Reflection Weeks 8-15

Reflection Time!

I know this has been said before, but what haven't we learned in this class? I can honestly say that this has been my favorite class in my three and a half years at UMD. It has been thought provoking, challenging and interesting, to say the least. The second half of the semester has been a little more challenging than the first. I would say this was due to all the advocacy stuff that we encountered, but it still was well worth the time. We also switched up web groups, which was nice since I was able to hear other people's opinions and thoughts. Shannon, Bailey, and Chnice all provided me with interesting thoughts and ideas on my posts and also gave me many posts and topics to consider.

  Tapped

Week 8 started off with the Tapped documentary. This was by far my favorite documentary that I have watched so far in this class. It really enhanced my knowledge about water, water rights, contaminants, BPA, chemicals, etc. I really have a strong interest in water and plastic bottles and the effect that they are having on our nation. I loved watching all the documentaries in this class because they provide a very realistic and enlightening view on some incredibly serious topics that we are facing. 

Junk, Junk, Junk

We talked quite a bit about junking and how to repurpose things that to some, might just be worthless and well, junk! We did junking projects and the above picture is what I created. It was part of a ceiling fan, one of the blades on it actually. My dad had just taken it down and was going to toss it out, so I grabbed one and repurposed it. It can be used to put pictures on or post it notes, or if I put in some hooks it can be used to hang keys on...lots of different purposes! This part of the class taught me that I shouldn't just toss something without thinking...it really can be put to good use.

Advocacy

And then we get into the advocacy part of the semester! While this wasn't my favorite topic in Environmental Health, I learned so much. I'm not very good at politics and laws and such, but working on my letter to my elected official really helped me see how important it is to know who our politicians are and how to approach them on an important issue. I really believe that the "fracking" issue that is going on is very real and needs to be addressed. Along with that, I have learned so much about BPA and what it is doing to our bodies. I recently read an article on BPA and how in March of 2012 the FDA will decide whether or not to ban it for good. That is one law that I truly hope gets passed. 

 

Photo Essay 

The Photo Essay was one of my favorite blogs to do. I really liked being able to portray how my family does things for the environment through pictures. It was a fun project and really opened my eyes as to how well my family uses what we have and is environmentally friendly. It was also really fun to see other people's photo essays...such a fun project!

Share And Voice

I really enjoyed this part of the semester. I found some great websites, articles and blogs through my searching. This was one of my favorite parts of Environmental Health. It was great to do this with my web group since I was able to learn so much through them. 

Conclusion

As I said at the beginning of this post, what didn't we learn in this class?? Being in this class really taught me so much about myself, the environment, our world, politics and laws, and overall, how to be environmentally friendly! It was great to learn so much and I also was able to learn about myself as well as my peers. I hope continue to practice the concepts that I have learned in this class even though it's coming to an end. It truly has been an awesome experience to have taken Environmental Health!

Share & Voice: The Daily Green

 Turn down that thermostat!

The Daily Green is a really cool blog that I came across and wanted use for this Share and Voice. I spent awhile looking over this blog and it really contains some great information on the environment as well as up to date articles on what's going on in our world. I found this article on BPA and how by March of 2012, the FDA will decide whether or not BPA will continue to be allowed to be used in plastics and certain types of cans. I know this is an issue that all of us, as health educators, are concerned about. I certainly hope that the FDA bans the use of BPA, as it is a toxic chemical that can be leached into the body through use of a water bottle, for example. This is something that I have become more and more concerned about throughout this semester, so I certainly hope that the FDA makes the right decision to ban the use of BPA. There is also a section of this blog that focuses on tips and advice.  Simple things like turning off your computer when you aren't using it and turning down the thermostat can really help make a difference. Check out this blog for more great advice and articles on being environmentally friendly!

