Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW) - Open Your Windows

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 was all about deforestation. It was an interesting challenge because it encouraged us to look at the origins of a product. For example, when folks dig into a juicy steak, they probably don't think about the acres of forested land which were cleared to open up grazing fields for cattle. Body care products, containing palm oil, don't come with information about the small farmer who cut down part of the rainforest in order to grow profitable palms. June's bride surely doesn't give a thought to the mining operations that provided her gold wedding band or the number of trees which were destroyed to make way for the mine. Here's the thing ... every product we buy has a beginning and when that beginning involves cutting down forests, we create a huge environmental problem. The solution is to avoid those items which contribute to deforestation. Once again, we see the power of our purchases.

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.

Avoiding Palm Oil seems easy enough ... just read the label, right? But are you aware of all the names it "hides" behind? Check out Protect the world’s tropical forests, a fabulous post by Vicality!

Lois joined us and shared this: "Fantastic challenge this week. I avoid as much of these products as I can. The only paper product left in my house is toilet paper which I buy 100% recycled. I don't buy beef, avoid all products with palm oil and the only soy product I eat is organic edamame."

Alicia accepted the challenge and, as she was in the market for furniture, completed the task beautifully. Here's what she had to say: "We have been looking for a few pieces of furniture for several specific places in our home. After looking at new furniture we discussed it and decided to go the Craig's list way. We got better quality, only had to drive just a few miles to get the pieces and really felt good about purchasing used instead of new. We have to buy paper for the labels on our products but buy recycled. Pretty much only buy beef a few times a year!"

Suzanne stopped by and shared this: "This is a wonderful challenge and I hope more people take part in it. Thank you for providing this information, and challenging all of us to rethink our air quality in our homes and how it got there. I'm going to pin this to my Pinterest board to show more people!"

Cheryl is feeling a little guilty. Why? Read on: "I've been spying a new sofa to replace one that is hand-me-down ugly (in my mind). The new one is at a thrift shop in town, which will get the old one, so that's a win-win for everybody (especially since they can deliver and pick-up all at once and their charity makes money on TWO sofas!) I feel guilty for having some steak for dinner last night. Arizona is beef country and it was two ounces leftover from a dinner last week. And we totally fall down on the aluminum part of this challenge. Diet coke is nearly mandatory in this household--Gil is diabetic, type 1. Every can goes to a recycler (depending on the market, $1 or more a pound--thirty cans worth). Yes, we could buy cola in plastic bottles, but those get recycled into grocery sacks which eventually can only get tossed into landfills while aluminum cans get recycled into same. Great challenge on all levels. Cheryl"

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:

@alisha1234m	@aussiemoose	@authors_secret
@beatepdx	@biggreenpen	@blockmomnc
@brokeblokeblogs	@bstoneblog	@collegegogreen
@croydongardener	@dieselelephants	@eco_novice
@eshuth455	@freshcleanersaz	@ginavalley
@greenageworld	@greengympenge	@greenqueenofmod
@gronavra	@groovygreenlivi	@herbgir1972
@innervationfit	@justanotherhat	@kaitlingarder
@kayelleallen	@laalicia	@lady_bren
@ladyjcmuses	@littlewing_13	@mamasmoney
@marjoriemcatee	@mdgblogger	@mimibarbour
@moha_doha	@momfindsout	@msmoreau_guid
@nolafusion	@pooja_y_jain	@potnall
@rainyofthedark	@rckweddings	@realityarts
@rochelleforrest	@ronchatterjee7	@rose_rambles
@rulesofgreen	@snickerdoo2	@spafloating
@sustyq	@theworld4realz	@tiffanywashko
@timhemlin	@treesgroup	@turkishtravel
@wary12	@wencdj	@wimpyvegetarian
@worldchangingme

My Final Thoughts:

Deforestation is a complex issue. While it may seem that it's simply about big corporate profit, there is a human side to the story. Whether it's the small farmer who grows profitable crops in order to feed his family or the miner who risks his health to make a living, the fact is that people benefit from deforestation. That human factor adds an emotional aspect to the situation. While we do need to find alternate ways for people to sustain themselves, we can't waiver on protecting the environment. After all, making a living won't mean much if we don't have clean air to breathe.

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:

May's theme is: Clean Air

Let the fresh air in!

Sometimes, green living is as easy as opening a window!



Here's your challenge ...

This week, open your windows and let fresh air in. Doing this blows out toxins and refreshes your environment.

OR ...

Visit AirNow to find out the quality of air in your community. Then, browse the site and review their tips for reducing pollution. If you live outside the US, check out the international link or search for your country's air quality database.

