I took a big decision last week to leave my part-time job at Subway and focus on the business that I love. I was growing tired of doing work that was not meaningful to me and that went against my values in some ways. My boss and coworkers were very pleasant to work with and so there were no issues in that department. They were very understanding when I told them the news. I felt a sense of freedom that day I told my boss I was leaving. I went for a swim in the ocean and celebrated the big step on my journey with Eco Connects with my husband Miguel. I felt like I was being brave, but not in the way we traditionally think of bravery.
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I picked up a great book recently called “Brave, Not Perfect” by Reshma Saujani. She explains how girls are trained from an early age to be pleasant, pleasing, and take low risks whereas boys are trained to dare, go on adventures, and take bigger risks. When we think of brave we often think of male characteristics and images like the masculine brave warrior. She points out that there are many examples of women being brave all the time and that we need to value that bravery. For example, the woman who leaves her abusive husband, or the woman who decides to go back to school, or the woman who says no to a corporate job in order to follow her dream of being a stay-at-home mom.

I can relate to the desire to please people (especially my parents) and do things perfectly. When I was in University, I aimed to do it all. I got excellent grades, volunteered with multiple organisations, and even worked for a short time. I started to get burnt out and my body started reacting to the stress. I was striving for perfection in all that I was doing and my body was paying for it. When I entered the workforce and worked for environmental non-profits, I kept working at a very high standard for myself. I applied to numerous grants, got them, and proceeded to get burnt out again. I then went traveling and learned a new way of working, this time on permaculture farms. I enjoyed the hands-on work and laid-back volunteer lifestyle and let go of working with my mind for a time.

When we strive for perfection, it’s easy to get burnt out. We also miss opportunities because we won’t attempt the activities or projects if we feel we don’t have the experience or skills necessary to do well. Back when I was working at the non-profit, I started dreaming of having my own business. I didn’t have any business background, but I did have experience with facilitating educational workshops. That dream stayed a dream at that time because I chose to go traveling. It stayed a dream until very recently, when I was given the opportunity to join a self employment program that helped to cover my expenses while getting the business running. It reduced the risk, which made it much more attractive to give it a shot. It also provided ample learning opportunities to build the skills I would need to run a business.

Reshma encourages us to redefine bravery. We need girls and women to see that they can be brave in their own ways. Imagine what our world would look like if more women and girls took risks to do what is right for them, follow their dreams, and make a big impact in the world. My way of being brave recently was quitting my job and focusing on the business. What is your way of being brave?

How and what we eat may be among the most important decisions we can make for our body’s health and for the health of the planet. We are being challenged to find ways to eat healthy food because the prices of groceries are climbing higher and higher. Last year, grocery store food prices rose an average of 10%1. This year, they are forecasted to rise another 5 to 7%. Nearly one quarter of Nova Scotians are having a hard time accessing healthy foods2. It means that we need to think more creatively and communally about how to source nutritious foods, so that we can protect our health and the environment in which we live.

At the food security workshop last Thursday, we were joined by a very passionate, engaged group of five people who highly value local food and community-based solutions. There was a couple with a farm and their own greenhouse, a young man tasked with connecting the food security community in the Western region, and a mother and child who have just moved from Ontario and want to grow some of their own food. The discussions were very engaging and all kinds of ideas were brought forward.

One idea was to rethink how we use the term food security. The definition of food security that is commonly used is taken from the World Food Summit of 1996: “Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, [social] and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food which meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life” (FAO, 1996). For some people, the word “security” brings to mind militarism. It can be directly connected to the term national security. It is often used in the context of the global scale and when talking about hunger, poverty, and food aid. The term food security still has its uses however if we want community-based approaches to flourish without an imposed “national security” agenda I find it best to use a term like food resilience.

Food resilience is when people have community-based capacities to source their own healthy food, even in times of crisis. It looks like a local food system that includes community gardens, backyard and patio gardens, community supported agriculture (CSA), farmer’s markets, and farm stands. It can include practices like seed-saving, wild foraging, gleaning fruit and nut trees, and exchanging produce for goods and services. People work together to build the infrastructure and social supports necessary to sustain these local food options.

At the workshop, there were more ideas like vans and distribution centers with refrigeration so that Nova Scotia farmers can broaden the reach of food deliveries to Nova Scotian communities. There are food rescuing apps like Too Good To Go, Flashfood (Loblaws), Feedback and Olio that connect people with good, edible food that would otherwise go to waste. Community kitchens could be used to give budget-friendly cooking classes. Pay-what-you-can produce markets can help to close the gap between food banks and grocery stores. There could be free healthy lunches for children and education for mothers (and fathers) on sourcing and cooking healthy foods. Commons grazing, commons banking, and cooperatives for bulk buying food also came up.

