#facethechange

BOOM! It has started! The Roadtrip to Change all Roadtrips has begun!  On Tuesday June 9, 2015 at the break of dawn I sold the last of my possessions, burnt my clothes, bought a poncho and cut my hair into an eco-chic man-bun. I thumbed a ride on a hay wagon to Vancouver and I have now officially begun my province-wide campaign to convince BC municipalities to implement climate change and air pollution warning labels on gas nozzles.

Well, I did at least one of those things. I definitely started the campaign. However, I actually packed my possessions into a Mazda 3 and caught the last ferry to Vancouver (having missed the earlier one). No ponchos were involved and no hair-sculpting has occurred...yet.

I am currently in Vancouver and this eco-mission is officially underway.  This is the first leg of the trip: the Lower Mainland.  I will spend the next month and a half here visiting the surrounding municipalities and regional districts. From here I will travel east into the Okanagan and as far as Nelson.  Then, I'll head north into the hinterlands of BC, right up to Prince Rupert. I'll backtrack down to Bella Coola and board a vessel to Port Hardy on the north reaches of Vancouver Island. Then, I'll meander down that fair island back to Victoria, arriving home in mid-September.

I will be staying with friends, friends and family of friends, strangers (aka: friends I haven't met yet) and where possible/necessary, the great outdoors.  (I will post my route soon so let me know of available lodging along the way!)

The objective: visit municipal councils and regional district boards and ask them to do at least one of two things:

1) Implement climate change and air pollution warning labels on gas pumps within their jurisdiction.

2) Support a resolution that was passed by the District of West Vancouver which promotes the idea of legislating the labels - by municipal, provincial or federal fiat. This resolution will go to a vote at the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) convention in September and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) in June 2016. While non-binding, the endorsement of this resolution by the UBCM and FCM would be a serious signal of intent to Canadian law-makers that these labels have a role in the transition towards a health climate and clean air.

In November of this year, the UN Framework for the Convention on Climate Change will hold the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP 21) in Paris. We're hoping to send Rob Shirkey, our Executive Director, over to Paris to show the world that Canada has returned to a leadership position (read: we're not leaders right now!) in the fight against climate change. We hope he can point to Canada and say: "We're taking action on climate change. These labels are a catalyst for this action. Take these labels back to your own country and let's make this global!"

I think that about sums up all I shall write for now. I had an encouraging visit to the Township of Langley on Thursday and will write about that soon. I'll also be adding some interesting and interactive features to this blog so keep a weather eye out!  Also, note that I recently took over this blog from Shivani, a previous Our Horizon Outreach Coordinator, so earlier blogs are hers. The blog will be evolving in time!

I look forward to sharing my adventures with you all and please hit me up with questions or comments!

Cheers!

Sticky notes. They are small, handy for jotting things down on the go, but they can be SO expensive, especially at the rate we use them. Why not save some dough and the planet by making your own?

REQUIRED

Repositional glue stick (you can get them at Walmart for around the price of a normal glue stick)

Paper that has been used on one side

Scissors

INSTRUCTIONS 

Cut your paper The size you do really depends on what you feel. Typical sticky notes are 3 inches by 3 inches, but you can really pick whatever size you like

Apply the glue to the top 1/4 or 1/3 of the page You’ll want to apply the glue to the side of the page that has been used. The number of swipes needed really depends on the type of paper. I’ve done four swipes (two swipes back and forth), and that has worked for thicker paper. I’d suggest making a test pad with a few pieces of paper, checking how well the adhesive worked, and then making more. 

Stick the square onto another square of the same size Make sure you stick it to the blank side of square two. 

Repeat steps two and three until all of your paper is used up

Wait. I’ve let my pad stick for a few hours just so that the glue can harden, but I’m not entirely sure that’s necessary.

And there you have it! You just made your own pad of sticky notes. From my experience, there is a little residue stuck on each of the sticky notes from the sticky note on top of it, but you can still write on them no problem, pen, marker, or pencil. 

So we've all heard the usual reduce, reuse, recycle, but what does that mean? Here I'll give you weekly tips on how to do exactly that. 

Buy only what you need Yeah it's cool to buy that figurine, but are you really going to use it? Think twice before any purchase you make. This will save money, and help reduce packaging. 

Replace disposables:  Yeah they may be recyclable, but your products are still using up extra energy. Carry around a water bottle. Use tupperware instead of disposable food containers. You'll save a lot of money, and be helping the planet at the same time. 

Share with friends, and borrow their things too If you have a book that they want, let them read it, and vice versa. This is great because it also gives you an excuse to get together in the future. Think, "Hey! Do you still have my book?" and where that can get you. 

Leave your reusable bags in the car This way you can't forget them, and grocery shopping can be an impulse thing

Speaking of shopping, run all of your errands at once Do all of your grocery shopping, dry cleaning, and everything else all at once. You will save gas, and reduce your carbon emissions. 

Buy in bulk! Buy large containers of items to reduce the amount of packaging, and to save you money!

Move furniture, rugs and drapes away from air grills and heating vents This way the cold/hot air isn't being absorbed by the furniture, but its actually going into your home, saving you money on bills and reducing your carbon footprint

Don't idle

Use public transport whenever you can It's so much easier, you can use the time (to read, listen to music) and you are helping the planet