Share and Voice 12: Water Bottles!

So yesterday I went on a Target shopping binge (yes....I do remember "The Story of Stuff") and ran into a colorful display of aluminum water bottles!! I have always wanted one of these, I am sure you have seen Jayme with these water bottles last semester :)... So I ended up getting one because they were on sale for $10! They are usually 12-15 dollars so I thought it was a great investment for our planet. 

There are a ton of cool things about these water bottles, not only are appealing to the eye with bright colors and designs, but they keep my water cold, I can carry it around with ease, and I don't have to keep using and throwing out plastic water bottles! The company Gaiam makes these water bottles, they make green living, yoga, fitness, and organic products!

So why go aluminum? 

• 86% of plastic water bottles used in the U.S. end up in landfills, taking up 1,000 years to biodegrade.
• Transporting bottled water consumes approximately 1.5 million barrels of fossil fuels per year.
  
• When you use an aluminum bottle, your water remains free of unhealthy plastic residues.
  

So go out and get yourself one!!!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." ~Mahatma Gandhi

Share and Voice 11: Nature Walk!

Environmental Fun Fact: People who took nature walks did 20% better on memory tests than city strollers. This summer, recharge your brain and body with a walk in the park!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." ~Mahatma Gandhi

Reflections: Week 15 and 16!

Image from Dr. V@ AmysEnvironmentalAdventures

Hey Class!

So our class has finally come to an end. What an "adventure"! Looking back on the last couple weeks of class....

Week 15:

Blogs: We started out this week by creating an online learning activity for our group members to do. This activity was an interactive way to educate others about the issue of our Advocacy Project! My group had some great ones about health insurance, mental disorders, and indoor air pollution! It looks like everyone had a good time with the activties and gained some knowledge and skills with these activities! The Advocacy Project was not as bad as everyone thought it would be!

Tuesday: Also, on Tuesday we were lucky enough to have Sue Whitney as a guest speaker! Sue Whitney is the author and owner of JunkMarket and gave each of us in the class the Junk Beautiful: Outdoor Edition book. Thank you Sue! Sue was a treat to have in class, you could tell she was very passionate about junking and repurposing! She told us about her childhood and how the way she grew up influenced her way of subconsciously reusing things instead of always buying NEW! Some of the people in the class brought their own junk that they did and how they repurposed it, good job everyone! Also, Dr. V provided lunch for us from Subway! Thanks again Dr. V! Unfortunately, class time cut the discussion short, but it seemed like there was so much more to talk about! 

Thursday: Finally, on Thursday, it was our last day of class together. We went outside to the courtyard and sat outside in the beautiful weather and we all talked about what we have learned throughout the class this semester. It seemed like the majority of the class enjoyed this course and have changed their way of life because of Environmental Health! From this class, I am more environmentally aware and felt encouraged to make more informed decisions about life in general. Also, the people in this class made all the difference! It was a great last day of class!

Images from Shar @ SharsVirtualEnvironment

Week 16:

Finals week for everyone! But our last Eye Opener was to actually do the activities the group members have created and post the results! Looks like everyone learned a lot and enjoyed these activities! Shout out to GROUP#1 (Shar, Steve, Heather, Christen, Kaileigh)...you guys were awesome! Looking forward to this summer and spending time together this summer! Same for the whole entire class!!

Choh's Final Thoughts:

Such a sad ending!! I really enjoyed having this class with everyone single one of you! Every individual contributed to the amazing chemistry of this class. I think we have all learned a lot about ourselves and each other and have GROWN to being so much more environmentally aware and blog-saavy! I enjoyed reading everyones Reviews, Eye Openers/PhotoEssays, Advocacy Projects, especially Share and Voices, and going on an adventure hike! This class had such an influence in my everyday life and blogs seemed to be on my mind all the time considering when I see a classmate, I am always tempted to say your blog name, haha! It was fun getting to know everyone and I wish everyone the best!! Keep in touch! :)

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." ~Mahatma Gandhi

Eye Opener: Online Learning Activities Group #1!

Last Eye-Opener!

For this Eye Opener, my group members from Group #1 created some great online learning activities for each of us to finish. Here are my results!

