Earth Day 2014

Today is Earth Day! 

Celebrated every year on April 22, Earth Day is the largest environmental event in the world. More than 6 million Canadians participate in an Earth Day activity in their communities. Learn more about activities in your community at earthday.ca

5 Green Actions to reduce your impact on the environment

1. Simple Household Savers – Replace incandescent light bulbs with LEDs. Use aerators on faucets.
2. Washing and Drying – Only wash full loads of clothes and use cold water. Hang to air dry.
3. Clean Green – Choose natural, non-toxic cleaning products with ingredients such as vinegar or baking soda.
4. Food Choices – Choose local organic foods that are in season. What is in season in Ontario in the spring? Look for fresh local apples, cherries, strawberries, asparagus, cabbage, cucumbers, fiddleheads, radishes and spinach.
5. Donate and Recycle – Think carefully before throwing items in the trash. Consider donating or recycling. Harmful materials like chemicals, batteries and electronics should be taken to a local hazardous waste depot.

What is Your Carbon Footprint?

Our daily activities such as driving back and forth to work, using heat, and the consumption of food and goods causes many polluting gases to be emitted into the atmosphere. For simplicity, these gases are usually referred to in terms of the amount of carbon dioxide produced.

Your carbon footprint is the measure of the total amount of carbon dioxide you produce through these normal daily activities. These harmful emissions contribute to climate change. People concerned about the environment and global warming can try to reduce their carbon footprint by increasing their energy efficiency.

A great way to start is to take stock and calculate your current carbon footprint. Once you know the size of your carbon footprint, you can begin thinking about strategies to reduce or offset it. Just Energy offers a free carbon calculator for individuals, households or companies. Take a look here to find out your carbon footprint: Carbon Calculator.

In our next post, we'll take a look at the top 3 ways to change your habits and reduce your carbon footprint.

Earth Day 2013

     Earth Day is the largest environmental event worldwide. It is celebrated every April 22 and more than 6          million Canadians participate in events and projects to benefit local environmental issues.

     What can we do to celebrate Earth Day? 

     Earth Day provides opportunities for positive actions and change. The truth is we need energy to live, to        light our homes and heat our water. There are simple things you can do to conserve energy every day.

     Small Actions, Big Impact.

     Switch to energy efficient light bulbs, walk more, use less water , buy local produce. These little            
     actions add up and can make a big impact. Here at National, we help homeowners reduce their carbon          footprint by offering no charge equipment upgrades, replacing your old home equipment with new energy        efficient models that use up to 20% less energy. Learn more on our website. 

    Check out Earth Day Canada's list of events in Ontario to learn more about what you can do.

What is Earth Hour?

Earth Hour is an annual international lights-out event organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which asks individuals, businesses and governments around the world to turn off their lights for one hour to raise awareness about the need for urgent climate change action.

Last year, over 13 million Canadians turned off their lights for Earth Hour. This year, Earth Hour is happening on Saturday, March 23 between 8:30 PM – 9:30 PM.

Earth Hour is not just about switching off lights for one hour once a year. It’s about giving people a voice and working together to create a better future for our planet. Many participants are going beyond the hour to commit to lasting action for the planet. It’s a bit like an Environmental New Year, providing a chance to reflect on how our planet is faring and what we can do to help.

Not only is Earth Hour your chance to be part of a global phenomenon, it’s a great opportunity to look at what you can do reduce your carbon emissions. For example, you can:

• Use less energy every day by turning off your computer monitor when you leave your desk and unplugging the chargers for your cell phones and other devices when you’re not using them
• Use energy more efficiently in your home by washing your clothes in cold water and replace your appliances with Energy Star model when it’s time for a new one
• Use renewable energy to meet your household needs, like installing a solar water heating system or switching to a green power supplier

Info courtesy of wwf.ca/earthhour. Visit the website to learn more. 

Earth Hour 2013

Earth Hour 2013 is almost here! Join millions of people around the world and switch of your lights from 8:30 to 9:30 pm this Saturday March 23.

Wondering what to do to mark the occasion? Here are some suggestions on how to spend your Earth Hour:

• Host a party. Earth Hour is a great chance to spend time with your family, friends and neighbours. You can host a gathering in the dark. Encourage guests to bring “no cook” foods and eat dinner by candlelight. Pull out your favourite board games or have a poker tournament. Kids will love a chance to play with glow sticks or glow-in-the-dark stickers.
• Play hockey. Encourage your local community centre to hold a dimly-lit hockey game during Earth Hour. Hot chocolate in reusable mugs will keep players and their cheering sections warm. 
• Plan a community event. Whether it’s a “ghost” walk around a local historical centre, a block party featuring acoustic music or a guided stargazing tour, show your creativity and bring your friends together to enjoy the night. 
• Ask local businesses to join. Maybe your favourite restaurant could hold a candlelit dinner or your local yoga studio could host a yoga-in-the-dark event. Many businesses want to show their support for the Earth.

Learn more about Earth Hour at www.earthhour.org and stay tuned to our blog for more posts about Earth Hour in Canada. How do you plan to mark the occasion? 

Energy Explained

What is electricity?

Electricity is a convenient and controllable form of energy that we use every day to power our appliances, provide light and heat our homes. Electricity is a secondary energy source, meaning it is generated from the conversion of primary sources of energy, such as fossil fuels (coal, natural gas and oil), nuclear power and renewable sources (wind, hydro, solar, geothermal).

How does electricity get to your home? 

Where does electricity come from? 