There are many benefits to supporting local food systems and we as communities have the knowledge we need to support them. Supporting local helps to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions involved with transporting food. It also supports a system that has higher resiliency during crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, during which time we saw major inefficiencies and wastage in the globalized food system. We can influence local farmers to offer organic or pesticide-free produce. Local, whole foods inherently have less chemicals than processed, packaged food in the grocery store and are thus healthier for us to ingest. Organising around local food initiatives builds community and interconnectedness.

What can we do to support a more resilient, healthy food system? Shop local. Visit the farmer’s markets. Grow your own vegetables. Barter and trade for produce with friends and neighbors.
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The abundance of potential local initiatives for improving food resilience is astounding. All we need is people power: aware human beings ready to be in service of their community.
 
1 Canada’s Food Price Report 2023 https://www.dal.ca/sites/agri-food/research/canada-s-food-price-report-2023.html
2 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/food-insecurity-data-nova-scotia-2022-1.6833773

My husband and I recently moved into a one bedroom apartment in Digby. In fact, it was on the same weekend as our wedding! Amazingly it was a fairly low stress weekend. It is partly because we kept the wedding small and simple, and partly because we don’t own much stuff. We had no kitchen implements for example. The other thing that caused it to be low stress was the generous efforts of my parents. They  brought down a trailer load of my stuff from our family home. They made a significant contribution to keeping the move low stress.
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Ever since we moved, I have been reflecting on the possessions that we have and wondering if there is a way to simplify even more. I went to the library and found a book called “The More of Less” by Joshua Becker (www.becomingminimalist.com). It is full of tips, tricks, and encouragement for developing a minimalist lifestyle. It highlights the benefits which include having more time and energy, more money, more generosity, more freedom, less stress, less distraction, less environmental impact, higher quality belongings, and more.

The main idea is that the less possessions we own, the less burdened we are with organizing and maintaining them and the more time and freedom we have to focus on activities that bring us joy. We can still have all our necessities covered and even have toys, tools, and heirlooms. It’s just that we get rid of the clutter and the extras.

I’ve been reading the book while sitting cross legged at our coffee table which is currently our main eating table. We have one arm chair, two desks, two folding chairs, one tall table which I use as a standing desk, an air mattress, and a set of drawers. That is all of our furniture. We’d like to have a book shelf, but do we really need it?

I’ve been thinking about what we have as extras. We got three cutting boards for wedding presents, but they are all beautiful and needed. We have four sleeping bags of different sizes. We could probably get by with two. I recently got rid of a small rolling suitcase with corroded zippers. It seemed a shame to throw it out but it was not useful in its condition. I also threw out an old blanket, that was an easy one.

Joshua gives some helpful tips for purging unwanted items. He says start in the areas that are the easiest, like in the kitchen or in the clothing closet. Get a box and just throw everything you don’t want in there. Sort it later. For items that are harder to sort, he says do an experiment. Put the items you think you might not need into a box, label it, and hide it away for 29 days. If you forget about the items and don’t use them it’s a good sign you don’t need them.

It might be tempting to just haul things off to the garbage, but if we want to declutter in a green way we can consider donating, re-gifting, selling, and fixing.

Purging can also apply to larger items like cars and houses. Do you really need two vehicles? Try an experiment by just driving one vehicle. We currently don’t have a car and we are getting by fine because our apartment is walking distance to all the necessities like grocery stores, laundromat, and the library. We may need to buy one in the future for work but for now it isn’t necessary.

Sorting and purging is one thing but avoiding the accumulation of clutter is another. Joshua suggests dealing with paper clutter right away instead of letting it pile up. Tell family and friends about your minimalist lifestyle and give them a chance to get you gifts that you need instead of gifts that add to the clutter. Avoid shopping sprees for things you don’t really need, like new clothing. Be aware of ads on television and the internet that try to lure you into buying more by focusing on your insecurities.

Once you have a clutter-free household, it liberates your energy to focus on the things in life that have meaning and purpose and that make you happy. Miguel and I are far from having a clutter free space but we can strive to only buy things that we really need. Little by little we can pick away at the paper clutter, consolidate boxes, and organize what we do have into cupboards and onto future shelves.

Living a minimalist lifestyle is something to strive for that helps us to reduce our impact on the planet.

Miguel and I just celebrated our wedding on May 20th with a small group of family and friends. It was a beautiful, simple wedding in the historic gardens of Annapolis Royal. The tulips were blooming and the cardinals were singing! We managed to both enjoy the wedding and stay low stress. How did we do it? Here I will share some tips that I learned from my experience with organising our small, eco-friendly wedding. Hopefully they can help you or a friend in planning your own wedding.

Tip #1: Plan your own wedding.
Save yourself a pile of cash by doing your own wedding planning. The smaller and simpler you make the wedding, the easier and less stressful organizing will become. Keep track of expenses and guests in Excel spreadsheets. Make checklists that will be useful closer to the wedding.

Tip #2: Keep your wedding guest list to a minimum.
Sit down with your partner and make a list of the people who you absolutely need to have at your wedding. Consider keeping the number as low as possible so that it simplifies the organizing and reduces costs like catering. We had 15 people at our wedding. Miguel’s side of the family was not able to come since they live in Colombia. We invited people who live in Nova Scotia which helped to reduce travel, saving people money as well as greenhouse gas emissions.

Tip #3: Choose your ceremony venue and reception venue carefully.
Depending on if your wedding ceremony is outdoors or indoors, there can be a great difference in the effort and money required to decorate and set up. We opted for an outdoor wedding because we both love nature and it offered a simple and beautiful setting. We booked the historic gardens for $250 and they were able to provide chairs, a table, as well as two 10 ‘ X 10 ‘ tents in case of rain. Our reception was in a restaurant called Bistro East and they offered us a private rate of $500. We were so happy with both of these choices as they supported our values and they were also very close to each other.

Tip #4: Buy or borrow a gently used wedding dress or suit.
Wedding dresses can easily cost over $1000 and I didn’t have any desire to have a white dress in my closet that wouldn’t be used after the wedding. I opted to buy a gown-like dress with blue, red and black patterns over a white background that was elegant and non-traditional. I found it at Frenchy’s and paid $8. I love reusing clothes and so this dress really spoke to my values. I bought a white bolero for $50 to cover my shoulders. Miguel wore a purple blouse that matched my dress that he had been given. We both went with (mostly) non-traditional and used clothing.

Tip #5: Decorate with simplicity in mind.
It can be really beautiful having carefully thought-out centerpieces with flowers on tables and lights and ribbons hanging on the walls. But in order to reduce stress as well as unnecessary use of materials we can also opt to minimize decorations. We had no extra decorations at the ceremony besides the beautiful flowers in the gardens. There were two baskets full of rose petals which were tossed on Miguel and I as we left the ceremony. At the reception, we sprinkled rose petals around the cake and bouquet of flowers. There was a table for gifts for the guests consisting of beeswax candles and books that Miguel and I had made about our love story. I bought some LED lights to weave around the candles. It looked very pretty.

Tip #6: Invest in the little details that make the wedding special.
Every couple will have different priorities for the details that will make their wedding day special. For us, we really wanted to give our guests a special experience and show our gratitude. We invested a considerable amount of time and money into producing special books about our story as gifts for our guests. It had pictures from various points of time in our relationship and several stories about how we met and adventures we had together.

Tip #7: Stick to a budget (or almost).
Weddings can easily cost thousands of dollars so having a budget can help to keep your wedding simple and small. We decided to have a budget of roughly $1000 for our wedding. We ended up spending just under $1300. We saved a lot of money by opting out of several traditions. Instead of live music we used a Bluetooth speaker connected to a phone. I paid for a beautiful hairstyle but I did my own make-up. We couldn’t find a photographer so my uncle and other family members took pictures for us.

Tip #8: Involve your family in helping out with the wedding.
Weddings are about families coming together and celebrating love. Allowing one’s family to contribute to the wedding can be a great show of love. My parents were extremely generous in helping us out with the cost of the reception, including meals. Mom also bought the beautiful, delicious lemon raspberry buttercream cake. One of my uncles bought the bouquet of flowers and my other uncle took pictures. The wedding was a joint effort and it was made that much more beautiful by the show of support from family and friends.

Tip #9: Forgo traditions that don’t speak to your heart.
A wedding is meant to be a unique celebration of love, so why not tailor it to exactly what will make you happy? Leave out the traditions that don’t resonate with you. We didn’t have the means or the desire to have diamond wedding rings. We bought a beautiful moss-agate stone and silver ring for me and a silver ring for Miguel, both costing less than $70 each. We decided to not have bridesmaids or groomsmen. We also opted to not have those little flower arrangements that people sometimes wear at weddings.

Tip #10: Stay organized, stay relaxed, and enjoy!
A small, simple wedding can reduce one’s stress because there is less to organize. However, there are still a lot of little to dos that add up as you get closer to the wedding. I started to feel a little stressed three days before the wedding. I did what I usually do when I feel overwhelmed, make a list! The list included all the tasks I needed to do the three days leading up to the wedding. Once I had that list I felt in control and I could relax a bit. One of the things on that list was to confirm with people about their different roles. For example, the ring-bearer and the person to turn on the music. Once the wedding day arrived, my to do list was very small on purpose so that I could just focus on enjoying the special day.

Have you ever wondered if there was an eco-friendly alternative to manicured lawns? Ecological landscaping offers a variety of ways to maintain your home’s landscape that benefits the wildlife and plants that share the space. According to the Ecological Landscaping Alliance,

        “The objectives of an ecological landscaper are to reduce water consumption, preserve water quality,           prevent soil erosion, protect biodiversity, diminish the use of toxic pesticides, and minimize the use             of non-renewable resources.”

It is similar in its philosophy to permaculture farming, which is about integrating human and natural systems in a holistic way for the benefit of all creatures. Let’s have a look at some different components of ecological landscaping that align with principles of permaculture:
Watering Systems

The idea with permaculture is to use the resources that you have on site. So how can you maximize the use of rain on your property? With a rain barrel or a water cube. Rainwater is excellent for watering your garden because it has extra nutrients. Learn how to build your own or find one for sale at your local hardware store.

The plants you choose for your gardens should be matched to the soil type, hardiness zone, and amount of water the ground receives. If you want a landscape that needs little watering, choose drought tolerant plants, shrubs, and trees. Even better, choose native plants where possible as they will be best adapted to the local climate and soil.

Weeding

It takes a lot of effort every year to remove those pesky flowering native plants that we call weeds. But what would happen if we just embraced them? Better yet, encouraged them! Many people are switching from manicured lawns to wildflower meadows. Through seeding, planting, and removing grass, many beautiful flowers can be added. The dandelions, lupins, daisies, forget-me-nots, and foxgloves can make a beautiful scene when they are all inter-mingled. They provide food for bees, hummingbirds, and other wildlife. The trick is to make the no-mow-lawn look intentional. Consider adding a bird bath or adding a couple mown paths and a bench. When people see that it is being cared for and it is not simply being neglected, the transition to a no-mow-lawn can be made more smoothly.

Fertilizing

Stay away from carbon-intensive fertilizers that pollute the atmosphere and consider some natural alternatives. For starters, you can make your own composting system using vegetable, fruit, and other food scraps from the kitchen (just not meat or dairy). Layer the organics with dried leaves or grass clippings for an ideal nutrient ratio. Line the composting container with chicken-wire to keep out wily raccoons.

Another alternative fertilizer is composted manure from your local farmer. Cow, horse, and sheep manure are all good examples. Chicken manure can be good but in smaller quantities because of its nutrient balance. Stay away from using ashes from the fireplace unless you’ve tested your soil and found it to be too acidic. Then the basic ashes can be useful. If you have a lawn, leave grass clippings on lawns to act as a natural fertilizer.

Pest Control

Stay away from toxic herbicides and pesticides and consider managing pests in a more eco-friendly way. The best way to avoid pests is through prevention. Strong healthy plants that are well-suited to their environment are less likely to get stressed and have issues with pests. If you do find aphids or whiteflies you can use an insecticidal soap spray. Predatory insects like ladybugs and lacewings will feed on soft-bodied insects like aphids. Predatory wasps will feed on beetle larvae and caterpillars. If you have a well-supported, thriving ecosystem of plants and insects on your property the predator-prey relationship will keep your pests in check.

Mulching

In permaculture circles there is a saying that bare soil is like an open wound on the Earth. Mulching is a way to cover the soil and to prevent the overgrowth of unwanted plants. It keeps the soil moist for longer which reduces the amount of watering you need to do. You can use mowed leaves, seaweeds such as eelgrass, and natural bark mulch. Keep the mulch away from shrub and tree bases to prevent rotting. Ensure a thick layer so that light doesn’t reach the soil.

Planting

There are a variety of eco-friendly strategies that you can use when selecting plants for your garden. Do you want there to be many flowers for pollinators? Do you want to support native plant communities? Do you want to have some edible plants? How about drought-tolerant plants that don’t need watering? You can have different gardens for different spaces on your property according to the needs and characteristics of your homestead. For example, you may choose to convert part of your lawn to xeriscaping which includes rocks, mulch, and drought-tolerant plants. You may want another section with fruiting shrubs and trees which provide both your household and local birds with fruits. The ecological potential of your landscape is only limited by your imagination.

Ecological landscapers

Are you interested in learning more about ecological landscaping and considering it for your property? I recommend checking out the Ecological Landscaping Alliance for resources. Consider identifying a local ecological landscaper who can consult with you on your ideas for your landscape. Helping Nature Heal is an example of an ecological landscaper located in Nova Scotia. I am just starting my journey in ecological landscaping. I took a course with Helping Nature Heal in 2016 and have designed and implemented three gardens so far. I’d be happy to discuss your projects with you and offer a free consultation.

