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July 26, 2010

Keeping Cool in the Heat

Posted by greenlivingottawa under building, climate change, energy, household
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Written by guest blogger Denise Deby, who enjoyed visiting splash pads while researching this post.

Another beautiful summer morning. I step outside my house. The cool air carries a hint of heat to come. I hear the bright chirp of robins, the high buzz of cicadas, the deep hum of … air conditioners.

During Ottawa’s humid summers and especially in heat waves like the one we had recently, air conditioners can save lives. But running them costs us, in money, energy and greenhouse gas emissions.

And our reliance on them is increasing. Canadians’ use of energy to cool our homes has almost tripled since 1990. Now, 4 out of 5 Ontario households have some type of air conditioning. Offices and retail establishments are often so overcooled that we have to wear jackets or sweaters in them.

I was thinking about use and overuse of air conditioning when I came across the book Losing Our Cool: Uncomfortable Truths About Our Air-Conditioned World (and Finding New Ways to Get Through the Summer) by Stan Cox (The New Press, 2010). According to Cox, air conditioning has profoundly influenced recent history, as it increases global warming, alters how our bodies deal with heat, and isolates us from each other and from the outdoors. Judging by the buzz surrounding his book, Cox is on to something – many people have strong feelings about air conditioning. Cox’s view, though, is not that we should do away with air conditioning but rather that we should change how and how often we use it.

In Ottawa, fortunately, there are some alternatives for keeping cool in summer:

  • Fans: ceiling, floor, and tabletop fans can all help cool us down.
  • Natural cooling: close doors, windows and blinds when it’s hot, and open them when it’s cooler at night; try to get a cross-breeze. Outdoors, seek shade; install awnings, plant trees.
  • Water: visit a city wading pool or splash pad for free. Check out a swimming pool or beach (contact the City of Ottawa for hours, fees and conditions. On Wednesdays during July and August, seniors can swim for a loonie at city pools.) Run through a sprinkler, or spray yourself lightly with water.
  • Spend time in public places: libraries, community centres, shopping centres or other public buildings listed by the City of Ottawa (or call 3-1-1). Rainbow Cinemas and the City have an arrangement to reduce prices for movie showings when the City issues a heat warning.
  • Drink water.
  • Minimise use of appliances and lights; dry laundry outside, avoid using the oven – all those things that we know about.
  • If used, air conditioning should be energy efficient, well-maintained and the appropriate size and type for the space it cools. Turning the thermostat up a few degrees can significantly decrease electricity use; Natural Resources Canada recommends 25°C, or 28°C if the residence will be unoccupied for more than a day. Use a timer or programmable thermostat — it’s more efficient to let a room cool gradually than to try to bring the temperature down quickly. Use a “fan-only” setting in the evening and early morning to bring cooler air from outside into the house.

Using alternatives to air conditioning more often can help us get more in tune with our natural environment – living within it rather than trying to conquer it – while still staying healthy and comfortable.

 

May 27, 2010

Handkerchief Season

Posted by greenlivingottawa under health, household, organic, personal care, reduce, reuse
1 Comment 

Written by guest blogger Denise Deby, who has worked in international and community development, and is trying to figure out how to connect the local with the global in her everyday life.

I’m glad it’s spring.

I don’t know what it was these past few months, but my family went through two kinds of stomach flu, two bouts with low fevers and coughs, and a nasty cold. Nothing serious, thankfully, but low-grade annoying.

I’m grateful that we have (1) a ready supply of water (and an energy-efficient washing machine); (2) a green bin that allows for composting tissues; and (3) Hankettes.

Hankettes are these soft organic cotton cloth handkerchiefs that are great for wiping noses as well as cleaning washable marker off 4-year-olds’ stomachs (don’t ask), and numerous other uses. I picked up a pocket pack of them a few years ago at Arbour Environmental Shoppe in the Glebe. They still look and feel almost new.

I must admit to a deeper connection with those small off-white squares of cloth. After I’d first purchased some, I was visiting my dad in BC a year or two after my mom passed away. I found out that Hankettes is a small family-run business near where my parents lived in Sechelt on BC’s Sunshine Coast. My dad and I found their trailer on a wooded lot near a small house. The proprieter, Lesley, was friendly and we laughed about me coming all the way from Ottawa seeking Hankettes. I bought a few more, along with a colourful box to fold them into so they pull out like tissues. I also ended up with two organic cotton towels, and my dad, a long-time handkerchief user, bought a few of the larger Hankettes.

My dad passed away a couple of years later, and I haven’t been back to Sechelt or the trailer. But when my sisters and I cleared out my parents’ house, I found a couple of my dad’s Hankettes — somehow comforting, in more ways than one.

When I checked recently, Arbour was still carrying Hankettes, which can also be found online.

After all, allergy season is coming soon.

 

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
[4] Comments 

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
[2] Comments 

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!

 

March 27, 2010

Re-cap of World Water Day 2010 in Ottawa

Posted by greenlivingottawa under Ottawa, household, media, waste reduction
[3] Comments 

Written by guest blogger Denise Deby, who has worked in international and community development, and is still trying to figure out how to connect the local with the global in her everyday life.

March 22, 2010 was a typical Monday in Ottawa. I didn’t have to worry about my drinking water, or wait in line to use a bathroom. But over 1 billion other people in the world don’t have safe water. And 2.5 billion people don’t have access to toilet facilities.

March 22 happens to be the UN’s World Water Day. This year’s theme was water quality and links to health: “Clean Water for a Healthy World.” This, to draw attention to the fact that 4,000 children under five die every day from preventable water-related diseases, and that people suffering from such diseases fill half of the world’s hospital beds, or that water and sanitation are central to human and ecosystem health and well-being.

World Water Day has a low profile in Ottawa, but some things did happen and there are still ways you can get involved:

• On March 21, students from the University of Ottawa and Carleton University participated in the World’s Longest Toilet Queue, lining up on Parliament Hill for a chance to symbolically go to the bathroom and raise awareness.

• A screening of Blue Gold: World Water Wars, and discussion with Meredith Brown, Ottawa Riverkeeper and Brent Patterson, Council of Canadians, organised by the Ottawa Chapter of the Council of Canadians with support from the United Nations and Bridgehead, on March 22. You can find out more about the Ottawa Riverkeeper’s current activities at ottawariverkeeper.ca, and check out the movie or the book

• Our Walk to the Water, “a First Peoples’ family friendly celebration in honour of World Water Day in partnership with EcoWater Systems” took place on Victoria Island, presented by Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health.

• Watercan is launching an exhibit of photographs by Peter Bregg entitled Water for Life: An African Photo Exhibit. More information is available from Watercan.

• Celeste Cote, National Water Campaigner for Sierra Club Canada and Ottawa resident, is one of a group of people trying to use as little water as possible in the month of March. Celeste is blogging about her experience at www.sierraclub.ca/blog/water.

• Anyone can join the World’s Longest Toilet Queue virtually. By signing up you can make your voice heard before the first High-Level Meeting on Sanitation and Water in Washington, DC on April 22.

As the UN says, “We all live downstream.”

 

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