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Guardian

This is a lovely story, from the LEGO headquarters in Denmark. While one act like this does not make up for bad policies, or replace the need for good policies, symbolically, it is a great step in the right direction, towards greater inclusion, recognition of diversity, and acknowledgment of gender and sexuality as more than how it’s been represented in the past.

In the “spraying room” at Lego HQ, tiny figurines are layered with bright, glossy paint before being placed on a rainbow-esque arch. The result, a waterfall of colour with 11 brand new minifigures striding purposefully towards an imagined brighter future, is the Danish toymaker’s inaugural LGBTQIA+ set, titled Everyone Is Awesome.

The colours of the stripes were chosen to reflect the original rainbow flag, along with pale blue, white and pink representing the trans community, and black and brown to acknowledge the diversity of skin tones and backgrounds within the LGBTQIA+ community.

Guardian

In addition, as noted in the article, the company has started selling their marriage sets separately (as opposed to a man and a woman, together in one box), so that couples can choose any two individual pieces that best represent their relationship.

This is one more step, in the right direction, for inclusion, welcoming for all, and a greater respect for the full range diversity within humanity. Let’s hope that these symbolic steps lead to both more similar changes, as well as real-world, actual policy changes – including full rights for everyone, and an end to all discrimination, whether based on gender and sexuality, or anything else.

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Looking for zero-waste, plant-based or sustainable items? Check out the MennoAdventures online store! There are always lots of great deals to be found, with our many amazing partners! Happy browsing!

The Guardian: ‘Not anti-beef but pro-planet’: recipe website reveals it secretly took cows off the menu.

Interesting update here from a food/recipe website. (Full disclosure – I am not specifically familiar with this food website, and have not specifically tracked their work in the past, although it appears to have a fairly extensive catalogue of recipes, and a significant user base.) They stopped adding/promoting recipes that contain beef – although some older recipes will remain visible for the time being.

The food website Epicurious will no longer feature beef in its recipes, in an effort to help drive more sustainable consumption.

The decision to cut cows from the menu was announced on Monday, but the organisation is confident readers will not miss the meat – because it actually made the change a year ago and has not published a beef recipe since.

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“We know that some people might assume that this decision signals some sort of vendetta against cows – or the people who eat them. But this decision was not made because we hate hamburgers (we don’t!). Instead, our shift is solely about sustainability, about not giving airtime to one of the world’s worst climate offenders. We think of this decision as not anti-beef but rather pro-planet.” (Bold mine).

The Guardian

One of the interesting pieces with this change is that it was made a year ago, without an announcement, and they have been watching the results, which have been positive over this test period. Their conclusion: people want great recipes – regardless of whether they have red meat in them or not. Not sure if they are planning on testing this theory further, but I would guess (and would love to see the data) on what would happen if they continue to shift their focus toward vegetarian and vegan recipes – which appears to perhaps be in their future. Some hints on their website appear to suggest that dairy may be the next to get cut, but that is only speculation, at this point.

If their followers simply love great recipes, what might they (and countless other recipe websites) offer if they switched – either further or completely – to plant-based recipes?

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More details on their decision can be found here.

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Looking for more sustainability info? Great zero-waste items? Check the online store for some great deals!

News@UofT: Is a calorie always a calorie? Not when it comes to almonds, U of T researchers find.

Looking for more great reasons to eat nuts? In addition to the lower emissions from a plant-based foods (more details on the website) compared to animal-based foods, here’s some more research, from the University of Toronto, looking specifically at the health benefits of almonds.

Researchers at the University of Toronto have found that a calorie labelled is not the same as a calorie digested and absorbed when the food source is almonds.

The findings, published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings, should help alleviate concerns that almonds contribute to weight gain, which persist despite the widely recognized benefits of nuts as a plant-based source of protein, vitamins and minerals.

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The researchers found that after digestion, about 20 per cent of calories derived largely from fat in almonds remained unabsorbed, which they observed in stool samples. That translated to about two per cent less energy absorbed from the diet overall among study participants. (Bold mine).

A person eating the same amount of almonds in a daily diet of 2,000 to 3,000 calories would absorb 40 to 60 calories less than would be predicted by Atwater factors, on which many food labels are based. 

