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...

Things To Watch Out For In The Media

I'm heading off for the Maritimes tomorrow, and I'll be packing like crazy today, but first, I've got to post. Today, I'll be talking about media traps.
Controlling your own personal intake of media is important, seeing that what you are exposed to every day influences how you view the world. It is hard to resist assimilating into a culture that is so prevalent everywhere you go-- yet it can be done, and should be done, because our Western culture is built on the basis of aquiring more material possessions.
And so, here are some things to avoid in the media:

1. Celebrity gossip and worship: Yes, I said "worship". For many people, they worship celebrities as idols (and even sometimes admit it, like American IDOL). This is the worst on television and in magazines, and on the Internet, of course. You can take all sorts of quizzes comparing yourself to celebrities-- on things like personality type, fashion style, dream date, body type, BMI... It is as though we need to match ourselves up to a celebrity to have worth! Unfortunately, most celebrities lead luxurious, and, ultimately, unsustainable lives; if we all tried to live like them, I'll bet the Earth would be depleted at least twice as fast. So please, surround yourself with the real world instead of celebrity magazines and such... You'll be happier anyway.
2. Advertisements: ARGH! They are everywhere nowadays. You can't use a search engine or check your e-mail without advertisements popping up left, right, and centre! Even my beloved virtual pets website has ads all over the screen and it makes it less fun :( Not like I play on Neopets anymore, really, but I still go on once in a while! It is best to distance yourself from hordes of advertisements, telling you to buy, buy, buy. Even if you don't rush out to the store and buy that particular product (does anyone actually do that?), you might order it online, or simply be encouraged to go shopping in general. Even if you don't notice a difference before and after you see an advertisement, look out-- your mind might be on "shopping mode" for the rest of the day!
3. Certain movies and TV shows: Especially the ones with the "product placement" woven right into the story line, in which the characters of the show talk about how wonderful a certain brand is (they're paid to do that).
4. Certain songs: Especially the disrespectful new pop songs. True, they do not actaully tell you "buy stuff NOW!" but they do originate from the same faulty and obnoxious culture that is destroying the environment.

To put a long story short, the media is poisoned with the "buy stuff and get happy" motto. It is best to look for media that does not contain this. For example, I listen to CBC Radio 1, which doesn't have any advertisements or sketchy "product placements". You can opt for watching movies that aren't the type to use product placement, and hey, maybe you can just ditch television altogether!
By now you might be wondering what to do instead of immersing yourself in a flawed culture. After all, it wouldn't really work to pull yourself out of one culture only to find that there is nothing to replace it. The key is to join groups that think like you. Try joining any one of the following types of groups:

1. Environmental Organizations and Other NGO's: You can go to the meetings, events, etc. and meet people who also don't believe that we should be consuming the amount of stuff that most people do. You can join local nature centres, vegetarian associations, etc.
2. Libraries, which are amazing for many reasons, including the fact that they hardly ever focus on business and consumeristic habits. You just go and borrow a book and take it home and bring it back... and hang out for free at one of the tables, without anyone expecting you to buy anything.

Can you think of anything else? If so, please let me know by commenting on this post. I'll try to get to a computer next Friday while I'm away, but as I stated before, don't worry if I don't post-- I haven't given up on all of you!
See you later, then... :)

Want To Be REALLY Eco-Friendly?

For some of you, I'm sure that the day-to-day ways to go green aren't enough for you. You feel like you should be focussing everything you do on sustainability-- and if that's you, kudos to you! (If it's not, read this post for inspiration.) Here is my advice on how to truly live "the green life"... at school and work!

