As another October comes to a close, many of us will find ourselves viewing the world through rose coloured lenses as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month brings an explosion of pink everything – from ribbons and bracelets to blenders and frying pans. And while we’ve all heard about the problems with greenwashing (explored in my earlier article …
I bike everywhere in the city. I strap on my helmet and birkenstocks and head for the streets. But sometimes I like to look a little more ‘put together’ than usual. In the post Bike Love I talked about the wide range of biking benefits. There’s the obvious fact that bikes don’t release greenhouse gas emissions …
I may be a dedicated zero waste advocate, but just like everyone else I have guilty pleasures and moments of weakness. Currently I’m suffering from a serious case of iGuilt. Although I have a perfectly good mobile phone, I wasn’t strong enough to resist the offer of a brand new free iphone from a service …
Just like 80% of Toronto’s population I’ve got an Ikea Malm dresser. It has that stylish minimalist design that was perfectly hip and an irresistible price tag that made it affordable to own a grown-up matching bedroom set. Unfortunately, the love affair with my dresser hasn’t lasted long. The drawers fall off the runners all the time, it wobbles …
As a special treat for Urban Bandit readers, Cliff Barre, co-author of the fabulous blog Peace, Love, & Travel with Cliff and Tiff, gives us his rundown of inspiring projects across the US to remind us that there’s lots of good green stuff going on out there! Please enjoy this guest post by Cliff. **** Many … Continue reading
Canadians love salt. A recent study revealed that some fast food items sold in Canada were substantially saltier than the same items sold in other countries (Weeks, 2012). And since making the comparison is essential to our identity as Canadians, yes, we’re saltier than Americans. But our love affair for salt doesn’t end with fast … Continue reading
Cycling provides me with an ultimate sense of freedom. It’s an absolute joy to hop on my bike and feel like I could go anywhere while connecting with my city in an active way. Unfortunately, cycling in my home city of Toronto can be risky and each time I head out, I wonder if I’ll keep safe. … Continue reading
***UPDATE: The invitation to the Mayor to give cycling a try has been signed by over 1,000 people at http://www.change.org/robfordrides. A letter to the Mayor’s office was sent via email on September 10, 2013, which you can read here.*** Toronto’s Mayor Ford hasn’t been the biggest supporter of cycling in the city. During his time … Continue reading
Please join me on Saturday, February 2, 2013 at the University of Toronto’s 7th Annual Peace, Conflict & Justice Conference. This year’s theme is The Urban Era: Comparing Challenges in the World’s Cities and I’ll be participating in a panel discussion on Urban Environmentalism: Cities and Green Initiatives in the Global North and South. Registration is FREE and all are … Continue reading
I was recently interviewed by Solid Waste & Recycling Magazine on the subject of burning plastics for energy. The interview was in response to a December 2012 Canadian study suggesting that landfilled plastics could be retrieved and used as fuel to power upwards of 600,000 cars and 500,000 households. However, the process of burning any … Continue reading
The faucet in my kitchen was starting to leak….a lot. Having never dealt with a leaky faucet I figured the whole fixture needed to be replaced. After standing in Canadian Tire (yes, that’s a real store in Canada that, contrary to the name, sells much more than tires) ogling fancy $200 models I decided to go … Continue reading
Today was a beautiful day for biking. It was a balmy 4 degrees Celsius (39ºF) here in Toronto in mid-December. Yup, that’s Toronto, Canada. While 4 degrees may be a bit chilly for some, it feels like spring for us and its the type of weather that leads to Canadian fashion faux pas like shorts and snow … Continue reading
As a zero waste advocate, my first suggestion for the holiday season would be to curb unnecessary consumption as much as possible and try to shop or trade reused goods. As a human being living in North America, I know that this isn’t the easiest thing to do! So if you can’t avoid the mall this … Continue reading
This past weekend, on a rainy Saturday in December I lugged a big trash bag full of jackets, dresses and jeans over to a friend’s apartment. I was on my way to a clothing swap to meet up with six of my most stylish friends and arrived to find the kitchen table and couch covered in fashionable … Continue reading
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