Abby's Earth Experiment

Share & Voice: The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

2009-12-18T15:15:00.001-06:00

Currently, in Copenhagen, the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is taking place. 119 heads of state and government have joined together to make positive decisions affecting climate change. It's said to be the largest ever of its kind. Decisions being made include how to cut emissions and how much to cut them by. Almost more importantly, they are making decisions on how to hold each country accountable for sticking to the decided policies.

According to the UNFCCC, "The 119 heads of state and government represent countries that account for 89% of the world's GDP, 82% of the world's population and 86% of global greenhouse gas emissions. Included in the 119 countries are the 20 largest economies and the top 15 greenhouse gas emitters in the world."

This conference could make some pretty monumental changes in the way of reducing carbon emissions and slowing down (and hopefully eventually reversing) the effects of global warming!

I encourage you to all stay on top of the issues and make sure you check out what our world leaders decide!

Reflection: Weeks 13 & 14 & overal course review

2009-12-18T14:46:00.002-06:00

The last two week of class have come and gone!

In week 13 we went to the Goodwill in west Duluth. It was a very interesting experience. I've already been there a couple of times. I've gone on my own, and I've gone a couple of times with my clients at the group home I work for. I wasn't expecting that I would learn so much. I had no idea Goodwill was known for hiring individuals with disabilities. I think what struck me the most is when we talked about the different jobs that the workers do. I loved how they said they didn't really care about how efficiently things were done. They would use several individuals on one task as long as it was beneficial to those individuals. After we went on a tour of Goodwill we went to the store and did a little activity. We were each given a task and we had to complete it with a budget of only $20. My group completed our task by finding plates, bowls, silverware, glasses, and decorative items for a kitchen! I will definitely be visiting the Goodwill again! You will always find a treasure of some kind!

During week 14, our very last week, we shared our junking projects! I made my project while I was at home for Thanksgiving break. I used an old box that held thank you cards. I turned the box into a jewelery box by making dividers out of cardboard pieces from a shoe box! I also used paper and a photo to decorate the box!

After we each shared our projects we talked about the most significant things we learned throughout the semester. I talked about the power of social change.

Overall Course Review: It has been an interesting and fabulous semester. I'd say this was one of the most enjoyable classes I've taken in all my time at UMD. It's just so relatable to my life. It's unlike any other course you'll take - teaching style and subject alike! I wish everyone had to take this class. I think there is value in knowing how to create and operate a blog. I also think there is HUGE value to the subject matter. This should be a prerequisite just to be a member of earth! I feel like so much more educated on issues I knew the minimum about. I also feel like a more educated consumer. I'm now an eco-chic consumer! There is real life value to this class and I would recommend it to anyone. The work load was pretty substantial, but it was spread out and it was something you just got in the habit of putting in your schedule. I'm glad I did because now I have this amazing blog that I've created that is storing everything I learned this semester and it's mine forever! It's almost like your very own little electronic portfolio of a semester's worth of knowledge!

Share & Voice: Plastic bags - Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle!

2009-12-17T23:51:00.001-06:00

By watching this video, I discovered that many places are taking steps to completely phase out plastic bags all together! Some countries (and even U.S. cities) have banned plastic bags altogether. Others are taking steps such as adding a bag tax, or requiring you to pay your plastic bags to cut down on bag production. However, some of us may not be quite there yet. If your household is anything like mine, then you undoubtedly have a cupboard in your kitchen somewhere almost popping open because it's so full of plastic bags (not that they're yours because you're so eco-friendly you only take reusable bags to the grocery store). What do you do with this never-ending supply of bags? You don't want to just throw them out because that would be wasting, but at the same time you can't fit one more bag in that cupboard!

There are numerous ways to get rid of plastic bags. First, you can recycle them! Well, not in the normal recycling at your house, but a lot of grocery stores offer places to recycle your bags. Next time you go to the grocery store, look for these bins designated for plastic bags only! Second, you can reuse them! I'm sure many of us already use these bags for garbage in our cars, or liners in our bathroom waste bins, but there are actually a lot of creative ideas out there. I found a few websites with long lists of ideas! Some are obvious, but some are interesting and innovative! Check it out!

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/home-garden/reuses-plastic-bags.html

http://www.wikihow.com/Recycle-Old-Plastic-Bags

http://sayiamgreen.com/blog/2009/10/25-ways-to-re-use-plastic-bags/

I think my favorite way to reuse plastic bags is to make them into art! Check out this street art using plastic bags!

Eye Opener: Response to the Online Learning Activities

2009-12-16T18:23:00.001-06:00

Danielle's Discoveries: Response questions and answers to the videos

Danielle used videos to illustrate different sanitation issues in different countries and then asked us to anser a few reflective questions after watching.

Q: After seeing this video, how do you feel about the fact that this whole European program, creating better sanitation for all, is developed and carried out by women?

A: I found it pretty interesting that women cared more about sanitation and clean toilets, and clean drinking water than men did. I think it's really awesome what the WECF are doing. Clean drinking water and bathroom facilities is a human right that everyone deserves. It's hard to imagine that there are places where the water is polluted by human fecal matter in Europe. You really do think of Europe as always been on top of all the issues.

Q: why is this happening so often? Don't we have policies, food inspectors? How do these recalls affect those selling these products?

A: I am really interested to know how these products get contaminated in the first place? I mean we can recall products, and tell people not to eat certain foods, but what can be said for taking preventative measures? It seems like for the peanut factory there are policies on ensuring food safety and different procedures that must be done, but since they don't have anyone holding them accountable, who knows if they're doing what they say. Something that I hadn't thought of before was how these recalls effect those who make a living from these products. If there is a big salmonella scare in Florida because of tomatoes, I bet this affects tomato growers all over the US. It's really unfair when you think about it.

These videos really brought home the point that there is still much to be done in the area of sanitation, even in developed countries. It also showed that there are a lot of loop holes in the system. There are clearly areas that need to be addressed.

Pam's Green Blog: Activity on FAS

Pam's asked us to identify which of the posted pictures of children exhibited physical signs of fetal alcohol syndrome. I'm guessing that it's photo numbers 2, 4, and 6. This is one of those things were you would feel bad if you guess wrong!

Next we answered a few true and false questions. 1. False, 2. True?, 3. True, 4. False, 5. False

I work at a group home and a number of the clients I work with have FAS. It's really a sad thing because if the mother wouldn't have used substances while she was pregnant, then her child wouldn't be in a group home. It's so preventable that it just makes me so upset that it even happens.

Share & Voice: What do do with all those plastic bottles?

2009-12-15T21:51:00.000-06:00

So, although I hate to admit it, I am a soda junkie. I drink at least one soda a day. Sometimes it's out of an aluminum can, and sometimes it's out of a 20 oz. bottle. I hate looking in the recycling at our house and seeing all those bottles. I didn't know what to do with them besides throw them in the recycling. Then we learned about junking in one of our environmental health class and it got me doing some research. I found a lot of different websites (and a lot of different blogs) that had many different ideas for ways to reuse plastic bottles and ways to create them into some pretty new and interesting things. I don't think it would be the same if I just listed off the different things you can do with plastic bottles. Instead, go to these sites and check out the many ideas (accompanied by pictures) of how individuals reuse their bottles!

http://www.thedailygreen.com/green-homes/latest/recycled-bottles-photos-4604

http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/blogs/save-money/reuse-plastic-bottles-460709

http://www.greenstudentu.com/eco_lifestyle/10_ways_to_reuse_plastic_soda_bottles.aspx

http://condo-blues.blogspot.com/2008/05/12-ways-to-reuse-plastic-bottles.html

http://ecoble.com/2009/04/27/extraordinary-reuse-projects-10-amazing-ways-to-recycle-plastic-bottles/

Advocacy Project: Smoking Takes Your Breath Away

2009-12-14T11:24:00.000-06:00

I'm calling this activity: Smoking Takes Your Breath Away

The purpose of this activity is to give you a first hand feeling of how smokers feel when they're trying to breath. More specifically, it give you the feeling of what someone with emphysema (smoker's lung) feels when they try to breath. This is important because it's a good reminder for why you never want to start smoking, or why you might want to quit.

Smoking is the #1 preventable cause of death in the U.S (MIT). It's the leading cause of lung cancer, emphysema, hearth disease, and throat cancer (CDC). Not only does smoking affect those who do it, but it affects those around you. 53,800 people die each year due to exposure to second hand smoke (ANR). This activity illustrates the addictive nature of tobacco by showing you how it feels to breath when your a smoker, and yet many continue to smoke.

For this activity you will need a straw. A cocktail straw is best, but you could also grab a straw from the food court if you don't have one on hand at home. Here's how you begin:
1. Breath through the straw for 30 seconds. Has breathing become harder? How much more restricted do your airways feel?
2. Take away the straw and recognize how easy it is to breath again. Did you immediately desire to gasp for a deep breath?
3. For 1 minute either run in place or do jumping jacks.
4. Immediately following that minute breath through the straw for as long as possible. How long did you last before gasping for air? Did you notice how such a little amount of exercise made breathing so difficult?

If you felt the way you did after 1 minute of exercise and breathing through a straw all the time, do you think you would be less likely to exercise? In turn, what effect would that have on health?

Feel free to answer some of these questions when you post about this learning experience!

Share & Voice: "The Cove"

2009-12-12T16:33:00.000-06:00

I found out about a documentary called "The Cove". The documentary is about the harvest of dolphins that happens in the waters surrounding Japan. They specifically document in a town called Taiji, which is played off to be a town that is devoted to the awe and wonder of dolphins. In this town is where the very secretive operations of the dolphin harvesters occur. Many of the Japanese people that reside there have no idea that these things are happening.

The video was directed by a National Geographic photographer and it's looks really interesting. I think there is a lot more to this video than I described, but you'll have to watch it yourself to find out!

