Anti-food additives & pestiside awareness

Uggghhh!!!!

After writing a long blog piece yesterday about the anti-food additives wave finally reaching Sweden I walked into the supermarket and saw DN's headlines -

Green Tea Found to have high levels of insecticide.

I drink a couple of cups of green tea a day and the thought of drinking insecticide made me feel ill. Needless to say it has put me off my tea today. I drank coffee, organic coffee.

According to the online article high levels have been found in (green) tea bags - even the so-called organic tea bags which were immediately taken off the shelves. I don't use bags, but neither do I drink organic tea - I haven't been able to find any I like. But I'm guessing there are high levels in all teas.....

Will there ever be an end to the garbage that is put in our food and beverages. And we wonder why so many people get cancer???

I do trust the Swedish KRAV certification process, but obviously there are loopholes.

Earth Hour Sweden is Upon Us

As I sit here by the light of candles I am looking at photos and reports from around Stockholm. I chose not to turn off the computer after all, but have no desire to turn the lights back on in about 15 minutes. It is kind of nice sitting here in the semi-dark even if we often light candles and turn off the lights in winter.

Most of the places around us share the darkness, but then that could be because its Saturday night and they are out. We'll see in a few minutes if everyone turns their lights back on. It would have been cool to be in town or at a restaurant and see the lights go out - a lot of places had "candle-light dinner" on the menu tonight.

As I look around the web I see a number of people, organisations and companies have publicly declared their vote for the environment (check out this link for the buildings around Stockholm that are in the dark). Publicity and political correctness some might say, hopefully in most cases it is an honest declaration of love and concern for our earth. DN have the list too.


I turned the lights out earlier tonight when we were eating dinner, so the kids could get a feel for what it was like and we talked about earth hour and the need to care about our earth. Meanwhile the man of the house made his comments about the ridiculousness of such a campaign, that it doesn't do anything and that we need to take more concrete steps.

And true enough - it does have a gimmicky kind of feel to it - alternatively you might say it is a great concept, uniting people and it is easy to activate - on the night - but then go back to the old way of living. But the point is it is a statement and a consciousness - and anything that brings the environment to the table and starts discussions is a good thing in my books!

Let's not discuss whether or not Earth Hour is a gimmick or a worthy cause - let's discuss what we, as individuals can do to make a difference in our daily lives.

So tell me, did you turn out the lights? And are you conscious of your daily activities and their affect on the environment?

Earth Hour Saturday March 29th 8.30-9.30pm where ever you live!

Make sure you turn out the lights, turn off the TV, the computer and anything else for Earth Hour tomorrow between 8.30-9.30 pm, your time, where ever you live.



From the Earth Hour website

This year, Earth Hour has been transformed into the world’s first global election, between Earth and global warming.

For the first time in history, people of all ages, nationalities, race and background have the opportunity to use their light switch as their vote – Switching off your lights is a vote for Earth, or leaving them on is a vote for global warming. WWF are urging the world to VOTE EARTH and reach the target of 1 billion votes, which will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.

This meeting will determine official government policies to take action against global warming, which will replace the Kyoto Protocol. It is the chance for the people of the world to make their voice heard.

Earth Hour began in Sydney in 2007, when 2.2 million homes and businesses switched off their lights for one hour. In 2008 the message had grown into a global sustainability movement, with 50 million people switching off their lights. Global landmarks such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, Rome’s Colosseum, the Sydney Opera House and the Coca Cola billboard in Times Square all stood in darkness.

In 2009, Earth Hour is being taken to the next level, with the goal of 1 billion people switching off their lights as part of a global vote. Unlike any election in history, it is not about what country you’re from, but instead, what planet you’re from. VOTE EARTH is a global call to action for every individual, every business, and every community. A call to stand up and take control over the future of our planet. Over 74 countries and territories have pledged their support to VOTE EARTH during Earth Hour 2009, and this number is growing everyday.

We all have a vote, and every single vote counts. Together we can take control of the future of our planet, for future generations.

VOTE EARTH by simply switching off your lights for one hour, and join the world for Earth Hour.

Saturday, March 28, 8:30-9:30pm.

The Royal Castles on Gamla Stan and Drottningholm, Globen, Ullevi, Skaninavium and The Avenue in Götebory, Svampen in Örebro and buildings in over 150 municipalities will be voting for the environment.

327 organisations, 132 churches, 629 schools and 1099 business as well as 21 549 individuals have all announced their vote for the environment!

Stockholm City - named Europe's Green Capital in 2010 are however not supportive.
"Turn off the lights and save the world" is not a good message, and it just frightens people, says enviromental spokesperson Ulla Hamilton (M) till Stockholm City.

You too can sign up here.

SvD, Aftonbladet, DN,

Stockholm - Europe's Green Capital 2010

With all the fuss yesterday over semlor and the Princess's engagement I didn't get a chance to either read or write about the European Commission's Green Capital Award.

Many of my family and friends have heard me rant and rave about environmental issues, and about how conscious the Swedes are in many ways, in comparison to other nationalities - it is that love of the environment, of nature, of the great outdoors that does it I think. Needless to say I was thrilled to read about this award and hope it will inspire people - big and small - to even greater things.

Here is part of the motivation behind the award:
The award will be given to a city that has a consistent record of achieving high environmental standards, is permanently committed to ambitious action, further environmental improvement and sustainable development, and can act as a role model to inspire other cities and promote best practices in all other European cities.

And why Stockholm?
Ten per cent of the city area is water, and the many lakes and water sheds are highly valued for recreational purposes. In fact, 95% of the population live only 300 m away from green areas, thus augmenting recreation, swimming, boating, better well being, water purification, noise reduction, enhancement of biodiversity and ecology.

The city council's holistic vision combines growth with sustainable development and includes the ambitious target of becoming independent of fossil fuels by 2050.

....emissions per person have, since 1990, been reduced by 25%. Transport emissions are relatively low, and all public transport (all trains, and all inner city buses) run on renewable fuels....

You can read more here:


The Stockholm City Council has a barometer outlining the indicators that are used to assess a city for the Green Capital Award. It is a wealth of information and includes statistics and links to strategic environmental policy and programs:


With all the talk at the moment of what the royal wedding will do for Sweden, tourism and the economy, as well as how businesses will milk it for all it is worth, I really hope Stockholm will be able to use all this international attention to bring focus to the award and environmental sustainability in general.

Woohooo Stockholm! Well done!

SvD, DN, Metro

Out of the ashes

crawls the true Aussie spirit.

The wildlife - one of the things I love and miss about Australia. I'm sure everyone has seen this by now, but click on any of the following photos for the stories behind them. Koala Sam's encounter with Mr Tree is one of the most inspiring stories to come out of Victoria's tragedy.

Wildlife rescue centres are being set up around the state to help these guys. Healesville Sanctuary are taking injured animals and I bet the country vets are doing their fair share of voluntary work to help the shelters. It will be a long time before they have a home to return to.
Generosity like it is has never been know before. When people are in need Aussies are FANTASTIC at rallying together to help out. People are not only generously donating money, but food, clothing, toys, household items and the list goes on.

My cousin is one of the many people out there gathering all she can from her friends to donate to those who have been left homeless. An old school friend is collecting to help a friend of hers who lost everything and setting up a website to help her community. Another friend has started a project to collect photos for those who have lost everything, to help them rebuild at least a few photos from their past.
The comradeship, or mateship, as we lovingly refer to it as. The loyalty not only to friends and family, but to those we share any situation with. In this case, neighbours.

In this case, professionals from around the country who have volunteered their services to help locate and identify the bodies.
And finally, stubbornness and determination. That fighting spirit that takes risks and battles on, against all odds. While some vow never to return, many, many more are vowing to return and rebuild.

We often talk about national traits and these are the things that I love about Aussies - pitching in, whether it be to fight fires, care for wildlife, or give to those in need- time, money or anything they can get their hands on. There is great empathy and compassion for the underdog. There has always has been.

This is an extension of the mateship, binding people together to support each other if they are in the same situation, whether they know each other or not. It is an admirable trait.

And finally, the fighting spirit - it is what brought people to the country in the first place - they had to be daring, gutsy and willing to take a risk to settle here. You see the same traits present in the people of today when they declare they will be back. Many accept it is all part of the course if you are going to live in the bush.

