Carbon Slim - a guide to sustainable living

The Green Affordable Laptop Machine

2009-07-08T22:21:00.002-04:00

Jane and I just bought a laptop. Of course we wanted the greenest one that we could afford. So we settled on the Toshiba A500.

We considered the Sony Vaio. Last year Green Peace gave the Vaio strong marks in its Green Electronics survey, which assesses hazardous material use, waste and energy.

I called OTA, a Toronto electronics repair company, whose services I’ve used. I wanted to know what brand is easiest to repair. The fellow I spoke to warned that parts for Sony laptops are hard to come by. He advised purchasing a Toshiba. They tend not to breakdown as much as other brands, and when they do their parts are easier to find.

Green Peace dubbed Toshiba Protégé R600 the greenest. It’s also the most expensive with a price tag at $2,000 (cough and sputter), up there with Mac laptops - which we really don’t need.

Gold, Silver or Bronze
The other green gadget gage is EPEAT, which rates environmental attributes according to Gold, Silver and Bronze. According to EPEAT, the Toshiba A500 rates Gold. With this rating, and the thumbs up from the computer-repair guy, we bought this model.

We also invested in Futureshop’s service plan. Through the plan, they clean the machine every year, helping to safeguard its longevity.

After all, it’s not really green if we have to replace it after a few years. Futureshop will also recycle it once it goes to laptop heaven.

In the News

US, other wealthy nations vow global warming cuts

Canada ranked last in G8 on climate action

Oxfam dubs climate change greatest threat to humanity

Garbage Strike Smargage Strike

2009-06-25T20:48:00.001-04:00

Toronto, the city where I live, is currently enjoying a garbage strike. As people gnash their teeth over the mounting trash, Jane and I are diverting our organics to our compost which feeds our garden. We’re also nonplussed about landfill-bound garbage as we purchase products with minimal packaging.

Suffering from garbage strike woes? Take control on waste. Reduce it and feed your organics back to plants that feed you or brighten your day.

On composting, click here.

On reducing your garbage, click here.

In the News

Global Warming's Not Back. It Never Went Away

Riding a bike made of grass

What's in the Meat? Food Inc. Delivers

2009-06-19T07:59:00.002-04:00

I saw the anticipated film Food Inc. on Monday. It opens in Canadian theatres today.

This film will likely do for big agribusiness what An Inconvenient Truth did for climate change. If you always wanted to read Fast Food Nation and The Omnivore's Dilemma but never got around to doing so, Food Inc. summarizes quite succinctly the pickle we're in thanks to agribusiness practices.

Click here for the trailer.

Click here for the review in the Globe & Mail.

The film is shocking to those who are unaware of the the litany of problems that agribusiness has unleashed. With 60 years of government subsidies to corn and the birth of fast food giants taking advantage of cheap commodities, the farming industry has consolidated into a few agri-giants who have a powerful hand to influence public policy and strong-arm farmers and live-stock owners to do exactly what they want them to do.

As a result animals and migrant workers are treated inhumanely. The fallout to the environment with the release of methane from the multitude of cattle, not to mention salmonella from the manure, is staggering. The health problems arising from feeding cows corn, which lead to the birth of a deadly E. coli strain, and antibiotics, not to mention the fact that most processed food comes from corn or soy and chemicals is well...now epidemic. Diabetes and obesity are on the rise and have been so for more than a decade.

The film is very good at showing the alternatives and reminds viewers that we have the power to vote at the grocery store. Vote for local organic food.

Please see this film. Happily, I understand that it's been selling out in theaters in the States, where it's been running for a week.

No Regrets. Bear Witness to Climate Change Negotiations

2009-06-11T19:57:00.002-04:00

Climate change talks are underway, leading up to the Copenhagen Conference of the Parties later this year. These talks are probably the most important that humanity has ever organized. They will chart a course on how we mitigate greenhouse gases in the next forty years.

Do we want to look back and say – ‘we’ll, we really blew it”? Or do we want to regard this time with pride knowing that our representatives set the right course. It’s the future of our children and their descendants that’s at stake. Even ours. We will likely feel the effects of climate change in our lifetimes.

Now is the time to act. AVAAZ offers us a unique opportunity to follow the progress of the climate change talks and let the negotiators know we are listening. Canada’s track record at these talks has been particularly appalling. Making your voice heard is critical.

Adopt a negotiator and take part in what will be a defining juncture in human history.

Adopt

Keep in mind that scientists call for 25 to 40 percent global emission cuts below 1990 levels by 2020, and 80% by 2050. Canada is promising 2.7 percent emission cut below 1990 levels by 2020. This is unacceptable, appalling and a cop out that will hurt our descendants beyond imagine.

Garbage Challenge Blues – Battle with the Plastic

2009-06-03T20:13:00.002-04:00

Jane and I have hit a snag with our garbage challenge. I was naïve. I thought the city of Toronto would graciously accept all the plastic bags that we’ve accumulated over the year through its Community Environment Days. Somehow the city would find some facility to recycle them, so I thought. The City does recycle plastic grocery bags, but not the vegetable, bread or freezer bags. We’ve reused these bags many times, but it gets to a point when they get a little disgusting despite multiple washings.

So we were stuck with an enormous bag of plastic. With a heavy heart, I put out the bag for garbage pick up this week. Rather than sending only four bags to the landfill this year, we are sending five.

Plastic bag, you think you got the best of me. Think again!

We have a new rule. No plastic vegetable and bread bags. No matter what. When we go shopping we bring out canvas bags and the following:

Reused Plastic Containers
Jane and I are big on bulk but the bulk section provides the dreaded plastic bag as the receptacle. When we go shopping we now take plastic containers and fill them up at the bulk section. We weigh them at the checkout station prior to filling them to avoiding paying for the container.

Mesh Gags
At the Carrot Common, we bought a $1 assortment of mesh bags to collect vegetables.

In the News

'Earth 2100': Is this the Final Century of Our Civilization?
ABC aired this program last night. It offered a frightening insight into what life will be like in the United States during this century if we do little to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions.

Climate change odds much worse than thought

First, there was expensive oil
Finally mainstream media is starting to pay attention.

Earth-Safe Sprays that Rappel Bugs

2009-05-27T18:49:00.004-04:00

Garden work is hard work. No question. Digging up grass to plant trees and develop veggie plots is now on my list of things I least like to do. It’s also on the list of the job that does not end. To help get me through the endless digging, I envision eating copious amounts of arugula and tomatoes, the end result of all this digging. But as I dig, I encounter the bugs and slugs that will also enjoy my arugula and tomatoes, certainly as much as I will.

Getting Tough with the Bugs
The minds of the twentieth century got us thinking that zapping ‘pests’ with poison was the magic bullet to safeguard crops. The reality is that during that time pesticides have offered short term gain with long-term pain.

Poisons do not discriminate between beneficial bugs and predatory bugs. They also kill off birds and worms, key players when it comes to the ecosystem, particularly edible plants.

The problem is that humans have replaced sustainable agriculture - a partnership with nature - with chemicals that nature has never seen. How effective are pesticides? According to Greenpeace, between 1940 and 1990, Americans increased pesticide use by 3000 percent and pesticide potency by 1000 percent. In 1940, the US lost 31 percent of its crops to insects, compared to 37 percent in 1990. Companies with pesticides to sell tell us their products are essential. I think we are all being sold a bill of goods.

