Eye Opener: Photo Essay

The American Home

I took pictures of my family's home documenting the good, the bad, and the ugly environmental habits that my family has.

My family used to buy a lot of bottled water but now we drink the free filtered water from our fridge.

 Since I'm moving home next month, I'm going to start making my family recycle. We do, however, recycle our cans and have for years!

 Sometimes, I can regretfully say that I forget to dust my room which can be very unhealthy. I have started to do it more often now though since we have this new Norwex mitt that makes dusting really easy and is chemical free.

Instead of using dryer sheets, we use these anti-cling dryer balls that roll around in your clothes. They are environmentally safe and much better for you with no chemicals.

I read in my Read 'n' Seed book that it is unsafe to store your chemicals (not that they should be used at all) under the sink. This is something that I am going to get my family to change once I move back home.

My family also uses a lot of plastic bags. We are really good about reusing them but we still have too many. I plan to get my family some canvas bags for Christmas that they can use instead.

This was a really fun project to do as it really made me think about some of the things I can change in my own home. I assume that most people's houses are much like this and I thought this would be a good way to point out some things that can be changed rather easily. If these changes were made, it could lead to a big impact if everyone were to make them. It could lead to a much healthier planet.

Share and Voice: Great Lakes Science Center Wind Turbine

I was in Ohio this week for Thanksgiving break and spent one of the days in Cleveland. This is the wind turbine that is set in front of the Great Lakes Science Center. It is also by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum and the Brown's Stadium. According to the website, the wind turbine provides about 7% of the science centers annual energy usage. Although it doesn't provide a substantial amount of energy for the facility, it does help. It is also useful in promoting renewable energy in the city and even acts as a sun dial. As well as using the wind turbine, the facility also has several solar panels. I thought this was really interesting and neat to see a facility so proactive on the topic. It definitely stands out and is easily noticed!

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 3: Weekly Update

SMART Goal: I will buy organic products to equal at least 50% of my total bill when grocery shopping 1 time per week (Sunday) for the next 10 weeks.

The second with of the lifestyle change didn't turn out quite as successfully as the first week. I spent $7.53 on organic products out of the $18.93 total spent. This accounted for 41% of the spending.

SUCCESSES

This week, even though I didn't meet my goal of spending 50% of my total grocery bill on organic products, I still feel that I was somewhat successful. This is because a) I was relatively close to reaching my goal and b) the organic products I bought were produce items, which I feel, are the best items to buy organically. Like week one, I spent a lot of time looking at different items and ingredients and thinking about how I would spend my money without going over a budget.

CHALLENGES

Some of the same challenges I faced were the price of organic products. There were somethings I was not prepared to budge on in changing to buy organic products because of this. I focused on buying what I felt like were the most important items to buy organically like produce. These seem to be most reasonably priced compared to other products like cereal, milk, and soup.

FEELINGS

For the first two weeks of this process, I have noticed some changes in my emotions when I'm eating. When I'm eating organic foods, I feel a sense of pride that I am fueling my body with the best foods possible. It has also inspired me to take action in other areas such as recycling and getting my family involved in environmental acts as well.

WHAT I LEARNED

This week, I learned that just because you don't make your intended goal doesn't mean that you failed. I still feel accomplished and have confidence that I will be able to achieve my goal in the future.  I've also learned what foods are a priority to buy organically than others.

 NEXT WEEK

Next week, I will try to buy other unique and new organic items that I haven't tried before. I will also try another store to continue to compare prices of other facilities to find a place that has the best deal.

http://amyintherain.blogspot.com/2010/11/keep-that-eco-chicness-going-over.html

Share and Voice: How to Go Green



I was searching the Internet looking for ways to "go green" and I came across this website. Treehugger gives examples for several situations in which you can go green such as: funerals, spring break, wedding, and even drinking beer! I thought this was a very informational and humorous site because I never thought of these situations as ones you can make more green. I think you should all check the website out and let me know what you think! Hopefully you'll get some good ideas from it.

