Ontario solar plant to create 500 jobs

Solar module maker Canadian Solar Inc. is preparing to establish a manufacturing facility in Ontario that will create 500 direct jobs to take advantage of a provincial green-energy program that mandates local content.

http://www.thestar.com/business/article/733995--ontario-solar-plant-to-create-500-jobs?bn=1

Bullfrog Power launches in the Maritimes

Bullfrog Power is now available in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
Now 6 provinces can have clean, renewable energy.

Very cool. Check out more, www.bullfrogpower.com/09releases/maritimeslaunch.cfm

It’s a grolar

It’s a grolar, the climate-change polar bear - Times Online

What will you do?

For the past 2 1/2 years, I've been pushing news, events and my personal options on the globing warming trend.

I originally began by describing the changes I've been making to reduce the impact that our household makes. Changing light bulbs, reducing waste, recycling, choosing environmentally responsible energy options, eating locally produced food and spreading the word to anyone that wants to know. In the end, this blog was created.

Of course, there are only so many things we can do. I quickly ran out of things to post about. The blog became a board to post other news, information and events from around the world. This relied on finding relevant articles either from my sources or those referred to me.

This year, I began trying to post more personal items but I've been having a hard time. My support of other networks takes a lot of my time but I believe they have a far greater reach.

There are a lot of things I still need to do but my current budget will not allow. I'd love to put in a solar hot water and electrical system. I'd love to produce as much electricity during the day that I use at night. But, these will have to wait a bit longer.

I've been hoping for more comments and emails from readers but, I'm not sure I have many. A few of you have contacted me in some way, so I know I have a couple of followers.

Well, today is Blog Action Day and this is my contribution.
What I want to know is, What are you going to do?

Visit www.blogactionday.org

Turkey wars

If you're eating organic turkey this weekend, savour it, because by next Thanksgiving it may be easier to buy crack cocaine in Ontario than a drug-free bird.
Here's why: While the turkey industry marketing board tells growers to confine their turkeys indoors to reduce the chance of transmission of viruses from wild birds, new organics standards administered by the Canadian Food and Inspection Agency mandate raising organic birds outdoors.
Read here, http://www.thestar.com/news/ontario/article/708416--turkey-wars

Dow Unveils Solar Shingles

Dow Chemical has unveiled a residential roof shingle in the form of a solar panel designed to be integrated into asphalt-tiled roofs.
Jane Palmieri, managing director of Dow’s Solar Solutions unit, said the Powerhouse thin-film shingle slashes installation costs because it can be installed by a roofer who is already building or retrofitting a roof.
“As a roofer is nailing asphalt shingle on roof, wherever the array needs to be installed he just switches to solar shingle,” said Ms. Palmieri, who said the solar singles are similarly attached to the roof with nails.
“You don’t have to have a solar installation crew do the work or have an electrician on site,” she added. “The solar shingle can be handled like any other shingle – it can be palletized, dropped from a roof, walked on.”
Read more, http://greeninc.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/10/07/dow-unveils-solar-shingles/

Town’s LED street lights national first

Annapolis Royal may be the first town in Canada to replace all of its street lights with energy-efficient LED fixtures.
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities "is coming to do a feature on us," Mayor Phil Roberts said Wednesday.
"I didn’t realize we were the first in the country."
He said Nova Scotia Power started installing the LED lights about three weeks ago.
Read here, http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1145301.html

Pay It Backward Day

September 30th was Pay It Backward Day. This is from the PIB site,

"Pay It Backward Day is a unique, refreshing initiative that allows socially conscious individuals across Ontario to unite in the spirit of changing the world through small, daily acts of kindness. On September 30th, we invite you to come out to any of Ontario's participating Second Cup locations and offer to "pay it backward" by buying coffee for the person behind you in line. With each simple act of "coffee kindness", we* will donate $5.00 to SickKids Foundation. Alongside our generous sponsors, Second Cup and Silk Soy Beverage, we hope to inspire 2,000 acts of kindness on September 30th in order to reach our goal of raising $10,000 for SickKids Foundation in a single day! So, if helping out SickKids Foundation in a big way through small acts of kindness sounds like your cup of tea, coffee or soy drink … then JOIN THE MOVEMENT today and agree to pay it backward on September 30th!"
That's pretty awesome but to make it even better, I won a Coffee Hero Card for putting a PIB button here on my site. I was able to buy a "round" for everyone in the store. This wasn't really about me; it was about the intent of the day. I go to the same Second Cup every day so the staff knows me. I just gave them the card and explained what to do with it. If anyone asked, they told them it was me but most people were only told about the PIB movement and that somebody paid for their coffee. If you didn't know about it before now, please keep it in mind for next year.
Visit http://www.dailychallenge.org/events/payitbackward/ for more info on PIB or better yet, join The Daily Challenge and do something good every day. http://www.dailychallenge.org/