Removing Uninvited Guests
If you have a plethora of veggie loving bugs, it could be a sign that something is amiss with your garden’s ecology. I refer to The Organic Gardener’s Home Reference and Marjorie Harris’ Ecological Gardening to guide me in what plants to place together to repel unwanted creatures and attract good insects to eat the ones that eat my food. Marigolds are particularly effective at rappelling and even killing a number of pesky bugs.

Non-Poisonous Sprays and Alternatives
No matter what you do, however, you will get the odd bug munching on your greens. It’s important to keep an eye on your crops. If your lettuce starts to resemble Swiss cheese, there are recommended sprays and alternatives that will not harm you, your plants or the soil.

Create a diversion – or trap. Slice up apples, potatoes, cabbage or lettuce and place where you are having slug or bug trouble. Once you get them munching on your bait, pick them off and destroy them quickly by stomping on them. No salt please. That’s cruel.
I tried the garlic spray last year, but it’s very stinky and cumbersome to prepare. According to Marjorie Harris, Canada’s gardening guru, the most effective general spray is also very easy to make – and not stinky. Mix 1 teaspoon of Ivory soap (nothing with a detergent in it) into ½ litre of water. If you see a bug on your plant, blast them with it.
Ruth in my office swears by her turmeric mixture (1 tablespoon turmeric to four cups of water). She sprinkles it along the border of her beds once a month. Works like a charm, she says.
Marjorie Harris’ Ecological Gardening makes other suggestions that are focused on particular pests. Her book is a great resource. I highly recommend it.
Avoid spraying during blossoming season or on a windy day. Spray in the evening when there are no bees. You don’t want to hurt these essential pollinators. You also don’t want to tick them off.

In the News

Did you hear? The province of Ontario passed a law where homeowners have to have an energy audit when selling their home. For more, click here.

The not-so-green side of gardening waste
Where to recycle your plastic pots

Meet Canada's climate point man

Homeowners can soon manage power use, Google says

Paul Hawkin’s Commencement address in Portland
http://www.charityfocus.org/blog/view.php?id=2077

Our Energy Audit Plan of Attack

2009-05-20T19:58:00.002-04:00

Jane and I have been busy with our garden and preparing our home eco-renovations.

In the past few weeks we planted eight trees in our front yard – seven cedars to act as a hedge and one Japanese Maple to provide colour and shade during the summer. I’ve also planted most of our edibles and look forward to fresh delicious veggies throughout the summer.

Our Energy Audit Update
On the home eco-reno front, we are underway with some preliminary work. I’ve learned that there is an order to all of this.

First step was to evict families of raccoons and squirrels from our attic. Our visitors made an incredible racket at 6:00am and sounded quite messy. As much as I love animals, these ones had to leave. Besides, how could we install new insulation when furry critters had taken up residence?

So first step was to call in AAA Gates’ Wildlife Control to cage all the vents, with an exit cage to allow the animals out and not in. That’s done.

Next on our list is venting the kitchen and bathroom. If you can believe it, our house has no vents in these critical areas. While venting does little on the carbon slim front, it does much for indoor air quality. It’s best to install the vents prior to blowing in the insulation. Vents will be installed next week.

Also prior to insulation, we will install the Energy Star rated windows and doors. Based on recommendation from an eco-expert, I contacted Gator Windows to set up an appointment to make a cost assessment. Gator Windows also install doors.

Insulation Recommendation
About insulation, I asked Greg Labbé at Green$aver for advice on the most eco-effective blow-in insulation on the market. He recommends cellulose for its low thermal conductivity. It’s also backed by Natural Resources Canada and is up to Passive House standard. When installed properly, cellulose will not settle and leave a gap. 'Installed properly' are the operative words here. At first I thought we'd install it ourselves, but since learned the folly of that idea.

Cellulose has an R value of 3.2. While Polyurethane Foam has a higher R value, it is also a petroleum product. Greg pointed out that if every home in North America was insulated with Polyurethane, the greenhouse gas contribution would be staggering.

After we insulate, we will bring in the high efficiency furnace. The jury is still out on the tankless water heater for now. It’s carbon slim impact is surprisingly low. I am also receiving mixed reports. More on that later.

In the News

Obama to Toughen Rules on Emissions and Mileage

Bigger isn't better
Rich, Poor And Climate Change (CNN Report)

Climate Change Is Biggest Health Threat Of 21st Century, Claims Report Into Global Warming

Yes Men Fix the World

2009-05-06T19:11:00.002-04:00

Imagine a world where major corporations provide full compensation for past wrongs, and adopt policies that place human and environmental welfare at the top of their priority list.

Dream on?

A group of activists called the Yes Men actually live the dream. They are corporate imposters, sending out ‘press statements’ from companies such as Dow Chemical, apologizing for past atrocities such as the chemical spill in Bhopal, India in 1984. Dow bought out Union Carbide India Ltd., which was responsible for the accident that killed 3,000 and injured and disabled half a million Indians, including children born to this day. Neither Union Carbide nor Dow has cleaned up the toxins.

The Big Bogus Interview
Sometimes the media mistake the Yes Men for the real deal, as in the case of the BBC in 2004. Responding to their mock Dow Chemical website which posted a press release announcing their Bhopal compensation plan, the BBC invited Yes Man Andy Bichlbaum to speak about the issue on live TV. Andy suddenly had an audience of 300 million viewers. That interview, in which ‘Dow’ officially apologized for the human suffering and offered full compensation to the victims, caused the Dow Chemical stock to fall dramatically, generated copious media interest in the Bhopal tragedy and provided much embarrassment for Dow which countered that they’ve made no such claim to clean up the mess for which they are now responsible.

Yes Men antics are showcased on their newly released documentary, The Yes Men Fix the World. It’s now on the Festival circuit, currently being screened at Toronto’s Hot Docs Festival. There are two more screening times – on Thursday and Friday. I highly recommend it.

Isn’t it Ironic
Much media criticism against the Yes Men is directed at the perceived false sense of hope that victims must feel when told a company or government agency is finally prepared to do the right thing. We learn in the film that those affected actually welcome the media attention that Yes Men bring to their cause. Ironically, journalists don’t seem to direct their critical eye at the corporation that caused the problem in the first place.

When Corporate Profit Feasts on Human Flesh
Yes Men also give lectures as phony corporate representatives at major conferences. At the core of their presentations is the shadow side of the free-market vision purported by so many corporations and politicians. How sociopathic can people get when it comes to fulfilling this vision? A group of bankers in London found acceptable the Yes Men presentation on the golden skeleton – how to profit from human disasters. Insurers bought into the lame-brained scheme of investing in personal inflatable body pods in times of crisis brought on by climate change.

Holy eye-opener.

The Yes Men finally (sort of) hit a cord when, posing as Exxon reps at a Calgary oil and gas convention, they suggested an alternative fuel in response to dwindling oil production: the bodies of the billions of people projected to die as a result of climate change disasters. The point was hit home when the audience members were asked to light candles purportedly made from the body of an Exxon employee who died after cleaning up toxic waste.

If you like wacky activism that spotlights the absurdity of it all, The Yes Men Fix the World is for you! For more on Yes Men activism, visit http://theyesmen.org/

Action

AVAAZ - The Truth About Swine Flu
Sign the petition! End factory pig farms

In the News

Harper to fight with EU over climate change
The Yes Men need to pay Harper a visit.