Advocacy Project: Issue Overview

Introduction

·         What is the issue/problem? The problem is that too many people in the workplace are showing higher blood levels of lead than is thought to be healthy. This is due to a lack of precautions taken by both the employee and the workplace stemming from a potential need for knowledge on the subject.

·         What current legislation has been proposed to address this? (Identify bill # and name) H.RES.375 Supporting the goals and ideals of Workers' Memorial Day in order to honor and remember the workers who have been killed or injured in the workplace. This bill was written to not only honor those workers killed or injured in the workplace but to use the day for promotion and awareness of workplace hazards.

Who is affected by the issue?

·         Who is affected the most? Those most affected would be the employees of the workplaces that use lead on a regular basis. The employer/companies are also affected when the employees are unable to work due to health complications caused by the lead blood levels.

·         Who loses, and what do they lose? The employee and company both lose in this situation ultimately.

·         Who gains, and what do they gain?  In this situation, it doesn’t seem as if anyone gains from this issue. The only thing I can think of is that the companies may gain from using lead in their production of products as opposed to alternate materials for various reasons.

What are the consequences of the issue?

·         For the individuals mostly affected? Those who have higher levels of lead in their blood are more likely to develop certain diseases and disorders. Because of this, it is also more likely that their ability work remain in the workforce will be diminished.

·         For their families? If the working employee is unable to work due to a condition that has developed from lead exposure, this could place much strain on the family. This includes various aspects: economic, social status, ability to interact in the public and within the household, etc.

What is the economic impact of the issue?

·         What are the economic costs of the issue, and who bears these costs? The economic costs of this would affect the companies. This is through the loss of employees which means less production and also includes more payouts for health insurance. The employees would also suffer because they would not be able to work as much which would cause them to bring in less money to their families.

·         What are the economic benefits of the issue, and who benefits? I don’t see any economic benefits of the issue. The only possible benefit is the company income from using lead to produce their products.

What is the social impact of the issue?

·         What are the social costs of the issue, and who bears these costs? Those who are working in places with high potential exposure to lead are likely more towards the lower social status end of the spectrum.

·         What are the social benefits of the issue, and who benefits? I do not believe there are any social benefits of the issue except for that those who are not directly affected by this may not notice the problem. This is likely those who are the people that run the companies.

What are the barriers?

·         What are the barriers to addressing this issue? The amount of these incidents may not be because of the lack of knowledge but could simply be the lack of compliance. Also, it is hard to ensure that each employee takes personal responsibility to protect himself/herself when working with a potentially dangerous material.

·         How can they be overcome? This can be overcome by essentially attacking this from every direction: education, mandating regulations within the workplace, etc.

What are the resources?

·         What resources will we need to address this issue? Such safety organizations as NIOSH and OSHA can be used to educate companies about how to reduce the risk of getting high blood levels of lead. They can also enforce regulations and teach companies how to enforce them on their own in order to benefit everyone in the scenario. The legislation can also be used to encourage the backing of bills that promote work safety.

·         Where and how can they be tapped?  I can find much of this information for the organizations and my local representatives online. I can contact them by phone, email, or writing a letter. I actually found a webpage by CDC about who to contact in my state about this issue which I thought was pretty neat and will prove to be beneficial in the future.

What is the history of this issue?

In the 1990’s, surveillance was conducted in Minnesota to monitor the amount of cases that were filed. With the implementation of a program, the prevalence went down.

Allies & Opponents

·         Who would support this issue? Employees, companies, and others involved would likely support this issue.

·         Who would oppose this issue? The companies may oppose since they may not want to put the effort, time, and money into preventing lead poisoning in the workplace. This may also imply that the companies would have to monitor the amount of exposure an individual gets to lead.

·         How can you involve allies and opponents in advocacy efforts? (What common ground can you share? How can you create a win-win for your allies and your opponents?) Making companies aware of the overall benefits that it would have, including its employees, would help get them motivated to support this issue. They would have better production, pay less in health insurance, and have fewer turnovers with employees. The employees would also benefit by staying healthy and staying in the workforce to support their family. They should know that they deserve to be protected when working with dangerous materials.

