Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW) - Protect The Ocean

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 got our cameras out and took photos of the things we're trying to protect by living green. There were so many wonderful images submitted. They truly speak for themselves. So ... rather than give you a recap of each post, I'm going to simply share some of the photos. Read on, though, because after the images, I'll list comments and links to CTWW articles (which contain more inspirational images).






Wasn't that wonderful?

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.

Here are the articles written this week:

Change the World Wednesday – 26th Mar
Red and Save the world: take your rubbish home
Shopping Charity
Change the World Wednesday
What Do I Want to Protect?

Here are the additional comments:

From Lois: "I've got snow and ice outside so not going to have much to photograph today. I recently watched a new episode of Cosmos where they discussed DNA and how even the plants and trees have the same DNA we do, just arranged differently than ours. It reinforced to me that we are all connected on this plant. What would I photograph today? My field, the animals that share the space with us, the lake , the monarch butterflies, the bees.....Last summer we found our first praying mantis which was a sign that we are doing something good in the field as I hear they are a sign of a healthy eco system."

From Katie: "Great challenge! I know what I'm going to write about! :) I'm kicking myself for missing the last 2 weeks of challenges. Been a hectic time around the household with birthdays, vacation, people passing, people getting sick. Enjoying time in the Smoky Mountains this week."

From Alicia: "Living in the country makes us aware of the land around us and how we can work at protecting it. Our neighbors have horses, cows, chickens and dogs. The cows and horses eat the grass and have to have hay in the Winter months so it is so important that there is not a lot of chemical sprays and fertilizes put on the grass or the plants that the animals will eat.. We try and make sure anything we use on all of our gardens is organic and not harmful. We know that pesticide sprays can travel in the air.There are so many all natural ways to kill insects and garden pests and we have even found that using vinegar will kill the weeds around our driveway! So many organic ways to protect our environment if we just take the time to find out."

From Melanie: "This week's challenge was to photograph what you are trying to protect. For me the answer was easy. I want to do what I can to make the world better for my family. I want them to have safe food, air, and water. I want my daughter to learn to be a responsible citizen, respect the environment and be able to see all its wonders."

Our Twitter friends joined the conversation and shared the following:

From @HerbGir1972
- Happy #CTWW fb.me/1IjcCyr3V
- use less fossil fuels. Try to combine errands & make only one trip. #SensibleShopping
- Making 1 trip into town to complete errands, saves time, money, gas, lessens emmissions. Could Carpool with a friend & Save More
- OK #CTWW Change The World Wednesday Reduce Emmissions. Park in a mid-central position & walk to your shopping destinations #FitShopping

From @ProAmUSA
- Great tweet for #CTWW RT @Stage32online: The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now. –Chinese Proverb

From @VioletsBuds
- What are some #ecofriendly actions you take? @UniqCreationbyT wrote a blog post about her #green actions http://t.co/kRCR8ctlgY #eco #ctww
- i meant to share for last week's #CTWW that I switched to @NatureJunkieMI unsponges for cleaning & I love them!

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:

@89linz	@a_kiasi	@ali__dent
@allnaturalkatie	@almosttruth	@amcconsolidated
@amitv_tweets	@aussierichluck	@authorjayd
@barrydarrdixon	@beakunz	@beatepdx
@beckleecottage	@biculturalmama	@biggreenpen
@bike2power	@book_oftheday	@bstoneblog
@carinaatan	@cellomomoncars	@chargeenergy2
@clothaddicts	@collegegogreen	@conservationm
@counselorholley	@crazykids6	@debsmikdav1
@decor8yourlife2	@dehelen	@dieselelephants
@drifterjournals	@eco_novice	@ecoexpert1
@ecomom_deforbes	@ecothrifty	@ecwrites
@fallenfeathers1	@familybetty	@familyfocusblog
@freshcleanersaz	@ginavalley	@givetreegifts
@goodblogposts6	@graceonline	@green_vibes
@greeningforward	@groovygreenlivi	@guayaba
@hardknoxfirst	@healthfulmama	@herbgir1972
@jaydauthor	@jnjgogreen	@judithglynn
@juliagillmor	@kaitlingarder	@kitlane
@krmbalclothing	@laalicia	@ladyladuke
@lorcadamon	@loridennisinc	@lschreurs
@lu_and_ed	@magnushrm	@mamapoolecooks
@marikokoloco	@marjoriemcatee	@michaelinla3
@mimibarbour	@mindfulmomma	@momfindsout
@momgamerwriter	@mommacuisine	@museumoflitter
@newtonjose	@officialcwerner	@ourfavadventure
@pamela_o_plays	@paperkarma	@pberk
@perithelabel	@pinecone_grove	@pinkladyapril
@proamusa	@rachfmphillips	@rckweddings
@realityarts	@robpolka	@rulesofgreen
@ruralmoms	@sayhaytomeg	@sensuouspromos
@shannongrissom	@shoppingcharity@yfnjman	@smanuel1123
@soulfullab	@sowandso	@spafloating
@susanheaney	@theriverwanders	@theworld4realz
@treesgroup	@turningclockbac	@uniqcreationbyt
@violetsbuds	@wencdj	@wheeliesmom
@yfnjman	@yourorganiclife	@zenfarmz

My Final Thoughts:

The beauty of photography is that it helps us see the complex world around us. When we start looking, we realize that there is much to protect ... a beautiful flower, a bird, the grass which grows along the street. They are all precious and worth our effort. Living green has the power to protect the things we love and ensure that they will survive for generations to come. Snap a photo of what you love and be reminded of why we embrace an Eco-friendly life.