Ontario to Outmuscle Arnold via Green Energy Act

2009-04-29T20:40:00.002-04:00

Move over Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Ontario is poised to be North America’s leader in green energy and the new green economy.

The reason? Ontario may soon have the Green Energy and Green Economy Act. The Bill is currently in third reading. If you are one of those folks who love to read bills and parliamentary debates, visit Bill 150, Green Energy and Green Economy Act, 2009. Enjoy!

For those of you who just want the quick facts
Ontario is trying to catch up with Germany, which is on the forefront of renewable energy development. In fact, many of the policies implemented by the Germans are proposed in Bill 150. The goal is to get Ontario on the renewable energy bandwagon as quickly as possible, which means giving businesses and citizens great incentives to invest in solar panels and the like. Bill 150 proposes the following:

Developing a Feed-In Tariff to provide guaranteed pricing structures that help boost investor confidence and increase access to financing. It basically sets premium rates for renewable energy, based on technology, to encourage the rapid development of these technologies and sectors. To date, 280,000 jobs in conservation and renewable have been created in Germany.

Providing ‘As of Right’ grid connections to ensure that renewable energy projects which meet technical, economic and other regulatory requirements, have access to the power grid.

Creating ‘service guarantees’ to make wait times for approvals more transparent and ensure information is publicly accessible.

Streamlining the approvals process for renewable energy projects, eliminating duplication and barriers while ensuring that health, safety and environmental concerns are adequately addressed.

Establishing a Renewable Energy Facilitator to assist community proponents in navigating the project approvals process, ensuring compliance with necessary requirements.

Investing in a ‘Smart Grid’ to facilitate and maximize the development of new renewable energy projects, making it easier to connect to the system and setting the stage for new technologies like the plug in electric car.

What’s the Snag?
Many are calling for the inclusion of Take-or-Pay. This means all green electricity that's generated must be purchased whether it's needed or not. This provides additional guarantees to those investing in renewable energy. Currently, the nuclear industry enjoys this perk.

The other sticky wicket is that Ontario still plans to invest heavily in nuclear with the expectation that it will comprise 60 percent of the province's energy needs. However, if this Act is passed, renewable electricity has the potential to fill half of grid in the next few years. According to the article in the April 22 issue of the Toronto Star, there are 150 energy developers with 381 projects in various stages of development.

Environmentalists love it!
I attended the event, Why Green Energy last Thursday with David Suzuki. Hermann Scheer, German parliamentarian and Green Energy guru was on the bill but unfortunately could not attend. Filling in was Preben Maegaard, Vice-President of Eurosolar and Executive Director of the Danish Folkecenter for Renewable Energy. Also speaking was Dennis Hayes, the founder of Earth Day and Director of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory under the Carter Administration. All three environmentalists lauded the Bill.

In fact, experts from Europe and the US were in Toronto last week to lend support and advice. The stakes are high. If Ontario gets it right, it could serve as a model for other North American jurisdictions.

At the Thursday event, environmentalists decried the nuclear industry’s hold on Ontario. Dennis Hayes was quick to advise not to toss out the baby with the bath water. Once in force, the Green Energy Act will make it much easier for the renewable energy sector to take hold, likely (hopefully) trumping nuclear, which is too costly, cumbersome and dangerous to support. Let’s hope Mr. Hayes is right.

If you live in Ontario, please support the Green Energy and Green Jobs Act by signing the petition. To do so click here.

In the News

Environmentalists in battle to be heard in pesticide case
Will Dow Chemical get its way thanks to NAFTA? It’s the people vs. the big corporation.

Organic Priority List

2009-04-22T20:49:00.006-04:00

Happy Earth Day! Jane and I participated in a clean up of a local park, organized by our riding’s Green Party. We found the usual: plastic bags, plastic bottles, glass, prophylactics, Viagra cartons, bicycle frames, cooking fuel…. Our efforts seemed small given the degree of garbage strewn around the park, but we felt good doing something.

This installment is not about waste, however. It’s about poison and food, and what fruits and veggies you definitely wanted to buy organic.

Eating Well during a Recession
Times are tough. When funds are low, what should we cut? The cell phone or good quality food? Hmmm.

Many opt for cutting the latter.

We do know that more nutrients are found in local organic food than in jet-setting mass-produced comestibles. Local organic is not just good for the planet – it’s much better for you, according to a recent article in Now Magazine.

What’s the Big Deal? As Rachel Carson pointed out in her seminal book Silent Spring, tiny doses of pesticides magnify as they make their way up the food chain. We also now know that they can cause lasting damage to human health, particularly during fetal development and early childhood. Pesticides and herbicides also kill off natural insecticides such as birds and helpful insects, and have not proven to be more effective in keeping pests off the fruits and veggies than the latter.

The US-based Environmental Working Group (EWG) developed a Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides based on 87,000 tests collected by the US Department of Agriculture and the US Food and Drug Administration. If you must be more discerning in your shopping, the EWG provides a list of fruits and vegetables that you are better off buying organic due to the high pesticide content in their agri-business counterparts. Top on the list are:

Peach
Apple
Bell Pepper
Celery
Nectarine
Strawberries
Cherries
Kale
Lettuce
Grapes (imported)
Carrot
Pear

In the News

Bugs, cornstarch replace pesticides today
Ontario leads North America in ban on cosmetic pesticides. Suppliers of non-toxic alternatives are now faced with huge demand.

Carbon Slim – Swishing your way into Echo-Fashion

2009-04-15T20:17:00.002-04:00

For all you clothes swappers, there’s a name for what you do. It’s called swishing, and it’s all the rage now that the world economy is in the toilet.

I went to a swishing event a few weeks ago with no knowledge that it actually has a name. Indeed, in the UK it even has a website: www.swishing.org.

What, exactly, is Swishing?
According to swishing.org:

Dictionary Definition: To rustle, as silk.

Our definition: To rustle clothes from friends.

The Art of Swishing involves getting your friends together to swap gorgeous clothes and party at the same time. Every lady must bring at least one good quality, clean item of clothing, or an accessory, that she'd feel proud to hand on. (Large sacks of designer frocks are also gratefully received. And people who bring along anyone else with a bulging wardrobe.)

My Swishing Story
The Swishing event I attended, hosted by the wonderful Nina Okens, was a great opportunity to enjoy local wine and potluck treats, catch up with old friends and augment my wardrobe. Nina did a great job arranging the items according to type: coats, slacks, blouses, accessories, etc. As a costume designer she has easy access to coat racks which helped. It was like shopping, only in Nina’s living room.

Did I score? Absolutely. Two great summer slacks – for free - in time for the season.

I must confess, I have a problem shopping in second hand stores. I don’t know if it’s the smell or my middle-class upbringing, but it puts me off. Swishing is a great solution. I swap clothes with friends or friends of friends, and socialize while I’m at it. I clean out my closet, get free new clothes, meet new people and catch up with old friends. It’s win-win.

Organizing a Swishing event is easy. Have some clothes you want to get rid of? Why not facebook your friends and arrange a Swishing party? Great for your pocketbook and good for the environment. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle! I mean, with all the clothes in the world, why crank out and transport more?

Upcoming Events

Earth Day Events
April 22. Find out what’s happening in your community - www.earthday.ca

If you live in Toronto, the following events may be of interest. I'll be at most of them. Hope to see you there!

