Reflection: Weeks 15 & 16

Top 10 Things I Learned In HTLH 3500, Spring 2009

10. Blogs are time-consuming, but also a great tool of technology!

9. Most of the cosmetic products I currently use are hazardous to my health and the environment.

8. Global warming is inconvenient, but there are little things we can do reverse or halt its effects.

7. Your body feels better within days after eliminating red meat from your diet.

6. Going “green,” is a huge political issue. You can become an advocate for the environment by writing a letter to your political representative.

5. How much money you make predicts how long you will live.

4. Privatizing water is a significant issue in other countries that is starting to gain popularity in parts of the United States.

3. Environmental-related majors and graduate programs are becoming more popular and people with these degrees are in demand in America’s workforce.

2. “Junking” is a hobby I would like to invest some time in.

1. This quite possibly may have been my most favorite class of my UMD college career!

Have a spectacular summer, everyone!

Eye Opener: Online Learning Activities

Defining Medical Terms: Jeff
Pre-op: occurring before a surgical operation

Post-op: relating to, occurring in, or being the period following a surgical operation

Out-patient: a patient who is not hospitalized overnight but who visits a hospital, clinic, or associated facility for diagnosis or treatment

In-patient: a hospital patient who receives lodging and food as well as treatment

Receptionist: a person employed to greet telephone callers, visitors, patients, or clients

Doctor: a person skilled or specializing in healing arts; especially : one (as a physician, dentist, or veterinarian) who holds an advanced degree and is licensed to practice

Nurse: a person who cares for the sick or infirm; specifically : a licensed health-care professional who practices independently or is supervised by a physician, surgeon, or dentist and who is skilled in promoting and maintaining health

Pharmacist: a person licensed to engage in pharmacy, the art, practice, or profession of preparing, preserving, compounding, and dispensing medical drugs

Anesthesiologist: a physician specializing in anesthesiology, which involves the study of the loss of sensation and usually of consciousness without loss of vital functions artificially produced by the administration of one or more agents that block the passage of pain impulses along nerve pathways to the brain

Radiology: a branch of medicine concerned with the use of radiant energy (as X-rays or ultrasound) in the diagnosis and treatment of disease

I Don’t Want to Clean My Room: Jessica
The most interesting fact that I learned from this activity was that vacuum lint can also be composted along with old food! Good to know!

Test Your WaterSense: Erika
According to my final score of 495 and answering 6 out of 12 questions correctly, I am a “WaterSense Expert.” This means that there is still room to increase my knowledge about water wasting!

Barriers to Bicycling: Hannah
When I was in high school, one of my friends hit a bicyclist while driving to school. My friend was driving to volleyball practice at 6am, so the sun was not up yet. She didn’t even see the man cross the street on his bicycle. After he was hit, he immediately fell to the ground and suffered a few broken bones. The reason my friend never saw the bicyclist was because he was wearing dark clothing with no reflectors before dawn. If the man would have been wearing the proper clothing, this accident may have been avoided altogether! Just one more aspect of safety that bicyclers should take into consideration!

Share & Voice: Ingrid and Lauren's Glass Tree

Since most of you probably couldn't see the pictures of the items Ingrid and I "repurposed" for Tuesday, I decided to upload them into a "Share & Voice!" We went to several second-hand stores to purchase some of the items below. The stand is an old plant pot holder and was only $6! We decided that each glass could hold candles, flowers, fish, sand, candy, poporri, rocks, beads, or buttons. Behold, "The Glass Tree:"

Advocacy Project: The Salmon Challenge

Title
The Salmon Challenge

Purpose
Salmon Challenge is a game to help you see how your decisions help or harm our environment and our salmon. The environmental lessons learned from this game can also be applied to other wildlife and humans that use estuaries, rivers, lakes, and ponds for a variety of purposes.

Background/Reasoning/Evidence
Polluted runoff that enters rivers, lakes, and estuaries has a major impact on the environment and endangers the health of wildlife and humans. Polluted runoff comes from a variety of sources that are hard to regulate. However, there are several things you can do around your home to improve the water quality of rivers, lakes, and estuaries.

Instructions
1. You will be given ten questions, just choose the best answer by clicking on it with your mouse. Good choices will help your salmon grow big and strong and migrate to Puget Sound, bad choices will harm or kill your salmon.
2. You may get a Water Quality Alert with no good solution.
3. Click on CHECKUP to see your salmon's current size, health and location.
4. Click on TRY to give your salmon a jumpstart if you discover it is sick.
5. Clicking on the arrow will take you to the next question
6. When you are finished with the game, post a comment about what you learned from it!
*NOTE: Salmon Challenge requires Shockwave Player plug-in (external link) to view the animations.

