Two steps forward, one step back
That’s the phrase that comes to mind as I sit back and reflect on my new role as a dad. Our first child was born a little over a week ago (and in case you are wondering, is not the baby pictured here) and just as everyone has said all along, it’s been a truly life changing experience! It’s amazing, challenging and unlike anything I’ve ever faced before.
One thing is for sure - being suddenly responsible for the health and well being of a little human definitely has a way of inspiring focus and action. At the risk of sounding cheesy (and borrowing a line from “As Good as it Gets”), it makes me “want to be a better man”. Unfortunately, being a ‘better man’ doesn’t necessarily equal being a more envionmentally responsible man!
With new changes come new challenges. In the case of taking care of a baby, many of those challenges seem involve struggling to maintain some semblance of eco-responsibility. During the last year I’ve made great strides on the environmental front. Let’s quickly review some of the improvements:
- Greatly improved composting/recycling efforts
- Decreased garbage output (largely due to the above efforts)
- Reduced water consumption (outdoors & indoors)
- Decreased power usage (turning lights out when not needed etc) and installation of power-saving devices (CF bulbs, energy efficient furnace etc)
- Increased usage of eco-friendly products (for cleaning etc)
Since bringing the baby home there seems to be increased power usage, increased water usage, increased garbage output, and increased use of products I wouldn’t consider eco-friendly!
[Sigh…]
Oh well, I guess there’s no point being too hard on myself. I’m only just getting the hang of being a new dad - being an eco-friendly dad will come with time I’m sure.
On the positive side, it should provide me with a new subject to write about here on the blog! lol
Technorati Tags: babies, sustainable living, environmental responsibility, eco-friendly, earth-friendly
Written by Bentley on September 25th, 2007 with 3 comments.
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I’ve had an interest in ‘growing stuff’ for a number of years now, but my true passion for gardening has been cultivated (no pun intended) in the last two years, since buying our first home.
When we first moved here, creating a garden design with perennials in mind was of paramount importance to me. The property was pretty bare from a botanical standpoint - almost like a blank canvas, waiting to be painted upon.
My goal has been to bring our property to life - to have it bursting with lush green foliage and a wide assortment of colourful flowers.
It’s probably important to mention that I use the term “design” very loosely! While I will certainly plan where I want my gardens to go and what size I want them to be, but I tend to enjoy flying by the seat of my pants a little when it comes to putting in plants!
My only real requirements are that my plants be almost exclusively A) Perennials and B) As small as possible (when planted).
Don’t get me wrong - I’m the furthest thing from a gardening snob! Seeing my neighbours out digging in their gardens each spring warms my heart - regardless of what types of flowers they are putting in. I strongly believe that EVERYONE should make time to connect with the earth and mother nature in general.
I guess my love for perennials simple stems (the unintential puns are flying today) from my fascination with watching something grow from one year to the next. I almost feel like I’m the parent of many children - I nurture them as best I can, and feel a great deal of pride as they grow and blossom (literally) over the years.
The idea of planting a cold-intolerant plant, only to watch the poor thing die at the end of the season just seems a little odd to me (but I guess I CAN understand the appeal of easily adding life and colour to one’s property during the growing season).
Of course, like a fine wine, perennial gardens often require some time before you start to see the fruits of your labours. There is a certain level of unpredictability inherent in this approach as well - it’s hard to know for sure what your garden is going to look like, especially when just starting out.
But I think this is in fact one of the real pleasures of perennials! Sure, your garden might end up looking a little rough around the edges at first, but with a minimal amount of love and attention, you’ll be amazed with how well things progress. I’m constantly surprised by new blooms and unexpected growth during the spring and summer months - something a bed of petunias just can’t provide.
Of course, if you have the money and don’t want to wait, you can easily head to your local nursery and purchase large perennials instead. I just happen the love the idea of starting from square one (ok, maybe “square two” - I definitely don’t grow from seed as much as I’d like to). Not only is it much less expensive, but like I’ve said there is just a real thrill that comes from watching something grow and prosper under your care!
And it’s EASY! Far easier than keeping houseplants alive, in my experience.
Once you do the initial dirty work (don’t forget the mulch!), all that’s required is a little maintenance from time to time. Nature does the rest!