Two traits that just might develop out of all this is the tendency to plan and to have more of a long term perspective. Hopefully John Brumby will be successful in introducing tougher building restrictions for the bush as outlined in this article. Ty commented on the flimsiness, and cheapness of the country dwellings when we were in rural Victoria just a month ago. In light of his comments it is ironic to see from these photos how the fires engulfed houses but seemingly left many trees intact.
Housing is relatively cheap in Australia. While more solid buildings might cost more in the short-term, hopefully people can see the long-term advantages. The estimated extra AUD 20,000 is peanuts when you look at it from this angle. Perhaps that famous Australian Dream needs to be adjusted slightly.

It is also encouraging to see in this article that other important issues of forest management and climatic change coming to the surface, amongst all the debris.

Aussies are a fantastic bunch - like no other. Let's hope they can rise to the challenge and begin to have a more long-term approach to life.

DN1, DN2, DN3, SvD1,

Fight or Flight? The issues are many. But what about climatic change?

In the aftermath of the worst fires in the history of Victoria, the discussions start, the inquiry is yet to come. It seems like the fires of Black Friday in 1939 these fires will have far reaching consequences as the issues are aired, debated and investigated.

The hot topic in Australia at the moment in the decision to stay and defend one's property. It seems many of the deaths were the result of people staying and yet not having the resources to have any affect on the fire, let alone defend their property, or themselves. When they realised it was not possible to battle the inferno they got in their cars to leave. Sadly, many died trying to escape. Others are criticizing the lack of warning. Information was not circulated in time to give people a chance to escape.
CFA backs "defend or go" policy.
Fire authority warns against knee-jerk reaction to evacuation policy

Then there are those who say that more can be done in the name of prevention. There are those who say we need to return to, or increase the use of the aboriginal methods of burning off the undergrowth. Australian firestorms prompt call to return to Aboriginal bush control

Or that fire is something we need to understand, accept and prepare for if we are going to pursue that great Australian Dream of land around us in the outer green suburbs. Australians 'unprepared' for bushfires

Other issues at the moment include:
Power lines to blame for the fires, not arsonists. Why are they not dug into the ground like they are in so many other places around the world? Especially considering the damage that storms can do, gum trees dropping limbs, fire threat etc etc. Is it simply because it costs too much and no-one is prepared to bite the bullet and make the investment? Is there an unwillingness to be long-sited rather than short-sited?

An act of terrorism? A very scary thought. And if it is not true the spreading of such stories is in itself scary.

Bodies that will never be identified. Horrific to think that they have undergone those sort of conditions. What must the heat have been like? But how can we not identify people in this modern day and age? Is our fear of big brother and criminal intervention greater than our common sense? DNA registration would not be a bad thing in times like this? Did we not learn this from the tsunami?

Anger over not being able to return to their properties as roads and conditions are not safe. I understand the desire to go home, to see it for your own eyes, to be reunited with loved ones, to find out if they are still alive, to pick up the pieces and get on with life. But surely the police know what they are talking about when they say the roads are not safe? And perhaps there is some good that comes from staying in tents on an oval with other victims.

'Greenies' blamed for fires' fury. or National parks 'part of fire problem'. It is a complex issue and one I have contemplated a lot. Plant more trees is my motto, far too many have been chopped down in Australia - yet it is the trees that become a death trap. Angry survivors blame council 'green' policy. Perhaps we are just not meant to have a home among the gum trees.

And finally there is the overall environmental issue, seemingly overlooked. My first thoughts as I read the Swedish articles in DN, SvD, and many of the Swedish blogs about the fires is that Australians are still dealing with what has and is happening, they are in shock, in mourning and it is going to be a long time before they are ready to talk environment and consequences. Yet I know that Australians are not too keen to talk environment at the best of times. There is not the consensus there, like here, that weather extremes are due to climatic change and environmental damage. There doesn't seem to be the same willingness to accept responsibility, take action, make a difference. And it doesn't get nearly the amount of media coverage or political focus there that it gets here in Sweden. But aside from all that, it is not the time to start pointing the finger and telling people they need to live in a more environmentally conscious way.

However I did find, thanks to a cousin, a little article in The Age that suggests some people are willing to talk environment. Thank you Freya Mathews, you give me hope. I only hope the Government is willing to listen to you.

