September 19, 2012

Learn what lifestyle changes you can make to help sustain our environment

greenliving green living E-EDITION available online at comoxvalleyrecord.com

Comox Valley Record • Fall 2012

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GREEN LIVING

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 • Comox Valley Record

Help preserve our fragile aquatic ecosystem by taking part in the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup.

BE A VOLUNTEER BE PART OF THE SOLUTION

For a Comox Valley location near you, check out the website at: www.shorelinecleanup.ca

MAKE AN IMPACT September 15 to 23, 2012

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 22 POINT HOLMES 12:00 noon Meeting Location: Boat Ramp Event Details: Please bring a garbage bag. We have the rest.

Refreshments will be provided.

Meeting Location:

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 COURTENAY RIVER at Dyke Road Park 1:00 pm Meeting Location:

Airpark parking on 20th

Rotary viewing stand parking lot

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23 COURTENAY RIVER at Airpark 10:00 am

Event Details:

Please bring heavy gloves, sturdy footwear for the shoreline and a garbage bag.

fast facts:

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www.shorelinecleanup.ca

Event Details: Please bring gloves and extra garbage bags.

GREEN LIVING

Comox Valley Record • Wednesday, September 19, 2012

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Helping hands boost salmon in Brooklyn Creek Erin Haluschak Record Staff With the help of a number of partners, Brooklyn Creek has undergone a major restoration with more work planned for the area toward the goal of increasing productivity of wild salmon stocks.

Al Fraser, parks superintendent for the Town of Comox, said the Brooklyn Creek Park enhancement is a two-pronged project — not only is the goal to improve rearing and spawning habitat, but also to improve pedestrian access within the park.

The Town, working alongside biologist Rupert Wong, is working to improve the riparian zone and creek bed on the recently acquired Stubbs property, which is now open for public access.

“We’ve created a new side channel to increase spawning,” said Fraser, who added enhancement work also included the control of bank erosion, improving fish passage and planting native species in the riparian zone.

A narrow channel was significantly widened, which will allow for the deposit of woody debris and spawning gravel.

The Town of Comox

received a $25,000 grant from the Pacific Salmon Foundation for the project, but has also partnered with the Brooklyn Creek Watershed Society, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, and volunteers who have offered in-kind assistance.

Wong said Brooklyn Creek is an important fish-producing watershed, supporting chum, coho, pink salmon and cutthroat trout.

The watershed has an approximate area of 650 hectares and drains for an estimated 7.2 kilometres before entering Comox harbour.

Prior to the restoration, limiting factors to fish production in the creek included poor base flows, along with the loss of natural pool frequencies, restricted fish passage due to velocity barriers, debris jams, and loss and fragmentation of natural structure, function and biological diversity of riparian areas.

With the new enhancements to the creek, fish production forecasts for the creek system are now set at an estimated annual increase of more than 3,000 coho and 1,300 cutthroat smolts.

The enhancement strategy was implemented for Brooklyn Creek in 2005

BROOKLYN CREEK IS an important fish-producing watershed supporting a variety of salmon and even cutthroat trout.

PHOTO BY ERIN HALUSCHAK

photos@comoxvalleyrecord.com

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WHAT’S INCLUDED:

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BDL’s stewardship responsibilities include:

Display Devices Desktop Computers Portable Computers Computer Peripherals Computer Scanners Printers Fax Machines Non Cellular Phones Answering Machines Vehicle Audio+Video Systems

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GREEN LIVING

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 • Comox Valley Record

3FEVDFt3FVTFt3FDZDMF Remember your Re-usable Shopping Bags.

If you see this logo, you can be confident that the food to which it is attached has been grown organically in the Comox Valley.

Comox Valley MLA and former agriculture minister Don McRae will unveil the new logo Sept. 22 during Organic Week.

Organically grown food

Thank you for thinking of the earth!

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n the Comox Valley, consumers don’t have to choose one over the other.

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The Valley is blessed with a number of certified organic farms that supply fresh, local produce that is grown without synthetic pesticides or fertilizers.

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On Sept. 22, local MLA Don McRae will proclaim DON McRAE Organic Week and unveil the “produced organically in the Comox Valley� logo at the Comox Valley Farmers Market. This logo will help identify certified organic and transitional farms in the Comox Valley.

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Mary Forstbauer, president of the Certified Organic Association of BC (COABC), will also be in attendance to launch Organic Week, which runs Sept. 22 to 29.

Canada’s National Organic Week is the largest annual celebration of organic food, farming and products across the country.

Hundreds of individual events showcase the benefits of organic agriculture and its positive impact on the environment.

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and Hazelmere Farms and processors such as Denman Island Chocolate.

To add to that list, a number of farms are transitioning to certified organic status, a process that can take up to four years.

Although provinces such as Quebec and Manitoba are now legislating the use of the term “organic,� B.C. does not currently protect this term, so any farmer can use it.

This means that unless you see the Certified Organic checkmark, or an organic certificate on display, you may not be getting what you pay for.

The Certified Organic Associations of British Columbia is working with the government to overcome this issue.

Some ways to identify the foods you are buying are truly Certified Organic: • Look for the logos. When you see products displaying the BC CheckMark Logo and/or Canada Organic Logo, you know they are third party-verified organic.

In the Comox Valley, a group of organic and transitional growers have organized into a Comox Valley Organic Collective to develop ideas and share resources.

• Ask the farmer to show you an organic certificate.

“The Produced Organically in the Comox Valley logo has come together as an initiative of this collective,� states Moss Dance of Ripple Farm, a farm that is in the transitional phase.

“We want to recognize those farmers who take the time and energy to get certified so that a third party is checking that what they claim is true,� comments Barbara Odegard from Ironwood Farms. “The Certified Organic logos protects consumers and provides integrity to those farms who use the term Organic.�

We wanted to make it easier for customers to find certified organic product and be sure that the money they were spending was buying product that is truly certified organic.�

There are almost 25 certified organic farms and food processors in the Mid and North Island area, including well-known local farms such as Ironwood Farm, Eatmore Sprouts, Pattison Farm, Berry Best

Now you can look for the Produced Organically in the Comox Valley Logo.

For more information on the Comox Valley Organic Collective, please contact Carmen Wakeling of Eatmore Sprouts at 250-338-4860 or eatmorecarmen@gmail. com.

To know more about activities during Organic Week, visit www.organicweek.ca.

GREEN LIVING

Comox Valley Record • Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Prevent

pollution at home

W

hen many people think of pollution, among the first images that come to mind are crowded highways with gas guzzling big rigs spewing exhaust into the air. But oversized trucks hauling loads don’t have the pollution market cornered. In fact, many homeowners might be contributing to air pollution every time they work on their own yards.

Emissions from lawn mowers, chain saws, leaf blowers, and other outdoor power equipment account for a significant amount of pollution. What’s more, such emissions might be contributing to the formation of ground-level ozone, which can compromise human health. Natural ozone in the upper atmosphere shields the planet from harmful radiation. But ozone at ground level, which can form when certain outdoor power equipment emits hydrocarbons and nitrogen oxides, can impair lung function, help produce smog and even inhibit plant growth.

around the yard, use a traditional manual hedge clipper instead. Many of today’s manual hand tools are designed to be user-friendly and, as a result, are much lighter and less bulky than the tools of yesteryear. Homeowners with smaller yards might even consider using reel push mowers that don’t generate any emissions whatsoever.

Using a manual reel push mower instead of a gaspowered alternative is one way homeowners can reduce pollution at home.

Homeowners concerned about the environment might feel as though they’re caught in a Catch-22. Protecting the environment is likely important to them but so is taking care of their property. However, it’s possible to do both; it just requires taking a few preventative measures when working out in the yard.

