:: Advocacy Project : Healthy People/THOMAS ::

GoGreen50

After reviewing the six environmental health themes on the HealthyPeople website, I have decided that I would like to focus on toxic substances and hazardous wastes. The objective that I have chosen is EH-12 : Increase recycling of municipal solid waste. The current baseline is 33.2 percent of municipal solid wast was recycled in 2008. The target for this objective is 36.5 percent, which is a ten percent improvement. According to a fact sheet by the EPA, "municipal solid waste (MSW)  includes those materials that historically have been handled in the municipal solid waste stream–those materials from municipal sources, sent to municipal landfills. MSW includes wastes such as product packaging, newspapers, office and classroom papers, bottles and cans, boxes, wood pallets, food scraps, grass clippings, clothing, furniture, appliances, automobile tires, consumer electronics, and batteries." I don't think we completely realize what is considered to be waste. We carelessly throw everything away without giving a second thought to how that particular item may affect our environment. 

The bill that I found using THOMAS is:

H.R.1628

Trash Reduction Act of 2011 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to require retailers to pay a $0.05 excise tax on each disposable carryout bag provided to a consumer. Defines "disposable carryout bag" to mean a bag of any material, commonly plastic or kraft paper, which is provided to a consumer at the point of sale to carry or cover purchases, merchandise, or items. Exempts reusable bags and certain other bags used for specified purposes from such tax. Allows a refund of such tax for retailers who establish a disposable carryout bag recycling program.

This bill also establishes in the Treasury the Disposable carryout bag Trust Fund to hold tax revenues generated by this Act. Directs the Secretary of the Treasury to make payments from such Trust Fund for the disposable carryout bag recycling program and for the land and water conservation fund established by the Land and Water Conservation Fund Act of 1965.

Sponsor: Representative James P. Moran [VA-8] (introduced 4/15/2011)

Co-sponsor: Representative Eleanor Norton 

Latest Major Action: 4/22/2011 Referred to House subcommittee. Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands.

Recommendation: Vote Yes for H.R. 1628 :: Trash Reduction Act of 2011 (I feel that the only way people will stop using plastic bags to haul their groceries and other supplies home from the stores is by making them pay a fee. This fee is so nominal when you think of how much it really affects our environment.

My Political Representative(s): Chip Cravaack

I must admit to being slightly peeved that this bill has been sitting out there for since April and LITTLE has been done with it. This is how slow our government works???????

:: Share 'N' Voice :: Beyond the Viewfinder

This flower was found in Campo de Fiori in Rome, Italy

From the magnificent sights to the aroma of the flowers and fallen leaves, from the harmonies that sound from high on the trees to the caress of the waves upon the shores, nature is awe-inspiring! It's beauty never ceases to amaze me.

In our hurried lives, we sometimes fail to look at the beauty that surrounds us on a daily basis.  It is there for all of us to witness, we just need to take the time to see nature's small miracles. I love going on "camera adventures" and seeing how many ways nature presents itself to me. Sometimes I capture something I feel is amazing. Yet, there are times when what I see in the viewfinder is beyond words and the picture cannot clearly express the true beauty that was seen. When I find something I want to take a photo of, I do not really care what I need to do to capture that perfect image. I'm the type of person who will lay on the ground, climb out on a small cliff, or any other awkward position to capture the perfect image. 

A little bug taking time to check out these beautiful flowers.

I had the opportunity to go to Italy last May. Talk about a camera adventure. I was often the one running to catch up with our group because I was taking photos of everything that inspired me. The whole trip put me on sensory overload, but Italy's beauty is nearly indescribable. While traveling across Italy, I wrote a blog post that talked about the beauty that could be seen outside our bus windows. "Who knew there were so many shades of green. The trees and shrubs that cover these hillsides are such a dark green,  dotted with the occasional shade of yellowish-green. The horizon is filled with one tree covered mountain after another.  Workers can be seen working in the fields, be it planting or making hay." No camera could capture that view well enough. It truly was a moment where you had to be there to witness the beauty.

It saddens me to think of these beautiful views are so easily affected by our actions against the environment.  People throw their cigarette butts everywhere. We don't recycle nearly enough and those items not only fill our landfills, but also litter our daily environment. Our marine life is dealing with oil spills, polluted water, a diminishing water supply, exotic species that are destroying our fish, and many more issues. Our waterways are also being polluted by the farmers who over irrigate their fields where they used fertilizers and pesticides. If we don't start making some serious changes we will not be able to enjoy these magnificent sights.

The two flowers pictures that are in this post were taken in Italy, as were the following five photos. Picture locations include the Forum, Villa Borghese, Banfi Winery, along the Tiber River and finally the fire hydrant picture was taken in Venice. If you look carefully, on the sidewalk next to the hydrant is a nasty cigarette butt. Those things pollute our landscapes. The other photos were taken in the Grand Marias area. I love to not only walk along the shore, but also get lost in the woods where you never know what you'll find.

Please enjoy the beauty that I found in my viewfinder. 

:: Advocacy Project :: My Political Representatives ::

For our first advocacy project, we have been asked to identify the following individuals :: the President, our congresspeople, the governor of our state, and the state legislators who represent my district. Below I will be providing their names, addresses, political affiliation and a link to their website. 

Representative Murphy

Representative Mary Murphy (DFL)
I'm going to start off with my favorite state legislator. Mary Murphy is the DFL House Representative for District 06B. Not only is Representative Murphy a friend to all, but I am fortunate enough to call her one of my personal friends. I have sat in Mary's office many times during annual trips to the State Capital for Firefighter Day at the Capital. She is one of the most sincere state representatives I know. She truly cares for her constituents and listens to their views. She is willing to dig to the bottom of an issue to find a solution, even if it means compromising. She is currently serving her 18th term in office.

343 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155
651.296.2676 or 800.890.5428

Email :: Website
 

Senator Bakk

Senator Thomas M. Bakk (DFL)
Whereas I adore Representative Murphy, I am not a fan of Senator Bakk. Never once in my visits on Firefighter Day at the Capital did he deem it important to meet with us, the fire service leaders of the 06 District. He always gives off the impression that he is above his constituents and doesn't have the time to listen to their concerns. He was first elected to the Senate in 2002. Prior to serving in the Senate, he served as the House Representative for the 6A District  Currently, Senator Bakk serves as the Minority Leader, as well as serves on Rules and Administration and Taxes Committees. 

147 State Office Building

100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd

  St. Paul, MN 55155

651.296.8881

Email :: Website

Governor Dayton

Governor Mark Dayton (DFL)
Governor Mark Dayton is the state's 40th governor He took his oath of office on January 3, 2011. He has served Minnesotans for the past 34 years in varying capacities. Governor Dayton has been the Commissioner of the Minnesota Departments of Economic Development and of Energy and Economic Development, the Minnesota State Auditor, and has also served as a U.S Senator. He has worked throughout our state to help businesses locate or expand and create jobs, to improve local government services, to better fund our public schools, to support our servicemen and women, to help Minnesotans get the health care they need and deserve.

130 State Capitol

75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd

St. Paul,  MN  55155

651.201.3400

Blog :: Email :: Website

Congressman Cravaack

Congressman Chip Cravaack (R)
Congressman Cravaack represents the 8th District here in Minnesota. He was elected to office in January of 2011. Congressman Cravaack currently sits on Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the Homeland Security Committee and the Science, Technology and Space Committee.

DC Office: 508 Cannon HOB :: Washington, DC 20515

202.225.6211

Duluth Office : Gerald W. Heaney Federal Building and United States Courthouse
515 West First Street - Room 235 :: Duluth, MN 55802
218.740.7803

Email :: Website

Senator Klobuhar

Senator Amy Klobuhar (DFL)
The first elected female senator from Minnesota, Senator Klobuhar took office in 2006. She replaced then Senator Dayton, who opted to not seek re-election. According to her website, Senator Klobuhar took the lead to pass the most significant consumer product safety legislation in a generation, keeping foreign toxic products off our shores and out of our stores, and helped push through a new law to protect children from unsafe swimming pools. She also authored a bipartisan law to establish national health standards for formaldehyde in composite wood products, protecting public health and ensuring an even playing field between domestic wood products and foreign imports. She serves on the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, Judiciary Committee, and the Joint Economic Committee. One of the issues that Senator Klobuhar focuses on is homegrown energy, environment and natural resources.  She has a list of her priorities when it comes to this issue listed on her webpage.I feel she has some great priorities when it comes to our environmental health. Check it out.

