Feb 5
This fall we noticed lots of our neighbours with large boxes in their driveways. We knew exactly what was inside of them...snow blowers. I have to admit I just don't get the need for one unless you have a massive driveway (so not in a sub division) or if you have back problems or if age is an issue. Hello, we are Canadian...shoveling snow is what we do. If it was an Olympic event Canada would be getting a gold medal.

There is an environmental impact to using a snow blower. They use gas and there are emissions from them. Studies from the EPA suggest that snow blowers emit 1 pound of carbon monoxide per hour which is similar to driving the average car 70 miles. There is also the noise pollution (why oh why do people snow blow at 1AM???). It is part of the reason we will never own one as long as we live in this house. Even though we have the longest stretch of sidewalk in our neighbourhood and a large driveway.  

So then why do we have a gas lawn mower? Shouldn't the same principles apply to cutting grass and snow removal?  They should but it is really rare to see someone with a manual lawn mower. For us it is because we have significantly more grass to mow than we have area that requires shoveling. If we had a smaller yard a manual mower would have been an option.

If you do have a snow blower here are some ways to reduce their impact
* Keep them properly maintained.
* Inspect prior to each use to ensure the auger is clear of debris (do this with the unit OFF).
* Refuel in an area where you can contain any spills. Always use a funnel.
* Think about when you need to use it. Is it really required when there is only 1cm of snow on the ground?

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Feb 5
For the past 3 months I have been unplugging our cable box every night because I read that cable boxes can use as much power as a fridge. I have to admit that I was skeptical that ours uses that much since we don't have a PVR or HD box or anything like that. But I wanted to give it a try just in case our cable box was a energy sucking beast.

Turns out it isn't. 

I looked at our hydro bills for the past 3 years and here are the results.

Nov 1 - Dec 17 2009: 653.34 kWh (hello mat leave)
Nov 1 - Dec 16 2010: 598.04 kWh
Nov 1 - Dec 16 2011: 561.48 kWh

The difference between 2010 and 2011 (similar years vs 2009 when I was home on mat leave) is 36.56 kWh. We have billing that is based on Off Peak, Mid Peak and On Peak hours so having the cable box unplugged from say 10PM - 5PM would mean we were hitting the Off Peak and On Peak hours. Because of this I used the Mid Peak cost to calculate how much we saved by unplugging the cable box for 2 months. 

$3.63

That doesn't include the delivery charge, regulatory charges, debt retirement charges or tax so when you add that on it is a whopping $6.64. Which is 5.5% of our total bill. I'll be honest...it isn't worth it. It was easy unplugging it but plugging it back in and having to wait for it to start back up and get its signal was a huge pain. It would take a good 15 minutes to be back to normal. And when you have a toddler those 15 minutes are like 15 years.

If anyone has a PVR I would love to see you do a challenge similar to this and see what results you get. 

Tonight our cable box will remain plugged in and Joe is about a kajillion times happier because of it. With these results would you keep unplugging your box each night?

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Feb 5
Who or What is SAM?
icon1 Barbara | icon2 Member Posts | icon4 02 5th, 2012| icon3Comments »
Who or What is SAM? SAM is an acronym, that stands for Sustainable Asset Management, while CSR stands for Corporate Social Responsibility. Sustainability, was once only a core value and concern for a few niche companies. As few as 500 companies, back in 1999, filed sustainability reports. Today, that number has grown to about 3,500 [...]
Feb 3
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This Is Awesome!

She’s Alive… Beautiful… Finite… Hurting… Worth Dying for.

This is a non-commercial attempt to highlight the fact that world leaders, irresponsible corporates and mindless ‘consumers’ are combining to destroy life on…

Turn up the sound, sit back, breathe and enjoy the wonder.

Mother Earth is trying to tell us something. I hope that this will open your eyes to her beauty.

Breathe …. as the green future unfolds.

