greener kleenex!!

I am happy to read that Kimberly Clark has made a resolve to select sustainable material sources for their Kleenex, Scott and Cottonelle brands of tissue (it's fun how they're all made by the same people eh?) It was due in a large part to the 5 year campaign and pressure that Greenpeace has put on them.

They will be working towards a more environmentally sustainable solution for the North American market. Definitely a more responsible and positive gesture on their part.

Click to: Read the Greenpeace article

Highlights from Kimberly-Clark’s Global Fibre Procurement Policy

Kimberly-Clark will:

• 1. Not use any fibre from the world’s most ecologically sensitive forests areas: Endangered Forests and High Conservation Value Forest (HCVF) areas mapped as no-harvest zones;
• 2. Buy Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified fibre over any other virgin wood fibre;
• 3. Phase out it's use of all pulp from Canada's Boreal Forest that is not FSC certified by a 012-1 decrease from more than 400,000 tonnes in 2007 to 0 tonnes in 2012;
• 4. Increase its use of FSC and recycled fibre drastically over the next two years substantially reducing pressure on forests globally. At least 40 per cent of its total fibre used in North America will come from one of these sources - an increase from 29.7 per cent at the end of 2008;
• 5. Buy post-consumer recycled fibre over pre-consumer recycled fibre;
• 6. Not use conflict wood or illegally harvest fibre;
• 7. Support initiatives to identify and map Endangered Forests and HCVF areas and increase recycling rate;
  

Now if they would just admit that cloth hankies
would be an even better solution!

I did like the Greenpeace campaign. Especially the t-shirts.

Here is a guide to recycled tissue and toilet paper:

Re-using stuff

I am endlessly impressed with how other people are creating some amazing things with re-cycled and everyday items. I wish I had the expertise (and the workshop and/or lab) to do this all day long but as it is, I just did an inventory of exactly how much fabric and stuff I have and realise that I have enough to keep me in projects until I'm 90.

But then I find new projects to try. When does it end?

Well, it's fun anyway.

I am on a mission to find as many uses for old burlap coffee bean bags. My latest are exfolient scrubbers and as a backing for needle felted cards.

Scrubbers:
Made from discarded felted wool sweaters on one side (or cotton/hemp yarn on a few) and burlap on the other. They are great for the bottom of your feet or on rough garden active hands.
Much nicer on the planet than harvesting sea-sponges or pumice stones or those bright but synthetic plastic pom poms.

Art Cards:
100% re-cycled and acid free card and envelope stock. Burlap backing, 100% wool felting. Some are abstract, some not, some have comic strip pinwheels added for extra fun.. all different.

Sun Hat anyone?

It's fun when you have creative nieghbours willing to discover new things with you....

Check out Interbent's post on these amazing projects using discarded bottles to build stuff: The beer bottle chandelier is really great but the bottle temple is my fave. http://www.interbent.com/amazing-bottle-art-how-to-recycle-glass-bottles/

If you are looking for fun on Sunday then come down to Main and Broadway for Market 1886. A mini car-free event from Broadway to 12th ave celebrating life "before there were cars". Maybe we'll see you there.

car-free day

I spent the day yesterday baking in the sun up at Got Craft on Main and 26th. It ended at 4 and so I zoomed down Main to visit some vendor friends Moukisac and Blue Lantern Studio, and then over to Commercial Drive to visit the Project Somos booth and Monkey100.

As usual the drive was crazy and fun. Even at 5 when there was only an hour left. If there's going to be an area of town guaranteed to participate, Commercial Drive gives it 150%.

I loved the roller skates and how many people were wearing stripey socks, tutus, butterfly wings and spandex. Yes, sometimes all together.

Then there was the dinosaur eating English Bulldog.
How do you top that?



Where normally there are cars (like right at this moment) instead, kids, dogs, bare feet, boots, flip flops and strollers trod with ne'er a thought.



The only looking both ways that was necessary was done to ensure you weren't run over by the odd (and I mean that in the unusual and uniquely fun sort of way) float or procession. Generally though, the worst that would happen was you would be engulfed in it and perhaps even become a part of the performance without even knowing.

Three cheers go out to the many dedicated staff and volunteer base that made it possible! Thanks

Go on. Send them a thank you note. You know you want to.

World Oceans Day

Well today is World Oceans Day and we are asked to think about how important our oceans are to our existence and how we are making such an impact on our eco-system.

Human beings have had more of an impact and made more changes to this planet in the past 100 years than we have done for the entire amount of time we have lived here. Technology and population growth have expanded at such an incredible rate that we have created a huge shift in the natural balance and order of things.




We know this.

And happily many of us are beginning to learn to make changes that will help stop the negative progression and allow us to move towards restoring that balance.

Today we are asked to aim our thoughts to the oceans which cover the majority of our earth's surface and give us life.

Don't buy a plastic bottle today! Don't eat a fish today! Don't dump a chemical down the drain today and hey, turn the tap off. Especially today think about the ways each of us are able to limit our negative impact on our oceans. Pay attention and make small changes today that will become a habit for everyday.

These images have been done by local Vacouver eco-artist (that's my title for her) Robi and you can see her work and check out her blog at: www.blue-lantern.ca/studio (just click on one of her pictures)

Nice huh?

Here are some links that you can visit to see more about our oceans and why they are so in danger:

www.theoceanproject.org
www. reenlivingonline.com
www.youtube.com/user/homeproject
www.davidsuzuki.org
http://en.wordpress.com/tag/climate-change/

On Disposable Containers

Sit Spot! Stay In Spot! Good Spot!

I'm all for going out for a bite to eat. It is a social behaviour, an excuse to get out of the house, a way to try something new that you may not be brave enough to try yourself or have the billions of ingredients (or patience) to create every exotic or inventive dish out there. And, we are so lucky in Vancouver to have the number and selection of restaurants that we do. It's truly become a way of life and a part of how we live.

We can now choose from many restaurants who buy and cook their food healthily and ethically with the community in mind.

So when we think about going out I say: "Stay out! Sit! Relax! Make someone else cook for you and do the dishes! Bring your own take out container in case you can't finish your meal.

• Manufacturers produce more than 15 million tons of polystyrene (aka Styrofoam) each year, but we recycle less than 1% of it. Those plastic utensils are hard to recycle too.
• Styrofoam is made using cancer-causing benzene and the brain toxin styrene, which can migrate into food.

Ideal Bite says that if 10,000 people stopped ordering takeout once a week, in a year we'll keep the weight of up to 7,722 orders of chow mein in trash outta landfills.

"Since 1960, the amount of packaging in garbage has increased 80%. Plastic debris is hazardous to wildlife. Each year more than 2 million birds, turtles, whales, dolphins and seals become entangled in floating plastic debris, or mistake it for food. Tip: choose products with less packaging and buy in bulk whenever possible.

Canadians use more than eight billion disposable cups each year. Meanwhile, Statistics Canada tells us that 30 per cent of us still drink predominantly bottled water. What's worse, the Union of Concerned Scientists tells us that 90 per cent of water bottles are not recycled. If we all remember to carry our reusable coffee cups with us, we can reduce limit our impact significantly." - David Suzuki Foundation

While you're at it. Buy a stanless steel water bottle and replace those 1-time use disposable bottles!!!

Have you ever seen the garbage at the end of a day at a festival or outdoor event? Pick one ... any one.

A litre of bottled water now costs way more than a litre of gas, but it is estimated that 10 million water bottles are dumped every year in B.C. landfills, according to the B.C. Water and Wastewater Association.

Finally!! Out come the flip flops!

Wow. Just like that. It's so amazing outside. With the coming of the warm weather, I couldn't help myself. I just had to go out and do some gardening. Hopefully my little flowers won't freeze at night.
I'm awaiting the coming of the ants. That is usually the sign that spring is well under way around here. When they first arrive, they come out in the hundreds. The paving stones in front of our door become a sea of moving blackness. Kindly, they select areas that we can avoid walking through (or on) and they haven't ever made the move to come inside thankfully. Still though, I'd rather they moved on. Since I have a dog and a cat, plus I don't feel all that great about the whole killing with chemical thing, I've been researching some deterrents and read that the essential oils of peppermint, tea tree oil, vinegar as well as 'having a conversation with the little guys, all are successful and a non-violent alternative to harmful sprays and concoctions with borax. Anyway, I'm ready and we'll see how it goes. I've never talked to a mass of ants before. I wonder what my neighbours will think if they see me? Ant Whisperer is what they'll say....... okay maybe not.
On another note, I have lots and lots of hankies coming out soon. Stay tuned.

Yeah Spring (almost!)

Well, it's been a while, lots has been going on and I'm finally getting the Earthly Presence site up and running within days , maybe even hours.

With the weather warming and the snow drops and crocus popping their little faces out, it really feels the winter cold is behind us (shhhh, I'm completely ignoring the wet flurries call for tonight and tomorrow). Vancouver is such an amazing place to witness the transformation into spring. This year it seems is a little more dramatic than usual since we've had so much of that cold and white stuff. Not whining though. The payoff for enduring it all (bad drivers, no bike riding, frozen toes and all) is on how beautiful this place is in the spring.

I've discovered some amazing local artists and I don't mean to say 'discover' as the early European explorers said 'discover' in a way that meant they didn't have any presence or importance before I came along, I just mean that I've discovered them in my life and am excited to present them to you if you haven't yet 'discovered' them for yourself. Check out my site for artists who's product I'm listing.

By the way, if you are a local artist (Southern BC) and are interested in us listing your product, contact us at info@earthlypresence.com . We are especially interested in artists working with natural/organic or recycled material.

My latest green initiative is using a vinegar and water solution to rinse produce instead of worrying about those "pre-packaged" washes. Here's the info I got from "Ideal Bite" which is an amazing source of tidbits delivered regularly to your email address. You can read or delete as desired but they are truly inspirational and fun to read.

The Bite
Use water and white vinegar - no lie. A few squirts on your fruits and veggies gets rid of the nasty stuff (like pesticide residue) that you don't want - no store-bought washes necessary. Sincerely yours, Ideal Bite.

The Benefits

• Brushing bugs under the rug. A diluted vinegar rinse kills 98% of bacteria on produce - researchers found it works even better than a scrub brush.
• Cash savings you can believe in. Water and vinegar rinses cost just pennies; the premade washes we found cost $4 and up.
• It's a simple truth: Buying plastic bottles of produce wash means having to recycle them too (not to mention the energy and materials needed to make and ship them in the first place) - you'll still need to buy bottles of vinegar, but you'll buy fewer of them.

Personally Speaking
Some of us who happen to have white vinegar in our pantries actually have no idea how it got there. Now we've got a use for it…

Wanna Try?

• Mix water to white vinegar 3:1 in a spray bottle (if you've already got a bottle of the premade stuff, use it up and reuse the sprayer). Rinse with water after you spray. Yes, it's that easy.