A Guide To Disaster Preparedness — Part Two CleanTechnica
* This article was originally published here
Tuesday, December 31, 2019
3D-printed concrete forest pavilion proposed for Dubais Expo 2020
United Arab Emirates-based design practice MEAN* (Middle East Architecture Network) has proposed a sculptural 3D-printed pavilion for a prominent traffic roundabout to welcome visitors to the upcoming 2020 Expo in Dubai. Designed as a “spatial forest,” the interactive installation comprises a series of palm tree-like concrete elements and branching LEDs. The “Expo 2020 Landmark” proposal is also powered with solar energy and can be programmed to light up at night with a variety of lighting modes. Towering at a height of over 26 feet, the domed Expo 2020 Landmark was inspired by the Expo 2020 logo and UAE’s iconic palm trees. As a symbol for innovative construction, the installation would be built from 3D-printed shell components that can be cast on-site with Ultra High Performance Concrete, a material selected for its durability and resilience to Dubai’s harsh desert climate. Related: Energy-producing pavilion proposal for Expo 2020 mimics Brazil’s biomes “Robotically 3D-printed concrete construction has been lauded for saving on material waste by reducing the amount of formwork involved in the process of casting, as well as providing a cleaner construction site, all while allowing for a higher degree of complexity in design,” the architects said in a project statement. “We believe that Expo 2020 would be a fantastic platform to showcase the possibilities of this emerging construction technology to the world.” The Expo 2020 Landmark can be enjoyed by motorists traveling in the roundabout as well as pedestrians, who would be invited to enter the pavilion and explore the spaces between the 3D-printed , palm tree-inspired elements. Solar panels installed on the structure would be strategically tilted for maximum solar exposure and to deter sand buildup. + MEAN* Images via MEAN*
Here is the original:
3D-printed concrete forest pavilion proposed for Dubais Expo 2020
* This article was originally published here
Solar air conditioner
Two types of efficiency improvements give solar cooling a future
A solar air conditioner might be a sensible way to cool your home, if you can determine that the up-front costs will be recovered in reduced operational costs, or that the ecological benefits are worth the extra money.
In my original article on solar powered air conditioning I argued that the high costs of solar power made active solar cooling a much less sensible alternative than investing in a better building envelope, at least for anyone grid connected.
A solar air conditioner is basically a combination of solar electricity generation and air conditioning for the same building, such as a home.
The idea is that the hot summer sun is the main cause of unwanted solar heat gain in a building, so capturing some of that solar energy to generate electricity to run an air conditioner might make sense.
Also, since electricity prices are often highest when cooling demand is highest, a solar electric module can reduce your overall electricity bill most when it is used for cooling.
The trouble with investing in a solar air conditioner is that the up front costs are quite high: air conditioners consume a lot of power, so you’ll need a fairly extensive (and expensive) solar electricity module; and the air conditioner itself can be quite pricy.
There is a sweet spot between the efficiency of the solar air conditioner, and the capacity of the solar electricity module: the more efficient the air conditioner, the less solar generation capacity required, but unfortunately more efficient air conditioners tend to have a higher up front cost.
If solar electric system prices fall enough, then the need for an ultra-efficient air conditioner decreases. Photovoltaic system prices have indeed dropped steadily over the last few years. On the other hand, if air conditioner efficiency substantially increases over time, it may still be worth investing in a high efficiency unit in spite of reduced solar power costs.
And at some point, the combined reduction in solar power cost, and efficiency cost, may now be making a solar air conditioner a viable option for both businesses and homeowners.
Solar power cost changes
The cost per watt of solar generation capacity has dropped from roughly $7.50 in 1996, to $2 in 2008, to $1 in 2012. Note those last two dates: When I wrote my original solar air conditioner article, in November 2008, solar power cost was double what it is today in December 2012. So already the dynamic has changed considerably.
On the other hand, costs for solar power are not expected to drop nearly as quickly over the next decade as they have in the past 17 years, so if you are interested in setting yourself up with a solar air conditioner, waiting for prices to drop further is probably not going to help.
Air conditioner efficiency
Improvements in air conditioner efficiency over the past four years have also made the option of couping solar panels with an efficient air conditioner a better option. Efficiency has in some cases gone up dramatically due to new types of cooling technology.
At the lower level, consider the US DOE standards on cooling efficiency. The latest standard change was in 2006, when the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio or SEER for home air conditioners was raised from SEER 10 to SEER 13, meaning a 30% increase in minimum mandated efficiency.
