At Green Cricket we are committed to help people live a greener lifestyle and to help raise issues of environmental concern. The Earth Hour movement, since its 2007 beginnings in Australia, has gained international acceptance and participation.

Last year, hundreds of millions of people took part in the third Earth Hour 2009. Over 4000 cities in 88 countries officially switched off to pledge their support for the planet, making Earth Hour 2009 the world’s largest global climate change initiative.

Earth Hour 2010 takes place on Saturday 27 March at 8.30pm (local time) and is a global call to action to every individual, every business and every community throughout the world. It is a call to stand up, to take responsibility, to get involved and lead the way towards a sustainable future.

We want to give you some insight how our Green Cricket staff intend to spend Earth Hour, please read on…

Giselle & Bill: We will likely be playing aboard game with Jules by candlelight on our patio. Hopefully it’s nice weather and we’ll be able to see some stars in the city if enough people shut their lights off.

Susan: My kids and i will be spending Earth Hour playing a game by candlelight at home. They are both teenagers, and this is a refreshing break from facebook, twitter, X-Box and the other digital sinkholes that seem to occupy their non-school waking hours! We did this last year, and it was a wonderful time to emphasize to them the peace and tranquility that goes along with simple activities, with no need for electronics to entertain.  We need to be thankful for mother earth, and protect her while we can!

Katie: Earth Hour also equals bed time for my 2 young ones, so we’ll be doing bedtime stories by flashlight.  We got both solar and crank flashlights for Christmas, so we’ll be putting them to the test during our living room campout.

David: My plan is Candlelight yoga!

Peggy & Trevor: We are planning earth hour with Peggy’s family west of Toronto near Waterloo and are calling it “dark desserts” – coffee by candlelight… with chocolate of course too!….

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Now we would like to hear from you….please post how you will spend Earth Hour?…

Written by Guest Blogger: Bridget Oland

We all know that swapping out old incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescent light bulbs(CFLs) is one painless way to reduce your annual power bill. (Lights account for about 5% of overall household power use). CFLs use 75 percent less energy than their incandescent counterparts and last up to 10 times longer. When you do the light bulb math each CFL bulb can prevent more than 450 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. And depending on electrical rates you could save about $80 in energy costs over the life of the bulb.

If you’re going to make this worthwhile investment (and it is an investment, considering the cost) you’ll want to ensure each bulb lasts a good long time.

A friend was complaining recently that CFL bulbs in his home weren’t lasting nearly as long as they were supposed to. We were noticing the same thing so I did some research and discovered a few tips to help extend the life of your pricey bulbs:

• In fixtures on a dimmer switch use dimmable CFLs (should be stated on the packaging). Dimmers shorten the life of regular CFLs.
• CFLs are best in areas where they’re likely to be on for 15 minutes at a time or longer. Using them in places where they’ll be turned on and off frequently (like closets and bathrooms) will shorten their life.
• For totally enclosed fixtures buy bulbs that state clearly on that packaging that they’re designed for this use.
• If the bulb has been used according to the manufacturer’s instructions and still burns out early you may be eligible for a refund or a replacement. Energy Star certified bulbs carry at least a two-year warranty (covering manufacturer defects). The catch is that you need to save your receipts and contact the manufacturer directly.

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Last year David Suzuki published an article about a woman in Spokane, Washington who would drive to a neighbouring state to buy a phosphate-containing product to clean her dishes, as she believed the phosphate component was essential for good results.

Suzuki uses the story to illustrate the impact of choices we make concerning dishwashing, that impact the environment and the health of our families. He challenges us to consider the total life cycle of the products we use.

Phosphates have been used for years as very powerful detergents that cut grease and facilitate the cleansing process. But the trade-off for phosphates is large in the impact they have from wastewater on rivers, streams and lakes. The problem is that they cause large algae blooms in fresh water lakes and rivers, starve the water of oxygen and kill wildlife and plants. Canada became the first country to ban phosphorus from laundry detergents in 2008.   Canada also was first to require that phosphorus be removed from municipal sewage discharged into the Great Lakes. Many of the American states bordering the Great Lakes then followed Canada’s lead but it is only in 2010 that bans on dishwasher products in the US are being implemented.

At Green Cricket we offer a choice of phosphate free dishwasher products. Next month (April 2010) we are giving a free package of Greener Choice dishwasher tablets with every order. Try them – they work AND they are good for the environment.

Now is the time for you to choose to make a difference, one dish at a time!

[written by Trevor Smith]

In the aftermath of the UN’s conference on Climate change in Copenhagen last month and what seems, atfirst glance, to be the lack real progress from countries for plans and commitments to reduce Greenhouse gas emissions, we are tempted to say “Why bother?”

The magazine The Economist comments: “Faced with the undoubted grandeur of climate change, a grand response seems in order. But, to the immediate disappointment to most of those participating and watching, the much anticipated UN climate conference held in Copenhagen in December led to no such thing…” [The Economist (Leader) Dec 30, 2009]

The article goes on to comment that two positive outcomes may have been on some agreement for a process for international monitoring and also the recognition of new political structures to enable progress across developing and developed countries.

While this international debate is raging should we, the public, the consumer, the homeowner…really care?

I feel we must – individuals can make a difference - we must all strive to learn more about our environment, our lifestyle, the products we use and impact on climate change, pollution, depletion of natural resources as well as the health impacts of products we use every day.

The Green Cricket Blog can provide a forum for sharing thoughts, ideas and actions. What do you think? Do you think you can make a difference to what often seems to be a hugh issue and out of your hands? And why should we care?

In the coming weeks we shall talk more about the Copenhagen Accord, but also discuss the 5 criteria for selecting Green Cricket products that we feel support the move towards achieving a Green Lifestyle and a more sustainable world. We also want to hear from you - to understand what you think, what governs your buying and lifestyle decision choices. Post your comments!

(Trevor Smith, Editor)

Well, it’s that time of year where everyone’s focus turns to finding
that perfect gift. Whether it be for a loved one, co-worker or child in
your life, the desire to go green has picked up enormous momentum, and
this has spilled over into everything we do, including shopping! With so
many options and so many claims of green labels, it can be a bit
overwhelming as you head to the stores. However, here are a few
suggestions to help you in your search: (more…)