Final Reflection

Week 13

This week we took a tour of the local Goodwill! Not only was it interesting to see how they distribute all of the things people drop off there, but I learned that they employ mentally disabled people. I thought that was very cool. Paige and I brought snacks and we did an activity to find an outfit for an interview under $20. We completed our letters to our respective senators with mine being about the water quality for communities surrounding the Great Lakes. It also wrapped up our Eco-Chic Lifestyle Changes. It was fun to make those habits!

Week 14

This week we presented our junk projects... mine being a traveling storage case for your backpack or purse.

We also created an online learning activity for our group members to complete. Mine was designed to raise the awareness about water quality locally.

Learned about myself...

 In this course, I learned a great deal about myself. As I get older, I continue to become better at critically thinking. Each and every class period of this course helped me with this. I also learned that if I make something such as a lifestyle change part of my daily routine, it can become a habit before I know it.

Learned about the environment...

Although this course has opened my eyes to such new depths in this department, I still have trouble remembering that many others don't have the knowledge I do about environmentally friendly things and instead of categorizing them as ignorant I should just tell myself they need the proper education to behave the way I do in correspondence with the environment. I am continuing to work at this.

Learned about blogging...

I may continue to blog! I haven't decided yet if I will continue to be as constant about it, but I definitely think it is a great way to post things about myself and my feelings in regards to whichever topic I like. It is fun to have something like this that is a little different than other social networking sites, like Facebook. 

This course has been eye-opening. I recommend it to all Health Majors in the future and will remember the things I learned throughout my life. Happy Finals Week!    

Eye Opener: Online Learning Activities

Paige's E Health Blog- Concepts Relating to Obesity in America Learning Activity

This activity asked for us to read some links about obesity and answer questions about some of the statistics.

1.)  Obesity can cause ________________ referred to as high blood pressure and can harm the arteries.

2.)  ______________ are highest at risk for obesity.

3.)  _____ percent of children in the US are considered obese.

4.)  Obesity is a _______   ________ treament.

5.)  Obese children's __________________ skills are greatly hindered, mainly due to the disease.

6.)  _________   ___________ is positively correlated with the risk of becoming obese.

7.)  Increased consumption of ____________ foods have assisted to rise the trend of obesity.

1. Hypertension
2. Native Hawaiians
3. 33 %
4. life-long
5. socialization
6. socio-economic status
7. highly processed

Mal's Rain Forest- Relay for Life Learning Activity

This activity was to make sure we knew what Relay for Life was and how we could get involved.

3 Things I Learned...
1. has been up and running since 1985!
2. starts with a survivor's lap... VERY COOL.
3. they place bags with candles inside to remember those who have been lost to cancer

How to get involved in my area..   August 6-7, 2010 at Patton Park in Lake City, MN

I have actually participated in this event before and it was a great experience.

Ashley's Green Lily Pad-  Flouride Around You

 

I know, how original, but I took a picture of my toothpaste. Although this was one of the only things I can think of, since I use it everyday it almost wouldn't seem right if this wasn't the object I picked. I use it at least twice a day and I get this certain kind because most Crest toothpastes give me canker sores.. bummer, I know. Without toothpaste? Oh man, I can't imagine what my teeth would look like, especially since I enjoy chocolate on occasion ;) If I found out there were deadly chemicals in it? Another toughie, since I really rely on toothpaste. I would have to say that I would try to find another brand then, because I can't see ever eliminating toothpaste from my life. 

Advocacy Project: Water Science

According to the Water Pollution Guide... Heavy metals from industrial processes can accumulate in nearby lakes and rivers. These are toxic to marine life such as fish and shellfish, and subsequently to the humans who eat them. Heavy metals can slow development; result in birth defects and some are carcinogenic.

The EPA estimates... drinking water systems will need to invest
$150 billion over a 20-year period to ensure
clean and safe drinking water.

