For the joy of it...

by Shelly Sargent

It would be so easy to get hung up on the serious side of recycling and being environmentally responsible, and no question - it is a serious issue. But there are thousands of ways to embrace environmental responsibility while being lighthearted and creative, and every once in a while its good to remind ourselves of that.

Here is a link to a blog that does just that: http://www.annwood.net/blog/
Forwarded to me by a friend, this blog does not feature a local Caledon story, but it is a wonderful example of what I'm talking about. Ann Wood is an artist living in Brooklyn, NY. She creates using vintage items as her inspiration and her material. In her own words:

"I make things, paint, and draw for my life and livelihood. I work with mostly found, and salvaged materials, many of them vintage or antique garments. There is a kind of affection and tenderness in the re-use and re-purposing of things that were once personal and perhaps treasured possessions."

Just wanted to share some of this talented artist's creations with you! If anyone knows of local artisans doing similar joyful projects using recycled and repurposed items, please let me know (Shelly - rsargent@sympatico.ca)! We'd love to feature their work here!

The "Cost" of a Drink of Water

by Shelly Sargent

After a while, most of us become comfortable with the "basics" of living a responsible green life. We get good at recycling and composting, simplify our lives, buy products that won't harm the environment. We avoid over-packaged goods, recharge our batteries, walk as much as possible, wash in cold, dry on the line and switch to eco-friendly light bulbs.

It may take some time, but sooner or later, we end up having done most of the simple things that are available to us and start looking around for new "eco-mountains" to climb.

And I suppose that is why - lately - I find myself pouring over "green" websites. I've been looking for new (and easy) green initiatives to put into practice. As I find them, I'll try to remember to share here - it is nice to find out about simple actions which will reduce our energy footprints. It's even better to find out WHY these thing are better for the environment.

In my recent "virtual" travels, I found some every interesting pieces of information that made me re-think the way I go about getting a cold glass of water. We all know bottled water is bad news (using as much as 2000 times the energy to produce as tapwater does, according to ScienceMag.com). So we all agree that we should drink plain old tap water. But did you know there are a multitude of ways to get yourself a simple glass of water, some of which are way better for the environment than others?

The question is - should you run the tap until the water is cold before you fill your glass, or fill your glass with "room temperature" tap water then dropin a couple of ice cubes from the freezer? Or should we simply keep a container of cold water in the fridge, ready for drinking whenever we need it.

Of course we know that that all three methods have an "eco-cost" (pretty much everything does). Tap water must be treated, pumped and stored - all things that use energy. And making the water nice and cold means we have to find a way to cool it. Refrigeration uses power, freezers use even more. So running the tap to make water cold is the best way, right? WRONG!

But I was a bit surprised to find out that - of all the options above - running the tap is apparently the worst waste of energy and the pitcher of water in the fridge wins out over the other options.

Remember mom yelling "Shut the fridge door before you let all the cold out!" ? She was right. Refrigerators waste energy every time the fridge door is opened and cold "escapes" to be replaced with warmer room air. The longer the door is open, the more energy it takes to get the fridge cold again. They say that each time the fridge door is opened for a few seconds, up to 1.4 watts of electricity is used. Freezers use just about double that amount (about 2.8 watts of electricity) when the door is opened. Running the tap to get to cold water wastes water AND wastes the energy used to treat, pump, and deliver it. It is estimated that for each gallon of water running out of your kitchen tap, you "spend" about 1.5 watts of power. It doesn't take long to run a couple of gallons of water to "get to the cool stuff".

So on that level alone, keeping a pitcher of water in the fridge is the most energy efficient option of the three. But there is also a "bonus" reason: a fridge full of cold foods and drinks maintains its internal temperature easier than an empty fridge. So that large container of cold water helps do the job!

So there you have it... the eco-friendly way to have a drink... and a few of the reasons why!

