Green Bits

First one - goodguide.com is a website you can visit to get numbered ratings on the environmental impact of a range of items, from foods and personal care products, to household chemicals and toys. If you decide to investigate your soap, for instance, you will find a listing by brand name, of various soaps. The rating goes from the current highest result of 8.8 given to Tom's of Maine body bars, down to the low of 5.1 which is given to Balmex Baby's Own Hypo-Allergenic Soap. You'll be told: "You can keep your shower as clean as possible by checking the ingredients section of our bath, shower, and soap product ratings for those unsafe chemicals, or by browsing through our reviews for products with high health and safety scores. Many bath, shower, and soap products with strong chemicals have been animal-tested. You can check the Product Certifications and Listings section on each product page to see if it’s manufacturer has been no-animal-testing certified by PETA or Leaping Bunny."
If you're interested in getting the environmental skinny on various goods, plus a great deal of other useful info, take a look.

Second - I was seated in a downtown coffee shop recently, enjoying a cup of joe with a friend, but decidedly not enjoying the attention being paid to us by a wasp that had found its way inside the cafe. My friend told me then that if she had known ahead of time about the six-legged member of our coffee klatch, she would have sprayed herself with a little of her new homemade insect spray. This woman is a firm believer in using eco-friendly products, so I asked her how she makes it. She said she mixed 1/3 cup each apple cider vinegar and witch hazel with a "splash" of citronella essential oil. I know the "splash" isn't exactly a precise measure, but she says she's used it all summer when she wanted to sit out in the evening past the usual aaagh-here-come-the-mosquitoes hour. She also says she hasn't been bitten all summer. If you're interested, you could give it a try and maybe get back to me with just how much you used for your "splash".

A Worthy Cause or Two

First one - just found out about the Smile Train today. It's a charity organization that the New York Times magazine called "one of the most productive charities,
dollar for deed, in the world.” The organization, helmed by Brian Mullaney, uses its funds to train and equip local doctors to perform cleft-repair surgery on poor children around the world, year-round. Performing this life-altering surgery on children with cleft lips or palates is relatively cheap and decidedly worthwhile, but Mullaney sometimes finds his organization trying to sell that idea to a reluctant government. Being the businessman that he is, Mullaney sells it by referring to the children as “nonperforming assets” who could soon be returned to the country's economic mainstream, if they had the surgery. What really caught my attention was the situation Smile Train found in Chennai, India, and what they did to ameliorate it. Midwives in Chennai were being paid off to smother baby girls born with cleft deformities, so Mullaney started offering the midwives as much as $10for each girl they brought safely to a hospital for surgery, rather than murdering the little ones.
Gotta' love Mullaney and his Smile Train.

Next one - a young lady just as worthy of admiration as the above mentioned philanthropist, one Saanya Hasan Ali. This enterprising 13-year-old global citizen makes greeting cards that she sells in order to raise funds for charities, like the Central Asia Institute, that help needy children. The CAI builds schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Says Saanya, "My goal is to inspire children to get involved in causes they care about. I want them to know they don't have to be old or have lots of money. They can start small."
Saanya started her fundraising efforts by making some cards and taking them to an uncle's wedding where she sold them for $600. There's been no turning back for Saanya. If she offers a little inspiration to you, visit the Central Asia Institute website, and take a look around. Their motto is "Peace and Hope Begin With Education: One Child At A Time" and their website will tell you that the CAI is a3 non-profit organization with the mission to promote and support community-based education, especially for girls, in remote regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Certainly a worthy cause, the Central Asia Institute is one of Saanya's favourites. Maybe it will become one of yours.