CLICK on the Salmon below to play!

Reflection: Weeks 13 & 14

WOW...I feel like I am all out of ideas to reflect on without being repetitive, so I decided to keep this reflection short & sweet! The course is definitely winding down. I have to say, these past two weeks were probably my favorite ones of the entire semester! I LOVED "The Story of Stuff" video, the navigation activity at Bagley, and the repurpose activity! Can't wait to see what the last two weeks of the course brings!!!

Advocacy Project: Letter to Public Official

Lauren W.
123 Rainbow Road
LaLa Land, MN 54321

April 28, 2009

Representative Tim Walz
227 E Main St #220
Mankato, MN 56001

RE: Support for Bill H.R.585.

Dear Congressman Walz,

I urge you to support Bill H.R. 585, which directs the President to enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences to evaluate certain Federal rules and regulations for potentially harmful impacts on public health, air quality, water quality, plant and animal wildlife, global climate, or the environment; and to direct Federal departments and agencies to create plans to reverse those impacts that are determined to be harmful by the National Academy of Sciences. In relation to this bill, I am asking you to focus your support on the Minnesota River Basin in particular.

The 1st district of Minnesota has long been affected by problems with the water quality of the Minnesota River. Degradation in water quality has occurred in the Minnesota River over the last 150 years due to significant changes in land use. The water quality of the river is severely impacted by pathogens, sediment, phosphorus and nitrogen. These pollutants come from a variety of sources including runoff and erosion from agricultural fields, stream banks and stream channel scouring, city streets, construction sites, feedlots, and the effluent from wastewater treatment plants and septic systems. All of these pollutants cause health hazards for wildlife and humans, reduced fish populations, and impaired recreational opportunities. Concerted efforts are needed by town dwellers, farmers, municipalities, and industries to reduce pollution of the river and its tributaries.

Support of Bill H.R. 585 will help to develop local water quality goals to improve the quality of life in and around the Minnesota River. The creation of water quality goals would help to ensure that the fish are safe to eat, opportunities for fishing and boating are not limited by pollution, and it is safe to swim in the river. There is less concern about the water quality standards and more concern about the quality of life. People want to use and enjoy the Minnesota River without being concerned about potential health hazards. I appreciate your support of the environment and your past service as co-chair of the Upper Mississippi River Basin taskforce and efforts in Congress to secure funding for the Navigation and Ecosystem Sustainability Program.

To assure our community’s health and safety and to make progress in the cleanup of the Minnesota River Basin, please support Bill H.R. 585 by voting “yes” when it is proposed in the House of Representatives.

Should you need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me at 888-999-1010. I look forward to your response.


Sincerely,

Lauren W.

Share & Voice: A "Green" Burial...Return Naturally!

Okay, so I know this topic might be a little morbid, but I have honestly gave it some serious thought. I have always wondered: what happens to cemeteries when they get full? After watching the documentary, "Green" and learning about all of the garbage people put into the ground, I thought: what about caskets? They go into the ground too! I did some research and found some staggering statistics about the pollutants involved in a "traditional" burial:

Each year, 22,500 cemeteries across the United States bury approximately:

• embalming fluid: 827,060 gallons, which includes formaldehyde
• caskets: 90,272 tons of steel
• caskets: 2,700 tons of copper and bronze
• caskets: 30-plus million board feet of hardwoods
• vaults: 1,636,000 tons of reinforced concrete
• vaults: 14,000 tons of steel

After even more research, I discovered that there is an alternative to "traditional" burials! It is called a "green" or "natural" burial. Below is more information about this practice (all information was taken from Wikepedia).

* The body is prepared without chemical preservatives or disinfectants such as embalming fluid, whenever that fluid contains formaldehyde or another active agent that destroys the microbial decomposers necessary to break the body down.

* The body may be buried in a biodegradable coffin or shroud. The grave does not use a burial vault and it should be dug to a depth shallow enough to allow the same aerobic activity found in composting.

* Natural burials that permit full decomposition can take place in conventional cemeteries as well as dedicated natural burial grounds. Therefore, the act of burial should be considered distinct from landscaping and management techniques (restoration ecology; habitat conservation projects; permaculture etc.) that may vary widely from site to site and are used to maintain the burial area in perpetuity.

* A natural burial ground often uses grave markers that do not intrude on the landscape. These natural markers can include shrubs and trees, or a flat indigenous stone which may be engraved. The burial ground may be designed with centralised memorial structures where visitors can sit within an emerging forest. As in all cemeteries, there are records kept of the exact location of each interment, often using survey techniques such as GIS.

