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.)

Advocacy Project: Letter to Public Official

April 27, 2009

Representative Thomas Huntley
585 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
St. Paul, MN 55155-1606

Dear Representative Huntley,

I am writing in order to voice my opinion on bill HF 1705: Bicycle and pedestrian accommodation inclusion required as part of trunk highway bridge improvement program. I am pleased that this bill is currently under consideration in the House because I believe the inclusion would be a wonderful and much needed improvement to the infrastructure of our state.

The issue at hand is one that affects several groups of people: bicyclists, walkers, motorists, and any other commuters who use the trunk highway bridges. If this bill is passed, bicyclists and walkers will gain safer and more convenient transportation. Benefits for motorists and other commuters exist as well, such as increased ease while driving from knowing that bicyclists have a designated spot on the road.

In uncertain economic times such as these, when families are trying to cut back on expenses, the option of biking to work, school, or even the grocery store will not go unappreciated. Improving bikeways and walkways will allow people to use these forms of transportation to get where they need to go in a safe and timely fashion. Families will be benefited if these accommodations enable a family member to get to work, and the option of alternate transportation may also free up a vehicle for a family member who needs it more.

A lack of adequate and safe bikeways and walkways can discourage people from utilizing such alternative forms of transportation. This can be reversed, however, by the addition of bicycle and pedestrian accommodation proposed in bill HF 1705. As a bicyclist myself, I have often felt unsafe while biking due to the lack of space allotted for bicyclists. Also, it is frustrating when bridges that do not have adequate accommodation interrupt bike paths.

I realize that including accommodation structures in bridge repairs may require a significant about of additional funds, but I believe these costs will be offset in the long run by other societal benefits. For example, a higher number of bicyclists and pedestrians can mean a decrease in the number of vehicles on the road, which in turn leads to a reduction in carbon emissions and other air pollutants. Also, biking and walking are good forms of exercise and recreation, and when a population increases its overall heath, a decrease in health care costs may be observed. Other benefits that may help our nation’s economy include increased jobs for construction companies, and less money spent on emergency medical care response to bicycle-vehicle and pedestrian-vehicle accidents.

I appreciate your past support for bills on related issues. Based on your vote for HF 1351: Transportation Policy Reform, which looks to improve our nation’s transportation, I have concluded that HF 1705 supports your interests as well.

In order to better accommodate the many bicyclists and pedestrians in the state of Minnesota, I encourage you to vote “YES” to HF 1705 to include this accommodation to bridges repaired under the trunk highway bridge improvement program.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter and contemplate the issue at hand. Your service to our state is greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Hannah Schoof

Share and Voice: Volunteer!

Hey guys!

I came across a good article in the Duluth News Tribune this morning and thought it was worth sharing! The first part of the article talked about the 14th annual "Clean and Green Duluth" city wide cleanup day this coming Saturday, April 25th.

The second part of the article, however, is the part I really wanted to share. For those of us who will be staying in Duluth this summer, here's an easy way to help keep our city looking good while enjoying the summer sunshine:

(The following paragraphs were copied directly from the April 23, 2009 edition of the Duluth News Tribune.)

Want to Help this Summer?

Details aren't finalized yet, but the city of Duluth has a plan for the public to help maintain city parks and gardens this summer after funding cuts.

People can help once, a few times or on a regular basis, said Amy Norris, the city's public information coordinator, who came up with the idea with Tom Kasper of parks maintenance.

From Memorial Day through Labor Day, the city will seek volunteers at specified sites Mondays through Saturdays to help with cleanup and other projects. Certain days will be dedicated for certain sites, such as the Lakewalk on Mondays.

"It's an exceptional way to get the community involved in a consistent program of volunteering and helping with keeping our parks beautiful," Norris said.

The tentative lineup is:
Mondays: Lakewalk. People will meet at Leif Erikson Park and head out from there.

Tuesdays: Rose Garden at Leif Erikson Park. Meet at the gazebo to help maintain hundreds of roses.

Wednesdays: Trail cleanup and repair. A different trail will be cleaned each week.

Thursdays: Enger park. Assist in maintaining the gardens and park area.

Friday: Park Point beach cleanup.

Saturdays: Special projects.

City staff will be on hand to assist volunteers. Work probably will begin at 10 a.m. Volunteers can call a "Volunteer Hotline" at 730-4301 to receive more details.




Just something to keep in mind - keep an eye out for more details if you're interested! Thanks for reading!

(Photo taken by me.)