Are you ready to breathe deep? I know that you are!

Please join me in our mantra ...

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

Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW) - Deforestation

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's challenge was one of my favorites ... adding house plants to our indoor environment. Plants offer us so much ... they are beautiful, calming, and clean our air. While I don't use chemicals in my home, I learned something interesting this week ... citrus oils can contain approximately 90% limonene. Limonene is a terpene and terpenes react with ozone to form formaldehyde and other micro-particle pollutants. This seems more likely to happen during the warmer months. So, for those of us who like to add citrus essential oils to our cleaning solutions, it is possible that the oils may encourage the formation of toxins in our homes. This isn't something to be overly concerned about, especially since we probably use relatively low amounts of the oils. That said, it's a good practice to always open the windows when cleaning and add house plants to our homes.

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.

Lady JC joined us and shared this: "I have Mother in Law's tongue in our bedroom and I think I'll get a second air cleaning plant for the kitchen, which can produce harmful pollutants when cooking with gas. Thank you so much for the other plant suggestions. I didn't know about the Arecas or ferns! :) "

Even though Marla has house plants, she's ready to accept the challenge. Here are her comments: "I have about 4 spider plants in my home, 1 large piece lily, and a number of ivy plants, 2 aloe vera plants (which are also on NASA list as an air purifier). Gerber Daisy plants are a good air purifier but I don't have one but have wanted to buy one - so I will do that. Plants are also great to help your mood especially in the winter when the winter blues hit."

Andie stopped by and said this: "I used to have dozens of house plants before I had my own outdoor garden, but not for a number of years. Now I am inspired to fill my home with greenery again!"

Winsford Gardens brought us some interesting information: "A paper published last year in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied, [Vol 20(3), Sep 2014] concluded that employees were 15% more productive when workplaces are filled with just a few houseplants. 15% more productive employees is something that managers can only dream of. The devise bonuses, employee incentives, benefits, rewards, perks and motivational programs to increase productivity when all they really needed to do was to buy a few indoor plants!!!"

cstocks shared some information which is valuable to people suffering with asthma: "Great inspiration for just feeling good. I had been told a long time ago that spider plants are good for asthmatics. When my son had respiratory problems, and lived back east, they were nearly mandatory in the house. They're harder to grow here--inside or out--in the desert southwest. Yet, I try. It's the time of year that I move the houseplants out to our patio spaces, but I have a sansevieria in the bedroom, always--it grows under just about any condition. I'll get another! Or something else. I'll never argue with an excuse to "have" to buy a plant! What fun! And I've been rooting cuttings of coleus. It's great to have a plant and they are so colorful."

Does Morag have a quest for us? She sure does: "As one of our World Changers said when he completed our "CATCHING FREE RADICAL" challenge it's wonderful that plants beat chemicals when it comes to air quality. If you have done this #ctww then you have also done level 1 of this quest: http://worldchanging.me/building/catching-free-radicals/level-1. The second and third levels? To propagate more and then give them away! Go on - I know you know someone or somewhere (an office perhaps) that could do with more plants :) "

Alicia stopped by and shared this: "We have a five foot Ming Aralia and a seven foot ficus tree. Not only are they pretty but I know that they are helping our air quality. We had a really nice Phoenix Robellini palm that didn't do well inside winter before last. They are usually pretty hearty so I'm not sure what happened, After reading this I am sure ready for us to get a few more palms to have inside!"

Our Twitter friend, @GreenGymPenge, joined the conversation and shared the following:

-Plants in offices increase happiness and productivity http://t.co/uK0WIcaGWX via @shivmalik

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:

@alisha1234m	@beatepdx	@biggreenpen
@blockmomnc	@bstoneblog	@collegegogreen
@eshuth455	@freshcleanersaz	@ginavalley
@greenageworld	@greengympenge	@greenqueenofmod
@gronavra	@groovygreenlivi	@herbgir1972
@innervationfit	@justanotherhat	@kaitlingarder
@kayelleallen	@laalicia	@lady_bren
@ladyjcmuses	@marjoriemcatee	@mdgblogger
@mimibarbour	@moha_doha	@momfindsout
@msmoreau_guid	@nolafusion	@pooja_y_jain
@potnall	@rckweddings	@realityarts
@ronchatterjee7	@rose_rambles	@rulesofgreen
@snickerdoo2	@spafloating	@sustyq
@theworld4realz	@tiffanywashko	@timhemlin
@treesgroup	@turkishtravel	@wary12
@wencdj	@wimpyvegetarian	@worldchangingme

My Final Thoughts:

Adding a house plant to our indoor environment is an easy, effective way to clean our air. While one can spend a lot of money at a nursery, it isn't necessary. Plants can be propagated from cuttings, started from seeds, or shared from a mother plant which produces offspring. So ask a friend, or share with a friend. It's a fun way to ensure that we all improve the quality of our air.

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:

May's theme is: Clean Air

Rainforests improve
global air quality

Trees absorb carbon dioxide (CO2), using it for plant structure and function. They then return oxygen to the environment.

Unfortunately, forests throughout the world are in jeopardy.

Farmers are slashing and burning forests to grow lucrative crops like soy or to graze herds of beef. The slash and burn process not only removes oxygen-producing trees, but further contaminates the air when the stored CO2 is released. Smoke from fires also pollutes the air.

Areas, rich in gold, copper, and aluminum, are being cleared for mining.

Old-growth timber and rare hardwoods are being harvested for the manufacture of furniture.

Here's your challenge ...

This week, avoid products which contribute to deforestation such as palm oil, non-organic soy, and beef. Read labels to ensure that these products are not in the food you purchase. Avoid virgin paper products and opt for products with 100% post consumer recycled content ... or better yet, go paperless. If you're planning to buy furniture, consider pieces made from rubber, bamboo, or recycled materials rather than wood ... or buy used items. Avoid any products containing gold, copper, or aluminum.

Are you ready to protect forests? I know that you are!

Until next time ...

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

Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW) - Indoor plants

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 we jumped right into our month of clean air by asking that everyone stop smoking. I don't smoke, have never smoked, and don't allow smoking in my home. So I took on the second half of the challenge and looked through my home for possible pollutants. We use natural cleaners, avoid air fresheners, have no carpet, and use a cloth shower curtain. The one area which has concerned me is that our temporary home is equipped with a kerosene heater. It is possibly the dirtiest heater I've ever used. It emits a fine dust throughout our home which we breathe. Not good! Luckily, with the nicer weather, we aren't using it any longer and our new home will have radiant heat.

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.

Andie's comment shows the importance of this challenge. She said, "THANK YOU for this post. I am 60 and grew up on the east coast with a chain-smoking mother. It was bad at home, but worse confined in a car with all the windows rolled up. I was constantly ill with URIs—while in high school, my doctor believed I was a smoker though I never smoked and hated it. They had no clue about second-hand smoke in 1972. Once I moved out, I started to get better, but I have always had diminished lung capacity because of it. Even at the peak of fitness (speed walked 3+ miles a day, ideal wight, etc.) my lung capacity was not great. Today, it's not good at all; I worry about getting COPD. Second-hand smoke is damaging to everyone around. I am glad I live in a non-smoking city—Seattle. I have to do all I can to restrain myself from accosting people when I see them smoking in a car with children in it! We cannot spread this word enough!"

Morag accepted the challenge and offers several quests to help. Here are her comments: "Stopping smoking is sooo difficult (so difficult we made it into a 6 part quest!) but you can do it. It is possible to quit and stay being a non-smoker. If you are going to do the alternative #ctww challenge we have some possible quests you can do here: http://www.worldchanging.me/quest-tag/air-quality choose one or more off that list or if you want to up the anti challenge yourself to complete the World Changing Me Fresh Air Collection: http://www.worldchanging.me/collection/fresh-air 6 quests, one goal = fresh air :) " By the way, you'll find the "no smoking" quests here: http://www.worldchanging.me/quest-tag/smoking.

Marla joined us and shared this: "Smoking is something that I hate. First I am very allergic to cigarettes and reaction immediately to them but I also hate the idea that they not only affect the person smoking health but all those around you. I had a brother-in-law who died very young because smoking destroyed his lungs or he would probably be alive today. Smoking is so bad for children. I just encourage any one who smokes to please stop for your own sake and all those around you. As far as other changes I never use commercial air fresheners. I use baking soda with essential oils to purify odors. Don't have carpet any more in my house just a few rugs in front of doors to catch dirt. Most of my cleaners are DIY homemade from baking soda, peroxide, vinegar, orange peels. I never send anything to the dry cleaner. If I can't wash it I don't buy it. It a way of life for me because having MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivities) you learn fast as to what has toxic chemicals in it and you change everything around you as much as possible. Live healthy. Live green!"

Alicia stopped by and said this: "I was reading not to long ago that the air quality in homes a lot of times is worse that the the air quality outside! This is mostly from the products we use inside our homes and the chemicals we bring in on the bottoms of our shoes. One awesome thing to do is to take your shoes off before coming inside or leave them right inside the door. Pretty much get rid of anything that has fragrance listed in the ingredients and use products that contain essential oils instead.Web MD says that air fresheners emit 20 different VOC's including several that are listed as hazardous under U.S. federal laws! Lemons, soda, and vinegar are awesome cleaners and leave a fresh natural scent behind. It is not as hard as you might think to pretty much eliminate harmful chemicals from your home and improve your air quality DRAMATICALLY!! Just takes a little research and label reading."