Four degrees of warming 'likely'

In a dramatic acceleration of forecasts for global warming, UK scientists say the global average temperature could rise by 4C (7.2F) as early as 2060.
More here, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8279654.stm

Recession barely dents 'eco-debt'

The recession has had little impact on humanity's over-consumption of resources, says a report.
The New Economics Foundation (Nef) calculates the day each year when the world goes into "ecological debt."
This is the date by which humanity has used the quantity of natural resources that ought to last an entire year if used at a sustainable rate.

Read here, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/8273791.stm

Don't be fooled by a cool summer.

Steve Kramer spent an hour and a half swimming in the ocean Sunday - in Maine. The water temperature was 72 degrees - more like Ocean City, Md., this time of year. And Ocean City's water temp hit 88 degrees this week, toasty even by Miami Beach standards.
Kramer, 26, who lives in the seaside town of Scarborough, said it was the first time he's ever swam so long in Maine's coastal waters. "Usually, you're in five minutes and you're out," he said.

http://www.sanluisobispo.com/living/health/story/822072.html

Getting Real About the High Price of Cheap Food

Somewhere in Iowa, a pig is being raised in a confined pen, packed in so tightly with other swine that their curly tails have been chopped off so they won't bite one another. To prevent him from getting sick in such close quarters, he is dosed with antibiotics. The waste produced by the pig and his thousands of pen mates on the factory farm where they live goes into manure lagoons that blanket neighboring communities with air pollution and a stomach-churning stench. He's fed on American corn that was grown with the help of government subsidies and millions of tons of chemical fertilizer.
Continue reading here, http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1917458,00.html

Monsanto

Percy Schmeiser is a farmer from Saskatchewan Canada, whose Canola fields were contaminated with Monsanto's genetically engineered Round-Up Ready Canola by pollen from a nearby farm. Monsanto says it doesn't matter how the contamination took place, and is therefore demanding Schmeiser pay their Technology Fee (the fee farmers must pay to grow Monsanto's genetically engineered products). According to Schmeiser, "I never had anything to do with Monsanto, outside of buying chemicals. I never signed a contract. http://www.organicconsumers.org/monlink.cfm

NASA Satellites Unlock Secret to Northern India's Vanishing Water

Beneath northern India’s irrigated fields of wheat, rice, and barley ... beneath its densely populated cities of Jaiphur and New Delhi, the groundwater has been disappearing. Halfway around the world, hydrologists, including Matt Rodell of NASA, have been hunting for it.More here, http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/india_water.html

Millions of missing fish signal crisis on the Fraser River

The Fraser River is experiencing one of the biggest salmon disasters in recent history with more than nine million sockeye vanishing.
Aboriginal fish racks are empty, commercial boats worth millions of dollars are tied to the docks and sport anglers are being told to release any sockeye they catch while fishing for still healthy runs of Chinook.
Between 10.6 million and 13 million sockeye were expected to return to the Fraser this summer. But the official count is now just 1.7 million, according to the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
Read here, http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/millions-of-missing-fish-signal-crisis-onthefraserriver/article1249976/

More than 350 species, including world's smallest deer, discovered in Himalayas in past decade

KATMANDU, Nepal - The world's smallest deer, a flying frog and catfish that stick to rocks -

as well as more than 350 other species - have been discovered over the past decade in the Himalayas, making it one of the world's most biologically rich regions, an environmental group said Monday.

Sea change in store for supermarkets?

Environmental groups that have been sounding urgent alarms about dramatic declines in fish and seafood stocks are taking Canadian supermarkets to task for the role they play in the emptying of the oceans.
A global study entitled History of Marine Animal Populations, presented in May at the Oceans Past conference in Vancouver, has intensified concern about the looming crisis. Marine researchers combing through historical records covering the past 2,000 years have determined there are 85 to 90 per cent fewer fish and marine mammals today than there once were. Read more here, http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2009/08/07/f-seafood.html

Great Slave Lake fish may be new species

A fish biologist in the Northwest Territories says he may have found an entirely new species of cisco in Great Slave Lake. Read here, http://technology.sympatico.msn.cbc.ca/News/ContentPosting?newsitemid=nwt-cisco&feedname=CBC-TECH-SCIENCE-V3&show=False&number=0&showbyline=True&subtitle=&detect=&abc=abc&date=True

Are biodegradable plastics really green?

