Wasn't last week's challenge on eating local interesting? Some people embraced it and got real creative with the items available. Others had a bit of trouble finding a large enough variety of foods to maintain an enjoyable and healthy diet. I think everyone's awareness was raised ... and we now have a better idea of where our food comes from.
My personal conclusion after this challenge is that eating local is the goal. Whenever possible, opt for the items that are grown and/or produced close to home ... within 100 miles. When it isn't possible (for example if one lives in an area which doesn't produce enough to maintain a healthy diet), then read the labels and try to choose the item which is produced "closest" to home.
I'd like to thank everyone who participated! Now ... our Honor Society:
Sinclair at http://sharingourgifts.blogspot.com/2009/06/change-world-wednesdays.html AND AT http://naturewithme.blogspot.com/2009/06/change-world-wednesday.html AND ALSO HERE http://theblogfrog.com/psearch/ViewThread.aspx?threadID=757&blogID=838788
(Wow, Sinclair ... now that's spreading the "green" word!)
Bradysmama at http://forums.delphiforums.com/LivingNatural/start
Elizabeth Barrette at http://gaiatribe.geekuniversalis.com/
Chourou at http://chourou-sumimasen.blogspot.com/
Strawberry Girl at http://strawberrygirlsreflections1.blogspot.com/2009/06/reduce-footprints-wednesdays.html
Yanic at http://greentobe.blogspot.com/2009/06/change-world-wednesdays-become-locavore.html
Crzy4Pizza at http://forums.delphiforums.com/veggietable/start
What A Card at http://whatacard.blogspot.com/2009/06/eat-local-challenge.html AND AT http://localnewengland.blogspot.com/2009/06/eat-local-challenge.html
(Excellent job of spreading the "green" word, "What A Card".)
Connie Mishali at http://seewhykinsman.blogspot.com/2009/06/green-challenge_24.html
GigiSxm at http://adventuresingigi.blogspot.com/2009/06/change-world-wednesday-challenge.html
S. Engelmohr at http://sengelmohr.blogspot.com/2009/06/locally-grown-and-produced-vs-organic.html
Sotorrific Twins at http://sotorrifictwins.blogspot.com/
(Here's a little riddle ... Sotorrific Twins has posted about local foods in another place, using another nickname ... can you find the post?)
EcoGrrl at http://ecogrrlnetwork.blogspot.com/
Sober White Women at http://thoughtsofasoberwhitewomen.blogspot.com/
Frisky Librarian at http://simpleglee.blogspot.com/
The Laughing Idiot at http://goofygardener.blogspot.com/2009/06/local-foods-change-world-wednesday.html
Kiwi Riverman - The Writer at http://worldofcae.blogspot.com/2009/06/reduce-footprints-special-thursday-post.html
chicamom85 at http://chicamom85.blogspot.com/
Ann at http://ann-mythoughtsandphotos.blogspot.com/2009/06/change-world-recycle-bags.html AND AT http://annkschin.blogspot.com/2008/11/recycle-reuse.html (Thanks for spreading the "green" word, Ann)
Kate at http://holdfastseeker.blogspot.com/2009/06/eating-locally-csa-farm-share.html
Inge' at http://dementiafor2.blogspot.com/2009/06/change-world-wednesdays.html
harri pao at http://blogodril.blogspot.com/2009/06/my-favorite-of-indonesia-food-recipe.html
Julie Magers Soulen at http://juliemagerssoulen.blogspot.com/
Chicamom85 at http://chicamom85.blogspot.com/
Rewinn at http://rewinn.blogspot.com/2009/06/rooftop-urban-ag-team-begins.html AND FROM LAST WEEK'S CHALLENGE http://rewinn.blogspot.com/2009/06/box-beats-bag.html
Ilhami Uyar at http://ilhamiuyar.blogspot.com/
Joe Todd at http://www.myqualitytime.net/
Squirrel Queen at http://squirrelqueen2.blogspot.com/2009/06/farmers-market.html (Squirrel Queen has a regular farmer's market challenge ... stop by and accept her challenge ... it's fun!)
