Goodbye... I'm so happy and sad all at the same time!

Well, everyone, this is it: the last post. I have exhausted my resources for this blog, and so it's time to move on to other things in my life. I feel so happy that I have completed this blog, yet so sad that I have to let go. I will definitely think about this more before I post this for real.
To those of you who are seeing my blog for the first time, feel free to look around! I have spent many hours working on this blog. But for the rest of you...

On the weekend, I attended the 2012 Youth Summit for Biodiversity and Environmental Justice, as an Ontario Nature Youth Council member. It was one of the best weekends of my life. I didn't have time to post anything that Friday, because the moment I got home from school, I had to have lunch and then pack my bags.
One of the workshops I attended was about Global Governance and Environmental Justice (or something like that). A particularly memorable moment was when the presenter, who worked as a critic of global governments, took a look at the colourful masses of acronyms that she had written on a paper on an easel and joked, "So this is my life. I'm trying to figure it out." The moral of the story: don't get bogged down by a bunch of terminology and super-long acronyms unless you have to.
I'm trying to figure out my life, too. Has Hug A Tree Today, Seriously helped me with that? Perhaps. It has definitely given me a chance to make a difference in my own way, in my own time.

Sign from the YMCA camp where the summit was held.

The guest speaker was Simon Jackson, a Canadian from British Colombia who founded the Spirit Bear Youth Coalition. His story was an inspiring one. It made me realize just how easy it is to get public attention for your organization. Apparently, when the royal British princes came to visit Canada, Simon maneuvered himself right up to the front-- amidst hordes of screaming girls-- and asked the princes to help him save the Spirit Bear (which is a white variety of  black bear). And they did! Although the Spirit Bear is still in need of protection, he has come a long way towards saving this unique species.
 I am incredibly hopeful that we can make a difference in the world. I'm not giving up on my environmental activism by ending this blog. I still am on the ON Youth Council, I have a print 'zine on environmentally-friendly living, and I do other cool things on and off that I can't remember right now. Remember to continue to do your own things to help save the environment during your lifetime!

Oh, and I have a few more eco-tips for you all:

• If you want clean, smooth, glowing skin, use sea salt! Simply wet your face (or hands, or whatever) with warm water and then rub sea salt onto your skin. Rub it in well and then rinse it off. Do a final rinse with cool water to close off your pores. It works really well.
• Have you been considering alternative energy? Well, I want you to know that you shouldn't be too quick to jump on the bandwagon. Solar panels can disrupt bird migration patterns and take up large quantities of land. Wind turbines chop up tens of thousands of birds in the U.S. alone every year, and they also take incredibly large amounts of energy and land to operate. The best way to go is simply to conserve energy!
• I suggest that you find another blog to follow now that mine is done. Find ways to be in nature. Keep up your eco-friendliness-- you will not regret it.

Now, a few parting words:

1. To all the followers (official and unofficial) of this blog, you rock! You rock because you care about the environment and you are willing to do something about it. You rock because you've helped me reach and surpass my goal of 1000 pageviews by the end of the year. (Keep reading to find out how many pageviews I've achieved at the time of this writing.)
2. Around New Year's Eve in 2011, I set the goal of reaching 1000 pageviews by the end of 2012. At the time of this writing, I have reached 3701 pageviews! And it's only October!
3. If you have enjoyed following this blog or reading my posts, please go to The Animal Rights Action Site, which is now my official primary blog. I may start another blog at some point, but it most likely will be under a different name, for privacy reasons!
4. Bye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Have a good life, everyone.

Cat, signing out, ready to take on the world...

The Problems with the Internet

Whenever I hear Internet fanatics and well-intentioned fellow activists ranting about utilizing "The Power of the Internet", I release a little groan of annoyance (after all, I'm just reading their Internet rants at my computer, so they can't hear me!). They seem to think that the Internet is one of the best things that has ever happened to humanity. Now, I know that I shouldn't be saying this on an Internet blog and all, but really-- the Internet has some serious problems, and today I'm going to write about it.
1) The Internet is a myth.
Well, sort of, anyway. Not your typical fire-breathing, sword-wielding myth, but instead, a lie that we convince ourselves is true. Tell me: what IS the Internet? A bunch of electric signals shooting about space? Is it the servers which store all the information? Or is it everywhere you go, so long as you have the equippment to pick up a signal?
Everything you see on the Internet-- including my blog-- isn't real. It's just an image. If the electricity failed, it would be gone, and those of us who invest too much time in virtual reality would be left all alone in the real world, hopelessly confused as to how to truly live.
Although I still do use the Internet for my blogs and e-mail (and the occasional time-wasting mindless web-surfing), I try not to waste away very much of my life on something that isn't real.

2) The computer gobbles up a LOT of electricity.
American adults spend an average of 8 hours per day in front of a screen, according to http://www.sixwise.com/Newsletters/2009/April/22/Americans-Spend-Many-Hours-a-Day-Watching-Screens.htm. The average computer uses 100 to 330 watts of energy, according to http://www.wisegeek.com/how-much-electricity-does-a-computer-use.htm. Imagine how much electricity this uses! It is best to steer clear of screens in general!

