Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW) - Air Pollution

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 took on a huge challenge ... the health of our oceans. The fact is that our oceans are dying, not of natural causes but because we, mankind, abuse them. At this point you may be thinking that you live hundreds of miles from the ocean and, perhaps, have never even visited the coast. So how can your actions be affecting its health? Read on!

Pollution is responsible for depleting oxygen in large areas, resulting in dead zones where nothing can survive. Pollution enters the ocean in many ways: fertilizer run-off from farms (entering streams & rivers, ultimately entering the sea), oil spills from tankers transporting the oil which eventually ends up in your gas tank, and landfill trash (emptied in the oceans when land is no longer available). pH levels are changing because the ocean absorbs most of the carbon dioxide (CO2) in our atmosphere. That, in turn, threatens the life of marine animals. CO2 is generated by the burning of fossil fuels (oil to heat our homes, gas to run our cars, etc.), the manufacturing process (especially of materials like steel), and the breakdown of plastics, solvents, etc. Marine life is further stressed by rising water temperatures which is caused by climate change.

In each situation, it is human action which is causing the problem. So, last week, we committed to taking actions which would reduce our harmful impact on these vital bodies of water.

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 offers several tips in Change the World Wednesday, Protecting the Oceans. There was one which I thought was particularly interesting ... it has to do with leaves, twigs, and other organic matter in waterways.

In Change the World Wednesday – 2nd Apr, Argentum Vulgaris talks about plastic, over fishing, and why there is a lack of news about the conditions we face.

The Shopping Charity gave CTWW a headline spot. This edition mentions some of your articles from a previous challenge and some great content shared by the CTWW Gang members on twitter.

Plastic threatens the ocean in a large way. Cody wrote Change the World Wednesday - Protect our Oceans! and offers some very easy (and fun) ways to eliminate it from our life!

This edition of Sunflowers & Edibles included a bunch of our articles. Was yours one of them?

To help our oceans, Mrs. Green offers us 1 simple way to reduce toxic cleaning products. She says, "Oh, well my ego took a bashing there. I was kinda reading through going 'yeah, yeah' to myself, knowing all these is to know about marine life. But then I stopped and actually researched the effects of conventional cleaning products on the oceans and I took myself on a steep and not-too-pretty learning curve. Thanks for this opportunity SF and as a thank you, I'm sharing my favourite non-toxic, fish friendly, cleaning recipe which will put a smile on your face every time you use it!"

Deborah embraced our challenge and says, "In honor of our Protect the Ocean #CTWW challenge, I have written two posts this week also motivated by the deeply disturbing news about climate change and the resulting rising sea levels across the globe. At this rate, many land masses will be under the ocean in the not so distant future.The earth is warming. The evidence is clear. Climate change is the most catastrophic issue impacting our lives and the future of our planet.Our glaciers are melting. Sea levels are rising. We must dramatically reduce our carbon emissions and our ecological footprints now or the future of the earth is uncertain."Climate Change 2104: Impacts, Adaptation, Vulnerability: Findings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Control (IPCC) Report"
http://urbannaturale.com/climate-change-2014-impacts-adaptation-vulnerability-findings-from-the-ipcc-report/. The second post is
"Global Warming, Climate Change and Sea Level Rise: 8 YouTube Videos You Should Watch Now" - http://urbannaturale.com/global-warming-climate-change-and-sea-level-rise-8-you-tube-videos-you-should-watch-now/. Knowledge is power? We must ask ourselves, our families, our neighbors, our business leaders, our elected officials to take responsibility to protect future of our planet? We must ask ourselves and those around us: What are you doing to reduce carbon emissions and your carbon footprint every minute of every day? Reducing our footprint must become a way of life. We don't really have a choice. Our oceans are speaking to us. We need to listen."