As Green As It Gets

A spontaneous questionnaire of 1000 people by branding management consultants Differ gave the following list of Sweden's greenest brands
1. Änglamark (200 products in their range)
2. Grumme (wonderful cleaning products that were around long before the rest of us started thinking environmentally)
3. Coop (supermarket)
4. Skona (Ica supermarket's brand)
5. Arla (dairy)

SJ (national train company) topped the list in the transport sector and Toyota in the car sector.

Coop is a double winner coming at third place and having their organic brand coming in in first place. Personally I've always been really impressed with Coop - now I'd just like to see them go the next step and ban Brazilian Beef and be more conscious in their seafood department.

Organic and environmentally friendly don't always go hand in hand - but at least so many of us are becoming increasingly conscious of our choices.

Interesting report and it can be downloaded (in Swedish) from the Differ site.

Second-hand shopping

My favorite item of clothing would have to be a 60's dress brought from the second-hand market at university. While it has been many, many years since I was last able to squeeze into it, I still live it hope! (hahaha!!!)

That was my introduction to second-hand shopping, and with all the theme parties there was always an excuse to go scouting around the op shops in Melbourne. I never really got into it here, there was never the range or number of shops like at home, at least not in the early days.

Then I had kids. And with most of my friends having kids the same age or younger, and few around to pass on clothes, I have instead frequented the bi-annual second hand markets at the local schools.

A couple of weeks ago I decided it was time to change the direction of the flow and took 5 bags of clothes and shoes down to the market put on by the local school's parent association. This very organised and efficiently run operation is a popular event and a great opportunity to fight the crowds and grab some bargains.


While having a look around the mounds and mounds of clothes I managed to pick up a couple of things for the kids and avoid a whole lot of stuff we really don't need. But more than anything I really couldn't help contemplating how little worth 2nd hand items have. Who wouldn't pay 10kr (not 2 dollars) for this moose from Ikea - and it was in really good condition too!


This was further accentuated when I stood in the queue to pay, contemplating if I should spend my last kronor on a 15kr skirt or a 25kr skirt for Makaila. For the parents taking my money, the choice was clear, the 25kr skirt was overpriced! Personally I didn't care, the difference of 10kr (less than $2) wasn't what I was contemplating - a new one would have cost me about 100kr anyway. It reminded me of haggling over 10 cents in some poverty stricken country - what is the point?

At the end of the day I went back to collect any cash I had made and the remainder of my unsold items. Like many others I returned home with almost as many bags as I took. There must have been mounds and mounds of it left. It was the dirt cheap stuff that people were after. Still, I had unloaded a few things and earned over 600kr ($100) for my efforts, and that was after they took their 20% cut.

With all this fresh in my mind I was saddened to recently read in the paper what I already know, we consume clothes like candy. They are cheap, sweet and designed to satisfy our desire just at that moment. Fast fashion is a sign of the times.

But what happens to all that candy once we have chewed it up and spat it out again, as our hunt for something newer, sweeter & better continues? Suddenly my second-hand shopping feels like a worthy cause....


While the school markets are not going to do much for the value of second-hand items, the growth of all the second-hand shops around town will, especially if others follow leading designer Filippa K's example. And with fast fashion being the sales weapon used by the chains and department stores, lets hope there is a growth of conscious people who believe slow fashion is the only sustainable trend for the future. The point is; a perfectly good skirt should be worth 25kr!

WOW!! Eco Shopping made easy

Went grocery shopping last night for the first time in a couple of weeks and could not believe all the new organic products on the shelves - it was a sight for sore eyes!! And the list included products that you just wouldn't expect to be organic.

Beans of all kinds.More beans.Tortillas.Taco Mix.

About half my groceries were organic, which is not bad for the supermarket - considering I didn't get any fruit or veggies. Things have come a long way in a short time and the prices usually don't vary that much - although it is without doubt more expensive to buy organic.

And then today, when checking out Internet World's blog I discovered this great site: Eco Shopping, designed to make shopping with a conscience easy! I'm thrilled they exist - it is exactly what I was thinking about in the supermarket last night - someone should be getting this info out - and they are!