Are you a home-owner living in Nova Scotia? Are you concerned about climate change and interested in reducing your home energy bill? There are several programs available to help you with reducing fossil fuel use.

Electricity generation is currently a leading emitter of greenhouse gases in Nova Scotia. In the 2022 Climate Change Plan, the Government of Nova Scotia breaks down the greenhouse gas emissions per sector and electricity was the highest at 43%. Transportation was the next highest at 32% and buildings were at 12%. Nova Scotia plans to stop the use of coal-fired plants by 2030 and reach 80% of electricity coming from renewable energy sources by 2030.

If you are concerned about reducing your carbon footprint, reducing energy consumption and fossil fuel use in the home is a great place to start. It saves you money at the same time as reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Converting oil heating to electrical heating is helpful because the grid will soon include more renewable energy. Increasing insulation, switching to low-energy use appliances, and sealing holes are some other examples of actions that you can take.

Efficiency NS Energy Audit
Efficiency Nova Scotia can come to your home and perform an energy audit for $200. The audit helps you to find out how your home is losing heat. At that time, you can learn about rebates and low interest loans that are available. You will automatically be considered for the federal Canada Greener Homes Grant rebates. These include home insulation, windows and doors, heat pumps and renewable energy systems. There is $125 to $5000 available for eligible home retrofits and up to $600 can go towards the total costs of your pre- and post retrofit EnerGuide evaluations.

HomeWarming program
The HomeWarming program is excellent for people who have a low income. You can get a free energy assessment and free home upgrades. You can get a free heat pump (and electric panel upgrade) if you are on oil heating, which would be switched out. The Government of Nova Scotia is committing to reduce the use of oil heating by 20% by 2030. Low income is defined as less than $27,250 per year for 1 person, $50,635 for 2-4 person, and $72,113 for 5 or more. The family or person must own the single unit home and live in it all year.

Efficiency NS Home Energy Upgrade Rebates
If you don’t qualify for the HomeWarming, there are still ways to save money on home energy upgrades. Efficiency Nova Scotia has several great rebates for home heating that is not oil-based:

• Heat pumps ($150-800)
• Centrally ducted heat pumps ($600-1600)
• Wood pellet and heating ($500-1000)
• Electric thermal storage ($300-2000)
• Solar Thermal ($400-1000)
• Three element water heater ($400-650)

To qualify, it must be a new purchase and not replacing an old version. You must apply within 180 days of installation to receive the rebate.

SolarHomes program
Interested in installing solar panels on your roof? It is a great way to reduce your use of grid energy if using battery storage, or you can contribute renewable energy to the grid. SolarHomes offers rebates for Solar Photovoltaic (PV) systems up to 10 KW in size (min 1KW). They give rebates at the rate of $0.30/Watt (installed DC capacity) up to a maximum of $3,000. In order to qualify, the building must be owned by the person applying and it must be either a primary residence or seasonal property (not rental). You can use the rebate for an addition to an existing PV system (min 1 KW).

Clean Energy Financing
There are several municipalities in Nova Scotia that are running clean energy financing programs. These include Town of Bridgewater, District of Lunenburg, District of Digby, District of Barrington, District of Yarmouth, Inverness County, Town of Amherst, Cumberland County, Town of New Glasgow, Victoria County, and East Hants. They might have slight differences but generally they follow the guidelines set out by Clean Foundation. District of Lunenburg for example offers 15 years of financing at the rate of 2% interest, up to $20,000. Many upgrades that save energy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions are eligible. Financing is through your property and not personal credit.

There are several good programs in the province for people to reduce their energy use when they own their home. There appears to be less options for people who are renting apartments and rental property owners. However, Efficiency NS can help to install some free energy-saving measures like tank wraps, LED lights, and faucet aerators in apartments. There are energy saving options for just about everyone!

If you have experience with any of these programs, I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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Happy energy saving!

​Spring is here and with that comes the annual celebration of our beautiful Earth. At this time of year, I notice all the brave little flowers poking up their heads through the snow or green and brown grass. Crocuses and coltsfoot are among the first. Mixed in with these flowers along the side of the road is also garbage that was buried under the snow and is now revealed. I become tempted to start picking up these items and throwing them into a garbage bag. 

It is a natural, beautiful time of year to make some gestures of good will towards the Earth who supports us in all we need for life. We all know how much the Earth needs our help right now. Taking action for the Earth doesn’t need to be costly. Here are some budget-friendly actions to consider on this beautiful day of celebration:

1) Picking up roadside or beach garbage- Invite a friend or family member, grab some garbage bags and rubber gloves, and head down to your nearest road or beach. Think of it as being like an extended Easter Egg Hunt, only you are not hunting for eggs but for trash! Check out Scotian Shores community beach clean up events for volunteers.

