Take Action Daily - Get That "Hydrogen" Clean Feeling

Keepin It Clean

It's officially spring and time to get out those rusty dusty bikes (unless you're one of those hard-cores who ride all year round). After you've tuned and lubed your green machine, why not take it for a spin down to Vancouver's (and North America's) most Eco-friendly car (and bike, and dog, and heck, why not a shower too while you're at it) wash. There are many reasons why EasyWash is so wonderful, and it starts with hydrogen fuel cell power. That's right baby, the first in North America. It was built to be part of the Hydrogen Highway initiative to promote fuel cell commercialization for the 2010 games (good ol' commercialization at it's finest!). However, the good stuff doesn't stop there, oh no my friends, it gets better....not only does it use water recycling and rain water collection so that not a drop of city water is used, but this bad boy was built using 97% recycled materials. And it's a damn funky place too. Phew. Now that's what I'm talking about. Seriously, we have the technology (think bionic woman here), we need to keep showing a demand. So lets support those who support a green and happy planet.
Easy Wash is unmistakably located on the beautiful North Shore just on the other side of the Second Narrows Bridge, on Main St. and Mountain Hwy.
www.easywash.com

Response: The Great Global Warming Swindle

Here are some responses to this documentary that I recieved:

http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/climate_change/article2355956.ece

http://news.independent.co.uk/environment/climate_change/article2347526.ece

www.davidsuzuki.org/Climate_Change/Science/Skeptics.asp

www.desmogblog.com/the-great-global-warming-swindle

www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2007/03/swindled/

http://www.ipcc.ch/

Carbon Footprint Calculator Results

Drum roll please...

My results from http://www.climatechange.gc.ca/calculator/english/
was 1.5 tonnes
My results from http://www.bp.com/carboncalculator.do?categoryId=9008641&contentId=7025802
was 2 tonnes.
As it turns out I didn't like this one as much as the other one(and no,not because I got a higher rating). I found the first one easier to use and a little more detailed.

So there you have it folks. I roughly emit 2 tonnes of CO2 per year, give or take a few lbs. (it's probably really about 3 because it's not completely accurate and leaves out a few things, but I believe it's close). I have made a lot of changes in a year so had I done it last year, I probably would have been at least 5. And the funny thing is that I don't even really notice the changes much (except the one where I take the bus now instead of drive). They seem to be so inconsequential, all it takes is a little awareness and consideration, and realizing just how much we waste needlessly.

Take Action Daily - How Big Is Your Foot (print)

Carbon Footprint Calculator

OK, so the website I previously posted regarding calculating your personal carbon footprint isn't working.... so here are a couple that do. One is for Canada and one for Europe. I will try them both. I liked the start of the European one because it also calculated how much CO2 one would save by making certain changes, that's why I put it in. I havn't gone all the way through them yet, but I will.

http://www.bp.com/carboncalculator.do?categoryId=9008641&contentId=7025802 (this is the best one so far)
http://www.climatechange.gc.ca/calculator/english/ (this one is also the best too)

http://www.safeclimate.net/calculator/
http://www.mycarbonfootprint.eu/

here's an article on treehugger about their results:
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2005/12/bps_carbon_foot.php

Events September 2007

The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup
Sept. 15-23, 2007
Powered by Canadians, this program allows people from all regions and all walks of life to make a positive difference to their environment. Last year alone, over 40,000 Canadians registered to clean up 966 shorelines removing 84,708 kg of harmful shoreline litter.
More than just a program to pick up trash, we collect valuable data from each cleanup which then allows us to determine the major (and minor) causes of shoreline litter in each region.
Garbage in our waters will block movement of any migratory species, like fish. That’s why it is critical to keep waterways clean and healthy!
Our waterways are not dumping grounds, yet Canadians year in and year out keep using them for just that.
The TD Canada Trust Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup is the perfect opportunity for school groups, community groups, families, and concerned individuals to get involved in a hands-on conservation program. It provides a chance to be a part of an activity that has a real, measurable effect on the environment, both locally and globally. Cleanups are more than just collecting trash, they are examples of communities working together to create solutions that ensure our oceans and waterways are kept clean.
Cigarettes contain over 165 chemicals – all of which leach into the water when left on the shoreline. Cigarette filters typically take 5 years to biodegrade.
"Pollutants dumped into the environment don’t just disappear, or remain suspended in air and water: they enter the tissues of the living things. The pollutants are then passed up the through the food chain and increase in toxicity, a process known as bioaccumulation."-David Suzuki Foundation