Beating the Consumeristic High School and Elementary School System
I have to say that school SUCKS (ahem, I mean, "does not meet my expectations") when it comes to eco-friendliness. Your teachers constantly expect you to use fresh-from-the-rainforest paper, pencils, and duotangs. Of course, you can get the recycled versions of these-- see my post Looking Forward to my Summer Vacation... And Eco-Friendly Office Supplies for details-- but there are also the myriad textbooks, paper handouts (enough to fill an entire binder for each class), lab assignments, etc. etc. etc. All highly consumeristic; enough to drive any young environmentalist up the wall and back down the other side again!
Sometimes it is just best to say goodbye to the regular high school amd elementary school system once and for all.
Wait! Don't drop out quite yet! Before you make any life-changing decisions, I want you to look at the alternatives.
For one thing, there is the homeschooling option. Homeschooling is sometimes misrepresented, however, so I feel the need to re-explain it to you by quoting Grace Llellewyn, editor of Real Lives: Eleven Teenagers Who Don't Go To School Tell Their Own Stories:

[Most Americans] probably associate homeschooling mainly with fundamentalist Christianity, and to most of us there is nothing fascinatingly wonderful or inconceivable about the idea of a miniature school-- complete with curriculum, parent-as-teacher-and-disciplinarian, rigid daily schedule, etc.--at home rather than in a school building... Anyway, if your definition of homeschooling is "school at home", you are partly right: For many people it is just that. But for thousands of others, it is nothing of the sort. Thousands of children in [America] grow up without being told what to do, without being formally taught to read and write, without being require to study biology, algebra, and Ernest Hemingway, without ever once being forced to read a particular book or complete a particular worksheet-- or any worksheet whatsoever."

And yet these children and teenagers go on to go to college (if they want to), get jobs (if they want to), and do pretty much what they want to with their lives. (Read the book if you are interested in hearing "success stories" about these people. I have the book open in front of me right now.)
If you decide to homeschool, you can make all your "classes" eco-friendly or environment-related. Wouldn't that be fun? Maybe I'm just obsessed with the environment, but it sounds downright groovy to me.
The particular strand of homeschooling in which there are no set classes and there is no rigid schedule is also known as "unschooling". Unschoolers learn the way they want to-- experiential learning at its finest. Unschooling is legal, although you may have to apply for an inquiry in order to get permission. It does not sound like a big deal, though.



Definition from www.homeschoolmosaics.com

Going to an Eco-Friendly University or College
There are plenty of environmentally-friendly universities and colleges to go to, as well as post-secondary schools which have environmentally-themed programs.

• For a list of some of the best international eco-friendly colleges and universities, click here.
• Click here for a list of some good ones in the United States, provided by the Princton Review (whatever that is).
• If the two above links do not meet your needs, please do more research into the topic.

There are also groups on campus that focus on making your university/college a greener place. Again, look around and see how you can get involved. You should also strive to find eco-friendly housing while at your school, as well as continue living eco-friendly while you are there.

Eco-Friendly Careers
What about green careers? It turns out there are a lot of those, too. Any job that you want can be greenified. Here are some examples:

• If you want to be a lawyer, work for an environmental organization to help them with their legal issues!
• If you want to be a deli store owner, open a vegan deli store that uses recycled packaging!
• If you want to be a writer, be an environmental writer (either freelance or for a magazine or for an organization)!
• If you want to be a musician, weave your eco-values into your songs and merchandise!
• Etc.! Etc.! Etc.!

There are also very environmentally-focused jobs. You can become a conservation biologist, an environmenal consultant, or an activist with an environmental organization.
I think that it is also importatnt to stress that if you are not happy with your current job, perhaps you should get out of it. Find something that you really want to do with your life-- greenified, of course. You certainly should not be wasting your life stressing about money and doing things you don't believe in!


So, if you are really serious about living a very eco-friendly life, try taking some of these ideas into consideration. You certainly won't regret it!
See you next week!

Looking Forward to My Summer Vacation... and Eco-Friendly Office Supplies

Hi everyone!
There are three things I would like to talk about today-- first, I'll tell you about my summer vacation and how it will affect my blog posts. Second, I'll let you know about some of the eco-friendly school and office supplies that are available. Third, I have a very serious question to ask you >:) Let's go!

