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previously utilized paper (that has been written on on both sides!), plastic bags that can no longer be re-used, and outdated phonebooks....you are a kind-hearted person who considers the bigger picture.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.

"Mexican walking fish" Near Extinction

Life, to me, is made rich by the diversity that exists in the world. It is for this reason that some of my most memorable experiences involve being at farmers markets in Montreal, Halifax, Vermont, & most recently Florida, and traveling & living in places like Fiji, Costa Rica, Jamaica, and Mexico, where I could touch, smell, see, and feel all the things that make a place unique -- from the distinct look of the flowers and trees to the way the people socialize & comport themselves.

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.

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2008/11/ubercool_mexica.php

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.

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

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

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

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