Steve Goes Green

"Name That Phobia"

Steve had created a fun activity for us to learn more about phobias and mental disorders! This was interesting because I didn't know about some of these phobias! Here were my results, I hope they are accurate...
SECTION 1

1. Pteromerhanophobia - The fear of __flying___
   
2. Tachophobia - The fear of _high speeds or rollercoasters___
   
3. Wiccaphobia - The fear of _witchcraft__
   
4. Autophobia - The fear of _being alone :(___
   
5. Bathmophobia - The fear of _stairs and slopes__
   
6. Glossophobia - The fear of _public speaking (I think I used to have this!)__
   
7. Chronomentrophobia - The fear of _clocks__
   
8. Cacophobia - The fear of _ugliness___
   
9. Leukophobia - The fear of _white__
   
10. Mysophobia - The fear of __dirt, contamination, and germs (MONK)___

SECTION 2

1. Mageirocophobia - The fear of cooking
   
2. Ornithophobia (birds scare me!) - The fear of birds
   
3. _Domatophobia__ - The fear of houses
   
4. __Belonephobia_ - The fear of needles or pointed objects
   
5. __Coulrophobia__ - The fear of clowns
   
6. __Elurophobia_ - The fear of cats
   
7. _Heliophobia___ - The fear of the sun
   
8. __Obeseophobia__ - The fear of gaining weight
   
9. __Xenophobia__ - The fear of strangers or foreigners
   
10. __Megalophobia__ - The fear of large things

Kaileigh's Nature Log

"Your Guide to Long-Term Care Insurance"

After reading the assigned readings, I have learned so many things about long-term care.

Nursing homes on average cost $50,000 for a year. That is a very high cost of living and I am sure many places are doubled in price. I think long-term care should be affordable because everyone has a right to health care (although it is not universally provided by the government). Long-term coverage is covered for people who cannot perform activities of daily living such as Alzheimers disease or are paraplegic. I think long-term care should be provided to all! This was a very informative source. I did not know Medicare did not cover long-term care! Why is it called Medi"CARE"?

Christen's Environmental Health

"The Health Insurance Game"

This video clip was a cute way to show the bill that they were representing by playing a game with real life situations. I am a supporter of universal health care because other countries have shown better statistics when it comes to health outcomes. I think it is a creative way to show a bill you are supporting by making it somewhat humorous by appealing to youth. The information that was addressed in this video was very biased but if you are trying to persuade someone, bias is sometimes used! Great find Christen!

Heather's Healthy Environment

"Care of Cost"

This was such an interesting activity to go and look at because I usually don't go to the hospital and see how much things cost! For minor conditions, I thought sore throats and upset stomachs were the most common and those minor conditions costs several hundreds of dollars! Definitely would not be able to cover those costs with my budget! This was a good activity to show what people go through when they cannot even afford health insurance. Who knew that treatment for an upset stomach could cost someone up to $300? 

Shar's Virtual Environment

"The Indoor Air Pollution Chase"

This activity was to educate you on indoor air pollution, a topic that relates to all people!

I enjoyed this because it reminded me of playing computer games! This is what I found out...

Bedroom: Paints and varnishes can cause indoor air pollutants. For plants, if humidity is too high, it can promote mold growth.

Attics: Water leaks can cause mold growth. 

Bathroom: Cleaning products can give harmful gasses, ceiling fans can reduce humidity and mold growth.

Garage: The fairy said OBVIOUSLY! the car can emit carbon monoxide from the exhaust and to make sure chemical products are tightly closed.

Kitchen: gas stoves can produce nitrogen dioxide which is harmful to the lungs.

Living room: Wood smoke from the fireplace

Basement/Laundry room: dryers can create humidity and mold growth if not properly ventilated. Combustion appliances can release pollutants in the air.

One thing that could effect me is mold because when it gets warm and humid, anything can grow mold on it! A solution is to get a ceiling fan in the bathroom!

These were great activities guys! It is always fun to learn by being interactive!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." ~Mahatma Gandhi

Advocacy Project: Learn, Crossword, Action!

Hey Group! :)

So it is time for my inner health educator to come out and for you to learn more about my environmental issue for our Advocacy Project! With this activity, I hope you learn more about the issue of lead poisoning and I would love for you to take action! If you forgot what my topic was about you can skim over my Advocacy Project: Issue Overview!

WHAT TO DO...For this activity there 3 sections:

1. I will educate you about the issue of lead poisoning from 3 sources. Please be sure to read and really understand what I am teaching you because after the education portion of this activity, I will quiz you in a CROSSWORD PUZZLE which leads us to section #2...
2. There will be 10 questions on this crossword puzzle activity. If you are not sure what a crossword puzzle is or how to do a crossword puzzle, go to this link! Fill in the blanks with the answer of the clues I am giving you! The answers come from what you learned in the education portion from section #1.
3. After you finished the crossword puzzle, section #3 makes you take action! I would like you to take what you learned from this activity and talk to one of your friends or roommates about what you have learned today about lead poisoning. I have learned that you learn more by teaching others and education is a circle, it has no end! So with what you have learned, find out from your roommate, landlord, or housing association and see if your house was built before the 1950's. Are you at risk for lead poisoning? Has your house been tested? Be sure to report your experience and what you found out! :)

"Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself." ~Chinese Proverb.

EDUCATION (Section #1):

Source: Consumer Product Safety Commission.

• Lead is a poisonous metal. Lead-based PAINT is hazardous to your health. It is a major source of lead poisoning for children and adults. In children, lead poisoning can cause brain damage and can impair mental functioning. It can slow mental and physical development and reduce attention span. It can also affect FETAL development even at extremely low levels of lead. In adults, it can cause irritability, poor muscle coordination, and nerve damage to the sense organs and nerves controlling the body. Lead poisoning may also cause problems with reproduction (such as a decreased SPERM count).
• OLDER homes may contain lead based paint. About two-thirds of the homes built before 1940 and one-half of the homes built from 1940 to 1960 contain heavily-leaded paint. Some homes built after 1960 also contain heavily-leaded paint. 
• Ingesting and inhaling lead dust that is created as lead-based paint "chalks," chips, or peels from deteriorated surfaces can expose consumers to lead. Walking on small paint chips found on the floor, or opening and closing a painted frame window, can also create lead dust. Other sources of lead include GASOLINE. Consumers can also generate lead dust by sanding lead-based paint or by scraping or heating lead-based paint. Lead dust can settle on floors, walls, and furniture.  Settled lead dust can re-enter the air through cleaning, such as sweeping or vacuuming, or by movement of people throughout the house.

Source: Wikipedia.

• Lead was banned for residential use in the United States in 1978 by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
  
• One MYTH related to lead-based paint is that the most common cause of poisoning was eating leaded paint chips. In fact, the most common pathway of childhood lead exposure is through ingestion of lead DUST through normal hand-to-mouth contact from dust generated during remodeling or painting.

Source: Karen Guerndt-realtor from Real Estate Services of Duluth LLC.

• About 80% of homes in Duluth, MN were built before the 1950's.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE ACTIVITY (section #2):

DOWN
1. Along with the other effects of lead poisoning,______development is effected even with extremely low levels of lead.
3. Pick one: "OLDER" homes or "NEWER" homes may contain lead-based paints.
4. Lead was banned in this year for residential use.
5. A common misconception or ________ was that the most common form of poisoning was eating leaded paint chips.

ACROSS
2. Other sources that contain lead besides paint is ___________.
4. About 2/3 of homes built before this year contain heavily-leaded paint.
6. Lead is found in this item that was put on the walls of houses.
7. Lead also effects reproduction. In men, your count of these little swimmers will go down.
8. How many percent of homes in Duluth were built before the 1950's?
9. The most common pathway of childhood lead exposure is through ingestion of small lead particles called_______.

TAKE ACTION! (section #3):

Once you have finished this activity, be sure to educate someone else on what you have learned and find out if you are at risk! So with what you have learned, find out from your roommate, landlord, or housing association and see if your house was built before the 1950's. Are you at risk for lead poisoning? Has your house been tested? Be sure to report your experience and what you found out! :)

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." ~Mahatma Gandhi

Reflections: Week 13 and 14!

Hello!

SERIOUSLY?--the last couple weeks of this semester is here!!??! Very bittersweet.

I had so much fun from Environmental Health class from Weeks 13 and 14!

Looking back...

Week 13:

Tuesday, we watched the clip called "Story of Stuff" by Annie Leonard. This story was really entertaining and Annie pretty much simplified the complexities of our environment and how us as humans are as consumers. It showed us the process of production and consumption. What was really interesting was the fact that after the Great Depression, we tried to spike the economy by buying more and more stuff. This producing and consuming cycle is still going on today and it doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon! "The Story of Stuff" made us wonder, why DO we have SO MUCH STUFF?!?!

Thursday was great. As a class, we went to the Bagley Nature Area and learned about compass navigation! I am horrible with navigation and compasses, so thankfully my group (Valerie, Noah, and Kaileigh) knew what they were doing! It was really fun, and nice to be outside for our environmental class!

Week 14:

An overall great week as well!

On Tuesday, for our Advocacy Project, we wrote a letter to our Public Official to vote yes or no to the bill we addressed for our specific issue! Also, we had a guest speaker who is now working for the AmeriCorp and what he is doing with his Anthropology major and what he does for the Civic Engagement program at our school! Some interesting stuff.

Thursday was a hilarious day!! For class, we gathered into our blog groups and Dr. V brought in 5 items of "junk" and we had to come up with ideas on how to "repurpose" these items!! The groups came up with some funny and creative ideas!! (cheese grater, eye poker, nut holder, etc.)