Register Now!
www.vanaqua.org/cleanup/home.php

Take Action Daily - Speaking of Investments

Earlier I posted some quick blurb-like advice regarding investments. So here is some real scoop, in case you haven't been able to do some digging yourself. We need to push ourselves out of the Stone Age and into the Solar Age, and one of the best ways is through investments. So here is a list of some of the big wigs in renewable energies:

- AstroPower - solar cells and modules
- Avista - hydrogen fuel cells
- Ballard (BC) - hydrogen fuel cells
- BP Solar - photovoltaics (PV's)
- DTE Power (one of Plug Powe's owners)
- Enron - renewable energy
- Go-Green.com - green energy utility
- GreenMountain.com - green energy utility
- Kyocera (Japan) - solar
- Plug Power - hydrogen fuel cells
- PowerSource - green energy utility
- Seimens - solar manufacturing
- Spire - solar equipment
- Vestas Wind Systems (Denmark) - wind turbines
- ZeTek Power (UK, Belgium) - hydrogen fuel cells

(courtesy "Stormy Weather" by Guy Dauncey and Patrick Mazza)

So Where to Invest ????

- Campaign Exxon Mobil:
www.campaignexxonmobil.org
- Calvert Group:
www.calvertgroup.com
- Clean Edge:
www.cleanedge.com
- Clean Environment Fund (Canada)
www.cleanenvironment.com
- Coop America:
www.coopamerica.org
- Dexia:
www.dexia.com
- Domini:
www.domini.com
- EcoMall:
www.ecomall.com
- Good Money Magazine:
www.goodmoney.com
- Green Century:
www.greencentury.com
- Green Money Journal:
www.greenmoney.com
- Merril Lynch New Energy Technology:
www.mlim.co.uk/fund-centre/ff-973793.asp
- New Alternatives:
www.newalternativesfund.com
- Sane BP:
www.sanebp.com
- Sentry Select Alternative Energy Fund (Canada):
www.sentryselect.com
- Social Funds:
www.socialfunds.com
- Social Investment Forum:
www.socialinvest.org (USA)
www.uksif.org (UK)
- Social Investment Organization (Canada):
www.socialinvestment.ca
- South Shore EcoBank:
www.eco-bank.com
- VanCity Savings Credit Union (BC):
www.vancity.com/vancity/csr

(courtesy "Stormy Weather" by Guy Dauncey and Patrick Mazza)

Take Action Daily - Carbon Calculator

Calculated Consequences

It has been calculated and averaged out that most Canadians spew out 5 tonnes of CO2 per year- each. So, do you want to know just how much of it YOU are spewing? Well lucky day, now there is a way! To calculate just how much greenhouse gases you are responsible for, check out
www.climcalc.net
and let's be honest with our answers here, folks :)
I will try it too and post my answer so we will all know just how much I am spewing too ( aha, the dreaded moment of truth!)

Take Action Daily - A Little Help Please

So spring break is over and we're all well rested (hopefully) and looking forward to the leisures of summer. But not everyone gets a break. For many people, animals, and the environment, everyday life is a constant and painful battle that never ends. Even harder than most of us , even the struggling ones, can imagine. I know we are all sick of being bombarded with "save the whales" and "please help" campaigns for donations, but a very little can go a long way, if it comes from a lot of people. For only $10, many non-profit companies will grant you membership which keeps you informed in topics you care about and you can feel good without breaking the bank. Even a simple act, like donating a measly $2 to your grocery bill for the food bank, baking some muffins for a local shelter, or buying a bag of animal food for the SPCA, can mean a world of difference to many people (or animals)

and remember to sign petitions, like

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/globalwarmingactions

they are free and every signature represents 100 people in the eyes of the government