Advocacy Project: Issue Overview

What is the issue?
Bike path connections are often interrupted by bridges without adequate accommodations. Lack of bikeways and pedestrian walkways, in addition to the inconvenience and lack of safety of existing ones, can discourage people from utilizing these alternative forms of transportation.

What current legislation has been proposed to address this?
H.F. 1705: Bicycle and pedestrian accommodation inclusion required as part of trunk highway bridge improvement program.

This bill requires the inclusion of accommodations on certain bridges that are repaired or replaced under the trunk highway bridge improvement program established in 2008. The bridge improvement program requires MnDOT to identify certain fracture-critical and structurally deficient bridges and prioritizes them for repair or replacement.

Who is affected by the issue?
Cyclists, walkers, motorists, and any other commuters who use the trunk highway bridges are affected by the issue. It also affects business owners and homeowners in close proximity to the bridges.

The people that may lose something from the inclusion of bicycle and pedestrian accommodation are business owners who may see a decrease in customers while bridges are under construction, homeowners who may experience an increase in traffic if detours during construction are necessary, and taxpayers who may see an increase in taxes.

Cyclists and pedestrians, however, can gain safer and more convenient transportation.

What are the consequences of the issue?
Improving bikeways and walkways will allow people to use these forms of transportation to get where they need (or want) to go in a safe and timely fashion. Families will be benefited if these accommodations enable a family member to get to work, and the option of alternate transportation may also free up a vehicle for a family member who needs it more. Society would experience a reduction in carbon emissions and other air pollutants because less cars would be on the road. Also, biking and walking are good means of exercise, and when a population increases its overall heath, a decrease in health care costs may be observed.

What is the economic impact of the issue?
The inclusion of bicycle and pedestrian accommodation is on bridges that will be repaired or replaced under the trunk highway bridge improvement program so no bridges will be redone solely for this purpose. Adding these accommodations, however, could cost between $500,000 and $6 million per bridge. Taxpayers and city and state budgets would most likely bear these costs.

On the other hand, people who can bike or walk will have decreased costs associated with vehicle maintenance and gas or other forms of transportation. Also, less emergency medical care will be needed to respond to accidents. Construction companies will have an increase in projects which can prevent layoffs.

What is the social impact of the issue?
Bridges under construction can be a pain because alternative routes become necessary. Businesses may suffer if it is inconvenient for consumers to get to them. Also, neighborhoods may see an increase in traffic (and the resulting noise and air pollution) if the traffic is routed through them.

Social benefits include less bicycle-automobile and pedestrian-automobile accidents. More individuals would be able to bike and walk for recreation, and the proposed bicycle and pedestrian accommodations would meet the accessibility requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

What are the barriers?
Major barriers include the bill being dropped from consideration and the large costs associated with redoing infrastructure. The first barrier can be overcome by encouraging congresspersons to vote yes on this bill. The second one is a little more involved, but adjusting state and city budgets and putting higher taxes on corporations could help provide funding.

What are the resources?
The resources needed to address this issue include an increased awareness among the general population and money for the construction and repairs. Citizens can be made aware of the issue through tactics such as billboards, newspaper letters to the editor, and radio PSAs. The concerned citizens can then be encouraged to persuade their representatives to vote yes on this issue. Additional funding may be tapped from grants from organizations such as the Bikes Belong Foundation. Also, the U.S. Department of Transportation - Federal Highway Administration may have funds set aside for such purposes.

What is the history of this issue?
MnDOT already incorporates bicycle and pedestrian facilities, but this bill would ensure it happens with all qualifying bridges.

Existing state statutes relating to this issue include:

Minnesota Statues, Chapter 174, Minnesota Transportation Goals:

• Promote and increase bicycling as an energy-efficient, non-polluting and healthful transportation alternative.
• Provide safe transportation to users throughout the state.
• Provide multimodal and inter-modal transportation that enhances mobility, economic development, and provides access to all persons...
• Increase transit use in the urban areas by giving highest priority to the transportation modes with the greatest people moving capacity.
• Ensure that the planning and implementation of all modes of transportation are consistent with the environment and energy goals of the state.

Minnesota Statues, Chapter 160.264: Replacing Bikeways and Pedestrian Ways

Whenever an existing bikeway, pedestrian way, or roadway used by bicycles or pedestrians, or the sole access to such is destroyed by any new, reconstructed, or relocated federal, state, or local highway, the road authority responsible shall replace the destroyed facility or access with a comparable facility or access. Replacement is not required where it would be contrary to public safety or when sparsity of population, other available ways, or other factors indicate an absence of need for such facility or access.

