For the year of 2011, I’m living Canadian. For 12 months, I will only buy Canadian products, eat Canadian food and consume Canadian media. I’m going to document this process through this website, and plan to publish a book about my project in 2012.
So, how will my project work? I’m dividing the year into 12 sections, each corresponding to a month. Each month, I’ll add another category where I restrict myself to consuming Canadian products and services. It’s subject to change, but my current plan looks like this. Click to enlarge:
Twelve months of living Canadian.
For example, January (and all subsequent months) is about restricting my consumption of household goods–all the consumables under the kitchen sink and in your bathroom–to those, ideally, entirely sourced and produced in Canada. Starting in February, I’ll Canadian clothing to the list, and so forth.
By December, I’ll be living a peculiarly Canadian life. Or at least, that’s the plan.
Why are you doing this to yourself?
I’m interested in what I consume. Not in a high-minded I’m-green-locavore-snob way, but in a “where does this stuff come from?” way. I’ve always liked shows like How It’s Made, where we get the origin of our stuff.
I’ll also admit to being somebody who’s concerned about our environment–I’ve been writing about it and working for it for years. But I’m not a hemp tunic-wearing hippie. I’m a pragmatist, and I’m interested in ways to make ours lives sustainable without foregoing the occasional hamburger or iPod.
Finally, I’m hoping that this online project can become a book in 2012. I’ve co-authored an ebook and a big boy book, and I’d like to write another. Plus, I’ve always enjoyed these so-called ‘stunt journalism’ projects, so I thought I’d give one a try.
