Fresh Fuzz

Within the walls of an eco-friendly mattress company

Essentia Blog

Avalon Organics Get a Bit More Organic With NSF

by Angela November 30th, 2011 - No Comments »

Avalon Organics has been vilified in the past by the Organic Consumers Association and others for not containing the amount of organic products that they represent in their marketing. They have “seen the light” and are having their products certified to the NSF/ANSI 305 Standard for Personal Care Products Containing Organic Ingredients. NSF is a very strict third-party testing organization and would not allow Avalon to use their standard if they are using deceptive marketing practices or not using organic ingredients in their products.

They have removed the possible carcinogen 1,4 Dioxane from their products. Their products now contain more than 70% organic ingredients and they have been working to meet the standard for many years. It’s good to see a company turn around their business practices. Between Johnson and Johnson with their baby shampoo and Avalon Organics, 2011 has been a great year for companies becoming accountable to their customers.

Tags: , , ,

Leave Comments





Geothermal Energy Becoming More Popular

by Angela November 29th, 2011 - No Comments »

Photo by ThinkGeoEnergy: Flickr

Geothermal energy is becoming more and more popular as people realize that it can take a huge chunk out of home heating and air conditioning bills. Solar and wind have been getting most of the attention, but geothermal is just as valid an option for renewable energy, even more so if you live in an area that doesn’t get a lot of sun. I’ll be putting it in my own house to save on propane and electricity bills in Northern Ontario. So what’s stopping the spread of geothermal? Like solar and wind power, it has a large upfront cost of between $10,000 and $20,000, depending on the kind of installation that you have. This is the same thing stopping people from putting in solar and wind power on a more widespread basis.

On a capital basis, opening a geothermal plant is just as materials and labour-intensive as starting a wind or solar farm, but with an even more dependable source of energy. The hard truth is that there is just not the same interest from North American governments as there is from European governments in the development of renewable resources.

If you want to know more about the geothermal journey, stay tuned. We’ll have pics and details of the process of putting an actual system into my house in the coming months. To say I’m excited about it is a massive understatement, and I look forward to sharing the process with everyone.

 

Tags: , ,

Leave Comments





Greenpeace Spells Out “Climate Fail” on Parliament Hill This Morning

by Angela November 28th, 2011 - No Comments »

Photo by Greenpeace: Flickr

 

Using hundreds of LED lights, Greenpeace spelled out “Climate Fail” on the lawn of Parliament Hill this morning. The move came as the current government stated that it would not be renewing its membership in Kyoto and not meeting greenhouse gas reduction targets that it had set in 2009.

Canada has quickly moved from being a role model nation on environmental advocacy issues to being a heavy carbon using nation that does not participate in international agreements and actively lobbies against carbon reduction targets worldwide to keep its own oil from becoming an economic target of any sanctions or duties that may arise as a result of these agreements. The current government is slashing its own environment ministry to reduce monitoring on the oil sands. The current government is a rank embarrassment to all Canadians, except the oil barons in Alberta that fueled its path to power with their money.

Tags: , ,

Leave Comments





Holiday Shopping Season Can be Holiday Charity Season

by Angela November 27th, 2011 - No Comments »

As holiday season rolls around, you’ll be spending a lot of your time and hard-earned money on gifts. So what do you get for the person who has everything? Chances are good if you ask them what their favourite charity is, they’ll tell you and really appreciate a donation being made in their name, however small. Replacing the office tradition of “Secret Santa” with a match up that requires a certain monetary donation to your gift target’s favourite charity beats the cheap plastic tchtokes that are usually passed around with rousing choruses of “oh, you shouldn’t have!”

Here are a few other suggestions for charity involvement to make everyone’s holiday a bit merrier:

Second Harvest Turkey Drive
If you are in Toronto, get out with the office, family and friends for Second Harvest’s Turkey Drive. Second Harvest has been saving food from restaurants and grocery stores and redistributing it to the disadvantaged for over 25 years. Not in Toronto? Get out to your local food bank or soup kitchen to give back to your community and really get into the spirit of the holidays.

Charity Gifts
Your favourite charity may also have an online gift shop attached to it. Greenpeace allows you to give Holiday Gift memberships, while WWF has a host of gift options from species adoption to plushies that see a portion of their proceeds go to the charity. The mug pictured above features their classic panda logo and is available for a $25 donation.

No Money? Give the Gift of Time
If you are a student or are just low on funds this year, see if your family and friends will take a gift of your time. Then spend a couple of hours volunteering for each of their favourite charities in 2012, and write them a personalized note about the experience. You may find yourself making some new friends along the way!

Tags: , , , ,

Leave Comments





Canadian Solar Project Wins Prestigious Environment Award

by Angela November 26th, 2011 - No Comments »

Photo by Daveeza: Flickr

The community of Okotoks, Alberta has been a model community for sustainable living for quite some time now. Recently they were awarded with the Energy Globe World Award for Sustainability for their Drake Landing Solar Community project. The project distributes heat to 52 homes during the cold Albertan winter and meets 80 per cent of Okotoks’ energy needs.

The Drake Landing Solar Community project uses a system of borehole energy storage to produce a large underground heat exchanger. The field takes approximately three years to charge and currently helps to heat 52 homes in Okotoks. For more information on the project, you can check out its website. Makes for a fascinating read!

Tags: , ,

Leave Comments





New Report States NWT Water at Risk From Alberta Oilsands

by Angela November 25th, 2011 - No Comments »

Photo by Peter Blanchard: Flickr

 

A new report put out by the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation has stated that water in the Northwest Territories is in danger of being contaminated with chemicals from Alberta’s tar sands. Mackenzie Basin, the greatest source of water for the Northwest Territories is in danger of being contaminated by chemicals from Alberta’s oilsands and the foundation wants to see a monitoring system set up for it.

The Mackenzie basin spans three provinces in Canada, and there are concerns that it will not be monitored as the economy is viewed as much more important than the environment by the current Canadian government.

To read through the report yourself, you can download it from the Walter and Duncan Gordon Foundation’s website.

Tags: , ,

Leave Comments





Organic Soup Kitchen in Santa Barbara Gears Up for Big Thanksgiving

by Angela November 24th, 2011 - No Comments »

This image is from the Organic Soup Kitchen's 2010 Christmas Dinner.

The Organic Soup Kitchen in Santa Barbara, California is preparing a huge turkey feast for over a thousand people this Thanksgiving. Four hundred volunteers are helping to cook and serve the feast which will be served between noon and five. Executive director, Anthony Carrocio, says that “if there’s one thing I can say I do well it’s put on parties.”

The feast, which will incorporate over 100 turkeys, will be about 80 per cent organic. It will be a sit-down style of dinner rather than a buffet, adding to the class of the occasion. Carrocio has a great sense of empathy for the homeless that he serves, stating that they are normal people who “just hit a bump in the road” and not the lazy stereotype of the homeless and the poor that many people sadly believe.

It can be argued that Carrocio keeps the spirit of Thanksgiving going with his charity for the entire year and not just for the one day, but this one day he is making extra special will be sure to bring some cheer to people who really need it.

For more about the Organic Soup Kitchen see their website.

Tags: , ,

Leave Comments





BPA Levels Rise Sharply After Eating Canned Soup: Harvard Study

by Angela November 23rd, 2011 - No Comments »

A study done by a doctoral student at the Harvard School of Public Health revealed that adult BPA levels spiked sharply after eating a daily dose of canned soup. Study participants who ate fresh soup only tested out at 1.1 micrograms per litre, where those who ate the canned soup tested at 20.8 micrograms per litre. Bisphenol A has been banned in baby bottles because of its proven negative hormonal effects on children, particularly in the development of young boys.

The plastics and food industry have been quick to put down the results of any study that may show BPA in a negative light, mostly because cheap alternatives to food preservation, especially with acidic foods like tomato sauce, do not exist. Companies like Eden Foods that use special packaging methods to steer clear of BPA pioneered these techniques in the industry and must charge more money for their food because of it. There have been numerous studies that have shown links between BPA and obesity as well as other health issues, but all of them have been decried by interested industries as not citing enough evidence.

Avoiding canned food is extremely easy. Homemade versions of things like beans, tomato sauce and soups are all much better tasting when made fresh. However, if you are pressed for time, companies like Eden Foods do have canned products in most health food stores that you can buy for your pantry as a “grab and go” kind of item.

Tags: , , ,

Leave Comments





Organic Cotton Hipster Panties: Made With Real Hipsters!

by Angela November 22nd, 2011 - No Comments »

 

No hipsters were harmed in the making of these panties.

Want your skivvies to match the rest of your earth-friendly lifestyle? Here are some down-to-earth ways to handle your thong and banana hammock purchases.

Faeriesdance.com
Faeriesdance.com is a popular online destination for organic and sustainable lingerie. They are adding a few new products to their line, including Cottonique allergen-free intimates designed specifically for men and women with chemical sensitivities. While much of their success has been with their intimates line, Faeriesdance.com also sells earth-friendly clothing for men and women of all sizes.

Gaiam
Always the go-to spot for anything organic, undies are no exception. Intimates made from organic cotton, including hipster panties that may or may not turn you into a hipster. If you listen to 80′s hair metal like me, just buying these panties won’t be enough to make you a hipster. You’ll need a complete change in your musical taste and a firm grasp of irony to go with.

Rawganique
This outfit also certifies that their products are sweatshop-free, which I can get behind. I’m a little skeevy at the thought of their organic cotton period panties but hey, any port in a storm. They also sell Natura tampons for complete one-stop shopping, which give you all the tampon you need without the chemicals or bleach of a conventional tampon. I wrote my local pharmacy once and asked them to start carrying organic tampons, and I swear I heard the sound of evil corporate laughter a week later when they got my letter.

 

Tags: , , ,

Leave Comments





Canadians More Likely to Give Green Gifts Than Americans

by Angela November 21st, 2011 - No Comments »

Photo by Enokson, Flickr

While Canadians are still more likely to take the environment into consideration when giving gifts, an annual study conducted by Harris Decima for a charitable organization, World Vision, shows that the gap between Americans and Canadians is closing. Canadians are five per cent more likely to be greener gift givers and the same poll last year put them at ten per cent more likely to give green gifts.

Canadians tended to agree on what consisted of a green gift. Local gifts made from renewable and recyclable resources which helped recipients to reduce their carbon footprint were viewed as green by the majority of Canadians.

 

Tags: , , ,

Leave Comments





« Older Entries