Brummet's Conscious Blog

 -- Green Building Materials -- I received an interesting article (which you can read below) that speaks about the benefits of using stainless steel in construction... and this intrigued me enough to do a quick Internet search on the topic. According to The Stainless Steel Information Center ( www.ssina.com ) this material is one of the most environmentally friendly materials - is corrosion resistant and durable,  has high-recycled content and recapture rates, while providing long service life and reduce resource use. The site goes on to state: "Stainless steel is 100% recyclable into the same product with no reduction in quality. The metal’s high scrap value and recyclability ensures that it is diverted from landfills and recaptured for use in new stainless steel. A recent international study by the ISSF determined that about 92% of the stainless steel used in architecture, building and construction applications is recaptured and recycled at the end of servic...

-- Special Note to our Readers :) -- I've been receiving a lot of emails as of late - asking about the Referral Corner, a regular posting (about once per week) published here on the blog where we celebrate mostly non-profit, and non-religious, organizations that are doing incredible work across the planet... So in hopes of clearing up the confusion... I've decided to clarify (above) what the Referral Corner is about ... which is really a way of spreading the word about recommended resources that I think our audience here would be interested in learning of. The last two postings can be found at: http://consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com/2011/11/safety-at-home-at-work-on-road-more.html and : http://consciousdiscussions.blogspot.com/2011/11/helfpul-resources.html We are always looking for new resources and non-profits to share with our audience, so if you know of a fantastic organization - you are welcome to send the information our way and if it suits ...

-- Conscious Discussions Talk Radio -- Today's episode features another Best of 2007 - Vol #9 - offering two wonderful experts, one from Texas (US) and the other from BC (Canada)... on the topic of Literacy. Learn about the importance of literacy organizations and some of the incredible opportunities they offer for their communities. Join us live at 10-11 AM Pacific and drop in the live chat room, if you are able. Or access the archived episode at your convenience later on. Just click on this link below: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consciousdiscussions/2011/11/29/best-of-2007-vol-9 -- Newsletter -- YES ! it is time for another issue of the Brummet's Muse Newsletter. We took a bit of a hiatus for a couple of months allowing us to relocate to another community and set up the office here. The newsletter is due for release on Dec 1st... so if you haven't joined in the mailing list, you are welcome to do so via our site:  www.brummet.ca :) Fin...

 -- World of Writing Interview -- It is time for another World of Writing interview... this time we have children's author, Diane Robinson... a resident of Alberta, Canada. Her debut work is a children’s chapter book - Sir Princess Petra - being published by Tate Publishing in Oklahoma. Check it out at: tatepublishing.com Q: How would a good friend describe you? Diane: My friend would first say that I definitely think and live outside the box. That would explain my creative nature. Then she would say that I live happy and am a true friend.  That I care deeply about the world: the poor and starving people, the environment and the abuse of Mother Nature, and cruelty to animals. She would say the last part because I’m always hitting up my friends for a donation to my current cause. Q: What are your long-range and short-range goals and objectives? How do you plan to accomplish your goals? Diane: My short-range and long-range goals have bee...

-- Referral Corner -- Safety is huge - and we have to start here at home. What is your plan of action should something happen to your home? Do your family members know where to find you? Where will the family meet, should the home not be a safe place to be? Do you have a working fire alarm? How about a carbon monoxide detector? Do you have a first aid kit in the home and one in the car... and if applicable, in with your outdoor equipment (camping gear, skiing gear...)? These are just some of the basics for all of us to make sure we have in place. I came across two really good sites that can help people prepare: www.fiprecan.ca - find fact-sheets for parents, kids, schools and seniors on how to prevent common causes of fire www.safety-council.org - offers information on how to make the home and office a safe place to be, but also offers road safety tips.  Check these out - you won't be sorry that you took the time to do so! Find Dave and Lillian B...

-- Quote of the Day -- “We all make decisions in our life we wish we could reverse or attempt to do again. We all have endured hurtful actions from others. Today, and every day, we can make a conscious choice and decision to either let the pain from prior experiences continue to beat us down or we can rise up beyond the pain and move on to a happier life”  ~ Gary Spinell, It Was You All Along -- Electric Cars -- Here’s something interesting – I read recently in the Japan for Sustainability Newsletter about an electric car used at the Tokyo Dome that is charged by peddling bicycles was used  to parade the baseball teams Most-Valuable-Player around the field during one of their events. The batteries were charged by 5 stationary bikes, pedaled by volunteers who took shifts in rotation during each inning, and in exchange the participants received free admission, free non-alcohol drinks, and some gift packages in exchange. Find ...

 -- Plastic Bottles - Another Useful Construction Material -- Have you seen plastic bottle houses before?  Building with bottles as a construction and wall decoration material is not such a new idea - we’ve seen reports and articles over the last 2 dozen years in magazines and online where people have used glass and plastic bottles in their adobe and cob design houses in the US, and here in the Kootenays we have a small highway tourist stop – a house made entirely of glass bottles. I've also seen color bottles used in hallway walls and bathroom walls that allow light in the room without compromising privacy issues.  . ..However, when I read of a new project in Nigeria where they are utilizing plastic bottles to build economic homes I was really intrigued. Apparently the bottles are first filled with sand, capped, and melded together with mud and concrete to build 2 bedroom homes for people – costing less than $13,000 – I felt like celebrating when re...