2) Shopping at the local farmer’s market- Not everything at the farmer’s market is expensive! Vegetables and fruits are often a comparable price to grocery store items. Save your shopping for the market and be rewarded with many pleasant interactions with neighbors, friends, and local farmers. Buy food in season and with less packaging and waste. Support a resilient local food economy.

3) Buying in bulk- There are several stores and services out there that enable us to buy food, dish washing liquid, and other things in bulk. It saves money and packaging. Search for the nearest Bulkbarn, health food store, or even drugstore (Teasdale’s Apothecary in Antigonish allows bulk buying and refillable containers). Speerville Flour Mill is an Atlantic Canada company that provides organic and bulk food at very reasonable prices. You can do group ordering to reduce the cost of shipping.

4) Writing a letter- This action costs only your time. Do you have an environmental issue that needs to be addressed? It could be anything ranging from clear-cutting of our forests to saving a park from golf development. Consider it to be a great service you can do for both the public and the planet. For ideas of campaigns to support in Nova Scotia visit Ecology Action Centre.

5) Attend an Earth Day Parade- Who said environmental activism can’t be fun? On Saturday April 22nd at 2pm a People’s Parade will be happening in Halifax. It will be a great show of creativity and love for the Earth and its people. There will be drumming, puppets, and costumes. Consider joining if you live nearby or make your own Earth Day parade by going on a walk in nature with a friend or two dressed in your favorite colourful attire!

6) Take your bicycle for a ride- Cycling is one of the most holistically healthy transportation methods that I can think of. You get exercise, you can see beautiful nature up close, and you get fresh air (as long as you’re not stuck behind a diesel truck). You power your own way to your destination, without the use of fossil fuels. Learn how to tune up your bike online or find a friendly person who can do it for you and get on the seat again!

7) Sign a petition- One of my favorite organisations for global environmental activism is Avaaz. They take on big campaigns like the next big extinction and octopus farming. Consider donating or simply signing a petition in support of one of their many great causes. It reminds us that we are not alone in our concerns and that when many people act together we can be a great force of change!

8) Eating less meat- There are many good reasons to reduce the amount of meat in our diets. Processed meats have been declared carcinogenic by the WHO and red meat as probably carcinogenic. Cattle are major emitters of greenhouse gases and the land and water needed to support their development is massive. There is also the animal rights concern. Think about the scale of factory farming of chicken or pigs needed to support enough meat to feed 8 billion plus people on the planet. Eating more vegetarian meals can save us money, reduce our environmental footprint, and help us live healthier lives.

9) Increase your home’s energy efficiency- This one takes a little investment but it can save you money in the long run! Efficiency Nova Scotia will come to your home and do an energy audit for $200. You can learn about rebates and interest-free loans that will help you to reduce heat loss. There is a Home Warming program for people with low-medium income, but you must own the home.

10) Give sustainability coaching a try- Do you struggle with climate anxiety or eco-grief? Do you have a hard time sticking to your environmental commitments? Sustainability coaching may be able to help you. A coach can help you to overcome obstacles to reaching your sustainable goals. They can guide you in creating a vision for your ideal life and help you to take small action steps in the right direction. You can learn how to live within your values. There is a free demo of sustainability coaching here.

I hope some of these actions resonated for you! I encourage you to pick one action, either on this list or from your own creative brainstorming, and to commit to doing it for Earth Day. If you want support with taking action on the eco-crisis, you know how to reach me.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this list and any Earth Day actions that you want to share. Consider liking Eco Connects on Facebook and send me a message.

All the best with your sustainable initiatives.
Happy Earth Day!

​I am an aspiring environmentalist who tries to live a lifestyle that one would consider “green”. But how green is this lifestyle really? I would like to take some time to reflect on my lifestyle and see if there are some areas with room for improvement.

The motivation for writing this article came after I drafted a description for a new crowd-funding campaign on GoFundMe that I am launching to support free sustainability coaching. It was called “Support May’s Green Dream”. But after I re-read the description, I asked myself, can I really call my dream “green”?

“Green” is a term used to reference anything remotely eco-friendly. For example, a “green” laundry detergent that is scent free. There has been a lot of green-washing in recent years, which means labeling products as green or eco-friendly without there being solid, factual reasons for calling it so.

When we are aiming to live an eco-friendly lifestyle, we need to be careful of green-washing. 

What does it mean, to be living an eco-friendly lifestyle? In my view, it is making a conscious effort to reduce one’s impact on the planet. It can include reducing plastic waste, shopping organic, shopping local, reducing driving time, reducing flights, saving water use, and so much more.

