November 20th, 2006
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Good day EcoSherpa readers. I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!
Over the weekend we received an email from Bruce Weaver, requesting that we add his website, Bravenewearth.com to our Sustainable Living Directory. After receiving the request I went to the website to have a look and learn more about Bruce and his site.
I typically spend a few minutes checking out the website to ensure that it is a legitimate site and then I add it to the directory. This morning was different in so many ways. I found myself digging deeper and deeper into the site and it led me to many interesting places, from learning about Bruce and his movies to wanting to learn more about the places he has visited. His website has changed my mood completely and I want to thank Bruce for emailing us. You are probably wondering how a website could change my mood? Let me explain…
I woke up this morning to find my main waterline coming into my house leaking. The floor was covered in water and my shutoff valve was leaking beyond repair. Let’s just say my mood turned sour quite quickly and I scrambled to find a solution to my water problems. Three hours later and still no sign of the plumber or the city to come turn off my water (both stated they could and would be here within the hour). The reason for my sour mood is this past summer I had a flood in the basement (a result of a broken water heater) and I spent hours upon hours re-finishing the basement. After learning of my new water issues, I sprang into action re-scheduled all my meetings and decided to read my email to take my mind off the leaky pipe.
Here is where Bruce comes in. Within minutes of being at Bruce’s website, my sour mood changed and I started to feel far more relaxed. Bruce has incorporated music into some of his sections on the site and I must say it sets the mood for viewing each of the sections. Specifically his post on Temple City helped put things into perspective. Music can be a powerful tool and it has the abilty to change my mood quite quickly. The website helped keep my mind off of my plumbing issues and I found myself surfing around the site learning more about Bruce, the places he has visited, and even researching the musicians I was listening to. I will be ordering some new CDs as a result of visiting his site.
Bruce Weaver is a filmmaker and he has produced and directed a variety of diverse DVD productions for independent bands, and Internet TV. His current project, entitled, “Dance with Destiny”, is his own independent feature documentary that examines the future of our planet, and society, from the viewpoint of prophetic messages from indigenous peoples, and other contemporary “seers,” who foretell of a time of great change.
I had a chance to view some of Bruce’s videos and I must say he is a very talented filmmaker and I can’t wait to see his documentary he is working on.
You will find at the bottom of this post, one of the Bruce’s videos, “EcoVillage Tour”. If you would like to learn more about the Farm, visit, http://www.thefarm.org.
If you would like to see more videos from Bruce Weaver, visit Current TV to view them.
Bruce simply wanted Bentley and I to add him to our directory and here I am writing a lengthy post about him. I am inspired by creative minds who are willing to lend their talents and energy to bring about positive change in our World. I want to wish Bruce a safe journey and all the best in completing his latest project.
By the way, if you would like to add your site to our directory, feel free to contact us, or simply add your link to the appropriate category and we’ll approve it (assuming it relates to our overall theme). Once again, we do not at this time require a reciprocal link (ignore that box).
Technorati Tags: dharma dog, bruce weaver, eco village, brave new earth, documentary, environmentalism, eco hero
Written by steve on November 20th, 2006 with no comments.
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Temperatures remain relatively stable (warm) in the bin, but an unwanted furry entity has invaded.
Must…find…a way…to neutralize the threat! Moisture and stinky tomatoes…have proven…ineffective!
Ok, that’s quite enough Cap’n Kirk for one post! haha
By the way, if you want to be ‘extra cool’ like me, here is the handy-dandy online star-date calculator I used for today’s date.
Back to serious business! Yes it’s true, the mice have officially made my compost bin into a winter condo and I’m not overly impressed.
In all honesty if these little rodents were to make nests down in the bottom corners of the bin where I don’t have to deal with them that would be totally fine. I just hate the idea of one day potentially digging around in my upper leaf layer (which had tunnels borrowed in it this morning) and accidentally wreaking havoc on an unsuspecting nest of mouse babies.
I know one reason they are feeling more comfortable in there is the fact that I’ve decided to make my trips to the bin more infrequent. The advantage of this strategy is two-fold. Firstly, it means there will be less opening of the bin (and thus releasing of warmth), and also it means I can now add larger, warmer masses of precomposted waste materials (I empty the milk carton contents into a bigger bucket now) into the bin, thus helping to kickstart warm zones more easily.
I think the mice are getting a wee bit too comfy cosy in there however so I think I will be modifying my strategy somewhat.
For starters, I’ve added the remaining heap of rotting tomatoes I had lying around. This should definitely make conditions near the top of the bin a little less appealing. I’m also going to be focusing more on the regions around the outer edges of the bin. These are the zones that have remained quite dry since this isn’t typically where I add waste materials.
