Quick! Quick! Give us more challenges or we shall perish!!

Okay guys, it be I, Manic Panic again ...

....and I'm super exhausted. Like, pass out and wake up in a week exhausted. A life thing, no worries. However, I love you all enough to hit you with some quick challenges before I go and pass out.

Challenge 7: Green gifts. As you know (or maybe you did not) my birthday was last week! And, for my birthday, I received an amazing green gift! My beloved friend (and fellow MOD) donated a beehive in my honor! What a fucking awesome present, right?! I can save the bees AND have a present! Sounds like a double win to me! And so... a challenge was born. Next time you have a gift to give---make it a green one! I suggest you check out treehugger.com, as they have the how-to-guides for anything and everything! Okay, challenge 7 issued. Ps. While you are giving that green gift, keep in mind how to wrap that green gift. For my birthday this year, all my presents came in reusable cloth bags, boxes, pots, etc etc. No paper, no ribbon, no tape, and everything was reusable--but still with the element of surprise! WOO!

Challenge 8: No more silly walks! Okay, let's get radical here. I propose that if you have a trip to make, and it's under a mile, that you walk there. Most people can walk a mile in 15 minutes or less. So, if you can get there walking in 15 minutes, you should NOT be driving there. Once again, for some of you this is a cake walk, because you live in cities, but this one can apply to you too! If you usually take transit somewhere that is under a mile, I propose that you walk/bike there instead! Think of the benefits! It will clear your head, keep you fit, and save you cashmoney. As the challenges progress, we will extend the margin for silly walks. I usually walk if it's under 5-6 miles, no matter the season, but I'm a little nuts and I've been doing it for over a year.

As a ps. to this challenge, this summer I've been riding my bike to work and back every day. It's 30km a trip so 60km total every day. Total gas money savings so far? Over 400 dollars. Not to mention no insurance payments, car maintenance payments, etc etc...

Thanks for birthday wishes, reading the blog, and commenting on the facebook page/emailing us!

More posts coming soon! (I promise--and I know I keep saying that but I really do promise)

Endless <3

Manic Panic

Behold her challenges, ye mighty, and despair!

Greetings earthlings,

It is Manicpanic again, here to issue another pair of green challenges. I hope you all made out alive from last week, and I hope you're reconsidering your personal care products and switching to more eco friendly ones. If you had any trouble, thought it was a breeze, or like silly walks (just making sure you're paying attention) please comment or shoot us an email!That being said, I'll hit you with this weeks challenges:

Challenge 5: Make some jam! Now, this one is very dependent on your location. But, where I am, it is definiately fruit season! Therefore, go out there and make some jam/jelly! It's easy, it really is, and after you're done you will feel so accomplished! Think of that time in Cast Away where Tom Hanks started a fire. Like that. You'll be dancing around your kitched yelling, "I. HAVE. MADE. JAM."

Here's a couple of recipes to try out, but feel free to google around for one you'd like to try:

http://savorysweetlife.com/2009/09/plum-jam-recipe-no-pectin-needed/

http://farmgal.tripod.com/Jamsjellies.html


Challenge 6: Get a travel mug/water bottle, no more plastic bottles. Bottled water is not only bad for the environment, it's bad for your health. Like, really really really bad. Like, cancer causing bad. So, this week I proclaim that we shall stop buying stuff that comes in plastic bottles! Like coffee? Get a travel mug. Like iced coffee? They have travel cups for that too. Everything else can go in a plain old water bottle. This is one of the easiest challenges to do and it can make an enormous impact. Just think how often you've seen a water bottle discarded by the side of the road.

Alright, challenges have been issued. Can you handle it? I think you can! And, once again, please email/comment/tweet/carrier pidgeon you're questions and concerns!

Endless <3

Manicpanic

Ps. Sorry this entry is so short. However, tomorrow is my birthday (!) so I've been very busy baking cakes!

