I realised when I left Pecha Kucha (at the gorgeously renovated Queen Elizabeth Theatre), in a hurry to catch my 10:20 bus, that I don't have enough conversations with people about sustainability. I attend events where the hundreds or thousands of people in the room/theatre all have a common interest, yet I go there to absorb information, chat with friends and promptly leave. I can't blame all of that on living in the suburbs with a typically once-per-half-hour bus. But ultimately the result is that the information I gleaned and my opinions remain for the most part locked in my head and I lose the opportunity to learn from others in my community. (And Vancouver being a small city nurses an intimate though often disconnected one.)

Dialogue takes place frequently online, but in my experience it tends to be short and superficial and, while offering participation theoretically to anyone, the reality is that many voices are left out even within our own city. That's where dialogue in person can facilitate those deeper connections that might not otherwise be made. It also lets us communicate visually. (And with that, check out RangiChangi Roots.) An event like Pecha Kucha is available to anyone with $10 and a couple hours to spare. It won't reach everyone, but advertising in offline and particularly free media such as the Georgia Straight (I'm not sure whether it made it to street poles) pushes its reach outside of the—to some degree—exclusive online world. Over 2000 people attended Wednesday's event, a specially-themed "Walk the Talk, Green Your City", which is terrifically encouraging.

If you're reading this you might be as last-minute with your holiday shopping as I tend to be. Admittedly my post itself is last-minute. I've done half my shopping and, this year, with each item I've put more thought than ever into what effect each will have on this finite planet. If you're the kind of giver that prefers to give an item rather than an experience, make it meaningful not just as a useful object but as one with the smallest environmental impact possible.

Before I tell you how easy it is to be eco-conscious at Christmas, you might want to know why you should:

• according to Statistics Canada, 900,000 tonnes of garbage is produced between Thanksgiving and Christmas each year
• transportion of gifts that are produced a great distance away, whether it's Califonia or China, emits greenhouse gases that pollute our air and contribute to climate change
• logging of old-growth forests to produce "virgin" paper products releases CO2 into the atmosphere and threatens animal habitat (think of the caribou and the owls!)
• conventional plastic is a petroleum-based product, which carries a triple-threat carbon footprint
• it takes resources and produces waste to make something new and to recycle or dispose of it at the end of its life cycle (which, these days, is often pretty short!)
• that regiftable stuff is better off loved by someone else than being a guilt trip in your closet for you or your kids!
• buying local supports the local economy and friends of your friends
• and more environmental, ethical and health-related reasons...

Ok, I get it. I'll be good this year. How easy is it?

Got a bookstore nearby? A Choices/Capers/Whole Foods? MEC? Independent coffee shop? Granville Island? Main St or Commercial Drive? You can make smart choices anywhere — that includes IKEA. I did not have to go out of my way to get smart gifts for my family. A bit of thoughtfulness and planning is all it takes. And do I ever feel good about it!

Here are some suggestions and tips!

The third annual David Suzuki Digs My Garden contest is on full steam ahead this year, with the three winning gardeners featured as bloggers on the brand new DMG website. Each week the bloggers—from Richmond, BC, Edmonton, AB, and Ancanster, ON—post blogs and videos, and help answer questions from the public such as, how do I thwart those pesky digging squirrels? or, how do I get rid of dandelions without chemicals? It's all about being green, too—these gardeners pride themselves on having beautiful foliage without the pesticides.

Feeling inspired, I'd like to start a meme on what actions you're taking, or planning to take (a pledge!) to help the environment. This is a broad-reaching scope, and encompasses anything and everything: choosing organic food, taking transit, composting, donating to an environmental organization, recycling unwanted goods, installing solar panels, or even just educating yourself on issues and solutions. Is there a particular action that tops your list? Or one you've been eager to try?

For brevity's sake we'll keep the list to 10 items. You can divide it up between "doing" and "intend to do" in whatever ratio you like.

So here's my list, in no particular order:

Right now, I:
1. Eat local
2. Use cloth bags and compostable plastic bags
3. Advocate for revival of the Interurban community rail
4. Reduce, reuse, recycle!
5. Use strictly natural cosmetics and soaps, with recyclable packaging and no chemicals
6. Use strictly natural cleaners (baking soda, vinegar, water, the occasional lemon)
7. Use a reusable stainless steel water bottle
I will:
8. Reduce waste by switching to Lunapads products (they're local!) — immediately
9. Live in a walkable neighbourhood with frequent, accessible transit — 2 to 3 years' time
10. Buy a cradle-to-cradle, toxic-free sofa made from natural materials — 2 to 3 years' time

A new blogger action initiative just launched this week. Brighter Planet, "a Vermont start-up committed to fighting climate change and building a clean-energy future," will offset 350 pounds of carbon for every blogger who puts the badge on their blog (let them know you've done it, via the form on the campaign website in order to make it count). Their goal is to get 350 bloggers on board, to offset 122,500 pounds of carbon! "That's like flicking off 100 lightbulbs for a day. Or going two full weeks without your car!"

I encourage you to sign up to put the nifty, fun badge on your blog, too.

On Saturday, I went to the EPIC expo at Canada Place. The main attraction for me was a talk by Adria Vasil, author of a best-selling book I adore called Ecoholic. In her inspiring presentation, she gave us a history behind the book's development and noted how the green movement was virtually non-existent when she started her column in 2004. Organizers of EPIC apparently wanted to put on this event back then but there was deemed to be a lack of interest in green issues.

Adria offered some great advice and encouragement for greening one's lifestyle: choose three things every month and do them. No matter how good you are already, you can do even better. My three things? I decided to no longer buy greenhouse-grown produce, I switched to compostable plastic bags for my garbage and replaced some of my soap with a locally-made, more natural product (and it smells divine, too!) Adria emphasized the importance of individual actions and how even little things add up. Case in point: the government's new green product claims regulation is consumer complaint-driven, meaning it's up to us to call in and report on products that (we think) are making false claims. So things are looking up, anyway. Adria is very lovely and was happy to sign my Ecojot notebook (I had not brought my copy of Ecoholic).

Thanks to Darren Barefoot for the photo and for telling me about the following tip.

The Clean Air Foundation's Mow Down Pollution program is once again taking a good jab at ol' Mr. Smoggy, the Lawn Mower Hog himself, by educating the public about the significant amount of greenhouse gases and air pollution we can prevent by retiring the ol' stinker and replacing it with a more earth-friendly alternative. Ever since I saw one of those push mowers, I had been suggesting my dad look into it, to replace the gas one. Some credit can be given for its long lifespan, but it's noisy, it stinks and heck, it's so hard to push that he got stuck with the job every time. Besides, the push mower is good for the grass! We're eco-friendly folk, so knowing just how much a gas-powered lawn mower actually emits over time is pretty enlightening. And a $100 instant rebate? Talk about motivation! Here are the deets: