Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW) - Small Things

Welcome to Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW)!

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:

• The #CTWW Gang
• The Honor Society
• My Final Thoughts on Our Last Challenge
• This Week's Challenge

Last week proved that green living is often about making a small change. We fine tuned our computers to make our monitors run more efficiently. I have a laptop which runs on a rechargeable battery. Resetting my power saver settings, by just a little, had grand results. My battery lasted most of the day rather than just a couple of hours. That means that I recharged it far less often and saved electricity. Even if your computer comes with pre-set power saver settings, you can save a lot by adjusting them just a bit.

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.

Argentum Vulgaris was out watching nature last week. He found a creature which took him some time to identify. It's beautiful! He also shared his technique for saving energy via the computer monitor. You'll find all that, and more, by clicking HERE.

One of our previous challenges discussed needs versus wants. Laurel wrote an interesting post about travel and whether it's necessary or not. Her conclusions might surprise you. That post is entitled "Travel: Is It a Want or a Need?". She also wrote Monitor, What’s a Monitor? You might want to bookmark that post because it could come in handy for this week's challenge.

Lisa joined us and said this: "Thanks for featuring my post! Another great challenge this week. Simple steps make a difference!"

Mrs. Green accepted our challenge and shared this: "I'm so excited about this challenge SF, because it just goes to prove how EASY being green can be. This is the simplest challenge for anyone to take part, for sure! I'm having a little brag about the desktop I have - I bought it earlier this year and am so pleased with some of its eco credentials ;) http://littlegreenblog.com/green-technology/energy-saving/how-being-a-dimwit-can-save-you-money/." Wow, Mrs. Green ... your new computer is awesomely green!

Clare has no problem with her monitor but knows some folks who do: "Done (I'm a bit obsessive about it) but I've forwarded the challenge to my hubby and friends - perhaps someone other than me can change their minds! :-) Thanks Small!" So I'm curious, Clare ... did your husband and friends make a change?

This edition of Shopping Charity included my tweet of a CTWW article. Was it yours?

Marc Zazeela stopped by and kicked this challenge up a notch. He said, "How about reading a book instead of a monitor? Books don't use any power at all. And they don't break if you drop them."

Mary accepted the challenge and said this: "This is a great challenge! It's simple enough to lower your screen's brightness a few notches! Thanks for sharing this!"

Our Twitter friends joined the conversation and shared the following:

From @GiveTreeGifts
- I adjusted screen tone on my monitor long ago - both to save my eyes and to save power.

From @artysmith2
- Wednesday's #quote "The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do." Unknown

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:

@2kidsandacoupon	@allcollegeplan	@almosttruth
@andreaptak	@artbysandra	@artysmith2
@aussiemoose	@backyardforest	@bananagrabber3
@beatepdx	@bethcooperart	@biculturalmama
@bulla_adriano	@cannyhighlander	@cellomomoncars
@charismayoonyh	@climately	@climately_news
@climatelycheryl	@clothaddicts	@collegegogreen
@comusetravels	@corneliagracchi	@csevenm_uk
@debsmikdav1	@dieselelephants	@disssnippets
@ecoexpert1	@emmywinnermoses	@etsyrecyclersgt
@factorydpromos	@familyfocusblog	@fleurdeb
@foggybottomgal	@forloveofadog	@freshcleanersaz
@geisheker	@ginavalley	@givetreegifts
@goldforestgrain	@greenglobaltrvl	@greenqueenofmod
@groovygreenlivi	@herbgir1972	@homesustainable
@indiapaleale35	@justanotherhat	@kaitlingarder
@kayhahn1	@kindlesgalore	@kriswetherbee
@krmbalclothing	@laalicia	@ladyjcmuses
@laurelhounslow	@looseseal27	@luthienthye
@marjoriemcatee	@momsmadhousex6	@myzerowaste
@mzazeela	@nolafusion	@parker83591697
@rainbojangles	@ramradasukonsar	@rckweddings
@realityarts	@romerojewelers	@sfcouncil
@sjoecable	@solaradvocate69	@solarkoala16
@solarkoalatweet	@spafloating	@suppressthis
@sxycowgirl	@tamlanding	@theworld4realz
@treesgroup	@turningclockbac	@tweetformoolah
@uasource	@urban_mining	@wasteeguru
@wastejobs	@wencdj	@whopaysthepiper

My Final Thoughts:

Changing the power settings on our computers took mere minutes to accomplish. While there was a potential for each of us to conserve a little energy, there was a huge potential if a whole bunch of us make the change. There are two lessons here. 1) Small actions make a difference and 2) together we can have a huge positive impact. Pretty good return on a small investment of time.

