Spotlight On: Jessica Reiss, Founder of ecocessories

It's true that great ideas often come from the smallest companies.

Jessica Reiss is the founder of ecocessories, a growing recycled jewelry designer based in North Vancouver, BC.  Although Jessica is a good friend of mine, you don't have to be close to the company to know that it's an idea with legs.  She has been embraced by friends and strangers alike, and most recently by local forums for green living and fashion, including Granville Magazine.

ecocessories is based on the concept of taking old or unwanted pieces of jewlery, stripping them down, and designing new and exciting pieces from the truly staggering selection of elements that Jessica has accrued since her launch.  

If you were wondering, the "eco" element of Jessica's business is present from the moment she receives a new piece of jewlery, and is sustained throughout her process.  First and most obviously, the recycling of existing items cuts down drastically on their environmental impact.  Next, the recycled elements are sustainably cleaned and stored, and incorporated with new chains with the ecocessories signature touch.  Jessica's style is both recognizable and accessible, yet does not hesitate to challenge conventions of symmetry or to harmonize elements from completely different pieces or eras.

I recently had the privledge of talking with Jessica about ecocessories, including her plans for the future (conversation below).  If you are interested in green living, fashion, or are even just looking for a stylish gift for that special someone, I strongly urge you to check out ecocessories.

Rob: What inspired you to start recycling jewelry?

Jess: I attended a green consumer show called Epic Expo and was fascinated by all of the sustainable fashion. I knew I needed a second income so the wheels started turning about launching my own business. To recycle jewelry literally just popped in my head - a few artisans were sourcing vintage and antique jewelry for materials, but I wanted to recycle jewelry as the forefront of my mission. If I am making something to sell I like to know that I am giving a second life to recycled beads and I use sterling silver in my new jewelry designs because it is a precious metal that can be repurposed many times.

Rob: What has surprised you most since launching ecocessories?

Jess: Probably the outpouring of support. Everyone 'gets' my idea and is willing to help, which is very cool!

Rob: If you had to guess, how many pieces of jewelry have you recycled since you have started?

Jess: Hundreds!!

Rob: Other than recycling jewelry, what else does ecocessories do to reduce its impact?

Jess: Every time I need to make a new investment in office furniture tools etc. I always try to buy used first. I like knowing I am giving that item a second life and learning about the history attached. I also try to buy Energy Star appliances, such as the Printer/Scanner for the office and to use recycled materials when possible, such as the recycled cardboard boxes my jewelry comes nestled in. 

I truly believe that one person can make a difference in their environmental impact. Choosing to 'Live Green' is an easy choice because you end up with high quality, cherished possessions; you save money by reducing waste & consumption; and you inspire others to make the same decision!

Rob: ecocessories has recently been featured in a number of forums as a company to watch. What has been the biggest thrill for you so far?

Jess: The media attention has been pretty awesome at giving me exposure and driving some traffic to http://ecocessories.ca, so it has all been very thrilling. I was very excited when Granville Magazine - a local, renowned sustainability mag - sought me out for an interview. Their readers are exactly the market I want to reach with both my sterling silver designs and jewelry recycling services. Now my next mission is to grab Oprah's attention and I'll be set!

Rob: Any plans for the future?

Jess: I plan to just continuing to grow ecocessories and I have recently made a major change in my life to allow me to do that. I have left my full time job to focus on my entrepreneurial ventures and am very excited to focus some of this energy on the development of ecocessories. I will be attending a few markets locally in North Vancouver and Downtown Vancouver this summer, so stay tuned to http://blog.ecocessories.ca to find out when/where you can find my booth!

Rob: You have said that you would eventually like ecocessories to contribute some of its revenue to not-for-profits.  Do you have any in mind that you feel are especially important?

Jess: Yes. I work closely with the Human Dignity Initiative which is a fledgling non-profit just getting started here in Vancouver. The first project taken on by Wendy, HDI's founder, is the Solar Light Initiative. Wendy wants to bring solar flashlights to households in Cambodia and Uganda. The stats are alarming about the risks associated with using kerosene lanterns and HDI's solution will allow women & children to extend their working hours with this safe and affordable light source. Learn more at my previous blog entry:

Once ecocessories breaks even I will be contributing to this amazing cause!

Review: Beer Soap by BetweenFriends

I recently began browsing handmade website Etsy for vegan soap, since I have been having trouble finding some that is reasonably affordable and lasts.  I came across a number of sellers that were offering soap made from BEER, which I thought was so, so cool.  After a minute or so of searching for more, I found a soap made from Alexander Keiths that was shipped from Toronto!  This gave me the great opportunity to pick up the soap personally and save on unnecessary shipping and packaging materials.

The soap is made by a girl named Maggie under the username BetweenFriends, and so far it's been working great.  In case you are wondering, after I have a shower it doesn't smell like I just downed a keg by myself, the soap actually smells sweeter than beer and also has oils and other ingredients that complement it.  Also, unlike other vegan soaps I have tried, they are holding their shape well, which suggests they will last quite a while (can be a problem with vegan soaps)

If you are interested, there are many other Etsy vendors that sell beer soap, including several that sell Guiness (apparently it smells a bit like caramel).   However, one note of caution: Etsy users ship from all over the world, so if you are trying to keep it green, try and buy local.

The Search for the Perfect Vegetarian Burgers

As other vegetarians (and people who know them) know, veggie burgers can be crucial to fitting in at barbeques and parties in the summer, along with veggie kabobs, portebello, mushrooms, etc.  Last night, Kristen and I began our journey trying to find the perfect homemade veggie burger recipe, with moderate success.  The recipe included:

2 cups diced mushroom and 3/4 onion, sauteed

1 can white kidney beans

2 egg yolks

bread crumbs

top with lettuce, tomato, pickles (we were out, unfortunately), and dijon mustard (also out, used regular)

To begin with , the final product actually tasted quite good, although I would have preferred less bean and more mushroom.  We will have to test this out, but I think the beans were also responsible for the fact that the burgers were more or less mush inside.  Regardless, they tasted great, and gave us a good jumping off point for our next attempts (mushorom-onion-swiss? mmmm).  Stay tuned for the next attempts, and (hopefully) soon our second attempt at raw spaghetti.

