With that in mind, this consumer-driven holiday tends to also be pretty bad for the planet. Lots of money is spent on wasteful items, plenty of gag or one-time-use gifts, and flowers that don’t come from sustainable sources.

Here are some tips for keeping this Valentine’s Day waste free, along with plenty of other ideas to celebrate it sustainably.

Say no to paper cards

Instead of purchasing cards that, sure, might shed a brief tear, make a smile spread across a face, or get you a romantic kiss, consider delivering an e-version instead. This doesn’t waste paper, and, really, does the job just as well. Save the in-person gift in the form of a hug or kiss, instead.

But if you need a card…

If a printed card is absolutely necessary, make or purchase recycled ones instead. If you are choosing to hand make it, look for materials such as reclaimed paper, and cut and paste from old cards. If you must buy, there are many options made of recycled material.

Figure out the flowers

Flowers are a classic option, so be sure to ask your florist about the source of the flowers you’re about to buy, and look for those from local farmers. You can also order organic options from web sources such as Organic Bouquet.

The right drinks

Need a bottle of wine? Do a little research to find organic wine sources, and supporting local growers if possible. There are also plenty of choices for ethical champagne. If it is something vegan you are after, Barnivore is a great source for figuring out what alcohol is vegan.

The right food

If you’re celebrating by going out to dinner, look for restaurant choices that thrive on local, organic foods. Many areas often have at least a handful of restaurants that look toward local sources for their menus.

The right gifts

Nope, your boyfriend doesn’t need a gag gift that he’ll never use. And, honestly, your wife hates teddy bears. And those trinkets for the kids? They’ll be forgotten about in a couple of hours. Check out our links below to a load of ideas to bring the right gifts to the forefront this year.

Eat chocolate

When all else fails, there are plenty of organic and ethical chocolate options for you to munch on. Even Cadbury has gone fair-trade! Look for high-quality chocolate sources to satisfy that sweet tooth of yours.. and your lover’s. By purchasing fair-trade chocolate, you will help developing nations help establish themselves and move out of poverty.

Need some more inspiration?

If you need some other ways to spread the love this Valentine’s Day, check out these articles, too!

Top Four Eco-Valentine Gift Ideas for Her: for everyone from the culinary queen to just spending time in the bedroom.

Six Vegan Valentine’s Day Desserts: Nothing says love from desserts made with love. Sorbet, fondue, biscotti, and more!

Ideas for a Sustainable Valentine’s Day: our friends at Rainforest Alliance created a great green guide to gifts and activities especially designed for lovers to have an eco-friendly Valentine’s Day.

Top Four Eco-Valentine Gift Ideas for Him: after picking out the best gifts for her, here’s our follow-up for what to buy for your man this love-filled holiday.

Going Green on Valentine’s Day: Here’s another great green guide from Rainforest Alliance, perfect for promoting love, without promoting damage to the planet!

Sweetheart Vanilla Macaroons Dipped in Dark Chocolate: a yummy recipe that’s super easy to make… and it’s raw vegan, too!

Cheezy Fondue with Roasted Vegetables: round out a romantic meal with this perfect vegan dish designed for two.

Image courtesy of keetsa.com

Lucky for us, our friends at Rainforest Alliance has conjured up a great green guide to gifts and activities especially designed for lovers to, well, show their love for one another. The best part? They are all eco-friendly, sustainable ways to spend it together.

This Valentine’s Day sweethearts can demonstrate their love for one another and the planet by choosing gifts and activities that protect the environment and improve the livelihoods of workers and their communities across the globe.

Surprise your love with certified blooms

Surprise your Valentine with a beautiful bouquet, but make sure it was not grown at the expense of the environment. Flowers that bear the Rainforest Alliance Certified^TM seal were grown on farms that curb deforestation, conserve soil and water, provide habitat for wildlife and protect the rights and well-being of farm workers. You can find certified blooms at: Whole Foods Markets, Sam’s Club, Trader Joes, Costco, and online at FTD.com. 

Treat your love to ethical chocolate

Farmed on over 18 million acres of tropical land, some 40 million people depend on cocoa for their livelihoods. Make sure the chocolate you buy contains cocoa grown in a way that protects forests and helps cocoa farming communities thrive. Find a list of certified chocolate on the Rainforest Alliance’s Marketplace

Tell your love how you feel

Let your loved one know how you feel by sending a romantic e-card. They are environmentally-friendly, save paper, reduce carbon emissions and they’re inexpensive!