3) The Internet takes away from REAL life.
Real life! I hope that those of you who are reading this have a real life. I'm sure some of you do, otherwise you would have clicked the "X" in the corner of the screen in disgust by now upon seeing that I was critisizing your religion of technologism!
Anyway, people can be so much happier when they aren't glued to a screen. The spontaneity of finding a silver quarter on the beach, the joy of talking with friends face-to-face, the thrill of standing at the top of a mountain that you just climbed-- *sigh*. Real life is amazing. The computer isn't. Even if you have written work to do, isn't it so much more relaxing to go and sit outside with a notebook and pencil than it is to sit and stare at the computer inside a stuffy basement? Well?

4) Computer systems become outdated within a few years. More and more computers are being thrown away every year.
It's quite a shame that we can't seem to be thankful for what technology we have instead of constantly trying to "improve" it to make it more "advanced". This only brings us farther from nature and deposits more toxic waste into our landfills. The less you use your computer, the less tempted you will be to buy a new one. Strange, perhaps, but true.

5) The Internet ruins community.
I have never gotten too excited about "building community", but it bears mentioning that the Internet replaces real community with a fake one.

6) The Internet is an advertising tool.
You want to sell something? Go to Google and they'll connect you with all the computer users who frequent websites and send e-mails that relate to your product. Which leads to my next point...

7) There is no privacy on the Internet!
Believe me, they don't want you to know this, but it is true. Your e-mails are not private. Nor are your "InPrivate" web surfings. Sure, your history teacher can't see them, but the web providers and the government can. And they can tell whoever they want. I read an article once in which the Canadian secret intelligence divulged information to us on what a Canadian official said in his private e-mails to a woman he was flirting with. I read the leaked portion of the e-mails, of course-- who wouldn't? But they shouldn't have done that. Apparently the workers who found the e-mails were all laughing behind his back and sending around the e-mails to their friends and family. What a disgrace!

8) The Internet sedates you and numbs your brain-- it's like a drug.
Is this intentional? Do the big corporations purposely try to placate us so that we don't think for ourselves? I'm not taking any more of this drug of modern society than I have to, thank you very much. It's like in The Hollow People by Brian Keaney-- read the book to know what I am talking aboiut.

9) The Internet keeps you from being physically active.
Simple, and obvious. Not only does it waste time that could otherwise be spent in a physically active way, but it also sedates you, making you not in much of a mood for exercise (see #8 for details).

10) The Internet keeps you away from nature, and this harms your mental health.
It has been proven that nature is good for your emotional well-being. Again, this should be obvious!

I strongly urge you to try to reduce your Internet and computer time right away. Still, come back to my blog to read my posts-- it's only once a week! Of course, if you are going completely screen-free for the rest of your life, then this is likely the last you will be seeing of my blog. But I doubt that most people would be prepared to do that, so there is no need for goodbyes.
Make a plan as to what Internet time you could cut out. Then, write up a schedule or a daily computer-time limit, and follow it! It's worth it, believe me!

See you next week!

Inspirational Filler Post, Or, Inspiration for Environmentalists

Last night I couldn't sleep very well. So I'm going to write a filler post.

Inspiration:
1) Never give up on what you believe in. Environmentalists are too smart to give up.
2) If you ever feel like nobody cares about the environment, tell yourself that they'll snap out of it eventually. Then they'll all adore you for being a trend-setter.
3) You can live according to your beliefs.
4) Don't procrastinate anymore. I mean it. I have to wait until I'm 18 to do a lot of the things I want to do it my life. So, I get a little annoyed when people do have the power to act now, but they don't act.
5) Start a blog. Or not. Maybe you could go leafleting. Or not. Go invite over all your friends to an eco-friendly party, just to show them how fun it is. Or not. Get a bumper sticker for your moped about eco-friendliness. Or not! I don't know! Just do something, please!
6) Keep reading my blog. I'm not being a very good writer today, but if you have read my other posts, I think you'll want to stay. Then I can reach more people with my message.

Ta-ta! See y'all next week.

The Ontario Nature Youth Council. Guess which one is me!

If you HAVE to...

I understand that being eco-friendly is not very appealing if you feel like you must deprive yourself in order to succeed at it. Sometimes, I just (feel like I) need to listen to music, play video games, or watch a movie. But surely there are more energy-efficient ways to do such things?

And so...
If you HAVE to listen to music, use an MP3 player instead of a loud CD player.
If you HAVE to play video games, use a Nintendo DS instead of your computer or X-Box.
If you HAVE to watch a movie, do it at a movie theatre or invite a friend over to share the fun.
If you HAVE to have a bath instead of a shower, use lukewarm water-- not steaming water.
If you HAVE to do unneccessary things on the Internet, use a laptop instead of a desktop (it saves energy).

How did you all do with last week's challenge, by the way?

