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Archive for the ‘Air Quality’ Category
Wednesday, March 18th, 2009
Signs of Spring
For the last few days, we’ve been treated to some mighty fine weather in Grey/Bruce! I’m told it got all the way up to 15c yesterday afternoon. Our woodpile is dwindling, and the ice is slowly being overtaken by water on our little scummy pond. Dogs, cats and humans alike have an extra spring in our step, and we’re all breathing in the emerging scents of grass and earth. Around our neck of the woods, one of the greatest signs of spring is my first bike ride of the year.
A Fixer Upper
After a long cold winter, temperatures like this inspire me to throw off the shackles of gasoline and hop on my bike. You guessed it, that’s my old clunker up there. A few years ago, it was given to me by my friend, Ellen at Indira Devi Studio of Yoga. Neither of us thought it would be fit to ride when she pulled it out of the storage room, but since I love fix-up projects, I thought I’d give it a try. I brought the bike to a small shop in Durham (I believe they’ve moved to Owen Sound now), Bikeface Cycling. I had figured that the bike would need a total overhaul, and that only the frame would be salvageable (the most desirable part of course!). When I arrived to pick her up, the owner told me that all he’d had to do was oil the chain, and pump up the tires!
Where to Tune Up
After reading this blog entry, I hope you’ll all haul your bikes out of the garage and take ‘em for a spin! However, you might be needing a tune-up, or perhaps you’ve outgrown your old bike and need a replacement. Here are a few suggestions on where to go in Grey/Bruce:
Bikeface Cycling Owen Sound 519-376-9777
Jolley’s Alternative Wheels Owen Sound 519-371-1812
Wheel Fast the Bicycle Shoppe Scone 519-363-3175
Martin’s Bicycle Shop Southampton 519-797-3645
Please leave a comment and let us know where YOUR favorite bike shop is!
In With the Old
It’s now been about 2 years, and I’ve put a lot of miles on this old bike. It has affirmed what I already knew; we shouldn’t throw away the items of the past in exchange for modern gadgets. Many people might have seen this old bike and sent it to the dumpster without a thought. So here’s your lesson of the day Grey/Bruce: Think twice before you toss that “old piece of junk”, it could definitely turn out to be someone else’s treasure.
Posted in Air Quality, Green Living, Health & Wellness, Transportation | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, November 18th, 2008
One more reason to shop locally
We live in a beautiful, but treacherous area of Ontario. The roads can be a real challenge during the winter, what with the low tempuratures and high winds. Living in such close proximity to the Great Lakes makes our area extremely prone to Snow Squalls, causing dangerous whiteout conditions.
Well, the snow has started to fly folks, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t just a little nervous about it. Last winter, returning home from London in the dead of night, Justin and I had our first major car accident together. We hit a small patch of snow on the road which sent our van spinning 180 degrees, then flipped over 1 and a half times. When the van settled, I was hanging from my seatbelt, sideways in the driver’s seat. Miraculously, neither of us were hurt, and none of the music gear in the van was damaged. The van itself was a writeoff.
This experience has given me a great new respect for the slippery conditions, and I’d like to share with you what I learned that night. Hopefully you can avoid such accidents!
- Weigh the importance of your trip - Do you really need to go out? If you can stay home, it’s usually safer to do so. We were offered a place to sleep that night in London, but decided to go out anyways.
- Winterize your vehicle - And no, all season tires are NOT enough! Making sure your oil is clean, and your car is in good working order will not only save fuel, it could keep a disaster from happening. Our van didn’t have winter tires that night, that little detail alone could have kept us out of the ditch! Also remember, when you’re at your mechanic’s, ask for Green Parts.
- Stay Informed - There are several ways in which you can check the weather before heading out. Always remember; it could look nice and clear where you are, while snow squalls rage 10 km away. The Weather Network has up to date road conditions, weather forcasts, and warnings. Your local radio stations will keep you up to date on road closures and conditions every hour while you’re driving. If you don’t have access to the Internet, you can call the Ministry of Transportation’s Info line 24 hours a day: 1.800.268.4686.
- Warm up your car, but don’t go overboard - It takes 30 seconds to warm up your engine. The best way to warm up the rest of your car is by driving it! Leaving your car Idle for long periods of time is not only bad for the air, it’s hard on your engine. According to EnviroZine, investing in a block heater saves a lot of fuel, and can improve your fuel efficiency by up to 10 %.
- Be Prepared to get stranded - You could find yourself in the middle of a blizzard, or worse, upside down in a ditch. If this happens, you’ll be very thankful for your bag of toiletries, and change of clothes! Here are some more items that you should have on hand in case you get stuck: Eco-Friendly salt (Look for Pet Friendly, and Plant Friendly salt at your local hardware store), Sand, Jumper Cables, or a portable battery, Hatchet or small shovel, Flashlight, First Aid Kit and a Blanket.
The best tip of all that I can give you is to SHOP LOCALLY! Consult the Green-Book business directory for eco-friendly goods right in your neighborhood. Don’t forget to leave your own winter driving tips in the comments!
Posted in Air Quality, Green Living, Transportation | No Comments »
Friday, October 3rd, 2008
Everyone, give a warm welcome to the latest addition to the Green-Book.ca team: The Peace Lily! I’ve appointed it to the very official position of Director of Oxygen Creation. For short, I’ll call my lily DOC.
Indoor air can sometimes be up to ten times more polluted than outdoor air. Keeping plants in your office is a great way to improve the airquality of your workplace. According to the UK’s House of Plants, Peace Lillies in particular are especial good at filtering harmful stuff out of the air such as: alcohols, acetone, trichloroethylene, benzene and formaldehyde.
It seems as though Peace Lillies were designed for office use. They don’t require much sunlight, and don’t need to be watered every single day.
Posted in Air Quality, Eco-Office, Green Living, Treehugging | 2 Comments »
