BANNERS: World CARFREE Day | September 22

World Car Free Day, which is celebrated on September 22, encourages motorists to give up their cars for a day. Organized events are held in some cities and countries. According to The Washington Post, the event "promotes improvement of mass transit, cycling and walking, and the development of communities where jobs are closer to home and where shopping is within walking distance". Studies showed that for short trips in cities, one can reach more quickly using a bicycle rather than using a car.

The events, which vary by location, give motorists and commuterists an idea of their locality with fewer cars. While projects along these lines had taken place from time to time on an ad hoc basis starting with the 1973 oil crisis, it was only in October 1994 that a structured call for such projects was issued in a keynote speech by Eric Britton at the International Ciudades Accessibles (Accessible Cities) Conference held in Toledo (Spain).

Within two years the first Days were organized in Reykjavík (Iceland), Bath (United Kingdom) and La Rochelle (France), and the informal World Car Free Days Consortium was organized in 1995 to support Car-Free Days worldwide. The first national campaign was inaugurated in Britain by the Environmental Transport Association in 1997, the French followed suit in 1998 as In town, without my car! and was established as a Europe-wide initiative by the European Commission in 2000.

Source(s): wikipedia

BANNERS: National WHITE CHOCOLATE Day! | September 22

Although not technically chocolate, white chocolate wasn't part of the chocolate family until 2004 when the FDA finally eased up on its definition of “chocolate” and accepted it into the family. The first white chocolate, Milkybar, was launched in Europe by Swiss company Nestlé in the 1930s.

Regulations govern what may be marketed as "white chocolate": In the United States, since 2004, white chocolate must be (by weight) at least 20% cocoa butter, 14% total milk solids, and 3.5% milk fat, and no more than 55% sugar or other sweeteners.  Before this date, American firms required temporary marketing permits to sell white chocolate.

The European Union has adopted the same standards, except that there is no limit on sugar or sweeteners.

Happy National White Chocolate Day!

Source(s): punchbowl | wikipedia