Change The World Wednesday (#CTWW) - August is Tree Check Month

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 mended ... clothing, furniture, etc. I typically set aside clothing items which need fixing and then do them all at once. This challenge prompted me to get out the needle and thread ... and repair. "Art" got in the act as well ... the soles on his favorite pair of work boots were pulling away from the boot. So, he grabbed some glue and repaired them. Fixing broken items is part of our life. If we've purchased things that we like, then it makes sense to fix them when they need it and continue liking them.

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.

Have you ever had one flip-flop fail? Seems a waste to toss them both. Argentum Vulgaris has a solution and, in Change the World Wednesday – 6th Aug, he explains how one can "extend the life of two pairs of flip flops by almost the life of a single pair". Intriguing, right?

Katie says that prevention is the key to extending the life of clothing. In 5 Ways to Extend Life of Clothing [#CTWW] she offers some great tips and ideas! A previous challenge on batteries came at a perfect time for Katie. She was updating her emergency kit and found some "dead" alkaline batteries. So she got busy and learned what to do with them. Read Proper Alkaline Battery Disposal [#CTWW] for more information.

How many dog toys does your pet go through? Have you ever considered mending them? Andrea has! In Rescuing Dog-Toy Plushies she shares a simple technique to repair torn toys. In Put a Shine on Your Shoes she gives an old pair of shoes a second life. And finally, Andrea recommends this post: Basic Hand Stitches ... it's a useful tutorial for any kind of hand sewing.

Alica regularly mends clothing so she offered us some advice for extending their life: "We do this on a regular basis! One great way to extend the life of your clothing is by hanging them up to dry instead of putting them in the dryer.Spring, Summer and a few weeks in the Fall you can hang your clothes outside and they dry quite quickly. In the Winter months we have a designated area that we hang our shirts, blouses and few other things but have to use the dryer for the others. Also your challenge a while back about not washing your clothes as often is another great way to extend their life. When you have worn something and really haven't gotten it dirty, hang it up and wear it again before washing. Both of these suggestions will also save money and energy! When buying clothes at the mall or at your favorite thrift shop look for all cotton and well made clothing because they will last so much longer than clothes made with cheaper fabrics. Using a homemade laundry detergent made from Borax and washing soda is much more gentle than using a harsh chemical based laundry detergent."

JC accepted the challenge and shares this: "This comes at the perfect time. We just started using our very first energy efficient washer and dryer and even though they can use up a lot of electricity, they can also help us live greener by allowing us to go paperless (tissues, paper towels, etc) and helping us to take better care of our clothes so they last longer. That being said, there's an awful lot of mending to do. We had a rather large amount of clothes because we only really go to the laundromat about once every three weeks. That allowed us to just keep going through them and not fix the things that needed repair. Now I've just gone through everything after I did about 150 pounds of laundry and made three piles: recycling, donation and repair. So to fulfill the challenge I will repair two items from the third pile this week and then we'll have some refurbished clothing to use once again or donate locally or to http://thechildrensfellowship.org/about-usacf/. Question, in terms of renewing, what is the best and eco friendliest way to dye a garment?"

This edition of Help Recycle Today Daily gave CTWW a nice mention. I found other interesting articles in that paper including one about DIY detergent. Check it out!

The Shopping Charity gave CTWW a headline spot. WhooHoo! Be sure to read the important article about bone marrow donation ... it could save a life!

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

-Soap & softener residue can be damaging to clothing as well as your washer & dryer. I use white vinegar instead of commercial softener
-When I buy a new article of clothing, I reinforce buttons & hems immediately. This helps eliminate the loss of buttons or fallen hems
-I find that I can extend the life of my clothes & conserve energy by air drying or line drying.