Pps. We've got some AMAZING blogs coming, I promise! The moderators are going through a very busy patch right now (long distance relationships, band camp, new puppies, new jobs, deployments, and lots of long working hours) but we'll be back at it soon enough! Fret not!

Green Challenges Week 2: How did you do?!

Hello my little chickadees!

Well... I'm dying to know... how did you all do this week? How was your 'meatless Monday' experience, and what was the cause you settled on? Around here the week went pretty well. I am meatless every day, but everyone in my household went meatless at least one day this week. Which, considering my household, is pretty impressive!

As for causes, that one is much more personal. Everyone has a green issue that is near and dear to their heart. If you'd like to comment on what your passionate about, and hit us with some links, that would be wonderful!

But in the meantime...

Green Challenges: Week 2.

Green Challenge # 3: NO MORE PLASTIC BAGS! *said in 'Mommie Dearest' Joan Crawford crazy voice*. Now, I cannot lie to you, o readers of this blog, but I already do this one as well. But still, it's a goodie and it's very important. Because plastic bags end up in all sorts of awful places, they degrade very slowly, and they are all around bad. Therefore, I propose no more plastic bags! Get cloth ones, most grocery stores carry them, or just use bags you've got lying around the house.

I've carried stuff out of stores in purses, backpacks, folded up clothes.... whatever it is, as long as it's not plastic it's golden.

Think of it like your wallet. You couldn't buy anything from a store if you didn't have any money, could you? Same with the bags. If you cant transport it home without a plastic bag, you can't buy it. For some, this will be tricky, for others, this will be realllllly easy. As I say, everyone has struggles with different aspects of 'green living'. Comment and let us know how you fare/if you already do this/if so far these challenges are crazy easy/hard/silly....

Green Challenge #4: Know what you are putting on your skin/body. For those of you who did not know, personal care products are where some of the most hazardous, dangerous chemicals reside. Seriously, like, endocrine system disrupting, cancer causing, hormone alteringly bad. And the reason all of us are exposed to all of this is because much of this stuff is completely unregulated.

So, to aid you in your quest for safer personal care products, I give you the EWG: the Environmental Working Group. They've compiled many many lists of personal care products and the awful dangers that may be lurking in them. See what you use, check out the product, and be more aware of what you expose your body to on a daily basis. Check out the EWG here: http://www.ewg.org/.

Now, if you come to realize that much of your personal care stuffz is dangerous, you might want to go a different way. So, now behold many (many) links of safer products and DIY recipes for all your personal care needs:

The Clean Bin Project http://cleanbin.wordpress.com/?page_id=1164&preview=true

Lush Cosmetics http://www.lush.ca/shop/english?sc=1

Soapworks Canada http://puresoapworks.com/aboutus.htm

Pioneer Thinking http://www.pioneerthinking.com/teeth1.html

And again: http://www.pioneerthinking.com/beauty/hair/shampoo/jc_shampoo.html

Nature Moms Blog http://www.naturemoms.com/no-shampoo-alternative.html

Okay, well, the challenges have been set. Will you rise to meet them?! Email/comment/visit the facebook page and let us know how everything turns out!

<3

Manicpanic

Ps. I triple double pinky promise times infinity that there will be some more posts coming really soon. I know I talk too much as it is ;)

And so sayeth ManicPanic...

Greetings my darlings!

The time is here! The time to issue green challenges number 1 and 2!

Now, to remember the 'rules':

1. Everyone of the moderators on the site will be doing the challenges. (...and don't worry, they've all got posts in the works that should be up this week so you can take a break from reading my stuff :D )

2. If you do, dear reader, decide to take up these challenges, tell us about it! You can write a post about it and email it to us (theloraxsociety@gmail.com), or if that's not your thing/you have stuff to do, you can just post in the comments! Also remember we have a facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/groups/167255923339644/)! So we will be starting discussion groups on the page about posts/green challenges. Feel free to chime in!

