We are what we buy

Make your buying decisions on the following questions:
1. Is this purchase something I need?
2. Do I already own something that will serve the same purpose?
3. Can I make or borrow something that will do the same thing?
4. Is my purchase locally made?
5. Is the product made with environmentally sustainable materials?
6. Was it produced by workers who are treated fairly under safe and healthy working conditions?
7. Can I easily compost or recycle the product when I'm finished with it?

Add your own question based on the experience from your home country.

Discuss with your group which of these tips have priority.

Green Canadian Future

This is an abridged excerpt from the article by Sidney Ribaux and Rick Smith from Toronto Star of June 2010.

There is a new and exciting story that Quebec and Ontario have just begun to tell, and one that we really have no choice but to fill out and embrace.A new low carbon economy is not only possible, but essential. With tremendous potential in renewable energy, an innovative workforce and good policy design, Quebec and Ontario can lead this story and invite others in.Ontario's Green Energy Act has already resulted in billions of dollars of new investments in renewable energy, with the promise of thousands jobs. The two provinces have signed a memorandum of understanding to co-operate on battling greenhouse gas pollution.
We have to stop sending billions of dollars to oil companies and instead create jobs at home by supplying electric vehicles manufactured here with renewable energy that we have produced ourselves.
This story will also tell about what kind of people we are, and about what really matters. It is a story about showing leadership in the world and about restoring Canada's reputation. It is a story about doing right for our children and grandchildren by building them a brighter future. It is a story about responsibility and caring for others.

Enviro Inventions

Please click on this link to find the printable document.

Under This Cloud, Life Chugs Along

This is an abridged article by Christopher Hume from Toronto Star of May 2010

Although volcanic ash from Iceland has paralyzed air traffic across Europe, it hasn't paralyzed Europe. But what if the jet stream flowed west, not east, and smoke was blowing across Canada? The results would be catastrophic.
Why? Because in North America, we have no other serious forms of transportation. Take aviation out of the picture and what's left? The answer, sad to say, is precious little. Other than cars and trucks, we would have few alternatives.
Europe, by contrast, is connected by formidable network of trains, high-speed intercontinental lines, intercity service and local commuter lines.
Despite what Canadians might like to believe, Europeans, whether Germans or Swedes, love their cars every bit as much as we do. But judging from the number of people in Berlin who get around by transit and ride bikes, which have their own lanes throughout the city, it's understood that one of the great advantages of urban life is that you don't have to drive everywhere.
In this way, the New World and the Old World have traded places.

Discussion questions:
1. What does author mind in North America?
2. What does he refer to as "precious little"?
3. What would have happened if the ash had blown west?
4. In which respect is the New World old now?
5. As a new Canadian, what do you think about driving everywhere?

Look at the phrases below and try to reconstruct the text that the author wrote in continuation of the above excerpt:



fall behind
lag technologically
distant past
antique system
sleeping ticket takers
outdated equipment
mechanical failures
Alberta tar sands

PLEASE SEND THE BLOGGER SOME SUCCESSSFUL STORIES. THANK YOU!

Not Far from the Tree

Not Far From The Tree is an eco-group based in Toronto. They pick up fruits from neighbours' orchards that people don't care about and give them to those who cannot afford to buy them. Their volunteers picked up 3,690 kg of fruit in 2009.

1. Order the following lines into a passage:

or brushed past raspberry bushes on an evening stroll.

You’ve more than likely noticed

which is often viewed by homeowners as a nuisance.

everywhere in Toronto.

spoiled crabapples and rotted plums on sidewalks,

The city is teeming with fruit trees,

Fruit trees grow

but we rarely think of the potential of the fruit,

2. We'd Tap That
"We want to educate people about the urban forest.We don't want to collect a quantity of syrup, but to inspire connections between city dwellers and the trees around them. We will tap only Norway maples because they are abundant.
We will tap only the healthiest trees. Volunteers will drill one or two holes into each tree and insert spiles for the sap to be extracted.The spiles will be removed before spring arrives and the wounds will be sealed."

Comprehension questions:
1. Who is saying this?
2. What is their intention?
3. How will they do that?
4. How do they care about the trees?
5. How will they "inspire connections between city dwellers and the trees around them"?
6. Do you think that trees in the city should or shouldn't be wounded?

