Here’s an interesting fact that many people probably don’t know: that black, stretchy material that makes laptop cases, knee wraps, and wetsuits is actually incredibly toxic, and has a huge negative footprint on the planet. It’s called Neoprene and is made with formaldehyde, lead, and chlorine which, when you think about it, are 3 things you don’t want to wrap your body in, or have constant exposure to.


Now that our culture is becoming increasingly aware of our exposure to chemicals, it’s time for an environmentally friendly solution to this problem, and the good people at Green Smart have come up with it: Neogreene. It looks and feels just like neoprene, except without any of the negative side effects of producing it, and using it. It’s made entirely of recycled materials, like plastic PET water bottles, contains no chlorine, lead, or formaldehyde, and can be made with 25% less energy than you’d need to make Neoprene.


The makers even take their commitment to a small eco-footprint even further with minimal packaging (only a recycled paper tag to list its features), and in using water-based dyes on the product itself.


Right now, the Neogreene products Green Smart has available are laptop sleeves and bottle totes, and they’re as fairly priced as they are stylish. Be sure to visit Green Smart today to check them out for yourself. And next time you see someone with a Neoprene wetsuit, laptop sleeve, or bottle tote, be sure to tell them about Neogreene!

Even if you’re not a germaphobe, anti-bacterial cleaning products should be any new parent’s dream come true. Whether it’s cleaning up spills, messes, or just making the counters sanitary, baby-safe cleaning products are a necessity. Now Dapple, the makers of all different kinds of environmentally friendly baby-safe cleaning products, are taking a trip across the United States with 50 stops along the way to help raise awareness about being clean while being environmentally responsible at day cares, summer camps, play centers, and everyday homes. The best part about this trip is you can help decide where they go in each city. Go right here to see the preliminary list of scheduled stops, then tell the organizers where in your city is the best place to go, and you could win a ton of free baby-safe, green cleaning products. If the city you live in isn’t yet chosen as a stop on the road trip, you can still check out Dapple products and keep your babys clean and green by visiting the official Dapple website.

Toronto’s garbage strike has only been going on for a week now, but after yesterday’s gay pride parade and a weekend full of tourism, the streets are starting to fill up with garbage. As you can see by the picture to the left, most people ignore the signs asking to refrain from littering, and after a rainy day the gutters are full of it too. But what does extra garbage laying around mean to the everyday person? More than you might think.


For starters, what is all of this junk leaking into our soils? When there’s nowhere for the garbage to go, people will start dumping it anywhere, including green spaces in their own neighbourhoods. Even though it may seem like a long shot to find hazardous chemicals being dumped, something as simple as a CFL light bulb could mean mercury seeping into the ground. If you suspect anything hazardous has seeped into soil around your home or neighbourhood, be sure to contact the Ministry of Environment Spills Action Center (416-325-3000).


Harmful chemicals aside, we should really be asking ourselves where this garbage went before the strike. When there’s garbage pouring into the streets after only a week, it really shows the amount of disposable materials our city goes through. And how much of that is actually necessary? I would wager to say less than half.


While many people view the issue of the garbage strike as one about fair labour rates, we should really be speaking to the issue of living in a throw-away culture. Try and use this garbage strike as a way to learn more environmentally friendly practices. Make your own vermicompost (simple instructions here), or find uses for materials that you’d otherwise be chucking out. These small steps can add up, and it may just be this unfortunate event that can bring it to the attention of Toronto’s population.

As a follow up to yesterday’s post on the historic climate change bill proposed by President Obama and many other notable US Democrats, the House of Representatives voted in favour of adopting the new standards which would limit the amount of greenhouse gas emissions to 17% below what they were in 2005 by 2020. Although there is a lot of support behind this cause, it still has to make its way through the Senate, and many Republicans are still pushing back against it for fear of its effects on job creation. Here’s what Al Gore had to say on the subject:

The American Clean Energy Security (ACES) Act is one of the most important pieces of legislation Congress will ever pass. This comprehensive legislation will make meaningful reductions in global warming pollution, spur investment in clean energy technology, create jobs and reduce our reliance on foreign oil.


The next step is passage of this legislation by the Senate to help restore America’s leadership in the world and begin, at long last, to put in place a truly global solution to the climate crisis.


We are at an extraordinary moment, with an historic opportunity to confront one of the world’s most serious challenges. Our actions now will be remembered by this generation and all those to follow – in our own nation and others around the world.”

Be sure to do your part and join RePower America, and be sure to show the Senate that you care about the passage of this bill.

Despite many Republicans’ statements that environmental action undermines economic growth, Barack Obama and a group of Democrats have been trying to pass a historic global warming bill called the “American Clean Energy and Security Act”. The bill is being voted on today and, if passed, would set standards for greenhouse gas emissions to be 17% lower than they were in 2005 by 2020. So what’s the big problem that Republicans are finding with this? They see it only as an additional tax, in that the cost of energy is likely to rise significantly, and this may result in a slower rate of job creation. However, President Obama and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi both argue that the bill will in fact create millions of jobs in the clean energy sector, and help the United States bounce back from the economic difficulties it has been through in the past months. Hopefully the vote later today will set the US on a green path towards 2020.

As we’ve seen already with the NBA and NHL, professional sports teams and facilities have a pretty significant carbon footprint, but many of the teams’ owners and operators are starting to do something about it. This year, the MLB is putting into place a handful of new guidelines for its teams and facilities to produce less waste, conserve water, reduce energy, increase public transit use to the games, and educate the fans who swarm to the park every week. Some of the teams who jumped on board early are the Washington Nationals who have a Silver LEED Certified park, the Pittsburgh Pirates who recycled over 33,000 lbs of plastic, and the Seattle Mariners who compost all of their organic waste. It’s one more reason to make it out to the ball park this summer, so hop on your public transit, and stay as green as possible.

Chicago’s world-famous Sears Tower is about to get a big makeover - a $350 million retrofit to be exact. The 1,450 foot tall tower is getting a green overhaul this year to start cutting major costs by reducing its electricity consumption by a whopping 80%, and water consumption by 40%. The other overhaul it’s getting is its name: the Sears Tower will soon be the Willis Tower for one of the building’s new tenants, insurance broker Willis Group Holdings. So how is it going to cut back all of its energy and water usage? By replacing all 16,000 of the single pane windows, installing gas boilers, modernizing the building’s 104 elevators and 15 escalators, installing solar water heaters, and putting automatic lighting dimmers in the offices. This retrofit is definitely setting a great example in Chicago’s skyline this year.

There’s a new incentive for doing good for the planet, and it’s coming as part of Nike’s Beat Gasoline campaign. The sports company wants athletes to take a great idea about being eco-friendly while still being athletic, and make a video of it and upload it on the Beat Gasoline website. Every week at least one winner will be chosen and awarded an awesome prize pack including a bike, shoes, clothes, and more. Or if you’re not the video type, you can just upload a photo and have the chance to win a Global Giving Card. Best of all, the idea doesn’t just have to do with beating gasoline - it can promote outdoor activity and the environment in any way. The first winners are being awarded tomorrow (June 26th), so be sure to check out the official Beat Gasoline website and see what kind of competition is out there.