Reflection: Weeks 8-14

I can't believe the semester is already over!  Time has flown by.  I have to say I found the last half of the semester just as interesting as the first half.  

I found the second half of this semester to be much more hands on, which I think made me enjoy this half better!  I loved seeing everyone's creativity come to life by re-creating something from what most would call "junk".  Here's my junking project below: cutting up old t-shirts and making them into headbands! If you click here, you can check out a site that gives you some directions to follow.  You basically just need to cut up a t-shirt and be creative!  You can braid it, make strips, create flowers, or mix everything to make one masterpiece!  My next task is to create a scarf or two over break!

Now, I need to make note of how I came across this tutorial.  I have recently joined Pinterest, a website created for people who want to search for just about ANYTHING.  You can look up recipes, clothing, wedding ideas, and obviously Do It Yourself crafts.  There are tons of different DIY crafts that relate to reusing "junk" to create something!  Check it out!

Aside from our junking project,  I think the second best part of these weeks was visiting Goodwill.  I have always been a fan of shopping at Goodwill for little nik-naks or some comfy "lounge" sweatshirts, but going behind the scenes at the store really opened my eyes.  I never knew the purpose of Goodwill and how they offer so many opportunities for people who may have trouble finding a job based on their mental status, age, or past.  It was so cool to see all the donated items sorted throughout the enormous warehouse.  I really enjoyed the mattress contraption-what a cool concept!  Seeing all those mattresses in the warehouse and thinking of how they would have ended up in a landfill is just shocking.  I'm very glad Goodwill takes the time and gives us the choice of giving them our old mattresses, rather than dumping them.  

I loved "The Story of Stuff" movie!  This movie (along with other "Story of" ones) are a great way to get the point across of environmental issues our country faces.  These movies could be shown to middle school students all the way up to adults.  It's definitely eye opening, interesting, and it even throws a little humor in!  I actually heard of these movies before this class because I used "The Story of Bottled Water" for another class I had to present in.  It was a great way to explain the issue of bottled water and how it is becoming a growing problem for America.

I also thoroughly enjoyed doing the Share 'N' Voice posts over the past few weeks!  It was cool to be able to share something I found interesting with the rest of the class.  I also liked that it was easy to access everyone's Share 'N' Voice by linking them all in one place!  I got to share some awesome things like the book Hot, Flat, and Crowded, the film "Forks Over Knives", and discuss the never ending parking issues at UMD and how this affects other transportation routes like the DTA.  

The Advocacy Project was a little more difficult to accomplish over the weeks, but it definitely taught me a lot.  As I focused on a bill for cleaner Great Lakes through regulation, I realized how advocacy works and what it takes to advocate for something you strongly believe in.  I never really knew who my local representatives were (unless I heard here and there on the local television), so it was nice to be able to recognize who they are and how I can contact them. 

What a great semester it has been!  I can see there has been some change in my views and way of life, whether I try to eat more vegetables or attempt at recreating something out of "junk".  This class has most definitely opened my eyes to a new world of ideas concerning our environment.  I can most definitely say I have transformed my environmental thinking into the operational stage of learning, where I myself have the ability to do something about an issue.  I hope to keep all my new habits throughout my life because they will ultimately help the environment and make me a better person!

Share 'N' Voice: UMD Parking and Transportation

After reading some of Lindsay's advocacy projects concerning using other means of transportation to reduce air pollution, it made me think about how transportation is handled around campuses like UMD.

I live at Boulder Ridge Apartments on Rice Lake Road near UMD.  The reason why I decided to live here is because they have a separate shuttle created for Boulder Ridge/Campus Park students to use.  They also have a bus stop for the DTA, so we can use this route of transportation, too.  I think it's a great way to travel to and from UMD since parking is so limited there.

While I love the fact that I reduce the amount of driving I do every week by taking the bus, I find it difficult to actually ride the bus sometimes.  Whether going to and from school, sometimes the bus is so packed, I'm surprised the bus drivers can even fit all the students on it!  I also have to deal with rushing to the bus after a class just so I can make it to the bus before it leaves (the bus will sometimes leave early if it is too full).

My question to you readers is this:  Do you think this is a problem to be concerned about?  Should Boulder Ridge provide more transportation for all the students needing to go to and from class?

Thinking about this topic is difficult to me.  On one side, we are eliminating the amount of vehicles being driven and air pollution by having just two shuttle buses every hour.  One the other hand, sometimes it gets so crowded that it sometimes is difficult to take the shuttle.

Another issue I always think about when it comes to driving vehicles and UMD parking is whether or not UMD should spend the money to create more parking spaces for students.  Should we have more spaces to provide even more cars the ability to park on campus?  Should we have more opportunities for students to ride the DTA or other shuttles so they don't have to drive to campus?  Or should we simply make those who drive "suffer" the difficulty of parking, paying for meters, or paying to park in the pay lot?

Let me know what you guys think!

Advocacy Project: Letter to Elected Official

December 12, 2011

To Congressman Chip Cravaak

U.S. House of Representatives

508 Cannon House Office Building

Washington, DC 20515

VOTE YES ON H.R. 425 Great Lakes Water Protection Act

I am writing this letter to encourage you to vote YES for the Great Lakes Water Protection Act so we can keep our Great Lakes healthy for wildlife and humans.  Water is a necessity for life, so we must do all we can to help protect our fresh water sources by regulating and monitoring the amount of pollution being put into the Great Lakes.

According to the EPA, 24 gallons of sewage pollution are getting into our Great Lakes every year.  This staggering amount needs to be reduced in order to ensure the Great Lakes will be sustainable for life.  Polluting our fresh water affects not only humans being unable to consume it, but it affects our wildlife that consume it or live in it.  Pollution can also affect the amount of recreational use of the Great Lakes.  If we can't keep our lakes clean, we have nowhere to sail, fish, swim, and enjoy.

I ask that you stand up for the local communities that use the Great Lakes as a water resource and vote YES on the H.R. 425 Great Lakes Water Protection Act.

Sincerely,

Niki Johnson

Share 'N' Voice: Hot, Flat, and Crowded

I never thought I would be interested in a book I read to a client of mine for me Personal Care Assistant job.  He is a to-be law school grad student who is interested in politics and law.  He is taking a class which requires him to read the book Hot, Flat, and Crowded, by Thomas L. Friedman, in which I read to him.  As I began to read him this book, I was quickly reminded of our class and how each aspect of the book relates to what we talk about:

• HOT:  Our world is showing climate change is becoming an urgent issue that needs to be addressed before it's too late.  This book describes this problem as global warming is Mother Nature's way to tell us to stop and slow down (relating to the factors that cause increased climate change).

• FLAT:  Globalization is taking over our world, and it's being taken over fast.  One example includes the huge problem of deforestation in third world countries for economic gains in our country.

• CROWDED:  Overpopulation is slowly making our world more difficult to maintain due to the increase needs for materials, food, shelter, water, and much more.

Friedman explains the major issues of our world and how our children will be affected by these issues if things are not changed soon.  He advocates for a cleaner, more efficient, more greener world.

I was surprised at how well this book was written!  He gets very imaginative and uses good examples to help create images as to what he tries to explain.  I recommend this book to anyone interested in understanding how our world is becoming hot, flat, and crowded.  It is an easy read and very informational!

Advocacy Project: Fact Sheet

What's the issue?  Who is affected by this?

Large bodies of water like the Great Lakes are suffering due to pollution.  This causes loss of fresh, clean water for all species and human use.



There are three different types of sources of pollution, according to Wikipedia:

Point-Source Pollution: Pollution that enters bodies of water directly.

Nonpoint-Source Pollution:  Pollution that enters bodies of water through runoffs, streets, streams, etc.  This is the hardest source of pollution to regulate and reduce.

Atmospheric Pollution:  Pollution that enters bodies of water through the sky, like smoke or debri from plants or buildings.



Some interesting facts from the EPA website concerning our Great Lakes:

-"Each year, 24 billion gallons of sewage pollution are dumped into the Great Lakes".

-"According to the EPA, during 2009, U.S. Great Lakes beaches had 3,300 days of closings and advisories.  Water quality monitoring showed that bacteria levels exceeded health and safety standards.  In many cases, the bacteria came from city pollution and under treated sewage".

-" Recreational swimmers using any of the Great Lakes are cautioned about exposure to chemical pollutants and disease-causing microorganisms from sources such as untreated and poorly treated sewage".

Eye Opener: Photo Essay

I had a hard time deciding what to do for my photo essay, but I was surprised to find out it was a lot easier to accomplish than I originally thought!  I decided to take some pictures of "stuff" at my grandparent's house over Thanksgiving.  My grandparents are avid rummage sale-ers, so they are always finding cool "junk" that people give away for practically no cost!  Some of the items they showed me were things I could re-purpose, and others were things they bought at the rummage sales that someone had already re-purposed them!  Check them out:

 

 I found these old decanters in their basement, which are used to store wine.  My grandma collects a lot of glassware like this, but she hardly uses them for any practical purpose.  I thought these could be a decorative vase for some flowers because of the great designs on the sides.  

 

My grandparents are pretty good on recycling, hence this giant bucket of crushed aluminum cans.  These were just lying in their basement, so I don't know if my grandpa was saving them or waiting to recycle them.  When I found them, I instantly thought of how you could make some pretty cool artwork with these, since they're all crushed up in perfect little circles.  It would be cool to make a pattern from the different colors around the sides and put it in some type of frame for artwork, or you could even make some kind of cool wind chime with them!

 Ever wonder how people used to iron those giant dresses and fancy outfits when they didn't have electricity or only had limited electricity?  Here's an old iron, which had to be used by placing over a fire so it could get hot enough to iron clothes.  My grandparents use these (they have a few of them) as doorstops or weights to hold something down.  I think they're pretty cool as decorations, too!

This was one of the items I found that was already re-purposed: a rock!  I thought it was pretty cool how whoever painted this was able to use the entire front half of the rock to create a fawn.  It's a great decoration!

 

These are my favorite antiques from their house!  Do you know what they used to be??  These glass objects used to be candy holders for children to buy at their local store.  The train is hollow from the bottom, and my grandma said people used to put little sprinkle-like candies inside it and place a piece of cardboard under it so they wouldn't fall out.  The donkey would carry its candy in the cart behind him. These are great to re-purpose because they are cute decorations by themselves, and you could still use them as candy holders today!

When my grandpa showed me this, he asked me what it was (this was before the box of matches was placed in it).  I thought it was some kind of bird feeder.. but it's actually an old match holder.  It even had slits on the side so you could keep the box in the container to strike the matches!  My grandparents said these usually weren't decorated so nicely, so they assumed someone else added the decorations.  Maybe the previous owner redecorated and didn't use it as a match holder?

This is probably my favorite antique/re-purposed item my grandparents have.  Can you guess what it used to be?  This used to be an old meat grinder (the handle part to grind the meat is hidden behind it).  The previous owner painted it and made little pockets on top of the "table" of the meat grinder to place matching salt and pepper shakers.  I thought this was definitely the most creative re-purposed item I've ever seen!

I think the most important thing I learned when doing this project is that you need to keep an open mind when trying to re-purpose things that seem like junk.  Once I got rolling on this project and found my first item, it seemed to be much easier because I began to get more creative in discovering these cool things!

Advocacy Project: Issue Overview

           

           The issue at hand is that water is becoming less of a necessity to sustain and keep fresh, and companies and people are polluting our waters.  This makes water unlivable for life in the water, like fish, and undrinkable for humans.  The Great Lakes are a huge source of freshwater for Americans that live near them, so we need to keep them fresh and safe for all life.  The legislation has been proposed to address this issue with the H.R.425 Great Lakes Water Protection Act, which is to “amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act to establish a deadline for restricting sewage dumping into the Great Lakes and to fund programs and activities for improving wastewater discharges into the Great Lakes”.

            Everyone is affected by the issue of polluting freshwater sources like the Great Lakes.  It may affect those living near the Great Lakes sooner than other Americans, but it would eventually affect everyone if the Great Lakes ever became too contaminated to use and drink.  This also obviously affects all the wildlife that may live in the Great Lakes or drink from them.  Life in the Great Lakes can grow tumors, become deformed, get sick, and even die.  Humans that consume life living in the Great Lakes can become sick with Persistant Organic Pollutants, too.  Children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems are affected the most.  We ultimately, as Americans and humans, lose a huge resource for freshwater if we keep polluting it.  The only thing anyone can “gain” from this issue is that large companies or people that are polluting them can “get rid” of the junk they are dumping in the lakes (1).

            The biggest consequences for people that live close to the Great Lakes is we would have to find other resources of drinking water and take that from somewhere else, which will affect the people we are taking from as well.  Losing such a large amount of freshwater would affect families because some may want to move away from their homes near one of the lakes, since the water is not safe to use.  As a society, it would affect the towns near the Great Lakes because, as I said before, we would need to find another source of safe water to us (1).

            Economic costs concerning pollution in the Great Lakes would be loss of commercial fishing, which causes problems for the fisher and the public.  There is less local fish available for the people to purchase, and fishermen are either limited to what they can catch or may not be able to fish at all depending on how much pollution there is.  There can be higher costs to treating the water to make it consumable for humans, and if there is a large spill of a harmful chemical or substance in the Great Lakes, it would cost a lot to clean that up.  The only people that “benefit” from the Great Lakes being polluted would be the companies.  These companies might not have to pay a large fee (if anything) to dump their waste into our lakes, streams, or anywhere else that the pollutants might someday reach our lakes, which makes it very desirable for them to do so (2).

            As for social impacts, this affects the public and their health.  People living near the Great Lakes may not be able to swim or do other activities in the lakes, and they might not be able to drink the water if it was polluted enough.  Higher health services would be needed if the pollutants became a health issue to humans, too.  In my opinion, no one socially “benefits” from the Great Lakes being polluted (2).

