Remembrance Day just passed again, and this year, along with the annual discussion of changing the design of the red poppy, a new idea popped up.
The distribution of purple poppies to honour animals that served in war zones first appeared in England. This year the purple poppy debuted in Edmonton to mixed reviews. The controversy is the concern that having a "competing" poppy will detract from the traditional red poppy and what that represents.
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Rethinking Waste
I'm always happy when there is a garbage can on my walking route with Elli that I can dump her poop bags into. It saves me from having to find a place to dispose of the smelly bags once I get home.
Artist, Matthew Mazzotta, has been giving this disposal a lot of thought. He came up with a method of using dog poop to light lanterns in a Cambridge dog park.
This is how it works: the “Park Spark” poop converter is actually two steel, 500-gallon oil tanks painted a golden yellow, connected by diagonal black piping and attached to an old gaslight-style street lantern at the Pacific Street Park.
After the dogs do their business, signs on the tanks instruct owners to use biodegradable bags supplied on site to pick up the poop and deposit it into the left tank. People then turn a wheel to stir its insides, which contain waste and water. Microbes in the waste give off methane, an odourless gas that is fed through the tanks to the lamp and burned off. The park is small but has proven busy enough to ensure a steady supply of fuel.
Burning the methane, which is 30 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, helps the environment, he said. And with dogs dropping tons of poop in cities everywhere, he thinks the idea of using its untapped power has broad appeal.
Artist, Matthew Mazzotta, has been giving this disposal a lot of thought. He came up with a method of using dog poop to light lanterns in a Cambridge dog park.
This is how it works: the “Park Spark” poop converter is actually two steel, 500-gallon oil tanks painted a golden yellow, connected by diagonal black piping and attached to an old gaslight-style street lantern at the Pacific Street Park.
After the dogs do their business, signs on the tanks instruct owners to use biodegradable bags supplied on site to pick up the poop and deposit it into the left tank. People then turn a wheel to stir its insides, which contain waste and water. Microbes in the waste give off methane, an odourless gas that is fed through the tanks to the lamp and burned off. The park is small but has proven busy enough to ensure a steady supply of fuel.
Burning the methane, which is 30 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide, helps the environment, he said. And with dogs dropping tons of poop in cities everywhere, he thinks the idea of using its untapped power has broad appeal.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Paws in the Park
On Sunday October 3 from 7:30-10:30am walk your dog in your local neighbourhood in support of the Toronto Humane Society's Paws in the Park.
You can register online to start raising money to support the animals in need at the Toronto Humane Society.
You can register online to start raising money to support the animals in need at the Toronto Humane Society.
Pets at TIFF
The Toronto International Film Festival is in town once again. So what do all the pooches do while their star owners are busy walking the red carpet? How about hang out in a swanky lounge, or go for some spa treatments.
Canine Culture opened up the Four-Legged Lounge to be a safe haven for celebrity pets. They also are hoping to promote and raise money for Helping Homeless Pets. On the walls of the lounge are framed photos of pets in need of a home. The goal is to get celebrities to sign these photos so they can be auctioned off to raise money for homeless pets.
Canine Culture opened up the Four-Legged Lounge to be a safe haven for celebrity pets. They also are hoping to promote and raise money for Helping Homeless Pets. On the walls of the lounge are framed photos of pets in need of a home. The goal is to get celebrities to sign these photos so they can be auctioned off to raise money for homeless pets.
Plastic Free Please
Lately, I've become really interested in the idea of living plastic-free. There are many blogs on people who have taken up the challenge of reducing their plastic consumption to almost nothing. Everywhere you look there are plastic products.
It came to my attention through a number of these plastic-free blogs that dog food bags often come with a plastic liner. Thus making the bags non-recyclable. Some bloggers suggested turning to home-made food for their pets. This is a nice idea, but obviously not convenient for everyone.
There are a few companies that provide dog food in environmentally friendly packaging. But, I think this is an area where companies need to get creative. Plastic-free will become a more popular lifestyle as concerns about health and the environment become even more prominent. And that concern will apply to our pets' health too.
It came to my attention through a number of these plastic-free blogs that dog food bags often come with a plastic liner. Thus making the bags non-recyclable. Some bloggers suggested turning to home-made food for their pets. This is a nice idea, but obviously not convenient for everyone.
There are a few companies that provide dog food in environmentally friendly packaging. But, I think this is an area where companies need to get creative. Plastic-free will become a more popular lifestyle as concerns about health and the environment become even more prominent. And that concern will apply to our pets' health too.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Durham Pet Expo October 2!
Details:
Saturday October 2, 2010
10am-5pm
Cullen Central Park
380 Taunton Road W. Whitby
$5 per person admission - proceeds going to the Durham Humane Society
Pets Welcome!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
We're back
Well after a long hiatus spent moving and enjoying summer weekends at the cottage, I'm finally getting back to catching up on this blog.
To start I would like to mention a new store opening up in Durham. The Bone and Biscuit Company is coming to Ajax's Durham Centre. It is the only location in Ontario. Take a look at their website, and stop by the store once it's open. The website features a delicious-looking collection of treats in their bakery.
The company promotes a healthy and natural option for pets. They also offer a variety of products and services:
To start I would like to mention a new store opening up in Durham. The Bone and Biscuit Company is coming to Ajax's Durham Centre. It is the only location in Ontario. Take a look at their website, and stop by the store once it's open. The website features a delicious-looking collection of treats in their bakery.
The company promotes a healthy and natural option for pets. They also offer a variety of products and services:
- Dedicated exclusively to natural raw and dry foods
- Focused on educating clients
- Knowledgeable friendly service with style
- Budget and menu planning available
- Awesome selection of raw and dry foods
- Fresh and bulk meat and bones available
- Supplements, remedies, and grooming products
- Unique selection of hand made gourmet treats and cakes
- Fantastic selection of toys, collars, coats, boots, and accessories
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