Living Me to We. Craig Kielburger

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      7:10 a.m.

      FlushedAway

      Conserve Water

      WHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD do people flood their backyards every winter day to make a hockey rink? We’re a nation of water wasters, but our hockey-loving habits can be eco-friendly, too. When we visited a reserve in Manitoba, we saw the difference in living. In many such communities, people live precariously boiling water or drinking bottled H20. Some said the tap water was too dirty even to bathe in. We think of Canada as a world-class country, but half a million Aboriginal Canadians go without access to safe water.Now compare that to the rest of the country, which uses an astonishing amount of water (an estimated 343 litres per day on average) all available with the easy turn of a tap. Only Americans use more water. We use and abuse most of this water in our bathrooms. There is nothing like a hot, relaxing bath on a cold winter morning, and afternoon and evening and … you get the point. We love baths and showers. In fact, over 65 percent of the water used at home is sucked down the bathroom drain.We’ve tried to cut our watery ways by speeding up the sudsy soak. But there are better ways to reduce than jumping out with soap still behind our ears. Older toilet models can use as much as 20 litres per flush – approximately the size of a water cooler jug! Ditch that H20 guzzler for a new and improved edition (some flush close to half a litre of water), which most provinces and municipalities will cover up to $150. That beloved shower streams 15 to 20 litres a minute straight down the drain. A low-flow showerhead halves that amount with no noticeable difference in water pressure. Some models come with an easy shut-off button for sudsing. Knowing that you’re not wasting water in the washroom? Now that’s relaxing…

      WATER WISEGARDEN:Plant indigenous plants that need no watering.Make sure to water your lawn at dawn or dusk; the yard will evaporate less water and stay moist longer.Avoid overwatering: a typical lawn requires only one water every four to five days.KITCHEN:As if you needed another reason to load up the ol’ washer and call it a day, now studies say we conserve more water with a dishwasher than handwashing.Promise to never throw away water; pour leftover water on plants instead.Keep your drinking water cold in the fridge, rather than running the faucet until it’s cold.Thaw frozen food overnight, rather than running under hot water.BATHROOM:Turn off the tap while brushing teeth.Troubleshoot your tank. Put a few drops of food colouring in the tank, wait a minute and see if the colour seeps into the bowl. If so, you’ve sprung a leak, matey!Place a 2-litre bottle in your tank to displace the water, making sure it doesn’t interfere with the pulleys and traps of the tank.

      MORNING

      Wake Me Up

      7:10 a.m.

      WHERE THE H₂0 GOES

      Indoor Water Use

       GO TO PAGE 152 FOR MORE TIPS AND INFORMATION

      Source: David Suzuki’s Green Guide (David Suzuki Foundation).

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       Morning | Living Me To We

      MORNING

      Wake Me Up

      7:20 a.m.

      Clothes Minded

      Wear What Matters

      RANSACKING YOUR CLOSET to unearth an outfit often leads to the same conclusion: I have nothing to wear! (Yes, guys think it too, ladies.) But more likely, we have nothing ethical to wear. Prices have plunged faster than V-necks on men. This means we’re buying a third more clothing than just a few years ago. All this fast fashion is bad for the environment (cotton is often doused with pesticides like it’s cheap cologne) and bad for the people in distant sweatshops. After seeing the factories where these here-today-gone-tomorrow togs are made, it’s impossible to feel good about what we’re wearing.Me to We Style says good-bye to guilt-ridden clothing. With the help of co-founder Oliver Madison, we launched a company that doesn’t rely on pesticide-coated cotton or children in sweatshops, or create untold amounts of pollution and environmental damage. To put that in fashion speak: that is SO last season! So few clothing companies follow ethical standards that Me to We Style had to set its own. We use organic and sweatshop-free fabrics, recycled polyester from plastic bottles – all manufactured in Canada. If that’s not enough, for every T-shirt sold, we also plant a tree, and half our profits go to our charity partner, Free The Children. A wardrobe that builds schools, digs wells and makes the world a better place. That doesn’t just solve your what-to-wear dilemma, it makes a real fashion statement.

      PAIN IS NOT BEAUTYCut back on your closet! Save your cash for that extra special, ethically made something-something.Look for clothing companies, such as Patagonia, Icebreaker, Me to We Style, that account for its entire supply chain from start to finish.Remember sustainable, ethical clothing is often better made, lasts longer and saves you money.Shop vintage or second-hand for a true recycled fashion experience.Take note: not all designer or expensive clothing is ethically made. Checking websites, asking in-store or running a quick search online will turn up more answers.Check out local and hand-made products at craft festivals or online marketplaces, such as Etsy.

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      Living Me To We | Morning

      MORNING

      Wake Me Up

      7:20 a.m.

      THE LIFE OF A T-SHIRT

       GO TO PAGE 153 FOR MORE TIPS AND INFORMATION

      Source: “Waste Couture: Environmental Impact of the Clothing Industry,” Environmental Health Perspectives, September 2007.

      17

       Morning | Living Me To We

      MORNING

      Wake Me Up

      7:35 a.m.

      My Chemical Romance

      Cosmetics’ Ugly Secret

      WORKING AT A NON-PROFIT where the majority of the staff is female, we’re surrounded by women all day. Most gravitate to the natural side of the perfume spectrum (and hey, that side looks great, too!) but on occasion a woman will pass us in the hallway, travelling in this perfume-scented bubble. Our first thought is usually “how can she smell exactly like morning dew?” But our second is usually one of concern. Every morning the average woman spritzes and dabs 12 personal care products on her face and body, exposing her to 126 different chemicals, some of them carcinogens, hormone disruptors and neurotoxins. We dudes don’t fare much better: the equation works out to eight personal care products and 86 different chemicals. We have no trouble reducing our “beauty” routine – Craig’s only consists of that dubious crystal deodorant anyways. We may be your typical guys, but we’re also loud and proud feminists. After considering the dubious chemical profile of so many cosmetics, we figured there had to be a way for the gals (and guys) in our lives to pamper themselves safely.So, we compiled a list of companies that care about our bodies and СКАЧАТЬ