DC Office: 302 Hart Senate Office Building :: Washington, DC 20510
202.224.3244

Northeast Minnesota Office: Olcott Plaza, Room 105 - 820 9th Street North - Virginia, MN 55792

218.741.9690

Email :: Website

Senator Franken

Senator Al Franken (DFL)
Once a comedian on Saturday Night Live, Senator Franken assumed office in July of 2009 after a debated election battle with former Senator Norm Coleman.  He currently serves on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, the Judiciary Committee, the Indian Affairs Committee, and Energy and Natural Resources Committee.  Senator Franken's ideas on energy and environmental issues is not as extensive as Senator Klobuhar's, but he does focus on creating policies to help Minnesota's production of wind power, biomass and biofuels. 

DC Office: 309 Hart Senate Office Building :: Washington, DC 20510

202.224-5641

Duluth Office: 515 W 1st St - Suite 104 :: Duluth, MN 55802

218.722.2390

Email :: Website

President Barack Obama (Democrat)

President Obama was elected in November of 2008. He was sworn in on January 20, 2009. He is the 44th President of the United States and is also the first African-American President. Our President is working to build the foundation for a clean energy economy, tackling climate change and is interested in finding a solid way to protect our environment. Check out his views on these issues here.

The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Comments: 202.456.1111
Switchboard: 202.456.1414

Blog :: Email :: Website

:: Reflections of the first seven weeks ::

Before taking this class, I had heard from fellow health education majors that Environmental Health would be a life changing experience. Now, I'm an older student....seriously, how life changing can it get????? But WOW...this class truly is life altering...and we are only seven weeks into the semester. I am looking forward to the continued eye opening documentaries and activities that are associated with this class.

We all want to believe that the government is doing the right things for us, it's citizens. Stories of how elected officials get zillions of dollars from BIG corporations in return for their support on a specific item make me ill. It angers me that some officials in high places (such as FDA, CDC, Dept. of Public Health) worked for some of the BIG corporations before being hired by the government. They are using their power (and money) to skew the view of how our environment is being treated. They don't see how what their previous employer is treating the environment. They make it perfectly legal for these big corporations to pollute and damage our environment. This makes me angry.

The other item that makes me angry is that some of these federal agencies force their employees to keep quiet about the damage being done to the environment. The video from 60 Minutes that we watched entitled "Rewriting the Science" showed us that the government is essentially covering up (and censoring what we read) many of the problems that are country is battling environmentally, such as global warming. It takes people like James Hansen (from the 60 Minutes video), to take a stand against his employer and let the general population know exactly what the government is covering up. If we cannot believe our own government...the people we elect into office in some cases...who can we believe? Who will tell us the truth? How can we truly know the extent of damage we have done to our environment. How serious is global warming? What is the correct answer to these questions?

Watching the documentary "Tapped" certainly changed my views on bottled water and companies such as Nestea, Coke and Pepsi. How can these companies think it is perfectly okay to come into a community and take the ground water without giving taking into consideration the members of the community and the water levels. I am amazed that the FDA has no regulations on ground water...yet tap water is highly regulated.

But it goes so much deeper than just the ground water. It goes as far as what the plastic water bottle is made from and the number of lives that are affected by those petroleum products. All those people that live in cancer alleys across America. These people cannot easily afford to move, as it is likely that no one would purchase their house. So basically, the price we pay for one little water bottle (normally less than $2 a bottle) seems like nothing until you start factoring in the number of human lives that the production of said water bottle affects.

I no longer even want to purchase pop in bottles. They talk about how bad it is to drink water from these bottle....shouldn't that mean that it is just as bad to drink soda out of the bottles? I'm not a big soda drinker, so it shouldn't affect me too much.

As I was cooking dinner the other night, I pulled frozen veggies. As I examined the bag, I was wondering why anyone would want to steam their frozen veggies in the "steam in the PLASTIC bag" that they have created to make life simpler. That plastic bag is also made out of petroleum products. Have you ever actually steamed your veggies in one of these bags and felt how the texture of the bag changes after it's been in the microwave? You cannot tell me that the chemicals in the packaging do not somehow get into the food that is "steaming" in the bag. GROSS!!!!!!

