Wondering how to live greener? You've come to the right place. Each week we challenge ourselves to try a new task ... or "amp up" something we're already doing. We raise our awareness, learn from each other and develop Eco-friendly skills which will improve our lives and protect our planet. Doing so together gives us power ... the power to Change The World!
If this is your first visit, please click HERE for information and a complete list of all the challenges we've taken on so far.
This post contains great information and I encourage you to read through it at your leisure ... however, if you are short on time, you might find the following quick links helpful:
I loved our challenge last week. We put on our walking shoes and headed outside with a special emphasis on picking up litter. Our favorite path wanders along a river. While we found a few pieces of trash, there wasn't a lot (Yay). Looking for litter quickly became a habit and we began checking public spaces whenever we left the house ... parking lots, sidewalks, parks, etc. It was a fun week!
The Honor Society are those people who help us spread the "green" word by writing an article about our challenges and/or leaving pertinent comments.
Valerie gave us an update on our challenge to close the door. As you might remember, she commented that she and her family also make an effort to keep the doors to their home closed. I asked her if it was to save energy. Here's her reply: "We keep the house at a constant 73 degrees year round, so yeah the door-closing is to keep the air/heat from having to work harder (thus, reducing the electric bill!) :) "
Argentum Vulgaris took this activity to a new high! He not only picked up litter but he cleaned up after a neighbor's dog. Wow! Then he talked to the neighbor to find a solution to the problem. Read Change the World Wednesday – 19th Jun to find out how that went!
Lois said "I fear I will fail miserably this week. I did take a walk today, twice actually and found zero trash. Before I admit failure I will continue to look each day. You didn't say it had to be today, right?" She then followed up with Change the World Wednesday, nothing where she talks about her efforts. I don't know about you but after reading her post I felt that she was totally successful ... walking and not finding anything is a good thing!
Lisa talks about the many benefits of walking in Walking – It’s Good For the Planet and for You! She points out that it is a great way to meet your neighbors and discusses how it affects one's thinking and outlook.
Tiffany C joined us and shared this, "Taking a walk? That's right up my alley! We do it all the time. We have a pretty litter free area, but I definitely want to look into doing cleanups in other areas. The boys would like that too! Thanks for the push!" By the way, if you haven't visited Tristin and Tyler's Tales of the City lately, please do. My favorite Eco-kids are up to all kinds of new and interesting activities. If you have kids, bring them along ... it's a fun site!
Michelle A. gave CTWW a headline spot in this edition of The Green Daily. Other interesting articles include Parking? Lots! A case study of absurd and pernicious parking rules, New York City gets public solar-powered cellphone chargers and a sad piece about a dolphin that died after being manhandled by tourists.
Zoe stopped by and shared this about a previous challenge, "I try to keep the fridge shut as I am totally with you on that, but I do sometimes have to have a wrestling match with my 2 year old when he decides he wants to have a look in the fridge as he doesn't quite get that it isn't a good idea to leave the door open for long periods of time!"
The Shopping Charity gave CTWW a nice mention. Other stories include one about vaccinations for children, another about a keepsake cremation urn and one about how to avoid GMO foods. Quite a diverse paper!
Alicia went for a walk and reports back with this, "Our area is usually pretty clean out here in the country but I went for a walk the other day and was surprised to see quite a bit of small litter on the side of the road. Lets me know that I need to be more diligent to check it out better on my walks."
Our Twitter friends joined the conversation and shared the following:
From @givetreegifts
- Cycle or walk instead of driving ow.ly/mblji
- 10 reasons why you should walk instead of drive ow.ly/mblo4
- Walking, biking instead of driving offers significant health benefits ow.ly/mblzF
- Walking for Weight Loss: 4 Places to Walk to Instead of Driving ow.ly/mblH7
- Green Living FAQ: Why is it better to walk instead of drive? ow.ly/mblNS
From @counselorholley
- I'm in the mountains - walking & hiking everywhere! Great challenge!
From @soulfullab
- I live in a walk friendly neighborhood and love doing it. I too pick up bottles to recycle. Lots of litter bugs here!!
- Its ridiculous! Laguna Beach health conscious people leaving H2O and Kombucha bottles on ground!
The #CTWW Gang are those folks who tweet our challenges using the hashtag #CTWW. If you're a Twitter member, I recommend following them ... they share great things. Let's meet them:
My Final Thoughts:
I appreciate everyone who takes the time to pick up litter ... to clean up after others. It is my hope that this blog reaches people who neglect to dispose of trash properly and, perhaps, teaches them a better way. Littering is avoidable. By using designated bins, we protect our environment and show our respect for the world we live in.
Thanks, everyone! If you wrote an article, I Stumbled, Tweeted, Facebooked and posted it on Google +. You can help spread the "green" word by using the share features located below this post.
This Week's Challenge:
For green "newbies" reducing energy is easy ... they have many opportunities for improvement. For seasoned "greenies", it's tougher ... they have to search hard to uncover opportunities. Here's your challenge ...
This week, find at least one way to reduce energy use in your home. Need some ideas? If you have an incandescent light bulb, replace it with a LED or CFL. If your computer, modem and accessories are always on, try turning them off for a time. Try using table top appliances like a crock pot, toaster oven or steamer instead of your oven. If you use air conditioning or heat, try adjusting it by a couple of degrees. Unplug cell phone chargers, coffee makers or electronic docking stations. The goal is to take one step more to reduce energy use.
Can you accomplish this task? I know that you can!!
Until next time ...
WE'RE CHANGING THE WORLD ... ONE CHALLENGE AT A TIME!