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	@a_kiasi
@allnaturalkatie	@andreaptak	@artbysandra
@bargainsfinder	@biggreenpen	@bstoneblog
@camillescharms	@chrisluce87	@collegegogreen
@crazykids6	@daft_crafts	@dieselelephants
@ecoexpert1	@foggybottomgal	@freshcleanersaz
@givetreegifts	@green_vibes	@greencwru
@greenqueenofmod	@groovygreenlivi	@helprecycle_com
@herbgir1972	@javamazon	@johnlundin
@kaitlingarder	@laalicia	@ladyjcmuses
@ladyreaderstuff	@lorcadamon	@marjoriemcatee
@plasticfreetues	@rainyofthedark	@rantravewrite
@realityarts	@shannongrissom	@shoppingcharity
@spafloating	@sunnybeads1	@survivalimpact
@terenceflyntz	@theearthnetwork	@theworld4realz
@treadmyownpath	@treesgroup	@violetsbuds
@wasteeguru	@wastejobs	@whopaysthepiper

My Final Thoughts:

Repairing, or mending, makes sense. It prolongs the usefulness of an item, saves us money, and reduces the amount of stuff in our landfills. It also reduces the requirement for newly manufactured products. That, in turn, reduces the need for raw materials. As with many green-living ideas, mending is a small act with far-reaching benefits. Who knew that darning a sock could change the world!

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:

This beetle has led to the loss
of more than 110,000 trees in the U.S.

Have you heard of the Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB)? It is an invasive bug which destroys trees. Feeding on 13 different genera of hardwood trees, and eventually killing them, the beetle threatens entire forests. According to the USDA, trees in all US states are at risk. Trees in Canada, Trinidad, Austria, France, Germany, Italy, and the UK are also at risk.

Once a tree is infected, it must be destroyed. Early detection is the only way to protect our trees. August has been designated as Tree Check Month.

Here's your challenge ...

This week take 10 minutes to inspect trees on your property, in the area, on a hike, etc. Here's how:

• Look up. Stand back and look at the top of the tree. Do you see any dead or dying branches?
• Look it over. Now get in close and focus on the tree trunk and branches. See the beetle? See any dime-sized exit holes or shallow scars in the bark?
• Look down. Do you see any sawdust-like shavings at the tree’s base or on the branches? That’s a sign the ALB has been busy eating.
• If you find evidence of the beetle, report it HERE or call your local forestry department.

OR ...

Here are two more activities to help prevent ALB infestation:

• If you are planning to build a fire (campfire, etc.), use only wood from local sources. Do not carry it with you from other areas (for example, from home to a campsite out of state).
• If you are landscaping, plant a wide variety of trees.

OR ...

If your area is not threatened by ALB, give your trees a health "check up". Click HERE for a list of things to consider.

Are you ready to protect our trees? I know that you are!

Until next time ...

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

Image courtesy of AsianLonghornedBeetle.com

Why trees are important ... by Little Miss Green

As you might remember, one of our recent Change The World Wednesday challenges was all about kids (you can read that challenge HERE). While I was impressed with all of the articles written about that challenge, I was particularly impressed by the stories of children who take it upon themselves to live a "greener" life. They are Eco-Stars and the hope for our future.

One such Eco-Star is Little Miss Green, the eight year old daughter of Mrs. Green who writes a fabulous blog called Little Green Blog. Little Miss Green is amazing ... she seems to consider all of her actions and judges them according to what is best for the earth. So, I thought it would be fun to hear from her. She (with the approval of her mom) kindly agreed to write something for us. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do:


Why trees are important

One of the things I love most in the world is trees.

I live in an area surrounded by trees and we have some in our garden too, so I'm very lucky. Trees, along with water are the most important things in the world because we need them to live.

I enjoy climbing them and if they all get cut down to make paper I won't have any to climb.

The most important thing is they give us oxygen and breathe in carbon dioxide which allows us to breathe.

Trees are houses for squirrels and birds, wasps and bees and they give us and the earth shade on sunny days.

They also provide us with food and if you're very poor this can be the only thing that keeps you alive.