Sources: Blueegg.com & ScienceMag.com

Alphabet of Ideas for Going Greener by Patti Foley

Alternatives - consider an alternative to your traditional grass lawn
Buy less and focus on reusable and refillable products
Cloth bags
Detox your house, one project at a time
Eat local and support local farms and businesses
Fair Trade coffee, tea and chocolate
Garden without herbicides and pesticides
Hybrid vehicles - consider one for your next vehicle purchase
Impact - offset the negative impact of long-distance travel by purchasing carbon offsets
Join and support environmental groups that are working to help folks green their lives
Keep pressure on manufacturers to create greener products, designs and packaging
Legs - walking and cycling saves energy and uses up calories, talk about a win/win situation
Make a vow to put out less weekly garbage – reduce, reuse, recycle and compost
Newspapers - consider cancelling subscriptions and reading them online instead
Opt for environmentally friendly cleaning products or make your own
Print only when it's necessary; use the draft setting & print 2-sided if possible
Quit thinking it's too late
Replace conventional bulbs with compact fluorescents
Switch to renewable energy sources for your home if you can – solar is a great example
Travellers coffee mug - so you can "just say no" to the take-out ones with the plastic lids
Use old stuff in new ways to extend its useful life and keep it out of the landfill
Volunteer your time with an environmental group or project
Water - stainless steel bottles are a great option for bringing it with you
Xtremely proud - how your children & grandchildren will feel when they look back at your efforts
YOU are the difference you want to see in the world; use your power of choice
Zinio.com - a pretty cool idea, check it out

Inquiring minds want to know....January 2010

Wondering which electronics manufacturers have greener policies and methods? This month GreenPeace released their updated Guide to Greener Electronics which ranks the top 18 manufacturers of personal computers, mobile phones, TVs, and game consoles according to their policies on toxic chemicals, recycling and climate change.

Wondering if your cereal box liner is really made from wax paper?
Read The Truth about my Cereal Box Liner

Wondering what cartoon I think (sadly) says it all about the climate change debate?
Have a look at: The Climate Change Debate in a Nutshell

Wondering where to go on your next vacation?
MNN has released a their photo list 10 Places to see before they Vanish

What are you wondering?

Patti Foley
patti@greentcaledon.ca

Recycling Realities In Peel

At our November 26th speaker's series, the evening started off with a presentation by Carly Ducharme from Waste Management with the Region of Peel. Carly took some time and showed the audience exactly what can (and cannot) be recycled in Peel Region.

In addition to being and helpful informative, Carly's presentation was also a real eye opener for many present and brought home some of the not so happy realities of the recycling industry. For example, Peel's curbside recycling program currently collects a variety of commonly recycled materials, but area residents sometimes wonder why additional materials are not eligible.

There are a few main reasons why materials are not collected at the curb for recycling.

1. Volume or size - In order for it to be cost effective to collect a material for recycling, the item needs to be of a large enough size and of sufficient volume that the recycling facility is able to efficiently and economically sort, store, and market the material. That means smallish items like single serving yogurt or applesauce cups are not recyclable, nor are drinking straws. Similarly, the lids of aerosol cans, pop or water bottles should be thrown away, not placed in your recycle bin - they are too small.

2. Contamination - if an item has been used for food and cannot be washed clean, or if it is a "composite" material (ie: made with two or more items that cannot be easily separated) it cannot be recycled. Wax coated paper cups are a good example of this.

3. It is unfortunate that some common items that could be recycled are not made with consistent ingredients, and therefore are excluded from the recycling process. This means that items like the clear "clamshell-style" containers often used for strawberries or salad greens are not recyclable in Peel.

4. Small pieces of paper such as those from a paper shredder cannot be recycled either, due to the difficulty of bundling them. However, they can be used in layers in the compost bin.

Carly suggested that everyone take the time to visit the Peel Region website (http://www.peelregion.ca/pw/waste/garb-recy/2009-brochure/pdfs/recycling-guide.pdf) and read the recycling guide in detail; an excellent idea as many in the audience were very surprised to realize what could and could not be recycled.

At the end of the day, we left the presentation feeling that curbside recycling is a great way to reduce landfill and while much more advanced than when it first started it still has a long way to go.

We're Soaking In It...

On Wednesday, October 28th, an audience of over 125 Green T members and other local residents joined Green T and Credit Valley Conservation at the beautiful SGI Caledon Centre as we co-presented "Slow Death by Rubber Duck", a talk by prominent Canadian environmentalist and author Rick Smith.

The evening opened with a short presentation by Aviva Patel, Terrestrial Specialist at Credit Valley Conservation who spoke about Natural Heritage Systems and their vital role in providing us with services that sustain life.

Then Rick Smith took the floor. Smith, who is also the Executive Director of Environmental Defence Canada, spoke to an attentive audience for over 40 minutes on the subject of environmental toxins in our environment, then stayed behind for an additional quarter hour or so, answering questions and signing books.