Your Recommendation

·         How do you want policy-makers to vote on this proposed policy? I think policy-makers should vote yes to making a change to decrease the prevalence of lead poisoning from the workplace.

Share and Voice: Reusable Cups

I found these reusable cups at Target yesterday and I thought they were really neat. I've seen ones that you can use for coffee but never ones that you can use for other drinks such as soda. I thought it would be a good idea for students to get since I always see people walking around with the disposable cups from the food court. This would be a great way to cut down on waste on campus! They aren't too expensive either!

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2: Weekly Update

This is an update about how my first week working with my SMART goal went. To remind you, my SMART goal is:

I will buy organic products to equal at least 50% of my total bill when grocery shopping 1 time per week (Sunday) for the next 10 weeks. 

For the first week, I almost exactly met my goal. Out of the $34.91 I spent, $17.54 was spent on organic foods. When calculated, it came out to be 50.24% of my spending.

Successes

Overall, I was pretty successful this week. I did this by making sure I had a lot of time to shop. By doing this, I was able to think about what I wanted to buy organically. I was also able to examine the food I was buying and look into the ingredients. I compared several foods in prices in regards to non-organic and organic. This helped me decide what was more important: my bank account or my health.

Challenges

Sometimes it was really hard to want to buy organic as it is typically considerably more expensive. This wasn't an easy thing to do on a tight budget. To battle this, I cut things out from my list that I didn't necessarily need so that I would be able to spend a little more on food that was better for my body. I put the priority items that are the most nutritious at the top of my list so that when I get to the bottom and can see how full my cart already is and how much money I have already racked up, I am less likely to splurge on junk food.

Feelings

I had different emotions between when I was shopping and when I got home. While I was shopping, I can honestly say that I felt a little frustrated with the prices of organic food. I don't understand we should have to pay more for something that is better for our bodies. To deal with this, I thought positively and thought about how much I am helping the earth all together as well as myself.

What I Learned

This week, I learned that this may be more of a challenge than I had previously thought. I don't have a lot of money to spend on groceries and I try to make a dollar stretch as much as possible. Eating organically isn't exactly the best way to do this. Even though this is true, I still plan to stick to the plan for at least another week because I know it is much healthier for me and everyone else in the long run.

Next Week

I think I am going to try a different grocery store in hopes that some of the prices will be a little lower. I also plan to look in the weekly adds to see if there are any deals.

http://amyintherain.blogspot.com/2010/11/eco-chic-lifestyle-change-week-2-weekly.html

Share and Voice: The Green Mercantile

Since I am currently on an organic eating kick, I wanted to see what other organic products I could buy in Duluth. So, like anyone else would do, I googled it and this is what I found.

The Green Mercantile offers a bunch of different products such as toys for kids, organic undergarments, cleaners, body care, and baby care products. I thought this was a great place to check out and you can even buy some of the stuff online if you can't make it to the store. If you can get to the store, it is located at the following address:

209 E Superior Street
Duluth, MN 55802

You can also contact them by email or phone at info@greenmercantile.com or 218-722-1771

Advocacy Project: Healthy People/THOMAS

1. OBJECTIVE
For my advocacy project, I have decided to focus on Occupational Health and Safety from Health People 2010.

Objective: Reduce the proportion of adults who have elevated blood lead concentrations.
Target Goal: Zero per 100,000 employed adults.
Baseline Goal: 12.1 per 100,000 employed adults aged 16 years and older had blood lead concentrations of 25 µg/dL or greater in 1998 (24 States).

2. PROGRESS, DISPARITIES, CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES, EMERGING ISSUES
The Progress Quotient Chart shows that so far, 24% of the target goal has been reached with it continuing to move forward.

The progress updated showed that 24% of the target goal was met. This was through the monitoring and teaching of proper procedures by several occupational health organizations. I think this is a pretty solid step towards the goal as it is not going to happen right away and working with lead can be very risky.

*No disparities were listed for lead blood levels on the website

Some of the challenges in meeting this target are as follows:

• Insufficient knowledge of science
• Determining the true cause of some of the medical conditions
• Uneducated public of prevention standards
• Acceptance the presence of a preventable risk

Though these challenges can be frustrating, organizations such as NIOSH/HHS is currently working to meet them through several different efforts such as research, training, and other programs.

With the changing status of the economy brings new emerging issues into the workplace. This means that there is a generally older population remaining in the workplace as well as longer work shifts due to company downsizing. It has shown that extended work shifts can reduce mental awareness which can create a risk in the work environment. This also means that longer a single person is around lead, for instance, the more likely that person is to have higher blood levels of lead.

3. RELATED BILL: Taken from THOMAS
H.RES.375 Supporting the goals and ideals of Workers' Memorial Day in order to honor and remember the workers who have been killed or injured in the workplace.
Title: Supporting the goals and ideals of Workers' Memorial Day in order to honor and remember the workers who have been killed or injured in the workplace.
Sponsor: Rep Johnson, Eddie Bernice [TX-30] (introduced 4/28/2009)
Cosponsors:

Rep Arcuri, Michael A. [NY-24] - 4/22/2010	Rep Baldwin, Tammy [WI-2] - 4/13/2010
Rep Bishop, Timothy H. [NY-1] - 5/6/2009	Rep Braley, Bruce L. [IA-1] - 4/28/2009
Rep Brown, Corrine [FL-3] - 4/13/2010	Rep Carson, Andre [IN-7] - 4/28/2009
Rep Conyers, John, Jr. [MI-14] - 4/13/2010	Rep Courtney, Joe [CT-2] - 4/28/2009
Rep Davis, Danny K. [IL-7] - 4/13/2010	Rep DeFazio, Peter A. [OR-4] - 4/13/2010
Rep DeLauro, Rosa L. [CT-3] - 4/13/2010	Rep Ellison, Keith [MN-5] - 4/13/2010
Rep Fudge, Marcia L. [OH-11] - 4/13/2010	Rep Grayson, Alan [FL-8] - 1/26/2010
Rep Green, Al [TX-9] - 4/28/2009	Rep Grijalva, Raul M. [AZ-7] - 4/28/2009
Rep Gutierrez, Luis V. [IL-4] - 4/28/2009	Rep Hare, Phil [IL-17] - 4/28/2009
Rep Hirono, Mazie K. [HI-2] - 4/22/2010	Rep Lewis, John [GA-5] - 4/28/2009
Rep Loebsack, David [IA-2] - 4/28/2009	Rep Lynch, Stephen F. [MA-9] - 4/28/2009
Rep Massa, Eric J. J. [NY-29] - 1/26/2010	Rep Michaud, Michael H. [ME-2] - 4/28/2009
Rep Miller, George [CA-7] - 4/28/2009	Rep Norton, Eleanor Holmes [DC] - 4/13/2010
Rep Rahall, Nick J., II [WV-3] - 4/26/2010	Rep Ryan, Tim [OH-17] - 4/13/2010
Rep Sanchez, Linda T. [CA-39] - 4/28/2009	Rep Serrano, Jose E. [NY-16] - 5/6/2009
Rep Shea-Porter, Carol [NH-1] - 4/22/2010	Rep Speier, Jackie [CA-12] - 4/13/2010
Rep Sutton, Betty [OH-13] - 4/28/2009	Rep Titus, Dina [NV-3] - 4/22/2010
Rep Walz, Timothy J. [MN-1] - 4/13/2010	Rep Woolsey, Lynn C. [CA-6] - 4/13/2010

Latest Major Action: 4/29/2010 Passed/agreed to in House. Status: On motion to suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.

Recommendation: Vote YES for H.RES.375 Supporting the goals and ideals of Workers' Memorial Day in order to honor and remember the workers who have been killed or injured in the workplace.

My Political Representative:
Representative Mary Hubler
(608) 266-2519

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change: My SMART Goal

Over the next 10 weeks, I will be working to achieve a goal that will benefit both myself and the environment.

My SMART goal is:

I will buy organic products to equal at least 50% of my total bill when grocery shopping 1 time per week (Sunday) for the next 10 weeks. 

