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!

Eco-Savvy Remedies

Do you ever wish that health care could be more eco-friendly? I do.
The current state of our healthcare system is disastrous. Toxic chemicals from pills are polluting our waterways and killing off fish. People are feeling ill and not knowing why. And they are suffering from side-effects of medications that they are supposedly taking to feel "better".
Surely there has to be a way to solve these problems and create a win-win situation for humans and the environment?

Welcome to the world of alternative medicine!

Alternative medicine uses methods other than medications to help treat health problems. Alternative health practicioners use herbal remedies, essential oils, yoga, meditation, acupuncture, art and music therapy, and many other treatments to help people feel their best. And the best part is this: there is no harm done to the environment!
Herbal remedies, for example, are an amazing way to treat virtually any illness. They typically are drunk as tea. Recently, I have started drinking herbal tea (organic, fair trade, and forest-friendly, of course), which is amazing for stress relief, and it helps with sleep. And herbal teas can help with any ailment, from indigestion to anxiety to headaches to Alzeimer's Disease! There's absolutely nothing to lose (except a couple dollars), as there are either no or very few side effects.
I recommend that you go to your local library and take out a book on herbal medicine. I found some great books in the health section at my library. Herbs are definitely a viable alternative to medications that leave you groggy and sometimes in pain.
The other treatments can be found in shops and alternative clinics around the world. Although I haven't done much with essential oils or acupuncture, from what I have read they seem to be very effective.
Be sure to check back for my next post next Friday!
Carolyn
"[W]hich would you rather have in your neighbourhood: another chemical company or a field of rosemary?" Brigette Mars, A.H.G., from Healing Herbal Teas

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...!