Andrea's Everything Eco Exploration

Ever want to live off the grid? I do, and I plan on making it happen by educating myself about passive house development and permaculture, among other things. It would be such a liberating feeling; being able to rely on yourself rather than big government, globalization and mass produced everything. You'd become more in tune with nature, living off her and using her power. The thought is completely enticing. And it's becoming a lot more popular! There are many reasons for going off the grid. Be it financial, environmental, lack of trust in social systems, the benefits are many. And there's some good resources out there to help! http://www.off-grid.net/  is a website founded by Nick Rosen, and is a great resource for off the grid tips and information. There's also many permaculture courses available in pretty much every city. With a little knowledge and a little determination, living off the grid is totally possible! How exciting!

I'm a bit of a die hard when it comes to litter. Any time I see some garbage on the ground I immediately pick it up. Even better if that litter is a plastic bag I can store all the litter I recover. Then if it's not too gross I will sort it into recyclables and trash. Picking up litter is such a good feeling. It feels like I'm doing my part, doing what most people wont, and it's contributing to the improvement of our environment. If only more people found litter as easy to pick up as is to drop. I've seen some pretty interesting things in my litter collection adventures.  It really says a lot about who we are as a society.  We treat everything as a commodity,  refusing to take responsibility  for what keeps us living comfortably.  The ability to not feel guilty when littering the streets with materials that no longer satisfy our needs. We do it discretely so the neighbors wont see. But really we're going about this the wrong way. Each day we're

The other day I had a job interview with Recycling Council of Alberta  (click it to find out more) to be a summer ambassador, educating the public and industries about recycling and waste minimization. I was incredibly stoked on the job, everything about it excited me. So during the interview which was housed at Weeds cafe, I poured out my environmental soul just slightly. I even brought my 'i recycle' mug :) A few hours after my interview I receive an email from them, offering me the job! I was so happy I did a little dance! This is an amazing opportunity to really learn about the nitty gritty recycling reality here in Alberta. And better yet I get to use this knowledge to help other people learn, and help spread the knowledge and the message that we as a society can be accountable for our waste and do our part to live a sustainable existence. So ya. Expect to learn a lot more about recycling and waste minimization as I use this blog as a medium to spread my knowledge!

The bathroom is a place where a lot of waste is generated, and harmful chemicals are used. If we can alter our behaviors though, we can make the bathroom a much friendlier place! Cleaners: The harsh chemicals in your cleaners can have significant health and environmental effects. When we wash these cleaners down our drains it runs the risk that they won't be effectively removed from the water, and released back into our rivers. Most of these crazy cleaning chemicals aren't even necessary. There's a lot of cleaning products you can make from household products, for less money! Dish soap and vinegar  is a great soap scum buster and all around multi-purpose cleaner. Simply mix one part dish soap and two parts vinegar and dilute with one or two parts water depending on your desired strength. This product leaves things smelling vinegary but if you add some essential oils (I like lemon or lavender) it creates a pleasant natural smell. Baking soda and vinegar is a g reat