Low Impact Week check up

It's time for your two month check up!

For all those people who participated in Low Impact Week, let us know how you are doing after two months.

Low Impact Week follow-up

You didn't think I forgot about you, huh? Of course not!

For all those people who participated in Low Impact Week, let us know how you are doing.



Today starts Local Food Month! Look for a post tomorrow...

Low Impact Week contest winner!

Well, you all certainly have made it hard to choose the winner of the Low Impact Week contest and I'm glad I had so many days to think about them all :) I'd list all the runner's up but the list would go on and on and on...

But, I have to say that I really liked EPM's answer. So, EPM (who has the blog, Capturing Today) email me at crunchychickenblog@gmail.com and I'll get your information to send the goodies your way. Oh yeah, and you may just have inspired me enough to give cloth wipes a try. I must be truly nuts. But I'll definitely blog about it in gory detail for my reader's entertainment.

Are you wondering what my favorite thing about Low Impact Week was? Well, although it did give me a kick in the pants to finally doing some of those things I said I was going to do, my favorite thing was you guys. I love how you all came together to support each other by visiting each other's blogs and leaving notes of encouragement. It was great to see. I know a lot of you feel like you live in a wasteland and there are no likeminded people out there. To learn and finally realize that you are not alone, that what you are doing is highly valued by others, was way more worthwhile than any other thing I did during this week.

Again, congratulations to everyone who participated in Low Impact Week! I'll be following up toward the end of the month to see how everyone is doing.

And... don't forget that I'll be announcing a new challenge this Friday, June 15th!

Low Impact Week Contest question

Congratulations! You survived Low Impact Week!

Now what? Well, I'm running myself a little contest.

Here are the rules again for those that didn't see the first announcement. At the end of this post, there is a question regarding Low Impact Week. You have until Monday, June 11th (5:00 pm PST) to post your answer. In a truly not so objective manner, I'll choose the answer that I like the most. I'll announce the winner on Tuesday, June 12th.

So, what does this person win? Well, let me tell you... it's a care package of sorts to help send you on your way and continue doing some of the things you started during Low Impact Week:

• Package of CFL bulbs
• Lowflow showerhead
• Reusable produce bags
• 100% recycled plastic kitchen garbage bags
• EcoDent toothbrush with replaceable head
• Organic natural soap

Also, don't forget that I'll be announcing another challenge mid-June so as to take advantage of the momentum we've built up. For those who can't stand the suspense, here's a hint: it will have something to do with what we're currently reading in the book club.

And, here's my question:

"What did you like most about Low Impact Week and why?"

Good Luck!

Low Impact Week wrap-up

Well, this is it - the last day of Low Impact Week! I thought I'd follow up the week with another poll (or two) to get your impressions on how you did and whether or not you will continue.






I hope that, for the most part, this has been a positive experience for you and that it has provided that one little push to get you doing something you've always wanted to do or introduced you to some new ideas. I know for some of you this week was bad timing as you had other things going on.

One thing I've seen on some of your blogs is some of you being really hard on yourselves because you didn't get done some of the stuff you set out to do this week. Just because Low Impact Week ends today doesn't mean that you can't try next week or later. Those goals don't need to disappear. I think this community of people will still be around for your support.

I have to say that I am equally impressed at the amazing amount of work you all have done even if it was one small change or completely upending your lives.

I'll be checking back in with you all, probably at the end of the month, to see how you are doing. In the meantime, watch for other posts to keep us all involved in encouraging each other. We've created a community and I don't want to see it disappear just because it's June 7th.

Also, I'll be announcing a new challenge mid-June. I thought I'd give you all a few days breathing space, but I don't want to lose the momentum that we all have gained so far! Don't worry, it's not another Low Impact Week, but it does focus on one area of impact.

So, congratulations to each and every one of you.

And don't forget! Tomorrow I'll be posting the Low Impact Week contest question.

Low Impact Week - Crunchy Chicken style

For those of you wondering how Low Impact Week is going for me, here's my report.

Energy
*Kept the heat low (which wasn't an issue due to the heat for some of the days)
*Didn't use A/C in the car
*No TV (except we did watch one DVD)
*Forgot to unplug some of the major appliances until Sunday
*Line dried all the clothes except for one load (hung laundry outside!)

Water
*Collected water from all showers and used to water garden
*Took shorter showers or used the toggle water saving shower head

Food
*Ate mostly vegetarian (okay, so one serving of Copper River Salmon snuck in)*Planted a dwarf fig tree, dill, brussel sprouts, acorn squash
*Switched to drinking organic soy instead of organic milk
*Used cloth bags at the stores
*Shopped at a farmer's market for the week
*Focused on getting local produce over produce shipped in
*Bought very few pre-packaged foods

Long term
*Worked on my compost pile
*Switched out 7 CFLs
*Signed up for 100% green energy

In addition, I continued many of the other things I already started last month that I've mentioned in previous posts.

All in all, I think I'm doing pretty good. I had a few slipups at the start. I'm impressed by how much some of you did during the week and I can definitely say you are my heroes!

Stay tuned Friday for the Low Impact Week contest.

Low Impact Week Contest

Here we are, halfway through Low Impact Week!

I wanted to congratulate you all and encourage you to keep up the good work. If you haven't done so yet, don't forget to take the Low Impact Week poll to let us know how you're doing!

In the spirit of Low Impact Week, I'm holding a contest. The winner of the contest will receive a care package to help them continue doing the good things they started this week.

This gift basket will include items to help with some of the 7 areas of impact:

• Package of CFL bulbs
• Lowflow showerhead
• Reusable produce bags
• 100% recycled plastic kitchen garbage bags
• EcoDent toothbrush with replaceable head
• Organic natural soap

Contest rules: the day after Low Impact Week ends (Friday 6/8) I will announce a question related to what you've been working on. You'll have until the following Monday (6/11) to post your answer. The answer I like the best (and I'll try to not look at who the submitter is) will be the winner. Sure, it's subjective, but it's my contest dammit :)

The winner will be announced Tuesday, 6/12!

Low Impact Week Poll

It's day three of Low Impact Week...



I'm planning on having a Low Impact Week contest. Stay tuned for details Monday!

Low Impact Week Begins Today!

Holy crap! I guess this means that I'll be doing all those things I said I'll be doing and then some.

The hardest part will be remembering to do them. I find that habits are so ingrained that I'll forget to huck the bucket under the water stream when I turn on the shower. Or I'll absent-mindedly grab a paper towel in the bathroom at work after washing my hands.

One thing I'm adding that I didn't mention in my goal post or, rather, my post about my goals, was that I'm going to go shopping for produce at a farmer's market this weekend.

Also, make sure you check out other people's Low Impact Week goals by visiting the websites and blogs listed on the right.

How are you all feeling on this auspicious day?

Low Impact Week Plans

Since Low Impact Week starts in a few days I thought I'd post my plans for the things I'll be doing. I already started doing a few of them and marked those with an asterisk.

I didn't end up doing the scorecard since we're having someone come and stay with us for a few months starting this weekend and all the numbers would be off. It would look like all my efforts are resulting in increased consumption!

Energy reduction
Keep the heat below 67 during the day and 60 at night
Unplug appliances and charging devices when not in use
No TV *
Air dry dishes *
Cold water only in machine washer *
Line dry clothes *

Water reduction
Take shorter showers
Save water in bucket when warming up shower
Buy and install a rain barrel had to scratch this off

Food behaviors
Eat vegetarian for the week
Minimize packaged foods *
Use cloth bags at grocery stores *

Waste reduction, reuse and other
Switch to 100% recycled plastic garbage bags
Replace 7 light bulbs with CFLs
Sign up for alternative energy plan

I'm already doing pretty much all the other suggestions on my original guideline list. In addition, we've been eating a ton of salads from our garden (spinach, lettuce, beet tops, radishes and herbs). I can barely wait for the beets, and U-Pick season at our local farms is almost here!

I'll check in afterwards to see how I do!

Earth saving events poll

That title sounds rather grandiose, doesn't it? Blogging rule #1 - never write a post after your drink has been spiked with rum. But it's Saturday, alright, and I shall forge ahead anyway and hopefully catch any spelling errors.

[If you're looking for a less serious poll, I snuck one in on Friday.]

Next month commences several events to challenge you to live a little lighter on this earth. Most of them revolve around reduced energy consumption and CO2 emissions.

So, in the spirit of a Sunday poll, I wanted to get a feel for what your plans were, in other words, what level of involvement you were planning, if any.

The three events beginning in June start with Low Impact Week where the goal is to pick one or more things to focus on reducing or changing during the week. The point of this is to help newbies try out a few new things and push those über-greens into doing more for a week.

The other event is Greenpa's Planet Party that starts with a party on the Summer Solstice followed by a week where you do one thing that reduces your impact on the planet. The Planet Party is a local event that you either organize or attend if someone else is the organizer.

Last, but certainly not least (and the most involved of them all), is Lowering 93% hosted by Simple Living and Causaubon's Book, where you try to lower your carbon emissions by 93% over the next year.

So, my question for you is:



If you plan on dabbling in one or more and/or the most fitting answer isn't listed, please tell us what you are up to in the comments!

Scorecard for Low Impact Week

[Welcome, Good Morning America and Nightline viewers. Don't be shy, feel free to jump in on Low Impact Week!]

So, you want to participate in Low Impact Week to try out a few changes and see how hard it is. But, you also are curious to see if even just one week's changes make a difference.

Well, to help get you started on seeing what kind of effect Low Impact Week will make, it's probably a good idea to establish a baseline, so to speak, of your current impact.

First - decide which things you are going to do from the 7 areas of impact. Then - in the next week or so, calculate out how much you use/throw out, etc. for one week. For example (the links tell you how to do it):

1. Energy consumption: On day one of this "test week" read your meters for your electricity, gas, and oil (if you can). [Another way to eyeball it is to take your statements and divide by 4.3 to get approximately how much usage you have per week.] Take readings again at the end of the test week.
2. Water usage: Same deal - read your meter. They are generally under a plate in the sidewalk, but this may differ where you live.
3. Food habits: This is a little harder. Depending on the specific action item, say plastic bags, count how many plastic bags you acquire during the test week. Maybe count how many pre-packaged frozen food items you consume during the week. Count how many meals include meat or animal products.
4. Paper products: Try to keep a mental note as to how many paper towels you use this week. Again, this probably will mean counting or some sort of tally. Same thing with paper printouts.
5. Garbage output: How many bags of garbage did you throw out during the week?
6. Car usage: How many miles did you drive alone?
7. Do more: This is more about researching what other things you want to do. So, find out if you have an alternative energy plan available, find out how to remove your name from junk mail lists, see how many light bulbs you could replace, determine if you have the space and resolve for a compost bin or rain barrel.

See how easy this is? Well, if you don't mind a little counting and some subtractin'.

If this is still too much for you, I've created a very handy dandy little Google spreadsheet for you to view. There's also an Excel spreadsheet version if you want to save it for yourself.

Right now the Google spreadsheet is "view only", but if you all want to keep yourselves accountable to the world, I can make it open for you to edit and add your own values.

I'll be creating a similar style spreadsheet for the actual Low Impact Week so you can track what changes you are making. Let me know if this is something you want to be able to edit online so you can share with others what you are doing.

Low Impact Week update!

Ok, folks. Here are the guidelines for Low Impact Week. There are seven areas of impact listed below, each one with several action items for you to choose.

I chose these action items as I wanted them to be relatively easy to integrate into your lifestyle for a week. In other words, you don't have to prepare anything too much or invest in anything too special (unless it's part of a replacement project).

I hope you find that these are things that are are easy to do. You can do one or all of the suggestions for each area listed and if you want to go all out, make sure you add in the action items marked with a * for an über-low impact.

1. Reduce energy consumption -

don't turn the heat above 65 during the day and 60 at night (put on a sweater and dig out those blankies!); for our southern friends, set the A/C to above 90

unplug appliances when not in use that still draw energy when off (like your cell phone charger)

turn off the TV unless you are actually watching something

use the air dry on your dishwasher instead of heat dry

use only cold water in your washing machine

line dry your clothes instead of using the dryer*

turn off the TV for the week and do something else instead (read a book, visit with friends/family)*

2. Reduce water usage -

take shorter showers and/or use a water saving showerhead

turn off the water when you're brushing your teeth

be aware of water usage when at the kitchen sink - turn it off in between tasks

save the water in a bucket that is discharged while warming up the shower and use it to water plants or for other things*

3. Change your food habits -

try to buy organic and/or locally grown food

minimize pre-packaged foods and make more of your own from scratch

use cloth bags at the grocery store instead of getting paper or plastic*

don't get take-out if it means non-recyclable packaging*

try eating vegetarian or vegan for the week (choose your level from egg/dairy acceptable to no animals products at all)*

4. Reduce your dependence on paper products -

print out only what is necessary

try out a a 100% recycled TP and tissue brand

don't use paper towels; when you can, use cloth napkins or towels instead (e.g. public restrooms)*

5. Reduce your garbage output -

recycle everything you can (for your area)

donate used items to a charity (many have pick ups and drop off locations) instead of throwing them out or taking them to the dump

compost your food waste and soiled paper products*

6. Reduce Single Occupancy Vehicle usage -

carpool when taking trips or going out to eat with friends

take the bus or other public transportation to work and on errands*

7. Do something that lasts more than a week -

replace one bulb per day with a Compact Fluorescent light bulb

take your name off of junk mail and mailing lists for catalogs you don't want

sign up for an alternative energy plan if available in your area

set up a compost bin for your food scraps*

set up a rain barrel to capture water for watering your yard*

In the next week, I'll help you get set up with calculating what kind of impact your Low Impact Week made on your electricity/gas/water and garbage by setting a baseline to compare it to. Some things you won't see a result for yet (such as items in area #7).

If you have any suggestions of items to add to the above, let me know. Stay tuned!

And thanks to Sally Mills for some of her suggestions.

'Low Impact Week' starts June 1st!

A few people over on No Impact Man's blog were chatting about having a "No Impact Camp" or a "No Impact Week" for people to try out living lighter on the earth. Similar to the "Turn off your Television Week" thing.

I suggested having a "Low Impact Week" since there are a lot of barriers to truly having no impact for only a week. Plus, it's a lot more doable for the average family.

So, in the usual state of things, I decided on the spot to host my very own "Low Impact Week" starting the first week in June.

UPDATED: See this post for the guidelines!