April Thrive Challenge

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Comment by Aletha on May 1, 2010 at 4:58pm

In my neighborhood there's a couple that when they take walks they carry a garbage retriever and plastic bags and clean the neighborhood as they go. It's great to see them doing this.

Comment by Jeri Taira on April 30, 2010 at 1:08pm

Your family sounds awesome. Thanks for sharing all you're doing. It all helps give more ideas for what we can do. God Bless.

Comment by Midnight Lifter on April 30, 2010 at 6:14am

"Share one way that you’ll get personally involved in sustainability this month."

Too many to mention and hard to narrow it down to just one. However, this month I took a renewed focus on the habit of taking careful thought when doing anything and considering its impact on the environment -- and how I can minimize that as much as possible.
My family has always been more "small footprint" type of people - we drive fuel-efficient cars, eat (mostly) as vegetarians, and try to minimize our impact on the environment as much as possible. We manage our property as a protected woodlot and take care to treat the earth the way we believe it should be (and always with a little extra love!). However, there are always places where we can do a little better, learn more about how we can make better choices, and help others to make a difference as well.

Some specific things I have focused on this month include:
- Driving less, including working harder to combine trips when going out to run errands
- Eating less
- As it is springtime, we are planning our gardens and plantings - both vegetable and ornamental. We have always been sustainable gardeners, but this year more than ever we are paying close attention to minimizing our impact on the environment as well as building all new beds and plantings with compost-rich soil, materials from our local property as much as possible (minimizing transportation costs and 'foreign material' such as weeds, chemicals, etc. that might come from having to purchase stuff from elsewhere), and using copious amounts of mulching materials to help reduce the need to irrigate all summer long.
We typically purchase as many of our plants from local organic growers, and this year is no different. We are fortunate to have local farms that start seedlings and have a dedication to using organic materials including fish emulsion, seaweed fertilizer, and sustainable growing habits themselves, so we don't mind paying a little extra for healthier plants and to "do our part" to help the environment whenever and where ever possible.
- Getting more active online to learn something new every day
- Giving my bicycle a tune up - although I cannot replace driving my car with riding my bike to work, having a low-environmental-impact activity to enjoy (riding my bike) helps to keep me from "needing" to drive out somewhere just to do something, and the possibility of others seeing us biking and getting inspired to do the same is always there... or at least we can hope!

This list can continue for a few pages... lol... but I will end it with that I have been enjoying a Vega Whole Food Health Optimizer shake just about every day this month, and am even trying out the chocolate flavor now (very good, tho I still love the vanilla chai the best... next up - Berry!).

Comment by Jeri Taira on April 29, 2010 at 10:37pm

Tomorrow being Arbor day (once again our first as vegans and planet lovers). We saved planting our basil and re-potting roses for this. We're so excited. Two different kinds of basis, got our organic potting soil and a friend who's a gardener set us all up. Feels so good. Especially taking the little actions. God Bless and have a great Arbor Day.

Comment by Jeri Taira on April 29, 2010 at 10:35pm

Anne thank you for the link info. really appreciate it.

Comment by Rodger on April 29, 2010 at 2:33pm

Place a brick in back basin of your toilet to displace the water, and therefore use a whole lot less.

Comment by Anne de Champlain on April 29, 2010 at 2:01pm

Ok, just something that I found out this month that has spurred me to read labels even more than I used to. www.ewg.org or the environmental Working Group website (US Based). They have a cosmetic Database which lists lot's of products and the ingredient and rates toxicity both for the environment and the person. There is also a current lists of most chemically treated fruit and vegies so you can make sure to avoid those and the less treated ones and I believe the lists gets redone every year. Lot's of information there. Also David Suzuki has a similar thing on his website www.davidsuzuki.org/issues/health/science/toxics/dirty-dozen-cosmet.... I was really surprised by some of the products I previously considered safe which are really not safe at all.
All the best

Comment by JERRY CORMIER on April 29, 2010 at 2:01pm

Aloha everyone, welcome to earth night. My wife and I set up power-surge-strips. This way I can shut off all vampier electricity ( TV, chargers, computers, printers, clocks, everything except the frig) day or night. Aloha & Mahalo, Jerry & Junko

Comment by Jeri Taira on April 27, 2010 at 4:31pm

Lisa I love your idea. You inspired me to do that around our neighborhood. We can do that while we walk Shadow or hang out in front. Great idea.

Comment by Lisa on April 25, 2010 at 6:22am

For the April Thrive Challenge. Here's one of the ways that I get personally involved in sustainability: I live in Toronto where you tend to see litter/trash lying around. One day, when I was leaving the gym, I stopped and spent 5 minutes picking up garbage around the gym. It made me feel good and someone on the street even commented! I decided from then on, every time I finish a workout (whether at the gym, at home, outside, after yoga), I will spent 5-10 minutes picking up garbage in the area. It feels like I'm doing something for myself (fitness) and then doing something for the earth (cleaning up). I feel lucky that I can do physical fitness and I see this act as my little "pay-it-forward", my "thank you" to the planet. :)

Comment by Aletha on April 22, 2010 at 6:30pm

I appreciate Susan paleniuk's blog, I have had issues with glueten for years it's caused so many problems for me that I had no idea about. Breads and grains are a staple in most diets, many people don't give much thought as to how their consumption could be hindering their health. It's good to learn more about it. Thanks,

Comment by Aletha on April 22, 2010 at 6:23pm

Not too long ago i read about a great way of composting. The Idea was during the fall and winter to place kitchen compost into outside planter boxes and or pots and in the spring summer mix with soil and plant flowers, herbs etc. This idea was a contest winner. I thought it would be great for smaller homes, apts or people who garden on a smaller scale.

