Sunbeams Masterfeed

03 Jun 2012 12:00 : Brussels Environment Fair

Fri, 25 May 2012 03:09:19 +0000

The 2012 edition of the Environment Fair will focus on the issue of sustainable food. In conjunction with Brusselicious, Year of Gastronomy in Brussels, the Feast of the Environment will introduce you to the sustainable food in all its flavors, with tastings, exhibitions and interactive animations and games. You will leave convinced: sustainable food can also be gourmet food! This annual celebration of the environment, is also the opportunity to meet all the environmental stakeholders in the Brussels Region and get teh latest information while having fun. There will be organic and fair trade catering, street theater, games, concerts, a farm and a village children's village. A free concert by JOSHUA wil lfinish off the day. The celebration of the environment will take place Sunday, June 3, from 12am in the Jubilee Park. (metro Schuman or Merode). Getting to the festival of the environment? Train: Central Station (+ metro) station Schuman and Merode station. Metro: lines 1 and 5, stop Schuman or Merode. Bus: 12, 21, 22, 36, 60, 79 - stop Schuman, 22, 27, 80 - stop Gaul, 22, 27, 61 - stop Merode. Tram: 81, 83 - stop Merode. From the Avenue de Tervuren, the free Museum tram takes you to the party, on board trams dating from the early twentieth century. Full details: http://www.bruxellesenvironnement.be/Templates/news.aspx?id=34089&langtype=2060 (http://www.bruxellesenvironnement.be/Templates/news.aspx?id=34089&langtype=2060)

You, Me, and Biodiversity

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 15:48:56 +0000

We humans are not an isolated species. Due to globalization, industrialization, and our number, we have an enormous impact on this planet. All the things we do and those we choose not to, have repercussions on the world we live in.

Interconnected

If we each started practicing a no-impact lifestyle today, without electricity, shops, or technology; if we just picked and ate berries and only used hand-made tools, one can argue that the planet would not be able support the current population. However, the opposite is certainly true. The planet cannot sustain every individual living an average Western lifestyle.

Ecosystems are neither static, nor isolated entities. Relationships between animals, humans, and plants are radically intertwined. If bees become extinct tomorrow, our main pollinators would disappear, and the effects on our food supply would be devastating. Ecosystems are delicate. Like houses made of playing cards, they collapse when a single card is removed.

Changes in ecosystems, caused by man or nature, can both have positive or negative results. An article in the National Geographic issue of March 2010, illustrated this well. Wolves were reintroduced to Yellow Stone National Park in the mid-90s after a fifty-year absence. The result: a change in the park’s entire appearance and cycle of life and a return to a richer bio-diverse ecosystem. The park’s rivers, fish, shrubs, trees, and its small and big mammals all went through a metamorphosis as a result of one single change in the jigsaw puzzle. It is a powerful example of the interconnectedness of all living things.

Our role: a choice to make

Throughout history, species have been coming and going even before mankind emerged on the scene. We, as human beings, are not the sole factors affecting evolutionary change; however, it is undeniable that we are mainly responsible for species’ and ecosystems’ disappearance at an alarmingly accelerated rate during the last decennia. We do have a crucial role to play.

We can start making a difference through our daily choices as consumers and producers. We can continue destroying ancient forests by buying paper tissues for nose-blowing, or we can find ecologically-sound alternatives to do the same job. We can try to control species by genetically altering them for disease/pest resistance, or we can place our trust in biodiversity and follow more natural solutions- like permaculture or integrated pest control management - when growing our food. We can support monocultures and their ecosystem consequences, or we can incorporate livestock and interplant species and rediscover “forgotten species” of vegetables and fruits, thus encouraging biodiversity. We can continue buying, believing there are no consequences for our actions, or we can reduce and change our consumption and start repairing, pre-cycling, recycling, and reusing things.

Why contribute to biodiversity?

There are many reasons to promote biodiversity. There are ethical reasons (our duty to the next generations), ecological reasons (protecting fragile ecosystems of which we are part of), economical reasons (we depend upon natural resources) and emotional reasons (preservation of endangered species like the polar bears). Whatever motives, there is one overall reason we must bear in mind: no one knows exactly what the consequences are when one piece of the domino set-up in our ecosystems is removed. No one knows when the tipping point will be reached that will cause irreversible changes for humankind.

Why not cherish the planet? Pay it respect through your actions. Take small steps to make changes in behaviour which can lead to positive consequences. Why wait? There is still hope left, if we all start today.

What can we do?

As consumers, we can become aware of the story behind the items we purchase. Increased research provides us with knowledge of the implications of the lifetime cycle of a product: the materials used and waste generated in production, the transportation distance and energy needed before the product ends up in the shop, as well as the ethical standards adhered to throughout the production process. We can keep ourselves informed.
Whether you are a child, a student, or an adult, you can make a difference and help turn the tide. All changes cannot be accomplished overnight; however, you can start today by taking small steps, one at a time. Looking at organic, fair trade and energy usage labels is a good start. You can choose clean and renewable energy at home. You can find products with strict eco-labels that respect your body, home, and garden. You can use green dry-cleaning. These are all available in Belgium. Not all changes are difficult: you can eliminate junk mail by placing a sticker on your mail box and use reusable mugs and cutlery when not at home. Nor do they have to be expensive: you can switch your diet to more local, fresh, and organic food, buy in bulk, and reduce the meat on your plate. Take on the challenge. Preserve and cherish our planet’s rich biodiversity on which we all depend on.

Links
http://www.storyofstuff.org/movies-all/story-of-stuff/ : this animated video provides very accessible information on the impact of the production and consumption-oriented world we are living in;
www.fao.org has many fact sheets and background studies with figures and estimates on developments in biodiversity, especially in relation to food and agriculture;
http://www.belgium.be/en/environment/fauna/index.jsp provides information on who is responsible in the three Belgian regions on aspects of biodiversity;
www.biodiversity.be gives an overview of research and science focusing on biodiversity in Belgium.

- Ilke Pedersen-Beyst

Early spring vegetables: to eat or not to eat?

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 14:54:22 +0000

Early spring vegetables feed our eyes with vivid colours, provide us with vitamins and minerals and revive our pallet with crisp, tasty choices. Popping up in grocery stores and markets, they are calling out to be bitten into. Flavourful and juicy, they’re a long-awaited change to the root vegetables available during endless winter months. Especially because at the beginning of spring, our bodies crave for a vitamin boost and a bit of variety in our everyday diets. But are the early spring vegetables really so healthy?

Chemical fertilisers - Mendeleev's table

Unfortunately, despite their beautiful colours and memorable fresh taste, the early spring vegetables may contain many chemicals which stimulate their growth and artificially enhance their healthy fresh appearance. Early vegetables are usually not grown in natural conditions, they lack sunshine and therefore, need to be heavily fertilised. Many of them contain harmful compounds - nitrates, nitrites, lead (found especially in vegetables grown near traffic) and pesticides.

Many common vegetables such as celery, radishes or beetroot contain nitrates, but the real problem occurs when the nitrogenous substances are artificially accumulated in vegetables. When fertilised, plants don’t absorb as much nitrates as they need, but as much as they get. These substances are not hazardous to the plants themselves, but in humans, they can be converted to nitrites and then to cancer-causing compounds called nitrosamines.

Everything in moderation

Despite some disadvantages, don’t avoid eating early spring vegetables! They’re full of vitamins and minerals; they give us the foretaste of summer and improve our mood. Even just a variety of colours on your plate will make you feel so much better. If you buy your vegetables from an unknown source, you should fear the harmful consequences of chemical substances only after eating large quantities. A spring vegetables salad once in a while will do no harm to our health. Moderation is the key - have a balanced diet and consider early vegetables as a nice and healthy addition to your spring meals. Eating vegetables is so much better than not eating them at all, just make smart choices - be aware of what you buy, where you buy and how you store.

What are the smart choices?

1. Go organic! Organic vegetables are free from artificial fertilisers, pesticides and herbicides. Organic crops are subject to careful control from fertilisation to growing, right up to packaging and labeling. Organic vegetables are predominantly more expensive, but it’s a choice worth considering...

2. Grow your own...if you’re lucky enough to have a garden. The best would be a small piece of land located at least 100 metres from a busy road. Besides, growing your own vegetables equals not only chemical-free salad, but also a lot of fun!

3. If you’re unfortunate enough to live somewhere in the city centre, you can still have a small garden on your window sill. Cress, chives and even radish can be easily grown in pots. Those plants don’t require too much care; they just need sufficient sunlight and frequent watering.