From Hardship Emerges Hope

If you follow the link provided here, you'll find yourself reading the words above on the Ten Thousand Villages website. Specifically, you'll be looking at the "peace dove bombshell" being sold by the good people there. The site will tell you: "A symbol of peace, fashioned from a legacy of war. This elegant dove necklace, skillfully hand-cut from the shell casings of the bombs that litter the Cambodian countryside and hand-stamped with a message of peace in both Khmer and English, is a testament to the transformation that is shaping the Khmer people. Ravaged and impoverished by war, and strewn with unexploded landmines, Cambodia has the highest proportion of amputees in the world.
But from hardship emerges hope. Rajana – meaning “design” in Khmer – is an artisan group that channels Cambodia’s thriving artistic traditions into contemporary products to be shared with the world. The organization, established in 1995, is completely owned and operated by Khmer people, providing stable and sustainable income and employment, interest-free loans and assisting with health and education. Rajana also provides training for young people in craft production, marketing, computer skills, accounting and English. Specializing in silver jewelry, handmade cards, clothing, wall hangings, stationary and games, Rajana’s gifted artisans are proudly transforming a legacy of conflict into a brighter future."
$5. from each necklace sold between September 21, the International Day of Peace, and Remembrance Day will be donated to Mines Action Canada. The vision of this organization is to bring humanity closer to peace and social justice by eliminating the use of victim-activated weapons. If you've got an occasion coming up that you need a gift for - a birthday, maybe - buying a necklace would mean you'd have an unusual gift that the recipient could wear with pride; Mines Action Canada would have increased funding to continue their life-saving work; and the people of Cambodia would move a wee bit closer to that brighter future. Not too shabby for a little birthday gift.

World Habitat Day

The United Nations has designated the first Monday of each October as World Habitat Day. The purpose of the day is to "reaffirm that adequate shelter is a basic human right, and we focus on the housing conditions of cities and towns around the world. We also use this day to remind the world of its collective responsibility for the future of the human habitat."
If your response at the moment is one of questioning why this should be of any concern to you, allow me to toss out just a few stats that might help you better understand the urgent need for all of us to jump on board this bandwagon.
* One out of every three city dwellers – nearly a billion people – lives in a slum. (Slum indicators include: lack of water, lack of sanitation, overcrowding, non-durable structures and insecure tenure.) (UN-Habitat: 2006)
* Every week, more than a million people are born in, or move to, cities in the developing world. As a result, the urban population of developing countries will double from 2 to 4 billion in the next 30 years. (Kissick, et al: 2006),
* UN-Habitat has reported that because of poor living conditions, women living in slums are more likely to contract HIV/AIDS than their rural counterparts, and children in slums are more likely to die from water-borne and respiratory illness. (UN-Habitat: 2006)
If your reaction to all this continues to be a feeling of "yeah, so?" let me give you a very positive piece of info, and while you're reading it maybe you could keep in mind the kind of problems that can occur in societies where democracy is only a dream: Communities with transparent systems to meet and sustain basic housing needs are more likely to build the trust and social cohesiveness on which democracy and development are founded. (Kissick, et al: 2006)
Granted, the above data is relevant to the developing world, and that's not us. But Habitat for Humanity does not only carry out its great work in developing countries. I have volunteered at a Habitat build right here in Toronto. It was a great day and I'd recommend one like it to anyone, but if you still feel like you haven't yet seen enough of a reason for you to get involved, let me give you a fact or two directly relevant to us right here in North America.
* The number of low-income families that lack safe and affordable housing is related to the number of children that suffer from asthma, viral infections, anemia, stunted growth and other health problems ... children between the ages of 4 and 9 are hospitalized for asthma attacks each year because of cockroach infestation at home.
* Children in bad housing have a greater chance of suffering mental health and behavioral problems. (Harker: 2006)
In contrast, here's another really positive stat: Children of homeowners are more likely to stay in school and daughters of homeowners are less likely to have children by age 18. (Green and White: 1996)
The reasons to get involved outweigh by so very much any possible reason to hang back. I know sometimes it feels like there's yet another worthy cause waiting for you around every corner, hand outstretched toward your wallet, and you've only got so much you can give, but everybody can at least give some time, or some positive promoting of the cause. Check out the link provided, and maybe you'll find yourself getting all inspired. Nothing but good could come of it.