This lifestyle will benefit the environment and myself by reducing the amount of harmful chemicals that are entering my body, decreasing the demand from companies that provide harmful products by not purchasing the products which will decrease the production in the long run, and possibly keeping the money I spend local.

Ever since I read the book Hormone Deception and watched the documentaries in class, I have become very aware of the harmful effects these chemicals can cause on the human body as they are not natural. Since I am 23-years-old and my friends are all recently pregnant, I've been thinking about ways that I can start to prepare my own body for when I'm ready to have a child someday (not in the near future). I think now is a good time to start slowly ridding my body of the toxins that are lurking around. As well as the effects that the foods are having on me directly, I am not happy with how the large corporations are treating the environment. They are not considerate and are killing it at a very fast rate. Therefore, they do not deserve people to purchase their product as it is unhealthy in so many ways.

I'm very interested to see how my body and energy will be after the next 10 weeks from eating more organic and natural foods. Hopefully, I'll see some good results!

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

Share and Voice: Murphy Oil USA Company

I was sent an update email from the director, Brian Finder, of the Risk Control graduate program at UW-Stout since I will likely be attending the program in the Spring. In the email, he sent an update about an oil company that is local to our area in Superior, WI that will be paying a penalty fine for violating the Clean Air Act. This was also a problem at their petroleum plant in Meraux, LA like we saw in one of our videos. According to the EPA website, the company will be paying the violation penalty as well as paying millions more to update their equipment to better suit the environment.

I was pleased to see this even though I know it will not end all of the problems that these plants cause. It is still good see that the EPA is taking some action. I encourage you all to check out the website and read up on it a little bit. It relates to a lot of issues we are talking about in class.

Advocacy Project: My Political Representatives

President:
Barrack Obama (D)
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
202-456-1111

Congress:
Senate:
Russ Feingold (D)
La Crosse Office
425 State St., Room 225
La Crosse, WI 54601-3341
(608) 782-5585
Fax (608) 782-5802
Hours: 8:30 am - 5:00 pm

Herbert H.Kohl (D)
Eau Claire Office
402 Graham Ave., Suite 206
Eau Claire WI 54701
(715) 832-8424
Fax: (715) 832-8492

House:
Ron J. Kind (D)
Eau Claire Office
131 S. Barstow St.
Suite 301
Eau Claire, WI 54701
Hours: 8:30am - 5:00pm
(715) 831-9214
Fax: (715) 831-9272

Governor:
Jim Doyle (D)
Madison Office
P.O. Box 7863
Madison, WI 53707
608-266-1212

State Legislator:
State Senate:
Kathleen Vinehout (D)
Madison Office
Room 104 South
State Capitol
P.O. Box 7882
Madison, WI 53707

State Assembly:
Chris Danou (D)
Madison Office
Room 303 West
State Capitol
P.O. Box 8952
Madison, WI 53708

County:
Donna Cordes (No affiliation)
Barron County Government Center
330 E LaSalle Ave, RM 2510
Barron, WI  54812

City:
Laurie Tarman
Village President of Turtle Lake, WI
114 Martin Ave East  PO Box 11
Turtle Lake WI  54889

Reflections: Weeks 5-8

This quarter of the class has opened my eyes to a lot of new issues. This was done through many of the activities we engaged in and the videos we have watched

Week 5
I participated in the Score Your Diet eye opener which showed me how much of an environmental impact my eating habits have. I learned that I eat more processed foods than I had thought. Since then, I have tried to buy as organic as possible within my budget.
We also watched the movie "Future of Food" which showed me how much of an impact our GMO products are having in our country as well as other countries. I thought it was really sad and scary that I have probably eaten mostly GMO products most of my life. It has turned natural farming to fit in with the rest of corporate America.

Week 6
This week, we had a lot of fun using a free web program, Picnik, to create a fun and interesting header for all of our blogs. This made our blogs look much more formal and professional.
The movie "Fresh" documented some very influential farmers and other activists that are taking steps forward in making a change back to natural and organic production; one was even from Milwaukee. I thought this was really important to see since many of us hear all of the problems going on and feel overwhelmed and helpless in regards to a solution. Seeing these people making that change gave me hope that I can make a difference by not buying GMO products.

