Overshare: The Eco-Crazies, I am sure I have it

Setting: Oceanstone Inns, afternoon wedding tasting. It's drizzly out (big surprise in Nova Scotia), I have this weird 24 hour nausea and we're expecting big things for the couple hundred dollars we dropped for a *tasting*.

I look out the window and imagine practicing yoga right -there-, the spot of grass cushioned by trees and on the ocean shore.

The 'Wedding Captain' (yep, that IS her title- but she's sweet so I forgive her. Plus I don't think it was her choice) cheerily brings over two different 'signature martini' options that she has conveniently left unnamed... Um. 

Since I think signature drinks are... lame... I took a deep breath and smiled up with a 'sure we'll try them!'

They tasted kinda like gasoline. The former bartender me sipped and judged. My inner (and perhaps whispered to Andrew, I'll admit) dialogue went like this: 'UGH, these taste like crap. I could make better martini's than these. In fact my Green Apple Martinis were kick ass.... unlike these.' Très unyogic.

The food was... meh. However, I think the chef was trying to impress with two lobster options. Little did he know that I'm kinda a lobster snob- what with being a fisherman's daughter and all. After two lobster dishes with the cartilage left in the claws and meat that was either frozen or extremely overcooked (i.e. dry) lobster was vetoed from the menu.

At this point I am seeing the value of having a tasting- no signature drinks, no lobster and that's RIGHT Lisa is the fussiest person on the face of the planet. Thank goodness that I'll probably only eat little bits anyways, since I'll be wayyyy too nervous to be tempting the stomach issues on that day.

Enter specific talk about wedding day stuff with the Wedding Captain. She was fantastic and was actually pretty supportive of our 'we're playing Rock Band, and collecting our own local flowers, and using beeswax candles, and having our own wine bottles for random said flowers...' and so forth.

But... we were getting to the really anal 'eco' stuff that had been plaguing my thoughts for a while. Kinda like when you go to Subway (when I used to go to Subway)  and wonder if it was too bonkers to ask the 'Subway Artist' to change their gloves and knife because they *just* had their hands elbow deep in tomato-mayo-onion-pickle juice from the previous sandwich. Ya know, uncomfortable 'are you really asking me this' looks and everything type of questions.

I took a deep breath and: 'Speaking of cottages, is there composting and recycling available for our guests there?' pause and lean back...

I did get the impression that I was probably the first person to ever really care about this aspect with regards to a wedding... but she answered me quite matter of factly and almost didn't even blink when I said I'd consider leaving an instruction sheet helping guests use their organics bin and recycling system. Although I said it was out of my control whether or not they actually used the huge, at the back of the property composter... and she agreed... silently I thought- 'I really really hope they use the composter. I would hate for all that waste to be because of our wedding. Maybe I could include little brown bags and old icecream buckets for ease of use. And make diagrams with pictured instructions.'  Insert guilty feeling pang.

.....

Now that was a moment of Overboard Eco Overshare. For all you Eco-Peeps who silently have over the top eco-thoughts and immediately think: 'I am crazy'. No? Only me?

and... off to my BFF's wedding for the weekend! Happy Natal Day Weekend everyone... hopefully some yoga will help ease the eco-crazies :)

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Eco-Kitty: Our New Addition

Andrew and I are officially parents. Kitten parents that is!

Yep, we bit the bullet and got ourselves the cutest little terror from the SPCA. Now that our place is big enough to handle a cat, we had a few weeks of discussions, some research (ok, Andrew did all the research and I said things like: 'Yeah, but can't we just go and get one NOW?') and last Tuesday made a trip to the shelter.

Having never actually owned a pet since grade 2 (for both of us) we were a little uncertain what to look for. Andrew however, pointed out this little black lump of fur and said: 'Him'.

He is named 'Atreyu' (for all you '80s' children ;) ) and other than missing the litter box (ahem, THREE times, once on our pants) and generally being a crazy hyper kitten, he has been great. I guess being a premature kitten and taken away from mommy cat to be 'incubated' (kinda) messes up your ability to figure out where to go. Which means our litter box is in the middle of the living room currently. Beautiful.


In any case, the past week has been a flurry of spending. And I have never felt so terrible about the ridiculous amount of plastic and waste. 


1. A cat carrier (which is WAY too small for a grown cat I might add... Andrew's assurances it would do into adulthood... until he saw a ginormous cat at the vets...). Plastic... but 30% post consumer recycled!! (sigh).


2. A litter box... that is too big for him. ANOTHER litter box in which we removed the lid, as little Atreyu likes to do his business in the open air. Both plastic.