Take Action Daily - You are what you eat

To keep animals, lots of animals, alive and somewhat healthy, takes an enormous amount of energy. Think of a large factory farm chicken coop. We've all seen the pictures of those over stuffed, disease ridden, brightly lit, metallic enclosures. The lights are usually kept on at all times to keep chickens producing eggs. If every person were to dedicate one day to eat no meat, not only would we save a lot of suffering, but we would also give mother nature a much needed break too.
For some yummy recipes try
http://www.vrg.org/

"Raising animals for food requires more than half the water used in the United States each year and one-third of all raw materials, including fossil fuels. The meat industry is the single greatest polluter of our waterways and is directly responsible for 85 percent of US soil erosion.It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce a pound of meat, producing just one hamburger uses enough fossil fuel to drive a small car 20 miles. Fifty-five square feet of rain forest may be razed to produce just one quarter-pound burger. ."
excerpt from PETA's web site

Take Action Daily - Live and Learn

Do your research...learn both side of the story. I have just been watching a video called the Great Global Warming Swindle. Does anybody have more info on this? Sure the video seems to have some merit and I believe that in order to know the truth you need to listen to and find out about the other side, the one you don't agree with. Whether global warming is happening and whether or not it is caused by us (let's face it, I'm no scientist), does this give us the right to go on happily polluting? Should we not look to alternative and renewable energies? Should we support developing nations to build more coal fired factories or should we help them live sustainably? Whether or not you believe in Global Warming, it does not erase the fact that it has brought to our attention that the way we live needs to change, we still need to take care of our planet and each other.
Think about it.

Take Action Daily - Election Time

Time to pick your poison. While I personally have never been into politics, being that it is all just a load of corrupt bs in my eyes, the sad fact is these self-serving groups also dictate our quality of life. So we must choose the lesser of the evils. Even if the party you most agree with is unlikely to win, vote for them anyway, at least they will get some standing and have a say in what should (or shouldn't) be done.

Take Action Daily - Invest Wisely

Put your money where your mouth is. I felt very responsible when I opened up my first RESP account. Figured I was finally doing the right thing. But I started hearing things about where investment money goes....tobacco, alcohol, and yes.....OIL. AHHHHHH! Immediately I made and appointment with an Ethical Fund Specialist. As it turned out, I was indeed supporting and making money from big oil companies, I was no better than our government or the car companies. So I withdrew my account and am now happy to be making money with a clear conscience. I invest now with Vancity, so far the greenest of banks. But other banks have investments that have nothing to do with oil too. Sure it's a slightly less return (but not very much) but what good will money be if there is no where to spend it?

Take Action Daily - Clean Up Your Act

Hopefully everyone had a great weekend. I know there was a lot going on, St, Patty's, the EPIC expo, among others. I must say, going to the EPIC expo certainly did bring a glimmer of hope seeing so many people doing our world some good. Now it's just another rainy gloomy monday and time to get back to reality. So let's start at home (as usual). When you are cleaning up after an eventful weekend, look into using products which are not extremely toxic chemicals. I know it's hard to find good ones. I use Seventh Generation, they are pretty good. Still don't work as good as the harsh chemical cleaners, but at least I'll still have a home to clean years down the road because of it.

Take Action Daily - Rain Rain Go Away

Well, Vancouverites may or may not be used to rain, but the worms sure love it! They also love left over food. Worm Composting is cheap and easy to set up anywhere, even apartments. Kids love them and so does the earth. So rather than having all that nutrient rich compost go to wasted methane energy in the dumps, try saving it for your own plants or to give back to the planet.

check out www.cityfarmer.org

Also Remember today is the start of the First Ever sustainable living expo EPIC only $12 adult ($8 online) and kids under 12 are free. it goes all weekend.

www.epicvancouver.com

Take Action Daily - Are You Feeling Lucky?