Why buy Organic, Fair Trade or Locally Produced products?
Organic is a more sustainable choice for the farmers/producers, gives you a better tasting, healthier product free from nasty chemicals and a higher vitamin content.
Fair Trade is a better choice for the local farmers/producers, giving them a fair income and conditions for their output.
Locally produced is a better environmental choice and gives jobs to your local community.

If you don't really care about any of this, then watch this:

(click on the picture, then press "play")

Aussies are best

Not only are we raking in the medals at this year's Olympics but we are also good at sorting rubbish (at least the Kelpies are!).

Heard a great story on the radio this morning about the rubbish-sorting Aussie kelpies giving demonstrations at the Malmö festival. They can take a pile of rubbish and sort out the metals, plastics (even soft plastics), batteries, glass, food scraps etc. By correctly sorting the rubbish the items can be recycled, including the food scraps which are either used to produce Biogas or compost.

The message is:

They know how to sort out the rubbish so it can all be recycled -
if a dog can do it then we can too!!

Read more here - you can even see them in action:
SVT
VASYD
Malmö stad
Sydsvenskan
Sorry, only Swedish news articles - hope they get some media coverage abroad, there are lots of places that could benefit from the knowledge - it took just three months to train them!!

It was funny to listen to the Mallory Beach Property owners complain about recycling - they just sort it, put it in a box and leave it out on the road for the truck to pick up!! The local Mayor could not believe we have to take it to recycling stations ourselves. And Australians don't even have to sort theirs!

Time for people to take responsibility. Time for people to take the time to do it!!

Banning the bottle

Last autumn saw a major move against bottled water in Sweden due to the environmental impact. I know I now think more than twice before buying bottled water.

It seems that Ontario is next in line and the banning of plastic bottles is on everyones lips. I haven't been able to find out who has banned what but there is plenty of discussion about it and it seems that school kids are no longer allowed to have plastic bottles in school. I was impressed to find an organisation and website dedicated to the issue and equally impressed to hear about the local ban, threatening the sales of bottled water.

Organic products and enviromental awareness

Popped in to the supermarket yesterday to pick up a few things and came to the conclusion that there just is not the range of organic products here that there is at home.

On the other hand there are some great products and brands, particularly when it comes to personal hygiene, like Kiss My Face, Tom's of Maine and Burt's Bees. Not to mention the Boiron range of homeopathic products.
There is also a great range of non-gluten products as well as rice, kamut and spelt products.
It is however frustrating that these "alternative" products have their own department in the supermarket, rather than side-by-side with the mainstream products, making them more easily comparable.

But as for organic coffee? I didn't find any, and there was no mention anywhere of Fair Trade.......

There is no doubt that the range of products here runs circles around what we have in Sweden, but then again I'm not so sure we need "low acid apple juice" or "vitamin enriched bread", or the extensive range of pre-fabricated products that are available.

I did hear some good news yesterday though, that the Provincial government are finally banning the use of pesticides. Every year I am stunned to see the "do not go on the grass, pesticide in use" signs on the front lawns around the neighourhood. It is not a popular decision, but not before time! Environmental awareness is slowly creeping in to the legislation and affecting the masses.

The Story of Stuff

I just watched a fantastic movie about STUFF and I recommend you watch it too!!! It is a 20 minute movie but well worth the time. Annie Leonard is a great presenter and it is a very interesting website with good resources.

Over-consumption is the root of many evils.

It is one of the reasons I love living in Sweden - for its low consumption levels and for the protection of the environment. It is also a good reminder as to why I buy as much organic stuff as I can - even if it costs us more.

There is a great awareness and a willingness to protect the environment, and there has probably always been for these nature-loving Swedes. Individuals are willing to act, governments are willing to act.
And although consumption is growing rapidly with the building of malls or shopping centres everywhere I doubt it will ever reach the levels of the English speaking countries - Swedes have other priorities. And yes, high taxes mean you get less for your money too.

Still, there is a rapid growth of consumption in Sweden too - all the popular fashion blogs alone support this theory.

So, don't listen to me ramble, listen to Annie Leonard's great presentation. And do yourself a favour - get off the consumption merry-go-round and reduce the amount of STUFF you buy. Watch the movie, take it to heart and do the planet a favour too.