Feb 2
The downside of doing something like the 2011 in 2011 is that you end up with 2011 things that you have to do something with. Separating recycling, composting and trash was easy, it is the donate vs sell that is hard because seriously selling shit is a lot of work for so little money sometimes. At some consignment shops you get like 25 cents for a piece of clothing that they turn around and sell for $5. If you have more time and patience then there is always the option of selling directly to someone else. I have found that I get more money this way but I really have to wonder if it is worth it. Not just from time and energy perspective either but from the environmental perspective.


No one will debate that re-selling items so that they can be used by someone is the a great green solution. But what about the resources involved? I am on two Mom 2 Mom Facebook groups where I have sold a few things. One sale was local so I was able to drop it off on my way home from work. The other sales were in the town I grew up in and I was able to arrange the drop offs for when I was in town visiting my parents. In those situations I didn't feel like I was wasting gas or creating more emissions by selling my items.  

This week I decided it was time to start selling the rest of the stuff that is currently littering the spare bedroom. As people inquire I love that I am able to sell things that B loved and has now outgrown but I am starting to question the environmental impact of it. Is it better to just take it all to a consignment shop get my nickel and walk away knowing I sold it all in one trip or is it better to sell the items myself and get more money but have to do several drop offs at various locations?

So I have thought about it and come up with what I think is the best solution.  We have a fantastic classifieds website at work so I am going to list my items there. Anything that doesn't sell through this avenue I will try my local Mom 2 Mom Facebook site and try to arrange all drop offs to occur at the same public location around the same time so it is only one trip for me. Option 3 will be to take it to the consignment shop or donate whatever hasn't sold. 

I think that there are lots of great ways for you to re-sell your stuff without having to increase your carbon footprint. You can:

* Buy a table at a Mom 2 Mom sale. Even do it with a friend to split the cost!
* Sell to people that live or work close to you
* Group clothing together and sell as a packaged deal
* Be realistic about your pricing You will have a better chance of selling if you give discounts for someone buying more items. Plus it means less trips to get rid of all your stuff.
* Sell items that you know you can get money for. It isn't worth it to drive around dropping something off that you are selling for $1. Donate anything that you feel isn't worth it. 
* Mention that you have cleaned items with non toxic cleaners or soaps

I was going to suggest having a garage sale and this would decrease your own personal impact but think of all the people that drive around from garage sale to garage sale. I think it is still a green option but I think that there are others that have less of an overall impact.

I think this is also a great lesson to teach kids. Get them involved by allowing them to pick out what toys they want to sell or donate. If you are selling the items give a portion of it back to them to add to their piggy bank. I think it really goes a long way to showing them the value in selling and buying used goods.

How do you sell things in a way that keeps your environmental impact as low as possible?

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Jan 31
I sat down to do a "lightning round" on environmental issues with Stuart Varney on FOX Business this morning. We talked about global warming, car emissions, and green jobs.

According to Stuart, I took two out of three -- although I think it may be more like 3-0 -- and I got the last laugh!

Here's the video:

Watch the latest video at <a href="http://video.foxbusiness.com">video.foxbusiness.com</a>

And in case your browser doesn't support the format, here is a link: The Green Skeptic on FOX Business


Jan 30
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Did London Go Green for the Olympics?

London was awarded the 2012 Summer Olympics partly for the promise of making the games green. From what I can tell they have accomplished most of it.

When making room for the venues, they demolished buildings, recycled most of the materials, cleaned up the soils, re-invigorated the Lea River, and many other actions. Some of the wood utilized was not painted as it will be reused after the Olympics. That is a pretty good stab at greening the games.

Items not used were picked up by the locals for upgrading of local theaters, DIYers, etc. Most of the seating will be temporary as they will be recycled back into the community.

For a good example of low carbon building, the Veladrome was built by utilizing surplus gas pipe. That is about 1/3 of the pipe used on the Beijing Birdnest.