I will also try to get out more often to make noise around the bin even if I’m not putting anything in. I’m sure daily banging near the top will make this region less appealing.
I’ve read that the scent of bobcat or fox acts as a great repellent. I don’t happen to keep either of those as pets unfortunately, but I do have two cats, so I may try adding any fur I can gather via brush or vacuum bag (I added a little this morning).
I’ve heard that various mints act as a deterrent as well so I may try adding some peppermint oil at some point if need be.
I’m sure me and the mice will be able to arrive at a mutually beneficial arrangement for sharing the bin!
Technorati Tags: compost, composting, composter, mice, mice repellent, rodents
Note: The Winter Composting Extravaganza has moved to a new home. To catch all the latest winter composting action be sure to check out the Compost Guy
Winter Composting Page.
Written by Bentley on November 20th, 2006 with no comments.
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I’m amazed by how quickly time has flown by. It’s been a little over four months now since Steve and I really got things rolling with the EcoSherpa blog!
What’s interesting (and somewhat paradoxical) is that even though it feels like we got started very recently, it also feels like we’ve come a long way – with EcoSherpa and with our own ‘green growth’.
As I’ve explained in other posts, referring to ourselves as ‘Sherpas’ and calling this the “sustainable living guide” is not meant to imply that we have all the answers and are experts in the field of sustainability. This is as much a journey towards sustainable living for ourselves as it is a guide for the audience we are hoping to connect with.
Of course, over time we know this will indeed evolve into a full-fledged resource site – far more than just a blog and a directory – and we’re hopeful that our ongoing progress on the green front will inspire many other ‘regular Joes’ (and Jills) to start living in a more earth-friendly manner.
For me personally, the last four months has really helped me see the world from an entirely new perspective – hence the title of this post, “Seeing Green”. I’m sure most people have, like myself, experienced the feeling of buying a new car then suddenly realizing that everyone (and their mother) has gone out and bought the exact same car (ie. you start seeing them everywhere!). Needless to say, those cars were always there – we simply didn’t see them. They didn’t have nearly the same significance in our lives, so they were essentially invisible.
This is a very similar experience to what I’ve encountered as I’ve immersed myself into the world of earth-friendly living. I’ve always considered myself to be someone with a great deal of respect for the environment, but for many years I’ve carried the burden of ‘doom and gloom’ on my shoulders (based on messages from the media etc). In my heart I’ve wanted to ‘do my part’, and in some ways I certainly have, yet I secretly felt like it was almost pointless – it seemed like nobody really cared anymore, and that the world was doomed anyway (heart-warming, I know). Needless to say, such negative thoughts and feelings only inspired me towards inaction.
It’s not too surprising then that during these last four months I’ve been getting increasingly excited hearing about the huge numbers of people actually involved in the ‘green movement’. It feels as though the momentum has grown by leaps and bounds in a very short period of time, but I constantly remind myself that it has almost certainly been building for years.
Everywhere I look now I see green – in the form of environmentally responsible actions being taken, and in the form of opportunities waiting to be acted upon.
The other day my wife made me smile when she asked if her old deodorant containers could be recycled (certainly NOT something she would have thought about even a few weeks ago). As insignificant as that may sound, it was in fact a huge milestone – an indication that my new perspective and actions have provided a positive influence for at least one other person.
I have little doubt that the coming months and years will bring many exciting changes to EcoSherpa and in our lives in general!
Four months have passed already, but of course we’ve only just gotten started!
Technorati Tags: ecosherpa, sustainable living, green, environmentalism
Written by Bentley on November 20th, 2006 with no comments.
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Not too long ago I wrote a post about the first ‘green’ synagogue in the U.S. (Green Synagogue – First In The US). Well I just caught wind of another new religious institution – this time north of the border – focusing on green design.
On Friday (Nov. 17/06) St. Gabriel of the Sorrowful Virgin Parish was consecrated by Toronto’s Arch Bishop, Aloysius Cardinal Ambrozic. The $10.5 million (CAD $$ I assume) Roman Catholic Church, built in North York Ontario, replaces the original St. Gabriel, which was located at the same site.
The church is registered for Silver LEED certification (the synagogue is aiming for Gold), with notable features including:
- A large south-facing glass wall overlooking a rainwater-irrigated perrenial garden (essentially acting as a green-roof over an underground parking garage)
- An indoor ‘living-wall’ of plants, also irrigated with recycled rainwater
- Reuse of many items from original church (pews, altar etc)
I’m pretty passionate about the idea of connecting people with nature so I’m happy to see that this was a major consideration in the design of this building.
Here is a link to the original article: Canada’s first environmentally sustainable church
Technorati Tags: church, st. gabriel, north york, green building, green construction, LEED, living wall, rain water recycling
Written by Bentley on November 20th, 2006 with no comments.
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