Read 'n' Seed 6: Final Review of "The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight"

2009-12-11T15:58:00.000-06:00

The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight was an excellent read. The book is basically an overview of the critical breaking point at which we find ourselves today due to war, famine, overpopulation, deforestation, the oil crisis, the lack of clean water, and more. The book described all of these issues in a way that was easier to understand than trying to do your own research. Next the book described how we got to this devastating point. How could these things all be happening right now? What direction did we go in that took us down this path. Lastly, the book to a lighter note by offering up many solutions to the problem. The cool part of the last section of the book were that the solutions truly were things that we could all do. They weren't like stop buying, and stop driving, and stop eating.

There are absolutely more than 3 significant things I can take from this book, but here are 3 that will stick with me. First off, I learned how bad our situation really is. I think that the media does a good job diverting our attention from it with their smoke and mirrors, but the truth is we are running out of oil, and oil is our way of life. We need to start looking for alternative ways to live and invest the oil we have left into making those alternative sources into a viable reality. Secondly, I learned that our culture and other westernized culture have a lot to learn. We have to stop trying to be the dominators of everything (people, land, plants, animals). We could really learn a lot of lessons from older cultures who lived in harmony with nature instead of seeing it as a take what you can and give nothing back opportunity. We have to stop seeing ourselves as the highest life forms. We have to get out of the mindset that everything was put here for us to use and for our purposes with no consequences related to what we choose to do with it. Lastly I learned that the best solution there is would be to change our way of thinking because that is how you change a culture. It's easier said than done because culture, just like nature, is something that surrounds us. It is something we are submerged in from the time we are born until our death. How do you change something you hardly even realize is around you anymore?

I learned some pretty deep and important stuff from this book. For example if we change our way of thinking, than maybe we could change the social norms. It used to be that professors could smoke in the classroom, but now if a professor did that their would be outrage and disgust by many of the students and other faculty alike. In a matter of 30 years, the norms changed. What if we could do the same thing with recycling, or oil conservation, or numerous other things? What if the mass majority of people would be disgusted if they saw you throw away a bottle instead of putting it in the recycling? I think these and many other like it are the ideas this book tries to instill in the reader. Change is possible, not easy, but possible.

Would I recommend this book to others? Yes, absolutely. I think this book is stocked with important information and it has the power to change your perspective of being helpless in all of this environmental crisis if you go into it with an open mind. I don't think this book is for everyone, but I do think anyone wanted a pretty simple and to the point overview on all this eco-distress this is a good book to read!

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 10: Overall Project Reflection

2009-12-09T17:50:00.001-06:00

My smart goal was to use reusable bags 100% of the time I shop. I didn't change my goal during the project. I just never had a reason to because it remained challenging.

To be successful, I had to first buy a few reusable bags. Then I had to keep them in places I would remember to use them. Therefore I decided to put one in my car. I soon realized that I wasn't always in my car. Sometimes I was with other people. This lead me to buy a reusable bag that could be folded up and placed in my purse. Then I really started to succeed at my goal!

I benefited from this project in the fact that I was successful at making a change that was good for the environment. Once you've made one change and have it down why not make another? Behavior change isn't easy, I definitely was reminded of that. Although it isn't easy, you can take steps to make it easier on yourself until you're adjusted to it and it's simply part of your mind set.

The environment is improved by using reusable bags because there is less plastic in the world. There are less landfills loaded with things that are not biodegradable. Less animals will ingest these plastic particles. Less oil will be used to make the plastic for the bags themselves, and for production. Less trees will be used to produce paper bags. Altogether, less life will be injured, and less fuel and other resources will be used.

I will absolutely continue this behavior! It's so easy once you have the bags and are used to using them, so why would I want to stop?! Also, my parents have started to use reusable bags, so we have to stick together!

To others who are making a lifestyle change I would suggest making sure it's something they really are committed to changing before they began. If they're not 100% ready to make the change it could lead to failure and failing may lead to not trying it again. Also, I would suggest that they do some kind of reflection or have some way to monitor their progress like we did. If you don't it makes it easy to forget that you're even working towards a lifestyle change. Also, I would say to just follow the SMART goal format and make it realistic, timely, measurable, and all of that.

Glad I was able to make a change and stick with it this semester! This may just be the start!

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 10 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy

Advocacy Project: Letter to a Public Official

2009-12-07T11:43:00.002-06:00

The Honorable Senator Amy Klobuchar
United States Senate
302 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-2304

Dear Senator Klobuchar,

I am writing as a citizen to encourage you to vote yes to the H.R. 1432 bill. The purpose of this bill is to reduce youth usage of tobacco products, to enhance State efforts to eliminate retail sales of tobacco products to minors, and for other purposes. This bill is also known as the "Stop Adolescent Smoking Without Excessive Bureaucracy Act of 2009". This act would strengthen state laws relating to tobacco product sales to individuals under the age of 18 and would enforce public disclosure of ingredients on tobacco products.

Currently I am a 21 year old student at the University of Minnesota Duluth working towards my degree in Community Health. I know that minors don't always have the necessary information to make healthy decisions like that of not smoking, especially when the tobacco industry targets that age group with different marketing campaigns. Also, many minors who begin smoking think that they can stop at will, which is something that thousands of people fail at each year due to the extremely addictive nature of the drug.

Strengthening the laws related to tobacco product sales to minors would benefit many parties. Perhaps it could decrease the 49,000 deaths that happen each year due to second hand smoke (CDC). Maybe it would decrease the $96 billion in health care spending attributed to smoking (CDC). Lastly, perhaps it would decrease the number of minors who become the next life-long users and some of the tobacco industries loyalist customers.

Please support this important piece of legislature and make a difference in the lives of the citizens you serve.

I would also appreciate if you would let me know of the decision you make and the action you take regarding this bill.

Sincerely,

Abby Stocker
(contact information)

Share & Voice: No Impact Man

2009-12-04T11:35:00.003-06:00

Watch this video first because it will make this post much better!

Have you ever heard of "No Impact Man"? Colin Beaven is a man with a plan; a one year plan. This self-proclaimed liberal felt guilty sitting around waiting for politicians to make things green so he decided to try a pretty extreme experiment. He created a project in which for 1 year he and his family (wife and 2 year old daughter) would create zero impact on the environment. This means they will produce absolutely no carbon footprint. The family lives in the middle of New York, not the easiest place to go green. This project means there will be no subways, cars, or planes, no trash, no elevators, no objects in plastic, no t.v., etc. The Beaven family bought nothing, but food for an entire year (and even then it had to be locally grown). Is less more? Can you be happier by reducing your impact on the environment? I haven't watched the movie myself, but it looks really interesting and I know this family gave up a lot. I'm not sure how they showered, or went to the bathroom, or washed their clothes.

"No Impact Man" also has a blog and a book published. Here is the link to his website: http://noimpactman.typepad.com/blog/

Anyway, I just thought this was a really awesome experiment and I'm sure watching this video or reading his blog could teach us all little ways to be more environmentally friendly, even if you don't want to go to extremes.

Reflection: Weeks 11 & 12

2009-12-04T10:13:00.001-06:00

Another two weeks has flown by and It's already the end of the semester! With each class I'm feeling more informed and more prepared to be an environmentally friendly steward!

Week 11 was really informative. We started class by defining environmental literacy, health, and one other word that I nor anyone else can seem to remember (sorry Dr. V!). It was hard to define because our definitions had to be at the reading level of a ten year old. I really had no idea how difficult that was, you would think it would make it easier! That was honestly the most challenging part, that and revising other groups definitions. Next we watched "The Story of Stuff". This mini documentary described exactly where all our stuff comes from (like the resources needed to mine, manufacture, produce, and deliver the goods). This was probably what stuck with me the most from the past two weeks. I can't believe how corrupt many company's are. How can they make products that are meant to break so you have to buy new ones?! I am PISSED! When will the earth become more important that making a profit. It also sucks that although America only consists of 5% of the population we use 30% of the resources. Does anyone else feel that stat is a little unbalanced? Lastly we did JUNKING!!!!! How cool was that?! We looked at these 5 items that seemed to have no purpose and came up with different ways they could be used. I don't think I've laughed that hard in a class since high school. I think personally, finding a purpose for an object isn't the problem, but actually making your ideas into a reality. It's one of those "oh, I use it when I have more time" or "I'll make it into a gift then the occasion rolls around". Anyway, junking is gonna be a new hobby for me for sure!

Week 12 was a little more toned down I'd say. We learned how to use blog hops, which are pretty applicable to many blogging situations! In our class's case we used the blog hop to show off our PHOTO ESSAYS! I really enjoyed doing my photo essay. My friend from Korea has to go back after she graduates college in December because her Visa is up and Grand Forks has been her home and I've been her family for 9 years. We even had our graduation parties together! I took her around with me when I was on my "Green-Tour" and so I got homework done and she got to tour her home one last time. It was a really good for both of us. On a lighter note, it was really great to see everyone's photo essays. Way cool! Lastly, we talked about writing our advocacy letter. I'm not gonna lie, it's kind of a step backwards after doing something cool like photo essays, but I understand that it's important. We'll see how it goes!

My family! Me, Mom, In Young, Dad, Sister, Baby!

Can't wait for our next 2 (and last 2) classes together!

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 9: Weekly Update

2009-12-02T23:58:00.000-06:00

My SMART Goal: To use reusable bags 100% of the time I shop.

Success Rate: 100% success rate this week!

The Week: Well, this past week I was home for Thanksgiving and shockingly did not do ANY shopping. This is highly unlike me, but I was busy with family, friends and homework. Although I don't have much to report about my own reusable bags, I did notice that my parents have started to use them! This was so awesome! I hadn't even talked to them about how great they are for the environment!