The London Bridge has had its lighting redone using LEDs which certainly is much cheaper and much brighter illumination. The lights can rotate to three (3) different colors and I really like that.

The streetlights on ground level are also being swapped out with LED and floodlights taking their place, for an estimated 45 percent reduction in energy use.

So what do you think? Do you believe that the Games will be greener than Beijing? Do you think that they reached a sustainability?

Green …. as the green future unfolds.

Jan 29
Yellow Snow
icon1 Go Green | icon2 Member Posts | icon4 01 29th, 2012| icon3Comments »
There are many lessons to be learned in life starting at a young age and well into adulthood. Tonight as we were shoveling our sidewalk I noticed that B was eating snow and I actually told him to not eat yellow snow. As if he even knows what means or that we could even see if it was yellow or not. But it did get me thinking about what else could be in that snow and how much control we have over our property and what we use to remove snow and ice. 

I did think about putting down some of the concrete friendly de-icer we have in our garage but as I watched B eat snow off his mittens I realized that I have no idea what is in that de-icer. I didn't buy it after all, it was leftover when Joe's plant closed 4 years ago. Joe is pretty vague about what it is when I ask so my gut is telling me that it is not something that I would agree with or want anywhere near the snow B is eating....or any other kid or pet. 

A few years ago I used EcoTraction and it works great for creating that traction on icy walkways. Joe didn't like it though, I think because he likes the ice melters. I know we need to find a solution that works for both of us and keeps everyone safe with no impact on the environment. 

It amazes me at how something as simple as seeing B eat snow can completely change one of my habits. I normally would shovel and then throw down the 'whatever the hell that stuff is' on the stairs and sidewalk. Looks like it is time to google some solutions and get rid of the other stuff. 

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Jan 29
Green Jobs Status
icon1 Linda | icon2 Member Posts | icon4 01 29th, 2012| icon3Comments »
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This Infographic Show How Green Jobs Are Growing

With all of the attention of the American people needing jobs, this infographic indicates where, who and how.

Many of the companies listed are IT companies and many of them have plans to update their computer centers into green environments.

Even NREL(National Renewable Energy Lab) is updating their huge computer center which generate a tremendous amount of heat. Many variations are being utilized.

Green jobs are not only in the wind, solar and other energy sectors but in our hometowns as well. Planting a garden on a roof top is a green job as it takes time and effort to do it. Hopefully, the expense will be worth the crop produced.

Just click on the image to enlarge it. Sometimes it may take two clicks. Either way, give it a try.

(Infographic by Jobvine Jobs)

(Infographic by Jobvine Jobs)

Pretty cool right?

Green ….. as the green future unfolds.

Jan 28
Educational Opportunities For A Green Future Educational Opportunities for a green future are out there. ??However, if you are frustrated and thinking about starting your life over, I’m sure you have heard of the opportunity available in North Dakota, where you can be Bringing Home the Bacon from The Bakken! It is no longer a [...]
Jan 28
The boys went to B's swimming lesson today so I decided to do the grocery shopping to get it out of the way so Joe didn't have to go and do it tomorrow. I brought my grocery bags with me but I completely forgot my produce bags at home. I realized it as I picked up Joe's oranges. So instead of using a plastic produce bag I just put the fruit into my cart. You should have seen the looks I got. It was like I was putting babies and poisonous snakes in my cart (which I wasn't because everyone knows you can't get either of those at a legit grocery store). I did have to use some plastic bags for some things I bought, like the bulk popcorn kernels. Because those I can't just dump in the cart and I think the cashier would have been pissed if I just pulled handfuls out of my pockets for her to weigh (plus who wants to pay extra for the pocket lint that would have been mixed in with the popcorn).

I was on the hunt for brown paper bags so we can make popcorn in the microwave without all the chemicals in microwave popcorn bags. I had no idea what aisle they were in so I went up and down all of them. You know what....the cleaning aisle really fucking stinks. I mean seriously how does anyone walk down that aisle and A. not pass out from the fumes, B. not get a perma migraine and C. pick anything up off the shelf?  It is sensory overload with all the fragrances messing together. If it is that strong of a smell when the bottle is unopened imagine when it is opened. Note to self - never go into the aisle again because I feel like I lost 5 brain cells doing it today.

