Letting the water run while doing the dishes drives me mad

Of course, women make these mistakes too, but since I am a woman and well, this is my blog, I’m talking about my experience!  And before you “stupid boyfriends” get mad at me, I don’t actually think you’re stupid, I just think you need a little whip in the green direction.

Let’s face it, relationships are hard. When things can already seem tumultuous, having a partner that’s not as “green” as you can drive you over the edge for something as menial as letting the water run. It shouldn’t be a deal breaker but rather a chance to teach someone about your values and how they can make a difference in the world.

So I’ve rallied up my past experience and that of my girlfriends to compile this list of 10 things partners do that drive us mad.

1. Boiling water on a stove without a lid – I’ve never understood why people do that. Besides waste energy, it simply takes more time to cook your food.
2. Throwing away recyclables – The last thing I want to see when I come home from work is pasta sauce jars, cat food tin cans and toilet paper rolls in the garbage. These things are so easily recyclable. They just need a quick little rinse and they’re good to go into the recycling bin.
3. Buying non environmentally-friendly cleaning products – I’ve been trying so hard over the past 2 years to use up all my old cleaners and replace them with eco-friendly versions. So although I appreciate the effort of someone picking up dish soap when I’m out, it’d be nice if they could pick up an eco-friendly one so I don’t have to stare at Mr. Clean for another year!
4. Leaving the lights on -Plain and simple; if you’re not in the room, turn the lights off. Not only will you reduce your monthly energy consumption but you’ll also lower your energy bill. Every little bit helps to reduce our demand so we don’t have to build more dams.
5. Leaving the heat on (or air-conditioner) – I unfortunately don’t have an automatic thermostat so I make sure that when i leave for work in the morning, I turn the heat off in every room. Otherwise, it’ll keep heating, regardless if the room needs it or not and that’s a real waste. And if it gets too hot in one room, please turn down the heat as opposed to opening the window while the heat is still on. Oh yes, I’ve seen this happen. It aggravates me like nails down a chalk board, nails down a chalkboard!
6. Letting the water run while they brush their teeth or wash dishes – Ooh this one drives me mad. Seeing someone foam up their mouth with toothpaste while the water just pours down the drain makes me want to pull my hair put. Same thing for dishes. A quick solution is either to soak all dishes then rinse one by one or to turn the water off while you scrub the dishes. The goal is not to have water going down the drain for nothing. Water is a precious resource, people who have been to Africa or heck, gone camping, understand this very well.
7. Running the dishwasher or washing machine with half empty loads – This is a big no-no! I’ve gone 2 or 3 days before turning on a dishwasher just because I was waiting to fill it up. If you need some dishes right away but don’t have enough for a full load, try washing the necessary ones right away in the sink so you can at least wait to turn on the dishwasher when it finally fills up. Same thing for washing machines and dryers, try to wait for full loads, and don’t forget to wash in cold water.
8. Leaving the TV or radio on in an empty room – I get leaving them on for background noise if you’re in the same room, but if you’ve left the room, please turn your electronic devices off. This can especially be a problem with children so make sure to teach them young so they don’t grow up with this bad habit.
9. Buying water bottles instead of using a water filter – Ok, once in a while it happens that we buy bottled water, but please, at least recycle the bottle after. If you find yourself continually buying them for transportation purposes, invest in a $15 BPA-free sports bottle that you can cart around. Don’t forget to fill it up with filtered water from home or TapIt while out and about.
10. Letting the car idle while stopped – This is more of a new initiative we’re starting to see implemented throughout cities. Municipal by-laws are being passed whereby taxis and motor coaches must turn off their engines while waiting. Idling wastes fuel, degrades local air quality and contributes to climate change.  I’ve known men that while waiting for me outside, would literally idle in their car with the music on for up to 20 minutes.  So, I’ll do my best to leave the house quicker but men you have got to turn that engine off while waiting for anything over 1 minute and run the radio off your battery. According to the government of British Columbia, idling over 10 seconds will waste more gas then turning your engine off and on. So save gas and the environment by turning your car off. For all you non-believers, check out idlefreebc for more information.

Reality check - If you’re the greeny in a relationship, you can’t just assume that your partner will do exactly as you would, as not everyone has green values. The solution? Communication, pure and simple.

