Tips
23
2011
Redefine Green in 2011 Holiday Celebrations!
Filed in: Food Choices, Products & Services, Shopping, Waste & RecyclingChristmas is a time for family, friends, celebrations and well…unfortunately a lot of waste. Canadians spend on average $800 per person on gifts, specialty foods and “stuff” resulting in an additional few million tons of waste to our landfills…
20
2011
Have a Green Halloween!
There are many ways you can make this year’s Halloween fun and GREEN, because we all know it’s not really about the candy. When kids are with their parents and friends, with everyone getting dressed up and participating, that’s where the fun is! This year, why not focus on people and activities instead of junk food and things. Here are some creative ideas from www.greenhalloween.org to get you started:
31
2011
Get your School to go Idle-Free!
Filed in: Air Quality, TransportationTragically, one of the most common places to find idling cars is outside of schools. Parents and guardians, waiting to drop off or pick up their children, unwittingly release over 40 harmful toxins into the air in and around the school. This means that many of the air pollutants being released every day in the city are concentrated around the people most easily affected by it: children.
17
2011
Prioritize your Pesticides!
So you like the idea of buying organic produce, but cannot afford to buy everything organic? Or maybe you are concerned about your health and potential chemical residue on your food? The Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce, published annually by the Environmental Working Group, provides a clear guide to pesticide contamination on your favourite foods that fill your shopping cart, fridge and tummy.
29
2011
Ride your Bike!
Filed in: Air Quality, TransportationMany people are nervous about starting to bike commute to and from work, so why not ease into it by taking your bike somewhere like the grocery store or the movies- see how you like it and go from there.
24
2011
Dandelions: If you can’t beat them – eat them!
Filed in: Yard & GardenNo matter how many tons of chemicals are dumped onto suburban lawns to kill them, dandelions reign. Before you bring out that bottle of herbicide – consider what Dandelions can do for you:
18
2011
Purchase a rain barrel to harvest rain water from your roof
Filed in: Water Conservation• Water use in Calgary doubles in the spring and summer month due residents watering lawns and gardens.
• Rain water is better for your garden and lawn because it has no added chemical and it is the right temperature for the plants.
• The average Calgarian will get 200 barrels of rain from their roof during the growing season.
• Harvesting rain water decreases the amount of storm water entering the river without treatment.
• Using a rain barrel decreases your greenhouse gas emissions associated with water treatment.
13
2011
The Scoop on “Green” De-Icers
Filed in: Yard & GardenUsing rock salt as a side walk de-icer has long been an easy and inexpensive way of clearing snow and ice from our sidewalks. Unfortunately the environmental impacts of using rock salt, which is usually sodium chloride- NaCl, are numerous.
27
2010
Bullfrog Power: 100% Green Electricity!
Filed in: EnergySupport the renewable power industry by putting your dollars towards 100% wind power generated right here in Alberta! By signing up for Bullfrog Power, you are doing your part…
20
2010
Check your Sunscreen!
Filed in: Products & Services, ShoppingMany sunscreens contain products like oxybenzone – a known hormone disruptor – and retinyl palmitate, which may become carcinogenic when exposed to sunlight. New research regarding many ingredients found in personal care products, including sunscreens, suggests we must be more prudent with what we lather on our skin.