Test Run Your Feet: Walking to Work

(For all my peeps who bicycle- you rock! I'm chatting about walking here because bicycling to work just isn't in the cards for me. But if you're reading and really want to give it a try- Five Seed has fabulous resources for the bicycling discoverers! 
For all my rural peeps, I understand you can't walk-bicycle-public transit to work. I get it- a 30-45minute car drive on the highway into work just wouldn't be fun. Maybe carpooling or finding an energy efficient vehicle should be your thing.
For everyone else:)


Small eco-step: Test run your feet.

Yep, instead of driving to work, take advantage of the beautiful summer months to give your feet a try and walk (and+or take public transit).

This will be my third year of walking to work and the second year taking the ferry for 70% of my work days. This includes winter months of snow storms. Honestly, my original motivation was lack of parking at the office downtown. The bus system in Halifax is terrible, so it was just easier to walk for 35minutes instead of paying for parking (160$ a month) or an 80$ month bus pass.

Then my office moved across the harbour to Dartmouth. Thankfully it is directly across from the ferry terminal. Unthankfully (yes that is now a word, since blogger didn't outline it in red), the terminal is a 20minute walk from my apartment. For a grand total of 45minutes each way to get to work. Despite it being cheaper to drive (bridge tolls are 70cents vs 2$ for the ferry) and faster (20minutes instead of 45minutes), I prefer walking.

Why you should test drive your feet:

• No traffic. Not worrying or shouting at bad drivers is pretty blissful (yes, I have road rage...). 
• Your feet are dependable and on time. No traffic jams or slow drivers will impact when you'll get to work.
• You'll avoid all those pesky traffic accidents. Just this week there was an accident on one of the bridges and I was the only person at work on time. And might I say quite less flustered.
• No worrying about parking. Your feet don't need a parking spot!
• Having that extra bit of quiet time while you walk to work at the start and end of your day will is almost meditative. 
• You can practice your pranayam while you walk. If you're a yoga geek like that.
• Even if you don't walk near the water like I do, having your headphones on and listening to your favourite music will help you centre before a work day, or unwind and leave work behind at the end of the day. 
• Your health will thank you.
• The Planet will thank you. 
• Your wallet will thank you.

(The MacDonald bridge with Halifax on the left and Dartmouth on the right from the Ferry. This week it's been blazing sun every morning!)

So, you've read this far and you're like- "Hey, this Lisa gal has got something here!" (yes I do, thank you), I have a few more tips to help you keep this new mode of transport:

Shoes:
When I heard a former colleague say she "never wants to be one of those business women wearing running shoes to work" I was a little confused- seriously? People really judge that? If that's what is holding you back, you don't REALLY need sneakers to walk to work. But having season appropriate footwear is crucial. Here are mine:
Summer- flip flops.
Fall- flats or rubber boots (depending on weather)
Winter- winter boots (or rubber boots) depending on weather.
Spring- rubber boots or flats.

What is convenient, is I usually leave a pair of flats at work when I don't feel like bringing them in my bag while I'm walking.

Weather Protection:
I have an arsenal of weather protection that I use depending on what it's giving for the day. A raincoat is a must in Halifax, as is my fabulous eco-friendly winter coat, mittens, scarf and tuque. I also invested in some leg warmers to wear over my pants during the really really cold winter months.

Preparation:
When you start walking, you should become closely acquainted with your local weather forecast website. Being a fisherman's daughter, I have spent my entire life hearing about weather patterns- so no  issue there. There's nothing worse than walking home and realizing you hadn't checked the weather... and it's pouring out. And you don't have your raincoat.

Also, if you don't like walking in the quiet- download your favourite podcast or make several 'mood inspired' playlists. I listen to radio-canada (usually médium large) every morning.

So who's in?

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

The Electric Car- A Miracle Cure or Mirage?

A confession? I have an un-eco obsession with gas guzzling cars/trucks. Although speed is great, it's not lamborginis or Ferraris that do it, but those ridiculously large, duel-y diesel engine, quad cab pick-up trucks that make me drool. I want to drive one. I park my little fuel efficient jelly-bean of a car next to them. I have spent years mourning the loss of ever owning one (the Planet isn't worth it).

an example of my dream truck. I am a rural girl at heart.

Initially, like many environmentally conscious peeps, I was quite excited by the prospect that our second vehicle (once the Yaris goes caput in, say, another 5 years) will be electric. Nova Scotia is *so* car dependent that it's difficult to function outside of university without a car. Recently, it appears like perhaps the electric car is doing the whole "Phoenix from ashes", with governments and eco-organizations touting this rise as the miracle cure to all our carbon spewing woes.

(Nissan LEAF)

You don't have to give up your car-dependancy lifestyle- just plug 'er in! Guilt and carbon-free!

Except... is it really that simple?

According to Ecoholic, the average car produces between 10,000 and 12,000 pounds of climate-changing carbon dioxide every year. Along with carbon monoxide, nitrous oxides and hydrocarbons this toxic mess contribute in a big way to "smog" (which kills thousands a year in large cities).

The Nissan LEAF (recently introduced in Canada) has a grand total of ZERO emissions while operating. If we switched the majority of cars to electric vehicles we'd be saving our lungs from breathing in thousands upon thousands of pounds of toxins.

