Tags - environment (clear)
Take A Hike
None of us realize how simple it is to celebrate the earth in our every day lives.
There is a sense that we are obligated to do something very different from our daily routine to honor our earth during the month of April each year.
The problem is that simply one day a year is not enough.
It isn’t sustainable. If you thought of it like a marriage, like maintaining a friendship that you truly cherish, would you dedicate more than only one day a year towards that effort? I know you would.
In Gibran’s quote, you see how simple it is to be one with the earth; to commune her and to celebrate the gifts she brings to us. In observance of this time of year, it might even be more fulfilling to take a day off from work (yes, I advocate working less), go out to the beach or to the forest, and spend a day feeling the vibrations of the earth in an ...
We're eager to protect beavers!
On a cool March morning, myself and two LUSH colleagues met Adrian Nelson of the Fur Bearer Defenders at their modest office in Vancouver.
Fur Bearer Defenders has been a LUSH Charity Pot Partner for several years, fighting against the commercial fur trade and creating opportunities to coexist with urban wildlife. We've also built a personal relationship with the organization; hosting information sessions in local shops and volunteering our time to work on projects. The three of us had volunteered our day to help a family of beavers in Mission, a community about 40 miles (65 kilometers) east of our head office in Vancouver.
Why beavers? The beaver is considered a keystone species in North America, increasing the number of plant species by 1/3rd in dammed areas. They've proven to be beneficial to water quality and their ponds provide habitats for fish, waterfowl and other aquatic animals.
Our drive out to the Fraser Valley provided some time for us to get to know Adrian and his role with Fur Bearer Defenders. Adrian is their Director of Communications, and has taken a personal interest in the humane management of urban beaver populations. He travels across North America to conferences about non-lethal management of urban wildlife to build on his knowledge and provides training and assistance to communities and municipalities on alternatives to lethal trapping procedures.
Rob Stewart's Revolution
"I spent the better part of my adult life trying to save sharks thinking that sharks were one of the most important animals we've got on this planet, and if we could save them we could save the ecosystems we depend on for survival."
We first met filmmaker and environmental activist Rob Stewart 5 years ago, when his first film Sharkwater was released. It helped to inspire us, and cities and countries around the world to work towards banning shark finning in an effort to halt the extinction of sharks and ultimately, the oceans.
When we heard about Revolution we were excited; it's been 5 years since his last film was released and we were curious about what he had been up to during this time. Revolution expands on the scope of Sharkwater and focuses on the global environmental crises facing the human population.
Rob Stewart has a lot of fans at LUSH (can you blame us?) and we were lucky enough to have him stop by our offices and speak to us about his newest project. Suffice to say our biggest meeting room at head office was packed as he shared how Revolution came to be:
"When Sharkwater first came out there were 16 countries that had banned shark finning - now there's more than 100 and at least 75 territories, states, countries or cities that have banned shark fin altogether. The fin-free movement has been spreading like mad and that's the proof to us that humanity is good.
This [Revolution] is the survival of our own species. The situation has changed for me. From saving sharks to saving humans; if we want to save anything, we've got to save everything.
Energy Saving Tips for the Season of Lights
There's nothing quite like the holiday season. We brighten up the darkest, coldest months of the year with friends and family, parties, food and drink, trees, decorations, and lights. While tons of fun, it can be exhausting too. And it's not just an energy drain on people - the holidays are a huge drain on power resources too.
Here are some easy ways to cutback on extreme energy usage. You're not only doing the environment a favor, you'll also be saving some money. It's a win-win situation for all!
Switch to LED Christmas Lights
LED Christmas lights use 90% less electricity than regular Christmas lights, produce less heat, and are more affordable than ever before. Try fewer lights and dress your tree with more ornaments instead. And when your tree is all lit, turn off the other lights in the house to compensate. It's much cozier and higher impact this way.
Quality Not Quantity
Use a timer to schedule lights to come on when it's dark, and to turn them off when you go to bed. While it's tempting to leave them on all night, it can also be a safety hazard not just an energy drain. Of course, for special nights and to help guide certain reindeer you may want to leave the lights on all night - just ensure you don't do it every night. Otherwise you might end up on the Naughty list.
Power At The Flick of a Switch
When decorating, use a power strip to centralize the cords. You'll drain less energy overall, ...
Green Tips: Boxes and Tape
The always lovely Shama is back and this time she's telling us all about... boxes?
While we limit our use of packaging, cardboard boxes and tape are still necessary for our business. From shipping our fresh products to our shops or to you at home through Mail Order, we want to ensure that our labors of love arrive safely. But, even the simplest, most common objects are an opportunity for us to cut-back our impact on the environment. They may not be glamorous, but our efforts behind the scenes in redesigning our cardboard boxes and tape have had incredible results.
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