Saturday, January 24, 2015

Photo Challenge That Illustrates Why I Live Green




I've decided to Take the Change the World Wednesday Challenge and snap photos this week of those things I love, enjoy, cherish, or want to preserve. 

I've included photos which show some of the reasons why I think it's important to live green. I invite you to get your camera out and start snapping too. Post the photos on your blog or share them with #CTWW (link below). If you'd rather not, just take photos to remind yourself of why you live in an Eco-friendly way. 

Every time I've made a small change in my daily life and live greener, I'm contributing to a global effort of common people to make significant strides in helping to save our planet from devastating effects of global warming. Climate change with severe weather extremes has already destroyed homes, killed men, women, and children, and left people starving and with no clean water to drink.

Change The World Wednesday on Reduce Footprints

Here's one mess I'd like to change or prevent, that has been captured in the clip art below.

This photo wasn't taken by me, but it does show exactly what is happening to some parts of our planet.




Now here's the good part. Following are some things that I'm doing to conserve, reuse, recycle, and live green 
  1. reusing glass jars from foodstuff as storage containers
  2. recycling rubber bands that come from store-bought vegetables as an office supply
  3. using large food cans, tires, and jars as garden planters
  4. using china, glass, silverware instead of paper goods at large gatherings and at small parties too. If I don't have enough of my own dishes or glasses, I ask guests to bring their own.
  5. taking my stainless steel thermos bottle along with me for water instead of drinking from plastic throw away water bottles. Just to illustrate plastics' impact on our environment, here's a statistic that may floor you. In 2012, the United States generated almost 14 million tons of plastics as containers and packaging, about 11 million tons as durable goods such as appliances, and almost 7 million tons as non-durable goods, such as plates and cups. See more on this from the Environmental Protection Agency.
  6. recycling hangers as mobiles, and for other arts and crafts projects
  7. exercise by walking in my neighborhood or doing yoga at home instead of driving to the gym, park, etc.
  8. donating my time, money, and energy to the cause of reducing my carbon footprint. I have spoken out to elected officials, government agencies, written blog posts and articles, and contacted companies that manufacture products that are environmentally friendly or harmful and will continue to do this.

I spotted these beautiful flowers in a neighbor's yard, while out for my morning constitutional. Aren't they gorgeous? If climate change made it any warmer here in Arizona, I doubt I would be able to walk outside or see beautiful things like this. I bet this type plant wouldn't even be able to grow so well.

Here's a picture I snapped at a botanical garden. Aren't the plants beautiful and what about these delightful creatures? The earth's water supply is finite. If climate change continues at its rapid pace, I'm worried there won't be enough water for people and animals to survive. In some third world countries, this is already the case.




Don't forget to read what Reduce Footprints and guests @ #Take the Change the World Wednesday Challenge say about this topic. Please comment by email at obloggernewbie@gmail.com or reshare the blog on social media.

Be well. Live well. Lead a colorful, yet green life!

Here's the quotation for today:

"Plans to protect air and water, wilderness and wildlife are in fact plans to protect man." Stewart Udall

This post has been shared at Live It Up at the Healthy, Happy, Green & Natural Party Blog Hop #51





10 comments:

  1. Hi Nancy,
    I love this post and your ideas. So of them might seem small but its the little things that make a big difference in the long term. Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Marla for your comment. I appreciate everything you do to educate, inspire, and motivate us to make eco-friendly choices. Warm regards, Nancy A

    ReplyDelete
  3. Most of the people who accepted this challenge chose photos of nature, animals, etc. In fact, so did I. But your photo of garbage really brings the message home ... it's not enough to live green because of all the beauty in the world ... we need to live green to correct the wrongs done to the earth. Thanks so much for this post! I'll be mentioning it in tomorrow's Change The World Wednesday post.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Small Footprints. Yes, visuals really do get across the point. What a great idea you have to post pics. Keep up the great work you do at http://reducefootprints.blogspot.com

      Delete
  4. This comment has been entered by Nancy A., because it was sent to me via an iphone.

    It's from Marianne C. who says, "I'm satisfied to know that I do most of the "green" things that you listed. The "Keep America Beautiful" campaign of the 1960's had a tremendous impact upon littering in our country. No more driving down the roads to see literally heaps of trash along them. That memory helps me realize the impact the average person can actually make.Change often takes time and seems too slow. However, turtles do win races!"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks Marianne C. for your comment. I appreciate it. It was a good thing that you mentioned turtles winning racing. I sometimes feel like I'm the turtle, but know my efforts eventually add up. Hugs, Nan

      Delete
  5. Hi Nancy,
    I love the CTWW Challenges! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful photos illustrating some of the reasons why it's important to live green as well as the green living actions you are taking in your everyday life with us at the Healthy, Happy, Green and Natural Party Blog Hop. I'm pinning and sharing!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks to you Deborah for saying that. I really appreciate it!
      Warm regards, Nancy A.

      Delete
  6. Great ways to save our planet, Nancy! I can see the effects of pollution and lack of recycling here in the Amazon daily. It is sad what is done to our environment and even sadder what is done to this rainforest that is our planet's lungs after all.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thanks for your comment Joanna Sormunen. It is sad what we humans have done to our planet, and blogging and the internet gives me hope that green bloggers and writers can be part of the solution. Please keep on expressing your views. If we remember to vote with our pocketbooks as well as our voices, we'll conserve where we can and purchase products only from companies that are environmentally friendly. Be well and keep up the good work. Warm regards, Nancy A.

      Delete

Please comment and ask questions. I love to hear from you. If you need to reach me via email, email at obloggernewbie@gmail.com

Thanks for Visiting

Hope you enjoyed your visit and will return again. Be well. Live well. Lead a colorful life! Warm regards, Nan