Loulou's views

Winter is my least favourite season of all. One thing I really dislike about it (besides the snow, cold, ice, and darkness) is the mess. As soon as we come inside and take off our boots, our entrance way is wet, with snow everywhere. Of course, stepping in puddles of slush is no fun, either. I love simple solutions for keeping my entrance way looking as neat and clean as possible, since it's the first thing people see when they walk into my home. We have mirrored closet doors, hooks to hang up our coats, a neat shoe compartment from IKEA built on a wall, and now, thanks to Ontario Tire Stewardship , two products that make our entrance way cleaner. Ontario Tire Stewardship is a not-for-profit organization championing waste diversion that works with a network of industry partners to collect and recycle used tired. OTS's Used Tires program has successfully diverted more than 100 million tires from landfills since 2009. The tires get safely recycled into new products, lead...

I was never very environmentally conscious before becoming a mother. Once I had children, though, my perspective on most things changed, including my views on the environment, the world I was raising my children in, and what I needed to do to make sure my children were growing up aware of the things they needed to do to keep our planet green and contribute to their environment in positive ways. Thankfully, I've raised some really good people–boys who are smart and know more than I did when I was their age about science, the environment, and how even small things can make a big impact. Taking on a new job in Communications at Environment and Climate Change Canada has opened my eyes even further to how much work is being done around us to keep our air clean, and our communities safe and healthy. Here are some ways you can be more environmentally conscious in simple ways: Be Aware:  Becoming more environmentally conscious isn't difficult; in fact, living in Canada–a coun...

Over the last several years, I've been very conscious about making wiser environmental decisions in my home, and teaching my children the importance of helping the environment any way we can. I love how much they know about the importance of recycling, and why we use energy efficient light bulbs. From the classroom to home, they are making smart decisions and learning along the way. We shop organic as much as we can, and bring reusable bags to the grocery store. It's the little things we do on a daily basis that will have a positive impact on the next generation and help reduce our carbon footprint while keeping our planet a happy one. One area where I haven't completely made the switch to "green" is with my household cleaning supplies. Many of the products I use contain chemicals that are harsh—but effective. I'm actively looking at how to make the switch to products that are better for our environment and for ourselves. However, I don't want to sacri...