The purpose of this activity is to raise your awareness about the real statistics of water use around the country. The following website allows you to submit your personal water use information and then shows you statistics from other people's personal water use around the country!

Since my project is centered around water quality, I wanted to show you how much we rely on clean drinking water and how hard it would be if somewhere like the Great Lakes became too polluted for us to use it as a water resource. Go to this questionnaire and complete each question. After you enter your information, look at what others contributed around the country. Some of the stats are a bit shocking! 

This next link I'm having you click on, is an opinion survey. This shows what our current water worries are. Complete this activity the same way and check to see what others answered around the country!

All of these activities are provided by the United States Geological Survey.

Click here to see the current water quality around the state of Minnesota.

Hopefully these activities and links have raised your awareness about how water is one of the most IMPORTANT resources. Keeping large fresh water resources like the Great Lakes and the Mississippi River clean and safe is something we shouldn't take lightly.

(Next time you are back in your hometown, see if they do any kind of water quality testing there. If they don't encourage them to start!)

Read 'n' Seed 6: Final Review of "Smashed"

 

Overview of the entire book.

Smashed was a book about a girl's journey through her relationship with alcohol. It started with her first sip in her early teen years and continued on to well after she was out of college and she finally got to the point where she finally realized her drinking was out of control and her life was on a downward spiral. She quit drinking altogether and reflected upon the past eight or so years of her life. 

  Three most significant things.

1. Her own realization of the problem after years and years of excessive drinking was astonishing.

2. Her viewpoint throughout the entire book of what it was like to be in a sorority and to base your college life on the partying and drinking rather than grades and classes was crazy to me.

3. One of the most important points of the book I thought were how she went through friends like crazy when they had drinking in common. They would go through their lull together and then get in a huge drunken fight and just like that it would be over. It was weird to think she didn't have any stable friends.

  What does it mean to you? Why is it important?

Not only did this open my eyes to the things that could be going on around me in college and I am not even aware of, but this makes me a little bit worried about when I have my own kids. I don't imagine the drinking and partying part of college is really ever going to die down and I'm sure someday I will have to be on the parent end of the situation. To think of the things Koren's parents had to deal with after she had some hospital trips and stomach pumping incidents makes my stomach flip.

  Do you recommend this book? Why or why not?

I highly recommend this book, especially for those who have drank excessively in college. It fast forwards you to the time in your life where you will look back and wish you would have done it differently, without so much of the drinking. Maybe this book can help, or has helped, someone before it is too late.

 

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 10: Overall Project Reflection

What was your SMART goal? Did it change at all during the project? 
My SMART goal was "I will take 3 minute showers, except on days when I shave, I will allow myself 7 minutes". I only edited this once towards the beginning, by making it shorter because it was too easy. 
What helped you be successful? What things got in your way? How can you address these in the future?
It helped me to have a timed cd or music source playing while I showered to measure my time accurately. That way if the song was coming to an end, I knew it was time to wrap it up. Since we live in a creaky, old Duluth house, sometimes the irregularity in the water temperature made showering in general difficult, but I worked through that. That is something Duluth renters will have to live with until the end of time. (ha) 
How did you benefit from this project? What did you learn about yourself? What did you learn about behavior change?
This goal turned into a habit for me. I learned that if I continue with something long enough it just becomes part of my life and I don't even need to think twice about it. I also recruited other people towards the end to try my lifestyle change as well. It was rewarding to see others taking the same initiative.
How did others and/or the environment benefit from you changing this behavior?
From shortening my shower time, I not only saved water but our utility bills went down. We saved money and less water was wasted. Success!

Will you continue this behavior? Why or why not?
I sure will! Since it became a habit, it won't be hard at all to keep it up and since it is so good for the environment and our checkbooks, I don't see why not.
What recommendations do you have for others about making a lifestyle change?
I would say make it achievable. If you know you can do it and you succeed, that is when you make it harder. If you make it part of your routine, that is when it will become a habit.