(note: the pictures shown are not mine.  They are simply a reference for what these recipes should generally look like)

Late Night Post- Vegetarianism

So it's late and I am unable to sleep, so I thought I would post an entry.  I been asked a lot lately about why I made the choice to cut meat out from my diet, and usually I brush it off with a quick answer about my health or animal rights, usually whatever I think my audience will most easily understand.  Frankly, I feel a full answer would be overwhelming for most people who have asked, and would come off as preachy, which is not my intent.  In fact, there are a number of reasons why I have been veggie for 8 months now and why I intend to spend the rest of my life doing so, barring some unforseen circumstances.  I thought I might list a few of them for people to browse through since I have been asked a lot and really have never tried to give anyone a full answer, including myself.

In no particular order...

1. My health- there is no question that a properly executed vegetarian diet is healthier than most in which people eat meat.  Sure, you can eat meat and be healthy, but vegetarianism also lends itself well to eliminating cetain toxins and ensuring you get essential nutrients

a) Problems with meat- although meat is full of great things like protein, iron, omega3s,                   and all sorts of other great things (depending on which meat), they also tend to come with the added risk of things like heart disease, certain cancers, and obesity.  People also tend to eat meat that is especially bad for you, like pork or low grade beef.  It has been shown that the average North American consumes several times their required amount of protein, and this is due to a severe overconsumption of meat (only 1-2 servings needed per week).  I was a bad offender on this end, which is a major reason why I can't just "cut down" on my meat intake.  I need rules!

b) Greens- one key I have found to avoiding filler like cheese and carbs during my vegetarianism (with moderate success) is to make sure I get my 5-10 servings of fruit and veggies everyday.  If I do that, there is scarcely any room to squeeze in bad things into my diet.  As a result, I am able to get all of the nutrients lost from meat and gained others as well.

c) The results- since I have made the switch, I have lost 20lbs, and have WAY more energy than I did before.  I also feel better generally, since meat stays in your body way longer than plant matter, which can make you feel bloated or heavy.

2. Animal Rights- Let me say first that I don't think there is anything inherenty wrong with eating animals.  I do think there is an issue with how we eat them.

Mistreatment- along with health, the reason I initially started being vegetarian 2 years ago (on and off for the first year) was that I was exposed to some of the atrocities that are being committed against animals in the name of agro-business.  You can say what you want about PETA or KFC videos and the like, but it is common practice to herd thousands of animals into dangerously cramped areas where they spend their entire lives, often in cages.  Chickens, for example, have their wings clipped and often even have their beaks cut off so they won't peck at the others in ajacent cages.  It has been shown that half of the antibiotics andministered every year in the United States are given to livestock, not humans.  This is entirely due to the conditions they are raised in, which promote high risk of disease, which may spread quickly through the herd.  Even still, disease is commonplace and treated with mass slaughtering of the affected animals.  In 2004, 17Miliion turkeys were killed in Fraser Valley, BC because of an avian flue outbreak.  17 MILLION.  Speaking of which, I promise you don't want to know how your thanksgiving turkey is killed.

Needless Killing- I have been asked before, why don't you eat free range organic?  First of all, I do, when it comes to eggs and the animal products I do eat.  Mostly though, I feel we have come to a point where we don't need to kill animals to survive, so I don't.  I personally could not kill a cow or a pig or a chicken myself, and to me, it is impossible to rationalize paying someone else to do my dirty work for me.  It is far too easy to forget about how many lives are used up unnecessarily for our food, and people understandably don't want to think about it.  Regardless, here it is.  Annually, 10 BILLION animals are consumed for food... just in the Unite States.

3. The environment- I won't get into the math right now, but it has been shown that the industrial method of raising livestock is more harmful to the environment than any single other human activity (excluding energy production).  Currently, it accounts for approximately 18% of greenhouse gas emissions, which includes mass amounts of carbon, and also methane, which is far more dangerous.  That is more than cars and the aviation industry, to put it to scale. Furthermore, industrial raising of animals is responsible for immeasurable effects regarding land degredation, deforestation, excessive pollution of our soil and waterways, and the list goes on and on.  Specifically, 70% of the world's agricultural land is dedicated to livestock operations. It is not an exaggeration to say that we could literally solve the world's hunger problems if everyone was vegetarian.  That's how much land is wasted on meat instead of grains and vegetables.

Lastly, I would like to say that although I am very principled in my beliefs regarding vegetarianism, I am hardly a saint.  There are many, many things that disguise their use of animal parts which I have accidentally eaten, and also some which I simply cannot be bothered with.  For example, many types of alcohol use animal parts as a filter in their production (I don't know the science, but it happens) and I don't care to trouble myself to avoid them, since it is a major inconvenience for such a trivial issue.  On a less serious note, I am really bad at remembering not to eat Caesar salad, which has anchovies in the dressing.  I think it is important that I admit these things because vegetarianism is all abou tmaking positive changes, and the worst thing I can do is intimidate someone who is considering making the switch.  At best, I hope I have inspired you, and at least perhaps educated as to some of the reasons I became a vegetarian.

An additional note, if you are/were also veggie, let me know some of the reasons why you decided to do it, and if you stopped, share why you went back to eating meat.  All the best.

This just in: World's fastest car.........1972 Datsun?

