green life column: how green is your cottage? - solar energy traffic lights

Country life is not easy for the environment, once you have done both
Drive an hour from Montreal and park your boat in the lake.
But there are a few small steps you can take, such as leaving noise, traffic and pollution in the city in the lakeside cabin to keep nature quiet.
But a large part of the shanzhai culture-both --
Traffic on Friday night takes an hour's drive, water skiing on the lake and sunbathing on the lawn-which puts the nature we pursue at risk.
The number of cars on the Quebec Highway continues to grow, motor boats cause noise, air and water pollution, septic tank systems and runoff from lawn chemicals leaks cause blue pollution problems
Green algae in Lake Quebec.
But many owners are taking steps to reduce the impact on the environment.
Taking retired CEGEP teacher and university lecturer Alan Samir as an example, he has drawn up an online quiz cabin owner he calls a list of green huts to see how much their weekend holidays are
"People already have a lot of information about the green environment in Montreal," he said . ".
"But, as far as I know, there is very little work done in your second home or in your country house.
Saumier has a cabin in Lake Macdonald northwest of Lachute, about 90-
Minutes drive from Montreal. A long-
Time environmental activist Saumier said he believes the owner of the cottage needs to learn more about reducing environmental impacts. “With the blue-
We were not affected by the green algae panic, but we have a shallow lake, "he said.
"We have boats on the lake, which is a problem.
So he made a list of green tips-these pages cover everything from washing clothes, cooking to decorating.
The site includes a list of green huts that homeowners can use to see how their cabins are decorated.
Saumier says even his family can do better.
The checklist is accompanied by a list of "first steps" cabins that can be taken by the owner.
Saumier said he started with simple things like installing ceiling fans and using programmable thermostats, hoping that people could build on them and continue to make more challenging changes.
"I think it's easier to take one step at a time," he said . ".
"Then it becomes a state of mind where people think about what they are doing and how it affects the environment.
Saumier notes, "However, when you leave the city to go to the cottage, it is not the idea of most people to renovate the building.
"When people go to the cottage, they don't want to do anything but work," he said . ".
"But they are in the garden and they are in the water so they can do something to help the environment.
"There are more and more campaigns for greening huts and second homes.
This year's cotton-themed trade in Toronto and Montreal provided environmental tips for tourists.
The Toronto show is sponsored by Cabin Life magazine, which has a lot of green tips on its website.
Other organizations, such as the laurentiz Environmental Council, which covers many villages in northern Montreal, are working to revitalize the coastline of the region.
It provides a guide to creating healthy coastlines and choosing native plants.
Saumier has been doing this for a long time.
Since buying his cottage 29 years ago, he has made a good choice for the environment.
Unlike most of the 200 cabins around his Lake, he uses solar energy to meet his energy needs and collects rain in barrels.
When his dock needs to be replaced, Saumier uses the old wood on the dock to build support for his container garden.
His windows are covered with bamboo screens, which are turned on or off at different times of the day in order to control the temperature.
The skylight in the house and garden adjusts the temperature and adds natural light.
"We did it with small choices and worked step by step," Saumier said . ".
Last weekend, he was helping a friend clean up the land, build a cottage, and hired a local man and a wooden cher to cut the branch chip for him.
The next day, he covered the garden in Montreal with chips.
"Living in our cabin, we know very well about our resources and energy," Saumier said . ".
"But it doesn't hurt the quality of our lives at all.
Saumier said he believes there is more that the federal, provincial and municipal governments can do to encourage cotton to go green.
They can offer kickbacks for the use of green building materials, encourage people to use solar energy, cities and towns distribute flowers for free in the spring, and in the countryside they can be coastlines --
Friendly bushes and plants, he said.
"The biggest factor in the change is building green fiscal incentives," he said . ".
"In terms of change, people often go where the money is.
"You can find the green cottage here.
There are several publications in CRE Laurentides (
English and French)online at .
Green tips for Cabin Life magazine are available.
Get more information about the environment
News of the friendly life and environment in Montreal and around the world in our Green Life blog: montjuatek.
Com/greenlifembeaudin @ thegazette. canwest.