Get Outside and Play!

The Climate Crusader is resolving to play outside more.

The Summer Solstice is happening in just a few days on June 21, 2013. Here in Canada ParticipACTION - an organization dedicated to encouraging Canadians to get moving - is proposing that we celebrate it as the Longest Day of Play. The idea is that we can mark the solstice, which is often called the longest day of the year, by playing.

In my last post, I talked about the steps I'm taking to raise environmentally-conscious children. One of the big ones is spending more time outside. Fellow Green Phone Booth contributors Green Bean and Eco-novice weighed in, saying that they do the same thing. The idea is that the more time we spend outside with our kids, the stronger their connection to nature, and the more that they'll want to protect it.

With more hours of daylight at this time of year than any other, and with the arrival of summer, this is the perfect time to get outside and play. The benefits don't just come from building our connection with nature, either. The more time you're spending outside moving under your own steam, the less time you're spending doing things like driving around in your car, using electronic devices, shopping and so on. Not only is this better for your health, it can also reduce your environmental footprint by switching from carbon-producing activities to carbon-neutral activities.

Let me pause here for a confession: I'm trying to get better at spending more time outside with my kids, but that doesn't mean I'm always good at it. It's often easier to plunk them down in front of the TV while I get some work done than it is to head out into nature. But at this time of year we can head to the park after dinner or even just go out into our backyard to pick some carrots and raspberries and play in the evening. In February, when it gets dark early and the weather's cold, this isn't possible in the same way. So I'm trying to take advantage of the season and set the habit of getting outside as much as I can while the weather (and daylight) cooperates.

Why don't you consider making June 21 your Longest Day of Play, as well? It's a way to get your summer off to an active start, build your connection to nature, and embrace some fun that's easy on the planet. You don't have to have kids to get outside and play, either. Anyone can take a walk, go for a bike ride or explore a nature trail. You may be an adult - but you can still have fun!

When Environmental Issues Overlap with Culture and Heritage

Mindful Echo bemoans the cultural implications of fracking.

I think it's safe to say that, at this point, most people have heard about the environmental cost of hydraulic fracturing (aka fracking). In fact, Climate Crusader wrote a great post about some of the issues not too long ago. By now, most of us have seen the pictures of drinking water being set aflame, and have read the stories about groundwater contamination and the release of chemicals into our atmosphere.

Aside: If you're a visual learner, this site gives a fantastic explanation of the fracking process.

While it's plain to see that there are real, long-term environmental consequences to fracking, I think that it's equally distressing to hear about how these endeavours impact the the people who live on this land, the people who have sacred connections to it, and the people who lack the agency and resources to stop it from happening - such as in the case of a number of Canadian Indigenous communities.

This past weekend, I read about how peaceful protestors are being arrested in New Brunswick, Canada as seismic testing is taking place in Signigtog, part of traditional Mi'kma'ki territory, in preparation for fracking. According to APTN News, the Mi’kmaq and Maliseet peoples of New Brunswick were not sufficiently consulted by the Province for this shale gas testing to occur. This raises the concern: if the Indigenous community wasn't involved in the decision-making at the testing phase, how will they have a voice if/when the government decides to allow the fracking to commence on their land?

Outside of Canada, there are also so many reports of communities being taken advantage of by the companies who are testing for, and carrying out, fracking procedures. One that really struck a chord with me is this story about the exploitation of Amish farmers. According to grist.org, oil companies are offering farmers amounts far below market value for the rights to drill on their land. Since Amish beliefs limit their options for recourse, it is pertinent that they negotiate reasonable contracts - something that isn't always happening. Not to mention, the destruction caused by the fracking procedure can and will hugely affect their farm-able land. As grist.org writes: "because the Amish don’t rely on modern farming technology, making a profit on their land is a constant struggle, so being cheated out of tens of thousands of dollars is especially painful." It's heartbreaking.

Gros Morne National Park

Fracking is affecting our ecological heritage as well. Those living around Gros Morne National Park, Newfoundland, know that it is a brilliant example of geological evolution in its demonstration of plate tectonics. It's our planet's geological history and it needs to be preserved. Gros Morne is a dedicated UNESCO World Heritage Site and a place that I would love to visit someday. I have ancestral roots in Newfoundland and hate to think that the beautiful landscape will be forever changed for the worse before I, and generations to come, have a chance to experience it. Is gas development really worth losing this World Heritage Site?

Thankfully, a number of communities in Nova Scotia have successfully passed bylaws that prohibit or restrict fracking within their limits, as well as prevent the release of wastewater into local watersheds. It's a start and I'm so grateful for those who make the efforts to raise awareness and prevent fracking from happening in my own backyard.

At the same time, I'm afraid for those communities who have not been so lucky.

Please . . . No More Stuff!

From the bean of Green Bean.