Brian at http://www.eazycheezy.net/
Rae at http://rosesarerae.blogspot.com/2009/06/eat-local-food-help-local-economy-and.html
Eemilla at http://eemilla.wordpress.com/2009/06/25/change-the-world-wednesday-challenge-from-reducefootprints/
Okay ... are you ready for a new challenge? Here you go:
Earlier this week, President Obama announced a plan to make lighting our homes and businesses more energy efficient (you can read about it HERE). So, let's do our part: Replace at least one incandescent bulb in your home with either a CFL or LED bulb.
OR ... if you've already replaced the bulbs in your home with energy efficient varieties, write a post about CFLs and LEDs and then ... contact five (5) new blogs (blogs which you've never visited before) and invite them to join the challenge by visiting your site.
Okay ... just a quick reminder on the "rules". The idea is to get as many people as possible joining in ... I believe if we all do the same green activity during the same week, we'll have an impact. So, let everyone know ... advertise ... post about it ... email your friends and family ... talk about it ... snatch the "Change The World Wednesday" badge on my site and post it on yours ... encourage everyone you can reach to join the challenge. And don't forget to leave a comment so we can add you to the Honor Society.
We're changing the world ... one challenge at a time. Are you ready?
We're blessed here in Baton Rouge and surrounding areas with all our yummy local goodies to choose from! Great job on spreading the word. :)
ReplyDeleteI always enjoy seeing your challenges and suggestions. Although, I haven't participated, via the internet/blog world, I do reference you often in daily conversation. I think that some listen and at least, believe, they check out your blog. I hope that this counts as getting it out there.
ReplyDeleteI love how you provide options, or at least, make me think about how I can do more.
Thank you--
Harmony
I've updated my blog with the lightbulb challenge. I'm off to Lowes to see what I can find as far as a three-way bulb or dimmable bulbs.
ReplyDeleteThis one is way more do-able than last week!
Harmony, it sure does count. While I love having people stop by and participate, my main objective is to get people living a greener life. So thanks for "talking it up"! One word here ... one word there ... and soon we'll all be reducing our footprints on the earth!
ReplyDeleteTake Care!
Small Footprints
Thank you for linking to my blog! I've also added you to my blogroll and I'm following your blog :)
ReplyDeleteI also added a link on my blog to your "Change the World Wednesday" post.
I haven't had a chance to look through your entire blog, but from what I've seen, it looks really neat.
One comment on today's challenge: though we should be changing our light bulbs to CFLs, rather than throw out the old incandescents when they haven't yet burned out, we should store them away until we need a light bulb and don't have any other bulbs around (before we go and get a new CFL/LED, of course!). Filling the landfills with perfectly good light bulbs isn't a green thing to do :)
Melissa
Glad you invited me to join. Sorry that I missed the last challenge as I have been shouting about the grow your own and eat local movement quite a bit. I strongly urge it in my new book - Live Smart. I will work on this new challenge. It is a great one. My brother in law is actually starting an LED light company. Rock on.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the seat of honor! I'm very glad to engage in the challenges, and last week's was extra fun! I have updated http://sharingourgifts.blogspot.com with this week's challenge.
ReplyDeleteI have posted about it at naturewithme also. Happy world saving!
ReplyDeleteGaiatribe is stocked pretty far in advance, so I put this post over in The Wordsmith's Forge.
ReplyDeletehttp://ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com/686062.html
SF,
ReplyDeleteGreat work! "Change the World Wednesday" is a really cool idea. And look at the participation. Awesome.
Thanks!
IB
Love your idea of changing the world one challenge at a time. That's the way it's done, one footprint at a time! I enjoyed your eat local post, now if we'd just get some sunshine here on the east coast so my garden would grow! Lots of tomatoes, zucchini, peppers needing to ripen.
ReplyDeleteHow timely this is for me. My husband and i just went shopping about 2 weeks and have replaced most of the light bulbs in our house with the energy efficient bulbs. I will take some photos and make a post.
ReplyDeleteThanks Anne
Great challenge, especially since I just came home to a burned out bulb!
