Green Poppy

This blog entry is in response to frustrations over the red poppy.

And how many are discarded each year on Remembrance Day.

According to the Salvation Army, a poppy should never be re-used. Whilst I appreciate this "honour" aspect – it can just as easily be interpreted as a funding grab.

As Green Briefs (a blog about sustainability and marketing states) "the day is too important to be remembered with cheap plastic". http://unicyclecreative.com/wordpress/2010/11/its-time-to-recycle-the-remembrance-day-poppy/

We have 7 poppies from previous years, have found 2 this year beside busy streets and for the record we placed numerous gold coins in the Legion box at a local diner. 18 million poppies will be sold/offered as donations and proudly worn this November. The Legion makes approximately $16.5 million from this campaign.

Typically people wear the poppies for 2-3 days (or weeks) and throw them out. They are produced by a private company (the name of which appears to be a well-kept secret). This is my problem – there is a lack of transparency. These days, any charity, no matter their mandate, has to be accountable, transparent and demonstrate willingness to adapt to changing times and attitudes. I'd love to have a chat with the manufacturers about recycled poppy plastic ............

Having the "disposable poppy" represent all that is Remembrance Day with an underlying premise is one of waste is simply unpalatable to me. I will donate every year, but I will never buy another new poppy.

War represents such waste – of life, community, biodiversity, security, etc. It brings untold economic and social devastation everywhere it goes. As a method to solve problems it is the most inefficient and unsustainable activity we partake in.

It appears I am not alone in the discourse on the Remembrance Day poppy. Of course there are people who take the day a whole step further......... Green Muze shows us how to green up the entire day!

http://www.greenmuze.com/green-your/celebrations/538-green-remembrance-day.html

As well as remembering past wars, it is important that we work to ensure there are no future wars. That's what sustainability is all about.

More Pinking Than Thinking

Phew, October is over - I don't think I could take much more pink.

Since you are environmentally alert - you have likely heard of "green washing"; when companies claim environmental benefits of products with (often) dubious back-up, credibility or research.

But most people haven't heard of "pink washing" – first used to describe cosmetic companies who raise money in the name of breast cancer but (knowingly or unknowingly, it doesn't really matter) manufacture products that contain known carcinogens (cancer-causing) or reproductive toxins.

First, let me get one thing straight – I am a cancer survivor, and I might not have been able to write this if it wasn't for the chemotherapy cocktail I happily accepted in 1999. So, I am supportive of the concept of cancer research – to a point.

But, in recent times a whole bunch of extreme "pink" products and "pink" fundraisers have sprung up, and I am completely dissatisfied with their motivations, and want to alert people to the integrity of the movement itself. Many have written about their concerns.................

Firstly, you might want to visit Think Before you Pink. Started in San Francisco (2002), this group ran ads in the New York Times alerting people to the hypocrisy surrounding pink cause marketing – do we know how much money is actually raised? How much is being spent? Where all the dollars are going to? How effective are the contributions?

And Ontario researcher Samantha King, tells us in her 2006 book Pink Ribbons Inc; Breast Cancer and the Politics of Philanthropy that it is far more effective to give to a charity rather than purchase a product of dubious environmental health (you can't tell me the latest pink Blackberry, Arctic Cat, or a Microsoft mouse hasn't got or generates toxic compounds in its manufacture, use or disposal).

If you are a survivor, friend or relative, or just simply a person who cares, bless you - but take note. You don't have to BUY STUFF to make a difference. In fact not buying stuff will make more of a difference. Don't let pink create a stink for women, don't succumb to shelling out without care or responsibility. Even it has a name, it's called "slacktivism".

And, if you are a corporation looking for philanthropic strategy, tread cautiously when it comes to cancer charity donations. Follow these steps;

* Choose your charity carefully, ensuring the highest % of funds possible goes direct to research with integrity.

* Ensure the programme has longevity and does not involve profit-making by private organizations seeking to profit from the cancer industry.

* If possible, support preventative programs as well, ones that support health, prevention, or better still those who lobby for restrictions to the use of toxic compounds in manufacturing.

The Toronto Green Living show http://www.greenlivingonline.com/torontoshow/exhibitors.html
is something our family try to get to each year (4 years in total now) as a kind of barometer of where sustainability is at.

The first year I was tugging at Frank's sleeve, saying "see, I'm not crazy, look at this !".
It felt like I was the only person in Niagara back then could spell sustainability (let alone define it !) and had any interest in the environmentally responsible types of products, ideas and directions that I was looking for.

This year was no exception. A great barometer. Bigger, possibly a little more mainstream, but still something creative, suprising and optimistic. The surprise aspects this year ? Eco-sex industry appearance (natural lubricants, wooden personal items ! and more.......) green funerals, electric motorbikes (the big black macho ones, not the scooters) and more varieties of wind turbines than I have ever seen (one complete with leggy blonde model in a green dress - ugh !) !

We firstly took an old computer with us as our free pass (Samsung added it to the 135 000 kg of recycled electronics they have collected since April 1 this year)
http://pages.samsung.com/ca/green/en/index.html?prnt=ca_green

Then we ate, local, small scale Ontario fare - including NOTL based providor
http://www.pingueprosciutto.com/page/page/6590171.htm Niagara Food Specialities, the wonderful Jamie Kennedy, reSIPprocate coffee, Ontario Cheese Society and Beretta Organics.

What was really interesting was how the big guns have caught on. The Loblaws stand talking about sustainable seafood, Sears lining up all their "green" products, and an exceptional way to re-use waste heat http://www.sears.com/shc/s/dap_10153_12605_DAP_Green+Program and so on.