            The barrier of this issue is trying to monitor what goes into the Great Lakes and who puts it there.  In reality, anyone could just go up to Lake Superior and dump some sort of nasty chemical into it.  This makes it difficult to point the finger on who the exact culprit it.  One way this can be overcome is by enforcing the Great Lakes Water Protection Act.

            As for overcoming this water pollution problem, we (Great Lakes locals) can be the resources to help correct this issue.  There is a website I found that offers 12 great ways to help clean up our water.  Some of the tips include properly disposing of hazardous wastes, using natural fertilizers, and be an activist.  Being an activist is probably the best way to get new laws and regulations built for water pollution control (3).

            The Great Lakes becoming polluted is actually what caused the Great Lakes Water Quality Act and the Clean Water Act to come into action in the 1970’s.  Pollution became a huge issue in the summer of 1969 when the Cuyahoga River caught on fire due to the high pollution.  This river runs from Cleveland, Ohio, which makes its way to Lake Erie as well.  Although these two agreements have been put into order and water pollution has gone down since then, there is still pollution that exists in our Great Lakes (1). 

            I believe that all local residents in Duluth would approve of fixing this issue by voting “yes” for the Great Lakes Water Protection Act, as well as all the other local residents living near any of the Great Lakes.  The only people who I believe would be opposed to this issue would be any large factories or companies that are actively dumping their wastes into the Great Lakes.  I think the best way to get a “win-win” situation out of this issue is to get companies that are dumping waste into the lakes more aware of what they are doing to the Great Lakes.  Communities living around these lakes should become more aware of the issue, too.  I think creating better resources for companies and other people dumping waste into the Great Lakes would help the pollution problem.  If these people knew of a place where they can get rid of their waste without harming the environment, this would help the pollution problem immensely. 

            My recommendation is that everyone should vote “yes” for the Great Lakes Water Protection Act.  Tighter restrictions on water pollution control will benefit our communities and the Great Lakes.

Resources:

1) http://www.great-lakes.net/teach/pollution/water/water1.html

2) http://people.hofstra.edu/geotrans/eng/ch8en/conc8en/table_waterpollutionexternalities.html

3) http://www.nrdc.org/water/pollution/gsteps.asp

4) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clean_Water_Act

5) http://www.epa.gov/greatlakes/glwqa/usreport/part2.html

Share 'N' Voice Week 2: Forks Over Knives

I wouldn't expect Twitter to be a "resourceful" place, but I was surprised by a Tweet from Katy Perry that shared some great information that I now get to share on my blog.  Katy Perry, a vegetarian herself, Tweeted a post claiming that EVERYONE needed to watch the movie "Forks Over Knives".  Since I have Netflix, I searched for it.. and there it was!

This movie is definitely a "must watch", especially for those who don't think food have that large of an impact on their health.  This film begins by explaining all of the epidemics of chronic diseases that are occurring more and more in adults and even children.  Did you know the generation of children growing up right now are expected to NOT live as long as their parents?  

This film goes on to explain how all of the foods we consume correlate to potential health problems, risks, and diseases we may come across later on in life.  I thought it was funny to listen to all the people asked as to "why meat is an important part of our diet", and they responded "PROTEIN!"... how funny!  Sure, there's protein in chicken and other meats, but I find it sad that the average American does not understand protein is abundant in our green leafy foods!  

I already knew a lot of the information covered in this film, but it was just a good affirmation for my beliefs when it comes to what foods are best to eat and the consequences of eating poorly.  I always try and inform friends and family of these issues and how choosing the right foods will help us all in the long run.

One thing I really admired after watching this film is noticing the picture they used for the cover:  they have a fork as the best choice and they put a surgeon's knife at the bottom instead of (what I thought would have been) a steak knife.  I thought it was very clever of them to change the type of knife, since it sets the image that if you choose proper whole, organic, and green foods, you won't need to worrying about going "under the knife".

So if you have time (about an hour and a half), watch this film!  You won't be sorry!

Advocacy Project: Healthy People/THOMAS

Healthy People 2020 Objective: Surface and Groundwater Quality

EH-4: Increase the proportion of persons served by community water systems who receive a

supply of drinking water that meets the regulations of the Safe Drinking Water Act.

Target: 91 percent

Baseline: 89 percent of persons served by community water systems received a supply of drinking water that meets the regulations of the Safe Drinking Water Act in 2005.

