Archive for the ‘Human Health’ Category
Monday, May 25th, 2009
Because I love the purity of the snow
and how the white contrasts with the sky. |
Because the sun feels sooooo good
when it comes out! Soul-ar powered! |
I love winter for the wonderful
peace angels we can become! |
Who needs to mine for diamonds when mother nature
provides us with diamonds all winter long! |
We asked our Nature Challenge community to tell us how they celebrate winter. Here’s a portion of the note Dominique Larocque sent us along with her pictures:
My Nature Challenge In 1994, I made a conscious decision to embrace a new form of challenge! Getting people to fall in love with playing outside. As a two time National team athlete focused on winning medals, I had ‘profoundly lost’ the real meaning of what it was to simply play outside for the pure sake of what I call today my three environmental R’s: RECONNECT-REWILD-
REWIRE.
Tags: Canada, climate change, outdoors, snow, sports, winter
Posted in David Suzuki's Nature Challenge, Green Living, Human Health, Newsletter response, climate change, recycling, vacation/holiday | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 29th, 2009
Bev from Brampton, ON writes:
I have often wondered when I’m shopping what containers are the best choice for me to make for recyclables: plastic, glass, or aluminum?
Lindsay replies:
Things to consider about packaging of your consumer goods:
1. Avoid excess packaging whenever possible or buy the equivalent product or brand that uses minimal packaging.
2. Check in with your local recycling depot to see what they accept. Although many items are recyclable, your municipal facility may not accept them, hence they end up in the landfill.
3. Plastic: aim for those numbered #2, 4, 5 because you can reuse these safely. Generally they are the safest forms of plastic. Again, check with your local depot to see if they recycle #1, 3, 6 and 7, as it will vary.
4. Glass: I like it because I can reuse it. It’s accepted at most recycling depots.
5. Aluminium: it’s usually recyclable in your blue box and can be broken down and used again and again.
6. Buy bulk to reduce packaging all together and reuse the plastic bags you buy your goods in. For example, I keep the twist tie and bag together, tucked beside my flour jar. When I need to refill, I grab the bag and head to the store. You don’t even need to search for a pen or that secret code because you’ve already labeled it!
Tags: aluminum, blue box, buy bulk, consumer issues, glass, packaging, plastic, recyclables, recycle, reduce, reuse
Posted in Consumer Issues, Food, Green Living, Human Health, Lindsay, Newsletter response, climate change, garbage, gardening, recycling | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 29th, 2009
Sarah Kmiech writes:
I was reading your newsletter regarding what’s hot and what’s not in 2009. It was said that "Free Exercise" was hot and "Gym & Studio Memberships" were not. Being a person who goes to, and enjoys the gym (and also a person who cares for the environment), I was wondering what it was about gyms that make them not an environmental choice?
Gail from The Green Room replies:
Having a gym membership isn’t "not environmental," per se.
A lot of people believe that it takes a lot of money to protect nature – buying organic, owning a hybrid vehicle, etc. With the economy teetering, we want people to stay mindful of the environment and do the best they can to make green choices.
The point is that there are lot of things people can do to lighten their footprints that are free and/or inexpensive. And, that if a person chooses certain options – like repairing clothes instead of buying new ones, or running outside instead of joining a gym – that frees up funds to choose things he or she might care passionately about that seem beyond reach (like buying organic, etc). It’s about finding balance in life.
And, of course, people who spend time outdoors and feel a connection to nature care about protecting it, so we encourage people to get their exercise outdoors, where possible.
We did not mean that belonging to a gym isn’t "green." In fact, until you (and one other person) mentioned it, it never occurred to me that someone might read it that way! Thanks for bringing that to my attention. I’ve belonged to a yoga studio for years and cherish that community. And I know Dr. Suzuki works out in gyms all the time, wherever he is in the world.
Tags: environmentally friendly, exercise, gym memberships, nature, outdoor activity, yoga
Posted in Consumer Issues, David Suzuki, Green Living, Human Health, Newsletter response | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 15th, 2009
West Coast Environmental Law has come out with three terrific documents to help farm workers, tenants and anyone else who wants to learn about the dangers of pesticides.
Pesticides and your health (in English, Spanish and Punjabi) outlines the hazards of exposure, symptoms of toxicity, and suggestions for reducing exposure.
Pesticides on the farm (in English, Spanish and Punjabi) provides legal and non-legal options for farm workers , and offers tips on protection for anyone who might be exposed to agricultural pesticides.
Pesticides in your home? (English only) offers suggestions for tenants whose landlords might be applying pesticides.
Tags: agriculture, English, exposure, legal rights, pesticides, Punjabi, Spanish, symptoms, tenants
Posted in Consumer Issues, David Suzuki's Nature Challenge, Digs My Garden, Green Living, Human Health, agriculture | No Comments »
Tuesday, April 7th, 2009
You can do a lot to make sure the air you’re breathing where you live is cleaner and safer for you and the planet. Check out this article in Consumer Reports (scroll down for an easy-to-follow tip chart).
There’s a link there to some homemade cleaners, or you can try Lindsay’s greener cleaner recipes .
Got any other ideas? We love to hear ‘em!
