Our Green Home - Fall 2009 by Our Green Home

FALL-WINTER

2009

Reaching Higher

with green home technology Lessons we can all learn from the Archetype Home at the Kortright Centre

also inside:

Greening Your Grocery List Rebates and Incentives Sustainable Holiday Guide Understanding the Feed-In-Tariff for Homeowners Community Visions for a Greener Toronto

CHOOSE HEALTH, CHOOSE ORGANIC Newack ip mult ing com n! soo

Available in the organic products section in grocery and natural food stores.

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message Fall-Winter 2009 Editor: Toby Heaps Publisher: Paul Cassel Sales Manager: Tara Anderson Production Manager: Charles Johnston Designer: Gord Naunton

1. 877.850.8787 t. 416.850.8787 f. 647.438.9292 info@ourgreenhome.ca Advertising information: www.ourgreenhome.ca 647.436.6786 sales@ourgreenhome.ca Copyright Our Green Home Enterprises 2009 Contents may not be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent. Printed on 100% recycled newsprint, milled in Ontario.

FROM THE EDITOR

“If you think you’re too small to make a difference, you’ve never been in bed with a mosquito.” -Anita Roddick, Body Shop Founder We live in a world of 6.7 billion people who annually consume 1.3 times as much as the earth can sustain. However, Canadians are blessed with an abundance of natural and financial wealth that should allow us to play a starring role in the quest to develop a model that reconciles human desires with a way of living that respects the planet. Nowhere can we make a greater difference than in our homes, which account for over half of our environmental impact. Now greening our home is starting to make a lot of dollars and sense with burgeoning eco-incentives offered by utilities and government. In this issue of Our Green Home, we bring you a wealth of tips, ranging from harvesting the sun’s energy to navigating eco-labels in the grocery aisles. While our political leaders glacially update our laws to respect nature, we can all do more now - without even leaving our homes. Enjoy your journey along with our mascot Susty!

contents 4 A Green Grocery Guide 6 Hot Deals: Rebates and Incentives 7 Lessons we can Learn from the 10 12 13 14

Archetype Home Community Visions for a Greener Toronto What is the Feed-In-Tariff? Sustainable Holiday Tips Life Story of an Eco-Hero

“Susty”

The Sustainability Squirrel

Toby Heaps

OUR GREEN HOME FALL-WINTER 2009 . 3

A Green

Grocery Guide

How to make healthier, more planet-friendly choices at the grocery store By Melissa Shin

Grocery shopping today is an overwhelming task. Thousands of products beckon from the shelves. Every week the media trumpets a new health or environmental concern—and you want to buy good products at reasonable prices. So how does the eco-conscious consumer cut through the greenwash? Luckily, there are a variety of certifications and designations that can help guide you to the healthiest, most environmentally and socially responsible products available.

Opting for organic

Top 10 produce items of concern for pesticide use 1. Peaches 2. Apples 3. Sweet Bell Peppers 4. Celery 5. Nectarines 6. Strawberries

7. Cherries 8. Kale 9. Lettuce 10. Grapes - Imported Source: Environmental Working Group

Finding organic foods just got easier: as of June 30, 2009, all certified-organic products in Canada must adhere to the Canadian Organic Standards (COS), wwhich allows them to display the Canada Organic Logo. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs), using synthetic pesticides, and exposing a product to radiation are not permitted under these standards.

What’s wrong with GMOs?

If you’re on a budget, it may not always be possible to buy organic. However, there are certain produce items that are typically exposed to high amounts of pesticide (see inset), so buy organic varieties of these fruits and vegetables when you can. Pesticides have been linked to toxic effects on the nervous and hormone systems, and have been known to be carcinogenic and cause skin, eye, and lung irritation.

Meaty decisions

4 . OUR GREEN HOME FALL-WINTER 2009

While biotechnology has improved plant productivity and crop quality, groups such as Friends of the Earth argue that GMOs threaten food safety and security. Strains of GMOs unapproved for human consumption can become accidentally mixed with the human food supply, and the modification of some crops to improve their resistance to herbicides has given rise to a rapidly growing population of herbicideresistant weeds, which has led to more herbicide use.

It’s well-documented that eating less meat is better for your health, wallet, and the environment: globally, more greenhouse gas emissions come from meat production than from transportation. Most grocery stores now offer meat alternatives such as tofu and veggie burgers, and chains like Whole Foods and Planet Organic stock vegan products.

