Archive for February, 2010

I'm sure you've all been thinking about gearing your garden up for spring. You're all ordering your seeds, stockpiling used yogurt containers for starting your seedlings and dreaming of fresh produce. I have a great giveaway for the gardeners of the bunch - A Garant Enviro planter (an environmentally friendly planter made of renewable resources like bamboo and rice, and will apparently biodegrade when buried or put in a landfill), a Garant Botanica compact utility shovel and a Garant Total Control cultivator!

Calling all gardeners - Who wouldn't want this nifty prize to get their garden going?

To win this prize, just subscribe to this blog and leave a message below telling us what you look forward to the most about gardening season? Is it the dirt in your nails? The exercise? The ripe produce? Share you answers here. I'll announce the winner next Friday, March 5.

Congratulations to Yvonne and Melissa. You've each one a copy of David Suzuki and Dave Robert Taylor's book The Big Picture. I asked you all to tell me your biggest environmental fears in order to be eligible to win.

Yvonne said: "I am afraid that by the time my children have children the world's water supply is going to be so low that the environment is going to be drastically changed. I believe that all the fears people have for our planet are very real and each will and has changed our world for the worst. No water also causes plant and animal life to become extinct."

Melissa said: "I'd say my biggest fear for the planet is consumerism. We have been taught for a long time that in order for our economy to do well we need it to continually grow. Well this outlook has consequences and a lot of them are negative for the planet. We can't keep buying stuff indefinitely - it's not sustainable. Although turning off your lights and water when they're not being used is beneficial to a degree, we, as a society, need to go so much deeper."

Enjoy your book! Come back to tell us what you think of it.

Suzuki and Taylor's The Big Picture is a great read.

You've all heard me talk about David Suzuki on numerous occasions (so, maybe I have a slight crush on him). Have you heard of Suzuki and Dave Robert Taylor's book The Big Picture? It's a great book that examines the forces in our society that are preventing real environmental change. Addressing issues like suburban sprawl, transportation, food, biodiversity, technology, public policy, economy, government and lots more, Suzuki and Taylor write about problems the planet is facing and propose interesting solutions.

I have two copies of The Big Picture to giveaway. To win a copy, just subscribe to this blog and leave a message on this post sharing your greatest fears for our planet. I will announce the winners here on Friday, February 26.

Hope you're enjoying your weekend!

Fruits & Passion brand new lip balm

Valentine's Day has come and gone, but there's no reason why we shouldn't keep our lips looking luscious and feeling extra soft. I've had the privilege of testing out Fruits & Passion new Avocado lip balm, and I must say - it's highly moisturizing and is accompanied by a pleasant and light smell.

Fruits & Passion claim their new line of 100 per cent Natural Origin Lip Balms - available in Argan, Avocado and Monoi - contain 100 per cent plant-based ingredients. The company also claim they contain no petroleum-derived additives, chemical preservatives or colorants.

Each lip balm is $5 and can be found in Fruits & Passion boutiques across Canada.

Mmmmm ....

Valentine's Day is one of my favourite days. No, it's not because of the sap and mush (ugh!), but because for about a week surrounding Valentine's Day, it's OK to eat chocolate for breakfast, lunch and dinner (well, maybe just lunch and dinner). With delicious chocolate goodness abound this time of year, it's important to remember to consume with a conscience. Look for chocolate with packaging that states your goodies are Fair Trade Certified, which means that cocoa farmers receive fair prices for their goods. Also, keep your eye out for the words Certified Organic, meaning the cocoa was grown without using pesticides and fertilizers.

Rainforest Alliance Certified is another term to look for on chocolate products, meaning the cocoa plants used were grown in the shade, allowing for wildlife habitat to remain protected and preserved.

Brands like Green & Black's, Cocoa Camino and Organic Fair will do the trick.

Oh, and when you're buying your sweetheart flowers, make sure they're grown locally and organically (ask your florist for a locally-grown boquet, or look for the words "grown in Ontario" - or whatever your province - on the package). Or, visit your local farmer's market where flowers are sure to have come from local farms.

What type of chocolate do you buy?

Want to look hot this Valentine's Day? Here are some amazing expert tips and tricks.

An empty fish tray at Loblaw indicates that Chilean Sea Bass is at risk.

Loblaw has announced a new and inspiring goal to source all of its seafood from sustainable sources by 2013. This initiative, already underway at 18 stores, means the largest buyer and seller of seafood in Canada is abandoning the purchase of at-risk species and sourcing all of its seafood from sustainable sources.

Sustainable seafood refers to species that can maintain or increase their population in the future and can be harvested without damage to their ecosystems.

At the seafood counter, customers may notice that fish trays usually stocked with skate, shark, Chilean sea bass and orange roughy are empty, and signs suggesting delicious, eco-friendly and sustainable alternatives have taken their place.

To ensure the company meets its goal, Loblaw will be working closely with WWF-Canada, the Marine Stewardship council, marine scientists, conservation experts and fisheries.

Dr. Jeffery Hutchings, Professor of Biology and Canada Research Chair in Marine Conservation and Biodiversity at Dalhousie University, emphasizes the importance of a big company like Loblaw setting standards for its fish and seafood supply. "Many of the world's most important fish stocks have collapsed, experiencing declines of more than 90 per cent," says Dr. Hutchings.

And, according to the United Nations, 80 per cent of the world's fisheries are fully fished, overfished or depleted.

No Chilean sea bass for me, thank you very much!

Have you changed the way you buy fish? How so?