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September 21, 2008

Blog to watch: Kitchener - Waterloo Conscience + Veg Van!

Great blog discovery today that is just starting off but looks good for us Kitchener Waterloo folks who just love all that alternative energy goodness.

Kitchener - Waterloo Conscience is the name, and it’s devoted to following a green life style and “conscience”, specifically focusing on the K-W Region. His latest take, on the new Bay in Conestoga Mall is a great look at what they have done to really promote the green attitude. I didn’t even know there was also some solar panels!

While browsing through this blog, I discovered this man, Ian, is also the driver of the Veg Van! Doesn’t get much better then a creepy looking blue box van that’s running on grease. It’s definitely an interesting look into something totally different.

I also don’t plug my good friend Corey enough, who recently redesigned his blog and is focusing on some interesting writing lately. I recommend you check it out, he will be posting a neat short story this Monday.

August 13, 2008

Going Green (In Kitchener Waterloo)

Going green is so chic right now it hurts, but it’s also so good for the environment!

There are many ways you can help the environment, and there’s plenty of good blogs to check out on the subject, but I would like to focus on a few ways any fellow Kitchener Waterloo residents can help out.

The Kitchener Waterloo area is a city that works well for going green. We’re sorrounded by farm land, we have a well developed public transport system that just keeps getting better and we’re not too spread apart.

Farmers Market!

I know, this isn’t exactly going green but in a sense it is. But what helps more so, is you are supporting local farmers and getting some high quality foods out of it. I can buy beans from the market that’ll last in my fridge for 2 weeks, while beans from Zehrs will last 5 days. Of course, that is just one example of many.

I go to the market every Saturday morning. Did you know Kitchener has a market? Yes, St. Jacobs isn’t the only one and the Kitchener one works just as well. Set in the heart of downtown Kitchener it’s just a 5 minute walk from the central bus terminal.

Alternative Transportation: eBikes, Buses, and Biking

- eBikes are all the rage now a days and although as of this writing the season is nearing an end, it’s still something to look at. As technology gets better we get more power and life out of batteries. Next generation eBikes that should cost under $2000 will soon have lithium ion batteries. eBikes are just like bycicles, requiring no insurance, license or registration — making it perfectly suitable for someone with a small commute who doesn’t want to go through the costs and hassles of owning a car.

WeSellit easily keeps the best stock of ebikes in all of Kitchener-Waterloo. See here for their current listing.

- The bus system in Kitchener/Waterloo is all interconnected. The central hub is located in downtown Kitchener just off Charles St. with another good sized hub at Conestoga Mall. The city has done a great job of introducing new features like Express buses that run every 15 minutes during peak hours, as well as informative displays in hubs to let you know when you should be ready for the next bus.

- Biking is a great way to keep fit and still get to your destination pretty quickly. I travel to work on my bike in the summer and it’s a blast. A good tool to use before figuring out your route is the Google Maps Pedometer. This tool allows you to map out a route but most importantly, you can check out the elevation levels. With it, I was able to see my bike ride to work is almost entirely up hill.

The Green Bag

Most super markets now sell “Green” Bags that you can re-use. Zehrs has quality ones, but they are tiny. If you are looking for some quality ones you should stop by Sobey’s and pick some up. They are larger, have great handles, and one bag can fit all the groceries I need from a Saturday market run. At a couple bucks a pop they make a great investment.

That about wraps up this small summary of how you can help out. Of course, in addition to these suggestions there are thousands more but that’s why I linked some of those blogs on top!