This morning on my way to work I got to thinking about what we owe life. The sun shining on my face, my favourite dinky top 10 tunes blasting, it dawned on me how lucky I was to be here in the world, enjoying such a simple yet exceedingly pleasurable moment. “Don’t we owe it to LIFE to lap up every one of the precious moments we are lucky enough to experience, no matter how simple or seemingly insignificant, as fervently as possible?” I thought.
Now don’t get me wrong…if there is anyone whose life philosophy is to consider the implications of our actions, it’s this girl right here. With practically every decision I make, I do the calculations necessary (sometimes using my fingers, and sometimes with my blonde head cocked to the side in deep concentration) to figure out precisely what type of an impact, for example, my choice to buy a tube of toothpaste (“who produced it? Was it tested on animals? Did the employees in the toothpaste factory receive fair wages?”) will yield.
But I wonder…have I been missing something all along?! Is there something to be learnt from the hedonistic, self-serving, happy and seemingly carefree people I have been known to abhor?! Is there some truth to the belief that sometimes, ignorance is in fact bliss?!
I think that there just might be. That isn’t to say I am about to abandon my philanthropic aspirations or that I am encouraging you to romp pompously through life as though you are the Queen of England, with your nose in the air and you hand on your hips. All I am suggesting is that it might be a good idea for us altruistic souls out there who are determined to save the world, one good deed at a time, to not lose sight of our right (scratch that, our RESPONSIBILITY) to put the burdens we so often carry on our shoulders aside every now and then. We need to remind ourselves that sometimes it is nothing short of necessary to fold up our worries, place them on the top shelf of our closets, and paint the town red (in the figurative sense and not the literal one, which would have us fretting about how spray painting on public property is illegal and could land us with a ticket costing more money than we have in our bank accounts).
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Swine Flu - Yet Another Example of How Things Have Gotten Out of Hand
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/04/swine-flu-antibiotic-abuse-agribusiness-greed.php?dcitc=TH_rotator
Words of wisdom all around but no one ever seems to listen...
It's enough to make me sigh but that don't seem like it would make it feel better
The words are all around but the words are only sounds and no one ever seems to listen
Instead they'll say
Well how could we have known?
I'll tell them it's not so hard to tell, if you keep adding stones soon the water will be lost in the well
-Jack Johnson, "Traffic in the Sky"
Words of wisdom all around but no one ever seems to listen...
It's enough to make me sigh but that don't seem like it would make it feel better
The words are all around but the words are only sounds and no one ever seems to listen
Instead they'll say
Well how could we have known?
I'll tell them it's not so hard to tell, if you keep adding stones soon the water will be lost in the well
-Jack Johnson, "Traffic in the Sky"
Monday, March 30, 2009
Earth Hour Recap
Apparently, Earth Hour this year was a great success...not to mention a ton of fun.
To check out the before and after pics of some of the world's most famous landmarks, go to http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/03/earth_hour_2009.html and simply click on the images (the Eiffel Tower pre and post Earth Hour was definitely my fav.).
Enjoy!
Er
To check out the before and after pics of some of the world's most famous landmarks, go to http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/03/earth_hour_2009.html and simply click on the images (the Eiffel Tower pre and post Earth Hour was definitely my fav.).
Enjoy!
Er
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
EARTH HOUR 2009
On March 28th, vote EARTH by switching off your lights for one hour instead of global warming by leaving your lights on.
The results of the election are very important, as they will be presented at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen later on this year. The WWF's goal is to get one billion votes for Earth, to tell world leaders that we have to take action against global warming.
This will be my second year hosting an Earth Hour Cocktail/Pre-Drink Party and let me just say that aside from it being a great opportunity to spread the green word, it is also a wonderful excuse to get together with your friends and enjoy some good old-fashioned face time with those you love (free of the distracting influences of blackberry, twitter, facebook, and so on). So start collecting those candles, buy the booze, and prepare for an intimate night where you will be surrounded by your favorite people and provided with the relief of not having to worry about anyone seeing you get drunk to the point where you can't walk straight.
Earth Hour = Best Holday EVER.
Peace, love, & Earth Hour.
Er
Thursday, February 19, 2009
One Man's Trash is Another Man's Treasure
Artist Tom Dininger transformed this trash
into this brilliant work entitled "Self-Portrait".
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Next time you consider buying fur...think of this face.
This picture of a grey pup off the coast of Nova Scotia was featured in today's Gazette. The Canadian seal hunt was postponed...until a buyer for the pelts was found, at which point sealers went out this Monday and killed 200 seals (mostly newborns and their mothers) to meet the demands. These sweet, gentle creatures are clubbed to death -- smashed in the brains with a hakapik (a 4 or 5 foot wooden pole with a bent, metal spike affixed to the end).
"I feel very sorry for women who continue to purchase real fur coats. They are lacking in a woman's most important requisites, heart and sensitivity"
"A sealer near us quickly clubbed every seal within a small radius, to immobilize each of the pups, and then dragged the bodies to the center of his circle. One by one he flipped a seal on its back and skinned it. If the seal flipped around or fought against the skinning he'd flip it back to its stomach, club it several more times and then finishing the skinning." -IFAW Hunt Monitor
Behind every beautiful fur there is a bloody, barberic story...and that is why REAL WOMEN FAKE IT.
Er
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Yes We Can
We all have the ability to make things better, and what I am about to share with you is proof of that.
After a few months of working at Mount Sinai, I began to notice that the Coffee Shop is a place where employees, volunteers, patients, & family members go to take a break from work or the stresses of everyday life. Seeing how significant this place was to the hospital community, how badly it was in need of a facelift, and how much better things could be, I began working on a proposal outlining a vision of a new and improved Coffee Shop. After months of planning, and with all of the pieces for this proposal in place, I gained the financial backing needed to make the first, most significant part of this dream a reality.
After presenting my proposal to the Executive, Board, and the higher-ups of the hospital, I have been given the green light to take the necessary measures in order to transform the Coffee Shop
from a drab and dreary environment with a hospital feel into an aesthetically-pleasing sanctuary.
After a few months of working at Mount Sinai, I began to notice that the Coffee Shop is a place where employees, volunteers, patients, & family members go to take a break from work or the stresses of everyday life. Seeing how significant this place was to the hospital community, how badly it was in need of a facelift, and how much better things could be, I began working on a proposal outlining a vision of a new and improved Coffee Shop. After months of planning, and with all of the pieces for this proposal in place, I gained the financial backing needed to make the first, most significant part of this dream a reality.
After presenting my proposal to the Executive, Board, and the higher-ups of the hospital, I have been given the green light to take the necessary measures in order to transform the Coffee Shop
from a drab and dreary environment with a hospital feel into an aesthetically-pleasing sanctuary.
BEFORE:
AFTER:
PROPOSAL
Review of the Literature on Related Articles
In all of the information surrounding hospital food and environment that was reviewed, an emphasis was placed on the alarming hypocrisy that exists between hospitals (institutions which are supposed to promote health & wellness) and the unhealthy practices they employ. Paradoxically, while hospitals should be promoting healthy lifestyle choices, many (if not most) allow for toxic materials to exist in the hospital environment and for the large-scale consumption of highly unhealthy foods, both of which have been linked to deteriorated health. There is a clear consensus that there has to be more of an emphasis on the impact that the environments in which we exist and the foods we put into our bodies have on us and that as hospitals, we should be at the forefront of this change.
A paper entitled “The Future of Fabric: Health Care,” the result of a joint effort by the Health Care Without Harm and The Healthy Building Network organizations, uncovers the fact that many of the textiles used in hospital environments “put chemicals and materials into the environment that may hurt, rather than protect, human health”.[1] Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) – often referred to as vinyl – is one of the most commonly-used materials in hospital settings for ceilings, upholstery fabric, flooring, and wall covering.[2] This material is associated with Dioxin & Phthalate chemicals, which are known to be highly toxic carcinogens as well as reproductive and developmental toxicants that alter endocrine and immune systems.[3] National Geographic, in an article applauding “Green” hospitals that try to reduce toxins and provide healthier environments, also noted that many of the materials we use, such as paints, furnishings, and adhesives, “can give off irritating, allergenic fragrances and toxic volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) such as formaldehyde”.[4]
Similarly to the state of hospital environments, hospital food is often extremely unhealthy and harms rather than improves the health of those who eat it. A recent editorial published by the Canadian Medical Association Journal points out that nowadays, hospitals are more likely to offer unhealthy fast food options than fresh, nutrient-rich choices. The authors, a medical director and a cardiologist, say that the junk food epidemic now evident in hospitals is in urgent need of being addressed. They claim that “junk food is the new tobacco” and that we need to make strides towards phasing out highly unhealthy food, just as we did when we began to prohibit the sale of cigarettes in hospitals. In an article published by the Ottawa Citizen, cardiologists and health care providers from Nova Scotia also attested to the poor state of food in Canadian hospitals, which offer unhealthy choices such as soft drinks, chips, and pastries. They realized just how poor the state of things were and how ironic it is for hospitals to sell unhealthy food when students from a nearby High School were migrating to the hospital cafeteria for lunch because they could not buy junk food at their school cafeteria. “We think health care institutions really need to lead by healthy example…[if] people come to hospitals, they should see the same foods we’re promoting in clinics” Dr. Stevenson, a cardiology resident at Dalhousie University, said.[5]
References
Butler, D. (2008). Watchdog group pushes hospitals to ban junk food in cafeterias. The Ottawa Citizen on the Web. Retrieved November 21, 2008 from
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen?news?story.html?id+e2fb5869-4e11b- 8f12-114.