* Planting native trees, shrubs, and flowers on or near the grave establishes a living memorial and helps form a protected wildlife preserve. Irrigation is not used, nor are pesticides and herbicides applied.

* Cemetery legislation protects natural burial preserves in perpetuity from future development while the establishment of a conservation easement prevents future owners from altering the original intent for these burial grounds. For people who are mindful of the cyclical nature of life, a natural burial is an alternative to conventional burial methods.

Some Additional Resources for "Green" or "Natural" burials:

1. GreenBurials.org
2. Green Burial Council
3. The Centre for Natural Burial
4. Find a Natural Burial Preserve in the United States
5. How to Plan a Natural Burial

After learning more about natural burials, I decided this is an idea I would like to look further into and seriously consider in a future funeral plan. As they say, "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust."

Advocacy Project: Issue Overview

Introduction
· Problem: Many assessed rivers, lakes, and estuaries throughout the United States are unsafe for fishing or recreational purposes.
· Current Legislation: H.R.585, To direct the President to enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences to evaluate certain Federal rules and regulations for potentially harmful impacts on public health, air quality, water quality, plant and animal wildlife, global climate, or the environment; and to direct Federal departments and agencies to create plans to reverse those impacts that are determined to be harmful by the National Academy of Sciences.

Who is affected by the issue?
· Who is affected the most? Anyone who uses unsafe rivers, lakes, and estuaries for irrigation, swimming, fishing, rafting, boating, and industrial purposes. Also, anyone who consumes fish taken from rivers, lakes, and estuaries with poor ambient water quality. These conditions may also affect wildlife which uses the water for drinking or as a habitat.
· Who loses and what do they lose? People and animals loose good health and a safe habitat.
· Who gains and what do they gain? Industrial factories, construction companies, mining companies, sewage treatment plants, cities with storm-sewer outflows into bodies of water, and farmers gain an outlet source for their pollutant runoff.

What are the consequences of the issue?
· For the individuals mostly affected? Untreated human waste, sediment, oil, antifreeze, contaminated groundwater, garbage, acid rain, fertilizers, and other chemicals cause disease and death in humans and wildlife. It also destroys the natural habitat of many organisms and the natural environment for human enjoyment.
· For their families? The loss or harm of a loved one due to death or disease.
· For society? If these measures are not taken to correct water pollution, life on earth will suffer severely. Global environmental collapse is not inevitable.

What is the economic impact of the issue?
· What are the economic costs of the issue, and who bears these costs? It is expensive for the government to treat and prevent water contamination.
· What are the economic benefits of the issue, and who benefits? Water treatment and prevention costs money to maintain, but prevention is much cheaper than cleaning up water pollution that has already occurred. In the end, this could benefit the government by saving them money.

What is the social impact of the issue?
· What are the social costs of the issue, and who bears these costs? If these measures are not taken to correct water pollution, life on earth will suffer severely. Global environmental collapse is not inevitable.
· What are the social benefits of the issue, and who benefits? In some ways, it benefits society and government to not have to pay for treatment or clean-up of water pollution and direct the money to other important issues that also protect the health of society.

What are the barriers?
· What are the barriers to addressing this issue? Cost, clean-up labor, sustainability.
· How can they be overcome? Don’t try to return these bodies of water to pristine conditions all at once. Set goals for maintaining healthy eco-systems and may concentrate of the protection of populations of endangered species and protecting human health. Start out by focusing on the designation of uses, which allow for some water contamination as long as a particular type of contamination is not harmful to the designate uses.

What are the resources?
· What resources will we need to address this issue? Funding, clean-up labor, staff to monitor and maintain improved water quality.
· Where and how can they be tapped? Environmental laws may require government and taxpayers to provide funding, clean-up resources, and staff to correct the water pollution problem.

What is the history of this issue?
· What is the history of the issue in the community? Serious degradation in water quality has occurred in the Minnesota River over the last 150 years due to significant changes in land use. The poor water quality of the Minnesota River is due to the vast agricultural landscape that contributes billions of dollars to the economy of Minnesota
· What past efforts were made to address it? In relation to the Minnesota River, the DNR has posted signs warning of fines for dumping “garbage” into the river. Several forms of legislation have been passed in recent decades to try to control water pollution.
· What were the results? Stronger legislation is needed to reduce unsanitary levels of pollution.
Allies & Opponents
· Who would support this issue? Those who enjoy rivers, lakes, and estuaries for recreational purposes. In addition, anyone who’s health has deteriorated to due poor ambient water quality.
· Who would oppose this issue? Those who use rivers, lakes, and estuaries as a convenient source for runoff. In addition, government or taxpayers who wouldn’t want to cover the cost to correct the problem.