Go Green, Drink Green

What better way to celebrate the festivities of St. Patty's day than with a bottle of truly "green" beer - Home brew! (you can add colour if you want too). Homebrew is cheap to make, obviously local, you can buy organic ingredients which can later be composted, and you can experiment with all sorts of flavors. Of course to brew the perfect beer takes time , so you might want to stock up on some premade from the store ...but you will at least be ready for oktoberfest :)
There are lots of sites avail. for homebrew help and advice.
www.breworganic.com
www.mrbeer.com
www.homebrewtalk.com

Also if you want to meet like minded people, come to Green Drinks at Steamworks (375 Water St. - Gastown) 5:30 pm Wed. March 21

Take Action Daily - Get Fresh....and Local

When choosing some lunch or food for dinner today, take a look through the organic sections first (not just produce, but everything). You may find prices close to those foods treated with chemicals. Next have a look at the labels. Where did the food come from? How far has it travelled? Most dinners have travelled an average of 1,500 miles. That's a lot of CO2.
"Locally grown produce tends to be fresher and contain higher levels of vitamins than the imported variety. Food that has to be transported long distances is often preserved with waxes, irradiation, gases and synthetic chemicals, such as fungicides and sprout inhibitors. Yuck!"
(taken from David Suzuki's website)
"In a week-long (or more) delay from harvest to dinner table, sugars turn to starches, plant cells shrink, and produce loses its vitality."
(taken from the Appalacian Sustainable Agriculture Society www.asapconnections.org)

Take Action Daily - Get Out! (side)

Go for a walk, a jog, a cycle OUTSIDE, rather than in the sweating humid gym.

They say you have to love yourself before you love anything else, and preceding the growing trend of personal care, we now see a concern for our environment, so perhaps there is truth in this statement. For a change, try going outside for your cardio. Sure it may be hard at first, after all it is still cold and dark in the morning and rains a lot, but if you just get out and try it, you may just find yourself feeling a thousand times more rejuvenated and energized than had you been in the gym waiting for your turn on the treadmill, wasting unnecessary energy.

Take Action Daily - Jivin' Java

One A Day

So I am sitting here thinking to myself, what now? What can I write about that people will be interested in. What can I say to motivate others, without bitching and wining. So as I am sipping on my delicious fair trade Peruvian organic coffee from Bean Around the World, I think..."by crikey, that's it!!!" Experience tells us that people don't adjust well on their own by taking huge, life altering leaps....it is much easier to digest small increments...molded over time like malleable clay sculpted with love.
So here is my goal, to provide for anyone interested, a small step that anyone can do each day to better their lives and our shared world. An Action A Day Keeps Imminent Demise And Destruction Away (geez, if that's not doom and gloom i don't know what is !).
So here is todays action : Coffee....
seems appropriate to start here. Be Consious of what you consume. If you are out, bring your own to go mug (save the landfills from mountains of non-biodegradeable, toxic beverage cups). If you make coffee at home, organic is only a couple bucks cheaper ($8 vs. $6) and fair trade organic is the same price as organic (i shop at bean around the world because it is close and delicious, but many other coffee shops and grocery stores offer organic coffee). And don't forget to unplug that coffee maker when your done to save a tiny bit more energy!

Petition

Please sign the petition I posted of the Letter fo Action I wrote previously.

http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/globalwarmingactions

I will try to keep it there for 4 weeks and then send it.

Ongoing Events

Critical Mass
Last Friday of Every Month
Meet Georgia side of Vancouver Art Gallery
meet 5-5:30pm
Bicycle around Vancouver. Support Alternative transportaion. Dress up funky, bring your camera. There is even a cyclist with a BBQ! Loads of fun, google it to see pics!
www.velolove.bc.ca

Mondays 6-9pm volunteer and meetings (snacks and refreshment provided on volunteer nights)
Wednesdays 6-9pm Speakers and Documentay screening
The Green Party Office
The Dominion Building
301-207 W Hastings Street
604 689-9200

Mind and Body Wellness (free)
Wednesdays 11am-1pm
For Girls age 13-18 to help develop self-confidance and self-esteem. An hour of discussion is followed by an hour of yoga.
John Braithwait Community Centre
145 W.1st ST. North Van.
604-984-3854

Museum of Anthropology
The Village is Tilting: Dancing AIDS in Malawi
until Sept 3, 2007
6393 NW Marine Dr.
604-822-5978
www.moa.ubc.ca/exhibits