Plastics have been getting their fair share of bad press lately, especially those ubiquitous grocery bags. Critics argue they’re made with fossil fuels, take anywhere between 100 to 1,000 years to break down and create a massive litter problem worldwide. Read here, http://green.sympatico.msn.ca/green-living-online-article.aspx?cp-documentid=932634

Buy-local push prompts Ontario grocers to go independent

Dale Kropf calls it Independence Day: On July 3, his five grocery stores in southwestern Ontario ceased to be Sobeys franchises.
Corporate policies prevented him from buying local products, he says, so he joined forces with four other former Sobeys franchisees and formed the independent Hometown Grocers Co-Op.
"We feel that local food, local presence is huge in our market and we wanted to take advantage of that," Kropf says.
Read more here, http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2009/07/14/f-grocery-stores-independent-buy-local-meat-produce.html?ref=rss

Colorado company offers banana coffins

BAMBOO Coffins and BANANA Caskets:As the focal point for the funeral ceremony, the choice of coffin is of great importance. With this in mind, Ecoffins have been designed as attractive, comforting, and environmentally friendly options. Check it out here, http://www.ecoffinsusa.com/

FoodCycles

This is related to my previous post.
I should point out that there is a local program here in Toronto as well that one of our members is a part of.
Check out FoodCycles, http://foodcycles.org/

Urban farming movement 'like a revolution'

ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- On a plot of soil, nestled against the backdrop of skyscrapers in downtown Atlanta, Georgia, a group of residents are turning a lack of access to fresh produce into a revival of old traditions and self-empowerment. More here, http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/06/29/bia.urban.farming/index.html

Auto-ban: German town goes car-free

Vauban hopes to forge a model community without that great staple of modern life – the car. Now the sound of birdsong has replaced the roar of traffic and children can play in the street.. More here, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/autoban-german-town-goes-carfree-1720021.html

Prototype Nokia phone recharges without wires

Pardon the cliche, but it's one of the holiest of Holy Grails of technology: Wireless power. And while early lab experiments have been able to "beam" electricity a few feet to power a light bulb, the day when our laptops and cell phones can charge without having to plug them in to a wall socket still seems decades in the future. Read here, http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/143945

Out of sight shouldn't mean out of mind.

It’s easy to ignore the things we can’t see. But it doesn’t take a lot of thought to realize how much we depend on the complex world that exists beneath those ocean waves. For jobs. For food. For recreation. Even for the oxygen in the air we breathe. And of course, all kinds of creatures — from seabirds to sponges to giant blue whales — depend on a healthy environment around them in order to survive.
Read more from the WWF, http://www.wwf.ca/conservation/atlantic/oceansactions.cfm

Clean Air Day

Clean Air Day is a celebration of environmentally-friendly activities that promote clean air and good health across Canada. It is a great opportunity to make environmentally-friendly lifestyle choices, for you, your family and your community.

http://www.cleanairday.com/

City of Toronto - 5 cents per plastic bag

Now in effect. It will cost you $0.05 for a plastic bag. About time. http://www.toronto.ca/garbage/packaging_reduction/5centbag_bylaw.htm

World Environment Day

World Environment Day, commemorated each year on 5 June, is one of the principal vehicles through which the United Nations stimulates worldwide awareness of the environment and enhances political attention and action.

http://www.unep.org/wed/2009/english/

Loblaw Makes Commitment to Source 100 Per Cent Sustainable Seafood by 2013

BRAMPTON, ON – May 20, 2009 – Today, Loblaw Companies Limited (Loblaw) makes a commitment to source all seafood sold in its retail locations from sustainable sources by the end of 2013. The commitment covers all canned, frozen, fresh, wild and farmed seafood products, in all categories. The Loblaw Sustainable Seafood Policy Initiative represents Loblaw’s commitment to conservation of marine resources and a healthy ocean environment.

More here, http://wwf.ca/newsroom/?3680 or here, www.loblaw.ca/seafood.

Local Cheese for Eastern Ontario

Hey all, I was just recommended to a local cheese company in Eastern Ontario.

Their milk is produced in a 100 mile radius, non GMO feed, antibiotic free and humanly raised.