3. Litter- According to Ecoholic 2006, nearly 200,000 tons of pet waste are trashed every year (his poo is flushed and the litter composted). First attempt was clay. A bit more research later and Andrew vetoed that option (ahem, silica dust and such) and pine litter was purchased. Truly, I wanted to buy the recycled paper- Yesterday's News- litter. But after a 50% pee-in-litter success rate, I'm a little nervous about switching. Eventually, recycled paper litter is my goal. Andrew assures me that pine litter is made from scrap cuttings and pressed sawdust- so not really wasteful and in the meantime, completely compostable.

**please check with your local sewage treatment on whether you can flush cat poo... Andrew assures me that we can flush the cat poo (not litter) here in Halifax... I need to check on this one. 

UPDATE: HRM does not in fact support composting kitty litter pellets... and I have yet to find specific info on flushing the poo down the toilet. GAH. What complete utter waste. All this biodegradable pine going to the 'land where it will never biodegrade in anaerobic no oxygen plastic wrapped bag existence'. Awesome.


4. Toys- I dug in my heels and bought these 'Eco Terra Toys'- a weird fish and white sponge dealy. I figured Atreyu would hate them. Nope! The fish is his favourite toy! Honestly, the toy department has been the easiest eco- transition as his other favourite toy is a piece of string and some paper we had lying around. No new plastic toys for my Atreyu :)

5. Monstrosity of a Cat Tree. They were 70% off on sale... so we bought the less-ugliest one and I swear that once things have settled it's getting shoved into a corner. At least Atreyu adores it and attacks our feet and new couch... less. I had visions of making our own... or more likely asking my dad to make us one out of scrap wood and old rope he had at home. LOL. I am sure that would have went over well.


6. Water fountain. YEP Atreyu gets his very. own. water fountain. I'm sure he thinks his poo doesn't smell. I guess cats don't ever get enough water, since they despise drinking out of still moving bodies of water (i.e. plates-bowls etc). I gotta say, although I think it's SUPER wasteful (continuously running and all) the motor is small and he drinks a ridiculous amount of water. Concession #45628.


7. Food. If you see the word 'by-product' in the ingredient list, think stuff humans wouldn't touch like- 4-D animals: diseased, disabled, dead or dying (Ecoholic, 2006). And grain.. there is SO much grain in pet food. Which we all know how harmful corn and soy are to the environment.

This one I am happy about. We bought Orijens cat food which is Canadian made from healthy, non-grain (or minimal grain) ingredients that are regional (to their plant in Alberta) and sustainably sourced, with no sketchy preservatives or additives. This includes things like free-run chickens, lake fish and heritage pork. Pricey, but we are currently weaning Atreyu off the Iams and onto the Orijens (via scale... did I ever tell you that Andrew was a big weirdo when it comes to food and weighing stuff? Atreyu gets 28 grams per meal...lol).

What we still need? A brush... and to return the litter box and clay litter.


Finally- the best way to clean cat pee and get rid of the underlying odor they can detect? Water and vinegar. I have that down!

I will eco-fy Atreyu Mr. Kittens with all my Eco-Heart! Or accept the fact that I will see a whole lot of Wal-Mart (shudder) in the next few weeks.

Ideas on eco-fying a cat? :)


article and photographs copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

How to choose the right 'green' product

We are now in a culture where finding products touted as 'eco' friendly really isn't a problem. Unfortunately, being green is the 'new' black (whatever that means) so every company and their dog is 'eco-friendly'... even when it really isn't. Greenwashing is one of my pet peeves, I find it incredibly frustrating. Since companies know that green consumers are willing to spend the extra 'moral' dollar for environmentally friendly products, manipulation at our expense abounds.


I've come up with some strategies of my own when I walk into a 'health-natural' store and check out products. I thought I'd share a few with you to help you make good informed choices.

General Tips:
- Labels and claims such as 'natural, organic, biodegradable, eco-friendly' are *not* regulated nor do they necessarily mean a thing. There's no 'label police' out there stopping any company from slapping on a 'all natural ingredients' label while their version of 'natural' is formaldehyde. 
- The FDA allows beauty (and cleaning) companies to pull the 'it's our trade secret' bs. Which means they're not required to post all of the ingredients. (umm, I can think of a few companies who do that). Sketchy. Excuse me if I don't exactly trust a money making company who doesn't disclose it's ingredients 'but trust us, we're the real eco-deal'. Right.

Real logos to trust:

USDA Organic Logo (beauty industry companies only need 70% of ingredients to be certified organic whereas food requires a higher percentage).