On August 2nd, I'm heading off with my aunt to go camping near my hometown. I'll be there for about 4 nights before going home. I'm not sure whether I'll get a chance to post, although there will probably be an Internet cafe somewhere. If I don't post on that Friday, don't think I've forgotten you, though!
I'll be at home on Friday August 10 and on Friday August 17. Then, on August 18, I'm heading with my parents and sister to Quebec and Nova Scotia! Although I wish I could make it a more eco-friendly trip, it is difficult to convince the others to do this, as they have their own ideas of how a dream vacation should go. At least we'll be driving instead of flying. Our vacation will last two weeks, which means that my blog posts will possibly be all over the place (time-wise, of course). Just keep checking back and I'll post whenever I can, also giving you updates on my trip (well, why not?)!
On September 1, things will be back to normal. School starts late for me, on September 10. I don't like school... but I'll have to give this new one a try before I claim to dislike it.

Photo Courtesy of http://www.learning-to-save-money.com/how-to-live-green.html

Speaking of school-- surely there are some eco-friendly school and office supplies to be used? It really can get on my nerves when I see everyone using up uncertified paper by the notebookfulls, not even writing on both sides of the page!!! In fact, there are some other products you can use. Here is a list of alternatives to the usual supplies:

1. Pencils: Have you ever heard of EarthZone pencils? They are made of 100% recycled newspapers. It's really cool to write with them-- every time you sharpen them you get a new pattern on the part that normally would be wood, and sometimes even colour! These may be fun, but they are also very acceptable to use in any sort of office or school environment-- even for tests and documents. You can purchase EarthZone pencils at an office supplies store, local environmental shop, or online. Here is what they say on their website, www.earthzone.com:

   special features:

• They're made from 100% recycled newspapers. No trees were harmed in the making of these pencils!
• They last longer than regular pencils and won't break when you sharpen them!
• You get smooth, high quality writing each time.
• The erasers are latex free!
• Sharpens really easily.
• Each pencil is made from a different newspaper and really looks cool when you sharpen them.
• No toxic chemicals!
2. Paper: Go tree-free! There are many different kinds of eco-friendly papers you can use, including banana leaf paper, bagasse paper, and, of course, 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Even while taking these considerations, you should only use paper that is blank if you need to-- otherwise, use scrap paper-- paper with writing on one side already.
3. Erasers: Use the eraser on the back of the EarthZone pencils! If this does not appeal to you, you can use FLOMO erasers instead: made with Thermoplastic Elastomer instead of the toxic ingredients typically found in erasers.
4. Pencil Sharpeners: Please, forgo the electric sharpeners. Instead, use the handy and portable pencil sharpeners that don't require any electricity. You can even buy a pencil sharpener made of recycled vending cups: see this online store for details.
5. Binders: go PVC-free! Buy recycled ones! (Please don't expect me to dig up another URL for this one-- I'm sure you can find some nice eco-friendly binders at your local store or favourite online office-supply store.)
6. Technology: My advice-- stay away from all those fancy gadgets and devices. They are truly unnecessary and are not good for the planet. If you must use one, buy one of the "eco-friendly" ones, at least.

Most of all, try to use as little as possible of office and school supplies as you can. The eco-friendly ones are an improvement on the regular ones, no doubt, but they still have a small impact. Judge for yourself how far you can go into the eco-friendly supplies before you seriously annoy your teachers or boss. People may be more accomodating than you expect, even if they don't share your environmental beliefs.

Finally, here is my question-- how do you think I am doing with my blog? I don't understand why, but I haven't been getting as many pageviews as I used to... Am I being too philosophical? Who knows!
Wait-- you do. You, reader, have a pretty good idea of what you like about my blog (I hope). So tell me-- what do you enjoy most about my blog? Do you like the useful lists of things you can do, the anti-consumer rants, or the personal anecdote (the latter I fall rather short on, I think)? Please comment below to give me an idea. I look forward to your responses!