It's no secret that our planet is struggling under a load of toxic pollution from vehicles, smokestacks and garbage. We hear about it every day, we see it ourselves when we drive in the city. But there is another type of pollution taking place on planet earth... it's chemical, it's everywhere, and - the thrust of Smith's talk - we're literally soaking in it.

Smith's talk centred around the book he co-authored with Bruce Lourie called "Slow Death By Rubber Duck". In the book, the pair use humour, plain language and tests they devised and implemented on themselves to illustrate the extent to which we are being quietly poisoned every day of our lives by everyday items like plastic, cosmetics and lawn care items.

In particular, they isolated what they called the 7 Deadly Syn-thetics:

1. Phalates - the things that help aromatic items carry scent more efficiently;
   
2. PFC - Non-stick coatings like Teflon that off-gas at high heats;
   
3. PBDE - a fire retardant which bioaccumulates in blood, breast milk, and fat tissues;
   
4. Mercury - found in large quantity in large, long lived fish like tuna;
   
5. Triclosan - a synthetic, broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent that can cause everything from skin irritation, allergy susceptibility and dioxin contamination to the destruction of fragile aquatic ecosystems;
   
6. Pesticides - now banned in Ontario, these chemicals kept our grass green for decades, but at what cost?
   
7. Biphenol A - a pollutant once commonly found in many products (such as baby bottles) that can mess with human hormone balance, and is particularly nasty when heated up.

Powerful & compelling stuff... and some of it was truly frightening. An evening that could have been distressing and depressing, to be sure. But Smith's primary message is ultimately an upbeat one - small changes can make big differences. His secondary message is clear and urgent... these chemicals will be with us for a long time, sitting in our blood and the blood of our children. Lets clean up our act now - and help ensure a healthier life for future generations.

Smith's book is a compelling read and a must have on any home bookshelf. It is available at fine bookstores everywhere (and of course we like Forster's Bookgarden in Bolton and BookLore in Orangeville). If you prefer to order online visit SlowDeathByRubberDuck.com , Amazon.ca , Chapters.Indigo.ca or http://www.randomhouse.ca

Our Town - Sustainable by Design

On September 17th, a crowd of almost 80 people gathered at the Caledon Community Centre in Caledon East to hear an open forum Green T Speaker’s Series entitled “Your Town: Sustainable by Design”. It was an exceptional evening - at once entertaining and educational, and we've received much positive feedback about it already!

After opening comments by Green T’s founder Patti Foley, Caledon’s Mayor Marolyn Morrison spoke briefly to the crowd about the Towns’ commitment to Green initiatives before introducing the evening’s moderator - Caledon writer and Alternatives Journal editor Nicola Ross. Nicola then led the Crandall’s and the audience in a question-based discussion that was insightful, entertaining and at times, very touching. The discussion covered a variety of topics, investigating what makes a community work and grow, what makes Caledon special and what are some ways we can assure our town’s sustainability.

The Crandall’s (three sisters from a family of five) have lived in Caledon all their lives and, through each of their own area’s of expertise, are uniquely qualified to discuss the various ways to assure the Town’s sustainability. Debbe – a member of the STORM Coalition (Save The Oak Ridges Moraine) since 1990 and its Executive Director since 1999 - is an environmental activist. She spoke at some length about the concept of thinking globally but acting locally. Sarah, a nurse by profession, is a philanthropist and likes to put her resources to good use in support of Canadian Whale Institute, as well as countless worthy local projects. Sheilagh, a gardener and person of the Earth (co-owner of MsPlants) rounded out the panel and brought her own brand of wit and warmth to the conversation.

One question that Nicola posed to the audience early in the evening (“What makes Caledon special to you?”) had me thinking about my experiences since moving here 6 years ago. The assembled crowd spoke of many reasons for loving Caledon – the trails, the diversity, the unique physical traits of the area... but for me, it is something else that makes the area so special…

My husband and I moved here to raise our two children in a clean, green, rural environment - free of the tangle and crush of big city life. Within days of our arrival, we went shopping for groceries for the first time, and it was then that we realized we had moved from a house to a community. The other shoppers chatted to us as we moved among the aisles. The cashiers at the grocery store spoke to us like neighbours, smiling at our kids and offering to have someone help carry the heavy items to the car! But I thought I’d died and gone to heaven when I realized each and every shopper was taking their cart back to the designated cart area – without prompting. To me – that is what is so special about Caledon. To think that - in a community that is a unique hybrid of founding families, escapee’s from the city, farmers, artists, professionals and blue collar workers – we had stumbled upon a little enclave of old-fashioned community values we’d both been raised with – but had thought lost forever.