If there are no trees, animals can start to die. If the bees start to die, we could start to die as well because they pollinate one third of all the food we eat.

Bees pollinate cotton too. Without cotton our clothes would have to be made from polyester. Polyester is made from oil and they cut Mother Nature's face open to get the oil.

Bees also give us beeswax. My Mummy uses beeswax to make me lipsalve to keep my lips comfy in the Winter and she adds manuka honey to make it extra special. She also uses beeswax to make creams to heal my skin if I cut it.

Trees are also very very important in floods. If we did not have trees you can have flooding when it rains. That is why there are nearly always trees around a stream. If there weren't any trees to drink the water the stream or river would flood and destroy the land.

When there is flooding and if it's on a steep hill, all the water would rush down the hill. If this kept happening, soon the soil would begin to roll down the hill too and might fall on top of houses and kill people.

I use tea tree, eucalyptus and neem oil to keep me healthy. Without these trees I would not have this special, safe medicines to use and I might have to use man made drugs instead.

Dead leaves turn into compost which makes the soil fertile. When the soil is healthy it can grow new things in it like more trees, food and pretty flowers.

I have six trees in my garden and I love them all.

Maisie lives by the side of the garage and shades my den. She blocks the entrance so no trespassers can get in. She has dark green leaves which make good collages.

Leafy is a tall sycamore tree which my tree house is built in. He is possible to climb but he is very big. I fly the helicopters which he scatters over my treehouse platform. He is the biggest of the lot. He protects me from the rain. There is a bees nest in him and whenever I go into my treehouse playing he gives off special messages because the bees never sting me.

Rose is the boss of all the trees. She is a rose tree with white flowers. Rose is unique and different from the others. She is quite stern and stubborn but as she is so different from the others I almost love her best. She is the smallest.

Maggie is a magnolia tree. She gives me lovely buds; when I was younger I used to think they were butterflies. She also gives me lovely sweet flowers and in spring until winter she is covered with lovely dark green leaves. Occasionally I pick off a small stem and it smells like lavender. I love Maggie; she is my favourite.

Buddy has lovely pink sweet-smelling flowers in the winter time. She is beautiful to look at with her dark green leaves. She is too small to climb and is more bush like. Her leaves have a red tinge to them which looks beautiful.

Apple is more difficult to climb. He gives me lots and lots of apples with red patches on which Mummy made into Apple and Blackberry pie. He has two branches leaning over my hammock which I swing on.

Grayling is a lovely tree for climbing. He's a cheerful happy lad who loves talking to me in his heart. At the very bottom of his trunk there is a branch which I get to bounce up and down on. My best friend likes him too because she learned to climb in him.

I love trees, they are beautiful to look at and give us so much. I don't like it when people cut trees down to be greedy and we should all take care of and love the trees.

Wasn't that wonderful? I don't know about you, but with the future of the earth in the hands of children, like Little Miss Green, I feel a lot better.

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

Sharing ... and a green life

I've been thinking about the concept of sharing. As children, we were taught to share our toys. As adults, we are encouraged to share what we have with those less fortunate. We share our opinions in surveys, our time through volunteering, and our thoughts by blogging. Whether it is a learned idea or something inherent in our genes, the fact is that we share.

When it comes to green living, a little sharing goes a long way towards a healthier environment. Here are a few ideas:

Carpooling and ride sharing - We all know that cars pollute. So it only makes sense to reduce the number of cars on the road. Less cars ... less pollution. One way to do this is through carpooling. It's easy to get started ... check with co-workers to see who lives close (being on the same schedule helps but, if one is a little flexible, slightly different schedules can also work ... or ask your employer about adjusting your hours to accommodate carpooling). Organize shopping trips with neighbors. Craigslist has a "rideshare" category where one can post trips, either looking for riders or needing a ride. In addition to helping the planet, carpooling is cost effective. Where there are rotating drivers, there is less wear and tear on one's vehicle. If one chooses to drive and offer rides instead, the riders usually help with the cost of gas. And ... imagine the opportunity to have lively discussions while commuting.