3. The challenges are not (boldface, underline) set in stone. If you have something you'd like to see on the list, please comment/email us and it will 98% get on there. Unless it's... you know... ridiculous. There won't be any 'running naked in public' or 'watch 24 hours of straight television' on there. However, if it's green and it's legit, we'll put in on the site and add it to the challenge list. An added bonus of this feature: some of these challenges, I, ManicPanic, already do. So yes, I am cheating...kind of. However, if someone submits a challenge that I've been avoiding, I'd have to do it! See what I did there?!

4. The challenges will cover a broad range of green things. Sometimes they will be simple, sometimes they will be silly, and other times they will be soul searching and difficult. As we get on in challenges, we will up the intensity. Think of it as climbing a mountain, a big ass green mountain. By the end we'll all feel like Captain Planet.

5. Obviously, not every challenge will be possible for every person. If I make a challenge 'take public transit for a week' and you live somewhere that has no public transit, obviously this challenge cannot be applied. However, it should get you thinking just the same. If you didn't have any public transit, you should be asking yourself why... what are the factors that make that a reality. Ask questions, is my point. You're all smart, you get my drift ;)

Okay, so there's the scoop on the ground 'rules' for this challenge. And once again, we follow the Pirate Code on this blog. They are 'more of what you'd call guidelines than actual rules'.

Alright, so without any more ado whatsoever, I give you the one (well...two), the only, (once again... there are two), beginnnnnnniiiiinnnnngg greeeeen challlengesssssss:

1. MEATLESS MONDAY. I know right?! POW! Start off with a hard one! Well, that honestly depends on the way you eat already. For some people (including myself *shame face*) this is a walk in the park. Especially for me as I'm a vegetarian anyway. However, I know of a fact that I'm the only moderator who IS a vegetarian, and this will be a real challenge for them *evil laugh*.

Okat, so why meatless Monday? Well, eating excessive processed meat is bad for you. And I don't mean kind of bad for you. I mean, 'your colon hates your WORLD' bad for you. Plus, meat (especially beef) has a frighteningly high carbon footprint. It's a planet killer, for sure. And so, meatless monday becomes the no. 1 green challenge.

For details about the Meatless Monday movement, please see this link (http://www.meatlessmonday.com/why-meatless/) and for why meat can be highly toxic please see this link (http://ht.ly/5XuPL).

Something final to keep in mind with regards to this challenge: if you eat a lot of meat, I urge you to switch to sustainably raised meat. It's better for you, and the environment. Yes, it is more expensive. Sometimes significantly more. But you'll save the money in health costs, and you shouldn't be eating that much meat to begin with :D. Okay, lecture over.

I hope this challenge proves enlightening!

Alright, and now for challenge number 2...

2. GET INFORMED. FIND A CAUSE. I would argue that lack of actual information without the influence of a 'pro consumer' bias is one of the greatest hinderances to the environmental movement. The mainsteam news covers almost 0 environmental issues, and when they do they just play up the controversy and don't tell the public any information that is vital to their health/happiness. So, stop trusting CNN, FOX, MSNBC (ALL OF THEM) completely, and go out there and find some information. I'll hit you with my top 5 websites for reliable green information:

a. http://www.treehugger.com/
b. http://www.grist.org/
c. http://motherjones.com/
d. http://www.ewg.org/
e. http://www.350.org/

Now, once you've searched around on the internet and brought yourself up to speed on green goings on, I need you all to find a cause. The world is reaaaaaaaally messed up right now. And if we try to tackle everything at once, it's beyond overwhelming and we often end up doing nothing and going to the mall instead. So, pick a couple of things that matter to you and be proactive about them.

As an example, my three major current projects are:

a. Stopping the proposed 'MegaQuarry' being build an hour north of Toronto, Ontario. This quarry would destroy the water table, food supply and biodiversity of the province and it is proposed to be larger than Niagara Falls. To help stop the quarry, please see the following links (http://www.facebook.com/no.mega.quarry) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I8ZkwK22hqI&feature=related) (http://www.stopthemegaquarry.ca/)
b. Saving the Gatineau River. Consistantly voted one of the most beautiful and biodiverse regions in Canada, a massive septic waste plant is being proposed to be built along the Gatineau River, outside of Ottawa, Ontario Canada. To help, please see the following links (http://www.facebook.com/#!/SAVETHEGATINEAU)
c. Tar Sands XL Keystone pipeline. A tarsands pipeline is proposed to be built from the Canadian Alberta tarsands down through the United States. Many climate experts believe that if this pipeline is built, it would mean 'game over' for the planet. What the movement is about is simple: keep the fucking oil in the ground where it belongs. To help, please see the following sites (http://www.tarsandsaction.org/)(http://www.grist.org/climate-change/2011-06-23-join-us-in-civil-disobedience-to-stop-the-keystone-xl-tar-sands)

Remember, the strongest thing we have on our side is the truth. Because the corporation ruled, profit driven system is trying so hard to block our access to the truth.

And remember this story:

Once upon a time an old man came upon a young man on the beach. Thousands of starfish were washed up on shore and the young man was throwing them back in one by one.
"What are you doing?" said the old man, "There are thousands of them on this beach, you can't help them all!"
The young man continued on with his task, picking up another starfish and tossing it back into the ocean.
"I helped that one." he said.
The old man walked away, ashamed at himself.
The next morning the old man came back, and once again saw the young man tossing starfish back into the ocean. The old man joined the young man, and they begain to return the starfish to the ocean together.

Phew, that was a long post. Good luck with the challenges! And comment/email us with any questions/concerns!!

Much <3

ManicPanic

Oh, Why Hello There Stranger...

Well, shucks, I can’t believe that I get the honor of doing the first post here at The Lorax Society! Well, here goes nothing…

In case you were not aware, my ‘area of expertise’ is every day activism, and challenging yourself every day to live a more green and socially conscious life.

I made the decision to enter the world of green about 6 months ago, and I haven’t looked back since. I’d pretty much do almost any eco dare you throw at me. If I’m anything, I’m adaptable…

I also, fair warning, have an overly healthy sense of outrage. I will get angry, I will type in Kanye West all capital letters, and I will go on rants. And yet, I’ve come to terms with my rage. At this point in the state of the world, I’ve decided it’s unhealthy not to have a little rage.

So, because I’m all about the eco rage/eco change, I’ve decided to start off my posts on this blog by issuing a challenge.

A really awesome, world changing, green challenge.

What is this challenge, you ask?

The challenge is to make two green changes a week, for a total of 52 weeks. 104 green challenges. One year. A new, greener life.

Why this particular challenge? Well, because it’s doable, for the most part. Once in a while I might go a little crazy and suggest something not actually that feasible, due to location/age/domestic status etc. But, for the most part, I will issue challenges that a. I will be doing myself and b. that almost everyone can do.

I promise you that if you stick with me (and with Lorax), you’ll be strutting around like Captain Planet in no time. Maybe you can even get a cape. Just don’t wear it outside. Actually, do wear it outside. That’s awesome.

Alright, so now that I’ve issued the basic challenge, I’ve got to go and start thinking of stuff to challenge everyone with! If you’ve got any suggestions, I urge you to comment. I’ve thought of some stuff so far, but I’m afraid I’m not up to 104 different challenges yet. And yet, I find myself excited for this challenge. I know that there have been many similar challenges all over the interwebs, but I figured that I would toss my hat into the ring anyway.

Alright, now that I’ve laid out the ground rules, I’m off!

<3 Manicpanic

Ps. Look out for challenge number 1 and 2 on Monday! And also keep a weather eye on the horizon for an activism post coming soon ...

Welcome to The Lorax Society!

Salve! And welcome to the brand new, freshly minted blog ‘The Lorax Society’!

Before we get to the green goodness, let me hit you, dear reader, with some Lorax knowledge.

Who exactly runs/moderates The Lorax Society?

