Green Blog

Oh Christmas Tree

Tuesday, November 25th, 2008

Which is the greenest tree of all?

Some would call it a great debate in the eco-friendly Christmas season. What kind of tree is better for the environment, real or fake? Here are some tips to help you decide, and a few other options that you may not have thought of.

The Fake Tree - Pros & Cons

As an environmentalist, you may feel queasy about going out and chopping down a tree every year for the sake of ambiance. A lot of people go for the plastic tree option because of its re-usability. This is the main benefit of the plastic tree. Not only can you use it year after year, but it only needs to be manufactured and shipped once, rather than every single year.

Bearing that in mind, the manufacture and shipping of millions of plastic trees has a huge impact on the environment. While it’s true that you only have to buy one, it still has to go through the polluting processes of all other plastic items. And while you only have to buy one, that one will eventually wear out. When that happens, your plastic tree is likely to go straight to the landfil, as they’re not recyclable. Depending on where it’s made, the plastic tree may also contain traces of lead.

The Real Tree - Pros & Cons

Real Christmas trees are raised on farms now, which means that harvesting them doesn’t result in deforestation. These farms also provide cover and habitats for small animals for the 8 - 12 years that it takes the trees to grow. The other good news is that unlike their plastic counterparts, real trees are completely bio degradable and can be turned into useful compost or mulch for your garden.

Real trees are not without their problems for the environment. Tree farms often use pesticides. It also takes a lot of fuel to run the farms. The trees need to be shipped all over the country, and they cannot be reused year after year. Discarded christmas trees may also be left with shreds of tinsel, or forgotten decorations, which can end up in landfils, or even in our gardens.

What’s the solution?

My preferred method is the live tree. Every year, Justin and I buy a potted christmas tree, which we then plant in the yard somewhere after the Christmas festivities have ended. The only drawback here is that the potted trees cannot be very big. If the tree is too big, its root ball won’t be young enough to take hold when its planted outdoors. However, this is a small price to pay! Look at it this way: Every year, you’re giving the earth a present by planting her a tree. Groovy Green has some great tips on choosing, and caring for live Christmas trees.

If you prefer the bigger, cut tree, there are things you can do to make your purchase as green as possible. Make sure that you dispose of your tree properly. Landfils aren’t the best place for your christmas tree. You may be able to find someone who can chip it up, and turn it into mulch for your garden.

Posted in Events and Festivals, Green Living, Treehugging, holidays | 3 Comments »

Driving in a Winter Wonderland

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!

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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 %.
5. 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 »

Go Green at Blue

Saturday, October 25th, 2008

Stephen Lewis to Address Environmental Forum at Blue Mountain

One of the world’s most influential speakers, Stephen Lewis, will be the keynote speaker at the opening of “Go Green at Blue” an environmental conference taking place at the Village at Blue near Collingwood November 14 to 16th.

Mr. Lewis is a Professor in Global Health in the Faculty of Social Sciences at McMaster University, where he teaches a class on the consequences of climate change in both developed and developing countries. Previously, he chaired the first International Conference on Climate Change, which drew up the first comprehensive policy on global warming. 

Lewis, author of the bestseller “Race Against Time” is the recipient of the prestigious Pearson Peace Medal, he holds 28 honorary degrees, and is a Companion of the Order of Canada, the country’s highest honor.

The weekend conference will address global issues, our water system, green homes, environmentally friendly agricultural practices the famous “one hundred mile diet” and preservation of green space.

Co-ordinator of the conference, Roberta Brignell says, the weekend is jam packed with valuable and interesting workshops.  We are especially pleased that one of our workshops will be held specifically for our youth.  One of the guest speakers will be Jason Lawrence, “O” ambassador from the Oprah Winfrey Angel Network.”

Other workshops feature Patrick Donnelly Lake Huron Centre for Coast Conservation, Mayor Ellen Anderson, Town of Blue Mountain-Great Lakes Cities, Michelle Cote -Enerquality Corporation Energy Star program, Jamie Shipley-CMHC Equilibrium Program, Robert Stellar - Creating Healthier Homes, Ray Robertson -Environmental Farm plan for Grey County, Freeman Boyd- Local Food Project for Grey and Bruce Counties, Peter Katona-Food Links Ontario, Jenny Amy-Grey Bruce Agriculture and Culinary Association, Amber Cowie- Ontario Nature Greenways initiative, Mark Carabetta- Ontario Nature, Jason Richie-Grey Bruce Forest Stewardship Network and Chris Winter-Conservation Council of Canada “We Conserve”.

One of the highlights of the evening will be the presentation of the first Life Time Environmental Award by Bayshore Broadcasting Corporation.  This award will recognize the achievements of a local individual that promotes and maintains positive stewardship of our natural resources.

Everyone is welcome.  Tickets can be purchased for the entire weekend or individual days.  A weekend package is $195.00 ($40.00 tax receipt), Friday evening dinner with Stephen Lewis $125, student rate $85.00 (Table of 8-one ticket free), Saturday’s workshops $75.00, students $70.00 and a ticket for Sunday only is $35.00, students $30.00.  To purchase Tickets and to see the entire schedule click here or order tickets by phone 1-888-446-7699.

Go Green At Blue, an Environmental Forum is an initiative of the Community Foundation Grey Bruce and presented by Bayshore Broadcasting Corporation. Part of the proceed of this forum will support the Community Foundation Environmental Fund.

One of the roles of the Community Foundation Grey Bruce is Community Outreach and Dialogue, dealing with community concerns and acting as a facilitator in bringing organizations and individuals together to deal with issues, think of strategies, educate and celebrate successes

For further information contact Roberta or Wendy at the Community Foundation Grey Bruce @ 519-371-7203 or e-mail cfgreybruce@brucetelecom.com
Sponsored by On the Bay Magazine and Reid’s Heritage Homes

Posted in Events and Festivals, Green Living, Press Releases | 4 Comments »