H.R.425 Great Lakes Water Protection Act

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

Sponsor: Rep. Dold, Robert J. [IL-10] (introducted 1-25-2011)
Cosponsors: Rep. Lipinski, Daniel [IL-3] - (1-25-2011)

Lates Major Action: 1-26-11 Referred to House subcommittee.  Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment

Recommendation: Vote YES for H.R.425 Great Lakes Water Protection Act

My political representative: Rep. Chip Cravaack

Share 'N' Voice: Whole Foods Co-Op

Hey guys!  So we've talked about the Whole Foods Co-Op a lot in class, and it got me to thinking about sharing their website through my blog.  I'm sure a lot of you guys have already been there before or shop frequently, but I bet there are a few of you who maybe need this extra "shove" to get yourself to this awesome store!  This website offers lots of good information concerning local events, some coupons you can use at the store, and other general information.

For those of you who haven't been there before, it's in an easy-to-get-to location right downtown in Duluth:

610 East 4th Street

Duluth, MN 55805-2055

(218)-728-0884

The site is easy to read and lets the public know how important shopping at the Co-Op really is.  Buying foods from the Co-Op is like voting "yes" for locally grown/organic foods.  Frequent shoppers can even receive benefits by becoming a "member" of the Co-Op, which is explained more here.  

So, I suggest you all take a look at this site, even if you already shop there.. you might learn something new about the Co-Op!  I also encourage anyone who hasn't gone to this store to PLEASE visit it, it's worth looking around at.  Even if you try a couple of new things from there, I think you will be pleasantly surprised!

Advocacy Project: My Political Representative

I was asked to find some political representatives... here's what I found!


Barack Obama (President):
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
202-456-1111
website

Amy Klobuchar (Congressman):

U.S. Senate/Democrat

302 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20510

202-224-3244/202-228-2186

website

Al Franken (Congressman):

U.S. Senate/Democrat

309 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, DC 20500

202-224-5641

website

U.S. House/Republican

508 Cannon House Office Building

Washington, DC 20500

202-225-6211/202-225-0699

website

Mark Dayton (Governor):
Democrat
Office of the Governor
130 State Capitol
75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr Blvd
St. Paul, MN 55155
651-201-3400/651-797-1850
website

David J. Tomassoni (Senator):

100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
State Office Building, Room 21
St. Paul, MN 55155-1206
651.296.8017

website

Reflections 1-7

It's crazy that 7 weeks have already flown by!  I feel like this class has gone over a lot of what I have already learned, but this "information" became more apart of my lifestyle and beliefs, rather than just what I know.  I feel thankful to be apart of a academic program that discusses such essential information, and I think this class is something everyone should be taking.

Usually I hate taking classes where we have to make goals for ourselves and then try them out.  I always feel like I never get fully satisfied with my goal, but this class was different.  Even though my goal was as simple as adding more veggies to my diet by purchasing them from Whole Foods CoOp, I found it to be very beneficial and something I can accomplish after this class is over.  The Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change really taught me the ideas of what it is to have a goal and how to mold my daily lifestyle to make it manageable for my needs.

I enjoyed the interesting videos we watched, too.  I think my favorite video was "Tapped" because I recently had to do a project on the concerns of water bottle production and use.  Even though I had done a lot of research for my project, I really did learn a lot more in the video than I already knew.  I personally try my hardest to stay away from bottled products, water being a big "no-no".  I really liked the part of the video that discussed how water bottles have turned into the "baby bottle"of adults:  it's there to comfort us, to know we have something of our very own.  This made me laugh, but it is so true!  Our country is so concerned about their individual selves, which in turn, increases our bottled water consumption because so many people think "it's convenient, so it doesn't mater".

Another thing I enjoyed in this class was the outdoor activity where we "became one with the earth".  It is so relaxing when we can find time to just enjoy the simple things in life, like the wind, the sun, the grass, and the fall smells.  Even though I have done activities like this before, I think it was great to do it in our class to have people do it that may have never done it before.  This activity simply reminded me that I need to take a second or two each day and just enjoy what is around me and to wipe out the life stresses.

Lastly, I really enjoyed our "junking" session.  Learning to reuse and repurpose objects we have lying around the house is such a good idea!  The activity where we tried to find ways to repurpose objects from Dr. Nowak's house really opened my eyes to all of the possibilities that I can find in simple objects.  I enjoyed finding myself to be creative, even though I never considered myself to be.

I'm very eager to know what other awesome things we will be doing and learning in this class for the last half!  

Eye Opener: Junk on the Brain

Antique:  An old, collectable item due to its age, condition, or rareness.  Most define an antique by being at least 100 years old.

Junk:  Discarded material that can be reused in some way.  Some examples include old furniture scraps, rags, clothes, glass, and plastic bottles.

Flea Market:  This is where old or already used goods are swapped or bartered for.  There can be food vendors at flea markets, too.

Thrift Shop:  A place that sells already used items, where the profits will benefit charitable organizations.  Thrift shops mainly sell clothing.

