With the New Year approaching rapidly, people may be thinking about resolution ideas, some of which may be to do something positive for the planet. The majority of us know the basics of carpooling, recycling and using CFL bulbs. Here are a few more from our good friend Chris Whitney of Royal LePage.

Single Serving Kettle

Try the new single serve kettle models that boil water for a single cup. If you need to heat water for yourself for a cup of coffee, tea, or soup, these models save energy. It uses the same technology that makes hot water in a drip cofeemaker.

Solar Powered Roof Ventilator

Install solar-powered fans in the attic which remove the hot air that builds up in the attic. This will keep the home cooler in the summer months and reduce your air-conditioning bill and save energy at the same time.

Biodegradable Party Plates and Cutlery

If you are throwing a party, consider biodegradable cutlery that is compostable. Since they are made from organic materials such as corn and not plastic, they can also be used in the microwave. When you are done with them, simply throw them in the compost bin. If you can't have a compost, it may be a good time to start using compost pick up services; Cherry Hill Coffee has a partnership with a local company that does weekly compost pickup.

 

According to Stats Canada, there are approximately 3.5 million dogs in Canada and that equates to alot of doggie poop. The biggest carbon footprint from our best friend is their daily business. The plastic bags used in the cleanup afterwards will be around alot longer then the dogs themselves.

San Francisco, with 120,000 dogs (more than children), collects 6,500 tonnes of doggie waste. A waste management company Norcal, collects the dog poop and converts it into energy using an aerobic digester that converts it to methane gas. The remains from the "digestion process" is used as compost for agriculture and the methane gas can be burned to produce electricity.

What can we do if we don't have an aerobic digester? For starters, we can stop using plastic bags; they will sit in the landfill for the next million years. If you use newspaper or paper bags, they will decompose and you can supplement the paper with the Skooperbox which is completely biodegradable.

There's also the Doggie Dooley compost system. It's a miniature septic tank that is easy to install and you just need to add water and digester powder. They are available at most larger pet stores.

If you want to build your own composting system, City Farmer has step-by-step photos and video instructions. You just have to teach Fido to use the composter directly.

Source: Article in Green Living Online titled "Greening the Doggie Do"

According to Environment Canada, transportation is the single largest contributor of carbon dioxide emissions - accounting for 30% of the total. One of the reasons for this fueling involves "food miles" which is the distance food travels from the field to your home.

What can the average person do to reduce these emissions? Here are a few suggestions from Jill Rhynard, a co-ordinator of health promotion at the Interior Health of the Okanagan health delivery area:

• buy local produce and support the local agriculture
• visit local u-pick farms and the farmer's market
• ask for and get local products at grocery stores
• grow your own fruit and vegetables, cook with a friend
  
• join a local community garden and/or support them
• grow tomatoes and herbs in your kitchen
• replace meat with vegetable protein sources (meat products use more resources)
• try veggie burgers and tofu instead of meat products
  
• avoid plastic bags and use cloth grocery bags
• buy products that have less packaging
• plan your trips to the grocery store with other errands

When you buy local and support the local community initiatives you not only reduce CO2 emissions, you also strengthen your ties with the community.

Source: Article by Jill Rhynard titled "Support your local farmer"

In Part 2 of Greener Clothing, we look at alternative fabrics; some of which requires balancing price with environmental friendliness. The greenest solution though is buying used clothing as it avoids filling up the landfill and requires no new raw materials.

Part 2:

• Organic Cotton - growers don't use pesticides and fertilizers and many stores carry organic clothing. Even name brands like Levi's offers organic options like it's 'eco' jeans.
• Organic Wool - producers don't expose their sheep to hormones or pesticides and only use sustainable grazing practices
• Bamboo - grows really quickly and requires little to no pesticides. Some are certified chemical-free.
• Soy - manufactured from a mixture of left-overs from tofu production and organic compunds so new crops are grown
• Recycled Plastic - plastic bottles are turned into polyester which is then used in clothing
• Hemp - eco-friendly crop that requires little to no pesticides and hemp clothing very durable

Going organic can cost the producers a lot more money and they pass on the costs to the consumers by having more expensive price tags.

Also, a few Bamboo producers in China, with the growing demand for bamboo, have started using more chemicals.

• Other Alternatives - buy less of the new stuff and try out the used and vintage clothing shops. Swapping clothes with friends and relatives is another option and can be lots of fun.

Source: Article by Edward M. Eveld titled "Commit to 'greener' clothing"

Making the switch to eco-friendly clothing may not be easy, considering the lower prices of apparel that may be harmful for the environment.

In Part 1 (of a 2 part series), we outline the environmental problems of producing clothing materials that we take for granted. (In Part 2, we will discuss alternative solutions).

Part 1:
The manufacturing process of conventional fabrics doesn't take into account the harmful effects on the environment.

• Cotton - uses lots and lots of pesticides and fertilizers rich in nitrogen. One cotton t-shirt can use 1/3 of a pound of chemicals
• Synthetics - petroleum-based chemicals are used and a tonne of energy is wasted to produce them
• Wool - livestock may be dipped in pesticides, given hormones and anti-biotics. To clean the wool, harsh detergents may be used
• Rayon - manufacturing process uses lots of water and chemicals and wood pulp is wasted. A product called Tencel is better for the environment
• Dyes - used on garments but contain chemicals and metals that may end up in wastewater

Source: Article by Edward M. Eveld titled "Commit to 'greener' clothing"

Canadian Tire is promoting a greener tomorrow by showcasing products that can make a difference in the environment today.

You can save upto 40% on select environmentally friendly products for energy conservation, healthy home and garden, waste reduction and water conservation.

• blue planet household cleaners
• energy star programmable thermostats
• water-efficient showheads and toilets
• energy star light fixtuers, ceiling fans, motion sensors
• energy saver fan heaters, air cleaners
• renewable energy products to produce, convert and store energy

To learn more about Canadian Tire's green commitment, visit their green options page.

Wal-Mart has 3 long term global sustainability goals:

• to produce zero waste
• to operate with 100 per cent renewable energy
• to make environmentally preferable products available

In Canada, to achieve these goals, their new outlets opening in 2009 will be designed to save 30% in energy use. These new stores would be called Wal-Mart HE (high-efficiency). And over 5 years, the HE stores would save Wal-Mart $25 million.

Wal-Mart HE stores would achieve these energy savings by:

• using waste energy from refrigerators to help heat stores
• cutting lighting costs
• covering roofs with white membranes to reflect sunlight and lower summer cooling costs
• reducing the size of the buildings

Wal-Mart also has their sustainability initiatives, partnerships and products showcased at their "For the Greener Good" website. Their products page outlines new eco-friendly products broken down by various categories.

Source: Article from Report on Business titled "Wal-Mart Canada stores aim for energy efficiency"