Reflection Post: Week 13 & 14

Week 13:

In the thirteenth week of Environmental Health we went on a class field trip to Goodwill. We were really lucky to be able to go on a tour of the Duluth Goodwill. We were able to see the entire process of items at goodwill. It all starts when a person comes a donates items, the items are then brought to be sorted into different bins. Some of the donations go to other goodwill stores depending on if they are running low on any items. Goodwill also has a very cool mattress process that we learned about. They will be starting with a new machine that will allow them to put in three mattress and in one hour it will compact it into one heavy block. We then had an activity where each group got $20 (not really money) to create a room, find family gifts, get ready for an interview, or get ready for the prom. My groups job was to find an outfit to get ready for the prom in under $20. We were able to do it with only spending $18.50. With this much money we were able to find a yellow dress, white shoes, a clutch, a necklace, and earrings. It was a really eye opening to experience this and I felt I learned a lot. This experience really changed how I look at Goodwill as a company and as a store.

Week 14: 

In the fourteenth week of Environmental Health we continued our education on junking. Sue Whitney was supposed to be our guest speaker, she is the author and owner of JunkMarket. As a class we shared our junking projects with the class. It was really fun to see what everyone came up with. We then had a class discussion of what we learned from the class. It was really interesting to hear what everyone had to say. It looks like everyone was able to take away a lot of important topics from this class. We also had  really fun snacks, chocolate covered strawberries and puppy chow. It was a great way to end the semester! 

This is my junk project. I took two magazines that I had in my apartment and folded the pages. I did this to make it look like a Christmas tree. My goal was not to spend any money on this project. If I was going to spend money though, I would have painted it and then put glitter on it to make it look more like a Christmas tree. Although, it turned out really cool with the different colored pages. 

Overall Course Reflection:

Wow I can't believe I am doing an overall reflection of this course. It seems as though there is no way 15 weeks have already gone by. It seems as if it was just yesterday I was sitting in the classroom thinking I would never be able to understand blogging. Dr. V told us all that by the end of the class we would be pros at this. I of course didn't believe her then. Now look at all of us we are blogging like pros. Who would have thought; Dr. V.

This semester has been a lot of fun! I have learned everything from how to blog to be a junker. Over the course of the semester we have watched documentaries that are amazing, opening my eyes to things I never knew. We have also learned more about ourselves by setting lifestyle changes to complete over the semester. We have done numerous activities that have opened our eyes to the ways we affect the environment. We learned how to stand up and show our voices on a project we truly believe in. We were able to pick a book of our choice that related to the environment or society in some way and reflect on the impact it has on society. We were able to go on a field trip to Goodwill and learn more about their business and working environment. Lastly, we have shared topics with our classmates that are interesting to us.

I have truly enjoyed this class and feel that I have gained a lot from environmental health. i really think it helped having the smaller class size, with this everyone was able to share their opinions. It was the small class size that really made this class work. I feel this class is unlike any other class I have taken. I think that leaving this class has actually changed me for the better. I have learned a lot of real world knowledge that I will be able to take with me for the rest of my life. I hope that I will be able to influence others and help then to take action to protect out environment. I would recommend this class to other students as I feel you not only learn about the environment but you also learn a lot about yourself.

Thanks everyone for making this such a great class!
 

Eye Opener: Online Learning Activities

Keith's Activity:

Title: Childhood Obesity Lesson!

Quiz:
1.Children as young as 8 years old are being diagnosed with diabetes?

Answer: True
2.Can some of these illnesses “actually” kill these children?

Answer: True
3.The doctors had to purchase 2 scales to weight children that were over 200 lbs?

Answer: False, for children 350 pounds
4.Dave's dad died at age 52 from a stroke?

Answer: True
5.John Marx is in shape and healthy?

Answer: False, but working his way there
6.Parents are not to blame for childhood obesity?

Answer:  False, I think in some instances parents are but there are other issues. Example: School lunches.

Childhood obesity seems to be getting out of control, this video aired in 2003 and the issue only seems to be getting worse. I hope that others will get educated on the subject and realize the issue at hand.

Kristin's Activity:

Title: Quit Smoking Quiz

I took Kristin's smoking quiz and was able to score a 90/100. The only question I got wrong was regarding which ethnic group smoked the most. I feel that I am well educated on the issue of smoking. For me, it may be because I have watched family members smoke and have noticed some of the issues associated with smoking.

Jake's Activity:

Questions
1. What % of children worldwide are either obese or overweight?
Answer: 10%
2. True or False? Childhood obesity is a condition where excess body fat negatively affects a child's health or wellbeing.
Answer: True
3. What are some early effects in the psychosocial system of childhood obesity?
Answer: poor self esteem, anxiety, depression 

4. The current generation of children has consumed higher levels of ______ and _________ than ever before.
Answer: soft drinks and fast food.
5. True or False? Diet and Genetics are the two largest factors leading towards childhood obesity.

