Have you ever played the game Apples to Apples?
Players are dealt seven “red apple” cards containing a noun, noun phrase, or a gerund. Each player takes turns being the judge drawing a “green apple” card containing an adjective and places it face-up on the table for everybody to see. Then, each player (except the judge) chooses a card that they think is the best match for the green apple card, and places it facedown. The judge shuffles the red apple cards, reads them and decides which noun is the best match for the adjective. The winner is the first player to accumulate a pre-designated number of green apple cards. Click here for a full description.
When you play, it’s a blast watching each player’s interpretation of which red apple card best describes the green apple card. Recently, at an office social gathering, we played and gained great, but often surprising insight, into one another’s sense of humor and thinking process. Gearing up for the Northwest Earth Institute’s 2010 EcoChallenge, I am reminded of our team’s Apples to Apples showdown and how it could inspire our choices.
You play to win (don’t we all?) – so it can be a literal comparison or it can be out of this world bizarre. For example, if the green apple card is “Inspirational,” then the red apple cards played might be Walt Disney, Antarctica, Michael Jordan, Getting a Hug, Beer Bellies, or Martha Stewart.
The NWEI EcoChallenge is like Apples to Apples with a little twist. You are your own judge and decide from among predetermined categories (the red apples), including Water Conservation, Energy Efficiency, Sustainable Food Options, Alternative Transportation, Trash Reduction or Choose Your Own. The EcoChallenge (the green apple card) is anything that challenges you to live a more sustainable life. The choice could be just a simple, small adjustment or a wildly creative and extreme departure to your daily routine that you do for two weeks (October 1-15) – again you are the judge.
You could choose to build a better relationship with the food you eat by shopping local and organic. Keeping with our apples theme, you could pick organic apples at a local farm and make homemade apple crisp to share with your family and friends. You could choose to turn that patch of your yard that you don’t know what to do with into a garden and grow some of your own fruits and veggies (or if space is an issue, turn your windowsill into an herb garden and have a limitless supply of mint). Looking for inspiration? The NWEI staff has some creative ideas.
For me, this is an opportunity to reduce my impact and move towards living more sustainably while creating awareness. For us all, it is an opportunity to rethink our actions and learn how our decisions affect the planet.
So, I say, why not have some fun, right?
We don’t even have to be in the same room (like if we were playing Apples to Apples). The EcoChallenge can be done from any corner of the globe, solo or as a team. All you have to do is register, pick your challenge and encourage others to do the same. Together we can create positive change and raise money for NWEI’s sustainability education programs (another way for you and your team to learn about sustainability).
We hope you will join us and take that one step towards a more sustainable future.
Be Inspired.
-Courtney
