Reflection: Weeks 1-7

The first half of this class has taught me so much and really gotten me invested in issues happening in our environment.  I think the topics concerning food production and distribution have shocked me the most, and really made me think about my choices.
Watching the documentaries Fresh and The Future of Food might have been my favorite parts so far, along with the discussions that followed each.  The things I learn and the questions they raised stuck with me for hours after I left class.  I even called my best friend after "The Future of Food" and rambled about GM food for a while!

Also, the Huna principles we've been learning about have been very cool.  I've enjoyed all of them, but one has really stood out so far.  The first one we discussed, Ike: The world is what you think it is.  I've caught myself telling others about it, and also repeating it to myself.  This semester, mostly month of October, has presented me with a lot of challenges and opportunities to grow - ones that were scary and totally out of my comfort zone.  I usually try to be a positive person, but sometimes it's hard when it comes to my own problems or road blocks.  It's easy to help a friend or family member see the positives in their issues or situations, but much harder for yourself.  This concept of 'making the world what I want it to be' has opened even another door in that positivity I'm trying to apply to my life.

I'm excited to keep learning about our environment, making changes in my life, and doing the junk project!

Eye Opener: Junk on the Brain

1. Defining the following terms:

• antiques/antiquing (found through a Google search of "define antiques" and "define antiquing" - definition is the first listing):
• Verb: Make (something) resemble an antique by artificial means. 
• Noun: A collectible object such as a piece of furniture or work of art that has a high value because of its considerable age.
• And antiquing is shopping in stores where antiques are sold.
• junk/junking (found through the same Google process):
• Noun: Old or discarded articles that are considered useless or of little value. A flat-bottomed sailing vessel typical in China and the East Indies, with a prominent stem, a high stern, and lugsails. 
• Verb: Discard or abandon unceremoniously.
• Also a funnier, more "hip" definition found here at Urban Dictionary
• Junking is defined as "Discard or abandon unceremoniously."  
• flea market:
• A flea market is a place where used or second-hand items are sold or traded. It can indoors, outdoors, big or small. Often includes food stands. 
• thrift shop:
• Savers is an example
• A place to find used, donated items such as clothes and household supplies. 
• A definition offered here
• upcycling:

• "Upcycling is the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value." found here
• Popular with crafters (like me!)
• Turning something you would normally throw out into something new!
• resale shop:
• "A charity shop, thrift shop, thrift store, hospice shop (U.S., Canada), resale shop (when not meaning consignment shop [U.S.]) or op shop (Australia/N.Z.) (from "opportunity shop") is a retail establishment operated by a charitable organization for the purpose of fundraising." -what came up when I Googled "define resale shop"
• Another site said that any shop that sells gently-used goods are resale shops.

Part 2:

1. The above terms have a lot to do with environmental health! They are all about saving things from ending up in dumps and polluting our planet. Instead, using them for new things! Reduce, REUSE, Recycle!
2. Local Resources:
1. Antiques: (for some reason I can't get the above picture to follow the "antiques"....). A quick Google search for "antique shops in duluth mn" produced all of those results! 
2. Junk: Sweet Salvage - Buffalo, MN. Found here.
3. Flea Market: Flea Portal lists different flea markets happening near Duluth.
4. Thrift Shop: I love shopping at Value Village
5. Upcycling: Sewing old clothes at Do It Green Minnesota
6. Resale: Turn Style consignment shops.
3. I do reuse and recycle things! I love to craft, and a lot of times that includes using stuff I already have. I love making mittens out of old sweaters I get for cheap at Savers. I've also made a wreath from an old sweater. Usually re-using things is a lot more budget friendly too, which is helpful to a college student like me!

Part 3:

1. Junk Market
1. A sign about wine. Honestly, I love wine. And I love funny little signs. Looks easy enough..
2. A "junkmarket bride". I'm that classic girl who has been dreaming of her wedding for years, even though it's years away. I like unique and budget-friendly ideas.
3. AWESOME - for sure going into my future yard!! Looks so comfy and fun and relaxing :)

Lifestyle Change Week 5: Final Review

My SMART goal: I will read/watch 2 environmentally related articles/videos each week. They will be from a variety of reliable sources.


This week, something that helped me be successful was getting my National Geographic Magazine in the mail.
But, something that made it more difficult was being super busy with school, so it was easy to push this to the back burner compared to some other things I had to get done. It was a crazy, crazy week!

What I learned #1:
This one was a little smaller scale than some past posts, but still very dear to my heart in a way: cranberries.

Haha, kind of gross looking (shaped like the can it came from), but I love, love, love cranberry sauce. And with Thanksgiving quickly approaching, it's been on my mind!
In the most recent issue of National Geographic (November 2011) that showed up in my mail box, there was a short article titled "Cranberry Nation".
A few quick things I learned:

• It wasn't a Thanksgiving staple until the 19th century
• It is a US native (along with blueberries and pawpaws)
• They are healthy! Good for urinary tracts and possibly for preventing cancer!
• Wisconsin produces more than any other state (18,000 acres) - glad we live so close!!

Short but sweet. Now my mouth is watering, so I move on to the next subject.