Quality Assurance International Organic is another legit certification board.

Fair Trade now has two symbols

The Leaping Bunny is the only legit animal cruelty free label. Buyers beware, companies try to replicate by simply putting a bunny on their product.

Canadian Certified Organic Logo

Environmental Canada Choice (although there is no mainstream 'biodegradable' label choice- if you see one it's probably a logo fabricated by the company- this label is pretty close to being sustainable.)

Quick tips for big companies:
- always always look for certification to back up a claim. They say they're organic, what about certified? Fair trade? Better be the certification symbol to back it up. 'Natural' just won't cut it. Especially for big company brand names.
- ingredients. No ingredients, no sell. It's that simple. I don't care how trust worthy you claim to be, or how many promo videos the sales lady has viewed, if you can't print the ingredients then I don't have to sink my money into your business.
- Avoid the big scary ingredients that end in 'parabens' along with 'DEA's, 'PEG's' and any other non-translated scariness. If the word isn't followed by an explanation than I question (i.e. 'Tocopherol- Vitamin E). 


Down to business:
- smaller companies get more slack and brownie points. Hand made close to home? I can forgive random words that I may not immediately understand (and I will email them and ask later anyway). 
- look at the packaging. Is the container in plastic wrap? Automatic negatory. Any excessive packaging gets a black mark. I especially hate the Green Beaver in a cardstock packaging. How lame is that extra packaging? What is the point?
- The packaging should be in this order of preference:
1. no packaging (soap bar). fantastic.
2. glass. no petrochemicals at all.
3. post-consumer waste paper.
4. recyclable plastic (1,2 for HRM)
5. everything else.


Know your product. If you know that it's possible to get local soap without petrochemicals, synthetic dyes or random scientific ingredients, than why pay big moneys for a bar of soap that 'claims' to be natural with a huge ingredient list? 


Questions to ask natural store sales people:
- 'What is your cleanest product?' this tells the sales person that you actually want as little chemical as possible in your product. 
- 'What does *** chemical mean?' If they work in the beauty department of a health food store they should have a chemical 'dictionary' handy. If they don't- slowly back away and ABORT. Not worth your time. The internet will be more handy.


Final Type A steps to take:
- Research efficacy and company policies online. This means checking out what individuals other than the actual company itself has to say. I usually check spots like 'Ecoholic' column from Toronto Now, David Suzuki followed by Grist and Treehugger. I have found that the last two may not have the most accurate or well researched answers.

And realize that you may have bought a product that you discover actually isn't all that 'green'. Don't worry if a feeling of anger and guilt overcomes you. Buying Lush and believing that you are paying more for the green factor doesn't make you silly. We have all been there. Greenwashing sucks, but by taking a few extra steps we can make informed decisions to help us invest or money in the right places.  


Take a stroll on over to FiveSeed where she has linked 'The Story of Cosmetics' and some extremely interesting discussion and thoughts on the beauty industry. A fantastic read!


I hope this was helpful. When we can all take responsibility for informing ourselves on our choices with regards to what we put in and on our bodies, than we can start taking back control from huge companies. Although it is helpful to know if certain 'green' companies are actually reliable and do what they claim (i.e. provide a good shampoo lol), informing ourselves is the first step in independence.


Much Blessings!


article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Eating with 'The Man'

Our weekend consisted of some driving... to Moncton NB and back for a bachelorette party. Yep, one of my best friends is getting married so some jello shooters were had, rock band was played and some dancin' shoes were donned. Although the club was a bit traumatizing for someone who's been MIA for about four years, and none of us really fit in with the dress code (ahem, my purple skirt in the banner was as short as I was going) it was a blast. Andrew got to visit with friends and I got to break-in my dancing legs.

On our drive home Andrew and I stopped in Truro for a mop sponge replacement (don't want to buy a brand new mop when a new sponge will do just fine) and some food. The worse part of traveling is the unavoidable stops at fast food places.

We rarely eat fast food, which was a huge change for Andrew who was an avid Wendy's fan. After a few years with month-long Wendy's droughts he started to feel nauseous and disgusting during our infrequent 'treats' and announced that his 'most favourite food has been ruined FOREVER'. (cue accusatory look...).

I just can't wrap my head around eating random crappy fake meat, supporting the industry that sells crap food to children (and myself) and is all that is terribly wrong with our perspective on food.

While we sat there, hypocritically eating our 'chicken' strips and two 'burgers' plus salt-rockets and liquid corn we glanced across the street.

On this busy street just off the highway, on our right was a few gas stations, to our left were strip malls, Pizza Delights and Canadian Tires and across the street, nestled between strip malls was an old, white wooden shuttered two storey house. 