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:

Our oceans need help!

The recent search for Malaysia Flight 370 has brought to light a serious environmental problem ... our oceans are full of trash. In fact, the amount of garbage floating in the sea, has hampered search operations in the Indian Ocean.

Most of us aren't able to assist in the search and rescue operations. We are, however, able to take actions to help our oceans. Here's your challenge ...

This week, begin by educating yourself on the ocean. Do a google search using the words "protect the ocean" and read some of the articles which come up. Visit the Marine Conservation Institute or NOAA for information.

THEN ...

Choose one (or more) of the following activities:

• Say NO to plastic, especially plastic bottles and bags. The world's largest "landfill" is floating in the North Pacific Ocean and consists of plastic.
• Contact your state officials and encourage them to vote against off-shore drilling.
• Walk, ride a bike, or take public transportation this week. If you must drive, drive less.
• Maintain your car and fix any leaks (oil on the pavement gets washed into storms drains and ultimately finds its way to the ocean). Never toss used oil down the drain.
• Avoid fish and seafood this week. If you must eat it, make sustainable and healthy choices (look for the Marine Stewardship Council label to ensure that it is sustainable and environmentally friendly).
• Take part in a beach clean-up.
• Eliminate the use of toxic chemicals in your home.
• Avoid the use of herbicides and pesticides.
• Scoop pet waste. Letting it sit on the lawn means that it will enter our waterways.
• Stay off the water. If you must boat, do so responsibly (don't toss things into the water and use a human-powered boat rather than a gas-powered version).
• Dispose of all trash properly and pick up litter if you see it.

This week is all about protecting our oceans. Are you with me? I know that you are!

Sneak Peek: We're going shopping on Friday ... and you're invited!

Until then ...

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

This post is shared at Healthy, Happy, Green & Natural Party Hop

Blog Action Day - Water

Today is Blog Action Day. From the Blog Action site: "Blog Action Day is an annual event held every October 15 that unites the world’s bloggers in posting about the same issue on the same day with the aim of sparking a global discussion and driving collective action."

In supportive of this movement, I've updated a post I originally published over two years ago. I think it's still applicable.

A Brilliant Smile

Every morning when I stumble into the bathroom and brush my teeth, my only concern is waking up (oh to be able to run back to a warm, comfortable bed). I don't think about the fact that my toothbrush is made of plastic or that in a lifetime, most people will go through over 1000 toothbrushes. Nor do I think about the fact that 50 million pounds of toothbrushes end up in US landfills each year.

Plastic toothbrushes in landfills are, all by themselves, a concern. Plastic anything in a landfill is a real problem. But there's more. Did you know that every year approximately 14 billion pounds of trash are dumped into the ocean ... a large percentage of which is plastic? In an article entitled "Trashed", Captain Charles Moore of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation states, "... I now believe plastic debris to be the most common surface feature of the world's oceans. Because 40 percent of the oceans are classified as subtropical gyres, a fourth of the planet's surface area has become an accumulator of floating plastic debris."

Walk any beach and you're sure to see some plastic. Go out on a boat and you'll probably see some floating plastic. But, besides being an unsightly mess, what are the consequences of plastic in our oceans? Plastic is not biodegradable. It does, however, break down physically ... to very small particles. We're talking the size of a fish egg ... and even particles as small as the diameter of a human hair. These tiny particles of plastic persist in our environment for years ... maybe forever.

Perhaps at this point you're saying ... well ... so what ... it's now the size of sand. But guess what ... fish are consuming it ... and it's lethal. And ... there is now a real concern that it's getting into our food chain. Remember the warning awhile back about putting plastic water bottles in the freezer and how toxins leach out of the plastic into the water causing all kinds of health problems? Well ... those toxins are now leaching out into the ocean waters ... and into marine animals ... and plants ... and into our diets. Definitely not good!

So how does all this relate to my toothbrush? Well, plastic ends up in the oceans in many different ways. Recreational boaters, merchant ships, the military, garbage barges and our sewer systems all contribute. Some of the biggest culprits are plastic manufacturers. They use small plastic pellets in their manufacturing process and a lot of these pellets have been found in ocean waters.

So here's how it all relates to my toothbrush. If I don't buy plastic toothbrushes (demand), the manufacturers won't make as many of them (supply) which means they'll require less plastic pellets which means that there will be less opportunity for those pellets to find their way to the ocean. Whew ... we got there!