I know we won’t be in this house forever, but I like the idea of leaving behind a living legacy of sorts. Something that perhaps inspires others (the next owners included) to get into gardening.
I’m sure I’ll be a little sad leaving all my “children” behind, but I’ll also feel a sense of satisfaction, knowing that my green investment will likely pay dividends for years to come.
Technorati Tags: perennials, perrenials, gardening, mulch, annuals, green gardening, eco gardening, natural landscaping
Written by Bentley on June 25th, 2007 with no comments.
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I must say I was VERY pleased to recently receive an email from our good friend, Franke James - letting me know that her latest visual essay was ready!
I’ve been eagerly anticipating her latest release, and after reading it I have to say it was definitely worth the wait! I have loved her previous two works, but I’m quite sure this one is my favourite thus far!
It is called To My Future Grandkids in 2020, and takes the form of a letter written to her (currently unborn) grandkids in the year 2020.
It explains her worries and concerns about the state of the world from an environmental perspective, and of course carries with it a very powerful underlying message.
I found this particular piece a wee bit more sobering that the previous two. There was certainly plenty of Franke’s unique (and endearing) humour woven in, but the overall mood seemed to be more sombre - although it did pick up nicely at the end!
One thing is for sure, I think EVERYONE should read this!
So check it out and share it with others!
Once again here is the link:
To My Future Grandkids in 2020
Past Franke James posts on EcoSherpa
Franke Says Goodbye To Her SUV
Franke James: Artist, Writer, Environmentalist
Technorati Tags: franke james, global warming, climate change, toronto, environment
Written by Bentley on June 4th, 2007 with no comments.
Read more articles on Green Commentary and Interesting & Notable.
In a recent Business Week article, they examined the marketing tactics of various retailers, including Home Depot. As we have mentioned numerous times on our website, Home Depot is heavily promoting their green products in Canada. On a recent visit to the store I found tons of copies of their green publication, Eco Options and walking through their seasonal department the eco options labels are everywhere. The question I keep asking myself is, “who determines what is a green product.”
There is no doubt that the eco-chic trend is becoming entrenched in North America. Marketers are jumping on the bandwagon and we are becoming inundated with their campaign messages as they try to position their products as being earth-friendly. We are witnessing how consumer opinion can have an enormous influence and impact on the decisions corporations make.
The influence doesn’t stop there, have a look at the Canadian Government and Stephen Harper. The words “environment” and “climate change” were excluded from the Harper government’s vocabulary when first elected. Through opinion polls and evaluating what Canadians deem important, the pendulum swung and buckets of green paint are being handed out by Harper and his staffers. Perhaps come election time, Stephen will wear some eco-friendly (non-animal tested) green lipstick, so when he kisses the babies it will leave a lasting green imprint.
The point I am trying to make is that we need to be careful when it comes to over-zealous marketing campaigns and look past all of the noise to really understand and evaluate how genuine the person, corporation or government is when waving their green flag.
Can we believe the Label?
According to the Business Week article, there is a company SCS, Scientific Certification Systems, that independently certifies the products that fall under the Eco Options branding. I had a chance to head over to the SCS website and this is what I found:
SCS is a leading third-party provider of certification, auditing and testing services, and standards. Our goal is to recognize the highest levels of performance in food safety and quality, environmental protection and social responsibility in the private and public sectors, and to stimulate continuous improvement in sustainable development.
If you search the site you will be able to find the questionnaire they provide vendors who are looking to become a Home Depot Eco Options Vendor. Some of the key questions:
CURRENT CLAIMS
1. Do you currently make environmental claim (s) for this product on product
packaging or collateral? If yes, what is the claim(s)?
2. Is the claim(s) independently certified?
If yes, provide the certifier name, certificate copy, certification number, and
certification report. Name___________________ Number _____________
3. Do you have documentation to support your claim(s)? _____________________
If yes, please attach the documentation for review.
4. If your claim states or implies that your product(s) is better for the environment
than other products in the same product category, please attach a brief
explanation including a description of the typical product used as a benchmark to make the in-category comparison.
For those vendors who want to go through the review process, it will cost them $750 for SCC to review their application. The price seems minimal compared to what they could gain by having the Eco Options label affixed to their product.
