2013 is finally upon us. There isn’t a better time to implement some green tips in our lives by consulting a few of the green guides published on Greenr in the past. Whether it’s improving our home heating system, applying some energy saving ideas in our home, office or school, or looking at ways to reuse some everyday household items, we have it covered.

Green Tips for the Whole Family

• Efficient Home Heating
  While the temperatures drop outside, it’s possible to enjoy a nice temperate climate inside thanks to home heating systems. Here are some ways to make heating your home as green as possible.
• 5 Energy Saving Tips (Home, Office or School)
  Saving energy, whether at home, work, or school, is easier than you think with these five emission-reducing tips. For the most part, all it takes is a little forethought and common sense.
• Waste-free Lunches – Putting Landfills on a Diet
  Plastic sandwich bags, aluminum foil, and plastic utensils all contribute to needless lunchtime wastefulness. Learn how we can change these hard-to-break habits and create zero waste at noon.
• 5 Green Ideas to Use at Home
  Some of our most precious resources, such as water and trees, can be spared by following these simple tips for ‘greening up’ your home.
• Reuse – Items with an ‘Afterlife’
  Doesn’t it make us feel good when we think of innovative ways to reuse things? Here are are a few items we can learn to reuse and information on how to extend their lives.

Have you got a green tip you plan on implementing this year? Let us know in the comments!

The post 5 Green Guides to Start the Year off Right appeared first on Greenr.ca.

The Manitoba government has recently launched a new website and iPhone app that enables local residents to enter their location and each item they would like to recycle (such as cell phones, pharmaceuticals or plastic). The website then generates a list of the closest recycling depots and displays them on a handy imbedded map.

The iPhone app, called MB Recycling, also enables users to find recycling centres close to their homes, along with driving directions to each centre. The app is available for free download on the iTunes store.

Conservation and Water Stewardship Minister Gord Mackintosh was pleased to annouce both new services: “If you need to find a place to recycle your phone or laptop – now all you need to do is ask them. Green Manitoba’s new online tools make it easier than ever to find the many accessible recycling depots in the province.”

The development of both the iPhone app and the website are part of Manitoba’s Green Plan called TomorrowNow, Manitoba’s eight-year plan for protecting the environment while ensuring a prosperous economy.

The post New Website and iPhone App Simplifies Recycling in Manitoba appeared first on Greenr.ca.

The Hammacher Schlemmer Hand Powered Espresso Maker creates rich Italian coffee drinks without any electricity. All you have to do is pour hot steaming water into the top of the machine; pushing down both levers drives a piston down, creating up to 10 bars of pressure to extract rich, complex espresso topped with that dark reddish-brown foam we all love called crema. The included hand-powered frother also produces foamy milk for cappuccinos or lattés. The espresso maker itself is made from durable cast aluminium and the water reservoir is made of hard plastic. A perfect gift for that eco-conscious coffee lover.

The post A Hand Powered Espresso Maker for Smooth Italian Coffee appeared first on Greenr.ca.

They’re not just looking for any green idea either. (Jump Rope flashlights are sooo 2010) They want submissions that consist of a new way of doing business, that have a significant sustainability benefit and have a strong business plan to back it up. Will your idea save money or create revenue? They want to know! Judges will be scoring submissions on the basis of originality and ease of implementation. Five semi-finalists will pitch their concepts to a panel of Canada’s top CEO’s in Toronto in March of 2012.

So, what are you waiting for? Start brainstorming, read all about how you can enter and get inspired by taking a look at how Canadian businesses are changing the world!

The post The Walmart Green Student Challenge appeared first on Greenr.ca.

For years now, experts have been encouraging kids to engage in physical exercise and abandon their x-box, even just for an hour a day, with slogans like “get outside”, while we, as adults, workout either within the confined spaces of our living rooms or at the nearby gym. However, there’s now reason to believe that humans of any age should: get outside!

The fact that there is a strong co-relation between physical activity and mental wellbeing is well-documented; exercising in a ‘green’ space is even more beneficial, according to researchers, even if it’s just for five minutes a day.

The importance of getting sufficient exercise each day has become mainstream ideology, but not so stressed is the fact that our exercise should take place in natural, green surroundings for optimum mental benefits and overall wellbeing.