I'll be writing again next week-- if I can!

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!

Eco-Friendly Eating

I have touched on a lot of important points on my blog, but I haven't said much about how to greenify your diet. To be honest, "greenify" just about sums it up-- local, organic, and vegetarian foods!
I'll begin with some stats:

• A 2006 UN report describes the meat industry as "one of the top two or three most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems." *
• The same amount of greenhouse gases are emitted by eating a pound of meat as are emitted from driving an SUV for 40 miles! *
• The meat industry is the leading factor to anthropogenic methane emissions. *
• 53 different carcinogenic chemicals are used in increasingly great quantities on crops in North America. **
• 1600 L of oil per year is used for each American who eats industrially-produced food ("regular" food). **
• The World Cancer Research Fund states that the maximum amount of meat that can be safely ingested per year is 30 kg. The average Canadian consumes 101 kg of meat per year! **
• 1/3 of all the world's grain harvest is fed to livestock! Meat production is the largest user of land in the world, when you include the grain required to grow it. **
• Each vegetarian in North America saves 1 acre of trees and 4.4 million litres of water each year, and uses half as much water as a meat-eater does.**
• The average distance that our food travels to get to us is 2000 km! **
• 1/3 of waste in landfills in Canada could have been composted. **
• The average vegetarian saves 50 animals per year***, but every vegan saves the lives of 100-200 animals every year, simply by not eating animals or their "products". ****
• When we cook our food, not only do we waste precious resources, but we also destroy its "living" quality (killing the cells). Raw foodists argue that since humans are living beings, we should eat living food.*****
• The production of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has gone up from 1.7 million hectares worldwide in 1996 to 102 million hectares in 2006!****** GMOs are dangerous because they can have untold effects on local ecosystems and human health. **

* National Capital Vegetarian Association
** The Otesha Book: From Junk to Funk!
*** http://www.chooseveg.com/vegetarians-save-lives.asp
**** http://www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/archive/2010/12/13/vegans-save-185-animals-a-year.aspx
***** http://www.stickam.com/viewMedia.do?mId=193124761
****** http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/agri_biotechnology/gmo_planting/145.gmo_cultivation_trait_statistics.html

Wow-- it seems like eating local, organic, and vegan is a lot more crucial than most people may have thought!

It's really quite easy, although it will obviously take a few days/weeks to get used to. Many foods at the grocery store are already vegan (chips, rice cakes, bread, cereals), and organic produce is often sold there, too. Here are a few things to make it even easier for you.

• Farmer's Markets! Buy your fresh fruits and vegetables here, straight from the producers. You can ask them whether they use organic and GMO-free seed and growing practices.
• Health Food Stores: Although you don't ever have to set foot into a health food store to be an environmentally-concious eater, they certainly can provide a lot more variety than the typical grocery store.
• Health food sections at your grocery store: Many major chain grocery stores now have health food sections. If not, you may be able to find specialty products intermingled with the other "foods". It is always best to support small retailers first, however.
• Amazing companies: Lydia's Organics, Amy's Kitchen, Larabar (for an entire list of vegan/natural food producers, please visit: http://www.vegparadise.com/foodmakers.html)

I am a vegan who tries to eat as many organic, local, and GMO-free foods as I can, but seeing that I still live with my parents, I have to compromise on how much of the food is eco-friendly (no compromises on my vegan diet, though). I haven't really gotten into the raw food diet thing, but I still advocate it for anyone looking to take their eco-friendly diet one step further! I've taken a picture of some of the eco-friendly foods currently at my house, many of which are also raw and gluten-free:

There are so many more products out there, however-- never stop searching! I forgot to add my oatmeal and quinoa companies... oh well, there's no point in re-assembling the whole thing now.

If anyone tries to tell you that your eco-friendly diet is nonsense, don't let them get away without you telling them what you think of the "normal" modern diet. I mean it. If there's one thing that gets me riled up, it's ignorance!

