Green, Eco-Friendly and... Commercial?

I remember being about 10 years old and recieving a package in the mail from my aunt that contained a book from the Kids for Saving Earth organization. She had picked it up for free at a stand in the mall or something, and decided to pass it on to me. My best friend Miriam and I thought the book was great, and decided to start our own Kids for Saving Earth club. We set up a clubhouse in her basement and set to the task immediately. We worked pretty hard at our child-sized projects for a few months or so (until something new came up!), but it wasn't hard to push the club to the back burner because, of course, we were the only two members!

Growing up, I heard random mention in school about making efforts to save the environment. We were taught about recycling for example... and of course, my little sister (who was a huge Barney fan) was always singing that big purple dinosaurs song about "never letting the water run" when you brush your teeth. But for the most part, I grew up in suburbs that never thought twice about driving a few blocks down the street, never really put those yellow/blue recycling bins out on the road, and didn't really thing about where the trash ended up after you stuffed it in those plastic bins and the magical truck came and took it away.

It seems as though talking about organic food, recycling, preservation, and the "3 R's" was left to a certain type of person... hippies? Urban Hippies? "Crunchies?" However, thanks to Al Gore and his documentary on Global Warming, it seems as though saving the earth is actually becoming a task at hand for... well, everyone on it.

The other day at the gym, I had sadly forgotten to bring my own magazine or book to read, and was left with only ONE option of reading material for my 30 minutes of Cardio... a copy of Elle magazine. Normally, I won't be caught dead holding a magazine like Elle, or any fashion magazine for that matter. However, left with the choice of staring at a blank wall or reading a magazine, I had to choose the magazine. Much to my surprise...this copy of Elle was ENTIRELY on being "E-Friendly." No, not electronically friendly, as the letter E used to mean for so many years... we are talking ENVIRONMENTALLY Friendly... Elle? The entire article featured fashions, beauty products, and "romantic getaways" that were all Environmentally Saavy... basically, these were earth friendly products and services but with the price tag a loyal "Elle Woman" would expect to pay = $$$$$!

It was while riding that exercise and reading Elle that I realized... encouraging people to be environmentally friendly in their purchases is not only smart, it's a money making GOLDMINE!!! Make people throw all their nasty, paraben bearing products away... and have them buy NEW "ALL NATURAL ORGANIC" products. Companies that don't comply to environmental standards? Psh psh... let them go out of business, don't they deserve it anyway? From food companies, to clothing companies (even cotton can be organic! Or better yet, make shirts out of hemp... bamboo... driftwood...), to makeup and car companies... there are TONS of opportunities to market to people who are looking out for the environment. And it's not just the hippies or bohemians with limited incomes that are seeking these products... it's CELEBRITIES! The RICH! People with high disposable incomes!!!

I walked into Chapters yesterday, and right in front of me was a whole new line of school and work products... all designed from recycled paper! Biodegradable! Made with Rice/Coconut/Bamboo!!! All corporate products, probably from the same companies that make the stuff that takes 500 years to disappear...

Essentially what I'm talking about here, is corporations. Corporations, along with their market researchers, have clearly tapped into what people want... they want in on the latest trend... saving the earth! Now on with the mass production of earth friendly products! There is money to be made!

How do I feel about this? Mostly, I am glad. If there is going to be a trend that big corporations buy into, it may as well be saving the earth, promoting awareness, and working to preserve the environment. I'd much rather see companies putting their money toward advertising for a shiny environment than just advertising shiny things. However, part of me also wants to tell them to screw off because they are the original source of the problem, and that their involvement just looks boldly ironic and is rooted in greed...

Thoughts?

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!

Volunteers Needed!

I probably sound like a broken record of sorts, but I want to really emphasize the need that a few local non-profits have for volunteers! If you have even a few hours on a weekend, you may want to be involved!

