This will have to be a quick one before I shut everything down for Earth Hour tonight.
This video was sent to me recently and I thought that you might be interested in checking it out.
USC is a Canadian seed/organic/sustainable small scale farming advocacy group with a global focus. Check out their website for more information about who they are and what they do. They have an awesome seed map that I saw at Seed Sunday and am totally ordering.
Okay, I've got to get ready for my electricity free evening. I hope everyone has a family fun filled Earth Hour, I'm playing Catan with friends.
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Friday, March 26, 2010
Solar Ovens Con't
Wow, what a great time that was!!! The students had a blast building their solar ovens and making the s'mores, but what they loved the most was eating them!
There were some people from the media here as well; OMNI, The Mirror, and I took some photos for the Town Crier. The student were really excited for the media and I can't wait to see what it looks like tonight on the news.
I'd like to thank everyone that came out, it was great to see everyone turn out.
I don't have the pictures yet, but I will be sure to post them this weekend.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
There were some people from the media here as well; OMNI, The Mirror, and I took some photos for the Town Crier. The student were really excited for the media and I can't wait to see what it looks like tonight on the news.
I'd like to thank everyone that came out, it was great to see everyone turn out.
I don't have the pictures yet, but I will be sure to post them this weekend.
Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Solar Ovens
Today we're going to try out all of our solar ovens and have the Eco-Clubs talk to the students in the school about thermal heat and how our solar ovens work.
We will be on the field from 2-3pm, so please feel free to come by and check it out.
I'll post some pictures later.
We will be on the field from 2-3pm, so please feel free to come by and check it out.
I'll post some pictures later.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Earth Hour & Solar Ovens
The TDSB will be taking part in Earth Hour on Friday March 26th from 2pm-3pm. Eco-Schools has put out an Earth Hour challenge to all schools to create solar ovens or do some sort of electricity free activity.
After school our Eco-Club will be making solar ovens for Friday's Earth Hour. The ones we will be making are made from pizza boxes, aluminium foil, oven bags, black construction paper, news print, and a little tape.
I built one the other day so I would have a finished product to show the students and was surprised at how easy they are to make. Unfortunately it has been over cast and rainy so I haven't had a chance to test it out and see how hot it can get. I'm sure that we'll be able to melt cheese, but would we be able to boil water or cook an egg?
If Friday is a sunny day you're welcome to come and check out our Earth Hour Solar Oven Event!!!!
Toronto will be participating in Earth Hour on Saturday March 27th from 8:30pm-9:30pm
After school our Eco-Club will be making solar ovens for Friday's Earth Hour. The ones we will be making are made from pizza boxes, aluminium foil, oven bags, black construction paper, news print, and a little tape.
I built one the other day so I would have a finished product to show the students and was surprised at how easy they are to make. Unfortunately it has been over cast and rainy so I haven't had a chance to test it out and see how hot it can get. I'm sure that we'll be able to melt cheese, but would we be able to boil water or cook an egg?
If Friday is a sunny day you're welcome to come and check out our Earth Hour Solar Oven Event!!!!
Toronto will be participating in Earth Hour on Saturday March 27th from 8:30pm-9:30pm
Friday, March 12, 2010
Bottled Water Free Week Warp-up
March 11th was Bottled Water Free Day. I challenged all the students at our school to not bring bottled water for the whole week. We also added the challenge of using a reusable container for all their drinks. I went around at lunch time giving out prizes to students that were able to meet this challenge.
I have to say that the students at our school did really well with this challenge. I nearly went broke giving out prizes! The primary students (and their parents) are doing an amazing job not only with re-usable drinking containers, but also with waste-free lunches. Now it's just getting them to bring anything that is waste home so it can be disposed of properly. The junior students on the other hand are another story. Though many of the students are good about re-usable water bottles their lunches are another story. This got me to thinking that each week students should be given a challenge to make their lunches more environmentally friendly. I'm also looking into what we can do for next year to make sure students are doing their best to bring waste-free lunches everyday. Maybe on curriculum night we can set up a waste-free lunch display and sell some inexpensive, re-usable containers.
Hope everyone has a great March break!
I have to say that the students at our school did really well with this challenge. I nearly went broke giving out prizes! The primary students (and their parents) are doing an amazing job not only with re-usable drinking containers, but also with waste-free lunches. Now it's just getting them to bring anything that is waste home so it can be disposed of properly. The junior students on the other hand are another story. Though many of the students are good about re-usable water bottles their lunches are another story. This got me to thinking that each week students should be given a challenge to make their lunches more environmentally friendly. I'm also looking into what we can do for next year to make sure students are doing their best to bring waste-free lunches everyday. Maybe on curriculum night we can set up a waste-free lunch display and sell some inexpensive, re-usable containers.