Some tips for buying and storing

If you have no means to grow your own vegetables, here are some tips that you can follow when buying them.

1. Carefully choose your vegetables. They should be fresh-looking with no signs of mildew. Smell the vegetables before purchasing. Obviously, they will never smell as intense as those picked in the middle of summer, but they should have a nice, delicate aroma.

Root vegetables like radishes or carrots should be firm and smooth and have intact greens. Unless they are organic, avoid the temptation of buying overgrown radishes - large and shiny ones probably received a lot of chemicals during intensive fertilisation. Lettuce should have green leaves and be crisp - if you see any evidence of decay or discolouration, better not buy it. Good-quality spring onions have green, crisp tops and white necks, avoid the ones that are yellow or wilted.

2. Proper storage is important. Don’t keep your vegetables in plastic bags, they accumulate the moisture and accelerate the conversion of nitrate to harmful nitrite. Wash the vegetables thoroughly before eating - lukewarm water will help remove some of the harmful chemical substances. Lettuce and spinach should be washed and dried before being stored inside the refrigerator, this will remove excess moisture.

Are you craving for a mouthwatering spring recipe? Try these Smoked Salmon Spring Pots - easy to make and absolutely delicious!

Ingredients:
- 6 thin slices smoked salmon (about 140g) (preferably wild Alaskan salmon which doesn’t have chemicals found in farm-raised varieties)
- 150g cream cheese
- 3-4 radishes, grated (about 60g)
- 2 spring onions, chopped (about 40g)
- 1 tablespoon of dill, chopped (about 8g)
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons cream
- watercress for decoration

Directions:
1. Line each cup of the muffin tray with cling ?lm, press it inside until it sticks to the sides of the cup. Line each cup with one slice of salmon, press the salmon inside.
2. Prepare the cream cheese. Mix the cheese, the lemon juice, the cream, the dill, the chives and the radishes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
3. Fill the muffin cups with the cream cheese. Fold overhanging salmon and press down lightly to compact the filling. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
4. Remove the pots from the muffin tray using the edges of the cling ?lm. Place them upside down on a plate. Make a small cut in the middle of each pot and decorate it with the watercress, some ground pepper and olive oil.

Cooking Tip: if you don’t have muffin tray, try using coffee cups.

You can find more healthy recipes at http://www.midnightspoon.com

Magdalena Wawrzonkowska

It’s springtime! Lighten your load!

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 14:07:15 +0000

It's springtime! Nature is waking up – blossoming with growth and rejuvenation. We too are part of nature and springtime is detox time for us humans! There are plenty of solutions in nature to help us rejuvenate.”

In traditional Chinese medicine, spring is associated with the liver and the gall bladder. Both of these organs work together as blood cleansers, and have probably been working hard these last few months. In winter, we typically have heavier foods, move less and have fewer fresh vegetables and fruits. As a result, it’s easier to accumulate toxins. As we transition to warmer weather, we can help our bodies clean out the liver and the gallbladder so they can function at their maximum potential.

Liver dysfunction is the root of a lot of diseases. The symptoms of a sluggish liver can include many things such as chronic fatigue, increased irritability, skin problems, and digestive issues, amongst others.

Here are some easy ways to lighten your load:
• First thing in the morning, drink some freshly-squeezed lemon juice (1-2 tablespoons) in warm water to encourage detoxification.
• Remember to stay hydrated all day by drinking more water than you normally do to help flush toxins (6-8 glasses of spring water is ideal).
• Eat clean, high-quality food – including organic vegetables, grass-fed beef, free-range chicken, wild-caught fish, and good fats like olive and coconut.
• Eliminate processed foods as much as possible. Stick to whole foods to increase nutrition and minimize toxins.
• Incorporate detox-specific foods into your diet. Beetroot, apples, carrots, garlic, onions and artichokes are some of your liver’s best friends. They help get rid of toxins, have antioxidant properties and can even help in the elimination of heavy metals.
• Increase movement to get your lymph moving which moves the toxins out of your body. Toxins are released through body fluids so move and make a cleansing sweat.
• Another important way to move toxins out is through breathing – make time for deep cleansing breaths throughout the day.

Spring really is the perfect time of the year for cleaning. Detoxification means cleaning our bodies from the inside out. Feel lighter and have more energy in time for the warmer weather so you can make the most of your time outdoors and of your coming summer vacation. Your body will thank you for it!

Nüket is a coach with a holistic approach to living a healthy and fulfilling life. She lives in Brussels and works with individuals and companies, supporting them in making positive changes to create lifestyles and environments that are more balanced and healthy. If you would like more information, or a free sample session, contact her by email at nuketveral@globalwellbeing.org

Increase Your Energy Efficiency - Juice it Up

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:54:53 +0000

As my days get busier and time seems to get shorter, I decided to start the new year with a plan to simplify my life and do things more efficiently. I finally got myself signed up for delivery of organic veggies (thank you, Reason2.be!) and wonder why I didn’t start earlier. Every week, I receive a box of fresh organic produce delivered straight to my door. I no longer have to make a few trips a week to get my shopping done; hoping that the ingredient I am looking for is in stock, fresh and available in the quantity I’m looking for. I’m saving time, gas and shopping stress (yes, there is such a thing)!

An added side benefit to all of this is that eating healthy has gotten easier and more efficient as well. Since the deliveries began, I’ve found it easier to plan out our meals. I’ve also been juicing more regularly because it’s so much easier when I have all the ingredients on hand – no more excuses! And, when there are a few veggies or fruits left over that I can’t seem to fit into a meal, I just toss them into the juice!

So I now have a new daily habit of juicing and drinking a delicious and healthy vegetable juice with fresh, organic ingredients.

Juicing, like a lot of things in life, can be simple with a little planning. Apart from getting a juicer, if you don’t already have one, it really can be quite easy. Here are some tips to making it a fun and more common happening in your home.

Juicing prep

Buy enough veggies for juicing to last the week.
Keep it simple and seasonal with the ingredients – you don’t necessarily need a new combination for every day of the week. Two recipes for the week will keep it interesting.
For vegetables that store well, wash them up once in the week and put them in containers or bags – one for each day.
Keep your juicer outside your cupboard so you have an inviting juicing station (out of sight means out of mind).
In the morning or whenever you want to juice, grab a container and start juicing!
Kids love to help - my daughter is a great juicer assistant, pushing down the vegetables, and even daring to try different combinations of ingredients until we find one that works for her.

Getting the most out of your juice

If you want to make some for later in the day, keep in mind that juice oxidizes very quickly so make sure to store them properly in containers that are filled to the top and air tight, shielded from light and stored in the refrigerator. I use an extra large thermos. You can also try canning jars.
Use the pulp as additional fiber in your dishes, as mix to pet food or as compost.

Clean up

I have to admit, when people say “Cleaning the juicer is a pain!” I get it. But I’ve found there is a way to make it easier!!

After I make the juice, I first sit down and enjoy my juice, savoring the flavor and marveling at whatever new combination I’ve come up with for the day.
Once I’m done with drinking, I wash the juicer immediately after I use it. It takes just a couple of minutes and then it’s done, drying and ready to go for the next day.

Why is raw juice so good for you?

Juice provides concentrated vitamins, mineral and anti-oxidants.
Juice provides easily digestible nutrients. Juicing extracts the liquid nutrition and leaves behind the pulp (fiber). (Not to say that fiber is something to avoid – your body needs fiber – juicing just provides a way to get a lot of nutrients in a very digestible form).
Juicing is an easy way to consume a lot of vegetables that would otherwise be difficult to eat.
The nutrients are intact and haven’t been altered by heat and oxidation.
Juicing gives you the life-force of the plants!
Juicing helps to suppress appetite as it gives real nutrition and helps reduce cravings.
Drinking fresh juice is alkalizing for the body, helping keep your body and immune system strong.

What can I juice?

You can juice lots of different things. To get real health benefits, the best juice is made primarily from vegetables.
The idea is to get the benefits of the vegetables and limit the sugar intake from fruits. One apple or pear for example is a good option if your juice is really green and you want to smooth it out a bit (carrots and beets also have high sugar so keep their amounts down in your juice combinations).
Lemons and limes give juice a nice zing and just a bit can make a big difference.
Some juicing basics include a few celery stalks, 1-2 carrots, ½ beet, ½ cucumber, 1-2 cm of ginger root, and a handful of parsley or spinach.
Check out http://www.living-foods.com/recipes/juicerecipes.html for 20 simple juice recipes.