Check them out, http://www.fifthtown.ca/

Green + WIRED = Sexy

Now that almost everyone across the political spectrum agrees that we are facing an ecological crisis, the main challenge for the green movement seems to be getting people actually change behaviors. More here, http://friendsofliveearth.ning.com/profiles/blogs/green-wired-sexy

Earth News

Hi all,

I just want to take a moment to send my thanks to all of you for your decision to do your part to protect the planet we call Earth. I also appreciate your support of this group. Without your participation and feedback my efforts would be lost.

I have a few items I’d like to share with you.

If you live in Ontario, we’ve had devastating news with the recent announcement of new development near Bradford. 500 hectares of prime farmland in the Holland Marsh will be lost and much more threatened by the industry expected to move there. This actually violates Ontario’s own Places to Grow plan and will contribute to urban sprawl. More important, this poses a serious risk to the existing farms in the area due to pollution and contamination of an already delicate “Greenbelt”. I urge you all to write the province and voice your displeasure. You can read more here, http://www.thestar.com/article/634129

There’s also a 393 megawatt gas power plant going in rather than a more sustainable choice.

On a positive note, Toronto should be going ahead with a major expansion of the Light Rail Transit network throughout the city. New low floor streetcars will replace hundreds of buses and reach most areas of the city.

The David Suzuki Foundation has a few events, Take the Living Room Challenge! and events to support World Oceans Day 2009. Check out the DSF page for details, http://www.davidsuzuki.org/About_us/Volunteering/livingroom.asp

Lots of communities have local clean up days. Get out and support your town or city.

My good friend Mike decided he liked Earth Hour so much he’s going to do it every month. We’ve created a fan page, http://www.facebook.com/pages/Earth-Hour-By-The-Dozen/88569523342 and event http://www.facebook.com/home.php?ref=home#/event.php?eid=98038411564 to promote the idea. Check them out.

Finally, please post or send me news and events in you corner of the globe. I really don’t know what’s happening without your help. If you forward me a news article, please try to include the URL so I can post it for all to read.
Thanks for your time and remember to invite your friends.

Spring Painting?

Spring is a time when many people spruce up their habitat by doing a bit of painting.
If you’re planning on painting, choose low or zero VOC’s (Volatile organic compounds) paint.

Low VOC’s contain 160 grams of VOC’s per litre or less. VOC’s emit vapours at room temperatures that give off strong odours and can be hazardous to your health. Symptoms can include dizziness and nausea and prolonged exposure can lead to cancer or liver damage.

World Oceans Day 2009

World Oceans Day 2009 is on June 8, 2009. A lot of communities are organizing events to celebrate the day. In Canada, you can check out the David Suzuki Foundation at http://www.davidsuzuki.org/oceansday
You can do a lot by choosing fish that was caught wild as opposed to farmed fish.
Farmed fish are usually fed an unnatural diet, and are subject to overcrowding, disease, such as sea lice, and are fed antibiotics. Farmed fish also have higher levels of cancer-causing toxins like PCBs and dioxin.

Ask your fish monger to buy wild fish and remember not all wild fish are good for the environment either. There are some regions over fish or use destructive methods to catch fish resulting in habitat destruction.
You can download a pocket guide to help you decide at the Environmental Defence Fund’s website here, http://www.edf.org/documents/1980_pocket_seafood_selector.pdf

Do you have a dishwasher?

Dishwasher detergents account for about 1/3 of the phosphates which leads to algae overgrowth. Buy detergent that is chlorine free and does not contain phosphates or surfactants. Phosphates are considered carcinogenic by the US EPA.
There's lots to choose from, not all do a great job.
Most of you know what my products of choice are but if you need a reminder, email me.

Earth Hour

I just want to say thanks you for your support of Earth Hour. This was a great event and here in Toronto we had a 15% reduction in our electricity for the hour. Here are a few select pictures.

Toronto Nathan Phillips Square

Mayor David Miller and the WWF Panda ready to flick the switch.

Earth Hour Toronto, 8:30PM

Dinner by candle light

The downtown did pretty good!

25 ways to mark Earth Hour 2009

http://green.sympatico.msn.ca/earthhour/article.aspx?cp-documentid=962109

Today is Earth Hour

Earth Hour is happening around the world and as a blogger, we’ve been asked to blog about our real time doings. I’m not going to do that because I’m not going to be using any electricity for most of the day.
What I am going to do is celebrate in the dark, with no technology at my side and try to continue to be a good Earth Ambassador all year long.
What I would like you to do is share your stories with me. You can add them as a comment on my blog or comment on the wall on my Facebook group.
Here are a couple of things that might be of interest if you are going to try and make a few changes in your day to day living.How to make Earth Hour last all year, http://green.sympatico.msn.ca/earthhour/green-living-online-article.aspx?cp-documentid=973542
10 must-haves for living off the grid, http://green.sympatico.msn.ca/earthhour/green-living-online-gallery.aspx?cp-documentid=971416&imageindex=1

Earth Hour

Earth Hour Is happening, check out the slideswow, http://www.flickr.com/photos/earthhour_global/sets/72157615780247025/show/

But, I still don't know what to do on Sundays.

