Today, web editor Colleen Tully is speaking to you about local honey. I hope you enjoy her post as much as I did. Here she is:

Canadian honeybees have been hard at work since the dawn of summer, sucking nectar out of every flower in their path, filling their bellies and flying back to the hive.

All for their beloved Queen. Such unfettered dedication.

And behold! Mere weeks into summer and the honey harvest has begun. Farmers' markets across Canada are now showcasing golden jars of liquid honey, chewy combed honey, decadent creamed honey - all carefully collected and processed locally by our Canadian beekeepers.

Such unfettered dedication.

As a Green Blog reader, you probably already know (more...)

When working in an office environment, it's hard not to notice the amount of paper that floats around. I often walk by the printer and see a small stack of paper on the tray, and I wonder if anyone will ever claim their printed goods. If not, I'm sure the perfectly usable pieces of paper end up in the recycling bin. Here are some things I do to use less paper in the office and at home. (more...)

There was a great little piece in today's Toronto Star about a woman who (somewhat reluctantly) gave up her car. She didn't give it up because of its impact on the environment, but later learned the effect this gesture had on the planet. The author emphasizes all sorts of other benefits to giving up driving (a big one being a more active lifestyle). (more...)

This blog entry is a confession. A typical weekday morning for me is very rushed. I press snooze three to four times before I actually get out of bed and, at that point, I'm already running late. As soon as I step foot on the ground I'm rushing around my house in a sleepy haze to get ready for work. But, as soon as I get in that shower I'm in my happy space. I bask in the warm water and literally have to talk myself into (more...)

You've all heard the news: the price of gas has been skyrocketing. Statistics Canada just released a report that states the price of gas rose almost 9 per cent in one month's time this May. But, according to Statistics Canada, there was only a 2.2 per cent rise in the amount consumers spend on gasoline. To my surprise, Canadians are actually responding to the price of gas and, in turn, driving less. I'm happy with these results, but I'm a bit perturbed (more...)

I read a great article in today's Globe and Mail. Laurie Stanton, a dairy farmer in Ilderton, Ontario, intends to convert the mass quantity of cow manure on his farm into ... electricity!! Stanton expects that each cow will produce enough manure to keep three 50-watt light bulbs constantly lit. This innovative move will find use for the waste that comes from the farm’s 750 milking cows, plus (more...)

Are you looking for both cute and affordable eco-friendly clothing for your kids? I recently discovered Shirtseed, a Vancover-based online store that makes super cute kid's t-shirts. The t-shirts, made from bamboo and organic cotton, are natural, unbleached and un-dyed. Vancouver creator Amy Rogerson hand picked the dye used on all shirts so as to ensure (more...)

I often wonder why cigarette butts seem to be exempt from the litter category. Some of my smoking friends seem to be stewards of the environment in many ways, but when they finish their cigarettes they thoughtlessly flick the butt onto the street. This always baffles me. When we were growing up we learned that littering was bad - in fact, it was drilled into our heads. I am shocked to see some of the people I grew up with litter.

How can someone who shudders at the thought of (more...)

Another good book find this week. Green This! by Deirdre Imus guides you toward "greening your cleaning." I discovered it when I was scouring the Internet, trying to figure out how to get some life back into my clothing. I use the washing machine that's in the basement of my apartment. It's shared with six other tenants and looks ancient. I'm almost positive it hasn't been serviced in ... ever. My clothes come out looking no different than when I put them in the machine. Laundry has become a very frustrating ordeal.

Imus informs me that adding a cup of (more...)

I came across an amazing book this past weekend, and I just couldn’t resist buying it. It’s called Don’t Throw It, Grow It: 68 Windowsill Plants from Kitchen Scraps. This book shows you how to grow plants from the roots, seeds and pits of various fruits and vegetables you'd usually just toss into the compost bin without much thought. Authors Deborah Peterson and Millicent Selsam explain that almost every unprocessed fruit or veggie can be grown into beautiful houseplant.

The book tells you how to plant the usual stuff (peas, beans, carrots and potatoes) and how to grow houseplants out of some of the less common (more...)