Happy Birthday to Me... and The Importance of Getting Into Nature

Last weekend, I attended the Ontario Nature Youth Council Leadership Retreat in Kettleby, ON. It was a lot of fun. We did group activities in nature and teambuilding challenges, and we also got into a debate about how the council should be governed. I learned something while I was there, too-- that connections to nature are an integral part of an environmentally-concious person's life.
Many of the other members of the Youth Council seemed to have spent a lot of time in nature, and this fueled their passion toward it. It makes sense; you wouldn't want to destroy the places that you have grown up in, would you? This is why I am going to talk about different ways you can get more in touch with the natural world...

1. Go for a walk or bike ride at the park or in the nearby woods.
2. Sit under a tree and read a book.
3. Go bird-watching-- in your backyard or in the forest.
4. Have a (vegan) picnic outside.
5. Have an outdoors party.
6. Canoe, kayak, paddle-boat, or row-boat gently down the stream.
7. Search for reptiles near a marsh.
8. Use a solar-cooker to heat your food.
9. Roller-skate or skateboard around the block.
10. Hug a tree today, seriously.
11. Go camping or stay at a cottage.
12. Paint and sketch natural scenes. No need to work from a photograph-- just get out there and do it!
13. Go to a tree-planting with the local naturalists' club.
14. Join the local naturalists' club (or another similar organization).
15. Take your laptop outside to check your e-mail.
16. Stand outside in the rain (a very nice thing to do!).
17. Go for a swim.
18. Listen for frogs and crickets at night.
19. Learn to identify trees, herbs, and other plants, as well as insects and other animals.
20. Garden-- see my gardening post for more ideas.
21. Set up a birdhouse or a bat box (make sure they are safe from cats!).
22. Pick up garbage down by the river or in another natural spot.
23. Visit a wild animal rehab center (I'll probably be volunteering at the local wild bird care center this summer).
24. Go geocache hunting in a natural setting.
25. Stargaze.
26. Watch the clouds drift by.
27. In winter, go skating, skiing, or snowshoeing.
28. Dry your clothes on a clothesline in your backyard.
29. Practice a musical instrument outside.
30. Take your companion animal on a walk (on a leash, and safely, of course!).

Here's a challenge: I dare you to try at least five of these things in the next week! Try it out, okay?

 



My Birthday! This vegan cake looks delicious. Photo Courtesy of Auntie Loo's Treats



Sustainable Transportation: Part I

Did you know that transportation is responsible for 22% of all CO2 emmissions? Carbon dioxide may be just one of many gases, but it should give you an idea of the percentage of other gases emmited by transportation-- including the dangerous nitrogen oxides and ozone.
Because transportation has such a heavy impact on our environment, we need to adjust this practice drastically. Here are some of my suggestions:

• Don't commute by car! I know, some of you (feel that you) must commute, because you live such a long way away from the place that you work. But that is no excuse, really. Find a job close to home, or find a home close to your job. If neither of these appeal to you, take the bus or find someone who is driving along the same route so that you can carpool.
• Make it a rule: whenever you are going somewhere "for fun", like the movies or to a friend's house, rule out the car and bike, walk, or take public transit.
• If you have a car, give it to someone going car-shopping. Or use it as a carpool car.
• Long distance trips should be made by train and charter bus. That includes summer vacation-- imagine the rustic calmness of the train, instead of the high-tech stress of a car or plane!
• If you are completely stubborn about having a car, at least make sure that your next one is an energy-efficient hybrid or one run by restaurants' leftover vegetable oil (yes, some of them can run off used oil scraps!).

Electric Scooter: Courtesy of http://theitsaboutelectricscootersblog.blogspot.ca/

You know, I was thinking about what a future might be like if we all took action now. If we stopped buying cars and saved them for the sick, impaired, and threatened. If we all bicycled, walked, skateboarded, scootered, and roller-skated. If we used mopeds, electric bikes, and electric scooters when we couldn't get places with our own power. If long-distance travel entailed trains and buses...
And you know what gets me angry? That future-- that wonderful, attainable future-- is being stolen from me a little bit more every day. We have already hit peak oil, which means that from now on, we will keep finding less and less oil in the ground. The prices will steadily increase until eventually, only the billionaires can afford it. And one day it will be all gone. Sooner or later, industry will collapse, and we won't even be prepared! Life may get very hard from that point forward. We will be forced to be self-reliant. I am fine with growing my own vegetables, but some things, like heating my house and going to school, will suddenly become so complicated! A sustainable yet still comfortable future is not only being stolen from me, but also from you, your neighbours, your current/future children, and all other life forms on the planet. The thieves are the people who carelessly suck away all the energy they want; of course, they often do it unknowingly, so you can't hate them for it, but that doesn't make what they are doing any more ethical.
I figured I would have to rant a bit about the reasons why this matters so much in order to convince you to make wise transportation choices. After all, changing the way you commute is a big deal. But it is oh-so-important. It can be used to measure what kind of person you are choosing to be in your life. It also dictates how the Earth will exist in the future-- whether many species, including our own, will even survive!

Should City-Dwellers Feed the Urban Birds?

A while ago, I was filling up the bird-feeder, when the philosophical question popped up in my head: Is it ethical to feed the birds?