Enchant your love with an intimate night-in

Enjoy a romantic candlelit dinner at home while saving emissions and money. When selecting the perfect bottle of wine to complement your meal, look for wineries committed to sustainability. Willamette Valley wines use cork certified by the Rainforest Alliance to meet the environmental and social standards of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Mediterranean cork forests provide refuge for the Iberian lynx and other endangered species, and support local farmers who sustainably harvest the cork bark without damaging the trees. End your evening with a super sweet delight — a chocolate fondue! Indulge in this decadent dessert while supporting wildlife and workers alike by buying fruit and chocolate that bear the Rainforest Alliance Certified green frog seal.

Rekindle your love on a romantic get-away

Rekindle your love on a romantic get-away. Find stunning and sustainable destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean on SustainableTrip.org– a database of tourism businesses that conserve natural resources, protect plants and wildlife, and support local communities.

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The Rainforest Alliance works with people whose livelihoods depend on the land, helping them transform the way they grow food, harvest wood and host travelers. From large multinational corporations to small, community-based cooperatives, businesses and consumers worldwide are involved in the Rainforest Alliance’s efforts to bring responsibly produced goods and services to a global marketplace where the demand for sustainability is growing steadily. For more information, visit www.rainforest-alliance.org

Our friends at the Rainforest Alliance have given us all of the details; and we couldn’t be more pleased for the growing coffee company. Last spring, Caribou Coffee set a goal of sourcing 100 percent of the coffee and espresso that is used across all its products and platforms from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms by the end of 2011.

From the Rainforest Alliance:

Caribou Coffee Becomes First Major US Coffeehouse to Achieve 100% Milestone

New York – The Rainforest Alliance is pleased to announce that Caribou Coffee, the country’s second largest coffeehouse, is the first major coffee company in the US to source 100 percent of its coffee and espresso beans from Rainforest Alliance Certified^TM farms.

“Caribou Coffee’s achievement sets a shining example, demonstrating that it is entirely possible for companies to meet their sustainability goals,” said Tensie Whelan, president of the Rainforest Alliance. “We are thrilled that our long-standing relationship with Caribou Coffee has helped to improve the livelihoods of coffee farming communities across the globe, while providing consumers with high quality, sustainable coffee.”

The Rainforest Alliance started working with Caribou Coffee in 2003. Last April, Caribou Coffee set an ambitious goal of sourcing 100 percent of the coffee and espresso used across all its products and platforms from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms by the end of 2011. To meet this objective, Caribou Coffee worked directly with coffee farmers in North and South America, Africa and South East Asia, helping them to understand the social, environmental and economic benefits that result from achieving certification.

“Reaching 100 percent certification is a significant accomplishment for Caribou Coffee,” said Chad Trewick, senior director of coffee and tea at Caribou Coffee. “I’ve seen how communities thrive from working with the Rainforest Alliance, and I’m proud to say that all of our beans come from sustainable, healthy sources.”

Caribou Coffee’s path to sustainability highlights the significant benefits large companies can bring to both farming communities and the environment, even before they reach 100 percent certified content. Companies are permitted to use the green frog seal on products that contain at least 30 percent Rainforest Alliance Certified content, but this fact must be clearly displayed on packaging. Because of the demanding certification standards, which were established by a coalition of grassroots conservation groups known as the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN), it takes time for large companies to build and integrate supply into their products. Farmers also often need time to make any changes needed to meet the SAN’s social, economic and environmental standards.

“Allowing companies to use the seal before they have reached 100 percent certification, but have made a commitment to increase to 100 percent as soon as feasible, is a realistic approach that benefits workers, their families and wildlife,” explains Chris Wille, the Rainforest Alliance’s chief of agriculture.

Farms that achieve Rainforest Alliance certification have met the environmental, social and economic standards of the SAN, which cover ecosystem conservation, wildlife protection, water and soil conservation, agrochemical reduction, worker rights and safety, decent housing, legal wages and contracts for workers and access to healthcare and education.

