This is Umbra’s third entry in the series “Grist dared me to make a change.” Read the first and second here. And support her dare with a gift to Grist!
Day 7, July 11: Meatless Monday/fun day
Celebrate your independence from factory-farmed meat by enjoying veggie dogs, eggplant stacks and other delicious meatless grillables. Check out this eggplant stack inspired by Kim O’Donnel’s The Meat Lover’s Meatless Cookbook: Vegetarian Recipes Carnivores Will Devour.
Day 8, July 12: Fixing the world
Something broken in your life you’ve been meaning to fix? Button needs sewing? Pants need hemming? Today’s the day to fix something that’s broken and give it a new life. Here’s a broken umbrella I helped stitch into a handy, reusable bag! Learn how to do it yourself in my video.
Day 9, July 13: Confess your eco-sin
Confess your eco-sin and pay your penance on Earth Confessions! Admittedly, I like to take long showers. Working on that. Here’s my penance from St. Umbra. Oh wow, that’s me!
Day 10, July 14: Thirsty Thursday
Drink organic beer or liquor, biodynamic wine, or sun tea! Here’s a photo of one of my favorite organic brews.
Day 11, July 15: Cow and farm animal appreciation day
Go visit a local chicken, cow, or farm to personally thank them. If you don’t have time to go to a farm, go to a farmer’s market and thank your local farmer. Or, just look at cute pictures of farm animals at the Woodstock Farm Animal Sanctuary.
Day 12, July 16: Inflate your tires
Today’s a great day to inflate your tires on your bike or car. If everyone in the United States inflated their car tires properly, we’d cut back on 3 to 4 percent of our oil consumption. Watch my video!
Day 13, July 17: Shower power
Save time and water and take a 3-minute shower today! Or shower with friends. Or install a low-flow shower head. Here’s a snapshot of one highly efficient shower session — the “Navy shower,” where you soap up and shave with the water turned off. Find more water-saving tricks and tips in my video!
Coming up next week: Civil disobedience, planet pictures, and more veggies. Picture this: A donation to Grist!