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:

Straws = A lot of waste

Last week we saw how a small thing can make a difference.

So how many more little actions could we take to live greener?

That's the question ... and the challenge. Here you go ...

This week, search your life for a small difference you can make. Need some ideas? Try these:

• Don't use a disposable straw ... either drink directly from a glass or use a reusable straw.
• Use one less square of toilet paper per visit. Some CTWW participants use no more than 6 squares ... can you do better?
• Turn off a light, or appliance, which you normally leave on.
• Add a living plant to your home and improve air quality.
• Go meatless for at least one day this week.
• If you're used to taking baths, take a shower instead. And if you're used to showers, reduce the duration of yours by at least one minute.

The idea, this week, is to dig real deep and do one more small thing which you're not already doing ... or to amp up something which you are doing (like eat vegan if you're already eating vegetarian).

Are you ready to search out the small things? I know that you are!

Until next time ...

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

The Power of Perception

In our last SURVEY we asked: "In 10 years do you believe that the country, which you live in, will be implementing more environmental policies?" The majority of participants, 47%, said yes ... 35% said they didn't know ... and 17% answered no. As I thought about the answers and read the comments, it occurred to me that it's all about perception ... and our perceptions are based on fact, right? Or are they?

What if it's the other way around ... what if fact is actually driven by perception?

Consider this ... when we perceive that the economy is getting stronger, we may go out to dinner a little more often ... or take a vacation ... or buy that special something for the home. Spending a little more of our money does, indeed, improve the economy. Conversely, if we believe that things are getting worse, we hang onto our money. And sure enough, the economy gets worse.

Here's another example ... you wake up, look in the mirror, and think that you look great. You head off to work and your confidence shines causing everyone you meet to smile and respond to you in a positive way. On another day, the image in the mirror isn't exuding confidence ... and the people you meet throughout the day seem distant and angry.

In both of these examples, the process started with perception. The perception may have been based on some fact but, more than likely, it was simply how we saw things in that moment. How we saw things, however, caused our actions ... and those actions resulted in facts.

This isn't a new revelation. Advertisers and politicians know that what we believe motivates us. So they spend a lot of time and money to create perceptions which will have favorable results.

What if we apply that same idea to the environment?

When our perception is that our country is taking the environment seriously, we become encouraged and kick up our green-living efforts. We want to be part of the movement. We begin to feel that our efforts matter so we do more ... and we talk more about what we're doing ... and companies (aka special interest groups) hear us ... and politicians hear them. The result is that our perceptions actually drive the government to take action ... and the result is positive environmental change.

Okay ... so now we understand that our perception causes things to happen ... and our perception is changeable. So, the next question is how can we create a collective perception ... the belief that the earth is getting healthier, and thereby make it happen? In my opinion, we can do so by encouraging each other ... by talking about our efforts and how they are making our lives better. When we hold fast to our green commitments, we show others that we believe our efforts matter. The more we say it ... the more others begin to believe it. And when we all believe it, our actions make it happen.

Perception = action = fact. Believe that things are getting better and our actions will make it so!

How will you create a positive environmental perception?

Power ...

In past posts, I've written about the power we have as consumers. With every dollar we spend, we send a message ... we want certain items and would rather pass on others. In recent years, the public's spending habits have sent a strong message that environmentally friendly products and services are preferred. We've been willing to spend money on, for example, non-toxic cleansers and not so willing to buy cleansers that hurt our health and that of the environment. So manufacturers and retailers have listened ... and today, there are more healthy, "green" options, for us as consumers, than ever before.

Our spending habits are not, however, the only powerful tool we have at our disposal. We have our words ... spoken, written and shared.