Okay...I'll get off my rant now. This class seriously has opened my eyes to the fact that our environment is being hurt by the things WE do. We need to stop and think about the things we are doing and how they are harming not only our environment, but our bodies. We also need to realize that the effects of our actions go beyond our own communities. Our actions harm people across the world. It harms the wildlife that we are so lucky to be surrounded with.

I've already started making some changes in my own life. They may seem like just little things, but in the long run they can become much bigger changes. Since starting this class, I've switched to using reusable bags for my purchases at the grocery store and Wal-Mart. I've changed some of the lighting in my house. In my basement, I have a bunch of fluorescent lights.  I am determined to not use these lights anymore. I have purchased two desk lamps with energy efficient light bulbs. I'm quickly discovering that these two lamps are not anywhere near enough light to replace my fluorescent light...but I'll figure out some other alternatives to go along with my desk lamps. I've also changed some of the ways I eat. Each time I go to the grocery store, I really think about how much processed foods I purchase. In the past few weeks, I have switched to purchasing organic milk and have purchased all natural meats from the meat department. I think the best comment I've heard out of my daughter regarding the milk was that she REALLY liked it. These are just small ways that I intend to continue doing to better the environment for myself, my children and the rest of the world.

We need to lead by example. We need to teach others why it is important to change their habits now before we completely destroy the environment we live in.

:: Eye Opener : Junk on the Brain ::

This week's eye opener activity was rather fun to investigate as I never knew exactly how many of these resources we had in the Duluth/Superior area.  

Photo from Seller's Auction

Antique/Antiquing :: According to the Merriam-Webster website, antique has two different definitions. It can be defined as a relic or object of ancient times. The second definition has two parts. An antique is a work of art, piece of furniture, or decorative object made at an earlier period and according to various customs laws at least 100 years ago or a manufactured product from an earlier period. They use the example of an automobile as a manufactured item. Antiquing means to finish or refinish in antique style, giving the appearance of age. It can also mean to shop around for antiques.

I know there are plenty of antique places around town and all along the North Shore. I think one of my favorite spots to stop on my travels to Grand Marias is Bay Antiques, which is located right on Hwy 61 (1008 Main St. - Beaver Bay - 218.226.4626). It has oodles of dishes outside in a wide array of colors and textures. Once inside there is even more stuff from swords to jewelery.  There is hardly any room to move inside the small store...but I regress.

I discovered through a Google search, that right here in our own Duluth backyard, we have a company that specializes in business liquidations, antiques and collectables, estates, and inventory reductions. Seller's Auction has everything from new and used furniture, coins, jewelry, power and hand tools. Every Monday at 4:30 PM, they have an auction. In fact...on Monday November 5, they are having an antique auction. The auction is taking place at the place of business (2103 1/2 W 3rd Street). Seller's Auction not only hold auctions, but they also have an Estate Mall that is open Thursdays and Fridays, noon-5 PM and on Saturdays from 10 AM - 4 PM. This is also located at the address previously listed. Col. Brent Loberg and Col. Gary Lepisto are the two main auctioneers with Sellers Auction. If you need to contact Sellers Auction, you can call them at 218.722.3360.
 

Junk/Junking :: I would consider my house to be filled with a lot of junk. Merriam-Webster defines junk as old iron, glass, paper or other wast that may be used again in some form and secondhand, worn or discarded articles. Most of the time junk can be something of little meaning, worth or significance to the person who has it, but could be a perfect item for someone else. My favorite synonym listed is clutter. Junking is simply defined as : to get rid of as worthless ... scrap!

Photo from Johnny the Junkman

It seems that when you do a search for junk in Minnesota, a lot of salvage yards come up. These are great places to junk your old car or to pick up used parts off of a car that has already been junked for your current car. I live fairly close to Hwy 210 Auto Parts. They have plenty of old cars that have been junked and are an eye sore to drive past. When searching for junking places, I came along the Johnny the Junkman website. While it may not be a local establishment, it does seem like it would be a good place to junk your old car. How it works is quite simple. First call "Johnny" at 866.727.6629 (or through email) for an instant CASH offer.....who doesn't like cash?????? Once you accept the offer, Johnny then dispatches a truck from one of his nationwide network of tow trucks. This service is provided free to you (although realistically, I'm sure the towing fee is figured in the price they offer you on your junk car). A time is arranged for the pick up of your junk vehicle, whether it be a junk car, damaged, wrecked, or just plain old...running or not!  They will also take RVs. Once they arrive, you get the cash and your piece of junk car/truck goes away. I could not find a specific home address of the company. They do provide email and a toll-free number everywhere on the website. They only service the following states: California, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, Pennsylvania and Virginia. I'd actually like to find out more about what they do with the cars once they have them. 