Living on Earth as if we want to stay
April 17 – 7pm to 8:30pm
Centre for Social Innovation
215 Spadina Ave. 4th floor

Why Green Energy? - Renewable Solutions with Dr. David Suzuki & Dr. Hermann Scheer
April 23 – 6:30
Convocation Hall, University of Toronto

Green Living Show
April 24 – 26
Direct Energy Centre, Exhibition Place

Hot Docs Festival
April 30 – May 10
Hot Docs is screening several enviro-themed films. Many point to big problems, of which I am aware. I'd rather be inspired than depressed. That's why I've bought tickets to see Fierce Light, When Spirit Meets Action and The Yes Men Fix the World.

In the News

Tiny Saskatchewan town turns carbon trap into cash
God help us all.

Garbage Diva Stories

2009-04-08T19:03:00.002-04:00

I have two garbage success stories that I would like to share. You may recall that last year I was struggling to improve my composting technique, and in early January, Jane and I committed to producing only four modest bags of garbage for the entire year.

I have some good news to report.

Composting Diva
Last summer my compost wasn’t really cooking. Literally. A good compost should do so. I consulted a few resources such as the Composting Council of Canada and found the recipe for a smok’n compost. I posted my findings on my blog installment Compost that Cooks and followed the guidelines.

I knew I was doing something right when in the heart of winter, and we’re talking 20 below here, I could drill my compost stick right to the bottom of the compost no problem. That pile was generating heat.

My compost is now quite full. Soon I will open the bottom hatch to remove the rich mulch that will augment the soil of my edible garden. Jane and divert half our organic waste to our compost. It’s win-win: less waste to be shipped and free compost for our garden.

Garbage Challenge
It’s early April. For three months, Jane and I managed to limit our landfill-bound garbage to one bag for the first quarter. The garbage collector picked it up yesterday. Next garbage pick up is early July.

We buy in bulk as much as we can, visit cheese shops where they wrap in paper, and buy our fish from Whole Foods where sustainably harvested seafood is wrapped in paper as well. We also reuse any plastic bags we manage to collect and save them to recycle during Toronto’s Environment Days.

Our garbage challenge would be a crazy Herculean feat if it weren’t for the City of Toronto’s commitment to divert 70 percent of the city’s waste from the landfill by 2010. Recycling organic material as well as paper, aluminum and most plastic is a big help.

Canada’s Opposition Parties Support the Climate Change Accountability Act
Great news. On April 1st, Liberal, NDP and Bloc Québécois Members of Parliament supported BillC-311, the Climate Change Accountability Act. If passed by the Senate, the Act will set Canada’s greenhouse gas reduction targets at 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050. These levels are recommended by the Nobel Prize-winning Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Every other sane country in the world is following the IPCC recommendations – even the USA. The bill passed second reading, with 141 votes in favour and 128 against. The entire Conservative Party voted against the bill. Good grief!

Action

Tell Congress: Close the carbon pollution loophole!
For Americans. Please sign the petition to get your green economy up and running. Please show us the way. Someone has to.

I give a dam about our natural waterways
For Canadians. The Conservatives are gutting laws that protect waterways. Help stop them!

In the News

GM: Goodbye Hummer? Hello electric scooter

Awful Ice Melting News:

Thinning Arctic sea ice alarms experts

Ice bridge holding Antarctic ice shelf cracks up

Results of our Home Energy Audit

2009-04-01T18:19:00.005-04:00

The results of our home energy audit are in. On a scale of one to 100, with the latter being most efficient, our 90 year-old home rates 43. If we accomplish all of the recommended retrofits in our report, we will increase our home’s efficiency rating to 76. That’s a 56 percent jump in our home’s energy efficiency and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 6.3 tonnes per year. Not bad, and much better than I thought it would be.

Our report is lengthy, 20 pages altogether, and full of advise on how to best weatherize our home. Recommended retrofits are prioritized according to potential rating improvement. For our home, top items are:

Heating System – replace our heater with an ENERGY STAR qualified gas furnace that has a 92.0 percent annual fuel utilization efficiency or better, equipped with a DC variable-speed motor. Potential Rating Improvement: 12.6 points. The federal grant, which is matched by the province, is $500. I understand that our utility will kick in about $200 as well.

You can see that the recommendations are detailed and specific.

The next priority at 10 potential improvement points is Wall Insulation. We need to increase our exterior wall insulation by an amount greater than RSI 1.59 (R-9). The federal grant, matched by the province, is $1500.

Next on the list is Basement/Crawl Space Insulation. I won’t get into the gory details. I think you get the picture. Other recommendations for our house in order of priority are attic/roof insulation, air sealing (more caulking), replace windows & doors, and replace our water heater with one that is tankless.

The report’s layout is very helpful, enabling us to zero in on top priority areas. I was happy to hear that GreenSaver also offers their services in insulating our home, something many contractors may not be interested in doing.

The retrofits will take place in the months to come. We look forward to an efficient and comfortable home next winter.

In terms of resale value, for those of you who feel that energy efficiency isn’t high on a home buyer’s list, think again: Smaller, energy-efficient homes popular: survey

In the News

Climate change experts call on G20 members to commit to action

Concrete Is Remixed With Environment in Mind

Call to Action on Climate Change

2009-03-26T08:22:00.002-04:00

You’d think that when 2,500 leading scientists collectively issue a ‘desperate plea’ to politicians on climate change, the world would stand up and take note.

Major media basically ignored them.

These scientists, attending the Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen, issued their plea last Friday. The UK’s Telegraph and The Guardian were some of the few major press that covered the story. The following link is from the Telegraph.

World's leading scientists in desperate plea to politicians to act on climate change

Given that few corporations own all major media, the media’s lack of response is hardly a surprise. News on the Climate Change Summit spread through the blogosphere like wildfire though.

Word needs to get out. Please email this story to your family, friends and colleagues. Write to your representatives. Don’t delay! We’re talking about our descendents’ future. If you’re a parent or grandparent – or parent to be - think of your kids. I think of my niece and nephew. Put a face to this. It’s their faces. It’s this personal. It matters this much. Please get the word out.

The London G20 Summit takes place next week. Sign the AVAAZ Petition demanding a green recover now. http://www.avaaz.org/en/global_economic_rescue/?cl=206960687&v=3082

Write to your representatives at the local, provincial/state and federal levels to commit to:

Cut carbon dioxide to at least 25 percent below 1990 levels by 2020 and 80 percent by 2050.
Stop subsidizing fossil fuel immediately.
Make retrofitting houses, buildings and factories a priority.
Invest heavily in public transit.
Invest in cleaner and greener cities.
Support market development of clean energy technologies that include solar, wind, geothermal, tidal and wave.
Stop putting your eggs in the carbon sequestration and ‘clean’ coal baskets. The former will take years to be cost effective and environmentally sustainable (if ever). The latter simply doesn’t exist. It’s an idea only. A true oxymoron.
Stop supporting nuclear. Help homeowners and businesses generate the bulk of their own power.

These investments will create thousands of jobs committed to work that needs to be done immediately. These are smart solutions in troubled times.

Please visit your city’s and Province/State’s websites to locate contact details of your representatives. For your federal representative, click on one of the following:

Canada

USA

Please write! We’re talking about your kids here.

Our Home’s Energy Audit

2009-03-18T20:04:00.005-04:00

My cute little home is a carbon monster thanks to lousy insulation and inefficient heating.