Last year, after attending our local state fair, I wrote to the organizers, encouraging them to make this family friendly event a more earth-friendly event. I suggested that they provide recycle bins and ask food and drink vendors not to use Styrofoam containers. I also suggested that they provide more vegetarian food options since meatless meals are an excellent way to walk a little gentler on the earth. I posted about my opinions, I tweeted about them and I asked others to let their thoughts and opinions be heard. They did! This year, there were considerable improvements to the fair. I didn't see any Styrofoam, there were more vegetarian options available and receptacles for cans and bottles were provided. Yay!

Another example of the power of our words happened to me recently ... and while it may initially seem like a non-environmental issue, bear with me and I'll explain. I have a DSL Internet connection. It was working fine and then, all of a sudden, it began going down each day in the afternoon. I called my provider's help line and, after going through a standardized list of tests, was told that I had a bad modem. So, we purchased a new one ... and still had problems. I called the help line again ... and, after going through the same list of tests, was told my router was bad. So, we purchased a new one ... and still had problems. I called again and .... yes ... after the same list of tests was told that there was nothing they could do for me. What?? This is a large, well-known company ... and they were washing their hands of me. So, in total frustration, I got on Twitter and talked about it. Within two hours, I was being contacted by people who could actually help me. Within one day, the problem (a disconnected wire at the main box) was fixed. So, how does this relate to the environment? Well, we purchased devices that were probably unnecessary and buying more stuff means more stuff is manufactured which means more natural resources are used. To buy these devices we had to drive to a store (unnecessary fuel consumption). In the end, it was my words that generated a resolution.

The moral of this post is that our words have power. When we use them to draw attention to the environmental problems we face, good things happen. We can write posts, tweet or use facebook to draw attention to our concerns and encourage others to make a positive difference. We can also let our voice be heard through petitions on such sites as Care2 (for an excellent article on why online petitions work, click HERE).


The first step in making a change is awareness and education. We, as a society and particularly on this blog, have spent a lot of time becoming aware and learning about environmental issues. Now it's time to take action ... to flex our environmental muscle.

As always ... I would love to hear from you!

Every action has a consequence ...

A couple of days ago, we went for a walk in a state park. At the entrance to one of the trails a sign had been posted informing hikers to "bee" aware. It went on to say that at this time of year, some varieties of bees nest in or near the ground and if a hiker mistakenly steps on the nest or disturbs it, a sting is likely.

A little further down the trail, a cicada sang loudly ... it sounded like it was on the ground. I had never actually seen a cicada, so we searched around and sure enough ... there it was ... on the ground ... singing and moving around. Curious (and wanting a better look), we picked it up ... and when we did, a bee flew off. Evidently the bee had stung the cicada, hoping for a meal ... but in our curiosity, we interrupted the process. The bee didn't get his lunch and the cicada died for nothing.

Later, at home, we sat on the patio (a small space) and noticed all kinds of dramas taking place. Two hummingbirds were chasing each other around the feeder ... a wasp was trapped in a spider's web, struggling to get away as the spider patiently waited nearby ... a mother sparrow was feeding a youngster who was big enough to feed itself but still wanted "mom" to do it while nearby a chipmunk was busy stuffing his cheeks full of seeds ... an ant laboriously carried a shell from a sunflower seed to an unknown location. Little dramas were being played out everywhere.

Each of these rather small events made me realize, once again, that our actions make a difference. We hear about the big actions ... removing wolves from an area and upsetting the balance of animal life or introducing a foreign plant to an area only to have it choke out the native plants ... but we don't often hear, or think about the little actions. Things like stepping on a bee's nest and destroying their world ... or letting our curiosity interrupt the natural life/death cycle of a bee and cicada. We don't really think about how killing a bunch of wasps changes the whole scheme of things or spraying ants destroys their world.

Everything we do has a consequence! Living an environmentally friendly life means understanding that fact and thinking about the consequences of our actions ... all of our actions, both big and small. It's not just using natural cleansers and recycling ... it's about paying attention to what we destroy when we leave the footpath and walk on plants ... or what we change when we try to free a struggling bug in a spider's web.

Today is a holiday in the U.S. Many people will be out enjoying the last unofficial weekend of summer. We're going to go and have a picnic in the forest. But this time, I'll walk gently and think about my actions.

As always ... I would love to hear from you!