But when you choose to consume meat, buying organic meat, dairy, and eggs means eliminating potentially harmful additives from your diet. According to the Canadian Organic Standards (COS), organically raised livestock contains no synthetic growth regulators or hormones. Farmers must also accommodate the health and natural behaviour of all animals by using techniques such as free range or free run (meaning that the little critters are not boxed up in some tight cage). Many supermarket chains are starting to offer free-run eggs and organic dairy as a matter of course, but organic meat is more rare. Speak to your supermarket’s butcher to register your interest. While the COS doesn’t include provisions for aquaculture, sustainable fish can be identified by the Marine Stewardship Council mark; some fish can also selfidentify as organically raised. The Loblaw chain has introduced MSC-certified fish into some of its President’s Choice products. You can also download sustainable seafood guide cards or even applications for your iPhone at www. seachoice.org, a resource put together by the David Suzuki Foundation and other environmental groups.

Finding Fair Trade

Fair Trade seeks to ensure that farmers and artisans behind various products get a better deal than they would through conventional trade, which often marginalizes the poorest people in the world. Choosing Fair Trade-certified products means that you ensure better prices for producers, as well as longer-term and more supportive trading relationships. Typical products that have a Fair Trade option include coffee, chocolate, tea, cotton (in clothing), and flowers, but can also include sugar, fruit, grains, herbs, spices, and wine. Most supermarkets stock at least one Fair Trade-certified coffee brand such as Kicking Horse Coffee. Loblaw chain stores have their own private-label Fair Trade coffee, and we’ve also spotted Fair Trade flowers at Metro.

You can identify Fair Trade products by the Fair Trade Certified mark, administered by TransFair Canada, a member of Fair Trade Labeling Organizations International. For more info, go to http://transfair.ca.

Looking to local

With the “100-mile diet”—eating foods produced within 100 miles—firmly entrenched in popular vernacular, the local food movement is clearly gaining ground. The benefits of local food include lower carbon emissions and fresher products due to less distance travelled from farm to plate, as well as more economically vibrant regional farms. Most supermarkets state produce origin on price signage, and some stores, including the Loblaw chain, make it a point to highlight local and Ontario-grown produce. This isn’t as common for meat, dairy, and other foods, but speaking to your store’s manager can help make it happen.

A healthy home

Traditional household cleaners contain petrochemicals, bleaches, and fragrances that can cause respiratory problems and skin and eye irritation, so making a change can help you breathe easier. Check so-called “green” products to see if they are nontoxic, fragrance-free, biodegradable, and petrochemical-free, and whether they are packaged in recyclable material or tested on animals. Reputable eco-friendly brands include Ecover, Bio-Vert, Attitude, Nature Clean and Seventh Generation. You can also make your own cleaners from baking soda, salt, white vinegar, lemon juice, and borax—look for recipes online.

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Melissa Shin is the Managing Editor of Corporate Knights Magazine, the Canadian magazine for responsible business.

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OUR GREEN HOME FALL-WINTER 2009 . 5

Hot deal$ Since heating and cooling costs account for up to 56 per cent of your home energy bill, reducing consumption makes both economic and environmental sense. And with thousands of dollars in rebates available for energy-efficient heating options, you can warm your house and heart knowing the government is paying you to go green.

First steps

According to Live Green Toronto, the easiest and most inexpensive way to lower your heating costs is to add insulation to the attic and unfinished areas of your house, as well as to seal windows and doors with weather stripping or caulking.

Thousands of dollars are available for homeowners looking to warm their homes with a green conscience this winter. By Melissa Shin

Tweak the temperature

Using a programmable thermostat can save 15 to 25 per cent on your heating bill. New units are eligible for a $15 rebate from Enbridge Gas Distribution and a $25 rebate from the Ontario Power Authority when installed by a participating contractor. Toronto-based ecobee produces the “iPod of programmable thermostats”: the Smart Thermostat allows you to easily program your home’s temperature from either its touch screen or the internet. While it retails for $469 USD, new time-of-use pricing by Toronto Hydro means this device could soon pay for itself.

Get audited

The Government of Ontario will pay half (up to $150) for a certified ecoENERGY Home Energy Audit, performed by companies like GreenSaver and Energuy. You have 18 months to complete some or all of the improvements suggested by the audit to qualify for government rebates (and possibly increase your home’s value). After another, post-retrofit audit, you’re eligible for up to $5,000 in rebates from the Governments of Ontario and Canada. Go to http://www.homeenergyontario.ca for more details.

