Resources

Connection between Pollution and the Individual

The pollution of the planet is only an outward reflection of an inner psychic pollution: millions of unconscious individuals not taking responsibility for their inner space….Are you polluting the world or cleaning up the mess?

You are responsible for your inner space; nobody else is, just as you are responsible for the planet. As within, so without: if humans clear inner pollution, then they will also cease to create outer pollution."

Ekhart Tolle, “The Power of Now” pp77-78.

Dayle has received great inspiration from the teachings of Ekhart in this book and in his subsequent book, “The New Earth, Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose”.

http://www.ekharttolle.com/

Air Quality Tips from the Lung Association:

Your home should be safe and comforting, not a place that makes you sick. People can have air quality problems in any kind of home, new or old. The good news is that you can do something right now to improve the indoor air quality in your home."

http://www.lungassociation.ca/

The Guide to Less Toxic Products

Everyday, most North Americans use beauty and cleaning products which contain hazardous ingredients. How can you find the products which are least toxic, among the thousands of products on store shelves?"

This amazing website was developed by the Environmental Health Association of Nova Scotia, a non-profit, charitable organization that is entirely independent of any supplier or manufacturer of products mentioned in the Guide. Dayle has this 80+ page guide listed in her personal ‘favourites’ for choosing good, better & best products in every category for the home.

http://www.lesstoxicguide.ca/

Why Should You Care About Pesticides on Fruits & Veggies?

There is growing consensus in the scientific community that small doses of pesticides and other chemicals can adversely affect people, especially during vulnerable periods of fetal development and childhood when exposures can have long lasting effects. Because the toxic effects of pesticides are worrisome, not well understood, or in some cases completely unstudied, shoppers are wise to minimize exposure to pesticides whenever possible."

This produce ranking of 43 fruits and vegetables was developed by analysts at the Environmental Working Group (EWG), a not-for-profit environmental research organization. This list is another one of Dayle’s personal ‘favourites’.

http://www.foodnews.org/

10 ways you can stop global warming, reduce energy consumption and make a difference (PDF)

The David Suzuki Foundation has an excellent website, one part of which lists simple changes in our everyday lives can help slow climate change. For an excellent overview of actions you can take to reduce your carbon footprint, please download the pdf brochure link above. Take David Suzuki’s Nature Challenge and join the 364,855+ individuals who have already done so. www.davidsuzuki.org/NatureChallenge David Suzuki is one of Dayle’s great heros. He has been consistent in his message for over 40 years.

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/

Organically Grown Cotton

Although cotton is a natural, renewable resource and is comfortable to wear, many aspects of conventional cotton growing make us very uncomfortable. Over-application of synthetic fertilizers and pesticides has made thousands of acres too barren or contaminated for further farming. Many of the chemicals used are highly toxic, and injure or kill plants, animals, and people."

Mountain Equipment Coop is an outdoor sporting goods cooperative company that has pioneered responsible sustainable choices for their products. This article explains the rational behind selecting 100% organic for their cotton clothing. Ranked in the top 25 global buyers of organic cotton, they used in excess of 129,000kg of raw cotton, avoiding more than 42,600 kg of synthetic fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, or defoliants. Read article here

also see http://www.aboutorganiccotton.org/

Personal Carbon Emissions Calculator

EPA [Environmental Protection Agency] has developed tools to help individuals (and households) reduce greenhouse gas emissions and take action…Use this online calculator to obtain an estimate of your personal greenhouse gas emissions or your family’s greenhouse gas emissions. Then move on to the next section of the calculator to explore actions you and/or your family can take to lower your emissions while reducing your energy and waste disposal costs. For each action you choose to take, the calculator displays the amount of emissions you could avoid and how that amount relates to your total emissions."

www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ind_calculator.html

An Inconvenient Truth

Our climate crisis may at times appear to be happening slowly, but in fact it is happening very quickly-and has become a true planetary emergency. The Chinese expression for crisis consists of two characters. The first is a symbol for danger; the second is a symbol for opportunity. In order to face down the danger that is stalking us and move through it, we first have to recognize that we are facing a crisis. So why is it that our leaders seem not to hear such clarion warnings? Are they resisting the truth because they know that the moment they acknowledge it, they will face a moral imperative to act? Is it simply more convenient to ignore the warnings? Perhaps, but inconvenient truths do not go away just because they are not seen. Indeed, when they are responded to, their significance doesn't diminish; it grows."

This must-see movie can be rented from the local video store or purchased on DVD. It is also available in book format; the above quotation is from Al Gore’s website. Dayle prefers the 'opportunity' part of this crisis message and believes we can make a difference if we focus on the positive.