When you move in together or even you’ve been living together for years, you have to let them know what you expect from them and show them how they can do it. I know this sounds more like training a dog but seriously, if you catch them improving on the green front, reward them for it and tell them you’re proud.

Everything above is simple, if not, common sense. So don’t let my getting sued for using a picture of my ex go to waste, communicate your wishes to your partner so you can live in peace and harmony!

Oh and while we’re at it, do let them know you’re also open to changing something you do that drives them insane. Just because we’re green doesn’t mean we’re saints, although I’d sometimes like to believe we are!

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Me with clutch purse made from recycled pop-can pull-tabs

According to Wikipedia, Upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value.

I recently learned about upcycling after a Sunday morning brunch with a friend at Aux Vivres, a favourite Montreal vegan restaurant, when we discovered a hip, little, eco shop while walking down St Laurent blvd.  Il était deux fois (Once upon two times) is the newest boutique to have opened up by an American transplant that saw a market for recycled items at a premium price.

Purses made from discarded candy wrappers and pop-can pull tabs

Decisions, decisions; so many purses to choose from. These chic and unique purses are definite art pieces. What I really like the most about them, besides being made from what would otherwise be discarded, is that they are all fair-trade. Each purse is signed by the maker themselves from a shop in Brazil.  I won’t lie, these purses cost a pretty penny, i believe the clutches start around $50 or so, but at least you know the money is going to a good cause.

Back in April 2009, I bought an Ecoist purse at the airport in DC, that was made with misprinted magazine papers from Mexico. I’ve also seen them made form New York subway tickets and Wrigley gum wrappers. And if you think this sounds junky, don’t be fooled, these purses are showing up in the latest fashion magazines like Vogue and on runways across Europe!  Green fashion is so hot right now!

Cork boards made from reused wine corks and hockey stick mirrors

Do you like to drink wine? I sure do! This wine cork board is the perfect way to reuse corks and who doesn’t need an extra place to pin important pieces of paper or concert tickets to a wall? And talk about these mirrors made from broken hockey sticks! With such a vintage look, they would be the perfect decoration for any boys’ bedroom wall.

Escama Studio pop-can pull-tab bracelets and necklaces

These jewellery pieces were the best. Necklaces and bracelets made from pop-can pull-tabs. These ones were made from the Brazilian company Escama Studio. Whoever would have thought that something so cheap could produce something so glamourous.

I bought a bracelet for myself. It cost me around $25 but I feel good knowing that my money is going to a fair-trade company helping to get Brazilians off the street.

The next time you go to throw something away in the trash, just ask yourself if there’s a better way. Could you reuse it in some way shape or form to create a masterpiece? Could it become the next art project for your kids perhaps?

If visiting Montréal, check out  this 3-block strech of St Laurent boulevard between Mont-Royal and Villeneuve which is now being dubbed the Green Mile full of eco-boutiques, veggy restaurants and high-end consignment stores.

Il était deux fois is located at 4539 St-Laurent Boulevard in Montreal (1 block north of Mont-Royal).

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George's opening speech at the World premiere of Terriens in Montréal

The world premiere of Earthlings in French, “Terriens”, was a smashing success last Friday night with more than 750 people squeezing into the theatre at UQAM. The ambiance was definitely full of love and excitement. Besides Georges Laraque, special guests included 2 other Montreal Canadiens; Maxim Lapierre and Michael Cammalleri.

Special NHL guests Maxim Lapierre and Michael Cammalleri

The event started with a sneak preview of “Unity” the sequel to Earthlings which is slated to air this Spring. The 3 minute trailor shows nothing more than 2 cows waiting in single file to be stunned at the slaughterhouse.

A door lifts and the worker comes and hits the first cow with an electric prod to move him into the next room. The remaining cow, hearing the noises of what is happening to his comrade, backups and starts trying to turn around to get out, but can’t, because he is stuck in this narrow passage. The look in his eyes says it all “I am scared and don’t want to die”.

I brought 10 amazing friends to this event whom were all open-minded to see how animals suffer for food, pets, fashion, entertainment and medical research. Most of them confessed to Unity being more powerful than actual images of animals being slaughtered because it explored the connection between human and animal consciousness.

Vegan food pyramid: Recommended by the Dietitians of Canada

At the end of the film when viewers were now convinced that, they too, must become vegetarian, Georges did what I thought was excellent. He brought out his nutritionist Anne-Marie Roy who gave a presentation on vegan diets.