Hope everyone has a great March break!
Friday, March 5, 2010
The Numbers
Prices from www.grocerygateway.com
A 12 pack of 330ml water bottles is $3.99. A reusable container can cost anywhere between $1.00-$15.00 depending one the type you buy. Considering that you pay for the water that comes out of your tap the reusable bottle pays for itself after 1-4 cases of water. After that it's nothing but savings!
A 8 x 200ml tetra pack (juice box) of Allen's apple juice costs $2.99 ($0.19/100ml).
The Del Monte "Grab N Go pouch" costs $3.49 for 10 x 200ml ($0.17/100ml).
The 1.2L can of Allen's apple juice costs $1.29 ($0.11/100ml).
Not a huge savings between these options, but the savings will add up over time. You should also consider the waste from each of these options. The 1.2L can is 100% recyclable, where as the only the paper part of the juice box is recyclable (the straw and inner lining go to waste). The Grab N Go pouch is 100% waste, not a single part of it can be put in your recycling bin.
A 12 pack of 330ml water bottles is $3.99. A reusable container can cost anywhere between $1.00-$15.00 depending one the type you buy. Considering that you pay for the water that comes out of your tap the reusable bottle pays for itself after 1-4 cases of water. After that it's nothing but savings!
A 8 x 200ml tetra pack (juice box) of Allen's apple juice costs $2.99 ($0.19/100ml).
The Del Monte "Grab N Go pouch" costs $3.49 for 10 x 200ml ($0.17/100ml).
The 1.2L can of Allen's apple juice costs $1.29 ($0.11/100ml).
Not a huge savings between these options, but the savings will add up over time. You should also consider the waste from each of these options. The 1.2L can is 100% recyclable, where as the only the paper part of the juice box is recyclable (the straw and inner lining go to waste). The Grab N Go pouch is 100% waste, not a single part of it can be put in your recycling bin.
Bottled Water Free Day
Bottle Water Free Day will be March 11th, 2010. I encourage everyone look at the website and read the information they have. Lets see how many people can make the pledge to be free of bottled water on March 11th.
On Monday I will make the challenge to all students at our school to go without bottled water for the whole week. I will also extend this challenge to include juice boxes, terra packs (Kool Aid Jammers), and other on non-reusable drink containers. Not only are non-reusable containers wasteful in the long run they will end up costing you more money!!!
Here is a fun video about Bottled Water Free Day.
Why are you paying for water when it is already hardwired into your house?
On Monday I will make the challenge to all students at our school to go without bottled water for the whole week. I will also extend this challenge to include juice boxes, terra packs (Kool Aid Jammers), and other on non-reusable drink containers. Not only are non-reusable containers wasteful in the long run they will end up costing you more money!!!
Here is a fun video about Bottled Water Free Day.
Why are you paying for water when it is already hardwired into your house?
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Eco-Assembly
What an awesome assembly we had today!!! I'd like to thank all the parents who were able to come out to watch. I'd also like to thank the day care for performing and showing their recycled art as part of our Eco-Assembly.
The Wee-cyclers preformed a song and short skit about what we should be recycling at school and at home. The Jr. Eco-Club presented their posters about what we can do around the school to be greener and we will be displaying them throughout the school as a reminder to the students.
I think that the whole school got really pumped today about the assembly! I'm hoping that they will take it back to the classroom and start to make sure that they are doing everything they can to be eco-responsible.
We're going for gold this year and I think that we can do it!!!
The Wee-cyclers preformed a song and short skit about what we should be recycling at school and at home. The Jr. Eco-Club presented their posters about what we can do around the school to be greener and we will be displaying them throughout the school as a reminder to the students.
I think that the whole school got really pumped today about the assembly! I'm hoping that they will take it back to the classroom and start to make sure that they are doing everything they can to be eco-responsible.
We're going for gold this year and I think that we can do it!!!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Food Imports
These days eating locally has becoming more and more popular. So much so that now Hellmann's (the mayonnaise) has put together a video about Canadian food imports, the economics of eating locally grown food, and how that affects our environment. I know that no one wants to eat root vegetable sandwiches all winter, but we should be making an effort to buy locally grown organic produce whenever possible.
I've included the video and a link to their website, but I'm always weary of big companies jumping on board with the latest trends. I wonder how many of the ingredients Hellmann's uses are locally sourced for each factory?
I've included the video and a link to their website, but I'm always weary of big companies jumping on board with the latest trends. I wonder how many of the ingredients Hellmann's uses are locally sourced for each factory?
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