Reflection: Weeks 5-8

It is hard to believe that we are already over half way through this semester, and I can honestly say that I have learned a ton and never thought that I would be so into environmental health.

Week 5: I completed an eye opener called, Eating Green Calculator. Following the completion of the eye opener I took a deeper look at my results and realized they were based upon the consumption of purchased meat and such products. However all of the beef I consume is from my family farm and all other meat product I harvest by hunting. It was very alarming though to see what purchasing meat form the store can amount to, actually it was rather scary.

Week 6: We watched a film called “FRESH” which I found really alarming and eye opening. Also, we created a graphical header for our blog using Picnik. It was really neat to see how easy it is to create a very professional looking blog heading. Throughout this week I also completed the ‘Read n’ Seed’ for the third quarter of my book "Exposed."

Week 7: This week was almost overwhelming to me; it began by researching a cosmetic product we use on a daily basis on the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetics Safety Guide. This database provides a ranking from one to ten of how hazardous specific cosmetic products are, it was incredible how many items people in the class had looked up that claimed to be ‘natural’ that actually contained some very hazardous ingredients. Also, we finished up our books and it was extremely interesting to read everyone’s final take on their book.

Week 8: We watched a movie called “Tapped” which was all about the problems that bottled water have caused in the United States along with the toxicity of the plastic in the bottles themselves. We also had to do an eye opener called “Junk on the Brain” it took a look at junking, antiquing, thrift stores, flea markets, and upcycling. We were instructed to investigate the Junk Market Style website and find interesting things that other people had junked. Soon we will be completing our own junking project!

Well, that is weeks 5-8 in a nutshell, I cant wait to see what else is in store for the upcoming weeks. Also, we have been split into new blog groups and I can not wait to see what my new group members have to say!

Eye Opener: Junk on The Brain

Part I
Antiques/Antiquing: In the tradition, fashion, or style of an earlier period; old-fashioned; antiquated.
Junk/Junking: Any old or discarded material, as metal, paper, or rags.
Flea Market: a market, often outdoors, consisting of a number of individual stalls selling old or used articles, curios and antiques, cut-rate merchandise, etc.
Thrift Shop: A retail store that sells secondhand goods at reduced prices.
Upcycling: The process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value.
Resale Shop: The act of selling again.

Part II

Each of the previous term have to do with the reuse of items.  They pertain primarily to the use of one person's discarded belongings, wether obtained directly or purchased, by another person as if the item is new to them.  These items completely sum up what it means to say, "One mans trash is another mans treasure." The reuse of someones belongings allows that item to be used in a new and innovative way, and helps cut down on the amount of items being sent to dump sites and the rising problem we have with trash in this country.

Local Resources:

Antiques/Antiquing
Father Time Antiques
395 S Lake Ave # 1, Duluth, MN 55802-2311
(218) 625-2379 ‎

Junk/Junking
Andy's Auto Recycling
1040 State Highway 45 Old, Carlton, MN 55718-9225
(218) 384-3930

Flea Market
Downtown Hinckley Fleamarket
100 Old Hwy 61, Hinckley, MN 55037
(320) 384-6938 ‎

Thrift Shop
Savers
1740 Mall Dr, Duluth, MN 55811-3839
(218) 722-1894 ‎

Upcycling
I could not find anything on upcycling in Duluth or the surrounding area.

Resale Shop
Plato's Closet
5115 Burning Tree Road, Duluth, Minnesota
(218) 733-9455

I have used a few of these before, I have been to savers multiple times and also shop at resale shops like T.J. Maxx.  Also, I have always brought used clothing to Goodwill and Savers since as long as I can remember.  These other types of stores and venues have really caught my attention as well, I am going to look further into these and hopefully familiarize myself with them even more.

Part III

Here is a satellite that was turned into a sun screen, I thought this was a really neat idea and it reminds me a lot of all of the old satellites I used to see in peoples yards.  It also makes me wonder what was done with all of them because I used to think they were one of he coolest things.

Here is an apron window valence, I thought this was extremely clever and a really neat way to use these old aprons that are still fully functional.  It also reminds me of something that my grandmother would have at her house!

This one is very simple, however I loved it and it reminds me a lot of my childhood.  My mom has used a lot of "Farm Junk" for yard decorations around our house, plus I love the Scarecrow.

