As winter hits our idyllic Vancouver wonderland, reminding us of what most of Canada faces for 3-4 months of the year, I can’t help but notice that the snow does, for a short time, make us nicer people. We greet neighbours we would otherwise ignore, smiling at the communal inconvenience, the forced withdrawal from the [...]

[Read more →]

Here we are, floating blissfully through our Universe, as the Christmas Star begins its annual glow overhead. Suddenly, warning lights begin to flash on the dashboard of Spaceship Earth, and a disembodied mechanical female voice bleats its irritatingly calm countdown of doom … “Warning… Waste disposal systems on overload. Bulkhead breech imminent ….” Soon, we [...]

[Read more →]

Well, Dear Readers, I am happy to report that the selection of affordable and palatable organic wines seems to be on the rise, and the whole organic section at my local full-service BC Liquor Store (8th/Cambie in Vancouver) appears to have grown. (Note to international readers… our Canadian Province has some very interesting and archaic [...]

[Read more →]

This summer, a new green growth quietly sprouted at London Drugs. ‘What’s the Green Deal?’ is a program that puts environmental and sustainability information on display, with in-store signage, flyer features and even a new web site – www.greendeal.ca. (Full disclosure – Unicycle Creative was the consultant employed to help develop the program, so you’ll [...]

[Read more →]

Well it’s all over but the handoff. A planet collectively sighs with relief, and can now laugh a little less nervously at SNL’s Sarah Palin skits.
But with the economy disassembling itself, the environment has not been the stuff of big speeches in this election. So how will Obama’s ‘Change’ manifest itself for the green movement?
I [...]

[Read more →]

One of the big drawbacks with public transportation is that it just isn’t cool. Unless, of course, you’re in London.
Here, tourists gladly shell out 20 bucks for t-shirts featuring their favourite stations, coffee mugs with the Underground logo and everything from umbrellas to boxer shorts featuring – get this – the bloody route map. Even [...]

[Read more →]

SNCF, France’s national railway, and their parking subsidiary, Effia, have announced a great new deal for electric car drivers. When they park to take the train, they can plug in and recharge for free.
This represents a level of cross-platform eco marketing we haven’t yet seen in North America, stuck as we are with Transport Canada [...]

[Read more →]

The fishing village of San Giovanni, along romantic Lake Como in the Italian Alps, is about as far removed from modern influence as you’re likely to find in the first world. Some streets are too narrow for any but the smallest cars, the church (dating from the 10th century) is only open for Sunday mass, [...]

[Read more →]

On a recent Unicycle Creative business trip to Toronto, I joined some industry colleagues for a round of golf. Sort of. As we were all pressed for time, we elected to try Inner Golf, a golf simulator located in the warehouses of the King West Village area.
Designed for the dedicated golfer who wants to keep [...]

[Read more →]

Green marketing isn’t just about products and services. People working to further the cause of sustainability become their own brands, and need to communicate their values, objectives and personality as effectively as any bricks and mortar company. Earlier this year, I was introduced to Adriane Carr, former leader of the Green Party of BC, and [...]

[Read more →]