It is very difficult to live a truly eco-friendly lifestyle while living in a capitalist, western-centric society. It means making many personal sacrifices, including with relationships, time, and energy. Many privileged people expect to have all the luxuries, like hot water, varied meals, vacations, and single-family homes. Choosing to live eco-friendly is often going against the grain of what one’s peers are doing.

Many people living on a low income are forced to live more eco-friendly. For example, not being able to go on vacations or needing to grow their own food. 

I am currently a person with low income but with privileges as a European-descendant woman. My fiancé Miguel and I are living with my elderly Uncle. It works quite well for us. We do a lot of cooking, some cleaning, as well as grocery shopping, in exchange for a beautiful place to live and use of a vehicle. 

By putting off renting or buying our own place and car, we are saving many extra materials and greenhouse gases. However, is it sustainable in the long-term? Probably not. We will want our own place and car eventually.

We want to have a family some day, with one or two kids. We want to have a piece of land, a small home with some solar panels, gardens and chickens. We will need a small used vehicle. That is our dream. Is it “green”?

Miguel and I are getting married this spring! We will be having a small, simple wedding in Nova Scotia. I will be wearing a second-hand dress and our guests will all be traveling within Nova Scotia. Then, we will be going on a honeymoon and having a second wedding celebration in Colombia. It will be a chance for Miguel to visit his family and connect with his roots. I will also get to practice my Spanish!

Can you see my dilemma? Am I able to call our dream “green”, without it being green-washing? The reality is that while we are living a fairly eco-friendly lifestyle at this moment, we have dreams that involve some travel, some building, and some transportation.

My philosophy with eco-friendly living is that we are all works-in-progress. We have a baseline from which we aim to add more eco-friendly activities. We all have non-negotiable activities that are important to us, like occasional vacations or living in a single-family home. What activities can we do along WITH those non-negotiable activities to green our lifestyle?

After some more reflection, I think staying at my Uncle’s place for as long as possible is one way we can make a positive contribution to the environment. We are good companions for each other, and we share a home and vehicle. 

We could buy more food at the Farmer’s market, and choose produce that have less plastic wrapping. We could buy staples like rice or flour in bulk from Speerville or at a Bulkbarn (provided it’s not an extra trip). We could use bicycles in the spring, summer and fall for short trips to town. 

We can continue to do multi-purpose trips into town, instead of single purpose trips. We can continue to buy organic products, especially when they are %50 off. I can continue to reduce my meat consumption.

I will avoid calling my dreams “green” because I have to admit that there are some aspects of the lifestyle I want that aren’t so green, like taking a trip every few years to Colombia with my fiancé. What I can say is that I aspire to living more eco-friendly. I want to challenge myself to use less packaging, eat less meat, and drive less. 

Having a low income can be a blessing when it comes to living more eco-friendly, but it is also a great burden for many people. I hope that in the coming weeks and months I can help people find ways to make green-living more affordable, and even generate some extra savings. 

Stocksnap photo by Ali Inay

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Sustainability coaching is a new and emerging field. It takes inspiration from climate change coaching which is growing in the United Kingdom (and perhaps other countries as well). The over-arching idea is to help people act on climate change and the eco-crisis. Let’s unpack the term so we can deepen our understanding.

Sustainability is a very complex concept that has multiple meanings. We hear the term “sustainable development” which is entrenched in the same capitalist ideals that are causing the eco-crisis. We also hear about the sustainability of companies, meaning how far into the future will the company be viable. The version of sustainability that we are working with is a set of ideals for ecological and social responsibility. Sustainability is about having a lifestyle that is more in harmony with nature and that nourishes our body-mind-spirit. It is a direction rather than an end goal. It is a lens that we look through when we make decisions like what to eat, where to travel, and what to buy.

Coaching is about helping people to help themselves. Coaches empower their clients to find meaning, make a vision, make decisions, and set goals. It is about keeping accountable to a person so goals will be achieved. It helps to have someone who believes in you and celebrates the successes with you. Coaches ask clients good questions that invite deeper reflection which leads to new insights. Coaching creates opportunities to identify creative solutions to obstacles. Coaching also helps clients to prioritize the most important actions needed to reach their desired goals. There is no judgment when a client doesn’t take an action, and coaches don’t give advice. All of this helps clients to feel empowered, find their inner calm, and feel in control of their lives.

The marriage between sustainability and coaching is an empowering way for people to make real changes in their lives for the best interest of the planet and its inhabitants. It supercharges people’s good intentions to make sustainable life changes by keeping them accountable, helping to prioritize, and focusing their energy on what’s most important. It helps a client to identify what might prevent them from reaching their sustainable goals and come up with a strategy to overcome the obstacles. The actions that a client chooses are suited to their unique position in life and to their environmental and social interests and passions. 