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:

@aussiemoose	@authors_secret	@beatepdx
@collegegogreen	@debsmikdav1	@dehelen
@familyfocusblog	@freshcleanersaz	@garioncoyote
@greenageworld	@greengympenge	@greenqueenofmod
@gronavra	@groovygreenlivi	@herbgir1972
@justanotherhat	@kaitlingarder	@laalicia
@lady_bren	@ladyjcmuses	@london_020
@mamasmoney	@marbaird	@marjoriemcatee
@mdgblogger	@mimibarbour	@moha_doha
@momfindsout	@msmoreau_guid	@nolafusion
@rckweddings	@realityarts	@ronchatterjee7
@rulesofgreen	@snickerdoo2	@spafloating
@spookymrsgreen	@sustyq	@taralain
@thefreckledrose	@theworld4realz	@tiffanywashko
@timhemlin	@wary12	@wencdj
@wimpyvegetarian	@worldchangingme

My Final Thoughts:

Smoking is polluting. There's no way to get around it ... no justification ... plain and simple, it's pollution! It hurts everyone. Stopping can be tough but if we are truly concerned about our environment, then we need to stop polluting.

Thanks, everyone!

This Week's Challenge:

May's theme is: Clean Air

Aloe Vera helps remove
formaldehyde from indoor air

All plants help purify our air. Some, however, are super stars!

According to NASA's research, the Areca Palm Tree is the best air purifying plant. Boston Ferns remove formaldehyde, and English Ivy removes air-based mold. Chrysanthemums remove benzene, a harmful VOC compound.

Here's your challenge ...

This week, add one house plant to your living space. Try a Peace Lily, Rubber Plant, or Palm. Perhaps a spider plant or "Mother-In Law's Tongue". Any plant will improve indoor air quality so choose your favorite and breathe easy!

Are you ready to clean up your indoor air? I know that you are!

Until next time ...

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

Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW) - No Smoking

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

In April we celebrated the 2015 Year of the Soil by finding ways to protect this precious resource. We finished up the month with a challenge about green fertilizers, crops which are grown and then either mowed or turned under to nourish the soil. I visited our County Extension's website to find out which crops are suggested for my area and type of soil. Legumes, grains, and even radishes work well. Cover crops can go in right after harvesting vegetables, basically replacing spent plants with seeds. So, I'll be trying that out this year.

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.

Before we get started with your comments and posts, I'd like to share a request from Charlotte, a regular participant of CTWW. She's getting ready to have her first child and is asking for our help. Please read I Call for Assistance ... let's give her a helping hand!

I now return you to the Honor Society:

Marla joined us and left this comment: "I don't have an empty plot to try the green fertilizer but I always eat organic and/or local produce because its good for the planet and for our health. I want the very best for my family and for the earth."

Change The World Wednesday got a nice mention in this edition of the Hottest Writers on the Web. WhooHoo!

Amanda left this comment via Google+, "I just got out in the garden today, forgot how great it can feel!"

Alicia joined us and said this: "Alan's great grandfather, grandfather and father have all done this. So this is something we learned to do years ago. It really does make such a difference in the soil. We are also looking into wood chip gardening . It looks amazing and makes your soil so nutrient dense.
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/10/05/wood-chips-ground-cover.aspx
Also check out Back To Eden it is so informative. Love buying local organic food, it's the best way to go!!"

cstocks stopped by and shared this: "Here in the desert, the non-garden spaces are going into hibernation and the veggie garden is all planted out. I"m going to have to actually (ack!) buy some vegetables this week--making a big pot of chili (the recipe I use is vegetarian) to put up for summer (so we can rely on some hearty meals without heating up the kitchen). Celery, carrots, onions and corn are all heavy soil feeders, none of which I've had any luck with in my yard, yet, so I'll be buying organic."

Last week Charlie asked for some advice. In response to our answers, she said, "Thank you so much!".

