Eye Opener: Understanding Emissions

Tackling Transportation

1. The three places I picked were school (SpHC), the mall, and Holiday on Woodland Ave.  I am usually at the school so I did not have three places that I go to consistently.
2. I always walk to school and when I go to the mall I drive.  However whenever I go to the gas station it is usually for gas so I am kind of obligated to drive there.
3. The most convenient way for me to get to the school is walking which takes about 8 min. The most convent way to get to the gas station would also be walking, taking about 10 min.  And the most convenient way for me would be driving myself because taking the bus there would result in about an hour of travel.
4. The route to school is exactly the same as now, the route to the gas station would just be walking instead of driving, and the route to the mall is completely different.  It usually takes me about 10-12 min to get to the mall, and I don't go there much, so waiting an hour on the bus would be very frustrating.
5. The commute to school is already identical to my current route, I could amend my gas station trip but I only really go there when I need fuel, and the trip to the mass seems like a lot of waiting around wasting time.
6. I plan to try and walk to the gas station when I do not need gas, however the other two routes will remain the same as I currently take

Childhood Lead Poisoning

CDC Web Site

1. Moroccan Tea Glasses, on the market for 4 months before recalled.
2. Boys and Girls Belts, on the market for a year before recalled.
3. All-Star Basketball Chair and Ottoman Sets, on the market for 14 months before recalled.

EPA Web Site

1. Thoroughly rinse sponges and mop heads after cleaning dirty or dusty areas.
2. Clean or remove shoes before entering your home to avoid tracking in lead from soil.
3. If you rent, notify your landlord of peeling or chipping paint.

Water Vocabulary Match

We were asked to play the matching game memory with vocabulary terms.

The Effects of Smoking

We were asked to complete a survey on the effects of smoking from the readings in the lesson.

What You Want to Know About Asthma and Allergies

1. Annual expenditures for health and lost productivity due to asthma are estimated at over $20 billion, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
2. Asthma is the third-ranking cause of hospitalization among children under 15
3. Asthma accounts for nearly 17 million physician office and hospital visits, 4 and nearly 2 million emergency department visits each year.

Breathe-Freeville Mystery

1. Suspect (name of air pollutant): Fossil Phil (Carbon Dioxide)
2. Cause (where does pollutant come from): Carbon dioxide is emitted into the air when fossil fuels are burned to release energy in power plants, homes, factories and vehicles. Carbon dioxide in its sold form is dry ice. It is also used in fire extinguishers.
3. Crime (what health effects is it having on citizens/environment):Carbon dioxide is emitted into the air when fossil fuels are burned to release energy in power plants, homes, factories and vehicles. As CO2, a greenhouse gas, has built up in the Earth's atmosphere, it has contributed to global climate change.
4. Lock 'Em Up (Alternative resources we could use/do to replace/reduce the pollutant): Carbon-free energy sources include solar power, wind power, geothermal energy, low-head hydropower, hydrokinetics (e.g., wave and tidal power), and nuclear power. Alternatively, switching from high-carbon fuels like coal and oil, to reduced-carbon fuels such as natural gas, will also result in reduced carbon dioxide emissions.
5. Case File (what did you learn from this activity): I learned that there were a lot more alternative forms of fuel to reduce Carbon Dioxide emissions than just solar and wind power.  It is crazy how accessible these forms are to us as well.

Occupational Hazard Crossword

1. Inhalation
2. Decades
3. Lead
4. Wash
5. Blood
6. Symptoms
7. Work

Eye Opener: Photo Essay

Triple Valley Farms

For my photo essay I have choose to share some photos I had taken this fall on my grandparents farm.  Since we have already discussed organic farming and the issues surrounding farming in general, I thought it would pertain to this class very well.

All of the crops on the farm are raised and harvested organically, and maintained independently by my grandfather and other family members.

The farm covers between about 400 acres, and is located just outside Pigeon Falls, Wisconsin.

The acreage on this farm does not only include crop land, it is also plus in hardwoods and provides an excellent for wildlife.

All of the crops harvested are fertilized by the cattle on the farm, these cattle are raised from birth on the farm and fed only a natural diet containing zero hormonally enhanced food.

The farm has been in the family for well over 100 years and has been the livelihood for my grandparents and their parents before them.  A majority of my childhood has been spent here as well, whether it was hunting, family gatherings, or just helping out.  The farm is without a doubt my favorite place to be, and I consider it my own little getaway.

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.

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

Eye Opener: CSPI

The results of my Eating Green Calculator were that each year I use: 2.6 acres of grain and grass for animal feed, 0.4 pounds of fertilizer to grow animal feed, 60.7 pounds of fertilizer to grow animal feed, and 16706 pounds of manure is created by the animals I eat each year.

My opinion on these results may be a little biased but I am going to share it anyway.  The only beef I consume is straight from my grandparents family farm and the steers that are harvested for this beef have been raised by my grandfather.  This is a way of life for my family and all of the manure collected from these cows is directly applied to the crops on the farm (corn, etc.).  This beef is also very lean and I find it much better tasting than anything I have ever eaten from the store.  Along with that I would also like to add that other meats that I consume include venison (deer), bear, and wild turkey, both of which are harvested legally by me and other members of my family.  Both the farm and hunting have become a way of life for my family and a means for keeping food on the table and it leaves me with a sense of error when I complete surveys like this.

I agreed to take the pledge because I feel like I could easily make my diet more plant based.  However, I was somewhat hesitant to agree because farming has been a livelihood for my family for many years and the fact that I am eating only beef that is raised on our family farm leaves me with a sense that my impact is not quite as severe as this review makes it out to be.

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

Welcome to Adam's Outdoor Connection

I am a 21 year old senior at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, and I was born and raised in a town of about 1,500 people in West Central Wisconsin (Whitehall). At a very young age I developed an extreme passion for the outdoors and everything that encompasses it. I grew up hunting and fishing all of my life, and I since coming to college I have really started to enjoy just being in nature in general and discovering all that it has to offer. My blog will be a broad view of my journey through the outdoors along with anyone that chooses to join me.

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

1. Advocacy Project
2. Eye Openers
3. Reflections
4. Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change
5. Reed 'n' Seed
6. Share & 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. You will also see the number of each kind of post in my Labels Gadget at the top of the page. All post titles from now on will begin with one of the categories above.

The members of my group are:

1. http://samanthagreenwithenvi.blogspot.com/
2. http://treeifictimewithalyssa.blogspot.com/
3. http://eco-questwithemily.blogspot.com/
4. http://kristenscoralreef.blogspot.com/
5. http://throughgreeneyeswithkatie.blogspot.com/
6. http://gobluetoowithcarly.blogspot.com/

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."

I would just like to end by saying how much I look forward to seeing what exciting information and experiences other people will share throughout this blog. I am excited to see the different activities and different endeavors that we are all either involved in or participate in within our everyday lives. Enjoy!!