Unlike the front 'yard' à la Wendy's which was obviously plopped down from weed to weird non-native willow-type tree via corporate design, this house actually had two huge local trees powerful and green, local flowers and some grass. All of a sudden, the cheap cookie cutter attempt at 'green space' wilted and looked like some sad imitation theme park garden. I could practically hear the designers outline each bush, flower and tree order to exactly the same specifications to assure that all Wendy's across the country looked exactly the same.

All the while this white, slightly weathered and beaten old house stood majestically surrounded by something much more real.


On the front porch sat an old man, white hair, cynical expression, on his old porch rocking chair. Quietly staring at the traffic whizzing by, at the people going in and out of Wendy's. I wondered what he was thinking. Had he been the last one holding out? What did his neighbourhood used to look like, before the strip malls, gas stations and fast food joints? Was this his final 'Eff you Man'.


I felt embarrassed to be caught eating with 'The Man'. 


article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Eating Fish Sustainably- CSF!

This post is part of Fight Back Fridays hosted by Food Renegade. Go check out other fantastic posts by "Real Foodies!" :)

Nova Scotia... if you know about the province at all (and trust me, you don't have to only be American to fall for this one... I've had plenty of Canadians ask me if Nova Scotia was off of Newfoundland...), you think ocean and fish. And maybe beer.

Growing up as a lobster fisherman's daughter, the ocean and my community of fishermen and their families have been the core of my sense of self. I watch my community suffer through being undersold and undervalued. All the while the consumer continues to buy the cheap fish and lobster, completely oblivious to the sweat and manipulation that has gone into their food.


For this very reason, I have always refused to buy frozen (or fresh) fish and lobster from grocery stores. For one, the fish are rarely ever 'fresh'- unless your definition of fresh is sitting in a holding tank with thousands of other lobsters for months on end counts. Also, by buying this grocery store fish I'm supporting a system that pays the fisherman pennies for their work.  Finally, haddock (my favourite white fish) is typically dragged- which is hugely destructive to the bottom of the ocean floor (basically a bunch of heavy wheels on the end of a large net that rolls along the ocean floor, ripping it up and catching many other fish as a result).


Our fishing community here in Nova Scotia is floundering and we need a way to help keep it together. 

Last week I was astounded to hear about a local CSF. Yep- Community Supported Fisheries. How COOL is that? With a name like 'Off the Hook' this CSF has a fabulous idea and sustainable practices that could revolutionize the way Nova Scotians think about their fish.


With the support of 5 Dibgy groundfish fishermen, Off the Hook provides local, sustainably caught groundfish to Nova Scotians in the format of 8 weekly deliveries. The fish are all caught by hook and line, meaning less by-catch (if any, they can just throw them back out), no harmful dragging and beautiful sustainable haddock, hake and pollack. 


It works just like a CSA, in that you pay for a half share or whole share and get a certain amount of fish per delivery (they deliver in Halifax). Included in the price are filleting and cooking lessons (for whole ground fish), a visit with the fishermen, a possible potluck and a 'warm fuzzy feeling' because you are providing a fair price for sustainably caught fish. Kinda like fair trade, but with fish!


It's their first season this summer and it is essential that they are successful for future growth and change. I was so excited that I immediately contacted them asking for a quick interview. Sadie Beaton, the CSF Coordinator immediately emailed me back and answered all my answers completely and fully. It was a real pleasure to find such open and honest communication.


Unfortunately, due to our current economic situation (umm, wedding planning and continue job insecurity) we just couldn't fit it into out budget. But we're hoping for next year, or a possible different fishing season!


Without further ado, here's our quick interview :)

1. A CSF is such an innovative idea for this region and very exciting! What prompted the decision to get this started?

We are pretty excited about this new seafood direct marketing initiative, the first of its kind in Atlantic Canada. Last summer I was working on a research study outlining some barriers and opportunities for seafood direct marketing in NS - you can access it here: http://www.ecologyaction.ca/content/who-sells-seafood-nova-scotia’s-sea-shores-0.  Basically we found that Haligonians expressed a strong affinity for local seafood and a willingness to pay a little more for directly marketed fish - particularly if the premium were to support fishers, coastal communities or the ocean environment. The message we heard from local small scale fishers again and again was that they were feeling driven towards direct marketing by various frustrations from low prices in the industrial globalized food system to lack of livelihood control. They were seeing that rather than feeling at the whim of the large corporate supply chain, direct marketing strategies including CSFs could allow fishers to protect their livelihoods as seafood markets continue to shift and often squeeze them tightly.

