Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Spreading the Green Love

Time for a little sugar – organic fair trade that is. This cupid’s been a little tardy. I should have written this Earth-lov’n Valentine’s installment last week to get you all prepared for tomorrow's night d’amour. I was too caught up in the significant reduction in my gas bill to think of love. But I wasn’t the only one. Check out Phil Ridge’s energy saving measures, posted in the Toronto Star.

Now some of you are last minute Valentine’s gift givers so the timing is probably perfect. And for those of you who are single – you can still pamper the deepest love of your life - you.

The nice thing about green gifts is that they keep on giving. Not only do you treat your love, you treat the environment and the people who make these gifts possible. It’s a triple whammy of lov’n goodness.

Chocolate
Ok, the buck stops here on Valentine’s gift giving (that’s my opinion anyway). Happily organic fair trade brands such as Green & Blacks and Cocoa Camino are lovingly displayed in many grocery stores. The former even comes in assorted chocolate. They may not be wrapped up in heart shaped boxes but so what? Love isn’t a cliché; neither is chocolate. Blindfold your love and hand feed him/her little sustainable love bites.

Flowers
Nothing says love like a rose. But what if it’s been sprayed with neurotoxins to safeguard its beauty? What kind of message is that? Roses cultivated sustainably are better for the growers, florists and you – and they actually smell like roses. Non organic roses are bred for their stem strength which undermines the flower’s perfume.

You can buy organic (even local and Fair Trade) roses and other flowers at organicbouquet.com, Whole Foods and EcoFlora.

If you live in Ontario, let the government know by February 17th that you support the proposed ban on the use of cosmetic pesticides – click here. David Suzuki asks that you go further this Valentine’s Day and send McGuinty himself a little e-Valentines message in support of the ban. Click here to choose your card.

Romantic Dining
Make it local and organic. Jane and I love Il Fornelo now that it devotes part of its menu to locally grown food.

Love Duds
Forget satin, that scratchy polyester replacement for silk. Bamboo is where it’s at. Soft, slick and sustainable. Let’s not forget sassy. Check it out.

Urban Fox

CIN2

Buenostyle
They may not be bamboo but they’re organic and very cute!

Organic Spa
Oh go treat yourself or your honey to a spa. Making it organic demonstrates you only want what’s best for your love.

Here are some organic spas in Toronto
Aliviar Spa Organic & Vegan

Elixir Organic Spa

Love Toys
Love each other and love the earth. For the (ahem) skinny on eco-friendly and non-toxic sex toys, Treehugger provides insights from various writers. Click here for enlightenment.

In the News

Environment Canada scientists told to toe the line
This story smacks of the censorship nightmare that climate scientists underwent in the USA. What’s amazing is that the National Post is covering this story. The National Post! AND the article even acknowledges climate change without questioning it. Imagine! The National Post. Baby, we’ve come a long way.

Ontario and Quebec eye cap-and-trade system for emissions

The ecological economy an essay

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