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
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
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
In the wake of Black Friday, as consumers gave thanks for the mega deals, a tragedy in the developing world provided a stark reminder of the impacts of our consumption and drive for profit. On Saturday night, November 26, 2012, at least 112 workers were killed in a Bangladesh garment factory. Some broke windows, jumping from … Continue reading
For us Canadians and many others around the world, the change in season brings about a change in wardrobe as sandals and shorts are replaced by snowboots and marshmallow-esque (fake) fur-lined parkas. And while the majority of my summer clothes are merely relegated to the back of the drawer for the next few months, there’s never … Continue reading
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
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 … 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
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