So maybe the title isn't totally in the appropriate context,  but according to Treehugger, that title belongs to a 1972 Datsun named White Zombie.  The converted electric has been setting world records all over the place in 1/4 Mile drag races, going up against Corvettes, Ferraris, and souped up muscle cars, and leaving them all in its dust.  Whether you are a gearhead or a treehugger, that's just impressive.  The car began setting records with a set of 60 lead-acid batteries, and has since been replaced with lighter and more powerful lithium ions.  In the video, you can see the car doing a quarter mile in 11.8 seconds, and reaching 110mph in the same race.  I think it's time for a Fast and the Furious sequel, featuring Ed Begley Jr playing Dom.

Revised dialogue:

"I  live my life a quarter mile at a time. Nothing else matters: not the ozone layer, not global warming, not the EPA and all their bullshit. For those ten seconds or less, I'm free. "

Death, thy name is consumerism

Every time the name "Black Friday" has come up in conversation in the last few days, I have talked about how the name suggests something horrible and dark, not a day where people get to shop at enormous discounts.  Sure enough, Black Friday was marked with several deaths this year in a way that points a very stern finger at the obsessive consumerism that has taken over many of the world markets.

The most talked about death occured on Long Island, NY where a WalMart employee was trampled to death by customers who broke down the doors to be the first ones in the store.  Most scary was when the store management announced they were closing because of the death, and customers yelled and complained, and many continued to shop, refusing to leave the store (death is SUCH a nuisance, I know)

Two others, of whom I have few details, were shot at a Toys R Us (read it again if you must, but it's correct) and were also killed.

It occured to me to blame WalMart and other retailers for building up such a high pressure day that people just couldn't resist, or maybe advertisers for making people want the newest gadgets ever-so-bad.  But then I realized that none of these groups are to blame.  The people responsible for such horrible frenzies are the people who place value on these events, who line up just to be the first in the store, and many, many others.  

Dead is the day when recession meant less cheaply-made luxuries and more frugality.  During WWII, it was the norm for English families to grow their own vegetables.  Now most people don't even know what country theirs come from.  Today is the age of planned obsolesence, excessive disponsable income, and trends which are dead and uncool before they even see the light of day.  It's hard to believe that this is a recession.

This is why we do what we do...

I don't pretend that things like this are the direct result of any one form of action, but they would never happen without events like Park(ing) day and organizations like The Streets are for People.  This is a video of some of the amazing changes that have been made in NYC to make the space safer and more enjoyable for people. (source:Treehugger)

Quote: "we put down just the orange cones, even before we get to the apoxy or the tables and chairs and people are out in them, just in between the cones because that's how hungry people are for public space."

The Paradoxically Myopic Economist

It is common in the discourses of mainstream media, and even more so on Bay Street, to talk about economic stability as if it were the be-all-and-end-all of societal harmony and human existence.  Time after time, social and environmental "threats" are dismissed in terms of lost dollars or jobs in our economy.  To be fair, employment is extremely important, and people will almost always act in their own best interests, which in our 21st Century world means gaining financial security for our families above nearly all else.  However, also in this complex 21st Century world, we face challenges that should be trumping economic strength, and yet are not.  The environment, more than anything right now, is such an issue.

Of course, I am not suggesting that we all burn our possessions and live in mud huts to save the Earth, far from it.  However, we seem unwilling as a population to make even small compromises in our already vast and (frankly) excessive wealth to make the necessary progress in climate change and pollution to save the Earth and potentially countless human lives.  This was demonstrated clearly through Canadians' outright rejection of the carbon tax proposed by the Liberals, as well as countless other individual excesses which we seem unwilling to give up (have you seen how many people are still driving alone on the DVP? Jeebus!).  Perhaps it is lack of education on the real effects of climate change, or maybe it is apathy, or even nihilism, but in any case, the necessary reaction (although substantial from some) is still generally lacking.  The question I pose to all you economists then is, When the glaciers melt and polar icecaps sink into the sea, major seaside cities are underwater and millions are displaced, when famine is widespread and unquenchable drought is as common in summer as smog warnings in Toronto, does anybody care what our GDP is? Will we be paying attention to how much the TSX fell today? What about minimum wage?

Aside from whether you think this is mere alarmism or not (trust me, none of this is out of reach, and maybe not even far away) the point is that eocnomists (and by that I mean anyone who uses the economy like a punchline, yes you Mr Harper) have tended to view movements like environmentalism as special interests who will myopically sacrifice jobs and economic value, when truly, without REAL action on climate change and pollution in the coming future, we may face a world where economies are either irrelevant or even non-existent, and when jobs are a luxury rather than the norm.  Perhaps it's time for a new type of economic thought.

Nuit Blanche!!

Have you ever been excited, but you don't know what for?  That's how I was feeling last night when Kristen and I headed downtown to pop our collective Nuit Blanche cherries.  Although I had heard of the event (I was invited to the inagaural NB and now curse myself for not going!) we didn't really know what to expect, and the experience hit us like a transport truck designed by Picasso and driven by Warhol.  It was both obvious and abstract, meaningful and arbitrary, accessible and avant-garde, and more than either of us could have expected.

We started off the night emerging from the Dundas subway station after spending the last half hour surrounded by drunk highschoolers (who smell sweeter than more mature drunks, incidentally, I think it's the excess of sweet juices in their vodka drinks), only to be surrounded by literally thousands and thousands of people.  Dundas square was packed, so instead we went to check out Massey Hall, where there was a cool little installment of an office ceiling above an alley filled with corporate waste.  As people were walking through the alley, a homeless man was begging for money, which we later considered could be part of the exhibit (art or poverty?)

We also spent some time in the distillery district at some amazing galleries and installments, and got to meet up with Spicy and some of his friends.  We split off to grab a coffee and meet up with some international friends from Seneca, which didn't end up materializing, but it sounded like they had a great time too.

