Reflection Weeks 13-14 and Overall Course

Wow, these past 2 weeks have flown by! I feel like we've covered a great deal in that time frame. Some of the things that we did was tour Goodwill, junking, our online activities, the advocacy fact sheet and our last eco-chic lifestyle changes.

I learned a lot about Goodwill during the tour. Prior to the trip I wasn't very eager to it because I really didn't know what they had to do with the environment. What I learned actually opened my eyes. Not only do they save millions of pounds of stuff from heading to the land fill, but they also employee many individuals who need work. I also learned that just about everything that comes through their doors in either reused or recycled. Things that no one wants even gets sent all over the world to people that need it. I just thought that this was amazing.

Junking also taught me a lot. I like the general concept of it; taking things no one wants and turning them into your treasures. I think that's really cool. I think a lot can be said for being so conscience of the environment. It saves who knows how many things from the landfills. It showed me that I don't always have to buy new, and also made me realize that it's not very often I get to really use my creativity like that!

I don't know about anyone else, but I actually liked the online learning activities. There was so many different topics that my group picked that reading each one was so different and eye opening. I really did learn a lot from all of them. It also showed me that there is so much out here about the environment that I haven't even learned yet! It's good to learn from your peers :)

I feel like I've learned a ton long the way, and these past few weeks are no exception. There is so much out there and it was fun discovering it along the way.

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Everyone keeps say, what haven't we learned? This is so true, I basically came into this class thinking there wasn't anything out there that was going to effect me very much. Even though that's a stubborn thought, I'm happy to say I was dead wrong. I learned so much from this course, it always gave me something to think about. Never in my college career has a class moved me enough to make me willingly change any part of my lifestyle. Now all I want to eat is organic and local. I want to have a garden someday, I want to tell everyone to never buy bottled water!

It's crazy how much my views on nature have changed. I've always loved nature, but I never understood it on a deeper level like I do now. The activity that kicked this thinking off was the Eco Footprint activity. I found out how terrible my actions have been for the environment. It really got me thinking about changing my actions.

Another thing that changed my views was all the documentaries. Fresh and Green were the two that effected me the most. My family used to farm when I was little and my grandparents and uncles still do, so those really hit home to me. It really showed how everything has gotten so out of hand, and let me see that something needs to change. Both of them really made me decide that I was going to eat organic as much as possible.

As surprising as this might sound, the tour of Bagley really was eye opening to me. After all that we've learned I've decided that I want to be as eco-conscience as I possibly can. For the future I would love to build my own house, and Bagley showed me that even my home can be environmentally friendly.

Again, I've learned so much from this class. Looking back, it's amazing how much I've actually learned, not only from Dr. V but from my peers as well. Everything was so eye opening, and I hope that this sort of learning about the environment doesn't end for me. I hope that in the future I will continue to take what I've learned and apply it to life. :)

Image from my junking project, taken by me!

Eye Opener: Oneline learning activities

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Kristen's Air Quality Crossword Puzzle

~Read the articles listed on her blog and complete the linked puzzle

Across:
4. Asthma
5. Carbon Monoxide
6. EPA
Down:
1. Air Quality Index
2. Air Toxins
3. Mobile
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Mary's Health Insurance For All

~Complete the activities she linked on her blog. Read the articles, play the game and watch the video. Once that's completed describe 2 things that you've learned.

1. I never really knew that when you have insurance the only thing that you really pay for is the co-pay and the deductible. For some reason I thought that you had to pay more than that. I wasn't sure if you had to pay money for it initially or not.
2. I was unaware that Minnesota had such good life rates. Apparently in MN the average death is at 75 years of age! That's great, I think it is the highest in the US. Also the occupational death rates were also great. I think MN was ranked #1. They also were top 10 for just about everything else. I would have never known this about MN.
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Molly's No Way BPA In Baby Formula

~Look into the website listed in her post. Decide if you think that chemicals should be more or less regulated, specifically related to baby formula. Write a short reflection on it.

I think that baby formula should be MUCH MUCH MORE REGULATED!!! I found it literally disgusting that this sort of thing is going on. I cannot believe that corporates are standing by and letting their companies pump babies full of these harmful chemicals. Moreover, Im disturbed that the EPA has let this go on. Clearly they do not have the public in mind. It made me see that even though breastfeeding might be difficult, your babies health is worth it. Also, why not puree your baby some fresh organic veggies. Sure that might be difficult too but its much better than giving them harmful chemicals. Parents are babies caregivers and they should do what is the best for the child. More parents should be aware of this issue. This post has really effected me, someday I will be a parent and it scares me to think that there are so many bad things out there that I'm not even aware of. I guess I need to start examining everything closer.

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Heidi's Advocacy Project: Childhood Obesity

~Take the childhood obesity quiz linked on her post. Once you've taken it, report your score and what you've learned.

I got a 9 out of 10 on the quiz. The one question I got wrong was the last one. It was a true or false question, saying never give your child soda, cookies, ect. I said true because I just don't think that those are foods that are ok for kids to be eating when they need much more nutritious food to ensure proper development. In retrospect though, I think that kids do need to have it once in a while otherwise when they can finally buy it themselves they're going to go crazy on it. It also might make for an unhealthy relationship with food if you don't let them have certain foods. I still feel that these are foods that should not be given to children frequently though.

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Alicia's Advocacy Project: Emergency Contraception

~After reading the website linked, provide 3 myths that they covered and explain why they are false. Next find 3 places near you that proved emergency contraception.