Morag shared some wonderful information with us: "I like to plant Phacelia as a green manure on bare ground that I won't be planting up for veggies for a while. It's a nitrogen fixer and grows on most soil types. The bees love the light blue flowers too. Thinking of fertilisers now is a great time (northern hemisphere) to start nettle and comfrey liquid feed "teas" for your plants. Comfrey for flowers/fruits and nettles for leafy greens (comfrey has more potassium, nettles more nitrogen). Two buckets (one for each) packed with the leaves of the plant then add water let it stand for a week or so then dilute as necessary (do a web search for exact quantities and times) then water or spray onto plants. Keep an eye on those buckets though both mixtures tend to smell a lot once they get going. Natural fertilisers are a great way to help you go organic http://www.worldchanging.me/food/organic-stuffed/level-1 with your growing food quests http://www.worldchanging.me/education-and-culture/growing-steady/level-1."

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	@adam_gainer	@almosttruth
@aussiemoose	@beatepdx	@beckbromfl
@bestrawesome	@bluebadgerltd	@brokeblokeblogs
@bromleyfl	@cainandbeer	@chrysalisdesign
@collegegogreen	@debsmikdav1	@dehelen
@dominiquegoh	@ecofairiesclean	@eshuth455
@familyfocusblog	@freshcleanersaz	@ginavalley
@givelocal15	@grandmasdiaries	@greenageworld
@greengympenge	@gronavra	@groovygreenlivi
@healthyvoyager	@herbgir1972	@innercitygarden
@justanotherhat	@kaitlingarder	@kayelleallen
@krmbalclothing	@laalicia	@lady_bren
@ladyjcmuses	@langleyfilmbox	@letgogracefully
@lkaybayareagirl	@london_020	@lsjromance
@marjoriemcatee	@martha_bourke	@mdgblogger
@mimibarbour	@momfindsout	@momsmadhousex6
@msmoreau_guid	@mzazeela	@nolafusion
@rainyofthedark	@rckweddings	@realityarts
@ronchatterjee7	@rose_rambles	@rosehipsmedlars
@rulesofgreen	@shopwhatpops	@shopwhatpops1
@spafloating	@spookymrsgreen	@sustyq
@taralain	@thefreckledrose	@theresekraemer
@theworld4realz	@ticlme	@tiffanywashko
@timhemlin	@treesgroup	@turningclockbac
@wary12	@wellminded	@wimpyvegetarian
@worldchangingme

My Final Thoughts:

Soil is basic to food production. It is a finely-balanced ecosystem which, when protected, can help feed the world. Unfortunately, many of today's gardening practices destroy soil structure and the micro-organisms that call it home. The good news is that it is within our power to protect this precious resource. It is within our power and it is our responsibility. Let's step up and accept the challenge!

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:

May's theme is: Clean Air

Cigarette smoke is one of the main
causes of indoor air pollution

This month we'll be investigating ways to improve air quality, both indoors and out.

Here's a disturbing fact: The EPA estimates that secondhand smoke causes approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths and 37,000 heart disease deaths in nonsmokers each year.* Read that again ... they are talking about risk to NONsmokers.

Secondhand smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals-- 200 are poisons and at least 69 cause cancer and other diseases.*

Let's tackle this pollutant!

Here's your challenge ...

This week, Stop Smoking! You'll improve your health, the health of those around you, and air quality! If you can't end this addiction, please reduce the amount you smoke and smoke outside, away from others.

OR ...

If you don't smoke ... congratulations! Your challenge, this week, is to evaluate your home for other indoor air pollutants and make plans to eliminate them. For example, do you have carpets or plastic shower curtains? Both contribute to poor air quality. Do you have your clothing dry cleaned? That's also a big polluter. Consider your heating (oil and kerosene heaters compromise your air). What kinds of cleaning solutions are in your home? Do you use plug-in air fresheners which spray harmful chemicals into the room? Once you've identified the problem areas, find safe, Eco-friendly alternatives.

Are you ready to breathe easy this week? I know that you are!

Until next time ...

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

*Information gathered from the Clean Air Council.

Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW) - Green Fertilizer

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 we considered no-till gardening. I learned a lot about the dangers of disturbing the soil and discovered many methods for gardening in a gentler fashion. One of the more fascinating methods is called Hugelkultur, which is basically planting over buried logs. It's one of the most unique raised beds that I've ever seen. Most of the no-till gardens have a surprising benefit ... once they are established, they are easy to maintain and require less work than common methods. The week gave me a lot to think about and I'll be reading further with the goal of incorporating these methods into our gardening routine.

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.