We visited Nathan Phillips Square twice, and it was truly unreal.  The lights in the windows of city hall were flashing on and off in patterns similar to how windows media player reacts to music, and then switched to a contrast between the light and dark that showed a shadowy figure dancing to the music.  This was followed up by tetris, pong, and space invaders, which were met by the cheers and groans of the audience, depending on which side they were cheering for.  Four people ran across the pond in the middle of the square, also met by the cheers and flashing of cameras, only to be apprehended by security upon reaching the other side.  As would be expected, Johnny Law received boos from all sides, and then everyone went on their merry way.

Unfortunately, we didn't get to see nearly enough, as the subways were only running to Finch until 1:30.  Hopefully next time we will stay longer and take in more of the white night, which left us tired but wanting more.

Poor Poor Peugeot

So I bought an old Puegeot racing bike about 3 months ago, and I have been loving riding it around and was even commuting to school on it until I took a spill about a week ago.  Now, I knew there were some problems with it that I needed to fix but that basically sealed the deal that I wouldn't ride it until I fixed them.  Anyways, I was taking a look at the gears yesterday and how they were shifting (since they were the reason for my fall) and I realized that because of the fall, my whole back wheel is now warped!  It still rides but I can't imagine it would be that safe to do a ride of any real distance on it.  That combined with a need for new brake cables, new handlebar tape, a loose brake handle, etc etc and now I am wondering if it will even be worth it to fix.

The reason I bought an older bike originally was because I wanted something to get around on but didn't want to spend 700-800 for a new road bike just in case I didn't actually end up riding that much.  I have since discovered that I love riding places though, and now I need to consider whether it's worth putting money into an older $250 bike or just selling it as is and getting a newer and lighter bike.  I guess i will see exactly what the quote is for everything including the new wheel.  Any thoughts from more experienced/knowledgable riders?

Silky Smooth

In my boredom rummaging through the fridge, I found myself reading the side-label of a carton of Chocolate Silk.  For those not in the know, Silk is a brand of soy-based milk alternative, and frankly, the chocolate version is fantastic.  I have never actually had the regular version because I do still comsume dairy, but I prefer chocolate Silk to chocolate milk, and I am a guy who LOVES his chocolate milk.  Anyways, In my perusing of the carton, I noticed a statement of environmental commitment claming that Silk is made with wind energy.  The ambiguous wording evaded making any specific claim as to how much of their energy was actually wind, so as a dedicated anti-greenwash...ist?..er?...yeah, so I looked into it a little further.  What I discovered was that (a little to my surprise, I admit) Silk actually uses 100% wind power!  I needless to say, I was THRILLED that I had been supporting green business without even realizing it!

In my excitement, I wrote an email to Silk's customer service account expressing my grattitude for a product that I so loved (something to the effect that I was now not just a happy customer, but a proud one, cute, I know).  Not 24 hours later, I received a personalized email from one of their representatives saying how refreshing it was to get such positive feedback etc etc...it was pretty great

Moral of the story: 

1) Silk tastes great

2) it's a great choice if you want to cut down on dairy, whether you are vegan or an environmentalist, lactose intolerant, or whatever

3) a legitimate environmental commitment by a fairly mainstream company

4) costs about the same as regular chocolate milk

5) great customer service

that's all for now, ciao!

Park(ing) day

so it's been a looong while since my last post, but don't worry, there will be more to come soon! In the meantime, check out the blog for an event I am running called Park(ing) day. the whole idea is to pay for a roadside parking space and then turn it into a temporary greenspace/park. I am sure the few people that actually read this already know about it, but if not check it out!

http://parkingdaytoronto.blogspot.com

Zenn Bootism (as in being given the boot)

Low speed electric car manufacturer Zenn (Zero Emissions, No Noise) are still not approved for use in Ontario, despite approval in the rest of Canada, the United States, and Europe. This is ironic since Zenn's headquarters are in Toronto, so even their own employees are not allowed to drive the car to work. Zenn manufactures what they call a "neighbourhood vehicle", which is a 2 seater with top speed of 40km/h and range of up to 50 km. This may sound low, except that this car is not meant for trips to the cottage or the hour drive down to Bay Street from Richmond Hill. It is meant exclusively for short trips to get groceries (don't worry, it's bigger than a Smart car) and to get around when a car is neccessary and nothing else will do. Perhaps the powers that be will soon recognize the practicality of this car and raise its approval from being considered a golf cart (for use on private property and by park officials in provincial and national parks only) to the legitimate vehicle that it is.

[ps, ZENN is planning the release of CityZenn for the Fall of 2009, with a range of 400km and top speed of 125km/h. it will be fuly highway and road certified]

Quick Fact: There are more greenhouse gas emissions produced in the United States from cheeseburgers (methane from cows, transportation, refrigeration, etc etc) than from all of the SUVs in the United States http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/02/video_jamais_ca.php

Yay for Liberals!

Stephen Harper just might be the best thing to happen to Canadian politics. Now hold on, just give me a ch...no...no....calm down, just let me explain. Let me start at the beginning.

I will be the first to admit, I am not one for following Canadian politics. I am by all means a patriot, but I have become so disenfranchised and disappointed by our political environment that I can't bring myself to vote for either the Liberals or Conservatives in elections. Instead, I vote for Green Party because I know they at least have the balls to stand for something. Since I started paying attention to politics in general, I haven't been able to shake the feeling that regardless of which party is in power, we basically enjoy the same level of unproductive fence jumping from our government. This is where Mr Harper comes in. As somebody who has been attacked from the beginning (justifiably or not) as a Canadian version of George W. Bush, his policies have undeniably polarized the Canadian political environment. The reason why I say this is a good thing is because it has FINALLY allowed the Liberal party to get up the courage to separate themselves from the Conservatives policy-wise and actually stand for something (other than the petty arguing that is supposed to appear like standing for something). Today the Liberal Party announced plans for a carbon tax, and frankly I just about fell out of my chair. The plan, which is extremely necessary for climate chnage reversal and long overdue, stands to place pressure on commerce to force more environmentally friendly practices. Of course, we can expect HARD lobbying to reject this, but it's still an enormous step forward. For those concerned about extra costs, yes some things will cost a little extra, but part of the plan is tax breaks for the public to not only compensate for the extra costs, but to concede that commerce has never really taken on the tax burden that they should have.

