Reflection: Weeks 15 & 16

Week 15

Advocacy Project: This was the last assignment in this series! We had to create a learning activity related to our topic for our group members to complete. Looking back, mine was pretty boring compared to some of the fun games other people found. Sorry group! Thanks for bearing with me. :) Also, I'll admit that I was slightly afraid of the advocacy project when I looked ahead at the course calendar earlier this semester, but it really wasn't so bad and I definitely gained some useful knowledge and skills.

Tuesday: Sue Whitney came and spent the whole class period with us! She even gave us each a copy of her book Junk Beautiful Outdoor Edition. THANK YOU!

This was a very fun day of class. In my opinion, junking is very cool and it's too bad that many people these days have lost the art of reusing things - we have developed an obsession with getting everything new. I guess I never really considered myself to be a "junker" , but maybe I am in my own way. I love to reuse items, but I go at it from a more practical point of view, not necessarily in an artsy creative way. If I need something, I'll try to create it out of something else that's around, or just scavenge for it. For example, when I moved into my house last summer, I owned no furniture. Within days, I found an old desk someone had set out on the curb. It was in great condition so I hauled it back to my house and it's served me well this entire school year! Also, I created a dresser from the grocery store fruit boxes that I had used to pack my things in when I moved. My mom and my grandma have definitely served as great role models because they are both very thrifty and creative! I really liked what Sue said about making functional pieces, because in my opinion it's unnecessary to just make a lot of home decor. Previously, I tended to associate junkers with houses full of clutter, but now I think I am over that stereotype!

We also had Subway this day! Like I said, it was already a fun day, but getting free food in class never hurts. :) YUM!

Thursday: Last day of class! Prizes were given out for our mini junking contest. Congratulations to the winners! There were some excellent entries.

Then we went outside and talked about what we've learned in the class. I've learned so much, I don't even know where to start! I think the main thing I will take away from this class is my increased awareness of environmental issues and how this affects all my daily decisions, no matter how big or small they might seem.

Week 16

Eye Opener: Our last eye opener assignment was to complete all the online learning activities created by our group members. Nice work, Group 5! I'll miss blogging with you guys!

Well, I guess this will be my last real post. I honestly can't believe the semester is over, it just seemed to fly by. I will miss this class - it truly was one that I looked forward to going to. And I appreciated learning things that are so obviously intertwined with my everyday life. I know I am learning useful skills in my other classes as well, but most of it seems like things I will use "some day" when I have a "real job." Much of the information from this class applies to my life right now!

I'm glad I got the hang of blogging, and it did start to get addictive. Hopefully my new tech skills will come in handy in the near future! Also, it was great to meet a lot more people in my major. Actually, it was a little overwhelming at first because everyone seemed to know each other very well. I didn't know too many people because the other health classes I was in this semester only had a handful of people in them so this was a great opportunity to get to know you guys!

Thanks for making this such a great semester, everyone! Have an awesome summer, and I hope to see many of you next year!


(Picture taken by me: sunset on Lake Superior.)

Reflection: Weeks 13 & 14

Week 13
Advocacy Project:
The next portion of our advocacy project, Issue Overview, was due this week. I was sort of dreading this assignment because it involved research, but then it ended up being very informational and interesting! It can definitely take a lot of time and effort to really gain a thorough understanding of an issue, especially to the point where one is adequately prepared to stand up/debate for it. Because of this, I still find the whole concept of advocacy to be slightly intimidating, but I know it is an important skill to develop!

Tuesday: During the class period, we discussed writing letters to elected officials as preparation for the next portion of our advocacy project. I thought it was interesting that it is recommended to include one's personal concerns and experience with the issue. For some reason I had thought that representatives wouldn't want to bother with personal issues and were more concerned with facts and data, but it was reassuring to be reminded that they are human, too. Unfortunately I think we forget about that the majority of the time!

We also watched "Story of Stuff" with Annie Leonard. It was definitely biased, but since I agreed with what she was saying, I didn't really mind. Overall, I thought it was quite depressing and could hardly believe it when she said that only 1% of stuff bought is still used 6 months later! Ugh, we are so wasteful. I was also really shocked by the concepts of "planned" and "perceived" obsolescence. I do agree that materialism has gotten out of hand in recent years, and it is hard to break out of the cycle. That said, I liked the chart with the correlation of decline of national happiness and increase in production/consumption of goods. Last year was a good reality check for me when I had to pack everything I needed for 8 months into one suitcase and a hiking backpack. I'll admit, however, that once I got back to the U.S. I somehow collected a whole bunch of stuff that I don't really need.

Thursday: We went to Bagley for an orienteering activity! I thought it was pretty fun, and it was great to be outside for the class period, especially since the weather happened to be GORGEOUS that day!

Week 14
Advocacy Project: The next assignment, Letter to Public Official was due this week. I'm glad we didn't have to actually send the letter - I think I would have been rather intimidated!

Tuesday: We had a guest speaker from the UMD Office of Civic Engagement who is also in AmeriCorps. One thing that stuck in my mind was how he talked about remaining neutral when talking to people and avoiding "offensive" words such as "global warming", "sustainability", and even "green" in order to avoid offending anyone. I thought was this very interesting because I think of these words as being intriguing - a bonus! - and it was a good reminder to me that not everyone shares my opinions. It's important to educate people about how to help the environment, not force ideas onto them and make them attempt a change they are not yet ready for.

Thursday: We did a fun activity in class that dealt with re-purposing! Each web group got a random "junk" object and then three minutes to write down as many uses as we could think of. There were a total of 5 objects, and everyone came up with lots of ideas! We definitely had some silly ideas, but there were just as many great practical uses that were thought of as well. I really enjoyed this activity and it was nice to have a break as my other classes seem to be upping the intensity as we approach the end of the semester.

Well, we technically only have one week of class left... wow. I honestly think I'm going to miss this class. I'll admit it definitely wasn't one of my favorites at the beginning of the semester, but I think that was mostly due to the blogging and just adjusting to the format of the class. Now it's one of the most interesting classes I've ever taken!

Thanks for reading! Have a great weekend everyone!

(Picture taken by me: Lake Superior.)

Reflection: Weeks 11 & 12

Week 11
On Tuesday and Thursday of last week we watched a portion of a documentary called Unnatural Causes. The segment we watched was called "In Sickness and in Wealth", and it talked about how socioeconomic inequalities affect health. Unfortunately, it seems that wealth equals health in our country. The film followed citizens in the varying districts of Louisville, Kentucky in order to expose the huge health disparities present in our nation. I was aware of this issue before watching the documentary, but it was really effective to see the information presented with graphs and concrete data.

A new fact I learned was that America has the steepest wealth-health gradient of all the developed nations. In Kentucky alone, a NINE YEAR difference in life expectancy exists between the wealthiest and poorest districts! This is definitely an issue health educators need to be aware of and take into consideration when planning health interventions. We had a good discussion in class about how we need to be aware of the social issues and constraints that effect health in order to be effective health educators. I really enjoyed watching this documentary and would like to see the other portions of it. It made me realize the resources I take for granted every day, such as having safe places to exercise outside!

We had no new blog posts due this week, only comments on group members' work. Although blogging has become much easier and is now just a regular part of life, it was nice to have a little break!


Week 12
The next portion of our Advocacy Project was due on Tuesday, and I thought it was an informative assignment because I don't know very much about bills and the legislative process. We did get to watch the Schoolhouse Rock video "I'm Just a Bill" in class so that pretty much made my day! (I LOVE Schoolhouse Rock.) I know I said earlier that blogging has become really easy, but I did run into some problems with the advocacy post refusing to actually post. It was quite frustrating, but everything worked out in the end.

In class we talked about the importance of understanding the issue when advocating for a cause. This is necessary in order to intelligently support the position. Also, Dr. V. said that the president of AAHPERD liked our photo essays - that was neat to hear!

For Thursday we read an article from our book titled "News on the Environment Isn't Always Bad." It discussed how the ozone layer is closing, but that good news often doesn't seem to make it into the news! That's unfortunate, because I think it is encouraging for people to see that our efforts to help the environment really are making a positive difference.