Comment by Jeri Taira on April 20, 2010 at 8:50pm

HI Susan, I think you posted in the wrong forum. And I think you have the wrong person for your post. Hope you find the right person. God Bless.

Comment by Susan Paleniuk on April 19, 2010 at 8:18pm

This is for Jeri Taira's contacts and anyone else looking at going gluten free. I was diagnosed as a Celiac by an Osteopath. He insists that his patients educate themselves about what is going on with their bodies. A book he recommended is: Dangerous Grains by James Braly, M.D. and Ron Hoggan, M.A. It is an excellent read. It will really open your eyes to the diseases associated with gluten consumption whether you are a Celiac or not.

Comment by ILDIKO BIRO on April 19, 2010 at 7:48pm

I am all green , I have a 10 stage water filter connected to my kitchen sink, I have a washing machine in the kitchen and hang out my close don't use a drier. All my cleaning products are chemical free , all my cosmetics are chemical free. I recycle paper, plastic even my old clothes.I eat a lot of vega products and cook for myself , never use plastic or paper plates ,cups or forks.I try to do my best not to harm the planet and live in harmony with nature.

Comment by Jeri Taira on April 19, 2010 at 3:11pm

Hope this helps. We found out that Hawaii has a calender of Earth Day events happening state and island wide. You can share your calender on your social networks and email. God Bless.

Comment by Jeri Taira on April 13, 2010 at 7:26pm

Responses to our social networks were slow at first, but then all of a sudden the last 2 days people have been sending private messages to us asking for more info on eating a plant-based diet.

One girl, is actually at the crosspoint of making the decision to become an M.D. or not. She wants to use all she's learned about nutrition and raw foods to help people. He blog is awesome. She's excited to find more people like us and to connect and share.

A friend of mine had been looking into gluten-free eating. She's so excited and wants to get more info. So we recommend some books and sites. She wants to stay tapped into our FB and blog to get info.

Our goal is to get people to stand on their own two feet at one point and be able to start sharing all the nutrition, environment, spiritual, and fun info we share from our own learning and others.

This is so exciting. This challenge has expanded us to see and think beyond ourselves. To see the benefits and gains for other people. It's very humbling to care enough to point them to the right resources. Thank goodness there are many solid ones out there.

God Bless,
Jeri - Oahu

Comment by Jay Crawford on April 12, 2010 at 1:53pm

I am one of a group of people that focus on 'green' building methods. I recently did a renovation and was able to talk the home owner into trying some low voltage LED lighting. There is a manufacturer here in Calgary that makes a high quality industry leading product with performance levels that set benchmarks for Low Voltage Lighting. The initial cost is high which is the first thing that everybody balks at, but in the long run a whole kitchen is luminated by a product we measure electric use in milivolts with a product life expectancy of 100 years.

A couple of us in this group of eco-minded people I work with, have incorporated a company this week that design and manufactures a portable temporary structure (essentially a tent) that sets a new standard for ease of setup and durability (designed for extreme climatic conditions). Our intention is to market these to disaster relief agencies because they use less materials, less manpower or man-hours to set up and have minimal environmental impact. Given the right space, an entire town could be errected, utilised and dismantled with minimal impact on the area. Compact and light weight, I could heli-lift accomodations for more people than the current tents used by disaster relief agencies. The applications are endless...our first sale went to a group that holds outdoor adventure camps in inland B.C. Our next push is to a soon to be partner on coastal B.C. that runs an eco-tourism bussiness also in the outdoor adventure field.

Myself I have used many green practices at home for a long time so now I focus on how I can create products for market so other people can be 'green'. I was previously employed with a company that built eco-homes and in two years we built twelve large beautiful luxury homes that are pretty much off-grid. Using natural gas as a backup system for hot water and heat we have a 5500 sq. ft home with a 3000 sq. ft. garage (the owner is a car nut) that runs annually on less gas than my 1950's 1000 sq. ft. bungalow uses in January!

I learned alot there but research since then has me holding dozens of new Ideas for the home of the future! I am currentlly workin on the design of a new house that will set new grades for what a home should be built like. It's finding funding for these projects that is the full time job...everybody wants to BE green but try and find $$$ for a prototype! It will all happen in time!

For me earth hour/day/month is perpetual! I think of it more like EARTH LIFE! The Earth is our mother, we are all created of the cosmic elements She has collected for us...It would only seem right to nuture our Mother Earth in her time of need! If our Species is to survive and be fruitful on this living orb, we must see that we need a giant evolutionary step forward...immediately!

Comment by Amanda on April 9, 2010 at 2:18pm

Hello,

As a "Sustainable" Managment student in additon to my love of our incredible planet, I have gained insight into the world of our bioshere and its vast expanses from our hydrlogic cycles to our trophic levels. I always felt a great compassion for our world and its species growing up, (this I attribute to rehabing wildlife with my parents and small domestic farming IE; chickens, donkeys, goats, etc.) We learned the value of hard work and the glory of the harvest, (made all those chores worth while). I believe that each and everyone of us can make a huge difference in the overall quality of life through Vegan or Vegetarian practices...I love reading all of your accomplishments and good to know that we, as a community, have become the forerunners to a new age and a healthy planet for our future generations! I am Vegan...and with my added knowledge, I am spreading the word about climate change and the road ahead. I have also became an active member of several inititives who are helping to promote sustainable practices...this is only the beginning and eventually I wish to be up their with the other environmental policy makers...helping our finite home, EARTH!

Comment by Suzie Senk on April 8, 2010 at 8:48pm

My whole life is devoted to living as sustainably as possible...I eat an organic vegan diet from primarily locally grown produce. I recycle everything possible, and love to use a travel mug, and sigg bottle to carry my own water and drink hot tea!

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