Community blog

Plastic used on a daily basis in my life

beachgypsy — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 12:57:40 -0700

I started making a list of everything I use that contains plastic in my life on a daily basis. Starting with my morning routine. I put alternatives( = ) next to to the items I know however some i am not so sure where to get non-plastic alternatives..
plastic milk caps, OJ caps= ?
plastic containing cereal= oatmeal, eggs
plastic containing my coffee = grind my own coffee
plastic containing my snacks = nutri-grain bars, chips and the like= no plastic snacks= go for nuts or fruit
plastic bag for bread- fresh bread
plastic peanut butter jar- glass peanut butter jars ??

moving into the bathroom..
deodorant-??
toothpaste-?
toothbrush-?
chapstick-?
make up- mascara tube, compact-?
shampoo-?
conditioner-?
face wash- bar of soap
lotion- ?

after work back in the kitchen for dinner returns the plastic-
salad dressing- glass dressing bottles
salad bag for lettuce- buy a whole head of lettuce
rice bag- box rice?

winding down the night-
cell phone made from plastic-?
cell phone charger-?
computer charger-?

I have a lot of work to do.. and this is just a basic day the most troublesome time comes when eating out. I recently saw one of my friends pull out tubberwear from her purse and package her own TO GO food i was so impressed! I would be pretty embarrassed to carry my own tubberwear on a date but maybe thats just what needs to be done. People shouldn t have to feel embarrassed about saying no to a plastic bag at the store or a to-go box. i wish more people would admire the ones who are trying to make a difference in our daily lifestyles because somethings gotta give and soon. Paul Watson(i just had to look up his name captain of the Sea Shepard said something really interesting during a documentary called " Bag It" that pretty much inspired this whole change in my life. He said:
Forget about the earth. The planet will continue to live with or with out humans like it has for millions of years. It is humans who have to learn to live in harmony with the earth or otherwise, we are the ones who that are doomed.

South Fraser Protection Camp: Work Party this Saturday! April 30

jsmr — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 10:09:11 -0700

It takes a village to stop a freeway, come help build the village! Come to the South Fraser Protection Camp this Saturday from 9 am on for a work party to help construct a village that will stand in the way of the South Fraser Freeway. Details on transportation below. We will provide food and information about the camp and the history of the five-year-long movement of residents and supporters to stop the freeway and shift the Gateway Project billions into real social needs.

Here, out of the ugly clearcut of the road's destruction, a vibrant, inspiring, welcoming community is blooming. Lend a hand, join the fun... South Fraser Protection Camp Work Party Saturday April 30th beginning @ 9:00 am (early is good!) 10675 River Road, Delta, BC (extra parking available at McAdam Road & River Road) Bus tickets available. Rides from Vancouver available, RSVP to 778 322 5349 hwalia8@gmail.com Meet 8:00 am at Commercial & Broadway (Safeway parking lot) Tools and supplies will be provided, but more are always welcome. If you have some building expertise please be in touch with us at the contact information below. If you have a decent cordless drill, please charge it up and bring it. The story so far: On April 22nd approximately 200 people marched down River Road and established a camp on a construction site for the South Fraser Perimeter Freeway. Basic defenses have been organized to secure the camp, and since Tuesday morning, when workers were expected to come back for work, the camp has been holding strong. Community members and supporters have been organizing for more than five years to protect homes, ecological and sacred sites from being destroyed by the project. As construction on the road has begun, the resistance to the project has grown, and the South Fraser Protection Camp was established with the understanding that direct action is crucial in the toolkit of successful movements for positive change. We need your support! Come check out our new digs this Saturday to learn more about the camp, future plans, and the history of this struggle. Give us a hand and help us build a movement that will stop the freeway. Join the Wave Against the Pave! Contact: 604 355 2771 info@stopthepave.org www.StopThePave.org Support is needed at the camp on ongoing basis – please stop by for whatever time you can spare, to say hello or to camp for a night or more!