Lessons Learned: I learned that I don't think I give my parents quite enough credit. While I was home and I did my photo essay on how Grand Forks is going green I realized that my household has always been pretty green. My dad is the light master of the house, always turning off every light before we leave and only using the necessary lights in the house. Ever since I was a kid we've been religious about recycling. They're even on the ball about the reusable bags, which is something that's even relatively new to me! Wait to go Scott and Jan!

Next Week's Plans: I think I'd like to keep my goal the same. Only one more week, hope I can make it a success!

My Parents in Edinburgh at the Royal Museum of Scotland

Eye Opener: Photo Essay

2009-11-29T17:42:00.004-06:00

I love the idea of a photo essay. It's personal, which makes it more interesting! My first thought was to try and make homemade, non-toxic cleaning products and use them on my kitchen and bathroom; however, I've been home the past 5 days and my mom is some kind of cleaning Nazi who keeps our house looking spotless and immaculate (as you can see from a picture of my bathroom). Since there is no point in cleaning what's already clean and even less of a point when I'm trying to prove the effectiveness of non-toxic cleaning products I came up with a new idea. Take a green-tour of the greater Grand Forks area!

In 1997 Grand Forks and East Grand Forks suffered through a huge flood. The water rose 54 feet out of the banks of the river and broke through sandbags and makeshift dikes. It ended up destroying many homes, businesses, and other buildings. Piles of contaminated garbage, appliances, and the guts of houses lined the streets for months. What a huge waste of materials! Since then, these two towns have done a lot to improve our community and build it up even better than it was at first! In these two pictures I am on opposite sides of the river standing next to what now acts as a flood wall to contain the river if it ever decides to rise again.
This picture illustrates the record high water level in 1997 along with other flood years.

Now days along the banks of the Red River we have something called "The Greenway". It was originally 1200 acres of floodplain, but has now been created into something useful! There are over 20 miles of bike and running trails, 2 Frisbee golf courses (one on each side of the river), a dog park, numerous playgrounds, sports fields, and more.

In this picture you can see a biker enjoying the use of the trails across the river. I'm standing next to the statue with the water levels on it as I took the picture. In 1997 the river was covering the road on the bridge just to give you an idea of how high it was.

<-- Here's one of the Frisbee golf courses.

Here is an information pillar in the Greenway. It contained a map of the bike paths and "Fitness trails". -->

There are solar powered street lamps that line a good portion of the trails, which solve the problem of getting electricity to a flood prone area along with really staying true to the idea of a "Greenway".

Along the Greenway is this town square. It holds farmers markets every weekend during the summer and growing season. You can buy all kinds of locally grown and organic produce along with other goods! There is even a stage for music and other performances!

Something that East Grand Forks (EGF) has created since the flood is what we call our "Green Site". Each resident of EGF is given a card that opens up the gate to the green site and people can recycle all kinds of things like yard wasts such as grass clippings, leaves, and tree branches.

Just doing some recycling at the Green Site!

Paper only!

Recycling is easy!

But please, no dumping.

Something that was new on this home visit to even me was our windmill! A wind mill was recently constructed on the edge of town. Wind energy is a green, renewable source of power. It doesn't require the use of fossil fuels, or create water or air pollutants.

Lastly, there have been changes in how we recycle. I don't remember a time when we didn't recycle at my house. Everyone on our block did and we had to separate everything! I remember dragging each individual bin out to the end of the driveway before school. Glass, cans, plastic, and another bag for paper and cardboard! Now the city has issued everyone a standard garbage can and recycling bin. You can throw all of your recycling into one container and hull it out to your curb!

Advocacy Project: Issue Overview

2009-11-27T19:38:00.002-06:00

What is the Issue?

My issue addresses the use of tobacco products by minors. They are not legal to use these products and the products have many negative consequences on health. Healthy People 2010 has been moving towards its target of reducing adolescent tobacco use (grades 9-12 ).

Here is a piece of current legislation proposed to address the issue:
H.R.1432:To reduce youth usage of tobacco products, to enhance State efforts to eliminate retail sales of tobacco products to minors, and for other purposes.

Who is Affected by the Issue?

Minors along with the tobacco industry are both affected by this issue. The CDC estimates that 20% of high school aged kids smoke and that 1,000 new persons under the age of 18 become regular smokers everyday (CDC). It's hard to say who wins and loses because it depends on your stance on the issue. From my perspective, since I think adolescent tobacco use is a negative thing, adolescents are losing when the tobacco industry targets them with marketing or when the clerk at a convenience store doesn't check an i.d. They are losing their health, and often gaining negative social stereotypes and stigmas. The tobacco company are the winners in this situation. They are making money off of those who are not even of legal age to purchase their products, and on top of that they are trying to make loyal customers out of these minors.

What are the Consequences?

The are many obvious health consequences related to using tobacco products, which many of us are well versed in by now. Although most individuals our age know about the dangers of using tobacco products, this isn't always the case with minors. Also hooking younger and younger kids on smoking and creating more and more life-long users is a drain on our health system. After all, tobacco use is the single most cause of preventable disease and death in the U.S (CDC). Worldwide, smoking is the cause of over 5 million deaths a year (CDC).

What are the Social and Economic Impacts?

I touched on the economic impact a tiny bit when I talked about smoking being a drain on the health system. It is estimated that annually $96 billion in health-care spending is attributed to tobacco use (MIT). This cost doesn't even cover another important economic issue. That being a loss of productivity. That cost is somewhere in the neighborhood of $97 billion (CDC). There are other related costs as well that are easy to forget. Take the billions of dollars that are spent each year on smoking cessation aids like over-the-counter and prescription medications, counseling, and clinical treatments. The tobacco industry is also spending money, and a lot of it is spent on advertising. In 2005, tobacco spending in advertising and promotions reached 13 billion dollars (CDC).
Something that is responsible for 1/5 of the deaths in the U.S. each year has a colossal social impact (CDC). Those deaths not only represent smokers, but those who died from second hand smoke as well. Second hand smoke exposure is actually responsible for an estimated 49,000 deaths each year (CDC). Second hand smoke has also been linked to SIDS. For these and many other reasons our society has been making changes and moving toward more smoke free public environments. You can no longer smoke in many bars, restaurants, or work places.

What are the Barriers?

The tobacco industry itself is the largest barrier on this issue. It's an immensely wealthy entity and with great wealth comes great power. They have lobbyist who can pay politicians huge sums for their campaigns and in return these politicians make decisions that bode well for the tobacco industry.
Another barrier to success is human behavior. It is very hard to change human behavior and smoking is one of the most addictive behaviors you can think of. Minors often begin smoking thinking that they will be able to stop at will (MIT). These minors may end up to be life-long smokers and some of the tobacco industries loyalest customers. An estimated 40% of smokers try to quit each year, but few are successful (CDC). It's estimated that as low as 8% of smokers successfully quit long-term (MIT).

What are the Resources?

If you check out the CDC website there are a lot of cool resources. you can find tons of information and facts about smoking in general, along with smoking risks for specific populations. You can also find cool links to things like the Media Campaign Resource Center (MCRC) which give you access to a whole bunch of ads and other campaign materials. The MCRC basically helps you develop a media plan that will be taylored towards your specific audience and localize advertising materials.
There are endless amounts of resources of smoking cessation. Look online. look on tv, look on a billboard and you will see them. Here is a few really unique anti-smoking ads: click here! Here is a really graphic ad campaign ran in Australia: check it out

Who are the Allies and Opponents?

The tobacco industry is the largest opponent. Although there are laws against advertising to minors they get away with it using Internet marketing on sites like Facebook and Myspace that are primary geared towards younger users. The tobacco industry also has a lot of power and influence because they have to available funds to buy protection. They buy protection from politicians when they give them campaign money insuring their best interests.
Politicians, those who have been elected to represent what "we the people" want and who are in charge of making changes for the better are supposed to be our allies. And yet states have billions of dollars available to them (from tobacco taxes) for preventing and controlling tobacco use and over 95% of it goes untouched (CDC). In 2004 $24.9 billion was available to the states from taxes and settlements and only 3% was used (CDC).

My Recommendation:

My recommendation would be to support the piece of legislation proposed at the top of this blog. It may be a small step towards eliminating the use of tobacco products by minors, but at least it's a step in the right direction.

Read 'n' Seed 5: Fourth Quarter of "The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight"

2009-11-27T17:51:00.000-06:00

A few months later and I can say that I'm completely finished with "The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight". The fourth quarter of my book consisted of pages 286 - 356 which contained 10 chapters.

I mentioned in my other posts that the book was split into three basic sections. In the first section the author talked about what's happening to our world and where we're at today. This included discussing all of out worldly issues like over-population, famine, war, global warming, the oil crisis, etc. The second part of the book was about how we got this way. This section covered a lot of historical aspects for how we've gotten to this critical point. Lastly, the third section of the book is about what we can do to start to reverse of of this damage or at least stop it's continuation.

The main idea that I got from this last section of reading was that there is no end-all be-all cure for the earth's current predicament. The author offers many ideas of ways we can start to change things. This includes "renouncing the destruction of life" meaning we have to understand that every living thing is just as important as the next and we are not the dominators of all life. Other ways we can change the path we're on include turning off the t.v., changing the focus of how we use technology, putting more belief into intentional communities, reinventing our daily life rituals, and transforming culture through politics.

I think the most significant idea that I'm going to take a away from this section is that true change is not a simple process. The author says that in this book he "presents as a solution something that many may think couldn't possibly be a solution because it seems unfathomably difficult: change our culture, beginning with yourself." This is so much harder to do than it seems on the surface. I mean how do you change something that you've been submerged in since the second you were born? It's ingrained in us and we're surrounded by it in every aspect of our lives. It's what we eat, it's what we wear, it's where we sleep, it's how we speak, it's there when nothing else is around us. Although this may be the hardest thing to do, it's the most crucial thing if we are going to change the outcome of the planet.