In class on Thursday, we discussed neat ways to reuse or "re-purpose" antiques or unwanted items. My mom is very creative and into that sort of thing so I immediately thought of her when I learned Sue Whitney, author and owner of JunkMarket is coming to speak to our class. :) We also talked about upcoming assignments and what we will be doing for the remainder of the semester. I can't believe we only have 3 (or 4, I guess) weeks of class left! Where has the time gone?

Have a great weekend everyone!


(Photo taken by me near Lake Manuella, MN.)

Reflection: Weeks 9 & 10

Week 9
On Tuesday, we talked about advocacy in class and how it relates to the job of a health educator. To be honest, I hadn't realized what a big deal advocacy is. Or, for that matter, what exactly advocacy is! I guess I always assumed advocacy was only for really outspoken, politically involved individuals (which I definitely am not), so I shied away from the issue. I never really stopped to think much about it and how it related to lobbying and grassroots efforts, especially in connection with the health education profession. Now I realize that anyone can advocate for something they have an opinion about and an interest in. Advocacy doesn't have to be risky or scary, but it will take thought, planning, knowledge of the subject, and a time commitment. I have now changed my opinion and believe that willingness to advocate for a cause is just another positive characteristic of an involved citizen.

advocacy: the act of pleading or arguing in favor of something, such as a cause, idea, or policy; active support.

Along with this discussion, we were assigned the first part of our Advocacy Project. For this, we were supposed to find out who our political representatives are. This was good for me, because I'll admit I didn't know who all of my representatives were before looking them up for this assignment!

In class on Thursday of week 9, we discussed photography ethics and how to take quality photography in relation to our upcoming Photo Essay. We also talked about how photo essays are an effective way to advocate for under-served populations. I thought this was very interesting, because I hadn't thought of it that way before, but once it was mentioned I began to think of all the times I have seen this sort of advocacy in action.

Week 10
We did not have class this week since Dr. V. was out of town. I definitely enjoyed the extra time this gave me! Also, we all eased up a little on the blogging posts so they were less overwhelming than normal.

Our photo essays were due this week, and I'm looking forward to seeing the topics everyone chose! Earlier this week, I got quite frustrated with my photo essay, but I think it turned out alright. I ended up switching my topic, and also my LCD screen on my camera is broken so I can't use the settings (such as the flash!) or see exactly what is in the frame of each photo! But, like I said, things turned out fine. Looking back, I'm not sure why I didn't just borrow a camera from some one else... oh well.

Since I've been trying to make my life more environmentally friendly these past few weeks, I was excited to learn that some of my friends were interested in celebrating Earth Hour this past weekend. We kept all our electricity off for a couple hours on Saturday night and had a great time helping out our earth!

Well, I think that's about it for these past two weeks. I can't believe we're at the end of week 10 already -- the semester is just flying by!

Reflection: Weeks 7 & 8

Reading 16: Ill Winds: The Chemical Plant Next Door
This autobiographical article talked about one woman’s experience growing up in a small rural town. It was quite a shock to read and dealt with concepts of environmental injustice and the “NIMBY” (not in my backyard!) mindset that relate to the placement of hazardous chemical plants in areas of low population. I couldn’t believe the lack of regulation that some companies seem to get away with! Just because a town may be small, doesn’t mean that the residents can be treated as less than human! For a more in-depth look at my opinion about this reading, please read my article review.

Green
We watched this documentary last Tuesday and Thursday in class, and it exposed us to another example of environmental injustice. Green told the stories, town by town, of residents living in Cancer Alley in Louisiana. These people are facing all sorts of horrific situations including many types of rare cancers because they are forced to live so close to a high number of chemical plants and refineries. I found this documentary to be quite depressing due to the absolute unfairness of it all. Realizing the situations other people have to deal with every day made me feel rather spoiled, and greatly increased my appreciation for my current living situation here in Duluth. I also had to think about how all of my choices affect someone else – the products I buy and the chemicals they contain have to come from somewhere. Unfortunately, my cheap products are made at the disadvantage of other people. This was a concept I had never thought of before, and to be perfectly honest, it was one of those “ignorance is bliss” situations. For a more thorough look at this movie, take a look at the documentary review I wrote about Green.