Nüket is a coach and health consultant with a holistic approach to living a healthy and fulfilling life. She lives in Brussels and works with individuals and companies, supporting them in making positive changes to create lifestyles and environments that are more balanced and healthy. If you would like more information, or a free sample session to experience coaching and determine if it’s right for you, contact her by email at nuketveral@globalwellbeing.org

Ecover. Eco-who?

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 19:51:10 +0000

Let’s face it: keeping your home clean is a chore. But, while we cannot avoid our household duties, we can avoid using conventional cleaning products that can be harmful to Mother Nature and our health. You can always opt for do-it-yourself cleaning products but if you are looking for eco-friendly commercial products, look no further than Ecover.

In fact, you may have already seen their products, which range from washing-up liquid to room fragrances, since they are widely available in Belgian stores and supermarkets. At some points of sale, you can even bring your old bottle or container and have it refilled. Some customers claim to have used their bottle over years and even decades. I have been using several of their products to great satisfaction. And if you’re worried about having to sacrifice performance when buying green, here’s what CEO Mike Bremans has to say: “We just wanted to make ecological products that happened to clean. Now we make cleaning products that happen to be green.” But let’s look at the origin of the “world’s most well-known brand of sustainable household-cleaning products.”

In 1979, Frans Bogaerts, an out-of-work soap salesman, started his enterprise in his barn in Malle in Northern Belgium (does Westmalle ring a bell?). Environmental concerns were getting traction in society and Bogaerts saw what traditional cleaning products did when dumped mindlessly into rivers. The main villain here is phosphate, which boosts algae growth and eutrophication. Ecover’s first products, a washing powder and a dishwashing agent, were the first in Europe to use plant-based and mineral ingredients instead of phosphate, but they could only be bought in specialty shops back then. Bogaerts persisted and eventually sold his enterprise in 1992. He died in August 2011 at the age of 76.

Today, Bogaerts’ barn is one of the greenest factories overall with a 6,000 m² grass roof, no central heating and no air-conditioning. The company won several awards and even made it to Time Magazine’s 2008 list of environment heroes. However, Ecover also faces criticism, e.g. for its cleaning performance (that’s because they don’t use optical brighteners) and for ‘lack of evidence’ for some of its green claims (read more at The Guardian).

We do encourage you to give Ecover products a whirl and see for yourself if they work for you. They provide a lot of information on their website, even on production methods or staff transport. And why not sign up for their newsletter while you’re at it? Ecover will plant 50,000 m² of forest for 50,000 subscriptions.

Keep Your Joules - 15 Tips to Help You Save Energy

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:11:18 +0000

There are plenty of good reasons you should reduce your, and your household’s, energy intake: to save money, to lessen your dependence on the grid, to help planet Earth. Whether the motivation is economic, environmental or just plain experimental, there are numerous ways to achieve this goal. Energy-reducing tactics can be applied to your use of electricity, water, heating and cooling systems, as well as to your driving habits and food intake. While there are many avenues for diminishing your joule-dependence, let me give you 15 relatively easy tips to help get you on your way!

Replace the light bulbs in your home and office with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). CFLs not only use less energy (one third to one fifth of that of an incandescent bulb) but they also have a longer life expectancy! This straightforward method can save you up to 75% on lighting costs. CFLs can be found in most local hardware stores or Brico downtown.
Another very simple way to reduce your electrical energy intake is to turn off unnecessary lighting and use task or desktop lamps with CFLs instead of overhead lights.
Unplug all the electronics, battery chargers and other equipment when they are not in use. Taken together, these small items can use as much power as your refrigerator.
Enable "power management" on all your home and office computers and make sure to turn them off at night (computers still use energy in sleep mode). Additionally, a laptop uses up to 90% less energy than bigger desktop models, so I guess it is time to think about getting that new Mac Book Pro! On a related note: if you’re still using screensavers, stop! They provide no benefit for LCD screens, and they use up your precious joules.
When it is possible, wash your clothes in cold water rather than warm or hot. Approximately 90% of the energy used in a clothes washer goes to water heating.
Reduce heat and air leaks in your home. The biggest utility expense for most households is heating, so reducing how much heat leaves the house is key to lowering this cost. Here is a fun way to do it! On a windy day, carefully hold a lit incense stick next to your windows, doors, electrical boxes, plumbing fixtures, electrical outlets, ceiling fixtures, attic hatches, and other places where air may leak. If the smoke stream travels horizontally, you have located an air leak that may need caulking, sealing, or weather-stripping.
You know those times when you run the tap to get the water hot enough? Well, instead of letting that water and cents flow down the drain, put a jug under the tap and collect the water. Once the water is hot, remove the jug and go give your indoor plants a drink (plants usually prefer lukewarm to warm water anyway so they will be happy with this idea).
When getting ready to drive on a cold day, avoid idling. Think about it—idling gets you 0 miles per gallon. The best way to warm up a vehicle is to drive it. No more than 30 seconds of idling on winter days is needed. Anything more will simply waste fuel and increases emissions.
When you are in the kitchen, make energy-efficient cooking choices by using small appliances, such as the toaster oven, electric skillet or slow cooker for specialized jobs. Quite simply- small appliances use less energy.
This tip is only for those households with a very effective dishwasher- skip rinsing the dishes! Rinsing dishes before loading them into the dishwasher only wastes energy. For those of us with less than desirable dishwashing machines, just rinse with cold water instead of warm or hot.
Put a lid on it! Another crafty kitchen technique to reduce energy use is to cook food and boil water in a covered container whenever possible. This traps the heat inside and requires less energy.
Turn off the water when you are brushing your teeth or shaving, especially if it is warm water.
Don't use the toilet as a wastebasket or ashtray - water is wasted every time you flush.
One way to reduce your energy footprint on a global scale is to be diligent about recycling all your newspapers, cans, bottles, plastics, cardboard and other materials. It takes a lot of energy to make new containers, paper products and packaging so let’s all try and make sure we are not being lazy about using the green, blue and yellow bags!
And here is the last one. It is a little controversial but I think will make all the Sunbeams readers feel good! Rely on online news sources rather than printed newspapers or magazines. It takes a lot of energy to make the paper, print and deliver these publications to your door.

Reconsidering 'New': A Guide to the Best Second-Hand Clothes Shops in Brussels

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:16:14 +0000

Anyone who loves clothes will tell you that the feeling of buying something new and imagining the various ways you can incorporate it into your wardrobe is strangely exhilarating. Adding a beautiful piece of clothing to your fashion repertoire and feeling great in it the next day can make us all feel a little like fashionistas. But, how often are we limited to thinking that this fabulous, fashion-induced feeling can only come from purchasing something on Rue Neuve or Avenue Louise? When we think of buying something 'special' and 'new' do we think outside of the never-been-worn-before box? I would dare to say - not very often. But this thinking is a shame considering all the avant-garde gems that hang neatly on vintage store racks. And if there is ever a place to experiment with second-hand shopping, it is in Brussels.

Brussels has some of the best consignment shopping in the world. With a combination of a fashion scene dating back to the 1900's, feted designer boutiques decorating the boulevards and a transient community, the chance of finding an amazing treasure in a second-hand store is good. Sometimes, actually locating these stores is what makes vintage shopping the most daunting – but Sunbeams is here to help with this problem!

There are six great stores to start with. The first is Gabriele Vintage (rue des Chartreux 27). Gabriele specializes in eveningwear and party gear. If you are looking for something divine and original to wear to a ballet, opera or a classy dinner party, and you don't want to spend a fortune, look no further. Unless it is to Burlesque at rue du Midi 64, which is another second-hand gem offering dressier options.

If you are looking for something a little less dressy but a little more jealousy-evoking, visit Ramon & Valy Vintage Shop at rue des Teinturiers 19. This delightful store holds some of the most coveted names: Hermes, Chanel, Dior, YSL, to name some, but for affordable prices. Les Enfants d'Edouard, placed idyllically on Avenue Louise (175-177 avenue Louise), offers the same level of fashion as its retail neighbors, which include Ralph Lauren, Moschino and Alaia, but for a fraction of the cost.

Alternatively, Sussies at rue du Lombard 74 is a hub of quirky, kitschy items that diversify your wardrobe and add to the uniqueness of your overall style (and clothes are sold by the kilo!). Look, (rue du Midi 40) just down the street from Burlesque, is another low-key retro shop where you can purchase everyday attire at everyday prices.