Jane and I live in a house built in the 1920s. We try to keep the thermostat at about 17 degrees Celsius during the winter, but the inside temperature fluctuates between too hot and too cold. Getting it right is a challenge. So much of that heat escapes and along with it our hard earned money.

So we brought in the energy auditor.

Quick Recap
Jane and I have taken advantage of low interest rates to refinance our home and are tapping into our home’s equity in order to participate in Canada’s ecoEnergy program, an incentive-based program to encourage Canadians to weatherize their drafty houses. Through the program:

We bring in an energy auditor to provide a complete assessment of our home’s efficiency and advise on appropriate retrofits for our house.
We have 18 months to weatherize our home based on the
recommendations.
Once we’re done, we bring in the auditor to reassess our home.
We send that assessment and receipts to the federal and provincial governments for rebates.

Our Energy Auditor
Enter Haresh Patel. Haresh is a Certified Energy Advisor with GreenSaver, a Toronto-based not-for-profit organization that provides a full assessment on a home’s energy efficiency.

Haresh took stock of our appliances, measured the house, prodded behind the outlets in vain search of insulation, took lots of pictures and placed a huge turbine contraption at our door to simulate windy conditions. When the turbine was in full throttle we toured the house in search of drafts. And boy did we find them, despite my best caulking efforts.

Haresh is compiling a report for Jane and me. In it we will find out how our house rates in terms of efficiency, as well as a priority list of retrofits to reduce energy loss and utility costs. On a scale of one to one hundred, with one hundred being most efficient, our house will be rated. Haresh suspects it’ll be about 40, which is a lot higher than I predicted.

Preliminary Findings
Haresh discovered what I suspected all along. Our house has no wall insulation, and the attic insulation needs replacing. The following are some recommendations that we can expect in the official report. Happily, we now have $30,000 earmarked for home renovations (most of it for energy retrofits) thanks to refinancing and tapping into our home’s equity.

Insulate the walls, attic and crawl space under the living room
extension.
Replace the old furnace with an ENERGY STAR qualified gas
furnace (our old furnace is releasing carbon monoxide, which – for some reason - causes concern).
Stop venting the furnace through the chimney. Stop up the chimney. So much cold air is drawn into our house that way. Vent through a wall instead.
Say goodbye to the conventional water heater, which heats water even when we don’t need it. Purchase a tankless heater, which heats on demand.
Waterproof and insulate the basement exterior wall.
Seal off the basement header area.
Replace all doors and windows, which were installed in the 1980s and about as efficient as an American-built car.
Install a vent in the bathroom.
Install a heat recovery ventilator that is certified by the Home Ventilating Institute. Once the house is more efficient, it is recommended to keep the home well ventilated.

That’s a long list. Beside each item is a dollar amount that the federal government will payback if installed. For example, the feds will rebate us $500 if we replace our furnace with the specifications outlined in the list. The province will match that amount. That’s $1,000 off an estimated $4,000 furnace, or 25 percent discount. I am not sure what the overall discount will be, but it sure is a helping hand. We will also get some money back from the Home Renovation Tax Credit.

The plan is to apply those rebates to our mortgage’s principal. In the end we will benefit, not only from a much more comfortable and safer house, but from a house with greater home equity.

In the News

Leading climate scientist: 'democratic process isn't working'

Shell dumps wind, solar and hydro power in favour of biofuels

And now for a little humour….

Low Carbon Fun with the Refrigerator

2009-03-11T19:18:00.002-04:00

First off, dust off your candles and prepare your party invitations for your annual Earth Hour dinner party, taking place March 28th. The lights will go off all over the world starting 8:30pm for one hour of carbon low fun.

Speaking of carbon low fun, an article from the Toronto Star (Getting by without a Fridge) got me thinking creatively about refrigerators. My fridge is Energy Star rated but still an energy beast. I’m concocting a plan to reduce its energy sucking ways, and my electricity bill to boot.

Sign a Petition
I interrupt my fridge plan for an important announcement – click here to sign AVAAZ’s petition to get the European Union to adopt strong efficiency standards for energy-using products like fridges, televisions, and boilers, to reduce Europe's overall climate pollution.

My Fridge Plan
My fridge has an EnerGuide rating of 447 kWh per year. It’s ok. Can Jane and I reduce its energy consumption even more?

You can imagine my surprise and intrigue when I learned that some folks get by without a fridge, but then I thought – hold on. I live in Canada. During half the year outside temperatures range from fridge-like to deep-freezer. Why not take advantage?

What’s the Big Deal? – The refrigerator alone comprises 10 percent of an average home’s carbon footprint. If you can tame your fridge, or do without, you win gold stars in the carbon slim department (so long as unplugging the fridge does not entail more car trips to the grocery store.)

Back to that Fridge Plan
Jane and I are vegetarians so there is no concern about meat contamination. The back mudroom is very cold in the winter. Why not install a cabinet to store our dairy products and leftovers, and give the fridge a rest for four to five months?

This year we plan to buy tons of local vegetables and fruits, chop them up and freeze them to enjoy during the winter. I’d like to investigate getting a large cooler to place outside to store these frozen items.

In the summer we will keep the fridge going but at a low setting. In fact, I set the fridge at two (the highest setting is seven).

Jane is lukewarm to the idea, so to speak. I have half a year to convince her.

Click here for more tips on greening your fridge.

In the News

Smart and Stupid approaches to Global Warming

Canada's ground temperatures rising, study finds
The right way to take advantage of global warming.

Connect2canada Podcast
The really stupid way to take advantage of global warming (melting arctic ice paves the way for more oil extraction!! These people are nuts.)

Be Defiant! Cultivate Seeds

2009-03-04T19:57:00.002-05:00

Last weekend I checked out Seedy Saturday, an annual gathering of urban garden enthusiasts who buy and sell heirloom seeds and talk garden shop. The event was so well attended I had to squeeze my way from stall to stall. My efforts were well rewarded though. I came home with a multitude of heirloom seeds with far-out names such as Di Cicco Broccoli, Scarlet Nante carrots and Chicago Warted Hubbard (it’s a squash). I’m even going to grow beans!

What’s the Big Deal? – With the likes of Monsanto claiming proprietorship over seeds, and the whittling away of variety in veggies and fruits over the decades, the act of cultivating nature’s wide diversity is at once an act of defiance and a movement to strengthen our food supply. The latter is of critical importance given what’s ahead of us as the climate changes. Diversity will help us better weather changes that some species find intolerable.