Eye Opener
This activity introduced me to the Environmental Working Group, a group that "works to expose threats to your health, and the environment, and to find solutions." I used their Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database to test my favorite lotion, and learned that perhaps it isn’t doing my body as big of a favor as I thought it was! I liked this database because although it lists all the dangers of products, it also lists products with “safer” environmental scores. I find it to be quite unsettling how unsafe products seem to be… is there ANYTHING that’s not carcinogenic these days?

Reading 31: Privatizing Water
This reading discussed the pros and cons of privatizing water and focused on the story of Cochabamba, Bolivia. In this city, the government gave in to World Bank and allowed its water to be privatized, but immense pressure from citizen protests led to the cancellation of the contract. This is an issue I was previously unfamiliar with, and I found it hard to relate to. I think my disconnect stemmed from the fact that water is so abundant where I live that I am spoiled and can’t even imagine what it would be like to not have enough water.

Thirst
We began watching this documentary in class this week, but unfortunately were unable to finish it. It, too, discussed the concept of water privatization. The concept of water being an economic good vs. a human right was raised, and overall I just found this to be a confusing topic. How can someone say they own the water? I know the idea is that companies own the cleaning, transportation, etc. of the water, but still. It seems a little power-hungry to me. I was impressed by some of the ways communities in areas that receive low amounts of precipitation are able to collect their rainwater, and I wish everyone would be that responsible. If there’s one thing I’m sure about, it’s that the idea of a world-wide water shortage is a very scary one. Also, I believe everyone deserves access to affordable potable water.

Blogging
After blogging for almost eight weeks so far (this semester seems to be going so quickly!), it’s definitely become commonplace to check Google Reader almost every time I check my email now. Even though the blogging concept has gotten a lot easier, it’s still overwhelming because there always seem to be so many posts! Sometimes I just feel bombarded by information, but I do enjoy reading everyone’s Share and Voice posts. I feel like I have been introduced to so many neat products and ideas because of the informative posts from my classmates – great job everyone!

A Few More Thoughts
I think it was beneficial for me to be exposed to the topics we discussed in class these past two weeks. Although it’s difficult to hear about such grand-scale problems that seem impossible to fix, I think it’s important for everyone to be aware of them. Even though we may not feel directly impacted by such issues now, the time is probably not too far off when they will start hitting a little closer to home for many people. I thought it was interesting how the concept of privatizing water tied into environmental injustice with how poor people in rural areas were paying MORE for water than higher-income residents of cities. That is so unfair!

Also, today in class we briefly talked about how certain technology is in place (such as the air-powered cars), but the problem lies in the implementation of such technology. The layouts of cities and the mindset of our nation will need to be altered before some of these new concepts can become more mainstream. I think this shift towards “greener” technology is definitely underway, and hopefully it won’t be too much longer before some massive changes take place.

Thanks for reading, have a great spring break everyone!


(Photo taken by me near Split Rock Lighthouse, MN. September 2006.)

Reflection: Weeks 5 & 6

Reading 15: Feeding the World
I thought this was a good article, and our class had a nice discussion about it. Personally, I was surprised to learn that we are currently ahead in food production v. demand. I had assumed the situation was the other way around, what with the millions of people in the world who are starving, so this was a new concept for me to ponder. Also, the population projections were interesting, and I’m curious to see how birth rates of populations will rise or fall in the future.

Diet for a New America
We spent two days of class watching this documentary, and although it was slightly dated, I thought it was very impressive. The visuals of how much fat many Americans have in their diet – such as the disturbing string of fat a surgeon pulled out of someone’s blood vessel – were quite effective. Also, another fact that stuck with me was how much manure is produced by farm animals! The piles and piles of manure made me realize how much these animals contribute to air and water pollution. I also realized how our food choices affect our water supply. All in all, I was previously oblivious to how many resources are sucked up to provide meat for the average American diet!

Eye Opener: CSPI
I took an online tour of our food supply created by Center for Science in the Public Interest. This was absolutely shocking! I couldn’t believe all the unpleasant facts that were given, especially about some factory farm animals being fed things such as garbage and newspapers. I’m pretty sure I don’t want these things being consumed by my food because they can pass into my body as well!

Reading 21: The Weather Turns Wild
This was the reading I was assigned to for our other eye opener activity. It was pretty gloomy, listing many of the expected consequences of global warming. The part that struck me the most was the section about environmental refugees. When people are forced to leave their homes because of flooding or drought, where will they go? Who will be responsible for helping them get back on their feet? Will any sort of aid be available?

The Future of Food
Another two days of class were spent watching this documentary, and the conclusion I came to was that the agriculture industry of the United States is NOT headed in the right direction, at least for the most part. I feel that people are starting to opt more for organic foods and lobby against GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and support local agriculture now, but we still have a long way to go. I think it is sad, and a little scary, how the science of farming has changed. More and more pesticides and insecticides are used nowadays to kill resistant weeds, biodiversity among crops has been lost, and genetically modified crops have opened a whole new can of worms. A patent on life? Whose idea was this? And to what lengths will it be taken? Personally, I don’t really want to wait around to find out.

The concept of cross-contamination between fields – the ability for GMOs to sneak undetected into other fields - is very disturbing. I thought the stories of the farmers who had lawsuits filed against them by Monsanto were heart-wrenching. Yes, I realize they were biased, but in the community I grew up in, a lot of my friends and even a few family members owned farms so naturally I want to side with the small farmers. Also, as a future health educator, I think it’s ridiculous that food containing GMOs does not have to be labeled! This means there is no traceability to health effects such as allergic reactions, or even more severe problems that could result. Other countries, such as Japan, that have banned GMOs are even watching our population for signs of adverse health effects of this technology.

Oh, and another thing: I am horrified by the thought of terminator crops that do not allow for reseeding! Maybe I’m not considering the other side of the story, but why would anyone do this?!


These past two weeks have really caught my attention because I am quite interested in how my diet effects the environment. I love to cook, and just love food in general so this is a topic that is important to me. I knew that livestock take up a lot of space, eat a lot of crops, and produce a lot of waste, but I had never really put two and two together and considered the large toll that eating meat and dairy products takes on our environment. I have recently been more conscious about my consumption of animal products, which for me is mainly in various dairy foods. All my life, the importance of eating dairy foods was ingrained into my brain. I thought, is it even healthy to reduce the amount of these foods in my diet? After doing some research on vegetarian/vegan diets, I found alternative food sources of the important vitamins and minerals that are in milk, eggs, cheese, and yogurt. I plan on making some small changes, but nothing too drastic right now. This week I bought soy milk instead of cow milk, and my next step will be to buy eggs from free-range chickens instead of just grabbing whichever carton is on sale.

This class continues to get more and more interesting everyday, and although I now often feel guilty about my lifestyle, and worry about where our world is headed, I am trying to be optimistic about the future and contribute to positive change.

(Picture taken by me on May 1st, 2008, near Stratford-upon-Avon, England.)

Reflection: Weeks 3 & 4

Readings
In week three of class, we read two separate articles from our textbook, Outlooks: Readings for Environmental Literacy, and discussed them in class. The first article was a little gloomy in that it briefly covered many current world problems such as lack of food and clean water and extinction of species. It made me realize how blessed - and how wasteful - our society is. The second reading was very enlightening and gave me a whole new take on environmental films: it was disappointing to face reality and think about how issues and settings can be skewed to get the filmmaker's point across, but I learned that I should just further analyze such media when I watch it.

An Inconvenient Truth
We also spent time in class watching the Al Gore's documentary An Inconvenient Truth. I had seen this movie a few times before so I was initially expecting to be bored, but then I realized it was good to watch it again. Now that I've gained a little more background knowledge, I got a lot more out of the film. During the viewing, my two main emotions were fear and guilt. Fear, because I just got really scared when all the pictures were shown about the melting glaciers and all the changing landscapes such as in Glacier National Park. It makes me sad that these gorgeous places may soon be eliminated - or at least permanently altered. I am wary of what may become of the earth and how it will be changed for coming generations. Also, Gore spoke quite bluntly about the problems of overpopulation. This is where my feelings of guilt came in. I come from a large family so I feel like I have directly contributed to this problem! Thankfully, the documentary ended on a positive, hopeful note, stressing that we already have the technology to combat climate change; we just need to work together and do our part.

