Ecolo-Planet

Installation of a time-switch

Earth — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 21:15:40 +0000

In order to save energy and money, get yourself and install time-switches anywhere you can, inside or outside your house. In the summer, as soon as you start up your pool, the installation of a time-switch is a must.

Pool filters don’t need to work 24hours per day. Furthermore, stopping your filter will allow you to relax in your own backward, pool or spa! And if you sleep with your windows open, you will sleep better !

When it is the Holidays, while you put on your lights and Christmas decoration, don’t forget to install a time-switch. This rule is good for all the interior and exterior decorations. It is also valid for your Christmas tree.

You ca also install a time-switch for your vehicle’s motor block-heater, in winter time of course. Between 4 and 6 hours of heating is enough.

Green advice to remove a patch of grass

Earth — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 21:21:44 +0000

Your little guy back in the park with the green knees? In fact, with your knees while green pants? Here’s a little trick to overcome the green patches summer …

The little green thing to remove a patch of grass is simply to use an old toothbrush and scrub the stain of grass with plasticine teeth. Rub the stain green with a circular motion.

Remove excess foam, tooth paste, and repeat if necessary. Still without adding water. When the result seems convincing, rinse with water.

Boutique La Gaillarde

Earth — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 21:15:30 +0000

The respect of the ecology and the environment is everywhere nowadays. Either in the Medias, at work or in our homes…

The ecological trend is even in our wardrobe. Indeed, after the ecological shoes of Gisele Bundchen, here is the boutique La Gaillarde !

This boutique offers a quantity of eco friendly clothing and accessories. The mission of the boutique La Gaillarde is to offer ethical, ecological, practical and trendy cloths to her customers by promoting the local talents of our designers and to contribute to the economy of their neighbourhood (St-Henri, Montreal).

They advocate the reutilisation of cloths so don’t hesitate to go drop off the cloths you don’t wear anymore. You can also bring them practically anything. You can join them at (514) 989-5134.

The boutique La Gaillarde also offers you sewing lessons and they make every month a free fashion show. You will find more information about them on their website.

Congratulations to the boutique La Gaillarde for this initiative !

Ikea car

Earth — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 21:13:07 +0000

In a time where we need to diminish what we consummate, Ikea offers an interesting solution… With the Ikea car, you can contribute to reduce the global warming. Indeed, the Ikea car, that you assemble at home, with his reduced packing, allows a notable reduction of the toxically emanations… There is also a non-negligible benefit because of the reduction of the assembly factories that needs a lot of electricity.

We recommend, if you are quit crafty and dexterous, the Ikea car kit.

Please note : you will probably need a truck to transport the box of the Ikea car… the box is a bit bulky !

Why change the shower-head

Earth — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 21:12:58 +0000

Changing the shower-head for a shower-head with a reduce debit will reduce the quantity of hot water used. And hot water is pricy !

So why so many people delay or refuse to do so ?

It is pretty easy to change the shower-head. If you are not at ease, ask an expert at your local hardware store.

Stop asking yourself why to change the shower-head and act now !

For a 4 person family that takes a daily shower, the savings are significant. So imagine the savings on drinkable water and energy for the society and the planet !

Recycling rip off

Earth — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:15:45 +0000

Citizens, those poor consumers, are called, with the help of brainwashing type publicities, to take the responsibility for recycling. Either, citizens are asking for it… People want to be very responsible towards their planet. They want their government to be as well. Just like municipalities and businesses.

But all of this has a cost. What is that cost ? Nobody knows, and nobody really wants to know! Why ? Because the recycling calculus is very complex. And we are not sure that we want to know ! Here is the recycling rip off working… let me elaborate…Of course, pollution is harmful for the environment. Very harmful. Everybody is agreeing on that point. Worst, at this day, it is not imaginable to unpollute the air. Water, earth, it is pricy but feasible. The air isn’t. With its consequences like a whole in the ozone and the global warming.

So this is it, everybody is recycling. We wash our plastic, glass or metal recipients. We throw them in our recycling basket. Those baskets are collected and transported at the recycling factory. The material are treated, classified, compacted and stored. Then, they are transported elsewhere by truck, train or even by boat overseas. What is the cost of this process ? And there are still missing elements to take in consideration. Just for fun (or to make us cry) lets try to make a summary list of the cost and sources of pollution resulting from this decision to recycle…

1. The washing made by the citizens :

water (cold and hot)
Soap (most of the time not biodegradable)
Processing of used water
Operation cost
Chemical products released in the environment
Heating of the water (using of electricity or heating oil or propane)

2. Construction of the recycling baskets for the citizens :

Conception of the baskets (design, etc.)
Plastic
Where is it from ? (made out of essence, extraction, refining, pollution)
Transportation of the plastic to the basket factory
Price of the trucks
Price of the transportation (essence)
Price of the maintenance of the trucks
Pollution

3. Building of the baskets :

Maintenance of the factory (lights and heat)
Electricity of the machines
Maintenance of the machines
Storing of the baskets (stockroom to heat)
Workforce for that process
Workforce to pay for that process
Transportation to go to the factory (pollution)

4. Transportation of the baskets (towards municipalities, cities and distribution) :

Truck
Price of the trucks
Price of the transportation (essence)
Price of the maintenance of the trucks
Pollution
Management of the distribution (bureaucracy, papers, communication, etc.)
Workforce for that process
Workforce to pay for that process
Transportation to go to the factory (pollution)

5. Picking of the recycling baskets :

Truck for the picking up
Price of the trucks
Price of the transportation (essence)
Price of the maintenance of the trucks
Pollution
Workforce for that process
Workforce to pay for that process
Transportation to go to the factory (pollution)

6. Factory for the classification of the materials picked up :

Maintenance of the factory (lights and heat)
Electricity of the machines
Maintenance of the machines
Workforce for that process
Workforce to pay for that process
Transportation to go to the factory (pollution)

7. Stocking of the classified materials :

Cost of the storing
Workforce to pay for that process

8. Transportation of the classified materials

Transportation can go towards re-using factories ( this can be by truck, train or boat)

9. Processing to melt down the metal :

Heating to melt
Pollution
Storing

10. Processing for recycling the paper :

Whitened process (chemical pollution)
Water (cold and hot)
Soap (most of the time not biodegradable)
Processing of used water
Operation cost
Chemical products released in the environment
Heating of the water (using of electricity or heating oil or propane)
Storing

11. Processing for the glass

Heating to melt
Pollution
Storing

This list is far from being complete and I don’t act like I am an expert about the recycling process…
But I truly believe that we should start a reflection !

We are aware that there is a major impact when we throw away recyclable things to the garbage towards the dump. However, it seems obvious that the recycling process involves a lot of money and is probably more harmful to the environment then the act of throwing things away.

It seems vital to review our recycling model and start to question ourselves. Furthermore the paper price dropped from over 100$ to 5$ for a metric ton.

One of the advantages of the recycling process is all the employment of that work chain… But is it enough ? Since, we need to remember that it is not the goal.

They are many other alternatives more relevant then recycling it self… First, we would have to stop over wrapping and buy locally. Here are two actions that have a direct impact right at the source.

Changing light bulbs

Earth — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:13:01 +0000

When you leave a room, close the lights !
When you leave your house, close the lights other then the presence lights.
When you get to sleep, close the lights in the house and also the exterior lights.

Changing, in the house anywhere where there is a big lightning, the light bulbs for light bulbs of a smaller power (less of watts) is not necessary. For example, replacing the corridor 100 watts light bulbs for 60 Watts light bulbs. They need less power. You can also use graduated switch to minimise your using.

With many little actions like this one add up together, in one year, you will save some money and help the planet !

Ecological shoes

Earth — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:13:01 +0000

This is how we love our artists! Pretty and taking responsibilities for the environment !

Gisele Bundchen is a very pretty top model and allows wonderful pictures. But other then this, she started, some time ago already, to sell eco-friendly sandals for the Forest of the future project.

Those eco-friendly sandals are 100% recyclable and with the sell of each pair goes to the reforestation of the Brazilian forests. The goal is to reforest 15 hectares.

Those eco-friendly sandals our appropriate since they are now sold in Quebec.

Order a pair now on the website www.ponyride.ca

Congratulations Gisele !

Ecological tip to get ride of a calcium stain

Earth — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 21:01:03 +0000

Calcium is very useful to improve the road safety in the winter. On top on being harmful for the environment, calcium can stain our clothes. It would be a good thing for the ministry to favour sand and small rocks… But until then, we are stock with it.

It could be from the calcium on the winter roads or from any other origin, it is not very tricky to wash off a calcium stain on our clothes. Here is a very simple ecological tip to get ride of a calcium stain that anyone can try at home. Furthermore, this is with what you already have at home!

You will need a braid of vinegar and water from tap. You will have to dilute the vinegar with a little bit of water and let the stain dip in. After a few moments, the stain will be gone.

Ecological tip to get rid off an ink pencil stain

Earth — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 21:00:59 +0000

When we discover an ink pencil stain on our clothing, we are always a bit discouraged. However, these are not the worst stains to try and get ride off.

Here is a very simple and ecological tip to get rid off an ink pencil stain according to grand-mothers…

Poor a little bit of milk in a small bowl. Dip in the stain in the bowl and make sure that it is covering the ink stain. After letting the milk “work his way in”, wash with soap water and rub the stain. Rinse thoroughly in order to take off every trace of milk…