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. 

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).

Lifestyle Change Update: Week 2

My SMART goal: I will read/watch 2 environmentally related articles/videos each week. They will be from a variety of reliable sources.
It was a little tough to remember about doing my goal, or to find the time when I could just sit down and look-up and read. But once I did, I got pretty into it, and almost excited about finding more. Next week I will probably do the same thing, except maybe a little earlier in the week. Also, I did modify my change a little - I went from 3 articles/videos down to 2. I wanted to make sure that I would meet my goal, and then if I do go beyond that.. Great!

What I learned:


This week, I started off by reading this article that I found on MSN.com.

The title is: "Cantaloup toll rises to 100 sick and 18 dead, CDC says"
I'd heard just a little bit about this subject previously, and then it was brought up in a conversation with a fellow student on Monday, so I decided to get more educated about what was happening.

The sicknesses and deaths are being caused by a listeria outbreak in contaminated cantaloupes, and has spread to 20 states - the cause of contamination is still unknown.  300,000 cases of whole fruits were recalled on September 14th, but people can become sick with listeria weeks or even months after coming in contact with it, says the article.

The thing that really struck my heartstrings: "Two of the victims in the outbreak are pregnant, and the outcome of the pregnancies is being monitored."
In the linked webpage above with the definition and information about listeria says that the elderly, pregnant women, and newborns are the most effected...

It is very scary to think that any food we buy from a store could harm us.  I know I rarely, if ever, think twice about the fresh or packaged foods I purchase - beyond the obvious warning signs.  This outbreak is a perfect example of why I am choosing this goal for my lifestyle change.  Granted, I don't eat cantaloup, but it would be very important information to know about if I did, or if someone I know had purchased it recently.


What else I learned:


My friend Ethan "liked" this video on his Facebook, and it popped up on my home feed.
How AWESOME!! Such a cool idea, so much fun, and all around the world! I was sad when I quickly realized that I'd missed the day, but went to http://moving-planet.org/ to learn more about the movement.
On the "What is 350?" page, they explain that scientists say that is the parts per million of carbon dioxide (a main greenhouse gas) we need to get to.

What I thought was possibly the coolest thing, is that this organization is working to change personal lifestyles - very important - but also working hard to make policy makers, governments etc. to change their ways and get on board also. Without those people on our side and working for change too, not much will get done, or at least not fast enough.

The whole site has a lot more information, much of which I intend to explore on a later date. I also noticed a feed of "Latest Updates", which I might be able to use for more Lifestyle Change posts!

My SMART Goal

I have chosen to educate myself about current and historical environmental issues each week, and will do this by implementing my SMART goal:

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


This goal is eco-chic because it is all related to our environment and what is happening in, on and around it.
I chose this as my goal because I thought it would be a little too easy for me just to recycle or use less water when I do the dishes, and those wouldn't keep me engaged. Getting educated is important to me because I think it is the main starting point for any change, and if I want to be able to help people and our environment, I need to know what is going on. In the past I haven't been very good about staying up-to-date on news.


I am going to begin this goal today by choosing and reading an article from the National Geographic magazine that I subscribe to, when I get home.
(I will update my blog later about said article, but it might be after 5 since I am currently on campus.) 


*The article: "Water-cooled Nuclear Power Plants Aren't the Only Option" (National Geographic Magazine, October 2011)*

This article caught my eye because since taking Aspects of Chemistry last semester, I have been more "pro-nuclear". We learned about nuclear power, how it works, it's possible benefits and it's negatives. Unfortunately, the media builds nuclear power up into something very threatening and scary, which it has the potential to be, but with newer and newer technologies being developed, it might be our best option for the future.
Most nuclear power plants today are used with fuel rods of uranium, which are split and produce huge amounts of energy. We control these reactions so that they can only react to a certain point - a point to give us energy, but not a meltdown (normally). But of course, we're human, and we make mistakes - but a mistake of over-heating a power plant can be lethal and explosive, like we saw in Japan recently.
This "new generation of nuclear plants" can't overheat, claims the article. Instead of uranium fuel rods and water, it's uses "pebbles" of of uranium bits dispersed amongst graphite, and helium. Graphite acts as a mediator to the uranium, and helium - which is inert unlike water - is the coolant.
The article quotes Andrew Kadak of MIT, who visited a prototype of these reactors four years ago in China. When the workers turned off the cooling system, it naturally shut down - "It was incredible. Especially in light of Fukushima, this is a reactor that doesn't melt down."
It does mention that waste is still a problem with these pebble-bed reactors, along with fuel storage.

"Typical" uranium fuel pellets

Fuel pebbles in the new technology

Welcome to Sea-Air-Ahh!

(from my plane - leaving San Diego, California)

My name is Sierra, and I am creating this blog in the hopes of educating myself, and others, about the wide world we live in - and to pass my class ;)

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

1. Advocacy Project
2. Eye Openers
3. Reflections
4. Lifestyle Change
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. Lindsay@Lindsay's Loving Land
2. Chnice@Eco Summit With Chnice
3. Duzong@Duzong's Treehouse
4. Dr. V/Kristen@Eco-Surfing With Amy and Kristen

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Thank you for visiting, and I hope you will return regularly to learn, watch, read, laugh, and share about our beautiful environment - from sea to sky!

(Lake Superior)