The 15th Honourary Member of the Princess Pats

Don Cherry has just been welcomed in as the 15th honorary member of the Princess Patricia Canadian Light Infantry, an honour the hockey legend has called "humbling". Retired Brig.-Gen. J. E. L. Gollner said that members of all units of the Princess Pats had been polled about making Cherry the 15th honorary member of the unit, founded in 1914 at the beginning of the Great War.
"(T)he results were clear — make Don Cherry an Honorary Patricia," Gollner said. "I asked Don and he agreed to join our Regimental family. We are all pleased and proud of having him as a member." Cherry tole a Kingston Whig Standard reporter "This ranks as No. 1. You don't get a better honour, especially when it comes from the troops."
The recognition is going to a man who is so unabashedly proud to be Canadian, and so unswerving in his support of the troops, it's great to see him get this. Anyone who is a regular fan of HNIC knows, for instance, that Don always uses time on Coach's Corner for a tribute to every soldier who falls in Afghanistan. Every regular fan has heard his voice raw with emotion so many times; heard him send prayers out to the fallen soldiers' families. This is indeed the right choice for the 15th honorary member.
I'd like to ask when Cherry is going to be admitted to the ranks of the Order of Canada. Canada's highest civilian honour, the Order of Canada is given to recognize a lifetime of outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to the nation. If you're looking for service and dedication to the community, you don't have to look much further than his involvement with a list of charities. Perhaps the most important to him would be "Rose Cherry's Home for Kids", a hospice for terminally ill children in Milton, Ontario. Rose, his beloved wife of 40 years, died of liver cancer in 1997. In 2003 he began his fundraising and the centre, expected to serve 350 families a year, had its grand opening in September 2004. As far as achievement, Cherry is an absolute Canadian icon. For any doubters, just look at his taking seventh place in the top ten of the CBC's Greatest Canadian list.
The Princess Pats have it right. Cherry deserves recognition.

Rest In Peace, Crystal and Alan

Crystal Lee Sutton just died on Friday September 11, last week. Alan Turing died on June 7, 1954, but both of these people are worth remembering with respect and gratitude.

Then 33-year-old Sutton was working as a towel folder at J.P. Stevens in 1973, making just $2.65/hour, when a manager fired her for pro-union activity. Just before police dragged her off the premises, she wrote "UNION" on a piece of cardboard, and climbed a table on the plant floor. Co-workers responded to her act of brave defiance by shutting down their machines. The next year, the Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union (ACTWU) won the right to represent workers at seven plants in northeastern North Carolina. Hollywood thought Sutton's story was good enough to make into a movie, and in 1979, "Norma Rae" was released. Sally Field won an Oscar for her portrayal of the feisty textile worker, but Sutton herself received no financial return from the movie.
Sadly, Sutton succumbed to brain cancer, but even when she was fighting this monster, she was forced to take on her health insurer, at one point going two months without possible life-saving medications because her insurance wouldn’t cover them. Obviously a fighter to the end, whether she wanted to be or not, Sutton once told an interviewer her philosophy. "Stand up for what you believe in, no matter how hard it makes life for you. Do not give up and always say what you believe.” she said.
It is always hard to lose such a person. After a life spent working to improve the lot of those she referred to as the working poor, may she rest in peace.

Like Sutton, Turing's actions affected the lives of many. Elected a fellow of King's College, Cambridge, in 1935, he became a Smith's Prizeman in 1936, winning one of the two prizes awarded annually to research students in theoretical Physics, mathematics and applied mathematics at the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England. Turing's life might have played out differently but for the Second World War.
When war was declared in 1939, Turing immediately moved to work full-time at Bletchley Park. Working at the wartime codebreaking center, Turing helped crack Germany's secret codes by creating the "Turing bombe," a forerunner of modern computers. Turing's brilliance in breaking the codes generated by the German Enigma machines likely saved more lives of military personnel and civilians from the depravity that was Hitler's Nazism than can ever be known. He was awarded the O.B.E. in 1945 for his invaluable contribution to the war effort.
After the war, Turing created one of the first designs for a stored-program computer, and continued his involvement with decoding and intelligence work. Unfortunately, in 1952 he was threatened with blackmail over his homosexuality, and trustingly went to the police for help. Instead, he found himself being arrested for violation of British homosexuality statutes and tried as a homosexual on 31 March 1952. Found guilty, he was given the choice of prison or chemical castration. He chose the latter and tried to get on with his life but that was when the total breakdown of his world began.
His security clearance was taken away from him after his conviction and the man who had helped his country to survive the war was then regarded as a security risk because of his knowledge of the work going on at GCHQ. Turing was found dead of cyanide poisoning in 1954.
Finally, last Friday, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown offered a posthumous apology to the World War II hero, saying Turing "deserved so much better" than the treatment he received from the postwar United Kingdom. "It is no exaggeration to say that, without his outstanding contribution, the history of World War II could well have been very different," Brown said. "He truly was one of those individuals we can point to whose unique contribution helped to turn the tide of war....The debt of gratitude he is owed makes it all the more horrifying, therefore, that he was treated so inhumanely. We're sorry, you deserved so much better."
The apology comes too late for Turing himself, but maybe it can do some good for the cause of others who, like himself, don't fit the "norm". Turing gave so much effort to saving others from the cruelty of the Nazis during his life, to be able to give again now and finally receive some much-deserved recognition might finally give his spirit a chance to rest in peace.

