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:
How was "National Ceiling Fan Day" for you? Our challenge asked that we turn off our air conditioning units and use, instead, ceiling fans and portable fans to keep comfortable. In my area the temperatures have been cool so this challenge wasn't tough at all. When it is hot in our area we avoid central cooling and use other methods ... we adjust curtains, use ceiling fans and even utilize vertical gardening to keep our apartment comfortable. I'd like to revisit this challenge during hot weather.
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.
Lois accepted the challenge with a slight twist: "I don't like a/c and am happy not to have it. I have one fan that takes care of my cooling needs. Although right now cooling isn't a problem, it's staying warm....yet I have not turned on the heat and will keep it off on the 18th." She also wrote Change the World Wednesday and a Book Review where she talks about efficient ways to stay cool (like being a "night owl") and reviews an interesting book entitled The Healthy Home.
Argentum Vulgaris is heading into spring and, anticipating the hot summer months in Brazil, offers his favorite way to stay cool. Want a hint? It involves a wet bed. Find out more about that in Change the World Wednesday – 18th Sept.
In Eco-friendly NCFD: #CTWW + #Giveaway Lunch Box, Amber gives us an update on the hair removal challenge, offers some tips for keeping comfortable without air conditioning and hosts a giveaway for a great lunch box. A lot going on at Amber's place.
EcoGrrl says "People spend $400/mo on heating? Where is this? How big is their house? I spend $40/mo on heat/hot water and I don't (nor do most in the NW) have A/C. Still blown away at how someone could be spending $500/mo on the combined, and that's not including water. Boggles the mind. (PS I have a ceiling fan in my living room by Modern Fan which I adore. I always wanted one in my bedroom but have nightmares if I'm lying below a fan, LOL) :) "
AvaReed shares this "Just bought a new wall fan, and will certainly let it rest for a whole day on the Thursday. It wouldn't hurt to be a part of the very first NCFD. ;) "
Alicia had this to say: "We have 6 ceiling fans in our home and we love using them. They make such a big difference!My husband a lot of the times turns off the air conditioner in the shop and uses a stand fan."
Melanie G accepted the challenge and says, " We prefer to use our ceiling fan whenever possible. When we do have our AC on, we keep it at 75* and will use fans to keep cool. A big glass of ice water helps too!"
CTWW got a headline spot in Tweets for Good. Other interesting topics include a post entitled Why It's Time to Ditch Your Office and another about Gazprom's arctic drilling.
CelloMom offers us a lot of great information: "Cold days: make yourself warm by moving around in the morning; that will keep your body warm all day, and allows you to lower the thermostat. Here's one way to warm yourself up, and be nice to your car at the same time: http://cellomomcars.blogspot.com/2011/12/keeping-up-pressure.html. Hot days: Sweat is not all bad. Consent to perspire, and you may emerge from the heat acne-free. Here's why: http://cellomomcars.blogspot.com/2012/07/temperature-control-sweat-vs-air.html."
Kristina had this to say, " It wouldn't be fair for me to take this challenge right now. It is that perfect time of year in New England when you don't need AC OR Heat! LOL. I know all too well how much AC (and heating systems) draw on our electric use, and we heat with gas! It's the fans themselves that drive our bills up. I keep setting out programmable thermostats higher/lower depending on the season to reduce the cost."
Sunflowers & Edibles mentioned a couple of CTWW articles ... was one of them yours?
Our Twitter friends joined the conversation and shared the following:
From @lindaackman
- Easy one...no central air...I have only 6 weekends of nice weather in Wisconsin & a Husband who feels the same way!!
- WINDOW'S OPEN & BRING IN THE BREEZE... Besides the Mold & Funk trapped & breeding in filtering units is deadly toxin ~ FACT
- You are making me feel like a "ROCK STAR" here... I am huge on Keep the Chemicals to yourself.. :) I even buy Organic soap
- TRUTH & FACT my friend ~ Hubby was raised in Miami & a little college time in Texas... He is 6 ft 6 inches & prefers WARM!
From @conservationm
- Always an honor to make this list. This #CTWW let's encourage more people to consider how OUR actions are impact OUR planet.
From @rulesofgreen
- Colder weather here but we are still not turning on the heater for this week's #CTWW challenge
From @pinkladyapril
- I'd be lost without our ceiling fans. We have 2 - in lounge & master bedroom. Air con is unusual in the UK & fans are fab...
- however now it's getting cold here we're trying to avoid putting the heating on so it's jumpers & woolly socks! :-)
From @givetreegifts
- We use ceiling fans all year round to help circulate warm or cool air
- On summer evenings, we open windows & screen doors to let cool air flow through the house from front to back w/ a fan to draw air in
- During summer daylight hours we keep the blinds drawn when we're out of the house or during peak sunshine hours.Â
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've said it before ... and you'll probably hear me say it again ... whenever something is convenient, the alarm in our head should go off. Convenience often comes at a high environmental cost. Turning on central air conditioning or heat is definitely easy to do and in minutes we are comfortable. But the cost is high. Finding alternate methods to stay comfortable may take a bit more effort but they help us walk gently on the earth. I think the effort is worthwhile! Do you agree?
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:
Autumn has arrived! Let's do a few "chores" this week. Here you go ...
This week head into the kitchen and give your refrigerator a little TLC (tender loving care):
- Vacuum the refrigerator coils to keep the compressor running efficiently.
- Check that the refrigerator is level ... the door should automatically swing shut instead of staying open.
- Check the seal on the refrigerator door ... try closing it on a piece of paper. If you can pull the paper out easily, it's time to replace the gaskets. Repeat this process at several spots along the door to ensure that the entire seal is working.
- Make sure that it is not over-full. Allowing room for cool air to circulate will keep everything at the right temperature.
Ready to take on this challenge ... and the cold months ahead? I know that you are!
Until next time ...
WE'RE CHANGING THE WORLD ... ONE CHALLENGE AT A TIME!