A flea market :: Photo from Wikipedia

Flea Market :: A usually open-air market for secondhand articles and antiques is how Merriam-Webster defines flea market. Wikipedia has a much more extensive definition, which states "a flea market or swap meet is a type of bazaar where inexpensive or secondhand goods are sold or bartered. It may be indoors, such as in a warehouse or school gymnasium; or it may be outdoors, such as in a field or under a tent. The flea-market vendors may range from a family that is renting a table for the first time to sell a few unwanted household items to a commercial operation including a large variety of new or used merchandise, including scouts who rove the region buying items for sale from garage sales and other flea markets, and several staff watching the stalls." A flea market reminds me of a LARGE rummage sale...another place to pick up someone's junk that they are getting rid of. While good finds can be found at these, I sometimes see these are just moving junk from one house to another.

Hmmmm....I love searching for events that I didn't know occurred. I discovered that the Studebaker Drivers Club holds a swap meet flea market and classic car show annually on the second Sunday in August at Lake Superior College. The description says there is everything from antiques to junk, plus over 100 automobiles. There is a number listed (218.722.8533) and an email address to obtain more information regarding the event. This would probably be a cool event to attend..just to see all the classic cars. =) 

Photo from Goodwill Industries

Thrift Shop :: Wikipedia tells us that a thrift shop is a retail establishment run by a charitable organization to raise money. They sell mainly second-hand goods which have been donated by the public. Most thrift shops (such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army) are run by volunteers. I think the following statement on the Wikipedia definitions is who one should really look at the Thrift shop atmosphere :: "Environmentalists may prefer buying second-hand goods as this uses fewer natural resources and would appear do less damage to the environment than by buying new goods would, in part because the goods are usually collected locally. In addition, reusing second-hand items is a form of recycling, and thus reduces the amount of waste going to landfill sites.


At first, I had originally put Ragstock under the Thrift Shop category, but as I do more research Goodwill and Salvation Army fit much better under this category. Ragstock is a resale shop. Goodwill Industries, which can be found here in Duluth at 700 Garfield Avenue, is an amazing company. They serve the community in a variety of ways. They provide vocational training and employment services to people who have a disability or other employment, as well as job placement and counseling. They also offer commercial services such as janitorial and lawn care to businesses in the Duluth area. Their recycling business is HUGE! Reading the information provided on their recycling website is amazing. They've come up with secondary ways of recycling items that would potentially end up in a landfill. WAY to GO GOODWILL!!!! Thank you for all you do!!!


The retail store hours for the Goodwill located on Garfield are 9 AM - 7 PM Monday-Friday and 9 AM - 6 PM on Saturdays. If you have questions, you can call 218.722.3050. There are also stores available in Superior, Hermantown, Cloquet, Hibbing, Virginia and a few other places in the northeast region of the state.

Laptop Bag from Rebagz

Upcycling :: I found a definition for upcycling on the Naturally Savvy website. The easiest way to define upcycling is taking something that you would otherwise throw out and finding a way to make it into something else. It isn't like recycling. Upcycling maintains or improves the quality of the materials.

Upcycling places are difficult to find in the Duluth area. Thanks to the Naturally Savvy website, I was able to come up with two great places to find upcycled products. The first one is for those of us ladies that need to carry a purse. Rebagz is a company based out of California that makes handbags out of recycled products. They use coated recycled paper, reycled PET plastic, recycled juice packs, and recycled rice sacks to make their handbags. Not only do they have eco-friendly purses, but they also have bags for your cell phone and laptops. They donate a portion of the proceeds from the sale of their bags to organizations such as Greenpeace, the KIND Campaign, the Breast Cancer Emergency Fund and the Global Exchange. Sounds like a fabulous company to work for. They even have a blog that you can check out. I am by no means a purse girl...but they do have some wonderfully designed bags on their site. Go check them out on their website, call them at 877.905.9359 or email them. 