Sustainability coaching presents a new solution for climate change and the eco-crisis. It is centered on behaviour change. It helps people to take steps away from over-consumption of resources. It helps people to move toward more eco-friendly options. The focus on active listening and asking good questions enables a caring and compassionate approach to helping people make changes in their lives.

Every person on the planet could benefit from sustainability coaching. However, not everyone has the desire to make lifestyle changes. Sustainability coaching is for people who love nature, who care about their health, and who want to move forward on a sustainable path. It is for people who feel distressed about the eco-crisis. Action is one of the best remedies for lack of hope. 

I have a vision of widely accessible sustainability coaching available to people of all ages, ethnicities, genders, races, religions, and abilities. There are many sustainability coaches of different backgrounds in this vision and there is free coaching for the masses. The coaches would be paid by government, crowdfunding, or by individuals who can afford it. We need more ways to strengthen our efforts to slow down climate change and this is one of the ways that we can do it: through focused effort on incremental behaviour change. We have all of the knowledge that we need to live more sustainably, we just need the will power and the encouragement from a coach.

Every morning for the past week, I have been walking down to the brook and dunking in the cold, fast flowing water. You might ask why a person would willingly do something so uncomfortable?

My desire to cold water dip started when I heard about it from my friend Akasha. She is a wild woman, she enjoys sleeping under the stars. She regularly goes for swims in the nearby lake or brook throughout the year. She has inspired several of her friends to do the same. I thought why not try it out?

Cold water dipping, or winter swimming, is known to have many associated health benefits. It can reduce pain for people with fibromyalgia or arthritis. It boosts circulation and the immune system. It has also been known to improve mood disorders and give dippers an overall feeling of well-being and energy. There are of course associated risks if a person goes too fast. Death by neurogenic cold-shock and hypothermia are real risks. But if a person goes slow, for example starting with dunking just half their body, they can build a tolerance to the cold.

An Immersion Story

I grab my towel and put on my jacket, scarf, hat and boots and head to the forest. As I walk, I begin to hear the gurgling, cool running brook. I am both terrified and excited about the idea of immersing in the frigid water. I shiver and feel vulnerable as I strip down to my bathing suit. I wrap my towel around myself and tread smoothly through the ice cold brook to the other side. The running water plays at my legs. I walk along the crunchy leaves dusted with snow and pick my way around rocks and sticks. The trees are my silent witnesses. I’ve made it to the edge of a beautiful, dark and deep pool with a small waterfall. Intent on getting in without hesitation, I drop the towel and step into the ice water. I feel alive and thrilled about what I am doing. I feel like I am part of the brook as I immerse to my neck level. One, two, three, I count in my head. Four, five, six, I focus on my toes dabbling at the surface. Seven, eight, nine, the rush of the water sounds delightful. Ten, and I quickly get to my feet. I grab my towel and firmly wrap it around like a big hug. I am dripping wet and with a head rush like the feeling of a high. I whisper my gratitude to Creator exuberantly. My body feels tingly and my mind is clear. I make my way back across the shallow stream, stopping to splash some water on my face. I dry myself, put on my clothes, and smile at the feat that I just overcame. 

Cold water dipping can be a powerful spiritual experience. It strengthens your will power as you empower your mind while your body submits to your intentions. It makes you feel in control. It boosts self confidence. It feels like an accomplishment to overcome the desire for comfort. It can start with a cold shower, and then evolve to wading in brooks or lakes. Pairing it with an intention to overcome fears or obstacles in your life can also be very empowering.

When dipping in lakes, rivers, or the ocean, it gets you actively involved in a relationship with nature. The surroundings are serene and peaceful and add to your overall experience. Sharing your enthusiasm and delight with the water is giving back. Cold water dipping is one of the many ways that we can benefit from a relationship with nature. So the question is what are other ways that we can give back?


Resources:

Huttunen P, Kokko L, Ylijukuri V. (2004). Winter swimming improves general wellbeing.
Int. J. Circumpolar Health. 63:140–4.
Knechtle, B., Wa´skiewicz, Z., Sousa, C.V., Hill, L., and Nikolaidis, P.T. (2020). Cold Water Swimming—          Benefits and Risks: A Narrative Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public      Health. 17 doi:10.3390/ijerph17238984
Manolis, A.S., Manolis, S.A., Manolis A.A., Manolis, T.A., Apostolaki, N. , Melita, H. (2019) Winter Swimming:  Body Hardening and Cardiorespiratory Protection Via Sustainable Acclimation. Current Sports Medicine Reports, 18 (11): 401-415.