Blog Action Day For The Environment

Perfect pink flower originally uploaded by Darkpatator.

What an amazing undertaking!

Today, October 15th, 2007 is Blog Action Day. Around the entire globe, an unbelievable 15,000 blogs and websites reaching 12 million subscribers are ALL uniting to address and call attention to one single important issue on everyone’s mind: The environment.

Each blog participating relates the environment to the blog's area of focus. In so doing, we all - bloggers and readers alike - get thinking and "talking towards a better future."

Ever since hearing about Blog Action Day from my friend in Oman, Arun Rajagopal - who heard it from Faris Yakob, another fellow Age of Conversation author, I've been thinking about the topic and how my actions affect my environment:

I went grocery shopping at my local Pathmark and forgot the beautiful reusable canvas bags that I've placed in the front seat of my car to not forget them. I'm asking my daughter to remind me about them so I can actively stop using new plastic bags at the store. I used to be diligent about this, but got out of the habit. Today, I change that.

I immediately forwarded Arun's post to Mary Hunt from In Women We Trust. Mary intends to change the world and her passion is contagious. Read her posts and be inspired to take action.

Mary directed me to The Big Green Purse which encourages women - as the primary purchasers and influencers responsible for $.85 of every dollar spent - to use that purchasing power "in a way that can't be ignored... encouraging A MILLION WOMEN to shift at least $1,000 of money they already spend for an initial $1 billion Big Green Purse impact." Wow!

Did you know that October is also about walking? Check it out on Do The Green Thing where every month visitors can try a new green thing [and download tunes to put a green spring in your step]. Thanks, Gareth Kay, for urging us to do the green thing.

My husband and I routinely take 40 minute walks around our community. Each time we are out and notice trash, we remember that we wanted to bring a trash bag with us to pick up litter. Today, I change that.

In a recent Columbia Business School alumni email, I noticed a writeup on an alumna - Catherine Billon ’89 - who decided to "simplify the enormous amount of information available on sustainability and the environment" and created "an eco-friendly multimedia and social networking site that went live earlier this year in beta and will launch officially later this fall." It's called RiverWired. Check it out. Not only does it offer original content, but it also connects to relevant web content on sustainability. How cool and green is that?

Catherine says that "green changes of any size can deliver big returns in the aggregate. “It can be as simple as turning off the faucet while you brush your teeth,” she says matter-of-factly, “but getting started on a greener path is the main thing.” "

Just getting started can make a difference!

In that case, what if....
- you could banish Styrofoam cups from your store, replacing them with recycled cups or even ceramic mugs?
- you had a recycle bin and encouraged everyone in your organization to use it?
- you found an alternative to plastic bags? If you can't, how might you reuse the ones you have?
- you turned off the lights when you're not in a room?
- you adjusted your thermostat to be less cool in the summer, and less warm in the winter?
- you checked out the cleaning products you use to determine if they the safest ones around? Consider Green Cleaning as recommended by the EPA.
- you enabled the hibernate mode on all your computers?
- you picked up the trash outside your store and around your neighborhood?
- you moderated your driving? Check out the EPA's employee driving guidelines for tips on saving fuel.
- you took the Energy Star Pledge and replaced existing lightbulbs with CFLs?

Today is Blog Action Day focusing on the environment. What will you do? How will you take a first step on the greener path?

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