Change the World Wednesday – Special II

I have had a strange week so far.

It all started on Saturday when I decided to remove my only active blog They Say it’s in the Genes from Blogspot to WordPress and then move the 50 posts as well. Designing, adding, moving, searching, it all takes time.

But the problem contined Sunday, then reached Monday, and yesterday was more lethargy than anything, as well as being a split day at work. Most people hate going to work once a day, imagine how I feel Tuesdays and Thursdays going twice in the same day. It’s only till the end of the month, then I can press the ‘normal’ button and return to reality.

On with the current Reduce Footprints‘ Change the World Wednesday daily challenges:

CTWW Daily Challenge –  25th Feb

Get a home energy audit from your local utility company. Find out how you can save resources and money by making small, inexpensive improvements to your home.

No can do, so I’m out on this one. Socio-politic reasons. But certainly for an energy dependent home it’s a good idea; mine isn’t.

CTWW Daily Challenge – 26th Feb

Save energy in the kitchen. When you need to cook in a pan on the stove, use a lid to preserve heat, which will also cook your food faster. Cook double portions and freeze what you don’t eat.

As a chef, I am always conscious of the need to save power cooking. Even though I cook with gas, there is always a lid on pans, and if I need to cook double portions like today, I have a kilo (2.204lbs) of fish thawing, now all that needs to be cooked, although only 500gms will be for today.

CTWW Daily Challenge – 27th Feb

Remove one light bulb from your home. Live without it for the rest of this carbon fast. This will decrease energy use and act as a reminder of why we are doing this. In addition, make a point of turning off lights when you leave a room, or that you don’t really need to have on.

This one’s easy. Two weeks ago the kitchen light burnt out. I can’t reach the ceiling to replace it until I can borrow a ladder. I will leave it until the carbon fast is over. It has made me do my kitchen chores and cook during daylight hours, so there is definitely a small saving. I am already an active campaigner for the ‘turning-off-of-lights when not in use. My kids think I’m an ogre.

CTWW Daily Challenge – 28th Feb

Learn about current scientific thinking on how extreme weather events are caused by climate change. Read about it in Science Daily and The Washington Post.

This is something I do as a matter of course on a daily basis. Some of the things that I read and find are quite scary; in fact they range from scary – unbelievably horribly horrendous.

Scary is about the global warming reducing the Arctic ice-cap, and how that has likely been responsible for the current cold snap over northern Europe, North America and Asia, in turn leading to a possible iceage.

Frightening is the discovery that the Heartland Institute is involved with brainwashing the populace into believing that global warming doesn’t exist. My own Monday Moaning post tells a pretty sobering story of corruption and deceit.

Chem Trails

Unbelievably horribly horrendous is about plans the US government has for using live viruses.

You will probably, as an ecologically aware person, have heard about ‘Chem Trails’ they are an induced form of pollution, but to what purpose? “Chem trails and Depopulation” gives a horrific slant. When I read this, I felt like a stunned mullet. It left me asking myself, is this really possible?

My wider reading gives me a pretty good idea of what’s going on in relation to the world’s climatic changes. I think I am reasonably able to winnow the wheat from the chaff; and I have a horrible niggling feeling that this is not chaff.

CTWW Daily Challenge – 29th…

Whoops, it’s not here yet.

 

 

Change the World Wednesday – 12th Oct

I love Snoopy

Last week’s challenge was about Hallowe’en and greening it up. I loved the many ideas that I read through the week from comments and blogs that I visited.

As I said, we don’t have Hallowe’en here in Brazil, officially. One of the ideas I liked most was ignoring the commercial trick or treating version and get back to grass roots, the original idea of Samhain. The world needs this more and more in these times of crisis.

Remembering those who have gone. Image credit: http://www.ilafox.com/

Here in Brazil, we have Finados (2 Nov), which is pretty much the same as the other Latin American countries with the Dia de los Muertos (1 & 2 Nov), a time when the departed are remembered.

Up the Ante:

So, I am going to up the ante! Late, I know. But, apart from your pumpkin (because many people don’t have the conditions to grow their own) – Don’t buy anything that is used only once for Hallowe’en! Make, or use what you have. That means no costumes, no sweets, no plasticky gimmicky things, nothing that is bought specifically for Hallowe’en. Things like candles, okay, they are used in emergencies the year round; food items, okay; if your little witches want to fly around on a broom, cool, buy one, they can use it the rest of the year to keep their room clean (saves electricity).

This week’s challenge is:

This week, replace at least one incandescent bulb in your home with either a CFL or LED bulb.

OR …

If you accomplished this challenge when we first ran it in July of 2009 (or before) … or if you felt, at that time, that you couldn’t participate … we’d like to know how it’s gone since then. Are you using Eco-friendly bulbs … why or why not? Do you prefer CFLs or LEDs … and why? If you’re using Eco-friendly bulbs, have you noticed a decrease in your electric bill? Do you recycle bulbs … if so, where? We’d like to know where you’re at now in regards to light bulbs.

Damn ugly looking things

I can only accuse Small Footprints for looking over my shoulder at the supermarket last Friday when I was studying eco-friendly CFLly light-bulbs. Yes, despite all that I have written about and against them, I was looking, prices and wattages.

I have only five light bulbs in the house. All are incandescent, all are 60 watt. In the nearly three years I have been in this house I have replaced four of them (having said that, Murphy dictates that the bathroom one will blow within days).

I will buy one this week and replace the lounge one, and as each one needs replacing, I will succumb to the dictates of being ‘green’ and buy another one. Just out of curiosity to see how they go and if they do make a difference in the power bill.

I still think they are ugly!

Update

Read Rather Frightening for my recanting of this decision.