Health Care Without Harm. Green Building: Alternatives to Polyvinul Chloride (PVC)
Building Materials for Health Care. Retrieved October 7, 2008 from
http://www.noharm.org/details.cfm?type=document&id=1339.
Health Care Without Harm. Low VOC Paint Listing. Retrieved November 5, 2008 from
http:www.noharm.org/details.cfm?ID=1672&type=document.
Reduce fast food in hospital cafeterias: CMA Journal editorial (July 30, 2008). CBC
News on the Web. Retrieved November 19, 2008 from
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/07/30/hospitals-fast-food.html.
Silas, J., Hansen, J., & Lent, T. (October 2007). The Future of Fabric: Health Care.
Research Collaborative of Healthy Building Network & Health Care Without Harm.
Weller, J. The Top 10 Green Hospitals in the U.S.: 2006. National Geographic Green
Guide. Retrieved November 11, 2008 from http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/113/top10hospitals.
MISSION STATEMENT
Our goal is to make the Coffee Shop into a much healthier and more aesthetically-pleasing environment by transforming it into a cleaner, greener space and supplying fresher, healthier food and drink options. In so doing, our customers – employees, patients, residents, and their families – will be better able to heal and prosper.
The Coffee Shop will be a place where people can come to eat and socialize in a feel-good, soothing, beautiful environment. Instead of emitting a hospital feel, it will be a refreshing and rejuvenating place where people can go to feel like they are getting away.
An element of education and community integration will also exist in the Coffee Shop. It will promote & encourage healthy lifestyle choices through informative signs and posters, as well as small incentives. It will also bring the hospital community closer together through its hands-on, interactive approach wherein individuals are encouraged to voice their opinions and concerns and take part in the improvements that are made. A sense of heightened awareness and a feeling of pride that we are doing the “right” thing for our bodies and the planet will bring the community closer together and increase a feeling of pride and importance amongst our patients, many of whom are not often given the opportunity to partake in feel-good efforts that contribute to the collective good of society.
The changes made will also act as a wonderful catalyst for the integration and support of people in the community who would otherwise not have come into contact with the hospital (for example, teachers and students from nearby Hebrew Academy as well as Côte Saint-Luc residents) who will come to see what all the buzz is about. Being impressed with what they see upon entering our hospital, many might end up making donations and becoming lifelong Auxiliary supporters.
The Coffee Shop transformation will benefit patients, visitors, and staff & will greatly improve Mt. Sinai overall. It will not only dramatically increase the health & well-being of our customers, but also greatly improve the profitability of our Coffee Shop in the long run.
In all of the information surrounding hospital food and environment that was reviewed, an emphasis was placed on the alarming hypocrisy that exists between hospitals (institutions which are supposed to promote health & wellness) and the unhealthy practices they employ. Paradoxically, while hospitals should be promoting healthy lifestyle choices, many (if not most) allow for toxic materials to exist in the hospital environment and for the large-scale consumption of highly unhealthy foods, both of which have been linked to deteriorated health. There is a clear consensus that there has to be more of an emphasis on the impact that the environments in which we exist and the foods we put into our bodies have on us and that as hospitals, we should be at the forefront of this change.
A paper entitled “The Future of Fabric: Health Care,” the result of a joint effort by the Health Care Without Harm and The Healthy Building Network organizations, uncovers the fact that many of the textiles used in hospital environments “put chemicals and materials into the environment that may hurt, rather than protect, human health”.[1] Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) – often referred to as vinyl – is one of the most commonly-used materials in hospital settings for ceilings, upholstery fabric, flooring, and wall covering.[2] This material is associated with Dioxin & Phthalate chemicals, which are known to be highly toxic carcinogens as well as reproductive and developmental toxicants that alter endocrine and immune systems.[3] National Geographic, in an article applauding “Green” hospitals that try to reduce toxins and provide healthier environments, also noted that many of the materials we use, such as paints, furnishings, and adhesives, “can give off irritating, allergenic fragrances and toxic volatile organic chemicals (VOCs) such as formaldehyde”.[4]
Similarly to the state of hospital environments, hospital food is often extremely unhealthy and harms rather than improves the health of those who eat it. A recent editorial published by the Canadian Medical Association Journal points out that nowadays, hospitals are more likely to offer unhealthy fast food options than fresh, nutrient-rich choices. The authors, a medical director and a cardiologist, say that the junk food epidemic now evident in hospitals is in urgent need of being addressed. They claim that “junk food is the new tobacco” and that we need to make strides towards phasing out highly unhealthy food, just as we did when we began to prohibit the sale of cigarettes in hospitals. In an article published by the Ottawa Citizen, cardiologists and health care providers from Nova Scotia also attested to the poor state of food in Canadian hospitals, which offer unhealthy choices such as soft drinks, chips, and pastries. They realized just how poor the state of things were and how ironic it is for hospitals to sell unhealthy food when students from a nearby High School were migrating to the hospital cafeteria for lunch because they could not buy junk food at their school cafeteria. “We think health care institutions really need to lead by healthy example…[if] people come to hospitals, they should see the same foods we’re promoting in clinics” Dr. Stevenson, a cardiology resident at Dalhousie University, said.[5]
References
Butler, D. (2008). Watchdog group pushes hospitals to ban junk food in cafeterias. The Ottawa Citizen on the Web. Retrieved November 21, 2008 from
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen?news?story.html?id+e2fb5869-4e11b- 8f12-114.