Other major brands are also scaling up their commitments to source tea, coffee and cocoa from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms. Lipton®, for example, has made a commitment to source 100 percent of its tea from Rainforest Alliance Certified farms by 2015 and is well on its way to doing so.

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About the Rainforest Alliance

The Rainforest Alliance works with people whose livelihoods depend on the land, helping them transform the way they grow food, harvest wood and host travellers. From large multinational corporations to small, community-based cooperatives, businesses and consumers worldwide are involved in the Rainforest Alliance’s efforts to bring responsibly produced goods and services to a global marketplace where the demand for sustainability is growing steadily. For more information, visit www.rainforest-alliance.org.

About Caribou Coffee®

“Founded in 1992, Caribou Coffee Company is one of the leading branded coffee companies in the United States, with a compelling multichannel approach to their customers. Based on the number of coffeehouses, Caribou Coffee is the second largest company-operated premium coffeehouse operator in the United States. As of July 3, 2011, the Company had 554 coffeehouses, including 147 franchised locations, in 20 states, the District of Columbia and nine international markets. The Company’s coffeehouses aspire to be the community place loved by guests who are provided an extraordinary experience that makes their day better.  Caribou Coffee provides the highest quality handcrafted beverages, foods and coffee lifestyle items with a unique blend of expertise, fun and authentic human connection in a comfortable and welcoming coffeehouse environment. In addition, Caribou Coffee’s unique coffees are available within grocery stores, mass merchandisers, club stores, office coffee and foodservice providers, hotels, entertainment venues and e-commerce channels.  Caribou Coffee is a proud recipient of the Rainforest Alliance Corporate Green Globe Award and is committed to operating practices that promote sustainability and environmental protection. For more information, visit www.cariboucoffee.com.”

Here are our favorite – and easy! – gifts for everyone on your Christmas list.

Sea Salt Caramels

Makes 8 dozen

1 3/4 cups sugar
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 tablespoon coarse sea salt
Oil

Line a 9×13 inch baking dish with parchment paper. Oil lightly.

In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the sugar, evaporated milk and heavy cream to a boil over medium heat. Add the corn syrup and continue cooking until mixture reaches 230 degrees on a candy thermometer.

Add the butter and vanilla. Cook, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 240 degrees. Remove from heat, stir in salt. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Let cool at least 1 hour.

Invert onto a cutting board covered with parchment paper. Cut the slab into 1-inch pieces with a sharp, lightly oiled knife. Wrap individual pieces in parchment paper and twist the ends to secure) Store airtight at cool room temperature or in the refrigerator. Caramels will keep up to 3 weeks.

Lemon Olive Oil

Makes 2 cups

2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest
2 cups extra-virgin olive oil

In a medium saucepan, heat the zest and the olive oil over low heat until the zest begins to sizzle. Be sure it stays less than 220 degrees F. Remove the pan from the heat. When the zest stopped sizzling, cover the pan with its lid and let sit at room temperature for 48 hours. Strain oil into clean bottles.

Vegetable Soup Mix

Makes 1 jar

1/4 cup red lentils
1/4 cup split yellow peas
1/4 cup whole grain barley (not pearl)
1/3 cup beef bouillon mixture
3 tablespoons onion flakes
2 tablespoons parsley flakes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 cup dried small pasta

In a two-cup jar, layer the ingredients in the order listed. Seal the jar.

Include these instructions:

In a large saucepan, combine 8 cups of water, a 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes, and the soup mix. Add 2 chopped and peeled carrots, 4 chopped potatoes, and 2 cups chopped green cabbage. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and cover. Let simmer at least one hour until the peas, lentils, and barley are tender.

The Rainforest Alliance takes the time to dedicate their work to conserve biodiversity. They also ensure sustainable livelihoods by transforming land-use practices, business practices and consumer behavior.

Some of their ongoing projects include:

Keeping Forests Standing

Because forests are disappearing, wildlife habitats are destroyed, species are becoming extinct, soils are eroded, water is unsafe and climate change is in overdrive. For more than twenty years, the Rainforest Alliance has worked to stop deforestation by developing innovative and sustainable alternatives to forest destruction. Through certification and verification, they give forest managers, farmers and tourism entrepreneurs tools to manage their land in a sustainable way. They also help build communities in these areas. Read more here.

