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As I learned when working on my recent post about the carbon footprint of all kinds of things, we can really reduce the amount of C02 we’re responsible for if we choose vegetarian fare more often, particularly produce from local sources.

So while I’m on vacation this week, I’m going to leave you with a few vegetarian recipes that make great lunches, courtesy of the Homemakers Test Kitchen. And when I get back on Monday, April 11 I’ll be doing a draw at 10 a.m. EST for one terrific set of lunch products from Otterbottle [Update: contest closed! Congratulations to tcpalermo!], including the Insulated Food Containers $21.99, Insulated Drink Container, worth $23.99, the
Insulated Tote Bags, worth $19.99, and the Waterbottle, worth $19.99. It really is a fantastic prize pack! You can find these and other Otterbottle products here; a portion of each purchase goes to the David Suzuki Foundation.

Vegetarian lunch recipes from Homemakers:
- Smoked Gouda and Pepper Sandwich with Curried Cauliflower Salad
- Tuscan Broad Bean Salad
- Florentine Pasta Salad
- West Indian Sweet Potato and Chick Pea Roti

Look for more recipes using our search tool at the top right of the screen.

How do you save waste when packing your lunch? What do you like to pack for lunch?

The iconic trillium is a lovely sign of spring. Copyright iStockphoto

Is winter over yet? Just when I think I’ve cleared my last shovelful of snow, another snow or snowy rain event dampens my optimism. But I’m keeping my eyes out for those early signs of spring: birds coming home from southern climes (how have feathered friends who go to the Gulf of Mexico fared?), buds swelling on tree branches and green shoots peeking through the soil.

If you’re also on the lookout for our spring and summertime friends, you may want a field guide to help you identify them. I have two field guides up for grabs: “Annuals and Perennials: A Gardener’s Encyclopedia” and “Trees and Shrubs: A Gardener’s Encyclopedia” both Firefly Books by Geoff Bryant and Tony Rodd, $19.95 each.

UPDATE: CONTEST CLOSED. Congratulations to Sharon and Charlene on winning their field guide!

What signs of spring do you enjoy looking for?

Simply write me a comment to be entered to win a field guide. Two commenters’ names will be drawn. The contest closed at 5 p.m. on Friday, March 11. Employees of Homemakers magazine and Transcontinental Media and their family members were not eligible to win.

Do you find it hard to decide which energy-saving lightbulbs to buy because you’re unsure of how bright the bulbs will be? Incandescent, LED, compact fluorescent (CFL) and halogen bulbs all have a range of wattage (energy draw) and brightness (lumens) and other features as well. Figuring out which energy-saving bulbs will work in your light fixtures is worth it, however. According to Natural Resources Canada (link here), “In residential lighting alone, replacing conventional incandescent bulbs with ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs could save Canadian consumers almost $600 million a year on their electricity bills.” Um, I think they mean all of us together, unless your energy bill is way bigger than mine.

So how to compare? Look at lumens, not the wattage of the various bulbs. How much energy a bulb uses has nothing to do with how bright it is, since the bulbs don’t efficiently convert 100 per cent of the energy into light. That’s why incandescent bulbs get so hot: they waste about 90 per cent of the energy used, converting it into heat instead of light!

Here are 7 questions you should ask when buying lightbulbs:

1.  How bright is it? Lumens are the measure of brightness, so it’s good to get familiar with lumens as the way to compare various bulbs.  Here are some common examples of equivalents. (Some bulbs may be more or less efficient than my list below, so you may see different wattage and lumen numbers on bulb packaging.) Bright to brightest:

25-watt incandescent = 220 lumens

7-watt CFL = 290 lumens

9-watt LED: 470 lumens

10-watt LED = 475 lumens

40-watt incandescent bulb = 495 lumens

9-watt CFL = 550 lumens

43-watt halogen = 800 lumens

13-watt CFL = 860 lumens

60-watt incandescent bulb = 800 to 1,000 lumens

20-watt CFL = 1150 lumens

75-watt incandescent bulb = 1170 lumens

16-watt LED = 2,500 lumens

2. What colour of light does it provide? You may want a warm-white bulb in some applications, where in others a bright or cool white bulb is more appropriate. Look for light colour options on the package.

3. Does it turn on instantly? Some bulbs take a moments to fully illuminate. You may want instant-on bulbs in some areas of your home.

4. Can it work at low temperatures? Some CFLs don’t work or last as long at sub-zero temperatures, particularly if used with motion detectors. Look for  bulbs rated for lower outdoor temperatures if you plan to use them outdoors.

5. Is it dimmable? If you’re trying to create an intimate atmosphere, dimming is a must! More and more dimmable energy-efficient bulbs are now available.

6. How long will the bulb last? It may be worth it to you to pay a little more for high-quality bulbs that last longer. A good-quality LED bulb can last for 25,000 to 50,000 hours, so you may not need to change it for 15 years! How handy would that be for those tricky to get to ceiling-mounted lamps?

7. How much does it cost? Ah, the bottom line. But before you dismiss that pricey LED bulb, consider calculating the cost per hour, based on the bulb’s lifespan. A 40-watt / 495 lumen incandescent costs about $1, or $0.001 per lifespan hour. A 9-watt / 550 lumen CFL costs about $4, or $0.0004 per lifespan hour. A $40 10-watt / 475 lumen LED (with a 50,000 lifespan) costs $0.0008 per lifespan hour.

Have you turned out the inefficient lights in your home? Are you having any trouble figuring out which bulbs to buy?

Energy-saving lightbulbs contest CLOSED. Congrats to Vicki, who won a set of bulbs from IKEA! The contest closed at noon on Tuesday, February 8. Employees of Homemakers magazine and Transcontinental Media and their family members were not eligible to win.

What’s the worst gift you ever received? Stinky soap that made you sneeze? Flaking candles that wouldn’t stay lit? Something that still had remnants of earlier wrapping paper on it, a clear regift? If only the giver had recognized that they just didn’t know what to get you, and chosen to give you a charitable gift — perhaps a donation that supports Canadian wildlife habitat — instead.

Charities themselves, as well as giving organizations such as Canada Helps, make it really easy to donate with gift giving in mind. This year World Wildlife Fund Canada (WWF-Canada) is offering symbolic wildlife adoptions to help them fund their conservation work. This year they’re introducing the lynx. According to WWF, “Hunting and trapping the lynx for their soft fur has completely depleted lynx populations in some parts of the world. Habitat destruction and degradation place further stress on the lynx, forcing them to adapt to unfamiliar environments.”

And World Wildlife Fund is offering one lynx adoption kit to Eco Logic readers!
UPDATE: THE CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED. THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR YOUR ENTRIES!
CONGRATS TO GAYLE OLSON, THE WINNER OF THE LYNX ADOPTION KIT FROM WWF!

World Wildlife Fund Canada's lynx adoption kit

To win this adorable, collectible version of the lynx, simply post a comment below. The lucky winner will be chosen by drawing a name from a hat when the CONTEST CLOSES at noon on November 17. Employees of Homemakers magazine and Transcontinental Media and their family members are not eligible to win.

Good luck! And look back to Eco Logic soon for more green gift ideas.

Win a set of reusable bags!

[Please note, this contst is now closed. Congrats to the winners!]
I LOVED working on “Borne to Shop”, an article in the current issue of Homemakers magazine (November 2010) showing my picks for the best bags for every type of shopping adventure (such as the farmers’ market, the big grocery shop bag, the gift bag, the chic shopping bag). It’s encouraging to me that so many companies are making stylish alternatives to plastic bags!

A few bags I really like didn’t make it into the story. You can’t fit everything on the page!

My favourite bag to accompany a short grocery list isn’t really a bag at all — it’s a basket. Riesenthel makes strong, collapsable baskets ($49) in a range of colours and patterns. I take mine into the grocery store, fill it full of groceries, unload the basket at the checkout, then load it back up as the cashier rings in each item. I love it!