Good job class!

It's been a blast guys- keep up the good work!! :)

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." ~Mahatma Gandhi

Share and Voice 10: "Repurposing"

Hey everyone!!

So I think we all did a great job with the "junk" that Dr. V had brought into class today and it was absolutely hilarious to hear everyone's unique repurposing ideas! Everyone was so creative! (I'm still laughing at some of the ideas).

So this Share and Voice is dedicated to a craft blog that I visit sometimes and I really want all of you to take some time and look at this blog! There are some really cool and crafty ideas for things you can make yourself. For these crafts, this blog encourages you to reuse things and the results are absolutely amazing!!! Please take a look at this blog, you may be inspired to make something yourself with the things you find around the house!! Click on this link to view the blog.

Also, from this blog is a list of ways to inspire yourself and to make "repurposing" or "repairing" a part of normal life!!

Have a good day! :)

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." ~Mahatma Gandhi

Advocacy Project: Letter to Public Official

April 27, 2009

The Honorable James L. Oberstar

House of Representatives

2365 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-2308

Dear Minnesota Representative James L. Oberstar,

I am writing to you today to address an issue that has been brought to my attention. I currently support the proposal to amend the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 to improve public notification and community relations concerning actions for the removal of environmental hazards. 

With the improved Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, homeowners who reside in homes built before the 1950's will protect their health and be aware of the hazards in their homes. The problem is that many home-owners do not know that their houses might contain lead-based paints that were used in their homes because lead-based paints were not considered a health threat before the 1950's. This issue is part of a goal for HealthyPeople 2010 where Objective 8-22 states that their goal is to increase the proportion of persons living in pre-1950 housing that has been tested for the presence of lead-based paints. With the current Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980, this act does not require the head of the lead agency for a response action to many different home hazards of pre-1950's homes. With the amended act, notifications and concerning actions for the removal of lead would be improved. 

With your decision to support this act, lives will be changed. This act will provide appropriate actions to protect the health of the people and the people that support you. The citizens in the 8th congressional district that you represent are directly effected by this issue. The biggest city in your congressional district that you represent is the city of Duluth, MN. Recent data shows that 80% of homes in Duluth were built before the 1950's. This population living in these homes are the majority of the people that support you. I think that the families, children, pets, students, etc. living in these homes have the right to know if their homes are contaminated with a life-threatening poison. 

Your position as Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has been positively reflected in the successes of your past support and quick action with the collapse of the I-35 W Mississippi River Bridge. With your approval of passing legislation to appropriate $250 million to build a replacement bridge, I know many lives were positively changed by this decision. 

To assure our communities health and safety, I believe the best course of action is to vote "YES" to House Bill 1005: To amend the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 to improve public notification and community relations concerning actions for the removal of environmental hazards.

Should you need additional information, please do not hesitate to contact me at the contact information provided below. Thank you for devoting your time to this issue. I look forward to your response. 

Sincerely,

Katherine S. Choh

(Contact info)

**Alright group, there is my letter! Would love feedback :)**

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." ~Mahatma Gandhi

Share and Voice 9: Super One Grocery Bags!

Hey Class!

So as you all know, Dr. V hooked all of us up with reusable "Super One" grocery bags! I was so excited, I always wanted to get one, but never did. I went grocery shopping yesterday and used it, I felt super cool and loved that I didn't have to decide between 'paper or plastic'. I went to a different grocery store in the area so I have not been able to personally say thank you to Dave for the bags! Thankfully, Heather and Shar got the whole class together to sign a paper "Super One" grocery bag as a thank you card to Dave for his generous donation! Also, Shar took a group class photo to give to him and for us to look back on to remember the good times of this class. :)

Thanks for the bags Dr. V and Dave!!

Picture courteous of Shar Drew! :)

Check out her blog to see more pictures!!

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." ~Mahatma Gandhi

Advocacy Project: Issue Overview!

Introduction

• What is the issue/problem?- For my advocacy project, I chose to do the issue of lead-based paint being used in homes. The problem is that many home-owners do not know that their houses might contain lead-based paints that were used in their homes because lead-based paints were not considered a health threat pre-1950's. This issue is part of a goal for HealthyPeople 2010 where Objective 8-22 states that their goal is to increase the proportion of persons living in pre-1950 housing that has been tested for the presence of lead-based paints.
  
• What current legislation has been proposed to address this?-The bill that I found doesn't exactly match this topic but it can help promote health through a healthy living environment. The bill HR 1005 expresses in their title; To amend the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 to improve public notification and community relations concerning actions for the removal of environmental hazards. This bill requires the head of the lead agency for a response action to many different responsibilities. 
  