Curbing Climate Change

We know climate change is a huge issue, and although some is the result of natural processes, the biggest impact is caused by human activities: in this case, greenhouse gas emissions. The Rainforest Alliance’s programs help alleviate this. On Rainforest Alliance Certified™ farms, farmers cannot deforest, must maintain healthy soils, protect native ecosystems and decrease their use of energy, water and agrochemicals. Read more here.

Protecting Wildlife

As forests are cleared and degraded, the two-thirds or so of the world’s plants and animals that depend on these ecosystems become threatened. In this case, preventing deforestation is key. Read more here.

Alleviating Poverty

According to the Rainforest Alliance, about 1.4 billion people around the world live on less than $1.25 a day. Because of this, they have to resort to clearing land for subsistence agriculture, cut down trees for firewood and sell illegal timber on the black market. To help, the Rainforest Alliances works with farmers and forest managers to provide them with the tools and know-how to manage their natural resources, reach new markets, and earn extra money. With this, they can develop a more secure future. Read more here.

Transforming Business Practices

For long-term success, businesses must ensure they have responsibly sourced resources and keep their employees healthy, happy and productive. To help, the Rainforest Alliance ensures that farms and forestry operations that they certify give workers decent wages, good housing and healthcare, and that the workers’ children have access to education. Read more here.

This is just the beginning.

So now that it is Rainforest Alliance Week, we want to make sure that you tune in to their tips on sustainability.

To let consumers know how they can support healthy farms and forestlands, the Rainforest Alliance is launching a week-long social media campaign, September 19 through 23, and we at ecoki want you to get involved! All you have to do is take up our offers on moving toward a more sustainable lifestyle.

Here are three simple ways consumers can get involved from the Rainforest Alliance.

1) Follow the Frog

You have the power to support a healthier planet. Learn why your consumer choices matter – watch the “Follow the Frog” video then share it with family and friends! Follow @RnfrstAlliance on Twitter and “like” the Rainforest Alliance on Facebook to get the latest environmental news and tips for a sustainable life. [Also check out their special #frogstory on Twitter!]

Why this matters: Agriculture and livestock are responsible for 70 percent of global deforestation. By choosing products that bear the Rainforest Alliance Certified^TM seal, you’re supporting farms and forestlands that curb deforestation and provide habitat for wildlife, while protecting the rights and well being of workers and their communities.

2) Shop the Frog

When shopping, look for the Rainforest Alliance’s little green frog on everyday items like coffee, tea, chocolate, fruit, flowers, paper and furniture. And when planning a vacation, use SustainableTrip.org to find hotels, lodges and tour operators in Latin America and the Caribbean that are good neighbors to the community and the environment.

Why this matters: The Rainforest Alliance Certified™ seal and the Rainforest Alliance Verified™ mark are your assurance that goods and services were produced according to strict standards for environmental, social and economic sustainability. When you choose goods stamped with the little green frog seal, you’re rewarding communities for their commitments to sustainability and investing in their futures.

3) Spread the Word

Tell your friends and family how easy it is to support a sustainable future! Share the “Follow the Frog” video with friends, look for the Rainforest Alliance Certified seal in stores, post photos of your favorite seal-bearing products on the Rainforest Alliance Facebook page, write your own blog about why you choose certified… Get creative!

Why this matters: Small actions lead to big change. If everyone takes just one small step to adopt a more sustainable lifestyle, we can collectively make a huge impact, protecting our planet’s precious resources for generations to come.

We hope shutting off your lights between 8:30pm and 9:30pm were part of it!

What is Earth Hour?

Earth Hour began in 2007 in Sydney, Australia when 2.2 million people  and over  2,000 businesses turned their lights off for one hour. Why? To take a stand against climate change.

A year later Earth Hour became a global event, with over 50 million people across 35 countries/territories taking part.

In March 2009, hundreds of millions of people topped the charts for the number taking part in Earth Hour. Over 4000 cities in 88 countries/territories shut off the lights, making that year the world’s largest global climate change initiative.

In 2010, it was the biggest Earth Hour ever (seeing a trend here?) One hundred twenty-eight countries/ territories joined the movement.

This year, Earth Hour 2011 takes place on Saturday, March 26th, at 8:30pm local time.