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 10 by Amy@Eco-Chic With Amy 

Share and Voice: Take Action to Stop Global Warming

I wanted to find some ideas that we can all partake in for my last Share and Voice to fight global warming. The site I found, StopGlobalWarming.org: Take Action had some really good ideas that are easy to take up and can do a big part... Read on!

1. Use compact fluorescent bulbs

2. Inflate your tires

3. Change your air filter

4. Fill the dishwasher (i like this one!)

5. Use recycled paper

6. Adjust your thermostat

7. Check your water heater

8. Change the AC filter

9. Take shorter showers (yay me! my eco-chic lifestyle change)

10. Install a low-flow shower head

11. Buy products locally

12. Buy energy certificates

13. Buy minimally packaged goods

14. Buy a hybrid car (maybe in a couple years :) )

15. Buy a fuel efficient car

16. Carpool when you can

17. Don't idle in your car

18. Reduce garbage 

19. Plant a tree

20. Insulate your water heater

21. Replace old appliances

22. Weatherize your home

23. Use a push mower

24. Unplug un-used electronics

25. Put on a sweater

26. Insulate your home

27. Air dry your clothes

28. Switch to a tank-less water heater

29. Switch to double pane windows

30. Buy organic food

31. Bring cloth bags to the market

32. Buy the bracelet

33. Turn off your computer

34. Beat a meat reducer

35. Ditch the plastic!

Click on the website link to get more in-depth with each of these. Go Green!

Advocacy Project: Letter to Public Official

December 7, 2009
Senator Amy Klobuchar
United States Senate
302 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510-2304

Dear Senator Klobuchar:

Safe, clean drinking water in our communities is at risk. Factories and businesses in the Great Lakes area are dumping their wastes into our freshwater resources and putting the health and safety of our families and communities in jeopardy. I ask your vote for the bill H.R. 54: Great Lakes Water Protection Act.

This bill regulates the wastes being dumped into the Great Lakes and funds programs and activities to help keep this water safe. It in a sense watches over the people sampling and checking the water, and makes sure that they are doing the job properly.

I believe this bill is extremely important to the people of Minnesota and the surrounding areas of the Great Lakes. Our families and communities depend on safe drinking water as a part of our growth and development and if this is at risk, so are our families.

If this bill passes, it can ensure the survival and flourishing of our families in this area. It will allow up to continue to live and survive this region and not have to worry about the health or safety of each other in the community. Not only will this help the people of Minnesota, but in all of the Great Lakes communities. There are many states that rely on the Great Lakes for water, even parts of Canada.

You  may know Carl Levin, a US Senator from Michigan. Michigan is also very reliant on the Great Lakes for clean water and he has fought for many years in favor of the regulation of these lakes. Please join him in the fight.

I hope that i have gotten through to you how much keeping this water clean means to myself and my community. We are a few of many people in the Great Lakes area who depend on this water for our survival. Let me know if there is anything else I can do as an individual in my community to make this bill known and passed.

Thanks again for your time, I look forward to hearing back from you!

Sincerely,

Melissa Herzig
(contact information)

Reflection: Weeks 11 & 12

Week 11

We did an environmental literacy activity where we came up with our own definitions. Then we watched a short video called 'The Story of Stuff ', where a woman basically broke it down for us about 'stuff'. It was very interesting. Then Dr. V  brought in some 'junk' for us. We thought up some ideas that it could be up-cycled into. We also did the issue overview for our blogs, which was also quite interesting.

Week 12

This week was all about blog hops. We created one to hop from each of our blogs to show our photo essays. Everyone's ideas were really great!

Learned about myself...
I learned that I actually like upcycling. I never thought I would be the kind of person to recycle my old junk but I am actually considering trying it now!
Learned about the environment...
Not many things can function without a positive respect for the environment in mind. Keith's Photo Essay really sticks in my head because I can't believe there are neighborhoods right here in Minnesota that have environmental issues like these. It really opened my eyes.
Learned about blogging...
I learned that I want to keep up my blogging after the class is over. There are many things to blog about on a daily basis and I don't think I will ever get bored with it. It is kind of fun to vent through your blog!

Hope everyone had a good turkey break! 

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 9: Weekly Update

My SMART Goal

My SMART goal for the past week of the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change was:

"I will take 3 minute showers unless it is a shaving day, in which case I will allow myself 7 minutes."

Successes & Challenges  

This week was another success. I wanted to round out my Lifestyle Change with a 100% success rate this last week, so I even limited my shaving to once! That was probably the biggest challenge, or so my boyfriend would say. Haha.

Feelings
I felt like this is so easy now I look for other ways I can continue this eco-chicness throughout my life. The many ways consist of re-usable bags, glass water bottle, organic vegetables, and recycling. Now since we have learned about upcycling also, I am trying to work this into my life.

What I Learned

I learned that lifestyle changes are just that, lifestyle changes. You have to make it a part of your everyday routine in order for it to actually feel like an accomplishment and to really help your environment. We all need to remember in whatever we do, the environment allows us to do those things, so protect it!

Plans for Next Week/Life!

I will be keeping up this change for as long as I can possibly go without harming myself or anyone around me. Success!

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 9 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy

Share and Voice: Quiet Hurricane Season due to GLOBAL WARMING???

I found this article on National Geographic News ... 2009 Hurricane Season Quietest in Decades.

What I thought was interesting about this article was that it seems to be another sort of proof that global warming is in fact happening.. despite what oh so many politicians are trying to tell us. November 30th was the last day of the hurricane season and the article goes on to talk about the count of hurricanes being down quite a bit from last year, but mentioning that when there is a hurricane though, it is bigger in force and size.

National Geographic states, "Hurricanes draw their energy from ocean waters that have been heated to at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit (26.6 degrees Celsius)." This would explain why global warming causes these hurricanes to be a lot more powerful. Check this article out; it is quite interesting. Let me know what your thoughts are!

Eye Opener: Photo Essay

After much thought about what would be an appropriate and interesting photo essay, I finally decided on...    Unsafe Rental Housing.

It seems that many college students are living in properties nowadays that are under-maintained and unsafe. Many don't know what is actually considered unsafe and I looked up a couple of renter's rights in regards to the safety of their rental property. Here are some I found quite interesting (all courtesy of MSN Real Estate):

1. Many states limit the amount landlords can charge for security deposits. (See this page on Nolo.com to find out if yours is one of them.)

2. A landlord must give prior notice (typically 24 hours) before entering your premises and can normally only do so to make repairs or in case of an emergency.

3. If a landlord has violated important terms related to health, safety, or necessary repairs, you might have a legal right to break your lease.

4. If you have to break a long-term lease, in most states landlords are required to search for a new tenant as soon as possible rather than charging the tenant for the full duration of the lease.

5. Damage or security deposits are not deductible for "normal wear and tear." Some states require that a landlord give an itemized report of any deductions.

6. Most states require landlords to return refundable portions of a security deposit within 14 to 30 days after the tenant has vacated the premises, even in the case of eviction.

7. In many states, it's illegal for a lease to stipulate that the tenant is responsible for the landlord's attorney fees in case of a court dispute.

And, finally, here are some photos I got from the property we are currently renting here in Duluth. I will add that this property has been the nicest I have rented here by far, so the photos were hard to find. If I were able to go back to the other places that I lived I would certainly be able to acquire WAY more.

This first photo was in the bedroom. These wires are just laying out and have been that way since we moved in.

This one is a picture of the mold in the upstairs shower, where I complete my Lifestyle Changes every week. No wonder I can keep them so short!!! :)

This shows the screen, or lack there of, for the front door.

I actually discovered while I was taking these photos that this smoke detector wasn't even working! Major no-no!

Ceiling problems....