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 8: Weekly Update

2009-11-24T21:30:00.001-06:00

My SMART Goal: To use reusable bags 100% of the time I shop.

Success Rate: 100% success rate this week!

The Week: Not too much to talk about this week. I was at work everyday except for one since my last eco-chic update so I only ended up going shopping once. I did a little grocery shopping late Thursday night after my shift at work. I just like to pop in my ipod and walk around the isles! I almost forgot my bag in the car, but grabbed it at last second! I ended up having to carry a few items because my bag ran out of room, but I'm alright with that!

Lessons Learned: I learned that it's easy to succeed at your goal when you don't have anytime to shop. I guess it saves plastic bags and my bank account. It's what I like to call a Win/Win.

Next Week's Plans: I think I'd like to keep my goal the same. I plan to do some shopping for Christmas gifts when I'm home for Thanksgiving so I'm going to have to remember to take my reusable bags with me and I urge everyone else to take reusable bags with them as they shop this holiday season! That kind of sounded like one of those "The More You Know" commercials that you see on NBC. Check it out: http://www.themoreyouknow.com/

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 8 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy

Reflection: weeks 9 & 10

2009-11-20T12:26:00.000-06:00

Weeks 9 and 10 were a little different than past weeks in the way that instead of doing eye-openers we have been working on our advocacy projects.

In week 9 we started out by learning about advocacy. We did this by getting into groups and teaching the class different topics related to advocacy. This was an interesting way to learn and an interesting way to teach as well. Most groups did some kind of skit to illustrate their point. I learned that advocacy is not a service and that it doesn't always have to be really confrontational. It was interesting learning about the barriers to advocacy because they all made sense. I think I'm most guilty of not knowing enough about an issue, but that is something I could totally change if I just took the time!

We also found our political leaders online and all of their contact information. Something that surprised me about this was they that they did their email. Most representatives didn't have an actually email address, but more like this blank form you would go to their site and fill out. I guess it makes sense considering how many emails they must get, but I was kind of just expecting to find an email address like any other individual would have.

In week 10 we watched the first section of a documentary called "Unnatural Causes". The section was called "In Sickness and In Wealth" and was about health and how it seems to be directly correlated to wealth. It's pretty upsetting to see how life expectancy goes down with level of income. It was also a really big eye-opener to see how much stress is put on people who earn less, or people who are in less control at their jobs. I never expected that. When I think about stress, I definitely was thinking that the hospital CEO must be under a lot of stress, way more than a janitor. It was crazy to find out that that's not the case. My book kind of ties into this as it's talking about how we are constantly stressed because we are constantly working for security. I guess I can see that a CEO with more security than a janitor would have less stress.

We also discussed the upcoming photo essay. This is a pretty cool idea! I can't wait to see everyone's ideas. Photo essays should be used for more projects in more classes. It's way more interesting to not only the person completing the project, but also for those viewing it! I plan on making naturally cleaning solutions out of things like baking soda and vinegar and testing how well they clean! Pretty exciting stuff!

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 7: Weekly Update

2009-11-17T17:51:00.004-06:00

My SMART Goal: To use reusable bags 100% of the time I shop.

Success Rate: 100% success rate this week!

The Week: This week I did not use any plastic bags! I went shopping a few different times, but I was always prepared because I bought one of those fold up Superone bags that I now keep in my purse, and I also carry two reusable bags in my car. Me and a friend went shopping at the thrift store and the grocery store and we were sure to use our reusable bags each time. We also went to Caribou where I noticed they have those bags that fold up into themselves and look like hacky sacks! They were like $9 so I think I can find one cheaper if I keep my eyes peeled.

Lessons Learned: I learned that it's easy to succeed at your goal when you come prepared and it feels good too!

Next Week's Plans: I think I'd like to keep my goal the same. I'm also still looking for cute bags for my mom and sister so if anyone sees any around town let me know!

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 7 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy

Advocacy Project: Healthy People/THOMAS

2009-11-16T11:46:00.000-06:00

I looked under the goal "Reduce illness, disability and death related to tobacco use and exposure to secondhand smoke" and used the Healthy People 2010 objective 27-2: To reduce tobacco use by adolescents (grades 9 -12).

As of the midcourse review use of all different kinds of tobacco (cigars, cigarettes, smokeless tobacco) has moved toward the target goal of change by 68%. Black non-Hispanics have the best rate. White non-Hispanics have the worst out of the group (with a 50-99% disparity from the best group). Hispanics are in the middle (with a 10-49% disparity from the best group). There is no data on other races. Females were listed as the group with the best rate and males were listed as having a 10-49% disparity from the best group.

Although progress has been made towards the goal there are still some emerging issues. Smokeless tobacco was listed as an issue. This may be because sometimes these products can be seen as less harmful then other tobacco products. However this is untrue because these products are known human carcinogens and they are still addictive and harmful to your health. Another emerging issue is the use of the internet to market tobacco products. It is very hard to police the internet and many sites use weak or non existent age verification methods. This has set back the goal of reducing the proportion of adolescents and young adults who are exposed to tobacco advertising. If that goal has setbacks it adversely affects the success of my goal.

H.R.1432: To reduce youth usage of tobacco products, to enhance State efforts to eliminate retail sales of tobacco products to minors, and for other purposes.
Sponsor: Rep Blackburn, Marsha [TN-7] (introduced 3/11/2009) Cosponsors (4)
Committees: House Energy and Commerce
Latest Major Action: 3/11/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Recommendation: Vote YES for H.R. 1432
My Political Representative(s):

Read 'n' Seed 4: Third Quarter of "The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight"

2009-11-13T06:43:00.007-06:00

The third quarter of "The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight" had a different feel than the first half of the book. I read pages 192 to 285. This incorporated about 12 chapters.

In the first part of the book the author discussed all of the issues that earth and the world's population are facing such as the oil crisis, lack of clean accessible water, famine, war, deforestation, global warming etc. In the second part of book the author describes how we got to this critical point on the verge of destruction. Finally, in the third part of the book the main topic was what we can do about it.

This third section of the book is probably my favorite. It's much more upbeat than the other two for obvious reasons. Instead of talking about the downside of our situation, it talked about what can be done to try and reverse what's happening. It addressed more spiritual and cultural things we need to address verses tangible things. One thing I learned is that we are all connected by something called a "morphic field". It's hard to explain, but as I understood it it's kind of like this huge collective unconscious. This means if individually we start to change our way of thinking it can echo out in the larger world. When enough people learn to think differently there will be a snap or shift and our culture will change. The interconnectedness of all things is something I find somewhat difficult to grasp, but I love the idea of it and I want to believe that it's true. The author also talked about practicing "small acts of anonymous mercy". These have a synergistic effect. The more random acts of kindness performed, the more people will be inclined to act in a kind manner.

The idea of the interconnectedness of all things gives me a feeling of equality to all living things. Some humans believe that we are superior to all other living things and that it is our right to dominate over all of nature, but what does that mean? That we have a right to use everything, in any amount, and however we would like with no thought or question as to how it effects other living things or future generations? I believe that we are the earth's stewards, not the earth's tyrants. I recently read a chapter out of a book called "What Color is Your Parachute" in which the author describes life as individual moments in which you have the power by the decisions you make whether or not to bring more gratitude, more kindness, more forgiveness, more honesty, and more love into this world. Everyday we live these moments whether we are conscious that these decisions are being made or not. I feel that if everyone believed that with each decision they made they had the chance to bring more or less love into the world we would all try a little harder. I feel like this is sort of the point that the author of my book was trying to get across as well.

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 6: Weekly Update

2009-11-11T18:13:00.002-06:00

My SMART Goal: To use reusable bags 100% of the time I shop.

Success Rate: I would give myself a 90% success rate this week.

The Week: Well, it would have been a perfect 100% but I went to the grocery store last night with a classmate because we have to bring snack to a class. We took her car and I didn't even think to grab reusable bags. She didn't have any either and we got quite a few items so we each ended up using a paper bag. However, we each cut down on the amount of bags we might have used by carrying the jugs of juice instead of using another bag. This was the only time I went shopping within the last few days. I have noticed that now that I have a couple of reusable bags I tend to find a bunch of different ways to use them! For instants, I will be carrying the snack for the health 4000 class in them. I also use them as gym bags, laundry bags, and carrying my school stuff!

Lessons Learned: I learned that the biggest barrier in successfully completing my goal is not having a bag on hand. I keep a fold up bag in my purse now, but not in my backpack, which was why I was not successful this week. It would be worth it to buy another fold up bag to keep in my backpack so I always have one on hand.
Next Week's Plans: I think I want to keep my goal the same (since I've only been successful once or twice). However, I did have a brain storm here that I really want to get my family members using reusable bags. I know my mom would totally be into the idea if I got her a cute little fold up one for her purse and my sister loves purses and bags so I think I could get her to use them at the grocery store! Looks like I'm on the hunt for some cute bags!

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 6 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy

<--way cute

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 6 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy

Advocacy Project: My Political Representatives

2009-11-09T12:15:00.001-06:00

President Obama - Democrat - http://www.whitehouse.gov/

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Comments: 202-456-1111
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
You can fill our a form to email the president, but no email address is listed.

Jim Oberstar - House Congressmen- Democrat - http://oberstar.house.gov/

http://oberstar.house.gov/index.asp?Type=B_LIST&SEC={AF74BAFF-6820-45D4-81A6-E450E544722C
The above website has all of Jim's contact information.
You can fill out a form to email him.

Amy Klobuchar - Senator Congresswoman - Democrat - http://klobuchar.senate.gov/

http://klobuchar.senate.gov/contactamy.cfm
The above link has like 10 different addresses and phone numbers in 10 different locations you can reach Amy at. You can fill out a form to email her.

Toll free number: 1-888-224-9043

Al Franken - Senate Congressman - Democrat - http://franken.senate.gov/

http://franken.senate.gov/contact/
The above website contains Al's contact infromation and a form you could fill out if you'd like to email him.