My Recommendation
· How do you want policy-makers to vote on this proposed policy? I want my local representative to vote YES on H.R.585!

Reflection: Weeks 11 & 12

Class Happenings
Overall, these past two weeks of class were pretty low-key. We watched part of the documentary, "Unatural Causes," discussed Healthy People 2010, learned about environmental legislation, and became exposed to "jazzy junk."

Brilliant Blogging
At this point in the course, I think I can finally say that I am confident with the blogger application and the process of blogging!

Environmental Exposure
Of course, we covered several topics related to the environment over the past two weeks. My favorite topic however, was the "jazzy junk" webpage Dr. V. took us to on Thursday in class! I think it is so neat how people are able to take something "useless" and turn it into home furnishing or a work of art!

Advocacy Project: Healthy People/THOMAS

Note: The photo above was taken (by me) near my home in Courtland, MN, which is located in the Minnesota River valley. I chose the goal listed below because I have often heard of problems with pollution in the Minnesota River. I have been told never to go swimming in the river if I didn't want to come out with an extra leg or arm growing on me from all the chemicals in the river!

8-8 Objective: Increase in Proportion of Assessed Rivers, Lakes, and Estuaries That Are Safe for Fishing and Recreational Purposes

• 8-8a. Rivers and streams
• 8-8b. Lakes, ponds, and reservoirs

Progress Quotient Chart Data: Tracking data for objectives 8-8a and b are unavailable.

Progress Information: Data were not available to measure progress for surface water health risks (8-8a and b). New data sources were identified and baselines established for objectives 8-8. Additional data are anticipated for these objectives to assess progress by the end of the decade.

• 8-8a. 2000 Baseline: 55% (Percent Assessed Good*)
• 8-8a. 2010 Target: 58% (Percent Assessed Good*)
• 8-8b. 2000 Baseline: 63% (Percent Assessed Good*)
• 8-8b. 2010 Target: 66% (Percent Assessed Good*)

* Good is defined by EPA as fully supporting all of the following uses or fully supporting all uses but threatened for one or more uses: aquatic life support, fish consumption, primary contact [swimming], secondary contact [boating], drinking water supply, and agriculture.

Disparities:

• Race and Ethnicity: Data for objectives 8a-8b are unavailable or not applicable.
• Gender, Income, and Location: Data for objectives 8a-8b are unavailable or not applicable.

Opportunities and Challenges: The passage of the Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act in October 2000 amended the Clean Water Act to (1) establish a national grants program to improve consistency of water quality standards, beach monitoring, and public notification approaches and (2) strengthen national information collection. The EPA established its BEACH program to promote greater consistency in beach health programs and to provide better information to the public. As part of that program, the EPA compiles information on beach advisories and closures. It has collected that information using annual questionnaires sent to participating States, Tribes, local governments, and other agencies that maintain swimming beaches. The questionnaire collects information about advisories and closings that have occurred throughout the swimming season

Emerging Issues: Beach monitoring programs are typically run by local health agencies, and programs vary by location. Monitoring results are inconsistent because agencies use different indicator organisms and varying monitoring frequencies. As part of its beach grant program, EPA has set performance criteria that States and other governments must meet to receive beach grants. These criteria are expected to improve the reporting of beach advisory data.

Related Bill:

• H.R.585
• Title: To direct the President to enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences to evaluate certain Federal rules and regulations for potentially harmful impacts on public health, air quality, water quality, plant and animal wildlife, global climate, or the environment; and to direct Federal departments and agencies to create plans to reverse those impacts that are determined to be harmful by the National Academy of Sciences.
• Sponsor: Rep Lee, Barbara [CA-9] (introduced 1/15/2009) Cosponsors (5)
• Latest Major Action: 1/16/2009 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
• My Political Representative: Timothy J. "Tim" Walz (represents District 1, which includes the area of the Minnesota River valley where Courtland, MN is located)

Share & Voice: Indoor Air Pollution

Most of us know that there is outdoor air pollution, but did you know that there is indoor air pollution as well? In fact, the levels of air pollutions inside homes, schools, and other buildings can be higher than in the outdoor air!