What I learned #2:

Well,  I sort of failed my goal in this aspect - I didn't get my articles from different sources this week. But, they were very different subjects. Plus, magazines are meant to be read all the way through. 

The second article I read was titled, "This Baby May Well Live to 100". It caught my eye for two reasons: 1) That's old! So I wanted to know why, and 2) I recently attended a presentation, which told me that the generation growing up now will have shorter life expectancies than their parents. 

So, to summarize the article, it said that more than half of babies born in "wealthy nations" will someday be centenarians. The author touches on the gap between life length in industrialized countries, compared to places like sub-Saharan Africa (life expectancy of 53 years). 

Longer lives are due to things like earlier diagnoses of disease and more access to buildings (handicap parking/ramps).

They close with a few tips if you want to live to be 100: be a woman, don't smoke, have money and don't become overweight. 

Secondly, I was intrigued by the contradicting information I had been given. 

I took this screenshot of the quote, which can be found here on the Alliance for a Healthier Generation website. 

I plan on looking into this some more, and I'm sure there are many factors to consider for both statements.

Review:

Yes, my goal did change slightly. Right away I decided to do only 2 news reports instead of 3. I realized that 3 might be just a bit too much, and I didn't want to get caught up in having to meet a number, instead of really learning from what I was reading or watching.

Things that helped me be successful included a magazine subscription, Facebook friends who partake in current events, and Google. There were a lot of big things that happened while I was posting, so it was easy to find topics most of the time. And the huuuuge amount of information available online was great. In the future, I think without a specific number to meet, I'll probably just keep up-to-date on topics that interest me, which might be easier.

I learned a lot! Too much to summarize here. But, what I learned about myself is that I DO like news, even when it's not all happy. It is very important to know what it happening in this world I live in. 

I hope others benefited by reading my posts. Education is important - without it people don't care, or don't know how to change or help. If even one of my posts helped someone spread information or make a lifestyle change of their own, then I had an impact. 

YES I will for sure continue this change. 

Advice to others who want to make a lifestyle change:

Make sure you want to do it. And if you need to make adjustments along the way, that is perfectly okay. Don't base your change off of what someone else has changed for themselves, because everyone is different. And, have fun with it - no matter what it is!: if you want to use rags instead of paper towels, find fun colors! If you want to eat healthier, look up exciting new recipes! Or, if you want to keep up with news, read thing that get your attention and tug at your heart-strings.

Lifestyle Change Week 4: Weekly Update

My SMART goal: I will read/watch 2 environmentally related articles/videos each week. They will be from a variety of reliable sources.


I think I was successful again this week, but wish I would have done more reading/watching just for my own education - there is so much happening right now!
Something that helped me be successful was the huge amount of articles, pictures, videos, tweets etc. popping up everywhere about the Occupy protests and also about Gilad Shalit. Since I covered the Occupy topic last week, I chose to look more into Shalit.
Some challenges are sometimes not having reliable sources, or bias sources, especially on topics that I don't know much about.
Feelings I experienced were typical of most world news: frustration, sadness, shock, happiness, confusion, curiosity...

What I learned #1:
So I hadn't really heard of this man previous to this (which is a perfect example of why I need this lifestyle change!). I started with a few brief statuses from friend's on Facebook, most following the lines of "Welcome home Gilad!!". Then, on the MSN.com homepage, I watched this quick video. Then the first article to come up from a Google search was titled: "Gilad Shalit returns: One Israeli for 1,027 Palestinians?", so I read on. I was hoping for a little more history on the subject, but I was very intrigued by the numbers - that is quite a trade!
To get more background, I read this article which gives some information on Gilad's capture (along with others) and the wars between the two countries.
It's all very sad, but thankfully he is on his way home. The exchange has sparked a lot of criticism and fear from Israelis. I plan to stay updated on this, and hope that the death and war will come to an end.

This is Gilad Shalit. He is talking to his family on the phone after his release. His family was not updated on his conditions during his five years captive.









What I learned #2: 
Earlier this week I read this article, about the world's population nearing 7 billion! Holy Hannah.. that's a lot of people. The extremes are interesting: one man they interview has two wives and fourteen children (more to come), while other countries place limits on the number you can have. This article says that most of the growth will happen in Africa, which is already pressed for resources. Clearly, family-planning programs are needed in many places around the world.
"'Extreme poverty and large families tend to reinforce each other,' says Lester Brown, the environmental analyst who heads the Earth Policy Institute in Washington". Parents want to be taken care of in old age, and while more children means more mouths to feed, it also means more workers to bring in the bacon.




Bonus: In searching, I came across this article! Since we watched the video in class, I thought I'd provide you guys with the story.


Also just wanted to post this photo from a friend's Facebook:

I think what is happening right now is amazing in many ways. It is something that my kids will ask me about in the future, and I want to be able to tell them about it. There are a lot of supports and critics of the movement, each with some valid points, but I am really rooting for the 99%. I hope we can make positive changes. 