Photo from Ragstock

Resale Shop :: According to the Free Dictionary website, the word resale can mean the act of selling again or the selling again of something purchased. Another way to look at it might be consignment shop or a store that offer used goods, at a lower cost than new. Ragstock is a popular choice for second-hand clothing in the Duluth area. They are located at 7 West Superior Street. Their phone number is 218.722.1201. Their hours of operation are 10 AM-9 PM Monday through Friday, 10 AM-7PM on Saturdays and 11 AM-6 PM on Sundays. According to their own website, Ragstock carries an eclectic mix of premium recycled and reasonably priced trendy new clothing. The one little tidbit of information that I did find quite interesting was that Ragstock opened for business in 1954 importing and exporting used clothing and fabric to and from many different countries across the world. I was thinking it had opened in the 80s and there were only a few stores, but they have locations in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Michigan.


PART II
The terms listed above all play an important role in the environmental health of our planet. If we did not recycle our household items, such as pots, pans, mattress, lamps...these items would end up in a landfill and would become pollutants to our soils and our waters. I think it is absolutely amazing that someone is recycling juice packs to make purses. I think about how many juice packs my kids went through as kids. I wish now I had know that they were recyclable, then I could have starting reducing my ecological footprint.


I'll admit that I am not a user of ANY of the places that I found above. I prefer purchasing new stuff. However, when my kids clothes no longer fit, I do either donate them to friends who have kids or to Savers. My step-mom loves to go shopping at Savers (not that she needs any more JUNK in her house). I feel awkward wearing something that someone else has worn. I've never been a fan of heading off to rummage through something someone else is trying to get rid of. Why would I want someone else's junk, when I already have enough of my own? I do grasp the concept of reduce, reuse and recycle and see how these seemingly simple things can alter our planet for the better.


PART III

I'm amazed at the creativity people have in their projects. I'm not sure I could ever be this creative with junk. One project that I particularly liked was the Candle Holder 101. I always have candles going. This is an adorable way to accentuate candles. It also seems fairly fire safe...unless it tips over. It's like a mini locker for just candles.

Another project that I like and thought of as a potential gift for my step-mom was the Reel Bird Feeder. She has oodles of birds in her yard. I've purchased bird feeders for her in the past, but this one is down right adorable. It would be very easy for her to fill as well. I just love the old movie reel. I probably have the little bowls available in my house to use for something like that. The birds that would have gotten the yummy food shown in the picture would be very, very lucky. I'm not sure my step-mom would treat the billions of birds in her yard as well.

Lastly, I absolutely LOVE the Steam Punk Lighting project. I love cool lamps. Floor lamps, desk lamps, hanging lamps that are manufactured today are all so boring and mundane. This not only lights up a room, but it has that cool reflection that it puts out. I think it would look awesome over my dining room table where it never seems like there is enough "fun" lights to eat by. It would be fun to find the materials to create this masterpiece.

:: Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 5: Final Weekly Review & Overall Project Reflection ::

:: WEEK 5
How is it that it is already week five of our Eco-Chic Lifestyle change? That time has really flown by. Five weeks ago, I started out on a journey to use only reusable bags when shopping at the grocery store or places such as Wal-Mart or Target. This last week was another rather easy week. Once again I hardly went shopping (and here I thought I shopped way too much in the past). How sad really...I can only think of one shopping trip to Wal-Mart and I was just tagging along with a friend. I ended up getting three items and simply carried them out in my hands. My friend, on the other hand, ended up leaving with four plastic bags. I must admit that I felt slightly defeated at the fact that he had used plastic bags. I will have to educate my friend more on why it is so important to not use plastic bags.

 Junk floating in the Tiber River in Rome, Italy. GROSS!!!

Oh wait...there was one other trip to Wal-Mart. My oldest and I went in to get some stuff for my dad's birthday. I remembered to grab one bag to bring in with us. This time I actually went through a check out lane with a person (I prefer the self-check out lane). I still had yet to see what the checkout person would do knowing that I had my own bags. She simply handed me the items I had purchased and I packed them in my reusable bag. Easy peasy!!!!! This showed me that I can pack my own bags when going through the lane with a checkout person.