Governor Tim Pawlenty - Republican- http://www.governor.state.mn.us/

Mailing Address:

Office of the Governor
130 State Capitol
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155

Other ways to reach our office:

Telephone: (651) 296-3391
Toll Free:    (800) 657-3717
Facsimile:   (651) 296-2089
E-mail:        tim.pawlenty@state.mn.us

Legislators   -   http://www.leg.state.mn.us/

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/members/housemembers.asp
The above link has all the names, phone numbers, party information, and emails of the members of the house members.
http://www.senate.leg.state.mn.us/members/member_list.php?sort=a&ls=#header
The above link has all the names, phone numbers, party information, and emails of the member of the senate.

St. Louis County Board    -   http://www.co.st-louis.mn.us/slcportal/SiteMap/HomePage/ContactUs/tabid/552/SiteMap/HomePage/Departments/CountyBoard/tabid/554/Default.aspx

The St. Louis County Board does not list anyone as their president, however the board includes 7 members which represent the 7 different districts in the county. Those board members contact information can be found on that link including name, address, phone number, and a link to email them. The site also includes times and dates that the board meets.

Mayor of East Grand Forks MN - Lynn Stauss - http://www.ci.east-grand-forks.mn.us/city/mayorbio.php

600 DeMers Ave • P.O. Box 373 « East Grand Forks, MN 56721
218-773-2483 • 218-773-9728 fax

This was the most information I could find on my hometown mayor. I couldn't find an email address or a political affiliation. The website I provided is a lackluster attempt at a biography. Oh, small town politics! However, I do know where he lives (a few blocks from my house) and it wouldn't be hard to find his home phone number in the yellow pages I'm sure.

Reflection: Weeks 7 & 8

2009-11-04T22:04:00.001-06:00

Weeks 7 & 8 brought up some very interesting subjects that I hadn't really been exposed to.

In week 7 we watched a video called "Green". The video concentrated on cities that sat on the banks of the Mississippi in the southern part of the states, a place dubbed "cancer alley". It received this nickname because of all the huge chemical production plants that also situated themselves on the Mississippi. These chemicals are leeching into the water, and into the air, and dramatically decreasing the quality of life for the members of the communities surrounding them. These communities face higher rates of cancer, asthma, and other negative health effects. The people affected cry out for help from their local and state government, and from the companies producing the problems, but are ignored. Their very legitimate concerns are pooh-poohed, and dismissed with hardly a thought. Why? Because the companies are making a profit, because the companies have the power, the wealth, and the voice, because they think of these communities as expendable. Well I think these communities are people like everyone else and no one can put a price on a life. No one can make the decision that a certain population is disposable. This documentary highlighted environmental racism, that is the idea that those of lower socioeconomic status and living in minority communities are more exposed to harmful environmental afflictions. This is in part because rules and regulations are loosely enforces at best for this industries of pollution. This documentary really lit my injustice light. How can these things be happening? And on top of that, how can these things be ignored?

After the movie we were put into two groups: those representing the chemical production companies, and those representing the affected communities. I was placed on the side of industry. It was hard to do but when I started thinking as if I were in their shoes it's easy to see why they do it: they get away with it, they aren't affected by it, and they make a profit. I would think at some point morality and ethics would set in, but clearly that is not the case. It's just so hard to change this cycle of injustice. What can anyone do? I feel just as powerless as those communities. I honestly believe that before anything changes, our culture has to make some big changes. Anyway, the video gave me a lot to think about, and a lot to be thankful about as far as the quality of air I breath and the quality of water I drink, things I would normally take for granted.

In week 8 we watched another documentary called "Thirst". This film shed some light on the privatization of water issue that's taking place around the world. I had no idea this was even an issue until this past Monday. Although the video gave us a good idea of what's happening I still have so many questions! How can anyone "own" the water supply? Whose is it to sell off in the first place? Why dose the world bank have their claws in EVERYTHING?! It really sucks that water privatization is happening in the states, but it's even more under handed that it's happening in places like India. How is it that companies like Coca Cola, and Pepsi are draining water right from under homes in India and then selling it back to them for profit? Water being more expensive for these people than milk is out of control. I just loved how the video showed individuals in higher positions saying things like "We will sell the water at affordable prices". How do they determine what is affordable for some of the poorest people on earth? I just get so ticked off when I see all these big figure heads from the world bank and such places making these decisions. I mean they live a pretty cozy life, so they don't stand to lose anything from the decisions they make about water rights and rather are bound to make profitable gains. I found a really comprehensive article on water privatization and in it, it says, "Fortune magazine has predicted that "water is the oil of the 21 century" and corporations are rushing to invest in the water business." It also stated that, "The World Bank predicts that by 2025, two-thirds of the world's population will suffer from lack of clean and safe drinking water." I think we all better start standing up for our right to water for life and not for profit before we have to pay an arm and a leg to boil macaroni noodles, or make kool-aid! My favorite quote from the film was by the man from Bolivia. He said "The people united will not be defeated." Considering the water crisis that may be in our near future these seem like appropriate words to take to heart.

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 5: Weekly Update

2009-11-04T12:25:00.003-06:00

My SMART goal: To use reusable bags 100% of the time I shop.

Success Rate: If I had to put a percent on it I would say that I was 80% successful this week.

The Week: I had a few challenges this week among the successes. The challenge was running out of room in my bags. I only have 2 reusable bags currently and I went on a colossal grocery store journey this weekend. This wasn't a problem until I was trying to fit everything I bought into two bags. Needless to say it was mission impossible and I ended up needed to use 2 paper bags, darn :( At least it was a bag-your-own-food kind of store so I had the option to use as few bags as possible and we do often reuse paper bags at our house to contain our massive recycle pile so I know this bags will be put to use! As far as successes go, I bought a new pair of boots and I made sure to tell the cashier that I could just carry the box so that's one less bag floating around out there!

Lessons Learned: This week I learned that it doesn't hurt to have a few extra reusable bags. I'm still on the hunt for a fold up bag that can fit in my purse. I also learned that sometimes it's okay to use paper bags if you have another purpose for them.

Next Week Plans: Well, for next week I will continue on with this same goal. I don't plan to modify it. However, if anyone knows where to find a cute reusable fold up bag just send that information my way!

Just a little side story: When my roommate Hailey and I lived in England for those 9 months we would often go get our groceries using our huge backpacks we used for traveling (pictured below). It was easier to handle one backpack then several bags on the bus and much easier when you had to carry all those groceries for about a mile after you got off the bus! Total bag savers!

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 5 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy

Eye Opener: Junk on the Brain

2009-11-01T18:42:00.002-06:00

Part 1: Definitions
Antique - any piece of furniture or decorative object or the like produced in a former period and valuable because of its beauty or rarity
Antiquing - Any method used to give a surface an aged or antique look.
Junk - trash: dispose of (something useless or old); "trash these old chairs"; "junk an old car"; "scrap your old computer"
Flea Market - A flea market or swap meet is a type of bazaar where inexpensive or secondhand goods are sold or bartered. It may be indoors, such as in a warehouse or school gymnasium; or it may be outdoors, such as in a field or under a tent. ..
Thrift Shop - A shop which sells used goods (especially clothes) at low prices
Upcycling - Upcycling is a component of sustainability in which waste materials are used to provide new products.
Resale Shop - All shops which sell gently-used goods are resale shops

Part 2: Q & A
What do the terms above have to do with environmental health?
Well, they are helping to support good environmental health. They represent the idea that there are many uses for any one item and reusing is recycling, and recycling is reducing, and reducing production is saving resources.

Identify at least one local resource for each of the terms above...provide name, location, contact info, and link to website or blog.

Antiqes - Father Time Antiques

395 S Lake Ave

Duluth, MN 55802-2303

(218) 625-2379 (no website)

Flea Market- I couldn't find any in Duluth, but I found a website that lists a bunch of Minnesota Flea Markets http://www.fleaportal.com/FleaMarketPortal/_criteria/_Minnesota_flea-markets.aspx

Thrift Shop - Goodwill

www.goodwill.org

700 Garfield Ave

Duluth, MN 55802-2695

(218) 722-6351

Resale Shop - Plato's Closet

www.platoscloset.com

5115 Burning Tree Rd

Duluth, MN 55811-1876

(218) 733-9455

Upcycling - I couldn't find any resources here in Duluth that directly say "Upcycling" but through my search I found out that the term was coined by a German chemist Michael Braungart and architect William McDonough in the book they wrote called "Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things".

Identify whether you do any or use any of these things. Why or why not?

I do use some of these things. I mean I occasionally shop at places like Savers and Goodwill (especially for some good cheap books). I also go to flea markets and atique stores from time to time with my friends. However, when I go to these stores it's usually for something pretty specific like books, or an end table for the living room or old jewelery in the case of antique stores. I don't like to shop for clothing or shoes at many of these places because it's so hit or miss. Also, places like Plato's Closet aren't always that much cheaper than places like target.

Part 3: Getting my junk on!

Project 1 - Railing turned ladder, turned shelf!

I really liked this project because I thought it was very innovative and I loved the old "antiqued" look of the chipped paint on the railing. Also, the main message in this project was that sometimes you have to keep turning an object around before you can find a perfect use for it, which was totally the case with this old piece of railing.

Project 2 - A new job for an old widow

I think why I like this one so much is because it's something that I've helped a friend of mine do who is all about antiquing and turning out things into usable objects. This window frame is something you could probably find at a garage sale or maybe you even have one lying around your house already. It just totally give it new life and purpose! Just awesome!

Project 3 - Vintage Redesigned Jewelery

This was by far my favorite project! I love jewelery and most of all I LOVE old jewelery. What is great about this is you kind of get to piece together your own! I mentioned early that why I like to go to antique stores is to look at jewelery; I never thought that I could take all the little trinkets I find and make them into my own pieces. I am really excited to go to some antique stores and look for pieces I can make into my own jewelery!

