:: 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.

:: Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change : Week 4 Update ::

Photo from Say No To Plastics

Another week with my SMART goal of using reusable bags at least three times a week when shopping at the grocery store or discount stores such as Wal-Mart and Target continues to go well. When I started with this goal, I certainly thought I shopped at least three times a week. Maybe it's because I've been so busy that I am only getting out once or twice, but I don't think I've made it to the stores more than twice a week.

A few different shopping situations did present themselves to me this week however. LATE Saturday night, I made a trip to Wal-Mart for the purpose of purchasing light bulbs for the nightlights in our house. Knowing that light bulbs was all I needed, I did not bring in one of my reusable bags. Once in the store, I discovered a few more items that I needed.  To the check-out counter I went with my seven items. I felt I already had enough reusable bags, so I opted to not purchase another one. Instead, I simply asked the girl at the check-out to not put my items in a plastic bag. I informed her that I was on a plastic bag strike. She looked at me and kind of chuckled, but allowed me to just carry my items out in my hands. In another shopping excursion, this time to Bed, Bath and Beyond...the lady at the checkout asked if I needed a bag for my newly purchased sheets. Again, I told her of my plastic bag strike and walked out with my sheets in my hand.

It's such a good feeling to know that I am making a small difference due to the fact that I'm not using plastic bags that could eventually become pollutants. Next weeks challenge will be to continue to keep up the work that I have already started. I've gotten in a routine of using them and throwing them back in the truck. I'm also learning that even when I have just a few items, I don't need a bag of any sort to carry my items in. I do have hands that are just as capable. They say it takes three weeks to start a new habit...I think I'm finally getting it!!! WOOT!!! WOOT!!!!! =)

:: Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 3: Weekly Update ::

Graphic from InfoBarrel

Oh week three...how thee has been so quiet on the reusable bag front, but so busy overall. =) I went shopping all of ONE time this past week and that was only for groceries (Children seem to get fussy when there is a lack of food in the house....geez whiz! LOL).

I must admit that I was bummed that I didn't get to go shopping more than once a week with my new reusable bags. It was such a busy week and I guess....I really didn't need anything. Yes, this is a good thing all at the same time. =) I was bummed because I felt like I was on such a roll with using the bags last week that I thought this week would be filled with more remembering to put the bags in the truck and bringing them into the store. Oh well...next week will be another week to go shopping as my oldest will be home starting Wednesday night until Sunday. She'll eat me out of house and home for sure.

I was kind of successful at the grocery store. I did remember to bring my bags in. I was only going in for a few things, but thought enough to bring in several bags with me....thankfully. I did run into a bit of a dilemma  dilemma. I purchased some pork ribs and some turkey breasts that will be put into the crock pot later this week. Given the nature of these products, I did not want to just stick them in my reusable bags. I prefer to put them into a plastic bag so they don't leak all over. I stood there packing my bags wondering what the heck I was going to do with those meat products. To put them in the reusable bag or in a plastic bag..........grrrrr! In the end, I put them in a a plastic bag. As I sit here now and think about the whole situation, I realize now that not only are the resuable bags reusable, but they are also WASHABLE!!! It wouldn't have mattered if they had gotten dirty....I can always wash them. The answer was already in front of me...I just needed to step back and see it. Lesson learned.

I'm sure my daughter will want to head to Wal-Mart this weekend without me. I'm going to make sure she takes the reusable bags with her, so she too can save a sea turtle by not using plastic bags. =)

:: Eye Opener - CSPI ::

Have you really stopped to think about ALL of the processes that go into the foods you truly enjoy? Have you ever really thought about how much water it takes to irrigate, not only for the fruits and vegetables that we enjoy eating, but also for the crops that are fed to the livestock we eat. Because my blog focuses on water so much, I want to point out just how much water it takes. While touring the food supply chain on the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) website on eating green, I learned that irrigating feed-grain crops and raising livestock requires about 15 TRILLION gallons of water per year. That is over half of all irrigation water used in the US. To produce just ONE pound of beef, it takes about 18,000 gallons of rain and irrigation water. That is MORE than it takes to grow a pound of fruits and vegetables. This is absolutely unbelievable. I would have never guessed that it would take that much water to grow crops just to feed cattle.

Irrigation, while good for crops, does have negatives associated with it that I had not thought of before. When lands are over-irrigated, erosion occurs. This washes away the soil, pesticides and fertilizer into nearby streams and rivers, which in the long run pollute the water, harms the animals and upset our delicate ecosystem. I did not realize that in addition to all of that....over-irrigation also affects the soil quality, including lowering its nutrient content. This certainly is a wake up call for me.

I do realize that we have many areas across the country that have times of drought and have a strong need for irrigation, but I certainly did not realize the impact that it had on everything else in the food chain. It isn't just the farmer that it effects. If his crop doesn't grow, then we don't benefit from his food, be it the fruits and vegetables he is growing or the crops for his cattle. For the consumer, we are end up with food that could have a lower nutrient content because of the excess fertilizers, lower soil quality, and all the pesticides that are in the ground. This information has made me want to look into alternative irrigation methods.