News@UofT

The research does not specifically identify other nuts, but it’s certainly plausible/logical to guess that some of the same benefits would apply to other nuts, as well. So, here’s yet another reason to eat lots of nuts! Happy snacking!

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Hint: There are lots of great, sustainable and zero-waste items in the online store! Check the online store section of the website for details!

Hey everyone! I have a quick action item here for you, if you are interested. There appears to be some movement on getting a National Citizen’s Assembly on Electoral Reform. Passing this would be a significant step towards a better, more equitable voting system here in Canada. Thank you for your support!

Please share with others, in your circles, who might be interested in supporting this important step.

FVC has lots of resources and info on their website, plus an easy way to send a letter to the PM and the committee.

Click the link above, or go here to send an email to the PM and the committee.

Thanks to the leadership of the NDP’s Democratic Reform Critic, MP Daniel Blaikie, a motion on a National Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform is about to be put to a vote at the Procedures and House Affairs (PROC) Committee!

To win this vote, we need six principled MPs to say YES to a courageous next step to strengthen Canada’s democracy.

Send a message to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the MPs on the PROC Committee urging them to support a National Citizens’ Assembly on Electoral Reform!

FVC

Click here to send an email to the PM and the committee.

NOTE: The discrepancies above do not account for the fact that, in a Proportional System, Green Party supporters, for example, would be more free to vote for their true first choice, as opposed to voting for a lower choice, in order to avoid an even less desirable choice. With full PR, therefore, the “how we vote” shares would be more diverse than it is now, and that greater diversity would be represented more accurately in “what we got.”

Click the link above, or go here to send an email to the PM and the committee.

Out of the many tragedies that have emerged from this pandemic, one of the few silver linings is the possibility that, once we have demonstrated the ability to completely shut down and restart our societies, we will, collectively, use that towards restarting in a manner that is safe and sustainable, for people and the planet. The power to do so is in our hands – all we have to do is make the choice, individually and collectively. The data could not be more clear – we know what we need to do, and we know how to do it.

• US urged to cut 50% of emissions by 2030 to spur other countries to action Guardian
• Global lockdown every two years needed to meet Paris CO2 goals – study Guardian
• NYTimes: Volvo Plans to Sell Only Electric Cars by 2030 NYT

Carbon dioxide emissions must fall by the equivalent of a global lockdown roughly every two years for the next decade for the world to keep within safe limits of global heating, research has shown. (Bold mine).

Lockdowns around the world led to an unprecedented fall in emissions of about 7% in 2020, or about 2.6bn tonnes of CO2, but reductions of between 1bn and 2bn tonnes are needed every year of the next decade to have a good chance of holding temperature rises to within 1.5C or 2C of pre-industrial levels, as required by the Paris agreement.

Guardian

Changes of this scale, as with the pandemic, are multi-faceted, including individual actions (eg wearing masks, staying home when needed to protect ourselves and others), governmental (eg clear public health orders, income support as needed), business (eg switching to curbside pickup or work from home, where applicable). Likewise, for the climate crisis, we need all levels and sectors involved, doing everything possible to get us to where we need to be.

So, in the most immediate term, reducing our emissions by 50%+ over the next few years (and then further after that) is not a small task. How are we going to get there, and what actions can we take, starting today, to get us there, in each sector?

• Reducing the size of our home by 50% will reduce our heating/cooling emissions in half (as a rough estimate, simply because we have less space to heat/cool). If, by extension, we also own less stuff, there are emissions reductions (and other gains) to be found there, as well.
• Switching from an animal-based diet to a whole-foods, plant-based diet has a significant impact (exact % depends on what you were eating before, and whether you switch fully or partly to plant-based etc)
• Living in a higher density area helps reduce driving-related emissions, as more day-today trips are within walking distance (as does using public transit or an EV when you aren’t walking or biking)
• Significantly reducing or eliminating flights will take out a significant emissions source, depending on how much you were flying before and how much you reduce. Before flying, consider whether the flight is essential or not.
• Electing governments that are serious about tackling the climate crisis
• Supporting businesses that are working to tackle the climate crisis (zero waste and others) instead of business-as-usual
• Countless others – far too many to list here. 🙂

Naturally, different people will tackle things in their own order – and for someone who already lives in a small home in a high density area, downsizing is obviously not the place to start. However, most of us have room to improve, and places to start. What changes have you already made? Which are you interested in trying next? Which are you most curious about? Which do you think will be easier or more challenging?