Vancouver Pride Season (volunteer for the Vancouver Pride Society)
There are several events coming up towards the end of July and of course, the biggest clump of events occur the first week of August! Volunteers get free T-Shirts, admission to events (ie. Gay Day at Playland!) and of course, you get to be apart of the biggest Pride events in Canada!
For more information, check out the VPS website volunteer form here:
http://www.vancouverpride.ca/involve_volunteer.cfm?pageid=8

Out On Screen
Out on Screen hosts the biggest queer film festival in Canada, and it is held right here in Vancouver! There are tons of volunteer positions available, so whatever you are good at doing, there is likely a volunteer position for you! I tend to be biased, but I recommend working on the new "Street Teams," where you get to dress up and hand out flyers in your favorite neighborhoods! The perks for Out on Screen are amazing: free tickets for every 5 hours you work, free volunteer T-Shirts, and a chance to network with some of the most important people in Independent Film!
For more information, check out the Out on Screen website here:
http://www.outonscreen.com/content/Volunteer/17/4/0

Car-Free Commercial Drive Festival
I cannot emphasize how excited I am that there are going to be two of these festivals this year! The first festival, which was held in June, was absolutely fantastic! The second (held on July 22nd) will be equally as fantastic, if not more. People are still needed to help with Barricades, so PLEASE consider signing up for a 2 hours shift! Volunteers get discounts on T-shirts and tanks, and access to a Green Room full of donated food and drink! This festival is highly organized and great if you are interested in social issues...
For more information, check out the website here!:
http://www.commercialdrivefestival.org/

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.

Right In Your Own Backyard...

Back in March when I went to EPIC, I was taken away by the concept of Cob houses. When I mentioned how interested I was in these marvelous homes, a few of my friends turned their noses up at the idea, as though I was pitching some sort of brand new "Urban Hippy" idea to them. Well, in reality, Cob houses have been around for thousands of years, and structures built out of Cob today have the capability of being magnificent, if not elegant. They are also far more economical and environmentally friendly than the cookie-cutter homes being pumped out today. The group at EPIC that was holding demonstrations on how to build your own Cob home is called MOBY and is located on Commercial Drive. Of course, another amazing group of people in East Vancouver doing great things for their community! In addition to involving themselves with the wonder that is Cobbing, their bigger project is creating gardens in spaces that would otherwise be garbage-filled urban areas! You should check out their group at their website:

http://www.myownbackyard.ca/

The process of building a Cob home is so much more personal than building a mainstream, run-of-the-mill, modern home... if you build your own Cob home, you really put yourself into it. You mash it down with your bare feet and hands, you feel the earth that you will be living within, and you form and mold your own walls and floors like they are a giant sculpture. There thought of this seems so romantic to me, and not only that, Cob homes are so much more environmentally friendly. On top of all this, building a Cob home is a community affair. A person can't just go out and say "I want to learn to build every part of a house," because it would be impossible. The person would have to learn carpentry, electric, plumbing, how to install carpets, etc, etc. But with Cob houses, there are fewer steps, and the steps there are, are easier to perfect. When a person wants to build a Cobb home, they take a thorough course that is sometimes just two weeks long. They then find another family that is building their own Cob home, and assist that family in building their home. That family later returns the favor, sort of under the concept of "paying it forward."

So when I got home, I started researching where I could learn to build a Cob house. I stumbled upon the website of the Lasqueti Mud Girls. The site reeled me in immediately... the programs they have are extremely fairly priced for what you get: a vacation, food, comradery, and skills that you will have forever and will be able to use to create lasting structures.

This outhouse from their photo slideshow, for example, SOLD ME on the Lasqueti Mud Girls:

This summer I am SADLY booked solid with volunteering obligations, but I am probably going to sign up for a fall course. Their first course starts on June 18th, 2007, and their last course starts September 3rd, 2007. For entire summer event lineup, follow this link:

http://www.mudgirls.ca/noflash_Site/upcoming.html

Their main website is at this next link, and you can choose between high and low bandwidth:

http://www.mudgirls.ca/