Friday, June 24, 2011

A blog of worth: Green Eyed Monster

I love crafty, artsy, this is my life blogs , but I really love reading blogs that inform, educate and show the passion of the writer, also. I am very concerned with what I eat, what I put on my body, animal welfare, and the effect I have on the environment, so I obviously like blogs that have to do with those things. My best friend, Ashley is a very talented writer and she started a new blog and it is amazing. But I'll let her tell you what it's about.

What is the name of your blog and what does is mean ?
The name of my blog is Green Eyed Monster. There is a duel meaning to the title. Firstly, I have green eyes and I can be kind of a monster about things. Secondly, I try and look at life in shades of green -- Eco-friendly, sustainable, cruelty-free ways -- and, I can be kind of a monster about that, also.

You have had several blogs before; what made you change it up and do this one?
I have had several blogs, before. Since high school I've had some sort of blog going on. They were directionless journal type things where I posted random stuff. Since they had no direction, I felt no responsibility for them and eventually lost interest and deleted them or ignored them. Last year when I got sick, however, my life changed. I made certain changes when words like cancer, tumor, and transplant started being thrown around. For a year, now, I've been on this journey of changing my life and my future and it has taught me a lot; it has given me some direction apart from my academic career. I changed things up with this blog because this one has direction and a message that I feel is important for people to hear.

What can readers expect from your blog and what are your intentions?
Readers of my blog can expect entries that focus on the environment, animal welfare, and health and ways that they can make changes to positively impact their surroundings. My intentions are to provide a sort of hub of resources. I'm not the kind of person who tracks followers and comments; those things aren't important. What is important to me is educating people on ways to protect the planet and all who live on it -- whether on two legs or four, flying or swimming. I can't make someone know something and want to help fix it; all I can do is provide information and resources and hope that they want to know.

Where do you see this blog in six months?
To be honest, I really don't know. I hope that it has continued to reach more people and provide them with an outlet to discuss the goings on of our world and it's inhabitants. I hope that it gets people thinking and wanting to know more. I hope that it continues to grow and evolve and grow up with me. Eventually, I'd also like to start a vlog to accompany my blog, but that is a long way off, I think.

Your blog covers a lot of topics and causes; if you had to pick one cause or article to get everyone educated on what would it be?
Oh, that's tough. I don't know if I heard it somewhere or read it or maybe it came to me in a dream, but I believe that the most Eco-friendly thing a person can do is be vegan. It kind of spiders out into everything. The meat industry creates so much water contamination, waste, and pollution. Being vegan kind of encompasses everything that is important to me and that I discuss in my blog: the environment, animal welfare, and health. I feel that that is a really long-term thing, though. It's the kind of thing that everyone has to sit and think about for themselves. People need to make the decision of whether or not it's right for them as a person regardless of the positive way it will impact the world.

In the short term, however, I think awareness about the dangers of plastic is extremely important. The chemicals present in plastic drinking bottles, for example, have been linked to diseases like cancer, thyroid problems, birth defects, and liver and kidney damage. The plastic is barely being recycled so it ends up in landfills and the oceans, choking our marine life and poisoning the ground and water. My goal is to get as many people as I can to drink from glass and stainless steel instead of plastic.

What are your favorite blogs of worth, right now?
I don't really follow many blogs. I read yours, obviously. I appreciate the gluten free resources you provide and your story. I also like Eat, Drink & Be Vegan; it has great recipes. Other than that, though, I don't really look at blogs. I prefer websites. I read The Huffington Post a lot. Also, I like the WSPA website, One Green Planet, and the website for the IS Foundation. These are some of the things that inspire me and help keep me informed about things that are going on.

If I were a person thinking about giving up meat and/or dairy, what would your advice for me be?
My advice to you would be to really inform yourself on why it is a positive change in your life. To research the benefits for not only you but for the planet. I would encourage you to join groups, find like minded people, and above all else remember why you have decided to make this change in the first place. It's really easy to get discouraged but I would advice you to remember what it was that made you decide to give up meat and dairy in the first place and honor that. There are a lot of people and organizations out there that want to help people like us. I provide resources all the time -- on my blog and on twitter -- and I am always on the lookout for more. The key is just to remember why you want to do this; why it's important.

Do you know that I think you're rad?
I've expected as much for a while, yes :)


Link up with this green eyed monster:
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