24 hours of reality is a worldwide event-24 videos that circle the globe - Victoria has its own hour at 24 Hour Climate Reality
Also hear/watch Al Gore talking on BBC - giving US politicians ‘wellie’ about their ‘paralysis’ on climate change action.
Another gorgeous sunny day in Victoria’s Centennial Square. Everybody’s spirits lift in the warmth and the Square has an atmosphere of community.
I love talking recycling and eco stuff with our visitors. This Sunday I met two delightful ladies from Victoria; Linda gave me a great eco tip via her great grandmother from the Philippines: How to eco-clean copper with, of all things, Tamarind paste (soak dried Tamarind in boiling water and mush into a paste, spread on the copper, leave for a few minutes and wipe off). I can hardly wait to try it. Thank you Linda. I have a big old coal scuttle that is a nightmare to clean so I avoid at all costs.
My last day in the Square. Please come visit Recycle2shop at Moss Street Market on Saturdays (10-2) until October Thanksgiving, unless it’s raining!
One day in August a visitor to Victoria stopped to chat recycling at Recycle2shop’s market stall on Government Street. Jim is a teacher in Montana and he told me about a Japanese scientist who has invented a machine to turn plastic trash into oil. Jim promised to send me the information so that I could share it with you guys. So here it is - courtesy of YouTube and Jim.
Spray your roof with special reflective white paint and cool down your attic…not so critical in already ‘cool’ Victoria, BC but an important step to take for homeowners in the rest of Canada. The paint is just rolled on over the roof tiles - read all about it at coolroofs.org
Volunteers Spraying on a Roof
Wacky news for the day - Bernie Madoff’s trousers have been upcycled into iPad holders - yuck!
Good news for Victoria - FolkWest is coming this weekend and it’s free Friday night. This Friday to Sunday at Royal Athletic Park - Caledonia and Cook. I am biking there, how about you? Ron Sexsmith is headlining as well as our own Dan Lapp. AND there is a beer tent - how great is that? I will be there after Moss St Market on Saturday and Government Street Market on Sunday.
James Whitall and his mando
The Green Capital of Europe, Stockholm in Sweden aims to use only non-fossil fuels for heating by 2050. They already heat most of Stockholm with biofuel. BC’s landscape could be a twin to Sweden, except we have more land which we take for granted (or at least our government seems to-allowing old growth forests to disappear, for instance and pipelines threaten our shores).Here’s a thing - biogas from 100 banana peels can fuel a small car for 9k. Victoria could do with banana fuel…our landfill is soon going to overflow. Which reminds me, I need to bury my own anaerobic compost as my bucket is also soon going to overflow.
Here is a video meditation to help us achieve calm in the face of uncertainty and fear.
Produced by Steve Wollaston with support from Ian Mowll Courtesy of Greenspirit.org.uk
Music from Journeys into a Gold Horizon by Rafael Szaban www.indigoseamusic.com
I have been hoarding my plastic & Styrofoam recycle for months. Thank heavens for reFUSE in Victoria - it’s on Government Street between Chinatown and Bay Street. They take everything plastic, including waxed cartons, chip bags (with the aluminium lining) and styrofoam - as long as you take it already sorted.
Fabric Paths
My garden paths are looking quite sartorial with their latest covering of fabric remnants - saved from Recycle2shop’s bag and apron making.
Victoria Downtown Market was busy this weekend with some tourists from as far away as Texas and England.
Aprons on the Line
The Gay Pride Parade started as usual from our corner on Pandora and Government Street - loved the energy as Lady Gaga’s music pounded out of the speakers. The costumes this year looked fantastic - loads of feathers of course.
Gay Pride
Latest eco cleaning tip - olive oil with a few drops of lemon juice or essence make for a friendly furniture polish.
I read a clear explanation of our climate change denial by a geneticist, human rights worker, Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard: “Imagine a ship that is sinking and needs all the available power to run the pumps to drain out the rising waters. The first class passengers refuse to cooperate because they feel hot and want to use the air-conditioner and other electrical appliances. The second-class passengers spend all their time trying to be upgraded to first-class status. The boat sinks and the passengers all drown. That is where the present approach to climate change is leading. ” as quoted in The New York Times, Opinion Pages of June 23, 2011.
Victoria Cliffs
Olympic Mountain Rain Clouds
Summer has finally arrived in Victoria bringing people out to local markets. One local seagull welcomed us back to Centennial & Government street by divebombing and leaving a ’splot’ on Recycle2shop’s tent - leaving tourists alone for once. We will be back in Centennial Square in 2 weeks after 4 weeks on ‘the street’ by Chinatown.
Backdrop to stall
Recycle2shop will not be at Moss Street Market this Saturday. We will be at Centennial Square on Sunday for the Victoria Downtown Market.
The Ancient Forest Alliance has released another vid to try to save BC’s ancient trees.
Eco tips for May.
The easy way to shiny silver: pot of water, 1T baking soda, 1T salt, aluminum foil and silver anything - bring to the boil for a few minutes and watch the magic. Works best if you scrunch up the foil so that the silver is in contact.
Moth away: nasty clothes moths stay away when you add a few drops of Bergamot, Lavender and Lemon oil to the bottom of your drawers. Or when you put your clothes away for the winter, put a few drops on a piece of cedar and store in the bag with your clothes.
Elizabeth May - Green Party MP, is to speak in Victoria, Wednesday May 18 at the Alix Goolden Hall at 7pm. Included in her talk is information about the Kyoto Protocol to be discussed (again) at the next UN Climate Conference in South Africa in December.
Meanwhile, in our own climate dilemma, we had to cancel the Downtown Market in Centennial square - the rain was relentless! Saturday, however was lovely at the Moss Street Market in Fairfield. Here’s hoping for dry weather for the long weekend - Victoria Day in Victoria.
Images courtesy of Moss Street Market.