Eye Opener: Online Learning Activities

Treeific Time with Alyssa
 Alyssa asked:

1. Go to the CDC website here for lead recalls.
2. Look through the different recalled items.
3. Find three recalled item (preferably in the past year).
4. Tell me the name of the product and how long it was out before it was recalled.
5. Then go to the EPA website page on lead, click on the "What you can do to protect your family" link and list three ways you can prevent lead poisoning in your home.
6. Watch the short video below on lead Poisoning and give a short reflection on what you have learned or what surprised you overall from this whole activity

3 Recalled Items --
1. Love Tester Mood Rings and Necklaces;  Item sold Sept 2005 - June 2010; Recalled Sept 2010
2. Tiny Tink and Friends Children's Toy Jewelry; Item sold Nov 2008-Nov 2009; Recalled Feb 2010
3. Nature Wonders HD Pinto Horse Toy Figures; Item sold Jan 2009-July 2009; Recalled Jan 201

3 Ways to Prevent Lead Poisoning--
1.  Keep play areas clean.
2.  Clean up paint chips immediately.
3.  Clean or remove shoes before entering home to avoid tracking in lead from soil.

Short Reflection:  This video was pretty self explanatory.  It was easy to understand and fun to watch.  I learned about all the different things that contained lead.  As well as many of the symptoms that one can have with lead poisoning.  I was surprised at how many items were on the recall sheet from the CDC for lead content. 

Samantha Green with Envi
Sam asked us to complete the crossword puzzle and provide a short description of the interesting info I found.

Across:                                                              Down:
3. Lead                                                            1. Inhalation
5. Blood                                                           2. Decades
6. Symptoms                                                    4. Wash
7. Work

The most interesting thing I found out here was about how the most common place of exposure is work.  That is really frustrating because you obviously have to go to work.  It is really scary how often we are exposed to lead, and we really don't have many options around it. 
Eco Friendly with Calista
Calista asked us to play with matching game with water infrastructure terms.

ground water*Underground water.
chlorine*Water additive used to control microbes.
contaminant* A substance that is present in an environment where it does not belong.
coagulate* To gather together or form into a mass or group.
minerals*An inorganic substance, e.g., calcium, copper.
intake* An opening through which fluid enters an enclosure.
settling*To clarify by causing dregs or impurities to sink.
reservoir*An artificial lake where water is collected and kept in quantity for use.
pH* A measure of acidity and alkalinity of a solution.
infrastructure*The underlying foundation of a city, such as the sewers, the water systems, the electric
aquifer*A water source under the ground

Adam's Outdoor Connection
For Adam's activity we had to calculate our vehicle pollution impact and write 2-3 things we learned

My pollution impact was better than average.  The activity was a little tough, because I had to estimate my mileage and I may not be accurate

3 Things that I learned: 
1. E85 is actually made up of  starches of corn and sugar cane.  And can be used in combination with real gasoline.
2. In Minnesota more than 50% of toxic air are from motor vehicles emissions.
3. Another thing I never realized was noise pollution put out by vehicles.  Walking helps reduce the noise level.

Sonny Days Ahead
Sonny asked us to investigate and interrogate our suspect.  We had to look up the following information:

1. Suspect (name of air pollutant) : Carbon Monoxide
2. Cause (where does pollutant come from) : Incomplete burning of fuel; vehicles on the road produce it; unvented gas; kerosene heaters; wood stoves; cigarette smoke
3. Crime (what health effects is it having on citizens/environment) : may cause seizure, coma, or death;  Symptoms of Carbon Monoxide poisoning: headache, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, fatigue and weakness. 
4. Lock 'Em Up (Alternative resources we could use/do to replace/reduce the pollutant) One way I found to reduce Carbon Monoxide production is switching from gas to electric versions of the same thing.
5. Case File (what did you learn from this activity)
    I learned that learning activities can be really fun and creative!  But I also learned that there are many harmful chemicals out there and are polluting our environment.  Carbon monoxide is definitely a foe and pretty deadly.  I also learned that we have been using carbon monoxide since prehistoric times, even without knowing so.

