You can stand under my um-ber-ella, ella, ella, eh, eh, eh, under my um-ber-ella (Day 251)…

November 6, 2007

umbrellas

Sorry for the long subject line but I’ve had that Rihanna tune stuck in my head for days, especially now that it’s been pouring rain here in the YYZ.

On the bright side, the lousy weather actually gave me a perfect idea for another green change: using a big, sturdy golf umbrella, and sharing it with others who’ve left theirs at home, in a cab, under their seat at a restaurant or … well, any of the other kazillions of places umbrellas get left.

Investing in a good umbrella means it’ll last longer — usually, the bigger the size, the more it’ll be able to resist strong winds. This means fewer of those cheap compact ones end up broken and in the dumpster. Also, it’s a great excuse to go up to that cute boy getting drenched at the bus stop — you can offer him a little shelter, and perhaps your phone number, too.

But in all seriousness, I will be using my big brolly from now on, or just going without, because there’s no harm in getting a little soggy anyway — I might even end up jumping in a puddle or two!

Photo courtesy of solidether on Flickr

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Posted by Vanessa

A room of two’s own (Day 237)…

October 23, 2007

odd couple

This past month I’ve been lucky enough to have a friend staying with me, sharing my 800 square feet of condo space and helping to minimize my ecological footprint — if we both want a smoothie in the morning, we’ll take turns sipping from the same cup (the one we used to blend it up); if we’re bored, we can play Scrabble together (and I can be a sore loser); and best of all, we’re currently getting much better use out of my wireless Internet connection, book collection and closet space.

As hippies know, living with a group of people in a shared space is far more efficient than living alone. Even just two is better than one. So although I can’t keep my housemate for the rest of this challenge, I will be inviting more people to come visit and, if they want, stay for a while.

Perfect Strangers photo courtesy of this website

P.S. Happy birthday, Emma!

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Posted by Vanessa

Borrowing and sharing (Day 227)…

October 13, 2007

My family will be the first to tell you that I’m not good at sharing. I know, it’s a horrible trait. I also don’t like working in groups or cooking together, either (unless I get to be responsible for one dish and the other person is responsible for his or hers — but I’m not rolling the same piece of pizza dough). It probably relates to my need for control; if something goes wrong and it’s not my fault, I don’t want to be held responsible, but if something turns out perfect, I want all the credit.

But part of being green is learning to be more open-minded, especially about ownership and resources. So from now on, if I need a random tool like a screwdriver or a wrench, I’ll ask my dad if I can borrow one from his tool kit. If friends want to read something on my bookshelf, I’ll let them take the book and give it back when they’re finished. And if I make a batch of stove-top cookies, I’ll eat a couple myself, but give away the rest.

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Posted by Vanessa

The 148-smile diet (Day 217)…

October 3, 2007

beluga

Most of the green changes I make for this challenge are of a physical nature — switching to an eco-friendly product or service, reducing or limiting the amount of what I consume, relying on my own energy rather than petroleum to get places, and so on. But it’s just as important to green the world in a social sense, too.

This is why, for example, I’ve already taken up small-scale activism with my sticker campaigns and have registered for a couple volunteering gigs. I give money to green causes and sign petitions every week. But a friend of mine recently suggested yet another way in which I can affect change:

Smiling.

It seems a little flaky, sure (he is from Portland, after all, so let’s cut him some slack), but in a roundabout way, it’s a pretty legit idea: If I make a point of flashing my pearly whites at at least one person every day — a stranger, a shopkeeper or at least someone I’m not actually friends with — it not only sends out a warm and fuzzy vibe but subtly reaffirms the fact that we’re all in this together, we’re all sharing the same planet.

To quote my friend: “A person who feels that they live in a nurturing, thriving community of warm-hearted people, rather than a cold, isolated place, is going to be more likely to get involved in improving their community. They’ll learn to trust their neighbours [ed note: I added the "u" in there], and thus be more inclined to share resources.”

So there you go — as of today, and for the next 148 days, I’ll be making the world greener one smile at a time.

Photo courtesy of Reggie T on Flickr

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Posted by Vanessa

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