The Organic Box

I have to share with you all a great project my girlfriend passed onto me that is happening here in Edmonton.  It is called “The Organic Box”.  It  provides weekly deliveries of local and non-local organic produce, brought in direct from local farmers and Canadian distributors depending on the season. Each box contains about 15-20 fresh fruits and vegetables delivered to your home or work. 

They aim to bring their members as close to their producers as possible, sourcing all their produce from local farmers throughout the Alberta growing season.  They will deliver a box of healthy organic, local fruit and vegetables to your doorstep weekly or bi-weekly – your choice.  The quality of the produce is guaranteed and deliveries begin mid May and run for 13 weeks.  Check it out at www.theorganicbox.ca. 

Tracy Fortin

Does Size Really Matter?

                     OR                   

I heard a statistic the other day that really got me thinking.  In 1950, the average home size for a family in Edmonton was 900 square feet.  Today that number is 2100 square feet.  What happened over the last 60 years to make us all feel the need to more than double the sizes of our homes?  My family is certainly guilty of this.  Me and Keith started out as a newly married couple in a new home that was just under 1200 square feet.  While we lived there, both kids were born and the house was too small – or so we thought.  Everybody had their own room, we had a good sized kitchen and eating area, we had a family room that fit everybody and guests and we had a finished basement.  So, why did we think we needed something bigger?  Well I think I have a couple of guesses.

First, it is our societies obsession with “stuff”.  We somehow feel more worthy as human beings and members of our society the more “stuff” we own.  So, the more money we make in our jobs, the more of it we buy and the bigger the home we need to store it all!  Whether we are actually using all the stuff we collect doesnt seem to matter, as long as everyone knows we are well to do enough to own it all.

The second reason I can think of can be explained by something that happened to me and Keith the other day.  In our attempt to live smaller and simpler, we have been looking at downsizing our home.  We aren’t going crazy, we would like to move out of our 2100 square foot home into something closer to 1700.  We currently have a home with a formal dining room, and a living room and a family room, too much space being used too little.  So, we have been visiting some new home builders.  It is very interesting to me how these new homes are marketed to potential home buyers.  The smallest sizes which are about 1400-1600 square feet are called “Starter Homes”.  The next sized homes are called “Moving Up” homes.  Ok.  Then the homes 2100 square feet and up and called “Estate Homes”.  These terms are used by all the builders.  The way it looks to me, they have my life completely mapped out for me.  First I am supposed to buy a small home (by small I am talking about 1400 square feet, almost double the size of average homes 60 years ago!).  Then when I have a family and am presumably making a little bit more money (but not a lot yet) I am supposed to move up into a slightly larger home, the moving up home,  and then when I am a truly financially successful person I can move into my estate home where all the other well off people live.  They have all my money spent for me for the next 50 years.  We walked into one builders showhome the other day and told the lady working there the size of home we were looking for and she told us we were in the wrong neighbourhood.  What we wanted was a “moving up” home.  Who is she to tell me I am moving up??!

Now why is it that people want bigger homes?  Does everybody really need to be so far away from the other people in their family that their homes need to be bigger?  Are people really needing to show off that last raise they received at work by buying something bigger?  Do we not want to save or spend our money on things other that our homes anymore? 

 I read recently that 1 in 5 Canadians can’t afford their current housing along with all of life’s other costs.  I wonder what that statistic would have been when our homes were half the size of todays.  Lee from the Conference Board of Canada said the problem isn’t home affordability per se, but a societal emphasis put on home ownership, which some people simply can’t afford.  Hence, leading me back to the pressures and expectation put on us to “move up” the chain of home purchasing.  This same article stated that one in five Canadian homeowners struggling to keep a roof over their heads have to make drastic cuts to even the basics, and that number could soon balloon as the costs of home ownership increase, experts say.  I can’t figure out why we are doing this to ourselves! 

