The City of Calgary's Ecofootprint Project Have you ever wondered about how much of the earth's resources your household really uses? or how much of an effect your efforts to reduce your resource use really have? The City's Ecofootprint project can help you figure that out, as well as support all of us in our attempts to tread more lightly on the planet. Check out their website at www.calgary.ca/footprint. Soon there will be an on-line eco-footprint calculator for Calgary available. You can access many other ideas and resources on their website and facebook group.
You may have heard that honey bee colonies have been inexplicably failing. This is especially for farmers, not just honey-producers, because honey bees pollinate many agricultural crops, including canola. It seems that there is no single factor is causing "colony collapse disorder." Instead, there are bunch of things that stress the bees and leave their colonies undernourished and unhealthy.
We all know that the best choice for the environment is to walk or use a bike. We also have green choices such as car pooling and public transit. But if you have to use your own car, choices you make daily can have an environmental impact.
Capturing the sun's energy to provide electricity or heat for your home is a viable option to help reduce your carbon footprint. The sun's energy can be captured by photovoltaic collectors to produce electricity, or by thermal collectors to produce heat.
(Reproduced with permission from the City of Calgary)
Did you know that one in four toilets is silently leaking? In one month's time, a small leak can add up to as much as 28 bathtubs full of water. And, because leaks may account for 10 to 30 per cent of your household water use, that's water and money down the drain. Take the leaky toilet test. It's easy.
Most Canadian homes have such a lawn mower - specifically, the standard, two-stroke gasoline lawn mower. They are cheap, convenient and the engines last forever. But they are also a serious source of air pollution.