Health Care Without Harm. Green Building: Alternatives to Polyvinul Chloride (PVC)
Building Materials for Health Care. Retrieved October 7, 2008 from
http://www.noharm.org/details.cfm?type=document&id=1339.
Health Care Without Harm. Low VOC Paint Listing. Retrieved November 5, 2008 from
http:www.noharm.org/details.cfm?ID=1672&type=document.
Reduce fast food in hospital cafeterias: CMA Journal editorial (July 30, 2008). CBC
News on the Web. Retrieved November 19, 2008 from
http://www.cbc.ca/health/story/2008/07/30/hospitals-fast-food.html.
Silas, J., Hansen, J., & Lent, T. (October 2007). The Future of Fabric: Health Care.
Research Collaborative of Healthy Building Network & Health Care Without Harm.
Weller, J. The Top 10 Green Hospitals in the U.S.: 2006. National Geographic Green
Guide. Retrieved November 11, 2008 from http://www.thegreenguide.com/doc/113/top10hospitals.
MISSION STATEMENT
Our goal is to make the Coffee Shop into a much healthier and more aesthetically-pleasing environment by transforming it into a cleaner, greener space and supplying fresher, healthier food and drink options. In so doing, our customers – employees, patients, residents, and their families – will be better able to heal and prosper.
The Coffee Shop will be a place where people can come to eat and socialize in a feel-good, soothing, beautiful environment. Instead of emitting a hospital feel, it will be a refreshing and rejuvenating place where people can go to feel like they are getting away.
An element of education and community integration will also exist in the Coffee Shop. It will promote & encourage healthy lifestyle choices through informative signs and posters, as well as small incentives. It will also bring the hospital community closer together through its hands-on, interactive approach wherein individuals are encouraged to voice their opinions and concerns and take part in the improvements that are made. A sense of heightened awareness and a feeling of pride that we are doing the “right” thing for our bodies and the planet will bring the community closer together and increase a feeling of pride and importance amongst our patients, many of whom are not often given the opportunity to partake in feel-good efforts that contribute to the collective good of society.
The changes made will also act as a wonderful catalyst for the integration and support of people in the community who would otherwise not have come into contact with the hospital (for example, teachers and students from nearby Hebrew Academy as well as Côte Saint-Luc residents) who will come to see what all the buzz is about. Being impressed with what they see upon entering our hospital, many might end up making donations and becoming lifelong Auxiliary supporters.
The Coffee Shop transformation will benefit patients, visitors, and staff & will greatly improve Mt. Sinai overall. It will not only dramatically increase the health & well-being of our customers, but also greatly improve the profitability of our Coffee Shop in the long run.
Plan of Action
All the donations and financial aid required for the first part of this project have been raised and/or pledged and are outlined in Table 1. All monetary assistance will be put in a “Coffee Shop Café Contribution Fund” which will be set up. After Phase 1 has been completed, the money put into this fund will allow us to continue making the Coffee Shop Café a healthy environment that provides healthy food (for example, by supporting aims to phase out harmful Styrofoam plates & cups and replacing them with affordable, eco-friendly alternatives as well as the purchase of items such as a bottle recycling receptacle and nutrient-rich snacks & beverages).
PHASE 1 – ENVIRONMENT CHANGES
Taking into account the strong link that exists between environment and health, we will use as many low-toxicity & VOC, reclaimed and recycled, wood and bamboo products and materials as possible. We will transform the space into a place of healing and serenity by employing the use of a clean, simple, and Zen-like aesthetic complete with soothing colors.
Specific Items
▪ Soothing shade of SICO Paint (SICO 6000 collection – 6108 -11 White Tissue)
▪ 4 tabletops made from bamboo (a wonderful anti-bacterial, anti-allergenic material)
▪ 1 small table made from bamboo to put by the cash register (to hold napkins, cutlery, etc.)
▪ 16 practical, functional, easy to clean & disinfect chairs
▪ 1 large dry-erase (white) board
▪ 1 large corkboard
▪ Hand-painted (cursive) “Coffee Shop Café” wood sign
▪ “Small steps lead to big changes” & “Des petits pas peut inspirer des gros changements” written in large cursive writing on the two planks of salvaged wood taken from the hospital
▪ 1 new, big clock (Debbie Travis Retro Wood Clock)
▪Aprons for employees and volunteers with “Coffee Shop Café” logo
▪ Accessories to hold & organize napkins, cutlery, etc. (preferably treated wood)
▪ Magazine rack (that will not take up much space)
▪ Baskets for storage above cabinets
▪ Markers for dry-erase board
▪ Recycling receptacle for plastic bottles
Cosmetic Changes
▪ Strip of aluminum installed along the bottom of the counter piece at the front, so as to cover up the current deterioration there and to protect that high-traffic area from further damage
▪ Hooks removed from current location and put behind the door
-The handy-work required for this project, including the installation of aluminum strips, disassembly of hooks & installment on the back of the door, as well as the paint job, will all be completed by individuals who agreed to volunteer their help.
