Green event listings
January 31, 2008
Green events for the week of Jan. 31 - Feb. 7
Agents Of Change Seminar on transforming your body composition using the latest nutrition and training strategies. Thursday, January 31, 7 pm. Free. Big Carrot, 348 Danforth. 416.466.2129.
Measuring Phthalates in Breast Milk U of T Centre for Environment lecture by community health professor Susan Phillips. Thursday, January 31, 4 pm. Free. Health Sciences Bldg Rm 106, 155 College. 416.978.3475.
Trim your waste-line
January 31, 2008
Hard to believe we’ve reached the end of January. Do your new year’s resolutions already seem a little foggy? We’ve compiled a list of hints and reminders to help refresh your commitment to being more green.
The green goods
January 31, 2008
Cool green stuff we stumbled across this week
Sushi fans beware: the New York Times recently tested sushi from 20 different popular stores and restaurants in Manhattan and found extremely high, possibly even dangerous levels of mercury in the sample pieces they had tested. To find how how much tuna you can safely put back, check out the Environmental Working Group’s tuna calculator.
More concern over bisphenol A
January 30, 2008
Using polycarbonate plastic bottles for heated liquids causes a frightening increase in the amount of bisphenol A (BPA) leaching into drinks, according to a new research study. Pouring boiling water into a Nalgene bottle increased BPA migration rates by up to 55-fold compared with room-temperature water in experiments conducted by a U.S. university. The finding suggests that parents sterilizing polycarbonate baby bottles by heating them in water or the microwave may be inadvertently increasing their children’s exposure to the chemical.
Help name a new TO mag
January 29, 2008
In June 2008, Toronto is expecting the launch the Toronto Cyclists Union, the first membership-driven bicycle advocacy group in the city. The union hopes to work together with other groups to build our community into a strong, diverse, fun and effective network of thousands of bike riders working toward a sustainable city. In the meantime, the group needs your help in naming their soon-to-launched magazine. Over 250 names were submitted, and the list has been narrowed down to eleven. Vote for your pick here!
16 ways to recycle your cell phone
January 29, 2008
The average lifespan of a cell phone is about 18 months - which, when measured against the number of cell phone users in North America, means that up to 130 million of them are tossed into the waste stream every year. Cell phones contain highly toxic materials that can pollute the air and leach into groundwater, including lead, mercury, beryllium, arsenic, cadmium and antimony.
Toronto may be bad for the heart
January 29, 2008
Chronic exposure to air pollution in Toronto may be causing heart disease in otherwise healthy people, the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation said yesterday. The province received a failing grade from the foundation in a new report card on pollution and heart health.
Green event listings
January 28, 2008
Green events for the week of Jan. 27 - Jan. 31
Icebergs to Sand Dunes - Our Changing Planet Adventurers Geoff Green and Ray Zahab talk about the effects of climate change on two desert biomes. Monday, January 28, 7pm. $25. Bloor Cinema, 506 Bloor W.
Grassroots solar project
January 28, 2008
A proposed bylaw will be reviewed by city council this week to allow homeowners and businesses to install various renewable-energy devices on their property, including solar panels and wind turbines. The bylaw is a direct result of the work of the West Toronto Initiative for Solar Energy (WISE) - a community-led renewable energy project.
Agency aims to make transit pleasant
January 28, 2008
Toronto area transportation agency Metrolinx is developing ideas for turning transit terminals into “mobility hubs” where bus, pedestrian and bike traffic would intersect with subways, trains and streetcars. The hubs would be designed as convenient and pleasant facilities - complete with showers, clean and staffed locker rooms, WIFI lounges, secure storage and cafes - more than the strictly functional (an often unpleasant) atmospheres of transit stations around the GTA.