-- Interview -- I had such a wonderful time appearing as a special guest on the Thin, Healthy, Happy podcast - managed by the host: Alicia Cramer - who asked some interesting questions and made the hour long discussion pass by as if it was only a few minutes!  Please do drop in to hear the full discussion - on business plans, marketing plans, the world of writing and more! -  via the link below: http://wausauhypnotherapy.podbean.com/2011/11/22/lillian-brummet-interview-on-writing-and-conscious-marketing/  -- Conscious Discussions Talk Radio -- Yesterday's programing had us doing another World of Writing segment... one of the many genre-segments that appear on the Conscious Discussions Talk Radio Show . Drop in to hear the latest installment and learn more about writing as a career via the link below: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consciousdiscussions/2011/11/22/world-of-writing Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books,...

 -- Energy News -- Ever wonder how much of your energy dollars are spent in different areas of your home or office: According to ForticeBC.com... 55.8 % of the energy costs in the average home goes to heating the house 21.5% goes to heating the water 16.3% goes to powering the computers, appliances, phantom lights and entertainment systems 6% goes to lighting and... 4% goes to air conditioning * Look for energy saving tips in our books, on our radio show, and in previous posts on this blog. Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blog, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or visiting the Brummet's Store - every sale raises funds for charity as well!  

-- Referral Corner -- Its time for another bout of recommended resources for you to check out when you have time: Material Resource Center ( Materialresourcecenter.org )  This site offers links, info on resources for craft workshops, school art projects… involving reuse and repurpose of "waste" prior to sending to the recycling system. Learn how to save money and get creative in your life. Community Action Network ( www.can-online.org.uk ): This organization supports social enterprises and charities to scale up their businesses and maximize their social impact. Social enterprises reinvest profits back into the communities that they serve, creating a business solution to the problems they see. British Trust of Conservation Volunteers ( www.btcv.org.uk ): Operating now for 5 decades, offering a hands-on approach to conservation activities. Their aim is to create a more sustainable future by inspiring people and improving communities around the wor...

-- Celebrating Conscious Business -- I read some information recently about some very conscious business inovations, two companies highlighted today - who have collaborated to reduce waste. Over the past two years, Tim Hortons has been working with Scotia Recycling Limited to collect cups at all 156 traditional Tim Hortons restaurants across Nova Scotia and deliver them to Hantsport-based paper product manufacturer CKF Inc. Initially cups were blended with other waste papers and made into a variety of paper products, helping divert Tim Hortons cups from municipal landfills across the province. Now , Tim Hortons and CKF have established a process that converts the cups into take-out trays used at Tim Hortons restaurants and other products, effectively closing the loop on the company's hot beverage cup recycling process in Nova Scotia. The Cup-to-Tray program has the capacity to recycle 100 per cent of Tim Hortons' annual Nova Scotia cup inventory… more...

-- Quote of the Day -- "You must leave your excuses at the door. They don't belong in the house! Whatever you go through in life—whether it is your fault or not—own it, and move on. The victory is in the battle and the reward is after the battle."  ~ Chikota Webb Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blog, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or visiting the Brummet's Store - every sale raises funds for charity as well!

-- Plastics --   In a an article published back in October via: Plastics News ( www.plasticsnews.com ), it was reported that Canada’s top five grocery chains have announced that they will require suppliers to shift to PET for clamshell thermoformed packaging in a move designed to simplify the product stream and increase recycling.    “ Right now, there are 5.8 billion pounds of [thermoformed] packaging going into landfills in North America each year. Our goal is to facilitate the recycling of that material ,” said Guy McGuffin, VP of sustainable packaging for Wal-Mart Canada.    “ The idea is to move away from materials that are not easily recycled and into materials that are more easily recycled. If we work together, we believe we can recover that 5.8 billion pounds, which would be a fantastic result .”   Pushing for PET and eliminating, as much as possible, “look-alike” plastics which complicate recovery (and discourage both ...

 -- Quote of the Day -- “It’s no accident many accuse me of conducting public affairs with my heart instead of my head. – Well – what if I do? …Those who don’t know how to weep with their whole heart don’t know how to laugh either. ”  ~ Golda Meir     -- Positive Eco-News -- Join us today for another Positive Eco-news segment of the Conscious Discussions Talk Radio show... Today's episode offers laundry tips, resources and some inspiring quotes: Live at 10 AM Pacific - 11 AM Pacific, and we'll have the live chat room open for that time frame as well... or access the archived episode later on at your convenience:  http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consciousdiscussions/2011/11/15/positive-eco-news Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blog, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or visiting the Brummet's Store - ever...

-- Quote of the Day --  “ We must not, in trying to think about how we can make a big difference, ignore the small daily differences we can make which, over time, add up to big differences that we often cannot foresee .”  ~ Marian Write Edelman Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blog, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or visiting the Brummet's Store - every sale raises funds for charity as well!