Now - I know that there are times when we will still travel to Avenue Louise or Rue Neuve to satisfy our fashion fix. This is okay. But I challenge everyone out there who loves great clothes to give second-hand a chance and add these great stores to your shopping destination list. Most importantly, rethink what 'new' means when it comes to your wardrobe. Everyone can go buy something 'new' at H& M or Zara, but what you buy in a consignment stores is the only sure way to know that your 'new' shirt won't also be someone else's 'new' shirt at work the next day. Happy shopping!

Simple Ways to Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:08:09 +0000

You hear it all the time - "the three R's" in the world of everything green. But what does it really mean to "Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle?" Here, you will learn what it means to put these three terms to use. Did you know: the more you reduce, the less you need to reuse; the more you reuse, the less you need to recycle; and the more you recycle, the less waste there will be! But it all starts with reducing as much as you possibly can. Make it a game! Involve your kids, see how little waste you can have at each garbage collection. Try to have less and less each month until you reach your ultimate goal.

Reduction is easily the most important step but it is also the most challenging and time-consuming. The thought of this may be a bit overwhelming, but once you have learned to reduce the amount of waste-producing products in your household, it will be much easier to reuse what you can and recycle the rest and end up with as little rubbish as possible.

In order to properly reduce, you have to start off by purchasing less. When you are at the grocery store, consciously think - "do I really need this?" You will be surprised that many times, the answer is no. Reduction can lead to not only a more eco-friendly lifestyle, but also a healthier one as well. This is true because it will cause you to purchase healthy food that create less rubbish such as fresh fruits and vegetables and minimize the amount of pre-packaged items such as potato chips, candies, and other unhealthy snacks.

If simply having healthier foods doesn't convince you to be committed to reduction, consider this: psychologists believe that the less "stuff" we have in our households, the happier we will be. People get overwhelmed by "things." Whether this means too many "knick knacks" on your shelves or too many non-eco friendly items piling up like paper cups, napkins, paper towels, and soap bottles. So what can one do to help solve this problem? Reduce, reduce, reduce! Having less meaningless items or waste products around the house will certainly make you happier but, psychologists also believe that the simple act of clearing all that clutter will also offer a significant boost in happiness! In other words, no need to wait for spring to start that "spring cleaning." Try it right now! For more information on happiness and reduction, check out this TED talk: http://www.ted.com/talks/graham_hill_less_stuff_more_happiness.html

Here are some more ideas for reduction:

Always use glass or re-usable cups
Drink water from a re-usable water bottle
Compost!
Don't buy paper napkins, use cloth instead
Avoid items that are individually wrapped such as yogurts and puddings. Instead, purchase one large tub of these items and serve them in a glass dish!

Of course, it is simply not possible to purely reduce; otherwise, you would have nothing! So, try to think about what things you have which you are not using anymore and instead of throwing them away, think about how they can be reused! This can range from refilling water or soda bottles rather than buying new ones, to using what you may think of as garbage (egg crates and crisp bags) for storage or for your children's art projects! Consider purchasing some reusable bags for grocery shopping. Or, dig up some old bags you may already have. This will not only help you to reuse but will also save you from having to purchase plastic bags!

Recycling is the last step in the three R's. Before you throw anything in the trash, think, "can this be recycled?" Paper, bottles, cans, etc. can all be put in their designated recycling bins. If you are unsure of whether something can be recycled, remember to check the packaging for the recycling symbol.

For more questions on recycling or to simply learn more about sorting and collection in your commune visit this link (you can choose the English version available). You will be able to get all the information you need right here or you will be redirected to the website of your commune where you can learn exactly what you need to do to recycle.

Top 10 Tips for a Real Holiday Season

Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:03:50 +0000

Champagne corks flying.... late nights out... 5 course dinners... gifts... swinging parties... tempting sweets... socializing with family and friends... piles of wrapping paper... cocktails... traveling across town (or the world)... shopping... decadent chocolates... Welcome to the Holiday Season! With all the festivities and so many things to prepare and do, the holidays can easily throw us off kilter, and lead to feeling rundown, even stressed by it all! With a little planning and positive intention, you can get through the season and come out of it feeling and looking great, and even help others and the environment along the way. To help create balance in and around your life, read on!

Grazing – eat smaller portions

As difficult as it is to resist all the holiday goodies that are out there, remember the golden rule: if you aren't hungry, stay away from the food table. While socializing, it's easy to forget how many of those cheese pastries or truffles you gulped down while sipping your drink.

One trick is to eat some healthy, fiber- rich foods before you hit the party scene. Then you can graze at leisure without the risk of overindulging from hunger. Also, try to take half portions to satisfy your sweet tooth without overburdening your body. If you are the host, be part of the solution by serving smaller portions of everything so guests can indulge without overdoing. Offer healthy alternatives such as veggie sticks with a humus dip, lots of greens, and other whole foods.

And when you are in between activities, keep your fridge stocked with healthy foods so that you aren't tempted to take in more sweets and heavy foods. Plan your grocery shopping so you can prepare lighter meals to compensate for all the rich dishes elsewhere. Eat regularly to avoid overdoing it at the next occasion. With all of this planning, how about considering these actions as the start of a healthy habit!

Homemade

While on the subject of food, consider making it homemade. Leave the over packaged and processed stuff in the stores this season and go for some real food when entertaining. Have you ever thought about all the food that is inside of a grocery store? Amazingly, most of it doesn't even qualify for whole, healthy, or even real food. Nearly everything that is inside the outside aisles of the store is packaged and processed "food". Do your body and the planet a favor by buying most of your product from the perimeter and avoid the inside aisles.

Gifts – think outside the box

I love finding a great gift for giving and for me that means really nailing it when it comes to thinking of what is meaningful for the person I'm giving it to. So skip the usual trinkets and go for something really irresistible. You might be surprised to know how often the most loved gifts are the ones that recognize a creative talent, neglected interest, or a need for pampering. You can buy a gift certificate for a treatment or donate to a charity in the person's name. Or look for hidden talents yearning to come out of hiding - treat the person to a session of classes like salsa, art, cooking, or singing. Acknowledging someone's interests and aspirations can be very healing and empowering. Nice! And think of all the trees you'll be saving by avoiding all the big packaging.

Drink – get lots of H2O...

Alcohol and all of that chocolate can be very dehydrating. Too much alcohol can disrupt your sleep, inhibit your immune system, make you feel sick or sluggish the next days, dehydrate your body, and make you more susceptible to cold viruses and the flu. Here's a little trick to help keep things in check. Drink one glass of water for every alcoholic drink and you will cut down on your alcohol consumption and keep your body liquids in better balance. Water also helps to get rid of toxic waste and keeps energy in check.

Move! (And I'm not talking about away from that dessert table (a good idea nonetheless.))

It's really important to maintain some routine of exercise to keep your energy flowing, burn off those calories and relieve stress, all at the same time.

Yes, that holiday shopping can add up. Take public transport and walk around while shopping. If you are driving, park your car far from the shops and walk the extra bit, take the stairs instead of the elevators, basically take any option that offers movement.

Between all of the holiday activities, kids on school holiday, and relatives and friends visiting, it's important to keep some semblance of an exercise routine, even if Ii's only the abridged holiday version!

Release it!

Stress that is. High amounts of stress, especially prolonged stress, create a lot of havoc for your body and your mind. Stress lowers your immune system, reducing your body's capacity to react to infection. So in addition to regular exercise, ensure you are getting those adequate hours of sleep every night. Sleeping at least 8 hours a night for most people helps keep inflammation in the body down and the immune system functioning. Also consider a Vitamin C supplement that can raise the body's resistance to colds. Its powerful antioxidant effect assists to increase vital cellular processes and protect DNA from damage. Find a good source of non-acidic vitamin C supplements to help keep your health and keep away colds and the flu.

Keep breathing!

When you feel your stress level rising, try yoga breathing (ujjaiyi) to help regulate your blood pressure and calm things down. Also helpful is two for one breathing. Exhale for twice the count of your inhale. This can slow your heart rate, calm your mind, and lower your blood pressure. Try these whenever you feel your stress level rising.

Outdoor therapy

Go outside and do something fun with your family. Walk around the neighborhood to look at holiday displays or organize a walk in the park during family get-togethers. Chances are, if your family gatherings are stuffy and something you don't look forward to, the rest of the party feels the same. Put a new spin on some of the old traditions to keep the energy positive and flowing. Taking walks, hiking, and enjoying other family activities with relatives will also help use up the energy from the extra servings.