One month ago, a wildfire lapped at my friend's door.  She was asked to evacuate - on two separate occasions.  Even though she had plenty of time, my friend filled only two paper grocery bags and left.  Only TWO!

She has lived in that house with her husband and two school aged kids for over 10 years.  Out of all the things they had accumulated in that time, only a handful were worth saving.

How many of us would have filled more bags?  When it comes down to it, I'd guess that most of us would have left most of our stuff behind as well.

Yet, modern life seems to be centered around stuff.

Yearning for it.  Saving to buy it.  Splurging on It. Using it.  Cleaning it.  Maintaining it.  Tiring of it.  Getting rid of it.

I can get a grip on my own things but what about the children?  Every trip to the doctor or dentist involves a toy or two for the kids.  Every outing with the grandparents ends with some non-consumable goodie or other.  Outings to major league sports games culminate with free door prizes of bobble heads, crazy hats or "rally rags."  Every minor holiday or fair yields an endless amount of pencils, erasers, plastic rings and parachute men.  Class parties, season end sport's parties, birthday parties all involve more stuff.  And let us not forget birthdays, Christmas and Hanukah, Halloween and Easter.

Until we are drowning in stuff.  Literally.  The photo below is my son's room.

My question - when faced with a situation like my friend's - is this?

Is all this stuff worth the havoc we wreak on the environment to produce it?  (Check out Story of Stuff  for the price our forests and oceans pay for parachute men and bobble heads).

Is this stuff worth the money we earn and save to buy it?

Is this stuff worth the effort to clean it, move it, maintain it, and eventually get rid of it?

For me, the answer is a resounding NO!  For me, there is just too much stuff.

What have you done to reduce the amount of "stuff" in your life?  Declutter?  Put a moratorium on new items?  Move to experiences rather than materials?  How have you encouraged family and community members to get on board?

Introducing Queen Composter

I am Queen Composter, a newbie blogger, mother, elementary teacher and wife. I live in an historic fishing village in a suburb of Vancouver, B.C. I live a short walk or bike ride to wetlands, beaches and farms. Being close to a natural setting is very important to me and is part of the reason why I love living here.

The river bank at the mouth of the Fraser River, one of my happy places.

While I have always been a little crunchy and worried about the impact my actions have upon the Earth, having my own children has made me more aware of the kind of world I would like to leave. This is a cliché but it is so true for many people; children help us realize it is no longer just about us. We have a tangible link to the future.

Me and my youngest on an autumn nature walk.

I took a leap and started blogging a little under a year ago to document what I was doing to live an eco-conscious life, to connect with like-minded people and to learn from others. I believe in teaching through modeling and I try to be an example for my students and my own three young daughters. In the same way that being a teacher and parent has made me be more conscious and mindful of my actions, blogging has helped to make me accountable, at least in my own mind, of what I do and why I do it.

Blogging has also helped to push my eco boundaries, to try new things and grow. The biggest challenge, and biggest area of change for me, is the first environmental R – reduce. My consumer choices as an eco aware suburbanite are somewhat limited, so I have found that making my own products from scratch (or as close to scratch as possible) is the best way for me to reduce my family’s exposure to toxic ingredients and to reduce excess packaging.

My backyard garden so far this year: strawberries, garlic, celery, carrots, potatoes, kale, chard, onions, various herbs, Brussels sprouts, cucumbers, beans, peas, quinoa, beets, various summer squash and greens.

I am also a newbie gardener and passionate composter. I grew up watching and helping my grandmother in her extensive vegetable garden, but as an adult I have lived in apartments and a townhouse and have had to be content with container and small space gardening, which presents challenges for someone with a would-be green thumb. When we moved to our single family home just over three years ago it was a dream come true for me and I immediately set my sights upon tearing up the lawn and growing vegetables. I currently have four raised garden beds, numerous garden containers, raspberries, blueberries, and an apple tree. My garden is a work in progress and labour of love. 

I have much to learn on my eco path and I am excited to be a part of The Green Phone Booth. It is a vibrant community of eco heroes and I hope to add to the discussion.

I can also be found blogging about all things green at Eco Journey In The Burbs and on twitter @christyrollo.

Trying to Shop Eco-Consciously

Julia from Color Me Green shares her complex and laborious approach to shopping.

My approaches to shopping tend to skew toward opposite spectrums. On one end, about half of the clothes I have collected over the years have been gifted to me for free by friends or my sisters. Most of the rest of my clothes are bought at thrift or consignment stores.

On the other hand, if I get in mind a particular item I want, I try to find a high quality version of it that will best meet my needs, even if it's expensive. While it seems contradictory that I am both into cheap and free clothing while also willing to spend a lot when buying something new - it's really all part of my approach to reducing resource consumption.