Share & Voice: Having an Eco Friendly Period

2009-11-01T16:13:00.001-06:00

So, it never occurred to me until my Women's Health Issues class last Tuesday how much waste is accompanied by our monthly periods. We went to the Women's clinic in Duluth where our speaker was talking to us about birth control methods and how it can seem unnatural to have something way up next to your uterus (Nuvaring, IUDs). This is an understandable barrier that some women face before deciding on a certain type of birth control. This brought about the conversation of periods and how many women use tampons, which we don't really see as unnatural. However, our speaker brought up the point that tampons really aren't naturally. Often they are made with synthetic materials (the applicators), pesticides are used in the growing of the cotton, and lets face it, they're white because they are bleached. I mean we've come a long way since the 1930s when toxic shock syndrome was a serious concern, but we still have to be concerned with the amount of waste we're producing. I found this statistic: In your life, you will probably use around 11,400 tampons (5 days X 5 tampons X 38 years).

Here are some eco-friendly alternatives to tampons and pads: (click on them to learn more)

Our speaker also mentioned something she called a Tulip that was kind of like the keeper and the Divacup, but it closed up like a tulip when you pulled it out, therefore less mess. I wasn't able to find it on line anywhere, but it sounded like something worth looking into!

Read 'n' Seed 3: Second quarter of "The Last Hour of Ancient Sunlight"

2009-10-30T15:37:00.001-05:00

The second quarter of "The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight" was much different than the first. I read 7 chapters from pages 91 to 191.

The first part of the book was more about what's going on in our world with our environment. It talks about the oil crisis, and deforestation, and climate change. In the second quarter of the book the author is more focused on how we got to this point in the history of the world. It's a lot of history involving more westernized cultures swooping in and taking over native cultures (such as the Inca's, and Native Americans). The other main topic is younger cultures verses older cultures. Again, that would be more like westernized cultures that seek to instate dominance over other cultures. Pretty much these "younger cultures" gain by consuming the lives' of others. They feel that they have a right to everything and that humans are superior to all other creatures and that everything on our planet was placed here to serve humans. Older cultures on the other hand are the cultures that believe we are a part of the world, not rulers of the world, and that we are supposed to cooperate and live in peace with the rest of creation.

I learned a lot of history in these chapters. I learned quite a bit about Christopher Columbus. He was a rapist, a murderer, and a thief who took advantage of primitive cultures by enslaving them and stealing their wealth. There are so many misconceptions about Christopher Columbus and the fact that we give him credit for discovering American, teach this in schools, and have a day named after him is a bunch of bologna (in my opinion). This is kind of a side tangent and has little to do with the environment, but it was in my book, and it was shocking and eye-opening, so I wanted to include it.

More relevant to this class I learned a number of things. I learned that our population growth is out of control. Here is a little scale of population growth from the book:
In 1960 there were 3,038,930,391 humans on earth. That year the earth saw the addition of 40,622,370.
1961 - +56,007,855
1962 - +69,393,370
1963 - +70,987,231
If this many more people are born each year than die we are adding to our population dramatically. This was about 50 years ago. In about 40 years we had doubled earth's population. Each person who is born requires a certain amount of resources - 3 meals a day, a couple gallons of water, a certain ration of oil. These are resources that won't last forever.

The implications of what I learned is basically that we don't really think about ourselves competing for resources in our day to day life, but we are. We are competing everyday with the 6.6 billion other people who share this planet. Our resources are far more scarce than we could imagine. We are running out of oil, we are running out of forests, we are draining our aquifers. We always think of America as the land of plenty and it is in comparison to many other places...but for how long? We have a scary future ahead of us if we don't start getting realistic with our quickly disintegrating resources.

Share & Voice: Enviro-Cool Blog Award

2009-10-29T23:41:00.003-05:00

I received the Cool Blog Award from Danielle for my Share & Voice entitled Worry About More Than Just your Water Bottles. Basically a woman who owned a health store came in and talked to us about supplements and herbal products. She also talked to us about cosmetics. She raised many issues that I'd never even thought of, opened my eyes to safety issues, and cleared up some of my concerns and uncertainties regarding some of these products. It was really interesting and important stuff so I'm glad I could pass it on to everyone! Thanks for the award Danielle!

I am passing the award on to Ashley for her awesome post on UMD's Smoking Policy Forum. She recapped the forum really well and I think it's waaayyyy cool how she voiced her opinion, and was really a voice for many people on campus who feel the same way! I applaud her courage! Everyone should check it out!

Leave a comment below so that I know you "picked up" the award.

Within 1 week, create a Share and Voice post that says you've received the award and indicate who the award is from (be sure to hyperlink).

Also indicate to whom you are going to pass on the award and why. Be sure to hyperlink the blogger (use main blog URL) and the blog title (use the specific URL for that blog post).

Copy and paste these instructions at the bottom of your post.

Publish the post.

Visit each blogger you've awarded and leave a comment telling them they've won.

Continue the process...

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 4: Weekly Update

2009-10-28T11:56:00.001-05:00

My SMART goal is to use reusable bags 100% of the time I shop. This week I completely succeeded!

I guess saying that I successfully completed my goal this week is kind of cheating because I was successful only because I didn't go shopping at all. I mean there aren't really any challenges or issues with using a reusable bag when you don't go shopping! I guess the only thing I learned is that not shopping at all saves bags and money? I guess I just don't have a lot to share this week!

I think to help me improve on only using reusable bags I need to look for those kind that can fold up and have that snap on them that keeps them all folded up. If I had one of those I could always keep it in my purse and would be far less likely to forget it!

I totally need one of these sweet fold up reusable bags! ^

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 4 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy.

Eye Opener: Environmental Working Group

2009-10-26T12:00:00.000-05:00

This is a great eye opener because we just had a women come and talk to us about some safety issues involving cosmetics in my Women's Health Issues class.

This kind of website sparks a lot of curiosity, so naturally I tried out a number of the products I use. I tried eye shadows, concealers, lotions, and hair products. The one I want to talk about though is the shampoo I use. I use a shampoo (and conditioner) from the John Frieda collection. Although I'm sure it switches, the exact one I'm using right now is called "John Frieda Sheer Blonde Lustrous touch Strengthening Shampoo". This one was rated a 6, but other very similar shampoos of the same brand were more like 8s. The only difference would be something like "Highlight Enhancing" or something like that and it would be an 8 and linked to cancer, so at least the one I'm currently using isn't linked to cancer! When the ingredients were broken down fragrance was at the top with a score of 8 and a 100% data gap. That really sucks because the main reason I buy the shampoo isn't because I think it does wonderful things for my hair, but because I like the smell! I also learned that this product tests on animals because towards the end of the page under the section about cancer and developmental concerns they would list a substance and then say something like "One or more animal studies show reproductive effects at high doses." There are so many things that don't even go through my head as a consumer when I'm at a store picking out shampoos, or eyeshadow.

What was also really interesting was how they told you what percentage of the same type of product had lower concerns. Between the handful of products I typed in all of them had a score at a 6 or above and had 60% of products with lower concerns. How does that happen? It appears that everything I choose is toxic! Either I have bad luck, or I'm shopping in the wrong places! I guess I can no longer be a blissfully ignorant consumer. At least now with this website I can look into the safety of products before I buy them.

Reflection: Weeks 5 & 6

2009-10-25T00:02:00.000-05:00

The last two weeks have been informative to say the least...
During week 5 we watched a movie called "The Future of Food". This movie really stirred up a lot of questions for me. Mostly about patents on nature and GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms). I mean honestly, this movie just made me so mad. There is so much injustice in the agriculture industry and I had no idea. My dad is a farmer in North Dakota and it just really hit home for me when I saw that farmer from North Dakota getting sued by Manosato. It made me sacred for the future of my own family farm. Something else that really grinds my gears is the fact that foods that have been genetically modified don't have to have that on their label. Where's the LIABILITY?! How are we ever going to know if these things have negative effects on our people if we aren't tracking them? Corporations who push modified food act like it's going to solve world hunger when we know full well that it isn't necessarily lack of food that's the problem, but lack of equality. There are just so many problems with our world today and thanks to this class many more are brought to my attention all the time. It's just so frustrating.

For week 6 we watched a film called "Diet for a New America". It wasn't too long, but it was interesting. The narrator was the son in line to inherit the Baskin Robbins empire; however, he turned it down after realizing the negative health and environmental effects of the corporation (and many just like it). He turned down millions, maybe billions, of dollars to stick to his beliefs which I think it pretty amazing. I don't think I could be that strong. Some things that stuck with me from this video was the part where they were just pulling this fatty white sausage link looking material out of the arteries of the heart. GROSS! It really freaked me out. What are Americans doing to themselves? I mean it's our culture. To eat out, and eat whatever is convenient, cheap, and available in a hurry is our lifestyle. It's going to take a lot of effort to change an entire nation's lifestyle, but still it's very important that it does change. Something else shocking was the idea that there are 4 cows for every 1 person in America? This provokes the question: how much cow is each individual person eating? I mean, I don't have any exact statistics, but jeeze! This video definitely forced me to take a look at my own diet and examine some things I might like to change.

Share & Voice: Worry about more than just your water bottles

2009-10-22T11:57:00.000-05:00

In my previous share & voice I talked about Sharon Szukis, a herbalist, coming to talk to our class about supplements. There is something else she talked about that I was completely unaware of that is really significant information, especially for women. We talked about cosmetics.