PHASE 2 – EDUCATION & INTEGRATION
We will promote and encourage our customers to make healthy lifestyle choices by providing healthy food options. The café will provide incentives to reduce waste (for example, by providing a slight discount for people who bring their own refillable mugs) and will have recycling bins for cans and bottles. One of the first things we intend to do is to phase out the use of Styrofoam cups and plates in favor of more eco-friendly paper products.
In order to bring together the hospital community, there will be a “Quote of the Month” and a “Joke of the Month” section where an employee, patient, resident, or volunteer is chosen to provide an inspiring quote and funny joke. Next to the typed-up quote or joke will be a Polaroid picture of them. We will also have an “Article of the Month” on the topic of health in terms of personal eating habits or the importance of making eco-friendly choices as well as a suggestion section and will encourage people to voice their comments and concerns. There will also be “Think about it” signs, which will encourage people to consider what mainstream society does that is not environmentally-friendly and providing them with an alternative to what can be done. The corkboard will feature a copy of the Canada Food Guide pyramid and other such information in hopes of steering people towards healthier options. It will also have some information on the Auxiliary and what we do for families of patients and people who come from outside the hospital community.
PHASE 3 - FOOD CHANGES
Working within the kosher framework, we want to move away from selling highly processed, high-fat, and high-calorie fast foods towards a greater selection of healthy, nutrient-rich, locally-grown & produced options. By serving unhealthy foods like chips and soft drinks to our clients, we are doing them a grave disservice. It is our duty and responsibility as a food provider within a hospital, a place that should promote health and wellness, to at the very least offer healthy options. Our goal is to reduce the sale of items such as ice cream, chips, and soda and offer healthier foods that contain ingredients like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Junk food will not be eliminated, but there will be healthy options available and we will encourage those choices.
We will also start letting people know where and how the foods we sell were made, the ingredients they contain, and information about the company that produced them. This information will cater to the growing consumer interest in knowing more about what we put in our mouths and get people to start thinking about the importance of the food choices we make. Buying larger quantities of food from local sources means we are being environmentally conscious (because there is less fuel consumption on transportation) and we are buying fresher, healthier food that requires less pesticides and preservatives.
Currently, we are looking into a number of possible brands and companies that sell the type of product we are interested in. Healthy snacks such as mixed nuts, dried fruits, granola bars, and other such nutritious treats are at the top of our list of priorities. Some healthy kosher snacks we are currently looking into include Green Tree apple chips, Newman’s Own all-natural popcorn, B&B 100% whole wheat pretzels, and B&B sesame sticks.
GOAL
The goal is to do the changes necessary for the Coffee Shop Café during the week that it is closed for Passover, from April the 8th until the 16th of 2009. This timing is perfect, as we could have our grand opening just in time for Earth Day on April 22nd, which would bring in a lot of publicity.
All the donations and financial aid required for the first part of this project have been raised and/or pledged and are outlined in Table 1. All monetary assistance will be put in a “Coffee Shop Café Contribution Fund” which will be set up. After Phase 1 has been completed, the money put into this fund will allow us to continue making the Coffee Shop Café a healthy environment that provides healthy food (for example, by supporting aims to phase out harmful Styrofoam plates & cups and replacing them with affordable, eco-friendly alternatives as well as the purchase of items such as a bottle recycling receptacle and nutrient-rich snacks & beverages).
PHASE 1 – ENVIRONMENT CHANGES
Taking into account the strong link that exists between environment and health, we will use as many low-toxicity & VOC, reclaimed and recycled, wood and bamboo products and materials as possible. We will transform the space into a place of healing and serenity by employing the use of a clean, simple, and Zen-like aesthetic complete with soothing colors.
Specific Items
▪ Soothing shade of SICO Paint (SICO 6000 collection – 6108 -11 White Tissue)
▪ 4 tabletops made from bamboo (a wonderful anti-bacterial, anti-allergenic material)
▪ 1 small table made from bamboo to put by the cash register (to hold napkins, cutlery, etc.)
▪ 16 practical, functional, easy to clean & disinfect chairs
▪ 1 large dry-erase (white) board
▪ 1 large corkboard
▪ Hand-painted (cursive) “Coffee Shop Café” wood sign
▪ “Small steps lead to big changes” & “Des petits pas peut inspirer des gros changements” written in large cursive writing on the two planks of salvaged wood taken from the hospital
▪ 1 new, big clock (Debbie Travis Retro Wood Clock)
▪Aprons for employees and volunteers with “Coffee Shop Café” logo
▪ Accessories to hold & organize napkins, cutlery, etc. (preferably treated wood)
▪ Magazine rack (that will not take up much space)
▪ Baskets for storage above cabinets
▪ Markers for dry-erase board
▪ Recycling receptacle for plastic bottles
Cosmetic Changes
▪ Strip of aluminum installed along the bottom of the counter piece at the front, so as to cover up the current deterioration there and to protect that high-traffic area from further damage
▪ Hooks removed from current location and put behind the door
-The handy-work required for this project, including the installation of aluminum strips, disassembly of hooks & installment on the back of the door, as well as the paint job, will all be completed by individuals who agreed to volunteer their help.
PHASE 2 – EDUCATION & INTEGRATION
We will promote and encourage our customers to make healthy lifestyle choices by providing healthy food options. The café will provide incentives to reduce waste (for example, by providing a slight discount for people who bring their own refillable mugs) and will have recycling bins for cans and bottles. One of the first things we intend to do is to phase out the use of Styrofoam cups and plates in favor of more eco-friendly paper products.
In order to bring together the hospital community, there will be a “Quote of the Month” and a “Joke of the Month” section where an employee, patient, resident, or volunteer is chosen to provide an inspiring quote and funny joke. Next to the typed-up quote or joke will be a Polaroid picture of them. We will also have an “Article of the Month” on the topic of health in terms of personal eating habits or the importance of making eco-friendly choices as well as a suggestion section and will encourage people to voice their comments and concerns. There will also be “Think about it” signs, which will encourage people to consider what mainstream society does that is not environmentally-friendly and providing them with an alternative to what can be done. The corkboard will feature a copy of the Canada Food Guide pyramid and other such information in hopes of steering people towards healthier options. It will also have some information on the Auxiliary and what we do for families of patients and people who come from outside the hospital community.
PHASE 3 - FOOD CHANGES
Working within the kosher framework, we want to move away from selling highly processed, high-fat, and high-calorie fast foods towards a greater selection of healthy, nutrient-rich, locally-grown & produced options. By serving unhealthy foods like chips and soft drinks to our clients, we are doing them a grave disservice. It is our duty and responsibility as a food provider within a hospital, a place that should promote health and wellness, to at the very least offer healthy options. Our goal is to reduce the sale of items such as ice cream, chips, and soda and offer healthier foods that contain ingredients like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Junk food will not be eliminated, but there will be healthy options available and we will encourage those choices.
We will also start letting people know where and how the foods we sell were made, the ingredients they contain, and information about the company that produced them. This information will cater to the growing consumer interest in knowing more about what we put in our mouths and get people to start thinking about the importance of the food choices we make. Buying larger quantities of food from local sources means we are being environmentally conscious (because there is less fuel consumption on transportation) and we are buying fresher, healthier food that requires less pesticides and preservatives.
Currently, we are looking into a number of possible brands and companies that sell the type of product we are interested in. Healthy snacks such as mixed nuts, dried fruits, granola bars, and other such nutritious treats are at the top of our list of priorities. Some healthy kosher snacks we are currently looking into include Green Tree apple chips, Newman’s Own all-natural popcorn, B&B 100% whole wheat pretzels, and B&B sesame sticks.
GOAL
The goal is to do the changes necessary for the Coffee Shop Café during the week that it is closed for Passover, from April the 8th until the 16th of 2009. This timing is perfect, as we could have our grand opening just in time for Earth Day on April 22nd, which would bring in a lot of publicity.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
What Your Green Box Says About You
A) If your green box is filled to the brim with empty milk cartons, previously utilized paper (that has been written on on both sides!), plastic bags that can no longer be re-used, and outdated phonebooks....you are a kind-hearted person who considers the bigger picture. Instead of always focusing on the "me", you are likely to consider the "we". Instead of doing things that will earn you immediate gratification, you posess the patience and good-will to engage in actions with more long-term, lasting benefits.
B) If your green box is stacked with cardboard boxes that have not been flattened out, plastic containers that were used only once, metal tins not properly rinsed out, and newspapers you never got around to reading....you are someone with good intentions who often falls short of living up to your full potential. You make "to do" lists and end up only checking off the first few items while never getting to the last ones. You are the type of person who, when given an encouraging nudge in the right direction, can surprise others and even yourself by how proactive you can be when you commit to seeing things through.
C) If your green box is a pathetic mixture of a small collection of one or two soiled paper bags, garbage that was accidentally placed in the wrong bin, and CDs, DVDs, and batteries that, unless they are brought to an Eco Centre, will end up in landfills where their hazardous properties will leak into the ground and contribute to soil and water pollution and endanger wildlife, you are dangerously close to being a hopeless case. Your lack of concern for global warming and the fate of future generations is something that makes you appear selfish and lazy to the people in your life, and you would have a much clearer conscience if you stoped simply ignoring the repercussions of your actions.
B) If your green box is stacked with cardboard boxes that have not been flattened out, plastic containers that were used only once, metal tins not properly rinsed out, and newspapers you never got around to reading....you are someone with good intentions who often falls short of living up to your full potential. You make "to do" lists and end up only checking off the first few items while never getting to the last ones. You are the type of person who, when given an encouraging nudge in the right direction, can surprise others and even yourself by how proactive you can be when you commit to seeing things through.
C) If your green box is a pathetic mixture of a small collection of one or two soiled paper bags, garbage that was accidentally placed in the wrong bin, and CDs, DVDs, and batteries that, unless they are brought to an Eco Centre, will end up in landfills where their hazardous properties will leak into the ground and contribute to soil and water pollution and endanger wildlife, you are dangerously close to being a hopeless case. Your lack of concern for global warming and the fate of future generations is something that makes you appear selfish and lazy to the people in your life, and you would have a much clearer conscience if you stoped simply ignoring the repercussions of your actions.
Friday, February 6, 2009
"Mexican walking fish" Near Extinction
All this to say that it is a very sad day when a fascinating little creature such as the Axolotl salamander (better known as the Mexican walking fish), an animal that is so unique-looking it could pass as someone's imaginary construction of how a tiny monster or a character from a high-tech sci-fi movie might appear, is on the brink of extinction. Looking at these beautiful little things, I am reminded of that classic look on a child's face when they are first introduced to an exotic animal -- that look of utter awe and amazement and the way their whole face seems to light up, as if a light of curiousity has been switched on within their minds. And I am faced with a pang of sorrow knowing that if this mesmerizing fish goes extinct, there will be one less reason for a curious child's inner light to shine bright.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Prius Praise!
And in other, more frivolous news...
Miley Cyrus trades in her Porsche Cayenne for a sleek, sexy 2009 black Prius!
In line with her "go green" mantra the starlet says she was happy to ditch the gas-guzzler, which was much too big for her anyway. Apparently she can't stop gloating about her new ride. And who could blame her? As the proud owner of a Honda Civic Hybrid, I totally get how elated she is.
Keep that green gab a-comin' Miley.
Miley Cyrus trades in her Porsche Cayenne for a sleek, sexy 2009 black Prius!
In line with her "go green" mantra the starlet says she was happy to ditch the gas-guzzler, which was much too big for her anyway. Apparently she can't stop gloating about her new ride. And who could blame her? As the proud owner of a Honda Civic Hybrid, I totally get how elated she is.
Keep that green gab a-comin' Miley.
God Bless Barack Obama
The stimulus package Obama and his team are proposing is a wonderful example of what Al Gore has been trying to show us all along...that contrary to our preconceived notions, being environmentally-conscious and generating money often go hand in hand. And, believe it or not, initiatives that take into account their environmental impact are often even more profitable than those that do not!
So glad to see that finally, baby step by baby step, the general public is starting to realize that being green can earn you some green.
Er
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/02/greenpeace--icf-show-stiumulous-package-will-fight-global-warming.php
So glad to see that finally, baby step by baby step, the general public is starting to realize that being green can earn you some green.
Er
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/02/greenpeace--icf-show-stiumulous-package-will-fight-global-warming.php
Thursday, January 15, 2009
IN AN EFFORT TO CONSERVE ENERGY, I HAVE DECIDED TO REVAMP MY BLOG, BLACKLE-STYLE. HAVING A BLACK BACKGROUND SCREEN SAVES TONS OF ENERGY AND IT DOESN'T LOOK TOO SHABBY EITHER...SO I WAS VERY HAPPY TO MAKE THE CHANGE.
TO LEARN MORE, GO TO http://www.blackle.com/about/.
AS THEY SAY, GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK (OR BLACK IS THE NEW GREEN...)
ER
TO LEARN MORE, GO TO http://www.blackle.com/about/.
AS THEY SAY, GREEN IS THE NEW BLACK (OR BLACK IS THE NEW GREEN...)
ER
Josie Hits the Jackpot
Josie Maran Cosmetics...luxary with a conscience.
I just love Josie Maran’s chic new eco-conscious cosmetics line, from the adorably-packaged "bear naked" wipes ideal for a woman on the go to the beautiful, high-quality lipsticks, glosses, and shadows that come in colors and shades that are great for a day at the office or a night out on the town. Josie, a successful model and actress who has been exposed to the cosmetics industry for many years, definitely succeeded in her mission to make positive change by creating something fun, beautiful, and luxurious. I could honestly gush about this line all day...