Don’t spill the gas. Small gasoline spills can damage the yard, leaving dead spots wherever gas came into contact with the yard. But even the smallest of spills can cause the gas to evaporate and pollute the air. When refilling the gas tank, do so on the driveway and not in the yard to avoid damaging the property. Use a gasoline container that’s easy to handle and use a funnel or spout to reduce the likelihood of spillage.

Once the tank has been filled, make sure the caps on both the power equipment and the gasoline container have been closed tightly, and store the container out of the sunlight, ideally in a cool, dry place.

Go manual. Some lawn maintenance requires the use of gas-powered tools to get the job done in a timely fashion. Homeowners with large yards, for instance, will likely need a gas-powered mower to cut their grass in a reasonable amount of time. However, in lieu of gas-powered tools to trim hedges and trees

Cut down on cutting.

Instead of cutting the grass every weekend, visit the local lawn and garden center and ask if there are any grass and flower seed mixtures that will make the grass grow more slowly.

This often depends on the region and the type of grass that thrives in the region, but it can help reduce the number of times the lawn needs to be cut and reduce emissions as a result.

Plant more trees. Planting more trees around the property can be advantageous for a number of reasons. If the yard has more trees, that means it will have less grass, decreasing the amount of time it takes to mow the yard, and thereby reducing emissions from the mower. Another eco-friendly benefit to planting more trees is that, if planted strategically to provide shade, energy usage, in addition to cooling costs, during the hot summer will decrease.

Homeowners who plant native wildflowers and plants also can reduce the time it takes to maintain their yard, as such plants typically require little to no maintenance after planting.

Don’t allow equipment to deteriorate.

Just like an automobile, gas-powered maintenance tools work more efficiently when they’re well maintained. If filters aren’t replaced or machines are allowed to fall into disrepair, they won’t operate with much efficiency, meaning they’ll burn more gasoline and produce more emissions. In addition to the environmental benefits of maintaining equipment, homeowners can also save money by taking care of their equipment, increasing the tools’ life expectancy while improving fuel efficiency.

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GREEN LIVING

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 • Comox Valley Record

Eco-friendly interior options abound

Did you know?

R

adon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas that comes from the decay of uranium found in most soils.

T

oday’s homeowners are increasingly ecoconscious. As a result, many homeowners take an eco-friendly approach toward home improvement projects. Whereas homeowners once worried most about their bottom lines without regard for the environment, nowadays a project’s carbon footprint is high on many a homeowner’s priority list.

What’s more, eco-friendly additions or adjustments to a home might make homeowners eligible for tax breaks, and such projects often make a home more appealing to prospective buyers. Some of the more common ways to make a home more eco-friendly include: •

Replace vinyl flooring with natural linoleum or recycled rubber floors.

•

Replace old carpet with carpet tiles made of recycled content or use organic cotton area rugs throughout the home.

•

Replace stone countertops with bamboo, terrazzo or paper-stone alternatives.

•

Replace traditional wood flooring with reclaimed wood flooring or aesthetically appealing bamboo flooring.

Radon can enter the home by moving up through the ground and into the air above before moving into a home in a variety of ways, including through cracks in solid floors, through construction joints and through cracks in walls. Gaps in suspended floors and around service pipes are additional entry points for radon. Once radon enters a home, it then becomes trapped inside, where buildup can occur.

Radon buildup can potentially be very harmful or even fatal. A radioactive gas, radon is among the leading causes of lung cancer in the United States. In fact, only smoking causes more lung cancer deaths than radon, which can enter a home whether that home is new, old, well-sealed, or drafty. Homeowners concerned about radon, which is invisible and odorless, should have their homes tested.

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GREEN LIVING

Comox Valley Record • Wednesday, September 19, 2012

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GREEN LIVING

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 • Comox Valley Record

All-natural ways to...

T

he quickest fix to a problem is not always the best fix. Many convenience items are full of chemicals that may not be safe for the environment.

And although many medications may be ideal for treating ailments, some people prefer a more natural method to treat certain ailments.

There are many all-natural items that can be put to use for personal care and home care if you know where to look. It is important to note that some supplements or herbs are not adviseable for pregnant women or those with certain conditions.

Therefore it’s best to check with a doctor or pharmacist before beginning any regimen.

… get rid of ants Make a sweet solution of sugar water and borax, also known as sodium tetraborate. Borax is not toxic, but it should not be ingested, and it may cause minor skin irritation. You can also try substituting washing soda for the borax, which is sodium carbonate. The ants will feed on the solution, take it back to the colony, and eventually the numbers will dwindle.

… reduce irritation from a sting Apply a paste of baking soda and water to the sting and it will help reduce the pain and swelling. This also may work on jellyfish stings and on other bug bites.

… fall asleep more quickly

… remove a wart

Passion flower is known to produce mild sedative effects that can help induce sleep.

Passion flower can be found in tinctures, teas and capsules. In tea form it can be mixed with chamomile to improve flavor and boost even further relaxing feelings.

Coat the skin around the wart with petroleum jelly to protect it. Soak a small piece of cotton in apple cider vinegar and place it directly on the wart. Cover with medical tape or a bandage and repeat daily.

The vinegar will kill the wart in a matter of days or weeks.

… relieve nasal congestion A stuffy nose can make sleeping difficult, contribute to a dry throat from mouth-breathing and just be a nuisance. There are many different ways to open up nasal passages.

Saline solutions that are sprayed or misted into the nose can loosen mucus and help it to drain. The same principal applies when using a neti pot. Eating spicy foods, such as hot peppers, wasabi or jerk seasonings, can also temporarily cause the nose to run and alleviate pressure.

… remove grass stains Using the wrong items can set in a grass stain quickly. Wet the stain with rubbing alcohol and let dry to dissolve some of the stain.

Then wet the fabric with water, pour detergent right on the stain and wash as usual.

… clean up pet accidents Pet urine can stain and smell. Quick cleanup is key, but use a product that will neutralize odor. Oxygen powder bleach diluted in a bucket of water can be used as a carpet shampoo. It will clean up the stain and remove the odor.

… treat dandruff Medicated shampoos and products can smell harsh and leave hair lifeless. Tea tree oil already found in shampoos can be applied to the scalp as a separate therapeutic step to help reduce dryness and dandruff.

… exterminate household bugs All sorts of insects like to come indoors from time to time. While many are harmless and some can be beneficial (like spiders), most people care not to cohabitate with six- or eight-legged friends. Diatomaceous earth (DE) is a powdery substance made from small crustaceans. It is typically used as a swimming pool filter medium to trap dirt. The drying properties of DE can be used to eliminate bugs. Insects walk through a sprinkling placed in areas where they are often found (such as crevices in a basement). The sharp, microscopic edges of the DE penetrate the insects’ exoskeleton and the product also dries out the tender internal areas. DE can be irritating to the

skin and the dust should not be breathed in, but generally the product is safe in small amounts and non-toxic, unlike bug sprays.

… keep a pool or spa clean Many people think they need a host of chemicals to keep a pool or spa clean and healthy or spend a lot of money doing so. If you read the labels of many “pool” chemicals, they’re actually household items you probably have on hand.

Sanitize and keep the pool clean with ordinary household bleach, or sodium hypochlorite. Raise pH in a pool with washing soda used in laundry. Raise the total alkalinity of water with baking soda. Match up the chemical names to the ingredients on bags of pool products and you just may find you’re spending more money when you could simply shop in the laundry aisle.

… polish chrome on cars Use vinegar full strength on a rag and wipe the chrome components until nice and shiny. Metal parts that have been rusted can also be soaked clean in undiluted vinegar overnight.

With little knowledge, people can remedy many ailments with all-natural products that are safer on the environment and the body.

Courtenay’s recycling program expanding Multi-family and apartment recycling Toter pick-up set to start Multi-family and apartment buildings in the City of Courtenay will soon have access to recycling pick-up service.

