Archive for the ‘off the grid’ Category

Say “I Do” the Green Way

Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009

Tangled on how to tie the knot and mind the planet? Traditions and expectations for the perfect wedding day can push consumerism over the top. But with some creative alternatives they don’t have to outshine a low carbon wedding.

From the dress and tux to rings and the gift registry, green weddings is a big topic in the latest David Suzuki Nature Challenge newsletter . Innovators like Vancouver-based photographer Brendon Purdy leaves no trace (except for the couple’s memorable pics) when he photographs weddings. Packing his gear onto his bicycle, Purdy’s travels to photograph the special event are completely carbon neutral.

Are loved ones doing the traveling instead to join the celebration? Queen of Green Lindsay Coulter offers up smart and sustainable low-emission wedding ideas in a recent article . Get inspired, get active and share your green wedding tips!

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Posted in Consumer Issues, David Suzuki's Nature Challenge, Green Living, Lindsay, climate change, energy, garbage, off the grid, transportation, vacation/holiday | No Comments »

Cord-wood home reduces carbon footprint

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009

Mike Pillon writes:

I am building a new home and am trying to do my part for saving the planet. It is a cord-wood home that would have been used for firewood. It has an earth roof that I made myself with the top soil from my own property, the cord-wood harvested from standing dead or dying trees, that will be off grid with windmill and solar power.

I own 10 acres and grow fresh fruit and veggies with no pesticides or herbicides. I am not certified organic, but for us as a family I know that the water I give to my plants is from my well that I drink, so it’s all good and healthy food! I’m trying to reduce my carbon footprint as much as possible by going green!

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Posted in Consumer Issues, Food, Green Living, Green roof, Human Health, climate change, conservation, gardening, off the grid | 2 Comments »

Teaching the next generation

Monday, April 6th, 2009

Brigitte shares her story on doing her part for the environment:

I just wanted to share some of what I am trying to teach my 4-year-old son about the environment and our part in it. We live in a small town north of Whistler and we walk, ride our bikes or sled to his school every day, and recycle every week.

We live in a very small condo with geothermal heating. We only use heat in the winter maybe about 2-3 hours a day. I always turn lights out if we are not in that room. We have air conditioning but do not use it in the summer. The best thing is that we have an Athena/Ionways water machine that gives us Alkaline water right from our tap and we fill our glass bottles up every day, NO PLASTIC BOTTLES EVER! Only about 1/10 of plastic bottles are ever recycled, and 1.5 million barrels of oil are used annually to manufacture the bottles! This water machine has changed our lives.

I also own a house cleaning business using only acidic water produced by this machine and tea tree oil for disinfecting as well as other natural products. I am hoping to buy some land soon in BC and be totally self-sufficient, living off the land! I teach my child to love and respect everything in nature and he loves the song by Jack Johnson, the three R’s, Reduce, Reuse and Recycle! He also always stops to pick up garbage on the ground and finds a garbage to put it in!

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Posted in Consumer Issues, Green Living, Green Parenting, energy, garbage, off the grid, recycling | No Comments »

Why use trees to build houses?

Friday, February 20th, 2009

Mark Moritz from Ontario writes:

I have designed the world’s most energy-efficient, greenest house! Yes, quite a bold statement, but true. I’m a professional carpenter and builder who, through years of construction and research, has come up with a house design that is built with a combination of new and very old construction techniques.

This house is made entirely from concrete with no lumber. The exterior of the house has been Armor-protected with a new, unique coating that is indestructible. This dwelling is self-sustaining, producing its own energy from wind and solar sources, and will be equipped with a one-of-a-kind LED mirrored lighting system, illuminating the entire house. It will also have centuries-old building technique of geothermal chambers and rainwater cisterns under the structure.

My goal is to build communities with such houses. Imagine the impact of communities contributing little carbon footprint, where no trees are used. There isn’t any reason why all future homes can be built like this. Everyone wins! It looks like I will be receiving funding from the Government for this project. They said helping the environment is of the utmost importance.

So far, it looks like the house will be built in Udora, Ontario, just south of Lake Simcoe. I’m hoping to break ground by June 2009, but I’m in need of funding for this project. The cost of such a dwelling is almost double the cost of a conventional house. But the payback is much greater down the road for your pocket and the environment.

My goal is to show people that they can live in a healthy, modern environment that is self-sustaining and affordable, while leaving a zero carbon footprint. I am willing to do what it takes to get this technology out there and to do my part to educate the public and preserve the environment.

Any assistance is greatly appreciated. Why use trees to build?

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Posted in Consumer Issues, Green Living, Sustainable economy, climate change, conservation, energy, forests and wild Lands, off the grid, sustainability | 1 Comment »

Earth, Wind and Vegetable Oil

Monday, December 8th, 2008

Terry Deck from Deck’s Geo-Electrical in Lumsden, SK writes:

Four years ago we installed geothermal to heat our buildings and now we have installed a wind turbine to offset the electrical energy that we use. Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAD0QJdT9M4

Since geothermal runs on electricity, we felt the next step would be producing green electricity. The most natural way to do this in Saskatchewan is by using the wind. So this past summer we installed a 5Kw wind turbine that will generate almost all of our power needs. We have invested a lot of money and time, but are reducing our carbon footprint to nearly zero!

I also have a service truck that I use for my business that I have converted to run on vegetable oil. I collect the oil from local restaurants and filter it at home. The next plan is to convert a mini van to operate on electricity. We would plan to use the van for most of our small commutes around home. For long trips, we can then use my truck that will run on the vegetable oil.

Our planet gives us a lot and we feel we should give back so others will have it to enjoy for years to come. I have spent over 12 years working on green energy ideas and plan to spend many more. I invite anyone who may be interested in what I have done to offer their ideas and ask me questions. I am more than willing to offer advice if someone is interested. I truly have a passion for this and plan to continue my work to help our planet.

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Posted in Green Living, off the grid, sustainability, transportation | 1 Comment »

Day 146 of Living Green

Sunday, September 14th, 2008

Craig and Layla Baird from Rossland, BC are on a mission to reduce their carbon footprint and aid the Earth along the road to recovery. The husband and wife team launched an initiative this spring to do something green every single day for a year. After organizing a successful Earth Day Celebration in Trail, BC, they decided to go big and live green for a year until April 22, 2009 — and every day after that.

From building a solar cooker and limiting showers to five minutes, to only drying clothes outside, switching to a manual lawnmower and bringing reusable containers for take-out food, the Baird’s have been blogging their inspiring adventures to help spread their message, garnering press along the way.

Devoted to raising awareness about the environment and all the things people can do to change how they live and affect the environment, Craig and Layla are open to ideas for living greener. It’s an important change and we applaud you! Keep up the great work!

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Posted in Consumer Issues, climate change, energy, off the grid, transportation | 1 Comment »

Off-the-grid building 101

Monday, May 12th, 2008

“I am building an entirely energy efficient home on Lillooet Lake, in BC… (and) documenting my progress over the next six months on my blog Going Green Off The Grid . I have appeared on CBC’s Code Green… (and) on HGTV’s Healthy Home, spoken on numerous radio talk shows and taught seminars on a variety of topics relating to energy efficiency, comfort and health in the home.”

- Doug Rempel, Burnaby BC -

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Posted in David Suzuki's Nature Challenge, Newsletter response, climate change, energy, off the grid | No Comments »