All in all, we can expect a lot of resitance to this from the Conservative Party, who has already launched aggressive attack ads (which frankly are insulting to the listeners' intelligence) as well as from big business (like somehow this environmental idea is new to them), and maybe in the end it won't end up being that effective, but it's still an enormous step forward for Canada simply to have the framework in place from which to build upon later. So thank you, Mr Harper, for being shockingly right wing even for your party, and allowing the Liberals to actually be, well...liberals.

Compact Flourescent Lights - warning

As many of you probably know by know, compact flourescent lightblulbs are far more energy efficient and long-lasting than traditional incandescent lighting. However, there are two points of caution to be taken into account if you are thinking of switching (or have switched)

1. The bulbs contain small amounts of mercury. IN fact, the mercury is part of how the bulbs work, so its necessary. However, mercury is highly toxic, so the bulbs must be disposed of safely and properly.

2. Apparently there have been reports that if the bulbs are left on after they have died (which takes a long, long time) the continuing current can actually cause them to catch fire. The only way to prevent this is to remove them as soon as they burn out so they aren't left absorbing electricity.

Of course, there are also LED bulbs that are even more efficient than the compact flourescents, and they don't have these issues, at least as far as I am aware. They are more expensive, so you really have to decide if the cost is worth it to you.

TED

I have recently taken quite an interest in watching a lecture series on youtube called the TED seminars (Technology, Entertainment, Design). They are a series of seminars from the greatest scientists, anthropologists, designers, politicians, etc on ways we can help change the world, often relating to their own expertise, but certainly not limited to it. These are unquestionably the best lectures I have ever seen and I highly recommend checking one or two out if you want to learn something without actually having to read anything. They are only about 2-30 minutes each usually so they are quite easy to digest. I have included one relating to health and environmentalism called "What's wrong with what we eat" by Mark Bittman (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YkNkscBEp0). Other speakers have included Al Gore, Jane Goodall, and others, and include subjects ranging from poverty to economic change to global warming to just human nature in general, so there's something for everyone.

Ps, as many of you know, I am a vegetarian, and if you want to know some of the reasons why, or you are thinking about it yourself, check out the Bittman video. In fact, check it out anyways because it's worth watching even from a health perspective. He isn't a vegetarian himself so I promise he won't try and guilt you into it. Preview: Nearly a fifth of greenhouse gases come from industrial livestock production. 10 BILLION animals are killed every year for human use in the United States alone. 70% of the agricultural land in the world (30% of the earth's land surface) is attributed directly or indirectly to producing the animals we eat. Check it out.

This week in going green- mooshoes and ecocessories

So clearly I've gotten well out of the habit of making regular posts, mostly because I am busy with work, selling the house and my last courses at Laurier. I will try to make a point of doing regular posts again even if that means just doing them on my lunch hour or whenever. This week I have two cool things to tell you about if you are (like me) wading through seas of information about going green trying to find the best (and most practical) way for you. Hopefully these can help you out.

Mooshoes- this is a vegan shoestore based out of NYC, so not all of their shoes are necessarily eco-friendly, but they are certainly all animal friendly. I mention them because they carry some of the best eco-brands out there, including Simple, which in my experience has been extremely difficult to find at a reasonable price, if at all. The one place I found on Queen Street listed the shoes at around $20-25 more than Mooshoes did, so it's certainly worth the shipping. In addition, Simple's Ecos do not appear to be available in Canada (according to a retailer in Port Carling) but they are on Mooshoes. They do a lot of business out of their website and shipping is only $15 to Canada! Now, before you say "Rob, $15 isn't that cheap", that's $15 if you order 1 item, 2 items, 20 items, regardless of how many or how much they cost. I currently have an order out for a pair of sandals and my much sought after Ecos for $124 including shipping. Considering how uneblievably difficult it has been to find the shoes i want it will be worth every penny when they get here. (ps, the Ecos themselves were $70, the most expensive ones Simple makes were $90). The shoes I got have hemp uppers, and laces made from recycled plastic bottles. The soles are recycled tires, except the term "recycled" is misleading, there were never broken down and reprocessed, you can see the tire tread on the soles, which is SUPER cool! Anyways, enough about that.

Ecocessories- this is a little accessories business that my friend Jess started, and let me just say I am VERY impressed, I wouldn't plug it otherwise. Her website is www.ecocessories.ca which right now links to her blog (this business is VERY new, but mucho cool) but will soon be an actual website. You can already check out some of her work and it looks amazing. From what I can tell at least some of her stuff reuses beads from elsewhere and there are some very cool plans for eco-friendly shipping. Of course, most importanly, all her work is super stylin' and I can't wait to see more of it. I definitely plan on buying some for Christmas/birthday gifts and so should you! Anyways, that's all for now, Adios

Simple Steps to Go Green: Week 3 &4

I feel bad that I missed out on posting last week (I'm sure you were all broken up inside), so I am going to do the best entry yet this week. I hope you find it as exciting as I do.

1. The Gandhi of Websites.

I recently came across a company called BetterWorld Books (www.betterworld.com), an entirely online bookstore that I just love. The first thing I loved is that they sell tons of used books as well so you can cut down on unnecessary waste and cost. Yes, yes, I know, Amazon does that too, but check out the other reasons why BetterWorld is probably the most ethical company I know of.