According to the EPA, indoor air pollution is comprised of a mixture of contaminants penetrating from outdoors and those generated indoors. Sources of indoor air pollution include:

• combustion sources (oil, gas, kerosene, coal, wood, tobacco products)


• building materials


• wet or damp carpet


• cabinetry or furniture made of certain pressed wood products


• household cleaning products


• central heating and cooling systems


• humidification devices


• outdoor sources such as radon, pesticides, and outdoor air pollution

It's scary to think of how pollutants are surrounding us everywhere we go!

Reflection: Weeks 9 & 10

Class Happenings

Advocacy was the main topic covered in class these past two weeks. This issue was covered through discussion and two eye openers.

Brilliant Blogging

A unique feature of blogging I discovered in these past two weeks was how to change the date and time of a post. This feature is really convenient because it allows you to "schedule" a post if you are nowhere near a computer at the time the post is due or if you want to work ahead. I love it!

Environmental Exposure

These past two weeks involved determining important environmental issues, identifying political representatives, and defining advocacy. Overall, we learned how to successfully advocate for environmental problems important to us.

Personal Paradigm

So far, I am unsure of my position on advocacy. I realize that it is an important responsibility of a health educator's job, but to what extent? I think one has to know their boundaries and the appropriate ways of fighting for change. However, I believe that some circumstances require boundaries to be crossed in order to make a change!

Eye Opener: Photo Essay

The Diminishing View of the Grand Canyon

During spring break, I was fortunate enough to travel to the south rim of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. I experienced the breath-taking exquisiteness of one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Unfortunately, while touring the canyon, I learned that its visual beauty is being compromised by pollutants clouding the air.

The caption on this plaque about air pollution reads: “On a clear day, Mt. Trumbull is visible on the distant horizon 60 miles to the west. How well can you see Mt. Trumbull today?”

This is a photo I took of the polluted view of Mt. Trumbull. Mt. Trumbull should appear as hills along the horizon. On the day I took this photo, the hills were not able to be seen.

Below is information from the plaque about the diminishing view of the Grand Canyon:

I noticed that the Grand Canyon National Park is doing its part to restore its panoramic views by providing recycling bins throughout the park.

Hopefully we can all do our part to protect the stunning view of the Grand Canyon so that is may be witnessed by future generations!

For more information about the Environmental Protection Agency’s efforts to control air pollution near the Grand Canyon, visit the Grand Canyon Visibility Transport Commission’s website.

Share & Voice: Wal-Mart Goes Green!

Although I try to avoid Wal-Mart stores because of the company’s policies and business practices, sometimes I can’t help but shop there because they give a college student the most bang for their buck. Among Wal-Mart’s many criticisms is its unfriendly environmental practices:

“Wal-Mart, the world’s largest company, has a history of building large stores in environmentallysensitive areas, has been cited by the EPA for Clean Air and Clean Water violations, and is, in its own words, responsible for nearly 250 million tons of greenhouse gases each year." – Wal-Mart Watch

I was intrigued to learn that Wal-Mart built an experimental environmentally-friendly store in McKinney, Texas. Below are some photos of the store:

Built in 2005, this “green” Wal-Mart includes:

• wind turbines to generate energy for electricity
• photovoltaic solar panels
• black tubing around the frozen food sections that recycles the hot air generated by the refrigerators
• urinals with no flush handles
• a special oil in the base keeps the waste down and prevents odors from drifting up
• In a side room near the auto repair dock is a large storage tank that holds the used cooking oil from fried chicken made in the deli section. In winter, that will be mixed with motor oil extracted during oil changes and used to heat the store.
• two retention ponds to help trap pollutants and cleanse runoff from the parking lot
• The cleaner water will be pumped via windmill power back through an irrigation system to water the trees and shrubbery around the store. Each plant has its own tiny black tube that drips just enough water to sustain it.
• long-lasting LED (light emitting diode) bulbs instead of the typical fluorescent strips
• two dozen more trees to add shade and enhance the ambience around the parking lot.
  

We’ll have to wait and see if this “green experiment” takes hold at Wal-Marts across the country!

For more information about the environmentally-friendly Wal-Mart in McKinney, Texas, visit Wal-Mart's website!