Eye Opener: Environmental Working Group

Right away I was interested in how this eye opener would turn out. So, I went to this site, and thought of a cosmetic item I use a lot. I don't wear a lot of makeup or really do much to my face/skin, but I do wear Maybelline Colossal Volume Express mascara every day. So I searched that, to no results. So I moved on to the next thing I wear often but not always: Loreal Paris True Match foundation/cover-up. This did have results, but none of them have very much information. But, I clicked on the one closest to what I use and looked at the results. Here they are. It scored a 4 (I assume out of 10), which isn't terrible, but the data is also limited. Some the high concerns were: Endocrine disruption, Persistence and bioaccumulation, Multiple, additive exposure sources, Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs), Contamination concerns. Most of these just sound scientific and scary to me, so I wish they would explain what they mean.

Overall, it doesn't change my opinion/use of this product. If it had a high rating/warning and more data I would probably look into research on it more, but for this one I don't think I will.

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 3: Weekly Update

My SMART goal: I will read/watch 2 environmentally related articles/videos each week. They will be from a variety of reliable sources.


I think I was successful in my goal this week. This time I had two topics in mind that I wanted to look up, instead of just looking around until something caught my interest.
Something that helped me be successful for my first topic was that it is currently happening, so there is a lot of information out there for it.
My feelings fluctuated depending on what I was reading, but my feelings about my change are positive. I'm excited to be more "in-the-loop" on current, past and future topics that could be effecting me or people I know.

What I learned #1:


I've been hearing a lot about "Occupy Wallstreet" in the past few days - a few high school friends are there protesting for the week, and a couple others are participating in OccupyMN. So I started a Google search for Occupy Wallstreet first, since that seemed to be the main event.

First, just so I knew what it was, I went here.
Then, I read a couple articles about what has been happening, from different sources and different views.

This started on September 17th, and is currently in day 26.
The basic jist is that people are occupying Manhattan's Zuccotti Park in peaceful protest, pushing for a separation of money and government. What started as an idea by an activist group spread across the country, and is happening all over (including Minneapolis, MN).
The continuous message I saw was "We are the 99%" - this is saying that we are the majority, and in this case, we don't have the money or the power. One author, Demetria Irwin, wonders in her Huff Post article (here) if this is America's revolution - following Egypt and other countries this year. She mentions a poll taken, who's results revealed that the majority of the protesters are twenty-somethings:  "they aren't anti-capitalism, but they are anti-getting run over by policies that favor the wealthiest one percent" -Demetria Irwin.

There is a ton more information and topics - from police brutality to Millionaire March - and I plan to keep up-to-date on the subject. It is current, ongoing and constantly changing, and more importantly, it is effecting us right now. Personally, I think it's a great movement, and I hope some peaceful and intelligent changes can sprout from it. Here is the movement's official website if you want to read more and continue to know what is happening. Also this site is good.


What I learned #2:


So after watching the video "The Future of Food" in class on Monday, I was very disgusted and freaked out by genetically modified organisms (GMOs). This page from the World Health Organization gives a short definition of GM foods, along with some frequently asked questions about them.
I had heard of GM foods before, but didn't know much about them, how they were created, or what awful things their "owners" are doing to small farmers. In brief, genetically changing a plant to that it doesn't die as easily, or produces more food sounds great! But what most people don't know (including me until Monday) is how they make that happen. As I found out in the video, a common practice is to use viruses and bacteria as hosts to insert a new gene into a cell. I don't know about you, but I typically try to keep viruses and bacteria out of my body. They also mention that these new species are often tagged with "antibiotic resistance genes" so they can be followed later. This raises the question of the possibility of those genes transferring to the people who eat them, thus making them more resistant to some antibiotics.
To make matters worse, GM foods do more require labeling. So when you go to the grocery store and buy a tomato or corn flakes, you have no way of knowing if it was grown from something genetically modified.
I personally plan on starting a new, non-class related lifestyle change by trying my best to reduce my GM food intake (shopping at co-ops, looking for foods labeled as "not GM", buying local).

Eye Opener: CSPI

I chose to do the Eating Green Calculator for this assignment. I was interested first of all to find out my estimated impact, but also about how I could improve my diet. It was a little difficult to enter my weekly servings of each food (beef, chicken, eggs, milk...) since it usually varies from week-to-week. So I tried to kind of enter servings on average (I put zero servings for eggs since I rarely use them - it doesn't mean I never do).
I think I'm happy with my impact, however it is hard to tell what is "good". I also liked that they provided the nutritional information!
Then I clicked on the tab to learn how to improve my diet AND protect the environment: I didn't change much. Since I had already entered such small amounts of servings, it was hard to reduce them by much without totally replacing them - and I don't want to go vegetarian. I think, for me personally at least, getting some meat and dairy during the week is important. It helps me feel healthier, gives me protein, and aids me in making other healthy food options (milk in my oatmeal).
I did not take the pledge, because I think that I am already doing good on my animal product levels.

In summary, I do think it is important to be conscious of the amount of animal products you eat, but I think it is even more important to consider where you get them/how they are raised. A large majority of the beef I make at home comes from my boyfriend's uncle who raises cows in Michigan. And when I buy chicken I try my best to buy local if available, and free-range. This calculator doesn't take any of that into account when giving you your results.