Share & Voice: Wellness Walk

This past summer I was given the opportunity to complete a portion of my internship at the YMCA in Eau Claire, WI.  Through this opportunity I developed their employee wellness program and worked along side the Health & Wellness Director at the YMCA along with may other individuals from community organizations.

This flyer, sent to all area businesses, advertises a campaign that our staff at the YMCA along with the Public Affairs Director for to Eau Clair Area Chamber of Commerce to promote walking during lunch break for employees along the route.  This event was staged as a promotion to kick off a total program that the chamber is going to implement starting late next spring.

Read 'n' Seed 5: Fourth Quarter and Final Review of "Exposed"

 

Image compliments of flavorpill.com

After completing the final three chapters of Exposed, I have once a gain been opened up to another realm suspicious events occurring within out own government. The final three chapters titled: Chemical Revolution, Transpacific Drift, and The New Diplomats; really summed up the purpose of this book and continued to reiterate the message that the author has been portraying.

Ch 7: Chemical Revolution

This chapter is broken into five categories, Human Test Dummies, Fall & Rise of the Environmental Mohicans, Chemical Reaction, Making of a Transatlantic Lobby, and American Missionary in Brussels. This first looks at the amount of toxic chemicals found in grandmothers and grand daughters and looks at the amount to toxic chemicals we as citizens are exposed do. The next section discusses REACH (Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals) and the Europeans effort to make this common practice. Making of a Transatlantic Lobby discusses the fact that the European Union’s biggest opposition is the United States and their huge contingent of lobbyist that represent major chemical companies and seem to always be standing in the way of what the EU is attempting to complete

Ch 8: Transpacific Drift

Through this chapter the main theme was ‘China and the Next Big Thing’ and how if the European Union is to make REACH work, the manufacturing powerhouses throughout the globe would have to be on board. The chapter discusses how China’s vast economic and ecological footprint are not only reshaping the global economy but also reshaping global climate. Since China is second only to the United States in Greenhouse Gas emotions, and the EU has pretty much given up on the U.S., the primary focus of environmental health throughout the world has now been shifted to china. The chapter concludes by stating how China was faced with the decision to go one way or the other with its environmental process and they chose to follow the path of Europe, once again leaving the U.S. with a lot of catching up to do

Ch 9: The New Diplomats

The final chapter of this book looks at how the United States used to play a groundbreaking role in the conservation of our environment. A professor at Brown University who was interviewed for the book states, “my students have no memory of U.S. environmental leadership. When I talk about how the United States was a pioneer of global environment standards, they look stunned, like I’m some kind of crazy Apologist for the U.S. government.” The remainder of this chapter continues to discuss how the U.S. used play a significant role in the preservation of the environment throughout our world, but some where along the line morals and value were traded for money and greed.

Overview:

After reading this book I was truly amazed at the amount of information I gathered. I assumed that it would be a lot more vanilla than it really was and the fact that it went hand-in-hand for some of the course work we have been doing helped out greatly. The three most significant things I learned would have to be the impact that the European Union has had on the safety of the entire world, the openness that every other country except for the United States has had to following the research and ideas of the EU, and finally the absolute blind-eye that the U.S. turns to certain issues, especially those that effect its citizens in severely hazardous ways. This book opened my eyes to see what truly is going on in ‘Corporate America’ and educated me to become more informed about the things I am not only putting into and on my body, but to all of the products that I encounter on a daily basis and what goes in to creating them.

As a whole I would recommend this book to others because of its educational purpose, but also because it cultures you to realize that other countries do truly care about their citizens and the appropriate measures are being taken to protect people in this world.

I found this review on Amazon.com, and I think it reflects my feelings on this book in almost an identical way:

I had not realized till I read this book that Europe seems more interested in health than corporate profits, as evidenced by how closely they watch modern products. The US used to be a leader in this regard, but now govt agencies are tools of big business. It's sad, but the hope is that the standards that the Europeans set (and by osmosis, Japan and China) will gradually improve the safety of products in the US. No company likes having two versions of a product.

Eye Opener: Environmental Working Group

The product that I looked up on the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetics Safety Guide was Old Spice Hair & Body Wash.  The products on this website are rated on a scale from 1-10 (10 being the most hazardous) the scale represented 0-2 as low hazard items, 3-6 as moderate items, and 7-10 as high hazard items; here is what I gathered from my results:

My product was ranked a 5/10 and said to have a moderate hazard, with the ingredients being primarily linked to allergies/immunotoxicity.  The site stated that 60% of body wash/cleansers have lower concerns, along with 43% of shampoos having lower concerns as well.  The primary ingredient that had the highest hazard score was FRAGRANCE and it scored an 8/10 and was a high hazard. Nearly all of the hazardous ingredients in my product were linked to allergies and skin irritation and were in the low hazard to moderate hazard range.

As for my feelings on these findings, I have somewhat of mixed emotions.  I have been using this product for quite a while and never suffered any side effects from it, which is saying alot for a person who has allergy problems and has had issues with very dry skin.  However, it is making me reconsider alot of products I use on a daily basis and after researching one of them I can see myself looking them all up

Read 'n' Seed 4: Third Quarter of "Exposed"

Through this section of “Exposed” I am now 105 pages into the book and have completed two more chapters; Chapter Five “Genetic Boomerang” and Chapter Six “Rise and Fall of the Machine.”
Once again this book seems to hold strong to the same trends that it has in the previous four chapters. That being the United States’ lack of recognition for that other countries (namely Europe) have done to take action in protecting their citizens. Chapter Five primarily discusses Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO) and the ways it has significantly impacted not only farmers through the U.S., but also our countries environment as a whole. I find it very interesting how this book seems to be lagging by about one chapter from what we have been discussing in class; it helps me truly understand these issues. This chapter continued to discuss further the effects of GMO’s , such as the economical impact it has for our country as well as the dangers. As we learned in class when we reduce a specific product to just one or two simple strains in order to become resistant to certain hazards (pests, insects, disease), the product becomes resistant to some and more dangerous risks begin to evolve. Once again much of the world as began to follow the European Union’s lead and implemented regulations on this type of chemical alteration. Over thirty countries have imposed high restrictions on these GMO crops and even refuse to accept donated crops from the United States, including the African Union who used to receive donations through an aid program.

Chapter Six brings to life the reality of what we as U.S. citizens deal with regarding electronic devices. It takes a look at how convenient our devices are and how they have become essential for us in our everyday lives, but then breaks down the reality that things break and quit working and then what do you do with them? This chapter breaks down the importance of properly disposing of our electronic devices and no just sending them off to some land fill or local dump, where the chemicals inside further release and impact our environment. It surprised me that even Europe, who is supposed to be our cornerstone for this whole environmental health topic, had considerable trouble dealing with their electronic waste issue as well. However unlike the United States, they are taking a very proactive approach to this issue and trying to stop even bigger problems before they start. Further through the reading of this chapter It also provided an informative way to recycle certain household items such as electronic devices, this surprisingly went along with a field trip I had just taken for Community Health to Western Lake Superior Sanitation District (WLSSD). Towards the end of the chapter the author also looked briefly into the manufacturing of cars, mainly the production of more efficient automobiles and how it has impacted some of the major companies throughout the U.S. It provides insight from both spectrums on how cars are being developed, and the guidelines that are to be followed in their production. One thing that stood out to me was the Global Automotive Declarable Substance List (GADSL), this list was created by the Auto Industry Action Group. The GADSL is a list that provides a glimpse into the chemical insides of an automobile, and a sense of how absent the U.S. has been in regulating them.

Once again this book never ceases to surprise me on how slow the United States is to react to these extremely important and dangerous issues. It seems a bit pathetic to me that other countries can kick back and know they are protecting their citizens, while the United States (who is supposed to be the most powerful of all) does nothing to protect their people, but rather continues to chase the almighty dollar.

Share & Voice: Duluth Community Garden

Image Courtesy of Google Images

Today in class we briefly discussed community gardens, in regards to the movie Fresh we watched in class.  Community gardens are developed to promote healthy communities and provide food security for many low income persons. as well as strengthen community bonds, provide food, and create recreational and therapeutic opportunities for a community. In addition, they can also promote environmental awareness and provide community education. 

LOCATIONS OF DULUTH COMMUNITY GARDENS

Apple Tree Circle
Bertha's
Chester Creek
Cook Home
Emerson
Hannah House
Hillside
Liliput
Riverside
Rooftop
Sixth Street
St. Scholastica
Stony Ground
Strawberry Hill