Reflections: Weeks 13-14 and Overall Course

For the last portion of the semester, I really enjoyed the different things we did outside of class and in class.

WEEK 13
This week, we finished up our last week of our SMART goals. To remind you, mine was to spend at least 50% of my grocery bill on organic items. I finished strong by going over my goal by 3%. Even though this doesn't seem like a lot, it still felt pretty great especially since I felt like it came so naturally this time without much thought.
For the advocacy project, we wrote our letters to the representatives and made a fact sheet for our topic. This was very beneficial since I will likely have to/want to do this in the future about a topic I'm very passionate about changing.
We also went to Goodwill Industries to take a tour and learn about the company. It was awesome to see all of the hard work and effort the company puts out in all aspects from their employees to their products. They go above and beyond other non-profit organizations and they even help the environment in the process. It was really great and I learned a lot. I even found my item for the junking project.

WEEK 14
It's our last week! I can't believe it's over already. We wrapped things up by showing off all of our junking projects. I made a lamp (shown in the pictures) for my bedroom back home that I am currently revamping for when I move back in this month. I got the lamp from Goodwill and only paid about $2.00 for it. I had to buy the lamp shade and jewels but that wasn't very expensive. I loved seeing everyone's projects. Everyone seemed to work really hard and it was great to see how some of the "junk" was turned into "treasure" so creatively without being wasted.

Before I fixed it up....Not too attractive

And after! The purple behind the lamp is the new color of my room. I think it goes pretty well.

We also finished our advocacy projects by creating an online learning activity for our group members to participate in and report on. I learned a lot from everyone's activities. I became astonishingly aware of how man harmful problems there are currently that need to be fixed. I learned a lot about the topics and they will definitely be something I will keep in mind for the future to make my own changes.

OVERALL COURSE REFLECTION
I think this was hands down my favorite course I took during my undergrad (and trust me, human anatomy is a tough one to beat out of first place). I felt like I took so much from this course that I will apply to my every day living. I've learned out to think about where a product comes from, how it was made, what it is made with, and how to determine if something is safe. I've also learned how to live more simply and to teach others to do so as well. The other day, I literally walked into the gas station convinced I was thirsty, walked to the coolers, looked at all of the bottles, decided it wasn't worth my money, and walked away. Talk about a life-changing class. I feel like this class should be a lib ed. Even though we are health ed. majors, I think everyone could benefit from a class like this. I know I'll continue to advocate to my friends and family about helping the environment and I hope everyone else does too!

Reflections: Weeks 9-12

This quarter, like the ones before, has opened my eyes to a lot of issues that are currently detrimental to our world.

WEEK 9
This week, we started our Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change SMART goals. My goal was to spend at least 50% of my total bill on organic products at the grocery store.  We also started our advocacy project and looked up who the representatives are in our area. This was really interesting to see how many people are involved in legislature.

WEEK 10
This week in class we watched a documentary called Unnatural Causes. This showcased the issue of social class and it's effects. This also taught us how to find the root of a problem which will benefit and the advocacy project. For my Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change, I was successful with reaching just above 50% which I was very happy with although it was no easy task.

WEEK 11
The documentary "Story of Stuff" was shown which taught us about the actual cost of making products. It was actually quite shocking and sad. We also did a junking activity in class which taught us how to think outside of the box. I'll use this concept for my junking project in the future to come up with something original. I fell a bit short of my SMART goal for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change but was still pleased with myself for trying. Failing isn't always a complete failure is what it taught me.

WEEK 12
In class, we had a lot of fun reading a story together about junking/reusing items. Then, we came up with our own alternate ending which was pretty comical. We also went over the photo essays we posted to our blogs in class. For mine, I went through the good, the bad, and the ugly environmental aspects of my house. It really showed me what things I need to start changing within my own house before I tackle the rest of the world. It neat to see what everyone else found, too. For my 3rd week of trying out my SMART goal, I did better with spending about 50% of my grocery bill on organic products. I have found that this is becoming easier for me to do which shows me that I have really changed the way I think and look at products. I think I'll continue to buy organic products in the future as well.

CONCLUSION
These last 4 weeks has made me realize what a real difference I can make on my own through advocacy and my own personal goals. Right now, I'm more comfortable acting as an advocate through my family and friends as well as coaching myself to do better. In the future, however, I'd really like to fight for our planet and try to change somethings that really need it. For instance, my small town doesn't have very good means or incentives to recycle and this is something I would be interested in changing. I've really loved this class so far and I'm anxious to see what Dr. V has in store for us for the rest of the semester. I'm also excited to see everyone's junking projects!

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.

Reflection: Weeks 1-4

The first 4 weeks of this class has taught me a lot about how the human race impacts the planet. Everything on this planet, living or nonliving, has some sort of place. I have realized that I need to make a much better effort in going green because my actions do make a difference. Hopefully, others around me will follow in my efforts to save the planet and our resources. The following are some activities that I have learned about in this class.

Bagley Outdoor Classroom
While getting a tour of the the greenest building on campus, it gave me a lot of inspiration as to how I will think about building my own house in the future keeping the green concept in mind. Also while here, I learned through the star wars activity that it is important to keep all parts and individuals of a community in mind and that it we shouldn't take advantage of the seemingly innumerable resources until it is too late and they scarce.

Ecological Footprint Quiz
After taking this quiz, I realized how wasteful I am with my resources. It also brought up issues that I never would have considered such as traveling or how much meat I eat produced by mass production. It really made me feel fortunate and sad that I am able to live like that and others cannot and I do it so carelessly.

Rewriting the Science
Watching this video made me realize even more than I already knew that much of the government is run by the influence of money. It is sad that they are withholding information that could potentially help us reverse or stop the damages we are causing. It has taught me to not believe everything I read or hear even if it is  from a seemingly reliable source.

Collectively, I have learned that it isn't too late to start making a change in my behavior and every little bit helps. I will now start trying harder to implement the three magic R's... reduce, reuse, recycle!

Welcome to Samantha: Green with Envi

Hi everyone! My name is Samantha and I am currently a senior at the University of Minnesota-Duluth with a major in Health Education (Community). In my limited free time, I enjoy reading, shopping, and enjoying the outdoors.

My blog will be about a variety of topics concerning the environment. I will attempt to provide the latest and greatest ideas and inventions for going green!

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. Read 'n' Seed
6. Share and 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 web group are:
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. You can see my complete profile and all the blogs I am following by clicking on "See Complete Profile."

Thanks for checking out my blog. I look forward to helping you take small steps that can lead to a big change for a healthy environment!