WHEN: Wednesday, August 17, 6:30pm – 8:30pm

WHERE: McKernan Community League Hall, 11341-78 Avenue

COST: Pay What You Can

DESCRIPTION: Sustainable Living 101 provides an introduction to some of the key concepts of climate science as well as some of the alarming observations and implications that you need to know about.  Learn about the Greenhouse Effect and how rising levels of Carbon Dioxide put increasing pressure on already stressed and weakened forests and oceans around the World. Each week there has been a story about extreme weather, learn how this affects you, the city and our way of life.

The workshop also provides you with 7-Step strategy that you can use every day to design a more sustainable lifestyle.  Learn how to complete your own personal inventory and use it to create powerful goals that transition your life to the next level of sustainable living!

It also means taking action! At Eco Evolver we are dedicated to engaging people from all over Edmonton so they can step up their game, and get involved in community projects and city-wide initiatives that are transitioning Edmonton away from fossil fuels towards sustainable and resilient communities.  Discover how Eco Evolvers from around Edmonton are transforming their life, one green step at a time!

Since I don’t have a car, I am constantly being asked, How are you going to get it home? Truthfully, non-car-owners have a wide variety of strategies for getting things home: we look for companies that offer low cost delivery options, we rent a vehicle, we hire a guy with a truck off Kijiji, or we just plain carry it, sometimes on our bikes, if weight and weather permit. And more companies are exploring the option of cargo delivery by bike. Continue Reading →

Shift Your Habit: Easy Ways to Save Money, Simplify Your Life, and Save the Planet by Elizabeth Rogers. Three Rivers Press, 2010.

When persuading reluctant family members and friends to a “green” lifestyle, we usually encounter two big objections: money and time. The evidence in the store is that the green option is more expensive and that acting conscientiously, by either making your own, recycling or making a lifestyle change, is a big hassle.

Elizabeth Rogers, the author of Shift Your Habit, disagrees and she has found the evidence to prove it. Shift Your Habit suggests hundreds of simple changes, from opening your blinds and using sunlight to get work done during the day, to bigger changes, such as holding swap parties for clothing and entertainment items like video games. Each of the suggestions is environmentally-friendly and frugal, which overcomes the “it’s too expensive” objection to making a green lifestyle change and some of the tips include a “Good For You” section, meaning that it improves your health or saves time.

Continue Reading →

An evening presentation by John Stonier – Director, Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association
Wednesday, October 13, 2010 7:00pm
Electric transportation is here! The electric car is the next great change in the development of the automobile. The consumer benefits are numerous.

• How do electric vehicles work?
• What about charging stations?
• What about -40C?
• Would it increase Alberta’s electrical generation emissions?
• Can I convert my gas car?
• How can I have a solar powered car?

Mr Stonier will be addressing what is available now, the history of the electric vehicle and where this exciting industry is headed.
Location: Grant MacEwan University CN Theatre – Rm 5-142
Cost: Free, no reservations necessary. Seating is first come, first served.
Further info: see attached flyer or go to: www.solaralberta.ca (click on Seminars)

Figure skater Josee Chouinard is encouraging students across the country to think and act green through Canada’s Greenest School Contest.

Elm Grove, WI — February 16th, 2010 — Valentin Technologies has given the public its first glimpse of its IngoCar, currently in the stage of development. This release of three teaser sketches shows the five-seat, four door sportwagen, brimming with innovation.

The company’s founder, Ingo Valentin, has stated that “Finally outstanding performance and extremely high mileage are combined in a mid-size passenger car.”

Concept images can be viewed on this website link: www.valentintechnologies.com/images

The vehicle’s estimated mileage is 170 mpg based on a mix of city and rural driving. This extraordinary fuel efficiency is achieved by a revolutionary hydraulic-fluid drive. This hybrid gasoline/hydraulic drive system can deliver acceleration from 0-60 in 4 seconds. Continue Reading →

Have someone in your life who brings hardcore to a new level by biking through the winter to save our climate? Reward his or her courage and tenacity this year with a handmade bike chain bracelet. Here’s a simple warm and fuzzy ‘how-to’ via ThreadBanger to get you started. Note: a quick trip to your local jewelry shop and you’ll have plenty of clasp and embellishment options!

View bike chain bracelet video here. See note below.

Environment Week is nearly upon us! Tune into what Environment Canada has to share about the event:

Five Easy Ways to Celebrate Environment Week

May 31 – June 6, 2009

Canadian Environment Week is a time to focus on simple changes that contribute to a greener future for everyone. You don’t have to look far to find easy ways to green your lifestyle or appreciate the beauty of nature. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Buy locally grown food. Take some time to visit local Farmers Markets and learn more about the benefits of choosing locally grown foods!
2. Change at least one light bulb to a compact fluorescent. Those qualified to ENERGY STAR® use about a quarter as much electricity as a conventional light bulb to produce the same amount of light. Compact fluorescents cost a bit more than incandescents, but they last up to ten times longer.
3. Take a walk on the wild side. Go for a day hike on a local nature trail and revel in the beauty and serenity you’re trying to preserve for future generations. Continue Reading →

I met a fellow active community member recently. She mentioned that she had read about the Mill Creek NetZero Home (MCNZH) here, and included a short lament about how her family would afford to upgrade her own home. I felt a pang of guilt – why should my family be empowered to build our way to energy independence when so many others aren’t? Continue Reading →