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Natural Born Filters

admin — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 19:42:38 -0500

Sub-Title

Top Houseplants for clean air.

Author

by Stephanie MacDonald

Content

Everyone knows that a house full of lush green plants looks homey, but what about a space station full of ferns and palms? NASA tested popular plants for their ability to create oxygen and filter common toxins like trichloroethylene (found in varnishes, paints, and adhesives), formaldehyde (present in carpets, furniture, and foam insulation), and benzene (found in plastics, synthetic fibres, and detergents) to purify the air astronauts breathe. Here on Earth, we like to breathe purified air, too. As we begin shutting our windows in earnest against the autumn chill, we plan to invite some special green friends into our homes to help us breathe easier. Here’s our list of the top air scrubbers:

Top row, from left
1. Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
2. English Ivy (Hedera helix)
3. Nephytis

Second row
4. Dragon Tree (Dracaena marginata)
5. Gerbera Daisy (Gerbera jamesonii)
6. Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum)
7. Janet Craig Dracaena (Dracaena deremensis)
8. Chinese Evergreen (Aglaaonema modestum)

Third row
9. Variegated Corn Plant (Dracaena fragrans “Massangeana”)
10. Dracaena Warneckii (Dracaena deremensis “Warneckii”)
11. Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema modestum)
12. Potted Mum (Chrysanthemum)
13. Corn Plant (Dracaena fragrans “Massangeana”)

More Fresh Air Options
Bamboo Palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii)
Umbrella plant (Schefflera arboricola)
Heart-leaf Philodendron (Philodendron scandens)
Tree Philodendron (Philodendron selloum)
Elephant Ear Philodendron (Philodendron domesticum)
Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina)
Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)
Pothos Vine (Epipremnum aureus)
Aloe Vera

• The NASA studies recommend having 15 to 18 good-sized houseplants in an 1,800-square-foot home (or space station).

Baby Needs a Change

admin — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 01:34:13 -0500

Sub-Title

One mom’s venture into the world of greener diapers

Author

by Zoë Burton

Content

My foray into cloth diapering came about more from necessity than a heightened sense of environmental duty. My 14-month-old daughter had been suffering from severe diaper rashes for two months, and I’d tried everything—except cloth diapers.

I decided that cloth would allow her skin to breathe more, so I rushed to discover what cloth diapering entailed. In the back of my mind were vague notions of sharp pins and buckets full of smelly, poopy diapers.

I quickly found that the large department stores still had pretty old-fashioned ideas, too. From cotton folding diapers (with those sharp pins) to Kushies (Velcro-tabbed fitted cloth diapers), the choices were limited.

Hoping there was more out there, I went to a smaller store. The staff spent what seemed like hours (especially to my three-year-old son, who was so bored he started trying to feed the dolls in the shop) patiently explaining the diapers and covers they had available. I left the store with several options to try: rectangular cloths to fold and stuff inside a waterproof cover, paper liners, and two diapers made of bamboo (which is more absorbent than cotton, so better for nighttime use).

I also felt an increased confidence in my ability to “do” cloth diapers. The kind lady in the store had explained that as long as I was going to wash them at least every two days, I didn’t need a “wet pail,” and I could tumble-dry diapers and covers. The last benefit is incredibly important for a working mom of two.

My next task was breaking the news to my daycare. I spent a sleepless night imagining the horrified looks on the teachers’ faces and the increased fees I would face for making their jobs harder. In the morning, I dressed Baby G in her new diaper and then discovered cloth’s first drawback—skinny jeans (gleefully purchased a few weeks earlier) do not fit over a big cloth diaper. So, after a quick rummage in her closet, off we went to the daycare with Baby G dressed in stretchy leggings, to face the music. To my surprise, I was told that not only did the daycare staff not mind cloth diapers, they actually preferred them.

Keen on finding more diaper options, I did a Google search. That’s when the environmental impact of disposables hit me. I discovered that just one disposable diaper takes up to 500 years to break down in a landfill, and one baby in disposables generates one ton of garbage every year they use them. Disposables have also been linked to asthma and other respiratory problems, and are full of chemicals that I would never expose my baby to in any other circumstance.

The good news? I found some great options. First, I discovered the gDiaper, a cloth/disposable hybrid. It consists of a washable outer pant and a flushable/compostable refill. Diapers are not much bulkier than regular disposable diapers. The disposable portion breaks down within 90 days, and contains no elemental chlorine, perfumes, plastic layer, inks, dyes, or latex.

Although I really liked these, I quickly discovered that unless you are Julia Roberts (she uses them for her kids), these are pricey for everyday use: one pack of 32 refills costs $20. However, there is definitely a place for these in my diaper bag to use on shopping trips or when visiting friends.

There are also numerous options for cloth diapers online. You can buy standard folding diapers as well as fitted diapers (which require a diaper cover as they’re not waterproof), “pocket” diapers, or “all-in-ones” (AIOs). All are easy to use; they are shaped like disposable diapers, with Velcro or snap fastenings, and the parent can control absorbency by adding or removing specially made liners. The ones I liked best were the pocket diapers and the AIOs.

Pocket diapers are basically cloth diapers made of cotton, hemp, fleece, or bamboo, that have a pocket into which you stuff a flushable paper liner (or two), which absorbs the wet stuff.

As for AIOs, you don’t need to add an insert: they have the absorbent liners built in. As with pocket diapers, there is no need for a diaper cover, as they’re waterproof. The ones I tried were also leak proof.

One other important aspect to consider about cloth diapers is cost. Up front, they’re expensive—anywhere from $12 to $30 per diaper—but when you consider that they last for a long time, they actually end up being considerably cheaper than disposables. Experts recommend you buy the following quantities if you’re intending to cloth-diaper your little one:

Newborn to five months: 24-36 diapers and inserts
Six months to one year: 18-24 diapers and inserts
One year till potty-trained: 12-18 diapers and inserts

After using cloth diapers for more than three months, I’m convinced I’ll continue using them, even though we’ve since discovered that Baby G’s rashes are caused by a digestion issue. (In general, rashes are much less of a problem with cloth diapers; in fact, it’s been noted that the rate of diaper rash has increased from under 10 per cent in the 1950s to almost 80 per cent in recent times.)

As far as I can tell, there’s no reason not to use cloth diapers. If you really can’t face the washing, you can always use a diaper service. Personally, I think the extra effort involved in washing and drying the diapers is a great trade-off when you consider the alternatives and their effect on the environment.

