Green Calgary

Smart But Illegal?? - Small House Living

Hi Ashley,

My husband and I have become infatuated with small, or in some cases tiny, houses. The prospect of having a small, yet livable, freestanding home with a yard that was actually affordable is something that we’re sure most people haven’t dreamt of. We sure hadn’t. There are plenty of interesting stories and blogs on tiny houses out there but most are American and we certainly haven’t seen anything for Calgary. We understand that in some places it’s illegal to build a house under so many square feet – usually something like 1,000 – but do these restrictions apply to Calgary or the rest of Canada? If so, why would anyone care what size of house you wanted to live in?

Hoping to live tiny,

Amanda and Curtis

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Why Small and Local are Beautiful

Q:

Dear Ashley,

I’m Christmas shopping with a mission this year. My mission is simple: to support as many small, local and Canadian businesses as possible in an effort to keep the money in the local economy. I feel good about this, though I sometimes wonder if the money actually stays locally and what it means for the community. I’ve also noticed a growing number of Canadian retailers pushing the “buy local” slogan, all the while selling products made overseas in places like China, Pakistan, and Egypt. Is it really worth supporting them if they, themselves, are not supporting other local companies?

Thank you,

Fiona

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Biofuels and Global Hunger

Good evening Ashley,

I’ve heard a lot about biofuels over the past few years and while governments laud its potential, passing policies to support evermore ethanol and such, I can’t help to wonder how we’ll be able to grow enough crops to feed our vehicles and the, now, 7 billion of us that share this planet. Is it possible to have our cake and eat it too?

Sincerely,

Jessica

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Future Proofing Our Homes

Hi Ashley,

My husband and I live in an older home built in the mid-1970s and our energy bills are nothing short of outrageous. Though energy efficiency wasn’t high on the list of priorities when we purchased the home 25 years ago, it now occurs to me that almost nothing, save for a meager amount of pink insulation in the walls, was done to limit energy consumption in our home. We plan on upgrading the efficiency of our home but would like to do it to the highest standard, such that we aren’t looking back another 25 years from now asking ourselves why we didn’t do more. What is possible for an older energy hungry home like ours?

Thanks Ashley!

Sally

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Guilt Free Dining

Hello Ashley,

I live in Calgary and often feel overwhelmed when I have to choose a place to eat out at. I do a fairly good job of living and eating with a smallish footprint but I get the impression that most restaurants are not particularly concerned about the ethics associated with running a food establishment. Are there any good resources for identifying socially and environmentally responsible restaurants? Do you have any suggestions for places to eat?

Thanks in advance,

Sheila

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‘Cheese, Louise!’ (encore)

Dear Ashley,

I recently saw a Kraft commercial stating that Kraft Cracker Barrel cheese was made from Canadian milk and was therefore free of growth hormones and antibiotics. If this is true, what makes organic cheese different from regular cheese?

Thanks,

Dawn

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Why Working Less is Better for the Planet

Hi Ashley!

I’ve considered many of the benefits of working less – more time for friends and family, more time to pursue hobbies, less stress, etc. – but I’m curious what the environmental benefits might be. Any thoughts?

Thank you,

Janet

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Rabbit Ears, Converter Boxes, & Energy Efficient Televisions

I’m probably in the minority here but I’m one of those people that still use “rabbit-ears” to watch TV. Since I have an older TV the switch from analog to digital programming later this summer will affect me. I appreciate having a few channels to catch the nightly news, so I’m wondering if it makes more sense to purchase a converter box that allows me to keep my old TV or should I replace it altogether with a new and possibly more energy efficient one?

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Choosing Healthy Cookware

Hello Ashley,

Now that I’m done university I’m looking to upgrade my flaking Teflon-coated pots and pans with something that isn’t going to kill me. There appears to be a growing number of non-stick cookware choices but are any of them actually safe? What would you recommend?

Thank you,

Paige

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Eneregy Efficient Food Preservation

Hi Ashley,

My husband and I have been attempting to cut back on our electricity consumption, replacing old lighting with energy efficient options, unplugging electronics when they are not in use, and we recycled an old power-hungry fridge that lived in the garage. Though we have noticed big electricity reductions during most of the year, it always spikes in the fall when our kitchen transforms into a small food processing facility, turning the garden’s bounty into jams, pickles, salsas, and various other canned goods. We expect our bills to go up during this time but we’re always surprised by how much they spike. We wonder if you have any tips on cutting back on electricity consumption in the kitchen during these busy times.

Thank you,

Anne & Bill

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