CONGRATULATIONS!!
In June of 2009, we started changing the world by challenging ourselves to a weekly, green activity. Wow ... One Year! Some of our challenges were easy, others hard ... some got us thinking and talking, others were just quietly accomplished. We raised our awareness and together made a difference! So ...
I'd like to thank all of you for participating and making our world a better place.
Last week we reduced our food budget. The idea was to reduce our consumption which, in turn, would mean that manufacturers would produce less stuff. This challenge, as you'll find out, was a bit controversial and got us thinking about whether reducing one's food budget is really a healthy, green activity. Here's what our Honor Society had to say:
EcoGrrl brought up some excellent points ... reducing one's food budget may not be healthy or green if one simply seeks to spend less. As she says, "i could choose to shop at safeway and buy factory-farmed chicken and pesticide-sprayed produce and keep within budget, or i could spend more and ensure what i'm ingesting is chemical and cruelty free." Great point, EcoGrrl! By the way, EcoGrrl needs our help! Some of you may know that she makes (and sells) fabulous Truffles. She has decided that all of the proceeds from her delightful confections will go towards a very special cause. Click HERE for more information and a link to her Truffle "store". If you can help, please do!
Argentum Vulgaris joined in the fun. In this POST, he shares his economical meals with us. AV proves that one can make healthy meals, using local foods for a modest amount of money. Nicely done, AV!
MargoPego stopped by. She's been limiting her food budget for a long time. Initially, she did so for economic reasons but learned, through the process, that her health improved as well. She says, "I've had to make several choices between junk food & other extras or the good stuff that'll actually nourish me & give my body the fuel it needs." Happily, she is no longer economically motivated to reduce but continues to do so incorporating smart buying techniques like buying in bulk and cooking once for several meals. Great job, MP!
Macky dropped in. Thanks, Macky, for your support!
Mrs. Green came by and also offers some great thoughts about whether reducing one's food budget is "green". In this POST, she presents an interesting discussion on the topic. Be sure to read the entire post because she also shares a list of what foods she recently bought for $33 and asks readers to compare her food value with theirs. Personally, I think she got a lot of food for the money!
ReWinn confesses that he went over budget ... but plans to try it again. In this POST he also shares a great idea ... making July 4th (America's independence day) Food Independence Day. It's a great idea! Thanks, ReWinn!
What A Card stopped in. She also has concerns about budgeting food and shares that it's tough to do when one purchases organic, local food products which seem to always be more than their less healthy, less Eco-friendly counterparts. While getting her food budget down to $25/person/week isn't practical, she does offer us several excellent tips on how to get the most for your food dollar. Read that article HERE.
Thanks to everyone who weighed in on this challenge. My personal conclusions are that reducing one's food budget can be a green activity if all health and green-living precepts are followed. Many people buy and consume more than their bodies need ... so reducing can, indeed, be an Eco-friendly and healthy activity. Other people have already whittled down their food budget to meet optimal health (both human and environmental health) and for those people, reducing would be counter-productive. What I hope was accomplished this week is that everyone considered the activity and thought about how their food budget affects both the environment and their health. Great job everyone!
Our Twitter friends were busy talking about this challenge using the hashtag #ctww. If you are a twitter member, please consider following these folks:
@marketran
@DPixel
@revivalzoo
@waylandcook
@johnleesandiego
@whopaysthepiper
@smilinggreenmom
@ GiveTreeGifts
@BuyHerBeads
@isparklefairy
@myzerowaste
I'm going to take a break so won't be posting a new challenge this week. While I'm gone, please visit our main Change The World Wednesday page and try out any challenges which you may have missed ... or revisit ones you've tried. If you have any challenges to suggest or even modifications to ones we've tried, please leave a comment.
Again ... I'd like to thank each and every one of you for a year of changing the world ... together we continue to make a difference!
Posts
6 comments:
fantastic stuff - a whole year, wow; that's amazing! Thank you so much for hosting these challenges; you have provided a lot of food for thought and helped me view some green activities in a new light - you're an inspiration and well done for taking a break - enjoy!
SF, you deserve a break too, not everyone has the luxury of unlimited time on the net to blog. See you next week.
AV
SF, I have posted a CTWW of sorts. Just asking a question and pointing to a very good reply:
For anyone interested, check it out:
http://tomusarcanum.blogspot.com/
AV
I missed this post last week, but it's still something I'd love to try. I haven't really reduced my grocery bill since I started paying more attention, but I've managed to swap more organic and local whole foods for conventional ones without raising my bill. I think it's because I now buy very little processed food, cut down on the amount of dairy, and buy whatever I can from the bulk bins. I'm hoping to eventually get it down to under $20/week!
Here's a challenge for folks: cancel your cable bill and use that money to pay for the local, organic food that you say you can't afford. Put more money into your food budget and use it towards quality food, and less money towards video games, cable television, and gasoline.
Hmm...
Glad to have been a part of the movement. Have a good summer.
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