But actual average efficiency typically lags a change in standard by several years, because the new minimum standard is typically established by looking at the most efficient systems currently available, and setting a minimum efficiency a little below that.
As the new standard comes into play, manufacturers already at the standard get to sell more units, while others play catch-up; eventually competition drives everyone’s efficiency up, so there can be a lag of 2-5 years between a new standard and a major improvement in efficiency.
Three or four years ago when I looked into central air conditioners, the most efficient unit I could find was a very highly priced unit with an SEER 24 rating, while the most efficient unit produced in mass quantities had an SEER rating of 19.
We now have some manufacturers producing central air conditioners with SEER 40 efficiency, albeit at a much higher cost than an SEER 20 unit of equivalent cooling capacity.
Coolerado.com, for instance, produces a line of air conditioners with SEER ratings up to SEER 40, that use an innovative alternative to the usual refrigerant cycle cooling technology found in most central and window air conditioners. They have actually demonstrated the feasibility of running their central AC system on a small photovoltaic system.
An example – my house
To illustrate the changing economics of a solar air conditioner, let’s consider my own house, which is a 1500 square foot home, including the basement. If I wanted to cool my home by 20F throughout the summer – say, from 90F down to 70F – here’s where things would have stood in 1996, 2008, and 2012 given the changing cost of solar power modules (expressed in $ per watt of generation capacity), and the improved efficiency of air conditioners (expressed in the standard EER or Energy Efficiency Ratio):
| Year | Cost per watt | EER of unit | Solar module cost |
| 1996 | $7.50 | 10 | $9,296 |
| 2006 | $2.00 | 13 | $1,907 |
| 2012 | $1.00 | 18 | $689 |
In just the last six years, the cost has fallen by nearly two thirds, given the increased efficiency of air conditioner units and the decreased cost of solar power modules.
But I still question whether this is the most sensible investment for someone trying to save energy while staying cool. Before you install a solar air conditioner, you should address all of the following first:
Insulation: Make sure your home is properly insulated and sealed. Have a home energy audit done and address as many of the audit findings as possible. You may be able to decrease the capacity of the air conditioner you need (and therefore the solar electric panels) if you can make your home more efficient first.
Attic ventilation: Pay special attention to your attic. If you don’t have adequate attic ventiliation, your attic will create a huge amount of heat for the air conditioner to extract from the home. The attic should have vents at the base of the roof (such as in the soffits) and at the peak, to keep air flowing through it.
Attics can hit temperatures of 150F if not properly ventilated, and much of that heat will make its way down (even through insulation) into your home. That’s a lot of extra work for the air conditioner.
Solar panel siting: Make sure you have a suitable location for the solar panels. I’ve had too many neighbors tell me they’ve been talking with a solar panel salesperson to have a kit installed on their roof. I walk by their house and spot trees to the south, southeast, or southwest of the home. Shade on a solar panel for even part of the day will significantly decrease its output. Even the shadow of a twig on one 4×4″ cell can cut a huge amount of power from the panel the cell is a part of.
Look out for government subsidies
The other factor to consider is the availability of government subsidies for solar power generation. Many states and provinces have mandated purchase rates for small-scale solar power generation, where the government or utility guarantees you a premium on every kilowatt hour your solar electric panels generate. The rates can be up to $0.40, $0.60, or $0.80 per kilowatt hour, while the rate you pay for power you consume may be substantially lower.
If you are committed to having solar electric panels but can access a subsidy like the above, you will probably be financially better off feeding the power you generate into the grid, and pulling out cheaper electricity to run your air conditioner.
* This article was originally published here
A Simple and Natural Homemade Diaper Rash Spray
Diaper rash creams you buy tend to be messy and made with unnatural ingredients. This diaper rash spray is natural, simple to make, and leaves no mess!
I don’t have kids, so I was spared the distress of watching my baby struggle through diaper rash. But I’ve taken care of enough kids to know it can be painful. Creams and powders are fine, but they can be messy. This spray has a lot of the same elements but in a convenient spray form.
Start with Healing Ingredients
Two of the most healing herbs are lavender and calendula.[1] They can help to speed the healing of diaper rash and can even help to prevent more from forming. Lavender, in addition to the healing benefits, is very calming and can help at bedtime.
Diaper Rash Spray Base
Place 2 teaspoons of lavender flowers and 2 teaspoons of calendula petals in a cup of hot water. I would use distilled or filtered water to avoid limescale (from hard water) clogging the sprayer, but also because tap water can contain bacteria and chlorine.
Steep for 10 minutes to make a tisane (herbal tea) and set aside. After it has steeped, strain the flower bits out (I save these to make soap) and set aside to cool.
The other ingredients are lavender essential oil and aloe vera juice.
DIY Diaper Rash Spray
Diaper rash creams you buy tend to be messy and made with unnatural ingredients. This diaper rash spray is natural, simple to make, and leaves no mess!
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings 6 ounces
Cost $1
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup calendula/lavender tea (cooled to room temperature)
- 1 tablespoon aloe vera gel
- 2-3 drops lavender essential oil
Instructions
- Mix all of the above ingredients and place them in the spray bottle. If the aloe vera is at all chunky, it may clog the sprayer, so be sure it has turned to a liquid if you use gel. You may need to run it through a very fine mesh strainer. Shake the diaper rash spray before each use.
Notes
Use a spray bottle with a fine mist sprayer. The finer the spray, the quicker the diaper rash spray will dry.
Tips for Treating Diaper Rash
First, clean your baby well. You don’t want any urine left on the skin that can burn. Allow the baby to air dry as much as possible. Next, shake your bottle of diaper rash spray and squirt the baby’s bottom a few times, concentrating on any visible rash areas. Allow this to dry as well. Diaper the baby as usual.
This spray has a shelf life of about a week.
Because this has an oil compound that won’t mix with the water, you’ll need to shake it before each use. The oil will float to the top but will mix in a bit each time you shake it. You can try to use liquid lecithin to help to emulsify it, but because the spray has a large amount of water, it may not work. I just shake mine every time I use it.
Other Uses for this Spray
You can use the diaper rash spray for many things other than what it was intended for. I’ve used it for sunburn, for minor scratches or wounds, as a facial mist, and even for a friend’s bedridden father.
A diaper rash doesn’t need to be messy to cure. Try this spray for this and many other things!
Tip: if you would rather use a cream try our homemade diaper rash cream recipe.
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Sources
- Herb Exchange. Lavender and Calendula Healing Salve. Accessed Dec 2019.
A Simple and Natural Homemade Diaper Rash Spray was written by Debra Maslowski.
* This article was originally published here
Fun and Easy to Make Essential Oil Diffuser Jewelry
This easy to make essential oil diffuser jewelry is a great way to passively diffuse essential oils. These also make great air fresheners for your vehicle.
Between running errands, taking my kids to after school activities, and all our other daily activities, I feel like I have spent more time away from home than ever. Most of that time seems to be spent in my car.
I have also had a stuffy nose that just won’t go away! Generally, I reach for some of my favorite respiratory essential oils to help ease my symptoms. I have several aromatherapy inhalers that I bring along in my purse, but they are difficult to access when I’m driving.
That led me to search for the perfect way to diffuse essential oils on the go. There are many plug-in ultrasonic diffusers and clip-on diffusers for the car, but I wanted something simple, without water, and easy to use. That’s why I chose to make a passive aromatherapy diffuser in the form of essential oil jewelry.
What is Passive Diffusion?
Passive diffusion is allowing the essential oils to naturally disperse or evaporate into the air. Types of passive diffusers include potpourri, lava beads, or simply by placing essential oils in salt or baking soda and leaving them out on the open air.
I particularly like passive diffusion because it is a more subtle method of using essential oils. They don’t smell quite as strong as they do in an ultrasonic diffuser or aromatherapy nebulizer. With passive diffusion, essential oils gently release their aroma over the course of several hours or days. Then they can be replaced/refreshed as needed.
For this aromatherapy diffuser jewelry, I chose natural lava beads because they are convenient and look lovely on any necklace.
Lava Beads for Your Essential Oil Jewelry
It’s important to choose the right lava beads when you plan to use them for aromatherapy DIYs because they are not all made the same.
Some lava beads are coated with a wax that prevents essential oils from soaking into the cracks. Most of the time you can remove the wax by washing the lava beads in warm water.
Other lava beads can be dyed or colored, which can be problematic when adding essential oils. The oils can cause the dye to bleed or become discolored. Additionally, the dye can prevent essential oils from soaking into the beads.
Choosing natural, uncoated, dye-free lava beads is the best choice for aromatherapy DIYs.
How to Make Essential Oil Jewelry
Making essential oil diffuser jewelry is so easy! For this project, I used lava beads, amethyst gemstone beads, cotton thread, and some metal accents. I simply laid out my pattern and strung the beads together.
One important thing to consider when making a diffuser necklace is the proximity of essential oils to the skin. If there is any chance of the lava beads or undiluted essential oils touching the skin, then the essential oils should be diluted with a carrier oil before applying to the lava beads.
Ingredients
- 100 amethyst beads
- 7 gold accent beads
- 1 gold pendant
- 3 lava beads
- Jewelry thread
- Sewing needle
- essential oils of choice
Instructions
- Lie out the essential oil jewelry pattern on a flat surface. To make the necklace pictured, I started by laying the pendant in the middle, then placing an equal amount of stones to each side and continuing until all 100 amethyst beads were used.
- Measure out the thread based on the length of your pattern, leaving a good bit of extra. I used about 24″.
- Knot one end of the thread
- Using a sewing needle (which you may or may not need based on your thread), begin adding beads from one end of the pattern, making sure that the focal beads are in the middle. You will tie on the pendant at the end, so leave it out.
- Continue threading the beads until you reach the other end of the pattern.
- Knot tightly at the end of the pattern and tie both ends together so that the thread cannot be seen.
- Secure pendant to the focal beads.
To add essential oils
- Place three lava beads in a small bowl
- Place 5-10 drops of essential oil on the lava beads and allow them to soak for several minutes to an hour.
- Using tweezers or gloved hands, place the lava beads in the pendant.
- Wear the essential oil diffuser jewelry or put it in your vehicle for use as a passive diffuser and air freshener.
Tip: check out another idea for making an essential oil diffuser necklace.
Have you ever tried passive diffusion with essential oil jewelry? How was your experience?
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Fun and Easy to Make Essential Oil Diffuser Jewelry was written by Katie Vance.
* This article was originally published here
December 31 Green Energy News
Headline News:
- “Australian Wildfires Force Thousands To Flee To The Beach” • Thousands of people had to take refuge from wildfires on a beach in southeast Australia, as fires swept through the town. About 4,000 residents and visitors were forced to evacuate Mallacoota, Victoria, authorities said. Roads were cut off, and there was no way in or out of the town. [CNN]
Mallacoota, pitch dark at 10:00 AM, as smoke obscures the sun (Jason Selmes)
- “Tesla Says Shanghai Gigafactory Already Producing 1,000 Model 3s Per Week” • Tesla China’s general manager said that 1,000 Model 3s are already being produced each week, with 280 units per day having been demonstrated. This production level comes less than 12 months since Tesla broke ground on the Shanghai Gigafactory site. [CleanTechnica]
- “Atomic Waste Dump In Marshall Islands To Be Investigated” • Radioactive debris from dozens of US cold war atomic bomb tests in the Marshall Islands is stored in a concrete dome now threatened by rising sea levels. The defense bill just approved by President Trump requires an investigation by the US DOE of the dome’s condition. [BBC]
- “How Energy Storage Could Revolutionize Industries In The Next 10 Years” • Over the last ten years, a surge in lithium-ion battery production drove down prices to the point that for the first time in history electric vehicles became commercially viable from the standpoint of both cost and performance. Next comes utility-scale storage. [CNBC]
- “Is There More Trouble Ahead For Plant Vogtle Expansion? In Georgia, experts Testify That Serious Challenges Remain” • Expert witnesses made clear to the PSC that it will be extremely challenging for the two Toshiba-Westinghouse AP1000 nuclear reactors to be completed by the scheduled dates, and costs may increase again. [Clean Energy News]
For more news, please visit geoharvey – Daily News about Energy and Climate Change.
* This article was originally published here
How To Cure & Store Potatoes And Onions For Winter
Learning how to store potatoes and how to store onions is an essential skill for any gardener. Before you store them you need to cure them. Let’s learn how.
As we head into fall, a lot of us are digging up what we grew this past year. For me, that’s a good amount of potatoes and onions. But they should not be stored right after you dig them – they actually need to be cured first. The process is simple.
Curing Potatoes And Onions
Onions and potatoes dug fresh from the ground can be used right away. But if you want to keep them, they need to be cured.
Curing involves hardening up the outer skin to protect the softer flesh inside. Done correctly, curing can help produce last for months. If not cured, rot or mold could set in.
How to Store Potatoes: Cure and Store
First, inspect the potatoes and look for bruises, bad spots, dings from the shovel or pitchfork, or anything that may cause rot later on. Then lay them on a couple of newspaper pieces in a shady spot for a week or two. Don’t wash them off first. They will bruise easily with the thin skins. Leave them for a few weeks and then store in a cool place with some humidity.
If they are kept totally dry, they will shrivel up. If they have too much humidity, they may develop rot. Around 70-80% humidity is ideal. Kept like this, potatoes will store well all winter.
How to Store Onions: Cure and Store
For onions, curing is done much the same way. Dig the onions and lay them on the ground if no rain is expected. Leave them in the sun for a few days – enough time for the outer skins to become papery. If you expect rain or frost, lay the onions on some newspaper in a protected spot for a few days to a week. Finally, when the skins are cured, they can be moved to a bin in a cool spot around 45°F. These onions will keep for two to four weeks, possibly longer.
Storing Cured Vegetables
How to Store Onions and Garlic Braids
You can also braid the tops of onions and garlic to keep them longer. Taking the green tops of a few onions, separate them into three bundles. Leave them attached to the bulb. Braid the greens from the bottom first. When it starts to thin out, add another onion or garlic to the braid. Keep braiding until you have no produce left. Tie off with a piece of twine and hang in a dry spot. These should keep most of the winter.
How to Store Potatoes and Onions in Nylons
When I was young, we would take onions and potatoes and slip them into a nylon stocking, knotting the sock in between each piece. While it’s true that it did keep them separated and dry, I started to worry that prolonged contact with a plastic substance was probably not good. So now if I keep my produce this way, I use cotton or silk nylons to avoid having plastics leaching into my food.
Other Tips for Storing Potatoes and Onions
Potatoes, onions, and other root vegetables like carrots and turnips, can also be stored in sand or sawdust. Sand can be kept damp and cool while sawdust should be kept dry. Place a layer of sand or sawdust in a bin, then a layer of produce. Make sure they are not touching and there is plenty of airflow. Add more sand or sawdust, then more vegetables. Keep layering until they reach the top. Store in a cool place, like a basement.
If you see any green on your potatoes, you should cut this part off and use them right away. This is the result of chlorophyll from exposure to the sun. This will produce a toxin called solanine, which can be toxic in large amounts. You don’t need to discard the entire potato, just cut off the green parts and eat the rest. Small amounts of the green stuff won’t hurt; it would take over two pounds to make you really sick.
Now that you know how to store potatoes and how to store onions, go enjoy your harvest!
Bonus tip: Winter doesn’t have to be the end of your growing season. Growing sprouts and growing microgreens is a simple and delicious way to eat fresh all winter long.
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Sources
- The Center for Agriculture. Onions, Harvesting and Curing. Jan 2013.
How To Cure & Store Potatoes And Onions For Winter was written by Debra Maslowski.
* This article was originally published here
Biggest environmental news stories of the decade
As we begin a new decade, we’re taking a look over the biggest environmental news stories since 2010. There’s a little good news, and a lot of not-so-good news. Still, we can look back and learn from what is happening in the hopes of taking action and restoring a brighter future for our planet. Climate change moves into the mainstream, and more kids get involved While a few climate deniers still fill high-ranking political posts, climate change is much more widely accepted as fact — rather than something to “believe in” — than it was in 2010. According to the TED blog, only four TED Talks specifically on climate change were posted in 2010 and 2011, although speakers mentioned the phenomenon. By 2015, TED said, people had shifted to seeing climate change as happening now, rather than in the far-off future, thanks to debates about whether or not places like the island nation of Kiribati were already sinking. Related: 12 good things that happened for the environment in 2019 By the end of the decade, climate change is on the forefront of many people’s minds, especially young people. Worldwide movements like Extinction Rebellion use massive, nonviolent protests to urge politicians to slow the warming. Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg rose to international prominence, taking politicians to task about ignoring climate change and even being named Time Magazine’s person of the year in 2019. Deepwater Horizon The decade started with a tragic oil spill on April 20, 2010, one of the worst in history. The explosion on British Petroleum’s Deepwater Horizon, an oil rig operating in the Gulf of Mexico, killed 11 people. It leaked oil into the gulf for 87 days, for a total of 3.19 million barrels of crude oil polluting the coasts of Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida. Images of people trying to wipe oil off pelican wings filled the news. Cleanup costs reached at least $65 billion . In addition to economic blows, especially to Louisiana’s shrimp and oyster industries, the animal death toll was high. According to the Center for Biological Diversity, about 82,000 birds, 6,165 sea turtles, 25,900 marine mammals and uncountable numbers of fish perished in the spill. Researchers are still gauging the long-term effects. Extreme weather events become more frequent As the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration warned, global warming escalates weather disasters. The last decade saw 111 climate-related natural disasters that each cost more than $1 billion in damage. These include tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires, floods, drought, heatwaves and winter storms. In 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, killing 2,981 people and costing an estimated $93.6 billion in damages. Notable U.S. disasters included Hurricane Sandy in 2012 and the Missouri tornadoes of 2011. Animal extinctions Humans continued to edge out other animals in the struggle for habitat and resources. According to the World Wildlife Fund , species loss currently stands at between 1,000 and 10,000 times higher than the natural extinction rate, which is the rate Earth would lose species if humans didn’t exist. In 2012, Lonesome George, the last Pinta tortoise , died at over 100 years old. Formosan clouded leopards no longer slink across Taiwan. The Christmas Island pipistrelle, a microbat, has ceased its ultrasonic squeaking. No more baiji dolphins cavort in the Yangtze River. In this last decade, the planet also lost Caribbean monk seals, West African black rhinos, Madagascar hippopotami and Liverpool pigeons. Rainforest deforestation The decade’s final year witnessed much of the Amazonian rainforest go up in smoke. Brazil and Bolivia were particularly hit hard. Many attributed this tragedy at least in part to Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s push for development over preservation. Horrifying photos from the National Institute for Space Research revealed enormous bald swaths where trees once stood. During its peak in August 2019, more than 70,000 individual fires were burning. The rainforest plays a critical role in regulating the entire world’s climate, so concerns stretched far beyond Brazil. Related: Amazon rainforest might reach irreversible tipping point as early as 2021 Increase in ocean plastic During the last decade, plastic continued to fill the oceans. But awareness of ocean plastic also grew. A 2018 United Nations study reported that people dump approximately 13 million tons of plastic into the world’s oceans annually, and the researchers expected this number to grow. At the same time, many concerned citizens in cities around the world worked to decrease plastic waste by banning straws and plastic bags. Some hotel chains vowed to no longer stock beverages packaged in single-use plastic bottles. Many companies started developing products made from recycled plastic. Reusable water bottles became an important fashion accessory. China stopped buying American recycling Americans became more adept at recycling , but they weren’t necessarily aware where their recycled goods went. In 2018, China enacted a policy called National Sword. Suddenly, Americans realized their old plastic had largely been going to China , but China didn’t want it anymore. Now at the end of the decade, American cities are scrambling to save unprofitable recycling programs. Ironically, some cities have canceled these programs just when they’ve convinced people to recycle. Right now, it’s cheaper for American companies to produce new plastic than to recycle old. This is one of the many environmental problems that must be addressed in the coming decade. Images via Shutterstock
See the rest here:
Biggest environmental news stories of the decade
* This article was originally published here
The best eco tourism spots in Montreal
Montreal is a lively city where there’s always something going on. Perhaps you’ll arrive in the middle of an enormous Pride celebration, with pink balloon-festooned streets blocked off for a huge party. Or maybe you’ll play on 21 Balancoires, a set of musical swings — notes play as people swing — that appears downtown every springtime. Montreal has long been a major port city. It’s located at one end of the Saint Lawrence Seaway, which stretches from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of two million, Montreal is Canada’s second-largest city. It’s a bilingual city with a European feel. While more than half of Montreal’s residents are bilingual in French and English, quite a few only speak one language or the other, depending on their family’s native tongue and their education. Americans, especially those from the west coast, may love being in a place with Euro-style buildings dating back as far as the 1600s. It’s the mix of picturesque old and totally modern that makes Montreal so beautiful and fun. Outdoors Montreal For a more urban outdoors experience, check out one of Montreal’s many street fairs. May through June are the top months for closing off streets to traffic and turning them into party zones. Unless you’re extremely hardy, summer is the best time to partake in Montreal’s outdoors activities. Winter is long and cold here. You’ll need serious gear to have a good time outside. Mount Royal is a small mountain that overlooks the city and serves as a 692-acre city park that has it all. You can hike , rent a paddleboat, get your cardio workout by climbing the 550-step staircase on the south side, picnic or participate in a drum circle. During winter, people tube, toboggan, ski, snowshoe, or skate on a manmade lake. The Mount Royal Chalet rents winter equipment. Whatever you’re doing on Mount Royal, you’ll enjoy sweeping views of the city. The Montreal Botanical Garden is lovely in every season. Check out cultural gardens within the larger garden — Chinese, Japanese and First Nations are all represented here. In autumn you can stroll beneath golden leaves, and in winter you can cross country ski inside the garden . Don’t miss the Insectarium to get a close-up look at bug life. Did you know that 91% of the world’s maple syrup comes from Quebec? If you visit Montreal between late February and late April, get out to the countryside to experience a sugar shack. Many offer games, tastings and maple-themed meals as part of the fun. At La Cabane À Tuque , maple producers harvest maple sap the old-fashioned way, with buckets. Visitors can join in. They run an eco operation with a hempcrete -insulated house, a wall made with recycled bottles, and they even serve vegan meals. Montreal wellness scene Montreal is a secular city, but you’ll quickly notice the gorgeous churches and French Catholic influence. Nuns opened and ran the first hospital, the Hôtel-Dieu de Montréal, in 1645. For a historical look at the local wellness scene, at least from a European perspective, the Musee de Hospitallers chronicles Montreal’s early medical efforts. For one of the best modern spa experiences anywhere, pack your swimsuit and flip flops and head for Bota Bota , an old river ferry turned floating spa. It’s docked in the old port on Saint Lawrence River, where you can soak in a water circuit, fill your lungs with clouds of eucalyptus in the steam room, eat spa cuisine and relax in hanging chairs, all while gazing at river traffic. Bota Bota lets you choose between a quiet zone and a large area where you can visit with friends. Wanderlust Montreal , known for its Wanderlust Festival, is based in Montreal. Check out their website for current studio classes, concerts and yoga events. Eating out in Montreal When I asked local vegan activist Élise Desaulniers why Montreal has so many vegan restaurants, she said, “We hate debates in Canada . We like to find the middle ground. So, the conclusion is you should eat less meat. But being vegan 100% of the time is considered too extreme.” So that means Montreal’s omnivores support the vegan restaurants, making the city full of choices for veg visitors. Montreal has a vegan festival every fall, which Desaulniers co-founded. For some of the most interesting vegan sushi anywhere, Sushi Momo’s creations range from simple eggplant and avocado rolls to complicated concoctions full of exotic ingredients beyond my comprehension in French or English. I let the server choose for me. If you’re with a group, order the 2-foot-long wooden boat filled with assorted sushi. Lola Rosa draws people from all walks of life to its four locations for hemp burgers and international-inspired comfort food. Panthere Verte stays open late and is known for its falafel and organic vegan cocktails. Café Chat L’Heureux features a vegetarian menu of soups, sandwiches and salads, plus eight friendly kitty hosts. This is the place to get your feline fix when traveling through Montreal. Public transit Montreal’s subway system is relatively easy to figure out. Best of all, trains run every eight minutes on average, and every three minutes during rush hour. A robust bus system rounds out the public transportation network and will get you to all major landmarks. An express bus called the 747 Shuttle runs 24 hours a day between the airport and downtown, and only costs ten dollars. Ride-share services also operate in Montreal. The BIXI bike share system runs during fairer weather months, from April 15 through November 15. Since bike shares are aimed at shorter rides, consider renting a bike from Montreal on Wheels if you want one for a whole day or the duration of your stay. The bike rental shop also offers guided group bike tours. Eco-hotels For an upscale eco-hotel, stay at Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth . Its impressively long list of sustainability initiatives includes employing three beekeepers , no using palm oil in its menus and turning old sheets and curtains into cleaning rags. On the more affordable, communal end of the spectrum, the Alternative Hostel of Old Montreal offers dorm or private rooms with shared bathrooms and an airy, plant-filled space with a full kitchen. The Hôtel de l’ITHQ , run by the Institut de tourisme et d’hôtellerie du Québec, is a clean, modern hotel run largely by tourism students. As a member of Canada’s Green Key eco-hotel program, it also follows many sustainability practices. Images via Teresa Bergen / Inhabitat and Bota Bota
Original post:
The best eco tourism spots in Montreal
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