For more information on achieving a healthy vegan/organic/local/waste-free/GMO-free diet, please visit the following websites. Keep in mind that you will have to do a bit of research into getting all the right nutrients-- but you should do that even if you aren't following a special diet. If you think that there are too many websites listed below to go to, just click on whichever one has the most interesting name :)

Vegetarian/vegan:

http://www.veganoutreach.org/

http://www.vegansociety.com/

http://www.ncva.ca/

https://www.vegsoc.org/

http://www.vrg.org/

http://www.veganhealth.org/

http://www.happycow.net/vegan_diet.html

Organic:

http://www.organicfoodinfo.net/

Raw Food:

http://www.happycow.net/raw/raw_living.html

http://www.vegansociety.com/lifestyle/nutrition/raw-food-diets.aspx

http://www.thebestofrawfood.com/

http://rawfoodhealthwatch.com/

There you have it. Everything you need to know to begin your journey into an eco-friendly diet! Have fun!

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?

Yours Truly on the Everyday Heroes Festival Website :)

Hello everyone,
Today is the first day of the Everyday Heroes Festival! The Everyday Heroes Festival is a film festival/contest which young people can enter to have their videos shown in malls and bus stops across Canada.
And great news: My video, "Think Before You Drink", was selected as one of the finalists! So, from April 13-22, you can vote for my video online. Go on-- please give me a 5 star vote now: http://www.everydayheroesfestival.com/films/think-you-drink.
Although submissions are no longer being accepted for this year, you can always get filming for next year's contest. The entries will probably be due at the beginning of March 2013 (if the world doesn't end this December!). It took me quite a while to film mine with my aunt. I think we started filming in December 2011, actually. Anyway, it is a great way to make a statement for environmental awareness.
So that my post isn't completely consumed by personal celebration, I'll also give you a list of other environment-related contests that you can enter:

• Teen Ink Environment Contest: http://www.teenink.com/Contests/EnvironC.php
• Earth Day Canada Hometown Heroes Contest: http://www.earthday.ca/hometown/
• Earth Day Canada Community Environment Fund: http://www.earthday.ca/envirofund/
• Fair World Project Fair Trade Adventure for Two: http://www.fairworldproject.org/sweepstakes

Other contests that aren't strictly environment-related but that you can enter to help raise awareness for the environment:

• Photos Win Prizes: http://www.photoswinprizes.com/

I'll put more here if I learn of any!

The Three Kinds of Activism

I think that there are three kinds of activism: public awareness, pushing for legislation, and direct action. Today I'm going to give an overview of each, so that you'll be able to decide which one you might be most interested in doing.

1. Public Awareness: By far the easiest form of activism, public awareness strives to teach people about the issue-- and persuade them to act differently-- in order to make the world a kinder, more sustainable place.
• Popular examples: Earth Hour, King Corn (documentary)
• Ways you can get involved: Start a blog, write an article, submit a letter to the editor, film a video, organize a litter clean-up, place posters on telephone poles, e-mail people and tell them about being eco-friendly
• My example (warning-- prepare to get a little motion sickness! I filmed too quickly. Also, if you plan to do this, don't use colour ink; the rain washed it away after only about a week!):
2. Legislation: This is all about pushing for the government to act differently. It is more difficult than public awareness, obviously!
• Example: Any group that gets you to sign petitions to the government.
• Ways you can get involved: Sign petitions, start petitions, write letters, sign letters. Don't spend all your time doing this, though. Public awareness is important, too.
• My example:
3. Direct Action: Direct action is all about physically getting up and changing things to be the way you want them to happen. This category includes mostly doing things without permission. If you take this route, make sure that all your actions are non-violent; that is, you don't hurt any human or animal by doing it. And direct action needs to be well-planned. Some people will go around blowing up (empty) cars, but that won't really help the environment, will it? I don't know where to draw the line, exactly, but I think that it can probably be useful at times.
• Example: Operation Bite Back
• If you want to learn more, go to http://www.ruckus.com/.

So, what do you want to do to help the environment? Remember as they say, "If you're not part of the solution, you're part of the problem."
If you need help with any of your activism efforts, don't hesitate to e-mail me at
rabbit-catATvegemailDOTcom
Until next week...!

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!

Go beyond Earth Hour this 2012

My goodness-- I almost forgot to post today! I'm lucky that I remembered just a few minutes ago.
This year, Earth Hour is on March 31 at 8:30 pm; please join Earth Hour this year by turning off your lights, computers, television, and cell phones! See the website http://www.earthhour.org/ for more information.

Earth Hour is all about conserving energy. But how do you take it beyond the hour and start a small-scale energy revolution in your life?

1. Make it an everyday habit to conserve electricity wherever you see possible-- turn off the lights when leaving the room, unplug your computer every evening, turn off the television and get outside, et cetera.
2. Get a free energy audit of your home. This way you'll know whether your house is energy-efficient. They'll also give you tips on how to conserve energy in your house-- sometimes it can be as simple as filling in a few empty spaces with insulation. At other times, it can be complex. But either way, it's good to know.
3. When you must buy an appliance, buy the ones labelled "Energy Star", which means that they are energy-efficient.
4. Throw on a sweater and turn the thermostat down one degree. This can have a big impact on your energy bill-- if you always had it one degree less, you could reduce your energy bill by ten percent!
5. Install solar water-heaters on the roof-- very convenient for heating your water naturally.
6. During the winter, open your curtains in the day to let sunlight in and close them at night to keep in the heat. In the summer, close the curtains in the day and open them at night, allowing heat to escape.
7. Go without air-conditioning-- you can always spend those hot days underneath a shady tree (if you haven't got any trees on your property, plant one!) or in the basement.
8. Follow my other tips on this blog to reduce your energy consumption further!

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!

Online Activism: A Catalyst for Change?

Are you searching for a way to help save the planet and incorporate it into your daily routine? Look no further! Today I am going to be writing about two of my favourite activism websites, The Rainforest Site and Care2.
Deforestation is a serious problem in the modern world. Ancient species are disappearing off the face of the Earth-- literally-- and the natural processes of our planet are being disturbed. Just thinking about it can be overwhelming, and you may not even believe that it is possible to stop deforestation right in it's tracks.
Take heart! Have you heard of The Rainforest Site (http://www.therainforestsite.com/)? It's a website devoted to saving the rainforest in many ways:

• First, it has a "daily click" opportunity, in which Internet users can click on a button once daily to help protect 11.4 square feet of rainforest. You see, for every click, their sponsers pay a certain amount of money to buy that land. Spiffy, isn't it?
• This website also has many petitions that you can sign, all of which are to be presented to important decision-makers. (You may have heard about Hug a Tree Today, Seriously on The Rainforest Site. I always post the urls to my blogs beside my name when I sign those petitions!) Just click on "Take Action!" at the right-hand sidebar to get to the lengthy list of petitions.
• Another way you can help is by shopping at The Rainforest Site for gifts and clothing (only if you need it, of course!). All sales contribute to helping the rainforests. For more information, see the store yourself at https://www.therainforestsite.com/store/trs/site?0 or see the left-hand sidebar on The Rainforest Site.

Care2, on the other hand, encompasses many different topics, including green living. Head on down to http://www.care2.org/ to set up an account, where you can set up a profile telling the world about your beliefs and initiatives. Then go and sign petitions, join groups, read articles, and more-- online! By participating on the website, you earn points which, over time, accumulate to let you "buy" things that help others and the environemnt. You don't have to pay with money; instead, you use your points to buy these things. You can look up my profile, by the way-- my username is "rabbit-cat".
Of course, The Rainforest Site and Care2 are only two of numerous organizations devoted to making a difference. And there are ways to make a difference in your own life, too. So keep an open mind always, and have a nice week!