MCC for the Sea!
Welcome to Peace of the Ocean's 2011 Monthly Challenge to Change!
We all know change is hard. We can become overwhelmed with all of the ‘should do’s’ and time and energy it takes to change an already comfortable habit. The thing is, if we don’t change, things don’t have the opportunity to get better. WE don’t have the opportunity to get better.
With Peace of the Ocean’s ‘Monthly Challenge to Change,’ we will give you ONE idea to implement each month. One step at a time, we can change the world for the better. It doesn’t need to be difficult. Little things make big impacts! At the end of 2011, you will have made 12 small changes, that we hope, will carry on in the years to come.
At the start of each month, we will list one idea here, how to implement it into your life, along with the reasons the change is needed, and the impact you can make. To keep the blue planet blue, we need you! MCC for the sea! We hope you will join us.
Are you on facebook? If so, 'like' our page, as we will be posting reminders there as well! Invite your friends! The more people participating, the bigger the impact we can make for the health of our planet, and all of the life on it- including our own.
January’s Challenge: BYOB (Bring your own BAG)
Opt out of choosing the one-time use plastic bags when at the store by presenting your own bag to package your purchased goods.
There are many canvas bags you can purchase at places to re-use. Or, you can re-use the bags you already have from your previous shopping visits. Bring a tote you have at home. Get creative and make your own with materials you have. You can even have a bag printed with your own logo or message. (We will be using ‘Peace of the Ocean’ organic canvas bags- to promote awareness of keeping our water healthy, wherever we go.)
(If purchasing a new tote, look for one that is made of sustainable materials and is durable to last. Be sure to remember to clean your totes, especially when using them for groceries. Make sure they are thoroughly washed and dried.)
It’s a good idea to keep a few bags in your vehicle. This way you don’t have another thing to try to remember (plus, it will be there for those last minute stops on the way home). Bring your own bag when grocery shopping, or even just running in to a store for a quick item.
Any store, any item, your own bag.
You ARE making a difference by bringing and using your own bag!
Most people know plastic bags really effect our environment. They use millions of barrels of oil each year to make, add tons of carbon emissions into the air every year, don’t naturally biodegrade, and cause many marine animal deaths.
Paper seems to be the better choice, right? Well, think of the millions of trees cut down to make them, they also cause air and water pollutants and take more energy to construct.
The best option: bring your own re-usable bag!
Remember to look for a good choice if purchasing a replacement. Durability. Biodegradable. Natural fibers. Longevity. Together, we can make a positive impact on our planet, our home, our life.
February’s Challenge: BYOB (Bring your own BOTTLE)
Opt out of buying or taking the one-time use plastic bottles when you are out, by bringing your own re-usable bottle whenever you leave home.
There are many styles of re-usable bottles you can purchase to re-use. Or, you can re-use a bottle or glass you already have. Even when going to coffee shops, you can bring your own container (some places even offer discounts if you do).
When selecting a bottle to use or re-use, be aware of it’s material makeup, as you don’t want to continue using one that may leach chemicals.
The one-time use ‘PET’ bottles have been found to leach toxic chemicals and can harbor bacterial growth. Other plastic thermal bottles can leach BPA. Many have found aluminum or stainless steel to be the better options for reuse that exhibit the least amount of health concerns of all the choices available.
(If purchasing a new bottle, look for one that is made of sustainable, recyclable materials and is durable and safe to last.)
You ARE making a difference by bringing and using your own bottle!
Making plastic bottles uses a lot of resources and energy and generates toxic emissions and pollutants. Millions end up in landfills each year in the U.S. alone. Every time you use your own instead of a ‘throw away’ bottle- you are making a positive impact. If you come across used bottles or yours is ready for upgrade, always remember to recycle!
March's Challenge: Spring Clean-up
Spring is a time noted for cleaning up. People decide to tidy up their homes, getting ready for the new season. This month’s challenge is to carry over some ‘spring cleaning’ into your community.
Depending on where you live, snow may be melting and revealing the grass that was covered, along with other things that may have made their way into yards and along sidewalks. Even if you are in a climate that doesn’t get snow, litter is not hard to find scattered around neighborhoods. People toss things out, drop things, items fall off garbage trucks or blow out of vehicles.
This month we challenge you to not just walk past that paper, can, or trash you see outside, but to take a moment to pick it up and properly recycle and dispose of it. When out walking, carry an extra bag to collect any debris you find along your way. You wouldn’t leave trash piling up inside your home, and seeing as the planet is all our home as well, it’s time we carry that awareness and respect and keep it clean too!
As the saying goes, ‘Leave each place better than how you found it.’
(Always make sure to keep your safety in mind when picking up items. Watch for sharp objects or unsanitary items. Protect yourself while protecting our planet!)
You ARE making a difference by picking up the litter!
You are stopping it from making it’s way into our water systems, from harming nature, and helping to protect our environment and care for our world. Every little bit helps! If all of the people in the world picked up ONE piece of trash, that would literally equal BILLIONS!! One by one, and all together, we CAN and WILL make a difference.
April’s Challenge: See the Light!
When it comes time to brighten up a room on a rainy april day, do it using an energy efficient light bulb! As a light bulb burns out in your fixtures, rather than buying your usual bulbs to replace it- look for an energy efficient light bulb.
Did you know that on average an energy efficient light bulb (compact fluorescent light bulb) can last up to 10 times longer than a regular bulb (incandescent light bulb)? By using less energy, you are saving money on buying more bulbs, time in changing them, and making better use of resources to help our planet!
This month we challenge you to not just replace that burnt out bulb with the same type- but to upgrade to an energy efficient bulb!
So, change the light and see the light!
Also, be sure to properly recycle your bulbs. And, if an appliance needs replacing, keep energy efficiency in mind here too! Whenever buying anything electrical- research for the most energy efficient option, it will help both you and the environment around you!
You ARE making a difference by using energy efficient bulbs!
You are reducing emissions of greenhouse gas from power plants, and saving energy. (If every house in America changed just ONE light, it can make an impact that would reduce emissions (by 9 billion pounds!) equivalent to taking more than 800,000 cars off the roads, and save enough energy to light millions of homes! And that’s just in America, can you imagine if every house around the world changed a bulb?!) So, can you see the light??? Together, we can make it an even brighter future!!!
May's Challenge: Travel Awareness
With gas prices on the rise, many people are probably practicing this already due to finances. But being aware of your travel, also makes an impact on the environment!
By watching the travel you chose, and the frequency, you are affecting your carbon footprint. Riding your bike, walking, or other forms of ‘foot traffic’ eliminate the emissions that would be emitted if taking a car. Now that the weather is getting nicer in most areas, this is a perfect time to travel by foot! If a vehicle needs to be taken, carpooling helps to reduce pollution. Is there a way to attend meetings or conferences online versus taking a plane? When it comes to travel, take a moment and be aware of your choice and the options available.
This month we challenge you to be more aware of your travel. Take a bike to work, you can enjoy the outdoors and get some exercise! If you need to take a car, see if there are people you can carpool with. This can help with pollution, and the prices at the pump!
You ARE making a difference by using travel awareness!!
You are reducing emissions into the environment by going ‘greener’ in your travel decisions. Save green in your wallet! Go green for the environment!
Enjoy your time in nature, and get some exercise! It’s good for the environment, it’s good for you!
June’s Challenge: Recycling Awareness
We all go to the store to buy what we need without thinking about it. But have you ever taken a moment to look at the packaging? Or when you go to dispose of things, do you check it’s recyclability before putting it in the trash? This month’s challenge is to bring your awareness to the recyclability of the items you use.
When disposing of items at home, make sure you are recycling all that you can. If something is not recyclable, could there be a better option for you to use? And when going to the store to buy new items, again- look at what they are made of, think ahead as to how this can be recycled or reused. If it can’t, is there a better option available for purchase? Or do you have an idea for a solution on how it can be better manufactured or packaged?
This month we challenge you to think before you toss, and think before you buy!
You ARE making a difference by using implementing recycling awareness!!
You are thinking green, thinking creatively, and being environmentally aware. Small changes that you make, really DO make a big impact.
July’s Challenge: Reuse, Reuse, Reuse
It seems these days, everything is made for or thought of as ‘one use.’ Then what? Time to toss it and get another. But do we need to? Is there a way these items can be used again? Perhaps in another way even?
Before you toss... think, can this item be used again? And think creatively... what can be done with it? This can be from everyday household items, to the clothing on our backs! If you can’t reuse it yourself, can you donate it somewhere where someone else can get more use out of it? Or, is there a better shopping option for you, where you can buy donated or used items versus buying everything new? You’d be amazed by the things you can find or make when you think creatively. It can be fun!
This month we challenge you to think about everything’s ‘reusability!’
You ARE making a difference by reusing!!
You are eliminating waste, conserving energy, thinking creatively, inspiring others, and helping the environment. The earth isn’t a ‘one time use-throw away’ planet, so think of the ways YOU can reuse to keep her healthy. Every thing you do does matter.
August’s Challenge: Watching Water Usage
Living on a planet that is made up of mostly water, we often take this necessity for granted. We expect it to be there, for whatever we need, whenever we need it, without really paying attention to how we are using this resource. There are many places who aren’t as blessed with clean running water available to them at the turn of a faucet. If you’ve ever had your water turned off for a period of time (as I have recently, due to local construction), you quickly realize how much you depend on it being there.
Our planet’s water is necessary to sustain ALL life here. Our own, the animals, the plants, absolutely everything on this planet shares this valuable resource! We only have the water that is here, so we need to respect our use of it. Simple things you can do create big impacts! Every time you use water, THINK about it. Turn off the sink when brushing your teeth. Wait to wash laundry with a full load. Watch your time in the shower. Don’t let the water run when rinsing dishes (you can even fill one side of the sink for rinsing), or wait to run the dishwasher with a full load. Reuse water that you can (for example, catch warming shower water to water plants... get creative!).