Advocacy Project: My Political Representatives

President: Barack Obama (DFL)

http://www.whitehouse.gov/

U.S. Representative: James L. Oberstar (DFL)
231 Federal Building

Duluth, MN 55802

(218) 727-7474

U.S. Senator: Amy Klobuchar (DFL)
302 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

(202) 224-3244

Minnesota Governor: Tim Pawlenty (GOP)

Office of the Governor

130 State Capitol

75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

St. Paul, MN 55155

(651) 296-3391

State Representative: Thomas Huntley (DFL)
585 State Office Building

100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

St. Paul, MN 55155

(651) 296-2228

State Senator: Yvonne Prettner Solon (DFL)
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Capitol Building, Room G-9

St. Paul, MN 55155-1606

(651) 296-4188

St. Loius County Administrator: Alan Mitchell

(218) 726-2448

District 2 County Comissioner: Steve O’Neil
Room 208100 N. 5th Avenue West

Duluth, MN 55802

(218) 726-2359

Duluth City Mayor: Don Ness (DFL)

Mayor's Office

Room 402, 411 West First Street

Duluth, MN 55802

(218) 730-5230

Share & Voice: What the heck is a FREEGAN?

Just the other day, I was reading Marie Claire, a magazine my roommate receives in the mail. I came across and article entitled, “She Lives Off What We Throw Away,” and decided to read it. The entire article was based on freegans. According to http://freegan.info/, a “freegan” is a person who employs alternative strategies for living based on limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption of resources. In other words, freegans are radical environmentalists (typically vegan) who reject our wasteful consumer culture by living almost entirely on what others throw away

Listed below are some common practices of freegans:

1. Urban Foraging / Dumpster Diving - The practice of recovering useable items from dumpsters or street curbs that have been needlessly discarded.


2. Food Not Bombs - Food Not Bombs recovers food that would otherwise go to waste to serve warm meals on the street to anyone who wants it. They promote an ethic of sharing and community while working to expose the injustice of a society where fighting wars is considered a higher priortity than feeding the hungry.


3. Squatting - Squatters find abandoned buildings and restore them into rent free housing and community centers with arts and educational programs for low-income communities.
   
4. Wild Foraging - Instead of buying industrially grown, pesticide sprayed, genetically engineered foods shipped half way around the world with resource intensive transportation technologies, wild foragers find and harvest food and medicinal plants growing in their own communities.


5. Free Markets - Events where you can swap goods (You know, the stuff that is too good to throw away but you shouldn’t keep), share skills, give presents, eat food, hang out, dance, sing and have fun—all for free!
   
6. Freestores - Imagine a store where everything is free! A place where you can bring the things that you no longer need but others can use and where others can do the same.


7. Freecycle - Freecycle is an internet swap meet. You sign up for an email group servicing your community then you can announce items you are offering away for free. Other members who want items that were posted can simply arrange with the poster to pick them up. It’s all free!


8. Craigslist Free Section - Similar to Freecycle but you dont need to join, just browse or post.


9. Craigslist Ride Share and Spaceshare - Internet-based ridesharing - easier than the thumb and won’t get you harassed by cops.


10. Guerilla and Community Gardens - Rebuilding community and reclaiming our capacity to grow our own food as an alternative to dependence and participation in exploitative and ecologically destructive systems of global industrialized corporate food production


11. Community Bike Programs and Bike Collectives - Groups that facilitate community sharing of bicycles, restore found and broken bikes, and teach people how to do their own bike repairs. In the process they build a culture of skill and resource sharing, reuse wasted bikes and bike parts, and create greater access to environentally friendly transportation.

My Thoughts
I am pretty sure I wouldn’t go this far to protect the environment, but I think it is an interesting method of conserving resources, which ultimately lessens one’s impact on the environment. It would definitely take a lot of time an effort to obtain your basic needs as a freegan. One thing is for sure: being a freegan would definitely benefit college students!

Reflection: Weeks 7 & 8

I took this photo when I traveled to visit relatives in Austin, Texas in March of 2008.

Class Happenings
This week in class, we learned about a plethora of issues ranging from carcinogenic chemical exposure to water privatization. We watched two documentaries, completed an eye-opener activity, and discussed two readings.

Brilliant Blogging
Well, eight weeks into the course, I have really come to appreciate the blogging format. I hear my classmates talking about their struggles with having a major portion of the course online, but I really find it easy and flexible. I appreciate the fact that there are no tests, papers or written-assignments. I feel that we are able to gain a lot more from the course through blogging rather than being forced to memorize random facts for an examination. I heart blogging!

Environmental Exposure
Most of our environmental exposure this week was related to chemical exposure and water privitzaton. Both of these issues aren't always directly correlated with the environment until we take a deeper look at them. I feel that we have a long ways to go in protecting our environment from chemicals, but at least we are making a start! I have a feeling that water privitization is going to be an increasingly important topic in the media and it is something that we need to pay attention to.

