Greenpeace first released their 'Guide to Greener Electronics' in August 2006; the guide ranks the 17 top manufacturers of personal computers, mobile phones, TV's and games consoles according to their policies on toxic chemicals, recycling and climate change.

In their 11th edition, HP, Lenovo, and Dell received a penalty for breaking their promises to phase-out toxic chemicals. In fact, of the 5 top PC makers, only Apple is making large strides. Meanwhile, Philips was moved from 15th place to 4th in the list of companies.

1. Nokia –  Keeps top spot with new CO2 emissions reduction targets.
2. Samsung - Up two places with clear support for global climate change cuts.
3. Sony Ericsson – Down one place with more work to do on recycling.
4. Philips - Biggest mover, up 11 places due to big recycling policy improvements.
5. Sony - Up two places with better product energy efficiency reporting.
6. LG Electronics - Loses points for delaying toxics phase out for all products.
7. Toshiba- Loses points for poor CO2 reduction target and missing energy efficiency data.
   
8. Motorola - Down one place, needs to improve on waste and energy.
9. Sharp - Unchanged - gains point for new US recycling scheme, loses one for weaker commitment on global emissions reduction.
10. Apple - Up four places, good on chemicals elimination, improved on recycling but still poor on energy.
11. Acer - Score drops slightly due to poor e-waste scores.
12. Panasonic - Down 3 places due to poor definition of precautionary principle and energy efficiency reporting.
13. Dell - Continues to drop, penalty point for breaking commitment phase out of toxics by end 2009.
14. Lenovo - Penalty point for breaking commitment phase out of toxics by end 2009.
15. Microsoft - Score drops due to bad performance on e-waste.
16. HP - Penalty point for breaking commitment phase out of toxics by end 2009.
17. Nintendo - Remains in last place, unchanged score.

Take a look at the Guide to Greener electronics for more detailed information (including the grading criteria).

 

Summer is officially here and it is great to see so many families out enjoying the sunshine.  It always brings up the yearly reminder for sun protection, especially for children. Even one blistering sunscreen can increase a child’s risk of developing skin cancer and most sun damage occurs before age eighteen.

The Slip-Slop-Slap campaign has been underway for awhile now and since it is almost impossible to put sunscreen on a squirming toddler, I find the easiest way to ‘Slip’ on sunscreen is buy using a sun suit. My latest find was a local company that makes cute sun suits for kids.

My two year old picked out a blue Luv Bug creation and has been wearing it the last few weeks. I have to say, she loved it so much it doubled as pajamas for a few days. The added bonus is that the fabric is environmentally friendly (no harsh chemicals) and biodegradable. Some of the other characteristics are that its anti-bacterial, non-toxic and breathable.

The Natural Baby Shop in town also has a wide variety of No Zone sun suits for kids. This is our third summer using sun suits and so far I am happy to say we haven’t had a sunburn.  Of course, the idea is to keep our children safe from the sun and doing what works best for us individually. Now my quest for a hat she’ll keep on her head!

Sara Johnson is a representative of Lalabee Bathworks - a local company that handcrafts skincare products for Mommy & Baby. All their product lines are made in Kelowna using certified organic and natural ingredients. 

 

Drivers everywhere are looking to get the most out of every tank of gasoline. Some people use alternative forms of transportation but there are lots of people who rely heavily on their cars on a daily basis. Conserving fuel to stretch your fuel dollar and to be environmentally responsible is extremely important.

Here are tips from Shell Canada on simple ways to increase fuel efficiency and save money at the pump:

• Drive smoothly - avoid quick acceleration or braking, it can use 33% more fuel
• Service your car regularly - a poorly maintained vehicle can increase fuel consumption by 50%
• Make sure tires are inflated properly - even under-inflation by 2% can reduce the tire's life by 6,500 km and fuel efficiency by 2%
• Use the correct grade of motor oil - it can help fuel efficiency by 2%. Try "energy conserving" motor oil
• Choose high-grade gasoline - carbon deposits can build up in engine components that can decrease power, performance and fuel efficiency
• Use cruise-control on highways - it can improve gasoline usage
• Avoid idling - you waste gas and go nowhere
  
• Avoid high speeds - the faster you go the more wind resistance there is and more fuel is consumed. Going from 100 to 120 km/h increases fuel consumption by 20%
• Plan your trips - you avoid multiple cold starts of the engine and combine errands into one trip
  

Greenpeace Canada launched its sustainable seafood campaign last year and their goal was to convince Canada's supermarkets to take action against ocean destruction and overfishing by saying no to unsustainable seafood.

Some supermarkets are taking action while others are still lagging behind. They have recently released their seafood supermarket ranking.

Greenpeace’s 2009 Supermarket Ranking evaluates Canada’s eight major supermarkets on their progress in providing Canadians with seafood that is sustainably caught and farmed. You can see how they rank, what actions they have taken and where they fall short.