Beyond all the logistical "arguments" that I've heard (cost and lifespan of lithium battery, charging stations and infrastructure) which all have fabulous answers (at the end of the lifespan of the battery, 8-10 years, batteries will be cheaper, customer demand will result in infrastructure plus you can charge the car in a 120 voltage outlet anyway), there are some pretty serious *big picture* issues that need to be honestly addressed.

We are much too dependant on single occupant vehicle transportation. Despite all the progress with electric vehicles, the industry still needs quite a bit of research (longer lasting, more easily accessible and cheaper batteries, infrastructure etc) and lets be honest; the industry will take a good 10 years to make a significant switch. Do we really have 10 years to keep on our merry, polluting way?

It's concerning that so much energy be placed on the electric car as our climate change saviour- but at some distant future. Instead, our government could be encouraging use and improving public transportation and/or bicycle lanes. If the average driver travels less than 60 km a day, than a public transportation system that was efficient, clean and reliable would do just the trick.

Finally... we do conveniently forget where that electricity comes from. In Nova Scotia, most of the electricity is generated from coal plants. Although other provinces have better track records (New Brunswick actually has a few nuclear, zero emission, plants), we're far from "clean" energy.

(for a fantastic discussion on this topic, head over to radio-canada's Christiane Charette with Pierre Olivier-Pineau, professor at HEC and expert in energy politics as well as co-founder of Quebec's Green Party, Daniel Breton. The catch? It's in French...)

I am not anti-electric car by a long shot. I'm looking forward to the day when Andrew and I will have a single vehicle family electric car. However, the tempting lure of a miracle pill that would allow my lazy bum to continue driving, continue consuming is too misleading. A mirage in our floundering climate desert.

Start bicycling, start walking.

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

What Star Trek Taught me about the Keystone Pipeline

Star Trek teaches me a lot, like today how Captain Picard's crew had to accept the fact that their continued use of warp travel was damaging the corridors of subspace. Decades of a way of life, and now space travel will have to change. Sound familiar? (Oh Star Trek, you are so clever).

Just like the Federation shares space with multiple civilizations and species, we have to share our planet with multiple countries. And, as subspace doesn't care whose federation each star system is touching, our water and air really couldn't be bothered to stop at country borders for a body scan.

The XL Keystone Pipeline has been a disheartening and disappointing piece of news for Canadians. I don't have a lot to comment regarding Obama's apparent amnesia with regard to his promise for 'green' policies, but I do feel that there are valuable and essential discussion points that should be addressed.

The discussion in the media has become an 'environmentalists against the economy' type rhetoric, which really misses an essential point- the economy is a human-created, not oil-dependant abstract concept. The environment is a true, delicate and concrete organism that is absolutely necessary for our survival as a species. We can't exactly live without water or air, but we can most certainly live with an economy sustained and nourished by something other than oil. As David Suzuki has said, the economy is a made up.

Instead of focusing our money and energy into unsustainable methods of fuel and energy consumption, we should be directing our energy to creating and fostering reusable, sustainable energy. Developing better (and cheaper) electric car batteries and infrastructure, wind and solar power. Arguing that it's either a pipeline or giant refineries misses the mark. What about neither? We have the capabilities, the science and the resources if we direct them responsibly.

The transcanada organization claims, as do our governments, that it's safe and measures are in place to protect our precious farm and water ways from oil contamination. Didn't they say that about the BP oil spill? According to David Suzuki, earlier this year Alberta has already had a huge oil spill that has contaminated kilometres of necessary water and earth.

On Q (cbc radio show) on Friday, a few notable journalists commented that the big issue for discussion should be whether we allow the US to dictate our energy and environmental policies. This journalist stated firmly that other countries had no right to tell us how to treat our planet.

I disagree. It's absolutely ridiculous to stand like an immovable tadasana with the misbelief that air and water we treat here in Canada stops at this magical invisible barrier at our borders. The air I breathe, you have breathed as well. The water I drink, you have drank as well. We don't have special Canadian air or water here. Water evaporates and cycles through the system, moving as rivers, oceans and clouds across continents. It makes complete sense that we should work together to protect our most primordial resource- our Planet.

As yogis, we have a responsibility to connection. With each other to work together as Nations and peoples to protect and respect the Natural World, as well as beginning to take those measures needed to stop our addiction to consumption and oil. The tough stuff, like bicycling more, taking public transit, eating locally and stop buying STUFF. The really tough stuff, like writing our government and exercising our right to civil disobedience. Like voting for your Health and the Planet first before your pocket.

Tonight is the New Moon, the perfect time for new beginnings and new commitment. What will you do?

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Permaculture- it's not just about dirt and gardening

Spontaneous permaculture talks. I mean- what else could be more titillating? Do we live on the wild side or what?

You may be asking (as I did): 'What the eff is permaculture?'

Well... honestly if the talk were any indication, besides something that radical hippies/hipsters (hey, not that I'm not a tree hugger myself, I just happen to own a fridge) buy into, permaculture has something to do with agriculture. Permanent Agriculture is a term that has grown into, over time, "Permaculture".

Clear right? (Let's just say that the presenter wasn't the best at clearly defining topic and explaining the "what" in "What is permaculture").

