Blogs

Common/collective wellbeing a.k.a sustainability

I was questioned by journalist a little while ago, about why social considerations fit in with Earthday and environmental concerns in general. For me it seemed so obvious, but I think many folks embrace green considerations before they embrace wider social considerations, and don’t necessarily see the connection.

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There are Greener Options than Grass

Some of my most environmentally aware friends found themselves on the receiving end of some hopefully friendly jibes the other day. They had committed the egregious sin of replacing some bushes in their front yard with grass so their daughter could play. It is hard to have a picnic or to play on bushes!

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Make EarthDay Everyday!

On this 40th anniversary year of EarthDay, ethiquette was solicited for a couple of media interviews (even a request from Australia!). The focus of the interviews this year was greenwashing.

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Sustainable Toys: Kid Tested Mum Approved

With two little boys in the house, toys are constantly on my mind. I pick them up, I trip over them, I search for favourites and I make sure a couple are always in my purse. We think about toys at ethiquette also, and we were recently talking with www.learningtoys.ca . learningtoys.ca is a seller of our favourite toys for the boys; Read more

Checking the credibility of the eco-labels

I was thinking about certifications and the sheer number of different certifications that exist in the world. With the global movement of goods and services we import certifications into our markets when goods are imported.

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Baby wipes and sustainability consciousness

I was faced with the dilemma for the sustainability conscious, the apparently more sustainable choice was 5x the price.

You may remember from other posts, I have two small boys at home. One is almost potty trained and the 4 week old with at least two more years of diapers to go. So we use a lot of baby wipes in my household! (We'd originally set out to use little, washable, organic cotton towels and water, the more ecological option, but abandoned them a while back for the convenience of the disposable wipe).

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Packaging: sometimes the cover is important.

I just recently received a gift of bottled water at my office. Bottled water is an interesting topic. In priciple, I'm totally against the privatisation of water, in practice, I recognize there is sometimes a need for bottled water.

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Don't be bamboozled by bamboo textile green claims

For those of you who didn't see or read the most recent www.ethiquette.ca bulletin, I just wanted to warn you not to buy bamboo textiles thinking they are a greener option. While some textile articles may be derived from bamboo pulp, they have not been made from natural bamboo fiber and are, in fact, rayon fibers made through a chemical process.

To read the article in the ethiquette bulletin see:
http://www.ethiquette.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2983&...

2009 Women of the Year

Ethiquette Director, Brenda Plant, was identified as one of the 28 Women of the Year 2009 by the Magazine ELLE Québec (March 2010 Issue).

Twenty eight women from around the world were selected as female role models by ELLE Quebec for their contribution to changing the world. The 28 women that were honoured include:

Brenda Plant, Sonia Sotomayor, Loubna Ahmed Al-Hussein, Lady Gaga, Kathryn Bigelow, Kim Clijsters, Jacynthe Côté, Natasha Ivisic, Beth Ditto, Giorgia Boscolo, Victoria Kaspi, Sheena Matheiken, India Desjardins, Christine Poirier, Marie-France Roy, Maya Gabeira, Lizzie Miler, Neda Agha-Soltan, Béatrice Martin, Julia Child, Janette Sadik-Khan, Evelyne de la Chenelière, Brenda Milner, Gabourey Sidibe, Mariah Carey, Mo-Nique and Olivia Tapiero.
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By admin at 02/04/2010 - 17:08
admin's blog
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Exciting adventure trips for everyday heroes

The Huma Challenge: A positive social impact adventure from World Expeditions. A new series of travel packages has been created for those who value positive social impact along with adventure. The HUMA Challenge series of adventure trips is a unique hybrid of fundraising initiatives and trekking tours. This initiative was launched as a separate division of World Expeditions, a travel company with an exemplary approach to environmental and social responsibility. World Expeditions has already put in place a concrete code of conduct for low-impact travel and initiated a Community Project Travel program where travelers spend time in disadvantaged villages upgrading basic facilities such as health, education and water access.

The HUMA Challenge works like this: You accept a fundraising challenge for a charitable cause and set out to raise the target amount from friends and colleagues. Once you have achieved your fundraising goal, you set out on an overseas adventure, in places like Peru, China, India or Vietnam, with a small group of people who, like you, have raised money for a cause. In so doing, you've added a valuable social dimension to your trip and you'll enjoy it with people who share the same passions.

To see the full list of available adventures and the charitable causes that are supported, visit

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