Alicia also accepted our challenge and shares this, "Here in Tennessee we have lots of lakes and streams that a lot of wildlife live in and around and I have seen how trash especially plastic can be so detrimental. We also lived in California for a while and saw what trash can do to the ocean. It's terrible! We use reusable bags for our shopping and reusable bottles for our water. We make an awesome all natural organic household cleaner bar which I use all of the time as well as vinegar, soda and lemon juice. We don't eat meat but I usually cook fish one night out of the week because my husband and daughter really like it. It will be no problem to forgo it this week. I am pretty good to plan my trips to make them count since we live so far from town but am going to make a real effort to reduce them even more this week. Even though I know we have so many areas we can improve in but I also feel good about what we have accomplished in the past couple of years.We have pretty much eliminated all toxic chemical cleaning products from our home as well as toxic chemicals from our garden. Being Eco Friendly is always a work in progress here."

Katie stopped in and says, "I missed another week. Nonetheless, we are past vacations and first birthday party, so I will be getting back to my favorite CTWW challenges. This week's challenge is a little bit foreign to me in terms of the ocean pollution problem. I know, in general, what the issue is, but I need to do some more reading on it. Thank you for helping broaden my green horizons!"

How would marking a storm drain help the ocean? Donna tells us in Top 5 Ways You Can Prevent Marine Pollution.

Our Twitter friends joined the conversation and shared the following:

From @green_vibes
- Plastic trash harms our oceans & marine life. Switch to reusable bags & bottles for this weeks #CTWW ow.ly/i/56KHq

From @HerbGir1972
- thesustainablelife.tumblr.com Dead whale send message...Belly full of #Plastic
#CTWW #SaveTheOceans
- 22 Facts About Plastic Pollution (And 10 Things We Can Do About It) ift.tt/1lLGmV6

From @GiveTreeGifts
- Oceanic Society | Exploring and Protecting the Natural World http://t.co/0AhcZunYWr
- WWF Canada - Oceans in crisis http://t.co/WCdJk3WVOJ
- Saving the Ocean | Watch Online | PBS Video http://t.co/vMTsjrO91o
- Save Our Oceans | CoalitionWILD http://t.co/w8fnb5QWa5
- 10 Ways to Help Save the Ocean | One World One Ocean http://t.co/znaZ7Jsh8c
- 10 Things You Can Do to Save the Oceans http://t.co/f5ObcinEyb
- Why we protect our oceans Marine Conservation Institute http://t.co/edi6jCxdIH
- Living Oceans | Healthy Oceans. Healthy Communities. http://t.co/lPrbDHbxUa
- SOS Support Ocean Sanctuaries http://t.co/QSMpREGpNY
- Save Our Seas Foundation http://t.co/E8AXZaLy4X
- Ocean Ecosystem, it's what we need to understand and to protect. http://t.co/b4UJ6bBpKi

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	@89linz	@a_kiasi
@aussierichluck	@authorjayd	@barrydarrdixon
@beakunz	@beatepdx	@beckleecottage
@biggreenpen	@book_oftheday	@bstoneblog
@chargeenergy2	@ciparobv	@clubcontent
@collegegogreen	@conservationm	@counselorholley
@daft_crafts	@dazzanddapp	@debsmikdav1
@decor8yourlife2	@dehelen	@dominiquegoh
@eco_novice	@ecoexpert1	@ecomom_deforbes
@ecothrifty	@factorydpromos	@fallenfeathers1
@familybetty	@freshcleanersaz	@gatcreek1
@ginavalley	@givetreegifts	@green_vibes
@greensoil	@groovygreenlivi	@guayaba
@healthyvoyager	@herbgir1972	@hismerecry
@johncbader	@kaitlingarder	@kanelstrand
@kayelleallen	@kiser_krafts	@krmbalclothing
@laalicia	@lady_bren	@ladyjcmuses
@leadsafeamerica	@leslieveg	@lptwisterdx
@lu_and_ed	@magnushrm	@marikokoloco
@marjoriemcatee	@michaelinla3	@michellenbcla
@mimibarbour	@mizmeliz	@momfindsout
@museumoflitter	@nancylmeehan	@naturejunkiemi
@nerddreamer	@pamela_o_plays	@paperkarma
@pberk	@perithelabel	@pinecone_grove
@rachfmphillips	@rulesofgreen	@sensuouspromos
@shannongrissom	@shoppingcharity	@smanuel1123
@soulfullab	@sowandso	@spafloating
@strongloveblog1	@superbsolutions	@susanheaney
@theriverwanders	@theurbannatura1	@trashn2tees
@treesgroup	@turningclockbac	@variationsbaker
@violetsbuds	@wencdj	@whopaysthepiper
@whywelovegreen	@wrenmeyers	@zenfarmz

