Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Eye Opener: Ecological Footprint

After taking my ecological footprint quiz, I am not exactly sure how to interpret my results. I understand that I have a lot of areas where I could reduce my footprint, however, some of the questions I did not have any idea how to answer because as a college student they didn't exactly apply to my current situation.  My ecological foot print was said to be 3.3 which is quite a bit, but after I finished my quiz I went back in and adjusted it to other people's lifestyles and things could have been much worse.  A few things I could do to reduce my ecological footprint would be promote recycling and healthy eating habits amongst my roommates and close friends, try to avoid making so many trips back home, carpool when driving is necessary, and utilize natural sunlight instead of relying on artificial lighting.

My IUHPE Ecological Footprint

Read 'n' Seed 1: Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What's at Stake for American Power

My Read 'n' Seed book that I have chosen is "Exposed: The Toxic Chemistry of Everyday Products and What's at Stake for American Power."

This book discusses the strict standards that the European Union has placed on product sold there.  It talks about how products that are high in chemicals and produced in the U.S. will soon be banned from sale in Europe and other areas of the world.  The authors rendition on this topic could potentially change the way we as consumers look at the everyday products that have become a part of our every day life.

I chose this book because I have always found interest in the way we as Americans seem to cut corners and do whatever makes things easiest, even if it may involve putting harmful items in an every day product.  I have always wondered what might be in some of the things that are on the shelves of stores through our country, and now seeing that other countries have opened their eyes regarding to these issues, to the extent where they are about to ban the sale of some American products in their countries, has increased my interest even further.

Sources about the book and author:

Progressive Book Club Review
Amazon Book Review
Mark Schapiro Bio
Mark Schapiro Blog

This book is 224 pages, so depending upon how the chapters line up each quarter of my Read 'n' Seed will be about 55 pages.  My book is set to deliver tomorrow Thursday September 30, so once it arrives I can make my final decision.

Share & Voice: Minn. Town Gets Healthy Makeover, Adds Longevity, Together

Today during my Program Promotions class we were discussing social marketing and this community wide program in Albert Lea, MN came up in conversation.  Although it is about a year old, almost all of the class had no idea about it; most of this class containing students who are natives of MN.  I thought it was very interesting and motivating for an entire community to back something this positive and I wanted to share it with everyone.

Minn. Town Gets Healthy Makeover, Adds Longevity, Together
Summary:
At the beginning of 2009 the city of Albert Lea, MN embarked on a 10 month program that was established to improve the quality of life for the residents of its entire city.  This idea was hatched by a man named Dan Beuttner and backed by The AARP and The United Health Foundation, these two organizations raised and donated a majority of the funding that was required for this cause.  The city completed approximately 5 years worth of walking path and sidewalk building in about a year, encouraged restaurants to provide healthy alternatives and healthy food on their menus, and made wholesome foods more available to the cities 18,000 residents.  Following the completion of this experiment, individuals who completed a survey referred to as the "vitality compass" at both the beginning and the end of this process were said to have added approximately 3.1 years to their lives.