Share and Voice: Junk Project

Since I was unable to make it to class today I am now sharing my junk project through this post.  Over the weekend I went to a family Christmas party at my grandma's house and kept this project in mind.  My grandma has so much junk in her basement it's crazy, so I knew it wouldn't be hard to find some things she had laying around and put them to good use.  I took two items back home with  me...

This jar glass was sitting in a box in my grandma's basement about to go to the the town's thrift store.  Instead I decided to take it home with me to use as a change holder.  It was perfect, because just a couple weeks ago my other change bowl got knocked off my dresser and busted, so I had all my change in a zip lock baggy until now.

I found this vase in the same box, as well.  It was super dusty and didn't look that great, but I washed it off and it ended up looking brand new.  My grandma she said she got it around two years ago for her birthday, which held a boquet of flowers.  She didn't have any use for it, so she stored it---a ritual for her.  I thought it was cute, so I took it home and now I use it to hold my dry erase markers!

Share and Voice: Tips for Reducing Waste During the Thanksgiving and Winter Holidays

http://www.epa.gov/osw/wycd/funfacts/fall.htm


I couldn't believe how much trash my family produced at Thanksgiving dinner and there was only 12 of us!  I couldn't imagine how much trash the entire United States produced over the break.  EcoWorld states that since 1995 our winter holiday wastes have increased 20%.  Another interesting statistic found by EcoWorld was that if every family in the U.S. decreased their gas consumption by one gallon, 6.5 million tons of climate-changing carbon dioxide would be prevented from entering the air.  I thought it would be beneficial to learn some ways how to reduce waste during the Thanksgiving and winter holidays.  Some tips listed as:

*Make a committment to recyle-by doing so you are lessening the waste that accumulates in landfills
*Use grass clippings or shredded leaves for mulch.  You then can pile them around your shrubbery and pile degradable produce and food into the mix.
*Avoid plastic throw away dinner ware and paper napkins!!!  Use cloth napkins and a dinning set if you are hosting a party.  If there are decorations involved, save them and use them for next year.
*Save leftovers!!  Do not toss food that is not spoiled.  This saves you money and your time to prepare your meals.
*If the amount of left overs is small, compost these food scraps.
*Be sure to actually take the time to show your guests where to put the recylcing (paper, plastic, etc).  If they do not know where to recycle their item, it is far more likely that they will just toss it in the trash.
*Fill your dishwaster to capacity before running it--if you do not do so, it is a waste of water
*It is important to wash and reuse items that are brought to the party by guests.  Such as:  jars, cookie tins, dairy tubs, etc.  You can use these to place your leftovers in or use them as pen holders or decor for the house.
*Avoid putting food down the disposal that could clog the drain.  If not avoided, this could lead to damage of the pipes and send parts of your sink to the dump before their time.
*Buy food in bulks!!
*If you are traveling for the holidays be sure to turn down the thermostat and shut off all lights

Share and Voice: What is Earth Day?

I was looking through my planner the other day and it listed April 22nd as "Earth Day" and I had no idea what this holiday was all about.  I decided to search the web and figure out what is Earth Day and how it evolved.

*Earth Day was created to inspire awareness and appreciation for our planet.  It was actually founded by a U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson from Wisconsin.  After the holiday was set in stone, a symbol was created November 7, 1969 to represent Earth Day which looked like this....

*The symbol is a combination of the letters "E" and "O", standing for Environment and Organism

*Earth Day mainly came about because of the increasing worriness about environmental crisises, so a national day was put in affect to talk about environmental problems.

*In 1999, as the millennium was nearing, a campaign was put into effect on Earth Day that focused on global warming and a push for clean energy.

*On the first Earth Day in 1970 a Earth Day Network was put into action where activists can connect change in local, national, and global policies.  This network reaches over 17,000 organizations in 174 countries.

*Why April 22nd? This date was chosen because people thought that it wasn't a busy time in the year for students (final exams weren't nearing) and wanted to teach these students about cirtical factors dealing with the environment.  There was also no spring breaks that needed to be worried about, and it was late enough in the spring months that there would be pretty good weather.  It was also decided that Wednesday would be a best day because it was mid-week, and most students would most likely be attendants in their classes.

*The main point of this holiday is to foster appreciation of the Earth's environment and become aware of the issues that threaten it.

*If one would like to become involved in Earth Day, your school would be a good place to contact, since they usually have some kind of environmental meeting or volunteering program on the holiday.

Share and Voice: Go Green! Advantages of Reusable Bags

http://www.helium.com/items/976541-go-green-benefits-of-reusable-bags

After reading Mal's Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Update, I wanted to find out what are some specific advantages of using resusable bags.  Unfortunately, I have still not bought any of these, but now after this article it really gives me a kick in the butt that I should get some!!  Some of the advantages were listed as...

*Plastic bags are made from harmful, non-renewable resources.
*These non-renewable resources are already being consumed in large amounts (ex: fuel for automobiles), so if people lessen their use of plastic bags, non-renewable resources could be lessened.
*Only 0.6 percent of bags are recycled
*Every year people throw away over 100 billion plastic bags
*Most of the bags don't even make it to the landfill because many get caught in the wind, then these get caught in trees, sewers, gutters, and waterways.  This unfortuneately has created a huge pile of plastic bags floating in the Pacific Ocean, known as the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, which is double the size of Texas and still growing
*This Great Pacific Garbage Patch causes great hazzards for ocean animals
*"267 marine species had suffered from some kind of ingestion or entanglement with marine debris"
*Plastic bags are not only hazzardous to animals, but can be hazzardous to children as well.  There is an average of 25 deaths a year who died of suffocation due to plastic bags, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and 90% of the deaths were under the age of one.

Share and Voice: Organic Food Info

http://www.organicfoodinfo.net/Organic_vs_GE_Foods.php

Since I am reading the 100 Mile Diet, I thought it would be benefical for me to become more knowledgable about organic food, since my reed 'n seed book has a lot to do with organic vs non organic food.  I found this great website that gives some very important information on organic food and why most critics think it is better than regular food.

Benefits of Organic Food:
*Most common benefit--tastes better

*Health Benefits--Organic foods prevent people from ingesting regular amounts of pesticides and insecticides commonly found in commercial products. Animals are not routinely given antibiotics and other medication which enters the food supply to humans.  Also avoids excessive chemicals that have been known to be linked to major health problems.

*Environmental Benefits--Organic farming ensures that bio-diversity remains available in the foods we eat and the wildlife that live on the farms. Fruits and vegetables are naturally available in 100's of varieties.  In short, organic food protects the plants!  Many species of birds, insects and other animals are affected by the chemicals and farming conditions used in growing commercial foods.



*Human and Animal Benefits-- The workers and the animals are not as exposed to dangerous toxins or working and living conditions. This enables people to continue growing healthy foods for the rest of society without reliance on huge machinery and chemicals. Animals are not subjected to dangerous living conditions.  These unhealthy living conditions usually spread illnesses around the livestock.

Some Organic Carrots

Share and Voice: Healthy College Food

http://homecooking.about.com/od/foodhealthinformation/a/collegefood.htm

Hey guys, I have started to realize that ever since I moved out about two years ago, that I do not eat as healthy as I should be.  I tend to go out to eat often, bake frozen pizzas too much, and I never seem get enough fruits and veggies.  I found this sweet website that explains what kind of foods should be avoided, what to order while dinning out, how you can cook at home, and the site even gives simple healthy recipes that college students can make and enjoy.

While Eating Out...

-Try to order a grilled chicken sandwhich or deli sandwhich with NO mayo, instead of a greasey burger or something that has been drenched in oil and fried.

-Try buying pineapple and other very sweet fruits, instead of munching on a cookie, that way you can still get the sweetness just on a healthier level

-Stop ordering pop!!!  Pop has crazy sugar levels.  Try a water, cause you are most likely not getting enough as it is, or else order some juice.

While Dinning In...

-The website lists these items as top healty cheap foods:  broccoli, corn, spinach, carrots, chicken, pasta, vegetable sauce, apples, oranges, fruit juice, 1% or skim milk, water, corn bread, oatmeal, yogurt, and eggs.

-Avoid pasta and canned sauce every night of the week!!  Unless you are rigorously exercising.

-DO NOT skip breakfast.  At least treat yourself to a cup of O.J. every morning if you are rushed!

-Drink plenty of water!!!  It keeps the skin smooth and tricks your body on feeling full on little calories

-The website says that lighting a few candles at your house while eating can help you relax and forget your worries.

Don't forget your OJ at breakfast!!

Share and Voice: How to Avoid Swine Flu Infection

http://www.ehow.com/how_4932277_avoid-swine-flu-infection.html

Some of you probably think the swine flu is extremely over publicized lately and that people are overreacting when they worry if they have it or not, but if you have or get very sick this winter, you will be thankful for this website.  This site gives a little background information about what the swine flu is and how it differs from the other types of flus.  Since I have been very sick on and off lately, I thought it'd be a good idea to see how my symptoms relate to the symptoms of someone who is infected with the swine flu.  I had symptoms that were very similar to the swine flu symptoms earlier in the school year, but luckily I was tested and the doctor's report said I did not have the infection, rather I had just the regular flu (that was a couple weeks ago).  I feel as I should go back to the doctor, since I am sick again (very bad cough), but kind of feel like a worry-wart doing so...so I have yet to get to a clinic for a second time.  Anyways, the website listed some ways of how to avoid the swine flu, which were:

-Wash hands frequently/Carry hand sanitizer
-Touch public facilities as little as possible
-Avoid closed quaters (airplanes, small rooms, etc)
-Clean your produce
-Avoid crowds
-Do not share drinks and food with others
-Contain your cough!!
-Get a H1N1 Vaccination (pregnant women, children and young people are highest at risk)
-Visit your doctor if you have symptoms pertaining to the swine flu

Cover your cough!!!!!!

The website also gives a lot of other information about the swine flu if you click on the tabs ontop of the page.

Share and Voice: Tips for Going Green on a Budget

http://www.filterforgood.com/tips_from_josh.php?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=go+green&utm_campaign=SEM-NonBrand

This website gives great tips on how to "Go Green" on a tight budget.  He gives seven great ideas on how to safe money while perserving the environment at the same time.

1.) Shut down and unplug electronics
2.) Wash your clothes in cold water
3.) Fill your waterbottle with filtered tap water
4.) Update your wardrobe for less-you can trade your current styles for newer styles for free at swapstyle.com
5.) Exchange CDs, DVDs, and books instead of buying
6.) Use refurbished electronics
7.) Use kitchen utensils made of recylced materials

The website goes in more detail on how to go about these changes, but I just wanted to give you the gist of things.  One thing I need to work on is remembering to bring my waterbottle to class.  I always seem to forget it at my house or in my car, so somedays I end up purchasing water at the coffee shop.  I thought it was kinda neat that there is a website where you can actually trade in your clothes for new clothes for free (besides paying shipping and handling in some cases).  Just some ideas on how to live a greener life.

Near the upper top of the page on this website there is a tap that says "Facts" and list why certain things are harmful to our environment.  I read through the list and found out some pretty interesting stuff, such as in 2006 the average American used 167 disposable water bottles and only recycled 38.  That is crazy, that is over 45% of the year that people use a disposable water bottle!  Anyways, I would suggest reading through the fact part as well.  Have a good one everyone.

Share and Voice: 100 Ways to Save Environment!!

http://www.seql.org/100ways.cfm

Hey guys.  Since I am trying to live a more "greener" lifestyle, I found this sweet website that gives 100 ways how to save the environment.  The website (provided by SEQL) gave a few categories pertaining to where and how you can make the changes, which were listed as:

-in your home-conserve energy
-in your home-reduce toxicity
-in your yard
-in your office
-ways to protect our air
-ways to use less water
-how to create less trash.

One thing my household should work on is trying to remember to shut off the lights when we are not in the room.  I have mentioned this to my roomies before, but they always seem to forget!!  Also, it is important to really think if you need a light on or not, sometimes we turn on lights subconciously when we aren't even in need for extra light.  One way to avoid this is to put duck tape over your light switch so you can actually process the thought if you actually need it, and in most cases you don't even need to flip the switch.

Image From ABC

A second change I should make is to start printing off class assigned readings on both front and back of the paper.  This will cut my expenses in half and the amount of trees that are being cut down to make this paper.  I just always seem to forget to change the printing settings, but I should really  make this a priority.

One last change my roomies and I should make is to stop running the dishwasher when it is only half way full.  Sure we may not like messy kitchens, but it is much better for our environment to reduce the amount of times we run a machine that uses great amounts of water.  On the website there are 97 other ways to better our environment and I highly suggest you take a look!  Have a great weekend everyone!!

Share and Voice: Explore Minnesota

http://www.exploreminnesota.com/get-outdoors

Hey all!  Since my lifestyle change is to start getting outside more I found this great Minnesota website that shares what kind of outdoor activities are available in your zip code.  All you do is type in your zip code in the upper left hand of the screen and up pops places to go, things to do, and events that are going on.  This is a great way to become involved in your community if you want to become engaged in local festivities.  A festival that is coming up is the Gales of November, held at the DECC.  At this event people can tour the lighthouse, underwater exploration, learn about diving technology, shipwrecks and more.

This website also gives information on what type of outdoor activities are available up North during the different seasons.  Some winter activities consist of Snowflake Nordic Ski Center, Spirit Mountain, Superior National Forest and many more.  Once the snow starts coming, I am definitely going to come back to this website to get more ideas of outdoor activities!

The Lighthouse in Duluth

Share and Voice: 20/20 Sick in America: Whose Body is it Anyway?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kf3MtjMBWx4

This youtube video presented by Abc's 20/20 talks about America's current health care.  I barely know anything about the topic itself, so I thought it would be beneficial for me to view to get a bit of insight on what the ordeal is about.  This video clearly stated that America's current health care is "...disfunctional and out of control..."  They took on the view that insurance companies are profitting off the high costs to pay their executives.  They also talk about how other people spend our health care money for us, such as hospitals deal with the costs and may jack up the prices thinking patients don't pay close attention to them since it is covered by their insurance.  One other important fact that was noted in the clip was that 2/3 of people get health care through their employer.  Specialists being interviewed in the video said this is not a good idea to tie health care to people's jobs because it is shown that 4/10 Americans change jobs ever year, thus loosing their benefits.

After thinking about this video, I have a feeling it may be biased.  It is only focusing on negative aspects of health care and not any advantages there is to having health insurance today.  I hear all the time that our health care system is failing, but there must be a couple positive things about the source today.  And I agree with the lady being interviewed, that the government should not only rely on people to get health care through their employer.  Many people in America are self employed, switch jobs often, or become laid off.  All in all, our health care system needs to be corrected and this situation needs to be made aware to the public eye.

DAILYRFT

Intro Post

Welcome to Paige's E Health Blog!  I thought of something a little more creative, but now I can't figure out how to change it, so I guess I'm sticking with this title.

My name is Paige and I turned 20 years old in July.  I transferred to UMD last fall from a community college down in the cities.  I am majoring in Psychology, but not quite sure what I want to do after I graduate, I guess time will tell.  I have two younger sisters and a dog named Scout back at home in Plymouth MN.  I don't know much about Environmental Health, but I'm hoping my blog covers a variety of topics of how we can make the planet a greener place.

There are 6 possible types of posts on my blog. They include:

-Advocacy Project

-Eye Openers

-Reflections

-Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change

-Read 'n' Seed

-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 five 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. http://mediterraneanmelissa.blogspot.com/


2. http://ashleysgreenlilypad.blogspot.com/

3. http://paigesehealthblog.blogspot.com/

4. http://malsrainforest.blogspot.com/


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 looking forward to this course and hoping to become more environmental friendly throughout the semester.  I want to gain knowledge on the environmental troubles the world is facing and become familiar with ideas of how people can change their habits to make the world a cleaner place.  Happy blogging and have a good day everyone!

Blogged for the Welcome Linky Party hosted by http://ecochicwithamy.blogspot.com/.