Tags: air, cleaners, consumer reports, Green cleaning, indoor air quality
Posted in Consumer Issues, David Suzuki's Nature Challenge, Green cleaning, Human Health, Lindsay | No Comments »
Monday, April 6th, 2009
Venus writes:
I would like to say thank you very much to Mr. David Suzuki. Two years ago I saw his article in the Vancouver Sun about cleaning with non-chemical products. I used to have severe sinusitis, but when I started using baking soda and vinegar to clean with, my sinusitis problem improved tremendously! And since then I’ve been telling all my friends and co-workers how to clean their place naturally. It’s been two years that I haven’t bought chemical products to clean our place!
Lindsay, Queen of Green, responds:
Thank you for sharing and letting us know about your success! Many people don’t realize how compromised their health and indoor air quality is when they use conventional cleaners day after day. Last year we developed more information about Green Home Cleaning .
Tags: baking soda, chemical cleaners, David Suzuki, Lindsay, natural cleaners, Nature Challenge newsletter, sinusitis, vinegar
Posted in Consumer Issues, David Suzuki, Green Living, Green cleaning, Human Health, Lindsay | No Comments »
Wednesday, April 1st, 2009
Psychologists tell us people are happy and healthier when they feel a personal connection to the natural world. Yet we’re raising a generation of kids who are know urls and logos better than what’s growing in their own backyards.
Getting into nature doesn’t have to mean memorizing the scientific names of species or extreme outdoor adventures (although it can!). It can be as small and personal as admiring a butterfly or noticing the clouds.
What are you doing to get your daily dose?
Tags: happiness, healh, kids, nature, outdoor, species
Posted in David Suzuki's Nature Challenge, Digs My Garden, Green Parenting, Human Health, Newsletter response | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, March 25th, 2009
Kelvin Lam writes:
I am a member of your organization. I started to wonder if there is a way to identify GE food? The alarm starts ringing after seeing the apples growing bigger and bigger (same with other vegetables). It concerns me a lot and I just don’t know what to give to my kids. My friends told me there’s a number code, for example, on the apples starting with "4" that indicates GE. However, it would be better to get expert advice from you. Any lead is much appreciated.
Lindsay responds:
Quick research of a few resources I have on hand says there is no mandatory labeling of GMO or GE foods in Canada or the U.S. Our federal government voted this down.
Because nobody certifies the labeling it means it’s only voluntary at this point. What’s most likely to be GMO or GE products are corn and soy. One book I have on hand called "The Rough Guide to Shopping with a Conscience" suggests looking at the True Shopping Guide .
Your other bet is to buy organic because the rules around certification ban GE technologies, and of course buy local from a nearby farmer or farmers market. Other websites that will have more info include: genewatch.org , foe.org (Friends of the Earth), and the Union of Concerned Scientists .
Tags: apples, buy organic, farmers market, feed kids, GE food, GMO food, mandatory labeling, shopping with a conscience, vegetables
Posted in Consumer Issues, David Suzuki, Food, Green Living, Green Parenting, Human Health, Lindsay | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, March 25th, 2009
Mary Margaret McMahon from Toronto, ON writes:
I always thought glass bottles were better for the planet than plastic but some people have been arguing with me about that lately. Is glass really better?
Also, I’ve been promoting the use of biodegradable bags for our residential composting program but today someone told me the carbon footprint for these bags is worse than plastic bags because they are made from corn and take up valuable agricultural land and release a lot of methane. Please tell me they are still better than plastic!
Lindsay writes:
First, in a nutshell, glass is great. It’s easily cleaned, doesn’t leach toxic chemicals and can be reused. When shopping, I always opt for a glass container versus plastic. I also then covet all glass jars in the house and reuse them. As far as recycling glass goes, it’s possible but does take a lot of energy.
When using plastics, stick with our jingle "2, 4, 5 keep yourself alive." Those numbers are the safest to reuse, although 1-7 are all recyclable depending on your town or municipality.
The fewer plastic or bioplastic bags you can use in your home the better. Be greener trash bag is one that is made from recycled materials or biodegradable. Bioplastics are typically made with corn. And yes, corn is one of the most common GMO or GE crops out there. You’ll never really know if a bioplastic bag is made from GMO or GE products because Canada and the US don’t label GMO crops. Our federal government voted against doing so.
Plastic bags from recycled content require 40% less energy to make. Making virgin plastic involves massive amounts of chemicals and results in air pollution. Plastic however never degrades completely – it only photodegrades, which means it breaks down into smaller and smaller particles. This is why there are thousands of plastic particles out there and some bird bellies are about of 50% full of plastic (watch the movie Addicted to Plastic).
Biodegradble plastic bags breakdown into CO2 and water mostly, with no toxic chemicals. The trick is to find out if your bag can breakdown in your municipal facility. Some of the products on the shelf will breakdown in your home composters, others need 3-6 months in a municipal landfill. You can ask the company that makes them. One fact I found said that bioplastic uses 68% less fossil fuel when manufactured and release 80-90% less greenhouse gases than traditional plastic bags.
As a final note, bioplastic (like anything else made from a renewable resource) will release methane in a landfill. Some landfills are even harnessing the methane gas to make energy – not always a bad thing if it’s not released into the atmosphere.
Tags: biodegradable, bioplastic bags, carbon footprint, CO2, composting program, corn, genetically modified crops, glass bottles, landfill, methane, plastics, pollution, recycling
Posted in Consumer Issues, David Suzuki's Nature Challenge, Green Living, Human Health, Lindsay, garbage, recycling | 2 Comments »