Not only did she dismiss many myths like protein deficiency etc., she then showed how the top North American nutritional organizations like the Dietitians of Canada and the American Dietetic Association not only recommend vegan diets but state that they actually prevent many illnesses like colon cancer, diabetes, kidney stones, heart disease and so on.

Environmental destruction due to meat production

Carl Saucier-Bouffard, an Oxford grad and Professor of Ethics, from the Vegetarian Association of Montreal and representative for the Green Party of Canada gave a passionate speech on how meat production is destructive to the environment. Did you know that meat production including transport and food is responsible for more greenhouse gas emissions then all human transportation put together?

Meatless Monday's are an excellent way to give up meat progressively

For those who felt overwhelmed by vegetarianism, Carl Saucier-Bouffard gave an informative presentation on Meatless Monday’s (les lundis sans viande) to help introduce vegetarianism slowly to those who are interested.

George Laraque giving away an autographed jersey

After the presentations, a draw was held for chic, cruelty-free Matt & Natt purses and hand bags, hockey tickets and of course, autographed hockey jersey’s.

Musique Plus interviewer states he too has been vegetarian for 3 years

Lots of local media showed up. The best was when the interviewer from Musique Plus (French Canadian MTV) told George Laraque how much of an inspiration he was to him and that he too has been vegetarian for 3 years! Amazing!

Director and Producer, Shaun Monson, autographs "Terriens" poster

Shaun Monson, the director and producer of Earthlings (Terriens) flew in from LA for the event. Here he is autographing posters for fans.

Georges Laraque autographs Terriens DVD for fan

For those wishing to purchase it, Earthlings is available for sale in both English and French. For those who live in Montreal, regular free screenings are supposed to happen in town thanks to Georges Laraque. Free Earthling screenings will be posted here.

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NHL superstar, Georges Laraque, turns vegan

(Film info below)

Barely 7 months ago, this NHL hockey superstar, Georges Laraque, shocked fans across North America with his decision to become vegan after watching the award-winning film Earthlings. As if he didn’t get enough flack for being a “black hockey player”, he took media criticism to another level with his decision to defend the animals and the environment. Despite it all, he continues to make a huge difference in the world and for that – he truly rocks!

I recently had the pleasure of meeting this true hockey hero this past month for his birthday at Chu Chai, Montreal’s best Vegetarian Thai restaurant. What I really respect about him, is that he has taken veganism to the next level by getting involved in animal rights activism making the public aware of such atrocities as puppy mills and the fur industry.

Urban Green Girl with Georges Laraque at ChuChai celebrating his b-day

After his dramatic lifestyle change, Georges took it upon himself to contact Shaun Monson, Earthlings’ film maker in LA, offering to create the French version of this eye-opening documentary by doing the narration in French.  The English film was originally narrated by Academy-Award winning actor Joaquim Phoenix. Shaun, eager to bring this film to international heights, jumped at this opportunity. He flew to Montreal, worked in studio with Georges and the rest is history.

The official French version is now ready and Georges Laraque will be premiering this film on January 8th in Montreal at UQAM university. Georges plans on doing as many free screenings of this film as possible in both English and French throughout Montreal. To be honest, I wouldn’t be surprised if France would be next on his list.

Come meet Georges Laraque at the World Premiere screening of Earthlings on Jan 8, 2010 (Terriens – French version).

7pm on Jan 8th 2010 in Montreal.
UQAM 405 Ste. Catherine East, Montreal
Room J-M 400 “Marie-Gerin Lajoie”

Tickets are FREE but First Come First Serve

It will be possible to get a copy of the DVD for $15  and Georges Laraque will be on hand to autograph them

Sign up on the Facebook event

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Dropping off my desktop computer at PC Recycle in Montreal

To me, throwing your old computer out on the street is absolutely unacceptable. But let’s be honest, what’s the alternative? It’s not like there’s a company that comes to our mind when we want to get rid of our computer?

Sure you can send your computer back to Dell or Sony if you buy another one of their computers, but I didn’t. Dell wouldn’t take my Dell Inspiron desktop back because I bought a Sony laptop.