EVERYTHING you do with water, pay attention TO the water being used. Is there water being wasted? Is there a better way it can be used more efficiently? Remember, many of us are blessed with it at our fingertips, but for all of us that are, there are so many that are not. Research ways that you can conserve more and protect this resource in your home, in your office, in your everyday life!!!
This month we challenge you to think and conserve your water usage. Think before you leave the water run in the sink!
You ARE making a difference by conserving water!!
You are literally saving gallons of water, with the little changes you make! The more small changes each individual makes, adds up to HUGE changes protecting and conserving our valuable, necessary, life sustaining resource: WATER!
September’s Challenge: Conserving Energy
Just flip a switch... and there is light! We use energy all the time. This is another valuable resource we are blessed to have at our finger tips. Again, one many of us take for granted, until a storm passes through and we are scrambling to find candles and matches around the house.
This month we challenge you to find ways to conserve your energy usage. When you turn on a light, be sure to turn it off when you are done and leave the room. If you are not using an item, can it be unplugged or turned off? If not watching the TV, turn it off. If stepping away from the computer, power off or put on sleep mode. Obviously you can’t turn the refrigerator off, but there are many things we can. Just be aware of things when you use them, and when you're not.
Is there a way you can control the thermostat? Adjusting it for the times you are away versus at home? Can you pull the shades during the day to keep your home cool in summer rather than having the air conditioner run on full all day? Can the heat be turned down during times no one is home in the winter?
Think about the many different ways you use energy at home (and in the office) and get creative with conserving it.
EVERYTHING that uses energy, pay attention. Is there a way it can be used more efficiently?
You ARE making a difference by conserving energy!!
You are reducing the number of emissions released into the environment when creating the energy for us to use. (And not to mention, a bonus benefit for you is a lower energy bill!)
October’s Challenge: Conscious Consumption
Often times we don’t even think about what we are ordering or eating. Many of us are unaware that items we are consuming, may be affecting the sea. To help protect our ocean and it’s inhabitants, we can choose foods that are sustainable (i.e. not overfished), organic (grown without harmful pesticides), local (from your area and seasonable), and choosing more items lower on the food chain (as meat production actually takes more energy and produces more emissions).
This month we challenge you to be conscious of the food you eat, where it comes from, how it is made, and how it effects our planet.
Think local, and visit farmer’s market’s. Think sustainable, and know where your seafood comes from and how it is harvested. Think less meat, and more veggies. Think organic, and less chemicals. Mostly, just think. Bringing awareness to the things we do, is where change starts.
You ARE making a difference by making conscious choices with your consumption!!
You are reducing emissions by eating lower on the food chain, reducing your carbon footprint by eating local, helping the ocean environment and it’s enhabitants by eating sustainable, and reducing the pesticides and chemicals that could reach our drinking and ocean water by choosing organic.
November’s Challenge: Less is More!
Stuff, stuff and more stuff! We’ve been conditioned to think more is more. More things, bigger things, more bigger things, buy it just because, therapy shopping, get just to get, buy more... more.... more! Especially this season, when most are about to shop ‘til they drop... we challenge you to think LESS IS MORE.
Everything made, has an impact on the environment. Instead of buying for the sake of buying, think before you make purchases. Do you need it or want it? What is it made of? How is the packaging? Is it eco-friendly? Will it last? Was it made local? Can it be reused or recycled?
Put less pollution in the planet, and more money in your wallet! We are not saying not to buy anything... just to THINK about what you do buy. Stuff doesn’t make you happy, so think about the purpose of the purchase, and the environmental impact it has.
You ARE making a difference by thinking LESS IS MORE.
You are thinking along value and meaning--- the first big step to making any difference is awareness! You are supporting your local economy and the environment by purchasing things with a smaller footprint due to being made and bought locally. You are being creative, and inspiring others by putting more thought into what you buy. Less stuff= less manufacturing emissions and pollution and depleted resources. This Holiday (and always)- think green. Inspire green. Be green.
December’s Challenge: Enjoy & Appreciate!
Feet in the sand... waves splash through your hand... sun on your face... it’s a heavenly place!!
Get out there and enjoy and appreciate the ocean!!! If you are close enough, take a walk along the beach, or if you are far, take a walk along your nearest waterway. If you are unable to travel to these valuable resources, appreciate them in anyway you can. Watch an educational program, look through pictures online, listen to waves on CD~ any way you can enjoy and appreciate the sea from wherever you may be!
Give gratitude when you drink water, shower or bathe. Delight in the rain. Swim in the sea. Walk along the shore. Sit aside the river. Watch the sun rise above the lake. Relax to the sounds of waves. Look at the reflections in the water. See the wildlife swim free.
You ARE making a difference by enjoying and appreciating the ocean.
When taking time to truly appreciate things, you acknowledge their value and expand your awareness to them... thereby increasing your respect and care towards them. So, get out there, and ENJOY THE OCEAN!!!!
We forget that the water cycle and the life cycle are one.
-Jacques Yves Cousteau