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Jan 27
Renmatix Super Converter
What is the future of BioFuels?

From algae to switchgrass and wood waste to sewer grease, many advances in next generation biofuels are being made today. But what is realistic and how do you cut through the hope and hype to get at viable solutions?

The US military is one of the largest investors in advanced biofuels development and is in a position to make the market ripe for commercialization on a massive scale. Can it do for biofuels what it did for GPS and the Internet?

I'll be moderating an informative and lively dialogue with industry experts, entrepreneurs and investors on the current state and future potential of this emerging growth sector.

Featuring:
Mike Hamilton, CEO, Renmatix, Inc.
Sam Gabbita, Partner, Element Partners
Steve McCracken, Director of Strategic Marketing & Sales, AMERIgreen Energy

A Philadelphia Alliance for Capital and Technology & Cleantech Alliance Mid-Atlantic event, it takes place Thursday, February 16, 2012, at the offices of Morgan Lewis in Philadelphia.

You can register today at: The Future of Biofuels


(Full disclosure: I am a co-founder and board member of the Cleantech Alliance Mid-Atlantic, a business network for cleantech entrepreneurs, investors, and service providers.)


Jan 26
This is just so perfect. On the way home I was thinking about Wordless Wednesday and hoping I could catch Joe in this situation. A perfect follow-up to our discussion on Monday. As Joe was cleaning up the kitchen the exact situation I was thinking about played out. This is what happens in our house. The water is running on full (and hot) and he is no where near the sink. In fact he is unloading the dishwasher which requires 0 water.


Jan 23
Speed Bumps
icon1 Go Green | icon2 Member Posts | icon4 01 23rd, 2012| icon3Comments »
Sometimes on our green journey we encounter speed bumps. Little things that slow us down or even take us on a completely different path. We aren't perfect and that sometimes means that we have to chose something that is not as green as we would like or heck not green at all. I try to not let it bother me when this happens but it is hard to not be a bit disappointed. 


Speed Bump #1 - Food
I love me some food. And Joe loves meat. We (okay I) try to make sustainable choices for us but its hard yo. Organic and local is easy compared to non-GMO, no HFCS, No Nestle, and Fuck Monsanto. How does we even know what is GMO and what isn't? How do we know if Monsanto is linked to our food? HFCS is in everything and all the delicious stuff. No Nestle has been easy for me as long as I read all the labels closely. Joe on the other hand is not on board with it...because he loves Smarties.

Solutions to Reduce our Impact
* We buy local and organic as often as possible. 
* We don't eat meat every night.
* We have a garden.
* We buy brands that we have investigated to ensure they are legit (as far as we can tell).
* HFCS, non-GMO and Fuck Monsanto are work in progress for me. Solutions are welcome.

Speed Bump #2 - Hair Care
I have had zero success with green hair products and I am terrified to try no-poo because I know I would have greasy hair for like 2 weeks. So I continue to use semi-green hair care products and some not so green. ::hangs chemical laden hair in shame::

Solutions to Reduce our Impact
* I found a recipe to make my own hairspray
* I will keep looking for shampoo/conditioner options for myself and Joe

Speed Bump #3 - Diapers and Wipes
We tried cloth diapering and it just did not work for us or for B. There were so many factors at play but it came down to the fact that B broke out in a horrible rash from them. It may have been the diapers from the service we were using but regardless it meant we switched to disposables. We planned on switching back when he hit 6 months (and was going through less diapers each day) but our daycare provider wouldn't do cloth so we had to stick with disposable. 

Solutions to Reduce our Impact
* We looked a lots of options for diapers and settled on Nature BabyCare based on what their diapers are made from (plus they work awesome)
* We use Nature BabyCare again because of what they are made from but recently tried out Jackson Reece wipes and OMG they rocked our socks off. They worked so good we only had to use half the amount we normally used to, they are made from natural ingredients AND they break down in your composter.

Speed Bump #4 - Water Usage (not mine)
Joe uses a lot of water sometimes...pretty much the entire time he is in the washroom or the kitchen the water is running. I don't know why he does it, I don't think he knows why he does it. I have come to the conclusion that there is no changing this and thus it is not worth my energy to try and fight it. DISCLAIMER - I reserve the right to turn the water off when I walk by.

What are your Speed Bumps? Do they keep you up at night or are you all cool with them?

Check out other blogs and what their speed bumps are as part of Change the World Wednesday.

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Jan 23
Hackers hacking at Cleanweb Hackathon, NYC.
What if you put a bunch of developers in the room, gave them access to datasets and APIs and set them loose on the planet's resource problems over a weekend?

Well, the folks behind Cleanweb Hackathon did just that on Saturday and Sunday in New York City.

The result may just be the start of a revolution in cleanweb solutions. The cleanweb, as defined by the hackathon's organizers, uses information technology, the Internet, and social media to address the issues of energy, transportation, and smart grid.

"Information technology is the most powerful lever we have to address resource constraints," as Sunil Paul of Spring Ventures told the audience at NYU's Tisch Center of the Arts before Sunday's project presentations.

Some of the intriguing projects from this weekend include TripWatchers, which founder Ryan Rzepecki calls the "Weight Watchers for vehicle owners," allows drivers to log their routes, track vehicle-related expenses and receive suggestions for how to reduce the impact of their travel such as potential car pooling and public transportation alternatives.

The audience choice award and best overall hack went to Econofy "E-Star," a web-based rating system of consumer products that allows for visual comparison shopping around energy efficiency.

Another cool hack was NYC BLDG, which tracks the energy use and greenhouse gas emissions of city buildings in real-time and puts them into competition.
Hackers will hack for food.

And building on the "Occupy Rooftops" theme of its community solar day back in November, SolarMosaic created Mosaic Map, a web app that maps solar projects socially and in real-time. The idea is to allow project developers to find financing and generate leads for financiers such as, well, SolarMosaic.

The original Cleanweb Hackathon was held last September in San Francisco and another is planned for later  this year. There's even a Bay Area-based business incubator for the cleanweb called Greenstart.

Dave Graham, founder of Greenstart, said "If Y Combinator had a love child with IDEO at the intersection of energy and IT, it would be Greenstart." Greenstart has invested in nine companies so far, putting them through a 12-week intensive program. Graham noted there is a March 5th deadline for the next round of applicants.

I've long argued for more focus on the killer apps that will make a difference today in the cleantech and energy space. Cleanweb drives us closer to a more capital and energy efficient model. Events like this one may be the start of a cleanweb revolution.


Jan 22
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Tekon, Environmentally friendly water based cleaner/polisher

Tekon has developed the first lifetime clean glass coating process for architectural applications and is specified by leading architects for major projects, exclusively.

Tekon advanced technology opens a new chapter in the maintenance cost, visibility, appearances and life of architectural glass products.

Protective treatment, Tekon , is applied to new or installed glass. This chemical process links oxygen with carbon in the porous surface, blocking hydrolysis, making it super hydrophobic and repellant. Water beads up and runs off like quicksilver.

Tekon consists of multiple co-polymers that prevent hard water, soap and other stains from adhering to the surface. Dirt rinses away leaving the glass sparkling clear and streak-less. Cleaning is far less frequent and much easier, without “harsh cleaners” of any kind.


Under a microscope, new glass is seen to be very rough and porous. Contaminates, oil, hard water deposits, finger prints, even dust cling to the surface. Water spotting can become permanently part of the glass.


