Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW)

Welcome! If this is your first visit, please click HERE for more information.

We are currently participating in daily challenges and have completed our fourth week (they began on Wednesday, March 9th, and will continue through April 24th). You'll find additional information by clicking HERE (information is located towards the bottom of the article).

This week I thought I'd switch things around a bit ... don't want any of us getting bored. So ... let's take a look at the week's activities:

1. Day 22 asked us to defrost our freezer and do a little refrigerator maintenance.
2. Day 23 challenged us to get rid of chemicals from our homes.
3. Day 24 concerned fireplaces and using them efficiently.
4. Day 25 asked us to contact our elected officials regarding climate change.
5. Day 26 suggested that we go for a walk.
6. Day 27 challenged us to buy local food.
7. Day 28 asked us to clean or replace our air filters.

The following posts were written by our Honor Society:

• Mrs. Green gave us an update on the Onzo Electricity Monitor HERE. This review (second of four) is about actually living with the monitor. Her verdict on the device is ... well, you'll have to read the post to find out.

• The Shopping Charity included two posts from a member of our Honor Society in this EDITION. Was it your articles that got mentioned? Another participant got mentioned in this ONE, and still another got a nice mention in this ONE.
  

• In this POST, Argentum Vulgaris gives us an old trick for saving water. And AV, we prefer to think of you as "experienced" ... not "old". By the way, Congrats on winning an award from Mrs. Green.

• A big WELCOME to one of our newest Honor Society members, Kristina from The Greening of Westford. So nice to have you with us!! In this POST, she shared a whole list of homemade, Eco-friendly cleanser recipes.

• Kristina shared another post with us (read it HERE). Here's a riddle ... which product scrubs your face, cleans fruits & veggies, removes grease from the top of a kitchen cabinet ... and is Eco-friendly? Nope, my lips are sealed ... you'll have to visit TGofW. Be sure to read the comments for several other, creative uses for this product.

• In this POST, Kristina shares spring cleaning tips for the refrigerator and panty ... but totally forgot about cleaning the refrigerator coils so, updated her post to include that along with a nice mention of Reduce Footprints. Thanks Kristina!!
  

• The Shopping Charity gave our Wednesday challenge a spot on the front page of this DAILY PUBLICATION. WhooHoo!

• In this POST, Rewinn reminds us that just because a cleanser is labeled "green" doesn't mean that it is actually Eco-friendly. He shares two sites where one can check on their favorite commercial cleanser and whether or not it contains toxins. What brand do you think he uses?

• Do you know what a Choko is? Ann writes about it HERE and offers us a delicious looking recipe for a meatless meal. Thanks, Ann!

• Mrs. Green shares a very interesting post which debates the environmental impact of local meat vs. non-local plant-based foods. It's really an interesting discussion and I hope you'll drop by and check it out HERE.

• Kristina went to a Green Living Fair and her state representative was there. She's talked to him before about a program she started. Can you guess what kind of program it is? Find out HERE. Very cool, Kristina!!

• In this ARTICLE, Mrs. Green talks about paper. She has some clever strategies for reusing it and says that one of the best things we can do is prevent waste. She suggests getting ourselves off junk mail lists.

• Argentum Vulgaris gives us a simple Sunday reflection in this POST. In it, he suggests that the earth would be better off without man. It's a thought-provoking article.

• Rewinn not only used the link to find out about his elected officials, he found his congressman's facebook page. Read about that HERE.

• Mrs. Green took the freezer challenge and "upped" it ... she doesn't have a freezer. Read about that HERE.

• Rewinn does the responsible (but cheap) thing by storing these items in his freezer. Can you guess what they are? Mrs. Green knows (she wrote about Rewinn & this item). Read this POST to find out.

• I'd like to welcome Marianne to our site. She wrote a lovely POST on buying local foods in Germany. Be sure to browse around her site ... it's a brand new blog and promises to be very interesting! Thanks for joining us, Marianne!

• Kris visited a new, local shop and wrote about it HERE. She also had some wonderful, locally made pizza. As I read her post, I thought about something which is often a deterrent to buying local ... the cost. Unfortunately, purchases from smaller, local shops are often more expensive than the larger, box store purchases. So I applaud you, Kris, for spending a little more by supporting your local establishments.

• The Argentum Vulgaris Daily gave one of you a front page spot. Was it your post?

• Alyson has an awesome way to get, and share, local foods ... she and her husband have joined together with 4 other families to start a farm. Not only will the 4 families share in the harvest, they hope to start a CSA and share with others, as well. Read about it HERE. Alyson also suggests joining a food co-op to gain access to local foods.

• Mrs. Green wrote this ARTICLE about living with an open fire. In it she offers some practical advice for using a fireplace efficiently. Thanks, Mrs. Green!

• Rewinn found a way to enjoy $115 worth of heating oil while only spending $100. How did he do it? He'll tell you his simple, money saving method HERE.
  

As always, I tweeted, stumbled and facebooked your articles.

We also had great comments:

-From Nicole B.

• Nicole shared that keeping a full jug of water in the freezer has an added benefit ... if the power goes out, it will keep frozen food cold longer (hopefully until the power comes back on).

-From The Greening of Westford

• Kristina is reducing junk mail and going electronic whenever possible. She also shares that some stores now offer customers the option of getting receipts through email. Kristina also uses the back of her children's homework when she needs to print something out and wonders why schools don't promote double-sided printing.
• Not only will Kristina being replacing her air filter, she reminds everyone that it's time to have the heating/cooling ducts cleaned as well. Great tip!
  