1. It's difficult to get- Many places carry this form of contraception. You can get if from the E.R., a clinic, planned parenthood, ect
2. It's too expensive- Most insurance companies cover the cost. It also doesn't cost very much out of pocket. Its way cheaper than having a baby.
3.It's hazardous to your health- It contains no estrogen, and is much safer than having a baby or having an abortion.
4. You can get it in Duluth at: Health Services at UMD, Planned Parenthood on Central Entrance, or either of the hospitals.

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Emily's Uncovering The Facts About Cancer

~Go to the WebMD site and find 3 facts that interest you. Find 3 causes of cancer on the American Cancer Society's site. Read about ways to prevent cancer on the preventcancer.org site. Finally report 3 common causes of cancer and 3 ways you can best protect yourself.

1. There are over 100 types of cancer, there are 4 causes of Melanoma(color of eyes, skin tint, moles, ect) and never having a baby increases risk of women for getting ovarian cancer.
2. 1/3 of cancer deaths are related to poor diet/lack of exercise. To decrease your risk of cancer, maintain a BMI under 25. There are over 1000 cancer clusters in America.
3. Causes: Lack of exercise, prolonged sun exposure without sunscreen, and smoking. I can prevent cancer from having a good diet rich in greens, wear sunscreen, and never ever smoke.

Advocacy Project: Smoking Fact Find

Smoking Fact Find

Purpose:
The purpose for the activity is to get people aware of the dangers of smoking as well as how it effects other people. Many Americans forget how harmful it is for everyone when they chose to light up a cigerette. Understanding first what smoking does to the smoker will intern help better understand how it effects those around them as well. I also want people to form a better understanding about what can motivate them to quit or never even start smoking. Understanding that there are many reasons out there to stay smoke free may just be the motivation that some people need.

Evidence:
Millions of Americans each year are effected by tobacco use. In Minnesota alone over 630 million family members will continue to smoke each year. Many of these family members will then expose loved ones to many harmful effects of secondhand smoke, including over 4000 chemical compounds, 210 of which are carcinogens. As we all know smoking kills. In fact every 8 seconds someone in the world has died due to tobacco use. This equates to about 5 million deaths per year worldwide. As future Health Educators, we should all be aware of the harmful effects that smoking has on the economy, our loved ones and our bodies.

Instructions:
1) Review the links below.
2) Find 5 things that you didn't know before watching the video or things that really effected you.
3) Post the 5 things you learned. Can you think of any personal reasons why you have chosen not to smoke too? For example, parents would be disappointed, dont want to smell bad, ect. Please provide one reason why you have chosen not to smoke or have quit because of (if you feel comfortable sharing).

We all pay the price - Look around on the entire site. It has a lot of good information if you dig around!
Smoking effects video -watch me
Secondhand smoke video -watch me

Eco-chic Lifestyle Change Week 5: Final Weekly Review and Overall Project Reflection

1) My SMART goal for the week was to shower no more than 7 minutes per day. I've actually gotten in the habit of taking short showers so it wasn't too much of a change. I usually set a timer on my phone that goes off a little bit before my goal so I know how long I have.

2) I find it challenging to get up and moving quickly in the morning. That was my biggest issue this week was trying to move quickly when I was tired. For the most part I did well, there was only one day that I went longer and it wasn't by much. The timer really helped as far as that went.

3) I feel productive when I shower quickly. Usually I never give myself enough time to get ready so now that I've been taking shorter showers it's easier for me to stick to my morning schedule.

4) I learned that if you make showering quick a habit, it's much easier to do everyday.

5) For next week I'm going to skip the timer and all that, but I will still try and stick to the shorter showers.

Review of entire process:
1) Initially my goal was to shower for no more than 10 minutes a day. Each week I chipped at it more and more until this past week I was at 7 minutes.

2) I used my cell phones timer to keep me on track, this helped a ton I think. There wasn't much that got in my way except for me. There was a lot of mornings were I was just too tired to move quick. It was easier for me to keep up the fast pace if I had coffee before I started getting ready. I think the way around problems like this is just to think it through.

3) I was much more timely by the end. It helped me get ready much quicker and helped me not be late for classes some days. I learned that even these rewards can motivate someone to alter their behavior.

4) I hear all about how many people around the world don't have clean water. I know the water I stropped from using doesn't go directly to them, but that's still a bunch of gallons I saved from the sewer. This intern helps the environment.

5) Probably not. I will definitely be trying to shower for less time in the future but I don't think I'll be trying to be down at 7 minutes and setting a timer and everything. I'll still be cutting down on water though.

6) If your not very excited about it or you don't think you can do it, give your self an incentive. I think that incentives motivate all behaviors, you need to get a reward out of what your doing. Whether its just getting to everything earlier or something else, it will motivate you much better then just feel as though you should.

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Advocacy Project: Letter and Fact Sheet

Ron Kind
131 S. Barstow St. Suite 301
Eau Claire, WI 54701
(715)831-9214

I am writing you to ask that you vote YES on H.R. 4105 Healthy Air for Federal Workers Act.

I feel that you should vote in this manor because smoking is a prevalent issue of health in the United States, and secondhand smoke is a contributing factor. Many Americans are being affected by smoking and secondhand smoke, increasing their risk of disability, illness and death. Smoking has direct links to cancer, heart disease, and death, all while filling the air with powerful toxins that negatively effect those around them. Voting yes on this bill will help insure that American’s working in government settings will not be exposed to these harmful effects. It will also insure that these workers will not be bringing home such toxic chemicals into their homes and sharing them with their families. I believe that for those of us who have chosen the health decision to not smoke should not be subjected to toxic chemicals from those who have made poorer choices regarding their health.