Upcycling:  Converting waste materials into new products of better environmental value.

Resale Shop:  The act of selling something again.  A good example includes the store Plato's Closet, which buys secondhand clothing from people so they can resell them at a lesser cost.

These terms, some of which I did not know until I researched them, have a lot in common.. as well as a lot in common with environmental health.  These are all relatable because they all share the idea of reusing or buying what has already been bought, which is considered environmentally friendly.  If people never reused clothing, objects, or products, our world would have to put so much more effort into making and supplying more products.  All objects have a life, and most objects can be "transformed" or changed by others into something else to make it's life longer.

Antique Store: Father Time Antiques
395 S Lake Ave # 1
Duluth, MN 55802-2311(218) 625-2379


Junk Store:  Chesney Auto Salvage
6250 Beaver River Road
Duluth, MN 55803-9499(218) 721-4874


Flea Market:  Flea Portal (gives all different flea markets in MN)

Thrift Shop:  Ragstock (one of my favorite stores!!)
7 West Superior Street
Duluth, MN 55802-2029(218) 722-1201

Upcycling:  Christopher Lowell (different resources for finding upcycled furniture)

Resale Shop:  Plato's Closet
5115 Burning Tree Rd # 315C
Duluth, MN 55811-1876(218) 733-9455


I actually have gone to the local antique stores in Duluth because I think they are 
so interesting and fun to go to. I also sell and buy some things from Plato's Closet,
 and I shop at Ragstock when I'm around the downtown area. 


1) Antique/Upcycled Bracelet

I thought this piece of jewelry was so cute and creative!  I love antique jewelry because I think it has such a unique look to it, and it doesn't look like all the other "popular" jewelry that everyone has.

2) Globe Turned into Pumpkin

I thought this was a great idea to turn something into a festive decoration.  This caught my eye because I always hate spending money on decorations for holidays, but I love to be festive.  I want to try and follow this idea by using some old stuff I don't have and turning them into Christmas decorations :) . 

3) Truck turned into planter

What a cute idea!  This would be a great idea for parents who have old toys laying around from when their kids used to have them.  Instead of just throwing them away, turn them into art or something useful!  I love the idea and never would have thought of this!

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 5

http://www.mccormick.com/Recipes/Vegetables/Stir-Fry-Vegetables.aspx

I can't believe it's already the last week of the lifestyle change!  As always, my SMART goal was to increase my vegetable intake by eating 4 servings each day while purchasing organic foods in less packaging.  I think this past week was successful.  I managed to make some vegetable "stir fry" and, it was a great thing to have for lunch during the school days.  It was also easy to make!  I decided not to add any sauces or anything, so I just cooked my vegetables in a small amount of Pam Cooking Spray and some water, salt, and pepper.  I bought some vegetables from Whole Foods, too:  snow peas, red and green peppers, and cucumbers.  I also had some salads here and there.

I didn't really face any challenges this week aside from a common challenge:  just staying on track and making sure I keep up with my goal (which I did).  It felt good to have a solid week of no distractions, complications, or "excuses" for not being able to meet my goal.  I learned that even though I might have a rough day or week to deal with that might interfere with my goal, I can still accomplish it with determination.

Next week I plan to keep up with my goal by finding more recipes and and ideas to incorporate my vegetables into each day.

The Past 5 Weeks
As for the entire lifestyle change process, I didn't end up changing my goal.  I think I set my goal at a comfortable, yet challenging level, so that's why I never changed it.  The ways I was most successful was just by keeping a positive attitude and making sure I went out and actually bought the environmentally friendly veggies.  Challenges included running off course by going on vacation and poor time management skills during the school days.  This lifestyle change made me realize that I can succeed over these obstacles, I just have to get my mind set on overcoming them.

I benefited from this project not only from being environmentally friendly, but I increased my daily nutritious intake.  I learned that I can achieve a goal when I set my mind to it, and I learned it really isn't that difficult to eat more healthily (as long as you want to do something, you can do it).  As for my environment, I think it's what I make of it that benefited me in achieving my goal.  Even though I was on vacation for a bit, I still tried hard to make sure I ate lots of veggies.  Being is school was something I thought would be difficult, but I learned that I need to take charge of my environment to make my goal happen.  I think others benefited by seeing my lifestyle change, and I encouraged others to do the same as me.

I want to try and keep up with increasing my vegetable intake, but I don't think I want to strive for 4 servings every day.  Although it is great to get veggies in your diet, I like to eat things other than veggies, like meat and cheese.  I think as long as I keep an open mind with my diet and keep choosing veggies more often than I used to, I will be on a good track to becoming a healthier person.