Ok, so it's actually a lot more than simply a closed loop, sustainable agricultural system... which is what I originally thought permaculture to be. A quick search on wiki reveals that modern permaculture is:

...a system design tool. It is a way of:

1. looking at a whole system or problem;
2. observing how the parts relate;
3. planning to mend sick systems by applying ideas learned from long-term sustainable working systems;
4. seeing connections between key parts.... (wiki source)

(interested? More info on permaculture at Permaculture Principles)

A friend of mine had informed me that morning that the talk was occurring at a tiny bookstore-cafe two seconds from where we live (The Trident). As we'd never been there before, and hey I like ecological topics, we decided to attend. First of all, being type A, it was a little stressful to discover that the time was a little fouffy, no one (even the staff at Trident) really knew when it was starting and seating was haphazardly assigned. I had a few deep breath moments.

The presenter was an experienced and obviously passionate farmer, Alex. He had a beautifully hand drawn "Permaculture Flower" taped up against the book shelves and I could still see the soil beneath his fingers. Although there were a few key aspects of his presentation that were a bit wonky (ridiculously poor organizational and explanation skills and some obvious biases against all government and traditional educational settings, and several conspiracy theories thrown in for good measure), Alex reminded me of a few key and inspirational Eco-Musts.

Firstly, to my surprise, he did not in fact begin talking about soil, plants or compost- but Peak Oil. Nothing new here- oil sequestered by the sun for millions of years is a finite resource, we're chewing through it at something like 80-something million barrels a day and have passed the point of the peak amount of oil available on our planet. It is something to consider, because unless we start investing in something else for energy, our fuel costs will just continue to skyrocket in the long term.

As I sat there, surrounded by large framed glasses wearing, huge beard and "trying to look authentically like a trucker hat even though I obviously have never lived outside the city my entire life" wearing early twenty somethings who chimed in at the end how "parents are the WORSE man", I kinda felt a bit out of touch. Ya know, I have visual evidence of me hugging a ginormous tree in Stanley Park (Vancouver BC), and truly have grown up in rural Nova Scotia where I'd come home regularly to a new deer gutted and hung up in my grandpy's barn to be shared with everyone, but I kept having moments of "please give me something practical and useful hear" instead of Mr. Alex's passionate advice to build a rocket stove or a root cellar.

I kept picturing Andrew and I attempting to cook grilled cheeses in a brick makeshift stove with the fire started by the twigs we gathered and an increasingly large black burned area in our living room floor. I figured it would be 5 minutes before our neighbours would call the fire station... and we'd get evicted.

After the first hour I had a harder time tracking his jumping bean train of thought and connecting all the dots. I found myself gazing lovingly at the beautiful Permaculture Flower.

Now this flower has some interesting community and life implications. 

It looks an awful lot like a pagan diagram. The spiral, the connection with nature and the ethical concept that we're here to care for our planet as stewards.  I wondered on the Goddess or probably pagan roots and connections. There is definitely something spiritual connected here.

At 9pm my face was so red, my heart and mind a bit heavy after such a long, disjointed and impassioned speech (we'd been there since 6:30pm), that I was very much happy to go. Even though I really wanted to directly challenge a few of his statements (that university brainwashes you, that parents and the baby boomers know nothing about conservation, that environmental organizations really don't do squat, that urban gardening is a waste of time, that cooperation and community has been lost in rural and urban settings alike...), I just got up and left. The thing is though, I'm fairly certain he would have listened respectfully and been a great conversation partner.

Ahh well- the following post on cooperation and community: why it's important to begin thinking about and how to start one in your living area, were worth the entirety of that 2+hour talk. :) That and it was so moving to see someone completely passionate and caring share his thoughts and ideas.

The one book I've read that mentions permaculture? The Earth Path by Starhawk. An amazing book btw that teaches you how to make seedbombs. Oh yeah.


article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Why paying more for gas makes me happy

My time in Montréal reminded me of life pre-car. That city, with the métro and bicycle lanes and Bixi's is just so well set up for non-auto living.

Halifax, (and my job) on the other hand is not.

Recently the price of gas has sky-rocketed here in Nova Scotia. Currently it's a 1.37$ a litre (not sure what that would be in gallons). In Montréal last week it was 1.44$.

As backwards as this may sound, I am so for increase in the price of gas and oil. I'm hoping (as I'm not an official economic oil-gas-environment analyst person) it will mean:

1. People who really don't give two rats-bums about the environment (who ARE they anyways?) will purchase smaller, more fuel efficient cars because of the price of fuel.
2. These same people will also hopefully drive less, walk more and consider public transit.
3. Regular people who DO care about the environment (yay us!) but may have an efficient vehicle will walk more, drive less and take public transit (or bicycle!).
4. As more people are interested in fuel efficient cars- car companies will promote and invest research in creation and production of zero-emission vehicles.
5. As more people in Halifax who are business class consider and take public transit, they will demand more efficient transit systems. This will increase investment in public transit making it more convenient than driving and as a result encouraging more people to give it a go.
6. Cost for food transportation will increase, resulting in companies finding more efficient ways to transport food. The price of food being shipped in from all four corners of the planet will increase.
7. Food that comes from thousands of miles away will become more comparable in cost to locally produced food (hopefully), as locally produced food won't be paying the same level of shipping costs. 
8. As cost balances out, more people will consider purchasing locally grown food.
9. Cost for heating will increase, motivating people to conserve heat, insulate their homes or consider alternative heating options like solar.
10. Bigger businesses who actually have a huge impact on the environment will consider more environmentally friendly practices as the cost of energy intensive production continues to rise (and not because they really give a poop about the environment).

So there ya have it. My top ten reasons why a rise in price of gas and oil actually makes me happy.