The selection of species found in retail markets comes with a high environmental cost. Not only are the waters over-fished, much of the fishing gear used to catch the seafood is destroying critical ocean ecosystems.

Greenpeace has developed a Redlist of seafood from fisheries or farming practices which are the most damaging and in need of immediate attention. There are 15 species on the Redlist.

 

Lalabee Bathworks is a local company that handcrafts organic skincare for Mommy & Baby. All our products are made in Kelowna using only certified organic and natural ingredients, bought from local farms and suppliers as much as possible.

We started off in 2007 as Lalabee Baby, offering affordable organic alternatives to infant skincare. Our Bottom Balm (for diaper rash and eczema) is still our best selling product.  A few months later we added our organic Mommy Line, as there was a definite gap in the market for Canadian made organic skincare for Moms.

Lalabee Bathworks strives to be environmentally responsible by not using plastic containers for our products, recycling all our packaging and donating to Heifer International.  Plus we use as many organic ingredients as possible.  You can find our skincare in over fifty stores across Canada and locally at The Natural Baby Shop, Choices Market and Tidy Tushees.

 

The 2009 National Commuter Challenge Event exceeded 2008 results by 10,000 participants.

Here are the highlights:

• Registered Participants: 44,109
• Registered Organizations: 1,636
• Registered Cities: 159
• GHG Saved: 643,841
• KM Saved: 3,093,452
• Fuel Saved ($):    $186,928
• Calories Burned : 21,373,707

Kelowna and the Central Okanagan finished in second place in our population category. We finished fourth in the province.

Over 100 workplaces participated and here are the results:

• GHG Saved: 5,728.35
• Fuel Savings ($): 2,128.92
• Calories Burned: 387,960
• KM Saved: 30,797.40

For complete results, visit CommuterChallenge.ca

 

Come join over twenty local, family oriented businesses and live performances by Bumbershoot Children’s Theater this weekend at the Mission Community Center in Kelowna.

The event will feature a wide variety of retailers, artisans, fitness professionals, fashion and jewellery designers, interior decorators, baby product specialists, financial strategists and more, all offering original, useful, eco-friendly and handcrafted items, services and resources specifically designed for growing families and their homes.

The event is free and there will be door prize draws for all the parents attending.  Come and find one-of-a-kind gifts, products and services for your family, catch some amazing children's theatre shows, and support local Mompreneurs in the community.

June 13: 11 AM – 7 PM

June 14: 10 AM – 4 PM

Location: Mission Hall - 4409 Lakeshore Drive

To find out more information about the Okanagan Family Showcase event, contact Nicole McNichol at nicolebc1@hotmail.com and to learn more about the Enterprising Moms Network visit EnterprisingMomsNetwork.com

 

Swiss Solar Tech Ltd. installed Kelowna's first solar panel installation on a residential condo building last week. There are 30 panels on the roof what will serve 87 units.

The Mode Condos on Dickson Avenue is a new development from the Mission Group that will serve as an example for residential condos looking at alternative energy sources.

The solar panels will account for 35 to 40% of the yearly hot water heating needs and 90% over the summer months. This will be a significant reduction in energy costs.

There are quite a few grants and offers available to builders to use alternative energy that it becomes very cost effective.

 

The City of Kelowna and the Canadian Cancer Society are putting on an event called "How to get your Lawn & Garden off Drugs, Water & Maybe even Grass.

Join author Carole Rubin as she speaks on eco-friendly home garden and lawn care using safe organic techniques. She will be selling and signing books after the presentation.

Cost: Free

Date: Thursday June 4th 2009

Time: 7:00 PM

Location: Kelowna City Hall Council Chambers - 1435 Water Street

Topics:

• Healthy Lawn
• Xeriscaping
• Water Conservation
  

 

Under-inflated tires in Canada produce a great deal of carbon anually as a result of excess fuel consumption. Under-inflated tires does not roll as smoothly as it is supposed to and this resistance causes the vehicle to use more fuel.

A survey concluded that on any given day, almost 70% of vehicles have at least one tire under-inflated or over-inflated by 10%.

You only need to spend a few minutes each month to ensure that your tires are properly inflated and save yourself some money and protect the environment.

According to Natural Resources Canada, drivers burn an additional 643 million litres of fuel annually as a result of under-inflated tires. This amount of fuel releases 1 million tonnes of CO2 into the atmosphere every year and costs drivers $579 million in unnessary fuel bills.

Here are some tips for drivers: 

• Get a reliable tire guage and use it monthly or more
• Inflate tires to the manufacturers recommended pressure. The right tire pressure is posted on the vehicle's inside door post, glove compartment of fuel door. The tire pressure stamped on the sidewall corresponds to the maximum pressure a tire can contain under maximum load.
• Measure tire pressure when the vehicle has been stopped for at least 3 hours. Tires heat up when they roll and this could result in an inaccurate reading.

For more info visit BeTireSmart.ca