Minnesota Statues, Chapter 160.265

The commissioner shall establish a program for the development of bikeways primarily on existing road rights of way.

Allies and Opponents
Possible supporters of this issue include bikers, pedestrians, and hospitals. Formal groups that would be in favor of this bill include the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Bicycle and Pedestrian Program, the League of American Bicyclists, and the State Nonmotorized Transportation Committee (LINK).

Possible opponents of this issue include business owners and homeowners that would be affected by the bridge construction and any citizen concerned about tax increases.

My Recommendation
I want Rep. Thomas Huntley to vote YES on this issue!

(Sources:

http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/sessionweekly/art.asp?ls_year=86&issueid_=39&storyid=1186&year_=2009

http://www.dot.state.mn.us/bike/bikepolicy.html)

Share and Voice: Thanks!

Dave Vadnais, the manager of Kenwood SuperOne Foods here in Duluth, recently donated reuseable bags for everyone in our Environmental Health class!

Dr. V. encouraged us all to stop in and personally thank him for his generous gift. I had to pick up some groceries this evening so I went to that store and was actually able to thank Dave myself. He said that multiple people from our class have already spoken to him and he really enjoys knowing that his gift is being appreciated.

In class today we took a group picture and all signed a paper bag from SuperOne which will be given to Dave as well. Great idea, Heather! (And Shar? I apologize if I'm forgetting to give someone credit for the idea... I don't remember who was all in on it. Oops!)

Good job everyone!

Also, thank you Dr. V. for telling him about our class!

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.)

Advocacy Project: Healthy People/THOMAS

Healthy People 2010 Objective

22-15. Increase the proportion of trips made by bicycling.

22-15a. Adults aged 18 years and older
Trips of 5 miles or less
1995 Baseline: .6%
2010 Target: 2.0%

22-15b. Children and adolescents aged 5 to 15 years
Trips to school of 2 miles or less
1995 Baseline: 2.4%
2010 Target: 5.0%





Progress Toward Healthy People 2010 Targets
At the time of the Midcourse Review, trend data were not available for both 22-15a and 22-15b. However, according to the website, data sources were identified for these objectives, and data to assess progress are anticipated by the end of the decade.


Progress Toward Elimination of Health Disparities
There were no observed changes in disparity.

Race and Ethnicity table: Data not available.

Gender, Education, Location and Disability table: 22-15a. Best group rate included people in the categories of male, less than high school, at least some college, and urban or metropolitan. 22-15b. Best group rate included people in the categories of male and urban or metropolitan. In both subobjectives, disparity from the best group rate was less than 10% or not statistically significant, or else data was not available.

Opportunities and Challenges
The convenience of automobiles in combination with lack of bikeways has led to a decrease in bicycling as a main mode of transportation. With the increase in gas prices over the last few years, however, more people have turned to alternate transportation such as biking. Awareness of air pollution and the affect of vehicles on global warming may also be motivation for people to bike. In addition, some cities offer citizens the opportunity to put their bikes on the city bus in order to combine the two modes of transportation.

Unfortunately, access to safe bikeways is a major concern for cyclists, especially in metropolitan areas. Lack of money to update roads with adequate bike lanes is a challenge for many cities. Also, some businesses and stores do not provide a place (such as a bike rack) for cyclists to lock up their bikes.


Emerging Issues
According to the Healthy People website, opportunities for physical activity through environmental and policy interventions is an emerging priority for public health. This includes increasing access to walking and biking trails and recreational facilities. By raising awareness of this issue, hopefully more suitable facilities will be created and individuals will be able to utilize bicycling as a safe mode of transportation.



A Related Bill in the Minnesota State Legislature

HF1705

Title: Bicycle and pedestrian accommodation inclusion required as part of trunk highway bridge improvement program.

Sponsor: Rep. Frank Hornstein [District: 60B] (introduced 3/16/2009)
Cosponsors: Hausman, Lieder, Nelson, McFarlane, Loeffler, Kahn

Latest Major Actions: 4/2/2009 Division action, to pass as amended and return to Finance; 4/6/2009 Author added (Kahn)
Status: In House for Legislative Session 86

My Political Representative: Representative Thomas Huntley

Recommended Action: Vote YES for HF1705 to require bicycle and pedestrian accommodation as part of the trunk highway bridge improvement program.