My favourite shopping pouch, for use as a wallet or pencil case, or for buying small, loose items such as garlic or herbs, is made by Blue Q. Like the gorgeous tote shown in Homemakers, this zippered pouch ($6) is made from recycled plastic. (The pouches come in many prints; I find this one hilarious. It says, “Boss Lady. Rein ‘em in.”

My favourite backpack is this cute LilyEColo bag ($49.95), made in Quebec. While it makes a great weekend purse, I’d like this bag for cycling trips, where I’m out picking up a few things and generally doing errands.

And I’m excited to tell you that Judy Lazar of Credobags in Montreal has offered some of her fabulous Credobags as a prize to Eco Logic readers. Credobags makes my favourite produce and bulk food bags. I have two prizes to give away, each worth over $50, including two sizes of organic cotton mesh produce bags and bulk bags; one winner will also receive a wine bag and a lunch bag while the other will receive a large canvas shopping tote.

UPDATE: The lucky winners are Mona and Cheri Gallant. Thanks for your comments, everyone! CONTEST CLOSED at 5 p.m. on October 15. Sorry Jen, employees of Homemakers magazine and Transcontinental Media and their family members are not eligible to win.

In an effort to persuade all of us to use less electricity, The Ontario Power Authority, WWF-Canada and Air Miles have colllaborated on an energy conservation campaign. The Power Pledge campaign rewards Ontarians for pledging to take simple actions that will have lasting financial rewards and help fight climate change.

What kind of pledge would like they like us to make? Well, for example, to reduce phantom power in our homes. Phantom power is the electricity used by electronics and appliances even when they’re switched off — a problem that accounts for as much as 15 per cent of a home’s monthly energy use! To take the pledge, click here.

According to campaign materials, Ontario residents who take the Power Pledge by August 31 will earn 20 Air Miles and can direct an additional 10 reward miles to one of three participating charities (including WWF-Canada).

To inspire you to get started, the Power Pledge campaign members are offering Eco Logic readers a prize pack worth approx $250, including:
- A power bar with automatic shutoff to reduce phantom power
- 1,000 Bonus Air Miles (this could get $140 in grocery gift certificates, movie tickets or even a 3 piece luggage set)
- A cuddly toy panda from WWF-Canada
- Cold-water laundry detergent

To win, comment to this post about household energy use. Send me a tip on how you’ve reduced your energy consumption or what you pledge to do, or send me a question about reducing household energy use (which I will pass along to Ontario Power Authority). I’ll pick a random winner on Wednesday, May 26th at 5 p.m. Good luck!

I took the pledge; apparently if I do everything I promised (I’m doing most of the list already) I will save 4,164 kWh/year in energy savings, which would mean saving $433 a year on electricity (maybe more, since I’m with Bullfrog Power). Not a bad start!

No, they’re not some old earrings that have been languishing in my jewelry box, they’re new earrings made with sterling silver that’s been recycled from scrap metal; about half comes from jewelers or from refineries that recycle scrap metal. What it isn’t: metal that’s been newly mined to make your earrings, at the expense of the environment. For example, silver is mined in Strathcona Provincial Park on Vancouver Island. Who would want jewelry that’s made at the expense of that landscape?

Who’s making this jewelry? TerraCycle, a Canadian recycler that has many other products made using recycled materials, such as these products I noted in an earlier post, which are made with kids’ lunch packaging. Crossing all of their sustainability t’s, TerraCycle’s silver is certified by a third-party.

Where can you buy this sustainable jewelry, including pretty, glittery pendants and delicate earrings? Walmart stores across Canada, for $16 to $29. According to the release, Walmart Canada has three long-term sustainability goals: to produce zero waste, to be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy, and to sell products that sustain people and the environment.

So, how can you get your hands on this lovely pair of earrings? Just post a comment, and I’ll pick a random winner on Monday, May 17th at 5 p.m.