De-carbo-n-ation

Musicians are doing their thing, as per usual. The recycled guitar string earrings are too cute.

Chemists are also doing their thing, inventing packaging that can biodegrade. I find it funny that the article mentions McDonalds was still using styrofoam containers in North America until about 1990.

A number of years ago, I participated in the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup, facilitated by a friend taking the same program at university. We picked up trash (sorting out the recyclables) along the treed banks of the campus, more of a pre-shoreline cleanup - removing trash before it ended up in the river. I recall finding a few styrofoam Big Mac containers, in near pristine condition, along with countless plastic bags, a rusted oil drum, a lawn chair suspiciously close to a pair of underwear, and chip bag upon chip bag. I registered to do the Cleanup at a different location last fall, but the Cleanup leader never got back to me with an exact location to meet, so I didn't end up participating. If anyone out there wants to help me scrounge up a team for next September, maybe we can lead a clean-up. This stuff looks great on your resume, kids.

Environmental Tip #1: Showering

Everybody knows about the usual environmental tips being passed around. Use a low-flow shower head, seal your windows, ride a bike, recycle, etc. I want to start mentioning some tips that I've applied to my life, so I can tell you how they work.

If you're like me (and most humans), you like having long, hot showers. But if you feel a little guilty about it each time, you're not alone. It takes a lot of energy to heat that water. Besides, clean water itself shouldn't be taken for granted anywhere, not even in urban Canada, as Vancouver recently demonstrated.

Environmental Tip #1: Showering

Shower in the evening instead of the morning. You are probably lingering longer than you mean to if you're half-asleep. Plus, your hair dries while you sleep so you never have to blow-dry, and you get to sleep in later in the morning!

After determining the absolute minimum number of minutes it takes to lather and rinse, take your shower exactly that number of minutes before your favourite television show starts. This is a win-win situation for me and Gilmore Girls.

If you have long or thick hair that takes a long time to lather, or you habitually soap up like there's no tomorrow, consider turning off that tap while you're doing so. I usually double up - shampoo and fancy face soap, rinse, conditioner and body soap, rinse. As a side note, I switched to a salon shampoo from a drugstore shampoo a few months ago, and it rinses out of my hair much faster (and reduces tangling, thanks Tanya!).