This is a general rule for anything to do with my life. In simplifying, it gets me the answers I need.

simplifying creates clarity in all things

I know it’s a bold statement, but let’s look at why!

When you simplify, it creates room for something new. It allows you the space to move forward, whether the space be in your mind, life or the material world.

my definition of simplifying – the art of removing something to lighten your burden

So, if you simplify, you are removing a process, getting rid of stuff or eliminating information that you know longer need. In doing so you have create one less thing to worry about.

If you rinse and repeat, it allows you to see more clearly. You know longer have the burden of maintaining one or multiple things.

Word of caution – just because you removed something, doesn’t mean you need to add something new.

Try it.

Try decluttering. Try making a process easier by removing steps. Free up your time, money and free up your mind.

Get the clarity you need….just by simplifying.

I’m not talking about the sixties drug craze or a sci-fi adventure either. I’m talking about real people that walk around and are oblivious to their surroundings.

pay attention, don’t be a zombie!

Okay, I’ve ranted for long enough. What am I talking about?

In any given day, people look tired. They make themselves seem important.

They have no time for anything.

Well, almost anything.

The world is about a quick fix of consumption – data, communication and purchases. The vast majority seem distracted by media, communications and devices. People walk with heads down while texting or talking.

They aren’t taking in the day and paying attention to the world around them. They bump in to people and become careless. I call them a hazard.

I think life is like that too. Pay attention to your surroundings and you will enjoy the world around you. You won’t be a hazard. The world will be a bit better.

it was peaceful a few years back

People talked and walked.

They looked where they were going.

They didn’t put themselves and other’s in danger by walking across the street without looking.

They didn’t drive while talking on their device.

It was quieter.It was safer. It was less convenient but…we managed, and we were more productive.

When people were talking with you, they talked to you without interruption. That was called courtesy. And it was productive, because conversations got finished without concentration being broken.

So, why the rant?

If you want to be more productive and courteous, try using your device in an efficient manner. Pick the appropriate time to make calls and send texts. You don’t always have to respond in order to get an immediate fix.

Slow down.

Enjoy life.

Respect the people that you are with.

You can have your cake and eat it too…just do it effectively. You’d be amazed at the difference it will make in creating not only a calmer environment but a more productive one too!

It’s important to constantly take an inventory and changing how you do things. Each time you do, it is a step towards a more simple process and therefore a more manageable and enjoyable life.

You may notice that many people stick with the norm. They don’t test the boundaries and improve the quality for their community by reviewing how many blogs should you have or looking at countless questions they could ask.

Simplifying gives you a chance to review and make changes in your life.

It promotes growth.

There are countless bloggers out there that try to satisfy their audience with long winded articles on a frequent basis. In the world of information overload, this is too much.

I try to minimize my word count. I don’t care if the search engines rank me higher or lower (well I care but not based on the size of my article).

I prefer to offer simple bits of information that you can digest and use. So I try to keep my content to under 500 words, preferably under 300.

This takes practice, which challenges your mind and improves your skills. The end result is a better and easier world for you and all those around you.

Take the time to simplify everything you do and you will notice little improvements everywhere that can make a big difference in the bigger picture to the people you touch and share your life with.

Today’s post is a short life lesson on the simplicity of perseverance and effort.

In the past few months I have had countless obstacles and barriers to make the changes in my life.

Each of them required effort to get the desired result that I wanted.

There is no easy button

Here’s a look at a few obstacles I had to overcome:

• limited internet connectivity
• selling my stuff to have a minimal and mobile life
• laptop repairs to get mobile computing
• getting a new car on the road
• learning linux “again” after a 5 year absence
• cultural and religious barriers

And dozen more time constraining, money limiting and personal beliefs or conflicts that needed to be reviewed.

Instead of running away from each of them, I had to make the effort to move forward.If I wanted it, I had to take the actions to make it happen. Nobody was going to do it for me.

My actions were the exact thing that kept me from or helped me to move forward. Without perseverance and dedication to the desired result, it would have been impossible to achieve any of it.

Everyone gets stucks sometimes. We all become stagnant.

But the choices we make and actions we take to move forward are what separate us from the pack and help us to move forward. Good things happen to those that help themselves.

I encourage all of you to take the next step and then continue on until you achieve the good things you want.

Take action!

It’s not as hard as you think. I promise

From now on…the simply stephen network will be a just that – a network of sites. All of them related to simply stephen.

Simplicity is sometimes staring you right in the face. I was struggling with maintaining a half dozen websites. It was a lot of content creation.

You know what – my sites are about life.

All of them.

So I have broken them down in that way. It will now be possible to write several good quality articles each week without overwhelming myself by writing several articles for each site.

Most days I will now be able to post an article. I will direct you to the appropriate site and will give a quick recap here.

They include:

1. the yurtopia project – exploring alternative lifestyles
2. cope with life – how to cope with life obstacles
3. have a niche day – a day in the life of a blogger (an introverted and ethical perspective)
4. living on a dime – how to save money (and still be green)
5. simply stephen – green simple living (philosophies and ideas on green simple living)

That’s a much more manageable workload that will increase the quality of posts and expose you to the various aspects of living. If you are interested in a single topic you can visit that site exclusively or get the whole gamut by checking out simply stephen.

Today, check out cope with life and go with the flow to experience life.

I have discussed consumption in great detail but for the last couple days, I’ve been contemplating actions that reduce electronic waste and how we can implement solutions.

I’ve decided to create a blueprint, a road map of questions to help you dispose and purchase electronics wisely.

steps to reduce electronic waste

The best way to look for a solution is to disect the causes of the hazards into 3 main areas:

1. production (the manufacturer)
2. consumption (the consumer, that’s you)
3. disposal (the government with cooperation from you and the manufacturer)

follow a road map to make your decision

A few questions  & resources followed in order can be applied to any sustainable purchasing process quite effectively to make the right choice.