After this study, a few key fishers were game for taking the step to partner with an environmental group like Ecology Action Centre to launch a CSF, with the hopes that we could create a successful, strong example of a new way of doing the seafood business, one that respects local communities, economies and the marine environment. Over the past six months or so we have had converations back and forth until we were ready to incorporate as a Co-op back in the beginning of June to deliver Atlantic Canada's first CSF!

2. How did you approach and convince local fishermen to climb on board (hehe) with this concept? Was it difficult to find fishermen who used sustainable fishing methods (i.e. hook and line as opposed to dragging?).

EAC has a longstanding relationship with several groups of small-scale fishermen using low impact gears like bottom hook and line.  Rather than working to "convince them" of our concept, we worked with these guys to kind of develop and grow the idea. We did introduce the idea of the CSF to the group of fishermen we are working with, but they were very receptive and have worked every step of the way to help lead the design and intent of the initiative.

3. What sorts of surprises and obstacles have you as a CSF encountered so far along your Journey?

We are so young - we haven't had deliveries yet. But we have been surprised by the amount of support and excitement we've had from people all over - especially the flood of emails from far-away places in Ontario looking to access our fish, and especially for ways to support coastal livelihoods and sustainable fishing methods. It is really uplifting to know there is such a groundswell of support - now we hope to see that matched by policies that can make it easier for small-scale fishermen to direct market their products and fill those niches.

4. If this season is a success, will you be planning on extending the CSF to other fish seasons (such as lobster?). Would there be different challenges in assuring sustainable fishing methods for different fish-crustacean? 

We have lots of ideas for ways to extend and expand the CSF into the future, but right now what we want to do is just concentrate on thinking small - getting the model working really simply and well so we can then help other communities and groups of fishers to set up other CSFs and similar direct marketing initiatives that help connect consumers with local, sustainably caught seafood. 

There is some interest in expanding to include other local seafood in the future from lobster to clams. Every different fishery will have its unique challenges, both logistically and policy-wise... we'll cross those bridges if and when we come to them.

There you have it, an amazing organization and an exciting new project that could help boost Nova Scotia's fishing industry. If you're a Nova Scotian and would like to know more, or would like to support the CSF, please check out their website and sign up! ***Deadline is Tuesday July 20th 2010!!*** 

There is absolutely *nothing* like freshly caught haddock.... I say this with experience. Nothing better. Yum!

Many Blessings!

The Yoga of Acne; A Black Soap Story

For a while I totally gave up on sustainable face and beauty stuff. My face hated every single product I tried to introduce, giving the stink eye and producing dry skin and scary mountain acne (at late 20s!!) in retaliation. Last summer I just caved, got an 'organic' facial (haha, it wasn't really organic at all... silly marketing) and bought a crap load of expensive half-ass stuff. 

Even though I knew that my skin is the largest 'organ' on my body. That our skin absorbs and processes chemicals we place on it. Even if I knew that these companies were expending big carbon and spewing out toxic chemicals just so I could slather the parabens, DEA's and probably estrogen mimickers onto my face.

Then I ran out of body wash. Oh the homemade liquid soap out of soap bits lasted for a few weeks... but didn't I tell you? Well, who knew that just melting the soap wouldn't result in a forever liquid soap... nope- eventually it hardened back up and was a big hunk of non usefulness. Why I thought melting soap would forever change hard soap's molecular structure, I have no idea.

In any case, I sucked it up and went to visit Pur Alternatives, the local Natural Beauty and Health store with ridiculously strict guidelines. Just as a refresher to the interview, none of their products can have any synthetic ingredients, parabens, unidentifiable chemicals and need to be packaged in sustainable-recyclable packaging. They do all the work for me, which is a huge relief after spending hours perusing ingredient lists at the local 'health' food store. If you're in Halifax- a must visit! If not, they always have an online store :)

Chris suggested a Shea Terra Mint Marrakesh Black Soap body wash. He informed me that it's supposed to be fantastic for body.... blemishes.

Small story- did you know that practicing yoga and sweating a lot, even if you shower and are a clean person, can cause some unsightly non-face acne? I might be sweating out all the toxins, but they must hang out on my skin and make a small, blotchy red party. Its terrible and slightly embarrassing. I clean, really I do!

In any case, doubtful that it would actually work, I bought some. The smell is fabulous, I love minty refreshing soap smell. The packaging is in #1 plastic, not glass but still recyclable. After perusing their website I see black soap in bars... at a hefty price but still!

In any case, about two months later and I'm still going strong on how much I have left. Also, it appears to have worked! My unsightly red polkadot party has dwindled to a lonely event of one or two. Score ONE for Lisa, Zero for yog-acne.

About two weeks ago I ran out of facial cleanser. So back to Pur Alternatives I went. I was a little hesitant in trying out a random cleanser on my face, so Chris was kind enough to give me a small (in recyclable plastic) sample of Shea Terra's Anti-Acne black soap cleanser. Bonus: the actual product comes in a glass container, plastic minimal.

I'm not yet sure if it's the reason my breakouts have diminished, but it definitely isn't making them worse. It has quite the smell, which Chris informed me was due to the aloe ferox ingredient, but then it's only going on my face so whatever.

At this point I was extremely curious as to exactly why companies like Shea Terra make the claim that black soap is fantastic for your skin. What is black soap? Well- it's made traditionally in Africa from plantain ashes and supposedly no animal or chemicals. Although I found claims ranging from cures acne to every other random skin disorder, I haven't actually found links to those 'studies show' information. I've actually yet to find anything other than reported benefits from companies who sell the product or people reporting said benefits when reviewing a product (like me).

In any case, Shea Terra reportedly uses Fair Trade practices, works with NGO's and sources sustainably harvested ingredients... however I didn't see one third party certification on their site. I'm sorry if I've become a bit cynical of big companies.

So there you have it. The anti-acne face wash and body wash have been non-detrimental to my skin and 'possibly' been a damper on the acne party! Which is fantastic. I would encourage for those who don't have ridiculously persnickity skin to try to find local, hand made alternatives, such as local body and face bar soap. :)

But for other EcoYogi(ni)s having a rough go with random red visitors, Shea Terra is a nice alternative! Pur Alternatives has many other fab options- Haligonian peeps should check it out (down the cobblestone path next to the Split Crow off Duke Street).

(also, a bit of extra yoga news, I'm PUMPED to be attending a 'Hip Hop Yoga Class' with local yoga instructor Helen Fong tomorrow, 6:30pm at Sunrise Studio. Seriously, how cool is that? Although she assured me no actual dancing will be involved-which is good because I am a terrible dancer! Yoga Flow and hip hop yoga music will be happening. Fun!)

article and photographs copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com 

Oil-Independence Plan Brainstorming

 The ocean yesterday morning during our 'Elemental' YITP

Summer is the perfect time to unplug from our computers, cell phones, televisions (if you have one!;) ) and reconnect with our community of friends, family and surroundings (for all my Southern Hemisphere readers who are enjoying winter, sorry for the Northern preference!).

Andrew listens to 'Democracy Now' via podcast while he walks to work everyday and was playing it on his computer this morning. I got to listen how there are thousands of inactive and abandoned oil wells that pose a very real threat to the ocean and our precious water source. On top of the gazillions of oil gushing out of the current BP disaster.

In the face of such huge challenges, it could be easy to feel hopeless.

At the same time- who requires the use of this oil? We do. We as a society are oil driven.

So, how do we break the habit? Summer is the perfect time to take the first (or next!) steps towards decreasing our dependence on oil.

My goal for the summer months? Whenever possible, get around the city via feet or bicycle. So far I have been somewhat successful at biking and walking places. I'm far from perfect, but instead of thinking in 'all or nothings' I'm trying small steps. Achieving gradual goals so my oil dependence becomes a manageable Life Change.

First I'll share my specific goals and achievements, then we'll see if we can brainstorm some ways for you to start breaking the oilwell habit.

Lisa's Oil-Independence Plan:

1. Walk to and from work at least 4x a week. During the winter months I was working a 20 minute drive outside the city every Wednesday. So my 35-40 minute walk to and from work actually only happened about 3x a week. Since June, however, I no longer make that trip outside the city and I've been walking every day of the week! (and our new place is about 15 minute walk instead of 40! yay!). I will admit that walking in snow and rain storms are not very fun, but they've become a sort of adventure... and actually happen less often than you'd think. The weather must like my eco-walks :)
2. Bicycle to Yoga in the Park each week. You'd be surprised, biking to the park actually took 25 minutes there and about 45 minutes back due to my incredible lack of leg strength and usual whiny-ness. From our new place it only takes about 15 minutes and is so much easier! Status: we've driven to the park for yoga twice only so far. Both times because of rain (although that didn't stop our yoga!).
3. Bicycle to get groceries or go to yoga classes-events evenings and weekends. The groceries biking hasn't happened yet, even after I was gifted a kick-butt basket. Le sigh. I still hold out hope. Biking to yoga class also hasn't happened other than the Great Canadian Yoga Stretch Event. We *have* however, biked to coffee shops and just around for fun. The biggest obstacle by far has been my paranoia with locking up the bike outside of the building. I need to figure out a way around either letting go the fear of getting my bike stolen so I can actually enjoy my practice or invest in a ridiculously awesome bike lock. Thoughts?