Most people, I think, would say yes immediately. But think about where that bird seed came from: large fields of chemically-sprayed swaying sunflowers which totally destroyed the surrounding habitat for other creatures. Many birds would have starved when the previously forested area was clear-cut. Many more will die for farmland. For this reason, it is much better to avoid supporting these operations. Besides, who knows what sort of toxic chemicals commercial sunflower seeds expose your backyard birds to?

I stopped re-filling the bird feeder after that-- after all, it doesn't make any sense to take away an entire ecosystem to give to a few backyard birds (no matter how beautiful and important those birds are)!

I can imagine the complaints from people already... "but I like watching birds in my yard" and "but those birds will all die out if we don't feed them", etc. Well, don't worry about your backyard birds. They are well-accustomed to finding food for themselves. If you still want to attract them to your yard and give them a nutritional boost, however, you can follow a few of these suggestions:

• Grow native plants on your lawn. Black-eyed Susans in Ontario, for example, will attract many birds. You can always grow sunflowers, too (where did you think sunflower seeds came from, eh?). :)



Black-eyed Susans



• Toss your leftovers into the garden. If the birds don't get them, the urban wildlife will-- and if that doesn't happen, it will naturally compost. My city has a composting system, but if yours doesn't, why not set up a bin for you to throw things in to bring outside later? The birds will thank you for it! (I threw a pear core into the garden one morning, and a few hours later, I saw a squirrel running off with it down the fence... It's a lot better than sending it to the landfill or some fertilizer company.)
• If you are completely adamant about filling your bird-feeder, at least use organic sunflower seeds!

Tell me what you think about eco-friendly ways of feeding the birds!

Get Set for Earth Day... How Will You be the Change?

Earth Day is on Sunday, April the 22nd. Personally, I feel like it is an extremely important day of the year. On Earth Day, all of your environmentally-friendly actions seem to really count. Of course, they count on all the other days of the year, too-- but there is so much more motivation to be green on Earth Day. It might surprise you that I, as an eco-blogger, sometimes run low on motivation to help save the planet, but believe me, I do. It happens to everyone. What really matters is overcoming that and doing great things anyway!

Anyway, here are some of my ideas for going even greener this Earth Day:

1. Start a new habit. Sometimes it only takes a little bit of time and energy to start up something that can last year round. For example...
1. Set up a clothes rack in your basement or clothesline in your backyard. This way, you can get into the habit of drying your clothes without the clothes dryer. By doing this, you will save $85 (US) per year and untold amounts of electricity!
2. If you aren't already a vegetarian, go out to a vegetarian restaurant to discover some delicious vegetarian foods (many of which will also be organic and vegan). You may be able to pick up a cookbook with great recipes. What would be a better time to start a new vegetarian lifestyle than on Earth Day?
3. Make some candles or start using rechargeable flashlights for use in the evening. Walking around your house at night can be an amazing experience with a candle in your hands!
4. Another good idea I found on the Internet is to get into the habit of reflecting. Reflect on your way of life and how it affects those around you (and those who are far away from you!). The more you think about it, the easier it will be to make necessary changes to your lifestyle.
2. Attend an Earth Day event in your community. For those of you who live in Ontario, you can participate in Ontario Nature's Our Special Spaces events that include tree-plantings etc. (I'll be going to the one at Lemoine Point in Kingston.) Otherwise, simply type in "[your city name] Earth Day events" on a search engine to find some. If you happen to be reading this on or after Earth Day, you might still be able to find "Earth Month" activities that last through April to take part in.
3. Sit down and plan out your eco-friendly goals for the next year. You can get started by reading my New Year's blog post, "Make Your New Year's Resolutions Sustainable", at http://hugatreetodayseriously.blogspot.ca/2011/12/make-your-new-years-resolutions.html.
4. Educate yourself! Simply read a book on environmental issues or eco-friendly tips. You can get one at the library. Many people have said that one of the best things you can do for the planet is to educate yourself. This is probably because knowledge inspires wisdom, and wisdom inspires good choices...





As Zachary Shahan said on planetsave.com, "Today should still be Earth Day, perhaps, but it should also be the beginning of Earth Week, Earth Month and Earth Year. And Earth Year should be an annual thing." (See http://planetsave.com/2010/04/22/what-to-do-on-earth-day/ for the rest of the article.)

Earth Day is all about really making a difference... So how will you be the change this year?

Which NGOs Are Worth Giving Donations To?

I used to donate a lot to NGOs (non-governmental organizations), but as I became more knowledgeable about environmental and animal rights issues, I started to wonder just how my money was being used.
This applies to all kinds of NGOs-- environmental, human rights, animal rights, and more. Here is my opinion on making donations each type of NGO:

• Environment: These NGOs are usually perfectly fine to donate to, because they care about animals, humans (usually, anyway), and the environment. But your money might also go towards more undesirable things, like cruel barbeque fundraisers, for example, or wind turbines, which kill birds (we just shouldn't use as much energy, that's all!). As long as you do a bit of research on the organization and you agree with all of their initiatives and their mission statement, however, it should be fine to donate to it.
• Human rights: Human rights is a fine cause, and it very often relates to environmental issues. Fair trade farming, for instance, relates to organic agriculture. Did you know that some people working in the United States are actually slaves to the big corporations? And when pesticides are sprayed all over the fields from above, the laborers don't even have time to run for cover, so their skin soaks up all those toxins. Other human rights groups don't really impact the environment either way-- look at diversity initiatives, for instance. Make sure that your human rights donation does not violate environmental ethic, though-- sometimes the "solutions" to human rights problems only cause more problems elsewhere (e.g. replacing a laborer's old job with an unsustainable forestry one, having one of those cruel barbeque fundraisers, etc.). I don't really have any suggestions of specific organizations, but that isn't to say that there aren't any good ones out there.
• Poverty and Homelessness Charities: These can be okay for environmentalists to donate to. It really depends on what they're doing. If they are doing something seriously detrimental to the environment or animals, then please don't donate to it. For example, some people who go to developing countries to try to give poor people a better life actually encourage the locals to exploit the natural environment, which will really just come back and take away their wealth in the end (see http://www.worldchanging.com/ for information on this and many other topics). And World Vision gives live animals to poor families so that they can breed them and then kill them, which is absolutely horrible. The best way to help impoverished people is to donate environmentally-friendly food and clothes to your local shelters and food bank. That way, no one will be able to go out and buy something unsustainable with your money-- you'll already have done the decision-making for them.
• Health and Research Associations: Ah, so controversial! People like to say, "So you think that we should throw away human lives just so that we don't have to test on animals?" But there are health research organizations that do not test on animals. Go to  http://www.humaneseal.org/search.cfm to search for organizations that have the PCRM's Humane Charity Seal of Approval.
• Animal Rights: Animal rights is very closely tied to environmental issues. Read my article at http://teenink.com/hot_topics/environment/article/403045/Helping-Animals-and-the-Environment/ for some information on how the two relate. My favourite animal rights charity:
• NCVA (National Capital Vegetarian Association-- http://www.ncva.ca/), located in Ottawa, or any other vegetarian/vegan association, such as the Vegan Society (http://www.vegansociety.com/).

Very Important Point: The more specific the cause and the donation, the better results will occur. (e.g. If you want to give dog beds to dogs in animal shelters, buy the dog bed yourself instead of giving your money to the animal shelter, who can do absolutely anything they want with it. And instead of donating to a general environmental group, give your money to an environmental group that focuses on a specific topic that matters a lot to you.) My point is that you never really know exactly how your money can be used, so be careful without being stingy.
I hope you can make the right choices when donating to NGOs!

Are you Buying Tap Water For $4 a Litre?

Today I'll be talking about bottled water and recycling. "The Story of Bottled Water" is a quick illustrated video (by the same woman who narrated "The Story of Stuff") informing you about the realities behind bottled water. I apologize for the bad formatting of my blog (there was nothing I could do about it), but please sit back and watch it right now:

Recycling, although not 100% effective, is very important. DoSomething.org has partnered with Nestle (which is weird, because Nestle is known as one of the most socially and environmentally irresponsible companies on the planet) to encourage recycling. Please go to http://www.dosomething.org/trashy/gallery for the rest of these funny pictures and statistics:

People often think that buying some bottled water and then throwing it away afterwards doesn't really hurt the planet. But it does. Here is a rather ironic article, "'How Bad For The Environment Can Throwing Away One Plastic Bottle Be?' 30 Million People Wonder", that sums up my point nicely: http://www.theonion.com/articles/how-bad-for-the-environment-can-throwing-away-one,2892/.

I understand how you might already have a bunch of water bottles stored away in your cupboard or ready to be recycled. There's nothing you can do about all those water bottles you consumed in the past, but you can become part of the movement by not buying any more and by reusing those which you already have!

I took this picture of a water bottle bird feeder while out walking with my aunt and cousin:

You can also use old water bottles to store change, nuts/bolts/nails, collections, and as pencil holders and cookie jars (once you cut the top off). Don't store anything wet or moist in water bottles, though; that could make you sick. For the birdfeeder above, I recommend only using it in dry weather, and if it rains, you should change it.

On the whole, bottled water should be avoided! If you haven't watched "The Story of Bottled Water" yet, please scroll back up and watch it or go to http://www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of-bottled-water/ to see it at it's original website. If you are really interested in this sort of thing, you should go on a movie marathon and watch all of "The Story of..." videos. I've only seen three, but that was three really good videos I spent my time watching!

Planning Your Summer Vacation?

Right around this time of year, people are starting (or already have started) to think about their long-awaited summer vacation. Although it is only February, there is research to do, reservations to make, and trips to plan. But how can you ensure that your trip is sustainable as well?

First of all, there are some awesome tours around the world that have a focus on low-footprint tourism, or eco-tourism. And when I say around the world, I mean it-- you can catch a tour in South, Central, and North America, as well as Africa, Asia, Australia and Oceana, Europe, and the Middle East. You can start your search at http://www.ecotourdirectory.com/ or http://ecotours.com/.

Don't want to travel with a large group? Okay-- but there are still ways to make your trip more eco-friendly. Here is another one of my handy-dandy lists of eco-friendly ideas!:

Consider taking a train instead of driving a car or flying when you have to go long distances over land.