Week 7
This week's eye opener had us look up our everyday beauty products to find out what kind of hazards they pose to our health on the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep: Cosmetic Safety Database website. I thought this was a great website. I was surprised to see how potentially harmful the make-up I was using on my face every day was. It really made me think how make-up may not be worth wearing just to feel pretty.
We also watched another documentary called "Green". This movie opened our eyes about the impact of all of the dangerous chemical factories are having on communities that are near by and the environment. It was pretty sad to see especially knowing that it is unlikely for us to have a dramatic change backed by the government since the politicians are so dependent on the funding by these companies. It made me want to drive less and use less oil and gasoline after we discussed how the price of gasoline is like putting a price on someone's life.
We also started talking about junking and what it actually is and means to the environment.
Week 8
This week we watched the movie "Tapped". It gave us the low-down on bottle water and how it is actually much less healthier than government regulated tap water from our faucets than we had thought. Every human is entitled water for free for survival yet industry is taking it without consent, bottling it with harmful plastics, and selling it to us for a sky high price. I intend to drink as much tap water instead of bottled water as possible from now on.
We also talked about junking after our eye opener assignment which utilized the JunkMarketStyle website. I'm excited to start my junking assignment. It really made me realize that so many things can be used as other things if you think creatively. This will reduce waste by reusing and recycling. Some of the projects look pretty neat and vintage too.

Conclusion
Overall, I have learned a lot in the last 4 weeks. My mind set has been completely changed and I am much more aware of what I am buying, what I throw away, what I recycle, how much plastic I use, etc. I already feel like a better person and I feel like I can make a difference by opening the eyes of others. I'm excited to see what the next 2 quarters of the class has in store.

Eye Opener: Junk on the Brain

Part 1:
Antiquing: an item from a previous period of time
Junk: an item that is thought to be trash but may be able to be reused in another form.
Flea Market: a market where various items are sold for a typically low price; usually outdoors.
Thrift Shop: "A shop that sells used articles, especially clothing, as to benefit a charitable organization."
Upcycling: "the use of waste materials to provide useful products. Ideally, it is a reinvestment in the environment and embodiment of the notion that while using resources one is also contributing to them and their value. This is antithesis of the consume and waste concept in society."
Resale Shop: a place that sells things that were previously bought.

Part 2:

1. The terms above in regards to environmental health means the reuse of materials that are already made to prevent the waste of resources in making new materials. This cuts down on costs of all sorts (money, environmental, etc.)
1. Antiques: Antique Centre Duluth--335 Canal Park Dr, Duluth, MN 55802 (218) 726-1994
2. Junk: http://junkcamp.blogspot.com/2009/04/calling-all-junkers.html
3. Flea Market: http://local.minyanville.com/Dumpster_Diving_for_Fun_and_Profit_Duluth_MN-r1199386-Duluth_MN.html
4. Thrift Shop: Savers--1740 Mall Dr, Duluth, MN 55811 (218) 722-1894 http://www.savers.com/
5. Upcycling: http://www.etsy.com/
6. Resale Shop: Pawn America--339 E Central Entrance Duluth, MN (218) 727-2274 http://www.pawnamerica.com/

http://www.junkmarketstyle.com/item/6955/fan-cy-jewelry-organizer

I thought this was such a cute idea. I love how simple it was and how useful it could be. I've been looking for a jewelry organizer so maybe I'll use this as some sort of idea. I'd make it bigger and put it on my wall, though.

http://www.junkmarketstyle.com/item/21216/painted-recycled-wine-bottles

I love these cute wine bottles! I think I'm going to start saving mine and paint them to decorate my room or to decorate for different holidays. It is such an easy idea. Maybe they'd even make cute vases. I think I'd probably decorate with jewels or ribbon since I'm not a very good painter, though.

http://feeds.junkmarketstyle.com/item/1061/window-pane-photos

I love how simple this is and how classic it looks. I think black and white photos are so elegant looking and I think the old window pane makes it look really vintage. It's kind of like looking into the window of little moments in that families lives. I'd really like to try this idea someday.