Who is affected by the issue?

• Who is affected the most? I think the people that are the most affected would be children and low-income families living in pre-1950's homes. According to the Department of PLanning and Urban Development, 8.5% of children have elevated lead levels. The town Akron in Ohio has the highest risk of housing with lead concentrations. Of the people in this population, 73% of families do not meet the median-income and 72% of homes in this area were built before 1950. The people living in pre-1950's homes are affected the most because the older the home, the more likely lead paint was used on and in it due to the widely used lead-based paints at that time. To present a health threat, it must somehow enter the body. Even in well-maintained homes, friction and impact surfaces, such as door jams or sliding windows can create fine lead dust that can be inhaled or swallowed.Those negatively affected by this bill may be taxpayers or the government due to the increase in cost to support this change!
• Who loses, and what do they lose? Taxpayers and government lose money.
  
• Who gains, and what do they gain? Homeowners gain health as a result.
  

What are the consequences of the issue?

• For the individuals mostly affected? The positive consequences of this issue for the people mostly effected are healthier people and lower levels of lead concentrations in people, esepcially children (the ones who are most effected). Lead poisoning is a serious issue. WebMD states that lead poisioning leads to irreversable problems with growth and development with children and can also lead to behavior, hearing, and learning problems. If pregnant women are effected, their developing babies will have birth defects. 
  
• For their families? Families will be healthier but taxpayers may not be happy.
  
• For society? Positive consequences for the society would include healthier people such as children and babies. Negative consequences would be again, the money issue and more houses going under construction for lead contaminants.
  

What is the economic impact of the issue?

• If homes are tested and found positive for lead contaminants, the housing market would probably go down again. The real estate industry is already suffering compared to previous years, and if pre-1950's homes' value would go down or people would specifically not be looking at those houses. Overall, for the future, if pregnant women have developing babies and are effected by lead, in the future, many health problems could arise leading to more needs for health counseling or treatment. 

What is the social impact of the issue?

• Social costs and issues of this issue are diverse. The benefits would be healthier people and people with lower toxins in their blood levels. 

What are the barriers?

• The barriers are that some people are not informed about this problem and are uninformed about this issue. Some people do not know that this was even a problem and it is a common issue. It is estimated that at least 19 million homes have lead-based paint hazards, of which at least 4 million have young children under age the age of six living in them.

This issue shows that it is a big problem, but people are unaware. Also, another barrier is that many remodelers might be hesitant to remodel a home because there is such a risk to remodeling a home contaminated with lead. Why is remodeling an older home considered such a big risk?? If proper precautions are not taken, remodeling or renovating an older home (pre-1978) can generate a very large amount of dust. Even small jobs done during routine maintenance -- like painting -- can generate lead dust.  (leadpro.com)

• To break through these barriers, I think if people are informed about the risks and educated on this topic, they would care more because it could directly relate to them! Since many home owners do not know how common it is in homes, if they found out how common it is, they might care a little more and would not be opposed by this topic. 

What is the history of this issue?

• Since the late 1960's lead has been banned in all materials that  could effect humans through the environment. Before that time, lead was a man-made chemical with little known health risks. Many houses in the pre-1950's era used paints that were lead based. When studies showed that lead was an extremely hazardous material, it was banned in many items such as paint and gasoline (hence the "unleaded" gas in gas stations) When lead was outlawed in gasoline, a study showed that between 1970-1987, each year the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry found that one can estimate that the blood-lead levels of up to 2 million children were reduced every year to below toxic levels. Since then, lead was outlawed, but there are still homes that have not been tested.

Allies & Opponents

• Who would support this issue? The people who would support this issue are environmentalists and families, especially families with children. Also, people who renovate houses and their companies would benefit from this because business would be in demand if houses were found with lead contaminants.
  
• Who would oppose this issue? The people who would oppose this issue would be taxpayers, government officials due to the costs and lack of information and education. 
  

Your Recommendation

• How do you want policy-makers to vote on this proposed policy? I think policy makers should vote YES for bill HR 1005, "To amend the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 to improve public notification and community relations concerning actions for the removal of environmental hazards. This bill requires the head of the lead agency for a response action to many different responsibilities."

**I WOULD REALLY LIKE ALL OF YOUR THOUGHTS AND FEEDBACK ON SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS! I WASN'T SURE HOW TO THOROUGHLY ANSWER ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS! THANKS GROUP!! :)**

"Be the change you wish to see in the world." ~Mahatma Gandhi