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