Ecological Footprint
The Eye Opener assignment to find our individual ecological footprint was a huge shock for me! It made me very aware of my impact on the environment. The quizzes I took showed me that there is much room for improvement and gave me good suggestions on ways I can adjust my lifestyle to lessen my footprint. Also, I was reminded that some of my habits are very beneficial to the environment - things I do all the time without even thinking about it. Now that I'm aware these seemingly small things - such as buying food products without a lot of packaging - make a difference, I will try to do them even more often!

Blogging
I never thought I'd say this, but I'm actually getting hooked on this whole blogging thing. In fact, I'll even say it's fun! I feel way more comfortable with it now, although it's still very time consuming. It seems like everyone is getting the hang of it, and it's been fun to see all the cool things people have added to their blogs. Also, there have been a lot of great Share and Voice posts. Good work everyone!

Overall, it was great to delve into some actual environment-related subject matter these last two weeks! I feel that I already have learned a ton, and even though there were many occasions where I just felt like an awful steward of our earth, I think it was the right thing to get me motivated to improve my habits. Interestingly enough, in my Aspects of Chemistry class here at UMD , we are currently talking about the destruction of ozone, and will be going in depth about global warming in upcoming class periods. I always enjoy when class topics overlap because it's fun to see the same topic approached from different angles. One final thought I took away from this week was how people are resistant to change because they are afraid. This seems silly to me, but I guess it is true. I think it's up to my generation to show people that we CAN make a difference by changing our lifestyles, and we should start by setting a good example now. We don't have to completely revamp our habits in one day, because I realize that's quite impractical, but by gradually incorporating changes into our lives and encouraging others to do the same, I think a lot of progress can be made.

(The picture is one I took last winter in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.)

Reflection: Weeks 1 & 2

The first two weeks of class were mostly spent going through course expectations and setting up our blogs. Because of this, we haven't had a chance to delve into any serious discussions so far, but we will be starting with our first readings next week. When I think of "health", things such as physical activity, nutrition, and mental stability come to mind, and I often overlook environmental factors. I am definitely anxious to begin learning about the environment and how it affects our health!

To be completely honest, the thought of having this blog terrified me at first. I don't feel qualified to be writing about environmental topics and reviewing related articles and documentaries, and that makes me a little wary of posting on this blog (since anyone can read it!). However, I am looking forward to increasing my knowledge over the course of this semester and expanding my confidence of being able to discuss environmental issues. I really enjoy and appreciate the outdoors (even in winter), and so I try to be environmentally-conscious in order to do my part to help preserve the natural beauty that sustains us. There are basic things I try to do on a daily basis such as take short showers, recycle, turn off lights when I leave the room, etc., but I'm sure there are so many ways in which I can lessen my footprint that I'm not even aware of. A shift in my mindset and a willingness to break old habits are going to be required, but I think I am up to the challenge.

Overall, I found the first two weeks of class to be rather frustrating, mostly with the stress of trying to get my blog all set up and working correctly. I know other people have had similar experiences so it is comforting to know I'm not alone. Hopefully we will all have the blogs under control soon, and we can enjoy the convenience for exchanging thoughts and ideas.

Welcome to Environmental Edification!

Hi, my name is Hannah and I'm currently taking an Environmental Health class at the University of Minnesota Duluth as I work towards a major in Community Health Education. This blog will be used for posting all assignments for this class, including reviews of environmental readings and documentaries, and exchanging new ideas with my classmates.

There are 5 possible types of posts on my blog. They include:

1. Advocacy Project
2. Eye Openers
3. Reflections
4. Reviews
5. 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:

1. Jessica
   
2. Erika
   
3. Jeff
   
4. Lauren
   

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".

My profile picture was created using FaceYourManga.com

I am looking forward to a very educational semester and welcome any comments you would like to add to my blog!