U.K. researchers conducted ten studies involving 1,250 people in various outdoor activities, including walking, cycling, gardening, boating, etc. and found quick improvements in mood and self-esteem, especially among young people. The effect was even greater in an area with some ‘blue’, such as a lake or a river.

‘Green’ exercise was also seen to do wonders for the mentally-ill. These disorders, according to experts, are on the rise, with 1 in 4 people predicted to be afflicted with a mental disorder at some point in their lives. While tests cannot conclusively say that this is a result of our ‘green’ space being swallowed up by cement-encased cities, ‘green’ should definitely be part of the treatment as a drug-free form of therapy. That’s why it’s vital that urban areas have parks and ‘natural’ areas. Those suffering from high-stress jobs could also benefit greatly from short periods of ‘green’ exercise. Study leader Jules Pretty from the University of Essex says: “Employers, for example, could encourage staff in stressful workplaces to take a short walk at lunchtime in the nearest park to improve mental health.”

It’s free. It’s natural. And it’s therapeutic. Green environments are apparently the perfect ‘gym’ in which to carry out our exercise activities. Who knew? So before I head out for a stroll in the park, let me just say, “get outside!”

The post Research Finds that a Stroll in the Park Helps Mind and Body appeared first on Greenr.ca.

Apart from the cumulative repercussions resulting from millions of automobiles burning oil for fuel the world over, there are also the sudden catastrophes which result from time to time when massive oil operations spill their lethal load. This threat became reality last week when the rig Deepwater Horizon, operated by BP, exploded and then sank off the coast of Louisiana.

The massive oil spill is predicted to reach land by Friday, and, after discussions with five Gulf state governors, the U.S. Government declared the oil leak a disaster of ‘national significance’. While pledging immediate aid to counteract the situation, U.S. officials say the primary responsibility, and ultimately the price tag for recovery efforts, rests squarely on the shoulders of the oil company BP PLC.

But the company has been slow to acknowledge the urgency of the situation, only conceding Thursday that the leak may be as bad as government estimates say it is. The U.S. Coast Guard says that a new leak has been found which looks to be five times greater than what was previously thought and estimates that as much as 5000 barrels a day are escaping. In the end, as much as 100,000 barrels or 4.2 million gallons of oil could be spewed into the Gulf, before rescue operations successfully halt the leak. However, the worst oil spill in U.S. history, the Exxon Valdez, leaked 11 million gallons in 1989 off the south coast of Alaska.

Emergency measures to deal with the spill include using booms, chemical dispersants and attempts to burn the oil off the surface of the water. However, bad weather has hampered efforts. As well, after failing to halt the leak by trying to activate a shut-off device with submersible robots, officials are considering drilling another well to control the flow, but this would require much time and effort as the well head is at a distance of 5000 feet underwater.

The amount of resources and funds required for cleanup is huge. Industries such as shrimp and other seafood businesses will be negatively impacted. But the heaviest implications will be ecological. As the spill moves ominously closer to the mouth of the Mississippi, biologically diverse coastal areas and fragile wetlands from Florida to Texas are at risk. Fish, birds, and other wildlife could die by the thousands.

The situation in the Gulf of Mexico is a reminder of the poor marks we deserve for stewardship of the earth. Grave environmental consequences resulting from accidents or human error cannot be undone overnight – they leave a permanent smudge on our ‘caretakers’ report card.

The post Ecological Disaster Looming in Gulf of Mexico appeared first on Greenr.ca.

My landlord, Stanko Matic, planted the apricot tree that shades my backyard. Stanko, a gentle giant in his seventh decade, immigrated with his wife to Canada from Yugoslavia many years ago.

Every summer he fills my yard with tomato plants grown from heritage seeds from the old country. Peppers, cucumbers, garlic and leeks accompany the tomatoes in his strictly organic garden. He urges me to harvest my fill.

He planted the apricot tree 10 years ago: “before that… was cherry tree, but the birds eat. Before cherry was apple tree, small green apple, kind that nobody eat.”

Looking out over his piece of the urban forest, he says our apricot tree won’t be around much longer. We’ll get maybe three or four more years from it. It does look a bit ragged. Last summer a windstorm snapped off a large limb and hurled it into my neighbour’s yard. Hardened gobs of amber resin now ooze where the bark has split. In the three years I’ve lived here we’ve had just one true apricot harvest. The squirrels beat us to most of the fruit before it was even ripe.