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Rebates + Credits = A Free* Air Conditioner and Air Filter! Get up to $4,500 in rebates and credits! Example: Eco Energy Rebate OPA Rebate Season Promotion Home Renovation Tax Credit Cost of an Energy Star® Air Conditioner & Air Filter

$ 2,080 $ 550 $ 600 $ 1,200 $ 4,430 $4,430

There are rebates and incentives available when replacing a furnace, boiler or air conditioner. Manufacturers and the government offer programs, such as the Home Renovation Tax Credit, which could save you thousands of dollars. = $0

Call Cedarwood ClimateCare to find out what rebates you will be eligible for, and how we can help make you, and your home more comfortable for less.

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Furnaces, Boilers, Air Conditioners, IAQ Products 6 . OUR GREEN HOME FALL-WINTER 2009

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Serving our community

Harness the sun

You can purchase and install a solar hot water heater for 57 per cent less than the suggested retail price of $10,000, thanks to Bullfrog Power, Enbridge Gas Distribution, Enerworks, and government rebates. If you live in Ward 29, 30, 31 or 32, you’re eligible for an additional $1,000 rebate through the Solar Neighbourhood Program. Your solar water heater must be installed by the end of 2010. Go to http://bullfrogpower.ca/solar for more details.

Go tankless

Tankless water heating heats your water on demand through a heat exchanger, which is much more energy efficient than a traditional unit. Also, you’ll never run out of hot water during showering marathons. A tankless system can cost as little as $40/month and net you $730 in government grants—plus, it takes up less space.

Give some back

Through the OPA’s micro FIT Program, you can develop a small renewable electricity generation project (10 kilowatts or less) on your property and be paid a guaranteed price for the electricity produced for at least 20 years. Visit http://microfit.powerauthority.on.ca for more details.

By heating water on demand, tankless hot water heating can save a family $350 in gas charges per year. 98% of houses are suitable for a tankless water heater insatllation and there’s an electrical option is available for those that aren’t. At 1/4 the size of a regular tank, you can save space and money. A home energy audit is required to maximize purchase rebates.

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For more rebates and energy-saving information, visit http://everykilowattcounts. ca and http://showmethegreen.ca. Melissa Shin is the Managing Editor of Corporate Knights Magazine, the Canadian magazine for responsible business.

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Don’t miss the Reno Tax Credit! Ends soon.

Pollard. A reflection of Canadian Quality. With skilled Canadian hands, Pollard Windows has been manufacturing quality windows and doors for over 60 years. Whether you’re looking for replacement windows or building your dream home, Pollard Windows has the windows and doors for your next project. Ask us about our professional installation. Pollard Windows. A proud Canadian company.

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OUR GREEN HOME FALL-WINTER 2009 . 7

Ideas We Super efficient R40 Structurally Insulated Panels Roof integrated solar Photovoltaics (PV) converts sunlight directly into electricity. Double-paned, low “E”, fiberglass framed windows - Heat loss is greatly reduced with the use of low-E [low-emissivity*] treatment for the glass which reflects heat back into the house during the winter and blocks out radiant heat during the summer. Storage tanks for collecting and disbursing rainwater.

Permeable pavement which will allow more water absorption into the ground. Native plants and species which are drought tolerant. FSC wood – gold standard for sustainably harvested wood products.

Did you know that the Environmental Protection Agency has declared geothermal the most environmentally-friendly, cost-effective and energy-efficient heating and cooling technology available?

8 . OUR GREEN HOME FALL-WINTER 2009

Can Take Home From The Archetype Sustainable House

By Toby Heaps

The Archetype Sustainable House located in Vaughan, Ontario is a treasure trove of ideas for every Ontarian who wants to green their home: from a coat of eco-paint to solar water heaters, to real-time energy meters that show how much energy you are using. Our Green Home took a tour through the Archetype Sustainable Houses earlier this month to see what we could learn. Below are five ideas.

Smart Meters Make Cents

You can’t manage what you don’t measure. With an inhome smart meter, you can see exactly how much energy your home is using on a real-time monitor, which makes it easy to track progress for a home conservation plan. Just by doing the simple things, many homes can reduce their energy consumption by 20 per cent without any inconvenience. The kids can join in too, as little Green Captains tracking down the sources of unnecessary power consumption, and in the process learn a conservationist ethic that will yield a lifetime of savings. The Archetype House uses two smart meters. The Centameter is a wireless electricity monitor for the home that displays real-time electricity usage in cents/ hour and greenhouse gas emissions in kg/hour on an LCD monitor. The PowerWatch is quick and easy to install, and allows you to instantaneously see the cost and power use reductions as electrical devices are turned off. While costs vary, smart meters generally pay for themselves within 6 months.

