Consumer Promotes Eco-Friendly Living

Toronto, April 30, 2007. If you figure that faithfully reducing, reusing and recycling lets you off the hook for doing your bit for the environment, well think again. As Toronto’s first Green Living Show clearly demonstrated, there’s a whole lot more that we can add to our repertoire of ecologically sustainable practices to reduce our carbon footprint on the planet. The Green Living Show wrapped up Sunday, April 29, following a three day blitz of activity that drew in packed crowds eager to pick up tips on how to live green, learn about eco-friendly products and pay rapt attention to a diverse roster of eco-warrior speakers, including former U.S. vice-president Al Gore and actress Daryl Hannah. As companies are learning, it’s not enough to just talk the talk without walking the walk. The Green Living Show provided some 200 exhibitors, who are making strides towards developing cleaner product alternatives, an opportunity to share their solutions for a green lifestyle. Companies represented covered a gamut of sectors ranging from energy, health and beauty, transportation, fashion, construction, home and garden, travel and food. Is this a brief glimpse into the future where green living fast becomes the norm? Good News Broadcast invited exhibitors to share their thoughts regarding positive developments in the fight against global warming and climate change and on building upon present initiatives in our bid to save the planet. Here are some of the responses: “I think there have been quite a few interesting changes and developments. I personally feel, especially working for a manufacturer like Pilot that one of the things that we need to address immediately is manufacturing. We need to manufacture more eco-friendly, we need to be more conscious of raw materials we’re using because in the end this all becomes garbage and if we start manufacturing using some of the garbage we’re creating in the first place, then perhaps we can put a limit to the raw materials we’re using. I think companies – the large, massive manufacturers – can start considering moving away from raw materials.” Nina Webber, Pilot Pen “Our particular company is focused on electric vehicles. We developed a low speed vehicle, a mini car — it’s not designed to replace the highway capable cars. We are selling in the U.S. where many families are using it to do in town errands. So by using a low speed electric car, you have no pollution. A low speed electric car is a viable solution for many families, for those who live and work downtown. Anything that reduces a family’s or individual’s carbon footprint goes a long way towards addressing climate change.” Catherine Scrimgeour, ZENN Motor Company The Green Living Show (cont). “First of all, educate the public. Education, Education, Education. You have to educate the people and this is very hard to do. Some people have a set mind and some people don’t know anything about it. It’s easier to deal with people who do not know anything. By being at this show, it looks like people are willing to learn. People are enthusiastic and that gives people like us, the manufacturers, more enthusiasm to go green.” Alpana Ansilio, Sico “One of the biggest things and it certainly applies to our company is that people out there are really starting to notice how important it is for everyone, for all industry to come together and do something to change internally, and externally to influence other people to make differences and to really take control of the situation and make the world greener, conserve, be more efficient. As a company we are going to be carbon neutral for 2008 — for a travel company that’s definitely a huge feat of accomplishment.” Alina Goldstein, Butterfield & Robinson “We want to encourage people to think green, be ecologically sustainable and I hope this will be the first of many, many shows to happen in Toronto.” Suresh Tumkur, equita