 

 

In all college rental properties, fireplaces are not allowed because the insurance would be too high. This fireplace, in fact, DOES work. HUGE NO-NO.

This closet door isn't actually hooked up to anything and when you slide it, it falls down. Extremely unsafe since these old doors are as heavy as boulders.

This is very misleading however, since your view of the front of this closet looks like it is big and a nice size.

I hope by viewing my photo essay it has opened your eyes and made you aware of things to look for in your own rental property. Your landlord doesn't have ALL the power. Happy renting!

      

Read 'n' Seed 5: Fourth quarter of "Smashed"

Fourth Quarter!

Wow, I can't believe this was the last part of the book already! That must mean the semester is coming to a close. These last chapters were very intriguing; I read this whole section in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. The parts I read were included in the 'Abuse' section, and the chapters were 'Ascent and Descent', 'Liquid Heart', 'The End Has No End', and 'The Still-to-Learn'. This section was pages 247-339.

This section reached the height of her abuse, her after college life out living on her own with a roommate and hardly being able to keep a job because of her immense hangovers and her need to do it again the next night. She was again going through friends quickly as their interests were oh-so-different except for alcohol. Her mom visited a couple of times and knew Koren needed help but it took a long time for anything to come of that. When she finally realized what downward spiral her life was really on, she gave it up. Her boyfriend gave it up with her to allow her not to have to see it when around her loved ones. Once she gave it up, she spilled about her anger towards absolutely everything in our lives that targets us as the 'alcohol' generation. She even mentioned the Girls Gone Wild guy in her disgusted rant.

Terminology...

thwacks- A hard blow with a flat object  

networking- the developing of contacts or exchanging of information with others in an informal network, as to further a career

I think this part of the book sums it all up. Even though it took Koren a couple years after she was out of college to realize how bad it had really gotten; I would hope it doesn't take any of us that long to discover this about ourselves or anyone around us. It is not a sign of weakness to get help, so it should be encouraged to anyone who needs it. Our generation is definitely part of the new serious binge drinking trend and we as health educators need to be aware and put our foot in to stop it. Ultimately, is a night of blackouts and bruises worth your life? Just something to think about.

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 8: Weekly Update

What was your SMART goal?

My SMART goal was to take 3 minute showers everyday, except on shaving days where I would allow myself 7 minutes.

successes & challenges

This was again very easy for me. I had my usual routine and wasn't faced with many challenges. The only problem I had was that my CD player was moved out of the bathroom by someone and I was forced to sort of self-time myself. Since I have been doing this lifestyle change fairly regularly now, it wasn't very hard to guess approximately how many minutes I had. I also see this week as a huge success in another aspect, because I have told so many of my friends now that I notice people telling me about how they are trying it. 

feelings

I am sooooooooooooo EXCITED I influenced people enough that they wanted to be a part of an eco-chic lifestyle change. Yay!

What I learned..

I learned that even though changes like this may get boring, you can always invite others along on your change to keep it fun and worthwhile. Knowing that I am causing others to be more eco-friendly is enough to make me feel guilty if I don't keep mine up.  

plans for next week.. 

Next week.. I am going to maintain my success. I am going to challenge my friends to a shortest shower contest. I want to see how short we can make them while still getting clean :)

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 8 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy 

Advocacy Project: Issue Overview

Safe Drinking Water in Community Water Systems

• What is the issue/problem? The issue at hand is that some people aren't getting clean drinking water in their communities. Statutes are written, but not necessarily provided. Specifically, the communities around the Great Lakes are being affected because of sewage dumping into the water. This trickles into the local water systems since the Great Lakes are the major source of water for many of the cities in the upper midwest.
  
• What current legislation has been proposed to address this?  
• H.R.54 : Great Lakes Water Protection Act
  
  Title: To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to establish a deadline for restricting sewage dumping into the Great Lakes and to fund programs and activities for improving wastewater discharges into the Great Lakes.