                        

• Avoid flying! Flying airplanes has a devastating impact on the Earth. Most of the time (if not all of the time), make your holidays close to home. Even for the wealthy, travelling the world need not be a yearly activity-- as long as you have a few special experiences overseas in your lifetime, that should be enough, don't you think? There may well be some interesting cities right near your hometown-- and there are wonderful campgrounds to visit in many countries.
• If you happen to stay at a hotel, check out their environmental policies first. http://www.environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com/ shows you which hotels around the globe are committed to sustainability.
• While exploring an area of the city, again, don't bother with the car-- it's always a hassle to park those things anyway. You can cycle, bus, walk, or take the subway to get around.
• If a car is definitely going to be part of your travel experience, rent a hybrid or electric car.
• Search ahead of time for vegetarian restaurants in the city that you are travelling to. After all-- veggie meals have a smaller environmental impact. See http://www.happycow.net/ for a directory of vegetarian restaurants.
  
• Souvenirs? Do you really need them? Ask yourself how many of your old souvenirs are currently gathering dust in the back of a closet. Remember the old saying: "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints." This applies to visiting cities, too! And remember that souvenirs that come from animals (including wildlife souvenirs) often are a product of cruelty.
• Pack any food that you'll bring along in reusable containers. Try to use what you already have on hand instead of buying new containers, but if you don't have enough, make sure to buy some metal ones, as opposed to plastic. If you don't think you have enough packing space, use some reusable sandwich bags (http://www.snacktaxi.com/).
• Treat the city or country that you are visiting as you would (or should!) treat your hometown. In other words: recycle, don't litter, don't trod on people's flowers, etc. Simple enough!
• Investigate ahead of time what sort of volunteer work you could do while on holiday. You may get some ideas from http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/latest/eco-travel-volunteer-vacations-50022309. If there are no volunteer opportunities being offered, take matters into your own hands and organize a litter cleanup with your fellow travellers, plant a tree, give some of the locals organic vegetable seeds (especially in impoverished countries), and drop environmental organization flyers into mailboxes. Come up with your own ideas-- volunteerism can make you feel surprisingly inspired!

In summary: Green travel is possible, easy, and fun! So go for it. And come back next week for new tips!

World Domination is Underway!

Although not exactly aliens invading the earth, television certainly is taking over our lives. It has managed to sneak into our living rooms, family rooms, and even bedrooms, and from there, the television is dominating our daily schedules, sucking more and more of our power into it's ever-increasing channels... and no one is safe from the television's influence, even if you don't watch it yourself.
Americans spend an estimated 9 years watching television in their lifetime. I was shocked to learn such a thing. Nine whole years wasted? Here is a list of things that you could do in that amount of time:

• Write 9 novels
• Do some serious environmental campaigns
• Travel the world
• Get a Ph.D. or two
• Help others
• Work at nine different animal shelters-- one per year
• Build a bunch of eco-friendly houses
• Read 450 books (if you read 50 books per year, that is)
• Become a marathon-runner
• Campaign and become the Prime Minister of Canada (sorry, Canadians only)
• Accomplish your dreams!

Personally, I don't watch television. I actually find it rather boring. As far as relaxing goes, I would be more likely to read a book or check my e-mail. Besides, watching the TV makes you much more likely to fall for all the advertisements and pop culture images (I'll talk more about advertisements and shopping habits next week!).
Please don't fall under the television's influence. Instead, occupy yourself with other activities like reading or learning an instrument. It'll leave you feeling more fulfilled when you do an activity that takes a bit of effort.
Oh, and what'll you do with all those TVs lying around your house? How about donate them? That way, less people will go out and buy brand-new television sets.
Let's take the world-- our worlds-- back from the ruthless clutches of TV.

Hey!
Ahoy!
(The television is a dangerous toy.)
Avast!
Shiver me timbers!
(TV is not for free-thinkers!)
Yo!
Heave-ho!
(Into the dump the TV goes!)

I know it's only Thursday, but I'll be pretty busy tomorrow, so I thought I'd post today instead.

Ultimate Green Living

Being eco-friendly from day-to-day is great, and it does help, but if you're like me, that isn't really enough. You want to live in a way that isn't just more sustainable; instead, you want to be absolutely sustainable. Although this is often mistaken for an extremist approach, think of it this way: "sustainable" means that we are only taking from the Earth that which the Earth can replenish. Being only a little more sustainable than we are now still puts us on the road to destroying the Earth's resources, thus hurting the animals and impoverished people first, but finally, ourselves.

Housing can often be a problem. In Canada, where I live, many people live in gargantuan houses complete with every appliance one could dream up-- not to mention at least two televisions and a couple computers to boot. Since land is relatively cheap here, people don't seem to even consider living small. However, there are so many options for a more environmentally-friendly housing option.

• You could live in a small house (besides, the bigger the house, the bigger the chance of clutter-- and bills!).
• You could live in a storage container (Umm... this is a joke, right? Right??? Nope. Go to this link for details: http://ca.shine.yahoo.com/living-small--lulu-s-shipping-container-home.html ).
• You could share a house with a few friends.
• You could live in an eco-friendly house (this could include living in a "green community", building an advantageously energy-saving house, etc.) See http://sicarius.typepad.com/althouse/ecofriendly_homes/ and http://www.ehow.com/how_2146008_build-ecofriendly-house.html for some ideas.
• You could live in an apartment building or condo.
• You could live in a cat basket (Okay, this one is a joke!).