Indoor Incubation
Every year I challenge myself to expand my gardening activities. This year I plan to start my planting early. Real early. In Toronto where I live planting day is typically the end of May when there is no risk of frost. This spring I’m turning my house into a plant incubator. I’m going to start the growing process inside and transplant them to the garden in late May. While at Seedy Saturday, I took in a workshop on indoor planting. This is what I learned:

Mix 90 percent potting soil with 10 percent coconut coir. This mixture provides the seeds with nutrition-rich airy soil in which to thrive.
Use a potting medium that makes it easy to remove plants during transplantation to the garden bed. Those plastic potting trays with small units are designed for this purpose. You can also use egg cartons. Just make sure to punch a tiny hole in each unit to ensure drainage. For plants such as tomatoes, be sure to use a small pot – something larger than the potting tray.
Moisten the soil before planting.
Once you’ve planted the seeds, cover the soil with newspaper or, if using egg cartons, the carton lid. This will help retain moisture. Calculate the germination time and mark it in your calendar. You want to remove the lid or paper just before the plants start poking through the soil.
For complex plants, like most veggies, you will need to ensure they get full spectrum lighting. I believe you can buy a special lamp. The easier alternative, if you are able, is to place the young plants at a south-facing window so they receive optimum sunlight.
Weeks prior to transplanting to the garden, start introducing the plants to the elements. Let them sit outside for six hours or so everyday. You want to get them hardy in preparation for transplantation.
Be sure not to over water. Moisten the soil only when it’s dry.
When transplanting, the plant should have at least three leaves. Gently pinch the top leaf and use a flat devise like a flat wooden stick to pry up the plant. Ideally you want to the soil to go with the plant. The roots should be while. If they are dark, discard the plant as it’s unhealthy and will likely not survive.

To find out how many weeks to start the seeding process, check out this great Toronto-based site called You Grow Girl. Click here for their guide chart.

The reason to start the edibles indoors is twofold: to give them a heads start so that we can harvest sooner, and to nurture them in a safe environment for greater chance of survival.

Our Problem
I’m all gung-ho about starting my edibles indoors. Our south facing living room is blessed with large windows, great for giving our edibles a head start. However, Jane and I have a bit of a challenge. We have four very curious cats who find green leaves absolutely irresistible to chow down on. So this is what I’m thinking: plenty of cat grass on the floor and giving the containers a douse of lemon. Nothing turns a cat off more than citrus. Blah!

Inspiration

Check out this great little video on one family’s journey to self sufficiency.

In the News

Ontario to prohibit 85 cosmetic pesticides
Rachel Carson would have been pleased.

Endangered Species Act 'has serious holes'
And then there is this.

Harper rolls dice to play oil sands 'wild card'
Great article by The Toronto Star’s Tyler Hamilton

Home Energy Audit Here We Come

2009-02-18T19:34:00.004-05:00

Jane and I will have $30,000 to invest in energy retrofits for our house. How did we come upon $30,000? Lottery? Inheritance? Theft?

None of the above. We’re refinancing our home thanks to low interest rates and unlocked $30,000 from our property’s equity. Being a homeowner is fun!

This is how it all played out for us….

We approached our mortgage broker Bonnie Smith of Invis about getting a ‘green’ mortgage, basically a low interest loan to retrofit the house. TD Bank is the only institution that offers this product and we would rather fold the loan into our current mortgage with First National.

Bonnie advised that we tap into our home’s equity. We approached Ron Hyde, our real estate agent, to determine the selling price of our house today. Despite the subprime meltdown in the US, the market in Toronto is still reasonably healthy. Ron told us that he would list our home $60,000 higher than the purchase price two year ago, based on current selling prices in our neighbourhood and the work we’ve put into the house.

Interest rates are currently very low. Bonnie looked into the possibility of refinancing our mortgage and came up with the low rate of 4.39 percent over five years. Even with the penalty and lawyer’s fee, which amounts to $3,600 altogether, our savings will make refinancing worth our while.

By refinancing at that low rate and receiving $30,000 to improve the home, our biweekly mortgage payments will not significantly increase. In return we will transform our leaky 90 year old house into one that’s energy efficient.

If you are a homeowner living in an older house you may want to take advantage of the current low interest rates while they last and improve your home’s energy efficiency. Benefits include increased comfort and home value, and reduced utility costs and carbon footprint. You will also employ people during a time when they need it the most.

I’ve just booked our energy audit with Green$aver, our local energy auditor, to assess our house on March 13. Once we’ve made the suggested improvements to the house and have our home reassessed, we will receive federal and provincial rebates, as well as enjoy reduced utility bills. The rebates and savings will go towards paying down the mortgage once the loan matures in five years. That's the plan.

In the months ahead I will keep you apprised of our journey to make our home a lean mean energy efficient machine.

Interested in booking your own energy auditor? Canadians can find a list of auditors across the country by visiting Green Communities. Americans can visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency (DSIRE) for State incentives and the US Dept. of Energy’s Professional Home Energy Audit page for more information.

In the News

Take Peak Oil seriously - it'll be here much sooner than you think

Everything's gone green
Well Universities are getting in the act.

Scientists losing war of words over climate change
Interesting article on how the conservative language of scientists is misunderstood and taken advantage of by the naysayers.

'Dirty' oil potential source of friction as Obama heads to Canada to discuss clean energy

Happy Green Valentine’s Day

2009-02-11T18:58:00.001-05:00

The day of love is upon us. To get you in the mood for a green hot Valentine’s Day, check out the following links for sweet insights on dinner, flowers, chocolate and wink wink nudge nudge say no more say no more.

Carbon Slim - Spreading the Green Love
My V-Day installment last year. Like love, it’s timeless

Red Hot Green Loving
For those of you who think that David Suzuki is sexy, it doesn’t get any hotter than this.

Happy V-Day! Love the planet.

In the News

Scientists plan emergency summit on climate change
Scientists to get more vocal. Hopefully everyone listens.

Blue-box leftovers go to China and back
This is a Toronto problem. It’s terrific to throw all our recycling in one bin but as a consequence our recycling is shipped to China for sorting. Good grief!

Will firms bankroll recycling?
On the flip side, Toronto is looking into charging companies for their packaging as an incentive to reduce it.

Carbon Slim for the Kids

2009-02-05T19:13:00.004-05:00

I visited my brother's family in Vancouver this past week, spending quality time with my four and three year old niece and nephew. That trip across the country is my first of the year. It's also my last if I am to keep my commitment to cut my air travel by half from 2008.

It's ironic but visiting my niece and nephew reminds me why I count my carbon calories and write about it every week. Lauren and Keefe and everyone in their generation should not have to pay for our excess.

Thank goodness for Windows Live Messenger and our webcam which enables us to talk to each other face to face (for free!) when we are thousands of kilometers away. Not as good as the real thing but a great tool to stay connected while keeping carbon slim.

In honour of my niece and nephew, I want to leave you with a simple yet brilliant message from an up and comer. Changing priorities to live happily and sustainably depends on you and me. Be the change you want to see.

It’s the sustainable economy, silly

2009-01-28T13:10:00.002-05:00

First things first – I’ve changed my name. Way back in 2005, when I dreamed up my blog, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change said that collectively we need to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 60 Percent by 2050 to avoid runaway global warming. I have a weakness for targets so I coined my weekly missives the 60 Percent Campaign.

Since that time, the Panel adjusted the target to 80 percent by 2050, upping the ante and rendering my blog name meaningless.

The purpose of the blog is to encourage us all to be carbon slim so Carbon Slim it is. If you’ve included a link to my blog in your own blog or website, be sure to change the URL to www.carbonslim.blogspot.com.

It’s the sustainable economy, silly
The US and Canadian feds are having a field day with money. Billions of it. I applaud initiatives to stimulate the development of green technology and industry, but in the interests of sustainability there needs to be a greater emphasis on transit and urban density initiatives and much much less on road development (unless they want to build more bike lanes).

I’m fascinated by the concern expressed by some economists that reducing taxes will only prompt ‘consumers’ to pay down debt and save rather than continue with the frenzied spending spree of a consumer-driven economy.