Earth Hour is organized by WWF, whose mission is to end the degradation of the Earth’s natural environment and help build a future where people and nature live together in harmony.

How to help

Shut off your lights! Gather a couple clean-air candles, maybe a board game or two, go for a walk (if some daylight is available), and peek through the windows to see what your city is up to.

Social media is playing a large role in Earth Hour this year, too.

• Become a fan of Earth Hour on Facebook and invite all of your friends!
• Follow them on Twitter and and tweet with #earthhour or #60+ on what you’re doing during the hour.
• Use a Earth Hour Twibbon for your Twitter or Facebook avatar.
• Tell your MySpace friends to turn off their lights for Earth Hour.
• Get Earth Hour news on your cellphone at m.earthhour.org
• Add the  Earth Hour Logo to your website or blog, along with the Earth Hour Video.

Setting a record

The goal for this year is a forecasted 134 countries/territories across the globe.

Hundreds of landmarks, cities, individuals, organizations, and governments are pledging their commitment for the hour… and beyond.

Landmarks include the Eiffel Tower, the London Eye, Big Ben, the Empire State Building, Dubai’s Burj al Arab hotel, Grenada’s Alhambra, Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue, Athens’ Acropolis, India Gate, Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque, the Sydney Opera House, Niagara and Victoria Falls and Table Mountain in South Africa.

“As we head into the fifth Earth Hour, with a record number of countries and territories taking part, it is inspiring to see what we can achieve when we come together for a common purpose,” Andy Ridley, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Earth Hour said in a press release. “Imagine what we can achieve if we go beyond the hour.”

The event carries over the globe in 24 hours,starting across Fiji and New Zealand to and ending in Samoa. It will last longest in Russia, where 11 time zones are covered.

In the same release, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon pledged his support. He said, “Let us join together to celebrate this shared quest to protect the planet and ensure human well-being. Let us use 60 minutes of darkness to help the world see the light.”

Although this a statement, it isn’t enough. This year, Earth Hour has launched an online platform www.earthhour.org/beyondthehour to collect and showcase the action across the world.

Read more on how you can help after the fact, and information from Earth Hour 2011 at www.earthhour.org.

Image source

Here are our favourite environmentally friendly kitchen design ideas:

Start Recycling

If you don’t already, make sure you recycle everything you can: paper, glass, metal… You’ll be surprised on how little waste you have.

Separate It

Once you start recycling, you’ll find it much easier if you keep it separated, instead of doing it the day that you bring it out. Keep the paper, bottles, plastics, and metals in their respective containers, depending on how your community prefers it.

Energy-Efficient Appliances

Most large appliances have eco-friendly choices, with advanced technology that allows them to use up to 50 percent less energy and water than standard and older models. Look for the Energy Star Rating when choosing refrigerators, ranges, dishwashers and even some small appliances, like microwaves.

Go for an Induction Stoves

Induction cooking work by using electricity to produce a magnetic field that reacts with the ferric content in specific cookware. This, in turn, creates heat. The cookware gets hot and heats the food, but the stove-top doesn’t. That means that the heat isn’t wasted, food gets hotter faster, and energy and time is saved. Induction cooking is approximately 90 percent energy efficient. Gas and electric radiant, on the other hand, are 50 to 60 percent efficient.

Concrete  Countertops

Use materials that are both durable and water-resistant for  countertops, as well as back-splashes. Stained concrete is non-toxic and uses natural pigments instead of surface stains.

Energy-Efficient Lighting

Maximize natural light wherever possible and low voltage for task and mood lighting. When possible, just flip on your range hood, and use a dimmer for dining areas.

Eco-Friendly Flooring

Renewable sources can provide you with a comfortable , affordable and durable floor. Bamboo and cork are great choices. They both mature in roughly half the time (or less) that hardwoods, grown in colder climates, takes to reach market size.

Keep It Cozy

Good insultation provides comfort and energy efficiency in a kitchen.. To add insulation to your already existing kitchen walls, blow fibrous insulation material, such as fibreglass or cellulose and mineral wool,  into the enclosed wall, floor and roof cavities. By “dense packing” the insulation, it inhibits air circulation within the cavities, which elimates condensation, moisture problems and air leakage.

How have you made your kitchen eco-friendly?