There are 5 main sources of electricity: 

1. Fossil Fuels
• Power plants burn coal, natural gas and oil, producing heat. Heat combines with steam in the plant to generate electricity. 
2. Water and Wind 
• Dams and windmills harness water or wind to rotate machinery that creates heat and electricity. 
3. Geothermal 
• This form of energy is generated in the Earth's core which has temperatures hotter than the sun's surface produced by radioactive particles. 
4. Nuclear power
•  Power plants split atoms and harness the energy release to generate heat and electricity.
5. Solar
• The sun's heat is harnessed by panels and is converted to electricity. 

Which sources of electricity are green? 

Energy generated through renewable sources such as hydro, wind, solar and geothermal are green. Unlike fossil fuels, these sources of power do not deplete natural resources. They are also cleaner sources of energy that do not pollute the environment with carbon emissions.

Thanks to Just Energy for providing this information. To learn more about green energy, visit www.justenergy.com

Our Top 10 Green News Stories of 2012: 6-10

2013 is here so today we will finish our review of the Top Environmental News Stories of 2012 with numbers 6 through 10. Click here to see number 1 -5. Lets hope 2013 brings good news for the environment.

	Pipeline Battles TransCanada's Keystone XL pipeline plans continued to face obstacles this year. The proposed pipeline, aiming to carry tar sands oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast, was blocked by President Obama earlier this year, but he later offered support for the lower portion. Construction has begun on the southern segment between Oklahoma and Texas, but faces challenges from protesters and some landowners. While supporters claim the pipeline will create jobs, NASA's James Hansen argues that Canada's exploitation of oil from the tar sands could mean "game over for the climate."
	Japan Tsunami Debris The 2011 March tsunami in Japan carried about five million tons of debris into the ocean, according to the Associated Press. Some of that debris has begun to wash up on the west coast of North America. While most of this debris consists of smaller items, including a motorcycle which volunteers are attempting to reunite with its Japanese owner, larger debris is already costing authorities millions of dollars to dispose of.
	Doha Climate Conference The UN climate conference in Doha, Qatar resulted in the extension of the Kyoto Protocol, although the treaty will only cover about 15 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions. According to the Associated Press, the talks also lead to "vague promises of financing to help poor countries cope with climate change, and an affirmation of a previous decision to adopt a new global climate pact by 2015."
	Ontario Mega-Quarry In July 0f 2009, Highland Companies made pubic their intent to build a large open-pit mine north of Toronto, in the Melancthon area. Those opposed to the project were concerned about losing a massive swath of rich farmland and worried about the quarry’s effect on the water table. The company had said the limestone quarry would have provided an essential supply of aggregate, used to build everything from homes to roads. But the proposal was met with fierce opposition from the community and beyond. From five-day protest walks to SoupStock, Mega-quarry opponents laid out a winning game plan. On November 21, 2012 Highland announced it is withdrawing its quarry application.
	Federal budget bills and the Idle No More movement C-45 is a large omnibus bill implementing numerous measures, many of which activists claim weaken environmental protection laws. In particular, laws protecting all of the country's navigable waterways were limited in scope to protect only a few waterways of practical importance for navigation. Many of the affected waterways pass through land reserved to First Nations. This led to a series of teach-ins, rallies and protests, eventually gaining loose coordination under the name “Idle No More”. The protests were timed to coincide with the announcement that Chief Theresa Spence of Attawapiskat was launching a hunger strike to demand a meeting with Prime Minister Harper and the Queen on Aboriginal rights. So far, the Canadian federal government has indicated it will not meet the demand of a meeting with First Nations groups over environmental concerns

Our Top 10 Green News Stories of 2012: 1-5

As 2012 draws to a close, here is a review of our Top Environmental News Stories of 2012. Today we reveal numbers 1 to 5. Stay tuned for the second half of our Top 10 stories to be posted later this week.

	SuperStorm Sandy Hurricane Sandy made landfall in Jamaica on Wednesday, October 24, 2012. The storm turned deadly in the Caribbean, and a hurricane/winter storm hybrid decimated regions along the U.S. East Coast. Officials at a UN meeting on climate change have cited the support of scientists in claiming that devastating storms like Hurricane Sandy are not purely "coincidental" but actually affected by global warming.
	The Fracking debate The hydraulic fracturing debate heated up this year as multiple provinces and states contemplated the natural gas drilling process. Fracking is a technique that involves the injection of millions of litres of water and thousands of litres of unidentified chemicals underground at very high pressure in order to create fractures in the underlying shale rock formations and extract the natural gas below the surface. Fracking for unconventional gas is rapidly expanding in almost every province across Canada. Environmental groups oppose fracking because of its high water use, carbon emissions, and the danger it can pose to groundwater.
	Arctic sea ice Levels hit record lows this September- the ice extent covering 49 per cent below the 1979 average, when satellite records began. Scientists continued to emphasize the role that humans play in these changes. "It's crystal clear. If we burn all the fossil fuels, we create certain disaster," NASA scientist James Hansen warned.
	Toxic Chemical Concerns Parents were given more to worry about this year as reports suggested that the chemicals replacing their problematic predecessors were similarly toxic. The "BPA-free" label also faced scrutiny this year, as experts questioned the labeling regulation process.
	BP Oil Spill Aftermath In November, BP pleaded guilty to felony charges related to the Gulf oil spill, including charges of manslaughter and lying to Congress about the size of the leak. For these charges, the company is expected to pay $4.5 billion, the biggest corporate criminal penalty in U.S. history.