The questions I have in the midst of all the chatter about how best to stimulate the economy is what got us into this mess in the first place and how can we move towards sustainability?

How did we get here? – For a litany of the foolish decisions and shenanigans that got us in this massive mess, I encourage you to read Joseph E. Stiglitz’s Capitalist Fools from the January edition of Vanity Fair. Mr. Stiglitz is a Nobel Prize winning economist and professor at Columbia University, so he’s no chump. The article is most enlightening.

How can we get on the road to sustainability? - The first place for policy makers to start is to stop assessing economic performance solely through the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). By viewing everything through the GDP lens economists and governments encourage all transactions that contribute to ‘growth’, even those that are socially and environmentally debilitating. To give a rather perverse example, in our economy illness is good. You can’t have a vibrant pharmaceutical industry without it, can you? This leads to no real incentive to prevent illness in the first place. So what’s the alternative to the GDP? The Genuine Progress Indicator (GPI). GPI accounts for income distribution and household and volunteer work, in addition to personal consumption. It then subtracts that with the costs associated with crime and pollution. Click here to read more.

What We Can Do
Don’t just leave it up to the government to kick start the economy. If you’re lucky enough to be gainfully employed, develop your own economic stimulus plan. Mine looks something like this:

Have a get-out-of-debt strategy matched with a watch-my-savings-grow plan. Learn to live within your means.
Buy local so that more of your dollar stays in your community. According to Yes Magazine, 45 cents stays in the community when bought locally as opposed to 15 cents when you support a company like Walmart. Favour the mum & pop shops and eco-friendly stores and look for products made in your country.
Support restaurants and local arts. A dollar spent in the arts sector generates $6 because it usually gets people in restaurants and bars and creates vibrant communities that attracts businesses. Not a bad return on investment.
Choose quality over quantity. Avoid cheap products that kick the bucket the day after the year warranty ends. Buy items that are built to last and that your local repair person can easily find parts for. This is a challenge, particularly when it comes to gadgets. Eco-Geek seems savvy when it comes to the latest eco-friendly electronics.
Focus on services. Pamper yourself! Take care of your things. Get a home energy audit and do the retrofits to increase your home’s comfort, decrease utility bills and reduce your carbon footprint.

In the News

Obama Directs Regulators to Tighten Auto Rules

Europe to Ask Wealthy Nations to Adopt Carbon Trading System

Jonesing for an Energy Audit

2009-01-21T21:12:00.003-05:00

My house has an insulation problem. It doesn’t have any. If Jane and I were caught up in the terrible blackout that plagued Toronto’s west-end from January 15 to 16, our house would have transformed into a deep freezer.

For the privilege of living in a drafty house, Jane and I pay hefty utility bills and a heftier carbon toll – 3.91 tonnes to be exact or half my total greenhouse gas emissions in 2008.

Up until now we’ve focused on the ‘low-hanging fruit’ of greenhouse gas reductions, such as installing compact florescent light bulbs, hanging laundry to dry year-round, choosing local and organic produce and products, enjoying a vegetarian diet, biking and taking transit, and of course reducing, reusing and recycling. If you’ve been following my blog, you know what I’m talking about.

Jane and I have done all we can to live lightly but we have to prepare for the next step. It’s time to get serious about calling in a home energy auditor.

Energy Audit
Solar panels and geothermal are fun and all, but first things first. Before transforming our home into an energy producer, we need to ensure that it’s not an energy drainer.

Our governments provide homeowners like Jane and me with incentives to make our houses more energy-efficient.

For my American friends, the U.S. Department of Energy currently provides financing solutions and incentives for homes and businesses. Click here to learn more. With the new administration I am sure (hope) that a more comprehensive program is to come.

Canadians have the ecoENERGY Retrofit – Homes Program, which provides rebates for home energy efficiency renovations. These are the steps to follow:

Call in a licensed energy auditor to evaluate the home and provide a comprehensive assessment and energy efficiency rating (between 1 and 100, with 100 being most efficient). I can only imagine what the rating of our house will be. The full cost to do so is about $300 with half that covered by the provincial government. In my case that’s Ontario. So we will pay about $150.
Do the work based on the auditor’s advice. The average cost to retrofit a home is $5,000. This may include insulating the attic and walls, installing energy efficient windows and doors, caulking up the cracks, etc.
After the work is done, or 18 months have passed, call in the auditor again for a final assessment. Based on your rating – and how much it’s improved – the federal and provincial governments will provide up to $5,000 in rebates. Check your provincial government for how much they are willing to kick in. In Ontario, it’s up to $5,000.

Financial Assistance and Incentives
Retrofits require money upfront. Jane and I have been working with our Mortgage Broker Bonnie Smith at Invis about securing a Home Equity Line of Credit with the institution that handles our mortgage. The timing is good due to the current low interest rates. This way we will increase home comfort – and possibly home value - while decreasing utility costs. The government rebates will help offset the overall retrofit price. In addition, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), and Genworth Financial Canada offer a 10 percent refund on mortgage loan insurance premiums when a borrower buys or builds an energy-efficient home or makes energy-saving renovations to an existing home.

TD Bank has pioneered the Green Mortgage and Green Home Equity Line of Credit. Jane and I plan to fold our loan in with our current mortgage, otherwise we’d contact TD.

I will keep you posted on our progress.

In the News

How Mark Bittman saved the world and lost his belly

Warming in Antarctica Looks Certain

Carb(on) Diet Now

2009-01-14T19:39:00.002-05:00

Starting something is tough. For months Jane encouraged me to meditate. She found it helpful and thought it would benefit me. I agreed. But when the opportunity came to learn how to meditate– and there were many opportunities – I just didn’t feel like it. One morning I agreed to her instruction. Since then I meditate first thing every morning.

This installment is for those of you who have not started calculating your carbon footprint. Now is the time. Too busy? Don’t feel like it? Afraid of finding out what your footprint really is?

If you are serious about starting a low carb(on) diet, you’ll need to know how much you weigh. I weigh 7.8. carbon tonnes. I know. I’m a long way from reaching 1.4 carbon tonnes per year, the target that we each must work towards to prevent runaway global warming.

The good news is that I’m on the right path. It’s going to take me a few years but I’ll get there through planning and a deep desire to ensure a stable biosphere for my niece and nephew and their descendants. I know you too are serious about making a difference. To make a difference, you need a plan. Every good plan needs a beginning. We begin by knowing where we are and where we want to be.

What do you need to get started? Just a half an hour of your time. Start now. If you simply can't right now, open up your calendar and mark at time to do so. Here is a list of carbon calulators:

Zerofootprint
I use this one. It’s very comprehensive. You can choose Toronto, Ottawa, Seattle, etc.

Carbon Friendly Solutions
Vancouver-based

Al Gore’s Carbon Calculator
US-based

Carbon Fund
US-based

Online carbon calculators make it easy for you. Prior to beginning, collect your utility bills which will help you ascertain your annual heating and electricity output. If you don’t pay these bills (or don’t have records of them) the calculator will provide you with an average estimate. I know I discussed carbon calculators last week. I bring it up this week because I believe it’s really important. About half of Canada’s carbon emissions come from individuals through their homes, travel and diets. A calculator will help you plan and strategize your personal carbon reduction in the years to come.

