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:
Last week we closed the refrigerator/freezer door. It seemed easy enough ... right? But maybe not! Some people graze, nibbling a little of this or that as they browse the shelves ... some people gaze, searching for something to eat or prepare for dinner ... and some people simply hope that the door will shut on its own. Leaving it open for too long wastes energy. I learned something new, however. The cool air inside the unit weighs almost nothing and therefore has a tiny heat capacity. So, if the refrigerator is reasonably full, leaving the door open for a brief time (e.g. the amount of time it takes to pour a drink) won't waste energy. It's the grazing and gazing that could pose a problem.
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.
EcoGrrl offers an interesting idea: "As this is a fairly easy challenge I thought I'd comment on refrigerators in general, as I know some super-eco folks have gotten to the point of not needing one. My desire is that I'd rather have the refrigerator portion turned into a freezer and vice versa. Anyone seen anything like that? My refrigerator, which is only a mid-size, is rarely if ever more than a third full, as I eat fresh so much that most of it is just leftovers. Yet I have a half freezer in the basement because of my frozen fruits, berries, and annual salmon delivery. Ideas anyone?? :) "
In Change the World Wednesday – 12th Jun Argentum Vulgaris talks about why shutting the door to pour a drink might make matters worse ... it has to do with the second "whoosh".
Petunia GreenBeans shared our challenge in Tweets For Good. There are a ton of great pieces in that edition and if you scroll to the bottom of the page, you'll find a bunch of CTWW articles. Is one yours?
I knew that this challenge would be easy for Lois. She says, "I have no fridge or freezer, although my new freezer should be arriving soon, just in time to hold my garden's bounty for winter. While this challenge seems simple I know plenty of people who don't give a thought to the money they waste by leaving the door open, so this was a good choice." If you're curious about how Lois lives without a refrigerator ... or a stove/oven ... read Change the World Wednesday, June 12th. Be sure to read the comments because I was curious about how Lois cooks meals and she was gracious enough to answer my questions.
Alicia has come up with a clever idea to conserve energy. She shares, "I am so glad that you brought this to our attention! I really hadn't thought much about opening the fridge and freezer doors. You are so right standing with the door opens lets so much cold air out. We like to drink lots of liquids in the Summer months so we open the fridge a lot. I recently bought a couple of double insulated carafe's I am going to put a couple of large pitchers of water and juice in the fridge to chill overnight and then in the morning pour them into the insulated carafe's and sit them on the kitchen counter. They will stay cool for hours and we won't have to open the fridge to get something cool to drink!" Great idea, Alicia!!
Valerie offers us something new to think about: "I'm happy to say this isn't even a challenge for us because we always close the door back as soon as we remove what we need. :) We have taught the kids that you don't open it and just stand there. Another similar challenge would be closing the doors to the house. If we have someone come to the door, we either go outside to talk to them or invite them in - doors get closed! And if we are bringing groceries or similar in, someone is the "door person" so that it can be quickly closed. We sound obsessive but we're really not. ;) haha" I'd love to hear more about closing the door to your home, Valerie ... is that to keep temperature-controlled air inside?
In Sustainable Education Initiative, Tammy Curry gives CTWW a top headline spot. Thanks, Tammy! This edition mentions Nebraska's Keystone XL Lawsuit, a post on how to trim an artichoke and one about a boy who catches a 100-pound fish.
McBride’s Organic Farm Daily gave CTWW a lovely mention. The edition also includes information on vegan and organic foods as well as GMOs.
Alaiyo stopped in and says, "You're keeping me thinking about all the ways that I might be using (or misusing) energy. I remember keeping doors closed from childhood, as our parents would yell that we were letting out the cool air." By the way, if you eat fish be sure to visit Alaiyo's blog ... she offers sustainable fish information and great recipes. If you're vegan, you'll find that most of her recipes include a vegan option. Oh yeah!!
Mrs. Green gets an "A" this week! Shut the door and save energy speaks to her efforts and towards the end of the article she offers a brilliant, energy-saving suggestion. I've never seen her idea available for homeowners ... have you? I love it!
Lisa captured her son "in the act". The photo she shares might be a familiar sight to some of you. See it HERE. The post includes a lot of great information.
Our Twitter friend, @givetreegifts, joined the conversation and shared the following:
- Organize fridge & freezer so that you know exactly where things are & what you have. You'll spend less time w/ door open searching
- Think about what you want from the fridge or freezer before opening the door. You'll spend less time w/ door open searching
- Freezer Door Pops Open When You Close The Refrigerator Door - YouTube ow.ly/lXrbf
- How to Fix a Freezer Door Seal ow.ly/lXrhI
- How Much Electricity Opening the Refrigerator Door Wastes - Refrigerator Energy - The Daily Green ow.ly/lXrrn
- 10 ways energy is wasted in the home? ow.ly/lXrz2
- Energy Saving Tips: The Refrigerator and Freezer ow.ly/lXrPA
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:
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:
We haven't gone for a walk in awhile so ... let's do that! Here you go ...
This week go for a walk and pick up litter.
OR ...
If your area is litter-free, join a group to help clean up a river or public space.
If your area is litter-free, join a group to help clean up a river or public space.
Ready to put on your walking shoes? Yep ... I know that you are!
Until next time ...
WE'RE CHANGING THE WORLD ... ONE CHALLENGE AT A TIME!