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."