There's a lot of great information in this post and I encourage you to read through it ... however, if you don't have the time right now, you might find the following quick links helpful:
Last week we went on a search for harmful ingredients in our backyards. I was shocked to find out that some water hoses contain lead and never thought about the chemicals used to treat wood decks. I learned that pressure treated lumber, commonly used for raised vegetable gardens, may contain toxins which leach out into the soil ... and into the produce. And then there's the plastic ... plastic garden tools, toys, pools, etc. It seems that our yards contain a plethora of opportunities to green our lives.
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's what they had to say:
The Accessory Lady said " I took a look around the yard and realized I have too many plastic planters, granted those get re-used for several years, but I'd like to find attractive, space saving alternatives to using them. Any ideas?" Here's one idea, AL ... try going vertical, using tiered stands or hanging planters. Anyone else have ideas?
Cat shared this comment: "#ctww is the oil you put on garden furniture toxic? Otherwise I think the most toxic thing in our garden is this tool." Hm, hadn't thought about the oil for furniture or for maintaining gardening equipment. Thanks, Cat!
EcoGrrl took a look at her yard and here's what she found: "I'm assuming my garden hoses are lethal weapons but here's the cool thing - I've only used them a couple times and that was to give my (RIP) pup a bath, as my rain barrel & rain cistern provide all the water for my garden now (woo hoo!). Both are 'food grade' containers but who knows what that really means, ya know. I don't use netting - pineapple sage around my berries is my guard as the hummingbirds that love the sage keep the bad birds away from the area. Other than that, the only bad thing is probably my old plastic watering can. I'd seen in a magazine that Terra Cycle has ones made of recycled plastic but their shopping website is just terrible. Eventually I'll recycle the current one and replace with something out of recycled materials (metal products are not any more eco than plastic if it's made from virgin materials). I've got some old camp chairs that I'd like to replace with adirondack chairs - maybe a DIY project for next summer? (I refuse to spend several hundred bucks on two wooden chairs..)" Love your "natural screen" idea, EcoGrrl!!
When Green Gal first read our challenge she thought that it didn't really apply to her because she'll be living in a dorm for the summer session at school. But then, she thought a little more about it and came up with a plan. It's FABULOUS!! Check it out HERE. I hope you'll update us, Green Gal ... can't wait to hear the results!
Mrs. Green did a "toxic audit" in her conservatory and dining area, which is also the current focus of her de-cluttering efforts. I loved seeing photos of her home and hearing about every item ... whether it was treated, contained toxins, etc. She shared an important point with us ... while some items were originally treated with chemicals (ie antique furniture, original paint, etc.), those chemicals may have off-gased and are no longer a problem. She did find one toxic item in her home ... can you guess what it is?
I totally missed Mrs. Green's post on our challenge about identifying struggles to living green. And oh ... it was a good one! In her typical honest fashion, she talks about the challenge of de-cluttering items which cannot be reused or recycled. Check out When you struggle to be green ... can you relate?
Ann wrote an interesting post on The Jurong Bird Park and included our CTWW banner. Thanks, Ann!
Argentum Vulgaris talks about plastics and Endocrine Disruptors in this POST. He also offers some excellent links to further our knowledge. This comment, however, really got me thinking ... he said: "I forgot to mention in the post that many garden things are 'recycled' plastic, but I wonder if the plastic they are recycled from is a safe plastic..." Oooooh!!
CelloMom accepted the challenge. Here's what she had to say: " Okay, at the end of the summer (but not yet!) we might take stock of our vacation modes (transportation, food, accommodation) and figure places where to reduce our (carbon) footprint, and make a note - so that we can take what we have learned into account when planning for next summer's holiday. Ugh. I will have plenty of places to trim the carbon."
