TIP for Thursday April 30th, 2009

It’s almost ice cream season…cone or cup? The greener answer is the edible container, cone! One less paper cup or plastic spoon isn’t going to save the world, but it’s one of those little things that add up. In North America we throw away over 25 billion polystyrene/styrofoam cups a year. Help keep those cups and plastic spoons out of our landfills that will still be sitting there in 500 years. Plus cones are more fun anyway!

TIP for Wednesday April 29th, 2009

North America uses 1 billion tonnes of pesticides each year and some of that includes on produce. That’s one good reason to buy organic produce, but another is it tastes better. If you’ve decided to have your own little vegetable garden this year to avoid the pesticides, consider heirloom seeds (ones that haven't been genetically modified or hybridized) for your spring planting. Heirlooms offer unique flavors and appearances you won't find with species cultivated for uniformity and climate adaptability. For example heirloom tomatoes, they can be big, small, fluted, smooth, red, orange, purple, yellow, green, striped and they even vary in taste. Of course there are there veggies available in heirloom too like peppers, corn, beans, kale, eggplant, squash, lettuce and potatoes. Make your vegetable garden ROYAL! For more on heirloom veggies check this out http://www.halcyon.com/tmend/heirloom.htm

TIP for Tuesday April 28th, 2009

Recently I’ve switched back to the basics…bars of soap in the bathroom
over plastic containers of liquid soap. It’s a better option for the
environment and it turns out to be cheaper! In terms of weight 31% of
the waste sent to landfills is made up of packaging. Bar soap is
available with little or no packaging, and there are more all-natural
options. Studies have also found that bar soap kills off bacteria just
as well as liquid. If you have a liquid soap dispenser you can save
all your soap bar scraps, warm them up in a little water, let them
soak and soften and then put in the liquid soap dispensers.

TIP for Monday April 27th, 2009

North Americans buy over 4 billion batteries per year. Each year in
Ontario about 5,000 tonnes of single-use batteries are discarded, and
less than 5 per cent, are recycled.
Some people throw out batteries because they don't realize the
dangers. Batteries are toxic little time bombs." Some contain heavy
metals, such as lead, chromium and mercury. When batteries end up in a
landfill, the heavy metals can leach into the ground and find their
way into the water system. Heavy metals are toxic to biological
systems and affect brain activity or metabolic processes. Keep a jar
around your house to toss your old batteries into and when it gets
full make a trip to one of the cities six depots. Log on to
www.toronto.ca to find a depot nearest you.

GREEN TIP for Friday April 24th, 2009

Go on pop ya colla! I see you getting GREEN! Green ideas have become a
part of our everyday living and are becoming easier and cheaper! For
example, you separate your garbage, compost and recycle. The green
bags that you put your compost in are already biodegradable. But did
you know that the regular blue and black bags that we put our
recyclables and garbage also come available as biodegradable bags.
That¹s important because they break down quickly in landfills unlike
their plastic counterparts that can last for hundreds of years. The
best partŠthey only cost a dollar more! You can afford to spend a
dollar to save the environment. Don¹t forget when you are doing yard
work this weekend be sure to use Biodegradable Gardening bags. They
cost $9.99 for 20 XL Bags and contribute to making our planet healthier.

Thank you to Matthew Gray our intern here at FLOW who provided this
useful GREEN TIP!

TIP for Thursday April 23rd, 2009

This weekend you may be getting involved in some of the clean up
programs around our city as part of Earth Day, but what about cleaning
up around your home? The grime and dirt around the corners of your
home from the winter is waiting to be attacked. Choosing greener
cleaning products will improve the air quality in your home, reduce
your exposure to chemicals, and help keep our waterways cleaner. Many
conventional cleaning products contain chlorine, which is an effective
cleaner, but highly toxic, and something you don't want to spray in
your house, or leave on surfaces in your home. Read the product labels
carefully to find out how green the product is. You should look for
those with an Environmental Choice or Eco Logo label, which means
they've gone through a certification process. Another option is to use
natural ingredients around your home like lemon juice, vinegar and
baking soda all mixed with a little H2O!

TIP for Wednesday April 22nd, 2009

HAPPY EARTH DAY! What are you doing to be GREEN? The city is hosting a
20-minute makeover on Friday @2pm and on Saturday the mayor is hosting
Community Clean-Up day. Today some businesses around the GTA are
participating in Earth Day by getting you involved in the environment.
Starbucks is encouraging you to bring your own mug for a free coffee,
while some stores are giving away reusable shopping bags. Brita is
giving away 3,600 free water pitchers @ Yonge/Dundas from 1-6pm as
part of their FilterForGood pledge, encouraging the reduction of
bottled water waste. Log on to http://www.filterforgood.ca and find
out how they are helping students around the country get involved with
protecting the environment. You can get green online with
www.travelocity.ca they have launched a new GREEN directory ofeco-friendly hotels and destinations. GREENtuity.org is another group of volunteers coming together to raise funds for the Toronto Green
Community and raise awareness about restaurants and other businesses
in Toronto that are eco-conscious about the ingredients and materials
that they use on a daily basis www.greentuity.org

For a complete list of Earth Day activities check out www.earthday.ca

Tip For Tuesday April 21st, 2009

Earth Day has been observed all around the world since 1970. This
year, here in Ontario, Earth day will mark the toughest ban in North
America on cosmetic pesticide. Beginning tomorrow, the province is
banning the sale and use of about 250 pesticides and ingredients. Plus
the city is hosting clean up efforts all around the GTA tomorrow and
throughout the weekend that you can participate in to do your part.
Log on to www.toronto.ca to find out where and when. Many Toronto
businesses are getting involved tomorrow by giving discounts for GREEN
actions. Log onto www.earthday.ca to find out more. And remember
tomorrow be GREEN!

TIP for Monday April 20th, 2009

Earth day is Wednesday April 22nd and get on the GREEN wagon by
implementing some simple green activities into your day ³Buy what you
need, not what you want². Consider renting and borrowing things that
are seldom needed. Buy used items from garage sales and second-hand
stores. Choose local and organic foods that are in season, and support
local food producers. Wash full loads of clothes in cold water and
hang to air dry. Harmful materials like chemicals, batteries,
electronics, etc. should be taken to local hazardous waste depots or
recyclers. These are simple things you can do not only on Earth day
but everyday!

For more on earth Day and more tips check out
http://www.earthday.ca/pub/resources/top10.php

TIP for Thursday April 16th, 2009

Change for the Environment, a new organization looking to improve our air quality is launching it’s first annual campaign April 30 to May 3 throughout GTA. Lung disease is on the rise and up to 20 percent of our children are suffering from asthma. They are asking Torontonians to donate spare change, and this is what it can do; five loonies will buy a tree, known for improving air quality and associated with lower asthma rates in young children; one tree means two people breathe clean air for a lifetime, and 500 trees can counteract the negative impact of an average car. its time to take action. Where can you find spare change around your home? Keep a swear jar. Take your lunch to work and save the money you’d normally spend on lunch. Every time you turn off the lights, wash your clothes in cold water, reward yourself by dropping some coins in a jar. Play along with a TV game show when you get it right pay yourself! Then take your spare change and donate it to Change for the Environment with funds raised benefiting The Lung Association, and Toronto and Region Conservation. Spare change drop-off locations can be found at http://www.changefortheenvironment.org

TIP for Wednesday April 15th, 2009

Earth day is Wednesday April 22nd,just a week a way, and a great time to teach your kids about the environment. Get them involved with fun activities that will show them how to take care of the earth. Teach your kids the joys of gardening. From veggies to flowers, bugs to butterflies, kids of all ages love getting their hands dirty.
Make herb pots and watch them grow all summer long! This project not only recycles, it creates new life. Get them involved at home with recycling duties or let them create their own compost container for their garden! For more ideas check out
http://family-fun.kaboose.com/gardening-ages-stages.html

TIP for Tuesday April 14th, 2009

Get your patio ready for this summer with solar power! Get nonpolluting solar patio lights that run off free power. Solar energy is clean, renewable and FREE! For each outdoor light that you replace with a solar light, you’ll notice a definite drop in your electricity bill. Over time, the lights virtually pay for themselves, because of the energy savings that they provide. You’ll save your own energy because they are easy to install! Solar lights require no wiring all you have to do is mount or place them wherever you want. They are also safe to have around children and pets because they don’t produce heat.

TIP for Monday April 13th, 2009

The grass is starting to get greener and soon it will be time to pull out the lawn mower! This year go for a greener choice and opt for a reel or electric mower instead of a high-polluting gas-powered one. Each year on average, we use 800 million gallons of gas to mow our lawns, and we spill most of it while filling the lawn equipment. Using an electric mower, you'll pay about $5 per year for electricity. With a gas-powered mower, you'll pay that much in just two uses. PLUS Gas-powered lawn mowers account for up to 5% of air pollution. Last you’ll save money on earplugs. Reel mowers are basically silent, and electric ones make a tenth of the noise of gas-powered ones.

TIP for Tuesday April 7th, 2009

We are looking forward to some good gardening weather this weekend. Time to get your weed ammunition out and get a head start but make it green this year. Leave the chemicals behind and look for eco friendlier herbicides. The majority of the herbicide you use doesn't actually reach the target weed, and all of it eventually impacts the environment including helpful earthworms. Plus there are over 100,000 human poisonings from herbicides, insecticides, and pesticides each year. Look for vinegar-based solutions, fertilizers with corn gluten or make your own herbicides. Pour boiling water or white vinegar on smaller weeds in your walkway cracks, and for larger areas lay down old fabric or newspaper. For more info check out http://idealbite.com/tiplibrary/archives/hostile-takeover-garden-week-0

TIP for Monday April 6th, 2009

This weekend the forecast calls for a break from the miserable weather and promises sunshine and warm weather. It’s the perfect time to get out your green thumb and start working on your garden. This year make your garden greener by planning ways to save water and money. 50%-70% of the water used by the average household goes to the lawn and garden. Install and use a rain barrel to capture rainwater from your house's gutters & downspout. Use the collected water to hydrate your lawn, garden, plants and even wash the car or driveway. For more on rain barrels, installation and benefits check out http://www.riversides.org/rainguide/riversides_hgr.php?cat=2&page=39&subpage =46

And for another type of gadget that attaches to your gutter and redistributes the rain water check out http://www.cleanairgardening.com/drbudorare.html

TIP for Friday April 3rd, 2009

Drop it like it’s hot and save some cold cash!! You don’t have to take a cold shower to save energy, just turn the thermostat on your hot water heater down. Many heaters are set to 60 C, but you can adjust it closer to 50 C. It will still be hot enough to keep bacteria from forming in the tank, but it will save you 6%-10% on your water-heating costs. If 10,000 households turned down their electric water heaters by 10 degrees, we could avert the same amount of CO2 created by 300 Americans in a year. If you're going to be out of town, you can turn your electric water heater off completely, or turn gas ones down to the lowest setting. You can also get a water heater timer that turns off your heater when you’re not at home and at night and can save you an additional 5%-12% off water heating costs.