I welcome clothing cast offs from friends because it means I don't need to go out and buy something new and waste the world's resources - and I also don't need to spend my time or money on shopping. When I do need to buy something new, I want the best version for me that will last a long time, so I won't need to keep buying more stuff. For example, when I buy a pair of shoes, I want it to be classy enough for the office, but also comfortable enough for walking all day or dancing all night. I don't want to own multiple shoes to fit many different situations when I can find one or a few pairs to fit lots of purposes.

This leads to extensively long and laborious searches for the perfect this or that, which makes shopping seem like a lot of work and reinforces my desire to buy only the best so that I won't have to spend the time shopping again for a while. But finding high quality clothing is surprisingly hard. There are not a lot of good resources out there, and I don't trust price as an indicator.

Eco-friendly lines are often available only online or can not be found reliably in stores, which makes it hard to try things on. For my current shoe search, I'm using Zappos, even though I'd rather frequent local stores, just because I don't have time to go all over town from store to store until I find something that works. Lately, I've also had some success with Etsy, as many sellers are willing to custom-make items to fit your size or wants.

Much of my wardrobe doesn't fit perfectly because they're castoffs from friends or I've had it for so long that it's worn down and stretched out. But I'm not willing to go out and spend a small fortune to replace my whole wardrobe.

When things happen like the garment factory collapse in Bangladesh, I stop caring that my wardrobe isn't perfect and am glad that I'm already doing what I can to avoid contributing to the ethical and environmental problems of the fashion industry, and then I stop car. Apparently Bangladesh is in the news again today as hundreds of garment workers have fallen sick from contaminated water.

What's your approach to shopping? Do the recent news about the conditions of garment workers make you think twice about where you get your clothes? Do you have any favorite brands or places to shop for eco-friendly clothes that you can share?

Raising Little Environmentalists

The Climate Crusader is trying to share her sustainable lifestyle with her kids.

I have two children. My daughter is eight years old, and my son is four and a half. As they get older, I'm spending more and more time thinking about how to involve them in my efforts to live more sustainably. Of course, they've always had a front row seat as I work in my garden, take out my compost, sort my recycling, visit the farmers' market, and so on. But increasingly, they're able to understand what we're doing and why, as well as make choices for themselves.

Any parent can tell you that lecturing kids isn't exactly the most effective way to get your message across. Your kids' eyes glaze over, and they stop listening, as you extoll the virtues of using less toilet paper or turning off the tap while you brush your teeth. So, other than lecturing or the modelling I'm doing already, I've been spending some time lately considering how to raise little environmentalists. Here's what I've come up with so far.

Releasing salmon into a local stream

 Raising Little Environmentalists

1. Get outside with your kids. A desire to take better care of the planet often grows out of a love for the natural world. The more time that you spend outdoors exploring, whether you're hiking in the wilderness, wading in a stream, playing on the beach or even just chilling in your back yard, the greater the connection your kids will feel with nature.
2. Attend special events where your kids can learn about the environment. Here where my family lives in the Vancouver area, there are lots of community events, festivals and fairs that offer you a chance to learn about the environment. Whether you're attending a harvest festival, participating in a shoreline clean-up, or releasing baby salmon for their journey out to sea, this is a fun, family-friendly way to learn more about the planet and how to care for it.
3. Join up and sign up. If you can, consider joining a local club or taking a class with a green focus. A young naturalists' club is a great option, if it's available in your community. Summer day camps (or overnight camps) that give your kids a chance to spend time outside or get up close and personal with animals or organic gardening are also fabulous. These programs take the onus off of you to teach your kids everything, as well as offering a whole lot of fun.
4. Ask your kids to help you make decisions. As my own children get older, I find they're better able to take part in our family's decision-making. I also find that when they're involved in making a decision, they're more likely to abide by it. Plus, sometimes they have really good ideas. So why not consider asking your kids for their ideas? You may be surprised by what they have to share.
5. Reduce screen time. I admit it - this one is a hard one. Like a lot of parents, I sometimes lean on the electronic babysitter more than I should. However, I notice that the more time my kids spend in front of the TV, the more advertising they see, and the more they ask for stuff. Those commercials make toys and junk food look so darn appealing. By cutting back, or opting for advertising-free TV, I'm able to reduce the gimmes and stem the tide of consumerism for my family.

What about you? What do you do to get your kids involved in your sustainable lifestyle?

The Last Stop for Bees

From the bean of Green Bean.

A bumble bee enjoying wild blackberry blossoms in our backyard. 

Last winter, American beekeepers lost over 40% of their hives. Some farmers lost 90-100% of their bees.  The USDA recently opined that we are "one poor weather event or high winter been loss away from a pollination disaster."  What does a pollination disaster look like though?

Bees pollinate about 1/3 of the crops we eat and drink.  Without enough bees or other pollinators, there wouldn't be enough food.  Not enough almonds or apples.  Far fewer blueberries and oranges.