Alicia headed out to her backyard. What did she find? " We have pretty Eco Friendly garden tools but I am not sure about the garden hose. We try to stay away from plastic as much as possible and try to use recycled when we do.I agree with AV that you don't know if the plastic they used to recycle was safe in the first place though. Our grandson got a pool for his birthday and he also has a slip and slide so I am going to have our daughter-in-law check them out."
Kris is way ahead of us on this challenge. When she decided to green her life, she took a look at her yard and planned some Eco-friendly changes. For example, she has a pool which typically requires a lot of chemicals to keep clean. So how did she reduce it's environmental impact? You'll find out in CTWW - Looking around outside. Be sure to check out her Eco-friendly privacy screen ... brilliant!
Here's what our Twitter friends had to say this week:
From @givetreegifts
- Green Gardening Tools: How To Landscape While Being Eco-Friendly: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/19/green-gardening-tools-eco-friendly-landscaping_n_1687369.html
- Wean Green Cubes: Eco-friendly, safe, durable glass containers for lunchboxes: http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/blogs/wean-green-cubes-eco-friendly-safe-durable-glass-containers-for-lunchboxes
From @nonmom
- For my #CTWW I think I may grab some of my clay pots, paint them, cause they should be pretty & use them out front or back at home. You?
From @gaiaperspective
- #CTWW The non-environmental friendly material I found in the garden was pressure-treated wood; po.st/B4Ll24 But it saves resources
- #CTWW I also found something great; FSC certified wooden outdoor furniture. @FSC_IC via.me/-3n5vtrc
- I recycle as much as I can but there are always some dirty plastic packaging and paper towels going into the garbage :( #Sustanability #CTWW
- I will switch to cloth napkins. I already reduced my use of disposables when starting to use a silicone menstrual cup. #Sustanability #CTWW
From @cleanriverpr
- CHALLENGE! It is #CTWW (Change the World Wednesday) - what can you do to make a difference? ...walk to the store and leave the car at home.
From @krjuchem
- @GaiaPerspective Great! We've been using cloth napkins for several years and we can never go back! #CTWW
From @themac533
- Do not use pressure or creosote treated timbers to construct raised bed gardens. They contain metals and PAHs that plants can uptake. #CTWW
- That may seem like a no-brainer but you'd be surprised. Those materials belong no where near food.. or kids. Keep an eye out. #CTWW
The #CTWW Gang are those folks who share our challenges on twitter using the hashtag #CTWW. If you're a Twitter member, I highly recommend following them ... they have a lot of great things to say. Let's meet them:
My Final Thoughts:
Walking a green path seems to become more complex with each step we take. This challenge reminded me that it requires constant diligence ... that we must continue to educate ourselves and apply that knowledge in our lives. Protecting the environment is more than refusing plastic bags or turning off lights when not in use ... it's thinking about everything we touch and everything we see and considering their impact. The items in our yard seem innocent enough ... but when we take an honest look at those things, we see that they aren't so Eco-friendly ... and that leads us to find safer alternatives.
Thanks, everyone! If you wrote an article, I have Stumbled, Tweeted, Facebooked and posted it on Google +. You can help spread the "green" word by using the share feature at the bottom of this post.
This Week's Challenge:
This week's challenge comes from one of our Twitter friends, @nonmom, who says: "I am using the water in my wading pool to water my gardens. I don't want to waste it so why not use it?" Excellent! Here's your challenge ...
This week conserve water by not wasting it. Consider every drop which typically gets poured down the drain and find creative uses for it. Examine your water use and see where, and how, you can make improvements.
Or ...
Already a super-saving, water-conserving hero? Then your challenge is to tell us how you do it ... and you'll get "points" for coming up with truly creative approaches.
Already a super-saving, water-conserving hero? Then your challenge is to tell us how you do it ... and you'll get "points" for coming up with truly creative approaches.
Are you up for this challenge? I know that you are!!
Until next time ...
WE'RE CHANGING THE WORLD ... ONE CHALLENGE AT A TIME!