The official Home Depot definition of Eco Options:
Products with the Eco Options label are either eco friendly by definition, such as solar lights that use natural power, or have met certain environmental performance criteria verified by Scientific Certification Systems, an independent standards development and certification company. Eco Options products fall into one of five categories: clean air, water conservation, energy efficiency, healthy home and sustainable forestry.
Are Eco Labels Misleading?
I guess it all depends on how you interpret the labels. One of the arguments presented in the article from Business Week is some consumers could be mislead into believing that the labels are endorsed by a government agency. I think if we leave industry to self-regulate, misrepresentation will run rampant. Presently, companies are able to wave their green banner without disclosing what makes their products earth-friendly. The old saying, “Buyer Beware” holds true when it comes to eco products. I believe that as the eco-chic trend evolves into a regular habit, labeling and packaging standards will be established to offer consumers the reassurance that they are truly buying green.
From the BusinessWeek article:
Do Your Eco-Homework
“Eco labels are a great start. Companies need to educate consumers even if there’s no government mandate—there’s an ethical responsibility to do so,” says Giampietro. “But there’s also a morality of data. The brand needs to be trusted. They need to have completed research. And the label needs to add value to the customer experience.” In other words, an eye-catching logo is simply not enough.
If you are looking for more information about eco labels, you can head over to a very informative website, eco-labels.org. You can search their database and review products that tout themselves as eco-friendly. The site is very informative and will help provide you with additional insight into eco labels.
If we all bought locally from trusted and reliable sources, we would be one step closer in preserving our climate!
You can find the BusinessWeek article here.
Technorati Tags: eco labels, green consumers, home depot, eco options, eco friendly, green products, green living, environmentally friendly, eco products
Written by steve on May 2nd, 2007 with no comments.
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After reading the article about Prince Charles I started writing (ranting) about corporations. I was going to include the follow text in the Charles post, but decided that I needed to write a separate post.
My Rant:
I hope that in the near future we will see an eco-standard established for corporations. The idea would be for corporations to only select suppliers who are making a commitment to reduce their carbon emissions and are adopting sustainable practices. Companies that are unwilling to change their practices would be left in the dust and would face losses in revenue based on their unwillingness to change.
It will take some of the world’s largest corporations to set the stage for others to follow. Think of the power and impact retail corporations like Costco, Home Depot, Wal-Mart have on their suppliers. If they stated, “be green by 2008 if you want to continue doing business with us”, many businesses would either scramble to find a solution or fold-up shop. Without definitive recourse, many businesses will continue operating as normal and without change.
I would love to believe that corporate responsibility, moral obligation and the desire to preserve our environment, would be enough of a catalyst to bring about corporate change. Unfortunately, in many cases the almighty dollar takes precedent. Global industry needs to change the way they do business and become more selective in who they do business with! At the same time, consumers need to change their buying habits and make wiser “greener” choices.
There is a great opportunity for existing corporations to change the foundation of their business and a fantastic opportunity for new “greener” businesses to emerge and rival the businesses who are unwilling to change.
More of my editorial to follow……
Technorati Tags: sustainable living, corporate responsibility, climate change
Written by steve on May 2nd, 2007 with no comments.
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Prince Charles is asking the business leaders of Britain for help fight climate change. During a speech to more than 1,200 business chiefs at St Jame’s Palace, Prince Charles asked for their assistance in finding solutions to this global problem. “If the scientific consensus is right we need to act very rapidly indeed.”
In his address he compared the fight against global warming with the Second World War. He said: “We can do it. Just think what they did in the last war. Things that seemed impossible were achieved almost overnight.” The Prince’s call for action was well received and by the end of the day, more than a thousand companies had pledged to work within and outside their organization to reduce their carbon emissions.
According the articles that I have read, Charles has had a very passionate interest for green issues for many years. He has described climate change as “the biggest threat to mankind.” In recent months he has been criticized for not practicing what he preaches. It turns out that he recently flew to the United States to receive an environmental award. Was this the best decision that he has made, probably not. However, I think it is important to not judge or minimizes someone’s contribution on one incident.
Many celebrities who have lent their name to the fight against climate change, will self admittedly tell you that they are not 100% green. I remember watching a video with Annie Lennox. In the video she quite openly states that she is not the perfect “green” role model. However, she is trying to become more conscious of her actions on how those actions impact the environment. Wherever possible she is making strides to reduce her eco footprint. It all comes back to the EcoSherpa message, Realistic Responsible Living.
Technorati Tags: Prince Charles, environmental activism, corporate greening, reducing carbon emissions
Written by steve on May 2nd, 2007 with no comments.
Read more articles on Green Commentary and Uncategorized.
One of my favourite green blogs to read is definitely Joel Makower’s “Two Steps Forward”. I receive email notifications every time he writes something new, and really look forward to reading his posts.
I appreciate the fact that Joel ’says it like it is’ - and he says it very well! I’m typically not a fan of reading long blog posts, but Joel’s material proves there are exceptions to every rule.
For those of you unfamiliar with Joel Makower, here is a brief bio blurb from his site:
For nearly 20 years, Joel Makower has been a well-respected voice on business, the environment, and the bottom line. As a writer, speaker, and strategist on corporate environmental practices, clean technology, and green marketing, he has helped a wide range of companies align environmental responsibility with business success
Joel’s latest post, The Greenwasher in All of Us, is an interesting examination of corporate greenwashing, and some of the potential hypocrisy that can be found in the green blogosphere.
What I really respect about Joel is the fact that he likes to examine things from all angles. He works very closely with big businesses on a regular basis so he is able to formulate a much more accurate assessment of the green efforts some of these companies are putting forth (unlike many of us). But at the same time he admits there are plenty of examples of corporations who have attempted to make themselves look a lot greener than they actually are.
This particular Makower article really hit home for me because it reminded me of the questions that were bouncing around in my head a little while ago, when people started slamming Al Gore for his energy usage (see The Green Hypocrisy Conundrum).
When are corporate green efforts green enough? For a good number of people, it almost seems like the answer is “never”.
What’s really interesting, as Makower points out, is that the critics themselves are commonly falling short in their own green efforts - yet they still seem to demand perfection from others.
Anyway, it’s a really interesting topic, and there is certainly plenty of room for debate on either side. In my opinion, there is no doubt that corporate ‘evil-doers’ should be held accountable for their actions (for a humorous take on such atrocities, be sure to check out Green Options April Fools post about “Whale Biofuel“), but I also think it’s important we acknowledge those who are in fact making a genuine effort!
Here is an exerpt from Makower’s article:
More recently, we the people have assumed the role of green police, determining who’s naughty and nice from a green-marketing perspective. With the help of blogs, wikis, and good old fashioned protests and press releases, activist groups and self-styled experts are exercising their constitutional right to have a point of view on the topic — and broadcast it far and wide.
Is it a blessing or a curse? Probably a little of each. For starters, there’s far from unanimity of opinion. Do BP’s, or Wal-mart’s, or GE’s green initiatives render them benevolent leaders or malevolent greenwashers? You can find passionate opinion claiming both.
I’ve been seeing the “G” word showing up more and more, in both local and national media. And while it’s generally good that we maintain high standards for companies’ seeking to claim environmental leadership, I can’t help but ponder the hypocrisy of it all: how much more we expect of companies than of ourselves.
Be sure to check out his full post - its definitely worth the time: The Greenwasher in All of Us
Technorati Tags: greenwashing, green blogosphere, green business, walmart, GE, Joel Makower
Written by Bentley on April 10th, 2007 with no comments.
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I was reading the National Post this morning and came across an interesting article about Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s plan for transit and greenhouse-gas emission projects in Ontario. According to the article, the Federal Government will provide $586 million to help Ontario cut greenhouse-gas emissions and $700 million for the extension of Toronto’s subway into the suburbs north of the city. What about the rest of Canada? Canada’s big-city mayors, met yesterday to discuss a nationwide transit strategy. They’re calling on Harper to invest $2-billion annually for public transit. We are the only country in the G8 with no national transportation program. Toronto Mayor David Miller, is calling on the federal government to allocate one cent of the Goods and Services Tax (GST) to fix the country’s crumbling infrastructure and transportation systems.
It will be interesting to see if Harper endorses the GST scheme. As Harper plans his election platform, we could see many eco-promises from his government. Is Harper truly committed to the environment? Or is this simply pre-election propaganda?
Technorati Tags: green transportation, TTC, Ontario green initiatives, federal funding, Stephen Harper, GST National Transportation strategy, Mayor David Miller
Written by steve on March 6th, 2007 with no comments.
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If you look up the definition of sustainability you will likely come across something along these lines:
Sustainability- The ability to meet present needs without compromising those of future generations. (source: Wikipedia)
Essentially it all comes down to the idea of ‘balance’ - typically on a global (or at least large) scale ie. the balance between human growth/progress and the integrity of the planet we live on.
Well, of course aside from planetary and societal balance, we also need to find a certain degree of sustainability in our own lives. With each passing year, the pace of mainstream living just seems to become more an more insane. Technological progress has of course helped us in so many amazing ways, yet it is also the main reason we seem to have so little ‘time’ for the simpler things in life.
As far as my own life goes, I like to think I’m already off the beaten track, and starting to make my way down ‘the road not taken’, so to speak. I decided once and for all a year and a half ago that I had no interest in joining in the insanity - and instead opted for life in the slow lane! I work from home, I pursue things I’m passionate about, and I make more time for the important people in my life. I’ve never been happier!
What’s interesting is that this idea of slowing down the pace of your life actually fits in quite nicely with the overall concept of ’sustainable living’. In fact as I recently discovered, there is even something called the “Slow Movement”, which relates very closely to the topic of our recent guest post (by Tracey Smith) - ‘downshifting’.
Although I’ve certainly come across the term ’slow food’, I haven’t really read anything about the Slow Movment as a whole, until today. This afternoon I came across a really interesting site called (appropriately enough) Slow Movement, and I highly recommend you check it out if this is an area of interest for you. (It seems to be a work in progress, but does look quite promising)
From the site:
The Slow Movement aims to address the issue of ‘time poverty’ through making connections. If we think about the following trends. Buddhism is the fastest growing religion in the world today. People are turning to organic food in droves. Schools are in turmoil.
How slow can you go? Home schooling is becoming commonplace. People are downshifting. The Slow Food movement is gaining popularity with 811 convivia worldwide.
Stress is leading to unprecedented health problems. “Stop the world I want to get off” is a feeling we all have sometimes.
Why is this happening? What is wrong? What are we searching for? The one thing that is common to all these trends is connection. We are searching for connection. We want connection to people - ourselves, our family, ourcommunity, our friends, - to food, to place (where we live), and to life. We want connection to all that it means to live – we want to live a connected life.
I love the concept of ‘time poverty’! As rich as we are in our ‘developed’ countries, it’s funny to think that we have so little time to truly enjoy life.
Of course, my late introduction to the Slow Movement is no indication that it’s some revolutionary new idea. We’ve certainly talked about other lucky souls who are currently enjoying life in the slow lane (Lichenology, Pocket Farm, Path To Freedom, The Human Hobbit, to name a few).
With more people starting to opt for a more slow-paced, fulfilling life, I’d like to think we’ll see a heightened interest in environmentalism as a whole (there seems to be a fairly decent correlation between the two). I wouldn’t be surprised if a lot of ‘normal’ people feel like they just “don’t have the time” to concern themselves with environmental matters (a fairly weak excuse of course) while trying to keep up with the Joneses. Even the transition to a slower paced life itself is pretty environmentally responsible when you think about it - the fuel savings alone would have to be pretty impressive.
Anyway, this is a topic area I will definitely focusing a lot more in coming months. Again, if you want to read about a closely related idea, be sure to check out Tracey’s Downshifting website.
Technorati Tags: slow movement, slow food, slow living, slow money, downshifting, stress reduction, sustainable living, appreciating life, simplifying
Written by Bentley on March 5th, 2007 with 1 comment.
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Just thought I’d add something light and fun into the mix today to help balance out my last post (I tell ya - it’s ALL about balance).
You may recall our post about Franke James a little while ago.
Well, I just received an email from Franke, letting me know that her latest visual essay is online. Having thoroughly enjoyed her last piece, I certainly didn’t hesitate pop over to her blog for a look-see!
Her latest work is entitled “My SUV and Me Say Goodbye” and like her last essay, once again provides readers with some intriguing (and oftentimes hilarious), fun-filled Franke James (environ)mental meanderings to ponder. I absolutely love it, and highly recommend you check it out!
Technorati Tags: franke james, suv, david suzuki, environment, environmental, global warming, climate change
Written by Bentley on February 28th, 2007 with 1 comment.
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