What do you think? Any official oil-gas-environment analysts out there?


article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Alberta will 'Tell it Like it Is' via Pro-Oil Commercials

We now have a television. After two years sans tv, Andrew has finally won the battle- we compromised at a 37 inch (seriously, our first marital compromise). It stays off for the majority of the time, but we have discovered magical cable hook-up.... which means commercials. Which is the starting point to this post.

Have you seen the pro-oil sands commercials lately, fellow Canadians?? I almost spit out my coffee the first time I saw one. I think I actually told the tv to eff off. These commercials have 'everyday' working folks, like you and me (hah), talking about how proud they are to be working for Alberta oilsands, a company that is harvesting energy responsibly. Cue happy music and environmental backlash.

(credit: Rainforest Action Network via Flickr)

You know what's really sad about these commercials? They're funded by the government of Alberta. Go unbiased provincial representatives! Woo!

The website has a whole slew of 'The real story behind Alberta's tar sands' from videos of cultural and environmental sensitivity to 'facts' and 'statistics' stating that No really, we're not the bad guys here! It's scary and makes me throw up just a little... in my mouth.

I suppose we can't truly expect a province's government officials to be unbiased about a venture that brings in BILLIONS of dollars each year in revenue. Which also follows that their website isn't going to be the most trustworthy resource of non-manipulated 'facts' and information. The province of Alberta has an invested interest in keeping the tar sands (sorry 'oilsands') running and convincing people that they really aren't that big of a deal.

If the oil sands really aren't that harmful, then other people should be saying the same thing right? Let's go have a look-see!

David Suzuki Foundation.
He has quite a lot to say about the tar sands, all of it not so rosy. According to their site over 600 square km have already been cleared, mined or disturbed and one-fifth of Alberta's landmass is already leased for further bitumen mining. This stuff makes up approximately 10% of sand extracted and requires around two tons of sand for ONE barrel of crude oil. Average emissions for oil sand extraction and upgrading (per barrel) are 3.2 to 4.5 times greater than for conventional crude oil.

On average 1.5 barrels of a processed substance of water, clay, sand and contaminants is generated for every 1 barrel of bitumen produced and 200 million litres of it gets dumped into tailing ponds every day. Currently the area for these ponds is 130 square km, projected increase to 310 by the year 2040. We've got local First Nations people suffering from higher rates of cancer, contaminated rivers that supply the rest of Alberta, oil sands that produce 5% of Canada's total carbon footprint and impacted forest and waterfowl (Stop the Tar Sands! David Suzuki Sept 2010).

World Wildlife Fund.
According to the WWF, the Alberta tar sands are the highest rising source of greenhouse gas emissions in Canada. They go on to state that mining and processing the bitumen produces more greenhouse gas emissions than all the cars on the road in Canada... and it's expected to triple or quadruple over the next 20 years (great). Although clean water is one of Canada's largest natural resource, huge quantities of it are used to process the bitumen extracted (Tar Sands Impact-WWF).

Greenpeace Canada.
According to Greenpeace, along with the above mentioned information, the tar sands use more water than a city of 2 billion people every day... with a runoff of 11 million litres of contaminated run off per day in local waterways. Awesome. Further, according to Greenpeace, 3 out of 4 jobs created by the tar sands are in construction and once the job is finished those jobs disappear....

Tar Sands; Dirty Oil and the Future of a Continent. (2009)
According to Andrew Nikiforuk, author, approximately 50% of Canada's energy comes from the Alberta oil sands and that over the course of 10 years Canada has quietly become a petro-state. He states that the huge political and economical dependence on the tar sands has impacted our dollar (2 billion barrels of oil get shipped south to the USA daily) and as a result our efforts to fight climate change. Any sort of climate change national statement is simply a token offer... not a serious effort so long as we continue on the Tar Sand bandwagon. He argues that without Canadians actively engaging our government officials about the tar sands, the government will act like oil executives and not our governmental leaders.  Check out his website for fabulous key documents and
(I especially like his response to accusations from the Energy Resources Conservation Board- BAM).

Currently we are 4-1 on the Tar Sands=Bad Bad Bad. Hmmm... my four resources are not funded by oil companies while the Alberta Government is. I wonder who I'll choose to believe?

We so desperately want our energy issues and climate change to be an easy quick fix without any sort of life changes required on our part. Unfortunately, we need to take a step back and start making those changes ourselves, demanding that our government work for us and critically analyzing anything claiming to be a disposable, quick fix. We can do this together, just don't let that greenwashing get to ya.


article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

A Ferry Ride instead of a Car Ride

Since January 2010, I have been mostly car-free for work. This was an essential step in decreasing my dependence on petroleum in a big way. With climate change happening and the point of no return approaching like a freight train, the point isn't to replace our disposable lifestyle with an eco-friendly version but to adjust to a reusable life.

All through winter and spring I walked 35 minutes to and from our apartment to work. A few days were particularly memorable... including the snowstorm that involved walking in two feet of snow (sidewalks weren't plowed), and a rainstorm that left me soaked to my drawers.


In July we moved into our new place which meant I was only a 15 min walk from work! Which was so fantastical, especially in the 40 degree humid heat we had (celcius).

Now I can say that I've been granted a new three year contract and actually have my own office! With a window overlooking the harbour!! Yay office plants!!! The catch... it's across the harbour in Dartmouth. Walking all the way around on the bridge isn't really an option, so I decided that I would bite a small fee and take the ferry.

waterfront warf

view of the street up to Citadel Hill this morning

Unlike Halifax's terrible bus system (seriously, catastrophically unreliable and non-user friendly. And they wonder why more people don't use it), the ferries are a well-run, consistent and reliable transportation option. Never late and rarely canceled you can depend on the ferry really being there on schedule.

"gotham city" or the oil refinery across the harbour in Dartmouth. I get to watch the flames all day from my office window

About a 20 minute walk from our new apartment and five minutes away from my work at the Dartmouth side, the ferry was a doable option. My very first day I was pretty nervous. I mean, I've never taken the ferry before, I had no idea how to pay or what the social etiquette for ferrying was.

The walk to the terminal was picturesque and peaceful. I'm so looking forward to beginning my mornings with a walk along the waterfront. It's almost empty of tourists, quite and smells like the Atlantic ocean (no poo-smell which is ideal).

As per my usual awkward self, since I had no idea what I was doing I just marched up to the first official looking dude and announced that "This is my first time on the ferry and I have no idea what to do". Thank goodness the dude was an older man who reminded me of an older version of my dad. He even announced that I better locate the paddles on the boat. 


It was so peaceful. I took my earbuds out (I always listen to French cbc podcasts on the way to work) and just breathed. 

The mouth of the harbour into the Atlantic ocean

the MacDonald Bridge and part of Halifax "skyline"

As it gently took me across the harbour I was surprised by just how peaceful and quiet the trip was. Compared to driving or hurriedly walking and avoiding being hit by terrible Haligonian drivers, this was paradise. Listening to the waves against the boat, the smell of the salty ocean and the seagulls cawing away it was instant meditation.  Even on the ride home people were quieter, were hushed.

The other ferry, identical to mine!

As the editorial in Grist points out: we are running out of time. Instead of waiting for sweeping governmental changes, together we can make a difference and protect our planet. As Peak Oil has most likely come and gone, we'll be forced to deal with a fuel shortage in a few short years. It's time to make the change.


How will you take (or are taking) the steps to decrease your transportation use?


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

Sustaina-Yoga Adventure and a Trip to Saint John NB

I am a sucker for punishment. Seriously. 

I have a new goal for June. Yep- June 1st, I get a little tweet from Yogaglo asking me what my June challenge will be. Kinda like what happened with the Great Canadian Yoga Stretch, May 1st got an email asking if I'd like to participate. Since I'd already practiced in the park that day I thought 'why not?' (nope, not more planning than that...).

My 'June Yoga Adventure': yoga-hop different studios in the city and get there in a sustainable fashion. No exceptions. Guidelines:

• At least one studio class a week (maybe two, but my budget might kibosh that).
• New instructor or style is a must (this will help my yoga-growth)
• I have to bike, walk or bus there. Carpooling does not count as sustainable.
• Sustainable yoga also includes 'Yoga in the Park' on the weekends (oh my legs will be STEEL by the end of June!).

I'm hoping this will result in more opportunities to get used to biking to appointments or errand-type activities in the city. It should also help shift this reliance on using my little jelly bean (car). As the oil spill worsens to catastrophic proportions, the time has passed for us to pretend that our gas and oil lifestyles can be balanced by recycling. We need a new way of life.

This week I will be attending a Sivananda level 1 class at the Yoga Loft (Thursday). I'll walk there after work with another fellow yogini. I've never tried Sivananda before and am excited!


With regards to the GCYS challenge, I can proudly announce that I reached my goal with *one* exception... One day of 31 I had to curl up in a little ball as the monthly moon pains were so severe I barely made it through work. Otherwise, every other day was a minimum 30 minute if not 45-60min practice!


Thanks to all your kind support and generous donations we have raised 520$ for the Canadian National Institute for the Blind!!! This is the first time in my life I have ever done something like this, and I am so proud of myself and the giving Karma of my lovely readers. I am touched by your generosity and community. Many Blessings to all of you!


So who's with me on the Sustaina-Yoga Adventure? I know that Rachel, you bike to Yoga every day- any advice for myself and other Sustaina-Yogis? :)

Blessings!

And just for fun, lets all go on a vacation to Saint John, New Brunswick! To set the stage- Saint John is the oldest confederation city in Canada (1700's I think..).

A typical street in Saint John (the street where Andrew and I met four years ago!) Not grid-like, the streets twist and turn up and down hills. Although not an actual island, SJ is right on the Atlantic ocean. Which means that the temperature was 14 degrees celcius that day and a wall of fog surrounded the city... waiting for the sun to set (like The Mist...).

The fog at the end of Princess Street. A bridge was actually in that fog, a few hundred feet away...

Andrew's old apartment building (I lived in the 'carriage house' next door. Yep, it was SKETCHY. Thank goodness for great neighbours!)

A typical street in Saint John. Lots of brick!

My favourite part of New Brunswick- the bilingual stop signs! The only "officially" bilingual province in Canada, I love how all signage is in French and English. 

Can you pick out the imposter?? :)

article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

The Part we Played: La Marée Noire and our Yoga Path

I just read a tweet (on twitter hehe!) from Connie over at Dirty Footprints: "Everytime I read about the oil spill I feel like I'm going to throw up. My heart is shattered". Yep, I can pretty much agree 100%. Dear BP: You suck.