Think Zen

Take time for yourself – even if its 15 minutes a day just to relax, disconnect from all the holiday commotion, and really go into yourself. Meditation is a good way to lower stress. Choose a place where you won't be interrupted – try it first thing in the morning or before going to bed at night, or even in the car before heading somewhere. Don't know how to meditate? How about an audio guide to meditation as another great gift idea!

Make a bird feeder

While holiday gatherings tend to be focused on indulgence, you can balance them with some quality time with your family. Outdoor projects with kids are fun and educational. A bird feeder is easy to make and draws a lot of birds during the cold winter months. Another idea is to help solitary bees find more nesting places by preparing nesting tubes in hollow branches or plant stems. Go to http://www.buglife.org.uk/getinvolved/gardening/beenestsforgardeners for more information. Wait and hang them out in March to be ready for spring buzzing. Creating an eco-friendly activity can help make children more aware of our impact on the environment, and if children grow up green, they help the earth stay healthy too.

And finally... Just say Yes!

Say yes to staying home...sometimes less is more and enjoying family time can be a lot more satisfying.

Happy Holidays!

Autumn Balance

Fri, 11 Nov 2011 20:16:38 +0000

Autumn is a beautiful time of the year with leaves changing color. It is also a time for accepting things as they are or have become. Leaves fall, vegetables fade and everything is becoming settled, peaceful, quiet and calm. The days become shorter than the nights.

In autumn, we need to store vital energy in order to make it through the winter in a healthy state. We are ready to start turning inward and slow down from all of the activity of the summer. Early to bed and early to rise, we insure we have enough energy to finish up the last bits and pieces of projects and plans.

The heat of the summer evolves to humidity and then gives way to dryness, the energy of the season. Together with dryness, we have cooler temperatures as nature retracts. Yang (warmth of the sun) begins to lessen and yin (cooler seasons of fall and winter) comes forth. With the cooler temperatures, the watery fruits and vegetables of summer like watermelon, peaches and cucumber give way to more concentrated foods like apples, the drier carrots, and sweet potatoes and seeds. These foods don’t risk freezing like the water-rich fruits and vegetables of summer.

All the colors of summer are fading and transition to yellow and eventually white, the color of the autumn season. In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), autumn is the season of metal. The lungs and respiratory system, which are associated with the metal element, are more vulnerable during the dry days and cool autumn evenings. It’s important to keep them moist and warm during the cooler months to come. Problems in the lungs include colds and flu, allergies, chronic coughs, bronchitis, sinus infections and so on. Keep the upper back, shoulders, and spinal column covered and warm. You can also try massaging the chest area with pre-mixed oils which include eucalyptus essential oil to ease breathing and oxygenation problems.

As the weather cools down, we also need to pay attention to our digestive system, ensuring it stays strong because it is the root of our immune system’s strength. Avoid foods that destabilize your digestive system. Eat a little less raw as well as cold foods. It’s a good time to start baking and include warm foods that are sweet, mildly spicy, sour and salty, as these are all flavours that increase moisture and encourage feeling nourished and grounded. Try starting the day with a warm bowl of porridge of oats, rice or quinoa that can be flavoured with maple syrup and cinnamon. The root vegetables of the season like pumpkin, carrots and sweet potatoes are densely-packed sugars and starches that are great in soups and good for a warming dinner. You can also try cooked fruits like apple sauce for snacks and desserts.

And remember warming teas - echinacea herb tea is a natural immune booster while ginger tea is good for nausea, indigestion and helps alleviate sore throats and colds and the flu – perfect for the season! Ginger tea is so easy to make you can have it regularly and it even helps stimulate your energy levels on days when you need an extra boost. Peel a few inches of ginger root and slice into thin slices. Add it

to boiling water, cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes. Drink it as is or you can add some lemon or a little bit of honey to taste. You can also make variations by adding spices such as cardamom, cloves, and organic orange peel while boiling the ginger.

To help with any feelings of anxiety, try a cleansing breath. Take a few deep breaths and then as you exhale, visualize everything that you feel is weighing you down or that is negative in your life. With your exhale, you leave all of these negative energies to the earth. As you inhale, imagine filling the empty space you just created with a color, smell, and image or sound that is positive for you. Deep breathing in general will stimulate your lungs and is a great way to relieve stress.

As we prepare ourselves for the cooler temperatures in the coming months, a key objective is keeping our immune systems in top shape.

When in balance, our bodies will keep healthy all through the coming winter. We often hear about the oncoming “flu season” and how important it is to protect ourselves with various “flu” solutions. What is the “flu season” and how do we protect ourselves from falling ill? Do bacteria really proliferate during these months or are we more susceptible to illness? A quick look at the environment and our habits shows us what is really changing in these coming months…

During the colder months, we will likely spend a lot more time indoors and be less active. And Vitamin D which is synthesized naturally by the body upon exposure to sunlight will be much harder to come by as the sun disappears for days on end. It turns out that Vitamin D is such a crucial element in keeping our immune systems fully functioning that by maintaining adequate levels we severely reduce the risk of contracting the flu. We can further support our immune system by eating well, minimizing our intake of processed sugars, getting regular exercise, having adequate rest and keeping a positive outlook on life and our surroundings.

Living in harmony with the season really does ensure harmony within us!

Nüket is a coach and health consultant with a holistic approach to living a healthy and fulfilling life. She lives in Brussels and works with individuals and companies, supporting them in making positive changes to create lifestyles and environments that are more balanced and healthy. If you would like more information or a free sample session, contact her by e-mail.

Parts of this article published in the November 2011 edition of the Sunbeams Newsletter.

Small Step: Inspiration for Saving Water

Thu, 14 Jul 2011 19:41:38 +0000

Treehugger tells the story of a 9-year-old boy who helped save thousands of liters of water with a school project:

So often there's the sense that only with dramatic change can we bring about a more sustainable world -- but in reality, sometimes all it takes is the imagination of a child. Meet Mason Perez, a 9-year-old from Reno, Nevada, whose science fair project has helped save his community tens of thousands of gallons of water. Two years ago, when he was only seven, the gradeschooler discovered an all-too-common point of waste that had been overlooked by grown-ups there for ages. And, with just one surprisingly simple fix, Mason found a way that the city could conserve one of its most important natural resources. [...] One day, he was at the a local baseball field enjoying a hot dog with his mother, and afterwards he visited the park's restroom to wash up -- but the water from the faucet was so strong that is was almost too painful for his little hands to bear. That's when he stumbled upon a simple discovery: if the tap was turned down halfway, it was actually just as effective. The youngster began to suspect something which most adults had never thought of -- that reducing water pressure could save a lot of water. [...] "His tests showed savings from 6 to 25 percent. It is common practice for construction workers to leave valves fully open when installing plumbing -- it's important for clearing out new pipes, but evidently unnecessary to stay that way in the long-term" [...] Since 2009, the park has reduced the water pressure in its facilities, saving an untold amount of water and saved 20 percent off their utility bill each month. [...] His project took the top prize at the science fair.

What can you do to save water?

This article was originally published in the July 2011 edition of the Sunbeams Newsletter.

Rent Eco-Cups for Your Next Party

Thu, 05 May 2011 19:56:12 +0000

Planning a party? Don't want to deal with heavy china or glass? Why not try eco-cups next time? Whatever the occasion of your festivity, eco-cups can be a cool and green alternative. They come in various shapes and sizes and are a nice way of making your party more sustainable. The Brussels Environment Institute has 10.000 eco-cups in stock to lend for any event taking place in the Brussels-Capital region. The price is 6 cents a piece, which includes cleaning afterwards. Make sure to reserve ahead, because demand is apparently high. More information is available online or via telephone (02-8885210).

Slovenian embassy to celebrate 20 years of country's independence by planting trees with sunbeams

Tue, 01 Mar 2011 13:00:23 +0000

This year the Republic of Slovenia is celebrating its 20th anniversary of independence. To commemorate this, as well as the International Year of Forests, proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly, and to help greening our Planet, the Embassy of Slovenia will join us at the tree planting event on Sunday, the 20th of March 2011 in Oetingen, 20 km west of Brussels.

The Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia in Belgium, the embassy staff, and Slovenians living in Belgium will plant 20 linden trees (tilia europaea). In Slovenia, the linden tree has been considered much more than a renewable natural resource. From time immemorial, it has been regarded as a national symbol due to its special role. To this day, many a Slovenian village still clusters around an ancient linden tree, and for a good reason. Throughout history, the tree has served as a social and political center of the village. To its inhabitants it symbolized the "tree of life".

[Source]

How is the 2010 forest doing?

Mon, 21 Feb 2011 12:10:22 +0000

2010 saw the first ever Sunbeams Tree Planting Event. Here is some up-to-date information on how our forest has fared so far.

All parties involved, especially the land owner, guarantee that our forest is and will be properly taken care of, as is also stipulated in Flemish forest law. The trees grew well in spring 2010, until the dry summer caused some problems, especially among the chestnut trees. However, the total mortality on the site only amounts to about 10%, and measures are taken right now to replant patches where necessary. The seedlings came from one of the best tree nurseries in the country, the site is definitely adequate for the species selected (based on scientific information and soil and humidity characteristics. The planting was followed up by 5 forestry professionals and the owner of the site.

To repeat this success, we invite everybody to join our 2011 Tree Planting Event.

Make Your Own Kitchen Hand Scrub

Thu, 17 Feb 2011 20:44:10 +0000

Working in the kitchen stresses your hands. Having a good hand scrub handy will make it easier for your skin. Here is a very simple recipe from Good Life Eats (check there for US measurements), which only uses sugar, salt, lemon and olive oil. Incidentally, olive oil works great for baby skin, too.

350 ml sugar
170 ml salt
zest of 1 extra large lemon (or other citrus)
240 ml olive oil
120 ml pure lemon extract, optional

Just mix everything together and put in jars.

Video: Growing is forever

Thu, 03 Feb 2011 10:02:21 +0000

"I have a deep affection for the Redwood forests of Northern California. This is my best attempt to capture the reverence I feel when in the presence of these giants."

A Film by Jesse Rosten - twitter.com/?JesseRosten
Written & Read by Kallie Markle - twitter.com/?lightningvsbug
Music - "Window" The Album Leaf

A Happy Green 2011

Fri, 14 Jan 2011 13:35:16 +0000

Everybody at Sunbeams hopes you had a great start in 2011. Here is some advice on how to make the new year the greenest year yet. Are you in?

"Eco Warrior" Emma Portier Davis has a nice post in this year's first edition of Brussels Unlimited describing what the editors have resolved to do to green their life and work: swap the car for public transport, turn down the heating by one degree and switch it off at night (which saves both money and emissions), eat less meat, buy more organic and fair-trade food, take out a Villo subscription.
Emily of Live Renewed helps you set green goals for the New Year.
Mandi Ehman over at yourway.net gives you "111 New Years Resolutions and Tools to Make Them a Reality". We're quite sure you'll find something of interest there.

Want some Brussels-specific tips? Here you go:

Sign up for the Cambio car- sharing scheme. Here's more on Cambio.
Try Villo! bike-sharing.
Become a waste-sorting pro.
Join your local FreeCycle group and get rid of the stuff you no longer need. If you'd rather sell that stuff on eBay, here are some tips for doing it successfully.
Check out our Small Steps and Eco-Challenge sections and the Starting out green in Belgium article and sign up to our newsletter.

Car-free days done right - in Bogotá

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 21:41:04 +0000

Still remember the last Car-free Sunday in Brussels? That great atmosphere made you wish for more? Look at this video to find out how Colombian capital Bogotá has struck a balance between allowing for car-free fun and not preventing car drivers from using their vehicle. Brussels-Capital, are you listening? Ciclovía is the word!

Cancun and the End of Climate Diplomacy (Recommended reading)

Mon, 06 Dec 2010 21:32:26 +0000

The next round of top-level climate change negotiations is currently underway in Cancun, Mexico. Nigel Purvis, writing for the German Marshall Fund, has an interesting take on why these top-level talks may not be the be all and end all for achieving progress:

Global climate talks have begun to resemble a bad soap opera — they seem to never end, yet never really change and at times bear little resemblance to reality. This is why climate diplomacy as we know it is losing its relevance.

Instead, Purvis suggests:

We need to place less emphasis on international promises and more on domestic action, less on burden sharing and more on smart development policies.

Interesting read.

25 percent more sorted waste collected

Mon, 29 Nov 2010 21:11:56 +0000

The good news: Brussels waste collecting agency Net Brussel/Bruxelles Proprété has collected 25 percent more sorted waste during the first ten months of 2010. Sorting waste has become mandatory last January. The bad news: A lot of people are still unsure what exactly belongs in the blue bag. You too? Fear not, just check out their website at www.netbrussel.be/www.bruxelles-proprete.be for more information. Happy sorting!

Man saves chimp - a Jane Goodall story

Thu, 25 Nov 2010 19:46:24 +0000

If you have attended Jane Goodall's lecture at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel this November, you will probably remember one of the stories she told: a man, Rick Swope, saves a chimpanzee from drowning at the Detroit Zoo. If you want to re-read the story or share it with somebody, here are two links for you:

Brussels adopts latest version of its Local Agenda 21

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 18:39:29 +0000

The City of Brussels adopted the new Local Agenda 21. The 2010 version will strengthen and broaden the 2008 actions on sustainable development on the territory of the City.

The City adopted its first Local Agenda 21 in 2008. The program translates concrete actions of the Agenda 21 to the local level. The Agenda 21 is an international declaration with 2,500 recommendations on sustainable development for the planet in the 21st century. The local version allows the recommendations to suit the terrain and its inhabitants.

What are the main goals?

In 2008, 86 actions were organized around 14 goals. In 2010, the Local Agenda 21 passes to 154 actions in 22 domains of action, themselves structured around 5 key objectives. These 5 main goals must be reached via concrete, realistic and easily measurable actions.

The 5 goals of the Local Agenda 21 and its fields of intervention:

a modern and effective governance, with fields of intervention: tools of follow-up and evaluation, transparency and access to information, the participation in and raising awareness on sustainable development, the quality of services and management of human resources, public finances, procurement contracts, sharing of experience
a management responsible for natural resources, with fields of intervention: biodiversity and green spaces, water policy, energy policy, reduction and valuation of waste, labelling and control of the impact
a harmonious urban development, with fields of intervention: town planning, housing environment and housing, mobility
more social cohesion and strengthened solidarity, with fields of intervention: health, sports and leisure activities, social integration and equality of opportunity, access to culture and knowledge, international solidarity, living environment
a dynamic policy of employment and economic development, with fields of intervention: employment, economic development, social economy

What are action cards?

The 22 fields of intervention contain 154 actions. These actions each have an 'action card' that summarizes:

the action
its objectives
its context

The action cards establish the process of implementation and propose a series of indicators of evaluation to allow to judge the relevance, the concrete results and, if necessary, the development of each action.

Measuring the progress

From 2011, the City of Brussels will publish a report with a balance sheet of the current actions and their progress. This report will allow to know the progress in terms of sustainable development and the development of the Local Agenda 21. It also allows to modify, delete or add certain actions.

see the original article on the Brussels city website

Eco-challenge: "Défi Energie" of the Brussels Environment Institute

Mon, 11 Oct 2010 10:34:05 +0000

The Brussels Environment Institute has put together lots of information on improving the energy efficiency of your household. The "défi energie" is available in French and Dutch on the IBGE website.

15 Sep 2012 : Mobility Week

Tue, 14 Sep 2010 04:44:38 +0000

Sweden introduces climate labelling for food

Tue, 04 May 2010 08:34:49 +0000

Sweden is developing standards to help consumers make conscious choices about the impact of their decisions on global warming. Products with at least 25% greenhouse gas savings will be marked in each food category, starting with plant production, dairy and fish products. The label is a joint initiative by the Federation of Swedish Farmers, two food labelling organisations and various dairy and meat co-operatives. Read more..

Eco-challenge: Get Rid of All the Plastic Bags

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:36:10 +0000

This is our very first challenge and these are some of our suggestions:

Reorganize you garbage: get one big garbage bin for the white (and other) official garbage bags in your kitchen and make sure you get a proper lid to close it, instead of using small bags to fill up a big one;
Make sure you get all kinds of reusable bags/boxes/trolleys: the ones provided by supermarkets, small thin bags to hide in your handbag and unfold when you need them, trolleys (some to be folded) and handy foldable boxes to leave in the car. It is such a nice feeling to be able to refuse all those plastic bags offered to you in the shops and at the market;
Try to buy fruit and vegetables in loose and big quantities (see next month's challenge);
Get a composting bin or compost place in your garden: this will reduce your (smelly) garbage.
Make use of "Tupperware" and similar boxes to store things in the fridge, to use for picnic and as lunch boxes.

