I’ve just registered my family for this sustainability challenge. While I’ve been making eco-friendly changes for years, there’s always more to learn, and I sometimes find myself getting a little lazy! The 2012 EcoChallenge sponsored by Oregon’s Northwest Earth Institute (NWEI) is a chance to push myself to get a little greener and to connect with others doing the same thing.
Won’t you join me?
An annual event, the EcoChallenge asks people to select one area in which to reduce their environmental impact for two weeks. Choose from water conservation, energy efficiency, trash reduction, sustainable food options and alternative transportation. NWEI provides you with lists of possible actions to take within each area. You can even select all the categories or create your own. The point is to use those two weeks to create new habits, recommit to a greener lifestyle and find inspiration from others while doing it.
The EcoChallenge runs October 1-15. Register now (it’s free) so that you’re off and running come October. You can go solo or create a team of family members, workmates or friends who commit to going green together. Watch your thermometer rise as you “check in” on the website for every day that you accomplish something toward your eco challenge. Once you reach 10 notches on the thermometer, you’re entered into a raffle of goodies (although, unfortunately, many are only useful for residents of Portland, Oregon).
Last year’s challenge featured bloggers who posted about their progress. I’m hoping to do that this year via Eco-Mothering.
Still need inspiration? Watch some videos of a few EcoChallengers.
I’ve enlisted my family in this venture. When I eagerly shared my idea with them last night, my husband simply nodded over his fried rice while my daughter offered an immediate suggestion: “Mommy, I know how we can save trash. We can take some cardboard boxes to school and use them to build castles!”
And we’re off.Good luck!