3. The following fruits have been gathered by Not Far From The Tree:
sweet and sour cherries, serviceberries, mulberries, apricots, plums, crabapples, pears, black wallnuts and ginko nuts. Find out about those you are not familiar with.

Eco-Driver

www.ecoDriver.org

 

TASKS

 

1. 1. Which of these features are Fuel Savers or Gas Guzzlers?
   

Conserving Nature for Future Generations

John Riley, NCC's chief science officer

When John Riley was a child,
there was a slogan: "Leave no child inside". He spent a lot of time exploring local wild places. It was popular among friends to know stuff about animals and trees. In his high school years, he hitchhiked to British Columbia and back twice, just for sport. Together with his siblings he took care of a big family garden that supplied food for the family.

Now John is the chief science officer at Nature Conservancy Canada. He takes care of spaces and species for future generations.

He says that Canada is multicultural and it is also multi-ecological. The best part of his job is that he can enjoy this diversity across Canada.

"It is urgent to get the job done, before it is too late – to be able to give such an assurance of successful conservation to our supporters and to the youth who are looking over our shoulders", says John.
"Let's make this a year that counts! For nature, for now, for ever." 

 
 

TASKS

1. Explain the meaning of the following words:

A

slogan

wild

popular

stuff

hitchhike

siblings

youth

 

B

species

multicultural

multi-ecological

diversity

urgent

assurance

conservation

looking over one's shoulder

 

2. Comprehension questions:

1. Who is John Riley?
   

1. What is NCC?
   
2. Why is Canada multi-ecological?
   
3. Why are youth looking over their shoulders?
   

   
    

   
    

3. Discussion questions

1. Which wild places in Canada do you know?
   
2. Check the NCC website and find what places and species they have put on their list.
   
3. Why is nature conservancy important for future generations?
   
4. How would you rank the importance of: individuals, conservancy groups and organizations and government in the role of nature conservation? Explain your point.
   

 

4. GRAMMAR

Use the past form of the verbs in brackets:

Beryl Ivey ______ (be) a passionate advocate for conservation, especially in her native South-western Ontario.

She deeply _______ (love) nature. She _______ (create) conservation areas along the Niagara Escarpment.

She _______ ( live) much of her life in London, Ontario. Her mother _________ (grow up) in England's Lake District and _______ (tell) Beryl stories about it. Mrs. Ivey _________ (pass) this passion down to her own four children.

Their work with the Ivey Foundation supports many causes, including the Nature Conservancy of Canada.

Mrs. Ivey ____________ (pass away) on Christmas Day 2007. In her will, she _______ (make) a $1-million

bequest to NCC.

 

 

1. Order the words in this message:
   

   
    

environment     all     role     to     in     a     our

we         have     preserving        play

 

 

 

1. Supply these synonyms for the words underlined in the text:
   

 

cottage, generosity, researchers, endangered, shore, deciduous, properties, habitat, flora, honour, expeditions, Woods, fauna

Conserving nature for a lifetime and beyond ,

The Bickford Oak Forest (1) is one of the NCC pieces of land (2) that's benefited from Mrs. Ivey's passion and unselfishness (3) and is named in her family's respect (4): the Ivey Research Station at Middle Point Woods on the eastern coast (5) of Pelee Island. This mature, 69-acre (28- hectare) leaf shedding (6) forest growing on sand dunes provides essential home (7) for both rare plants (8)- including the nationally threatened Common Hoptree and Wild Hyacinth – and animals (9) - such as the endangered Smallmouth Salamander. It's also the location of a recently renovated country house,(10)

that can accommodate up to eight researchers on multi-day research and restoration trips (11).

Thanks to the financial contributions of Beryl and Richard Ivey, it will be home base for scientists (12)
to study and protect the ecologically diverse and threatened (13) area for many, many years to come.

Composting

Composting is an important way to recycle and can be done at home. It is an easy way to reduce the amount of household garbage by about one third. As well, it produces a valuable soil amendment for use in gardening and landscaping.