My first reaction for the past 36 days has been to put my fingers in my ears and sing "lalalalala" as loud as possible. Andrew didn't really appreciate this happening in the middle of his sentence.

It feels pretty darn hopeless, what can we really do while millions of gallons of oil are polluting and devastating our ocean? We spend our time blaming BP, blaming the American President's supposed "laissé faire" attitude and lack of leadership. Pointing fingers can be lots of fun... but perhaps similar to my 'finger-in-ear-lalalala' strategy; avoiding the fundamental message.

Oil containers and refinery in St John NB- thought they contained ice cream as a child... what? I was a gullible kid.

If we take a moment, breathe deeply and remove ourselves from the emotional reaction of fellow Fern Gully fan peeps, we can see the *Hope* in this catastrophe.


Why were BP drilling oil? Cuz it was fun and they really love doing oil-runs on crazy carpets? We, 'affluent' (comparatively) global community are each responsible. Perhaps we're dedicating our yoga practice to the healing of the ocean, while we use electricity to light our homes and studios, cook our food and oil in the form of the plastics we surround ourselves, the plastic of our mats, clothing and props, our cars we drive and our heat.

A fraction of what is locally called 'Gotham City' in the fog and smog... 

It's not like BP (and other oil companies) are simply going to stop drilling for the good of our planet- as long as we continue to buy oil (in one form or another) we're supporting practices like drilling for oil that have led to this disaster.


Of course, we all know that simply purging our lives of everything oil-petroleum is unrealistic at this time. At the same time, if we truly value the planet we live on, which supports us and gives us Life, recognizing this catastrophe as an opportunity to make significant changes will bring us closer to living in Harmony with Earth.


Take a breath, mindfully step back and accept a small token of responsibility for the oil that is destroying thousands of beings habitats and lives. Make that first step to change;

• Buy a bicycle and bike or walk as often as possible.
• Avoid plastic. Recycling isn't enough, we know that now.
• turn off the lights, tv, computer, air conditioner.
• turn down the heat by 5 degrees.
• Need a new mat-clothing? Buy local and sustainable (ie not made in China).
• Choice of two food options? Choose the locally(est) sustainably harvested.
• Buy used or second hand. It's called previously loved.
• Vote! Voting is so essential and the majority of voters are over 40 and male. The government's interests reflect theirs, not yours.
• Each person can make a difference- don't believe how our 'tiny' choices make a difference? Read on... how 30 million people each day doubt... and the consequence.

 Just a few ideas, there are so many more! We can all begin (or allow to grow) our path of connection to our community and the life force we call Home. If we allow a small acceptance of responsibility.


Blessings and Happy Flower Moon!


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

"Can't You Feel Their Pain?"

I have moments where I come across the realization that perhaps I am a bit "different" than others... you know, beyond liking Star Trek, comic book movies and listening to Tool. I mean, I think Fern Gully was written and produced with ME in mind. If that makes sense.

Winter is always a bit more difficult, with the snow and gray covering most of the Life. It would appear that by the time the snow has melted I've forgotten just how "different" I seem to be. And then the tiny buds push up and out and I get all "can't you feel their PAIN?" on ya.

Throughout the spring months so far, on our walks home from work Andrew agreed with my constant distracted comments of "ouuu, look at THOSE flowers!" or "wow, that tree looks like fairy dust is about ready to bust out!" (I'm REAL poetic). I think I forgot that this slow and steady reawaking of obsession for all that is Nature isn't exactly typical.

It's easy to forget in the city, surrounded by cement and exhaust fumes, that our Earth (in this hemisphere) is stretching Her arms and getting ready for summer.

Today I had a massive, maybe I should keep my weirdness to myself, moment. Walking to work with Heather I had to point out, or blurt, that I was marveling at how beautiful the trees looked that morning. Right after she stated she was annoyed at the misty-rainy day it was. ("yeah but, the trees looks EXTRA beautiful with their dark wet bark today!"). ahem.

During lunch today, I thought it would make great professional lunch conversation to bring up this fact as well. I got some really off-put looks... and felt a bit silly. What, no one else notices the trees, leaves, bark, grass, flowers on their way to work? Wish I had some pictures to share how stupendous they looked today.

My mom told me once, that she blames herself for my strange obsession with all things natural. As a toddler, she used to point out all and every little natural thing while claiming "Ouuu, look how pretty THAT is!". 

Maybe. Or perhaps I was just meant to love our world. Even though I don't really understand others who don't seem as enamoured with her vibrancy, I keep on truckin' with this feeling of connection.

Which is why I am continuously surprised by any who would willingly harm our one and only planet that gives us Life. When you are surrounded by such beauty, how *could* you drive your car when you could walk? It makes me take a moment and accept the part I played in the oil disaster that is damaging our oceans. My role in supporting, purchasing the oil. Our role, as a society that is dependent on oil and unable or unwilling to let it go.

at the expense of our delicately balanced ocean. At the expense of the Life that thrives there, essentially supporting all other life on Earth. We are equally to blame.


article copyright of EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

Sounding out the Bell for Bicycling

Recently A Green Spell posted about her struggles and adventures as a bicyclist. After a year of wishing and dreaming about how "green" I would be *ifIjusthadabike*, I finally have joined the bicyclist club. Am I biking? Nope.

First off, why do I feel that bicycling is an important step in my earth-friendly yogic lifestyle.

