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!