Answer:  False, TV and video games 

All of these activities were a really cool way to learn more about childhood obesity and smoking. These activities really should the current issues facing children and adults.  Hopefully there will be something done about childhood obesity and the number of people that smoke. However, until then we can only continue to educate others on the subject. By making people more knowledgeable they will better understand the importance of these issues.

Advocacy Project: Fitness Quiz

Title: Fitness Quiz

Purpose: The purpose of this quiz is to test your knowledge on fitness and fitness activities. By being more knowledgeable in different fitness areas you can improve your health and wellness. 

Reasoning: By improving your health you will be less at risk for many different diseases. Working out is a great way for a person to stay away from the doctor. By being healthier many people benefit. Costs for insurance will go down as working out increases health. Some insurance companies even offer to pay a portion of gym memberships. It is important to learn about fitness and exercise as it can improve your health.


Instructions:

Click on Fitness Quiz below and it will transfer you to the website.

Fitness Quiz

Then click on Take the Test.

After you are done with the test read what it says about your fitness knowledge.

Record your score and report back about what you learned.

Sources: 

Discovery Health
The Importance of Fitness
Health Partners

Read 'n' Seed 6: Final Review of "Don't Eat this Book, Fast Food and the Super Sizing of America"

Overview:

The book I chose to read was called "Don't Eat This Book, Fast Food and the Super Sizing of America" by: Morgan Spurlock. This book was based off of Morgan Spurlock's documentary called Super Size Me.This book was about Spurlock's experience with eating McDonald's fast food for 30 days straight. This included breakfast, lunch, and dinner, if it wasn't on the McDonald's menu, he couldn't eat it. He also included that when the person behind the cash register asked him if he wanted to super size his order he had to say yes. The book also included many food facts and helpful nutritional information. Spurlock over his 30 day experiment gained 24.5 pounds.

Three Significant Takeaways:

The first significant thing about this book was the amount of weight Spurlock put on over 30 days. He put on 24.5 pound over the course of his experiment. This is a huge concern as many people do not notice how much weight they are packing on when they eat fast food.

The second significant thing about this book was that Spurlock was considered healthy by doctors before he started his experiment. By the time he was almost done doctors were begging him to stop because of all the health issues he was already experiencing. Spurlock showed signs of heart disease, lung, and other health risks after 30 days of fast food.
The third significant thing about this book was how much I learned about nutrition. I was able to learn about foods that most think are good for you but can actually be worse. One thing specifically was fake sugar, that it actually isn't any better for you than regular sugar.

 

Why Is It Important:

I think this is really important as obesity is an issue that affects most American's. Even if you are not struggling with your weight, chances are you  know someone who is. This book is really informational and may help people to take a step in the right direction. This book has really changed how I look at fast food. Since reading this book I have ate less fast food. I believe since the semester began I have had fast food three times. Which is less than once a month. After reading this book I plan to cut fast food out of my diet completely. It's amazing what reading one book can really do for your life.

Recommendation:
I would recommend this book to anyone. I really felt that this book opened my eyes to big fast food companies and exactly what they are doing to make their business grow. I know that I am going to pass this book onto my family and friends as I thought it was really informational. If reading isn't quite your thing or you think you just don't have time Morgan Spurlock wrote this book off of his documentary Super Size Me. This documentary has a some of the same information in it, but not everything the book has. Overall, from reading the book or watching the movie you will be able to get a good idea of what exactly is going on in the fast food industry.

Share & Voice: Environmentally ConsciousOptions (ECO)

I saw a television commercial about a company called Environmentally Conscious Options (ECO) and decided to look at their website and find out more. ECO is located in Duluth, MN and is founded by Julie McDonnell. ECO has products you can use when building your home that are "easy on the environment." The store offers items such as Eco friendly tile, Eco friendly flooring, earth inspired hardware, non-toxic wall covering, green home furnishings, and earth friendly counter tops.

I thought this was a really cool business. I was really surprised to find something like this in Duluth, usually these type of places are in bigger cities.

The store is located at:

400 West Superior Street
Duluth, MN 55802
phone: 218.626.1118
fax: 218.727.2104

Website: Eco-Living Space

                         

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 10: Overall Project Reflection

SMART Goal: 

My SMART goal is to use a reusable water bottle instead of a plastic water bottle everyday for the rest of the semester and hopefully the rest of my life. I didn't change anything with my individual SMART goal. I was able to complete me goal every week and therefore decided to try out other class members goals. I had a lot of fun trying out others goals. I was able to walk to school, use four pieces of toilet paper, shower in under five minutes, and eat more fresh fruits and vegetables.

Success:
I felt really successful over the course of the semester. I think what most helped me to be successful was that this was a goal I wanted to do for myself before class began. By having this lifestyle change I had motivation to implement my goal of switching to a reusable water bottle everyday. The only thing that really that got in my way was going home. When I went home it was a little more of a challenge because my mother does buy plastic water bottles. However, I did not have any issues with this as I continued to use my water bottle. In the future I can address this by helping my mother to switch to a reusable water bottle.

My Benefits:

I felt that I benefited from this project in many ways. One way that I was able to benefit was by saving money. This entire semester I did not spend any money on plastic water bottles. I decided to figure out exactly how much I saved:  I figured one case of water is about $4.50 and I would have to buy that every 20 days and over the course of the semester (14 weeks). Therefore, I saved $22.05 over 14 weeks by using a reusable water bottle that I already had and did not have to purchase. Another benefit was that I was drinking more water. I tend to drink a lot of water in general and therefore would spend a lot on bottled water but this way I drank more water at no cost! I learned that now I know exactly how much water I drink as my water bottle has measurements on the side. I thought this was really cool to see and thought it was very informative. I also learned that by drinking more water I feel a lot better throughout the day. I think drinking water also improves on your diet. A lot of the time people eat because they think they are hungry when really they are just thirsty.

Environmental Benefit: 

By not drinking bottled water and drinking from a reusable water bottle, I was able to reduce the amount of waste in landfills. Others benefited because I was able to influence them to make the switch. I was able to help others understand why this is so important for them and for the environment. A lot of people thought it was going to be a challenge but once they got started they realized that it just becomes routine, as it did for me. Although this is a small part in the world, I felt really good about what I was able to accomplish. This is a change for the rest of my life and am really proud of my accomplishment.

Continuing Behavior:

I plan to continue this behavior for the rest of my life. I feel I have truly changed something for the better in my life and made a change that benefits the environment.  I think as I continue using my reusable water bottle other friends and family members of mine will also make the switch. I hope that when I am home more frequently I am able to get my mother to make the switch also.

Recommendations: 

I would suggest to other that want to make the switch to start off small. Finish using the bottled water that you have. Only drink two to three of the bottled water a week and the rest of the time use a reusable water bottle. Then begin to decrease your bottled water intake and add in more reusable water bottle time. Before you know it the bottled water will be gone and you will be use to using a reusable water bottle. It is important not to buy any more bottled water because then you are just back at stage one. Instead buy a different reusable water bottle. This will switch things up and make it more fun for you. I also have been thinking about what to do when hosting a party. It always seems like the best idea to get bottled water for your guests but there has to be a better and more environmentally friendly way of having water at a get together or a party. 

 Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 10 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy

Advocacy Project: Letter to Public Official

December 5, 2009

Mrs. Amy Klobuchar

U.S. Senate

302 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Amy Klobuchar,

The proposed Health Care Reform Act will benefit all 46 million people without insurance and those with insurance in the United States. Many people support the current bill and realize the benefits of the Health Care Reform Act. By passing the Health Care Reform Act American’s will be able to seek preventive care. Instead people without insurance are seeking the most expensive type of care, the emergency room. I firmly believe this Act will benefit the United States as it will provide 46 million American’s with health insurance coverage. Health insurance coverage would drastically improve the lives of many American’s without coverage and those with basic coverage. It is understandable that the many American’s who currently have health insurance will see a bit of change. However, in the long run everyone will benefit from the Health Care Reform Act.

I appreciate your support of the bill that would allow the United States to have health insurance coverage for everyone. I hope you see the opportunity for many American’s without health insurance and vote yes on H.R. #3962.

Thank you for taking the time to hear my support for the Health Care Reform Act.

Sincerely,

Amanda B.

Normally you should include your full name with address and phone number included. However, I chose not to put that information on here as it would be available for people I do not know to see.

Reflection Post: Week 11 & 12

Week11:

In the eleventh week of Environmental Health we looked at The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard. This video had many interesting facts such as the US uses 30% of the worlds resources but only takes up 5% of the world. I couldn't believe this, it just goes to show how the US needs to change a few things to catch up with current times. Another thing that was stated was "toxins in toxins out," what you put in is coming out and going into our bodies. This was interesting because a lot of what we put in out body, we do not know where is was produced or what surroundings it was in before it came here. This is especially important to think about when eating meat or chicken for a large meat producer. Overall it was important to take away from this short video that we should not to waste resources. In the second half of this class period we did a junking activity. It was a lot of fun! There were five different items that were passed around and we were to look at them and come up with ideas on what they could be used for now. Our group thought of a lot of cool ideas, mainly candle holders. It was really neat to look at these items and brain storm what you could make them into.

Week 12:

In the twelfth week of Environmental Health we shared out Photo Essay's with the class. It was really cool to see what everyone was able to come up with. I was glad that we were all able to share them in class because it made it more personal when hearing about their pictures. It was also cool because people went more in depth when talking about items and shared stories that were not in their photo essay. In class we also talked about how to a write a letter to the editor or a letter to your representative. I was able to get a lot of good ideas about what I should put in my letter to my political representative. One thing our class discussed was that it is important to put your sources in and add statistics. Overall I learned a lot for this activity, before we did this activity I was kind of a loss on what to say and how to get my point across. 

Share & Voice: Notebook Bottled Water

Here is a video I found on You Tube about bottled water. It is a very brief informative video by Katie Couric about using reusable water bottles. One thing that I found particularly interesting is that Washington State University in St. Louis actually plans to stop selling plastic water bottles by the semester when this aired. Therefore, this should have been put into place May 2009. America also drank 9 billion gallons of water from bottled water. An estimated 1.5 million tons of waste comes from these plastic water bottles each year. Learn more by watching this short video.

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 9: Weekly Update

SMART Goal:

My SMART goal is to use a reusable water bottle instead of a plastic water bottle everyday for the rest of the semester and hopefully the rest of my life.I was able to achieve my smart goal because last week because I used my reusable water bottle every day of the week! I also took two showers in under 5 minutes again this week.

Successes and Challenges: 

This week I felt very successful in using my reusable water bottle and drinking lots of water. Although, it was a bit of a challenge to eat healthy over Thanksgiving. I am still eating left overs. I hope I will be able to get back into health eating this week and until Christmas. I also felt successful in being able to get my showers in, in under 5 minutes.My plan is also to get my family to drink more water by giving them water bottles for Christmas, I hope this works. As my mother lost her last water bottle, I hope that she is able to hang on to this one.

Feelings: 

I had good feelings about this week and know I will be able to continue to use my reusable water bottle for the rest of my semester. Knowing that I have made the permanent switch to reusable water bottles has really made me feel good about reducing my ecological footprint.

I Learned: 

I learned that it does take time to make a goal a habit. I realized that I am going to be able to do this for the rest of my life. I hope others in our class are able to make their goal a habit, if that is the change in their life they are looking to make.

Next Week: 

Next week I plan to continue my goal as is and use my reusable water bottle. I also would like to eat more servings of vegetables and fruit next week. I also will continue to two showers of 5 minutes or less.

 
Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 9 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy

Eye Opener: Photo Essay

With the holidays just around the corner some of us might be looking for that last minute gift. This year, as I am a college student without a lot of money, I decided to look for ways to save money on gifts this year. There are many ways to give gifts everyone will love without spending a lot of money. The following are gifts I have come up with in order to save money this holiday season. The items include homemade trail mix, knit hats and scarves, calendar pictures, plants, and water bottles.

My first gift that I made to give to friends and family this holiday season was homemade trail mix. This is a very inexpensive gift, as some items you may even be able to find around the house. The items I included in my homemade trail mix were: raisins, Reese's pieces, milk chocolate M&M's, Cheez-its, sunflower seeds, almonds, and pecans. All seeds and nuts were unsalted which makes these things better for you even though other items in the mix may not be. I would also recommend adding pretzels to your trail mix, however I did not have any when making my trail mix.

Here is a look at the final product. I did not measure anything as I just put in the amount that I thought would work and added more as needed. It is also fun to personalize trail mix according to who you are giving it to and what items they like.

My second gift suggestions is learning how to knit and making a scarf or a hat for someone you know. I recently learned how to knit hats and now everyone I know will be receiving them for a gift this year. For this item purchasing yarn is the main cost. I was able to borrow the tools to knit the hats from a friend. If you do not know anyone with this kind of stuff there is the added cost of purchasing the kit. Here are some of the hats that I have made for this holiday season. 

The third gift item is a picture calendar and one that you can typically find around your house. For this gift a person can simply take their old calendar and use a picture from the previous years calendar and frame it. Some pictures you may have to cut in order to fit it to your frame. These pictures can be used as decorations around your recipients place.

The fourth gift is the simple gift of a plant. Plants are a great environmentally friendly gift that always brighten up a home. Plants that can be inside this season but need to be by a window are usually available at a reasonable rate. I recently purchased a plant that looks like a mini palm tree for $6.99 at Home Depot. If you choose to go with a small plant and need a holder for the plant, you can always use a milk carton that has been cut in half. This not only saves money but it is also fun to decorate these in order to make them look fun.

The fifth gift item is the gift of a water bottle. This a great way to promote healthy living to friends and family. Some water bottle are a little more expensive but there are some places where nice water bottles are about $5.00. Some others run for about $10.00, which usually have some kind of design or special feature. This gift is also environmentally friendly as it friends and family will not be using plastic water bottles, which end up in landfills. Water bottles are great gifts that everyone can use.

These gift item are great ways to save money and promote healthy living. Homemade trail mix, knit hats and scarves, calendar pictures, plants, and water bottles are all great gift items for someone with a budget this holiday season. I hope these items have given everyone an idea for a holiday or birthday present this season.

Read 'n' Seed 5: Fourth quarter of "Don't Eat This Book, Fast Food and the Super Sizing of America"

Chapters and Pages

For the fourth quarter of Read 'n' Seed I read chapters 13-16, pages 199 to 268.

Main Topics

One idea brought up in this section of my book was what if people adopted the "penny per calorie" rule. According to my book its states that if a calorie cost a penny, then would you really want to spend $3.60 on a candy bar? Or spend $11-12 on a fast food sandwich? The idea behind this is that maybe that would be a way to get the obesity level in America down without spending money on surgeries or listening to your doctor lecture you on obesity. I thought this was an interesting point, although this will most likely never happen, it would probably change the way things are in America.

The final numbers were in about Morgan Spurlocks 30 day McDonald's diet. Day 1: 185.5 pounds. Day 5: 195 pounds. Which is 10 pounds in five days! By Day 12: 203 pounds. He stated that the experts he talked to though that the weight he gained was water weight due to the massive amounts of sodium in the foods he ate. Day 31: 210 pounds. Morgan Spurlock over the course of a month gained 24.5 pounds after eating McDonald's for a month. For him this weight was 13% of his body weight. He stated that it took him 9 months to completely lose the 24.5 pounds he had ate.

Terminology

No new terminology this week, as I have been reading this book I have understood more of the terms the author uses.

Implications

Although, it is slightly unreasonable to believe that anyone would eat McDonald's for an entire month. Morgan Spurlock showed America what can happen if you continue to eat fast food even 3 days a week. I think most people know that eating this type of food is bad for them but it is just the convenience of the food. I plan to try to eat out less, even at sit down restaurants because some of that food can be just as bad for you as fast food can.

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 8: Weekly Update

SMART Goal:

My SMART goal is to use a reusable water bottle instead of a plastic water bottle everyday for the rest of the semester and hopefully the rest of my life.I was able to achieve my smart goal because last week because I used my reusable water bottle every day of the week! I also achieved my goal of doing other peoples goals.

Successes and Challenges:

This week I felt very successful as I was able to complete my goal of drinking out of my reusable water bottle everyday. I also said last week that I didn't think I was going to be able to walk to school last week. I was actually able to walk home from school one day. I also was able to take two showers in under 5 minutes. There weren't any challenges for the week. I have had a little trouble encouraging others to use a reusable water bottle simply to drink more water but I think I am getting close. I have also only been using 4 sheets of toilet paper all week. Its a great way to conserve and save money by using less.

Feelings:

This week has been pretty good as far as my goal. I am home for Thanksgiving, which makes me very happy to get to spend this time with my family. I hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving. 

I Learned: 

This week I learned how much water I drink when I have my reusable water bottle. I found that even if I am at my apartment and have my water bottle filled up and next to me I am more likely to drink it. However, if my water bottle is not filled up I tend to forget about it and drink less water. 

Next Week:

I plan to continue my goal as is by using my reusable water bottle everyday. I also would like to continue taking a few shorter showers this week. I hope to continue to get my family excited and encouraged to drink more water, I have a few ideas on how I can do this.



Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 8 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy

Advocacy Project: Issue Overview

Introduction:

The issue that I am going to be focusing on is health care reform. This is a very hot topic right now as it is something every person in the United States will be affected by. There are currently 47 million people in the United States or about 15% without health insurance. The current health care reform bill is a bill that will control the rising costs of health care, give those seeking care a choice of which doctor to see, and give high quality health care while remaining affordable. Currently the health care reform bill or H.R. 3962 has been passed by the House of Representatives and is moving on to the Senate.

Who is affected by this Issue?

It seems that everyone will be affected by this issue if it becomes a law. Those who receive insurance through an employer may pay more as companies will be required to contribute less than the national average currently is. This means that you will more than likely be paying more out of pocket if you chose to keep your current coverage with your employer. In this sense these people might be the ones to lose but they also could gain if their company isn’t contributing enough. Another group that would be affected is those who currently do not have health insurance. This bill would make insurance more affordable for those that cannot afford it or chose not to have insurance because of the costs. Those without insurance in turn will gain because they may not seek coverage because they cannot afford it. If more people are covered under health care insurance it will decrease some costs because rising costs of health care are mainly due to those without health care seeking the most expensive health care, the emergency room. As the poor delay seeking treatment until it is too late for simple treatment.

What are the consequences of the issue?

The consequences for those already with insurance will be very minimal as their costs may rise a little bit. It would also affect those that are on or are going to be on Medicare, these people might lose the coverage they receive now. Although this has been upsetting to a lot of people, if you look at the big picture our country should benefit in the long run. The consequences for those without health insurance are that they aren’t paying anything for insurance as they aren’t covered. Thus increasing costs for the people without insurance is probably the biggest consequences as they will move to the public option. The consequences for families are that they may have to pay more out of pocket to cover their insurance costs, as their employer may be paying less. The consequences for society should be relatively minimal as this is a bill to benefit the United States.

What is the economic impact of the issue?

The costs of this issue are going to be spread out among the entire nation. The cost is expected to be an estimated $1 trillion over the next 10 years. For the most part the government will be paying this amount, while there is some talk of taxing the rich. There is also talk of increased cost sharing by the patient. Costs will also be put on insurers, drug makers and medical device manufacturers. Those that will benefit from this bill are those that are without insurance. The public option will cover those without health insurance and will benefit the most.

What is the social impact of the issue?

It seems that health care reform will benefit the poor more than it will benefit the rich. The rich will most likely bare some of these costs as the government feels they can afford to contribute more than others. The upper-middle and middle classes will then be taxed. It seems as though with the rich being taxed along with the upper middle and middle classes being taxed everyone will still benefit because costs should be able to be controlled for all. Reminder that one main goal of this bill is to control costs in health care.

What are the barriers?

The barriers to the issue are to inform those that do not understand this bill. Another barrier is working with those that are not in favor of the bill and to hear their reasons why and make changes to make things somewhat fair for everyone. It is important to take all of the people opinions into account because this is a bill that will affect people living in the United States. Simply hearing people opinions through town hall meeting is a way to overcome some of the barriers.

What are the resources?

To get this bill going the government will have to come up with the money to implement this plan as money does not grow on trees. Again this money will come from the government, drug makers, manufacturers, the people, and other sources of money.

What is the history of this issue?

The history of this issue is that many Americans have been without health insurance for many years and the government is now looking at a way for this issue to be solved by making a public option. The issue was first brought up in 1912 by former president Theodore Roosevelt, when he tried to promote national health insurance. The issue was again brought up in 1934 but was again not considered. In 1948 socialized medicine was again brought up but quickly ended when the Korean War began. It wasn’t until July 1965 that Medicare and Medicaid programs came into play for Americans. In November of 1976 a comprehensive national health insurance system was introduced by Jimmy Carter and as the recession hit, it became less of a priority. November 2008 Obama begins his campaign for health care reform, resulting in where we currently stand in health care reform.

Allies and Opponents:

People who seem to support this issue are of course the President of the United States Barack Obama and some democratic parties. Those also in support are those without health insurance. Those that are opposed to this issue are the rich, those that don’t want things to change from where health insurance currently is, and others who are worried about the quality are care they might receive if this bill is passed.

My Recommendation:

I personally think this is a tough issue to debate but in the end I would say I am a little more for the bill than against it. I think that something needs to be done for those that do not have health insurance and if this is what government has come up with for the nation then it might be our best option. I think that although it may not benefit people in the beginning, in the long run costs will be able to be minimized. I think that our country will go through substantial changes in order to make this better for all but I hope that in the long run we would all see this as a positive move for the better of our country. It has been said that the devil lies in the details regarding this issue.

Resources: 

CNN

White House

CBS

Washington Post

New York Times 

Share & Voice: Going Green the Today Show

Hey everyone!
I found this video on YouTube about labels and going green and exactly what they mean and how they can get that little sticker you often see on newer products.The energy star is one of the labels you may have seen, this label means that the product has met strict standards on high energy efficient rating, saving you money and energy. Food products also have labels through the government that say it doesn't have pesticides. The site also said what we have all learned in class that it is better to buy local. Learn more by watching the video yourself.

Reflection Post: Week 9 & 10

Week 9:

In the ninth week of Environmental Health we discussed Advocacy in Health Education. As a class we got into three different groups and gave a short presentation. Our groups topic was Advocacy which by definition is active promotion of a cause or principle, it involves actions that lead to a goal, a way to approach a problem, and can be used as part of a community initiative. Advocacy is not a direct service and does not always involve conflict or confrontation. Therefore, our group got up and showed the class one example of advocacy and one example that was not advocacy. Our example of advocacy was people blocking a forest from a bulldozer, in order to save the trees. Our example of what advocacy is not was people building a house, such as what you might see on Extreme Home Makeover. We also discussed what we will be doing for the rest of the semester for our advocacy projects.

Week 10:

In the tenth week of Environmental Health we watched a movie called Unnatural Causes - In Sickness and In Wealth. This movie talked about the connection between health, money, and race. The movie had many interesting facts such as the United States is the 30th country of life expectancy, this means that our country is behind many other countries in living longer lives. It would seem that with all the technology and medicines that our country has available we would be closer to the top ten. Another fact given from the movie was that college graduates live on average two years longer than high school graduates. Another interesting fact was that our country spends $2 trillion on medical care per year. There are 47 million people in the United States without health insurance, although some chose this option but others simply cannot afford it. Overall, I found this video to have a lot of useful information that helps me to look at things from many different perspectives. It is always important to understand that data is interpreted in many different ways and that you should look at the data and interpret things for yourself.

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 7: Weekly Update

 SMART Goal:
My SMART goal is to use a reusable water bottle instead of a plastic water bottle everyday for the rest of the semester and hopefully the rest of my life.I was able to achieve my smart goal because last week because I used my reusable water bottle every day of the week! I also achieved my goal of doing other peoples goals. I also was able to complete others goals. 

Successes and Challenges:  

 I was successful in completing my goal for the week. I also had one day of using four sheets of toilet paper. I walked to school one day last week and felt very good about it, I also saw a few deer along the way! I was not very successful in eating less red meat. This weekend when I was home my mother made a large bowl of chili and sent some back with me to Duluth.

Feelings:

Right now I am a little frustrated because when I went to add a picture it deleted my whole post and then saved it right away so I lost my entire post. Other than that I was feeling pretty good about all my progress for the semester. I was also slightly disappointed because it was only last week that I said I don't drink a lot of pop. However, when I was going home last week I started to get tired, I stopped for gas and also stopped for a can of pop. At least it was a can and not a bottle, there is way less pop in a can than a bottle.

I Learned:

I learned that if I don't have fresh fruits and vegetables at my apartment I don't eat as many and go for a different snack which is usually something that is not as healthy. When I was at home because we had a lot of fruits around that was what I snacked on instead of junk food.

Next Week:

I plan to continue my goal as planned. I also plan to take at least two showers both in 5 minutes or under. I don't think I will walk to school this week as I have to get there at 8am and it is usually pretty cold that early. 


Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 7 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy

Advocacy Project: Healthy People/THOMAS

Healthy People 2010 Goal of Interest
I chose to do my advocacy project on the Access to Quality Health Services 

Objective: "To reduce the proportion of families that experience difficulties or delays in obtaining health care or do not receive needed care for one or more family members" stated by Health People 2010

Target Goal: 7% 
Baseline: difficulties or delays in health care occurred in 12% of families and thus these families did not receive the needed care. This information was from 1996, over 13 years ago .

Progress Quotient Chart
Using the Progress Quotient Chart for those with difficulties or that delay in obtaining the needed health care, is moving towards its target, currently  at 20%. This percent was calculated by taking the most recent value minus the baseline value divided by the year 2010 target minus the baseline value, all multiplied by 100 to get this percentage. The most recent year this was tracked was in 1999, which makes the data about 10 years old.

Opportunities and Challenges 
 As many as 47 million Americans are without health care, which is about 15.7% of the total US population. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) reported that as many as 18,000 deaths per year are linked to that person not having health insurance. Most who are uninsured delay treatment for health issues or do not have a regular physician, this results in poor health and increased costs when they do seek treatment. By educating people on the need for seeking treatment you can reduce some of these issues. Challenges then begin to arise as people get older because they sometimes end up in a long term care facility, which Medicare does not always cover in full. This puts the remaining costs on the person staying in the home or their family. This results in a greater demand for home health care and more challenges in meeting the target.


Disparities
White non-Hispanic had the best rate within race and ethnicity, followed by Black non-Hispanic and America Indian or Alaska Native at a most favorable group rate but without having all criteria met. Males had the best rate within gender, followed by females with a 50-99% rate difference from males, females also have an increase in disparities by 10-49 percentage points. Middle/high income, urban or metropolitan, and persons with disabilities had the best rate within income, location, and disability.

Emerging Issues
Primary care and preventative care are current issues surrounding health care. To improve on preventative care The Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act added treatment for cardiovascular screening blood test and diabetes screening tests. Another issues are that when people do seek care they go to the emergency room, there are long waiting times which make some people leave before receiving treatment. Long term care is another issue that include workforce issues; such as who is going to take care of those in long term nursing homes as our baby boomers get older. Insurance is another big issue, who is going to cover long term care for elders who need someone to care for them 24 hours a day. 

H.RES.271 : Health Care Reform Referred to House subcommittee
Title: Recognizing the need to support the development and enforcement of a well-informed national long-term care strategy to solve the problems of cost, quality, and access to long-term care in the home and community, and the imperativeness of including long-term care in the comprehensive health care reform agenda. 
Sponsor: Rep Hastings, Alcee L. [FL-23] (introduced 3/19/2009) Cosponsors (24)
Latest Major Action: The latest major action was taken on May 14, 2009 in which it was referred to the House subcommittee. The current status is that it is being referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions. 
Recommendation: Vote Yes, for H.RES.271:Health Care Reform Referred to House subcommittee.
My Political Representative on this is Congressman John Kline.

Read 'n' Seed 4: Third quarter of "Don't Eat This Book, Fast Food and the Super Sizing of America"

Chapters and Pages

For the third quarter of Read 'n' Seed I read chapters 9-12, pages 130 to 198.

Main Topics

One main topic was a study done by Morgan Spurlock, he left some fast food restaurant foods in a jar. Most of the foods in the jars took a while to go bad, with the french fries lasting the longest. It turned into a joke between him and his friend to leave food, specifically fast food, in each others desk. Most of the time the food was found when it started to smell. In another instance food was found after one Morgan Spurlock had left the company, the food had been placed there at least eight months before, the food was not discovered because of the smell but simply because the other person was looking in his desk for an item behind books. This item behind the books that had been there for at least eight months was a cheeseburger from McDonald's. It lasted that long without smelling, that is not normal. It was stated in the book that it lasted that long because of the added chemicals.

Another Main topic was how Morgan Spurlocks 30 day diet had been going. Spurlock complained of his chest feeling heavy, headaches until he ate the food again,and zits and pimples on his face. These reactions were all within the first week of Spurlocks attempt at 30 days of McDonald's. A rather funny part of this book is that a lot of the words he uses start with Mcblank, for example his 30 day diet is called the McMonth. 

The book also suggested the next time you get a burger from your favorite fast food joint, scrape off the added toppings take of the bun and see what the burger actually looks like. Does it look like that normal burger that you cook up on the grill.

Terminology

I did not have any terminology so instead I made this an interesting fact. Most American's don't know the basics about their health, including what a calorie is. A calorie is a measure of the energy content of food. One calorie, the kind that you usually see when you see the caloric content on food labels, is the amount of energy that's needed to raise the temperature of a liter of water by one degree centigrade (Source: Marion Nestle, nutritionist).

Implications

This is very important of society to know, because although this food may make your headache go away, that headache is only being caused as a result of eating the fast food. I think this is also important to realize because as people eat this food more and more they will be think it is normal and not seek any care or change their eating habits.

Share & Voice: Too much paper?

I think everyone should take a look at this. As I was walking around campus the other day I saw this huge stack of books. I went over to see what they were and the sign read: CAMPUS DIRECTORY 2009-2010 take one!

Personally I think this is a big waste of paper and money by our school. To my understanding this is the directory that every student, faculty, or any website visitor can see on the campus website simply be searching people (website link). I would be interested to hear what everyone else has to say about the use of paper and money spent on these. Please leave a comment I would love to hear your opinion.

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 6: Weekly Update

SMART Goal: 

My SMART goal is to use a reusable water bottle instead of a plastic water bottle everyday for the rest of the semester and hopefully the rest of my life.I was able to achieve my smart goal because last week because I used my reusable water bottle every day of the week! I also achieved my goal of doing other peoples goals. This week I again walked to school one day, took a shower in under two songs, and used reusable bags when I went to the store.

Success and Challenges:

 This week was not full of any challenges, mainly successes! I felt I was successful in doing my goal and attempting others goals. When I went to the store I remembered to bring a reusable bag to pack my stuff in. I also walked to school on Monday. On Tuesday I took a shower in under two songs, it was great I was able to watch more of the Today Show before going to catch the bus. 
 

Feelings:

I felt really good about this week. Not only did I feel like I got more exercise in the day when walking to school but I also got time to enjoy the nice weather while it lasts. I also felt happy that I used reusable bags because I have them so why not use them. I also was impressed that I was able to shower in about 5 minutes. I really didn't think it was possible, although I had the feeling of being rushed, which normally the shower is really relaxing. 

 

I Learned:  

I learned to take it day by day and slow down. With these last few days being really nice outside I have really taken the time to go outside and enjoy it before there is snow on the ground. I also learned that if I really set my mind to it I can accomplish these goals. For instance I thought there was no way I could get a shower in, in under 6 minutes and I did it in 5 minutes.

Next Week: 

Next week I would like to continue to try other peoples goals, perhaps a day of only four sheets of toilet paper. I thought about limiting my caffeine intake but I rarely drink pop, probably 2 pops a month. I also want to try to eat more vegetables and less red meat. Red meat and more vegetables might be a bit of a challenge because I am trying to eat the food I currently have at my apartment before going to the store again. Unfortunately I have left over tacos and no fresh vegetables. 





Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 6 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy

Advocacy Project: My Political Representatives

President : Barack Obama (Democratic Party)

                1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

                Washington, DC 20500         

                (202) 456-1111

U.S. Representative : Congressman John Kline (Republican Party)

                                101 West Burnsville Parkway, Suite 201

                                Burnsville, MN 55337

                                (952) 808-1213

Senator District 38: Jim Carlson (Democratic Party)

                              75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

                              Capitol Building, Room G-9

                              St. Paul, MN 55155-1606

                              (651)297-8073

State Representative: Sandra Masin (Democratic Party)

                                 527 State Office Building

                                100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

                                Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155

                                (651)296-3533

Governor: Tim Pawlenty (Republican Party)

                130 State Capitol

                75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

                St. Paul, MN 55155

                (651)296-3391

                

U.S. Senate: Alan Franken (Democratic Party)               

                     60 East Plato Blvd., Suite 220

                     Saint Paul, MN 55107

                     (651) 221-1016

                     Amy Klobuchar (Democratic Party)

                     1200 Washington Avenue South, Suite 250

                     Minneapolis, MN 55415

                     (612) 727-5220

County Board President: Kathleen Gaylord (Democratic Party)

                                     1590 Highway 55

                                     Hastings MN 55033

                                     (651) 438-4428

City of Eagan Mayor: Mike Maguire (Non-Partisan)

                                 3830 Pilot Knob Road

                                 Eagan, MN  55122

                                 (651) 675-5001