We’re all in this together, so let’s help each other out, and build a better future for everyone!

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There are always lots of amazing deals on sustainable, zero-waste items in my online store! Check the website for details!

It is shocking (and quite disturbing) to me, that some faith groups still believe that they are called to a mandate of exclusion, instead of inclusion, on any of a wide number of otherwise protected identifiers, including gender and sexuality. Over and over, to the best of my knowledge, faith group and their major texts call for love of neighbour, welcome of the stranger, living simply and service to others. Nothing in that suggests, or allows, discrimination based on who we are at our core, or an acceptance of destruction of creation. And yet, some faith groups still fight for the right to discriminate, and avoid talking serious action on the climate crisis – and it must end.

Major Evangelical Adoption Agency Will Now Serve Gay Parents Nationwide

NYT

At a time when we are facing multiple global crises (including a pandemic and a climate crisis), faith groups should be leaders, setting an example of how to care for all of creation – including all people, animals, and the environment. Instead, some groups still put their energy into excluding others, and denying women the right to a full range of reproductive health services, as though that is the way to a better world for everyone.

A justification that I sometimes hear from others is that something can be found somewhere in one’s ancient texts to justify discrimination. In response, I would suggest that many people only take texts literally on things that are life-limiting for others, without requiring us to change ourselves. I’m suggesting a different approach (along with countless others).

Want to take the Bible or other ancient texts literally? How about focusing on the countless times that we are told not to accumulate wealth? Living simply requires a lot more from us than telling someone else how we think they should live their lives.

Think swapping out “My faith says that you should be straight” and replacing it with “My faith says that I should be less wealthy, live in a smaller home, eat more lentils, help others more, create less garbage and drive less often.”

Likewise, the admonition to not kill or steal features in many faith texts: how about putting our energy into banning militaries and the theft of natural resources (and extreme wealth discrepancies, locally and globally) that is contributing to climate change? The list could go on and on…

For faith groups to be relevant into the future, we need to, collectively, move beyond this idea that we can live our own lives as we wish, while excluding others, and destroying the planet. We can, and must do better, together. We can do it. 🙂

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There are lots of amazing, sustainable and zero waste items in the online store! Check out the website for details!

“The Caveman Diet: We Used To Eat Meat, But Should We Now?” (PBN)

There has been a lot of talk, in recent years/decades, about the idea of eating keto/low carb/like someone who lived in a cave. However, I think we can do better than that.

(Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist. What I am offering is what I believe is common sense advice, and the opportunity to do some further reading and research for yourself and/or with your health care provider).

With that, comes this idea that eating bacon and eggs, steak and burgers is being true to our ancestors in some way.

So, for a person who likes eating bacon and eggs, the idea that continuing to do so is not only healthy, but being supportive of one’s history and ancestors, might have a certain appeal, even if it’s not actually supported by the evidence.

And, it turn out, the link is likely not that clear, and there are a number of gaps in the logic. For example, among others:

• our bodies have changed over time
• the diet that was eaten way back then clearly did not consist of freezers full of plastic-wrapped, factory farmed steaks and other similar items, bought in bulk at the grocery store
• our lifestyle now is widely different than it was in the past
• we understand far more now than we did, even 50-100 years ago, about the climate and emissions impacts of an animal-based diet and the need to switch to a plant-based diet
• the global population now is very different than it was long ago.

Actually, yes. Cavemen used to eat meat whenever they could get it, but this wasn’t often. In fact, almost never. You try hunting animals that are bigger and/or faster than you with the most rudimentary of tools, and you’ll quickly see how hard it is to snare your supper.

So, we actually ate very little meat and, thanks to recent improvements in DNA analysis of ancient teeth fragments, we know that we survived mainly on foraging for plants, nuts, and berries. Foraging is great because it keeps you in tune with nature: in season, eating locally and physically nimble and fit.

PBN

So, where does that leave us now? To reduce emissions, help ensure that everyone has enough to eat and be healthy, and to live in balance with people and the planet, the best evidence suggests a (heavily or fully) plant-based diet as the best path forward. Looking for more ideas, or resources? My website, along with countless others, have info and resources to help make the switch to plant-based eating easier to do.

Eating consciously, along with minimalism (rethinking consumption) mindfulness (rethinking our urges) environmentalism (rethinking our relationship with nature), is vital as we look to come back from Covid better and more harmonious than before. 

Everything is up for grabs when you consider how unhelpful much of our perceived wisdom is.

So eat like a caveman and cut the meat. You’d never have kept up with that bison anyway. (Italics mine).

PBN

It’s official! We are now live, here at the new site: mennoadventures.ca. There are still a few things getting uploaded and tidied up (some related to the transition and some new pieces), but the site is now ready for you to come and see what we’ve been working on for the last few months.

In addition to the basic website redesign and transition, the online store has been newly reorganized, for your browsing pleasure – and is full of countless, amazing sustainable products. Plus, there are some new items coming soon to the store – stay tuned! 😊

If you have any questions, please feel free to send a message, and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Happy browsing!

In case you missed it in the earlier post, here are the transition details and notes, below.

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After a great deal of work, (mostly by my amazing designer!) I am pleased to let you know that we are now live at the new domain name! There are still a few details being worked out, but we are up and running! 😊

The next post will be from the new website, but there are a few details that I wanted to share with you first, so that nobody gets lost in the transition.

Here is what you need to know:

1. Please change your bookmarks etc to the new website: https://mennoadventures.ca
2. If you subscribe via social media, everything should have switched over to the new website. If you have any problems, either try subscribing again – or contact me if you are having trouble.
3. If you subscribe via email, you may have received an email to confirm that you want to stay subscribed at the new domain name. (Had a few tech challenges with this piece – which is why there are a few variables here). If you did, please confirm that way. If you did not get a confirmation email (or it got lost in cyberspace), please go to the new website and re-enter your email address to subscribe again.  Thank you!
4. If you follow directly via wordpress, I believe that you will need to follow again from the new website. (Still working on that piece.) Again, if you have any trouble,  please let me know.
5. The old website will stay active for a little while yet, to redirect people to the new website, until the transition is fully complete.

Over the next few days, hopefully most of these transition details will be finished, and we will be ready to go on the new site. Other updates will hopefully be coming, down the road, in the next few months.

If you have any questions, comments or feedback on the new website, please let me know using the contact form, and I will get back to you as soon as possible! Thank you all for your support so far! Hope to see you at the new website soon! 😊

Here’s to a new year, filled with lots of good things, including (but not limited to…) progress towards the end of this pandemic, strong climate action, electoral reform, peace and justice locally and globally, and civility towards each other.

Stay tuned for more website updates in the coming months. 💻😊

Link

NOTE: This website is continuing to refuse to pay for advertising on Facebook until they improve their practices. Please help by sharing widely in your circles, and encouraging others to check out the website and sign up for newsletter updates. Thank you! 🙂

CBC

Details are emerging regarding the Canadian federal government’s upcoming ban on single use plastics. While a great deal of work remains to be done, this is one small step in the right direction. What we know at this point is that the ban will includes the following items.

Even before this announcement, many people had already begun switching away from these types of items. This switch will make it even easier to avoid single use waste at a national level, for everyone!

Have you started switching to zero waste products already? Thought about it but haven’t made the change? Well on your way to a zero waste living? Where ever we are at now (individually and collectively), chances are that this new regulation will impact all of us in some way, and will help create positive changes for the country and the environment.

Ready to make changes? The Menno Adventures online store has lots of options to help you live more sustainably. Whatever you are looking for, we have it:

• Reusable containers, straws, cutlery and more
• Yarn from upcycled saris
• Sustainable laundry detergent strips
• New and improved phone cases and printer cartridges
• Bedding and more!

New items are on their way. Stay tuned for more details soon!