Take a Hike with Sarah

Sarah asked us the following:

1. Pick three locations that you go to often. School, Work, Grocery Store
2. How do you typically commute to these locations? 4 days a week, 4 days a week, 1 day a week
3. Access Google Transit
4. Map your transit route by plugging in the addresses of each location and which times you would usually leave to go to these places. Choose if you would like to walk, bus, or bike to these locations.
5. Report the most convenient route to your 3 locations and the modes of transportation.

• For home to work: none of the options were conveniet (sorry!).  They took at least 40 minutes for something that I can drive in 10 minutes.  The quickest route had me taking a bus to one location then walking to the nearest bus stop and getting on another bus and then walking a few more blocks to finally get to work.
• For home to school: the most convenient option is hopping on Bus 18 on the half hour to get to school by the hour (so 7:30 for 8:00 class)
• For home to Cub: once again, these weren't very convenient because I had to walk more than half my trip to get to the nearest bus stop.

         6. How does this route differ from your typical commute?  These routes all differ because they take a much longer time.  The only one that is very similar to my current route is from home to school.  But the other two going much different ways then I typically would.

         7. Are these commutes a realistic change you could put in your schedule? why or why not?
 The only one that would be a realistic change would be to take the bus to school, but after this week I will no longer be attending UMD on a daily basis so it is not really a realistic change.

       8. Do you plan to try incorporating this routes into your routine?
  I actually will not incorporate any of these changes.  It bums me out that to take the bus to work it is more than 40 minutes.  That is disappointing because I do not find that to be convenient at all.  If I were still attending UMD next semester, I could see myself using the bus (but I'm not).

Eye Opener: Photo Essay: Breathe Free UMD

Fight for Healthy Air!  The quality of the air we breathe greatly affects us, including second hand smoke.  The University of Minnesota Duluth is doing something about this.  UMD enacted it's "Breathe Free" policy in 2007.



This sign hangs next to the Swenson Science Building, located on Kirby Drive. 

 


Multiple pole banners can be found while driving through campus.




Did you know you can receive up to a $1000 fine for smoking within 15 feet of a bus shelter?  This doesn't just apply to UMD campus, it is a Duluth City Ordinance.




Signage located just inside the Kirby Bus Hub







These signs are located near almost all entrances of UMD.

 


Did you know you can receive a monetary fine for smoking within 100 feet of health services?  This area spans to Goldfine Apartments, Heany Hall, and Lake Superior Hall dormitories.  This is also a Duluth City Ordinance of smoking within 100 feet of any medical facility.





Become a Supporter!  Supporters ensure this policy is followed.  The Task Force is working on increasing enforcement and creating more severe consequences for violators.

 


Supporters paint the logo on sidewalks all around UMD campus to remind others of the policy.


There should be NO ONE on campus who does not know we have a Breathe Free policy.  You have the responsibility to tell those who are violating that it is not okay.  This is your air too.  One of the policy's goals is to create a healthy air environment where we do not have to breathe second hand smoke.  Support Breathe Free UMD!

For more information on BreatheFree UMD please visit the website:  www.d.umn.edu/breathefree

Photo Credit: Kristy Seaver and Alex Warren

Eye Opener: Junk on the Brain

Part 1:

1. Antiques: an old collectible item; desirable because of age, uniqueness, beauty, etc.
2. Antiquing: form of distressing with intention of making the item look old or antique
3. Junk: is an unwanted or undesirable item
4. Junking: finding discarded items and turning them into usable items
5. Flea market: a place where inexpensive secondhand items are sold or bartered
6. Thrift shop: a shop that sells goods at low prices
7. Upcycling: coverting waste materials or unusable products into new materials of higher environmental value
8. Resale shop: shop that sells items again

Part 2:

1. All the of terms above greatly relate to the environment and environmental health.  They all deal with the fact of reusing things.  Whether that is taking something someone else didn't want, or recreating something into a whole new item, it is all about being resourceful and utilizing the items we currently have or that are in close proximity to us.
2. Name, address, phone, and website or blog for the terms above:
1. Antiques: Father Time Antiques  395 S Lake Ave Duluth, MN 55802 218-625-2379
2. Junking: Snowman Hill 4462 West Tischer Road Duluth MN 55803
3. Flea Markets: Studebaker Drivers Club Swap Meet Flea Market and Classic Car Show, Lake Superior College 2101 Trinity Road Duluth MN 55811 
4. Thrift Shops: Savers 1740 Mall Dr, Duluth, MN 55811  218-722-1894 
5. Upcycling: An example of upcycling is Sara's Table, they convert wine corks into bulletin boards and parking lots.1902 East 8th Street Duluth, MN 55812 (218) 723-8569
6. Resale Shop: Pawn America 339 E Central Entrance, Duluth, MN 55811-5513                       (218) 727-2274
3. I currently do not use any of these things.  I do occaisionally go to the Good Will in my hometown with my mom or grandma but here in Duluth I have not taken advantage of these places.  I would say I do not utilize these places for a couple of reasons.  First, I just never thought about their existence, therefore I never went.  And second, simply time.  It is easier to just go to Target whenever I need things and get them all in one place.

Part 3

1. The first item I found that I think is amazing are these picture frames.  I'm obsessed with pictures and scrapbooking and this is a really neat way to display it in my home.  I love the uniqueness of it.I also feel like I could actually create something like this and would enjoy doing it.
2. The next item I found are these bookends.  Granted, I am not very into chess but the idea of it is really neat.  Bookends would be really neat gift ideas and fun to create, you could put a ton of different items on the base.
3. I love this last item.  It is a domino clock.  I do not think I am experienced enough to be able to do it, but I think it would be really neat to be able to do and it looks really cool.  I have a ton of old dominoes that I could reuse for this kind of project, so perhaps one day I could do it.

Eye Opener: Environmental Working Group

The item I chose to research was my foundation, MAC Select SPF 15 Foundation.   I have probably been purchasing variations of this foundations for 6 years.  According to the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep cosmetic safety database my product scored a 6 out of 10 on the hazard scale.  Therefore it is a moderate hazard.  The active ingredient in this product is Octinoxate.  This product is linked to causing cancer, developmental/reproductive hazards, or allergies.  It is scary to think that something that I have putting on may face for years could cause so many different things.  It definitely makes me think twice before using it.  But to be perfectly honest, I pay a lot for my make up and do not intend to throw it away.  It is scary what they can get away with into cosmetics though.  Because these items are approved and are supposedly safe, but obviously not if one of the side effects of using it are cancer.  I do not think I will ever understand how that works.

I honestly am not too fond of this site.  I didn't find it to be well organized.  It was also confusing.  It was not very clear of where to go next or what to do within the site.  I just starting clicking on random things to try to figure out what kind of information was available.  Also I wonder how valid the information is, because in the lower section it says "one or more animals."  Perhaps this was only for my product, but still, they are saying that if 100 mice were given this foundation and 1 developed cancer, then it must be linked to cancer?  I don't know about that, I would be interested in seeing more of there research and findings.

Eye Opener: CSPI

I took the Eating Green Calculator.   I chose to do this one because I am most concerned about what it is I am actually eating. 

I generally consider myself to be a person that eats few meat and dairy products.  I typically only eat chicken, and don't drink a lot of milk.  But I do consume a good portion of eggs, cheese, and yogurt.  I was shocked to see what kind of impact I was having from my servings of meats and dairy.  I was absolutely disgusted to see how many pounds of manure was created by the animals I eat.  I was also not fond of the amount of pesticide needed for the feed for the animals, because I ingest those as well.  I definitely took the pledge.  One thing I always try to do is incorporate more fruits and veggies into my diet.  This pledge should help me do that.  It also says that when you do eat animal products, choose those that are less in fat.  I think that will be an easy fix to do.  I am excited about eating more fruits and veggies because it will be beneficial to my diet and the environment.  Overall, I think experiences like this are good ones to have.  It makes me more aware of how things I have been doing for all my life affect the environment.  I never would have thought what I eat actually matters to the environment.  I am learning so many new things I can do in my life to help the environment and that makes me really excited.

Just for fun, I checked out the Tour of Food Supply.  The statistics offered on this site were shocking.  It makes me not want to eat meat at all.  I feel like we are so wasteful with so many products.  And I do not support abuse to animals which sometimes we forget what goes on because we only see the packaged items or the finished product.  I am glad I checked out this site too because it provided a lot of useful information.

Eye Opener: Ecological Footprint

Before this class, I had never heard the term ecological footprint before.  But surprisingly it has been around since 1992.  Your ecological footprint represents the amount of land and sea needed to regenerate the resources you consume and waste. 

I took the EarthDay FootPrint Quiz   It was really shocking to me to see the effect of my lifestyle on the environment.  I was surprised to see some of the questions on the quiz, because I never expected them to have an effect on others or the earth.  For example, asking specific questions about which types of meat I eat was an interesting question.  I am sad to say that my ecological footprint results say that if everyone lived like me it would require 4.5 earths to have enough resources.  After seeing the numbers, I really want to live more earth-friendly.  One thing that impacted my score was my flying time.  Reduce how much I fly was a way I could improve my score, but due to family situations I have to fly every year to go visit them.  Therefore, I must adjust other parts of my life to make up for transportation costs.  Some other suggestions they made were to ride public transportation one day a week, or purchase items with less packaging.  I am currently reading The 100 Mile Diet, so now especially after taking this quiz, I would like to try to consume more foods that are produced locally.  I also took the Travel Calculator Quiz, which also said that I create a lot of pollution from transportation.  The last quiz I took was the Carbon Footprint Calculator, which is actually based on the UK.  This one came up that I was average for my CO2 use. 

Overall, I found this to be a very interesting experience.  I learned a lot about how my life is effecting planet earth.  I need to make a lot of changes in my life so I am more environmental friendly.  This was definitely an eye opening experience for me.  I hope that from our posts more people will take these quizzes and realize how much they are affecting the planet we live on.

Welcome to Kristy's Fun in the Sun Spot

Welcome to my blog.


Here is a photo of palm trees on the beach.

Hi, my name is Kristy and you have found yourself at Kristy's Fun in the Sun Spot.  I created this blog as part of my Environmental Health class.  I am a Health Education major with emphasis on Community Health.  My blog is about having fun in the sun.  I love being in the sun and the more I am in it, the happier I am.  I intend to make my blog fun and interesting, but also educational.  It is important to me to be safe in the sun.  I plan to educate on proper actions to take while being in the sun and provide tips to stay safe.

There will be 6 different types of posts on my blog.  These include the following:

1. Advocacy Project
2. Eye Openers
3. Reflections
4. Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change
5. Read 'n' Seed
6. Share and Voice

If you notice at the bottom of this post, the categories will be listed as labels. This post is has been labeled with all six kinds of posts. You will also see the number of each kind of post in my Labels Gadget at the top of the page. All post titles from now on will begin with one of the categories above.

The members of my web group are:

1. Brier@Lovin Nature with Brier
2. Kristy@Kristy's Fun in the Sun Spot
3. Jamie@Jamie Says Jump
4. Elly@Elly Dreams Green
5. Lauren@Lauren's Pouring Rain
6. Mary@Blue Skies for Mary
7. Sarah@Take a Hike with Sarah

You can subscribe to my blog by clicking the subscribe gadget in the gadget column. You can also follow my blog by clicking "Follow this Blog" in the gadget column. I am subscribed to all the blogs in my blog list gadget. You can see my complete profile and all the blogs I am following by clicking on "See Complete Profile."

I am really looking forward to blogging.  I am very new to this whole experience, so hopefully it goes smoothly.  It will be a new fun way to communicate with others.  Thanks for visiting my blog, I hope you come back and check it out again.