Eco-challenge: Get a Weekly Organic Basket

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:32:19 +0000

get access to a weekly organic fruit and vegetable basket in your neighborhood!

There are many reasons to do this:

For your health: you will get a nice amount of fruit and vegetables every week, they are as fresh as they can be and they are organic and to say it with Michael Pollan's words: this is REAL food;
For the environment: buying locally reduces your ecological footprint avoiding food miles (transport of your food) - even the fair trade ones come by boat which is less polluting than airplanes - it reduces packaging (no plastic involved);
For your taste: nothing tastes as good as these fresh and organic treasures;
For the wellbeing of traditional farmers versus the big food industry: both the local ones and the fair trade partners in developing countries;
For biodiversity: some of the vegetables are almost forgotten and have become unavailable in our supermarkets, but taste lovely and are very nutritious.

Check out a selection of addresses, recipe books, season calendars and more in our article.

Eco-challenge: Drink Tap Water

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:30:23 +0000

This will be our challenge for this month:

Tap water in Belgium is safe and needs to qualify to 55 EU and WHO criteria and you can read all about it on www.vivaqua.be in English (under "Practical Information").
At first it might have a chlorine smell/taste, but if you leave it for 10 minutes most of it has evaporated!
A squeeze of fresh lemon juice might make miracles as to the taste!
If you want to read about the impact of you drinking bottled water (waste, health, etc.) have a look at this article from www.emagazine.com
If you prefer to use a water filter jug (e.g. BRITA) only use very cold water and store it in the fridge if you intend to keep it longer than a day (max. 2 days in total!)
It is up to 100x cheaper than bottled water!
Imagine how much waste and transport you could avoid by providing each family member with their own refillable drinking bottle!

Eco-challenge: Shorten Your Shower

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:27:51 +0000

Our challenge for this month is not so difficult, but quite important!

A shower takes less water than taking a bath unless you shower for more than 8 minutes!
By taking a short shower you can save money, but also reduce the amount of precious drinkable water you use to wash yourself with!
One might think of timing a shower and a song or two might make it more fun (see also short shower songs and more tips at Do The Green Thing)
Try to reduce the flow of water either manually or by installing a very efficient high aeration shower head (which you can find in shops like BRICO for about 15 €).
A thermostatic knob might also help to find the right temperature immediately so you do not loose water before you actually take the shower.

Good luck with finding your favorite short shower tune!

Eco-challenge: Make Yourself Heard

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:26:25 +0000

Write a note, email or letter to your politicians or sign a petition!

The annual global Climate Change Conference, this year from 1-12 December in Poznan, Poland, provides a good opportunity to ask our politicians for more bold actions NOW . You can write directly to them or see the petition for example on The Big Ask to be signed before 11 December 2008.
The proposal to build a new coal plant in Belgium provides another opportunity to act: You can ask for the project to be stopped either through email directly to your politicians or through signing a petition, see for instance the Greenpeace link on this website under be heard.
More locally, in all supermarkets you can post your suggestions in a box (usually forms are available). Give them your suggestions (also in English) to impove things concerning packaging, organic food choice, tracability etc.

Good luck and remember: you can make a difference!

Eco-challenge: Cut Your Water Consumption

Thu, 29 Apr 2010 14:18:20 +0000

Living in a country like Belgium, the idea that water is a scarce resource can be hard to swallow; scarce things don’t fall from the sky every other day. But globally, the situation is quite different:

Only 3 percent of the Earth’s water is freshwater, and at least two thirds of that is held beyond human use in glaciers, ice caps, permafrost, or deep underground wells.
That last 1 percent? It’s not evenly distributed. In 2006, one billion people (one sixth of the world’s population) were living on less than the bare minimum of four liters of water a day needed for survival.
For the future, the situation only looks more precarious. Rising population means more pressure on existing resources, while global warming may put much of the freshwater supply at risk of disappearing, both from melting ice caps and glaciers and from decreased rainfall in much of the world.

With this in mind, it’s clear that water needs to be used as conscientiously and efficiently as possible (hydrologists estimate that up to 60 percent of water taken from aquifers for human use is wasted by leaks, evaporation, carelessness, or inefficiency), and to that end, here are some clear steps you can take to minimize your water consumption:

Around the house

Take showers, not baths; make sure there are no drips from any faucets or pipes; try and get water efficient toilets, showers, and appliances; and never let the faucet run while you’re not using it. For the more motivated: why not even install a rainwater collection system on your house so that you can minimize the pressure you put on sanitation and purification plants and eliminate the runoff which would otherwise collect chemicals on the road and flush pollutants into the sewers and streams? There is no reason we all need to flush our toilets and water our lawns with drinkable water, and a rainwater collection system can save both pollution, overconsumption, and money!

At the store

Ninety percent of freshwater use comes from agriculture and industry, so you can have a far greater impact on your water consumption by looking closely at the food you eat and the products you buy.

With regards to food

try to eat less meat and animal products. A hamburger represents over 3,000 liters of water; 500 grams of cheddar cheese represents over 2,400 liters of water. A vegetarian diet requires 2,000 liters of water daily, while a high-calorie, grain-fed meat diet requires 5,000 liters daily. But also, this relates to the non-food products we buy. On the clothing front, over 2,500 liters of water are needed to grow enough cotton to make a t-shirt; the diverting of freshwater to grow cotton was the chief factor behind the draining of the Aral Sea (once the fourth largest freshwater body in the world) – widely considered one of the greatest ecological disasters of all time.

Make sure then that you buy responsibly

that you don’t over-consume, buying products you don’t need; but also that whenever possible you buy products which come from regions of the world where freshwater isn’t scarce; or products made from alternative materials like bamboo or synthetics or wool, which consume significantly less water. And of course, whenever possible, be sure to purchase organic products that haven’t left a chemical stain on the streams and rivers (and oceans!) of the world.

At the faucet

Whenever you have thechance, use tap water instead of bottled water! It is unequivocally better for the environment and for your health.

First, the environment

the Earth Policy Institute estimates that bottled water pollutes 10,000 times more than the same volume of tap water. That includes the manufacture
of the plastic bottles, the fossil fuels used in manufacture and transportation, the disposal problems after the water is consumed, and the damage on our limited freshwater resources by bottled water companies that pump huge amounts of water from often already sensitive aquifers.

On the health front

the idea that bottled water is more healthy is a marketing myth! The reality is that there is far more government control over quality in tap water than bottled water, which means that with the exception of instances where disasters have compromised the public water supply, the water coming out of the tap is much cleaner.

A 1999 study by the US National Resource Defense Council found that one third of bottled water tested (from 103 brands) contained carcinogens and even arsenic! Numerous other studies have shown that even when minerals and salts are added to bottled water, they have no positive health impact, and tap water is still better for you.

The main trait which bottled water has going for it in the end is taste – but that can easily be duplicated at home with a good reverse osmosis water filter. And even with the cost of the filter, using your own water will save you big! Tap water comes at a cost of just a few cents a day! Let’s see Evian match that!

So yes, living in a wet part of the world it can be difficult to feel like water scarcity problems are pressing, but one last number should illustrate just how much of an impact our consumption can have. According to the study Globalization of Water, 80 percent of the water consumed by the average resident of Belgium (that includes in the production of our clothing, our food, our building materials, etc.) is imported from outside the country.

Eighty percent. Even in the wet parts of the world then, water is definitely a scarce resource.

Thirsty for more information? Most of the numbers in this article come from the book 'Water Supply,' edited by Richard Stein (H. W. Wilson Press, 2008). More information is also available online: www.waterfootprint.org is a great place to start.

This article was originally published in the July 2009 edition of the Sunbeams newsletter.

Eco-challenge: Gift Opening

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 19:16:30 +0000

Gift Opening

Open gifts with care and attention to the wrapping paper, ribbons, tags and boxes.

The challenge is to see how much can be saved and put away for reuse during your next holiday season.

Did you know that paper can be ironed on a low setting if you find there are two many creases in it from a previous wrapping.

On the inside of sheets of paper write the dates when used and see how many years one sheet of paper can be used. This can provide great entertainment in years to come as you remember gifts wrapped in the paper years past or simply how many years you’ve seen it come back in circulation.

Save tags and reuse again another year….saves time on writing out new tags and money buying new tags.