Good Wood

Half of the world’s forests have already been altered, degraded, destroyed or converted into other land uses, and much of the remaining forests today suffer from illegal exploitation and otherwise poor management. The good news is that The Forest Stewardship Council label (backed by leading conservation groups including the World Wildlife Fund) provides a trusted certification that allows you to buy wood that has been harvested in a socially and ecologically responsible way. Canada is now one of the world’s richest suppliers of this ‘good wood.’ Next time you are doing work at home, whether it’s a new floor, banister, siding, beams, doors, or cabinetry, ask if the FSC option is available.

The Archetype House uses FSC wood siding by Maibec, FSC wood trim by Muskoka Timber Mills, FSC maple flooring by Nadurra Wood, FSC Maibec siding by Nicholson and Cates, FSC kitchen cabinetry by North On Sixty, FSC lumber by Upper Canada Forest Products, FSC interior doors by Harring Doors, and FSC Beams by Timber Systems.

$10,000 + a tax credit of $1,350. This will knock about 40 per cent off the cost of a new geothermal system. The Archetype House uses a Water Furnace ground source heat pump supplied by Eden Energy Equipment, with the drilling and installation by Geothermal Solutions.

Ecopaint

Twenty-five per cent of the average Canadian household energy bill goes to heating domestic hot water. A solar water heating system can save between 50-70 per cent of those costs, while reducing your home’s greenhouse gas emissions by 1-3 tonnes. Government incentives can bring the price down from approximately $7,600 to a final cost of $4,300, according to Bullfrog Power (check out www.bullfrogpower.com/solar). Even with these incentives, the payback period is generally more than five years. If you don’t have the initial $4,300 sitting around, there are financing options which make it easy for you to purchase your own solar water heater for as little as $48 per month on approved credit.

Recycled paint is made from unused, left over paint normally destined for the landfill. Government and manufacturing subsidies allow for Boomerang Recycled Paint to be competitive in price. According to the company website, it is produced from 99 per cent post-consumer recycled content. The Archtype House makes use of Boomerang paint (provided by Ontario-based Ecopaint).

Geothermal

Going geothermal is the environmental equivalent of swinging for the fences, but with an excellent batting average. Here’s how it works: Throughout the year, outdoor temperatures fluctuate greatly with the changing seasons. However, about four to six feet below the earth’s surface, temperatures remain relatively constant year-round. A geothermal system, which consists of an indoor unit and a buried earth loop, capitalizes on these constant temperatures. While it does take electricity to operate the pump, the leading geothermal systems deliver $4 worth of free earth energy for every paid $1 of electrical energy used. Going geothermal takes a hefty investment up front, but if you have the $25,000 or so, you can lower your annual heating and cooling costs by 70 per cent. The financial blow can be softened by taking advantage of rebates. In total, tapping The Eco Energy, other rebates and the Home Renovation Tax Credit, will get you

Solar Water Heaters

The Archetype House uses Solar Ontario, Solsmart, and Your Solar Home. www.gosolarontario.ca is an excellent resource if you are considering going solar. While there are many parts of the economy that are hard for one person to change, at home, we are all kings and queens of our own castles. We have the power to make big changes that that are both good for the environment and--increasingly with rising energy costs and generous eco-rebates—the pocketbook. Let us know how any of these tips from the Archetype Home work out for you at editor@ourgreenhome.ca. Toby Heaps is editor of Corporate Knights.

OUR GREEN HOME FALL-WINTER 2009 . 9

A tree can only do so much. livegreentoronto.ca has everything you need to live green: green rebates, tips and tools grants to green your neighbourhood experts to help you get started

CLIENT:

Toronto Works

TRIM:

10” x 10”

PUBLICATION:

Our Green Home

ONTARIO UNVEILS NORTH AMERICA’S FIRST FEED-IN TARIFF - WILL YOUR ROOF BE A POWER GENERATION SITE? By Don Huff Through the Green Energy Act, Ontario has introduced new electricity pricing to encourage renewable energy generation by a diverse range of producers including homeowners, community-based groups and larger scale commercial generators. As North America’s first guaranteed pricing structure – called a feed-in tariff (FIT) – FIT establishes prices for energy generated from renewable sources, including onshore and offshore wind, hydroelectric, solar, biogas, biomass and landfill gas. The Green Energy Act (GEA), passed last spring is establishing Ontario as North America’s leader in renewable energy and appears to be driving green investment into the province. FIT pricing differs based on project size (output) and type of renewable energy technology being deployed. Pricing allows for the recovery of capital, operating and maintenance costs and a reasonable rate of return on investment over an approximate 20 year period. There are also special “adder” categories for aboriginal and community-based projects. The MicroFit program was developed for homeowners, farmers and small business owner, who have the opportunity to develop a very small or “micro” renewable electricity generation project (10 kilowatts or less in size) on their property. Under the MicroFIT Program, you will be paid a guaranteed price for the electricity your project produces for at least 20 years.