ReplyDeletei forgot to post last week but love living in oregon where it's easy to eat local...another thought on eating local? stock up at farmer's markets for winter - get those berries and freeze those suckers! plus it's WAY cheaper - i got 4 flats of strawberries today at the farmer's market and they are on cookie sheets in the freezer getting prepped to bag up and freeze for the winter. YUM. Note: this is also WAY cheaper - organic berries at my grocery store are $3 for a 1 lb box. i bought 2 flats (a little over 20 lbs) today at the farmer's market for $40 ($20 savings!). and in december i can have insanely sweet local strawberries!
ReplyDeleteregarding CFLs - one note to those who may be hesitant, there is less mercury in a CFL than in your watch batter, than in the old fillings in your teeth, than in the fish you eat. also home depot has a cfl recycling program!!! finally, check with your utility companies to see if they offer free home energy audits - MANY do and usually you can find out about them on your website. here in portland they come out to your house and spend a good hour going through everything from insulation levels to lighting to ductwork etc., and along with installing water saving showerheads and sink aerators and CFLs, they also provide you with a list of energy saving measures you can take in your own home and what the state and federal tax incentives and credits are for them. it's fantastic!!
also CFLs have come a long way - they have them in nearly every shape and size, a variety of light quality (not all harsh) AND they do now have dimmable versions, how cool is that!!
We made the CFL switch years ago, and we left those bulbs in the apartment we were renting when we moved into our house. Whew, this is so much easier than the eat local challenge!
ReplyDeleteI've posted on the Green Planet about this. What is more important, energy savings or health? The eco bulbs can be dangerous because they contain mercury and you have to be very careful if you greal them. Please read my posts and comment if you like.
ReplyDeletehttp://worldofcae.blogspot.com
Ok, I blogged & put the challenge out to people & linked back to your site. Hopefully, we can get more people involved & participate. Great idea and I look forward to helping. Check it out here: http://livesmartbook.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteoops! commented on the wrong week! I shall repost my comment here:
ReplyDeleteYour challenge is up on mt sidebar. My family switched out bulbs to CFLs a few years ago but if you make the switch REMEMBER to RECYCLE them! they have mercury!
http://holdfastseeker.blogspot.com/
This is a great challenge that is simple enough for the neophyte greenie to take part in!
ReplyDeleteWe started changing our bulbs a few years ago as they began to burn out. I believe we only have 2or three left in our home that are NOT CFL's.
My dilemma has been how to recycle them considering they do contain mercury. This still makes their disposal a bit tricky.
I will post a blog realting to this topic (and talk up this great challenge) this week; so be sure to visit, www.earthpromise.com/blog
Heather,
ReplyDeleteDo you have a Home Depot near you? They recycle CFLs.
Another good resource is:
http://earth911.com/
Take Care!
Small Footprints
This really is a great initiative. The genius behind Small Footprints gets us excited and leads the charge in helping us make an absolute difference. Hope you have a happy 4th.
ReplyDeletei try to buy as much locally as possible - especially produce this time of year. and i have switched out several bulbs, but thanks for the reminder. i know i can always do more. i love the idea of make a small change each week!
ReplyDeleteHow crazy that I didn't know that Home dept collects the CFL's!!!! Iknew they collected batteries.
ReplyDeleteRead http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com/2009/07/change-world-wednesday.html
and I will complete my challenge by passing on the challenge to 5 or more blogging sties I've never visited!
Altough I rent & cant change the vari light switches I've already swapped out the bulbs where possible. I also keep bottles of water in the fridge to keep it full up & operating as efficiently as possible. We also put on the heating only as a last resort, put on more clothing instead!
ReplyDeleteChange the World Wednesday is a great idea. Nice job.
ReplyDeleteIn the last minute, I've just posted the change-world-wednesday, with the CFL and LED challenge.
ReplyDeleteTill now, I've just only broadcasted the invitation of your challenge in BlogCatalog.
Thank you
Other parts of my life kind of took over last week, so I never got around to participating properly in this challenge.
ReplyDeleteI have, however, written several lighting-related posts in the past. The most relevant of them - at least in terms of the mercury worries expressed in some of the above comments - is 6 reasons why you worry too much about the mercury in CFLs