Before taking up the cloth…

Many diaper companies offer a try-before-you-buy policy: you can “rent” different types of cloth diapers so you can decide which type and size you need.
Look for the least bulky diapers when shopping. Many of the pocket diapers and all-in-ones fit easily under jeans, but watch out for those that are very fleecy or “plush,” unless you’re planning on dressing your baby only in leggings or skirts.
Buy one-size diapers to keep costs down. You can get several makes of pocket diapers and all-in-ones in one size.
Invest in the paper liners: they make a messy job much easier.
Don’t forget a diaper pail. Even though you don’t need to soak cloth diapers, you do need to store them somewhere sealed until you wash them (preferably at least every other day).
Buy one or two wet bags, especially if your baby is in daycare. You’ll need something to cart the diapers in to and from home. Also, make sure you have something in your regular diaper bag to put the dirty diapers in.
Do your homework on the right way to wash diapers.Hemp liners and diapers are very absorbent, but shouldn’t always be washed with other diapers as hemp contains oils that decrease other diapers’ absorbency.Most diapers and liners also need to be washed and dried a few times before they reach maximum absorbency.

Local online cloth diaper stores

backtonaturebabystore.com
newandgreen.com

Zoë Burton is a local mom of two busy pre-schoolers, and is just starting to realize that two tiny people can have a very big impact on the environment.

What COULD Be in Your Garage

admin — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:02:26 -0500

Sub-Title

A sneak peek at the ‘09 stars of fuel efficiency

Author

by Lisa MacFarlane

Content

With the price of fuel skyrocketing and the environment top of mind, the race is on for auto manufacturers to switch gears and come up with better alternatives to polluting combustion engines. As oil-thirsty horsepower falls out of fashion, SharedVISION presents you with an exclusive preview of the 2009 lineup of Earth-friendlier cars.

Dynasty IT (electric)
This aluminum eclectic-electric is very utilitarian, but nerd-cool. With three models to choose from in 2009, the standout is a tiny two-seater pickup truck that’s just big enough for your gear, but too small to help your friends move house. The four-door sedan is classified as an LSV (low speed vehicle) with a top speed of 40 km/h. For city commuters who have little opportunity to even reach speed limits, this funky little car might be ideal, except for one problem: these cars are currently not allowed in areas where the posted speed limit is over 40 km/h. If you live on Bowen Island, or in a municipality where the speed limit is capped at 40, you’re in luck. For the rest of us, it’s a wait-and-see game. After a six-hour charge in the garage, IT’s got a driving range of 50 km. Pound for pound, electricity from your wall socket is a much cheaper way of getting energy than burning gasoline (especially if your landlord is paying the bills). Colours to choose from include bright lime, in case you really want to drive the “green living” point home. The B.C. car maker was recently purchased by a Pakistani company, and production has moved overseas. ($14,000)

Smart Car (ye old combustion engine)
Available as a Coupe or Cabriolet, the Smart Car Fortwo is one of the best runabout cars on the block, with a hard-to-beat fuel economy rating of 5.4L/100 km. Surprisingly, I’ve spotted this Euro-ride just about everywhere outside the city limits—sporting mountain bikes in the summer and skis in the winter. By no means is the Smart a performance vehicle, but it will get you safely from A to B. Although you wouldn’t think so by the size of its body, the interior cabin nicely accommodates taller drivers. Smart is very manoeuverable, slipping into parking spots too tight for other cars. Fifteen-inch steel wheels, keyless entry, leather steering wheel, and electric rear window defroster come standard. ($14,990)

Mercedes-Benz ML 450 (hybrid)
Attention lovers of German automobiles: here’s a four-wheel drive hybrid SUV coming to a dealer near you. Mercedes claims it will be the most fuel-efficient hybrid sports-ute in the world. Featuring an electric-only driving mode, the fuel economy projections are fairly impressive at 7.7L per 100 km. This is by no means a zero-emissions ride, and if you really want to leave a lesser footprint, cross this one off the list; however, the ML 450 can drive solely on electric power for short distances before the engine kicks back in. Like other hybrids on the market, the technology employs a coaxial electric motor to assist the gasoline engine, and features a stop/restart feature that shuts down the engine at red lights. With 321 hp of combined power when both the electric motor and the 4.5L V6 gasoline engine are working together, these wheels are for the Whistler cabin set. (est. $70,000)

Honda FCX Clarity (hydrogen fuel cell)
The debut of the Clarity sedan is the most exciting auto news of the year. The car runs on electricity quietly generated from hydrogen gas, and emits only water vapour. With a shape similar to Honda’s popular Civic, it’s refuelled using a high-pressure connector on the rear fender. The slow growth of a hydrogen fuelling infrastructure might just speed up if consumers line up for the Clarity. Vancouver actually has some hydrogen fuelling stations—put in place for the feds’ “Hydrogen Highway” program—to showcase a number of hydrogen vehicles in time for the 2010 Olympics. Although the fuelling stations are not open to the public right now, they are an important step for this emerging technology. California will receive the Clarity first, and Vancouver actress Laura Harris (24, Dead Like Me), who now lives in L.A., has scored one. The FCX motor produces 134 horsepower and 189 pound-feet of torque. Light ’em up, Laura! ($600 per month lease including insurance)

ZENN (electric)
This modern-looking three-door hatchback hails from Ontario and has a top speed of 40 km/h. While you won’t win any races, you’ll be laughing your way past the gas pumps. Plug it in to any standard outlet and it’s good to go, fully charged in the morning. ZENN = Zero Emission, No Noise. If your idea of car maintenance is topping up the washer fluid, these might be the wheels for you, as long as the government green-lights the use of electric vehicles in your community. ($14,000)

Lexus LS 600h L (hybrid)
Aha, do I smell the fresh scent of greenwashing? Here’s one to satisfy the power-loving driver. A 288-volt DC nickel-metal-hydride battery is matched to a whopping 483 hp, 5L combustion engine. Huh? Kind of defeats the purpose of the whole hybrid thing, as one would suspect a big engine like this is working most of the time? Turns out the LS 600h produces just 20 per cent of the emissions of a conventional 5.0L V8. But does a V8 have any right to be included in a list of eco-friendly cars? Probably not. The argument is that if you’re going to drive a V8, this is your best option. Peter Partridge at Toyota told me he gets a startling 9.0L per 100 km on average. Not Smart Car economy, but still impressive for that kind of horsepower. Last year I was very skeptical of this new kind of hybrid—one that marries a powerful engine to a battery—when I took the junior version (GS Hybrid 3.5L V6) up to my cabin for a test drive. Great handling on dirt roads. And talk about luxury! Every mod-con imaginable was beautifully installed in the gorgeous cabin: air-cooled leather seats for summer, GPS, and an audio system that sounded like the symphony was riding shotgun. In lake country, driving at speeds less than about 35 km/h, I quietly sneaked up on wildlife with the car running on the battery alone. Environmentally friendly? You decide. ($119,400)

Fisker Karma (hybrid)
This sexy two-door luxury sports sedan, designed by Henrik Fisker (who styled Aston Martin’s legendary DB9 and BMW’s drool-worthy Z8 roadster), will be the first vehicle released by the Fisker Automotive Company. A plug-in hybrid gasoline/electric motor combo consists of a gasoline engine that turns a generator, which charges a lithium ion battery, powering the electric motor and turning the rear wheels. Still with us? What separates this design from other hybrids (like the Prius) is that you can drive the car emissions-free for up to 80 km a day as long as you plug it in to recharge the battery each night. Fisker claims that if you follow this pattern, you will only need to fill up the gas tank once a year. A full-length solar roof powers cooling for the interior cabin when the car is parked. With serious torque, a 0 to 100 km/h time of six seconds, and top speed of 200 km/h+, you won’t miss a revving engine. Great eco-chic looks, high-speed performance, and zero emissions. I’ll take mine in navy, please. ($80,000)

Toyota Prius (hybrid)
The most recognizable hybrid, beloved by Vancouver taxi drivers (there’s a wait list, apparently) will be back for ’09. Toyota recently announced that it plans to install solar panels on the next generation of Prius. The Prius’s award-winning gasoline-electric system has been named Best in Class by Natural Resources Canada’s Office of Energy Efficiency every year since 2004. (The same technology is found in Ford’s Escape Hybrid, a compact SUV that’s worth a look if you require more cargo space.) Prius achieves 4.1L per 100 km as long as you’re not a lead foot. It easily cruises on the battery alone under speeds of about 40 km/h. Just imagine how much more clean and quiet city intersections would be, if all vehicles sported an engine shut-off feature like Prius while we waited at red lights. There are whispers that Toyota is coming out with a brand new hybrid model in ’09, but at the time of writing, the mystery machine is still under wraps. ($27,600)

Chevy Silverado (hybrid)
New for ’09, the revamped Silverado hybrid is a big deal for GM, which is producing hybrid versions of its fleet in an attempt to win back consumers to the brand. If you can’t live without a pickup, or you require towing power, this could be your next truck. A 300-volt nickel-metal-hydride battery is matched to a fuel-slurping 6.0L V8 gasoline engine. So, what’s the good news? Ladies, you may plug a hair dryer into a number of electrical outlets on board (or a blender or power drill). More importantly, at speeds under 45 km/h, even when actively towing, the Silverado Hybrid drives on electricity alone. Another clever technology called “cylinder deactivation” is also included, which means that if you’re not towing a boat or burying the gas pedal for extra power, the engine will run on just four cylinders to conserve energy. That’s great for the city slicker, but good luck finding a parking spot. Carbon credits not included. (est. $35,000)

If You Must Combust...
These cars enjoy fewer trips to the pump:

Toyota Yaris
6.3 L/100 km (available in a five-door hatch for ‘09)
$13,945

Honda Fit
6.5 L/100 km
$14,980

Mini Cooper*
6.3 L/100 km
$24,800
*Lisa’s pick: most fun to drive and best bang for your buck.

Writer Lisa MacFarlane may likely be the only Vancouver-based auto reviewer who cycles to work. Catch Lisa’s reviews in the Province newspaper.

A Room with Vastu

admin — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 01:44:09 -0500

Sub-Title

Vedic design brings positive energy home

Author

by KIM DAVIS

Content

Rushing to an afternoon appointment, you hurry down the bustling sidewalk with a mind awash in the banal concerns, lists, and plans that make up your day. Paying minimal attention to your surroundings, you almost miss the simple, elegant doorway sandwiched between busy coffee shops. But something about this place catches your eye, and you step inside. Immediately you feel at ease, your mind begins to clear, and you realize you’ve ventured into a home design showroom. What is it about this place that feels so tranquil and agreeable?

It could be a latent desire to renovate your house—or it could be that the principles of vastu, the ancient Indian precursor to feng shui, are working their invisible magic.

“You can’t quantify it,” says John Wiggers, an Ontario-based furniture designer. “It resonates with you on some level, but for no particular reason.”
Over the years, Wiggers Custom Furniture Ltd. has incorporated the principles of both vastu (sometimes spelled “vaastu”) and feng shui into many of its award-winning designs. Wiggers notes that pieces with proportions more in line with these principles are better received than those without.
“You come across iconic pieces by renowned designers, and certain proportions consistently come to the surface, too frequently to be a fluke,” says Wiggers. “People are not conscious of it, but they respond to it unconsciously.”

Wiggers has noticed a similar phenomenon with buildings. He started applying vastu and feng shui principles to his own shop, and has seen a surprising correlation between areas that have been “harmonized,” and their subsequent improvement in production.

While many Canadians have heard of the ancient Chinese design philosophy feng shui, vastu—or Vedic design—is still relatively new to most of us. While conceptually similar, vastu and feng shui differ considerably in the details, such as the exact directions in which various objects, rooms, and materials should be oriented.

Vastu aims to harmonize the flow of energy, called prana (similar to feng shui’s chi), throughout a building. Vastu combines five elements—earth, ether (Earth’s magnetic energy), air, fire, and water—with several overarching principles to address everything from site selection and building orientation to the character of a home and furniture arrangement. It also promotes the use of natural and environmentally friendly materials, says Salt Spring Island’s Ruth Anne Taves, a coordinator of Maharishi Sthapatya Veda design—considered by its followers to be the purest form of vastu.

“While you don’t read about this in the Vedic texts—because natural materials were all that was available at the time—both for the health and well-being of the individual and the environment, Maharishi Sthapatya Veda encourages and promotes natural products and toxin-free materials.”

The implementation of vastu can vary considerably from one consultant to another. While several experts, including Taves, feel that it’s not typically feasible to apply vastu to an existing building, others believe that even simple changes, such as furniture arrangement and colour selection, can make a positive impact. Here are a few tips to help you foster more harmonious spaces in your home:

The centre of a space, both of an entire home and each individual room, is considered fragile and sacred. Keeping these areas free of furniture and clutter allows positive energy to radiate outward into the room, providing a sense of peacefulness and integration.
If you live in a house that is not east- or north-facing (the two most auspicious directions), Taves suggests closing up any south- or west-facing doors, and using east or north entrances instead.
In order to create openness, and to welcome in the energy of the morning sun, place furniture made of light wood, rattan, and glass in the northeast; put the tallest and heaviest furniture in the southwest.
When it comes to colour selection, consider these choices based on the different areas of your home:
- The east represents the sun, so use bright and warm colours such as red, yellow, orange, and gold, in east-facing areas.
- The northwest represents the moon; try incorporating white, and bright colours such as blue, green, and pink.
  Avoid using dark and gloomy colours in northwest areas, especially grey and black.
Sleeping in the correct direction is an important aspect of vastu; orient your head so it points east or south.
One of the key principles governing many Eastern interiors is simplicity. Avoid overly elaborate decoration, and remove any unnecessary possessions. Celebrate your personal style and what you love by displaying only objects and furnishings of true function, beauty, or personal meaning.

Interestingly, Taves says that although many Indian families in Toronto inquire about vastu when looking for a home, it’s Salt Spring Island that currently has the highest concentration of vastu dwellings in Canada. In addition to having several areas that have the proper slope and orientation required by vastu, Taves says, Salt Spring Island is considered one of the five most sattvic (pure) places on Earth, as deemed by the founder of Maharishi Sthapatya Veda design, the late Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. As a result, many practitioners of Transcendental Meditation build their vastu homes there.

Kim Davis is a freelance researcher, writer, and designer who has a whole new appreciation for her home’s east-facing entrance.

Vastu to You

Vastu is a complex philosophy; if you’re interested in building a vastu home, consider enlisting the services of an experienced consultant:

Maharishi Sthapatya, Veda in Canada, vastu.ca

Ruth Anne Taves, Vastu Coordinator, Western Canada, 250-537-9235

Books

Space Matters: Use the Wisdom of Vastu to Create a Healthy Home—11 Top Designers Show You How by Kathleen Cox

Vastu Living: Creating a Home for the Soul by Kathleen Cox

The Vaastu Workbook: Using the Subtle Energies of the Indian Art of Placement by Talavane Krishna

The Vastu Vidya Handbook: The Indian Feng Shui—Using Vastu Vidya to Bring Harmony and Prosperity into Your Home or Office by Juliet Pegrum

Vastu: Transcendental Home Design in Harmony with Nature by Sherri Silverman

Make Heat While the Sun Shines

admin — Sat, 31 May 2008 15:55:13 -0500

Sub-Title

Getting off the grid with solar hot water

Author

by KIM DAVIS

Content

Need something to inspire your sweetie to do the laundry? Consider getting a solar water heater. Vancouver resident Marc Stoiber says that since he installed a system in his home, going down to the basement to do the laundry has become a lot more interesting.

“We installed another tank that is now fired off the sun,” Stoiber says. “On top of the tank there is a meter. When the sun is out, it is up around 80 to 90 degrees, and when there have been a couple of days of rain it drops down to 20 to 30 degrees. It is pretty cool to see it working. It’s a visible manifestation of something that is otherwise invisible.”

But how can solar produce enough hot water in ultra-cloudy Vancouver? Known as much for its overcast, drizzly days as for its beautiful environment, Vancouver actually receives more hours of sunshine per year than most cities in Germany, a global leader in solar installations. While it’s true that solar thermal systems can’t generate as much hot water on an overcast day as a sunny one, according to Joe Thwaites, president of Taylor Munro Energy Systems, in B.C. they can provide around half of an average home’s annual hot water, and nearly all of it in the summer.

Often confused with photovoltaic (PV) systems, arrays of solar cells that convert solar radiation into electricity, solar water heating (or solar thermal) uses the sun’s energy to heat water to useful temperatures. It can be used to warm everything from bathing and swimming pool water to entire homes (think radiant-heat floors). Unlike PV, which comes with a hefty fee (about $16,000 installed), solar thermal is far more financially accessible ($5,000 to $8,000, depending on the size of your household and how much water you use).

Solar heating systems generally consist of solar collectors and a fluid system to move the heat from the collectors to a solar tank, which is installed next to your existing water heater. Collectors, while typically placed on the roof, can also be installed on a wall facing the sun, or can even be free-standing. South-facing collectors work best, but other directions can work, too.

So how does solar hot water work? A simple solar heating system pumps a transfer fluid, such as water or glycol, out to a collector to be heated. Then the heated fluid flows back to the solar tank. Incoming cold water for household use gets preheated as it spirals through a heat exchanger in the tank. The conventional water heater then tops up the temperature as needed. A properly installed and maintained solar thermal system can last for 25 to 40 years. Most components come with a multi-year warranty, and reputable installation companies offer guarantees on their labour. For those handy (or determined) DIY types, there are lots of resources on how to install, and even make, a solar hot water system yourself.

While getting help with the laundry may be reason enough for some to install a solar hot water system, it’s also a boon to your pocketbook. Over its lifetime, solar thermal costs about 3.5 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh). In comparison, BC Hydro raised its rates from 6.7 cents to 7 cents per kWh April 1, and rates will be further increased next year. Natural gas rates are even higher. So when you consider that hot water accounts for 20 to 30 per cent of the energy required by homes, and that energy prices will only continue to rise, solar hot water translates into big savings on your monthly bills.

Solar scores high marks in the environmental category, too. Some analysts estimate that the annual total CO2 produced by the heating of residential water in North America is roughly equal to the emissions produced by all the cars and light trucks zipping around the continent. That means that by installing a solar water heater, you can help eliminate up to two tonnes of CO2 emissions every year.

As an added incentive to encourage homeowners to go solar, B.C. residents qualify for a provincial sales tax exemption. Both Homeworks, a home improvement company, and Vancity offer low-rate loans, and grants are available from Natural Resources Canada’s ecoENERGY Retrofit Program. And according to Dave Wilmot of EnerWorks, a solar thermal provider, a national funding program is on the horizon—and it’ll have a significant B.C. component.

Despite the initial cost, Marc Stoiber feels solar thermal makes perfect financial sense. “It is an investment in the resale value of my house,” he explains.

And, like any home innovation, it’s causing a stir among the neighbours. “It’s a neat and novel thing. People come by [the house] and ask questions and are curious about it. Everyone wants to know that it works, and how it works.”

Kim Davis is a researcher, writer, and designer who appreciated her family’s DIY solar shower during summer camping trips.

Solar Sources

Solar Thermal Companies
Taylor Munro Energy Systems taylormunro.com
Vancouver Renewable Energy Cooperative vanrenewable.org
EnerWorks, enerworks.com

Before You Buy
Natural Resources Canada’s Solar Water Heating Systems: A Buyer’s Guide, www.canren.gc.ca
Canadian Solar Industries Association, cansia.ca

Incentives
Homeworks, homeworks.ca/offers-and-incentives ecoENERGY retrofit grants, ecoaction.gc.ca (click on “ecoENERGY”) Vancity, vancity.ca (search “ecoENERGY”)

Do It Yourself
How to Build a Solar Hot Water System by John Canivan (jc-solarhomes.com/how_to.htm)

Blinded by the Light?

admin — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 23:28:16 -0500

Sub-Title

Learn to love your CFLs

Author

by MELISSA BREYER

Content

I was in a beautiful 19th-century building when I spotted a glaring compact fluorescent light bulb spiralling from the base of an antique sconce. This is great, I thought, countered immediately by: Eeew, that looks awful. Every list of tips to save the planet pleads with us to switch our light bulbs—but nobody tells us how to do that without sacrificing warmth and ambience. It’s time for some practical tips about how to use CFLs for the best lighting.

Simple Solution
OK, OK, we know. According to Natural Resources Canada, if every Canadian switched just one bulb in their home to a CFL, we would collectively save over $73 million in energy costs that year. We would also reduce greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 367,000 tonnes—the equivalent of taking more than 66,000 cars off the road. We know. So we dutifully buy an armful of CFLs, replace all our old bulbs, shudder at the soul-baring glare, remove CFLs, reinstate incandescents, and banish the CFLs to a drawer.

The problem is that, without a little know-how, CFLs are not a very elegant replacement for our old light bulbs. The first thing to know is that there are two families of energy-saving light bulbs: light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and CFLs.

Light-Emitting Diodes (LED)
LED bulbs last a whopping 10 times longer than CFLs, and more than 100 times longer than incandescents. This writer has a few and can’t recommend them enough—but since CFLs are more readily available (and affordable), that’s the bulb we’ll tackle today.

TIP: For more information and to order LED bulbs, go to ccrane.com.

Why Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs?
In an effort to hold your attention, we’ll skip the science lesson here. We will say that incandescent bulbs are highly inefficient since the light they generate is really just a by-product of heat generation. Incandescent bulbs lose 90 per cent of the electricity consumed as heat and only last 750 to 1,000 hours, whereas CFLs use 75 per cent less energy for the same amount of light (producing no heat) and last 10,000 hours. For the homeowner this means a savings of $30 or more over each bulb’s lifetime, not to mention the significant decrease in pollution.

Shining the Light on Brightness
Most people inadvertently buy CFLs that are way too bright. Light is measured in lumens, but we have come to quantify brightness by watts, which is actually the amount of power a bulb uses. Since 90 per cent of the watts used to light an incandescent bulb go to producing heat, these bulbs require a lot of watts to create their light output (lumens). A CFL requires far fewer watts to create the same amount of lumens. So if you buy a 60-watt CFL, it is the equivalent of a 150-watt incandescent bulb!

TIP: To find the equivalent brightness, the rule of thumb is CFLs use about a quarter of the wattage to produce the same light.

Correlated Colour Temperature (CCT)
The colour of light is important in creating ambience if you don’t want your dining room table lit like a parking lot. The colour of light in a bulb is measured by its correlated colour temperature (CCT), which is a measure of how warm or cool light is, and designated by Kelvin (the scientific measure of temperature). Most CFLs come in 2,700K, 3,000K, 3,500K and 4,100K—which range from warm white to a bluish white. Too high a CCT (above 3500K) and your light will look blue and feel cold (even if labelled as “natural” or “daylight”).

TIP: Try a CCT range between 2,700K and 3,000K; these may be labelled as “warm white” or “soft white.”

Colour Rendering Index (CRI)
Have you ever bought a shirt in a store only to take it outside and discover the colour looks different? Different types of lighting render colour differently, and this has been codified into a numeric representation known as colour rendering index (CRI). The CRI rates a light bulb’s ability to show colours “realistically” as compared to a standard incandescent. The CRI scale ranges from 0 to 100—the higher the number, the closer the CFL will render colour like an incandescent bulb.

TIP: Look for CFLs with a colour-rendering index of 80 or above.

My Friend the Dimmer Switch
Dimming is a quick road to ambience, but only recently have some CFLs been designed to work with dimmer switches. These do not have the same dimming precision of incandescent bulbs, with a range of only 20 to 80 per cent of the brightness, but hey, that’s good enough for me!

TIP: Use the chart on the U.S. Environmental Defense Fund’s website, edf.org (search “dimmable”), for information on what kind of bulb to use with your dimmer switch.

The Right Bulb for the Job
CFLs were once available only in the spiral shape, but the industry has responded to the needs of those who require some grace with their greening. One can get a traditional bulb shape, a globe, and even a candelabra-shaped CFL now. CFLs also fall into three categories: bare (like the spiral), covered (like a traditional-looking bulb), and reflective (like flood lights).

TIP: Use the Energy Star chart at energystar.gov (click “Lighting”>“CFLs”) to choose the right bulb for the job.

Mercury
Alas, CFLs contain mercury. The good news is that the new generation of CFLs possesses only a trace amount of mercury (4 mg), far less than in thermometers (500 mg) or old thermostats (3,000 mg). In terms of environmental mathematics, a power plant actually emits 10 mg of mercury to fuel the power needs of an incandescent light bulb compared to 2.4 mg required to produce the electricity to power a CFL. While the amount of mercury is minimal, you should take precaution in cleaning up a broken CFL.1

TIP: How to clean up a broken CFL• Using gloves, carefully scoop up the fragments and powder with stiff paper or cardboard, place them in a sealed plastic bag, and wipe the area with a damp cloth. DO NOT USE A VACUUM! Doing so will spread mercury-containing dust throughout the area and can potentially contaminate the vacuum.
• Place all cleanup materials in a second sealed plastic bag.
• Take it to a recycling centre.

How to Recycle CFLs
It’s important to note that as of yet there is no legislation prohibiting B.C. homeowners from chucking their CFLs into the garbage, but recycling is really the best option.

TIP: Many hardware stores, including Canadian Tire, Rona, Home Depot, and Kerrisdale Lumber provide recycling services for CFLs.

Melissa Breyer is a care2.com senior producer who has learned to coax oodles of ambience from her low-energy light bulbs. Reprinted with permission from care2.com.

1 While the safety of mercury levels in CFLs is being debated, it is important to note that mercury poisoning can lead to severe health problems, particularly for infants and small children. Low-mercury CFLs, identifiable by their green stems and marketed as “environmental” CFLs, are now available.

Sipping sustainably at your next soirée

admin — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:40:16 -0500

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Move over Martha Stewart and Tipper Gore: it’s Friday, and you’re about to throw a sustainable dinner party worthy of Gourmet Magazine (if you do say so yourself!). There’s the 100-mile menu made up of organic veggies and Ocean Wise seafood, cloth napkins, beeswax candles, and even Earth-friendly cleaning products for when you have to do the dishes (drat, there goes the Gourmet fantasy). But wait, what about the wine?

Going green in the world of vino means more than just using organic grapes. As wine is shipped around the world, finding ways to lighten the carbon footprint of transport and reducing packaging are essential, too.

Luckily, when it comes to finding great wine that’s good to the Earth—whether it’s organic, sustainably or locally grown, or in eco-friendly packaging—there are now plenty of options to ensure you and your guests can drink to your health and the planet’s. Here are a few of our favourites.

Wellbrook Winery Blueberry Wine (750 ml, $12.90)
Local: Yes (Delta)

Organic: Almost. While awaiting organic certification, Wellbrook gets top marks for using eco-friendly farming methods (including hand-weeding, hand-watering, and the use of hand tools instead of machinery).

Packaging: Glass

Details: Even though the bottle is recyclable, the packaging weighs more than the product—and thus produces a greater amount of greenhouse gas emissions in manufacturing, transportation, and recycling, compared to other packaging options.

Blue Box friendly: Yes

Bonus points: Blueberry wine is high in resveratrol (the antioxidant, anti-cancer, and cholesterol-lowering compound found in red wine) and, like all berry wines, is low in headache-causing histamines.

wellbrookwinery.com

Garry Oaks Pinot Gris

(750 ml, $23.99)
Local: Yes (Salt Spring Island)

Organic: No. However, the winery has registered a comprehensive plan under the B.C. Environmental Farm Plan Program.

Packaging: Glass

Details: The packaging weighs more than the product (see Wellbrook).

Blue Box friendly: Yes, and the natural cork can be composted.

Bonus points: Garry Oaks employs organic practices such as large-scale mulching and composting that converts by-products (such as mowings, prunings, and pomace) into nutrient-rich material for enhancing the soil, and only uses fertilizers made from mined minerals and peat.

garryoakswine.com

Cheviot Bridge Thirsty Lizard Shiraz

(1 L, $13.99)

Local: No (Australia)

Organic: No

Packaging: Tetra Pak (aka B-Pak)

Details: Made predominantly from paper (74 per cent), polyethylene plastic (22 per cent), and aluminum foil (4 per cent). Reducing packaging waste by 90 per cent and greenhouse gas emissions by 75 per cent, Tetra Paks require the lowest total energy output of all wine packaging.

Blue Box friendly: No, but can be recycled at any BC Liquor Store or authorized Return-It Depot (see encorp.ca for locations).

Bonus points: The quality of the wine is equal to that of bottled wines. The cost of the one-litre Tetra Pak is the same as a 750-ml glass bottle—savings for your pocketbook and the planet.

cheviotbridge.com.au

Lotusland Enigma
(750 ml, $21.90)
Local: Yes (Fraser Valley)

Organic: Yes. All Lotusland wines are made with local, organically grown fruit.

Packaging: Glass

Details: The packaging weighs more than the product (see Wellbrook).

Blue Box friendly: Yes, both the bottle and the screw-off cap. You can also return the bottle for deposit at any BC Liquor Store.

Bonus points: Lotusland redesigned its trellis system to reduce trips through the vineyard by 60 per cent, allowing the production of more fruit using significantly less labour and tractor time, and therefore less fuel. With the winery 11 feet underground to stabilize the temperature throughout the year, associated electricity and natural gas consumption have also been reduced.

lotuslandvineyards.com

Summerhill Pinot Gris

(750 ml, $18.95)

Local: Yes (Kelowna)

Organic: Yes

Packaging: Glass

Details: The packaging weighs more than the product (see Wellbrook).

Blue Box friendly: Yes, or return for deposit at any BC Liquor Store.

Bonus points: Summerhill, Canada’s largest certified-organic vineyard, adds glacier rock dust to the vineyard’s soil to provide trace minerals for a healthier wine, and ages its vinos in a pyramid wine cellar. The sacred geometry of the pyramid is said to have positive, flavour-enhancing effects.

summerhill.bc.ca

Pentâge Pinot Gris

(3 L, $67.80)

Local: Yes (Penticton)

Organic: No

Packaging: Plastic bag in cardboard box

Details: The bag-in-box takes less energy to produce than bottles, and can be transported at a fraction of the weight, shipping expenses, and greenhouse gas emissions. One box is 38 per cent lighter than the equivalent of four 750-ml glass wine bottles.

Blue Box friendly: Yes, both the bag and the box.

Bonus points: The winery is creating a 4,000-square-foot wine cellar from natural rock, which will eliminate the need for a temperature regulation system in its winemaking facilities.

pentage.com

Boisset Yellow Jersey Chardonnay

(750 ml, $14.95)

Local: No (France)

Organic: No

Packaging: PET (polyethylene terephthalate), a lightweight plastic

Details: PET bottles can be recycled into textile fibres for carpet, pillows, or polyester clothing. (26 recycled PET bottles can create an entire polyester suit!) PET packaging reduces waste by 90 per cent and, because of its low weight, conserves fuel and reduces greenhouse gas emissions during transport.

Blue Box friendly: Only the screw-off cap, but the bottle can be recycled at any BC Liquor Store or authorized Return-It Depot (see encorp.ca for locations).

Bonus points: PET plastic bottles are made with MonOxbar, an oxygen “scavenger” that protects the wine from oxidation (which changes its taste, aroma, and colour).

boisset.com

Attack of the Killer Plastics

admin — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 20:47:10 -0600

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Why you should start tossing those yogurt tubs into the blue box

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Although the 1950s housewife with her rainbow of Tupperware may be an ideal of the past, the quest for a well-organized kitchen persists. Seeing stacks of food-filled plastic containers in the fridge is comforting, in a primal kind of way. But then comes the procession of warnings about leaching chemicals, and hormone disruption, and… ACK! So here it is: the lowdown on plastic food containers.

A Simple Solution

Step one: Flip over your plastic food storage containers and check their recycling code numbers. If you spy a number 3 or 7, well, those containers should probably be used to store buttons or screws or something. If there is no number listed, contact the manufacturer. (And to be fair to Tupperware, they do manufacture products that are not made of these plastic types.)

No. 3 is polyvinyl chloride (PVC), also known as vinyl. PVC has garnered the moniker “the toxic plastic” for the presence of DEHA—one of several plasticizers (softeners) used in its production. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, long-term DEHA exposure has the potential to cause reduced body weight and bone mass, damage to the liver and testes, and cancer. The manufacture and incineration of PVC also releases carcinogenic dioxins into the environment and food chain.

Recycling code no. 7 includes several plastic types (it’s the catch-all “other” category—see tips below) but it is predominantly polycarbonate. The problem with polycarbonate is that it harbours bisphenol A (BPA). Studies have shown that BPA damages the reproductive systems of lab animals by interfering with the effects of reproductive hormones, and has other serious health effects. BPA has the ability to mimic the human hormone estrogen—it has been linked to prostate and mammary gland cancers, early onset of puberty, and reproductive-organ defects.

As might be expected, given the strength of the plastic industry, there is controversy. Although there have been more than 100 studies showing BPA to be a concern, the plastics industry says it is harmless. The U.S. Food and Dug Administration admits that “substances used to make plastics can leach into food,” but they maintain that the levels are safe. Safe?! If you aren’t quite ready to give up your plastics, but like me, you find the FDA a rather lackadaisical regulator, why not follow these tips for safer plastic use?

Know your plastics. Plastic items are marked with a resin identification system (the number surrounded by arrows), which stand for: 1 – polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) 2 – high-density polyethylene (HDPE) 3 – vinyl, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) 4 – low-density polyethylene (LDPE) 5 – polypropylene (PP) 6 – polystyrene (PS) 7 – other (includes polycarbonate, acrylic, polylactic acid, fibreglass)

When you need to use plastic food containers, these are the safer choices: 1, 2, 4, and 5.
Avoid polycarbonate (no. 7). Polycarbonate plastics are hard and clear. Common items made from this BPA-containing plastic are food storage containers, baby bottles, water bottles, and tableware. (And the lining inside food and drink cans, by the way.)
Retire old, worn, or heavily scratched containers. Plastics tend to leach more toxins as they age.
Be careful of serving and storing hot foods or foods made with fats or oils in plastic containers, as these more readily facilitate the transfer of plastic toxins.
Never microwave foods in plastic containers. “Microwave safe” only means the container won’t melt or warp. Heating plastics increases their potential for leaching chemicals.
Never microwave food in yogurt tubs, takeout bowls, or other one-time-use containers. These containers can warp or melt, possibly causing harmful chemicals to migrate into the food.
Avoid using plastic sandwich bags or plastic wrap products.
If you must use plastic wrap, make sure it is a brand free of both BPA and PVC. Ziploc, Glad, and Saran are promoted as being free of BPA and PVC. (But remember they will still live for 1,000 years in our landfills.)
When sliced cheese and meats are sold in plastic bags and/or plastic deli wrap, transfer them as soon as possible to unbleached wax paper or a safe container.
Remember that if you are pregnant or nursing, BPA chemicals are passed through your bloodstream directly to your baby.
Use alternatives such as glass and ceramic rather than plastic containers, or simply store food in bowls covered with a plate.

Melissa Breyer is a care2.com senior producer who loves the clink of glass storage containers in her kitchen cabinets. Reprinted with permission from care2.com.

Home Sweet Dome

admin — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:42:48 -0600

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These arched abodes are easy on the eyes - and the planet

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by KIM DAVIS

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“It’s like coming home when you enter the dome,” says yoga instructor Madeleine McCarthy. She’s talking about the wooden dome building where she holds her regular Kripalu classes in the small West Kootenay town of New Denver. Without any sharp edges, the flowing lines of the dome’s sloping walls create a space that feels open, restful, and harmonious.

“When a new student first enters, immediately their body language speaks of delight, or wonderment and awe,” McCarthy says.

Likened to giant beehives or wooden igloos by some, and conjuring images of Tolkien’s Hobbit houses for others, the monolithic domes of New Denver’s Villa Dome Quixote Lodge have been garnering attention ever since they were built seven years ago.

Consisting of four conjoined domes, the unique lodge and adjacent guesthouses were erected as prototypes by Canadian inventor and engineer Salah Eldeib. Eldeib was motivated by his work on residential concrete domes and inspired by the thought of using discarded wood trim ends as a sustainable building material. The result? A structural system that has proven not only visually arresting but also strong, economical, energy-efficient, and environmentally sensitive.

Since building the lodge, Eldeib has also designed a modular dome for easy portability between sites. When representatives from Mongolia met Eldeib at the GLOBE 2006 environmental conference, they quickly realized how his company, Canadian Wooden Domes, could help solve their country’s complex housing needs. In January of last year, Eldeib was invited to meet with Mongolia’s president, who was sold on the domes’ affordability and ease of construction. There are now plans to build some 14,000 domes—as housing, service buildings, and, in some cases, whole villages—across the country’s 21 provinces.

“Ten years from now I can see CWD structures in at least 50 countries,” says Eldeib. “I can see these structures used for housing, commercial applications, schools, and sports facilities.”

He also foresees eventually combining his Canadian-born technology with regionally available building materials and labour wherever they are built. In Egypt, for example, CWD is already looking at making the boards for the domes’ frame from fibres left over from sugar cane production.

Closer to home, several local architects, including Rodney Cottrell of Rodney F. Cottrell Holistic Architecture and Sharif Senbel of Studio Senbel, have begun incorporating the innovative technology into their projects. Senbel, whose studio has designed several local mosques, used two domes in the Masjid al-Salaam and Education Centre (Burnaby Mosque) being built at 5060 Canada Way: one above an entry portal, another to top a minaret. The building won’t be finished until spring, but Senbel says the zinc-tile-clad dome is already turning the heads of passing motorists—not to mention those who enter the mosque to pray.

“Most framed dome systems,” Senbel says, “produce some form of faceted dome. Canadian Wooden Domes produce a near-smooth curvilinear surface without resorting to more costly monolithic or bent-steel systems.”

Cottrell recently designed a multi-storey luxury dome residence in the Okanagan. He says he appreciates not only the system’s sustainable attributes—resource- and energy-efficiency—but also how it lends itself to the creation of distinctive and unique spaces he describes as “a more perfect emulation of nature.”

“Cozy,” “harmonious,” and “intimate yet spacious” are terms visitors and guests have used to describe the interior of Villa Dome Quixote. “As a society we are so used to square and sharp edges, so a dome is unique in that regard,” says Tim Magee, a regular guest at the lodge. “You go into these rooms and they are not harsh; they are welcoming. The curvature is comforting, a kind of cocoon-like feel.”

Laurie Silfven, a resident of Alaska who travels to New Denver every year to ski, couldn’t agree more. “It is kind of nice that no one feels like they are in a corner,” she says, describing the lodge’s large gathering room. “It is very intimate, and the curved spaces add sophistication.”

“Wherever you look your mind comes to rest,” adds yoga instructor McCarthy.

Entering a dome, it’s easy to see why. There’s just the continuous curve of a wall up to the top and then back down again: no beginning, no end, no corners to punctuate the conclusion of one space and the beginning of another.

As McCarthy explains, “The dome has an unmistakable resonance that is not present in rectangular spaces. It promotes being in the moment.”

Kim Davis is a Vancouver researcher, writer, and designer who is working on living in the moment, with or without angles.

Paradise off the Grid

admin — Fri, 28 Dec 2007 15:10:06 -0600

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Consider an intentional community in Central America

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by STEPHANIE MACDONALD

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Surfer Donn Wilson first landed on Nicaragua’s Pacific shore after hearing rumours about the country’s untouched coastline and world-class breaks. Now a father of three, the Southern California native has made the Central American country his permanent home. The reason? “It’s a place where my children can learn about another culture and have an opportunity to step away from an over-consuming society into a simpler life,” he says.

Knowing what happens when word gets out about a beautiful beach in a tropical place, Wilson, along with Juan Manuel Caldera, a native Nicaraguan, decided to create an “intentional community” near San Juan del Sur. The pair formed a company, Nica Dev, and rolled up their sleeves to commence building.

The term “intentional community” means any group of people with shared values living in the same place. This could conceivably describe every arrangement from nudist colonies to kibbutzim. But Nica Dev’s Las Fincas de Escamequita, and the nearby Alma Verde, in Costa Rica, are two intentional communities more concerned with sustainability and living in balance with nature than naked badminton or religion.

“We do no advertising—we find that the people who belong here find their way to this place,” explains Stephan Rechtschaffen, a partner in Alma Verde. Rechtschaffen—a holistic MD and co-founder of the renowned Omega Institute for Holistic Studies in New York State—has a very specific vision for this community, located in Nosara on Costa Rica’s Pacific coast. He envisions Alma Verde to be a “loosely knit community of people who want to live close to a centre of wellness, healing, and spirituality.”

Alma Verde is still in the process of being built, and many Omega faculty members and their friends have seized the opportunity to buy property and construct homes there. The 48 lots range from a quarter of an acre to just over an acre. Some have eye-popping views of the ocean and mountains, while others are just a stone’s throw from the retreat centre and the beach.

“The retreat centre will be the axis for the residents of the community,” explains Rechtschaffen of the planned complex, which will include the centre, a spa, a store, and a café. He hopes the centre will be a gathering place where people will come to practice yoga or get a massage, have a cup of tea, or just sit around and gab.

Meanwhile, Las Fincas de Escamequita is being hailed as the premier eco-friendly community in Nicaragua. Its focus is specifically on respect for the environment and support of local residents.

Overlooking the Bahía de Salinas, which divides Costa Rica and Nicaragua, Las Fincas is now in its second phase of building. The community borders a 300-acre nature preserve; as construction guidelines are strict, residents can relax knowing that their tropical paradise will retain its natural appeal.

Energy is provided by solar power included in the purchase price of each property. Wilson is in the process of creating a system where all grey water will be repurposed, and is even exploring the re-use of aguas negras (that means “sewage,” muchacho). What’s more, all trees and vegetation are protected from clearing. Dwellings are confined to a modest size and a single storey, but lots are generously sized at three to five acres—and all have ocean views.

A significant part of Nica Dev’s philosophy concerns the Nica Dev fund, which is earmarked to improve the quality of life for the local community. Part of the purchase price of each property goes toward improving roads, building schools, planting trees, and other community projects.

The chance to commune with local people is, in fact, one of the main draws for buyers. Brian Smits, from Courtenay, who purchased his own little piece of paradise at Las Fincas last year—sight unseen—couldn’t be happier about the lack of tourists in the area. “At Las Fincas, if you look on the beach, it’s all Nicaraguan families. What Donn and Juan are doing is admirable, and it’s such a commitment for them.”

Because lots are offered on the market—unlike with Alma Verde—Las Fincas is not, strictly speaking, an intentional community. But Wilson maintains that, by default, he’s created one based on the stringent rules each property owner must adhere to.

“If someone is willing to conform to our restrictions and live on solar
energy—which we provide—[and] agree not to build a two-storey home, agree to limit the total roof area of their house, agree not to cut trees, etc., we have in fact weeded out anyone who doesn’t hold those values to be dear to their existence.”

Stephanie MacDonald is a Vancouver writer and designer who has the urge to divest herself of all possessions and take up subsistence farming in the tropics. For more info on Las Fincas de Escamequita, visit nicadev.com; for Alma Verde, almaverdecostarica.com.