When Do Calories Equal Cash?

When you've hooked up with Plus 3 Network, that's when. If you click on the link, you'll find the following explanation of what the site is all about: "With the Plus 3 Network, we let you turn every step, every turn of the pedal, every stroke in the pool into a fundraising effort for a cause of your choice. We do this at no cost to you via the support of Corporate Sponsors - dedicated companies who care about the planet, about health and fitness, and about the things we can do together to make a difference. And as we said, this is all free to you. We've identified companies who want to support you as you get healthier, get social, and help others. All you need to do is choose a Cause/Sponsor combination and then get out there -- either solo or with friends-- and get going."
You can record your efforts by hand entry or GPS upload. An entry verifiable through GPS earns three times the funds that the same entry would do if it were entered by hand. If you read through the site's blurb about GPS versus hand entry, you'll see "Need a GPS? We can even help you get one." and a link to follow.
Their payout by activity type lists currently lists 39 activities, including aerobics and hockey, surfing and treadmill running among others. At the moment, open water swimming recorded by GPS upload will give you the best return at $0.78/mile, but just plain walking is not to be sneezed at, coming in at $0.39/mile. Get a friend to sign up with you and you can chat your way around your route, connecting and feeling good while you do something good for others. It just doesn't get any easier than this to raise funds for your favourite cause while you "get fit, get connected, and get results."

Does Your Life Expectancy Match the Numbers From Iceland?

Just back from a two week sojourn in Iceland. The weather was wonderful, as far as I was concerned, averaging about 10 degrees Celsius during our stay. The food was horrendous - no taste to it all and most things served up with an overdose of butter and/or cream. Since they manage to have life expectancy figures (2004) of 79.4 years for men and 83 years for women, some of the very highest in Europe, I think the resident population must eat quite differently than they feed their country's visitors.
On matters related, allow me to pass on two nuggets of info regarding our own life expectancies and the betterment thereof. The first is for Canucks, in particular. October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month and there will be walks and runs galore to raise awareness and research funds. If you're interested in getting a head start on helping to raise those funds, take a stroll between September 21st and September 27th to your nearest Shoppers' Drug Mart, anywhere across this whole wonderful country of ours and buy the October copy of Canadian Living magazine. The good folks at the zine will donate 50 cents to the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.
If you want an informative look into your own life expectancy and what you can do to stretch it out a little longer, head over to www.realage.com and take their "Real Age Test" to see how your real age compares with your calendar age. Don't start it unless you have a half hour time slot free, but if you do, give it a shot. You've got nothing to lose, and maybe something great to gain. Once you're finished the test, they'll rate you in each of their categories, like "habits", and let you know what you're already doing right as well as giving you some suggestions on what you could do even better. It's food for thought, if nothing else. I found out my "real age" was 10 years younger than my calendar age, and I came away with suggestion on a few changes to make that might help me bring it down even more. You don't have to sign up for anything. If you want, you can say 'no thanks' to any and all future contact, or you could decide to sign up for e-mail.
I'm not sure how the women and men of Iceland would do on the real age test, but their life expectancy figures seem to indicate they would all come out a decade or more under their calendar age. I do know they're involved in breast cancer awareness and research fund raising. They've really gotten into pink light illumination. It was in October 2000 when illumination of famous buildings or natural phenomena with pink light was started, including such places as the leaning tower of Pisa, and Niagara Falls. The following year The Icelandic Cancer Society started collaboration with Reykjavík Energy that financed the illumination with pink light of a prominent building in the capital area. In 2001, the largest church in Reykjavík was outlined in pink light and then mayor Ingibjörg Sólrún Gísladóttir was asked to turn on the lights. By 2004, the list of man-made structures and natural wonders illuminated by pink light in Iceland had grown into a list that sounded rather like our travel itinerary.
Take a minute or two, grab a cup of coffee and settle down in front of your monitor. Follow the two links above and give some thought to what you can do to protect your health and make your life expectancy look like you were born in Iceland.