Question 1 – do I really need this product or do I just want it?

If NO you are done

If YES or MAYBE go to question 2 & 3

Question 2 – can I repair or stretch the use of the old one?

Question 3 – can I wait 30 days?

This gives you a chance to rethink.

If YES or MAYBE go to question 4

Question 4 – where do I repair it?

Research your options (even an expensive repair can stretch your money and reduce landfill). You can look on local classifieds to find a handyman that may repair it for less.

If you decide to repair you are done

IF you decide to purchase then move on to question 5

Question 5 – what product is the best quality and value?

Research the best products and places to purchase – what matches your needs (do a chart)

Go back to question 1

Then ask these questions to research eco friendly electronic purchasing:

1. What is the most energy efficient device?
2. Which product will last the longest?
3. Can this product be recycled?
4. Is the product made from recyclable material?
5. Are there replacement parts or consumables?
6. Does the replacement and consumable have a recycling program?
7. Does the manufacturer have a disposal or take back program?
8. Does the manufacturer reduce packaging and distribution?
9. Which product will last the longest?
10. Which manufacturer cares about the environment and community?

Here’s a bit of help to choose green products. You can also check out the green washing index to help make a quick choice.

Now you are ready to purchase by moving on to question 6

Question 6 – can I buy, barter or trade to get this product used?

If yes or maybe here are some great ideas to swap barter and trade

If you decide to buy it new (or are unable to find the perfect match) ask question 7

Question 7 – what is the best place to buy this product new?

If you have done question 5 thoroughly, you will know which product you want and whether you want to purchase new or used. Make sure you buy from a responsible retailer!

Now the follow up begins and you will need to move on to question 8

You need to dispose of the old one – keeping it only adds to a consumptive mentality since you will need space to hold on to it and it’s value is limited if unused (it is depreciating). Throwing it out will increase the chances that it ends up polluting the environment.

Question 8 – how do I get rid of the old product responsibly?

If it is in good condition you have 2 choices:

Question 9 – can I sell it to a consumer?

Try the usual suspects of online classified, ebay or bartering sites mentioned in question 6.

There are a few programs that may pay you for your old products and even have products for purchase. One recently discovered program is You Renew.

If you find a buyer you are done.

If you have no luck selling it move on to question 10

Question 10 – can I give it away?

You can choose to give it to a consumer or donate it:

To give it away ask your friends, coworkers or people in your community firts. Then try all the online classifieds (make sure you use ones that are free and only sell locally as this keeps it out of the recycling stream and reduces the impact).

Even a broken product could be someone else’s treasure. You can also use the Free Cycle Network to find a quick home.

If you find someone you are done.

If you need to donate it ask question 11 and/or 12

(some recycle programs listed below will be donate it to schools or communities in need)

Question 11 – is there a manufacturer take back program?

Start with the manufacturer – they have more stringent guidelines that are regulated globally.They also partner with many programs that benefit the community.

Visit the Electronic Takeback Coalition for a  comprehensive list of programs.

If you find a program, call them and you are done.

If you can’t find a manufacturer take back move on to question 12

Question 12  – what programs recycle responsibly?

Try your municipality first to make sure a program is in place.

You can look up where to recycle on earth911

Find the right program. Research for the correct disposal method usually only takes a quick email or call:

Guide To Recycling Electronics Responsibly

Recycling and Donating Electronics

Basel Action Network

Tech Soup Complete Donation List (this is a very large list and can be sorted by region)

Once you have found the program you like, do a quick call to one of the other groups to make sure they are a solid choice!

Give them a call and you are now done!

Pat yourself on the back.

You can follow this process for any product that you feel is harmful if you want to keep it out of the waste stream.

Go to Digital Tips or Greener Computing for an even more comprehensive breakdown of each step for a consumer to take in the cradle to grave scenario of computer and electronic waste and purchasing. A few more questions to ask if you are interested in further research on the topic.

I hope this provides a good guide and helps you dispose or purchase electronics accordingly. If there is anything I have missed or any suggestions please add your comments below or contact me. Please share and distribute this as freely as possible. I may make a visual road map in the near future to promote this idea further as I feel quite strongly about the impact of the solution.

That’s just the start. The conundrum. Without technology and  growth we are unable to sustain our economy. That makes it hard to make a living. The poor suffer the most in this situation

While online media reduces paper and CO2, it also has a cost. Each computer uses 40-80 grams of greenhouse gas every hour.  Read this CNN article on reading an article and take a look at the Wall Street Journal’s take on the impact of just searching on Google.

There is also the servers and pipelines scattered across the web that need to be accounted for. For every hour you access you are also using up the servers energy. Then there are the countless devices and gadgets, both mobile and stationary use. Using them may consume less energy but they have batteries, and production costs too – not to mention packaging.

Technology needs to be manufactured, marketed and distributed. With more technology and gadgets, consumers use more resources. Oh, and power needs to be consumed – at increasing levels!

so what are the environmental burdens?

1. loss of habitat such as forests and watershed
2. destruction of fragile eco systems (non reversible)
3. global warming as a result of gas emissions
4. contamination of water and land as a result of waste
5. limiting or eliminating natural resources available
6. imposing on a culturally historic or dependent society (to the land)
7. removing resources for a community
8. exploiting a community for labour and resources

Those are some of the big impacts.

but what can I do about it?

Many people ask this question and expect someone else to come up with the answer. I hear this answer a lot:

The government or big corporations need to come up with a solution

Here’s an eyeopener for you – Governments are designed to regulate and create policy. Corporations have to meet shareholders and owner goals of growth and wealth. That means they are not in it to find a solution for you – only one that meets their agenda!

