An Introduction

Hello Blogosphere!

My name is Danielle. Here are some things about me:

• I'm 29.
• My favorite color is in the process of changing from green to yellow.
• I'm a social worker.
• I was born on Friday the 13th.
• I eat the cookie part of the ice cream sandwich first.
• I have a turtle named Pablo.
• I'm scared of the dark, alligators, chalk, scuba diving and wiping out on a treadmill.
• I read out loud.
• I sometimes use and sometimes don't use the Oxford Comma.

I would say that I'm pretty involved in trying to right the wrongs I see in the world. Though there's always more I could do, I stay informed and take steps to fix things that I don't like.

However, there is one grand exception.

I know lots about what fracking does to the water table, I think the Keystone XL Pipeline is a HORRIBLE idea and I know that there's a 300,000 square mile heap of trash floating in the Pacific Ocean... but until just recently, I never recycled, I was overly wasteful and I put the burden of "saving the environment" on others. I was selfish and lazy.

This blog is the beginning of the end of that nonsense. I recently had what I will call an "environmental success." I determined that one very small part of my life was creating an exorbitant amount of garbage. This garbage wasn't recyclable and until I did a little research I thought it was just a fact of my life. The solution to this problem eliminated 100% of the rubbish I was creating. The solution will even save me money over time. As a result, I feel extremely empowered, I want to take on more personal challenges that address my impact on the environment and I want to share them with others so they can do the same.

That said, this blog will continue as follows:

1. I will post about ways that I am wasteful.
2. I will research my options (and ask for the opinions of readers, if I have any).
3. I will write about what happens as I try to change.
4. I will update how it's going.

I plan to number my challenges. I'll keep a running list down the side of this blog for easy reference. I'll also note whether they've been accomplished. It'll be fun.

Here goes something.