Next week, I'll be posting about let's-just-say-something-that-makes-me-tick, so come back next Friday for more details!

There is a sufficiency in the world for man's need but not for man's greed.  ~Mohandas K. Gandhi

It's all in the Timing

The way you plan your day can have an immense impact on your personal footprint. How so? Well, when you do things at different times of day, different resources are needed.  Here are my suggestions for switching the order of events of your routine:

1) Shower in the evening, not morning. In the evening, you don't have to dry your hair, because you've got no where to go. This will mean that you use less electricity on the hair dryer. You'll also be more likely to have  cooler showers because you won't have to go out in the cold afterward! Once your hair is wet, tie long hair back into braids, and brush short hair every half-hour to keep it tidy and in place.

2) If your province/country has Time-of-Use rates and uses smart meters, electricity will cost more at certain periods (on-peaks), less during other times (off-peaks), and somewhere in the middle at other times of day (mid-peaks). Using the most amount of energy during off-peaks not only helps you save money, but it also helps the environment! This is due to the fact that during the on-peak, most people use a lot of electricity. This calls for more power-plants to supply for the demand. However, at off-peaks, these power plants will sit idle. To avoid this, we should try our best to save our most comsumerist practices for the off-peaks, so more power-plants don't have to be built. Regardless of whether there is or isn't a change in price depending on the time of day, it would still be beneficial to use less during on-peaks. Try to find out whether your area has Time-of-Use rates.

In my region, Ontario, the winter and summer Time-of-Use rates can be seen here: http://www.ontario-hydro.com/index.php?page=current_rates

3) Drive your car when it isn't rush hour! It takes more time to get where you need to go when the streets are packed, which uses up more gasoline (see my blog post "Don't idle!" for more info). And bicycle, walk, or take the bus whenever you can.

4) Sleep early; wake early. Be like a farmer. When the sun goes down, you should go to bed, too. This way, you won't have to use as much electricity to light your house, and you won't fall asleep watching TV! Of course, this only works if you remember to turn off the lights and TV before you go to bed.

I hope you see how easy it really is to live a much more sustainable lifestyle!

By the way, you can now sign up to receive my blog posts by e-mail every week. (See the sidebar; I won't be able to see your e-mail address and I promise it won't be more often than every Friday!)

See you next week!

Simplify Your Life

Apparently some people don't believe that this is possible, but believe me, it is. What are the benefits of living simply? Here are a few:

1. Personal Fulfillment; the more complex and difficult your life is, the more stressful it becomes, but a simple life is easy, happy, and sustainable
2. Environmental sustainability; we can reduce however much we use by so much. Think of what life was like 200 years ago (you may need a history book for this!). If they got on with that much without extensively hurting the environment, then we can too. We should not to be destroying endless amounts of rainforest, polluting our skies and water, and harming our animals. We can reduce the damage (and even turn it around!) by living simply. "Earth provides enough to satisfy every man's need, but not every man's greed." ~Mohandas Gandhi
3. We must share the Earth with other human beings. If there was no poverty, unemployment, then there would also be no war. (Bonus Point: No war also means less environmental damage!) Another quote that illustrates this: "Live simply so that others may simply live." -Mahatma Gandhi

So, how to live simply? That's simple!

1. Buy less stuff. Only buy something if you need it; this includes food, basic utensils, and clothing. Fill up the time that you would have spent shopping for fun with something else that you find fun. In a book I was reading, the author says that if you didn't need it before you saw it in the store window, then you don't need it at all!
2. Organize your stuff. If we can't even locate anything we need, we'll have to buy a new one, thus adding to the clutter. It's also just nice to feel like you have it under control, don't you think?
3. Don't overdo your entertainment. It is fun to have fun (surprise!), but we can have fun without cinemas, TV shows, movies, theatre, new books, video games, and computer games. Try to set a rule that next week will be screen-free week. (If you need to, only use the computer for a quick check of your e-mail and/or work. No IM allowed.)
4. Don't bother with exercise machines-- walk, jog, or cycle outdoors instead. (The weather isn't too cold yet!)
5. Donate your unwanted stuff to thrift and consignment shops. Be ruthless! You won't need it again, anyway. We must share our stuff with others if we want to reduce the consumeristic behaviours of the west. Before throwing something away, ask yourself: "Could I donate this? or would anyone want it who I could give it to? or could I turn it into something useful?"
6. Get rid of junk mail at www.DMAchoice.org , which represents many countries, by the way! Junk mail, in the US (sorry, no Canadian stats found), amounts to 1.5 trees per household per year-- which totals to 100 million trees made into junk mail per year in the US alone.
7. Avoid commuting. It's bad for the environment, and you probably don't like it, anyway! Try to live near your work or school, or switch to a place closer to your home. And then, walk or cycle to get places!
8. Prepare quick, green meals ahead of time so that you don't feel tempted to slap together a cruel turkey sandwich instead. Even better, rid your house of meat, eggs, and dairy. Try this website: www.webecoist.com/2008/09/01/20-delicious-vegan-meals-recipes-that-dont-suck/ , guaranteed to satisfy everyone!
9. You don't need to wash your shirt after every single use; only wash it if it is smelly or dirty. (Bonus: Use toxin-free, animal-free detergent!)
10. Finally, use less water. Shorter showers, etc. Time your next shower, then plan by how long you can reduce it by. It is better for the environment and it gives you more time to do other things!

