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April 20, 2010

Earth Day in Ottawa, 2010

Posted by greenlivingottawa under Ottawa, arts and culture, books, climate change, energy, fair trade, food, health, household, media, organic, waste reduction
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Written by guest blogger Denise Deby, who generally tries to do the right thing if she can figure out what that is.

April 22 is Earth Day. In fact, this year it’s Earth Day’s 40th birthday, and its 20th in Canada. And there’ll be a big party: over a billion people in 190 countries are expected to participate in some kind of Earth Day activities, according to the Earth Day Network, which calls Earth Day “the largest secular civic event in the world”.

Finding this out made me curious about the Day. It began in 1970 in the U.S. as a protest by 20 million Americans against environmental degradation. It’s had an interesting history. The April 22 Earth Day is distinct from the UN”s World Environment Day held June 5 and from other Earth Days that are celebrated at the equinox.

Why this Earth Day? For some people, Earth Day is about grassroots movements drawing attention to and doing something about environmental concerns. But can one day, or even a week, make a difference?

I like the David Suzuki Foundation’s approach. This year it’s launched an Earth Week Book Swap, as I found out while visiting my local Bridgehead coffee shop with friends recently instead of finishing this post (thanks, you two!). The David Suzuki Foundation recognises that communities in which people are engaged are capable of doing something about local and global problems. So it’s encouraging people to swap books at local community spaces and coffee shops where people meet up, to connect and share ideas. As Foundation blogger Kim Peterson writes, community action comes from individuals who know each other and share concerns, important to remember when we’re trying to tackle big issues like climate change or overconsumption.

One more Earth Day is not likely to change the world, but it’s a reminder to reflect on what we can do to live sustainably, and a chance to participate in activities that also build environmentally-aware communities, whether those communities are local, global or both.

In Ottawa, many schools, organisations, businesses and government representatives are hosting Earth Day-related activities this week. Earth Day Ottawa, Earth Day Canada and Ecology Ottawa all have event listings. Here are a few highlights:

Wednesday, April 21:

  • A screening of Toxic Trespass, a film about children’s health and the environment, 7:30-9:30 pm at Glebe St. James United Church, 650 Lyon St.

Thursday, April 22:

  • Envirocentre’s Sustainable Transportation Fair, 11 am-2 pm at Place Bell, 160 Elgin St. Information about sustainable transportation options like car sharing, cycling and air travel.
  • Writers’ Festival events:
    • The big idea: How Canadians are changing the way we eat at 12 noon at Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington St. Sarah Elton, food columnist for CBC Radio’s Here & Now, talks about the local food movement;
    • Global perspectives: Oil and the end of globalization, 6:30 pm at the Mayfair Theatre, 1074 Bank St. Jeff Rubin, economist, energy expert and author of Why Your World Is About to Get a Whole Lot Smaller speaks on local revitalisation;
    • Global Perspectives: The Necessary Revolution, 8 pm at the Mayfair Theatre, 1074 Bank St. Joe Laur, Rabbi, teacher, Senior Manager of Greenopolis.com, and co-author (with Peter M. Senge) of The Necessary Revolution speaks on new stories and new strategies for addressing social and environmental problems.

For details see http://www.writersfestival.org/events.html.

Saturday, April 24:

  • Ottawa Eco-Stewardship Fair, 10 am-5 pm at the RA Centre, 2451 Riverside Dr. Exhibits by businesses, governments and non-profit organisations, with local artists, a 100 mile lunch, bike festival and more.

For ideas about how to live sustainably throughout the rest of the year, see Earth Day Canada at http://www.ecoactionteams.ca/pub/index.php and the David Suzuki Foundation.  Please let us know of other Earth Day events and links you’d like to share.

 

April 6, 2010

Know More, Do More

Posted by greenlivingottawa under Ottawa, food, health, household, personal care
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Written by guest blogger Denise Deby, who generally tries to do the right thing if she can figure out what that is.

Ever notice how living more sustainably goes hand in hand with healthy living? What’s good for us human beings tends to be good for the planet, whether it’s biking rather than driving, getting out for a hike instead of playing video games, or growing more of our own food and buying less processed food.

We know this, but a recent study suggests we aren’t always making healthy choices. That’s why several health partners in Ontario’s Champlain Health Region, which includes Ottawa, have launched the Know More Do More campaign.

The campaign is focused on children and parents although has tips that everyone might be able to use. (According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation, Canadians of all ages are at increased risk for heart disease, half are at an unhealthy weight, and less than half of us are getting enough physical activity.)

Know more – some findings:

  • Children should be getting 90 minutes of physical activity every day. But 87% of children in the region are not getting this, even though 90% of parents consider their child to be active or very active;
  • 10% of youth in Canada are getting less than 2 hours of screen time per day;
  • Only 1 in 8 Ontario children eats the recommended 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day.

Do more – suggestions include:

  • Make a list of physical activities you enjoy and pick one to do this week;
  • Pick out a new recipe this week to try as a family;
  • Organize a scavenger hunt with some other families;
  • Participate in a TV Turnoff Challenge for Screens Free Week April 19-25 and September 19-25;
  • Borrow a pedometer from the Ottawa Public Library (for individuals) or Ottawa Public Health (for business and community groups) and have fun counting steps.

The Know More Do More website has lots more tips and links. You can sign up there to participate (or just do it on your own). For inspiration and moral support, check out Ottawa resident Andrea Tomkins’ blog, a peek inside the fishbowl. Tomkins, along with Tracy Gorman in Petawawa, have signed up as “champion” families for the initiative.

I could say more, but the rest of my family is calling me to go fly a kite – guess I can’t say no to that now!

 

October 12, 2009

“Who wouldn’t want to pick up a chicken?”

Posted by greenlivingottawa under Ottawa, arts and culture, fair trade, food, household, media
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Written by guest blogger Denise Deby, who has worked in international and community development, and is currently trying to figure out how to connect the local with the global in her everyday life.

Experimental Farm chicken 2, Denise Deby

“Who wouldn’t want to pick up a chicken?”

That’s a line from a trailer for Mad City Chickens, a movie by Tarazod Films about raising chickens in cities.  Mad City Chickens will be screened on Wednesday, October 14 at 7:00 p.m. at Saint Paul’s University Auditorium, 223 Main Street, as part of the Reel Food Film Festival.  Admission is free, or $5 suggested donation.

Following the film, the organization Just Food will hold a discussion about the possibility of raising chickens and other livestock in urban Ottawa.  This will inform Just Food’s “Food Secure Ottawa,” a project intended to come up with recommendations for municipal policies to improve access to foods in Ottawa.

Judging from its trailers, Mad City Chickens was created by somebody with a sense of humour, but it also looks like it will be a thought-provoking examination of this aspect of producing organic and local food.

There are lots of other links out there on urban farming locally and globally, such as:

  • City Farmer, a Vancouver-based source of information on urban agriculture;
  • RUAF, resources on urban agriculture world-wide.

*  *  *

Another opportunity to see a film and participate in a discussion on food issues is on Friday, October 16, when USC Canada will be holding a Forum called “What’s On Your Plate?” as part of World Food Day.  The event will feature a screening of The Story of Food, an animated short film, and a presentation by Wayne Roberts, author of the No-Nonsense Guide to World Food.  Reception starts at 6:30 p.m. at the Library and Archives Canada Auditorium at 395 Wellington, with film at 7:30 p.m.

For yet more films showing locally on global environmental issues, check out the upcoming One World Film Festival (October 15, 23, 29 and 30).

 

April 15, 2009

Support Local Artisans Who Use the 3-Rs in Their Crafts – April 18 and 19

Posted by greenlivingottawa under 100-mile, Ottawa, arts and culture, clothing, fair trade, food, household, personal care, recycled, reduce
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Here’s an event that I wish I was in town to attend:  The third annual Salon des Artisans-Récupérateurs de L’Outaouais.  This craft fair will be on April 18th and 19th at the Tétreau Community Centre in Gatineau.  There will be over 50 crafts-people selling everything from jewellry, to clothing, accessories, paintings, sculptures, and household items.

The show is being organized by Friends of the Earth Outaouais and Véronique Bérubé of Design-Vert.  Everything for sale must be designed and made by the artisans present.  In order to qualify for the show, the items must be made primarily out of re-used or recycled materials, and be of high quality workmanship and artistry.

Alongside the craft fair there will be workshops, a recycled craft area for kids, items on display from an international contest to make toys out of reused materials, and a café.  Please note that there is no ATM on site and that many of the artisans will only be able to accept cash.

I’m honestly astonished (pleasantly) that there are 50 such artisans in our local area.  So please take the opportunity to support local environmentally-friendly crafts-people and let us imagine a day when most of the goods we buy are locally produced from sustainable sources.

Salon des Artisans-Récupérateurs de L’Outaouais

  • When: 18th and 19th of April from 10 am to 5pm.
  • Where: Tétreau Community Centre (Parc Mousette), 361 Boulevard de Lucerne, Gatineau
  • Admission is free!
  • Parking is also free, but the Community Centre is easily accessible by bike along the path that runs on the North bank of the Ottawa River.  So why not use environmentally-friendly transportation to get there.
 

March 19, 2009

The Ottawa Go Green Expo On This Weekend!

Posted by greenlivingottawa under Ottawa, arts and culture, building, clothing, energy, food, health, household, organic, personal care, recycled, transportation, waste reduction
[2] Comments 

written by guest blogger Eloise Collison. Eloise is a freelance writer, organic gardener, and fibre fanatic who lives and writes in Westboro

The Ottawa Go Green Expo takes place on the weekend of March 21st at Lansdowne Park. This is your opportunity to bring your green consumer out of hibernation; you can sample organic wine, check out the latest electric scooter or plan an environmentally conscious renovation.
Ottawa’s largest green event brings together 180 of the greenest programs, products and services under one roof. Guest speakers include Severn Cullis-Suzuki, Justin P. J. Trudeau, and David Chernushenko presenting his film Be the Change.

Vendors touch on all aspects of living green, including green home and gardens, local and organic cooking, eco-fashion, energy conservation, recreation, eco-tourism, alternative transportation, and health.

The Ottawa Go Green Expo runs from 10am – 6pm on Saturday and from 10am – 5pm on Sunday and admission is free.

Contact the Ottawa Go Green Expo at 905-477-2677 or 1-800-891-4859.
Find them on the web at: www.ottawagogreenexpo.com

Lansdowne Park
Aberdeen Pavilion
1015 Bank Street
Ottawa, Ontario K1S 3W7

 

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