I urge anyone and everyone to take in this show, for inspiration and fun. The kids were stuffed with free samples, and they were so healthy, organic, local, small producers, etc - we said go for it ! The 3 days show is always held the weekend of Earth Day, so mark it in your calendars for next year.

Oh, nearly forgot the crucial part. Go on Saturday & stay over, so you can enjoy biovino samples and not have to drive home that evening.

Go Train Go

How is it that a once-a-month self-titled "random, eclectic, light green blog" after 24 hours feels like a strategic, weekly imperitive?

Its when a surprise comes from no-where and reminds you that ecopraise is out there if you look for it. And that after only the 3rd blog, there is some good that can come from ecopraising, some awareness raising, promotion of great things, ideas and people.

The Toronto Bike Train marketers were in our sleepy town yesterday, and surprised about anyone who uses the word sustainability in our local newspaper, I had to investigate.

The room was full, but I didn't stay long enough to gauge the participants engagement levels. I assume many were from the NOTL B&B Association. Local organizations like Tourism Niagara and the Region of Niagara Bicycling Committee made presentations and I got a sense the increase in this kind of tourism is a refreshing light in an otherwise dark tourism tunnel, but the call was that we need to respond to the needs of this new market with great enthusiasm and foresight.

And I do wonder how many in the audience see cycling tourists as a metaphor for something larger, something transformative, dare I say it, something resembling sustainability? And will it continue to grow, can we capture these people with what we have to offer in NOTL?

The Bike Train initiative started in 2007 with a simple separate baggage car on the summer train services for bikes, and has carried over 1200 people of all ages 1-80+. To their credit, they have received several Ontario Tourism accolades. The service from Toronto to Niagara will soon be expanded to cater to Montreal, Windsor and North Bay.

Now these are the sorts of tourists we really want, the stayer, the engaged, the environmentally aware. Seems 40% of these people choose NOTL, and fewer choosing Niagara Falls. 71% of these people stay overnight, over half stay longer ! Sure beats the ice-cream lickers who come for a few hours respite from Clifton Hill.

I thought of my husbands weekend recreational cycling crew. Lots of parallels there even though their motivations are different to that of the tourist. A classic demographic to aim for though; motivated, health conscious, affluent, well educated and, well, discerning.

What would they look for if cycling into NOTL for a long weekend together, or with their families? I know what it might look like - great coffee stops, a humming, edgy, busy cafe with fresh juices to stop in for a quick bite with the kids. The parkway is a no brainer, the wineries less of a priority (and my husband is in the business!) but scenery, natural spaces, water access and local arts and food the key essentials. Do we have what it takes?

Seems Canadian data reflects my thoughts - showing 47% of cycling tourists have incomes between $60-80K, and that there are significant positive economic impacts from developing this market. And that they like eating out, canoeing, camping, hiking and theatre in order of preference.

So, what could we do to make it better? Do our tourism providers need to look proactively at sustainable tourism and sustainable transport? If we don't it could either fizzle or overrun us? Does it require an understanding of sustainability? Not neccessarily (but wouldn't it be nice.....)And are we focussing on the right things to develop a more sustainable tourist industry?

Answers in my mind are mixed. After living here a while, I might say I'd be looking for a little more, but as a 2 day stay, probably would be pretty satisfied. I have only one point of reference, some Australian friends who were ex-patting in New York several years ago found things a bit "twee", but stayed and enjoyed nonetheless.

I suppose overall it points to a first for a strategic way to encourage greener tourism and to that, only praise can be delivered.

Your thoughts?

Green Bean Eco-Tableware

This second post is due to an accidental New Years "evolution", which helped me realize writing might be a new outlet for me to spread ideas and action about sustainability.


The accidental part.......well, I was aimlessly shopping in Melbourne around Christmas time (very rare to shop, let alone aimlessly, and to be in Australia, let alone Melbourne).....when I was intrigued by these cones in a homewares shop (Green Bean eco-tableware), made from "sustainably grown, untreated, ethically made, Chinese white pine".


Ecopraise for their marketing, their desirability, their efforts ("not resource intensive to produce") and step away(?) from paper plates........


At the counter the assistant asked me what I was going to do with them. Not having an answer, out tumbled "I'm going to write about them for my blog". So the blog was born.


Also born was the possibility that writing might alleviate my frustration about all this environmental knowledge in my head that doesn't seem to be put to sufficient use. Jumping the gun even more - that the writing might one day be even decent enough to engage other people into spreading ideas and action about sustainability !


But back to earth, the cones. What might they actually be for? And what kind of person would pay $6.50 for 10 pieces of bark? This is the clincher for me..............Would they grace some eco-fashionista's summer BBQ table and be filled with locally-sourced prawns? And would guests feel fulfilled that they had participated in being more environmentally conscious? This is where green gets browned.


I chuckle at the notation on the back "single use" (very paper plates !) and think perhaps we might use them at home for popcorn. Yes especially when my kids friends are over and I get to play eccentric mummy and teach my kids friends about something they may call "weird". And likely we'll re-use them and re-use them as much as possible (they'll be "greenwashed" !) until they are crushed in our overflowing drawers and my husband demotes them to the compost.


But it's precisely the people in the malls in Melbourne and the kids eating popcorn that I'd love to teach about this stuff - the implications, the status of Chinese white pine ecosystems, of international shipping and of our unsustainable food consumption habits generally.


All this lumped onto a lowly bag of bark. Well, sustainability was never going to be instant gratification, but sadly, it is still too much to stomach for most people.


They are still wearing the cones on their heads.