We have until 2020 to make a significant dent in our carbon emissions. Now is the time to begin if you have not already. When you do so, tell your family and friends. Spread the word! Issue challenges. My goal for 2009 is 6 tonnes – about a 25% reduction from 2008. I challenge everyone out there to reduce their carbon footprint by 25%. And even if you fall short of that goal, you will still be on the right track.

Carbon Offsets
I visited Canada’s PlanetAir, a Gold Standard carbon offsetting company, to confess my global warming sins and invest in renewable energy technology. Offsetting 7.2 tonnes costs $300. I am now on PlanetAir’s online monthly program, investing $25 over the next 12 months. When offsetting your greenhouse gas emissions, I encourage you to consider Gold Standard which supports sustainable technologies. The sooner these technologies are made available to us, the easier it will be for each of us to produce 1.4 tonnes of carbon per year.

Garbage Challenge
After three months of reducing our landfill-bound waste, Jane and I are left with one bag to deposit in our garbage bin. The only blip in the campaign was our trip to the BC’s Lower Mainland where the cities of Surrey and Langley do not compost their organics. We brought as much of the land-fill bound garbage home with us but had to leave the organics for obvious reasons.

The garbage challenge was surprisingly easy. It simply forces us to be more mindful of our packaging and what we toss out. Jane and I now limit packaging that cannot be recycled which means that bulk purchasing is part of our weekly shopping ritual. We are even reusing old packaging. All of the non-recyclable materials are soft plastics, although the City of Toronto now accepts plastic shopping bags. Jane and I reuse and then save the bulk plastic bags to take during the City’s Environment Days. The bag of garbage we toss out will take 1000 years to deteriorate. Jane and I are committed to producing as little of that as possible - only four bags of landfill-bound garbage per year.

In the News

Americans seeing the light on carbon tax
Ah, the irony.

My Incredible Shrinking Carbon Footprint

2009-01-07T21:58:00.003-05:00

In India and China there is pressure and expectation for folks to consume like westerners. Mother Earth is letting us know that westerners need to take a page from the Chinese and Indians, who have one of the lowest carbon footprints on the planet.

It’s 2009, a year that promises to be absolutely lousy for a lot of people thanks to the ministers of financial deregulation and kingpins of the subprime mortgage. Despite the mayhem and confusion over root causes (like runaway credit and crazed-consumption – maybe?), I have something to celebrate. I dramatically reduced my carbon footprint in 2008.

Last year at this time I reviewed my footprint through Zerofootprint’s Carbon Calculator. Boy oh boy did I get a nasty shock. In 2007 I unleashed into the atmosphere 11.6 tonnes of carbon. Five domestic roundtrip flights really add up. They contributed to more than half my carbon emissions during that year.

I vowed to cut my footprint by 40 percent in one year, an ambitious goal to be sure. I am pleased to say that while I did not reach a 40 percent target, I did lower my emissions by 33 percent. Not bad, eh? In 2008, I was responsible for 7.8 tonnes of carbon emissions, below the Canadian and American averages of 9.8 and 12.6, respectively. However, I am well above the national averages of the following:

Average in Mexico – 3.4
Average in UK – 6.5
Average in Denmark – 5.9
Average in China – 1.8
Average in India – 1.4

Note the average for India. By 2050, possibly sooner, every human being must average 1.4 tonnes of carbon per year to stave off runaway global warming and ensure sustainable societies. Runaway global warming is a scenario we must avoid. It will lead to the breakdown of ecosystems on which our species depend.

Sobering, yes? Insurmountable, no.

Reducing our footprints to sustainable levels will not entail a meager existence. By focusing on renewable energy, nutritious local food, preventative health-care, quality education and local service-based economies, we will say goodbye to the rat race and welcome a more quality-of-life existence.

If you have not already, calculate your carbon footprint and make a plan to reduce it, even modestly, by this time next near. A carbon calculator is a great tool to help you plan and reduce your carbon footprint. There are many online calculators. I like Zerofootprint’s because it’s quite detailed. If you like a particular calculator, please recommend it on the comment section of this blog.

As for my footprint, the biggest carbon culprits continue to be air travel, now at 3.99 tonnes, and home heating (natural gas) at 3.91. I have one flight scheduled this year for work. I want to keep it at that. Home heating….that falls into energy conservation. Jane and I are seriously considering scheduling an energy audit sooner rather than later. More on that next week.

In the News

London’s creative schemes to green the city:

Boris Johnson launches plan to retrain jobless Londoners as energy advisers
News on the climate crisis is low priority what with the recession. At least one politician is linking help for the environment with help for the unemployed. Van Jones will be pleased.

Mini-turbines to harness energy from pressure in UK's gas pipelines

Garbage Challenge Rockstars!

2008-12-17T22:15:00.000-05:00

It’s been two and a half months since Jane and I began our three-month garbage challenge. During this time we’ve limited ourselves to one modest bag. And that’s it. All waste generated outside the house is brought back for disposal, recycling or otherwise.

To keep within the confine of our modest bag we have become mindful of what we buy, avoiding products with packaging as much as we can.

Once you become mindful of packaging, it is mindboggling the amount of plastic attached to products. Plastic lining, protective seals and produce stickers comprise most of our garbage. Despite this, our garbage bag isn’t overflowing. If we scrunch down the plastic we can accommodate about a third more. The secret to our success?

We avoid packaged foods and buy veggies and fruit, as well as bulk dried fruits and nuts, cereal, rice, pasta and flour. We use plastic bags for the bulk foods but save them for recycling.
No junk food.
We buy our organic cheese from Global Cheese in Kensington Market, and engage in lovely chats with people who love cheese. We also get more for less than what we normally pay for aged organic cheddar.
No plastic bottles. We bring our stainless steel water bottles when we are out and about and I drink tap water from a glass at work. Jane, who loves her coffee, brings her thermos with her. If she forgets it, she either asks for no lid or requests a ceramic mug to drink in the shop.
We use cloth bags, eliminating the need for plastic ones. We don’t put our veggies and fruits in plastic produce bags – unless they are biodegradable.
We tend to prepare lunches and snacks at home to take with us to work. Less packaging and less expensive. But when we forget occasionally or are lazy, we buy takeaway in recyclable containers or ask for no wrapping.
We are blessed to live in a city that has an organics bin program, enabling us to divert a good portion of our waste to city compost. A part of our organics is placed in our backyard compost. Toronto also has a comprehensive recycling program, which was recently expanded to include plastic shopping bags and Styrofoam. Please click here for guidelines on how to properly prepare these items for recycling.

Keeping our garbage to one bag in three months hasn’t been the impossible challenge that some of our friends predicted. It’s actually quite doable, not to mention conceivable that we can keep our garbage down to four modest bags per year, something that Jane and I are prepared to do.

I don’t know about you but I love a good challenge. It motivates me and keeps me focused. I challenge you to challenge yourself to reduce your landfill-bound garbage. You will likely find that you will eat better and save money while you’re at it.

Charitable Gifts

The Gift of Light – Solar Aid
Here’s an interesting charitable gift from an organization fighting global poverty with renewable energy.

In the News

Removal of Nature Words from Dictionary Causes Uproar

Latest Obama environment picks raise eyebrows

'Embarrassing' to be a Canadian at climate talks: Green party leader
Why is Elizabeth May so embarrassed? Here’s why….
Deep cuts to greenhouse gas emissions not in the cards: Prentice
Scientist dropped from climate delegation to save money: Prentice

Sea level could rise by 150cm, US scientists warn