A Mini Worm Composter Kit from Outer Space (Video)

Published Feb. 22, 2011 at 2:11 p.m.
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Image credit: BEECycle By now it is pretty common knowledge that I am obsessed with compost. Whether reflecting on compost as animal husbandry or learning how worm compost suppresses plant diseases, composting is a window in a miraculous and poorly understood world. It only stands to reason that we should want to share this world with our children. Enter the Wiggos—worms from outer ...

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What to Do With Old Hairdryers, Curling Irons

Published Feb. 22, 2011 at 12:00 p.m.
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A standard, non-professional curling iron lasts 1-2 years, according to a spokesperson for Conair. So, getting the most out of this appliance by recycling keeps the materials out of landfills and gives it an additional purpose. Curling irons, ...

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FARM:shop is a Farm Growing in a Store

Published Feb. 22, 2011 at 10:07 a.m.
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Photo: B. Alter You could call FARM:shop a legal grow-op: they are growing vegetables inside an abandoned house instead of dope. And some tilapia fish, not to mention basil and chickens on the roof ... FARM:shop is, literally, a farm growing in a shop in London. A small eco-design group, Something & Son, rented the empty house from the local authority and they are trying to show how sustainable farming can be carried on in the city ...

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Chinese Fake Organic Grain Certifications...And Worse.

Published Feb. 22, 2011 at 3:16 a.m.
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bean pods ... origin of the soy bean, ironically, is Asia ... Image credit:wikipediaA Chinese food exporter was recently caught using fake organic certifications, peddling to US buyers on both coasts "organic" grains produced on Chinese government-controlled factory farms (from commune to con?) ... Good that USDA had the guts to stand up to it ... Maybe this nab will offer sustenance to the struggling organic farmers who for so long nurtured and continue to stand behind US organic standard ...

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Japanese Inventor Turns Plastic Bags into Oil

Published Feb. 21, 2011 at 8:49 p.m.
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Plastic grocery bags have long been the ire of consumers and cities. They’re often not picked up in standard curbside recycling programs. They’ve been taxed or charged, and some cities have outright banned them. Soon all of the negativity could be ...

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Cornucopia Institute Files Complaint with FTC Against Peace Cereal

Published Feb. 21, 2011 at 4:00 a.m.
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Photo: miheco The organic watchdog group Cornucopia Institute filed a complaint with the FTC claiming that Peace Cereal was deliberately misleading consumers into thinking that their cereal was organic in order to garner an increased profit. According to Cornucopia, Peace Cereal is priced higher than many name brand certified organic cereals ...

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Want Delicious Organic Wine? There's an App for That

Published Feb. 20, 2011 at 5:13 p.m.
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  ... A new iPhone app, Organic Wine Find, helps you search for organic wines. Finding organic wine with another wine app, or heaven forbid, without any technology at all, may actually be harder to do than you think. Many vintners do not include the word "organic" on their product label names, making it easy to pass right by a great organic choice, and for apps that aren't specifically designed to recognize organic wines, it may be extremely challenging ...

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3 Eco Kids Craft Ideas

Published Feb. 20, 2011 at 1:36 a.m.
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Beyond having a recycle bin in the kitchen, how can you help your kids learn to live in a more sustainable way? One way is by simply encouraging them to use their own natural creativity in a greener way. Every kid loves arts and crafts, but it's not exactly sustainable to purchase a mountain of construction paper and a river of glitter every month. Here are a few craft ideas to get you - and your kids - thinking in terms of reuse and recycle, but more creatively than just pitching the old stuff

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Best Books for the Organic Mama-to-Be

Published Feb. 18, 2011 at 10:00 p.m.
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There's nothing more fun than dreaming about that newborn you'll soon be holding, and flipping through the pages of  What to Expect While You're Expecting or watching  Baby Story ... But for green mamas-to-be, there's a wealth of information that can not only give you entertainment when baby's kicks keep you awake, but can also equip you to build a green life with your baby. Here are three books we think are well worth your time ...

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Weekday Vegetarian: Olive Salad Taverna

Published Feb. 18, 2011 at 8:06 p.m.
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Photo: Kelly Rossiter One of my favourite flavour combinations is olive and lemon. There is something about the mixture of salty and tart that I find endlessly appealing. We have had record high temperatures in Toronto for the past two days and the snow has almost all melted. With the bright sunshine I could almost envision myself sitting outside a Greek taverna with this salad in front of me. Well, if I look straight up at the blue sky, that is ...

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