These days it seems we need entire rooms dedicated to our kids insane video game and movie watching habits.  We need entire spaces for scrapbooking, poker playing, exercising and holding all our kids crap they can barely even remember they have!  I say we get back to basics and create more family time, more time spent playing outside, more camping, less cleaning and more talking to each other.  I am quite certain a bigger house does not make a happier family, in fact it may do just the opposite.  Plus, with a smaller home we automatically help the environment by reducing our footprint – a win-win all the way around.  I’ll let you know how our story plays out….

Tracy

Inspiring Words to Live By

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens
can change the world. Indeed, It is the only thing that ever has.”
Margaret Mead

Tracy

Our Visit – Edmonton Waste Management Center

Have you ever wondered what happens to all the garbage and recycling that you put out at the curb every week?  Well we decided to find out and take a tour of our local city waste station.  Edmonton is in fact very fortunate that we house a rare, world class facility that looks after all our city’s residential waste.  After running out of landfill space, our city was forced (thankfully) to look at more sustainable practices and remedies.  Our current waste management site opened in 1975 and has been building and growing since then.  It is located in the northeast of the city on a 233 hectare site.  The Edmonton Waste Management Centre (EWMC) is North America’s largest collection of modern, sustainable waste processing and research facilities. 

Facilities located at the EWMC include:

• Materials Recovery Facility, where Edmonton’s recyclables are sorted and baled
• Edmonton Composting Facility, where Edmonton’s waste is composted
• GEEP Electrical and Electronic Waste Recycling Facility, where Edmonton’s electronics are recycled
• Residential Waste Drop Off Station
• Construction and Demolition Recycling Operation
• Clover Bar landfill
• Leachate Treatment Plant,  landfill gas recovery system and biosolids lagoons

Facilities currently under construction at the EWMC include:

• Integrated Processing and Transfer Facility
• Biofuels Facility
• Greys Paper & Glass Recycling Facility

It is amazing how we take for granted all that goes into getting rid of our trash and recycling!  If you have never asked the question or been out to see your local waste management site, you should!  EWMC gives tours to any group of at least 10 people for free!  They booked us a bus and had a great tour guide to show us around for a good 2 hours.  Now I am feeling much more sure about what happens to every piece of garbage and recycling my family is putting out to the curb, some good and some not so good, but my choices are clear.

We have included some pics of us on our tour.  You will see our family, my sister and her daughters, my girfriend and her kids and both our dads.  It was a great experience had by all, a little smelly at some points (the kids loved that!), but well worth the trip!

                                                                                                 

 

Organic Foods for Kids

The following is a research project on Organic Foods by our son Ethan (8 yrs old). It ends with a great “Star Wars” video that kids love!!  He presented the presentation to his grade 3 class and his school Principal.

CLICK HERE: to view powerpoint of Organic Foods- by Ethan

click here for the cool star wars video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVrIyEu6h_E

CFL’s vs Incandescent Lamps

There is much debate out there about whether compact flourescent lamps (bulbs) are really a better choice than a traditional incandescent lamp.  As I discover more and more everyday, there is no perfect “green” product, and lamps are no different.  I think it’s important for us as consumers to be educated on all sides and then choose which route best suits our value system.  I recently read a great article by Rod Elliot on whether or not we should all be following in Australia’s footprints and banning incandescent lamps.   If you want more detail on this issue than I cover here, check it out at http://sound.westhost.com/articles/incandescent.htm#in4.  While Rod’s article goes into great detail, I will just highlight some of the key points you need to know about both kinds of lamps, so you can best decide what will work best for you and your family.

Before you go and change all the lamps (bulbs) in your home to compact fluorescents, make sure you know all the facts.  There are indeed pros and cons to both a traditional incandescent and the “new” CFL’c.  

