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 … Continue reading
In today’s visual media focused society what better way to learn about environmental issues than through film? Luckily the Planet in Focus film festival has got us covered! This week from October 10-14, 2012 Canada’s largest environmental film festival hits the theatres of Toronto. This year’s festival features some great environmental classics like Manufactured Landscapes, a stark and … Continue reading
With most products now claiming some sort of green claim to fame it’s important to distinguish real benefits from the marketing ploys. To this point, this great little info-graphic below explains the various types of greenwashing and provides some interesting statistics. Green claims are big business as this graphic suggests that 9 out of 10 shoppers … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
So I’ve clearly got a love/hate thing going on with Ikea. You’ll remember that I commended the Swedish giant for offering one of the original ‘classy’ food court experiences with real cutlery, glasses and dishes instead of disposables. Then I changed face and accused Ikea of facilitating unnecessary consumption with its shoddy furniture that values style over quality and durability. After … Continue reading
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 … Continue reading
Yesterday’s Landfill Lunch post about disposable packaging in the take-away food industry reminded me of this clever poster which articulates the backwards thinking of our throw-away society. When you think about all the resources and effort that goes into creating our ‘disposable’ goods it becomes clear that zero waste really is just common sense with a … Continue reading
Lunch today was delicious – chicken pesto sandwich with pasta salad and a big fat pickle. But there was lots of other stuff that came with my lunch today that wasn’t delicious – or even edible. Since I took my lunch ‘to go’ it came with a paper bag, wax paper for the sandwich, two … Continue reading
The United Nations recently declared a Zero Hunger challenge, inviting “all countries to work towards a future where every individual has adequate nutrition and where all food systems are resilient.” Being hungry – truly hungry – is something that I’ve never experienced. The same is likely also true for most people reading this post. Sure there are several instances … Continue reading
When I was in school completing my thesis research there were many days when I barely left the house, let alone the desk in my bedroom. One of my good friends who saw me regularly throughout my year long slum would ask, “So is this the outfit you’re wearing for the week?” I was known … Continue reading
urban bandit 