Alicia's soil is full of clay. Here's what she's done to improve conditions: "Our dirt has a lot of clay in it so we have had to till for the past several years. We have added good nutrients to the soil and lots of compost so it is getting better. This season we have noticed that we are not having to till as much and the dirt is so much more "fluffy" We love buying local veggies and fruits. Alan and our daughter still like to have cheese every so often and I have just discovered a local farm that produces some awesome hormone and antibiotic free cheese. There is also a local farm that has pickles, jams, jellies, relishes and honey. It is all so far superior to what you buy at the grocery. Awesome food and supporting local farmers is the way to go!!!! "

Teresa left a comment, in google+, about Vicality's article on mulch. The article said that commercial mulches often include dyes. Here's what she had to say: "I have often wondered about that myself. I guess some people want a coordinated look. I like the natural look myself. All of ours is from the trees we lost last winter's ice storm."

The Family Focus Blog mentioned our challenge on their Rebel Mouse page and included the twitter names of several #CTWW Gang members.

Marla accepted the challenge and shared this: "We have a new produce store opening this coming Saturday that is less than a mile from my house that grows all their own food that is local and grown organically. I can't wait to go see what great greens and tasty veggies they will be selling. I have been waiting for this store to open for over a year and next door to them is a local nursery that will be opening and a bakery. I am almost out of all my frozen local veggies from last year and too early for my own to be producing yet."

Charlie joined us and left this comment: "We always buy local and/or organic whenever it's avaible. It tastes so much better! Hubby set me up with a garen last weekend. It's not raised like our old one was so he did till up the grass. He added soil that I would not have chosen but nothing I can do about that. I was just thankful he had the time to do it at all. I bought seeds where he was trying to save me some trouble and bought a few plants. This time I want to see things grow from a seed plus, our daughter will love that too. I would like to know how the ground cover works with seeds and plants. When I planted mint last year it over took everything I planted so I don't understand how it can be used. Any advice?"

In reply, I said this: "Hi Charlie. Mint is very invasive so yeah, it doesn't work well with other plants. There are some ground covers, though, that aren't so aggressive and can be grown successfully with other plants. I've even heard that one can simply spread apart the leaves and plant seeds. Here's an article which might help: http://gardening.about.com/od/vegetable1/tp/Using-Ground-Covers-in-Vegetable-Gardens.htm Hope that helps!"

cstocks stopped by and shared this: " Funny that the tilling thing is today. Today is Earth Day, but more importantly for me, today is tilling day. Good old hoeing, gleaning the weeds out and getting ready to plant some more tomatoes, peppers, basil...Nothing mechanical happens in this veggie garden; it's all a manual operation. (And builds strong bodies better than Wonder bread!)"

cstocks also had a reply to Charlie: "May I add some thoughts for Charlie? Mints can be quite invasive and dominate a garden (and are especially threatening to seed/lings). Instead of growing directly into the garden, try planting it in pathways (thymes do well this way, too, between path stones). Foot traffic will keep it clipped. And it smells awesome! Or instead of direct planting in the garden, put it in a big pot and keep the pot in the garden area. It will keep mint contained, pardon the pun.

Aimee joined us and shared this: "We have raised beds and use the lasagna method for the base of them and square foot for certain plants within them. We don't do any type of double digging (we've heard both good and bad things about it, as described here: http://www.rodalesorganiclife.com/garden/double-digging-why-do-it) so we just build up for our food gardens. Didn't see last week's post on mulch but we have ChipDrop.in here in Portland where gardeners can list what they want and arborists can dump their woodchips from tree jobs at those spots for free (saves them the cost of paying to get rid of them)...pretty rad :) "

Charlotte dropped by and shared this: "I like the thought of a do not disturb sign for the soil or why not the whole garden :) Let the garden be peaceful and living from soil to the top of the trees. Great challenge as always!" On google+ I asked if people would like to join our challenge. Charlotte replied, "I sure do :) And today I learned two new things: no-till gardening and the double-dig method. Thank you!"

Clare left a comment via Google+. She said, "Farmers have been tilling for so long it requires a complete mindset change. But it is SO worthwhile not to till. Planting intelligently is definitely the way to go! Thanks for a great challenge"

Penge Green Gym wrote an excellent article about mulching. In Mulches and Mulching in #WinsfordGardens a #CTWW Weekly Challenge you'll learn about using wood chips, leaf mould, and even gravel to care for your garden.

The The artists Daily shared one of your posts, which I tweeted about. Was it yours?