May Day -- Victoria for Wild Salmon

jsmr — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 09:38:39 -0700

Come join Alexandra Morton, Chief Bob Chamberlin, Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, Elizabeth May, Denise Savoie and hundreds of Wild Salmon People walking to Victoria on Sunday 1st May.

Start at 9am at Tsawout First Nation in Saanich and walk 22km to the BC Parliament for a rally (3pm-5pm).

And please feel free to stay overnight in Victoria for a peaceful vigil leading into Election Day. Vote Salmon!

Details including a new advert, brochure and a poster are online via: http://www.facebook.com/l/c05abuEHQXj0vz86sEw0KQB17UA/www.sa...
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Stop the Pave -- Earth Day Action

jsmr — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 19:48:45 -0700

THIS FRIDAY APRIL 22! Calling all residents, students, parents, elders, streamkeepers, treeplanters, guerilla gardeners, blockaders, rebels, climate defenders, farmers and freeway fighters! On a week of fresh cuts to local transit service, it's time to stand up for climate justice, and take direct action to stop freeway expansion!

WHAT & WHEN: Mass Direct Action against Climate Crime, to disrupt continuation of the South Fraser Perimeter Road freeway (SFPR), beginning at 2 pm on Friday April 22 (Mother Earth Day). Actions may continue over multiple days on this long weekend and beyond. There are a variety to get involved and demonstrate support, including roles with little or no legal risk: setting up info tables, talking to passersby, coordinating child-friendly games and activities, etc. All are welcome to participate.

WHAT TO BRING: Bring your own cup or bottle, food and snacks, banners, signs, sunscreen, and bus fare. We aim to provide drinking water, but please bring what you can.

WHERE: Meet at Annieville Supermarket, 10996 River Road, North Delta.

GETTING THERE:

By bus from Scott Road Skytrain: Take the 640, leaving at 1:45 pm, from Bay 7 (to the left when you exit the station). Get off at River Road & 90 Ave. Alternate route, as the 640 may be full, is to take the 312, leaving at 1:35 pm, from Bay 3 (to right when you exit station). Get off at 112 St & 90 Ave and walk on 90 Ave to River Road.

By bus from Ladner Exchange: Take the 640, leaving at 1:25 pm, from Bay 3. Get off at River Road & 90 Ave (11000 block River Road).

By bus from Scottsdale Exchange: Take the 312, leaving at 1:32 pm, from Bay 3. Get off at 112 St & 90 Ave and walk on 90 Ave to River Road.
The 640 bus runs a full schedule 7 days per week, from early til late.

By bicycle or bus from the Vancouver Earth Day Parade (EarthDayParade.ca): Ride the wave against the pave! A group bike ride will depart from Napier Green (Napier St. & Commercial Dr.) at 12 noon for a leisurely 27km / 2 hour ride to the action. Free buses will be leaving Britannia Field at 2pm! Note that these buses will not get you to the Delta action in time for the start (2pm), but the action is planned to be ongoing. These free buses will not be providing return trips; bring return fare if you are planning to return home on the frequent regular buses.

By bicycle from Surrey: A group ride will depart from Newton Exchange at 1 pm!

By car(pool): Some parking is available in the area.

WHEN YOU GET THERE: Please be very polite to the Annieville Supermarket and other neighbours. We need to maintain and build community support.

* * * To volunteer / help set up, please arrive ONE HOUR EARLY (1pm) at the Annieville Supermarket * * *

WHY: Now under legal challenge in federal court, the estimated $2 billion proposed SFPR freeway would greatly increase greenhouse gas emissions, pave invaluable farmland, scar the banks of the Fraser River, pollute elementary playgrounds, cause devastating health impacts, and damage indigenous heritage sites. This freeway is an irresponsible waste of public money, and many similar projects have been stopped before. The SFPR has already been "downgraded" due to lack of funds, and dubbed a "white elephant" in the mainstream press. We will emphasize the need to shift resources from climate crimes like freeways to public transit and electric rail, and to protect communities from flooding and other effects of global warming. Read more in our Q & A.