- They donate portions of their profits to literacy funds around the world. You can actually choose which region to send this donation to, there tends to be one organization per continent, so they specialize in supporting literacy in South America, for example.

-Free shpping anywhere in the States, $2.97 anywhere else in the world. ANYWHERE. from their website: "We'll always help you out, no matter how unusual the request. Shipping to Inner Mongolia? We'll go find a yak. "

-they are more used than new, and carry an incredible selection (1.8 million used titles, 500 000 new). Really, why buy a new book, once yo uare done reading it it looks used anyways.

- if you receive a book and you aren't satisfied, they take it back no questions asked. Period.

- According to their website, libraries have actually had to resort to tossing books in dumpsters because they are short of space and can't find anywhere to put them when new ones come in. BetterWorld works to rescue books like this so they aren't discarded, and obviously the libraries are pretty happy about this too. (interesting stat: they have kept 5 million pounds of books out of landfills this way)

- possibly the best part: BetterWorld works with CarbonFund.org to offset the environmental impacts of their shipping. Each order is charged an extra 5 cents to go towards purchasing carbon offsets like planting trees to neutralize the environmental impact of their shipping. They call it the Carbon Neutral Shopping cart. They also use the post office (when possible) instead of couriers (apparently this is the most energy efficient way of shipping) and still manage to ship in only a few days. If they are running late, they email to tell you when you can expect your order to be in.

Can I just say it? WOW. I am doing all my Christmas shopping here next year.

Weekly Green News

sorry I haven't quite lived up to my promise of weekly blogs, but now I am done school and you will bombarded with all sorts of ramblings for the duration of the summer. Here are a few things I think should be brought to your attention.

1. Black, white, and green all over:

There has been a lot of hype in the digital world (some new thing called the internet? I dunno) about an alternative website to Google called Blackle. It is powered by Google's ever-reaching searching powers, but the difference is that the "whitespace" is actually black. (Quick sidenote: for those of you that aren't really into design, whitespace is any space that doesn't really have any design on it, generally the background, but strangely doesn't even have to be white) The point is supposed to be that by turning out the lights at Google, you save energy. I'm not sure why this has gained so much attention, since Google has debunked it themselves. Blackle unfortunately only works on CRT monitors, which are the old kind that most people no longer have. LCDs however, which most people do have, actually use the same amount of energy no matter what is displayed on them, so blacking out the whitespace actually does nothing. This being said, I have yet to see any evidence that it uses any more energy, so if you really just like how Blackle looks better, feel free to keep using it, just don't be fooled by the claims that it is more green.

2. Carbon Libre

Reports have surfaced on a few environmental sites that Costa Rica has set a new record for clean energy usage. According to the reports, Costa Rica is now running at 99% renewable energy, meaning that only 1% of the energy they produce and use comes from sources that contribute greenhouse gases (bravo). The country is set to become the first carbon neutral one in the whole world (why would I report on it otherwise?) so truly, bravo Costa Rica, just another reason to love you. For those who aren't familiar with Costa Rica and how awesome it is, here is a quick background: generally, Costa Rica is one of the most stable, progressive and safe countries in Central/South America. It has tons of rainforest and relies on coffee and bananas as its main exports (just in case you are into fair trade and want to support Costa Rica). They don't even have an army, which should speak for how stable they are, considering they don't engage in war externally or with themselves. (They were, however, part of the "Coalition of the Willing" for the Iraq War, but they don't have an army to send, so who really cares?)

Anyways, I spent some time in Costa Rica a few years ago, and now I am dying to go back and see the "real" country (not the resort and touristy stuff) even more. it's truly beautiful and somewhere you should check out)

Simple Steps to Go Green Week 3- DIY and Repurposing

so I know among the very, very, few of you that actually make a point of reading my rants, there are a few that do care at least moderately about greening their lifestyle. One of the coolest things you can do, as well as the most challenging is to repurpose otherwise wasted items. It is truly remarkable what can be reused and altered to give new purpose. I have seen several examples of people making messanger bags from old clothes, or even plastic banners (see pic). This seems pretty complicated for me, but if you are crafty maybe you can pull something like this off. I am hoping at best to recycle a pair of old pants into some new slippers and a few other things, maybe a wallet? The point is to use your imagination, and reduce your waste! often you can find any materials you need on freecycle (see previous post) or even spruce up a find at value village. I would be very, very interested to hear about any repurposing that any of you have done because it could very well be a new idea I can try (and likely fail). Anywho, that's all for now. Ciao

Spin-tastic

Quick update on my Freecycle pursuits...

I just picked up about 25 records from another freecycler in Markham, and to my disappointment (although I wasn't that surprised), most of the records were BRUTAL..we are talking 5 Julio Iglesias, 3 Air Supply records in one collection bad. Also, about half of them were Chinese records, but I did manage to extract a few worth having. The reason I mention it though, is to remind you not to get jaded if freecycling doesn't work out every time. I have already been brainstorming about some awesome ways to reuse the bad records without actually having to play them. One of these ideas involves using them to make a table to put my record player on, or maybe a frame for a mirror. Either way, it's going to be something cool.

On the plus side, one of the Chinese records looks exactly like the cover of 'Thriller' but with a Chinese woman on the front, it's pretty great.

THIS WEEK'S POST!