Personal Paradigm
It is really hitting home how much everything around me affects my own environment. I can't help but stop and think about how every little action of mine affects the environment in one way or another. I feel that my paradigm related to conserving the environment has moved from a pessimistic to an optimistic stance. I would rather strive for change that might be effective than sit back and assume that there is nothing I can do that would significantly improve our environment.

Share & Voice: I Love Thrift Stores!

My Thoughts
Growing up, I had parents who exposed me to the world of second-hand shopping through garage sales, auctions, and thrift stores. To this day, I still try to buy used items before I purchase a newer item. In the current economy, shopping at thrift stores is both sensible AND environmentally-friendly. Why buy new clothes that probably took many hours of machine power (and thus pollution) to make, when you can reuse clothes and reduce your carbon footprint? You are also saving these items from going into landfills! Not only can you buy clothes at thrift stores, but you can also buy furniture, books, music, dishes, and appliances!

Additional Resources
1. Green Thrift Store Tips
2. Ultimate Guide to Thrift Store Shopping

Places to go in the Duluth Area
1. Plato’s Closet (My personal favorite!)
2. Goodwill Industries
3. Salvation Army
4. Earth Exchange Upscale Thrift Store (Superior)
5. And many more!!!

Eye Opener: Environmental Working Group

BURT'S BEES SOAP BARK AND CHAMOMILE DEEP CLEANSING CREAM

RESULTS
Overall Score = 2 (low hazard)

Ingredients in this product are linked to:
Cancer: YES
Developmental/reproductive toxicity: YES
Violations, restrictions & warnings: YES
Allergies/immunotoxicity: NO
Other concerns for ingredients used in this product:
Neurotoxicity, Endocrine disruption, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Multiple, additive exposure sources, Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Contamination concerns

This manufacturer:
Signed Compact for Safe Cosmetics
Does not conduct animal testing

MY THOUGHTS
I always questioned the "natural" label on Burt's Bee's product because I new it didn't have the same meaning as "organic." I never washed my face with any cleansing product before this one, but I figured I would give it a try and that it would be safer than other "unnatural" products loaded with different chemicals. This cleansing product was rated as a low hazard, but it also contains carcinogens, developmental/reproductive toxins and other dangerous ingredients. I would like to look into using a more environmentally friendly product, or research weather or not my face actually needs to be cleansed with any type of product.

Reflection: Weeks 5 & 6

Class Happenings

Well, we definitely learned a lot about food in relation to our environment throughout the past two weeks. We discussed a reading about “feeding the world,” took a quiz on our diet, and watched two movies related to the American diet and food production.

Environmental Exposure

When I think about conserving the environment, I usually never think about my diet. These past two weeks definitely exposed me to the concept of environmentally-friendly diets and food production. I am definitely going to take some of the ideas I learned in class and implement them into my efforts to protect the environment.

Brilliant Blogging

This week I became frustrated with how time-consuming blogging is and the glitches I encountered with the application. I have learned to treat the blog assignments like regular classroom assignments and mark the due date in my planner…it usually works pretty well! I am also struggling to keep up with the “Share & Voice” posts by all of my group members…they are really cranking them out!

Personal Paradigm

After discussing the food pyramids in class, my paradigm has changed in relation to environmentally-friendly diets. I am now a fan of greener diets and have a deeper understanding of why eating meat and other animal products is harmful to the environment. I believe that it is in the best interest of the environment and my personal health if I make some changes to my current diet.

Share & Voice: Hungry Planet: What the World Eats

After watching two documentaries related to diet and food consumption in America, I had one lingering question: What does the rest of the world eat?

I found a a series of photo essays entitled, "Hungry Planet: What the World Eats," on Time magazine's website. The photo essays show what type of food families in different countries include in their diet. In addition, each photo includes information about weekly food expenditures, favorite foods/recipes and food preparation. It is interesting to note how other countries seem to be more conscious of the environment than the United States when it comes to their diet.

Below are some interesting pictures and facts from the photo essays:

United States: The Revis family of North Carolina

Food expenditure for one week: $341.98

Favorite foods: spaghetti, potatoes, sesame chicken

India: The Patkars of Ujjain

Food expenditure for one week: 1,636.25 rupees or $39.27
Family Recipe: Sangeeta Patkar's Poha (Rice Flakes)



Cape Hope, Greenland: The Big Haul Cousins Abraham and Julian Madsen drag a freshly killed seal toward their house. Seal meat, cooked with rice and onion, is a family favorite.