-- Free of Limitations -- Today's post comes to via Petricia Verdes who sent us a couple of submissions for our blog on behalf of her client:  Author Ilie Cioara was an enlightened mystic who lived in Eastern Europe that penned 16 books describing the experience of meditation and enlightenment. In particular, the book – Silence of the Mind – offers a unique message on meditation and enlightenment. Ilie believes that by practicing the silence of the mind, through an all-encompassing attention, we discover and fulfill our innermost potential of becoming one with the divine spark that lies dormant within us. Silence of the Mind is the first volume in a series of his books that will be published by OBooks ( http://o-books.com ). Find out more via the blog ( http://thesilencebook.blogspot.com ) We hope you enjoy the following, by Ilie Cioara:   How can we free ourselves from the past and the future? It is all very simple! With a lucid, all-encompassing Atten...

-- Quote of the Day -- “… My biggest thing about communicating in the gardening world is to empower people. I think in this time in our country everybody seems just a little depressed and boxed in, and a little bit helpless - like they just don’t have any control. I think they find it surprising when they realize that they have control over things like their food. …When I was being raised you got food from the store… I never saw anybody gardening to supplement their meals or even saving seed. I love showing people that they can supplement their food source and feel a sense of control.  …When you can show neighbors that [composting] can be attractive, that there is no smell, and that you have this gorgeous soil… you can positively affect change that way. …Hosting a seed or seedling party is always fun, and when you host one of those it is just like a cookie swap, where everybody can walk past the tables picking out what they need. …There are a lot of people out there ...

-- The CFL Light Bulb Contraversy -- Burnt out compact fluorescent (CFL) light bulbs need to be recycled and there is now a program in British Columbia (Canada) called Light Recycle that keeps CFL’s out of the landfill, helping to ensure that they are properly recycled. Light Recycle accepts all residential use compact fluorescents and fluorescent tubes. LED's are a better choice, since one bulb uses 90% less energy to produce the same lumens (as an incandescent bulb) - but are so very expensive that most of us will wait until the price comes down to a more reasonable number.  And while CFL's do use only 75% of the energy that incandescent bulbs do... they do contain a tiny amount of mercury and concerns arise when thoughts of a house fire, or broken bulbs... and inconsiderate disposal are considered. However it is also important to realize that these bulbs actually prevent much more mercury and other air pollution that coal-fired power plants produce. Locally, (C...

-- Quote of the Day -- “… You don’t have to change the whole world with sustainability. You can start small and make as many changes as you can. For example you don’t have to become a vegetarian, but if we all just ate one meatless meal every week – we can make a difference. ”  – Chuck Hall Check out the full interview on Alternative Sustainable Buildings via the link below: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consciousdiscussions/2011/09/01/alternative-sustainable-buildings -- Living Bridge ? -- Check out this amazing, 4-5 min video: www.wimp.com/livingbridge ... about a fig tree grown to create a sustainable living bridge that will live and grow for generations. Learn how amazing indigenous knowledge will benefit generations to come. Check out this interesting video (only about 5 min long) on this innovative idea, via the link above. Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio p...

 -- Conscious Discussions Talk Radio -- Today we're featuring another Best of 2007 episode - focusing on Green Moving alternatives and Rain Water Collection. Join us live @ 10-11 AM (pacific) and drop in the live chat room... or access the archived episode at  your convenience. Either way, live or archived, you can access the episode via the link below: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/consciousdiscussions/2011/11/08/best-of-2007-vol-8 Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blog, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or visiting the Brummet's Store - every sale raises funds for charity as well!

-- Conscious Living Events -- Nov 7 - 9 Canadian Waste Sector Symposium Location : Montreal, Quebec (Canada) Info : www.canwastesectorsymposium.ca The floor exhibit for the expo (below) is currently sold out with companies from Europe to Asia to North America showing their wares, and while exhibit space is now sold out you can still get in to see the action there. Watch local papers for more information as well as information on numerous events, lectures and symposiums that you may be able to catch throughout this week.  Nov 9-10 Canadian Waste & Recycling Expo Location : Montreal, Quebec (Canada) Info : www.cwre.ca Find Dave and Lillian Brummet, excerpts from their books, information about their radio program, newsletter, blog, and more at: www.brummet.ca * Support the Brummets by telling your friends, or visiting the Brummet's Store - every sale raises funds for charity as well!

* Today's article comes to us from Sachin - of WebProfits.com.au   --  What Your Home Says About Your Personality -- A person's personality can be shown by the way they decorate their home, through their choices of colour, design and even how secure their home is. You might find it surprising but how we decorate our homes, what additions we make to them and how we look after them speaks volumes about our personalities and to the observant visitor your personality is completely on display. For example an extrovert is more likely to paint their walls with bright colours or use colourful wallpaper and a more cautious person would be the first to install security doors and security screens . Colour Your choice of colour within your home can quite accurately describe your personality. A more conservative person would be more likely to go for more neutral wall colours, such as beige or off-white, and if they do use a colour on their walls it is more...