What's In the Mix?
Most household organic waste can be composted at home. For backyard or home composting to work best, it is important to use selected material including:
From the Garden...
Leaves (chopped - to speed their breakdown)
Grass (not wet)
Plants & Weeds (without ripe seeds)
Old potting soil
Soft plant stems

From the Kitchen..
Fruit scraps
Vegetable trimmings
Egg shells (crushed)
Tea bags
Coffee grounds with filters
Shredded paper

DO NOT include...

Meat, fish and bones
Plastics
Metals
Fats and oils
Dairy products
Pet waste
Cheese, meat or other sauces

Green Consumer

Is it possible for well-intentioned consumers to see through all the greenwashing and really find environmentally sound products? Yes, but it’s not easy. And as I found out, it’s the most difficult when you are shopping at retail stores, since you’re at the mercy of labels and sales clerks.

Shopping online, however, makes it easier to find legitimate green products. There are a variety of Web sites that provide tips and vet green products for you, such as greenyour.com and ecomall.com. There are also sites like greenerchoices.org that provide more information about green labeling and evaluate the certifications found on many types of organic and other environmental goods.

GREEN PRODUCERS

Avalon Orchards
Avalon Orchards, located in Innisfil, Ontario, was established in 1988 with the objective of producing organically grown apples.
Apple growing in Ontario is challenged by diseases, such as apple scab and pests like codling moth.
Varieties that demonstrated high resistance to those were selected to be grown organically.
Approximately 10,000 trees, including Nova Scotia MacINtosh,Nova Scotia Spy, Redfree, Freedom, Prima and Liberty are grown in the orchard..
These varieties have been developed using traditional techniques of cross breeding, and not through genetic modification.
Kaolin clay is used for pest control.
This clay is diluted with water and sprayed on the fruit.
It is the same clay that is used in toothpaste.
By picking time it is normally washed off by the rain.

TASK: Turn the passive forms in each sentence into active.



Circle Sun Farm

In 1999 Circle Sun Farm was revitalized as an organic dairy farm. Now they raise organic beef for ground beef. In addition, they mix their free-range pastured pork with the beef and their own herbs and garlic to make fine organic sausages. They also raise rare breeds and a variety of poultry, all without using any pesticides, chemical fertilizers, growth hormones or antibiotics.
They care about the land and betterment of the surrounding community.

TASKS:
1. Give your opinion:
a. What is the difference between free-range farm animals and enclosed stock?
b. How does the use of chemicals affect human health?
c. How is the organic farming better for the land and the community?
d. Do you see organic farming thrive in the future?

2. Explain the meaning of these words: revitalize, dairy farm, rare breeds, poultry, pesticides, fertilizers, growth hormones, antibiotics, betterment, community.

TWO GREEN COMPANIES

1. BIOBAGS

BioBag Canada sells Canada’s leading brand of fully certified 100% biodegradable and compostable bags.
BioBags are supplied to over 3,000 communities worldwide.
BioBags are an effective environmentally friendly alternative to paper and polyethylene bags.
BioBags can be reused, composted or incinerated.
BioBags are made from material containing cornstarch, vegetable oil and compostable polyester.
BioBags will completely compost within 10 to 45 days in a controlled composting facility depending on soil conditions, temperature etc.
Analyses have shown that BioBags have a more positive impact on the environment through reduced levels of greenhouse gas emissions and lower acid precipitation than paper and polyethylene bags..
BioBags are also available for pet waste disposal, and films for organic farms and gardens to inhibit weeds.

TRUE OR FALSE:
1. BioBags are a better alternative than paper or plastic bags.
2. They cannot fully decompose in the landfill.
3. They contain polyester.
4. They are made of corn.
5. You can put them in a green bin.
6. They are not good for the soil.
7. Burning plastic bags causes acid rains.
8. BioBags are recyclable.
9. BioBags are exported from Canada.

Answers: 1.T, 2.F, 3.T, 4.T, 5.T, 6.F, 7.T, 8.F, 9.T.

2. ECOVER

Ecover started 25 years ago as a small soap company in Belgium.
Since then it has developed into an international leader in the production of environmentally sustainable laundry, dishwashing and general household cleaning products.
Ecover’s mission is to provide an alternative solution to conventional cleaning products by using safe ingredients at a minimum cost to the environment.
It has developed a full line of plant-based cleaners and detergents.
Ecover’s factory features a grass roof for insulation, wood from sustainable forests and bricks from coal mine waste.
The facility is 99% emission free.

TRUE OR FALSE:
1. Ecover is a factory in Belgium.
2. It is 25 years old.
3. They produce cleaning products.
4. Those products are safe for the environment.
5. They are very low priced.
6. They are made with coal.
7. The factory is environmentally friendly.
8. They do not have any gas emissions at all.

Answers: 1.F, 2.T, 3.T, 4.T, 5.F, 6.F, 7.T, 8.F.

Some Facts Related to the Meat Consumption

With the obvious exception of humans, it's odd to think that any animal could seriously damage the environment. Beef cows, however, are giving it a go, and apparently they've been successful. Conservationists now refer to the animals as "hoofed locusts," and not only because they trample, pollute, and destroy all land they graze. Studies also show that cows play significant roles in deforestation, soil erosion, water scarcity, global warming, depletion of fossil fuels, and loss of biodiversity. Odd as it may sound, the environmental impact of the cow is perhaps even more calamitous than the automobile.

Of course, the problem is not really with the cows, but with eating them. Every time you swallow a piece of beef, you consume both food and natural resources twice. The same land, labor, water, and fuel used to raise, slaughter, package, and transport livestock is also needed to grow and harvest feed grain. And this double use of resources leads to a seemly preposterous statistic: while the average vegetarian consumes between 300 and 400 pounds of grain per year, the average meat-eater consumes over 2000. Of course, eighty percent of the meat eater's total is first digested by cows, pigs, and chickens. Needless to say, this process is both and extravagant and inefficient.

Given the above, anyone environmentally conscious enough to recycle should also consider reducing his or her meat consumption. Doing so is arguably more beneficial to the environment, and, in many ways, easier. While it's no picnic sorting and recycling trash, not eating beef requires little or no work at all. You only have to pick something else on the menu.

Finally, here's a modest proposal. Why not cut beef production in half and convert the cattle ranches of America's tornado alley into wind farms? Given the growing scarcity of fossil fuels, surely the plan holds enough economic potential to offset resulting job losses in the cattle industry. Until that happens, though, here are a few facts to consider about the environmental impact of the beef industry.

* Nearly half of the total amount of water used annually in the U.S. goes to grow feed and provide drinking water for cattle and livestock.

* In the US, 33% of all raw material consumption is used solely in the production of meat, egg, and dairy products.

* The annual beef consumption of an average American family of four requires more than 260 gallons of fuel. The result is 2.5 tons of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere, or about as much as the average car over a six month period.

* According to some estimates, supplying the entire world with a western, meat-centered diet would deplete the planet's oil reserves within ten years.

* Cattle produce nearly 1 billion tons of organic waste each year. The average beef cow produces more than 47 pounds of manure every 24 hours.

* From 1995 to 1997, more than forty animal waste spills killed some 10.6 million fish.

* 85% of topsoil loss in the US is the result of livestock production, with each pound of steak resulting in 35 pounds of eroded US topsoil.

* 260 million acres of US forests have been cleared for cropland to produce grain for livestock.

* From 1960-1985 40% of the Central American rainforests were destroyed to create gazing land for cattle.

* According to the US General Accounting Office, more plant species in the United States have been eliminated or threatened by livestock grazing than by any other cause.

* In an effort to combat "nuisance" animals preying on livestock, in 1989 the US Department of Agriculture killed 86,502 coyotes, 7,158 foxes, 1,220 bobcats, 236 black bears, and 80 wolves. Four hundred pet dogs were inadvertently killed in the process.

* Cows produce significant amounts of carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide, three gases largely responsible for global warming. Through daily belching and flatulence, cows emit over twelve percent of the total methane released into the atmosphere per year.

MUSCLE POWER

1. Did you ever spend time on a treadmill or exercise bike and speculate about how all that energy could power more than your bike?

Could you imagine what else you could power while working out?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. A new book by Tamara Dean, called The Human-Powered Home (New Society Publishers, 2008) is a compendium of household devices gathered from a unique collection of experts on human power.

What household devices use pedal-power? Could some others use it too?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Most of us are familiar with hand-cranked juicers and grain or coffee mills, treadle sewing machines and push lawn mowers (which are becoming popular again).
But what about a pedal-powered television or computer?

What do you think would be advantages and shortbacks of such devices? Would they be more or less expensive than the existing ones?

TEACHING SUGGESTIONS:
1. For this reading / discussion task students should fold the paper after each paragraph, without reading the next. Pairs discuss each question after the paragraph and report to the class.

2. Try to change the interrogative sentences in the text into affirmative so that the meaning is not changed.

3. Try to change all the questions in the text into statements without changing the message

Alternatives That Will Clean

Fill in: will clean, will remove, will take out or will make:

Salt _____ _______ wine or fruit stains.
Club soda _______ ______ lighter coloured stains.
Baking soda and cornstarch _______ _______ good deodorizers.
A paste of baking soda, salt and water ________ ________ your oven.
One part water to one part vinegar in a spray bottle _______ ________ most areas of your home.
Vinegar _____ ________ toilet bowl stains.


Learn more:
Green Clean: The Environmentally Sound Guide to Cleaning Your Home by Linda Mason Hunter, Mikki Halpin (Melcher Media,2005)
The Naturally Clean Home: 101 Safe and Easy Herbal Formulas for Non-Toxic Cleansers by Karyn Siegel-Maier (Storey Publishing,1999)
Clean and Green: The Complete Guide to Non-Toxic and Environmentally Safe Housekeeping by Annie Berthold-Bond (Ceres Press, 1994)
You Tube, search for Lindsay Coulter (demos how you can make your own candles, cleaning material etc.)

Source: Natural Life Magazine, January/February 2009

Winds of Change Blowing, but Resistance Gusting

This is an abridged article by Christopher Hume, from Toronto Star of 28 November 2008.





Suddenly, it seems the future has come to Toronto.


Whether we're talking about wind turbines in Lake Ontario, fees for plastic bags, garbage levies, bans on bottled water or fully recyclable coffee cups, Torontonians are having hard time adjusting to the realities of the 21st century.


As tough as change may be, there's no longer any choice.


Isn't that the lesson of the environmental crisis, global warming, not to mention the current economic meltdown? Isn't that the inescapable conclusion of everything we have been told for the past few decades?


The collapse has happened; we have no alternative but to reinvent our world. And if not our world, certainly our cities.


Yet, a good many of us prefer things just the way they are. Change is good, they say, as long as it means we don't have to do anything differently. Convenience? Unfortunately, the problem for those of us who live in developed countries such as Canada is that convenience is no longer convenient.

A GREEN COLLAR JOB

G R E E N S O L U T I O N S

Rick Hunter is a green homebuilder. He believes that green is the future of building.

“People are getting excited about green collar jobs. They make people happier about what they’re doing. And you can earn a living.”

Rick uses green products in new construction and renovation. Solar panels in the picture save energy.



What other jobs can be green?

List some construction products that can be green.

Why are green products better? Browse a hardware catalogue and look for better alternatives. Bring some construction products to the classroom and discuss their environmental impact.
Don’t forget, no matter what the smog index is outside, the inner air quality is always worse.

YOUR INPUT…
What green company could you start? What name would you give it?
Write an ad for your company.

GROUP WORK

A. You want to renovate your living room. Make a list of better alternatives for your healthier living and energy conservation.

B. You live in a building. Make a plan how it can be upgraded to be greener.

You are looking for an apartment. Narrow down the list to three that you will consider. Explain your choice.
� It is large and cheap, near a gas station.
� It is near a park, the windows don’t open.
� It is on 22nd floor, it overlooks the lake.
� It is Bullfrog powered, has recycling facility.
� The size and price are attractive, far from the TTC.
� It is reasonably priced, furnished with furniture that you don’t like.
� It has wall-to-wall carpets in all rooms and a daycare in the basement.
� It is near a gym and library, has no parking.

Eat Local Food

Why Eat Local? 10 Lucky Reasons.

1. Taste the difference.
At a farmers’ market, most local produce has been picked inside of 24 hours. It comes to you ripe, fresh, and with its full flavor, unlike supermarket food that may have been picked weeks or months before.