Our Twitter friend, @WorldChangingMe, joined the conversation and shared the following:

- Created a raised bed to do square footprint x row gardening for this weeks #ctww #growingsteady worldchanging.me/education-and-… #growyourownfood

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	@adam_gainer	@aussiemoose
@beatepdx	@beckbromfl	@bestrawesome
@bluebadgerltd	@brokeblokeblogs	@bromleyfl
@cainandbeer	@chrysalisdesign	@collegegogreen
@debsmikdav1	@dehelen	@ecofairiesclean
@familyfocusblog	@freshcleanersaz	@ginavalley
@givelocal15	@greengympenge	@gronavra
@groovygreenlivi	@herbgir1972	@justanotherhat
@kaitlingarder	@kayelleallen	@krmbalclothing
@lady_bren	@ladyjcmuses	@letgogracefully
@lkaybayareagirl	@london_020	@marjoriemcatee
@martha_bourke	@mdgblogger	@mimibarbour
@momsmadhousex6	@mzazeela	@nolafusion
@rainyofthedark	@rckweddings	@realityarts
@ronchatterjee7	@rose_rambles	@rosehipsmedlars
@rulesofgreen	@shopwhatpops	@spafloating
@sustyq	@thefreckledrose	@theresekraemer
@theworld4realz	@ticlme	@tiffanywashko
@treesgroup	@turningclockbac	@wary12
@wellminded	@worldchangingme

My Final Thoughts:

Take a look at nature. Everything grows, and grows well. The forest doesn't depend on tilling or perfectly groomed beds ... it produces, year after year, using a well-balanced system. No-till gardening brings us one step closer to the perfect growing methods of nature. It's good for the earth and good for us. Perfect!

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:

April's theme is: 2015 Year of the Soil

Oats make a great "green manure"

Did you know that common, commercial fertilizers (synthetic nitrogen-phosphorus-potassium blends) harm the soil?

Healthy soil is a living, breathing environment. Microorganisms help create good soil structure, deliver nutrients to plants, and even help deter pests in a garden. Synthetic fertilizers kill microorganisms by destroying their cell walls.

The same factors which promote faster, and larger, plant growth, cause imbalances in the soil environment. This opens the door to weeds, pests, compaction, and unhealthy plants.

Is there a better way to fertilize? Absolutely!

Here's your challenge ...

This week, investigate green fertilizer (green manure) for use in your home garden. Green fertilizers are basically any crop grown to be turned into, or cut down to lay on top of, the ground for the purpose of adding organic matter and nutrients to the soil. Some examples are oats, buckwheat, clover, and even leftover seeds. Once a crop is harvested, green manure can be planted. After about a month, it is ready to turn under or cut. If you have an empty plot, green fertilizers can be used to prepare the area for future planting or simply to protect the soil. To get advice on the best crops to plant for your area and needs, contact your county extension (just search the term "??? County Extension", replacing the ??? with your county).

OR ...

Since organic farming typically makes use of green fertilizers, commit to buying organic foods this week.

Are you ready to investigate the wonderful world of green manure? I know that you are!

Until next time ...

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

Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW) - No Till Gardening

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 our challenge asked us to prevent soil erosion by adding mulch and ground cover to our gardens. My home is surrounded by deciduous trees so we have a good supply of leaves which we use to mulch our garden. We also planted ground cover to further hold our soil in place. I was particularly fascinated by the number of perennial plants which are edible. Thyme, strawberries, mint, and American cranberries are just a few of the many, delicious ground covers available.

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.

Marla had some great ideas for us: "We have a lot steep banks that I we have slowly been planted ground cover on. We have planted ivy which is great because it is very tolerate to temperatures and pest resistance but it does grow fast so you have to keep it trimmed. I do love it though - it looks really nice. We also have planted Juniper (which is an evergreen) that makes a great ground cover. Phlox is another great choice that blooms with a glory of beautiful bright colors ranging from different shades of pink, lavender to white. It is absolutely gorgeous in the springtime. Ours should soon be blooming very soon. It spreads each year. I also have use butterfly bushes to help with erosion and they are always a pleasure with the lovely butterflies they attract. They come up every year more beautiful than before. I have recently discovered perennial geraniums that spread quite quickly and just transplanted some to another one of our banks. They also bloom throughout most of the summer into early fall and are very hearty. I have used daylilies too and I love the many beautiful colors and sizes of this striking and weather resistance flowers. They are easy to transplant and I just planted about 5 new petite size bulbs last week for ground cover. They get bigger and have more blooms every year. We also have used stepping stones and small gardening ornamental stones to fill in in small areas that stops erosion and looks very attractive. We have just added some old bricks to some areas last summer to hold the soil and arrange them in different shapes and forms. There are so many great ways to help erosion while beautifying your home. Just use a little imagination and work. It will pay off so that we don't lose valuable soil. It has worked for me."