-From EcoGrrl

• EcoGrrl has a frost-free freezer and one which doesn't have coils to clean. Nice! Her problem is that she's been eating all her frozen foods from last year's harvest so her freezer is practically empty. So ... she's eating locally grown food and not wasting a thing. Nicely done, EcoGrrl!
• While she isn't making her cleaning supplies 100% of the time, EcoGrrl only buys minimal products and then, they are purchased in bulk and without packaging. She also tried cleaning her oven with baking soda and says it works great!
• No fireplace for EcoGrrl - but she does have a fire pit in the backyard, that she built, and uses for weenie roasts.
• Since she doesn't run her furnace very often, EcoGrrl only finds it necessary to change her air filter once a year. She has a question for everyone ... has anyone used the permanent electrostatic filters that are washed clean? I haven't ... anyone else?
  

-From Kris

• Kris is another lucky person ... her refrigerator needs no defrosting and has no coils to clean. She didn't know about the jug idea, though, and plans to try it out.
• No fireplace for Kris - her gas fireplace had a leak so it was capped off. She's surprised that fake "wood" is more Eco-friendly that real wood. For an interesting post on the subject, click HERE.
• Kris runs trails at a local park and says that when she's running, she's in awe of nature. Nicely put, Kris!
  

-From What A Card

• WAC says that it's not giving up meat for a day that is the problem ... it's giving up dairy and honey. But she's making thoughtful choices, buying her products locally from farmers she's familiar with.

-From Alyson

• Alyson says that getting rid of toxins from her home is her April challenge. She is especially going to focus on make-up products.
• She also believes in connecting with nature. In her words, "Reflection, meditation, and being aware of how incredible mother earth is, is how we will be able to connect with the earth and our fellow humans. We must connect this way, in order to do our best to protect our planet." Beautifully put, Alyson!
• Alyson liked the challenge about replacing the air filter ... she's going to do that!
  

-From Linda (in Asheville)

• Linda uses baking soda for her cleaning.

-From Argentum Vulgaris

• AV points out that a person would have to be crazy to have a fireplace in Rio ... ah, yeah! He shares that in Christchurch, NZ (where his mom lives) open fireplaces in homes have been banned for more that 15 years.
  

-From Ann

• Ann asks the question: "Do we need deodorants and body sprays?" She hasn't used them since her early 20's.
• Auckland is quite warm so Ann doesn't need a fireplace. However, during the times that are a bit cool, she uses a wheat heat bag which she makes herself. I wonder if Ann would be willing to share instructions with us?
• Ann's favorite nature place is Western Spring in Auckland which is a natural lake full of aqua birds, fish and eels. Sounds lovely!
  

-From İlhami Uyar

• Mr. Uyar reminds us that, if we are good to the environment, it will be good to us. It is a simple statement with huge implications.

-From Melanie

• Melanie's husband gave her the idea to organize a run/walk within her community to help raise awareness about littering, pollution and keeping the city safe. Before doing that, however, she's planning to get a group together to clean up litter on a local walking path. Very nice, Melanie!
• Guess who volunteers at her local farmer's market? Yep, it's our very own Melanie who looks forward to spending her Friday evenings there from June through September. Nice! By the way, Melanie and her husband are starting Meatless Mondays ... stay tuned because she promises to tell us more about that.
  

-From Linda (in Evanston)

• Linda has reduced the amount of toxic cleansers in her home. She uses vinegar to wash windows and get rid of mineral deposits from hard water ... hydrogen peroxide to take out stains from clothing and carpeting and ... baking soda to scrub bathtub and sink. Fabulous, Linda!

-From Jennifer

• Jennifer spent a few days in the Sierra Nevadas where she listened to snow melting off the eaves. She says it was "wonderfully refreshing". Mmm!

-From Five Towns air Conditioning & Vent Cleaning

• Welcome to Five Towns ... so nice to see you! Regarding our challenge to reflect on nature, Five Towns says, "These are beautiful suggestions and must be adhered to even through the stress and busy schedules of to days life. There is a lot of pollution and ill health from it...there should be some steps taken to improve the condition." Well put, Five Towns!

-From Kevon

• Kevon is a new visitor and liked one of our challenges from November. Thanks for stopping by!

-From Brian

• Brian left a great comment about air filters. In his words, "This is critically important for many reasons but be careful with the filters you use. If you use a filter with a tight mesh in it then you will choke off the air flow even more which will make your unit run longer and work harder. The proper air filter is one that you can see a newspaper ad through but not to the point where you can read the ad. It is also important to change the filter often because it will decrease the amount of dust in your house and in your HVAC system." Great information, Brian ... thanks so much!

-From The Accessory Lady

• The Accessory Lady headed to her coop and purchased oyster mushrooms and honey. Ahh ... definitely sounds like spring has arrived in her area!
  

Our #CTWW Gang was out in force, talking about our challenges on twitter using the hashtag #CTWW:

@skipbang
@greenexistence
@waylandcook
@rewinn
@ShoppingCharity
@groovygreenlivi
@jnjgogreen
@whopaysthepiper
@cjrthemommyblog
@merillat
@dpixel
@givetreegifts

WOW!! I am just so impressed by everyone's involvement and dedication to living a greener life. If anyone ever doubts that together we make a difference, just direct them to this post ... the activities being accomplished and the information being shared ... well, how can we NOT be making a difference!! Thanks to everyone who participated ... you are the rock stars of the environment!!

Okay ... never ones to let any dust settle on us, shall we tackle another challenge? Here you go:

Have a truly "Green" lawn and garden by avoiding use of toxic chemicals. Visit the National Coalition for Pesticide-Free Lawns (http://www.beyondpesticides.org/pesticidefreelawns/) website for more information.

See you tomorrow everyone!

WE'RE CHANGING THE WORLD ... ONE CHALLENGE AT A TIME!