Seeing as this is the last week we officially report on our progress, I think the only thing I will be focusing on for the next week will be to educate my friends more on why I feel it is so important that to use reusable bags vs. plastic bags.

:: FINAL OVERVIEW
My SMART goal of using reusable bags at least three times a week when shopping at the grocery store or discount stores did not change from the original goal. I seriously thought I shopped more than I apparently do.  My busy schedule has kept me out of the stores for the most part (which is also good for my pocketbook). As a result, I've had to use my reusable bags every time I've gone shopping.

This project has been very beneficial to me. It really opened my eyes to the number of plastic bags one collects over the week. If I counted up all the times I shopped in the last five weeks and figured that there would have been at a minimum two plastic bags for each trip, that would be a total of 30-some plastic bags cluttering up my kitchen drawers. I've read articles where states are charging for people to use plastic bags. I think that's a great that people have to pay for those bags...I only hope it makes them realize that its a much bigger cost on the environment when they use them.

I certainly hope that by not using 30ish plastic bags in the last five weeks the environment changed..be it that the landfills did not gain these awful contaminates that take 10-20 years to decompose or an animal that did not get tangled in one of the plastic bags I choose to throw away in the past. By not using plastic bags, I'm casting my vote with my dollar, as Dr. V would say. I don't want plastic bags to clog up our environment any longer.

I will definitely continue to use reusable bags. Now that I am in a routine of using them, the task has become quite easy. I've even cleaned out the back of my truck and placed them all in one bigger bag, so they are not all over my truck. I now know that I can use them for my meat products, as they are after all...washable. I think the question really should be..."Why would you want to stop making the environment a better place?" Our lifestyle change should have made our environment better not only for ourselves, but also for those around us. This class is definitely opening my eyes to the things I am doing that are making out environment worse and to the things that I can change about my habits that will be our world a better, safer place to live.

One recommendation that I would have for other that want to make a lifestyle change is to have a positive attitude about anything you try int life. Sometimes we succeed, other times we fail. Learn from your mistakes so that in the future you will not make the same mistake over and over. By thinking in positives....the world is yours. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!!

: Eye Opener :: Environmental Working Group :

Cosmetics....the first thing that came to mind when reading this was the vast array of make-up that I don't even own.  However, the EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetics website has such a wide variety of products that I was surprised at just how many of the products I actually do use. Everything from the shampoo I currently use to my toothpaste to the lip balm I prefer. While I think many of these items are okay for every day use, there was one item that I never seem to leave home without that probably is not the best for my body or the environment. That one item would be my little bottle of super glue.

Everyone always comments on how good my nails look...well, here's my confession....the reason I wear fake nails is because I am a horrible nail biter. I have been since I was a little kid. The fake nails hid the ugliness that are my nails. I have tried for years to quit being a nail biter, but nothing ever seems to work...but I digress...back to the product at hand. I choose to look at the nail glue I use for adhering fake nails to my fingers, Nailene Ultra Quick Nail Glue. On the hazard score key, this product is listed as a moderate hazard. It has a fair about of data available pertaining to the ingredient safety and the number of studies that are available in the open scientific literature.

The Nailene Ultra Quick Nail glue has three ingredients: Ethyl-2-cranoacrylate, Polymethyl methacrylate, and hydroquinone. The one ingredient that scared me the most is the hydroquinone. Out of a possible 10 on the hazard scale it scores a 10, meaning it has the highest level of risk associated with it. Phrases that were used in the descriptions of it included

• Known human immune, respiratory, nervous system, and organ system toxicant (non-reproductive)
• Strong evidence of human neurotoxicity
• Possible carcinogen
• Classified as a high human health priority
• Mutagenic 
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)

AND THAT WAS ONLY ONE OF the three ingredients. I was too scared to see what the other two would say.  Looks like I have two choices after reviewing the information on this nail glue.....either work really hard at not biting my nails...or switching to a different brand of nail glue. The Kiss Maximum Speed Nail glue is rated as a LOW health concern (it also only has one ingredient...ethyl-2-cranoacrylate).

I'm definitely bookmarking this webpage for future research on products that are used in our household. I'll even encourage my friends to check out the cosmetic products that they purchase. I have some friends that would like to know if the products they use are tested on animals. With just a quick glance at some of my daily products, I was surprised to see many of them were tested on animals. ICK....time to do some shopping for new products.