I like this one! Aside from the most common ones like not running water while brushing my teeth and making sure there are no drips in my faucets, I always use any leftover water in water bottles or from the nightstand to water my plants. For health reasons, water that's been standing for a long time or has been sitting in a bottle producing bacteria should not be ingested.
ReplyDeleteIn the height of Summer, we use the sprinkler when truly necessary so I move all the potted plants in the line of fire of the sprinkler so they receive water at the same time the ground cover is being sprayed. I've started using self watering pots for plants like tomatoes that require a steady amount of moisture. When it rains, I empty the excess water on to other plants. The reservoir at the bottom keeps it from seeping out, spilling or evaporating too quickly. The trick with self watering containers is too make sure the plants don't get too much moisture.
I used to be really good about saving the cold water from running my shower to flush my toilet or water my plants, but my current bathroom is tiny and I have nowhere to keep a bucket right now. I hope I'll be able to get back to that if I move to a house with slightly more space in the bathroom! In the mean time, something I do need to work on is taking shorter showers. I think in the shower, which is bad news for how long I'm in there!
ReplyDeleteThis doesn't save much water, but when I change the cat's drinking water, I put it in my watering can and use it on my plants.
CTWW is up and running on:
ReplyDeletehttp://ecocrap.wordpress.com/2012/08/08/change-the-world-wednesday-8th-aug/
It's about water, but I prefer beer...
AV
Great challenge! Ok, I have posted and included mine.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.mybabysgreenblog.com/2012/08/take-on-challenge-to-reduce-water-waste.html
We have some 5 gallon buckets that I like to put out when it is raining then use that water to water the plants. I am looking forward to a rain barrel. My husband is always good to make sure that none of our faucets or toilets leak. I turn the water off when brushing my teeth. If I wash dishes in the sink. I turn the water off while I wash them and then turn it on again when it's time to rinse. We installed a reverse osmosis water filter in the kitchen and believe it or not it is a water saver as well as a money saver! I try to wash clothes when I have a fairly large load instead of several smaller loads. That cuts the water usage by a lot.
ReplyDeletehere's mine! We have too much rain at the moment in the uK, but I have found something I do that helps reduce water waste...
ReplyDeletehttp://littlegreenblog.com/green-technology/water-conservation/my-cup-runneth-over/
My favorite 2nd use of water involves coffee. We love our French Press! but getting the grounds out of the bottom is a pain, unless you fill the pot half-full of water and give it a good stir. Then, pour the slurry on the garden. Our tomatoes love this 2nd Use Of Water
ReplyDeleteThis may be a bit far out but after reading Mrs. Green's post I thought it might be relevant to the challenge after all: How about increasing the rain-permeable area around your house: patio, driveway, sidewalk and yes, city roads (the latter requires a bit more work and commitment). This not only keeps rainwater from going down the drain but actually helps to replenish ground water. Here I sing the praises of stone pavers: http://bit.ly/MBE0Ch
ReplyDeleteOf course, it won't much help to those, like Mrs. Green, whose soil is already waterlogged by persistent rains. But waterlogging is temporary: after all, before all that rain, England had a terrible drought.
quite a few Save the worlds: keeping an old house, home birth, building a open building in a hot weather,
ReplyDeletethat fake pond, I think is a soft plastic. They throw meat in the fake water so the birds can pick up the meat. In the Jurong Bird Park.
ReplyDeleteI have nominated you for the Sunshine Award! What you do is truly amazing and I believe you deserve the world for your efforts. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHere's my post about this challenge for this week: http://greenbeangal.blogspot.com/2012/08/ctww-creatively-saving-water.html
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see everyone's ideas on Wednesday!
Hi, I'm new to your site but loving it, and especially #CTWW, it's such a great idea! I've got a fun, short video with my top 6 tips for saving water in the shower http://www.ecofriendlylink.com/blog/tipsforsavingwatershower/
ReplyDelete