I’ve gone a year now without watching motor sports. I was questioned about my being a race fan by one of my readers, it was speed weeks for the 2008 Daytona 500 and I decided to stop watching. No more Montreal F1 or Toronto Indy either.

To me, it wasn't just the fuel but how about all the tires. 5 to 8 HUNDRED for a NASCAR race. Then there’s oil and other solvents. These teams usually have 4 or 5 big rigs to haul their cars around, motor homes for the crew and the drivers and owners fly around in private jets.

The venues are huge. Acres of farmland are used for the circuit and parking lots. Thousands of people drive there. Mounds of garbage…

Even if they used hybrids or alternative fuels they still have a long way to go.

But, I still don't know what to do on Sundays.

Cadbury Pledge Major Boost to Fair Trade

WASHINGTON, Mar 9 (OneWorld.net) - Cadbury, an iconic candy company in the UK, plans to achieve Fair Trade certification for its famous chocolate bars, a move that will triple sales for Fair Trade cocoa farmers in Ghana.
Read more, http://news.yahoo.com/s/oneworld/20090309/wl_oneworld/world3608371236627046

One small victory. We CAN make a difference.

One of the things I’ve been supporting recently is the movement to ban shark fin soup.
I know a lot of you are probably saying, who cares about sharks?
Sharks actually play a large part in keeping a healthy marine environment.
The problem with shark fining is, the fins are cut off of a live shark and then the animal is just dumped overboard to drown.

We had a small campaign to stop Loblaw’s from selling Shark Fin Soup and once they realized there was a problem with shark fishing practices, they actually pulled the product from the shelves and vowed to stop selling it. Here’s the article from the Toronto Sun/Canoe, http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2009/01/29/8185661-cp.html

I urge you all to see the movie Sharkwater. It changed my life, maybe it can change your’s too. http://www.sharkwater.com/

Water

I used to have stacks of bottled water at home for a variety of uses.
I realize that there is still a use for bottled water, when travelling and in your emergency kit, but I’ve eliminated bottles in daily use.

I volunteer at a festival each year and they’ve been trying to reduce their impact on the earth as well. One of the things they tried was to supply water in bulk and have people bring their own container. Well most people were quite receptive to the idea but there were rules and regulations from the municipal governments. Even though the water was potable, we couldn’t claim it was. The water source would have to be tested and the filling of containers would require procedures to prevent contamination. In the end, we had to supply bottled water.

At home, I’ve been using a Britta. I have been for years but bought a second one to keep up with demand. Water connoisseurs would argue that using a Britta is not the way to go either. They claim the taste needs the minerals that the Britta filters out. The recommended procedure is to let a pitcher stand uncovered for a day or so to let the chlorine evaporate, then refrigerate the pitcher. The pitcher also helps to regulate the fridge temperature.

Now, it’s not only the waste that the bottles produce but there are health concerns regarding the chemical bisphenol A used to make the bottles.

If you’re on Facebook, check out this page, http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=663525688&ref=profile#/pages/Tap-Water/9838628636?sid=0170bba68bae0437f696f5438c051183&ref=s

No thanks, I’ve got my own bag

I’ve got into the habit of taking my own bag everywhere. I always have a bag or 2 in my backpack so I’m almost never caught without. There are a lot of different bags out there but there’s a certain type that my cats don’t like. I’ve bought 2 of these from the grocery store and for some reason my cats have to pee on them. It only happens to these particular ones so I’ll stick to the plain fabric type.
Hope some of you can get used to saying, No thanks, I’ve got my own bag.

Get Local

This year, I’m going to work a bit harder to eat more meals made with local ingredients.
The majority of my home meals already conform to the criteria I’ve established for myself.
There are a few exceptions (condiments) that are not local. In these cases, the product has to be organic.
The problem I have is with my daily lunch. I often take a lunch, but choices are limited when you eliminate processed and imported foods. I only have a few choices.
There’s also days I don’t take a lunch. Most of the available lunch spots are food court restaurants or street vendors and the majority of those buy from a central wholesaler. The street vendor does have local potatoes fairly often but not the oil.
It looks like I’ll have to eliminate the food court and get used to my brown bag lunch.