Initiatives and ideas are the responsibility of everyone. That overused quote by Ghandi “be the change you want to see”, really is the solution. Every action and choice you makes is woven deeply into the earth’s destiny. If you want a solution – create one or participate in it. Spread the word and take ownership. We all need to become smart consumers to make the world sustainable.

What are you going to do?

Oil Spills – We all remember Exxon Valdez, actually a rare occurrence but over 85% of the 10,000 spills take place during unloading and are considered accidental. The remaining 15% are intentional, typically dumping dirty ballast while changing oil. The impact is still very large on the port wildlife and water quality.

Ballast Water – To ensure stability a ship needs to take on water to adjust the balance of the ship. Water that is typically taken on (thousands of tons) in one port can then get discharged in another port and carries various non-indigenous species that can become invasive in their new environment. The Zebra Mussel in the Great Lakes is a perfect example of this.

Air Pollution – Although ships only account for 2% of the world’s air pollution this is a significant number on a whole. Some pollutants such as sulfur dioxide are largely coming from the ships, perhaps as much as 60% of the worlds emissions.

Anti-fouling Pollution – Fouling is when unwanted barnacles and waste appear on ships. Every 2 to 5 years they need to be removed from the ships hull. An alternative to this is to apply a coat of tributyltin which kills sea life and is know to cause deformities in shellfish. Many waters around shore have high concentration levels that make all seafood unfit for consumption and also reduce the sustainability of the eco system.

Dredging – Digging trenches in the water to create new land and deeper routes for larger ships disturbs not only the sea life eco system but also land eco systems when the material is relocated. The noise and disruption to laying grounds, plant life and various animals can cause a total breakdown in a highly sensitive biological life form that my be only found in that area.

Ship Disposal – When it’s time for a ship to go to a graveyard the potential waste and leakage increases. They are no longer a ship that is running and regulated and since the ship is decomposing the chance of chemicals being released into the ocean is increased. The actual breakdown of the ship for scrap and disposal is in question too as not all materials are removed safely and recycled efficiently.

These are the basic concerns of shipping a product. Kinda makes you think about how and where you get your products from doesn’t it. There are solutions and actions you can take to reduce your need for shipping and delivery. We will discuss some of these in our next article.

The impact of not recycling has the earth in a bit of trouble. Our levels of consumption create vast amounts of waste. The waste produced in the last half century is greater than the total of all years combined!

1. cans
   • it takes about 90 days to complete the recycle process from garbage back to the shelf
   • it takes over 500 years for a can to decompose
2. steel
   • just one pound of recycled steel saves one day of a single light bulb worth of energy
   • the world has enough  “old” steel to have a sustainable supply – if we recycled
3. paper
   • 70 to 90% less energy is required to recycle paper
   • it also produces over 70% less pollutants
   • paper makes up almost 50% of landfill ingredients
   • if 1 million people stopped their junk mail we could save 1.5 million trees
4. glass
   • recycling just one glass jar provides enough energy for 4 hours of  a lightbulb
   • it also saves 9 gallons of oil
   • recycling glass reduces air pollution by 20% & water pollution by 50%
5. plastic
   • plastic takes over 500 years to decompose
   • every hour (in the USA) 2.5 million plastic bottles are thrown in the garbage
6. general facts
   • 60% of the contents in the average household garbage container can be recycled
   • items in landfill generally do not decompose because they lack oxygen

discover what and where to recycle

There are programs for just about everything. When your municipality doesn’t offer a program sometimes the manufacturer does. If you want an easy way to find a recycling center go to earth911 and look it up by location or product.

what can you do to minimize your impact?

Well before you get to the recycle part of the equation try thinking about the other parts of the 3Rs:

1. Ask these questions to reduce your consumption
2. Make these changes for the biggest impact of waste reduction
3. Think of creative ways to reuse anything that you have
4. Find a new home for it instead of throwing it out
5. Stretch the life of everything and save money by repairing stuff

I hope you found the series on the 3Rs informative and refreshing. Maybe I reminded you of some simple things you can do that will make a big change. Maybe I inspired you to discover creative ways to reuse items. At the very least, I hope I encouraged you to make some simple changes and share them with your friends and community.

Continuing on our weekly themes for 2010, next week I will take a look at packaging – the main contributor to waste, landfill and toxins we create.

Okay, we are going to finish up our discussion on the basics of consumption this week. The theme is the final R or Recycle. We all know about recycling and most places now have some kind of a program and policies in place for both residential, commercial and manufacturers.

understand the reasons to recycle

Why should we recycle? Often it feels like a burden to recycle. Understanding the reasons why often elude us.

1. limited supply - with an increasing population more waste is being created
2. extreme demand - consumptive society demands more materials and creates more waste
3. conservation - to minimize the impact of harvesting raw materials and destroying habitat of limited natural resources
4. energy reduction – recycling uses less energy than the manufacturing of a raw material and therefore reduces carbon emissions (CO2)
5. pollution – reduced pollution from waste and manufacturing reduces climate change and toxin exposure
6. landfill - the more we recycle, the more we keep from landfill and incinerators saving the environment from toxins leaching into our eco-systems and methane gas escaping into the atmosphere (which is more potent than carbon monoxide)
7. money - recycling saves us valuable dollars by producing materials for less

Not having a program in place is all the more reason to reconsider what you should buy? It is also a good time to petition your government, change how you reuse and dispose of items, stretch your item for a little longer, repair it and find creative ways to keep it out of the landfill.

In our next article we will take a quick look at the impact of our waste with some amazing (and frightening) facts. Then we will explore how to make sure we optimize our recycling efforts. After all it’s your planet too.

Many of you probably remember your mother or grandmother darning your socks. Items were made to last – quality lasts though it usually costs more, so when an item broke it was important to stretch the value. Why not take on that mentality again?

