DadGoesGreen One Dad's quest to become the change

Hello Metro Vancouverites!

We’ll it’s a brand new year and if you are like  my wife and I, you may have  decided do some early spring cleaning and thin things out while you took down your Christmas tree and put away your decorations.

First off, if you bought a fresh tree, there should be tree chipping services you can take advantage over the next week or two. Here are some links to get you started.

Christmas Tree Chipping –> Vancouver 1

Christmas Tree Chipping –> Vancouver 2

Christmas Tree Chipping –> North Vancouver

We decided to clear our our storage locker and found quite a few things we no longer needed. We had an old microwave and wondered what to do with it. If you’re thinking you should just toss it in the trash, you are correct.

Since microwaves don’t fall under most electronics recycling initiatives, I did some searching and found B-Line Appliance Recycling Ltd. They offer eco-friendly appliance recycling and disposal. In the last 10 years alone, they have diverted over 50,000,000 lbs (25,000 tons) of appliances from landfills. B-Line accepts appliances for recycling 8:00am – 3:00pm, Monday to Friday. It is a FREE drop-off service. They accept refrigerators, freezers, stoves, ranges, cooktops, dishwashers, washers, dryers, microwaves, and hot-water tanks.

We also had an old dvd player that not longer worked. If it’s an electronics device or computer related, your best bet is to search for your local Return-It facility.

Electronics Recycling – North Vancouver

Electronics Recycling – Vancouver

Our kids are growing up and while doing the clean up, we filled up a whole bag with toys the kids no longer need. A quick stop at the local Salvation Army in North Vancouver was just what the doctor ordered.

We also had a mountain of books that we’ve read and no longer needed. On the North Shore there are a few “Book Bins” that accept books and behave of charities. There happens to be one of these in Capilano Mall, right here in North Van, right by the front entrance of WalMart in the mall. Kinda felt good to think that someone else might get a chance to enjoy the books as much as we did.

Another great tip for getting rid of stuff that’s not ready for the trash, but that you’d like to depart with is to try out freecycle or post your items up under the free category of Graigslist. You would be amazed on how quickly things will go that you post on these sites.

My wife and I wish you all a Happy New Year and look forward to a  leaner greener new year!

This Saturday morning we woke up, packed up the family and headed for the Farmers Market at Trout Lake in Vancouver. It was amazing!

Pretty much everything at the market was organic and the atmosphere of the market was really neat. I must admit, we were first timers at the market and it was a little bit overwhelming with the amount of variety and choices at  the market.

We decided to sample from a number of local farmers today, getting our tomatoes from one place, our apples and cucumbers from another and some really tasted baked goods from some really ladies at on off the end tables.

Since pretty much everything at the market is produced form local farmers and businesses, your helping to support locally grown food and reducing your carbon footprint at the same time.  Check out the picture of our first visit above.

For more info on other farmers markets happening in the Vancouver area check out www.eatlocal.org.

It’s always cool to be able to see the changes that are happening all around us that most people might miss! My wondering eyes caught a glimpse of Canada’s first electric Delivery truck today. The company delivery company using these revolutionary vehicles  is called Novex and the trucks are made by a company called Smith Electric Vehicles. Welcome to the future urban transport!

Ever since I stepped away from Ethical Entertainment 3 months ago I’ve been thinking about what I want to do next. I have a ton of passion and skill for things like education, technology and the environment. When I left Ethical I was at the cutting edge of iPhone/iPad development and social gaming. I really feel a strong desire to take these skills and apply them towards something meaningful.  I”d really like to be working on Apps and games that relate to the environment and social change, so if anyone knows of anyone looking for a skilled iPhone/iPad App/Game developer to work on a project that relates to these areas, I just might be able to help.

More than 300 scientists from around the world, including several Canadians, hope to blunt some growing skepticism about climate change with a new report that says global warming is a fact and the Earth is hotter than ever.

“The conclusion is unmistakable – yes, the planet is warming,” said Derek Arndt, a co-editor of the report, called State of the Climate, which was published by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA.

For more details on the article visit here

To view the reports data and conclusions from NOAA visit here

Waste chip fat fuels hydrogen economy
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-07/uol-wcf072710.php
Stanford engineers use rocket science to make wastewater treatment sustainable
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-07/su-seu072610.php
Best hope for saving Arctic sea ice is cutting soot emissions, says Stanford researcher
http://news.stanford.edu/news/2010/july/soot-emissions-ice-072810.html
New, Transparent Solar Technology Could Hide Photovoltaics in Your Clothes
http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/07/new-transparent-solar-technology-could-hide-solar-photovoltaics-in-your-clothes.php

This years conference will feature over 60 speakers from Canada, USA, Europe and Asia and offer an unprecedented learning opportunity covering technical, business and policy discussions for electric mobility. Attendees will get to meet representatives from auto manufacturers, EV industry executives from OEM’s, utilities, environmental technology, service companies, government policy makers from Canada and the US, and connect with Electric Mobility Canada members from across the country.

This year’s Conference Program will discuss issues and topics in the following areas:

Think Before You Write. The DBA Pen is the only 98% biodegradable pen in the world. It’s  ink is also composed of simple, environmentally responsible ingredients. Produced at a wind-powered facility in the United States, it was designed as a responsible alternative to the wasteful and often toxic pens people use almost every day.

Next time you need a new desk lamp, you might want to check out the solar powered SUNNAN from IKEA. It runs on 3 rechargeable AA batteries that get charged by the sun, and it has an LED light which uses 70% less energy and has at least 4 times longer life than incandescent bulbs in similar lamps. What’s even better is that IKEA has teamed up with Unicef, and for every SUNNAN solar-powered lamp sold in IKEA stores worldwide, they will donate one lamp to UNICEF to distribute to children in developing countries!