Absolutely unacceptable! Old computer thrown out on street for garbage

So through a little investigation, I found a company called PC Recycle in Montréal that actually picks up old computers from businesses or the public can drop them off there.

PC recycle Montreal, an alternative to e-waste

What to do with your old computer:

What to do will vary from place to place, but here are a few general tips that should bring about a result for anyone!

1. First contact the manufacturer to see if they offer ‘pick up for recycling’ programs
2. Contact the retailer where you bought it
3. Read How to recycle your TV for a list of organizations in Canada and US that recycle electronics
4. Contact your municipality for recycling programs
5. Google Your city + computer recycling for potential recycling companies in your area

I agree that a little work might be needed to actually find a solution, but the time it takes you to find a solution is much quicker than eternity, which is the amount of time your computer will sit in a landfill, polluting the environment. Yes, it might be a pain in the ass, it was for me, but man do I feel great knowing that my computer will be recycled and not contribute to e-waste.

Did you find a way to recycle your old computer or electronics? Tell me about it.

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Did you know that 20% of all CO2 released into the air “from humans” comes from the clearing of forests? That’s right, cutting them down results in more carbon being released into the air then cars, trucks, trains and planes combined. That’s huge!

This December, global leaders, including Obama, will be meeting in Copenhagen to discuss climate change. They must address deforestation if they want to make a difference. In order to make this happen, CPAWS (Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society) just launched a great campaign called MakeForestsCount which includes a petition to Canada and United States asking them to:

• Protect intact forests and wetlands;
• Account fully for the carbon lost by cutting forests and destroying wetlands — accounting must be based on actual changes in emissions from the past.
• Help developing countries to reduce deforestation and forest degradation while protecting Indigenous Peoples’ rights.

So if YOU want to make a difference against climate change, go to MakeForestsCount.org and sign the petition today!

Watch the video:

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Car sharing gives you the benefits of a car in an eco-friendly fashion

Lets face it, in an urban world, there are just some times where we need to have a car. From  picking up friends or family at the airport and transporting furniture or big purchases to simply wanting to get out of town for the week-end, the use of a car is imminent.

In my day to day life, I fortunately do not need a car.  I use the metro (subway) to get to work and can walk to all necessary stores and services. This is one of the reasons I believe living in a urban centre is actually quite eco. However, there are times where I legitimately need a car. So here’s what I did, I became one of 20,000 Canadians that signed up for car-sharing. I did it with Communauto.

About car sharing:

Car sharing is one of the coolest trends in the “eco” movement and is practiced around the world, especially in Europe. It started in Switzerland in 1987 and made its way to North America via Quebec in 1993. It entails sharing a car with others through an organisation, only when you need it. It is the perfect compliment to someone like me who uses public transport but needs a car from time to time. It has apparently become so popular in the urban eco movement that new condo developments are being built with parking spaces available for cars from car-sharing companies only.

My experience with car sharing:

In Montreal, I joined Communauto who have existed in Québec for over 15 years and have over 300 locations throughout the city. Their service has proved so successful that they can’t even advertise because demand is growing so fast!

I pay a nominal membership fee. With the package I chose, I pay $7 a month plus a small fee for the time and mileage of each trip I make. They have a fleet of Toyota Echos and Matrix’s. Gas, insurance and repairs are all included in my membership cost and if ever I get into an accident, I have a $0 deductible. Once I have reserved a car either online or by phone, I simply take the car’s key from the lock box located in the parking lot. It’s that simple – user operated.

Communauto provides its members with exclusive access to its vehicles. By becoming a Communauto subscriber, you gain access to a fleet of cars that you can reserve at low cost for a half-hour, an hour, a day or longer, according to your needs. Located in the heart of your neighbourhood, the cars are available without delay, 24/7.

Benefits of car sharing:

• Reduces air pollution and congestion
• Cheaper than owning a car
• All the benefits of needing a car without the hassles of repairs, insurance, gas and maintenance
• Convenient – available 24/7
• Perfect for hourly use
• Gas is free
• It’s cool

An introduction to car sharing – CBC.ca

How to find a car sharing organisation near you:

Even if you don’t live in gorgeous Montreal, don’t lose interest. Here is a list of car sharing operators throughout the world. One of the biggest in North America is Zipcar who is located across urban centres and even on some university campuses. In Canada, a great reference is Car sharing in Canada.