God bless treehugger.com

The site that brought my attention to freecycle recently gave me another gift, although I can't really use it until I get my own place. If you are looking to reduce your energy usage in the laundry room, check out a company called The Laundry Alternative. They offer a new dryer that takes only 3 minutes, uses no heat, and costs only $130. This being said, the dryer isn't meant to have your clothes come out wearably dry, they come out slightly damp (although for 3 minutes thats damn good). The purpose of the dryer is to be used in conjunction with a drying rack to finish of the drying process (but not have to wait all day), although if you really wanted your clothes dry immediately you could probably finish them off in the real dryer for just a few minutes. Naturally, since the dryer uses no heat, it is significantly smaller than a regular dryer and way better for the environment. I will try and post a picture of it, but we will see whether or not that actually happens. The Laundry Alternative offers a smaller dryer for $60 that is meant for a few pairs of jeans or something similar, since jeans retain way too much water and make your regular dryer run longer than needed. They also have a washing machine that uses no electricity but requires hot water, so i don't see that being much better than running a regular machine on a cold cycle. I am sure most of you reading this won't need any of these products any time soon, but keep them in mind for whenever that time comes.

Simple Steps to Go Green- 1st Weekly Installment

This is going to be my first of hopefully many segments on simple changes we can make to our own lives to live better in relation to the environment. i will try to get one post done a week, but we will see how long that lasts. :-)

This Week: Freecycle

This week I have been SO excited, because I got into this site called www.freecycle.org. The website it really just a number of yahoo! groups based in local communities, but essentially the idea is to reduce unecessary waste. Once you are a member or your local network, you can post anything you have that you no longer want, and interested people will respond and request the item (and obviously vice versa). If there is anything in particular that you are looking for, you can post that as well, and people will surprisingly come through pretty often. What is amazing about this site is not only its vision and goal, but the qulity of items and members. Even though it seems like people would just post trash they don't want, there are a lot of things worth having, including tv's musical instruments, office furniture, etc. The members themselves are obviously generous people since they are willing to give things away, but I have found in my correspondence so far that they are incredibly courteous and helpful, as well as respectful.

My activity so far (in only 2 days)
Gave away:
-desk chair to an ESL teacher
-broken laptop to an artist looking for broken computers (how perfect, there's actually a lot of people looking for broken stuff)

Received:
-full record collections from TWO different people

anyways, this is my favourite website right now, I HIGHLY recommend you check it out, especially if you are looking to get something and need to save a few bucks, or if you want to get rid of some clutter. Enjoy.

In reference to the previous post...

I just realized that I subscribe to 23 users on youtube, which is far more than the number of tv shows I watch on any regular basis. I actually only really follow 1 or 2 shows consistently...hmmm

If the internet were deleted tomorrow...

wow, first post in a month. I have a cool topic though I think, hoping for some responses.

If the internet were deleted/banned/etc tomorrow, what website would you miss the most? Would it be google? wikipedia? facebook? myspace? maybe something less popular?

There as certain sites that I would certainly miss in the short term (as I did when I deleted Facebook a while back), but many of these sites really don't serve any real purpose to my life. Google would be missed dearly, but in actuality, the site that I would be most upset to lose would be YouTube. Surprised? Admittedly, I use Youtube as much for pure entertainment as the next person, but the infinite video library isn't what I would miss most. What I would miss most about Youtube (and the internet) is what the site means for everyday people communicating with each other. There is a convincing presence on Youtube of returning media to the everyday Joe/Jane, one that I find absolutely irresistible. Not only does it provide channels for anything from how to build a house to the benefits of a raw food diet, but it opens up the discourse of our society up to the public, and exposes this discourse to a network that previously was limited to our own circle of acquaintances. Wow. That was a long sentence. Anyways, the long and short of it is that Youtube and similar sites are a powerful, largely uncensored voice of public opinion that would be sorely missed by myself and many others if they ceased to exist. So, there you have it. Feel free to comment and let me know what you would miss most if the internet was shut down.

I forgot to mention that Youtube allows the creation of amateur comedies/dramas/etc, which are of as much value in terms of returning the media to the people as video commentaries on our socio political environment.

The Great Procrastinators- Getting Bizzy

Recently, the David Suzuki Foundation released a recommendation for a national carbon tax program similar to those used in Europe. In the report, the Foundation stated that a national carbon tax program could help to raise funds in the neighbourhood of $50 billion a year for our government, which would allow for drastic reduction of other taxes. The Harper government released a statement that they have no intentions of implementing such a program, and instead intend to pursue a regulatory approach. Of course, this "regulatory" approach has been used ineffectively by Canadian government for decades, and we would only hope that Mr Harper would be aware of the past failures of the government he is charged with. The current regulatory goals that have been set out by the Canadian government call for a 20% reduction of greenhouse gases by 2020. However, current emissions are so far above the 1990 levels noted for Kyoto that a 20% reduction is more of a return to 1990 levels than a reduction at all.

Furthermore, the provinces are free to set their own regulations, with Alberta setting the stingy goal of 14% by 2050. In the past, this kind of political pandering has proven to be nothing more than a mechanism for businesses to forward their own agendas. This is done by placing economic pressure on the provinces to lower their own standards by threatening to relocate their operations elsewhere. We see this already in Alberta's barely existent regulations, since the oil sands are the base for the province's booming economy. We cannot possibly expect them to choose the environment over the survival of their economy, which is why it is so imperative for Ottawa to take a leadership role in improving our environmental record.

Ottawa faces two courses of action if we truly want to change our place as one of the worst polluters in the world. First, we must implement legislation at the federal level to halt the regulatory "race to the bottom" that has taken place over the last few decades. By relieving some of the pressure from the provinces, we allow them to take a proactive role in exceeding the minimum requirements instead of being forced to opt out of them. Second, by implementing a carbon tax program, we can use capitalism to our ecological advantage (who knew?) by making it in the best interests of corporations to be more environmentally friendly. Subsequently, individual income tax could be reduced, some of which would cover the inevitably higher costs of the new eco-products. What is most important to remember, however, is that these programs are not mutually exclusive. Either one implemented on its own would produce positive environmental changes, but combined they have the potential to change our place in the world. It is about time that our governments began to realize that concern for the environment is not a fad, and ignoring it will only leave us in the wake of the many others who have embraced it.