Ribbon can be added to new ribbons another year, can be reused as is, or added to children’s crafts.

Boxes often fold flat and take up little space. If they can not be folded, take on the puzzle challenge to find out how many you can nest together. Wrapping the parts of a box rather than the whole box itself saves the paper and has a prepared box for next year’s use.

Can you reuse any parts of pre-packaged gift items?

This article was originally published in the October 2011 edition of the Sunbeams Newsletter.

Eco-challenge: Help with Smog Prevention

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 19:14:06 +0000

Help with smog prevention

Read about winter smog in Belgium in our new article. Yes, you can do something about it!

1. avoid using the car: alternatives and links in our article on smog
2. if you have to use the car: practise eco driving
3. use less energy and get ideas by participating at an energy challenge session 21 or 28 January 2009
4.email smog@irceline.be and ask to be put on the mailing list to receive smog alerts by email

Eco-challenge: Green Your Holidays

Tue, 13 Apr 2010 19:13:15 +0000

Green your Holidays

already thinking about your next break? Give the planet a break at the same time by trying reduce the environmental impact of your little escape. Have a look at our holidays page for some suggestions.

Roll Your Own Kyoto

Wed, 07 Apr 2010 14:43:16 +0000

The Bond Beter Leefmilieu (the Flemish umbrella association for a better environment) has an excellent campaign called "klimaatwijken" for citizens to act themselves and meet the European Kyoto goal. Starting each year on 1 November, households can commit themselves to cut 8% of their energy consumption in 6 months time. Participants can get advice of energy masters. For more info have a look at www.klimaatwijken.eu/be

Stop the Advertising Stampede

Tue, 30 Mar 2010 08:24:18 +0000

Are you coming home and find your mailbox overflowing with supermarket advertising, catalogues and free trying to lure you into spending your money? Not only does it clutter up your mail and seduces you to part with your hard-earned euros, it is also a huge waste of paper and other ressources. There are a few steps you can take to reduce the advertising stampede:

Go to the website of the Brussels Environment Website and have them send you their mailbox sticker (Flanders version here, Walloon version here). It allows you to indicate to the postman and other "suppliers" what exactly you want and do not want in your mailbox. This is an official sticker, which means you can actually launch a complaint when it is ignored. Note that infos from your Commune will still come through since they are not considered "presse gratuite/gratis bladen".
Sign up to the Robinson List. Once you have done this, the 450 or so members of the Belgian Association of Direct Marketing should no longer send you their stuff. By the way, this also works for phone marketing.
Contact the company directly, if there is no other way to make them stop sending you material.
If you get customer publications from your insurance company, supermarket of choice or mobile phone provider, find out if they have an electronic version (mostly a PDF) on their website - one example is Electrabel's Energique magazine. Some communes also post their magazine as a PDF on their website.
For more ideas on how to reduce paper - such as getting invoices by e-mail instead of snail mail - check the "Gestes pratiques" section at IBGM or the Mailbox Zero tips on Good.is.

Save Money and the Planet with Your Fridge

Mon, 29 Mar 2010 18:32:16 +0000

Many of us are wasting money and energy because we have not set the right temperature for our fridge and/or freezer. The recommended setting is between 5 and 7 °C for the fridge and about -18 °C for the freezer.

Start a New Habit: Buy Seasonal Food

Wed, 24 Mar 2010 19:58:52 +0000

If you buy your fruit and vegetables from the supermarket or corner shop, it can be difficult to know which of them are in season right now. Season calendars give you an overview of the local seasons of the vegetables and fruit available here in Belgium. They are either in Dutch or French (or both of them), so you'll want to know how what you want to buy is called in Dutch or French (See, you'll increase your language skills along the way!)

You can download one of these season calendar and hang it up in your kitchen: Velt (PDF download) - Brussels Observatory for Sustainable Consumption (PDF download) or the one from Research and Information Center of the Consumer Organisations (PDF download).

Alternatively, you can order a handy hard copy for your handbag (or reusable shopping bag) at the Brussels Environment Institute.

For our list of Organic Food Shops and Markets click here.

Green Your (Expat) Magazine

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 16:36:13 +0000

If you feel that your expat magazine could need a "green corner" and that it would be nice to have articles such as ours published there, feel free to let us know and we can get in touch with the editors. Our articles can be used freely as long as we can have a reference to our project and website in them. And please inform us where it will be published - that would make us very happy!

Five Steps to Get Green Energy at Your House

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 15:58:22 +0000

Did you know that you easily can get a green supplier for your energy in Belgium? Green electricity in Belgium is derived mainly from wind power, but also is generated from bio-gas (from fermentation), bio-mass (burning agricultural waste without releasing CO₂), hydraulic power and solar power. Electricity itself cannot be more or less “green”, but using a green supplier makes sure they will invest part of their profits in renewable resources.

Did you know that even if the wind does not blow, you will continue to have electricity that may have been generated by wind power in your house? Your green energy derived from alternative sources including wind is put on the general electrical network (not through a little cable leading to your house) until you or other users tap if for use; so in fact, everyone may receive a bit of it!

Did you know that - depending upon your electrical consumption - the current green suppliers mentioned below supply electricity at either a price equal to the mainstream companies or even cheaper? Now that you know, you can take action and change your supplier so that you will keep money in your pocket and help the environment at the same time. Don’t put this article down. Take a few minutes of your time right now to make a positive eco-lifestyle change.

Steps to change your energy supplier

Check which green suppliers are available in your region (www.brugel.be for Brussels; www.cwape.be for Wallonia and www.vreg.be for Flanders). Greenpeace will help you choose with their updated ranking. According to them, the following suppliers are considered today to be the “most green”, because they invest in renewable resources and still provide reliable service: Lampiris for Brussels and Wallonia (call for free at 0800/40123 - apparently, if you choose Dutch they might also address callers in English and help them through the website); Ecopower for Flanders (English speaking persons available when you call 03/287.37.79). If you like, you first can calculate their price for service to you (see indicated websites or call for free 0880/971980); be certain to have your annual bill ready for reference.
Download their contract. Take your annual bill (with the current company) to fill in the following data: 18 digit EAN number(s), your type of meter (usually single meter, or sometimes a meter allowing a difference between day/night prices) and your kWh consumption per year. Express the desired date of transfer and just send it off!
Check which kind of contract you have with your current supplier (noted on your bill as unlimited duration or for 1, 2 or 3 years) and the time frame needed to cancel the old contract (usually with 1 month notice). If you have a specific contract it is best to write a letter “recommandé” (French) or “aangetekend” (Dutch), but in any case your new supplier will inform the “old” supplier about the transfer and the switch will be done automatically at the appropriate transition time dictated by your contract.
You usually keep your old meter – unless you want to change it to a two-fold one with a specific day/night price - a technician will pass by your home to record the consumption level at the time of the transfer. You will receive a final bill from the old company and as from the transfer date all future bills will be from the new supplier.
By the way, did you know that regardless your supplier your electricity is cheaper during the weekend?

See also our article on energy certificates and subsidies.

This article can be found in the March 2010 edition of the Sunbeams Newsletter.

Small Step: Precycling

Thu, 25 Feb 2010 13:45:20 +0000

Ok, you have started recycling or have stepped up your recycling and reuse of items. The time has come for the next small step to make change in your environment - Precycling! Precycling eliminates or reduces the need for recycling or use by consciously preventing waste before it happens. Simply put - Thinking before consuming.

The easiest steps:

Take your own reusable carrier bags with you. Nest them inside one another to carry easily. Alternatively, carry a rucksack.
When making a purchase that is small, consider placing it in a pocket in your clothing or in a bag, you may already be carrying.
Combine as many trips out as possible into one and eliminate the number of times you use your car. Better: Cycle or Walk.
Stop junk mail. In Belgium: get the “no-publicity” sticker for your mail box at your commune; go to www.1307.be to cancel your phone books (gids/annuaire) ; add your name to the list on www.Robinson.be to avoid advertisement by mail

Ramping up your steps a notch:

Determine if you really need a new item. Can you share an infrequently used item with family, friends, or neighbors? Could you advertise to hire the infrequently item out inexpensively to another person. Could you start a neighborhood exchange club? Can you buy the item second-hand somewhere?
If you do need a particular item, look for minimal packaging and packaging made from a high percentage or recyclable material. Can you yourself recycle the packaging? If not, look for alternative packaging.

This article was originally published in the February 2010 edition of the Sunbeams Newsletter.