Maude Barlow is an incredible women. She’s one of this country’s greatest warriors fighting for social justice and the planet. I got a chance to interview her about her latest book, Blue Future. We talked for quite a while so a lot of what she said couldn’t fit in my Ecoholic column in NOW Mag… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

Wedged up in the dark corners of my kitchen, I have colonies multiplying. Not armies of ants or mice, but some sort of offshoot ancient culture of microscopic “mothers.” At least I’m trying to make what’s called mother, I think. Deciphering the code of food-preservation-speak is actually the hard part. Inviting bacteria to ferment and… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

Ever wonder what all those seals on health store shampoos and lotions really mean? In honour of national organic week, I offer up a guide to five organic bodycare seals. And news flash, some changes have just hit the USDA organic seal. This one’s long considered tops for bodycare since, unlike other seals, it’s only… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

It isn’t easy reviewing green cleaners – especially when it’s still not mandatory for cleaning companies to disclose their ingredients. The good news is that while too many brands aren’t listing their ingredients on the bottles, more and more are coming clean, so to speak, on their websites, at least. Even Vim ProPower Naturals, who… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

Whether you’re writing a “how I spent my summer vacation” essay or taking notes for linguistic anthropology, there would be no school without paper. Well, okay, fine, the school of life and the school of hard knocks aren’t quite as reliant on paper products, but you get the point. Either way, Ecoholic is offering up… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

If there’s one totally random thing I miss about being a kid, it’s having someone pack you a lunch. Thankfully, my mom knew how to pack a pretty bad *ss one. I still remember the ‘yeah, my lunch rocks!’ joy that would rush over me when I’d crack into her Montreal bagel melts with each… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

In honour of the end of summer (did I just say that?), I’m reviewing the vessels that carry the very key to life on earth. Yep, I’m talking water canisters. Ever since purportedly leach-free polycarbonate plastics found in old Nalgene bottles were caught seeping estrogen-mimicking BPA, then Sigg finally came clean about the BPA in… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

I don’t have to hang around the cast of True Blood to be told I’ve got really tasty blood. Mosquitoes, sand fleas, you  name it, they devour me. I’ve tried a lot of natural bug repellents over the years and was looking forward to sharing some of my faves with you, but then I’d have… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

Okay, so the sun may not be shining where I’m sitting a hop, skip from Lake Huron (it’s pouring rain, actually) but it’ll be back soon. This is summer after all, so since my own sunglasses are scratched to s#*@ and people around me keep mentioning cracked or lost shades, figured it was high time… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

Summertime and I’m totally behind on blogging! Just wanted to catch you guys up before I head out of town again for a couple days….Here’s a column I did post-Toronto floods, including my own reflections on being holed up without power and water on the 15th floor with my father (who now depends on a… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

I’m not going to lie, I love a good street dog. Since I gave up meat in my teens, I’ve slathered on roadside sauerkraut, mustard and onions on jumbo-sized Yves veggie dogs at dozens of Toronto hot dog stands over the decades. That doesn’t mean I believe the stuff is good for me. I’ve written… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

First of all, can I just say, who else is giving you sweatshop-free fashion advice and an excerpt of a speech by a world-renowned economist/environmental thinker like Jeff Rubin (author The End of Growth), all on one dense column page? Welcome to the revamped Ecoholic section in NOW! We cover it all, literally. Here’s a… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

As a label hunter, I find toxins in all sorts of weird places (lube, douches, just to name a few), but there’s nothing more outrageous than pollutants in products designed for use by children. Case in point: what the hell are propyl paraben doing in diaper creams like Li’l Goat’s and Aveeno Baby when these… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

Clearly I hit a soft spot. Or a stinky spot. Either way, over 100 people responded my latest Facebook poll on which natural deodorants people loved or hated. Julia summed it up nicely: “I’ve tried a few and hated them all.” That seemed to be a popular consensus. Trust me, I’ve tried probably 35+ brands… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

So you’re dripping in summer sweat, your mouth feels like you’ve been sucking on sand and you left your water canister at home with no water fountain in sight. This is when I usually opt for apple juice but my official Ecoholic Poll question was: if there were a gun to your head in the… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

Ever feel like you need a blowtorch and a hacksaw to break into a product you bought? Would your child need to wire cutters and a pick axe to access their new toy? Are you frustrated that that tiny little thing you bought comes in all that packaging? CBC Marketplace is taking nominations for their… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

Now that summer’s officially creeping up on us, I need new sandals in a hurry. I can’t be rockin’ boots in July and the Grecian strappies I got on my “back to the roots” family tour in Greece last year are mostly a pain in the butt – or the arch. So which sandals to… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

Happy World Environment Day! Yep, today’s the big day when a bearded man dressed in green squeezes down chimneys worldwide making note of who’s been environmentally naughty or nice. Not really, but it is the day the UN designates for environmental education and this year’s theme is Think. Eat. Save – an anti-food waste and… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

Testing a bar of soap is one thing. Rub, rinse, you’re done. Testing sunscreen, on the other hand, is a much more weirdly communal affair. I usually accost friends and family of all skin tones and hairiness levels to rub various thick white creams into a good dozen quadrants on their bodies. But for the… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

You’ll spot the word ‘organic’ so often in garden centres you’d think you’d died and gone to Whole Foods. Alas, the word organic means something totally different in the gardening context. It basically means “organic matter” – typically anything composted/decaying like manure. Sounds benign enough – except when you stop to think ‘ugh, wait, do… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸

I’ve got to confess, I love shower gel. I’ve always found bar soaps really, really drying, no matter how moisturizing the promise. But I’ve been trying to wean myself off gels because of the unnecessary plastic bottles they come in and the much longer list of ingredients generally required to make it. Back in the… ◂ReadPreviousNext Post▸