Recyclable materials

The Pigeon Lake landfill has an estimated 5 to 7 years remaining. Campbell River’s landfill is also almost full. Right now, roughly one-third of waste going to the landfill is recyclable (e.g., paper, metal, plastic, beverage containers).

Starting October 1, multi-family and apartment residents will be able to recycle the following materials: • Plastic milk jugs (rinsed with lids removed) • Tetra Paks and gable end cartons (such as milk & juice containers) • Plastic bags and plastic wrap (place soft plastics only in recyclable plastic bags) • Plastics 1 thru 7 (do not place hard plastics in plastic bags) • Metal food containers (rinsed with labels removed) • Newsprint and boxboard (remove liners from boxes) • Cardboard (flattened & tied) Max. size 90 cm x 90 cm (3’ x 3’) • Mixed waste paper (junk mail, telephone books, magazines, envelopes & stationery) • Shredded paper (place shredded paper in paper products, not plastic bags) • NO GLASS OR STYROFOAM

The Toter program could potentially divert hundreds of tonnes of waste from our landfill each year.

For more information:

This fall, City staff will be delivering blue Toter bins to multi-family and apartment complexes in Courtenay.

The City is offering free Toters to buildings that request them by December 31, 2012. Pick-up service will also be free in 2012.

Starting in 2013, Toters would need to be purchased. The cost of the service will be added to the annual garbage utility billing approximately $17.50 per residential unit per year.

Toters will be emptied biweekly by recycling contractor Emterra on the same dates as regular Blue Bin recycling pickup in your area. Visit www.courtenay.ca for the recycling calendar.

Extending the life of our landfill

Allan Gornall, sustainability planner 250-334-4441 • agornall@courtenay.ca

City of Courtenay • 250-334-4441 • 830 Cliffe Avenue • www.courtenay.ca

GREEN LIVING

Comox Valley Record • Wednesday, September 19, 2012

9

Turning trash into

treasure I

t’s said that one person’s trash is another person’s treasure. This often applies to discarded items that others find have real value.

But it’s not just those discarded trinkets that can benefit others. When trash like food scraps and other refuse can be turned into a fuel that powers machines or reduces solid waste, it can be a winwin situation.

bio-char. It is a carbonaceous material that can be safely placed in landfills or used as a soil additive.

An innovation called Micro Auto Gasification System, or MAGS, is the world’s first solid waste treatment appliance. The technology is being developed by the U.S. Navy in conjunction with Terragon Environmental Technologies, Inc. and the Canadian Department of Defense for use in military applications and isolated habitats.

A system of waste management such as this can be beneficial in many applications. Ships that remain at sea for long durations of time, isolated communities without waste-treatment options, resorts, hospitals, and other situations where waste cannot be transferred to other facilities can use a MAGS unit to get garbage under control. The company has also developed strategies for liquid waste treatment that is married with MAGS into one product. The goal in all of Terragon’s innovations is to sequester carbon to reduce the release of greenhouse gases and other pollutants that can critically harm the environment.

How the process works is that paper, cardboard, wood, plastic chemicals, food, cloth, oils, grease, biological material, animal waste, agricultural waste, and sludge are loaded into the treatment appliance. MAGS can process up to 40 kg (88 pounds) of as-received waste. The unit then powers a thermal process that “cooks” the waste in a high-temperature, low-oxygen environment, which essentially kills all organic material in the waste. The remaining material is a fuel gas dubbed “syngas.” MAGS uses this fuel to run itself. Any residual waste in the unit like carbon is sequestered as a product called

Terragon says that a MAGS unit can treat the waste generated by a community of up to 500 people in a single day by reducing the volume by 95 percent.

While the technology is still in its infancy, the idea of harvesting energy from trash can have very practical applications beyond isolated markets. Some information indicates that enough trash to fill garbage trucks stretching from the Earth to the moon is generated every year in the

Waste collection and disposal as we know it could soon become a thing of the past, as developing technology manages waste far more efficiently.

