7 Ways To Offset an Environmental Ooops!

Oooops

It’s true. Last night I committed a cardinal sin of environmentalism—falling asleep with the lights on. Right now I should be prostrate in front of the environmental gods asking for forgiveness and finding ways to right my wrong. What I am really counting on is that a) I will not pass out with the lights on in the near future (unlikely) and b) other past and future energy saving activities might make up for my increased carbon footprint last night (probably unlikely).

That said, I got to thinking about seven vindicating activities that might put me in the “okay, so you’re not sooooo bad” chapter of “oh-dear-the-earth-is-screwed-and-it’s-all-your-fault” book.

7 vindicating activities:

1) Taking shorter showers: We’ve all heard the 5 minute rule. It’s golden.

2) Cycling: Not only has cycling to work staved off increased muffin-topping, but it produces no carbon emissions. This bike was bought second hand meaning no new materials were used by purchasing it. Some people are making new bikes out of bamboo too!

3) Victoria car-share coop: Because not everything is bicycle accessible. I just joined the car-share and so far love it. You make an intial, refundable, investment of $400 (refundable when you leave the co-op), and then are able to book one of 16 cars throughout Victoria for trips up to 3 days long. You pay by the hour and by the mileage. It means you can have access to a car, share it with other people, not use more resources than necessary (e.g. materials used to make a car only for you), build community, and get where you want to go. Let’s face it, I like local, but I really like traveling too.

4) Only having lights on when it’s actually dark: Sometimes this looks a little creepy when I’m sitting in my office and the lights are off. The 2 x 1 window in the right hand corner of the room provides enough natural light to get the work done. However, when clients come in or when it’s cloudy and actually too dark to do work, on go the lights. I can’t appear too creepy all the time.

5) Composting: I have never felt less guilty about peeling vegetables.

6) Recycling: You can recycle just about everything. No joke. Check out the CRD's site about where you can recycle what.

7) Camping: If done “right,” camping can be a low impact way to vacation. You don’t use electricity, excess water, and you learn a little more about the place you are in. The basics of respectful camping seem to mean “leaving no trace,” adhering to rules of the camp grounds, not throwing garbage amassing raves (non-garbage producing raves are fine minus the noise pollution that might disturb the wildlife) on the beach (and yes… this does happen—DJs, lights, and all), and staying on trails.

There are so many more things that one can do to reduce their carbon footprint and a lot of them can be fun! While composting may not be the highlight of my day, going camping definitely is. Today I think I will eat from the garden—probably the most local way of eating—and try not to fall asleep with the light on.

New Beginnings

The best excuse these marmots can muster

We’ve been enjoying the summer too much to write!

We know, we know— that’s no excuse at all. But we’re back and very appreciative to you for sticking with us.

Thank you!

A quick update

After school ended, Emily moved back to the mainland to enjoy the summer. She hiked the Chief, went camping, is volunteering left, right and center, and as always is learning more and more about ways to live in an environmentally sustainable way. Emily’s take on Vancouver’s sustainability scene will be part of the resurrected Marmot Murmurs blog.

Katie opted to forgo her traditional summers at home in Hawaii and remained in Victoria to uncover what exactly these BC summers are all about (strictly for research purposes). So far she has been enjoying the new garden at her new place. (A post on the wonders of gardening and the wonders of having roommates with green thumbs to come). The unswimmable, but skim boarding, hang-out, drink-coffee-by, and yes— even surf friendly beaches burrowed a place into her little heart as has Nootka Island and week long surf/camping trips.

Both are ready to begin this little blog again.

Why start again?

“Approval of Modified Corn Worries Activist, Farmers.”

If the heading sounds familiar, you probably read it in the Times Colonist or whatever your favorite local paper might be. If you read the article, did you also slap your forehead in frustration (though not quite disbelief)? And if you haven’t read it, here’s the re-cap: The CFIA approved a new GMO corn engineered by Monstanto and Dow AgroSciences.

Have you smacked your head in frustration yet?

How about after this: “ ‘You’d think that a combination of eight GE traits would trigger and environmental assessment, but the CFIA has [provided] no public record of their evaluation’ said Lucy Sharratt, co-ordinator of the Canadian Biotechnology Action Network.” (Michelle LaLonde of Canwest News Service). Yes, you read that correctly: eight genetically engineered traits. And it gets better. These genetically engineered traits “tolerate” pesticide products made by both Monsanto and Dow AgroSciences.

Still not bothered? Okay, how about this:

“The CFIA has also conditionally authorized for SmartStax a reduction in the size of the buffer zone, or ‘refuge,’ normally required around genetically engineered corn” (Michelle LaLonde of Canwest News Service).

So let’s get this straight: CFIA approved a GMO without publishing its environmental evaluations and provided less protection to farmers who do not want contamination of their crops by these GMOs. Well done, CFIA. Well done.

Thoughts? Comments? Is this too heavy handed? Is there a good reason for the CFIA's decision? Let us know what you think, and let's get this discussion rolling.