My Final Thoughts:

The health of the ocean affects us all, no matter where we live. The ocean regulates our temperatures and moderates carbon dioxide in our atmosphere. It provides food and medicine, and enables global trade. If it dies, every single person in the world will be negatively affected. In fact, losing the ocean may cost us our lives. It is serious! We must take action, now, to save what's left of this vital resource.

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:

In 2012, nearly one in eight
deaths (worldwide) were linked
to Air Pollution

I read a scary article recently. According to the World Health Organization, air pollution has become the world's single largest environmental health risk. It is linked to strokes, heart attacks, lung diseases, and cancer. Here's your challenge ...

This week, for at least one day, leave your car parked. Instead, walk or ride a bike.

OR ...

If you don't drive or can't do without your car, please choose other actions designed to reduce air pollution. Need some ideas? Avoid power tools (such as lawnmowers, weed whackers, leaf blowers, etc.) and use manual tools instead. Stop smoking! Choose water-based products (paints, solvents, etc.) instead of products which contain harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Avoid commercial indoor air fresheners. Drive smart (accelerate slowly, turn off the engine if the car is stopped for more than 30 seconds, combine errands for one trip, etc.). Reduce energy use (much of the world's energy is derived in ways which pollute ... think smoke stacks). Add house plants to your home. Plant a tree. Use natural, safe cleansers. Buy locally produced items (reduces transport pollution).

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

Want an easy way to keep up with our challenges?
Just add the banner below to your blog by
copying the code & pasting it into your site!

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Sneak Peek: How do you maintain your health? That's the question we'll ask tomorrow!

Until then ...

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

Posted at Small Footprint Fridays

What is happening ... by Argentum Vulgaris

One of the very first people to follow Reduce Footprints was my "bloggy" friend Argentum Vulgaris of Tomus Arcanum. Many of you know AV ... he is a generous blogger who seems to always have time to reply to comments and promote other blogs. He's a frequent visitor here and typically leaves thought-provoking remarks on the "subject du jour".

If you've never been to Tomus Arcanum (or the nine other blogs AV owns), you're missing out. When you arrive at his blog, the first thing you'll notice are these fun little figures that pop up on the screen. As the page loads, you'll find gadgets of every kind ... all interesting and fun to browse. Finally, you'll see the day's post. Here's where it gets real interesting ... his posts range from the beautiful ... to the funny ... to the shocking ... and sometimes to the disturbing, like when he talked about child brides in Yemen or about the slaughter of whales in Japan. He pulls no punches and tells it like he sees it. He is one of the most honest and direct bloggers you'll ever find. That being said ... there's one other thing that is absolutely true ... you'll always be entertained at his site.

AV has graciously agreed to write for us today. So ... sit back ... relax ... and enjoy:



I have been invited as a guest blogger, my immediate reaction was “great!”, but then the sobering thought, what’s a guest blogger arose.

Well, I soon discovered that a guest blogger is one elected who does a lot of work in a short space of time, considered a labour of love, and I am honoured to be considered worthy of performing such a task.

I have burbled for sometime about environmental issues on my various blogs. Ranted about how we, as a race, don’t care for our backyards and continue not to care ignoring all that is before us, telling us in no uncertain terms that we should be caring; and caring a lot. I am not the greatest environmentalist, rather just a man who has lived 57 years, I do a small bit in my own way at home; one to reduce costs and two, make use of things that I have already used. In the case of one, I am a spendthrift, I hate being conned out of one cent change and demand the letter of the law, then give me five cents; and in the case of two, I can’t see the use of buying tupperware when I have perfectly good margarine containers and jam jars to use; and as for buying dirt to go in my pot plants, I compost and make my own. So it all goes back to number one really, money!