At this point in our society we can safely say that oil-gas reliance is going to be increasingly difficult. Peak Oil, the point where we slowly (or quickly) run out of oil-gas resources, if it already hasn't, is arriving. Decreasing our consumption of an energy source that is finite is a necessity- we won't have a choice at one point. Therefore, the more I'm used to using alternative means of transportation (like walking and bicycling) the easier it will be.

After the most recent oil spill disaster, our addiction to oil is damaging our planet and our health. Every time we use our cars, our oil power sources, plastic we are eroding the air we breathe and our most important water source: the ocean. 


Every time I step on my mat to practice yoga, I thank the Goddess for my health, my family and dedicate my practice to enhancing my connection with each link in our cycle. There is no way I could spend all this time recognizing and validating our interconnectedness and turn around in the next moment and damage this very circle.


So why am I not biking ALL the time?


One huge reason: the weather. It's been cold, rainy and chilly most every evening these past few weeks. Instead of hopping on our bikes to go to the coffee shop or get groceries, we're chickening out and taking the car.

Yoga in the Park last night at our new location and you guessed it- we drove

Another reason is the shear amount of time it actually takes to bike around Halifax. We avoid main routes due to traffic. Andrew and I are both unwilling to risk our lives just to get to a coffee shop- Halifax isn't the most bicycle friendly city, cars drive and park in the bike only lanes. So we take quieter roads, which results in a 45 minute bike ride just to get to the park. I'm sure with practice we'll find better routes... but riding our bikes requires time and planning.

Finally, I still don't have a basket for my bicycle. I have a basket rack, which is a step and it was quite flattering to see all the Bikes by Dave people drooling over my vintage beauty... However, I kinda need a basket to carry stuff (like groceries) and I really don't feel like spending a ton of money. Ideas?


Obviously these are excuses, we need an ACTION PLAN for bicycling. I'm also hoping that maybe our awesome bloggy-community can help support each other in our adventure at changing our habits and our lives.


Lisa and Andrew's Bicycling Action Plan 2010:

• Find a basket. This is essential.
• Map out regular bicycling routes in advance, print them out and have them ready for perusal at any given date. This way, when we want to go biking, the route will be already planned out.
• Plan to bike at least once a weekend. This will decrease overwhelming feeling of needing to bike ALL the time, and allow for practice!
• Attend a Critical Mass in Halifax. Cuz it's cool.
• Get a really COOL bell:

• DringDring bells are made in Montreal, hand painted using non-toxic solvents and water based paints and are NOT plastic!! I want one. (image from dringdring site)

Any other ideas for our biking plan? Suggestions for this wimpy, wannabe biker?

**UPDATE: Thanks to Environmental Soul for pointing out this ridiculously awesome Bicycling resource: "An Adventure Called Bicycling". This woman is AWESOME and I ADORE her videos on bicycle safety (especially that she put Daft Punk in there!) Her tips on Commuter Biking are also great. Seriously, go check it out!


Blessings!


article and photograph (unless otherwise noted) copyright EcoYogini at ecoyogini.blogspot.com

First Yoga in the Park, Tidal Power and Food Waste!

Our first Yoga in the Park- to celebrate Ostara or Spring Equinox March 20th!

From Halifax? Check out Halifax Yoga Community for more details and Facebook Group Link!

This past week Andrew and I attended two talks on environmental topics with friends. The first; Tidal Power in Nova Scotia and the second Jay Ingram from The Daily Planet. Although these talks replaced a yoga class or two, I think it's so important to attend free events where we can continue to learn and grow. Especially with regards to environmental topics.


The talk on tidal power was interesting and disappointing at the same time. Nova Scotia has a monopoly on power; Nova Scotia Power, that owns and distributes power almost exclusively. Unlike other provinces, Nova Scotian's power sources come from 75% coal... and our carbon footprint is much larger as a result.


As of last summer, NSPower is required by law to reduce it's reliance on coal power by 25% (to 50% renewable energy sources) by 2020. As a result, they're investigating tidal power. Unfortunately, the entire presentation was pretty cheesy and obviously capitalistic in nature. Check out the cheesy video! The walk away message: each turbine costs 11 million (6 mil at best), would repel local marine life, may remove actual kinetic energy from the tides (lowering water levels) and would only generate a fraction on power compared to wind turbines, despite having the largest tides in the world. (100 billion tonnes of water daily)


I get 'NIMBY' (Not in my backyard) as being an issue currently in Nova Scotia for wind turbines... but this money could certainly be invested in alternative venues. 


Going to see Jay Ingram was by far more exciting (he's on TV!) and entertaining. His talk on food waste was extremely compelling. According to projections, by 2050 (a mere thirty years from now) we'll have to feed approximately 9 billion people, an increase in food production by almost 100%. 


How do we do this? He spoke briefly on genetically modified organisms (ugh...) but the most striking argument? Recently, numbers have revealed that Americans throw out 40% of their food... 40% of food entering landfills. Reasons given ranged from 'being in the fridge for too long' to 'leftovers on the plate'. 


We consume so much as a society, and just because my food gets composted does not mean I should treat it as an expendable resource. My food source, like water, is essential to my survival... and I should respect it as such. In that presentation, I had a moment of being so proud that I made croutons out of my homemade failed bread attempt, as opposed to composting it.


There are many resources out there on internet land on how to reduce food waste in your home. For myself, one of the best places to start was simply buying 'enough' perishable food items for the week. 


First, I had to figure out just how much lettuce-produce etc I would eat before it went bad. I was composting so many produce items that we just never ate in time. Planning your meals definitely helps with this, but we failed miserably at this. I simply try not to think of making a quick trip to the grocery store as an inconvenience midweek. It just means I'm eating *all* of the produce I buy.


Also, buying produce that doesn't go bad as quickly helps. For example, purple and green leaf lettuce will go bad much more quickly than say, romaine lettuce. Or, if local organic spinach is available, maybe I'll just plan on eating LOTS of salads in the next few days. I try to plan my meals around the produce instead of starch.


My last goal for helping with food waste... is growing my own! Last year we had our first attempt at being urban gardeners. It wasn't great, but it wasn't catastrophic. This year we'll try growing lettuce, beets, carrots, strawberries and bell peppers. We'll be ordering our seeds today and getting a few new planters soon! 


Happy Weekend and Blessed Ostara, Spring Equinox!


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

Walkin' towards Independence...

(First, let me just say a huge THANK YOU for all the supportive comments and Light that was shared from the last post. I was nervous about posting such a personal and emotional event, and I really appreciate the kind reaction! Thank You!!)


After living car-less throughout six years of university, I was pretty darn smug about my awesome walking ability. I mean, driving in Montreal is ridiculously scary and the transit there is fantastic. Then I moved to Vernon BC, a TINY town in the middle of no where and sadly had purchased my first car. A cute, uber efficient 3 door Yaris hatchback (who's name is the "Jelly Bean"), but a car nonetheless. 

Jelly Bean and me in BC... it's so shiny and new!

After two years of driving everywhere, I vowed that our return to the "big city" of Halifax (haha) would result in less to NO driving. AND I got a job 20 minutes outside the city and drove everyday. At least for two seasons out of the year I carpooled! I also watched our goal of using "no car" for city stuff dwindle down to nothing. Halifax, although a city, has a TERRIBLE bus system. I mean, bad. From the navigation and choosing a route stage, to actually finding a bus that ran more than once an hour, to being able to rely on said bus actually showing up on time (or at all!).


Andrew, being awesome, has figured out the bus route for his work and uses it regularly... at the small price of 72$ a month. Yep, and they wonder why transit use is so low. I vowed that if I ever got a job in the Halifax office I would walk to work every day.


Starting last week, I got that job. Currently I have walked four days so far (three days last week I had to drive and today I worked outside the city again). It's a forty minute intense walk each way and I had stitches in my sides every time! I haven't walked so much since my Montreal days! Monday, waking up like my body had been run over by a snowmobile, had been especially difficult...


Pre-walking, I made sure to have the correct equipment: comfy knee-high boots, pulled out the old knee-length coat (thank goodness mom patched up the inside- yay for being thrifty!), hat, scarves and mittens. I think I may also have to invest in long johns.... ack!

Spring Garden+Barrington intersection, Beautiful Stone Church juxtaposed against an uber modern building... TRES Halifax

I would like to say that Peak Oil, carbon emissions or some other environmental reason was the motivation for actually sticking with walking.... but really it's the cost of parking (I KNOW, so embarrassing to admit!). The two days I parked last week cost 30$, and all monthly parking lots close enough to consider are well over 100$ a month. 


Alright, I know some colleagues who live in the city and still manage to park somewhere, so I have to say the TIPPING point was the environment. Plus, each day I walk I feel SO GOOD about decreasing my dependence on oil.


Have you thought or heard about Peak Oil dear reader? I hadn't until about 8 months ago... after starting to read the several blogs and sites on the topic, I started to feel my anxiety rise. Basically, the premise (that has been proven by leading organizations) is that oil is a finite resource. Made from plant matter that  has been compressed for millions of years, there is only so much available on the planet.


We are at the "peak" of oil resource availability... and will eventually (in our lifetime and many experts claim *in the near future*) run out. As oil becomes more and more scarce, prices will rise resulting in everything that depends on oil's prices to rise... which is basically everything. From plastic, to food, to electricity... the list goes on. Eventually the entire system will crash. If you'd like to read more please visit Sharon Astyk's blogs (Casaubon's Book, Riot for Austerity, Sharon Astyk), Crash Course in Peak Oil, Peak Oil Hausfrau. 


Alright, I can recognize rationally that this is true, but honestly the language is just plain scary and immobilizing. I do believe that it is important to acknowledge, but I don't feel that hunkering down into apocalypse-mode will be mentally healthy for myself.  


Recently, I have realized that the transition and resolution to shift our worldview to a more communal-relationship valued as opposed to consumeristic valued life fits in well with preparing for "Peak Oil". In using less energy, buying less "things", beginning to grow our own food (hopefully with more success!), eating local and organic food that doesn't travel as far (depending on fuel) and planning on using alternative energy sources to power our (someday) house are all things that lessen our dependance on oil.


Getting used to walking to work is another (huge) step.


Hopefully it will also strengthen my legs... which have always been pretty darn weak. As a result, I'm hoping that my standing postures will improve as well!


On that Yoga note:
(Anonymous: Thank you so much for alerting me (and friends!) to Seth's studio opening next week! I may be out of the city for most or all of that week, but will attend a class regardless and definitely keep you updated via a post! It would also be cool if you left a name, if you felt comfortable with that when you comment :) It's so exciting that other Haligonians are reading!)