To check out the complete photo essays from Time magazine, click on the following links:
1. What the World Eats, Part I
2. Hungry Planet: What the World Eats, Part II
3. Hungry Planet: What the World Eats, Part III

Eye Opener: Summary of Reading 9: The Winds of Change

What is wind energy?
According to the author, Margot Roosevelt, wind energy is the world’s fastest growing power source. Wind power is the conversion of wind energy into a useful form, such as electricity, by using wind turbines. It is an intermittent form of energy that can be renewed by nature and can’t be exhausted.

Who is using wind energy?
Currently, only 2.2% of the world’s energy comes from renewable energy sources such as wind power. However, wind energy output is growing 30% annually, faster than fuel! Even oil companies are becoming interested in renewable energy. The governments of Denmark, Germany, Spain, Japan, India, and Iceland have all adopted alternative power sources to create their energy. The United States is very dependent on imported oil. Fossil fuels are currently used for 80% of the US energy. The only time the US government has favored wind energy is when oil prices skyrocketed in the 1970s.

Why should we use wind energy?
The author provides two main reasons for utilizing wind energy: global warming and terrorism. Global warming is caused by heat trapping from carbon dioxide, a by-product of burning fossil fuels. Global warming has serious consequences for our planet and threatens to create a disastrous climate. In relation to terrorism, the author conceives a scary scenario: how much easier would it be to crack open the Trans-Alaska pipeline and how much easier would it be to bomb a nuclear plant than to attack a wind farm?

What does the future hold for wind energy?
Experts say that wind could provide about 12% of the word’s electricity in 20 years. That being said, renewable energy has a long way to go. A conversion to renewable energy will not happen without refined technology, lower costs, or political will. The world as a whole needs to consider the price of pollution. The author stresses that the future is more a matter of choice than destiny.

Different viewpoints on wind energy
1. I felt that the author wrote a very biased article about wind energy. She only mentioned the positive aspects and failed to mention any negative aspects of wind energy. I did some online research and found an article entitled, Wind Energy Development Environmental Concerns, from the Wind Energy Development Programmatic EIS website. While wind energy has relatively little impact on our environment, it still raises some environmental concerns. These concerns include noise impact, visual impact, avian/bat mortality, and health/safety considerations.

2. There have been several research studies conducted that are related to wind turbines and their affect on health. Nina Pierpont is a pediatrician who researches a condition called “wind turbine syndrome.” The condition arises when people are exposed to the whooshing sound of industrial wind turbines for long periods of time. Symptoms include migraine headaches, nausea, and insomnia. Pierpont maintains that it is essential for wind farms to be built no less than 1.25 miles away from homes, public meeting places, and highways. We need to find the appropriate locations for these wind farms, which may require the use of valuable, untouched land.

A question for discussion:

Do you think wind power is a reliable and/or practical form of energy? Why or why not?

Share & Voice: Minnesotans For Global Warming Song (If We Had Some Global Warming)

In light of the snow we have been receiving over the past couple of days here in Duluth, I thought I would share this video that I found on YouTube!

For those of you that grew up rocking out to the pop tunes of the 90's, you will immediately recognize the melody of this song ("If I Had A Million Dollars" by the Barenaked Ladies). So, sit back and reminisce as you listen to the tune from your younger years!



While I felt that this video was entertaining, it was also very biased. Although the video is obviously meant to be a joke and poke fun at "crazy liberals with paranoia about global warming," I think it ended up making the creators of the video look arrogant and uneducated. I was also shocked to learn that the creators of the video, Minnesotans for Global Warming, have an entire website based on their beliefs about global warming. It's very interesting...check it out!

Eye Opener: CSPI

I took the “Score Your Diet” quiz from the Center for Science in the Public Interest. My diet received a score of 14, which means “Uh-oh!”

High Scores
I scored the highest for Fruit, Vegetables, and Whole Grains. This is probably due to the fact that this food is provided for us by our environment and generally does not need to be processed.

Low Scores
I scored the lowest for Cheese, Milk, Beef, Chicken, Eggs, and Candy/Pastries/Ice Cream. This is probably because this food needs to be processed, which causes detrimental effects on our environment.

Areas of Improvement
I need the most improvement in the environmental category. To improve my score, I need to consume less animal products, such as: meat, dairy, and eggs. To actually attempt to eliminate these food products from my diet would require a significant lifestyle change that includes a greener diet!

Summary
I guess I already knew that consuming plant products was good for our environment and consuming animal products was not. What I didn’t know was that consuming just one serving of meat a week significantly impacts my health and the environment. I know that I need to lessen my consumption of animal products to reduce my overall score, but I’ll be honest: I am not ready to give those foods up! Maybe I could take small steps in the right direction, and consume less animal products in general, rather than completely eliminating them from my diet! What do you guys think?