Hence, I read Small Footprints, indeed, I even go back and re-read some parts. It is people like Small Footprints, who will eventually be the saviours of the planet; not individually (SF put your Spider Woman suit away – you’re not a super heroine yet), but you and those like you are all super people. I find some of the issues tackled by SF to be somewhat sobering, things we take for granted, things we throw away (and millions of others throw away too) that make it a problem a million times bigger than if it were just me.

Small footprints has given me the chance to write as a guest blogger, I am honoured that my past ranting has been read by at least one other person apart from myself. Thank you SF, so less ado and more do.


What is happening?

We are literally pissing on the planet and we have to stop!

Our planet, the little mudball we call home, is becoming untenable. We, us humans, have already used, destroyed and polluted most of it, the land, oceans, rivers and air; and we are not satisfied, now (and have been for years) we are even polluting space.

It has been common knowledge for years that we are damaging the place. If we were tennants in a building and treated it this way we would have been evicted years ago. Our God is a very tolerant landlord.

The story starts at the beginning. It is evident from paeleontological sites that early man was not a tidy beast, and we have continued to soil our environment ever since with due disregard for nature.


The major change came with the industrial revolution. The introduction of steam, to produce steam you burnt coal, burning coal produces smoke, a lot of smoke and a lot of waste. Money was the driving force, capitalism advanced shame-facedly, to the point where we are today. No heed was given to the tons of pollutants that we threw into the air at this time.


So with all that untidy history we have become a devil-may-care “throw-away” society. We use, we throw away and all this throwing-away accumulates. Not only accumulates, but accumulates exponentially, remember, with each passing year the Earth’s population increases, each year there are more people to throw stuff away. We are turning the Earth into a giant garbage dump. We are fast running out of space.

It doesn’t matter if we are talking plastic bags, disposable razors or toothbrushes (all of which SF has alluded to in past posts), we are throwing more and more stuff away. We have to seriously STOP and take stock of ourselves. It doesn’t matter if I am talking to you, your family, your community, suburb, city, country, or some giant global conglomerate. We have to STOP; and unless we do, we’ll be living in that garbage dump, and living in it very soon; perhaps within some of your lifetimes.

Everybody can start and contribute, yes, even YOU! We must start at the bottom, the top will always ignore the problem as long as money is involved. Education must start at home and the schools, for it is the new generation that will take the issue to the top. Only then will we begin to see the huge corporations sit up and take notice and we will see governments begin to accept their responsibilities, responsibilities shirked for so long.



Each of us must take time out and sit on the beach of life and look at the world and wonder. We had a beautiful planet, we can have that again, but it won’t happen by magic, it won’t happen by leaving it to the other person. We all need to take a personal responsibility, be we are all the owners of this world.

Would you let your child throw chicken bones on the lounge floor?

Because that’s what we are doing to the planet!


I'd like to give a big THANK YOU to AV for that wonderful post. And ... I'd like to suggest that each of you hop over to his site(s) and browse around.

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

How To Grow Your Own Air ...

A few years ago, one of my friends got sick at work. She felt dizzy and nauseous ... to the extent that she had to leave work and go home to bed. By the time she got home, she felt better. This happened frequently in the next few weeks so she went to the doctor. It turns out that the new building, which her group recently moved into, was pumping various chemicals through the air conditioning system ... straight into her lungs. And ... it was making her sick.

We are a climate-controlled society. As global warming creates extremes in temperatures, and as our society's practices create more pollution, we look to artificial means to provide the air we breathe. Unfortunately, these climate controlled environments carry their own problems ... including contaminated air.

Here is an interesting video about an easy way to create clean air:





Wasn't that fascinating? Now, in addition to growing our own fruits and vegetables ... we can grow our own clean air.

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

8 Quick "Green" Tips

Here are a few quick "green" tips:

1. When going to an ATM, "Pay at the Pump" gas station or Starbucks ... say "no" to a receipt. You'll save tons of paper.