The first thing you need to know is that everything you put on your skin, ends up being absorbed into your bloodstream. This is in part because the skin receives 1/3 of the blood circulation throughout the body. This is important information because I'd say most women use numerous products on their skin daily. This includes things like lotion, shampoo and conditioner, body wash, shaving cream, face wash, lip balm, and concealers. So what's in all those products you have to watch you for? Paraben and Propylene glycol are both used as chemical preservatives and stabilizers and they are also products of petroleum. The funny thing about petroleum is that when it enters a human body it mimics estrogen. They are called xenoestrogen (xeno is a Greek prefix meaning foreign or strange). In our culture today men and women already have way to much estrogen in their systems coming from animal products, breathing in car exhaust, the water we drink, and plastics leeching chemicals. These xenoestrogens are the same thing we worry about with plastic water bottles and yet no one is telling us, "Stop putting on lotion." Estrogen caused cancers (such as breast, colon, and prostate cancer) are at epidemic proportions in the U.S. and no doubt the rate will continue to rise. Estrogen in men can also lower their sperm count which could account in part for why so many couples have trouble conceiving these days. Although it was mostly in jest, Sharon said, "In the 70s, that was unheard of! Everybody was getting pregnant their first try!"

So of course when I got home from Sharon's talk I went through a bunch of my cosmetics and toiletries. Sure enough I found Propylene glycol in almost all of them and at least 1 or 2 others in a list of synthetics to avoid she had handed out in class. Sharon mentioned that companies make products that don't include these harmful synthetics, but it's just more expensive. She acknowledged that being college students on a budget we can't afford to throw out our whole stash of stuff to buy new, safer products. She suggested instead to maybe choose one product that you use the most, or over the most surface area on your body, and when that one is gone spend the extra 2 or 3 bucks on an all natural product.

A few other things to think about that leech chemicals that you may be ingesting:

cooking pans - if your pans have a Teflon coating (or any other kind of coating) and it gets scratched and you continue to use it, you're ingesting that. Don't put these pans in the dishwasher!
Cooking at higher temperatures can leech toxins into your food. Never cook on high!
Never use plastic wrap to cover your food in the microwave. Invest in some wax paper!
Just putting plastic containers in the microwave in general is bad. It's just the same (if not worse) than leaving a plastic water bottle out in the sun and then drinking out of it. Use ceramic or glass in the microwave whenever possible!

Share & Voice: My Women's Health Issues class

2009-10-21T23:32:00.000-05:00

We had an extremely interesting class period tonight for Women's Health Issues (an excellent class, everyone should take it!). An herbal and supplement specialist and owner of "The Essence of Health" named Sharon Szukis came in and talked to our class. I'm going to highlight all the most important/interesting things I learned.

First off, something that might not be that well known is that the FDA doesn't really supervise herbal and supplement manufacturers. There aren't really standards or guidelines for what they're throwing into their products. This means we have to be really conscious, smart, consumers. Fortunately, the majority of the larger, reputable supplement makers came to gather to make their own rules and regulations. Basically they police themselves and hold themselves very accountable to high standards. If you want to make sure you are getting supplements from these reputable supplement makers make sure somewhere on the bottle it's labeled "GMP" which stands for Good Manufacturing Procedure". If it says GMP you know that the labels are accurate and you can trust the list of ingredients to be correct. Now on herbal products you should look for something that says "Standardized" which will also guarantee you quality and safety. Sharon also suggested that if you're looking for something particular like Vitamin C it's okay to go to Target or Walmart, or a grocery store; however, if you aren't sure exactly what you're looking for you should definitely go to specialty store because that's where the specialist are who can help you safely find what you're looking for. She used the example of a person on blood thinners who might not realize that some herbal products thin your blood. This could be a dangerous combination, but a combination that would likely be avoided by going to people who know, and do this for a living. Also in line with being a smart consumer you should be weary of supplement and herbal products that come from China because China's manufacturing is known as being ahead of their policing. Not always safe!

Sharon also told us that only around 5% of the population get the very basic vitamins that the body need. That means 95% of us aren't even getting the basic, bare minimum of vitamins. In light of this, she said that if she could suggest 3 supplements for women to take it would be a good multi-vitamin, calcium, and vitamin D. Calcium is especially important for those who drink soft drinks or any carbonated drinks because the carbonation is done with the use of phosphorus which basically eats away the bones. On top of that caffeine interferes with calcium absorption. I, myself have a bit of a soft drink problem so after hearing Sharon talk I'm already working on cutting down. Vitamin D is also extra important for those of us way up north here (males and females)! Vitamin D is intrinsically tied to our immune system and a deficiency in this vitamin is DIRECTLY linked to colon cancer, breast cancer, and prostate cancer. Just some really interesting things to look in to!

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 3: Weekly Update

2009-10-20T23:12:00.001-05:00

My SMART goal is to use reusable bags 100% of the time I shop. I only slipped one time. I don't exactly have a percent success rate, but I'd just say fairly well.

The only time I failed was because I was out of town and did not have my own car. I also did not think to take one of my reusable bags with me; however, I did remember to ask them for paper so I can feel a little better about that :) I also forgot a bag at the grocery store when I was just picking up a few items, but thanks to my overly gigantic purse I was able to avoid a bag once again! Success! Purses are also quite reusable, haha!

I learned this week to be more assertive when people are trying to bag your stuff. I know it sounds like a funny lesson learned, but why shouldn't you say, "I don't need a bag, thanks". I've also been just getting used to the idea of bringing my own bag with me when I shop, or using my purse. Being more mindful was part of my plan from last week and I feel as though I've really worked on that.

I really have nothing to change. I feel like I'm doing a good job and I feel like the more I work on this SMART goal the more it will just become second nature. I will keep working on the mindfulness thing!

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 3 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy.

Read 'n' Seed 2: First quarter of "The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight"

2009-10-16T15:03:00.000-05:00

So far I've read the first quarter of my book, which has equaled out to 90 pages. This translates into 8 chapters. Mainly the author has focused on how the world has gotten to the state of complete ecological collapse. We're running out of oil, we're cutting down all the trees (therefore running out of oxygen), we're running out of food (on land and in the oceans), and cheap and clean water may be an item of the past. To be honest, thus far the book is quite the downer. It's interesting and important information, but it makes our current ecological crises look hopeless.

I learned a bit about the Carboniferous Period. It occurred 400 million years ago and lasted about 70. It was called the Carboniferous Period because there was significantly more carbon in the air during that time then there is today. Also, the temperature was quite a bit higher than it was today. Due to those conditions plant life grew like crazy! The author described the vegetation as rising hundreds of feet in the air! This vegetation is what eventually would turn into fossil fuel (millions of years later).

I also learned that the U.S. only contains 6% of the population but uses 25% of the world's energy. That's a pretty sucky statistic. It's also desturbing that we are cutting and burning down our rainforests (thousands of acres every hour) when they are our major source of oxygen and carbon dioxide removal. Still we continue to destroy them. Another startling fact is that TB, a disease most people associate with third world countries, is alive and well even in the U.S. and kills more people each year than AIDS, malaria, and tropical diseases combined.

So what are the implications of what I've read? The book pretty much says that unless we change our culture, and change the way we think we're going to destroy everything we have and I totally believe it. So much of what we rely on just for day to day survival is on the brink of collapse and we still have a government unwilling to recognize it. All and all, this book is painting a rather terrifying picture of the earth (or lack there of) in the very near future. Most of the problems he's discussed in the book are likely to occur in our lifetime...scary. We need to change.

Check out this really realistic video about the end of the earth: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nZMwKPmsbWE

Share & Voice: BigBelly Solar Compactor

2009-10-15T23:35:00.000-05:00

We all make trash and then that trash has to be collected. Well what if it had to be collected less often? Less frequent collections would mean reducing carbon emissions from giant waste management trucks. How do we make this happen? Well UMD already is! Our campus, along with many others across the nation, have started to use something called a "BigBelly Solar Compactor". This thing is the smartest trash can you'll come across! As it fills with trash it uses the power from its solar panels to compact it. By compacting the trash right where it sits BigBelly goes from a normal garbage can holding 35 gallons to having the ability to hold 150 to 200 gallons of trash! Not only that, but it sends a text to the city when it's full and needs to be collected! No extra trips and it frees up city workers to do other things. Besides having BigBelly trash cans, the campus also has BigBelly recycling bins. This is great for all the same reasons as the trash can, but the added bonus of street recycling! You don't see as many recycling bins when you're walking down the street as you do trash cans, that's for sure; however, BigBellies are a part of the solution. Look for UMD's BigBelly Solar Compactor outside the Sports & Health Building!

One group who has had a lot of success with the placement of BigBellies throughout their city is Philadelphia. They're estimated to save $875,000 a year! Check out BigBelly for yourself, all the information came right from their website! http://www.bigbellysolar.com/

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2: Weekly Update

2009-10-14T12:09:00.001-05:00

My SMART goal is to use reusable bags 100% of the time I shop. I would say I had about a 66% success rate this week. This is because I went shopping three different times. I went to grocery stores two different occasions just to pick up a few small things and I went to target once. The grocery store was the first place I went after creating this SMART goal. I only bought two things and I didn't have a reusable bag with me so I just used my purse so that was one plastic bag I easily avoided. I went to Target later in the week and picked up a number of items. Of course I forgot my reusable bag in my car, but I was reminded of my goal as soon as I went up to the registers because of the reusable bags they sell. I bought one for $1 since I didn't want to fail at my goal and I figured I needed a few more anyway for when I do my serious grocery shopping. However, it was yesterday when I went to the grocery store that I messed up! I went with a friend and we took her car so I didn't have my reusable bags in my back seat as a reminder. I went up to the register and didn't even think about it. It wasn't until the cashier was throwing my things into a plastic bag that I just thought "Crap!". The funny thing was after the put my items into a plastic bag he asked if I wanted paper or plastic. I mean a little late to ask, right? I would have said paper (because it can be easily reused and recycled), but he didn't even give me a chance. I was kind of pissed. I was mad at myself for forgetting, and mad at the cashier for not asking me.

I learned from this week that I just have to be more mindful about my goal. Also, maybe if I got my roommates and friends into the idea of only using recycled bags they would all start keeping them in their car. This would not only help me, but I would be helping the environment by sort of paying it forward I guess...haha! That will be my plan for this week!

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy.

Eye Opener: CSPI

2009-10-12T13:02:00.000-05:00

For this eyeopener I took a tour of our food supply. This actually coincides pretty well with the section of my book I'm reading. It's all about our food supply, water supply, and the cattle industry. After reading some of the facts about our food supply it seems to me that many of our problems involving food and how it relates to the environment stem from the cattle industry. We clear and burn down much needed rainforests just for grazing ground for more cattle that will eventually be shipped to the US, we use trillions of gallons of water to grow feed for them, and we pump them full of antibiotics that end up creating strains of micro-organisms that are antibiotic resistant meaning that when they infect humans, treatment becomes very difficult. A fact that I found even more stunning is this: "Livestock are often fed newspapers, industrial sludge, sewage, and other trash. The feeding of cattle remains back to cattle, a practice now banned, led to mad cow disease, which causes always-fatal brain disease in humans." Although something might be "banned", it doesn't mean it still doesn't occur.

When I leaved in England for 9 months many of their meat and dairy products offered choices entitled "Free Range". This means that the animal who laid this egg, or this piece of steak is from an animal that wasn't caged up, feed trash, and pumped full of antibiotics. I never really paid much attention to it, but now that I've gained some environmental knowledge from this class, I realize the importance of free range animal products. Click here to check out an article about the EU banning antibiotic use!

Reflection: Weeks 3 & 4

2009-10-09T10:00:00.004-05:00

Well, there isn't much to say about week 3. I had a short meeting with Steve. It was truly helpful though. I learned of a few things I hadn't done yet, and a few things I didn't even know I had to do! I'm still kind of playing around with google reader. So far so good! I think remembering to keep up with comments is my most significant battle with blogging.

We had an excellent class period during week 4. We started class with a little question and answer session (prizes included). I mean, I didn't walk away with tampons, but I guess a paper tablet is pretty good too. The most significant thing we did on Monday was view a movie called "An Inconvenient Truth". Al Gore is the narrator. The film is about global warming and how it's progressing so rapidly. When the data is laid out so plain and simple like that, it's pretty scary. What's even more scary is how our government seems to be doing so little. They think by taking a stand on global warming, our economy will suffer. On the other hand, if we don't do something, we may not have an earth anymore. How is there even a contest? It's frustrating because I feel like if our government set some policies in motion more Americans would start taking notice and work to be more eco-friendly. I guess for now I'll just have to do my part and hope everyone else does as well!

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week1: My SMART Goal

2009-10-06T23:36:00.001-05:00

Over the next 10 weeks I will use reusable bags 100% of the time I shop. This will include picking up items at grocery stores, convenience stores, and retail shops. I will keep a reusable bags in my car, and if need be, use my purse.

This is completely an eco-chic lifestyle change! I did some research on using plastic bags and we really abuse this resource. I mean, it takes billions of gallons of oil to create them when that oil could be used for fuel, or heat. Not only that, but they aren't biodegradable. They say it takes up to 1,000 years for one plastic bag to degrade in a land fill, but really it's just breaking down into a bunch of tiny toxic particles that get absorbed into the soil and water table. Also, animals often ingest the stuff so these toxic particles enter the food chain. Another super interesting fact is that in the U.S. we use approximately 380 billion plastic bags a year, 100 billion of those being from retail stores. The production of only the bags from the retail stores cost over 4 billion dollars. People often choose paper as an alternative to plastic. This is also not the most eco-friendly choice. We use 10 billion paper shopping bags each year. That's adds up to a lot of forest chopped down for our food to sit in for a few minutes on the way home from Cub! Check out this website for these and other facts about plastic bags: http://environment.about.com/od/recycling/a/reusablebags.htm

I wanted to change this behavior because it's totally realistic. It's not a very big lifestyle change, but it's one with a big impact. It's something is attainable. For me this is a goal that I can accomplish and maybe even influence some of my friends while I do it! When I lived in England, there were a few grocery and retail stores that would charge you 10 cents for each bag you used, and now it makes perfect sense why! I can't imagine how much oil and money we could all save if every American started using only reusable bags. I mean, when I go to Old Navy at the mall and only get some socks, or a t-shirt, why do I even need a bag? It's not like I don't have an enormous purse slung over my shoulder! I'm excited to make this change!

Eye Opener: Ecological Footprint

2009-10-05T13:14:00.000-05:00

Wow...this assignment was almost scary. If we are using up the earth's resources at a pace1.3 times faster than they can be renewed what's going to happen to us? It's almost like we're carrying out our own death sentence. The fact of the matter is, I imagine this information isn't totally common knowledge. I know I've heard the term "carbon footprint" and I got the general idea, but what I didn't realize is how large of a footprint I was leaving until I took a few quizzes. One of the quizzes I took was called "Redefining Progress". My results stated that, "If everyone on earth lived your lifestyle, we would need 4.59 earths". That really sucked to hear. My lifestyle is the reason our earth's resources are running out. It's hard when you finally realize you are to blame for all the current ecological crises. What's even more interesting, I really didn't think my lifestyle was that outrageous. I mean, I walk to school 9 times out of 10, I carpool whenever I can, I recycle, I don't even eat meat everyday. The results are just so staggering, it seems out of my control. Like, I don't even know where to go from here to make this better. The problem just seems so urgent and yet I know there is no immediate solution...talk about an eye opener!

Read 'n' Seed 1: The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight

2009-10-01T13:56:00.000-05:00

The title of the book I chose is called "The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight: The Fate of the World and what We Can Do Before it's Too Late". It's written by a man named Thom Hartmann.

The first part of the book is pretty much describing the current crisis earth (and therefore all of humanity) is in. He especially focuses on the world's oil supply crisis. Once we are out of oil this will lead to many other crises including famine, water shortages, and war. After he illustrates our present state of affairs and gives an extremely gloomy look into our future, he offers suggestions for change. After all, would good would terrifying the reader with all of this "world is about to end" stuff if there was no way to improve our circumstances? To put it simply, Thom tells us that we have to change the way we relate to earth, we have to change the way we relate to others, but most importantly, we have to change the way we think.

I chose this book because I'm pretty much in the dark when it comes to our oil crisis. I've always thought of it as something someone way more qualified than me would find the solution too. Until that someone told me what to do, I was just going to keep living like I was living. I realize this is a terrible mindset. I want to be more proactive. Out of all of the choices, I think this book will make the biggest impact on my life.

Check out these sites to learn more about this book:
1. Author's Website
2. Book Review
3. Book Review

There are 358 pages of reading in this book divided amongst 38 chapters that vary in length. The book is also sectioned into 3 parts. I think I'm just going to separate my reading into 4 big chunks over the 4 quarters, just to make it even. Can't wait to start reading!

Reflection Post: Week 1 & 2

2009-09-28T14:39:00.000-05:00

I enjoyed the first week of Environmental Health. The ropes activity was a creative way to get us to be critical thinkers. It’s a good reminder to always look at things from many different angles and to know that problems may very well have multiple solutions. I feel like that might be a good summary for how this class is going to play out for me. This was also an important class period because we learned the basics of blogging. This was definitely a harder concept to grasp than the activity (at least for me)! However, I’ve found that the more you play around with blogging, the more you learn. It’s a learn as you go sort of experience!

During week 2 we did a number of things. We started class with a small slideshow reviewing famous sayings mostly involving gardens and flowers. We related those sayings to environmental health on a larger scale. After that we watched a video clip from 60 Minutes about global warming. Specifically, it was about the government censoring what scientists tell the public about the effects of global warming. I was really disgusted to find out that the man in charge of editing these reports before they are published was a petroleum lobbyist previous to working in the White House. Honestly, how can the public make educated decisions when the information isn’t all there? Also, maybe if they did put out the real information about global warming and how serious it is for our environment people might be more apt to do something about it. Lastly, we discussed our Read ‘n’ Seed books and our introduction post. I was excited to choose a book. When I did take a look at the list I even read the synopses for the books that were already chosen just because they sounded so interesting. I would definitely add a few of those books to my reading list. I chose a book called “The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight”. In the description it said that this book was the inspiration for a short video called “Global Warning” in which Leonardo Dicaprio is the narrator. I checked it out and it was pretty cool. It pretty much just lays out the problem of global warming plane and simple so that anyone can understand. You should all check it out!

Happy Friday!

Welcome to Abby's Earth Experiment

2009-09-23T11:13:00.004-05:00

Hello! My name is Abby and I'm from East Grand Forks, MN. I'm a Community Health Education major here at UMD and I also minor in foreign studies and psychology. I'm a first time blogger, but I'm pretty excited to begin! My blog is going to focus on what I learn this semester about the environment as it relates to health, and how I implement that knowledge into my life. I also hope to dig up some interesting things related to environmental health and share them with all of you!

There are 6 possible types of posts on my blog. They include:

Advocacy Project
Eye Openers
Reflections
Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change
Read 'n' Seed
Share and Voice

If you notice at the bottom of this post, the categories will be listed as labels. This post is has been labeled with all six kinds of posts. You will also see the number of each kind of post in my Labels Gadget at the top of the page. All post titles from now on will begin with one of the categories above.

The members of my web group are:

You can subscribe to my blog by clicking the subscribe gadget in the gadget column. You can also follow my blog by clicking "Follow this Blog" in the gadget column. I am subscribed to all the blogs in my blog list gadget. You can see my complete profile and all the blogs I am following by clicking on "See Complete Profile."

Thanks for taking the time to visit my blog! I look forward to an informative class and an interesting experience this semester! Come back again soon!

Blogged for the Welcome Linky Party hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy