Queen of Green archives
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Light up your life
January 31, 2011If you're reading this, chances are you've switched many of your incandescent light bulbs for more efficient and long-lived CFLs. But I've learned that one kind of bulb isn't the perfect fit for every socket. More »
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What the phth? Safer kids' toys just a baby step.
January 24, 2011Phthalates. Hard to say but finally banned from children's soft vinyl toys as of June 2011. (For the record, it's pronounced thal-ate.) Mainly used as plasticizers, these were added to polyvinyl chloride (PVC) to make products flexible. 'Cause who wants a square rubber ducky? More »
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The dish on dishwasher soap
January 18, 2011Phosphates in laundry detergents during the '60s and '70s might have had our mothers seeing whiter whites, but they also turned our streams, rivers and lakes green. Last year a ban on phosphates was introduced for a product you may not have even realized contained phosphates. More »
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New Year's resolve: clean up your trash habits
January 6, 2011January is not known as trash season, though your garbage collector might disagree. This year, ring in the New Year by changing the way you throw things out. More »
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Inspiration is only a flush away
December 13, 2010The Smiths have just started their "greening" and already they're inspiring others. (And by others, I mean me, the Queen of Green!) Find out how a beloved bathtub toy seahorse inspired two toilet replacements. More »
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Green deals and coupons
December 7, 2010We can't shop our way out of this mess, but at some point we all need to buy something — be it a new pair of underwear or a gift for a special someone. What if there were coupons and deals for "green" stores and products? More »
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Breaking up with your garburator
November 29, 2010When you put stuff down your garburator, do you think you're feeding the fish? Whatever goes into an in-sink disposal unit gets cleaned and treated in the sanitary sewer system, wasting energy and water. Why wash organics that can be composted into soil? More »
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Five tips for a happy, healthy and green holiday season
November 23, 2010Every holiday season I receive a sack full of requests from Canadians on how to celebrate a more environmentally friendly Christmas. Here are this year's tips on how to stay green, long after the snow flies. More »
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Greening the Smiths
November 15, 2010I'm greening the Smiths. Join me over the next six weeks as one Alberta family turns a brighter shade of green. (They had me at "cloud machine".) More »
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Day 11: If I ate fish, I'd eat sardines
October 15, 2010Eating a pound of tuna represents roughly 100 times the footprint of a pound of sardines. Small fish also are among the healthiest seafood a person can eat, containing less toxins and more nutrition, and relying on fewer fossil fuels. Plus they're affordable. How do you support sustainable seafood? More »