Who is affected by the issue?

• Who is affected the most? The people affected most by this issue are the people in the direct vicinity of the Great Lakes. The states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York, and some parts of Canada rely on these bodies of water everyday.
  
• Who loses, and what do they lose? The community members lose, because they are getting the assurance they need for their future that the water their children and grandchildren will be consuming is safe. Even currently, they could be drinking and cooking with contaminated water.
  
• Who gains, and what do they gain? In this situation, the ones that gain are the businesses in the area that are doing the dumping. They may not be gaining in the long run, since their drinking water will be contaminated as well, but they are looking for a quick drop of their waste and large bodies of water seem to be an easy choice.
  

What are the consequences of the issue?

• For the individuals mostly affected? Long term health problems are the major consequences of this issue. The big companies responsible for this dumping may have lawsuits in their future from people who's families are getting terminally ill from contaminated drinking water. This could cause some serious problems for the future of these businesses.
  
• For their families? Families could face some serious hardships. Along with the health problems that will arise, the businesses are likely to retaliate against their lawsuits and drive them out of the communities they have been raised in.
  
• For society? Society will start to have a negative overall demeanor and depending upon who gets to the media first, this issue could spark a nation-wide uproar regarding pollution in the Great Lakes area.
  

What is the economic impact of the issue?

• What are the economic costs of the issue, and who bears these costs? The economic costs are really not seen in the equivalence of a dollar amount, but in the sense of the fish and other inhabitants of the Great Lakes and all of the people that rely on the Great Lakes as their source of water. Also, anyone who recreationally uses any of these lakes who will not be able to if they are destroyed by pollution. No one will want to swim in brown water.
  
• What are the economic benefits of the issue, and who benefits? Benefits may be seen by the businesses in the near future, as a simple place to dump their waste, but in the end their seems to be no benefits to arise from this.
  

What is the social impact of the issue?

• What are the social costs of the issue, and who bears these costs? Social costs of this issue are huge, since families who have lived in these areas their whole lives may be uprooted or terminally ill because of poor decisions by big businesses. Sadly, even though the businesses are the ones to pollute, the ones who have to deal with the issues are the people who make their livings there.
  
• What are the social benefits of the issue, and who benefits? I can't see much for social benefits. The society is being negatively affected in all ways when there is pollution, so it is hard to think society would in any way like this.
  

What are the barriers?

• What are the barriers to addressing this issue? Obviously, since these businesses are the ones with money, they are going to throw plenty of it at any type of retaliation to their pollution. In no way are they going to want lawsuits made known by the general public that would affect their profit.
  
• How can they be overcome? By having all these small communities band together and not back down against these economic giants, they can get their word out to others and hopefully get some laws passed about dumping.
  

What are the resources?

• What resources will we need to address this issue? There will need to be community activists that take charge in each local sector so that they can organize groups in their own area to help the big cause at hand. There will also need to be senators and local representatives in positions to take political stands against these business tyrants.
  
• Where and how can they be tapped? By creating small groups locally, they will grow and reach all people in each community. They will thrive with numbers and their representatives will see the numbers as votes and take it to the courts.

• What is the history of the issue in the community? According to Canada's Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement, in the early 1970s, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario were said to be 'dying'; their fish populations were decreasing rapidly and the algae was overtaking them. Chemicals and other polluntants were affecting the wildlife and citizens in the area. In 1972, Canada and the US signed an agreement to make it a priority to preserve one of the world's largest freshwater resources.
  
• What past efforts were made to address it? The residents saw the lakes as being in grave danger and put their efforts forth to create this agreement. They banded together even across international borders to do something about it.
  
• What were the results? It resulted in the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement of 1972, since then there have been revisions and modifications to this agreement

Allies & Opponents

• Who would support this issue? Any community member and small business owner would support this issue. The health and safety of their family and home is in jeopardy if the pollution keeps up.
  