All of this is to say ... there is a better way. Instead of buying the standard plastic toothbrush, buy an Eco-friendly version from a health store. One can also buy them online through a company called Preserve. Another idea ... buy a toothbrush with a replaceable head ... yes, it's made of plastic but the body is reusable ... for a long time ... and much less plastic will get tossed out every 3 months (the recommended amount of time after which one should replace their toothbrush).

Who knew that being mindful with a toothbrush could help the world's oceans? Now that's cause for a brilliant smile!

Kicking the habit ...

How are you doing with the current Change The World Wednesday challenge? Good? Bad? Struggling?

Since plastic bags seem to be such a part of life in our society, kicking the habit may be tough. So ... here are a couple of videos to help us along.









With most green living tips, we say Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. But when it comes to plastic bags, we need to say "no thanks".

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

Buyer Beware!

In July, when I began this blog, I wrote a post on plastic bags (you can read that post HERE). Reusable bags are one of the mainstays of living a green life ... right along such basics as replacing light bulbs with energy efficient versions and lowering the thermostat by 5 degrees.

In the beginning, not many people carried reusable bags into the store ... but now it is very common to see people with their giant totes carrying groceries to their cars. It has become so common, in fact, that companies want in on the "green" action and reusable bags with a store's logo or an advertiser's slogan are popping up all over.

The same thing is happening with reusable water bottles. They have become trendy and the perfect medium for advertising.

Unfortunately, these products are being made out of fresh plastic ... not recycled soda bottles ... not sustainable materials ... not earth friendly. Manufacturers will boast that their product is made out of polypropylene and tell you that polypropylene is easy to recycle and totally earth friendly. But it is plastic ... a by-product of oil refining processes. Yes, it can be recycled but the recycling process degrades the plastic's properties and recycling is difficult and expensive. That means that much of it will end up in our landfills and oceans.

So today's tip is easy ... be sure to find out what those reusable totes and water bottles are made of. If it's fresh, virgin plastic ... just say no. Choose, instead, bags made out of recycled or sustainable materials and stainless steel water bottles.

I'd like to leave you with the following video. It is the reality of plastics in our world.




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

Friday Film Fest

I hope you enjoy the following videos:















Have a wonderful weekend!

A Brilliant Smile

Every morning when I stumble into the bathroom and brush my teeth, my only concern is waking up (oh to be able to run back to a warm, comfortable bed). I don't think about the fact that my toothbrush is made of plastic or that in a lifetime, most people will go through over 1000 toothbrushes. Nor do I think about the fact that 50 million pounds of toothbrushes end up in US landfills each year.

Plastic toothbrushes in landfills are, all by themselves, a concern. Plastic anything in a landfill is a real problem. But there's more. Did you know that every year approximately 14 billion pounds of trash are dumped into the ocean ... a large percentage of which is plastic? In an article entitled "Trashed", Captain Charles Moore of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation states, "... I now believe plastic debris to be the most common surface feature of the world's oceans. Because 40 percent of the oceans are classified as subtropical gyres, a fourth of the planet's surface area has become an accumulator of floating plastic debris."

Walk any beach and you're sure to see some plastic. Go out on a boat and you'll probably see some floating plastic. But, besides being an unsightly mess, what are the consequences of plastic in our oceans? Plastic is not biodegradable. It does, however, break down physically ... to very small particles. We're talking the size of a fish egg ... and even particles as small as the diameter of a human hair. These tiny particles of plastic persist in our environment for years ... maybe forever.

Perhaps at this point you're saying ... well ... so what ... it's now the size of sand. But guess what ... fish are consuming it ... and it's lethal. And ... there is now a real concern that it's getting into our food chain. Remember the warning awhile back about putting plastic water bottles in the freezer and how toxins leach out of the plastic into the water causing all kinds of health problems? Well ... those toxins are now leaching out into the ocean waters ... and into marine animals ... and plants ... and into our diets. Definitely not good!

So how does all this relate to my toothbrush? Well, plastic ends up in the oceans in many different ways. Recreational boaters, merchant ships, the military, garbage barges and our sewer systems all contribute. Some of the biggest culprits are plastic manufacturers. They use small plastic pellets in their manufacturing process and a lot of these pellets have been found in ocean waters.

So here's how it all relates to my toothbrush. If I don't buy plastic toothbrushes (demand), the manufacturers won't make as many of them (supply) which means they'll require less plastic pellets which means that there will be less opportunity for those pellets to find their way to the ocean. Whew ... we got there!

All of this is to say ... there is a better way. Instead of buying the standard plastic toothbrush, buy an Eco-friendly version from a health store. One can also buy them online through a company called Recyline. Another idea ... buy a toothbrush with a replaceable head ... yes, it's made of plastic but the body is reusable ... for a long time ... and much less plastic will get tossed out every 3 months (the recommended amount of time after which one should replace their toothbrush).

Who knew that being mindful with a toothbrush could help the world's oceans? Now that's cause for a brilliant smile!

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