Why not just bring everything of your own?

Yesterday I posted about bringing your own mug, but today I want to talk about another important thing you should bring of your own... a bag! How many times do you go shopping and fill up those pesky plastic bags? If you are anything like the way I was, you would get home, unpack all your bags, and then either toss them in the trash or start putting them away for "someday." It gets to the point where you are either throwing tons of plastic into the trash, or you just have a MILLION plastic bags building up in a cabinet or drawer.

Something you may not know, is that it takes 500 YEARS for most plastic bags to decompose... YES, 500!!! 5 CENTURIES!!! Sure, they can be recycled, but most people aren't willing to tote all their plastic bags to their local recycling centre to see to it that they are recycled. Even if you reuse the bags for trash, etc, you are still placing plastic into our already crammed landfills!!!

So what are some positive alternatives to plastic bags? I can think of two awesome ones!

First, buy bags that decompose! Several companies have started making bags out of corn (crazy!) and these bags decompose in 30-60 days! One example of such a company is BioBags that can be purchased in all different sizes from here:
http://www.biodegradablestore.com/index.html

Several companies, including Mountain Equipment Co-Op, have opted to not only donate 5 cents if you bring your own bag, but the bags they DO give are also decomposable!!! For more information on MEC's bag policies, check out their website at www.mec.ca

A Second option is just bringing your own bag! Then when they ask if you need a bag, you can say no! Or you can tell them right up front that you won't be needing a bag because you brought your own!

A vain benefit to bringing your own bag, is that you can buy some really gorgeous ones now! Here are a few companies I recommend... their bags are so beautiful you won't forget to stuff it in your pocket before you leave the house =)

http://www.bringyourownbag.ca
http://www.reusablebags.com/

Why not BYO? (Bring Your Own!)

Over the last few days I have been experimenting with a new concept: bringing my own mug. I must confess, I am ADDICTED to coffee and tea shops. I love their music, their relaxing environment full of intellectuals and people on the go, and most of all (of course) I LOVE drinks! I've never been into alcoholic drinks, so teas and coffees are how I indulge my seemingly-inate desire as a human to constantly be drinking something. As a result, I have probably used and thrown out 2-3 cardboard cups every day for the past 6 years or so. THAT IS A LOT OF TRASH!

So recently, I was inspired by those around me to bring my own mug. Several weeks ago after volunteering for the first Pancakes for Pride event, I was given a free "decorate your own mug" in my volunteer gift pack. So Sunday night I sat at my kitchen table and "made my own mug." Now not only do I get to save the environment one little bit at a time, but I get to show off all the amazing stickers I have been given over the past several months =) My mug is now not only a statement expressing that I don't want to waste paper cups, but it also serves as a mini-billboard for the rights of living things!

Of course, bringing your own mug isn't ALWAYS fun and games... you'll have to carry the mug around with you and clean it regularly. There is nothing like opening an old, uncleaned mug and finding that a small smelly rainforest has started to grow inside it. I'll admit, I also sort of hate carrying things around if I don't have to. But the benefits of bringing your own mug FAR outway the negatives. For those of you that are still in doubt, just give it a try! And here are some tips on making bringing your own mug easier:

*Opt for a mug that has a SUPER leak-proof, no-spill top.

*Get a mug that suits your personality! Express yourself through your mug!

*Shoot for a product that is stainless steel. Plastic mugs can drop and break; plus they don't keep your drink NEARLY as warm/cool.

*Always know how much liquid your mug holds. Then when you are ordering, you can let the barrista know what size beverage your mug fits.

And finally, here are a few "mugshots" for you!

Lifesaving First Aid!

Ok, so perhaps this is a little bit different from what I regularly post, but today I went to the St. John Ambulance location in Port Moody and got myself certified in Emergency First Aid (Level One) and Level A CPR. It was a one day course, from 8:30am to just before 5pm, and cost me just under $100 dollars. Usually people who take the course are taking it because it is required by their workplace, or because they are volunteering for an organization that requires they take it. I just decided that I wanted to be able to act if I am ever in a situation where someone is hurt and needs my help.

The course came with a book, about a centimeter thick, that I was supposed to read before taking the course. I only registered Thursday, so I must confess, I basically "skimmed" the book before the class early this morning over coffee (with 2 shots of espresso!) and a banana blueberry soy muffin. However, the class was INCREDIBLy thorough, full of practicals (you really get down on the ground), and I ended up passing the test with flying colors.

I strongly encourage everyone to sign up for one of these courses. I learned a lot that I didn't know, and I'd really like to think that anything ever happened to me, someone would be around who took this course.

Another issue came up during the course, actually. Perhaps one that is more relevent to this blog. One section of the course covered severe bleeding, and the instructor encouraged all of us to donate blood. British Columbia is currently experiencing a blood shortage, and as a result, blood often has to be shipped over from Alberta.

This request struck a nerve with me. I donated blood once after 9-11 (I attended University in Maine in 2003) and the requirements for blood donors were, how should I say it... "lowered" somewhat significantly because of the state of emergency. I remember the sheet I had to fill out had VERY few limitations on it. However, upon checking with the Canadian Blood Services website several months ago, I found that both the temporary and indefinite deferral lists were quite extensive. What I found most shocking was the following indefinite deferral:

"All men who have had sex with another man, even once, since 1977 are indefinitely deferred. This is based on current scientific knowledge and statistical information that shows that men who have had sex with other men are at greater risk for HIV/AIDS infection than other people."

This seemed incredibly ridiculous to me... statistic or not, the blood certainly gets tested before being given to a recipient, and I can't imagine that two men in a monogamous relationship are any more at risk of giving a patient a bloodborne disease than a heterosexual individual with several hundred partners.

At any rate, the queer community has certainly been fighting this battle. I am sad to see that there are probably thousands of queer donors with perfectly acceptable blood, willing and wanting to give to those in need of it during a time of crisis, that are unable to because of this rule.

Additionally, I have heard from my peers that people have been questioned as to whether or not they have ever had an abortion or miscarried; two questions which I find have the potential to be quite traumatizing or triggering. I also am having trouble finding any documentation leading to why these questions are even relevent. If anyone can find some sort of medical backing to why these questions should be asked, PLEASE e-mail them to me or post them in the comments!

I honestly asked myself this question: Do I want to support Canadian Blood Services, even though I generally find their politics to be questionable?

The answer?

A reluctant yes. Donating blood does not support Canadian Blood Services. It supports life. Donating blood saves at least 3 lives. By NOT donating blood, I am not hurting Canadian Blood Services; I am only hurting 3 people who need me. I am not willing to let them down. There are other ways to fight this battle.

So tomorrow I will be donating blood. I will come back with a full report!

Leslie Feinberg: Perfect!

Ok, so I was just having a discussion where I declared that if I were to be able to absorb the knowledge and experience of any other person, it would have to be Leslie Feinberg. Somehow, Feinberg manages to be on top of every issue there is: anti-semitism, ableism, classism, racism, sexism, transphobia, homophobia, you name it. Then I asked... what about the environment? To which the other person responded, "Well, the environment isn't oppressed."

So maybe I am being devil's advocate here in asking, but isn't the environment an oppressed living entity?

Just a thought.