• Who would oppose this issue? The big-wig businesses would oppose this issue. It would cost them time, money, and resources to keep of these citizens and it would force them to figure out how to get rid of their waste.

• How do you want policy-makers to vote on this proposed policy? I want policy-makers to vote YES on this policy. Clean water is better for everyone.
  

Reflection: Weeks 9 & 10

Week 9

This week we started the advocacy section of the course. By finding our political representatives, it made us aware of the hierarchy above us here in the state of Minnesota. We also incorporated how it related to our profession to be aware of our reps. It was also week 6 of our lifestyle change and the 3rd quarter of our read n seed.

 Week 10

This week we watched the video "Unnatural Causes ". We also talked about our next blog post dealing with the issues for the Healthy People 2010 goal that we chose. I chose to focus on an issue dealing with water quality and the Great Lakes. We also got a small overview of the upcoming photo essay assignment, which I am looking forward to. It was also week 7 of our lifestyle change.

Learned about myself...

This week I learned that I should be more aware of our political reps. They are the ones we implemented to make choices about things such as our environment and we should be aware of who these people are and how we can contact them to give them our feedback. They have reps for each district for that reason exactly. 

Learned about the environment...

About the environment I learned how much it is intertwined with politics. I don't think we correlate the two together very much when we definitely should. 

Learned about blogging...

I learned some interesting things about blogging this week. Not only was I reminded of plagiarism in blogging, but I also learned how you can really work anything into our blog. It is fun to think it is a place to write absolutely anything that comes to your mind and speak freely about it.

The semester is flying by! Happy weekend!

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week : Weekly Update

Week 7!

MY SMART GOAL

My SMART goal was to take 3 minute showers everyday, except on days when I have to shave, in which case I will allow myself 7 minutes.

SUCCESSES & CHALLENGES

Again, I had a pretty successful week. We seem to have a few shower 'issues' at my house, or rather, the water system of the house isn't efficient. I experienced some scalding experiences this week where I was just enjoying my shower and the water temperature rose significantly and burnt my back. It didn't take me long to realize the cause was from the running washing machine. We concluded that no other 'water-user' can be on while someone is in the shower because it will either burn us or turn us to ice. Not a fun realization. Figuring out this problem was a success, but anytime it affects you in the shower, definitely a challenge!! :)

 FEELINGS

I feel very proud of myself when reflecting on this behavior change. I have been doing it for so long now it is more of a habit than a task, and I have been encouraging people around me to be aware of their shower time as well. It gives me a sense of accomplishment to know that I am the reason others are being  more eco-chic!

WHAT I LEARNED..

I learned the valuable water resource lesson. It was almost nature's way of punishing us for using too much water at one time by burning or freezing us in the shower. It's kind of funny to think that nature gets us back with a little karma when we overuse our resources.

PLANS FOR NEXT WEEK

My plan for next week.. to keep it up! Again, I am very proud of myself for making this a habit instead of a burden and if I am going to change anything it will be that I have to tell at least 10 people about my eco-chic change and challenge them to work on their shower time as well.

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 7 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy

Share and Voice: Superstar Blogger!!

I received this award from Danielle for my quality format and content for my blog post Share and Voice: Eco-Chic Hotel. 

 

 

I will be now passing this Award onto Karly for her Share and Voice: Keep Tahoe Blue. This blog post was especially interesting to me because I like to travel and be involved in environmentally-friendly things while doing so! The pictures were gorgeous and I liked how the Tahoe residents have taken a stand in keeping the lake blue before it is too late. Great pictures and overall very eye-appealing post! Good job Karly!

Award Instructions for the Award Winner(s)

1. Leave a comment below so that I know you "picked up" the award.
   
2. Within 1 week, create a Share and Voice post that says you've received the award and indicate who the award is from (be sure to hyperlink).
3. Also indicate to whom you are going to pass on the award and why. Be sure to hyperlink the blogger (use main blog URL) and the blog title (use the specific URL for that blog post).
4. Copy and paste these instructions at the bottom of your post. Be sure to include the Award in the post as well!
   