Image courtesy of trueformconcrete.com

From the Rainforest Alliance:

This Valentine’s Day spoil your loved one without spoiling the planet with the Rainforest Alliance’s green guide to gifts and activities that help to protect the environment and the rights and well-being of workers around the globe.

Rise and Shine

Kick-start your day with a cup of Rainforest Alliance CertifiedTM coffee. Then, surprise your love with certified blooms, available at Whole Foods Market, Trader Joes, Costco and online at FTD.com. Rainforest Alliance certification is your assurance that coffee, flowers, tea, cocoa, fruit and other farm products were grown using methods that protect forests, soils and waterways on farms that provide decent wages, housing, education and health care to workers and their families.

Just because I love you

Take a minute to let your loved one know how you feel by sending a romantic e-card. E-cards are environmentally-friendly, saving paper, emissions and also money!

Picnic in the Park

Take a break from your work day with a picnic. Warm up with a hot thermos of Rainforest Alliance Certified coffee, tea or cocoa, and a sweet chocolate treat! Make sure your picnic basket includes products that feature the green frog seal of approval. Rainforest Alliance Certified farms protect tropical forests and ensure that farm workers and their communities benefit from a decent standard of living. Choose from a selection of delicious Rainforest Alliance Certified chocolates including Bissinger’s, Endangered Species, Newman’s Own Organics and Vintage Plantations.

Intimate Night-In

Enjoy a romantic candlelit dinner at home while saving carbon emissions and saving money. When selecting the perfect bottle of wine to complement your meal, look for wineries committed to sustainability. Willamette Valley wines use cork certified by the Rainforest Alliance to meet the environmental and social standards of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). Mediterranean cork forests provide refuge for the Iberian lynx and other endangered species and support local farmers who sustainably harvest the cork bark without damaging the trees, leaving them standing for future generations.

End your evening with a super sweet delight — a chocolate fondue! Indulge in this decadent dessert while supporting wildlife and workers alike by buying fruit and chocolate that bear the Rainforest Alliance Certified green frog seal.

Romantic Get-Away

Rekindle your love with a romantic get-away. Visit www.SustainableTrip.org to find hotels and lodges that conserve natural resources and contribute to the well-being of local communities. Recently launched by the Rainforest Alliance, SustainableTrip.org lists sustainable tourism businesses in the Caribbean and Latin America.

The Rainforest Alliance works with people whose livelihoods depend on the land, helping them transform the way they grow food, harvest wood and host travelers. From large multinational corporations to small, community-based cooperatives, businesses and consumers worldwide are involved in the Rainforest Alliance’s efforts to bring responsibly produced goods and services to a global marketplace where the demand for sustainability is growing steadily. For more information, visit www.rainforest-alliance.org.

Image courtesy of keetsa.com

I didn’t hesitate long before visiting, hoping to pick up some tips in case I ever wanted to reject the grid myself. That first drive up took longer than I expected, but I wasn’t disappointed. There was a lot to learn.

1) It’s a tankless water heater or it’s cold showers. Your choice. Stepping out of a freezing box of falling water into the crisp air of a fresh mountain snowfall might be someone’s idea of an invigorating morning, but it isn’t mine. Tankless water heaters are pricey, but they’ll heat your well water in nearly no time, and they use less energy than conventional tank-storage heaters. Besides, it just doesn’t make sense to keep a wood fire burning under a water tank 24/7.

2) Solid-fuel furnaces have progressed a bit since cast iron log stoves. All manner of different wood fuels are available, as are a wide variety of heaters. Whether you’ve insulated your off-grid dwelling with vinyl log siding or fiber cement siding or you’ve gone straight primitive with stacked logs for walls, the degree to which your rooms are controlled for heat loss is going to matter as much as their size when choosing a furnace. My aunt swears by pellet fuel, made from pulped and pressed wood or corn, but different things work for different folks.

3) Skip the Christmas lights. Unless you retired to the wilderness with millions of cabin-development dollars in your enormous pockets, your solar array or generator won’t be ready to handle a blinking monstrosity of ornamental accessories. The longer nights of winter will tax your electrical capacity as it is, if you use electric lights or power a small electric stove alongside your propane range. A December off the grid is a good time to remember why wreaths are hung on doors, tallow candles once decorated holiday trees, and the sky is full of stars.