Sometimes it just might be time but someone else would probably be willing to repair it. Instead of just throwing it out find someone that is willing to take your broken items and fix it. Don’t just throw it in the garbage!

Almost every item in your house that is broken could be repaired or reused. If it is the remnants of a broken glass it can be recycled. Garbage just doesn’t need to be created.

Almost all of my garbage (probably 99%) is from excess packaging that has been created by the manufacturer. For example the plastic wrapping on cheese. I reuse my bread bags and everything I can think of. I am doing my best to eliminate or reduce everything by seeking and creating options.

So before you throw something out think about repairing it, donating it, finding an alternative use or not buying the product in the first place. Next week we will talk about the final R – recycle.

Before you recycle (or if you can’t find or don’t have another use for something) try looking for a new home. A recent article on bartering & trading gives you a great list as a starting point online.

One man’s garbage is another man’s treasure!

That’s how eBay got their start! Even if something is broken there is almost always someone that has a use for it. Check out the stacks of free stuff on craigslist, kijiji and ebay to name a few places and then go to all the online or newspaper classifieds. We buy used stuff all the time, so there is no need to be ashamed or inconvenienced by it. Garage sales also indicate that people purchase and get rid of things on a regular basis. Everybody loves a bargain.

why should you worry about it?

The number of items showing up in the garbage because someone can’t be bothered is astounding. Just take a walk down the street on garbage day and look at the computers, old chairs and various items. Many a time, I’ve salvaged something in perfect working order that was going to end up in landfill, toxins and all. That kind of waste is a sign that we take things for granted.

Here are some quick steps I take. I never throw anything out.

1. if it is broken see if I can repair it
2. if I don’t want to repair it, post it on freecycle, craigslist or kijiji
3. if I still don’t have a home…wait and try again (could just be timing)
4. put it outside with a note “free to a good home”
5. ask friends, neighbours or family
6. if it is working fine (no excuse to throw it out) consider a garage sale
7. if you don’t want to hold a garage sale see if you can swap it or sell it
8. if you still haven’t sold it, consider all the local charities and donate it

Even things like toilet rolls & old paint can be used as art supplies at a local school or community center! Earth911 has a few suggestions and there are companies that take paint and recycle (creating a good quality paint too). Here are a few more items that you could always find a new home for.

1. cell phones – Don’t just throw out your Cell Phones
2. shoes – yep, shoes can and should be recycled
3. eyeglasses – many programs exist, here are some eyeglass programs and also cds, discs, packing material, phones, video tapes and various other common items.
4. printer cartridge programs exist too. Don’t just buy them, donate the old ones too.
5. glass jars – people always want these for canning & they make great containers

Computers, batteries, oil – the list goes on and on. I guess what I’m trying to say is before you throw something in the garbage ask if it really needs to be in there. My garbage is limited to a 1/4 of a bag every two weeks in a household of 3 and I’m ashamed of that. I’m always looking for creative programs or methods to find a new home for all the items that get used or are no longer wanted.

Suggestions welcome!

On Friday I’ll take the time to remind us about the other thing that has been forgotten – repair.

The whole green change movement is confusing and overwhelming for many but it can be solved by implementing three simple rules:

1. make a pact to consume less
2. educate yourself on products & sustainable lifestyle
3. repeat rules 1 & 2

That’s right. It’s a circle. Keep educating yourself and challenging yourself to consume less and buy smarter. Every week try to reduce consumption in various areas of your life. Start making conscious, deliberate choices. Celebrate and share them with your friends, family, coworkers, neighbours and peers.

Next weeks will revisit an old concept Reduce, the first of the 3Rs where we will discuss ways we can all reduce, why it is so important and the quickest things we can do to make an impact.

That’s it. I’m leaving you to ponder what choices you can make. Share them with me on twitter or make a comment on the blog.

This year’s focus is simple green changes. Ones that are easy to implement and drastically reduce our carbon footprint. Consumption includes information and time too – less is more.

Today, I am pleased to announce my first guest post from Vlad Dolezal of Fun Life Development to shed some light on why (and how) less is more.

Last summer, I was at a meet-up of esperanto speakers. One evening, a folk singer decided to throw a concert for us. So he played his guitar, and sang, and gave us little bits to sing along to, and everybody had a great time!

After about 10 songs, he finished, and we all clapped and cheered, asking for an encore. We really loved the concert, so we thought we’d have one more song as the encore, and then be off with a great feeling about the concert.

Anyway, he played a song as his encore. And then he played a second one. Then he played a third one, and by this point I started wondering when he was going to be done – I kind of wanted to get out of there. I saw other people in the audience shifting uncomfortably, so I know I wasn’t the only one.

By the fourth encore song, people started leaving. When he finished the fifth encore song and went into the sixth one, I just got up and left. Over half the audience had gone by this point.

Very quickly, we went from having a great time to wondering when the hell he will be done. He simply dragged on just a bit too long, and lost the audience.

And the same applies to your blogging!

You might think that throwing in another statistic, and one more anecdote, and a few more quotes will only make your point more persuasive. But if you lose your audience’s attention, you lose your argument.

Instead, state your point, offer one or two bits of evidence, and then get the hell out, before your audience can start wondering when you will be done.

Like this.

Vlad Dolezal of Fun Life Development has a way of making complicated things simple. His ideas are meant to be fun with fresh anecdotes to drive them home -  passion and purpose is evident. My world improves with Vlad on the sidelines. Check out his blog for more great ideas for improving your life!

The year 2010 has finally arrived. A warm welcome to all my readers. This year I took some time to reflect over the holiday’s. My focus this year is on consumption and simple green changes. Ones that are easy to implement with a dramatic impact on the environment.