Most of the conversation surrounds honeybees but it is not just those insects which are in trouble.  Our native bees and other pollinators, including wasps, hummingbirds, flies, butterflies and moths) "are also in great trouble due to habitat loss, pesticides and other actions by humans."

A pollination disaster and resulting food shortage will affect all of us - not just gardeners or farmers.  Everyone who likes to eat will be impacted by shortage of certain crops and/or sky high prices.  So what is a food-eating person supposed to do?

The sign at the entrance to our back garden.

1) Don't Use Pesticides: Pesticides are a trigger for the dramatic demise of pollinators.  One class of pesticides - neonicotinoids - have been in the news lately as being particularly deadly to bees, other pollinators, birds and aquatic life.  This class of pesticides is so deadly that the American Bird Conservancy ("ABC") claims it has the potential to impact entire food chains.  ABC commissioned a study which found that a single kernel of corn coated with neonicotinoids can kill a songbird and are water sources are already beyond the threshold found to kill many aquatic invertebrates.  

Unfortunately, it is not simply neonicotinoids that are killing our pollinators.  "There are hundreds of other chemicals used in conventional agriculture that are also responsible for poisoning bees."   Herbicides and fungicides are responsible for negatively impacting bees and other pollinators as well as "regular" pesticides.

The best thing to do is to stop using ALL pesticides, herbicides and fungicides.  Research organic alternatives.  Get the beer out for the slugs.  Employ white vinegar, boiling water, baking soda.  And accept less than perfection in the garden.

California poppy and blanket flower make for happy pollinators.

2) Buy Organic: In addition to not using pesticides at home, it is important to support those farmers who eschew pesticides when they grow our food.  If you go to the farmers' market, ask if the farm uses pesticides.  Many farms do not use pesticides but either cannot afford organic certification or are in the process of becoming "organic."

3) Plant for Pollinators:  Habitat destruction is another primary cause of the pollinator demise.  What was once fields of wild flowers are now rows of neatly mowed lawns.  Dead branches and entire trees used to stand - or fall - where they may.  Now, we lop off branches, cut down trees, and grind them in to mulch.  Most yards - including mine! - are filled with non-native and sometimes invasive species. I recently read, though, that "our wildlife gardens are the one of the last lines of defense to protect . . . native pollinators."

Nasturtium, borage and other pollinator friendly flowers in between raised beds increase pollination of your veggies and provide forage for pollinators.

With that in mind, I decided to roll out the welcome mat to pollinators and other wildlife.  Pollinators need three things: food, a place to live and water.  

Plant flowers and flowering plants to provide pollinators with the food they need.  Natives are best - though times are desperate for pollinators and habitat is limited.  Don't beat yourself up if the seeds you sow or the perennials you stuff into the ground are not native.  Also, look for plants that bloom in spring, summer and fall and go for a mix of perennials and annuals so that pollinators can forage almost year round.

Native California poppies reseed themselves throughout our garden - to the delight of pollinators.

Make a home for pollinators.  A popular way is to build or buy a mason bee house.  I haven't had much luck with my bee house but this site has some very promising - and fun - ideas.  Create a brush pile and leave some ground bare (no mulch, no plastic!) for ground dwelling bees.  Last, put up birdhouses.

My wall of birdhouses.  Some have been occupied by birds.  Two are currently occupied by bumble bee colonies.

You read that right!  I've bought up every birdhouse I come across at garage and estate sales.  Mostly because I like the look.  Unfortunately, you cannot clean out a bird nest from of some birdhouses.  No worries!  Bumble bees will thank you for it.  I currently have three birdhouses that are host to three different bumble bee colonies.  I know I'm not alone. Check out this an article about a colony of bumbles in another birdhouse.

A birdhouse with an abandoned bird's nest becomes home to a bumble bee colony and my veggie garden and fruit trees get pollination galore!

Even pollinators get thirsty.  I have a small container water garden that has hosted many a bee on its lily pads but I'd like to put in a larger water garden later this year.  Another option is to fill a saucer with wine corks or pebbles and water.    

     My mini container water garden - the easiest garden I ever planted. 

4)  Speak Up for Our Food Supply: The European Union recently banned neonicotinoids, the deadly pesticide discussed above.  In the United States, however, the EPA has decided on a wait and see approach - even though the USDA says that we do not have enough bees to pollinate America's crops.  If you don't think wait and see is going to cut it, tell the EPA to immediately suspend the use of pesticides suspected to be responsible for large bee die-offs which scientists study the matter further.

While you are at it, ask Home Depot and Lowes, the nation's two biggest home care retailers, to stop selling neonicotinoids.

Now that you know what to do, go forth and bee happy.  Because pollinators and food are awesome!