5. Publish the post.
6. Visit each blogger you've awarded and leave a comment telling them they've won.
7. Continue the process...

Advocacy Project: Healthy People/THOMAS

The Healthy People 2010 goal I chose to follow was...

8-5 Safe Drinking Water in Community Water Systems

The whole point of this goal was to take the 84 percent of people in 1995 that currently received drinking water that meets the regulations of the Safe Drinking Water Act and raise that to 95 percent. From the Progress Quotient Chart, I was able to see that 55% of the target was already at the level of drinking water suggested by the year 2003, bringing the percentage of people that had it up to 90%. Other steps were also being taken over this time period around the beaches. This was to monitor the beaches and regulate what was going into them and being taken out. The government also submits questionnaires to those who own land where a beach is on and asks them how they maintain it and if they ever shut it down for a period of time during the year.

Since these programs that monitor beach sites are inconsistent with each area, the EPA has made grants available to those who meet the performance criterion. The EPA hopes that these grants will eliminate all the inconsistency that goes along with beach up-keep.

H.R.54 : Great Lakes Water Protection Act

Title: To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to establish a deadline for restricting sewage dumping into the Great Lakes and to fund programs and activities for improving wastewater discharges into the Great Lakes.

Sponsor: Rep Kirk, Mark Steven [IL-10] (introduced 1/6/2009) Cosponsor: Rep Lipinski, Daniel [IL-3] - 1/6/2009

Latest Major Action: 1/6/2009 Referred to House committee. Status: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Recommendation: Vote Yes for H.R. 54 Great Lakes Water Protection Act

My political representative:  Representative Tim Walz, (1st - DFL)

Read 'n' Seed 4: Third quarter of "Smashed"

 Chapters & pages covered..

For the third quarter of my read n seed, I read the section of Smashed was titled 'Excess'. The chapters it covered were You're Pretty When I'm Drunk, Love in the Time of Liquor, and Beer Tears, pages 157-244.

Main topics...

The main topics that were covered in this section were generally about how alcohol was taking over her life. Her sorority threw parties at least twice a week, she continued to have come-and-go drinking friends, she experienced with boys she didn't know, had more black-outs, had more hangovers, fell in a sort of 'love' for the first time, and continued a state of depression.

New terminology presented...

Carousing : To engage in boisterous, drunken merrymaking

Soirees : a party of people assembled in the evening (usually at a private house)

Why we should care about it, and what should be done to address it...

Again, this pertains to us more than we know. Being surrounded by people that excessively drink (being on a college campus), puts us in a position to do something about binge drinking and depression. For many people the problem starts in college, and this book continues to give me a firsthand view from a person as they go through all the stages of it. I encourage everyone if they know someone that may be experiencing alcoholism or depression to seek help on how to deal with it or suggest the help to their friend. Here are some sites I found...

Alcoholics Anonymous 

How to Help an Alcoholic 

Dealing with Depression 

Teen Depression 

Have a good weekend!

Share and Voice: Eco-Chic Hotel

As you may have heard, I recently vacationed in Arizona and California. Since I missed class on Monday, I wanted to find something on my trip that I could take pictures of that I could relate to what we are learning about. When we entered our first hotel suite, I immediately found notes and signs around the room that related to the environment. I decided to take pictures of as many things on the trip as I could find that were eco-chic and here are some that I found!

 

I really liked this last one about smoking. $250 is a high price to pay if you think you need to smoke in rooms where people shouldn't have to be exposed to it.

Windmills! (Go California!)

This one is a little bit harder to see, but this was at a seafood restaurant we ate at. It was explaining how they don't bring out water glasses to every table except upon request so that they can waste as little water as possible. I thought this was very cool.

Even when travelling, we have to remember to preserve the resources there just as much as we should when we are at our own homes. Happy November!