HERE COMES THE SUN The best source of information about the FIT is available at http://microfit.powerauthority.on.ca/

Get the right FIT for your home or business

Solar micro generation, 10 kilowatts and under, will enjoy the highest tariff in order to incent Ontarians to participate. If the FIT program leads to 100,000 residential solar rooftop installations, it will amount to one percent of Ontario’s supply mix. The old rates were 42 ¢/kWh. Here are the new Solar FIT rates for Ontario:

.. .. .

Rooftop Less than 10 kW - 80.2 ¢/kWh (MicroFit) 10 - 100 kW - 71.3 ¢/kWh 100-500 kW - 63.5 ¢/kWh Greater than 500 kW - 53.9 ¢/kWh

Ground Systems Less than 10 MW - 44.3 ¢/kWh (MicroFit) The proposed FIT prices for solar photovoltaic (PV) projects are designed to kick start the solar PV industry in Ontario. Solar PV is a rapidly developing industry with the potential for steep reductions in cost in the coming years. FIT prices were derived from a range of sources using best available and most recent information. Prices were developed based on experience here in Ontario and in other jurisdictions. They cover construction and maintenance costs, while allowing for a reasonable rate of return on investment (over an approximate 20 year period) and the basic connection costs for typical projects. Don Huff is president of Environmental Communication Options

Toronto’s most experienced designer and installer of solar systems is ready to help you turn passive energy into active gains for your finances and the future.

Request a free quote or learn more at solsmart.com or call 416-229-2200 OUR GREEN HOME FALL-WINTER 2009 . 13

Sustainable Holiday Tips Responsible Travel

Getting on a plane has definite carbon implications, but long-distance travel doesn’t have to be unsustainable. Seek out eco-resorts or hotels with a commitment to sustainability, or consider purchasing carbon offsets to reduce your footprint. Visit Go Green Travel Green (www.gogreentravelgreen.com) for tips on travelling sustainably and links to eco-destinations. The David Suzuki Foundation offers a comprehensive guide to carbon offsetting, and recommends practical ways to go carbon-neutral (www.davidsuzuki.org). Staying home also has its perks. Canada offers some pristine winter settings, and there are many opportunities to enjoy them like a proper tourist take advantage of local conservation areas and provincial parks for a mini-holiday hike, snow-shoe, or cross-country ski.

Responsible Gifts, & Giving

Going green doesn’t mean abandoning the tradition of giving and getting gifts. You can plant a tree for just a dollar thanks to the Nature Conservancy’s Plant a Billion Trees initiative, so instead of buying the flat screen TV, show them you really care about their future and plant a few hundred trees in their name (www. plantabillion.org). A cod may not be an intuitive stocking-stuffer, but when you adopt one with the World Wildlife Fund, they come with a cute and cuddly toy codfish that is sure to delight even the most cantankerous scrooge. Not a fish lover? With Oxfam’s Unwrapped program you could give a goat for Christmas – or a cow, chicken, sheep, or pig – to an impoverished family in a developing country (www.oxfamunwrapped.ca).

At Home

LED holiday lights are now the standard on most neighbourhood eavestroughs,

By Jon-Erik Lappano

and initiatives like the Toronto Hydro Light Exchange are facilitating the switch, offering free LEDs for your old incandescent bulbs. And LEDs now come in colours and sizes akin to those energyhungry incandescents. When it comes to selecting a tree, go with the living. Artificial trees are usually petroleum-based and mass-produced,

In preparation for the Stockholm Conference in 1972, environmental champion Maurice Strong commissioned a report entitled Only One Earth: The Care and Maintenance of a Small Planet, the world’s first “state of the environment” report. Apparently a romance between Strong and European social custodian, Gro Harlem Brundtland ensued and in 1983, Susty was conceived as The UN’s independent World Commission on Sustainable Development set the foundations for the growth of global sustainable strategies. After a lengthy gestation, Susty was born in 1987 with the publication of the Brundtland Commission’s report, Our Common Future. introduced to the world in this definition: “Sustainable Development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

14 . OUR GREEN HOME FALL-WINTER 2009

Jon-Erik Lappano is an editorial assistant with Corporate Knights magazine.

