Never Quit Quittin'

We are proud to announce that we will be carrying the torch of Chile's Quit Now Challenge into the month of August and - we hope - beyond. The spirit of this challenge is to reduce our energy intensive habits in light of future prospects of declining energy and resource abundance which have come under the umbrella term "peak oil." The idea is to precondition ourselves to the possibility that many of the luxuries we enjoy today may not be so widely available in the future, and thereby reduce "peak oil's" potential to negatively affect our livelihood or our psyche. We do so by choosing an energy intensive habit or product and swearing it off for one month. Each week, we will "check in" to update our progress, sharing any tips and tricks we've learned or making excuses for our failure. :-) We encourage participants to do the same.

Choosing a pledge...

Some of the most energy intensive habits we have are actually quite simple and easy to cease. It varies from person to person, but for most, locally sourcing something we usually get from far away or giving up bananas (you get social justice points as a side benefit here) can be reasonably accessible ways of reducing our impact on the environment and the energy supply. Other examples might be more difficult like going vegan, vegetarian, or locavore for the month - or giving up your car.

These are but a few examples; it's really up to you what habit you choose. There are no "cop-out" options. Anything consistent with the spirit of the challenge is perfectly acceptable. We want those who pledge to be successful in completing the challenge because we believe it will encourage perseverance among the "quitters." So, we do not recommend making an overly ambitious pledge. It should still, however, be a challenge. It's up to you to decide what is most reasonable for you. We suggest you begin from where you are.

So start thinking about your habits, the things you consume, how you get around, and please, seriously consider taking part in this challenge. At the end of the month, even if you experience bumps along the way, you should feel a sense of pride for giving your best effort. Do not feel bad if you slip up in this challenge. It isn't about "winning"; it's about preparing ourselves and showing ourselves that we can do it. Just get back up and try again.


Sign me up...

If you decide you'd like to take part in the challenge (which we hope you do), just leave a comment on this post, and tell us what you want to "quit".

We encourage participants who have one to place the graphic above on their blog or website, To do so, copy the following code and follow the directions below.

<a href="http://vegncookingandotherrandommusings.blogspot.com/2008/07/never-quit-quittin.html"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_2H3G4C5T6s0/SD1ruwqisEI/AAAAAAAAAy8/SMeXCf9rzUE/s400/Addiction+logo+mini.jpg" /></a>In Blogger, go to your layout options, and click on Add a Page Element.

• Select Text
• Type whatever you want for the title or leave it blank
• Click Edit Html
• Paste the code you copied in the body
• Then click Rich Text to confirm the image shows up
• Save.

When you view your blog you should now see the bell curve image.

For the month of August, we will continue on with our take out/eating out hiatus, with one exception, the 1st of August, we will be going out to eat for an early celebration of my birthday (which is not until the 10th), but beyond that, no restaurant food. We are also going to make sure to turn off all unnecessary appliances when not in use, this is not limited to, but includes: computers, speakers, lights, power bars, etc.

The Challenge will begin on August 1, so you have one week to decide if and what you would like to quit. We will do a weekly check-in post every Friday starting August 8th.

'Til next time!