Last week we became activists and raised our voices for the environment. When I think of the word "activism", I picture sign-carrying crowds of people marching down the street. In reality, it can be as simple as writing a letter or speaking to a store manager or signing a petition. It's any action we take which lets those in charge hear our views. It's paying attention to what happens around us and then speaking up when things could be done more environmentally friendly. Hopefully, when enough people share their thoughts, positive action will be taken. It doesn't always happen but my thought is that they won't know what we want until we tell them.
Our #CTWW Gang took action by tweeting our challenge. Many thanks go to:
@groovygreenlivi
@littlegreenblog
@apolloenergies
@peopletowels
@lynn_stone
@waylandcook
@waxelene
@greentim
@escapingjourney
@tiffanystoybox
@tazzini
@givetreegifts
@accessorygal
@bam_balam
@clothmamajess
@begreen_beseen
@upcycledlove
@AmbianceEco
@youtubetwitts
@greenenvycali
@farminthehood
@whopaysthepiper
So ... how does one become a member of the #CTWW Gang? Easy, just tweet about our challenges using the hashtag #CTWW.
Some members of our Honor Society wrote posts this week. I encourage everyone to read the posts and, perhaps, join in the activity. Let's take a look:
Imagine what would happen if companies received back all the wasteful packaging they sold their products in. That's the idea behind Return to Sender by Mrs. Green. While she says that most responses haven't been what she hoped for, she keeps it up. All it takes is for one company to take heed and make a positive change. Brilliant idea, Mrs. Green!
Our friend Amy decided not to accept this challenge. In this POST she says that she is, perhaps, "looking at activism in too intense of a way". I really appreciated Amy's article because it points out a road block that many of us feel ... we don't have time to commit. My thought is that once we become aware of a road block, we're much more able to find a way around it. By the end of Amy's article, she decided to think outside the box and find a way to take action. Thanks, Amy, for an honest, thought-provoking post.
How old does one have to be to take action? Is there a necessary knowledge base which must be met in order for actions to be effective? Petunia GreenBeans answers those questions by sharing this VIDEO.
Argentum Vulgaris has taken action on behalf of our oceans ... both through Oceana and this POST. In it he offers a lot of important information ... and, he asks this question: "How clean is your conscience?"
Multiple choice question: Would you say that activism is 1) Fun, 2) A lot of hard work or 3) Like having your wisdom teeth pulled? Rewinn answered that question HERE. In his comments he also shared that, for those on Facebook, there is a site where readers can help various causes win funding ... check it out HERE.
Jessica's enthusiasm just bounces off the page. Her favorite store was recently bought out. The new corporation changed some of the Eco-friendly practices put into place by the previous owners. So Jessica is taking action. Want to know how? Check out this POST for exactly what she has done. Yay, Jessica!!
Our friend Lynn expresses a sentiment that I'm sure many of us feel: "Sometimes it seems scary to really take action and do something brave by speaking up and out." Will that stop her? Nope ... Lynn has accepted the challenge and posted it HERE.
The Shopping Charity gave us front page positions on two editions (HERE and HERE). One of these two editions contains an article from one of our Honor Society members. Was it you?
Other members of our Honor Society left thoughtful comments:
EcoGrrl takes action through the NRDC (you'll find the link in last week's post).
Ann wages a personal protest by refusing to buy coffee in "takeaway" cups.
Shane signs a lot of petitions and she recently signed up to be the Chair for the Environmental committee at the high school for 2011-2012. While she thinks this will be fun, she's a little overwhelmed. So let's give her a hand ... anyone have any tips on getting high-schoolers to get involved? I look forward to hearing more about this, Shane!
Nicki Woo is hunting down Styrofoam and plans to take action when she finds it. Yay, Nicki! Be sure to let us know how that activity turns out.