2. Know what you’re eating.
Buying food today is complicated. What pesticides were used? Is that corn genetically modified? Was that chicken free range or did it grow up in a box? People who eat locally find it easier to get answers. Many build relationships with farmers whom they trust. And they can also drive out to the farms and see for themselves.

3. Meet your neighbors.
Local eating is social. People shopping at farmers’ markets have 10 times more conversations than those who shop at the supermarket. Join a community garden and you’ll actually meet the people you pass on the street.

4. Get in touch with the seasons.
When you eat locally, you eat what’s in season. You’ll remember that cherries are the taste of summer. Even in winter, comfort foods like squash soup and pancakes just make a lot more sense than flavourless cherries from the other side of the world.

5. Discover new flavours.
Ever tried artichokes? How about asparagus, quail eggs, cranberries, or fiddleheads? These are just a few of local products. Count the types of apples of Ontario on offer at your supermarket. Maybe two? Small farms are keeping alive more varieties.

6. Explore your home.
Visiting local farms is a way to be a tourist on your own home turf, with plenty of stops for snacks.

7. Save the world.
A study found that a regional diet consumed 17 times less oil and gas than a typical diet based on food shipped across the country.

8. Support small farms.
We discovered that many people from all walks of life dream of working the land–maybe you do, too. In areas with strong local markets, the family farm is alive.

9. Give back to the local economy.
Buying from local food producers keeps the dollar at home, and everybody profits.

10. Be healthy.

We should eat more vegetables and fewer processed products. And more fresh food at its nutritional peak. Eating from farmers’ markets and cooking from scratch will make all the family healthy and happy!

Check these websites:
http://www.torontolife.com/guide/food/markets-farmers-markets/farmers-markets/
http://www.evergreen.ca/rethinkspace/?p=148
http://www.foodshare.net/
http://www.thestop.org/

www.veg.ca/environment
http://www.toronto.ca/parks/programs/community.htm (about community gardens)

Green Buildings Toronto

Ravina Project

Fill in the gerunds: using, adding, replacing, becoming, living.



The Ravina project is a fascinating experiment in renewable energy and off-grid ______________. It is an 80-year old building in the east, on the verge of _______________ one of the first homes in Toronto using its own resources.
Several upgrades were made, such as _______________ insulation to the attic and basement and ___________________ the old windows with modern double pane glass. It has a computer-controlled boiler using natural gas and operating at an astounding 95% efficiency.
A 1,500-watt solar array on the roof provides power for the house on a daily basis, charges the storage batteries, and exports excess energy into the grid. _________ this house is an experiment that will test new theories that are very promising.

Green Buildings Toronto

G R E E N
B U I L D I N G S
T O R O N T O





Cecelia Murphy Building

Write words for the numbers in parentheses:

________ (60) solar thermal panels were installed on the roof of ________ (11) Coatsworth Crescent, a ______________________________________ (174) unit
residential building run by Neighbourhood Link Homes. The solar set-up is the largest in Toronto and is expected to generate __________________________________________ _________________________________________ (134,000) kWh of power annually. The solar panels capture the radiant energy of the sun, and use this energy to heat water for showers and sinks in the building. Energy savings are expected to be______________
________________________________ ($ 10,200).

Green Buildings Toronto

G R E E N
B U I L D I N G S
T O R O N T O





Beach Solar Laundromat

Use the Comparative or the Superlative of the adjectives in parentheses:

The Beach Solar Laundromat is located at 2240 Queen Street East, in a 65-year-old building. It houses 21 washers and 14 dryers. The house is far _________________ (efficient) than it was at the time the owner bought it in 2002. After many heating and lighting retrofits, the Laundromat has become one of Toronto’s __________________ (energy efficient) buildings and one of Toronto’s ____________________ (profitable) laundromats.
Eight solar panels on the roof heat water, and the natural gas consumption was reduced by ___________ (much) than 30%. The revenue has grown 200% over 4 years.
A ____________ (high) efficiency lighting system reduced the lighting bill by 72%.
The company was awarded as the _____________ (good) greenhouse gas emission reduction project in Canada in 2004.