

So once she repays the money, her lenders can
- loan the money out to someone else
- withdraw it and walk away, or
- donate it to Kiva for more good works

I have always believed that the best way to alleviate poverty is to allow people to control their own destiny. We are all intelligent and creative beings. This in essence is what International Women’s Day is all about; allowing women to control their own destiny.

Join Team Ethical Consumer at Kiva and loan $25.00 (US) to a women entrepreneur that has a story that speaks to you. Or if you have a business and would like to advertise through the Ethical Consumer directory, purchase a listing for one year for $100.00 (CDN) and we will loan $25.00 (US) to an women entrepreneur for you. Please select ‘Team EC @ Kiva’ when purchasing the listing.

I chose to lend money to a women in Peru because I lived there for four years and Peru will always hold a place in my heart. Why Edith? The day before I left to come back to Canada, I went through all my old shoes figuring I’d buy new ones when I arrived home. I put together a box of shoes I was not going to take with me and walked down to the curb and dropped the box there. I walked back up the two flights to my apartment, looked out the window and the shoes were gone. You have no idea how important shoes are until you go without.

We have a lot of people search our site for information about eco-audits, so EC decided to find out more about eco-audits and what you can expect during an eco-audit. Alexandra Henriques (AH), founder of ECO-Audit was kind enough to answer our questions.

EC: So I guess the first question is, what is an ECO-audit?

AH: An ECO-audit helps families and small businesses green their footprint, save money, but above all protect the health of their members. Why? Because almost everything in the average home is slowly poisoning us. Asthma, allergies, and cancer are rising worldwide at alarming rates. Children are the most vulnerable to this assault, but we can protect them. Through the home or business premises audits we do, we facilitate the adoption of sustainable, healthy, and cost-effective materials, products and practices.

EC: What is your background and how did you get into the business of ECO-audits?

AH: I have been a life-long environmentalist, with over 25 years of experience pursuing sustainable practices and applying them. My professional background is in education, which has come in very handy. I find there is a lot of education to do around mainstream products and practices which are no good for the environment — or us. ECO-audit also does sustainability education by providing workshops, and my experience developing learning materials for adults, and facilitating learning has been invaluable. I got into this business because I wanted to share all the environmental knowledge I had, and help others.

EC: What can I expect, when I get an ECO-audit?

AH: When you get an ECO-audit you can expect an appointment on a day and time that’s convenient for you, an interview to determine your concerns and objectives, and a thorough audit of the home or business premises. This will take from 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours. Within a week, you will receive by email the audit report, this will include all positive actions being taken presently, problem areas with concrete suggestions, a glossary of terms used, and a list of resources relevant to your issues and area. The second scheduled appointment will then take place to discuss the report, answer any questions, and help you on your way to healthier sustainability.
Ongoing support is included in an audit, anytime you hit a roadblock; help is just a phone call or email away.

EC: What types of eco-audits do you conduct?

AH: Besides the whole home or business premises audits, we have Focus Audits, featuring the BABY-audit - “peace of mind for expecting parents”, a very similar Pet-audit, a Diet-audit, which helps you become a locavore, green your diet, and avoid contaminants, especially important for children; we also have for D.I.Y.ers the Reno-audit, the Yard-audit, and the Move-audit; finally we have a Transportation-audit that helps those who want to drive less, but are not sure how to go about it.

EC: What are some of the things you might suggest new parents look for?

AH:To new parents I would suggest less is more, and go back to basics. What we see all around in our society is excess, but not necessarily quality, often just quantity. Go for the quality and protect your baby. For example, you say organic cotton is expensive, I say the baby doesn’t need 10 teething toys, a couple will do, get something healthy you don’t have to worry about. Go back to the basic toys all children enjoy, ones made by craftspeople out of solid wood for example, with healthy finishes, not plastic whose ingredients you can’t check and mass produced by exploited workers.

EC: When I took at look at your website, I was really interested in the Yard-audit. I have always thought we should rethink our yards to focus on native plants especially the plants that attract the birds, bees, butterflies and other animals. Our yards should really be part of the natural circle of life. Is that the focus of a Yard-audit?

AH: Yes, that is definitely part of a Yard-audit, we have strayed too far away from nature, by starting with only native plants and then the value-added of drought-resistance we get on the right path again. Choosing to attract birds, butterflies or bees gives even more value. We can go even further by incorporating in the yard bird feeders, baths, or bird houses, a rain barrel, a composting bin, a dog W.C., a laundry line, or games.

EC: Is there anything else that you would like to add?

AH: Check our website for our Spring workshops, and you can also sign up for our blog.

EC: In closing, I noticed that there are gift certificates on your site. What a great idea for a house warming gift or for a shower gift for new parents. Alexandra, thank you for your time.

Yesterday I highlighted three social entrepreneurs with links outside of Canada. Today I will focus on five social enterprises that are fully Canadian. There are so many social enterprises to choose from and it was incredibly difficult to narrow it down to five, but I think these five really show different types of businesses with a variety of goals all within the realm of social enterprise.

EthniCity Catering

Pure genius. It started out with a few requests for ethnic foods. Today EthnicCity Catering offers high quality, multi-ethnic food to Calgarians. It employs immigrant women in transition and breaks the cycle of “no Canadian work experience, no Canadian work.” I was amazed to learn that women are usually employed by EthniCity Catering for only three months before they find other work or pursue further education. Wow!

Away Courier

When I came across this business, I was amazed to find that they have been around for 22 years and have over 1,700 customers in the Toronto. They are pioneers in social enterprise.  Using public transit, Away Couriers delivers same day packages at a reasonable cost to a variety of businesses including lawyers,  medical services and government departments. Away Couriers was founded and is run by people with direct experience with the mental health system, which is an incredibly empowering and meaningful way to eliminate stereotypes.

The Cleaning Solution

The Cleaning Solution offers cleaning services to businesses, organizations such as schools and churches and government in the Greater Vancouver. They focus on quality, health and environmental safety. They also have a mandate to support individuals recovering from mental illness that are ready to enter the workforce and to combat widespread stereotypes regarding mental illness.

Youth Opportunities Unlimited: YOU

Based in Mississauga, YOU has several services, but the one I was most interested in was their three social enterprises that offer youth meaningful, hands-on job experience. In the kitchen, youth work one-on-one to create preserves that are then sold online. In the woodshop, an experienced carpenter trains youth in woodworking skills to produce exceptional furniture. Finally, at the recycling facility youth are trained in skills that will be valuable in the growing green economy.

Options Canada

Options Canada is a businesses service company that offers printing, photocopying, graphic design along with many other services. In offering these services, they also provide employment training to individuals who have an intellectual disability. The program is designed to help individuals integrate into the workforce and includes business etiquette and transferable skills. Part of the program includes a high school co-op where students can experience what it is like to work in a retail environment. As they say, “this helps them decided what path to choose after finishing school.”

Choice is important for all of us. These are great businesses to choose to work with.

This is one of my downfalls. No matter how hard I try, the number of plastic bags only seem to grow in my home. I usually have my groceries delivered and the store boxes them rather than bagging them. Nevertheless, if I pop in to the store to pick something up I inevitably realize that I don’t have a bag with me.

So this is my pledge today. I will carry one or two bags in my purse for moments like this.  Done. There they are….somewhere at the bottom of my purse, ready for action. I pledge to have few to no plastic bags in my future. I believe that they are unnecessary and wasteful.

Then there is the question of plastic containers for lunches and keeping food in the fridge or freezer.  Alternatives include metal, glass or ceramic. Although, there is no way I would put glass or ceramic in a child’s lunch pack. I already have a number of plastic containers that I have had for years including hand-me-down plastics from the grandparents. I think it would be wasteful to throw them out so I am going to replace them with metal alternatives as time goes on.

What to do about plastic wrap? I try to put my leftovers in those plastics I mentioned but every once in a while I really just want to cover something up and stick it in the fridge. I am going to buy some of these Eco-Food Covers and do away with plastic wrap forever.

As for those plastic toys, not interested. The kids rarely play with them and mostly they don’t offer an outlet for creativity. Besides there are so many alternatives to plastic toys that are natural, fun, and creative. I ask friends and relatives to skip the plastics aisle and think about active or creative games and toys. And sometimes they listen.

I am sure that I have missed some plastic in my house, but I will keep working at it. Where does plastic sneak into your life and what ideas have you come up with to stop the tsunami?

Plastic has been so innocuous in our lives, it is sometimes difficult to see where you are using it. But I think it is time to change the tide and finish using up our plastics dispose of them safely and keep them away from the land and oceans. Enough harm has been done.

Today is meatless Monday. There is a new movement in Canada which you can find at www.meatlessmonday.ca, as a group of Canadians join the global movement. The idea is that by cutting out meat at least once a week, we will be making progress toward a better future.

How, you say? According to the Meatless Monday petition,

“Every time you eat a meal free of animal products, you save 2.5 lbs. of greenhouse gas emissions, 24 square feet of land, and 133 gallons of water. If you eat three meals a day, that totals 2,737.5 lbs. of greenhouse gas, 26,280 square feet of land and 145,635 gallons of water per year, plus more.”

Tonight we are having tomato soup with pasta. Here’s the recipe.

• 1. 5 t oil
• 2 medium carrots
• 2 garlic cloves
• 16 oz can tomato sauce (or make your own)
• 16 oz can diced tomatoes (or fresh diced)
• 1 small zucchini
• 1/2 t dried oregano
• 1/2 t dill
• 8 oz fresh pasta (my kids prefer tortillini)
• salt, pepper to taste
• Parmesan cheese for topping

Heat oil in soup pot. Add carrots and saute for 5 minutes. Add garlic, and saute another 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, zucchini, oregano, dill, and 3 cups of water. Simmer covered for about 15 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

Cook pasta separately, according to package instructions.

Stir cooked pasta into the soup and season with salt and pepper. Add the pasta and adjust spices or add water as needed. Serve, with Parmesan cheese. Add fresh bread and salad and you have yourself a meatless Monday meal.

I have to admit, I love paying for school lunches as I don’t have to dream up what to pack for lunch that day. What I don’t always like are the choices. But over the years, I have noticed the choices getting better and better. This year, an established all Canadian company is partnering with schools to provide healthy alternatives to school lunches.

Arthur’s Fresh has created a 250ml bottle of fresh fruit smoothie - including the all important pulp - for elementary schools. This 250ml bottle is the size recommended by the Dieticians of Canada and contains 2 full servings of fruit. For secondary schools, Arthur’s Fresh Juice offers up a 325ml bottle, containing 2.5 servings of fruit. The ingredients of the fresh fruit smoothies includes fruit, fruit and fruit: no preservatives, sugar or water.

At the secondary school level, the smoothies are offered through cafeterias. Since most elementary schools don’t have cafeterias, Arthur’s Fresh is working with parents, administation and school boards to offer the fruit smoothies to complement existing milk programs. If you live in Ontario, Arthur’s Fresh has a direct-to-school program in which they work with the school to find options for delivery and cooler options to keep the smoothies cool.

With only one in eight of our kids consuming the recommended five servings or fruits and vegetables each day, it is high time that we find a way to get those all important fibre and nutrients into their systems. Arthur’s Fresh fruit smoothies delivers the nutritional benefits of the whole fruit, unlike juice options, that have removed the fibre and often much of the naturally occuring vitamins in processing.

One of my main concerns with school lunches comes with the indivually packed containers that get tossed in the trash. Arthur’s Fresh has worked hard to ensure that their containers are fully recyclable.  Not only that, in 2008/2009, they dropped their greenhouse gas footprint by eight percent. Further, they are a Canadian company!

Interested? You can email them at school@arthursjuice.com or call them at 416-233-6888. You can also join them on Facebook under Arthur’s Fresh School Smoothies.

I have been reading some articles at cbc online lately that has me thinking about how divisive the issues are around climate change, environmental stewardship, ethical consumerism or whatever you might like to call it.  First I read an article such as We’re not as green as we think, study finds or Canadian Consumers 2nd-worst in environmental impact survey and then I start to read the comments.  Soon enough, the conversation seems to turn into a region vs. region argument or a rural vs. urban war. I know that there are the anti-planet people out there who say there is no global warming so we should continue to rape the Earth of all resources and continue to spew toxins into the environment.

They lump everything together and then shove their heads in the sand. I expect this. What surprises me are the people who do want to make a difference who believe we all wear the same pair of shoes. If I live in the city and ride a bike to work then everyone in the world should do the same. Or if I live in the country and don’t have access to public transporation the province shouldn’t spend money on it even in centres of high population. Every one should live like me.

It seems to me that there are many shades of green and depending on where we live and what we do with our lives, we will have different options available to us and different challenges to overcome. The best comments are those that just tell our own stories individually or collectively: what challenges we face and our own two cents worth of solutions.  Here are some of my favourite comments that follow the above mentioned articles.

• I have a 50m garden hose on my roof which preheats the water going to an electric hot water heater.
• Use the natural wind or sunlight to dry up clothes in your backyard or balcony instead of an electric dryer. Ethical Consumer note: Unless you live in Kingston, Ontario where you would be breaking the law. Wouldn’t want to get you into trouble.
• I do not have a car, I recycle my brains out…and I ride my bike everywhere.
• Just took my parent’s house about 90% off the power grid with solar panels and storage batteries.
• We’re turning the water off while we brush or teeth…but flushing 14 litres a time. We’re switching off the lights of uninsulated rooms. We are drinking fair trade coffee and then eating more beef than any human in any other era in history.
• We use a push mower (easy, since it’s my son who does the lawn.)
• I walked to and from work in -30 or colder weather last winter just to see if it could be done. Well it can. I did it last year and will do it this year and many years to come. I like saving $8000.00 a year by not driving…. Winter clothes don’t come cheap though. It will cost you about $600.00 to get the right stuff but you will be warm and toasty in -40 weather.

These were a few of the interesting comments I read.  Even if I am not about to string a garden hose on my roof, it’s a great idea. So if you are like me and are interested in preserving our planet, ignore the naysayers and toss out your two cents and why it makes sense for someone walking in your green shoes.

Today is World Ocean’s Day and next Sunday is Canadian Rivers Day. We take from our waters large amounts of creatures which we dine on and enjoy so much. There was a report out recently that stated that the world’s fisheries could collapse by 2048 if we do not start to adopt sustainable habits. So the last time I sat down for some seafood, I wondered what life would be like without our rich and abundant waterways. Not a world I am ready to live in.

So as a consumer what can I do? Recently, I learned that a program called Ocean Wise has gone national. Next time I plan on heading out for dinner with friends, I will find an Oceanwise restaurant. Eating fish that has been recommended by Ocean Wise allows you to enjoy each morsel knowing that it has been harvested in a manner that limits bycatch. Dolphins as a bycatch of Tuna is probably the best known example. You will also have pleasant thoughts about the ocean floor and other ocean habitats which received no or limited damage. The fish you will be eating will have come from a well managed stock that is abundant and resilient.

In fact, there is no reason not to make a reservation at your favourite Ocean Wise restaurant and head out with friends to celebrate World Ocean Day. You can toast with your favourite wine while you each make a commitment to enjoy seafood sensibly.

When I started www.ethicalconsumer.ca one year ago today, I was unaware of the impact such a resource could have. I had been seeking out ethical businesses as part of my own quest to live a sustainable life and create a sustainable planet for everyone. When I realized that I had collected several hundred, I decided to start www.ethicalconsumer.ca. It would be a shame to do all that work and not share. Since I started paying attention to the number of visitors last July, the traffic to the site has grown by almost 200%. Obviously, there is a need for this type of resource in Canada and I am thrilled to provide it.

Thank you to Canadian consumers who have referred their favourite businesses to the directory, reviewed businesses, commented on the blog, sent in questions and requests and used our directory to find sustainable products and services. This is what a site like this is all about. Next year, we will be asking you what else you would like to see so that we can develop the site into the resource that each ethical consumer can rely on to find what s/he needs.

Thank you to all of the Canadian businesses that have added themselves to the directory as well as referred their colleagues. I am constantly amazed at their dedication to creating jobs that pay fair wages, to providing products and services that do not harm the environment, to offering outstanding customer service all while running a profitable business that feeds their own family. They have also provided inspiration and information to me when I needed either.

Thank you to all the support systems that have given me the ability to get through this first year. I have had business support from service providers such as SnapTech and wedohosting.com. Geneva Bokowski, who is our most popular blogger and buying guide author, has help whenever and wherever needed. Zoey Ryan has guided me through some tough times including the deterioration of my mother’s health, who after a long year of illness and many hours of care giving on my part, moves into an extended care hospital today. Lastly, but definitely not the least, to my family. I have the best two daughters a mother could ever ask for.

I am excited about what year two brings and invite all of the ethical consumer community to join me in shaping this resource that will, I hope, do it’s part in shaping a new economy and a new culture that will bring us all into a sustainable future.

As my mother used to say, “Where there is a will, there is a way.” And as more people find the will to change, the way will become a clear path.

My best to you,
Melody Owen
melody@ethicalconsumer.ca