United States alone. In America, 55 percent of waste is buried in landfills and most garbage decomposes very slowly. Relying on this garbage as fuel solves the problem of overflowing landfills and the dependence on fossil fuels. Also, the technology protects the environment in a number of other ways, especially by reducing ground and water contamination. (Although precautions are taken to protect surrounding groundwater, air and rain from landfill contamination, few people can argue that landfills are the most efficient method of waste management.)

An offshoot of the green movement has been finding innovative ways to handle many of the problems of waste management around the world. MAGS is still being developed, but could prove an important part of the waste management industry in the years to come.

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green home improvements Making home improvements doesn’t have to mean compromising environmental ideals in the process.

There are numerous jobs that a person can do that fit with a green lifestyle. While these improvements help protect the planet, they’ll also help keep a few extra dollars in your wallet.

1

Conserve water. Turn off the tap between brushing teeth or rinsing off dishes. Better yet, install low-flow faucets, showerheads and toilets that reduce the consumption of water in the household.

2

Motion detection: Motion-detector lights can be installed in different rooms of the home and outdoors. Lights will automatically turn on and off depending on the activity in the area, reducing the chances of a light being left on inadvertently and wasting energy.

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GREEN LIVING

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 • Comox Valley Record

Solar panels: You may have been toying with the idea of solar panels for years. They can be installed on the roof or in the yard to power various components of the household, like lights during a traditional power outage or the swimming pool filter. Today it is possible to buy used solar panels, many of which still have a lot of life left to them and are considerably cheaper than new ones.

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Aluminum-clad storm door: Insulate the entryway of your home with a storm door that will buffer against harsh weather conditions.

While you’re creating a more air-tight space, caulk around windows and doors.

Replace air filters. Your HVAC system likely has filters inside that trap dirt and contaminants. Replacing the filters leads to cleaner indoor air and helps the unit run more efficiently.

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Power strips: Stock up on power strips and plug all of your peripherals and computer equipment into these strips. This way when you want to power down everything completely, you simply turn off the power button on the strip. This ensures no devices are drawing power even in the off position, which many do.

Install fans. Fans aren’t just useful in the summer.

In the winter, the blades can be set to rotate in the opposite direction and help draw warm air into the room, heating more efficiently.

Rainwater barrels: Set up rainwater barrels at the downspouts of your home’s gutter system. These barrels collect water that can be used to water indoor and outdoor plants, or even wash the car.

Some feature a spigot to which you can directly connect a garden hose.

Plant trees. Trees are good for the environment in many ways, producing necessary oxygen for life and offering food and living areas for wildlife. Trees can also shade a home during the warm weather, helping reduce energy consumption.

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Front door slides out for easy access

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Glass fireplace doors: Install glass fireplace doors, which are safer than fireplace screens. They’ll also help protect against heat loss up the chimney when there isn’t a fire lit.

Buy a solar cover. Warm up your spa all season long with a solar cover, which helps keep debris out of the water, too. Solar covers reduce the need to fire up the heater to warm the water.

Dog waste composter: Create a method to safely dispose of dog waste without having to toss it in plastic bags in the trash. There are devices that can be buried into the ground to serve as a dog waste receptacle. Or you can make one of your own by placing a container with a lid that seals on top but has an open bottom. Sprinkle a natural bacteria septic tank product, down the hole routinely and it will break down the waste and turn it into soil fertilizer.

There are a variety of ways to go green with home improvements, whether extensive projects or small fixes.

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GREEN LIVING

Comox Valley Record • Wednesday, September 19, 2012

11

Protect kids

from poor environmental factors in the year ahead

A

s many across the globe adopt more eco-friendly lifestyles, protecting the environment remains a top priority. The popularity of hybrid cars continues to rise while more and more communities are recycling and reusing. Each of those things is an effort to decrease carbon footprint and protect the environment from human behaviors that can be harmful to the planet.

But what about protecting kids from the environment? According to the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Children’s Health Protection, children might be especially vulnerable to adverse contaminants in the environment. That’s because a child’s bodily system is still developing, and kids eat more, drink more and breathe more in proportion to their body size.

In addition, kid’s behaviors can expose them to more chemicals and organisms. But parents can protect their kids from potentially harmful environmental factors in a number of ways.

Help kids breathe easier One of the best ways parents can protect kids is to take steps to help them breathe easier. By doing the following, parents can do just that.

• Quit smoking.

• Quit smoking in the home or in the car.

• Keep the home clean, routinely removing dust and mold.

• Eliminate pet dander, which can trigger asthma attacks and allergies, around the house.

• Monitor ozone levels and keep kids indoors on ozone alert days when air pollution is high.

• Reduce motor vehicle idling.

Kids are especially susceptible to environmental factors that can put their health at risk.

Protect kids from lead poisoning Lead poisoning is another environmental factor that puts kids at risk. The United States banned the use of lead-based paint in 1978, but homes built prior to 1978 were not under restrictions. That means lead exposure is still a possibility in older homes, so parents should take the following safety measures to ensure their kids aren’t at risk.

• Have homes built before 1978 tested for lead paint.

• Have kids’ blood tested for lead. These tests can detect high levels of lead and are most important for children between the ages of 1 and 2.

Levels of lead in a child’s blood typically increase rapidly from six to 12 months of age and often peak somewhere between 18 and 24 months.

• Wash children’s hands before they eat, and be sure to wash bottles, pacifiers and toys thoroughly and often.

• Wash windows and window sills to protect kids from dust and peeling paint contaminated with lead.

GREENEST COUNTRIES

Many countries have made great strides toward adopting environmentally friendly practices, be it through government sponsored initiatives or the individual efforts of citizens. In an effort to gauge how eco-friendly countries are, Yale University established the Environmental Protection Index (EPI), which ranks countries from 0 (least eco-friendly) to 100 (most eco-friendly). To arrive at the EPI score, Yale studied sulfur output, carbon emissions, conservation efforts, and water purity, among other things. Based on these findings, here are the most eco-friendly countries.

1. Switzerland, 95.5 2. Sweden, 93.1 3. Norway, 93.1 4. Finland, 91.4 5. Costa Rica, 90.5

6. Austria, 89.4 7. New Zealand, 88.9 8. Latvia, 88.8 9. Colombia, 88.3 10. France, 87.8

Protect kids from CO poisoning Carbon monoxide poses a significant threat to adults and children alike. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, carbon monoxide is the leading cause of accidental poisoning deaths in the United States.

Parents can help kids avoid falling victim to CO poisoning in a variety of ways.

• Have fuel-burning appliances, furnace flues and chimneys professionally inspected once a year. If any problems arise, address them immediately.

• Never use gas ovens or burners for heat.

• Never use barbecues or grills indoors or in the garage.

• Never allow kids to sleep in rooms with unvented gas or kerosene space heaters.

• Do not run cars or lawnmowers in the garage.

• Install CO detectors throughout the home, inspecting each detector once a year.

Protect kids from the sun Overexposure to the sun is another environmental risk that can prove harmful to kids.

• When kids are going out in the sun, make sure they are wearing hats, sunglasses and protective clothing.

• If visiting the beach or spending ample time outdoors during the warmer months, always apply a sunscreen with a minimum SPF, or sun protection factor, of 15.

• Keep infants out of direct sunlight.

• Minimize the amount of time kids spend in the midday sun, typically between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when the sun is most intense.

Making a difference.

Help keep your home, family, & planet healthy.

Don McRae, MLA (Comox Valley) CONSTITUENCY OFFICE: 437 Fifth St., Courtenay BC V9N 1J7 Phone: (250) 703-2422 Fax: (250) 703-2425 E-mail: don.mcrae.mla@leg.bc.ca www.donmcraemla.bc.ca

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GREEN LIVING

Wednesday, September 19, 2012 • Comox Valley Record

TIME TO PLANT BULBS

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Fall is a great time to plant

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Top of Mission Hill • Courtenay

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