Rolling Up Sustainable Energy 2
All photos by James D. Schwartz / The Urban Country Imagine sitting on a dock on a beautiful lake with a laptop, performing your everyday job functions. You don’t ever have to worry about commuting to work and the only factor that can deter you from staying outside is the weather. This is my dream ...
Wolfe Island Sustainable Energy Haven
Photo courtesy of Julep67 / Flickr On June 26th, 2009, 86 high capacity wind turbines began operation on Wolfe Island near Kingston, Ontario. Each turbine is capable of 2,300 kilowatts and the expected capacity is more than 593,500 megawatt-hours of clean, renewable energy each year. I first stumbled across Canada’s second largest wind farm on ...
Human-Powered Public Transportation? 2
Cycling is a healthy and sustainable method of transportation, but one of its limitations is that you’re susceptible to less-than-ideal weather conditions. What if you could cycle to work in any weather conditions without having to worry about your safety or comfort? Furthermore, what if you could cycle to work in a reclined, comfortable seat ...
Mountain Equipment Co-op Takes Home Gold 3
Mountain Equipment Co-op is known for its commitment to sustainability, but its new Burlington, Ontario store sets the bar high for retail store energy-efficiency. For a company that diverts 92% of its waste generated at its stores and offices by recycling, composting and donating, it’s difficult to raise the bar even higher. But MEC – ...
Middle-Aged Men Powering Through Midlife Crisis
Last Wednesday I returned from a 6-day canoe/portage trip in the interior of the 7,653 square kilometre Algonquin Park. Like most years, my trip to Algonquin Park contrasts that of other summer travel destinations. Last year I camped at Algonquin Park shortly after taking a vacation in California. Living with only the bare necessities ...
Eco-Living Tip: Dog Poop Bags 6
Eco-Living Tips is a special section on The Urban Country where we provide tips for our readers on how we can live a more sustainable, environmentally-friendly lifestyle. If you’re at all like myself, you become irked when people dispose of non bio-degradable materials into our trash bins. Plastic bags are one such item that frequently ...
Greenpeace Kleercut Campaign – 2004-2009
Photo courtesy of stopkleenex / Flickr Greenpeace has announced it is suspending its (almost) 5-year-long “Kleercut” campaign against Kimberly-Clark for its destruction of Canada’s Boreal forest to produce its tissue products. In a joint news conference, the two foes announced that they have finally come to terms with one another with Kimberly-Clark committing to help ...
BIXI: Montreal’s Bicycle Sharing System 13
What do you get when you combine ‘bicycle’ with ‘taxi’? In Montreal they call it ‘BIXI’ and aside from a few technical glitches, the program has been a smashing success since it launched on May 12th, 2009. I arrived in Montreal on Wednesday after paddling for 11 days from Toronto. I spent the next 4 ...
Toronto to Montreal Kayak Adventure 41
Yesterday I arrived in Montreal after 11 consecutive days alone on the water. At times I had a feeling of freedom and saw some amazing scenery, and other times it was challenging and repetitive. But overall I really enjoyed the experience and I’ve definitely become a better kayaker as a result of the range of ...
Toronto to Montreal Solo Kayak Journey 2
Photo by James D. Schwartz / The Urban Country – Lake Ontario – 4 July 2009 In about 9 hours, I’ll be departing on a solo kayak journey from Toronto to Montreal to raise money for Noah’s Ark home for children in the Philippines. Noah’s Ark provides a temporary home for malnourished children; providing food, ...