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!

 

March 29, 2010

Sick of Your Wardrobe? Make a Swap April 2nd

Posted by greenlivingottawa under Ottawa, clothing, personal care, reduce, reuse, waste reduction
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By guest blogger Marilyn Champagne

Do you have too many clothes that don’t fit anymore?  Do you sometimes buy things on impulse but never end up wearing them?  Would you like to declutter your house but dont`t want to all your things to go to waste?  Would you like to get new clothes but don’t have money to spend?

Then our clothing swaps might be for you! :)

I started a clothing swap club in Montréal which became very popular, with over 250 members.  Last year, when I moved to Ottawa, I started one here too; it’s called the Garde-robe collectif and we have around 70 members so far.

Clothing swaps are events where people bring used clothing and other items that they don’t want anymore and can take things that other people brought, so it’s a win-win situation; you can get rid of things that are wasting valuable space in your home without creating more waste since your things will either go home with someone else or be given to a charity if nobody wants them, and get new things in an environmentally friendly way by reusing items, without having to spend any money!

The Garde-robe collectif meets once every two months at one of our members’ place.  Usually, 5-10 people attend each swap.  People can bring any clothes, accessories, shoes as well as books, CDs, DVDs, and other small household items that they don’t want anymore.  We put everything together and people take what they like; there is no minimum or maximum of items to bring or take. Whatever is left at the end goes to the Salvation Army.  Sometimes we get local designers to give us samples or items from their older collections for the swap as well.  There is usually food prepared by the host or brought by attendees :)   It’s a fun way to meet people who are also into a greener and more frugal lifestyle in Ottawa-Gatineau!

It’s free for people to join our club.  You can either join the mailing list by sending an email to garderobecollectifathotmail.fr, or look for le Garde-robe collectif group on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=14625518938

Here is an interview about my club that aired on the CBC Ottawa (Frugalista) if you want more info: http://www.cbc.ca/ottawablog/2009/07/swap_till_you_drop.html

Our next swap will be Friday, April 2nd at 10 AM in the ByWard Market area and there is still room for people to participate! :)   Feel free to email me if you have any questions or would like to attend our current or future events!

Marilyn
Founder, president
Garde-robe collectif

 

March 27, 2010

Re-cap of World Water Day 2010 in Ottawa

Posted by greenlivingottawa under Ottawa, household, media, waste reduction
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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.”

 

March 24, 2010

Beautiful Short Film by Local Film-maker

Posted by greenlivingottawa under arts and culture, flora and fauna, media
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Vinko Totic has been hosting movie showings and discussions in Ottawa and Gatineau for a number of years.  After taking a program in documentary film-making at Algonquin College, he has produced a beautiful movie about nature, civil war and choosing life.  The movie, which is 7 minutes and 7 seconds long has been short-listed in Radio Canada’s Roots Contest. Congratulations Vinko!  It is a beautiful and moving short film.

Vinko writes:  “This is a story about a personal experience in my village of Janjac, in Bosnia.  After the last civil war, I had an opportunity to contemplate the duality of life and death through the illusionary window of an abandoned, and largely destroyed house. That house once belonged to my great uncle and I remember it full of life and excitement. Being in that spot at that time, I consciously chose life over death by looking into the magic of sunlight, the beauty of nature and the village, as well as the simplicity of people’s life.”

You can watch Vinko’s movie until the end of April 2010 at: The Window on Roots.

 

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