I sat at the back of the room and listened as Nicola led the sisters through the evening’s discussion. I was struck by the shared history in the room. In addition to the panel on stage, a quick survey of the audience showed a current Mayor, a former Mayor, a councillor, at least one farmer, several community leaders, a few green neophytes, some very talented local writers, performers and artists, a few business professionals, some activists and more.

Each sister in her own way (and indeed, Nicola Ross herself), had a connection with this diverse group of people, and has enriched the lives of dozens of others. Their contributions – and the contributions of many of the people who made up the audience – are what serves to make Caledon a better place to live, work and play. The combined knowledge and passion of the panel and the audience -as well as their enthusiasm and commitment when it comes to teaching the next generation to respect the land and honour the people – will be what makes Caledon a sustainable community in years to come.

COMING UP:

In the next few weeks, Green T will be VERY, VERY busy! Here's a snapshot of what the first few weeks of fall looks like for us:

• Saturday and Sunday, September 26 & 27 - visit our booth at the Bolton Fall Fair - we'll be there for the whole weekend - top of Bolton's south hill!
  
• Saturday, October 3rd - be sure to visit the Green T booth at Caledon Day. Taking place at the Caledon Town Hall grounds, Old Church Road in Caledon East!
  
• Thursday, October 8th - We'll be on site from 3-8pm for the last Caledon Farmer's Market of the 2009 Season, with activities, facepainting and information.

Later on in October, we have a very special version of the Speaking Green Speaker's Series planned... keep watching the blog and the website for details!

New Board Members, busy fall season

Hello, Green T members and eco-enthusiasts! I’m Shelly Sargent and – along with Amanda Squire - I am one of two newly appointed Green T Board Members. And when I say newly appointed, I am not exaggerating... as I began writing this blog entry, it was less than 3 hours after Amanda & I had been confirmed as Board Members. I suspect that I can safely speak for Amanda as well, when I say we are thrilled to be part of Green T, and can’t wait to get cracking!

One of the area’s I’ve volunteered to help out with is writing blog updates, and since I came home tonight full of enthusiasm, I thought I might as well get an early start.

I believe that I am like many of the people who live in the area, in that I have great “eco” intentions, and a building desire to learn more about being a responsible inhabitant and steward of our planet. Having said that, I think it’s also safe to say my good intentions lag behind my knowledge by a good bit – I am still exploring and finding ways to incorporate what I learn into my family’s lifestyle.

Organizations such as Green T are vitally important in the ongoing eco-education of a community… committed to raising awareness of environmental issues and initiatives, these groups assist the average person in putting this new knowledge to good use in simple and effective ways. That is one of the reasons that I have loved the idea of Green T from day one.

Green T is looking forward to a busy fall season and we hope you'll join us as we kick things off on September 17th when we host another Speaker’s Series at the Caledon Community Complex in Caledon East. Join us for Your Town: Sustainable by Design with guest panel, the Crandall sisters (Debbe, Sarah and Sheilagh), moderator Nicola Ross from Alternatives Journal, and Caledon Mayor Marolyn Morrison on hand to introduce the evenings's speakers.

Following that, Green T will be front and centre with booths at the Bolton Fall Fair (Sept 26-27), Caledon Day (Oct.3) and at the Bolton Farmer’s Market (Oct. 8). If you are interested in finding out more about any of these events or any of the other Green T events taking place this fall and winter, stay tuned to our website at www.greentcaledon.ca or, better yet, make sure you're on our Green Thoughts monthly newsletter list.

Eco-yoga?

Popular yoga master Neal Arbic volunteered his morning on Saturday August 8th to lead a yoga class as a fundraiser for Green T Environmental Awareness. Surrounded by lovely old trees the ladies spread their mats in the lush green grass at Dicks Dam Park in Bolton and stretched away their stress. A big Green T thank-you goes out to Neal for his thoughtfulness and generosity.

Getting it

An impromptu long weekend pit-stop for pizza had me thinking about greenwashing in a big way. The store proudly announced on their take-out box that it was mostly made from re-cycled paper and bragged about how many trees they were saving by making this choice. Sadly, the same store offered zero options for recycling the pop cans or plastic water bottles that they sold along with their "greenly-boxed" pizzas. Any drink containers would have to go straight into their single garbage bin - or, as in our case, be toted home for appropriate disposal. Irritating, to say the least - and raises the question - do busnesses really "get it"?