Those are my major goals and results. Not perfect, we still use the car to go to the mall or do large errands, but this week we didn't use the car once until Saturday morning to get to YITP (in the rain).

Here are some other days for different life circumstances:

Non-children peeps who don't live far from work:

• not walking to work yet? Choose two days a week that you'll start walking to work. You could even plan according to the weather each week to encourage optimal experience. You'll notice an immediate difference in your parking bills and peace of mind.
• invest in a second hand bicycle if you don't have one already. Biking in the city really doesn't have to be life threateningly scary. Seriously. :) You can find a crap-o bike on Kijiji or craiglist easy!
• Decide to bike to one even per week. Maybe this means on the weekend when you can choose non-rush hour times to bike. Or an evening yoga class. Plan your route in advance on Google (Sadly, Canada does not have Google-Bike maps... but the USA does. I am so jealous).
• Already biking on weekends? Add one event during the week that you'll start biking to.

Eco-Yogi(ni)s sans children who do live far from work

• choose one or two events during the evenings that you can walk or bike to. 
• Decide that you will bicycle to one thing during the weekend. Commit in advance to this place or event and plan your timing and afternoon accordingly. You'll be less likely to punk out :)
• Look into public transit or carpooling to work.
• Accept that at this time you may not have a lot of carpooling-public transit options, but you can try decreasing your dependence on oil in other times and places. :)

Eco-Yogi(ni)s who have ecoyogi(ni)-lets! (ahem, children)

• Choose an evening during the week where instead of watching TV or playing video games you're all going for a walk as a family. Summer months mean later sunsets and more time to walk. Even if it's for a short walk around the block. Maybe not choosing a goal so that it's not that big of a deal when it takes a bit longer. Less rush equals more fun and more learning.
• Go for a family bike ride. Even if it means you're walking along side your child's bicycle on the sidewalk. These outings can also be sans-goal, allowing you to take the time your child needs to enjoy and learn from the experience. 
• Also- talking about walking to an errand instead of driving teaches a valuable lessen to your child about vehicle use. 
• As adults we may not really 'see' our surroundings when we're walking to a destination, but for children this experience is all about learning and exploring. It's the perfect opportunity to teach new vocabulary and language to your child (verbs- walking, running, stopping, adjectives like colours, size, prepositions, descriptives etc etc). 

**NB: I think the key for increasing walking and biking with families is to choose times where you accept that it will take longer to accomplish the event. Less time-limitations will allow for you to enjoy the experience for what it is: a learning experience for your child.

Also- please recognize the physical limitations of children and how much walking their little bodies can handle. They are not adults and heat can have terrible physiological consequences. I shouldn't have to say this- but hats and sunscreen are essential even on cloudy days and Hot Yoga is not appropriate for a 4 year old. :)

Container ship that looked like a floating island in the fog... very cool.

Any other ideas on taking small no-car steps?

Blessings !


article and photographs copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Yoga and the Soul Sucking of Environmental Activism

 Our evening spontaneous bike ride to Yoga in the Park tonight... even though it was humidex of 35 degrees... Andrew is a good sport :)

 

Yoga... connection and spirit. I've mentioned in passing how Yoga is a way for me to connect with my belief in the Divine Goddess. A commenter once asked me how I do that... or why or something. It's just like moving prayer. Seane Corn speaks about how her yoga practice is like praying with movement. During my practice I connect with myself, my surroundings, my Earth and my Goddess. I dedicate each movement with awareness to Her. 

My new 'zoya' eco-friendly yogi toes... and the sail boats :)

 

Maybe that's a bit weird... but I have a funny feeling lots of yogi(ni)s begin purely physical and with time connect with their inner selves which in turns transforms their practice into something a bit more spiritual.

what downward dog looked like tonight... although it was upside down for me

 

Being an environmentalist, or Planet Addict, kinda goes against all the yogic connection in a sense. There is a lot to be worried-angry-upset-sad about lately when it comes to the health of our Mother Earth. What Ted Grand mentioned last week, about feeling like being an activist was eating away at his soul (or something like that) and how Yoga helped focus his energies in a positive manner... that resonated with me. And it didn't.


I think it's a fine balance to let go of what moves us to make change. 


And fellow Yogi(ni)s, we are in need of a change. It is Time. Ya know? The pictures of the oil gushing for miles and miles in our precious ocean, the ridiculous amounts of plastic being dumped into landfills to languish *forever*, the chemicals we expose ourselves and our children that cause cancer, developmental disorders and health risks, genetically manipulating our food, peak oil.... ok I could go on.

on the ride home... self bicycling shadow

So ya, I'm not really a fan of directing my 'love' vibes as a way to direct my eco-energy. I believe that change happens through action, through some sort of activism, through strong energy and motivated passionate people. 

However.


So much negative energy truly *is* soul-sucking (kinda like Eric on True Blood... sigh... oh Eric...). It's extremely important not to let yourself become a cynical, burned out ecoyogi(ni)... you've heard them around 'I've been fighting climate change forever...' or 'those capitalist b*%st#rds will never change!'.... etc.

The train getting in our way...

 

We need hope, we need passion and we need love... all while keeping up the good fight.  Which is why I shy away from posting really down posts, like how the oil spill is spewing out of control, or how our use of gas-burning transportation is eating up our air, or how our addiction to consumption is trashing our planet. You'd have to live in a hole to not be cognizant that our actions are basically 'shitting where we live'. You know that. 

We just need to take a step back and realize that maybe it's time to do the difficult changes. Not just replace our cleaning supplies with vinegar and water, or buy eco-friendly beauty products, or switch to CFL lightbulbs. The Big Stuff. Like decrease our driving and walk-bike more. Decrease our plastic consumption and shop at the farmer's market (or CSA). Buy Less Stuff. Seriously. Invest in renewable energy to power your home. Ya know. Hard stuff.


Letting go of material wants and my external self does not mean disconnecting from what makes our world beautiful. My inner Light connects with the Light of the Sacred Earth... which forces me to recognize how each of our actions will influence the whole.

There are ways to be Eco-Warriors (Eco-Vira's) without exploding into fiery phoenix's of negative energy. We simply need to find that path.


You with me? :)


article and photographs copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Moving Week: Trying to Keep it Low Impact

Moving in a sustainable way is tough! I will admit that we didn't do all we could have to make it sans carbon. It has definitely been a long week and Yoga in the Park yesterday was exactly what I needed. 

 Our cluttered but moved living room with a decorative and no longer working fireplace (ahhh, smores would have been tasty!)

How were some ways we kept it low impact? 

We got our friends to source some boxes, from their University department that had recently moved, to work paper staples boxes. We had at least forty boxes, 10 or which only held all our books. 

One box of books will be donated to a local library or bookstore (I kept forgetting to do that before we moved... so it got moved with us).

 Our new 'curio' cabinet for which I can place yoga things and books on display!

 

Andrew baked cupcakes which I took four and marched over to our former neighbours place. I had noticed that they got newspaper every morning. I offered an exchange- four cupcakes for previously read newspaper. We had enough to pack up all of our breakables.

 very cool molding and circle dealy in the ceiling- too bad it's no longer hooked up for a ridiculously huge chandelier. I like sparkly things...

 

No extra plastic packing stuffs went into wrapping our furniture or packing our things- old pillows, mats and blankets were used along with some packing foamies that I had saved from receiving packages last year.

We recycled all the boxes, paper and minimal plastic that went into the move.

We donated as much as we could to Value Village and the local transition house, I think we had one garbage bag from our purge.

Our cluttered but now CLEAN kitchen- so much bigger than our last one!

 

Cleaning both apartments (sigh, you'd think other people would actually clean before they left) we used low-impact products. 


Andrew and I are very fortunate as we had a lot of help during our move. My parents and brother and his girlfriend came up with both their pick up trucks which meant no rented truck and money saved (but a pretty significant carbon footprint for the three hour drive up and back... but what can ya do?). I have read over at An Adventure Called Bicycling how she moved her apartment via bicycle- which I think is ridiculously awesome. 

 Our very cool door and where our bikes now live!

We also had lots of friend help, from baking muffins (Jen knew I wouldn't eat breakfast otherwise!) to helping to furiously sweep and mop and move boxes... and still come out for Yoga in the Park. We're very lucky people :)

The actual move is done and we're trying to unpack and clean as much as possible while waiting for the walls to get painted (ick- toxic paints. wish we had a choice in the type of paint used). I heart our new neighbourhood very much: coffee shops, grocery stores and the farmer's market are all within walking distance. Along with a ten minute bike ride to the park- WOOT! :)

Happy Independence Day to all my American bloggy-friends!


Blessings!


article and photograph copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com