Car Sharing - In Washington state there is a beautiful place called Stehekin which is at the end of Lake Chelan, a 55-mile long, glacier fed lake. Stehekin is remote ... the only way to get there is by water craft or a long, long hike. When I visited (years ago), the first thing that I noticed was the lineup of several cars. This seemed strange since there are no roads leading out of Stehekin. There are, however, roads in the area leading to cabins and private little hideaways. So, the residents share cars ... with each other and with guests. Each car is parked near the dock with the keys inside (and the doors unlocked). When one arrives off a boat, they can choose a car and drive it. When they leave, the car is left at the dock for the next user ... with a full tank. This idea has taken on new interest in many cities throughout the world. There are car sharing groups popping up everywhere. The idea is that, without owning a car, a car is available whenever one needs it. They are parked throughout a city and members use one whenever it's available. It's a brilliant way to share a car, cut down on pollution and ... cut down on the costs associated with owning a car. Here are a couple of sites to check out for more information: http://www.carsharing.net/ and http://www.zipcar.com/. For additional resources search the Internet for "car sharing".

Living Space - On this site, we usually think of "footprint" as our carbon footprint. But what about our actual footprint ... the actual amount of ground that we live on. With populations throughout the world soaring ... we are using more and more land for housing. Trees are being cut ... aquifers are being covered up and polluted ... and animals are becoming extinct as they run out of habitat. Sharing living space reduces our footprint. This isn't a new concept ... for years, it was traditional for more than one generation of a family to occupy the same home. So, if you find yourself looking for new "digs", consider an apartment or a condo. If living in a large house is your pleasure, consider renting out rooms or some portion of the home not in use. More people in one space is a good thing!

Office Supplies - Do you work in an office ... or are you the owner of a business? Consider cutting back on the amount of office supplies purchased and ask employees to share them. For example ... is it really necessary for each person to have a stapler or scissors? Can people share computers and paper shredders? How about sharing trash cans and recycle bins? If one looks around, I'm sure there are all kinds of office supplies which could be shared. And the less stuff we buy and use ... the less stuff gets tossed out.

Showers - Save water by showering with a friend. :) Planning to build a house ... instead of one bathroom for each room, put one between rooms.


Share the road - Here's an easy one ... share the road with bicyclists. Encourage this pollution free mode of transportation by slowing down and giving them plenty of room. And if you have a bicycle ... see if there are times when you can use it instead of driving a car.




Clothes - As kids, it seemed natural to share clothes. Usable clothing was handed down from older siblings to younger ones ... sisters shared wardrobes ... and friends often traded outfits. As adults, we can continue sharing clothes. Many items are unisex ... couples can share T-shirts and sweat shirts/pants. Dads and sons are often about the same size ... so share jeans, shirts and even shoes. The idea, here, is to share what's in your closet with others living in your house ... you'll increase your wardrobe without spending a cent or adding more stuff to the mix.

Donate - Here I'm talking about donating usable items which you no longer want or need. Rather than toss them out, take them to the nearest thrift store, shelter or Good Will. And while we're at it, before shopping for something new, consider buying previously used items.

Toothbrushes - before you get grossed out, I'm talking about battery operated or electric toothbrushes ... and not the manual kind. Why have one device for each person? Simply buy a supply of heads ... each person has their own but uses one electronic device. It'll give you all a brilliant smile!

Electronics - Advertisers would have you believe that each and every person in your house needs their own TV, computer, phone, radio, etc. That's a lot of stuff ... good for them but not so good for the environment. So ... rather than equip each room with the latest and greatest ... and never seeing the occupant again ... consider sharing electronics.



Pass it on - And finally, the best way to share is to pass on the "green" word. Share your ideas, your experiences, what works and what doesn't ... share tips, hints and advice. The world will be a better place for it.




Sharing ... who knew it was so "green".

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

13 (more) Ways to Easily Go Green

Here are 13 more ways to easily reduce our footprints on the earth.

1. USE YOUR CRUISE CONTROL - When using cruise control your vehicle could get up to 15% better mileage. Good for the environment and your wallet.

2. GO TO A CAR WASH - Professional car washes are often more efficient with water consumption. If everyone in the U.S., who washes their car themselves, took just one visit to the car wash we could save nearly 8.7 billion gallons of water.

3. WAIT UNTIL NIGHT - Do not fuel your vehicle or mow your lawn during morning hours ... all those emissions bake in the sun all day causing more ozone.

4. RECYCLE UNWANTED WIRE HANGERS - Wire hangers are generally made of steel, which is often not accepted by curbside recycling programs. Instead of tossing them, take them to the nearest dry cleaners ... they typically accept them back to reuse or recycle (just call them first to be sure they'll take them). If they won't, donate them to thrift stores or homeless shelters.

5. WHEN NOT USING A FIREPLACE, KEEP THE DAMPER CLOSED - Keeping the damper open (when you're not using your fireplace) is like keeping a 48-inch window wide open during the winter. It allows warm air to go right up the chimney. This can add up to hundreds of dollars each winter in energy loss.

6. CHOOSE MATCHES OVER LIGHTERS - Most lighters are made out of plastic and filled with butane fuel, both petroleum products. Since most lighters are considered "disposable," over 1.5 billion end up in landfills each year. When choosing matches, pick cardboard over wood. Wood matches come from trees, whereas most cardboard matches are made from recycled paper.

7. USE COTTON SWABS WITH A PAPERBOARD SPINDLE - Some brands of cotton swabs have a paperboard spindle while others are made of plastic. If 10% of U.S. households switched to a paperboard spindle, the petroleum energy saved per year would be equivalent to over 150,000 gallons of gasoline.

8. DOWNLOAD YOUR SOFTWARE - Most software comes on a compact disc, and more than thirty billion compact discs of all types are sold annually. That's a huge amount of waste, not to mention the associated packaging. Another bonus to downloading your software is that it's often available for download at a later date when you upgrade to a new computer or are attempting to recover from a crash.

9. PAY BILLS ONLINE - By some estimates, if all households in the U.S. paid their bills online and received electronic statements instead of paper, we'd save 18.5 million trees every year, 2.2 billion tons of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases, and 1.7 billion pounds of solid waste.

10. SKIP THE COFFEE STIRRER - Each year, Americans throw away 138 billion straws and stirrers. To stir without stirrers, simply put your sugar and cream in first, and then pour in the coffee ...it should be well mixed. Determined to stir (and didn't bring your Swiss Army Knife)? Ask the establishment for a spoon (a real one ... not a plastic one).
    

11. SHORTEN YOUR SHOWER - For every 30 seconds you shorten your shower, you'll save up to 4 gallons of water.

12. EAT LOCAL - It takes 17 times more oil to transport non-local food compared to that which is produced nearby.

13. FIND A BETTER WAY TO BREAK THE ICE - When a big winter storm heads our way, most of us use some sort of ice melter to treat steps and sidewalks. While this makes the sidewalks safer, rock salt and salt-based ice-melting products can contaminate wells and drinking water causing health problems. It's also harmful to pets, plants and the environment. Searching for an Eco-friendly alternative, however, is tough because almost everything used to clear away ice is bad for the environment in some way. So ... the message here is moderation ... if you must use an ice-melting product, use as little as possible.
    

Yes ... these 13 tips can be yours for the low, low price of a little time. BUT WAIT ... there's more!! If you act now, we're giving you a bonus ... another easy way to reduce your footprint on the earth:

• Share these easy ways to go green with everyone you know. Together we can make a difference!

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