If I had to recommend anything to someone choosing a lifestyle change like me, I would say they need to keep a positive attitude while making sure they manage their time appropriately.  Planning ahead when to buy food and make it helped me a lot in making sure I ate enough veggies to meet my goals.

Eye Opener: Environmental Working Group

I decided to look up the ChapStick brand chap stick I use because the "dry" season has just started, and I'm starting to use my chap stick ALL the time.  I use lots of different brands of chap sticks, but this is one that I think is a popular one among everyone.  I was surprised to see that the hazard number was as high as 6!

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

I guess what surprised me the most is just the fact that this is hazardous at a moderate level.  Chap stick is something almost everyone uses often or at least sometimes (especially in dry climates like our winters).  It makes me feel like I need to be more aware of what I am putting on my body, like lotion, makeup, nail polish, etc.  I began to look up more cosmetics I use, and most of them were either at level 6 or lower.  I am glad that I don't have any cosmetics that were higher than 6, but it still makes me more aware of what I choose to put on my skin.

As I said before, I use lots of different kinds of chap stick/lip balm.  I looked up another brand that I use, and it is much safer than the ChapStick brand.  It's called Eos Lip Balm, so I recommend you all try this kind!

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change: Week 4

As always, my SMART goal has been to eat 4 servings of vegetables daily.  I had better luck this week but a little struggle over the weekend.

This past week I decided to make a huge salad with lettuce (of course), tomatoes, cucumbers, olives, and carrots.  This helped me during the school days because I had a salad ready to go for lunch, and all I needed to pack was some salad dressing.  The lettuce, cucumbers, and carrots were from the organic section of the grocery store I went to, too.

Over the weekend, I had made a trip to the Wisconsin Dells for a dance convention.  This made reaching my goal a bit tricky to handle while I was gone.  Whenever we got food, I tried to incorporate some form of vegetable with my meal, whether it was ordering a salad, getting a side of vegetables, or sometimes I just couldn't get any.  I probably only got about 2 servings daily while I was gone.  I still think I did pretty good considering my circumstances, and I made the best choices I could while I was away.

This week made me think about how changing your setting (for example: me going on a mini-vacation) can temporarily alter your habits or lifestyle.  If you are set on a goal or lifestyle that you want to accomplish, you CAN do it, you just need to be smart about what you do, eat, or whatever it may be that concerns your lifestyle.  I learned that it is possible to keep up with a goal or try to, but you just have to put a little effort in.

Next week I plan to do as I have been: creating a planned out lunch for school and incorporating vegetables in meals whenever I can.

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 3

This past week was a little challenging for me time-wise.  With my SMART goal being to increase my vegetable intake by eating 4 servings daily, I ran into an issue with time management.  I still followed through with choosing more vegetables in my diet, but I had a few days where I simply did not have enough time to make anything for the entire week or time to get to the grocery store.  Luckily, I had lots of vegetables at home, but it made my week more challenging by only eating raw vegetables.  I ate lots of broccoli, carrots, celery, and I had an occasional salad with grape tomatoes and cucumbers.  All of these vegetables were even bought at Whole Foods (some were packaged, some not).  I still think I did a good job at keeping up with my goal, but I feel like this past week wasn't as "fun" as what it could have been like the previous week.

I think the one thing I learned this week is that I personally need to plan out how I will bring vegetables into my meals.  I feel like this week was a lot tougher to get through because I didn't have a set dish for the week.

I plan to find another fun and easy recipe for this week so I can keep the excitement in eating fruits and vegetables.

Eye Opener: CSPI

Here are my results from taking the Score Your Diet quiz:

My best numbers were from eating lots of vegetables and nuts, as well as eating lots of fruits.  I enjoy eating vegetables, especially fruits.  I like to eat a variety of nuts from Whole Foods as snacks while I'm at school.  I scored lowest on my cheese and beef/chicken intake.  I was surprised these lowered my grand total so much because I really didn't think I ate that much animal product.  I knew the cheese would lower my score because I LOVE cheese.  

I would say I need the most help in my health and animal welfare because of the dairy I eat.  Dairy should be consumed sparingly, but I do try and eat low fat or fat free options.  I will try and eat less cheese and try and not to eat so much animal product!

Overall, these quizzes and informational websites opened my eyes to what I consumer compared to what I should consume.  I think I am better with my choice in foods than some people, and I didn't think my scores would be so undermining.  I am still willing to take charge of my habits and try to strive to eat organic greens and fruits as much as possible to help me with my health and the environment.

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2

A week has gone by since I started my Lifestyle Change, and I think I am slowly but surely making progress!  My SMART goal was to increase my vegetable intake by 4 servings daily and to try and choose vegetables that are organic and/or not prepackaged.

