On Friday, my family marked a significant anniversary. Fifty years ago, we immigrated to Canada from England. In week 21 of The Sunday Spark, I reflect on 50 years in Canada. Also this week: World Turtle Day, the business impact of ESG, Schoolhouse Rock, and regifting tips.
The wonderful world of waste management
Garbage. Trash. Rubbish. Whatever you call it, it’s a big problem. To celebrate Earth Day on April 22, I went on a tour of the Waterloo Region landfill and recycling centre. It was fascinating to get the inside scoop on the mysterious world of waste management, and to learn what happens after we put our bins to the curb on garbage day.
The Sunday Spark – Surviving the teenage years – I did it!
As we celebrated our daughter’s 20th birthday this week, I reflected on surviving the teenage years. I share those reflections in this week’s The Sunday Spark, along with oil companies’ record profits, roads made from plastic waste, doctors prescribing park time, and ideas for experience gifts.
The Sunday Spark – Life’s full of beginnings and endings
Do you see retirement as an ending or a beginning? What about college graduation? As my daughter started her first full-time job, this week I’ve been pondering life transitions, and beginnings and endings.
Also in week 19 of The Sunday Spark: bricks made from sugarcane, how mindset can increase longevity, celebrating the aged, and eco-friendly gift wrap.
The Sunday Spark – A reminder to be kind
Is it just me, or is kindness an increasingly rare commodity these days? During my travels this week, I had to wonder why people need to be reminded to be kind. Shouldn’t kindness be our default behaviour?
The Sunday Spark is a series with weekly thoughts and highlights, nuggets of learning, and a sustainable living tip for the week. In this week’s The Sunday Spark, the importance of being kind, harnessing the power of tides, the Eiffel Tower, online shopping’s environmental impact, and eco-friendly teacher gifts.
When progress isn’t progress – Let’s look back to move forward
The Climate Change Collective conversation continues with the ninth post in the series. My blogging pal from Smelly Socks and Garden Peas wrote an insightful post on how returning to past habits can be a way out of the mess we’ve created for our planet. This made me think that sometimes what we call progress isn’t progress at all, and we need to look back to move forward.
The Sunday Spark – Women in trades face uphill battle
A few days ago, a headline about sexism in skilled trades caught my eye. A couple of days later, my daughter graduated from a pre-apprenticeship program at our local community college. In Week 17 of The Sunday Spark, a look at how women in trades still face an uphill battle.
Also this week: Tokyo mandates solar panels on new home builds, LinkedIn QR codes, and simple and sustainable Mother’s Day gift ideas.
The future of plastic-free living: innovations and trends (Guest Post)
It’s easy to feel discouraged by dire news headlines about climate change and the state of our planet. That’s why hearing about plastic-free innovations always gives me hope and inspiration. Today, I’m delighted to share a guest post about plastic-free innovations and trends from Lars at SWOP – Shop Without Plastic, a zero-waste online shop and blog.
The Sunday Spark – Darkness and light
This past week was International Dark Sky Week—a week to raise awareness about the harmful effects of light pollution. Earlier in the week, an excellent blog post made me pause and reflect about darkness and light, and how we can’t really appreciate the light until we experience darkness.
Check out my favourite eco-blogs and sites
Earth Day is coming up on April 22. To celebrate, I’ve pulled together a list of eight of my favourite eco-blogs and sites. These sites have given me inspiration on my journey to sustainability. I hope you’ll enjoy them.