Incandescent Lamp Characteristics
Benefits …

• Low purchase price
• Simple, low technology manufacturing (minimal energy usage to manufacture)
• Easily dimmed
• Pleasant, “human friendly” colour rendition (and colour temperature)
• Colour Rendering Index (CRI) of close to 100 (100 is optimal)
• No hazardous materials used in manufacture
• Can be used at any temperature
• Recycling (although it would be nice) is not really needed because of small amount of materials used
• No electro-magnetic interference problems

Deficiencies …

• Low efficiency, far more heat than light (typically less than 5% efficient)
• Relatively short life (typically 500-2,000 hours)
• High running cost for a given light output

Compact Fluorescent Lamp Characteristics
Benefits …

• Low energy usage
• Relatively efficient
• Long life (typically 8,000 – 15,000 hours claimed)

Deficiencies …

• Comparatively expensive
• Medium to high technology
• Wide variety of non-reclaimable materials used in manufacture
• Poor Colour Rendering Index (CRI) – typically 60 – 70
• Commonly fail prematurely if subjected to repeated switching cycles *
• Cannot be used at very low temperatures (< -20°C, but often higher)
• Cannot be used at high temperatures (> 60°C, but often lower)
• Cannot be dimmed with common light dimmer circuits
• May suffer instantaneous failure with moisture
• Disliked by many people
• Will not fit  many fittings
• Unsuitable for totally sealed light fittings (they will get too hot, and the electronics will fail)
• Must be recycled, or no tangible environmental benefit can be claimed

So my take on choosing lamps is this.  By far, the CFL’s long life outweighs all else.  However, you need to use them how they are meant to be used to actually make any environmental difference.  This means using them in appropriate fixtures, using them where they will not be constantly turned on and off, purchasing them from manufacturers who package them in recyclable and thoughtful packaging and safely recycling them, which means returning them to your local eco-station or store that does that for you.  Unless you are prepared to do all of that, you may be better off sticking to your old-fashioned incandescent.

Now if you want to be really progressive and environmentally friendly when it comes to your lighting, LED’s are where the future of earth friendly lighting is.   With a minimum rated life of 20,000 hours (up to 50,000 hours is also claimed on the pack, 80,000 hours elsewhere on the Net), no CFL can even come close. There’s also no mercury involved, so disposal is less of an issue. SO even if people are dumb enough to throw their lights in the trash, at the very least there is no risk of contaminated landfill. At around $50-70 each, the biggest disadvantage with the LED lamps is their cost, however that can be expected to fall as production and demand increase. Even at the current price, the LED lamp is actually a better (although not yet cheaper) choice than a CFL. While it may not appear so at first glance, the LED based lamps can be expected to outlast up to eight CFLs.  The biggest disadvantages to current LED lights is the lack of power or light output and the CRI’s (color rating index).  But, stay tuned, as this is an industry that is changing and growing everyday.  Our job as  eco-conscious citizens is to put the pressure onto manufacturers to create these better products sooner rather than later.

Tracy

Garbage Output – The Update

Well it has been just over a month since we began our commitment to reduce our family’s impact.  I can say that the journey has been both enjoyable and enlightening.  We learn something new everyday!  Well I have been meticulously making sure non-recyclables land in the garbage can, and items that can (or should be) recycled in the blue can.  I have also weighed every bag as they go out to the curb each garbage pick-up day.  The 1st month’s results are in!  You’ll find them in the graph below.  It should be noted that the very first garbage day was days after Christmas (a lot of gift packaging). We have improved from a total of 90.5lbs of curbside trash in the first week of Jan to 38 lbs the first week of Feb. Not bad, if I say so myself.

Some of the things that have helped:

1. Get off junk mail lists. We used to receive pounds and pounds of paper fliers every week that we would not even read. See how in our article “Junk Mail” down below.
2. Compost. We compost some (not all) of our kitchen scraps with a worm composter bin in the basement.  It’s time for a second bin to compost more of our scraps.
3. Use cloth bags for every store purchase, or simply refuse to take a bag to carry items out. Better yet, use a travel mug and a Tupperware container when going  to Tim Hortons for a coffee and Tim Bits for the kids.  We don’t need their cardboard box, we have our own reusable container!
4. Less Packaging. Try to choose products with less packaging than the next. Fewer layers, if possible. Or when possible choose packaging made of aluminum, tin, or paper, these are easiest to recycle. Plastic is more difficult to recycle and many types of plastic are not recycled at all.

We have succeeded so far in cutting the garbage/recycling load in the 1st month.  Wish us luck for February.

Keith

Green is the New Red for Valentine’s Day

This post comes from the One Simple Act newsletter  (www.onesimpleact.alberta.ca) – if you havent signed up yet, do it today!  I thought it was very fitting for this week.  Enjoy!   – Tracy

Holidays and special occasions can have a substantial impact on the environment. Around a billion valentines are sent each year globally, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year behind Christmas. One billion Valentine cards laid end-to-end would stretch around the world five times. That’s a lot of trees. 

Valentine’s Day is another opportunity to think and practice green living. The challenge is to think of something original for a gift  that shows your thoughtfulness for your loved one and the environment. Here are some ideas for going green:

© Give a card made of recycled paper. And you might score more points if you made the card yourself.

© Send cut flowers that are organic or potted plants which are grown locally.

© Give fair trade or organic chocolates.

© Arrange a nice dinner  in a local restaurant specializing in organic or locally grown food.

© If you are planning on an engagement ring, consider a pre-owned diamond or buy from a jeweler who is certified in sourcing precious gemstones in an ecological and social manner. Canadian diamond mines’ standards are said to be higher than most countries.

© Celebrate with a local wine. Check out Canadian wines at www.winesofcanada.com There are also several fair trade certified wines.

© Candles are a nice gift but did you know that conventional candles are made with paraffin wax, which is a petroleum by-product, and are therefore non-renewable. Soy bean candles and beeswax candles are made with renewable resources and they burn cleaner and longer.

© Give the gift of experience. Find some tickets to an event where you can enjoy each other’s company.

Did you know…?

• It’s been said that if we reduced paper use by half, we’d clear more than 1,000 landfills.
• Annually, 25 per cent of all seasonal cards are valentines.
• Over 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate are sold each year.
• Valentine’s Day is the top holiday for fresh flower purchases with red roses being the most popular.
• Ten per cent of engagements happen on Valentine’s Day.

Education for Sustainable Living

 

I came across this amazing website that is all about promoting health, environment, community and learning in our schools.  It is exciting to see the ideas out there and the possibility of a greener future for our kids.  Check it out at www.ecoliteracy.org  If we begin to question our schools and get the word out that we feel these issues are important, maybe we can see change sooner rather than later….

“Greening” schools

I struggle on a daily basis not to yell at people for neglecting our environment, and as I learn more and become more and more aware of changes we need to make, my fuel becomes more fired.  Nowhere fuels my passion more than my 8 and 6 year olds elementary school.  It is a traditional elementary school, much like the one I attended when I was a kid.  I love the teachers and the principal and there are a lot of great things the school does.  But in so many ways they are doing the same work I did, talking about the same things, learning in the same ways.  Not to say there was no value in the way I received my education, but what I can’t fathom is how much more we know today about the global and environmental impacts that each one of us has and the dramatic changes we as individuals can have on creating a better and more sustainable world, yet my kids are learning the same stuff I learned 30 some odd years ago.  The same jobs that we were taught the skills for,  will be dramatically different and require such different skill sets than the jobs of tomorrow for my kids, so why isn’t what they are learning reflecting that?  The grand relevance of topics in school today were thought up years and years ago, and are so irrelevant to the way my kids now and in the future will live, it maddens me.  So what to do….

I have joined the parent council at the school and am really trying to make changes as small as they may be right now.  It again astounds me the parents who fight you on trying to bring in healthier lunch programs, reduce garbage in lunches or cut down on selling water bottles at school functions.  I would love to see the public school systems take harder stands on things that so obviously are positive lessons for our kids and important in creating a sustainable world for them and future generations.  I do feel very alone in my quest some days and although it won’t stop me, I look forward to the day that my ideas are not viewed as such an inconvenience.  

Check out this video of Sir Ken Robinson on the way kids learn.  Quite funny but all too true.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/ken_robinson_says_schools_kill_creativity.html

Tracy