Six super-easy homemade cleaners that smell great and work



Like most people I love that “clean” smell of a freshly scrubbed house. It’s like having your nose confirm that the place is sparkling, no matter that it’s usually synthetic fragrances (found in standard cleaners) that linger in your home.

Fragrances contain phthalates, which are a batch of chemicals known to be hormone disruptors and suspected of causing a whole host of health concerns, including asthma, reproductive issues and thyroid problems. As always, children are most at risk. If an ingredient list includes the words “fragrance” or “perfume”  know the scent is toxic. Even unscented products often contain these ingredients.

Six fun ways to celebrate Earth Hour with your kids

Thanks to the February wind storm our little neighbourhood was without power for three days. It was a bit of an adventure for the first two days. We slept by the fire in the living room and held my daughter’s evening birthday party by candlelight, craft activities and all. It was fun and memorable but by the third cold early morning the novelty had worn off.

We’ll be back at it again the evening of Saturday, March 23 to celebrate Earth Hour. Except this time it will have all of the fun of the power outage without the worry of pipes freezing.

How to reduce vampire power consumption

Eco-friendly chargers use zero stand-by power and shut off the power supply to a device when it’s fully charged,

Would you ever leave the door ajar in winter, or leave the tap running in the bathroom?

Probably not. 

Nobody wants to waste water or heat. But what we all do without thinking is let our electronics sip away on power while they’re not being used.

Computers, TV’s, DVD players, stereos, your cable box, all suck power when they not in use (off or on standby) powering clocks and other display screens. Microwaves and other small appliances do the same and even our cell phone chargers keep drawing electricity long after our devices are fully charged.  

Are sales receipts toxic? 7 tips to reduce your BPA exposure

Many sales receipts in Europe are stamped "BPA free" so consumers don't have to worry.

My son came home from school last fall with a new “5-second rule”.

When he saw me sorting receipts from my purse I was told not to touch them for more than five seconds because they’re toxic. That was the buzz at school. Like holding your breath when you drive by a graveyard and honking when you go over a bridge.

But the thing is, the receipt rule is based on fact.

It seems that the thermal paper used for most receipts these days is coated in Bisphenol-A (BPA), an environmental toxin that is a known hormone disruptor and has been linked to reproductive problems and some cancers.

Greening your ride - more eco-friendly transportation



My husband is a huge fan of the Comex. Aside from the fact that it keeps us a one-car family he gets to relax and read his book on the way to the office. The added bonus, it keeps our family`s carbon footprint low.  

 

Transportation is the single largest source of greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution, and among all modes of transportation cars are the worst offenders. According to Saint John Transit, a single public bus takes 40 vehicles off the road during rush hour, reducing air pollutants by nine tones a year.

 

Taking your car off the road as often as possible has other benefits too. Think of what you’d save on gas, insurance and parking expenses. 

Six easy tips for an eco-friendly birthday party

A homemade cake (or other special treat) helps to keep a party authentic and meaningful.

There was a time I wished that I was organized enough to go all out with decorations for my kids birthday parties. But even if I had been organized, I could never bring myself to buy all sorts of disposable plastic stuff. The typical birthday party generates a lot of trash and I just couldn’t do it.

The fact is, parties are often disposable events. You might not set out to have it that way it’s just that most party supplies – from decorations to plates and cutlery –are disposable. Wrapping paper isn’t recyclable, loot bags are often filled with throw-away plastic items and a lot of processed, packaged food gets consumed.  

Green resolutions - 7 tips for a more eco-friendly life

January first is an easy day to start anew. There’s something about rolling into a new year that inspires us to do something to improve ourselves.

But what it we all viewed January first as an opportunity to make our world a better place?

Making a few eco-friendly changes to the way we live is one way to improve the world with the added benefit of improving our lives since the health of the planet and our personal health are so undeniably intertwined. Something as simple as buying better quality food, or eating a little less meat, can have positive repercussions that extend way beyond your waistline.

As with any new resolution or habit, starting with bite-sized changes and adding to them bit by bit is a good way to build positive momentum. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Buy local for a green Christmas

Last month this Holiday pledge started circulating online. 

Even if we all kept the pledge just 10% of the time it would make a huge difference in our communities. Buying local keeps four-times more of our shopping dollars in our communities, compared to shopping at chain stores. And according to data from the city of Vancouver, local businesses support local events, charities and sports teams 250% more than big corporations.  

How to avoid genetically modified organisms (GMO's)

How do you tell if your food has been genetically modified? Would you want to know? Should you care?

Since there are no labeling laws in Canada that require a producer to state whether or not food ingredients are genetically modified, we’re on our own to figure out whether or not there are GMOs in our food. 

GMOs are “genetically modified organisms,” plants or animals with DNA that has been fiddled with too (theoretically) make it better in different ways. Genes from different species are spliced to create combinations that could never occur in nature or through traditional cross breeding.  

My gut tells me that GMO’s are not a good thing for us or the planet.  But it wasn’t until I dug into the issue that I really understood the significance of GMOs being let loose in our food system. 

Should you upgrade your appliances? An energy metre can help you decide

For years now I have wondered if it’s time to update our appliances. They were in the house when we bought it ten years ago and work well, but after reading about efficiency gains in many appliances over the years, I was curious about whether or not it would be worth our while (and our carbon footprint) to buy new.

The energy savings stats sounded good but there was always the nagging question: is it really more eco-friendly to toss our current fridge, stove and chest freezer and replace them with new, when they’re working perfectly well?