Most of us uphold our green ideals at home ... but when it comes to work it's a bit harder. But not for Alicia. She creates Eco-friendly products (there a link to her shop at the top of her blog). So, by her daily actions, she takes a stand and makes her voice heard. But that's not all she does. Check this out (in her words): " I have been asked if I would speak to a local mothers group of about 75 women on using eco friendly chemical free products. I am really looking forward to sharing with these women how each of us can make a difference and how by choosing products that are chemical free we are not only helping ourselves but the environment as well! We have over 51 retail locations that sell our products and some of them had never carried eco friendly products before. After educating them they have been thrilled to see how many people are choosing the "eco" products over the traditional chemical products. We also use our website and blog to educate people on how to reduce chemicals in their homes like making their own laundry detergent and wool dryer balls which can pretty much eliminate the need for chemicals in that area plus save a great deal of money! I also sign petitions and it has been years since we have ever used anything Styrofoam! As always such a great challenge!!" Yay, Alicia!! Please come back and let us know how your speech goes.
Lynn Fang likes the idea of writing letters and contacting business owners to elicit change. She used to sign petitions using some of the sites we listed but wonders if it's simply "armchair activism". What do you think ... is it? Do you think signing petitions works? Thanks, Lynn ... be sure to come back and let us know how your campaign works out.
Mandi stopped in and hopes to take some of the actions we've talked about. She has a brand new blog so if you have a moment, check it out! Thanks for dropping in, Mandi!
Great job everyone!! As always, if you wrote an article I have Stumbled, Tweeted and Facebooked it. And I'd sure appreciate your using the share button at the bottom of this post to do the same.
This week we're going to switch gears a bit ... it should be fun! Here you go ...
This week we'd like to hear about your proudest "green" achievement. Perhaps you started a compost for the first time or purchased organic food. Maybe you stopped driving a car or added solar panels to your home. It could be as small as carrying a reusable bag or as large as building an energy efficient home. Whatever your proudest Eco-friendly achievement is ... we want to know about it. Please leave details and tips/ideas so that we can all celebrate with you and perhaps try the activity ourselves.
Don't forget ... if you can improve upon this challenge, please "up the ante".
Until next time ...
WE'RE CHANGING THE WORLD ... ONE CHALLENGE AT A TIME!
CTWW is up and running on: http://eco-crap.blogspot.com/2011/06/change-world-wednesday-29th-june.html
ReplyDeleteOnce again, I have taken an 'outside-the-box' look at the challenge.
I can't believe I didn't tweet last weeks post...I have had some problems of late accessing Twitter, so it's possible and I forgot to return.
AV
My proudest "green" moments are those where I have influenced someone else. I started a TerraCycle program in our town about a year ago. A friend of mine knew about it, but was totally honest with me in saying that she just did not have time to save all of that. I never pushed or even made any comments. Just recently, she has started giving me her energy bar wrappers. She says that now she feels like she can't throw them away. YEAH!
ReplyDeleteWe are soooo super happy to be part of the #CTWW team! Thanks for including Tristin and Tyler's video with Friends of Animals! We love animals and we love the earth! We can all do a little more to help our future!
ReplyDelete* getting rid of my car over 3 years ago: saving $2500/yr per AAA estimates, burning 800 calories a day by bike commuting (and it taking the same amount of time as the city bus - plus quiet time for me to just think and breathe clean outdoor air), and simplifying what i do (staying more local, being more choosy in what i do, etc). i have a zipcar membership if i need it and can rent a car or take the train if i want to get out of town.
ReplyDelete* the other one is an overall reduction of consumption/waste-creation. today is 6/29 and i have two paper grocery bags of garbage - one being exclusively created by my annual summer party last weekend - for the month. being conscious of packaging, buying in bulk, avoiding convenience foods, utilizing all recycling facilities, and simply not choosing to put my money towards companies/products that create wasteful packaging (or one-time-use items) are some of the ways.
these are the two biggest things i've done that have changed my eco footprint :)
I have been accumulating green achievements over the years, and recently collected them all onto a resume. I was applying for the position of Energy Specialist with California Youth Energy Services. CYES trains youth to go into homes in their community and provide a free home energy and water efficiency assessment and install basic devices, like CFLs and lowflow showerheads to help the client save energy and money.
ReplyDeleteAll of those things I did in high school--help jumpstart my environmental club, serve on a bike/ped committee, write a green blog, and above all, have a passion and yearning to learn more about my environment and how to reduce my impact--led me to get the job! I posted about it yesterday, actually! Check it out for more information about what I will be doing.
what an exciting challenge. A difficult one, because no one likes to show off about themselves, but what a celebration of all we are doing. Thanks SF - my post will up in the morning :)
ReplyDeleteMy proudest moment has little to do with me. When I see my son and his friends acknowledge and identify different things that impact the environment I feel really good. They are gaining the awareness and knowledge to carry with them into the future. It is a great thing to experience and witness.