I know that there are some out there who would rather see you vote no. These people are either smokers themselves that want to continue this action or people who support the tobacco industry. To them I say, if it is your decision to smoke that is your prerogative however your “right” should end where my health begins. My health should not be negatively affected by the choices of others.

Below is a fact sheet that I encourage you to read. I feel that if I have not outlined already why we should protect our American task force, perhaps these can aid my reasoning. Again, please VOTE YES on H.R. 4105 Healthy Air for Federal Workers Act.

1 in every 5 deaths in the United States is due to smoking, making it the biggest killer of preventable deaths.

Cigarette smoke contains many harmful and toxic chemicals including tar, carbon monoxide, acetaledehyde, and nitrosamines.

There are around 4,000 chemicals found in secondhand smoke. 200 have been found to be poisonous and 60 are known carcinogens.

Each year, around 3,000 nonsmokers die from lung cancer due to environmental tobacco smoke.

Not only does smoking cost thousands of people their lives each and every year, it has been estimated that tobacco use "accounts for over a $100 billion dollars annually in financial costs to the economy".

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Reflection Weeks 9-12

Wow time is flying. Over these past few weeks we've learned a lot! Advocacy, linkys, eco-chic changes, THOMAS; these are just a few of the things we've learned about!

I've learned a ton about myself. I've learned that previously I have stayed in the shower for far too long! I learned this through my eco-chic lifestyle change, where I made myself break this habit. I've learned how to get the attention of my political representative. I think that this is a huge feat, before this I would have never known where to even start. Along the line i've also done a few share and voices on new things I've learned. For the past few years now, I've heard a lot about mercury poisoning, and after looking into it for a share and voice I now know more than I ever wanted to. I've also learned about linkys, although I'm still not sure about it all. And my favorite, I've leaned many things from "story of stuff"!

Stories of stuff has really opened my eyes about environmental issues that I didn't even know were happening! I actually started watching the video's before we had class and I've watched a couple more since then. I think they're amazing, they show you how everything is killing the environment and us, and stuff that you would have no idea about too! I've also learned how junking can help the environment because your not buying new things and throwing away the old. But the most useful thing that I've learned about the environment is how to get our political representatives attention about it. I believe this is so useful because in order for change to happen we need to gain the attention of the government. Also, who knows where my future jobs will take me, I might need to know that stuff some day to make a difference!

We've gone through a ton, and were closing in on the home stretch! I don't know about you but I can't wait to see what these last few weeks bring! :D

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Share and Voice: The Lorax

Last night I was watching tv and I turned it to ABC, they had on the Dr. Seuss movie The Lorax. For those of you who have never read the book it's worth reading and it's extremely relevant to the class!

It basically outlines how industrialization hurts the environment and how with all of the big businesses, society often get's caught up in thinking that these industry's goods are key to living not the environment. In the movie they personify big business as a greedy executive ordering workers to chop down all the truffala trees, and society goes along with it because the tree is used to produce a good that they feel they need. The Lorax is the character who is fighting to stop the chopping of these trees and wants to save the environment.

This is a link to watch the movie if your interested. It's a cute story and has a very powerful message, but it's understandable if you don't want to watch it because its about 25 minutes long. If your interested you can also find the book! It's a great story and worth reading for all ages! Check it out!

Eco-chic Lifestyle Change Week 4: Weekly Update

1) My SMART goal for last week was to shower for no more than 9 minutes each day. Not only did I achieve my goal, but I went for even less time. On average I showered for about 7 minutes. I did this by setting a timer on my phone. It helped that I was at my parents house too because often I couldn't shower for very long due to them running out of hot water.

2) I had a lot of successes this past week. There wasn't a single day that I didn't meet my goal or do better than it. My family is pretty large so when everyone's home there tends to not be very much hot water to go around in the mornings. I think this was an advantage for my goal, no one wants to shower in cold water. There wasn't much for obstacles this week. Over all it went pretty well.

3) As far as feelings go, I was annoyed if anything. This was because it's not very fun to have to shower in cold water. Overall though I feel sort of proud. It's nice to accomplish your goal and go above and beyond.

4) I learned that no one ever needs to shower for more than 10-15 minutes. It's a waste of water and time. It's totally do-able to shower in half that time, it just might take some practice.

5) My SMART goal for next week is to shower no more than 7 minutes per day. I've seen I can achieve this mark if I just stay committed to the goal. I decided it's better to challenge myself and work towards seeing results. Hopefully this goal is obtainable and will push me!

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Blogged for Eco-chic Lifestyle change: Week 4 hosted by Amy @ Amy In The Rain

Share and Voice: America's most environmentally friendly companies

For a while now I've been feeling like there are no companies out there who actually care about the environment, or us for that matter. Almost every class period we hear more and more about how our system of getting our products to us is flawed. It got me wondering if there are any big companies out there trying to make a difference or if they are just out there trying to make a buck. I came across a site that announces that they have found America's "Top 10 Greenest Companies". If there's anything I've learned I've learned from this class it's to be critical of these kinds of clams, but I can't help but think that at least they're doing something right to get noticed. So check them out, see what you think.

Share and Voice: Eco-Friendly Coffee

I've been hearing a lot about organic coffee lately but I never really thought much about it. I never really been exposed to anything like it. I know down in the cities there are a few places that carry it and it's a big hit. I thought that I've never been exposed to it until someone mentioned in class that we have it hear at UMD! So I decided to look into it. Why should we all decide to drink organic coffee??? I found this site that explains everything. Check it out!

Eye Opener: Photo Essay

Our regular garbage. Looks like I should remind one of my roommates to recycle their cardboard box!
This is our cardboard bin. It's typically a bag but we've been finding ourselves with a ton of cardboard to get rid of lately.

This is just a picture of our aluminum and plastic bottles.

For my photo essay I chose to share pictures of my apartments recycling. We usually split our recycling into two brown paper bags. In the bags are cardboard and paper and then aluminum and glass bottles. After sorting these bags, we have to then take it to our apartment complex's recycling drop off. I chose to share about recycling because it forced me to think about recycling, something that I often time forget about. Sometimes I find myself throwing things away that could be put in the recycling so it's good to remind myself sometimes.

Eco-chic Lifestyle Change Week 3: Weekly Update

1) Goal: I will shower less than 10 minutes everyday. I achieved this goal by setting a timer for 9 minutes each day. I try very hard everyday to try to be out of the shower by the time it goes on off.

2) I was pretty successful all week. A challenge I faced however, was to try and stick to the time despite having to shave. This posses a problem but I made it work. I only went over my goal once this past week and it was due to this issue. I would say that i accomplished my goal 6 out of 7 days which I'm putting in my win column.

3) I would say that i feel like I've made a small accomplishment each day when I reach my goal. I also feel very efficient. As far as dealing with these feelings, I guess there's not much to deal with because it's all good stuff.

4) I learned that even though 10 minutes started off as a challenge, less than that is just as manageable. I didn't think that I would be able to go less than 10 but it's possible, you just have to get used to showering quickly.

5) My goal for next week is to shower no more than 9 minutes each day. Before my goal was to just get below 10 minutes so I went a minute under. I think that this small change will challenge me just enough.

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Advocacy Project: Issue Overview

Introduction:

• The issue is that many American's are being affected by smoking and secondhand smoke, increasing their risk of disabilities, illnesses and death.
  
• One piece of legislation that might help a subgroup of individuals is H.R. 4105 Healthy Air for Federal Workers Act.

Who is affected by this issue?

• Anyone who is around smokers or who smokes themselves are affected by this issue.
  
• Ultimately, the tobacco industry is the only one who losses or any company that makes revenue off of the sale of tobacco. They will be losing the profits that they would gain from federal workers smoking on the job.
  
• By passing this legislation government employees will gain basically fresh air, as well as the families that are surrounded by these employees. This newly found fresh air will be free of cigarette smoke that has been known to cause negative health effects.

What are the consequences of this issue?

• Those who are most effected have been seeing rising levels of death and diseases due to this smoke inhalation and secondhand smoke. The consequesnces are simply disease and illness. Passage of this legislation however will mean healthier people with lower rates of illness.
  
• Families are also effected by the smoke that workers bring home on their clothing. This secondhand smoke effects their health as well, also increasing their risk of death and disease from the smoke. The proposed legislation would help these individuals as well.
  
• Society is being affected by smokers. Like the saying goes, if one person smokes, we all smoke. If someone is around an individual who smokes, they are being exposed to secondhand smoke or even third hand smoke! As stated before, this increases risk for many diseases and death. By passing this bill, there would be a decrease in exposure to such smoke inhalation, positively effecting society as a whole.

What is the economic impact of this issue.

• Everyone bears the cost of this issue. There are many costs to this issue, the most saddening is life. According to abovetheinfluence.com, between 1964 and 2004 smoking caused approximately 12 million deaths. Most of these deaths were either from Cardiovascular disease or cancer. In conjucntion to such illnesses, there are also huge financial costs as well. It is estimated that smoking costs society about $100 billion annually.
• There are a few groups of people that benefit from this issue: the tobacco industry and possibly insurance companies with clients that are finding themselves fighting the effects of smoking. Compared to the economic costs of smoking, society does get some money back by the taxation of tobacco products.
  

What are the social impact of this issue?

• Social cost of this issue directly effect the family and friends of smokers and those experiencing secondhand smoke. Often time the cost is life of the loved one. If the individual is lucky, they may only walk away with a illness accosiated to smoking. Often the family is left to care for them, laying a heavy impact on everyone.
  
• It's hard to find something good out of a bad situation. I would say that something positive would be that families may spend more time with the individual effected if they develop disease due to smoking or exposure to smoke. If this legislation does pass however, there will be many social gains. Individuals will lead more productive lives and have more active lifestyles, contributing positively to society.

What are the barriers?

• The barriers for this issue is getting legislation passed. Many individuals feel that it's their "right" to smoke where ever they want. That might be the case if they are not effecting anyone, but the fact that the matter is that their actions have been known to cause cancer! I think that that's when it's more than acceptable to involve the law, however the problem may be that we need to convince more that this is the case.
  
• Perhaps it's my optimism, but I feel that education is the key. We need to educate individuals that 1)smoking kills and 2) smoking negatively effects EVERYONE. No one wants to see their loved ones die, and although many Americans are very intelligent, I think that fear and lack of knowledge cause them to make less than impressive decisions. By educating the public about smoking issues I feel like they would be more inclined to make better decisions about smoking and voting to decrease smoking effects.

What are the resources?

• The best resource we can have for this issue is more legislation to protect those individuals who don't smoke and don't want the harmful effects. Breath-free UMD set a good example being a resource of regulation here at UMD. Another resource is educating individuals not to smoke in the first place. Without smokers, there would be no need for laws on smoking.

• These resources can be tapped by teachers. These are the individuals that have the opportunity to educate students. I also feel that more money is needed for quit smoking commercials to gain awareness. Along with this work site promotion can be tapped, giving employees a places to turn to for support with quitting as well as a place to educate employees.
  

What is the history of the issue?

• History of the and addressing the issue.
• 1492: Columbus discovered tobacco.
• 1683: Massachusetts passes America's first smoking ban. Passed to prevent individuals from smoking outside however. Money made from tickets were then used to buy equipment for fire-fighting.
  
• 1900: Washington, Iowa, Tennesse and North Dakota outlaw cigarette sales.
• 1971: Tobacco commercials are banned from airing on television.
  
• September 30, 2007: Minnesota passes it's smoking ban, outlawing smoking in any public area or place with more than 1 person in it.

• Basically, the results are slow progress. Since tobacco was introduced society has gone from thinking it has no effects, to realizing the effects, to know doing something about it. I think that it will take time, but change is happening.

Allies and opponents:

• Not very many people in America would support the issue of smoke and secondhand smoke causing health issues in American's. I think that the tobacco company is the only one that's going to be disapointed if bill's such as the one I propose or one's similar get passed. An estimated 77% of Minnesotan's favored Minnesota's Smoke-free law in 2008. I think that many American's are on board to a smoke-free future.
  
• According to the statistic above, I feel that a huge majority of the country would be on board with this bill if they knew about it. I think that a majority of the public are opposed to the issue of secondhand smoke and smoke inhalation effecting us. No one wants to breath that kind of air, unless you love dingy festering air.
• I think that just by getting the word out of this bills and one's similar can help this bill gain a lot of momentum. I don't think that there is much to be done with a compromise. I just don't think that as a health education student I would feel good about compromising with a tobacco company. The issue is illness, and there should be no compromise, just doing what is right.

My recommendations:

• I feel that policy makers should vote YES on H.R. 4105 Healthy Air for Federal Workers Act! Prohibit the smoking of tobacco in government locations!
  

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Share and Voice: Mercury Concerns

Hi everyone,

After looking for quite a while for something to share, I kept coming across sites talking about mercury poisoning. This sparked my interest. I feel like it's not something I hear about on a daily basis, or even monthly for that matter. If your anything like me, you have almost no idea what this problem entails or risks. After searching and searching I finally found a good site that answers all the mercury questions I could possibly think of! Check it out, I hope that this interests you as much as it did me!

Share & Voice: Thanksgiving Travels

Hi everyone!

With thanksgiving just around the corner I just wanted to remind everyone that rather than driving home in your own car there is still the option to take the bus! Often times people forget that UMD has a great bus service provided by the Jefferson Line. You can buy tickets right at the UMD street level store for a very reasonable price (usually for around $25) or you can get them online. It's great for the environment, think about how many cars that takes off the road! Or if that's not an option you can always try car pooling! Or maybe take it over Christmas??? :D

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2: Weekly Update

1) Goal: I am going to shower no more than 10 minutes everyday. I do this by each day setting a timer on my phone before I just in the shower for 10 minutes. I try to be out of the shower by the time this timer goes off. I do this to ensure that I'm meeting my goal.

2) It's actually a pretty reasonable goal. The timer is really the key to the goal, it really keeps me on track and it reminds me of what Im trying to accomplish everyday. I face a problem with my goal when I am tired in the morning because it's hard for me to keep on a tight schedule so early. As I stated the timer also helps, but I also have started to drink coffee before hand so I'm more inclined to stick to schedule because I'm more awake.

3) I don't associate this goal with any strong feelings although I do feel a bit of accomplishment each day when I complete my mission.

4) I learned that despite liking to take long showers and feeling like its a must, it's really not. Its easy enough to take a quick shower and more over it helps me stay on schedule when getting ready in the morning. I also learned that there's really no excuse to not taking quick showers, and it's helpful for the environment.

5) I'm basically going to stick to the same goal except change the time limit. I will now be trying to do a sub 10 minute goal. I'm going to aim for 9 minutes this week and then take it from there. I feel that this is manageable because I already have enough time as is.

Blogged by the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2 hosted by Amy@ Amy In The Rain

Advocacy Project: Healthy People/THOMAS

1) Focus Area 27: Tobacco Use

• Goal: to reduce illness, disability, and dealth related to tobacco use and exposure to second hand smoke.
• Objective: 27-10 Reduce the proportion of non-smokers exposed to environmental tobacco smoke.
  
• Target of objective have been met. According to the quotient chart, by 136%

2) Objectives Continued

• Objectives met by 136%
• Group with the best rate was Hispanic/Latino. From what I gathered from the disparity table Black non-Hispanics then followed.
  
• There was no data available in regards to gender and education. Like wise income was not documented.
• Lack of data seems to be the main concern, spanning all the way from toxins to consumption levels. Smokeless tobacco items such as hookah have not been researched properly leading consumers to believe that they have no health risks associated with them. The internet poses concerns as well, making tobacco to easy to get into anyone's hands.

3) H.R. 4105 Healthy Air for Federal Workers Act

• Sponsor: Rep. Engel, Eliot L.
  
• Latest Action: 1/4/2010 Referred to House subcommittees
• Recommended Vote: Yes on Healthy Air for Federal Workers Act! :)
• Political Representative: Ron Kind (D)
  

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 1- My Smart Goal

1) SMART Goal: I am going to cut down on the time it takes me to shower to 10 minutes or less starting today.

2) I think that this is good for the environment because we should be trying to conserve our water not waste it. There's really no need to take a 20 minute shower or more, when you can just get in and out in half the time. Not being wasteful is something we should all strive for.

3) I choose this goal because I often find myself taking too long in the shower, not only does it throw off my schedule for getting ready but it's just throwing a bunch of fresh water down the drain. I think that it's a habit that I need to break myself from because I now know how important water is from watching bottled.

4) As of today, I'm on the right track!

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 1 hosted by Amy@Amy in the Rain.

Advocacy Project: My Political Representitive

*All information was retrieved from the linked source!

President: Barack Obama (D)
1600 Pennsylvania Ave Washington, DC 20500
Comments # (202)456-1111

Congressmen: Ron Kind (D)
131 S. Barstow St. Suite 301
Eau Claire, WI 54701
(715)831-9214

Governor: Scott Walker (R)
1233 N. Mayfair Road Suite 301
Wauwatosa, WI 53210
(414)453-2015

Legislator: Ann Hraychuck (D)
Room 6 North
State Capitol P.O. Box 8952
Madison, WI 53708
(608)267-2365

County Board(St. Croix): ????
Didn't seem to have a president, just a group of 7.
Government Center 1101
Carmicheal Road Hudson, WI 54016
(715)381-4302

New Richmond City Mayor: Fred Horne (?)
156 E. 1st Street New Richmond, WI 54017
(715) 246-4268

Reflection: Weeks 5-8

Boy, how time flies!

Most of our class time is devoted to watching documentaries. Typically I'm not very liking of this sort of learning, but I can honestly say that I have learned a lot from this! I really enjoy watching the movies. We watched Tapped, Green and Fresh. These videos greatly effected me, and I'm going to be sharing these with my friends and my family especially. Green and Fresh really hit home to me because my family farms.

In class we also talked about junking. I totally understand the concept of it and I think it's fantastic for those who need to buy things. I however don't buy ANYTHING other than food because being a college kids thats all I can afford at this point. Perhaps once I have a grown up job and making more money I will be living more freely and will maybe even find it fun to "junk" but I just don't have a need for anything right now. Im really living as a minimalist at this point, although not by choice.

I really have been affected by this class. Almost all of the movies I felt like crying when watching them, it really hit me. I can honestly say that I will make an effort not to use as much plastic as possible and to eat organically. It's really hard to eat local and organically right now for me, but I try as hard as possible since watching everything and being in on the discussions. I find myself becoming more and more concerned with the environment which is something I've never been able to save before.

Eye Opener: Junk On The Brain

Part 1: Most came from thesaurus.com or wiki results

1. Antiques: "Old object, often of great value", found on thesaurus.com
2. Junk: "Odds and ends", garbage. Found on thesaurus.com
   
3. Flea Market: "Open-aired street market", found on thesaurus.com
   
4. Thrift Market: same as resale shop.
   
5. Upcycling: "Process of turning wasted materials into new materials or products with higher environmental value". Found on wikipedia.com
   
6. Resale Shop: "Shop selling typically second hand goods donated by members of the public and staffed by volunteers." Found on wikipedia.com

Part 2:

1. If your reusing things, it means that your not buying new. Not buying new means that your nor wasting the old things and all the materials that would go into the new. It saves money and resources.
2. Antiques: Father time Antiques- 395 S. Lake Ave #1 (218)625-2379, not website or blog. Junk: Not really too sure but...Jadco Speacial Haulers, 4011 Rehbein Road (218)724-5538, no website availible. Flea Market: The closest I could find was Hinckley: Downtown Hinckley Fleamarket, 100 Old Hwy 61, (320)384-6938. Again, not site! Thrift Store: Goodwill, 700 Garfield Ave #1, (218)722-6351 goodwill.org, Upcycling: Couldnt find anything! Resale Shop: Plato's Closet, 5115 Burning Tree Rd, (218)733-9455
3. Once and a great while I will go to goodwill. I think that I got my kitchen plates and stuff there for college. I don't really buy much new stuff though, and I get a great deal of my stuff from family as far as furniture and household things. Perhaps this might seem bad but I just don't really like buying things old because I can never find anything that I like or want plus if my family will give it to me for free why would I spend money? Once in a great while ill find something that I do like and Im fine with purchasing it.

Part 3:
Freeze Frame- I like picture frames so this caught my attention. Pillows- I think that this is something that my mom would really like and I could make for her. Fruit Bowl- I thought that this looked kind of cool and new. It would actually fit in with our decor in the apartment too I think.

Share & Voice: YouTube Video on Sustainability

Hey everyone,

Last week I came across this great video on sustainability. It's a little cartoon about how to protect the earth. The video is a little bit dull but it has good substance in it. It's only about 2 minutes long so it's easy to get through. Perhaps it could be used to educate students or something since a lot of kids now a days like learning from videos.

Anyways, check it out!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5NiTN0chj0&feature=related

Read 'n' Seed 5: Forth Quarter and Final Review!

To the left: Laird Hamilton

Since I forgot last week to post, I basically am going to talk about pages 149-312 (aka the last half of the book). A great deal of what was covered in the past part of the book was based on surfing. I've never been surfing nor have I ever even meet one so this was all new to me. According to the book, surfs have strong bonds to one another, sort of like brothers. This is due in part because they share the same passion, and it's very dangerous and not very many people can relate. In the last part of the book, one of the surfers that the researchers have surrounded themselves with risks his life on a rouge wave, and almost dies. The book also speaks a lot about a man named Laird Hamilton. Apparently Laird is one of the best surfers in the world, and become an intricate part of the book. The final chapter, the narrator follows Laird through surfing a huge wave. It was pretty cool to be able to hear about what's going on from his perspective and feel like your doing it!

I can't say that I've learned a lot about the environment in the last chunk of my book, but I can say I've learned tons about surfing, good beaches and famous surfers than I ever thought I would know! I think surfing is understated, especially where we live. Although it's incredibly dangerous and you wont catch me on a surf board, these are the people who know the ocean. Maybe they don't have a marine biology degree, but they know more than most researchers about the subject because they see it everyday.

I think that this book was fantastic, I would recommend it for a good read simply because it was not only entertaining but also had good information. I've learned 1) The ocean is really changing because of global warming. 2) Waves are now easily reaching 75 feet because of this problem and 3) Surfers are crazy for trying to surf them! I totally have a different stance on why this is important because my fiance is in the Navy and as soon as I graduate I will be living on the ocean for the rest of my life. I think that it's scary that were sending sailors and anyone else on a boat that's only made to withstand 50 foot waves yet they're reaching over 100 feet on open seas. Also, with the ocean changing you never know what's going to happen to the land that it touches. Hurricanes are quickly becoming more prevalent due to global warming, and considering a lot of our U.S. cities are located near the ocean that will cause problems.

Overall, great book. Loved it.

Eye Opener: Environmental Working Group

Hi everyone,

After looking at what my make-up really does to me, I was shocked. I always kind of thought that what I was putting on wasn't good but I really never thought that it would be that bad. I use make-up from Victoria's Secret mostly, however I the website didn't have anything from there. I basically just looked at products I've used in the past and figured that it was either just as bad or probably worse. Most of what I've used was a 5. Although it sounded like it was just a mediocre score, what it meant to me was simply cancer. Since this, Im definitely looking into safer products!

Share & Voice: Flooding in WI and MN

I realize that this happened over a month ago, but I think people are starting to forget all the damage this caused to both MN and WI. I think that it's important to remember all the people affected by this disaster because you never know who it might affect. My family is from a southern Wisconsin town called Arcadia. It was greatly effected by the flood and most of the town needed to be evacuated. The picture above is just a snap that my cousin took.

If you want to know more about the flood or read about the damage done just follow the link below!
Flood surge in Wisconsin and Minnesota

New Header

This is my new header for my blog. It's just a photo I found on my computer and retouched on picnik. Pretty basic. Enjoy.

Share & Voice: 10 Ways You Can Improve Earth's Health

Hello again!

I've come across this quick little article about 10 things we can do to help the environment. I think that it serves more as a reminder of all the small things we can be doing to help out. Most of them are free or very inexpensive which is always a plus for us college kids. Some of them I think can end up saving you money in the long run so it's something you guys should check out! Just follow the link below and tell me what you think!

http://www.livescience.com/environment/060421_earth_day_tips.html

Share and Voice: 11 Ways To Go Green on a College Budget

Hey Ladies!

So recently I came across this website. It's about pretty much anything green. I looked through a lot of it, but there's just so much content on here, its awesome. Anyways, I found this little article about all the things college kids can do to go green while in school. I feel that it's completely relevant considering that we are all still in college and looking for new ways to be proactive about protecting the earth. And theres an obvious plus... nothing costs any money.

So, with that being said....CHECK IT OUT! :D

http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/community-news/college-green-55100102

Read 'n' Seed: S Quarter of The Wave

The globe began with sea so to speak; and who knows if it will not end with it?
~Jules Verne 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

So far I feel like I've covered a ton of pages. I read from page 85 to page 148. This time around I covered 4 chapters.

There's been so many things happening, it's hard to say just one thing. They've been doing research on Tsunamis and how global warming has effected that, they've been traveling around Hawaii and many other islands to try to gather support. The people that they want the most support are from surfers, they know the most about waves and how to find them. Along with all this they've been just generally investigating how these huge waves have developed. Most of the book so far I feel like has just been personal accounts on these trips. The book talks a lot about how these researchers are feeling about all of it and just the everyday adventures that they find.

In one part of the book they are sitting down with a scientist from NOAA- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. He basically verifies all of their findings. I think that it was a very pivotal point, because they've kind of been on their own in all of this and now they're finally getting support. What the guy says in a nutshell is that he's been monitoring the ocean after Katrina and he feels that that's just the tip of the iceberg as far as the devastation that we will start to see in the next few year because of the effects of global warming.

I think that this has a lot of implications for us as Americans, especially considering that we are tri-coastal. In the book they say that we should expect to see a great increase in tsunamis and hurricanes which will do millions of dollars worth of damage, not to mention all of the lives that will be put in danger. Global warming is the issue, but I'm not sure what to do about it, besides all of the little solutions we've already discussed.

Eye Opener: CSPI

This week I did the eating green calculator. I needed .2 acres of grain/grass, 12.6 lbs of fertilizer, .1 lbs of pesticides, and 1123 lbs of manure. Next I saw what I could be doing to help out more. With these results I would eliminate all of the acres I needed, reduce by fertilizer by 10.1 lbs, take away all of the pesticides I use and reduce my manure by 934 lbs.

I really didn't say that I would reduce my diet by a lot but I guess a little goes a long way. I didn't take the pledge for a few reasons. 1) Most of the animal products I get are for free. My fiances family raises beef cattle and give it to me for free. I know what they do with their cattle and I can vouch that they are being humane. 2) I'm anemic and once and a while I need to eat something rich in iron. Being a poor college kid, I'm going to choose what's cheapest(or free) for me.

Reflection: Weeks 1-4

What have I learned in the past few weeks? That's a hard question to answer. I feel like I've gotten a lot of bits and pieces of knowledge from many different sources.

This Monday I learned a bunch about how to build a green building. I think that this will effect me later in life because I would love to build my own home someday.

I feel that most of what I learned came from fellow students. I think that with the blogs, you get to see a lot of information that you yourself might not have had to opportunity to find on your own. I know what I'm interested in and I never really venture out of my little box, but reading others blogs I'm being forced to see other things that I might not have seen on my own.

I also have found that since this class started I've become much more aware of saving the environment. I used to not think twice about driving all over the city of Duluth everyday but now I feel that I'm being wasteful. I think that this is the most significant change. I now realize the effects of my lifestyle and I've been trying to fix it. Overall it's been a pretty enlightening experiences.

Read 'n' Seed: First Quarter of The Wave

Hey Everyone!

As you know I choose to read the Wave by Susan Casey. So far I've read 5 chapters (85 pages) which turns about to be a little more than what I said I was going to read, but I can't put it down!

This story is told through a young female re searcher's eyes. She first talks a great deal about the history of what we thought of the ocean. Up until very recently it was believed that waves couldn't reach over about 50-60 feet high. This caused problems for ships being engineered to only withstand waves that tall. Ships have always just disappeared and it was credited to simply bad weather. Now they're finding that waves can easily reach over 100 feet tall in certain circumstances and have progressively become more and more common. So this young researcher is trying to find out why these waves are more and more common. What she and the scientists in her field are finding is that it may be due to the change in the global climate. This book is basically a story book. You get to hear about all of her adventures out at sea and the people that she has meet that play important roles to the over all findings that she's collecting, as well as history of the ocean and the boats it's collected at the bottom.

I've learned a lot so far. The book quotes a lot of published research. For example, the book quoted IPCC -Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change on a study done in 2007. The study concluded that "the ocean has been absorbing 80% of the heat added to the climate system". What that means for us is that the ocean heats up, wind velocity increases, storms become more devastating, ice caps melt and sea volume rises. In 2009 researcher found that this change in climate would cause the sea levels to rise 39 inches by 2100 displacing over 600 million people...completely submerging Florida. So I've just been learning a lot about ocean history and global warming effects on ocean.

I think that this effects society greatly. In less than 100 years were going to be facing serious issues do to this change. We need to think that that's going to be our children and grandchildren facing what we've done to the earth. I think that we should definitely be concerned seeing as though the US has a great deal of coastal regions. I think that it's scary to think that FL,HI, and CA might be completely swallowed up by the ocean if we don't find a way to fix this. I think that we need to make major changes to take care of our ozone layer but I don't know the full solution to global warming yet.

Eye Opener: Ecological Footprint

After taking the quiz on how many planets I was surprised. I used to think that I did well ecologically speaking but I guess not. According to the site I would need 3.7 earths to cover all of the resources I need. 54% of my needs were service things. I think that right now mine is very high because I'm in school and I eat a lot of packaged foods during the school day. I used to not see anything wrong with that becuase everything I eat was fairly healthy, but not for the earth I guess. I think that I need to find a way to stop this behavior. Maybe preparing more of my own food and taking it in reusable Tupperware containers. Also, I drive EVERYWHERE. I'm trying very hard to not drive so much and looking into taking the bus more places. I think these would all help me reduce my eco-footprint.

Share & Voice: The Green Guide For Everyday Living

Hello everyone! I just wanted to share with you all a great website I found! I think that it's awesome. I was looking for a site that could offer a bunch of different services not just information. It's created by Natural Geographic, which I feel like is a trustworthy site, and a great reference tool. Basically it's a site about EVERYTHING GREEN! It has everything: Buying guides, green parenting tips, food, transportation, and facts, ect. Its got it all, it's like a one stop shop for going green. I really encourage you to check it out. I hope you love it as much as I do.

So here it is:

http://www.thegreenguide.com/

Read 'n' Seed: The Wave : In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks and Giants of the Ocean

Hi there everyone!

For my Read 'n' Seed book I chose The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks and Giants of the Ocean. The book is by Susan Casey.

Do you remember the movie Twister? Well basically the plot of this book seems to be about the same sort of thing. Its about a group of scientists and wave fanatic surfers who are traveling around the world to find the most monster waves possible. As they are traveling they are collecting data to discover possible causes for ship wrecks!

For those of you who don't know me, I am engaged! :) My fiance is currently in the process of becoming a Navel Officer. With that being said, I have a special place in my heart for the ocean and everything that goes along with that. Bisides this, I've just always been enamored by the ocean. Coming from a small town in Wisconsin, the ocean has always been something that I would love to know more about because only on rare occasion do I get to even see it!

Links:

1. Barns and Noble
2. NY Times
3. Author's Website

From what I know about the book with out it being delivered it is 352. So with that being said, I will be trying to divide the book into exact quarters, meaning for each quarter I plan on reading 88 pages!

Happy readings!

Welcome to Lovin' Nature With Brier!

Hey Everyone! My name is Brier, and I'm a senior majoring in Community Health Education with a minor in psychology. I will be graduating in the Fall of 2011, and I am very excited about it! This blog is all about nature, and my environmental class.

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

1. Advocacy Project
2. Eye Openers
3. Reflections
4. Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change
5. Read 'n' Seed
6. 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 five kinds of posts. (Use the "label actions" feature in the edit posts tab to add the labels.) You will also see the number of each kind of post in my Labels Gadget at the top of the page. (Place labels gadget below blog header but above blog text). All post titles from now on will begin with one of the categories above.

The members of my web group are:

1. Kristy@Kristys Fun In the Sun Spot
2. Jamie@ Jamie Says Jump
3. Elly@Elly Dreams Green
4. Lauren@Laurens Pouring Rain
5. Mary@Blue Skies For Mary
6. Sarah@Take A Hike With Sarah

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." (Make sure all these gadgets are in place).

So, with all that being said, I really hope you enjoy my blog as much as I have creating it! For me, this blog is seen as a learning tool, and I hope that you can use it the very same way. Thank you for reading!!! :)

~Brier