By reducing our footprint on the planet we can make a difference for future generations. No need to suffer, these changes are actually quite easy and your participation can make it happen. I can help you explore how to make the changes, what changes to make, how to buy things, what to buy, how to reduce your consumption, what is realistic and what is a greenwash, how to save money and so much more…

the wake of climate change

In the wake of Copenhagen 2010 it is apparent the time has come to make  changes. The real message is not about climate change but is about consumption – both how and what we consume. The time window is very limited and we need to make immediate action. We can’t wait for governments and organizations to debate and discuss. We need to educate ourselves and take matters into our own hands with simple green actions for a better tomorrow.

baby steps

Change is easier if taken in little steps. This year I will be introducing weekly themes with simple changes that are almost pain free once the initial hurdle has been taken. That hurdle exists in your mind. If you think you can do it – you can. If you want to do it – you can. This week (and for the year) the theme is consumption and learning that less is more. To have less and use less really does create a lot more abundance.

Consumption includes information and time too – less is more. So the articles and information given on any simply stephen website will be kept short and simple (for the most part) in easy to digest bits of information with tips, challenges, resources, incentives, suggestions, products and ideas to move you further along your green pathway.

Some of our themes will include paper, wood, plastic, water, air, food, transport, travel, holidays and so on down the line. If you have a theme you would like to learn about please contact me and I’ll put it on the schedule. I’d also be happy to guest post or have you guest post any simply stephen website.

I will post a little more frequently with short, quick posts with a purpose each week. You have enough info and change to digest, so I’m here to ease your burden. Here’s to the green changes you can make this year.

Christmas is a time of sharing, celebrating and giving form many.  The commercial aspects of Christmas have turned in to a frenzy of purchasing that defeats the purpose. Think of all the things you have and consider pay it forward Christmas gifts this year.

For the person that has everything, perhaps it time to look at gifts that help others. Consider purchasing a donation or an item that gives to a charity for your family members or friends. This is a green a gift as you can give. During no time of the year should anyone be homeless, hungry or alone – especially children. Therefore the gift of food and warmth is extra special and sharing your joy with a family or individual in need of those things is precious.

gifts from a charity

Charity village has an excellent list of non profit organizations that offer a gift and raise money for various causes. They have broken it down into multiple categories.

gifts that sponsor or donate a charity

Another list of credible charities that are related or designed for Christmas giving and poverty can be found at All Things Christmas and of course Santa has various programs that he sponsors and has made a list for you.

donation to charity

In every city there are countless local charities that help your neighbours – the people that live in your town. You know the local groups. The foodbanks, the homeless shelters,  give a gift to a child programs, the clothes for poor and so many more. Why not pick one? Food, money, clothes and various items you no longer need could make someone very happy at Christmas. Forget about spring cleaning or the garage sale next summer. Now is the time to go and do it.

Okay, this post ended up being a little more preachy than I wanted it to but the sentiments are meant to inspire you to rethink even just a portion of your Christmas frenzy and share the wealth just a little bit. What better way to be happy than to spread a little joy to someone else.

So, why am I writing about the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009? Clearly, I must think it’s a waste of time right? Wrong. I think Copenhagen is a big eye opener for the world. BUT… smog alerts, lost habitat, dirty water, oil spills, dried up resources, barren fishing grounds, increased sickness due to pollutants, drought, famine, floods, melting ice caps, strange weather (this list goes on and on)…these should all be eye openers too – think about Katrina. I would have thought that these things would be enough to create change.

Awareness and Change

So, Copenhagen is a wonderful “event” that clearly does two things – it creates acknowledgment by the whole world that there is an issue. Most people follow leaders – until someone else does something the average individual will simply try to look after himself and his family. But the acknowledgment of climate change by key leaders promotes awareness and starts to educate us. It is one catalyst for change. Swift and drastic changes.

There is a second thing and there is a big IF on this one. The climate change conference coupled with recent global collapse potentially creates a global economy centered on the environment. There will be commitments by countries with funding created to resolve these problems. The world will be able to make a shift IF the focus is put on carbon reduction and other environmental issues.

Want to know a secret?

A car is a car. A fossil fuel is a fossil fuel. Consumption is consumption. If you replace a car with an environmentally friendly car or you change your house to be energy efficient it is still not solving the problems. Consumption is the problem. The car still needs to be made with raw materials and is still something that you will eventually throw out.

A key way to change the situation dramatically is to change how you consume products – this change means a change in values. Our values need to be based on important activities with a lower impact on the world – not on things. Using less, not replacing them with something else is paramount.

No amount of awareness or government interaction is going to make these changes. It is not up to your neighbor or the country next door. It’s up to you. If all the YOU’s make simple changes in habits it adds up. We’ve had 50 years of gorging ourselves. Now it’s time to pay the piper.

Want to know another secret?

Green, simple living is pretty cool and very fulfilling. I saw the need 20 years ago and have love nature and the environment for my whole life. The changes to simplicity where easy for me I did them over time, each one prompting me to want more. I knew the changes were coming and there will be more of them, some even harsher than the global disasters and economic fall out that we have witnessed. I felt none of it on a personal level – but was sad to see how the planet and everyone else was affected.

simple siment - so now, I would encourage each of you to make simple changes every day. Small changes that you won’t feel. Add a new change each and every day. Reduce your consumption. Refuse to use. Refuse to buy products that harm. Educate yourself. Become aware. Share your knowledge. Protect your children and the life forms on this planet.

I think we are all worth it. That’s why I do it.

When you buy a house, you take the time to make sure the environment is going to be one that is safe, clean and are pretty careful of how you part with your money. The same care should be taken in all the smaller purchases – they add up and have a big impact on the environment.

In an earlier post I offered 12 tips to reduce office paper consumption but today, we are going to look at the impact of paper products as a whole. Changing from disposable products to reusable is simple and very cost effective. I probably don’t have to mention facts about forest destruction and the energy (which produces CO2 gas) used for paper production – but I will. In Canada alone, over 500, 000 acres of forest are destroyed to create these products for you – that’s every year.

So what can you do?

• consider replacing all your paper plates and cups with real ones
• bring a portable travel mug with you everywhere
• use a handkerchief, wash cloth, napkin and rag instead of tissue paper and paper towel
• if you use a paper product, buy recycled and chlorine free
• there is even family cloths, a toilet paper alternative – not for everyone

Here are some questions for you. What else can you do? Consider what products you buy when you buy a paper product.

1. Is it recycled paper?
2. Is the packaging excessive & can it be recycled?
3. Can you reduce how much you use?
4. Is it chlorine free in the process used to make it?
5. Does the company have a good track record for environment and community support? There are a few sites that can help you find out such as BadBuster and Greenwashing.
6. Want to discover healthy, green products – check out GoodGuide.

A few minutes of research and time is all it takes. Simple changes, huge impact. The overall impact of disposable paper products on the environment is just one step to change. Please share some tips, ideas and tricks on how we can change our paper consumption habits for a greener planet.

Many of us have moved beyond garage sales and classified ads to find or get rid of items we no longer need. We now go to common resources like Craigslist and Kijiji to discover bargains and sell our stuff.

But did you know, the savvy world wide web has moved beyond list serves and classifieds. There are many new sites taking a bite out of your budget and keeping items from landfill. Stuff that just shouldn’t be thrown out.

Here are just some of the many free communities designed to help you find or get rid of your stuff.

1. Freecycle - the original site for recycling your stuff. With 6 million people and growing this is not just a passing phase. It’s a way to offer or find free stuff – helping people and the environment in the process. I am a member of a local group and it is an easy way to get rid of things to people locally and sometimes find an item you need, even free tickets.
2. Kashless - only available in the US, but Kashless has a system that lets users offer or get free stuff in their local area and offers rewards for your participation to.
3. Rehash - want to swap your clothes? Rehash is a way to help you trade clothes and accessories online.
4. SwapSity – currently only in Canada. As the name implies it is a bartering community that will let you swap your skills and stuff. They also occasionally host local swap meets.
5. swaptree - let’s you trade books, music, dvd’s and videos. Only in the US.
6. neighborrow – helps you find a neighbor to borrow or loan your stuff. Set up as a community, could be used by Universities or groups to help members.
7. greenbarter - is a community where business helps business, small or large by keeping track of services offered and trading like skills to save money.
8. loanables - brings together people who have worthwhile items to loan out and people who want to borrow them.  Best of all, it’s free!
9. swapaskill - swap what you can give or do for what you need.
10. throwplace - take what you need and throw what you don’t. You can choose to donate to charity, international charity, business, individuals or put your item up for grabs. The Internets landfill alternative.
11. boxcycle - find or list your used boxes for moving, storing or shipping. Currently only in the US.

Those are just a few of the great programs out there. Use them if you are green conscious or if you need to save a buck. For the next spotlight we will look at resources to help you recycle or figure out how to recycle and reuse an item.

1. Can help the bank account – especially if you embrace the premise of less consumption.
2. Good for the health – with all the extra local walking you will do
3. Save gas money – and with the price of gas now, that’s a big one
4. Save food costs – you really can spend less with a garden and cooking from scratch
5. Improve the quality of your food intake and hence your health
6. Reduce debt load – which will lead to a reduction in stress and a little more freedom.
7. Tax deductions and credits for greening your home.
8. Keeps the environment cleaner for future generations – and the current ones.
9. Reduces waste and landfill – who wants everything to go in a landfill
10. Efficiency…you will have more time if you start to look at a green approach to doing things
11. Competitive advantage for businesses – people now want to buy green but watch out for green washing.
12. You will sharpen your mind and become a little more aware of the world around you – a good learning curve for everyone

There you have it a dirty dozen of some simple advantages of going green. I’ll try to put up several of these little reminders on various topics for you every month.

I don’t often write holiday themes on simply stephen but thought a little note on how to green your Halloween would be refreshing. For this consumer holiday it is easy to overlook some simple steps you can take to a greener Halloween.

Green Costume – try to make your costume or find a costume exchange. If you have a group of friends with kids, see what you can swap. Going to your local store and buying a costume is not a good option (many of those costumes have lots of plastic and toxins) unless you are going to a used clothing store. Donating your costumes to a charity or community group after is a good idea or saving it for child number 2 to wear next year.

Halloween Parties – try sending your invite by email, twitter or an eVite online service. Think about how you will decorate and use dishes and cutlery that can be washed and put away, not the throw away kind. Just give it some thought about getting there, can you car pool and have one designated driver.

Green Halloween Treats – consider treats that are a little more healthy and not maybe even organic if you can afford it. Some treats like lolipops, snack bars and dried/rolled fruit are a good choice from the health standpoint and especially dark chocolate. You could get creative and substitute with a toy instead of candy – make sure you have a good selection or the kids might give you a trick! You can find organic treats for a bargain at your local organic health food store. Sweet potato cookies made with stevia or a variety of healthy but delicious snacks like granola bars could also do the trick. Use a recyclable bag to collect the treats or even a pillow case.

Decorations – try decorating with recycled items. Cutting out recycled cardboard into Halloween shapes. You can pile up leaves and fill sacks to make scarecrows or other items of fear.  Pass on the pumpkin if you don’t have kids that want to carve, or you can simply draw the face on and use the pumpkin to make pie. If you do carve the pumpkin, use it all and make sure you compost the rest.