2. Here's a great idea for towels, pillows, blankets, jackets and coats (even furs) that aren't in good enough shape to either use or donate to a thrift store ... donate them to an animal shelter or Humane Society. They'll use them for bedding, baths, etc.
   

3. Rather than defrosting food on the counter or using a microwave, plan ahead and defrost food in the refrigerator. It'll take a little longer ... but it will lower the temperature of the refrigerator and ... save energy. Brilliant!

4. Have a pair of shoes that are no longer wearable because of a hole in the bottom or a broken heel? Before rushing out to buy a new pair, take them to a shoe repair shop and see if they can be fixed. Often times, the fix will be far less expensive than a new pair of shoes and ... you'll keep one more item out of a landfill.

5. Receive and pay your bills online ... and, rather than print out the receipt or confirmation ... save it to a file where it will be accessible if you need it. You'll save time, a stamp and paper.

6. Get a few houseplants ... they'll clean up the air and decorate your home.

7. Rather than buy bagged vegetables from the grocery store ... buy whole vegetables. Bagged veggies, like salad mixes, are washed using ... yep ... you guessed it ... chlorine. Chlorine causes all kinds of environmental problems. If you'd like to read a good discussion about it, click HERE (towards the end of the article there is a discussion about bagged lettuce).

8. Spring is just around the corner and that means that birds who have wintered in warmer climates will be returning to nest. Help them along by building a bird house. If you have kids, invite them to participate ... it is a great way to get them interested in "green" activities.

What quick green tips do you have?

As always ... I'd love to hear from you!

Does it matter?

Recently, a reader asked "Are you optimistic about the future of the planet? About humankind's ability to fix the damage and take a greener path?" My initial thought was ... of course, every effort counts and we're making a difference. But then ... I began to really think about this and I wondered if that was the truth ... or if I just want it to be the truth.

In the fall I made a trip to Chicago ... it's a really nice city and has a lot going for it. Chicago has a wonderful mass transit system ... it's user friendly and convenient. Since parking is expensive and limited in the downtown area, walking is encouraged ... the sidewalks are wide and clean. Many establishments make use of revolving doors which have been proven to be energy efficient. On the other hand, the high rise buildings, across the street from where I stayed, left their lights and computers on all night. The Chicago River and Lake Michigan show signs of pollution ... as does the city in general. This isn't unique to Chicago but is a condition of most large cities.

In truth, the biggest threats to our environment are large companies and governments who won't make "green" changes.

But still ... there must be evidence that we're on the right path! So I went in search of it. Sadly, there isn't much. That may be because we are at the forefront of this effort and it simply takes time for things to change.

According to an article dated April 28, 2006 by the Environmental News Network, a report by the American Lung Association showed that there has been significant air quality improvement in the last decade. The report "found real improvement in air quality over much of the United States, due in part to reduced emissions from power plants." Researchers looked at the number of days deemed to have unhealthy air from 2002 to 2004, and compared it with the numbers from 1996 to 1998.

In an article dated January 23, 2008, a study was released that "indicated that water quality in the Egyptian segment of the River Nile improved considerably in the months of October and November 2007, giving rise to hopes that drinking water quality for many of Egypt’s 80 million people may improve. " This improvement came about by preventing industrial establishments from discharging their waste into the Nile.

So, there is hope. But what about our individual efforts ... do they matter? When we use environmentally friendly cleaning products in our homes and can breathe easier ... it matters. When we recognize a savings in the cost of water and energy or re-purpose an item instead of buying new ... it matters. And it matters, not only because of the immediate benefits we realize ... but because of the message we send. When we refuse to buy a product packaged in plastic we tell the manufacturers that it matters. When we vote for the candidate who seems to want cleaner fuel and sustainability, we tell the world that it matters. We have a voice and it can be heard through our actions. And let's face it ... as consumers, that voice is powerful.

My answer to the question is ... yes, I am optimistic about the future of the planet. I'm also confident about our individual efforts and their contribution to a better world. It may take awhile to see big results ... but they'll come. We just have to continue on the path!

On Monday, a guest author is going to share her thoughts on the subject ... I hope you'll stop by.

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