DIY Culture

By Andrew

Throughout our history, our species has relied on what we were able to create to quickly adapt to new environments.  As we developed tools and techniques, the ideas behind these were passed down to successive generations forming a cultural tradition.  For as long as we have existed, we Homo sapiens have used our tools and our intellects to conquer challenges set before us.  In fact, fossil records of our cultural traditions date back as far as Homo habilis in the form of stone tools which were used to shape our ancestor’s immediate environment.  If tool use is so imbedded in our evolutionary history, why then do you suppose so many of us today are unable to complete tasks that require a modicum of intellectual and physical dexterity?  I don’t believe that this has resulted because we are incapable of the task; I believe it happened because we have grown lazy.  Many others have reached this conclusion, and with it, a resurgence of DIY culture is emerging.

Organic Food - Part II

By Noah

A beautiful sunny March afternoon spent in Whole Foods Market in the heart of Yorkville, and I felt positively on top of the world. I had a grocery cart brimming with veggies, fruits, meats, bread, cereal, nuts and pastas – and all of them had the word ORGANIC plastered on their side. After some 30 minutes wandering the aisles of this aesthetically stunning grocery store staring at rows upon rows of produce, it dawned on me that it looked somewhat identical to any other grocery store, with 2 major differences.

A) Almost everything was organic.

Sweet.

B) Everything was uber expensive.

Not so sweet.

Update: DIY - Unlimited Onions

Hey Everyone,

For those of you that have been following our earlier stories, I would like to give you an update on my unlimited onion and indoor garden undertaking.  Of the three onion bottoms that I planted, one is doing quite well, the second only has a ton of new roots, and the 3rd died. As this project was not 100% successful, I have determined that the onions will only take if the heart of the onion remains intact.  It is for this reason that I attempted another cutting technique to plant another onion bottom.  I cut the onion in half and then slowly removed the layers to expose the top of the onion heart.  By this time you should have a ping pong ball sized onion that is ready to plant (root section intact).  The success of this one should be much greater than the instructions in the original article as there is relatively little open surface area exposed to desiccation.

Get More Out of Life with Less

By Andrew

As a recent graduate, I’ve essentially spent the last few years living out of a suitcase.  Granted I did have a home base in which to store my larger possessions, my whole life could pretty much fit into the back of a car.  It was only after I moved out of my parents place that I realized, quite frankly, I had a lot of useless junk.  In the relatively short period of time that I'd spent living in my parents’ home after graduation I had somehow acquired another vanload of personal effects.  Sure, I could still survive for about a week with what I could fit into my backpack, but the pool that I had available to draw upon seemed to keep growing.

    

U of T's Electric Balls

By Noah

8:30pm on Saturday March 27 is Earth Hour: a symbolic gesture of millions of people in thousands of cities across the world recognizing the need for global action at such a late hour in our climate crisis.  It represents a pledge of all participants to be more ecologically conscious, and sustainable in the coming years; an homage to the pre-industrial planet. 

Wait.  Earth HOUR?

Alternative Transport

By Andrew


Most of us don’t have the benefit to live within an acceptable walking distance from our place of employment.  This being the case, we are generally left with the options of driving or taking public transportation.  I’m not saying that these are bad options, but they certainly aren’t the best if you’re interested in reducing your environmental impact or improving your fitness and mental wellbeing.  The main alternative option that is probably flashing in your mind is riding a bike, something that I have recently begun to do for my commute to work now that the weather is getting warmer.  As I transitioned to biking, I noticed something wonderful.

Food Cycles

Guest post by Emily

This past summer my roommates and I took advantage of the large balcony off of my room in a house on Lansdowne Ave. and decided to experiment with a pretty significant potted garden. I put a hold on a copy of Gayla Trail’s You Grow, Girl at the library and patiently waited a long time for it to come in  (Gayla Trail, resident gardening blogger extraordinaire is,

DIY - Unlimited Onions

By Andrew

A flavourful meal is something that we can all appreciate.  I personally like to add some savor to my dinners by adding some onions, especially caramelized ones!  So you can imagine my surprise when I stumbled across an article explaining how I can get an almost limitless supply of onions… for free!  Remember folks, spring is on the way.  The steps to do this below are so

The Beatles Said It Best

By Noah

“Hey Jute” – A uniquely titled accessory company located in Mt Albert Ontario (about an hour north of the city) that designs and creates durable, useful and rather attractive products in an otherwise bland and synthetic market.   Using an eco-friendly plant fibre called Jute (instead of your typical combination of synthetic fibres, plastics, and non-recyclables), Hey Jute manufactures products such as school binders, Ipod cases, belts, purses, wine and tote bags, ties, pillows, guitar straps and yoga mats.

The Benefits of Cooking at Home

By Andrew

There are several benefits to preparing your own meals:

1. Yes, that hair in your food is yours
2. You have the choice regarding the origin of your food, and how it is produced
3. You know exactly what you're about to eat
4. You're learning a life skill
5. You're taking the opportunity to make a statement about your political, ethical, and nutritional priorities

Organic Food - Part I

By Noah

While walking through the aisles of the supermarket a few days ago I noticed there were a number of items on the shelves that had the word ORGANIC plastered on the side.  I considered this bold claim, and decided it was a strange label to put on a food.  In high school, they taught me the word “organic” meant living, and that “non-organic” meant….non living.  To me the case was clear: lettuce vs. cue-tips… potato chips vs. my driveway.  So while staring at a can of “organically certified tomatoes” I wondered if this was simply stating the obvious.  Aren’t all tomatoes certifiably … from a tomato plant? 

A Sense of Nostalgia

By Andrew

A sense of nostalgia is a rare thing found with the products that we find flooding our homes today. It has become the norm to buy something knowing that it will break and simply replace it with an identical, or improved version. This is a simple choice within today’s marketplace because consumer goods are frequently made cheaply at a low price. An attractive alternative to paying sometimes double the amount for something that is well made for the same task.