As an added note you don’t have to follow the kids around in the car or drive them – try walking. Hope that gave you some fodder for your Halloween Haunt. Please add your two cents in the comment fields so we can generate some more ideas for next year. Thanks for reading and have a safe and happy Green Halloween.

Today, October 15, 2009 is Blog Action Day 2009 and the topic is Climate Change, something I have yet to speak about. I don’t generally write about the scientific side of environmental issues but rather everyday solutions and living with a lighter footprint. That is not going to change today.

Climate Change is something that was until recently called global warming. Global Warming is by definition an increase in the overall temperature of the earth’s entire surface. Climate Change is changes in regional climate such as humidity, rainfall, wind, temperature and severe weather events. As you can see the latter is much more dramatic and impacts our lives in very concrete ways.

There is no disputing the issue, global leaders and almost all of the worlds scientists agree and are taking actions. Many people feel helpless but little every day actions can make a big difference. They add up. But the change needs to be very large scale.

Simple Ways to Reduce Climate Change

We need to take action within the next decade to reverse the already devastating effects of climate change. Instead of looking at problems let’s look at some simple solutions in key areas where each individual can make a big difference.

Transportation

1. Change your mode of Transportation – bike, walk, carpool, just drive less
2. Maintain your car weekly by checking the fluids and tire pressure & change your driving habits by reducing your speed and idling

Home

3. Replace Light bulbs with LED or CFLs
4. Wash with a full load (use cold water) & use a clothes line
5. Reduce water – Don’t leave the water running. Change your shower head and habits, run dishwasher full
6. Home heating & cooling – Change the temperature by just 2 degrees, maintain your HVAC System, get green energy tags
7. Replace & Recycle old appliances
8. Winter proof or weatherize your home
9. Recycle everything – and don’t forget alternative uses and reduction
10. Be green in your garden – water less, use a push mower and be natural
11. Turn all items off, not just the lights – think about computers, appliances and other unused items in the house. They all suck electricity.
12. plant native trees and flowers to maintain eco-system and produce oxygen

Work

13. Review your paper consumption habits
14. Reduce or eliminate business travel – teleconference, travel light

Consumer Habits

15. Buy local, organic, fresh produce when possible
16. Change your habits – reduce all fossil fuels, waste and plastic consumption by reviewing purchasing habits – reduce packaging, travel time and products. Don’t forget to bring a bag and mug for you coffee or drink.
17. Become a Minimalist – you would be surprised at what you really need.

Participation

18. Spread the Word – write a letter to the government,  newspaper or blog; tell your friends, teachers, employees,  and colleagues.
19. Get involved in a community or conservation group
20. Learn more and learn why

There you have it – 20 simple ways to reduce climate change. These are simple things that you can do in a matter of minutes. Taking the time will make a difference. Thank you for reading my post on Blog Action Day 2009 on climate change. Please add your comments with other simple actions we can take to make a difference. I know there are hundreds more.

This will be a short post to make a request and indicate a special post that will be delivered on October 15, 2009.

I don’t normally focus or participate in many events but climate change is a major concern. If it isn’t, it should be. I am not a doomsayer but it is threatening all humanity and will induce famine, drought, flooding and inevitable power struggles.

What’s Blog Action Day?

On October 15, 2009 change.org is taking action with their third annual Blog Action Day event this year raising awareness on Climate Change. Last year’s theme was poverty and in 2007 they covered the Environment. I will be participating and writing a post on Thursday, October 15, 2009 to address my thoughts and raise awareness.

In their words:

Blog Action Day is an annual event that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day on their own blogs with the aim of sparking discussion around an issue of global importance. Blog Action Day 2009 will be the largest-ever social change event on the web. One day. One issue. Thousands of voices.

There are three things you could do:

1. Consider Participating and write your own post
2. Share this with as many people as possible
3. Come and read my post on October 15th

You may think that climate change is not relevant to your blog but climate change is about communities and your blog is also a community that shares the world. Google, Mashable, Daily Blog tips and various socially conscious organizations will be taking part.

So, if you are into tech, you could write about the impact of green technology. Lifestyle blogs could talk about green destinations or disappearing wonders. There are many ideas and we are all connected. Internet Marketers could write about the power of networking.

A special thanks for taking the time to share. Please spread the word with Twitter or your social media of choice.

Fall has arrived, so I think it’s fitting to do an update on my wonderful vegetable garden experiment and the harvest this year. The garden was an experiment in simplicity. I wanted to plant and maintain in a Thoreau style – letting nature fend for itself. With the occasional watering and a couple times weeding, I would say this was achieved with incredible results.

I went away when my daughter was here in August and we had a bit of a dry spell. My room mates did not water the garden and yet the quantity of yield did not diminish, though the plant quality did. The Beefsteak tomatoes turned yellow, but this could have been because of the soil. I will plant tomatoes in a different area next year. The fruit still did well.

Here’s what I planted at the beginning of the season:

1. 8 Beefsteak Tomato Plants
2. 4 Plum Tomato Plants
3. 4 Zucchini Plants (actually 7 but one was a cluster)
4. About 16 Swiss Chard
5. 8 Leaf Lettuce
6. 4 Beets
7. 1 Fennel
8. Dill, Cilantro, Basil and Mint
9. Chives, Onions and other lettuce
10. 4 Marigolds

Here’s the fruit harvest. I lost count of the tomato plants but made 4 batches of sauce and ate many fresh fruit from July to the present. I’m still eating. The total estimate is well over 350 tomatoes.

The zucchini was great early on and I even got a few monster ZUCH when we went away but later in the season the raccoons and animals seemed to get them. I probably picked about 50 of them with most of them before mid-August. The lettuce grew twice for me and some of the swiss chard got me 4 pickings. Needless to say I had a variety of meals with them.

The herbs did fine, though when I went away the basil seeded, so I did not get it for as long as I thought. The chives are still thriving in various places over the garden. The beets and fennel have not been harvested yet but I’m expecting a couple of nice meals from them.

The grand total was about $30-40 worth of plants. Some of the lettuce was seeds. Next year I may try more seeds. I would estimate that it would have cost me over $500 to buy all the vegetables and sauces that I made, so it was worth it. Very fruitful and actually lots of fun. The cut off will provide a nice quality for the compost next year.

I encourage all of you to try a garden. If you have an apartment, try a little potted tray with a few herbs and a small tomato plant. The results are worth it and the harvest was delicious. I will be eating my sauce well into the winter and was able to share fresh vegetables with many family and friends. The simple power of a garden helps create a natural green way of living that I’m quite content with.

I want it all and I want it now! To contrast last weeks post on the Things in Life that are Important, it’s time to take a look at instant gratification versus gratitude. It seems to have taken over and is certainly rampant, perhaps a little too much.

With a slowed economy, dramatic world events, the collapse of the auto industry, climate change and other global issues it’s a wonder people are thinking about taking care of the now and not tomorrow.

Ready in 5 minutes

We want an instant cure, fast food, immediate responses, instant banking, real time information. A google search that takes 0.01 seconds to retrieve 12 million results is slow! Snail mail barely exists. Sure some of these things might save us our personal energy but at what cost? Perhaps a little more time should be spent considering tomorrow.

If one doesn’t take time to fertilize soil, plant seeds, water and care for the ground then the future will bring barren land. Nothing will grow. The same is true with the price of instant gratification in real life. There is a cost to pay. The materials, resources and energy that we use to attain things are proving to not be sustainable. The rate of our consumption is dramatically catching up with us.

The Personal Cost

But there is a greater cost. The attention span and attitude that comes with instant gratification plays a toll on the people around us. We lose character traits like patience and consideration. Patience is a strong skill for leadership, nurturing and understanding. What goes next, compassion?

Health and welfare are certainly playing a role. Let’s mortgage the future for today. Spend now and worry about paying for it tomorrow. Those instant foods have plenty to be concerned about. If you can’t pronounce it, it probably isn’t good. The convenience of getting things now, driving to the store is paying it’s toll.

We are getting larger, lazier and even noisier. For many people with sensitivities, society is a lot more distracted. It’s difficult to read a book on a bus if the person next to you is yacking on the phone about what Mitzy did on Thursday night. The sense of importance in texting that message is unreal. A fire is a real emergency, not gossip. The emergency might be the accident that was caused because you were to busy texting to worry about driving!

The Global Cost

We are using more resources and contributing less to society as a whole and more to our own individual bottom line. If we took a small portion of our energies and focused it on resolving some of the major concerns in the world such as poverty, healthcare, disease and environmental issues such as climate change and CO2 emissions instead of putting our hot air into a microphone or computer we could get a lot resolved.

Sorry about the rant today but ask yourself the question “Why do I need this now” and “Am I forfeiting my future or that of future generations” before you do something. Changes in the world are not about a bunch of little things. It is apparent that dramatic change are needed now and stepping up to the plate involves everyone’s participation and attention. Thanks for caring.

A direct example of greenwashing is when a large company, let’s say an office shuts off the power and encourages reduction in the use of lighting and electricity, but the motive is because they have an agenda to reduce the costs. They then announce it as a gimmick to offer good PR for the organization. They don’t actually care about the environment and the staff.

This would be amplified if they donate to a social cause, let’s say $1 million dollars to help after school programs for children (in a large North American city). They get a tax break and to further rub salt in the wound, they have factories in a third world country that pay $0.10, that’s right ten cents an hour, with children as little as 6 years old working there, some for as many as 20 hours a day. This is not a very socially conscious company, is it?

Seven Sins of Greenwashing

In 2007, Terrachoice did a survey of over 1000 common consumer products. Only one out of the whole group was telling the truth. Out of this they came up with the six sins of greenwashing, which they have since changed to seven. Here’s the list:

1. Sin of Hidden Trade-off: a product might be made from recycled material but the energy used and the transportation could far outweigh the green factor
2. Sin of No Proof: products that claim to be made in a way but have no validation or proof.
3. Sin of Vagueness: A claim that means nothing, for example, arsenic or mercury is “Natural”, but would you want it in one of your products. So “All Natural” may not be a good thing.
4. Sin of Worshipping False Labels: Were an impression of sponsorship is given to make them appear green friendly.
5. Sin of Irrelevance: When a company advertises something that is the law anyway. For example, “CFC free”, ozone is banned anyway. To display how green they are because they have been legislated to stop is nothing more than a public relations gimmick.
6. Sin of the Lesser of Two Evils: The best example “natural cigarettes” – still not good for you.
7. Sin of Fibbing: Just a plain old lie.

If you want to change things, consumers have to make corporations accountable and corporations have to care and make an effort to put changes in place that are honest and good for the consumer and environment. If you see something that you think is wrong, speak up about it, call the consumer board or go public. These actions can save lives, the environment and create a better all around business environment and economy.

One way to stop greenwashing is to look at the source. Advertising is a predominate factor in how we look at things. Though methods of advertising are changing and certainly where things are being advertised (the web versus television for example), the end result is to try and get you to form an opinion of a product, company, service or even a politician. If the facts are twisted but you do no research to verify, you may think something, when the exact opposite is true.

Stop taking things for granted. Do your own research. Make up your own mind. Turn the advertising off. Don’t support the machine. If you stop feeding it, then the changes will have to take place. With money as a motivator, and greed as a driver, take the time to educate yourself and make smarter choices, with the green movement upon us, everyone is jumping on board and not all the pages are the same color green.