Endorsed by: Against Port Expansion, Bridgeview Community Action Group, Car Free Vancouver, Forest Protection Allies, Friends of the UBC Farm, Indigenous Action Movement, Lily Point Defenders, Livable Region Coalition, No One Is Illegal, Pedal Revolutionary Radio, Rising Tide North America, South Fraser Action Network, Streams of Justice, Sunbury Neighbourhood Association, Transformative Communities Project, Unitarian Church of Vancouver Environment Committee, Van.Act!, Vancouver Island Community Forest Action Network, Voters Taking Action on Climate Change, Wild Salmon First, Women Elders in Action, Youth Taking Action on Gateway, add your group's endorsement now!

CONTACT: Send endorsements and questions to info@stopthepave.org or call 604 877 1223 or 604 588 4203, and visit us at www.StopThePave.org/wave

REQUEST FOR DONATIONS: Please donate now to support this action! We can squeeze a lot of action out of a few bucks. Donate via PayPal to info@stopthepave.org (or contact us to make alternate arrangements). Visit www.StopThePave.org/wave for more info including a list of requested food and gear. Thanks for your support.

Let's kick off a hot summer of resistance!

Stop the Pave -- Earth Day Action

jsmr — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 19:48:15 -0700

WHAT TO BRING: Bring your own cup or bottle, food and snacks, banners, signs, sunscreen, and bus fare. We aim to provide drinking water, but please bring what you can.

WHERE: Meet at Annieville Supermarket, 10996 River Road, North Delta.

GETTING THERE:

By bus from Ladner Exchange: Take the 640, leaving at 1:25 pm, from Bay 3. Get off at River Road & 90 Ave (11000 block River Road).

By bicycle from Surrey: A group ride will depart from Newton Exchange at 1 pm!

By car(pool): Some parking is available in the area.

WHEN YOU GET THERE: Please be very polite to the Annieville Supermarket and other neighbours. We need to maintain and build community support.

* * * To volunteer / help set up, please arrive ONE HOUR EARLY (1pm) at the Annieville Supermarket * * *

CONTACT: Send endorsements and questions to info@stopthepave.org or call 604 877 1223 or 604 588 4203, and visit us at www.StopThePave.org/wave

Let's kick off a hot summer of resistance!

Still Planting

KnowGreenNoWaste — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 09:47:26 -0700

My husband and I recently quit our jobs for the opportunity to promote awareness for the Earth and search out and test new "green" products.

Unfortunately this means I no longer have my drop-off locations for the 'cellphones for trees' collection. I'm no entirely disappointed. The further I got into it, the more I learned, and the more I realized I couldn't do this on my own and I needed more contacts and education. No matter, I only collected one cellphone with some posters and drop-offs...and I believe one of my co-workers took it home for use. At least it was being re-used. Now that I'm working from home (which means driving 100km less per week), I've been spending lots of time doing research and even started up another blog aimed entirely at informing the community.

Yesterday I dedicated 5 trees, to some people very close to my heart, for Easter and Earth Day. All I had to do was go to www.post-it.ca/plantitforward, type in a dedication and !BAM! a tree was planted. Real easy and way cool! Though this was not part of the original ideas behind 'Help Plant 1000 Trees', I'm going to put those 5 in the tally. Whether or not the cellphone thing works, I'd still like to plant a forest within the year and may as well try anything I can.

On top of those 5, I did manage to personally collect 7 cellphones to turn in. And the home business I've started plants 5 trees every time I order my all natural products from them, for a total of 5.

So, as of April 20, 2011, "I" have planted 17 trees this year. No to mention all the indirect ways I've planted trees by spreading the word about above incentives.

Kim Richter for Vancity's Board of Directors

Kim Richter — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 07:31:46 -0700

Hello!

I'm Kim Richter.

I'm running in the 2011 Vancity Board of Directors Election.

I think Vancity is an amazing organization and I'm so very proud to be part of it.

Vancity is setting the standard for all other financial institutions in this country because of our commitment to our communities. By giving back 30% of our profits to our environment. our communties and our members, we make our neighbourhoods better and stronger for all of our children and grandchildren.

If you want to change anything, dialogue is critical and we need input from all our key stakeholders especially our employees and our members. With that, I invite you to communicate with me on this blog so I can get a better understanding of the community I hope to represent on Vancity's Board of Directors.

Together, we have made Vancity the exceptional financial institution that it currently is and together we can make it even better for the future.

Thank you,
Kim Richter

(604) 856-9788 - Home
(604) 340-9517 - Cell

www.kimrichter.com
www.facebook.com/kim.richter2
www.twitter.com/KimRichterTOL

Earth Day is just around the corner!

KnowGreenNoWaste — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 21:56:42 -0700

Hey guys! Thought I'd kick it up a notch for Earth day this year and help promote a few key ideas:

First and foremost, I'd like to introduce you to Shaklee. An amazing line of natural, non-toxic (and completely healthy for us and the planet) products. I just tossed (safely and properly) all my old household cleaners a couple weeks ago in faith of promised outcomes. I can't believe how well they work. For any of you who have you used "greener" products, you have to admit they don't carry a lot of punch. This one is different. You can check it out all over youtube.com or www.FreedomVI.myshaklee.com

Second, I have to tell everyone to go to www.post-it.ca/plantitforward. Right now you can dedicate up to 5 trees to people you know, and then they get to do the same and so on. They have set out to plant a max of 10,000 trees this year but only if you dedicate one! So far they are just over 500 trees dedicated for planting.

Finally, keep updated on 'green' topics by checking out my blog at www.kgnw.blogspot.com. This month is recycling!

Remember kids: Know Green, No Waste =)

The Story of Wealth

patrice.pratt — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 07:53:08 -0700

Today I am launching a new youtube video. The video is me sharing my story of what wealth means in our community and why I care about Vancity.

Watch the video here: http://youtu.be/-6Jrv00EUts

We want more people to vote in this Vancity election so we keep Vancity strong, green and progressive.

There are three ways to vote:

Vote Online (www.vancity.com) - vote anytime from April 5-30

Vote by Mail - Vancity mails out ballots to all members in early April

Vote in Branch - voting in branch takes place from April 25 to April 30

Voting ends on April 30, 2011.

Please vote for Patrice Pratt - www.patricepratt.ca Working together, we can keep Vancity strong, green and progressive.

Home Delivery

Wayne McKay — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 15:00:04 -0700

Growing up in Killarney, Manitoba, surrounded as I was by aunts, uncles, cousins and extended family, was an idyllic setting for a young man with limited means and big dreams. It was an era of little crime (no one locked the door to their house or car) and the price of a quart of milk or loaf of bread changed little from same year to year and inflation had not yet reached public consciousness.

After finishing school I was offered a job as the Produce Manager of the local Co-op store. It was an ambitious title for someone who stocked shelves, acted as cashier/check out clerk and delivered groceries. However the multi-tasking experience was useful as was the insight gained from dealing with people in a cooperative environment although my idealism took a beating when co-op members requested that I ring up their membership number for purchases made by non-members.

When you are raised in a small town (population 1,500) you know most of the residents and the family connections. I even knew the political/church affiliations of residents and the split between the free enterprisers and cooperators. What I didn’t know was the personal histories and the war stories. These I found fascinating as I made the rounds twice a day in my nifty delivery truck. The shut-ins, the veterans and the elderly were happy to share their experiences and often placed an order just for the company. The grannies insisted I share a spot of tea with them and I realized that everyone has a story to tell and everyone you meet is better than you at something.

Naturally my visits did extend the delivery time and this would sometimes frustrate my manager who didn't seem to care when I protested that there was considerable public relations value in taking the extra time to listen to members and that sales were in fact up! I did endeavour to speed up my rounds and this experience ended up being a pivotal lesson for me in that good service is of paramount importance especially in a cooperative environment.