Posts Tagged ‘eco-friendly’

I have a confession to make: Just back in the office from visiting the Green Living Show in Toronto, and I'm embarrassed to say I expected a lot of granola and bad upcycled sweaters. Thankfully, I was I wrong - so very wrong.

Toronto's Green Living Show is loads and loads of fun and there is honestly something there for everyone.

If you live near Toronto, here are 4 reasons to visit the show this weekend:

1. Green Beauty Bar.  Swing by and say hi to the professional makeup artists at the Green Beauty Bar. You can book a mini makeover, a makeup touch up or even a mini manicure, done with eco makeup and nail polishes. The friendly team is also on-hand to tell you all about their favourite beauty products.

Cheeky Monkey nail polish. Photo by Tasia Rivero.

2. Next up, be sure to visit to the food section of the show. Here I snacked on delicious, preservative-free pesto sauce, tapenades and locally-grown tofu. Be sure to stop by the Cookstown Greens table for a look (and maybe a taste!) of their gorgeous edible flowers, seen in the photo I snapped, below.

Related link: Edible flowers: Take time to eat the roses

Edible flowers. Photo by Tasia Rivero.

3. Wander to the clothes/accessories. Gone are the days of old bandannas and sandals, looking for a mountain to climb. This stuff was nice. Here I found the gorgeous bamboo/organic cotton-blend sunflower dress pictured below. Other favourites: adorable ballet flats from Africa, with soles made of recycled tires and killer iPad and laptop sleeves and computer bags -- each made of reused banners or tarps (sounds strange, but check out the wonderful examples, also below).

Bamboo/organic cotton-blend dress. Photo by Tasia Rivero.

Totem laptop bags. Photo by Tasia Rivero.

4. Save the best for last. Visit Eco stems, an earth-friendly flower shop situated right inside the main doors. The table is covered in gorgeous flowers - but for me, the main attraction was the selection of air plants. These plants are native to the rainforest and thrive in darker, humid rooms - think a windowless bathroom. The sky's the limit when it comes to displaying an air plant - I'm told you can leave one to sit on a countertop, put one in a bowl or jar, or even hot-glue a magnet to one for a unique addition to your fridge. To care for an air plant, a quick rinse under the tap twice a week is all that's required. My plant (pictured below) should bloom with pinky-purple flowers.

My new air plant. Photo by Tasia Rivero.

Other feature include a partially solar-powered Fisker luxury car, an array of eco-friendly products to buy in the Marketplace, daily live bird presentations, Sweat Equity yoga pavilion, and a look at Canada's oceans hosted by the WWF and Royal Ontario Museum.

Toronto's Green Living Show is on this weekend only, April 13 to 15, at the Direct Energy Centre at Exhibition Place. Tickets at $12, or get in for free by bringing along a piece of electronic waste (old phones, TVs, computers, printers and A/V equipment). For more info visit greenlivingshow.ca or follow #gls12 on Twitter.

Reminder: Earth Day is coming up this April 22. What will you do in the spirit of eco-friendliness? Let me know by leaving a comment, below.

You want to do your part for the environment, but is paying a little extra for an eco-friendly set of wheels worth it? While the price tag on these cars remains higher than their non-hybrid cousins, some provinces offer rebates for buying hybrid or electric vehicles.

But what we wanted to know was how they drove. This past fall, we took five green vehicles for a spin. Here’s what we thought of our rides.

2012 TOYOTA PRIUS V

Toyota Prius V

Suggested price: $27,200 (base); $38,500 (premium)
What it is: full hybrid: its electric motors are powered by a nickel-metal hydride battery pack and a 1.8 L four-cylinder engine. Note: premium gas required.
Fuel economy: 4.3 L/100 km city; 4.8 L/100 km highway
Nice to know: The climate-control system uses an electric compressor, meaning you don’t need the engine to run the air conditioning.
Review: "I fell hard for this car. The comfy interior has a surprising amount of legroom, even in the back. One huge bonus: the hatchback design and fold-flat seats let you cram in anything from suitcases to 2x4s. Running the car in Eco mode drained its pep, but Power mode allowed normal acceleration when zooming onto a busy highway. I loved watching the display to see how often I could get the electric motor to take over. It made me want to start hypermiling!"
– Tina Anson Mine, executive editor, Food & Books

2012 HYUNDAI SONATA HYBRID

Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

Suggested price: $29,999 (base); $34,499 (premium)
What it is: full hybrid: its electric motor is powered by a lithium-polymer battery pack and 2.4 L four-cylinder gas engine. Note: regular gas required.
Fuel economy: 5.5 L/100 km city; 4.6 L/100 km highway
Nice to know: Designed for highway driving, the Sonata can reach up to 100 km/h in electric-only mode.
Review: "The zippiness of this car is a pleasant surprise. I expected a hybrid to need time to switch operating modes, but it reacted just like any other vehicle and, in some instances – like when I accelerated to merge on the highway – it performed better. I also enjoyed the extras. If you know where to look, the computer tells you how "green" you're driving. The one downside is the size of the trunk; since that’s where the battery is stored, space is limited."
– Erin Poetschke, managing editor

2011 FORD FUSION HYBRID

Ford Fusion Hybrid

Suggested price: $34,499
What it is: full hybrid: its electric motor is powered by a nickel-metal hydride battery pack and a 1.4 L four-cylinder gas engine. Note: regular gas required.
Fuel economy: 4.6 L/100 km city; 5.4 L/100 km highway
Nice to know: The interior seating is made from 85 per cent post-industrial materials.
Review: "It’s a good thing the dashboard lit up when I turned the car on; otherwise, I never would’ve known it was ready to go – it’s that quiet! It rode just as smooth as a non-hybrid when I took it for a spin through the city streets and later on the highway. With the fun displays tracking my eco- status, I made it my mission to improve the car’s fuel economy from when I got it on Friday to when I turned it in on Monday. Mission accomplished! My only complaint: For vertically challenged drivers like myself, seeing out the rear-view mirror is a strain on the neck."
– Wendy Graves, senior editor, Life

2012 CHEVROLET VOLT

Chevrolet Volt

Suggested price: $41,500
What it is: electric with extended range – when the battery is depleted, a gas-powered generator kicks in. Note: premium gas required.
Range: between 40 km and 80 km on electric power (depending on driving style and conditions); up to 580 km total
Nice to know: If you only use the car for short trips and are diligent about charging it, you may never need to use the gas engine. Since this actually isn’t good for the vehicle, the Volt will occasionally ask for permission to turn on the engine to keep it fresh.
Review: "I was initially intimated after my how-to lesson on where to find power stations to plug the car in and how to “power up” at home. But after 10 minutes of driving, I realized this is one of the coolest vehicles I’ve ever driven: it’s electric first, gas second. I liked the centre-stack LCD screens that are touch-sensitive, highly interactive and easy to use. While the price tag is high, there are cash-back incentives through government programs. Combine that with your gas savings and suddenly the cost is a little more palatable."
– Susan Antonacci, editor-in-chief

2012 NISSAN LEAF

Nissan Leaf

Suggested price: $38,395
What it is: full electric
Range: up to 160 km on a full charge (depending on driving style and conditions)
Nice to know: The “Approaching Vehicle Sound for Pedestrians” system gives a whole new meaning to safety. With no internal combustion engine, the car is quite quiet. At speeds slower than 26 km/h, the car will emit an “approaching sound” so pedestrians know your car is nearby. Once the car reaches at least 31 km/h, the car becomes “audible” on its own.
Review: "The first thing I noticed about the Leaf? No tailpipe. It felt good driving away and not leaving a trail of carbon dioxide in my wake. A quick switch over to Eco drive mode improved my mileage but made for a slightly bumpier ride. The eco display system not only showed me how much distance I had left with the charge, but also how much more I could have if I turned the air conditioner off."
– Wendy Graves, senior editor, Life

Do you drive an electric or hybrid vehicle? And if not, how would you rate your interest in trying one out?

Has any Toronto resident or visitor noticed these somewhat new City of Toronto ad campaigns? These posters are seen all over the city. I've noticed them on bus shelters, while riding the subway and in many printed publications. Looks like the city is trying to get us to think about how we consume water.

The ad on the left is of a family in their kitchen. They are all dressed in lab coasts and are drinking tap water. The caption reads: "It's what a scientist would drink. Toronto tapwater. It travels trough five layers of filtering and treatment before it arrives in you glass. And is continuously tested for quality. Trust science; not fashion. Choose tapwater. Filtered fresh."

The one on the right is of a woman who appears to be (more...)