Despite its imperfections, this gnarled, sap-clotted tree brings me such happiness. Its blossoms burst open in the spring earlier than those of any of Ontario’s other fruit trees. We’ve eaten countless summer meals at the picnic table in my backyard, shaded by its boughs. And the apricot pie my daughter made during the year of the great harvest is the stuff of gastronomic legend.

Soaring food costs have inspired most of us to rethink our food-gathering strategies. Besides the decadent pleasure of eating fruit plucked fresh from the branch, a tree like this can bolster a family’s pantry year round, with homemade jellies and syrups to last through winter.

For those struggling with the challenge of picking their fruit tree’s bounty, the Toronto organization Not Far From the Tree offers a residential fruit picking program that dispatches volunteer teams to aid in the harvest.

To know exactly where your fruit comes from and how it was grown, to taste its nectar explode in your mouth as your teeth pierce skin still warm from the sun – these are privileges, precious and rare.

And though when planting in your own yard, it is always best to consider native species – it is nonetheless important to nurture and care for all of urban forest. After all it is the diversity that contributes to the richness of Toronto’s urban spaces.

A fruit tree is a long-term commitment, but one so utterly worthwhile, even in an urban forest.

The post An Apricot Tree in the Family appeared first on Greenr.ca.

The debate is on, with implications as far-reaching as the lusts and desires of your expectant tastebuds.

Just as an exquisite meal satisfies the soul and nourishes the body, the standards by which we ‘create’ food can impact our society. Which food ethic is more nourishing and beneficial to a community and even to the planet as a whole? Should we continue to indulge in the vast array of culinary choice, delighting in the foods of the world? Or should we adopt a more local approach and embrace a form of culinary xenophobia?

Arguments for both sides are persuasive. In the end, though, the flavor that should accent every dish is, balance.

Locavores, or proponents for eating local food, correctly claim that such a trend benefits the local economy by supporting businesses and farmers within a certain area. The movement also positively impacts the environment in that less transporting of food means less greenhouse gas emissions. Last, but not least, is the argument that local food is fresher and ‘in-season’, bringing a heightened taste experience to the table.

Others believe ‘food’ to be a cultural experience, as much an exploration of the multicultural society we are connected with as a revelation of flavors.

The world has become a very small place thanks to modern technology. It’s now possible to sustain summer’s bounty all year long, importing whatever a chef might desire to round out the menu.

But, according to history, change has always been a part of local cuisine. Dishes we now deem traditional to a certain country include ingredients that did not originate in that region, such as tomatoes and basil in Italian food, or peanuts in Thai food. Yet, after being introduced to a community at some point in history, certain flavors become synonymous with a region or people.

That’s why some culinary experts support a ‘broadening of tastes’, creating a fusion of flavors in which culinary art emerges from the melting pot of food culture.

Chef Peter Gordon, author of the book Fusion: A Culinary Journey, is one such proponent. Seeing the potential for culinary success by embracing the amazing cuisines of other countries, Gordon even points out that the carbon footprint of some imported foods could be lower than their homegrown counterparts because of having ideal growing conditions, such as more sunshine, in a foreign growing location. Balance is key, though. There are a few ingredients he refuses to buy ‘out-of-season’ as the locally grown crop provides superior quality.

Jamie Kennedy is a chef based in Southern Ontario and is an advocate of local cuisine. Again, while ethics, environmentalism, and community, the cornerstones of the local food movement, all factor into his stance, so does balance. He says it’s important not to be dogmatic, but rather, to celebrate what’s possible locally.

An abundance of varieties of food can be grown locally and thus should find their way into kitchens within that 100km local range. While still enjoying fair-trade tastes from abroad (who wants to give up coffee or tea?) Kennedy finds that, far from being restrictive, concentrating on regional tastes gives him inspiration to focus on a plethora of local options and to become ‘known for something’.

In all fairness, the world has a lot to offer. So do local gardens and farmers markets. By serving up balance, both ideologies can co-exist in harmony on the platter of culinary delights, complimenting each other the way a little ethnic spice from a distant land spruces up those homegrown potatoes.

The post Local vs. International: A Merging of Flavors and Ethics appeared first on Greenr.ca.