And there you go! I hope that you can simplify your life by following at least three of the suggestions.

Next up: Green Christmas!

Let's go back to WWII (without the fighting!)

I recently read a book called Flygirl. It was about a pilot woman living during WWII.
Now-- in that book I learned a bit more about rationed items. People kept "ration books" which had little coupons that would let them buy the items, usually foods, that were scarce. Every time they bought one of those rationed items, the clerk at the store would tear out the coupon to show that they had had their share. The books were issued once a month. Get it?
Wouldn't it be cool if we could make our own "ration books"? Think about it: things are becoming scarce nowadays. You won't notice it if you go to the store, because they don't want you to believe that. But there are some communities that really need the stuff that we rather carelessly splurge on. There are obviously some essentials that we need, but sometimes we either waste it or get too much of it. You can make those little coupons to fit your lifestyle. Every time you use something that takes up electricity or resources, take off a coupon with what ever you did written on it and store it away. When all the coupons for one activity are gone, you'll have to wait until next month! The point is to use less than you do already, so make it a challenge each month! Also, please use GOOSE (Good On One Side onlEe) paper to save resources! You can also write up your goals on a separate sheet of GOOSE paper to help you remember (see examples below).
Here are some things to consider when writing up your very own ration book:

• water: shower, tap, swimming pool, dish-washing

e.g. "This month, I can have 28 five-minute showers, fill the swimming pool 2 times, hose down the car once." (make a coupon for each shower, etc.)

• energy: clothes dryer, computer, television, music, radio, video games, oven

e.g. "This month, I can use the oven to cook or bake things 15 times, have 10 twenty-minute video gaming sessions, and use the clothes dryer instead of air drying methods three times."

• transportation: cars, buses, airplanes

e.g. "This month, I can drive or get a ride with someone to unnecessary things (like to see the movies) five times. I will not fly on an airplane this month."

• food choices: how you prepare it, what you buy, how it is packaged, restaurants, organic, home grown

e.g. "This month, I can buy/eat  foods individually packaged in plastic 15 times, I can eat 40 meals that do not include raw foods, etc."


So those are some ideas right there. I think I'd better practice what I preach and make a ration book today. If you don't know what to do with all the money you'll save by doing this, you can always donate it to your favourite environmental organization, or donate some items that you no longer need to people and animals in need. Double your positive impact!

Here are some pictures of WWII ration books:

And...

SPECIAL SURPRISE.
I have included "About Me" pages to my blogs (see sidebar), which include information on how I became interested in these issues, as well as some of my hobbies. Also, look up at the url of the page. There should be a teeny koala there!

Next week: I will talk about eco-conferences and the ones I have gone to, which include the 2011 Youth Summit for Biodiversity and Sustainable Living, and the upcoming Ecomentors Conference this weekend!

Turning Negatives into Positives

    Today I'm not here to talk about reducing the negative impact we have on the environment-- instead, allow me to explain how to have a net positive impact on the environment during your life! I like to put it this way...

    There are two different forms of helping the environment:

    1) Passive
    2) Active
    Passively helping the environment is the effort of not doing. Like not buying stuff you don't need, reducing your eco-footprint, and saving paper by printing on both sides. Actively helping the environment, on the other hand, is through doing. Like picking up garbage around your neighbourhood, fundraising for an eco-friendly cause, or even just encouraging others to be more environmentally-friendly.

    Passively helping reduces the negative impact, and that is mainly what people tend to focus on. But actively helping is important, too. If we relyed only on passively helping the environment, we would never have a positive imact on Mother Nature-- just a less bad one. Which is why we need to look for ways to actively make a difference. You don't have to go too far out of your way-- just do something. And even if you never achieve that net-positive-eco-friendly-guru status, just remember one thing:

    There are so many ways you can help the world. Yes, the environment, but also other humans, animals, and yourself. You might very well be helping one of these categories, and that is good because they're important too. You can still have a net positive impact on the world, if not the environment.

    But this blog is about the environment, so...
    Make a table of lots of the ways you passively and actively help the environment. I'll make one for me as an example:

Passive

-turning off lights

-using scrap paper in class

-being a vegan

-refraining from computer games and TV

-unplugging things when they aren't in use (I'll tell you about phantom loads next time)

-etc.

Active

-writing in this blog

-encouraging others to use scrap paper and generally be eco-friendly

-writing articles for Teenink.com

-the speech that I'm going to give today at the public speaking contest on veganism

-etc.

    If your lists aren't quite as long, don't sweat it. Just start brainstorming, that's all.

   Well, then, happy brainstorming!