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Reduce plastic bag and litter waste by reusing resealable pet food bags

If you’re like me, you hate cleaning the cat’s litter box. On top of that, you probably use your grocery store bags, but now that you’re using reusable grocery store bags, you have fewer of these left and they’re reserved mainly for your garbage can. Am I right?

Here’s a tip i discovered. Nowadays, a lot of dry pet food comes in these resealable zip lock type bags. So, rather than throwing them out, I reuse them for litter waste.  One 9lb bag reduces the need for 10 grocery store bags.  This bag will last 1-2 weeks and I can clean out the litter box more frequently. This makes my cats happier too.

Smart? I think so. Just another way of implementing the 4 R’s of waste management.

Rethink -> Reduce -> Reuse -> Recycle

Putting the litter in the resealable cat food bag

Not only can you clean the litter out more frequently by using this same bag, there’s also less odor since i can easily store this bag on my balcony.

Clean litter box thanks to reused pet food bag

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All natural lip glosses in colours you desire like Ruby red and Pearl

Do you feel guilty buying make-up because you feel the act is not “green”? Or worse, you’re worried about the chemical ingredients?

Well, I just found the greatest discovery this past week-end while visiting a new health food store; a line of completely eco lip balms and glosses by Kiss my Face. They’re 100% natural and 91% organic. It’s part of their shimmers & shines collection.

Along with the trend of mineral make-up, they created these products with natural minerals for the colours and instead of using petroleum for the base, they’re made with natural oils like shea butter, castor, peppermint, and french vanilla flavoured oil.

I’m a stickler when it comes to ingredients yet there’s not one ingredient in there that I would say is bad and instead of using chemical preservatives, they uses vitamin E.

Alba Pineapple Quench lip balm for intense nourishment

If you’re looking for intense moisture recovery for your lips, I would recommend the Pineapple Quench lip balm by Alba Botanicals. It is totally nourishing and tastes great, not that I eat it of course. I also use their Hawaiian hair wash and conditioner and although it smells delectable, I find it’s too rich for my hair as it feels a little oily afterwards.

Have any eco favourites that you’d like to share?

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Urban Green Girl's Master Cleanse Results

Three weeks have passed since I finished my master cleanse and I am ready to give you the results.

My skin didn’t clear up like I was hoping, so this just proves that it is, indeed, hormonal and stress related. Asides from having a huge feeling  of self accomplishment and pride, I did lose 7lbs overall, and this wasn’t even a goal. It has been 3 weeks since I finished, and this weight hasn’t come back. I have, however, been careful to not over eat since this was a good starting over point for me.

Pros:

• Sense of accomplishment
• Stable weight loss, 7lbs overall
• Toxin removal
• Better appreciation for food
• Eat better (eat more grains)

Cons:

• Did not clear my acne
• Took 2-3 weeks to get my digestive system back to normal
• Went on a food binge afterwards
• No difference in energy levels or fatigue (but other facts explain this, like going to bed at 1am)

Tips:

Introduce foods very slowly after finishing the master cleanse. Eat lots of soups (homemade if possible) and easily digestible foods like vegetables and grains, smoothies and humus with pita.  Continue taking the laxative tea, once every 3 days.

Would I ever do it again?

Absolutely! Once a year. I believe yearly cleansing is important for overall health, whether I would do this one or another one is yet to be determined. I would, however, consider doing the master cleanse again though. I would also suggest finishing it with a liver cleanse like I did. Just remember to do the parasite cleanse before. I used the product clear from Awareness. Not only does clear kill all stages of parasite development, it is also an antibiotic and virus killer that doesn’t harm your immune system.

I have been able to heal myself from strep throat by using this product. It also gives immediate pain relief to sore throats by opening the capsules up and swirling the herbs on the back of your throat with your tongue and a bit of saliva. You might not like the “herby” taste, but it works. I swear by this product. It would also be a great product to take if backpacking in developing countries.

How to find a naturopath:

Cleansing or detoxing may not be for everyone. Whenever venturing into any kind of health treatment, it is always wise to seek professional advice. You may be someone that might need to follow different procedures then what I did, especially if you have health problems or have abused any types of drugs or alcohol in the past. I did my cleanse under the guidance of a naturopath, I would suggest you do too.

In Canada, contact the Canadian Association of Naturopaths

In United States, contact the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians

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