Definition Day: Ecosystem

Environmental Design- Jane Gardner


Eco, eco, eco...we are bombarded with 'eco'. Many products are now labeled 'eco-friendly' or 'eco-conscious'. There are eco-cities, eco-towns, and eco-tourism. In Canada there is even something called 'EcoLogo' which states that something is an 'Environmental Choice' (I honestly have no idea what EcoLogo's standards are). If you want to find environmental jobs in Canada you can browse ECO Canada.

But 'eco' is just a prefix. It's origin is the Greek word 'oikos', meaning house [1]. Eco, as we use it today, represents 'environment', 'nature', 'natural habitats' [2], so it is very valuable to understand the word ecosystem in our now eco-centric society.

ec·o·sys·tem, noun: A system formed by the interaction of a community of organisms with their environment; A complex set of relationships among living things and their habitat; an ecological community together with its environment, functioning as a unit[3],[4], [5].

So, if we break down ecosystem (eco + system) we have living things (animals, plants, bacteria) + non-living things (air, water, rocks, minerals, etc) interacting with each other. When I say interactions, I mean things like eating food and drinking water; finding and/or making shelter (a house), and competing with others for food, mates, and shelter.

Use your imagination to think of some interactions. I'm thinking of the bacteria in my gut digesting my breakfast, a bird eating insects on a tree, two squirrels fighting over nuts, rain allowing plants to grow and then fire burning the plants down (repeat cycle). The possible number and type interactions seem endless. Which is why understanding the extremely delicate, super-fine balance of ecosystems is so challenging. Let's all thank an ecologist (a scientist that studies ecosystems) for taking on such tough research!

Ecologists often use math to help them study ecosystems.

We can think of an ecosystem as an equation: The sum of all the interactions between (living things + living things) + (non-living things + non-living things) + (living things + non-living things) = ecosystem.

Now the math ecologists use is much more complicated than the simple equation I showed above. Ecologists often use computer programs to make models that try to simulate the interactions of living and non-living things. There are some free resources to help us study ecology:

The Open Directory Project and Google Directory have some pretty intense ecology software, probably useful for upper level university students and grad students. While LotsofLessons has teacher resources, activities, and games for K-12 ecology.

Thank you to Jane Gardner for the use of her original graphic design 'Environmental Design'. You can purchase this print as well as other graphic designs from Jane's online shop.

[1] Ware, R. K. 2007. The Meaning of "eco-". MyWorld.info. The Montrose Group. Accessed on February 18, 2011 from:http://myword.info/definition.php?id=eco_1-a

[2] Eco-. 2011. Dictionary.com. Accessed on February 18, 2011 from: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/eco-

[3] Ecosystem. 2011. Dictionary.com. Accessed on February 18, 2011 from: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/ecosystem

[4] Houghton Forestry Sciences Laboratory. What is an ecosystem? Accessed on February 18, 2011 from: http://forest.mtu.edu/kidscorner/ecosystems/definition.html

[5] Answers.com. 2011. Ecosystem. Accessed on February 18, 2011 from: http://www.answers.com/topic/ecosystems-1

Definition Day: Greenwashing

FALL- Red Hydrant Press


Greenwashing. I myself am guilty of using this jargon. I have been known, in my lesser moments, to yell the word at TV commercials. But what does 'greenwashing' mean? Washing your clothes in natural detergents? If only!

green·wash, noun: A superficial or insincere display of concern for the environment that is shown by an organization; the practice of promoting environmentally friendly programs to deflect attention from an organization's environmentally unfriendly or less savory activities [1].

I'll break it down for you....green ('environmentally friendly') + washing (from 'white washing', meaning to conceal flaws)

For example, fictitious company X tells you "We've reduced our packaging because we care about the environment. A smaller package size means more of our product can fit on one truck, reducing carbon emissions" Yay! Insert picture here of sun shining, some lovely trees, and a happy squirrel.

What company X didn't tell you is that their product contains several toxic ingredients....so while reduced packaging is nice, the product certainly isn't green.

There is an excellent podcast about green marketing on the CBC radio show The Age of Persuasion. It has some real examples of companies using greenwashing (I didn't want to get in trouble). It's straight forward with clear definitions and examples and I found it fascinating. Check it out!

Thank you to Alynn of Red Hydrant Press for the use of the limited edition linoleum print 'FALL'. You can purchase FALL and other fine prints on Red Hydrant Press' online shop.

[1] Dictionary.com, 2011. Greenwashing. Accessed on February 4, 2011 from: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/greenwash

Definition Day: Sustainability

Twig Couple II- Fric de Menthol


Ah sustainability, that word gets thrown around a lot. Sustainable development, sustainable agriculture, sustainable energy, sustainable cities....Sustainability may be the new 'green', and I'm sure we all have a vague understanding of what the word means, but personally, I think understanding the true definition is very important. Because if we're all striving for sustainability we should have a clear definition to follow.

I first heard that confusing word, sustainability, back in 2005, in a conversation with a friend at the University of Guelph. The details of that talk are long forgotten, but I still remember the feelings of embarrasment when I had to stop my friend mid-sentence and admit 'I don't know what sustainability means'.

sus·tain·a·bil·i·ty, noun: The social and environmental practices that protect and enhance the human and natural resources needed by future generations to enjoy a quality of life equal to or greater than our own [1].



Comes from the root sus·tain, verb: to support, to endure without giving way, to keep from giving way, to supply with food, drink, and other necessities of life, to provide for [2].

Sustainability is composed of three or four parts, depending on who you ask: the environmental, economic, social, and cultural components. Sometimes, culture is left out, but it is especially important to some groups, including First Nations.

I like to think of these four parts as the pillars, or foundation upon which sustainability is built. If one one of the pillars is weak the whole system falls out of balance/ equilibrium.

So, sustainability is about more than protecting natural ecosystems. When we strive for sustainability, we are striving for a future that is able to balance the needs of the environment with the needs of humanity, including financial needs, infrastructure, government, and cultural heritage. Sounds pretty fantastic right?

Sustainability is indeed a lofty goal, but it is a journey we must embark on together if we want to achieve the planetary balance and harmony that sustainability strives for.

So how did I do? Did I leave out an important point? Still have questions? Please join the conversation on sustainability.

Thank you to Fric de Menthol for the use of of their original illustration 'Twig Couple II'. It, along with many more illustrations, prints, and postcards are available to purchase from Fric's online shop. Please check it out.

[1] US Environmental Protection Agency. 2010. Accessed on January 28, 20100 from:http://www.epa.gov/waste/education/quest/gloss1a.htm

[2] Dictionary.com. 2011. Sustain.Accessed on January 28, 2011 from: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/sustain