Light up your home, not your bill - this holiday season With the busy holiday season around the corner, Toronto Hydro is once again proud to sponsor the City of Toronto’s Cavalcade of Lights neighbourhood lighting display program and offer its annual Festival Light Exchange. The Festive Light Exchange allows you to exchange old, incandescent lights for energy-efficient LED festive lights. LED lights use up to 95 per cent less electricity than incandescent lights, produce almost no heat, generate more light and last longer. Last year, 18,000 strings of incandescent lights were collected and 9,400 boxes of seasonal LED lights were handed out, helping take 2 megawatts off the grid. That’s the equivalent of 1,360 homes! For more information on specific dates, times and participating neighbourhoods, visit www.torontohydro.com/flex

“Susty” the Sustainability Squirrel Life Story of an Eco-Hero Hero: Sustainable Development (born, 1987 at the United Nations, New York) Mother: Gro Harlem Brundtland (born Gro Harlem, 20 April, 1939 in Bærum, Norway) Father: Maurice F. Strong, PC, CC, OM, FRSC (born April 29, 1929, in Oak Lake, Manitoba)

with high carbon footprints. A live, potted tree can be replanted or donated, and the smell of fresh evergreen really spruces up the holiday ambience. Local plant nurseries are perfect spots to find them. Be creative with decorations, using recycled materials, or transforming old trinkets into new ornaments — holiday heirlooms are inherently low-carbon.

In 1992, Strong took a rambunctious five-year-old to the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where Sustainable Development was introduced as the key to integrating social, economic and environmental parameters into planning and policy making. This was a formative event for young Susty, sharing nuts and brushing tails with heads of government, media and nongovernmental representatives from around the world. Here in Rio, Agenda 21, a programme of action, was revealed, which called on global, national and local UN organizations and governments to take steps towards integrating Sustainable Development into planning and policy making. In 1997, Susty took a place on the world stage in Kyoto, Japan and through the Kyoto Protocol inspired many developed countries to set goals to reduce their emissions of greenhouse gases.

By Paul Cassel Five years later, “Susty” sulkily marked a 16th birthday at the Johannesburg Summit on Sustainable Development, where the Rio principles and Agenda 21 were reaffirmed as commitments worthy of responsible adults. However, Susty, fed up with process and feeling misunderstood, set off to find other like-minded young rodents. Susty has reappeared in Toronto, fresh from European travels, with a word of wisdom to share and inspire: “Sustainability begins at home. If you can’t manage your own nuts, you can’t expect the world to manage its.” 21-year-old Susty is now on the way to a date with maturity at the Climate Conference in Copenhagen. Let’s take a few tips from Susty and put the right spirit into our ecohero for a successful engagement in Denmark, because it would sure be a shame if Susty went into hibernation now. Paul Cassel is president of Up Marketing and founder of Our Green Home.

GOING GREEN?

Here are 3 Easy Ways to Save Energy and Costs Today

Do You Have a Central Air Conditioner? Sign Up and Get a $75 Credit

Do You Have an Old Fridge or Freezer? We’ll Pick It Up for Free!

’Tis the Season for LEDs! The Festive Light Exchange is Back!

With peaksaver ® , a small device will be installed near your central air conditioner to reduce the amount of electricity it uses during peak times. You likely won’t notice a change in the temperature of your home and you’ll be helping to reduce the environmental impact of peak electricity demand.

Do you know your old fridge may be costing you up to $150 a year in electricity? Call us and we’ll haul it away for free – you don’t have to lift

Bring us two strings of energy-guzzling incandescents and we’ll give you a string of FREE LEDs! Have a look at

FOR FULL DETAILS VISIT:

www.torontohydro.com/ peaksaver

www.torontohydro.com/ fridgepickup

For full terms and conditions, visit our website at www.torontohydro.com. These programs are funded by the Ontario Power Authority and brought to you by Toronto Hydro-Electric System (Toronto Hydro). peaksaver and the figure and star design are trademarks of Toronto Hydro Corporation used under license. OMOfficial mark of the Ontario Power Authority.

environmentally responsible manner, recycling as much of it as possible. You’ll save money, and feel good too.

out when we’re visiting your neighbourhood! SEE THE 2009 FESTIVE LIGHT EXCHANGE SCHEDULE AT: