Reflection: Weeks 5-8

I have learned so much in the last four weeks.  My new knowledge comes from in class discussions, finishing my Read 'N' Seed Book, and Eye Openers.  One day in class, we were able to design graphical headers.  I liked that because it makes me feel more technologically savvy and that I am able to create something that looks professional.  Throughout the last month we have watch four films, which are Future of Food, Fresh, Green, Tapped.  This films have really inspired me and provided me with so much new information.  I had no idea half the stuff that went on when it comes to growing foods or bottled water.  Not going to lie, everyday I leave thinking there are so many things wrong with this world.  We are destroying it, and in return destroying future generations.  Eventually, no one will experience this planet like we do.  After each movie, we discuss as a class the impact it has on us.  I think it is really eye opening for everyone in the class to see these films; thus very beneficial that we have the opportunity to learn from them. 

I also finished my book for the Read 'N' Seed, which was Plenty - Eating Locally on the 100 Mile Diet.  I learned some amazing benefits from choosing to eat locally and how this impacts the environment.  Basically, only good comes from participating in something like this.  Granted, it may be difficult at first, it is worth it in the end.  Through Eye Openers, I learned about my Eating Green Calculator and how this is impacting my environment.  I also learned about how harmful cosmetic products are.  I have no idea that there were so many chemicals and negative consequences to using make up products.  I have always assumed that since it is approved to be sold, it must also be safe.  Well, that is completely wrong; at least that is what I have been learning.  Most recently, we have begun to learn about "junking."  Or basically reusing items to create new things, or finding things that other people do not want and making them your own.  It has really opened a whole new creative side of me and I think it is something that I will really enjoy.

Overall, I would say that I have mainly just learned how big of an impact I really have on this planet.  Whether I am trying to or not, I am affecting everything around me for better or for worse.  Some things I can do to try and improve my effects include cutting out certain food groups.  It is becoming more and more relevant for me to become a vegetarian and I am seriously considering it.  I need to be recycling everything I can.  I should reuse items that perhaps I may have seen as waste, or even other people's waste and turn it into a creative project.  I should also reconsider cosmetic and hair care products.  And lastly, I will not be buying bottled water any more.  These are just some of the things that I have learned about over the last four weeks that I will start to incorporating into my life.

Share 'N' Voice: Environment Minnesota

So I was just pokin around online and I came across this awesome website called Environment Minnesota.  It is all about things occuring in Minnesota that we can be a part of to help our environment.  There are some interesting subjects like the boundary waters, green transportation, clean water acts, and saving the forests.  They even have a breakfast forum titled "Green Ideas and Ham."  I love the title!  Dr. Seuss anyone?  I found a lot of valuable information on the site, and it really hits home since it is all about Minnesota.  And the best part, they offer internships!  I know we all have to do one, so if there is something interesting to you I encourage you to look for further information.  Check out a few things and let me know what you think.

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.

Share 'N' Voice: What am I answers

I hope you guys enjoyed the activity, overall you all did awesome!  Good work!  Here are the official answers:

1. Reusable Bags
2. Compact Fluorescents (CF) Bulbs
3. Solar Power
4. Green Works
5. Wind Turbines

I figured some answers you would have to look up which helps us all do a little more research on environmentally friendly items.  But some you may have already known.  Good work, I hope you enjoyed the activity.

Read 'N' Seed 5: Fourth Quarter and Final Review of Plenty - Eating Locally on the 100 Mile Diet

1.  For my final section of Plenty, I read the months of December, January, and February; also included in this section was the Epilogue.  This covered pages 193-264.

2. The main topics addressed in this section were eating locally during the winter months.  And how they were inspiring to so many other people to try this for themselves.  They also discussed the importance of getting proper nutrients in their diet.

3.  The most significant things I learned about, or rather the most intersting, was that they spent nearly an entire chapter talking about Minnesota!  James and Alisa compared eating locally in the Pacific Northwest easy to eating locally in lands of harsh winters, like Mahnomen, Minnesota.  James and Alisa had gone to visit the White Earth Tribal and Community College there because they had an experiment going to eat locally for a year as well.  Being it was so similar to their own experience, James and Alisa looked to Sunny, Steve, and Stephanie (the ones who started this project in Mahnomen), for advice and information.  The local food experiment in Mahnomen allowed a 250 mile radius.  The biggest pointer they took away from the experience, was that they people in Mahnomen began their journey in September versus James and Alisa who started in March.  Since they began in fall, it allowed them to prepare all summer by collecting foods and canning and preserving them to last throughout the winter.  From Minnesota they took away many lessons of how to actually live off the land.  They believed that those in Minnesota truly make the impossible, possible.  Also significant in this section, is that they learned that they actually enjoy their 100 Mile Diet.  Making certain treks to find the unique food to add to their collection had been fun adventures and well worth it.  I did not find any specific terms within this section that I needed to look up.

4.  This section greatly affects society in the sense that IT IS POSSIBLE to successfully live by eating locally.  James and Alisa did not starve, they acquired proper nutrients daily, and an enticing factor for most Americans, they lost weight (granted this was not a goal of theirs at all, it just happened).  The final chapter was a bit of a reflection on their journey.  As February neared its ending, they realized they still had an abudance of canned and frozen foods.  Even though they had much anticipated the return of spring, they discovered that they could still survive the winter months.  James and Alisa are an inspiration to society.  They did not create this brand new diet or magically come up with the idea to eat locally, in fact this is something that had been done for centuries.  So why in the last 50 years or so have we resorted to eating everything from the other side of the world?  We need to go back to what are great-grandparents and before ate and how they did it.  It is possible, now it just takes a more conscious decision to actually do it.

5.  Basically, a brief overview of the book includes the idea to eat locally for a year within a 100 mile radius.  This took place March-February in British Columbia.  The book discusses the journey of James and Alisa as they discover what foods are grown locally, when they are in season, and how to retrieve them.  It shows the ups and downs, and that sometimes the best things in life are not easy.  They developed great relationships with local farmers and know exactly where their food is coming from and who raised it.  They enjoyed the new creations they had discovered over the year.  And Alisa finally learned to cook things that required actually cooking.  Overall, they felt the year was a success.  The ending shows that this is truly a lifestyle change.  It is not just something they did for a year and quit, on day 366 they could eat whatever they wanted, and their choice for lunch: potatoes.  It became part of who they were, they enjoyed eating locally.  This book should inspire all to take the chance of eating locally.

6. The three most significant things I have learned are 

• It is possible.  The section talking about Mahnomen, Minnesota really hit home for me.  Even through reading this, I was like well it works for them but there is no way it would work in MN.  To my surprise, it can be done, and people are doing it. 
• You feel better when you know where your food is coming from.  This incorporates both mentally and physically.  James and Alisa had more energy and truly felt that they got more enjoyment out of life from this experience.  And mentally felt better because they knew where there food was coming from, how it was raised, and that they were helping their local economy.  All while reducing their ecological footprint on the Earth.
• Try, try again.  Be persistent with what you want.  They spent lots of time looking for different fruits, vegetables, grains, etc.  Sometimes things did not always work out in their favor, but eventually something better would come along.  Do not let obstacles get in your way, learn to overcome them and move on.  Understanding how to work through a problem and discovering a successful solution shows you much more about yourself than if it had just been "easy" the first time around.

7. This book really shows me that with time, effort, and determination you can accomplish anything.  Even though it was a lot of work, and sometimes James and Alisa did not deem it worthy, they took great pride in what they were doing.  We all say we want to eat "healthy" and we want to have a lesser effect on the Earth, so why not take advantage of something that does both?  My biggest deterrent from attempting this is money and time.  I do not have a large income to be getting specific foods, often my grocery list comes from whatever I have coupons for.  I think I will try to incorporate a few things at a time that are local with the intention of eventually being all.  The second component that makes this difficult for me is time.  James and Alisa spent a lot of time driving to different places to pick up foods and researching their locations.  As well as time spent canning, peeling, preparing, and storing foods so they would last for months.  I think it is amazing that they were able to accomplish so much.  It is important to hear about these things because it is inspiration to others all around the world.  I had previously mentioned the snowball effect of telling others about this.  I think that is why this is so important: getting the word out that it is possible to eat locally, and it provides examples of steps to take for how to be successful.

8.  I would definitely recommend this book to others.  The great thing about my book is that granted I read it for educational purposes, I probably would have read it anyways.  I was very interested in the storyline.  Overall, this book was everything I expected it to be.  It is very descriptive and really allows you to understand what you need to go through to eat locally.

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.

Share 'N' Voice: What am I?

So for this Share 'N' Voice I thought it would be fun to play a game.  The object is to discover what environmentally friendly item I am talking about.  There are 5 items.  Take a guess at one or two.  Good luck to everyone :)  I will post the answers in one week.

1. You can purchase me at most stores.  I can carry items from the store to your home.  I am usually able to fold up into a small size for compact storage and the ability to take me anywhere.  What am I?
2. I can light up a room just as well as my traditional friend.  I only use a fraction of the amount of electricity.  Some of us even get an Energy Star Label.  What am I?
3. I am not available for use at all times.  I am a renewable energy source.  I convert light emitted from the star at the center of the solar system into electricity.  What am I?
4. I am 95%-99% derived from mother nature.  I display the "Design for the Environment Logo".  Clorox is my maker.  What am I?
5. I am very tall.  I am a rotary device that extracts energy.  The movement of air allows me to do my job.  What am I?