I’m sure I’ll head up again this winter, shower in some of that instantly heated water, relax with some cider by the fuel-pellet heat stove, maybe help weave pine boughs into holiday embellishments for the patio railing. If leaving most of society behind appeals to you, check out www.off-grid-living.com. Maybe I’ll see you in the mountains.

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Justin Boyle is a freelance writer and contributor on Vinyl Siding Zone.

Image courtesy of desktopexchange.com

We’re quick to broadly label food as being either “healthy” or “unhealthy”.  As an example, the Papaya fruit would most likely get a stamp of approval in the Healthy Food Category. Hawaiian Papayas, however, are now affected by alterations in their genetic composition. While Hawaiian Papayas may have once been considered healthy food in their natural state with the ability to contribute to one’s wellness, they now have the potential to damage it.

A savvy, proactive and concerned populace who recognizes Genetically Modified Foods as a serious health and environmental threat (especially without proper labeling) can avert the rise of preventable diseases and environmental damage for generations to come.

A genetically modified organism (GMO) is produced when genes from one species are inserted into another, in order to obtain a desired characteristic through the process of Genetic Engineering [aka Genetic Modification (GM)].  Those in favor of GM foods claim that this technology will allow decreased pesticide use along with increased food production in an effort to feed the world.

Environmental Damage¹

• Genetically engineered organisms cannot be cleaned up or recalled once released into the environment, unlike chemical and nuclear contamination, which can at least be contained. We cannot isolate and separate Genetic pollution from the environment in which it is spreading
• New species with genetic modifications could develop through birds, insects or wind that carry genetically altered pollen to other lands thereby pollinating plants and arbitrarily creating these new GM species.

¹SustainableTable.org

Health Hazards

• The American Academy of Environmental Medicine (AAEM) calls for a moratorium on GM food as it poses serious health risks in the areas of toxicology, allergy and immune function, reproductive health, and metabolic, physiologic and genetic health without any clear benefit. The AAEM recommends immediate long-term independent safety testing and appropriate labeling requirements, which is essential for the health and safety of consumers.
• The Cancer Prevention Coalition highlights the risk of increased Breast, Colon and Prostate cancer from Genetically-engineered bovine growth hormone (rBGH) in milk.
• The Institute for Responsible Technology released a publication that exposed several health risks, which include allergic reactions, liver problems, reproductive problems and infant mortality, based on laboratory studies in animals.
• Potential for Antibiotic Resistance in humans due to antibiotic-resistant marker genes in GM foods. This poses a great public health threat; as treatment with currently available antibiotics would not be sufficient to cure the infection.

What Can You Do Today?

• Understand the reasons for buying Organic Food, as organic foods are grown in harmony with nature and would not allow Genetic Modification.
• Look for “Non-GMO” labeling. Dairy products should have the label ‘No rBGH or rBST,” or “artificial hormone-free.”
• Download the Non-GMO project Iphone App or print Dr. Mercola’s non-GMO shopping Guide.

Once you’ve understood the importance of eating non-GMO foods in your own life, you can then make a greater impact on a global level (which in turn makes things easier on yourself) by supporting the removal of GMO in the marketplace.

It’s becoming impossible to avoid every environmental and health threat within our food supply.  Imagine eating at a restaurant or going grocery shopping without GM Foods available in the first place. Therefore, advocating on the grassroots level is worthwhile.

Check out the following organizations to get involved: Organic Consumers Association, True Food Network, and Sustainable Table.Org.

Image courtesy of organic-center.org

This four-day event includes a variety of international speakers, including keynote speaker Margaret Webb, a leading Toronto writer and author of ‘Apples to Oysters: A Food Lover’s Tour of Canadian Farms’.

It also includes a variety of seminars and workshops, including topics on genetically engineering, organic certification, climate change, eco-friendly building, food security and more.

For those who might not be able to make time to listen to and explore the presentations, they also a featuring an Organic Expo/Tasting Fair with 160+ exhibitors (including 35 food vendors) on Saturday and Sunday, which is free to the public. And filled with incredible – and delicious – fair-trade, organic products.

Online registration is closed, but you can still register at the door. (Click here for more information).

If you’re heading there, we’d love to get a review on what you think! Drop us an email if you attend.

For more information about the conference, visit guelphorganicconf.ca