I achieved my SMART goal by simply adding bits of vegetables to the "normal" things I eat.  I kept my usual diet the same and didn't necessarily cut back on certain foods, but I figured out that I could integrate vegetables into my meals.  This way, I'm trying new things and having fun about it.. I'm not just eating plain old vegetables and nothing else!

One disadvantage to this goal is trying to always have a fresh and bountiful amount of different vegetables.  I am a very busy person, so I'm not usually home a lot to make meals.  This made it difficult to find ways to put vegetables in my diet and to keep my vegetables from going bad.  One thing I did to try and solve this problem was I made a large batch of a meal that I could take to school with me and eat.  I LOVE pasta salad and making homemade dressings, so I decided to make a large batch of it.  I usually always incorporate tomatoes, olives, and cucumbers into my dish.  I decided to use less pasta and added more vegetables like green peppers and broccoli to the pasta salad.  It's an easy dish to make (if you have patience to cut up the vegetables) and it tastes awesome.  Below is a picture of what my pasta salad kind of looked like, and you can find the recipe by clicking on the picture! (I don't usually follow the recipes for the salad because you can make it however you want!  If you like "italian" tasting dressing, follow this dressing recipe!)

So, I guess you can say I learned how to be creative with my Lifestyle Change.  I plan to keep up with finding more recipes that I can use to integrate my vegetables with meals I enjoy.  I think I want to try and vegetable stir fry soon!

Eye Opener: Ecological Footprint

After taking the Ecological Footprint Quiz, I was surprised at my results and how much I depend on services on a day-to-day basis.  Food was another large part of my dependency since I don't eat as many local grown and organic foods as I should. 

I also thought the analogy of "how many worlds" we would need if everyone lived like me was shocking.  It's a good way of showing just how much some of us depend on our world (a little too much dependency).

 I think if I can conserve more everyday (like not letting water or electricity run if I don't need it), that would help make a better impact on my ecological footprint.  As for other aspects of my ecological footprint, I would like to try and eat more locally grown foods and try to eat more fresh, unprocessed foods.  Even though mobility wasn't the largest impact I had, I would still like to keep up with carpooling as often as I can and riding the bus when possible.  It definitely saves on gas and helps with pollution, too!

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 1: My SMART Goal

When thinking of what I wanted to choose as my Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change, I was hoping to accomplish something that not only benefit the environment, but myself as well.  I decided that my goal will be the following:  I will increase my vegetable intake by having 4 servings (2 cups) a day, and I will choose vegetables that are not already packaged.This lifestyle change is Eco-Chic because I am benefitting the environment by choosing more foods that are unprocessed and unpackaged.  This is also beneficial to me because I am increasing the amounts of greens I eat.  I usually try to eat vegetables as often as I can, but I know I can improve.

I think this lifestyle change is so important to me because eating healthy can improve my health and wellness, which is what I strive to do everyday.  I like the thought of knowing what I consume is helping me be a stronger, healthier, and a happier person.  It's also important that I try and help our environment in any way that I can, which is why I chose to purchase vegetables that are unpackaged.

Here's to a new lifestyle change for the next 10 weeks, and let's hope I can stick with it!  Good luck to everyone else who will be doing the lifestyle change, too!

Welcome to Tropical Environments With Niki J!

My name is Niki, and I am currently a Junior at UMD.  I'm majoring in Community Health Education and am planning on graduating in the spring of 2013.  After I graduate UMD, I will be (hopefully) accepted into the Dental Hygiene program at Lake Superior College.  I am very eager to start the program there because I have wanted to be a dental hygienist for a long time!  I'm a very active person and am always doing something; I'm captain of the Dance Team, I work as a PCA and an instructor/choreographer at a local dance studio, and I have an awesome group of friends and family.  This blog began with the Environmental Health class I'm taking with Dr. Versnik Nowak.  I plan to use this blog as a means of gathering my thoughts, ideas, and opinions when it comes to anything that deals with the environment.  I love tropical environments, so I plan to post a few fun and interesting sites about cool places to visit, too.

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

    1.  Advocacy Project
    2.  Eye Openers
    3.  Reflections
    4.  Eco-Chic 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.  (Use the "label actions" feature in the edit posts tab to add the labels.)  You will also see the number of each kind of post in my Labels Gadget at the top of the page.  (Place labels gadget below blog header but above blog text).  All post titles from now on will begin with one of the categories above.

The members of my web group are:

1. Dr. V. and Kristen@Enviro-Surfing With Amy and Kristen
2. Ruthanne @ Ruthanne's Raindrops
3. John @ To The Boundary Waters With John
4. Hannah @ Hannah's Eco Safari

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.  You can see my complete profile and all the blogs I am following by clicking on "See Complete Profile".


I hope you all will enjoy what I have to say!