Tekon transforms glass at the molecular level creating a highly hydrophobic smoother surface that is slick, impervious to moisture, thereby blocking corrosion and permanent spots.

TEKON bonds and seals to almost all hard surfaces such as:

GLASS
FIBERGLASS
PLASTICS
GRANITE
MARBLE
STONE
PORCELAIN
CERAMIC
VINYL
ALUMINUM
CHROME
STAINLESS STEEL

Tekon products come in a variety of home kits: the Bath Kit, Countertop Kit, Stone Care Kit and Stainless Steel Kit.  They can be used on sliding glass doors, shower doors, kitchen counters, sinks and floors.

The product has been on the market for a while but there is no reason why it cannot be brought to your attention now. Especially if you can get rid of the harsh chemicals in your home when using Tekon.

Tekon …. as the green future unfolds.

Jan 21
This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of MatchBook for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine. Everyone knows, collage education is expensive these days. So,if you’re paying for college or know somebody who is, you know what I’m talking about. Paying tuition is just part of the financial strain, that forces many [...]
Jan 20
This morning I sat down with Charles Payne on FOX Business's Varney & Co to talk tar sands, the Keystone XL pipeline, and environmental victories.

My opinions shouldn't surprise you if you're a regular reader of The Green Skeptic.

Here's the video:

Watch the latest video at &amp;lt;a href="http://video.foxbusiness.com"&amp;gt;video.foxbusiness.com&amp;lt;/a&amp;gt;

And here is a link in the event that your browser doesn't accept the format:

The Green Skeptic on FOX Business



Jan 20
I am frickin tired. And not just end of week kind of tired...this is the kind of exhaustion that comes from running in heels. Taking stairs 2 a time...in heels. Commuters don't seem to wear running shoes to/from work like the ladies in Toronto do. 

 That's right ladies....it's on.

I'm still in London this week and each day I take the train to work. Usually I get my ticket on time and am standing there waiting a few minutes before they announce which track the train is on. But some days...like today I leave my hotel room 2 minutes later than normal and I am hauling ass through the station to get to the train on time. 

It is the trip back to the hotel that wears me out. My shuttle leaves 10 minutes before the train arrives. Everyone else in the shuttle is somewhat calm but not me. Nope on the inside I am always screaming OMG MAKE THE LIGHT. Or WHY ARE YOU STOPPING FOR THAT BUS. I'm pretty sure I have the door to the van open before we even stop and then I (and everyone else on my train) sprint into the station. Of course our train is not right beside the station...we have to climb stairs and run across a bridge over the tracks and then down more stairs. Again...3 of the 5 days I have been in heels while doing this.

I have a whole new respect for anyone who takes public transit to work. My brother has been riding the Go Train (Toronto commuter train) for a decade and he is now a God in my books. How does he handle this kind of stress??? I don't want to say it because this is counter to my crunchy ways but it is way less stressful sitting in a car in traffic. I wonder if that is why so many people do not take public transit? If the stress of catching the train or the bus or the tube (hahaha already picking up the lingo) is just too much to do every day. Some days I have to stop what I am doing and quickly pack up so I can catch the shuttle to get the train. Sure I could wait for the next shuttle and next train but that one isn't express and for some unknown reason that pushes me to get out the door in a mad rush to get the express.

Now having said all of this I do enjoy the little commuter community that I have seen going on. I see the same people on the train each day and we do nod to each other or roll our eyes if we are running late. And people have been super kind in helping me out if I have that 'where the fuck am I going' look on my face. 

If there was better public transit at home I would consider taking it to work. I would just wear something other than heels for the journey (and I would always have wine in the fridge because lets be serious...wine cures all).

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Jan 20
“Who Cares About This Planet?” – Challenge Back on November 1, 2011, I wrote this post entitled “Who Cares About This Planet?” -Challenge.  The challenge was announced by Planet People, inviting you to enter your own environmentally friendly and innovative projects or ideas, that could make an impact your community, and show Who Cares About [...]

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