Bullfrog Power

I want everyone to be aware of this wonderful company that is popping up in the news called Bullfrog Power. Basically Bullfrog power is your everyday hydro company, except that all of their hydro power comes from renewable, environmentally friendly sources like wind and non-invasive water generation. By comparison, conventional power is generated largely by burning coal, one of the dirtiest energy sources we have, possibly THE dirtiest. Bullfrog admits that their product costs slightly more than normal hydro, supposedly about a dollar a day more. Given this, I would assume this is on the low side just because it is in their best interests to do so, but I wouldn't think it's far off. Even with the extra cost, Bullfrog takes the initiative to give you tons of easy ways to permanently make your energy consumption more efficient, thereby more than making up for the extra cost. This includes things such as using flourescent light bulbs, insulating your water heater, installing low-flow shower heads, and properly sealing your windows and doors (also using double-paned windows) These are all easy things to do, and I am really very excited if this is the direction the world is heading. Bullfrog currently serves Ontario and Alberta, and already has some large businesses signing up for their product, including BMO. Obviously they can't serve everyone, but they are making a huge difference and it's really quite exciting. You really can't imagine the difference this makes to the environment, if you could do only one thing for the environment, this should be it. Hydro is such an enormous part of greenhouse emissions, and this company lowers that part of your footprint literally to zero. Incredible

here is the website for anyone that wants to go check it out, please try to encourage your parents to consider it, or at least spread the word to people who might. www.bullfrogpower.com

on that note, the thought for the day is... "at what point does greed transcend selfishness and become downright irresponsible? If the smallest sacrifice could make the biggest difference, would you make it? What is worth changing, and what would you give up to do it?"

Canadian Filmmakers continued...

I forgot to add that Ryan Gosling has also received critical acclaim for his role in "Lars and the Real Girl" which I also have not seen, but I want to. The guy has definitely come a long way since his days on "Breaker High", when he was the skinny guy who could never get girls, and now he is an international heartthrob, not to mention a great actor. Kudos, Mr Gosling.

Thumbs up for Canadian filmmakers

wow. So I am feeling great about the Canadian film industry right now. There were concerns that our improving dollar would discourage filmmakers from shooting here, but this year's awards shows seem determined to make sure that doesn't happen. Two films in particular, Away From Her and Juno come up often in the lists of nominees, and so far have even been on the list of winners as well. I am not exactly sure exactly what either are about since I haven't seen them yet, but I know that Away From Her was adapted and directed by Sarah Polley, a Canadian, and Juno stars several canucks, namely Ellen Page and Michael Cera. Page is even one of the nominees for Best Actress at the Academy Awards, and the film itself is also up for Best Picture, despite being originally shown as a limited release. Polley is also nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay. Both Juno and Away From Her were shot in Canada, and Away From Her also features acclaimed Canadian filmmaker Atom Egoyan as producer, and three other Canadians as part of central cast.

I think this is a huge step forward for Canadian film, which usually only garners acclaim from the success of one actor/actress, or is considered Canadian because it was shot here. There are a few exceptions, but clearly this year is a standout year, with Canadian presence in at least 3 of the major categories at the Oscars and many others at other shows. The future looks bright for movies in Canada, and I tip my hat to them.

Case for localized economy

So as I'm sure a few of you know, I like getting into discussions (sometimes heated) about political and social issues, sometimes ones that I don't know that much about. It's easy to get caught in a web of supposedly causal relationships, and the amount of information that we posess today makes just about anything believable. However, amoungst all this deliberation and discussion, one issue has continued to bother me. That is, how many countries/cities with so much to offer are still so paralyzed by poverty. What I have realized is that in the age of franchises and megastores, borderline economies are being stripped of their potential to grow. It is easy to blame companies like Wal*Mart for uderpaying their employees, but is that ultimately the issue? Maybe we should be considering where this saved money is going in the physical sense, not just to who.

Conservatives like to think that capitalist economics function best in a "trickle down" format; that is, more money for the rich will allow for more business ventures to be started and more products purchased, which in turn provide income for the lower-class citizens who make those products and will work for these new companies. Unfortunately, the trickle effect leaves the working class begging for leftovers like dogs at the dinner table.

Back to the point. Let's assume that the rich and poor generally inhabit the same areas (they don't). If this were to be true, perhaps the trickle down effect might actually work. IN fact, in the case of local start-up companies, it can. The sudden influx of money from a successful start-up can infuse a local economy with new life. This is because the management exists in the same space as the rest of the company. In other words, the money that is made stays WHERE it is made, and can trickle down. In the case of companies like Wal*Mart, those that make any real income are removed from the localities that support their business, and so this income is not reinvested back into the economy. This is where low wagescome into play. Consider the income that could be made by someone who owned their own restaurant, and then consider the drop in income if they were to work for McDonalds. His McDonalds location generates just as much profit as his restaurant, except it isn't distributed among the employees. Instead, the profit is made by satellite managers who live elsewhere and spend their money elsewhere, and so this lost income is not just lost for our entrepreneur, but for the community he lives in.

As much as this is a problem in the western world, it is even more so in the Third World. Countries that have valuable resources sell them at bare minimum prices to the developed world
, where they command high prices. Consider the case of coffee. This is a resource we charge enormous amounts for given the cost to the companies, and yet the vast majority of the profit stays here, instead of making its way back to the people who actually farmed the beans. At the very least, if Tim Hortons (for example) is to make so much money from coffee, they should at least distribute the income to the country from whence it came. If they set up a management office in Costa Rica, for example, and employed Costa Ricans at comparable salaries to work in these offices, the country would experience an influx of income because the people making money from the transaction would also be spending it in Costa Rica, allowing eventually for higher taxes and social programs like schooling, healthcare, etc. (obviously there are educational barriers to begin with, but the point is to encourage wages at the bottom end that are proportional to the end profit.