Alicia accepted the challenge and shared this: "We use mulch which also helps in keeping the soil more moist which really comes in handy especially during drier times in the Summer. We also like planting things like turnip greens in the Fall. It is a great ground cover and you have food also! Alan also edges our gardens which helps keep the soil from eroding. I always love the challenge of not eating meat. It really is easy to do and can help so much. Just imagine if we would all just not eat meat even once a week what a HUGE difference it would make!!"

cstocks is way ahead of us: "I'm almost done applying mulch! Last year I mulched all of our fruit trees and in August a flood washed it all away. It ended up in neighbors yards, so hopefully it was not a total lost cause. So... try as I might again this year. I mulched all of the fruit trees PLUS some more areas that have not before--a new grape arbor and a kitchen herb garden (sing along now: parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme!) plus some areas that had been grass, which we want to turn into garden areas. I read (somewhere) that shredded newspaper covered with sheets of corrugated paper act to suppress weeds, so I suppose that constitutes a mulch. We put that down in the paths in the vegetable garden and it will eventually break down. We have quite a bit from a recent move and keeping it out of landfill (though we would recycle it, it's a 20-mile trip to the transfer station...one less gallon of gas to put in the car). We're acutely aware of preserving our water resources; no part of our yard gets water unless it's for creating food. Mulch helps to retain necessary moisture (especially in summer with single digit humidity). Since I was doing it anyway, it's not fair to accept this challenge, so, I'll have to go meatless!"

Charlotte joined us and said: "Ground cover and mulch - interesting challenge!"

Did you know that some commercial mulches contain artificial dyes? That's just one of the interesting facts included in Mulch now to rescue your gardens by Vicality!

Our Twitter friends joined the conversation and shared the following:

From @WorldChangingMe
- Mulched the raspberries! #ctww

From @rose_rambles
- I plan to plant this native Australian violet as ground cover in place of grass - for this week's #CTWW challenge. pic.twitter.com/XIw3KUu7eo

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	@arithatcher	@beatepdx
@bestrawesome	@brokeblokeblogs	@collegegogreen
@debsmikdav1	@dehelen	@dominiquegoh
@ecofairiesclean	@efoodpyramid	@familyfocusblog
@freshcleanersaz	@ginavalley	@givelocal15
@grandmasdiaries	@greektitan_mov	@greengympenge
@greenqueenofmod	@gronavra	@groovygreenlivi
@herbgir1972	@ifarmlight	@islayhijk
@jen_fontaine	@kaitlingarder	@kayelleallen
@krmbalclothing	@laalicia	@ladyjcmuses
@leslieveg	@letgogracefully	@littlewing_13
@london_020	@marjoriemcatee	@martha_bourke
@mdgblogger	@memorialgrdnscg	@mimibarbour
@momfindsout	@mommyhiker	@motheremu
@myzerowaste	@mzazeela	@nolafusion
@nomadictexan	@organicgpodcast	@outdoorfammag
@rckweddings	@realityarts	@rose_rambles
@rosehipsmedlars	@rulesofgreen	@shoppingcharity
@shopwhatpops	@signsbyrhonda	@spafloating
@spookymrsgreen	@sustyq	@tcvgreengym
@tgilbt	@thefreckledrose	@theworld4realz
@ticlme	@treesgroup	@turningclockbac
@wary12	@wellminded	@williambllp
@wimpyvegetarian	@worldchangingme

My Final Thoughts:

We've been working, all month, to protect our soil. Mulching and ground covers are two easy ways to do that. Considering the important roll which soil plays in food production, it only seems to make sense that we treat this amazing resource with respect and care. To any doubters "out there", I say ... just take a look back in history, to the 1930s and the "dust bowl". Taking the soil for granted caused people to lose their homes and struggle to feed their families. Food production, throughout the entire country, was negatively affected. It all could have been prevented! Let's learn from their mistakes and never repeat them!

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:

April's theme is: 2015 Year of the Soil

Tilling the soil fatally buries
beneficial organisms

Tilling damages and exposes earthworms.

It also releases CO2 into the air and destroys soil structure.

Here's your challenge ...

This week, consider using the "no till" method of gardening. Basically, avoid inverting the soil and tread lightly, or not at all, on your planting area. Some ideas to try include raised vegetable gardens, "lasagna" gardening, straw bale gardening, and square foot gardening. If you have a new garden area, start with the double-dig method followed by the addition of soil amendments such as compost. The idea, this week, is to disturb the soil as little as possible when planting.

OR ...

Not into gardening? There are still actions which you can take to help the soil. Since large commercial farms (the guys who provide produce to most grocery store chains) are more likely to till, support local, organic farmers this week. Buy veggies from a farmer's market or a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm. Consider preserves (jams, canned foods, etc.) which were made locally using local foods.

Are you ready to hang a "do not disturb" sign on the soil? I know that you are!

Until next time ...

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