ReplyDeleteI did it!! I called my Senators! Posted about it here: http://lynnfang.com/2011/06/change-the-world-wednesday-become-an-activist/
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the inspiration!
My proudest green acheivment has been making changes that I can actually maintain. I try to make a lot of my own health/beauty products, I try to recycle, use re-usable bags, composting, and more. I think the biggest green change I have made is actually thinking about choices I make, instead of just makign decisions without putting any thought into how my decision affects our environment.
ReplyDeleteMy biggest green achievement was buying or making environmentally sound personal care & cleaning products for my home. It took a few years to make a full transition, but it was well worth it!
ReplyDeleteMine would be getting my Grandparents to recycle and having something to talk to them about. Also, my attempt at a veggie garden this year.
ReplyDeletehttp://outwardlypleasant.blogspot.com/2011/06/change-world-wednesday-proudest-green.html
http://www.clothdiaperingmama.com/2011/06/30/proud-green-hygiene-ctww/
ReplyDeletepost is up! I agree with the others...this was a fun one...I sort of like tooting my own horn...lol!
My largest green 'achievement' has been to work a bit less and take occasional (writing) sabbaticals.
ReplyDeleteAs a result I consume a lot less (no stress shopping), cook from fresh, grow some of my own food, have a much better overview of what I have in the house and more creative ideas for new and yummy dishes, so we hardly ever throw any food away.
Having more time also means that I can use public transport or walk to most places I need to go to, because I'm not constantly in a hurry.
Okay, I found my cause. There is a man who has started a new Lemondade Company. Boasting that is all natural and very yummy, which it is. He gives away free samples everyday at the volleyball court and football field where my kids play sports. I can't muster up the courage to tell him in person that there are better options to his styrofoam sample cups. So, I just found his website, and now I'm trying to think of a way to delicately, but plainly tell him that he could better market his product by being earth friendly. Any ideas?
ReplyDeleteHi Nicki, great cause and great question. I'd start by telling him that you really like his product and would like to continue buying it. Then I'd suggest, by simply saying "may I suggest ..." that he use something other than Styrofoam and list the reasons why. You could also suggest that he offer clients a choice of using his cups or having the drink in one of the customer's reusable containers ... that might help offset the cost of cups which aren't Styrofoam. Basically I just think about how I'd like people to suggest things to me ... and that's how I'd approach him. Any other ideas RF readers? Thanks for the question ... and do come back to let us know how it all goes.
ReplyDeletePhew! Well I've had my share proud green moments, but this one, for certain is my proudest.
ReplyDeletehttp://gogreenbeans.com
BUT, I couldn't have done it without you guys, so this proudest green achievement belongs to everybody from the #CTWW gang and fellow GreenBeans too!
Thank you guys so very much! <3
One of our proudest green moments was when we were able to eliminate all of the household chemical products we had been using for years. I make my own furniture polish, washing and dish detergents and we use wool dryer balls to dry our clothes which eliminates using chemical laden fabric softeners. My husband developed a soap scum bar which is so awesome at removing soap scum from the shower walls and it cleans the tub and sinks better than products like Ajax and Comet! We use pure organic essential oils for air freshener.Not only have we rid our home of household chemicals it is awesome knowing we have also eliminated all of the plastic containers they come in. The really big bonus is we are saving a lot of money each month!!
ReplyDelete@Nicki - in my experience, entrepreneurs *love* to hear from people. Good or bad, any feedback is helpful. And if your feedback comes with a solution to the issue they raise, well you have just been very very helpful to them. So go for it - don't worry too much about hurting their feelings because (although your concern does you great credit) entrepeneurs need to hear and WANT to hear what customers say.
ReplyDeleteDon't forget to mention that there are people like you and me who positively prefer to drink from anything but petrochem. I *love* it when a coffeeshop gives me a nickel off for bringing my own cup!
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While no-one likes to boast about themselves, I noticed that I blogged about some CTWW things. The pattern is, The Way Of Crafting - learning to response to a challenge by building a fix or an upgrade from existing materials, instead of buying it. It's fun - and it's mostly a matter of mental attitude! A few examples here