Cylons, vampires, frost giants and the Rebel Alliance. Or, in High Speech, a bunch of best friends who are recent grads now set adrift in the big bad world*.

*And yes, I totally just referenced Battlestar, Thor, Star Wars and the Dark Tower series… If us moderators are anything at all, it’s pop culture savvy.

What is the Lorax Society all about?

‘Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better, it’s not’.

A couple months back we founders of the Lorax Society decided that enough was simply enough. We couldn’t just sit around and watch the planet crumble around us. Yes. It’s a scary world. Yes. The planet is in trouble. But burying our heads in the sand and watching things get steadily worse wasn’t an option. Action was the only medicine. And so we put our brains together and came up with The Lorax Society. A place where young (and old) greens can come together, share experiences, and make a real difference in their lives, communities and countries.

How does the Lorax Society work exactly *raised eyebrow*?

Well, we wanted to design the blog so that many people from different backgrounds could guest post on the blog. After all, us moderators, while from different areas of North America, are all middle class, college educated women. And, quite frankly, that’s not exactly a good representative of the population. Therefore, we needed some different opinions up in here—and the Lorax format was born!

So, anyone can post to the blog?

Yes! Anyone can post on the blog! Just email us at theloraxsociety@gmail.com, us moderators will take a look at it (edit for spelling, making sure you don’t just send us a picture of your naughty parts or something) and then post it up on the blog!

What types of posts will there be?

We will accept posts on anything and everything! Going green, being green, green tech, gardening tips, cooking tips, water conservation, animal activism, ocean activism, shopping smart, supporting local industry, pretty bunnies… if it’s green… WE WANT IT! Imagine green stuff is brains, and we are zombies, WE WANT TO EAT YOUR BRAINS AND GAIN YOUR KNOWLEDGE.

Well, what will YOU be blogging about?

Hmmm, good question. Well, there are about five of us moderating the site, and we’ve each got a specific areas of interest. So, here’s a really basic rundown of the types of stuff the MODs are in to:

NeptunesNachos: She’ll be blogging on anything and everything related to the world’s oceans, seas, lakes, rivers, reservoirs, and ponds. If you fin a shark or squash a frog, she’ll show up at your house and ask you if you want to live.

ManicPanic: This one will bring the rage, activism style. She’ll be blogging about every day activism, and how everyone can make a difference. She’s also obsessed with cycling and gardening. Think Rorschach from Watchmen, but for the earth.

SweetSimpleLife: SweetSimpleLife will be blogging about the joys that can be found in simple living. Rather than bend to the rat race message of this go—go—go world, she’ll be turning it back a notch and blogging about finding happiness and beauty in everyday things that are both green and simple.

MsBehavin: Our resident scientist/teacher, MsBehavin will be blogging about the ‘baby steps’ approach to going green. She’ll blog about her one-day-at-a-time green journey, and how to be green when you’ve got a spouse in tow. She’s the perfect example of how even the smallest action can make a difference.

And last, but certainly not least…

FlavorFlav: Named after a beloved doggy, our resident professional writer is an all-around animal lover. And she’ll be blogging about how the green movement affects the animal kingdom. From issues as big as species extinction to as local as animal shelters…if it’s animal related, she’s on top of it. Like a stealth ninja…for animals.

So, there is a summary of us moderators and are varied interests! If something catches your eye, that’s terrific! But if you read that and went, ‘wtf I don’t care about any of that’, then that’s great too! Write in and we’ll post what matters to YOU! The floor is open!

So, uh, do you guys have a Twitter or Facebook page or something?

Once again, yes we do! You can find us on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/167255923339644/ and you can find us on Twitter under ‘The Lorax Society’.

Well, is that it *raised eyebrows*?

Yes! I hope you enjoyed our very first post at The Lorax Society! Keep your eyes peeled for multiple updates coming very soon. And remember, write us at theloraxsociety@gmail.com with your questions, comments, concerns, opinions, and suggestions!

<3 <3

The Lorax Society

‘Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.’ –Dr. Seuss