What I like most about this line (aside from the sleek, sexy look and feel of it) is that a great amount of consideration and care has gone into every aspect of its production and sale. None of the products are tested on animals, all are toxin free & paraben free, and most are biodegradable, fragrance free, organic, petrochemical free, and recyclable. You really know what you are getting when you buy this stuff – the product information is conveyed through an easy-to-read symbol key so it is there for you to see and scrutinize at your convenience. The transparency of these products is something I greatly appreciate (and have come to expect from any company from which I buy). Gone are the days when we naively trusted a brand based on its convincing marketing, when we bought into the false idea that a dishwasher detergent or a tile cleaner was safe and reliable simply because it was shown in a commercial with a smiling, seemingly trustworthy housewife with happy and healthy-looking children and a husband in the background. At this stage of the game, we should all be very much aware of the implications involved in using mainstream cosmetics brands such as Clinique and Maybelline, many of which have been shown to contain a number of unsafe ingredients such as neurotoxins, carcinogens, and endocrine disrupters.
To learn about the problem with parebens, visit http://www.bubbleandbee.com/Parabens.html and to get a glimpse of this fabulous makeup, go to the Josie Maran Cosmetics website at http://www.josiemarancosmetics.com/.
Happy shopping!
Er
I just love Josie Maran’s chic new eco-conscious cosmetics line, from the adorably-packaged "bear naked" wipes ideal for a woman on the go to the beautiful, high-quality lipsticks, glosses, and shadows that come in colors and shades that are great for a day at the office or a night out on the town. Josie, a successful model and actress who has been exposed to the cosmetics industry for many years, definitely succeeded in her mission to make positive change by creating something fun, beautiful, and luxurious. I could honestly gush about this line all day...
What I like most about this line (aside from the sleek, sexy look and feel of it) is that a great amount of consideration and care has gone into every aspect of its production and sale. None of the products are tested on animals, all are toxin free & paraben free, and most are biodegradable, fragrance free, organic, petrochemical free, and recyclable. You really know what you are getting when you buy this stuff – the product information is conveyed through an easy-to-read symbol key so it is there for you to see and scrutinize at your convenience. The transparency of these products is something I greatly appreciate (and have come to expect from any company from which I buy). Gone are the days when we naively trusted a brand based on its convincing marketing, when we bought into the false idea that a dishwasher detergent or a tile cleaner was safe and reliable simply because it was shown in a commercial with a smiling, seemingly trustworthy housewife with happy and healthy-looking children and a husband in the background. At this stage of the game, we should all be very much aware of the implications involved in using mainstream cosmetics brands such as Clinique and Maybelline, many of which have been shown to contain a number of unsafe ingredients such as neurotoxins, carcinogens, and endocrine disrupters.
To learn about the problem with parebens, visit http://www.bubbleandbee.com/Parabens.html and to get a glimpse of this fabulous makeup, go to the Josie Maran Cosmetics website at http://www.josiemarancosmetics.com/.
Happy shopping!
Er
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Toxic Chemicals and Traumas
The untimely death of John Travolta & Kelly Preston’s 16-year-old son Jett (who hit his head and suffered a concussion while having a seizure) raises many questions about the contribution of environmental triggers to autoimmune diseases.
Although there is no clear consensus as to what exactly Jett suffered from (some say Kawasaki disease while others say autism) or what made him sick in the first place (some say carpet cleaning toxins while others say genetics), what we do know is that there is a definite correlation between the increase in autoimmune diseases and the use of chemicals and vaccines (the side effects many of which are completely unknown).
I think the greatest lesson we can learn from this tragedy is the importance of following the precautionary principle – the notion that until we know for certain that a product or practice is not harmful, we should err on the side of caution and steer clear off it. To our detriment, as a society, we have completely thrown this principle to the wind. This tragedy should act as a wake-up call; the catalyst that springs us into action in terms of ridding our homes of harmful household cleaning chemicals (many of which have been shown, repeatedly, to contribute to health issues such as “increase[d] susceptibility to allergies, respiratory trouble and other concerns” (http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/eco-friendly/carpet-cleaning-john-travolta-son-460109).
Better safe than sorry, and better late than never…
Er
Although there is no clear consensus as to what exactly Jett suffered from (some say Kawasaki disease while others say autism) or what made him sick in the first place (some say carpet cleaning toxins while others say genetics), what we do know is that there is a definite correlation between the increase in autoimmune diseases and the use of chemicals and vaccines (the side effects many of which are completely unknown).
I think the greatest lesson we can learn from this tragedy is the importance of following the precautionary principle – the notion that until we know for certain that a product or practice is not harmful, we should err on the side of caution and steer clear off it. To our detriment, as a society, we have completely thrown this principle to the wind. This tragedy should act as a wake-up call; the catalyst that springs us into action in terms of ridding our homes of harmful household cleaning chemicals (many of which have been shown, repeatedly, to contribute to health issues such as “increase[d] susceptibility to allergies, respiratory trouble and other concerns” (http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/eco-friendly/carpet-cleaning-john-travolta-son-460109).
Better safe than sorry, and better late than never…
Er
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