Advocacy Project: Letter to Elected Official

December 12th, 2011

Senator Herb Kohl
330 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING
WASHINGTON DC 20510
Dear Senator Herb Kohl,



VOTE YES S.1215: THE FRACTURING RESPONSIBILITY AND AWARENESS OF CHEMICALS ACT

     I am writing this letter to strongly urge you to vote yes on The Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act. The longer that this act does not get passed, the more water, air and land is being contaminated. By supporting this bill and voting for this act to be passed, you will be a part of making our world a safer place to live. People should not have to worry about whether the water they are drinking is clean and free from chemicals; not passing this act makes them do just that. 


     According to Food and Water Watch, there have been over a thousand documented cases of water contamination near drilling sites around the country. Is the money that the gas and oil industries making really outweigh the price of an individual's health? Along with the fact that "fracking" is not being regulated enough and that contaminants are being leaked into drinking water, "fracking" requires an incredible amount of water in the process. This can cause local water resources to be depleted of water that is essential and more important for other uses than "fracking". Passing S. 1215 will allow more extensive regulation of "fracking" which in turn could save lives and prevent drinking water contamination, along with air and land damage. 

     The major opponents of this bill are the gas and oil industries. I do understand that passing S. 1215 will cost these industries and the government an extreme amount of money. However, it all comes down to what is the right thing to do. Is it right to jeopordize lives in an effort to make or save money? I think it is safe to say that no one would say that money is more important than life. 

     I appreciate you taking the time to read this letter. Once again, I strongly encourage you to consider passing S.1215: The Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemical's Act. Voting yes to this act is the right and ethical decision. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me at 888-888-8888. Thank you again for your time. 


Ruthanne

Share & Voice: Mother Nature Network

For this Share and Voice, I decided to find a cool website that has information about the environment, going green, etc. I asked my roomate what she thought, since I knew she is always finding great ways to learn online. She suggested mother nature network...seriously, such a cool site! I could have spend hours on here. One of the links I came across was one of the top ten stories of the day. It's called Houseplants That Clean The Air.

Peace Lily

What a neat concept! The article talks about how while houseplants provide beauty and add to the quality of a room, they can also provide a very practical purpose. I never had heard that houseplants can help make the air in a house better and more clean by removing pollutants. Pretty cool huh? This website provides a TON of great information...I highly suggest checking it out. Enjoy!

Advocacy Project: Fact Sheet

Facts About “Fracking” (Hydraulic Fracturing Process)

What is “fracking”??

• Fracking is used to extract natural gas buried in rock formations by injecting a fluid into the ground composed of sand, water and chemicals, some of which are toxic like benzene and toluene.
• This process is done by the gas and oil industry across the nation in order to efficiently obtain oil while making a profit.

So what about it?

• “Fracking” contains many chemicals that are harmful to humans and wildlife, and are linked to causing cancer.
• BUT, the gas and oil industry is the ONLY industry that is not regulated under the Safe Drinking Water Act.
• According to the EPA, 70 to 40 billion gallons of water are used to fracture 35,000 wells in the US each year. But, it takes around 200 truck trips to transport only a million gallons of water.
• Hydraulic fracturing is depleting fresh water supplies, impacting the habitat that lives there and jeopardizing air quality, just to name a few.

Pass the FRAC Act

• The gas and oil industry will regulate the fracturing process more efficiently- disclose their chemical ingredients but NOT their specific formula for “fracking”
• Drilling by the gas and oil industry won’t be stopped, just better regulated
• The gas and oil industry will abide by the Safe Drinking Act, just like everyone else does

Sources: 

http://www.texassharon.com/2009/09/14/hydraulic-fracture-frac-act-wont-have-death-panel-for-industry/

http://www.americanrivers.org/newsroom/blog/frac-act-re-introduced-in-congress-3-24-2011.html

 

Eye Opener: Photo Essay

I struggled a bit to come up with a topic for this photo essay blog! Since I'm back at home for a week, I wanted to do something here, but was having a hard time thinking up an idea. I really didn't think my family was all that environmentally friendly, so I decided to go on a little search to see what I'd find. I was pleasantly surprised! I would say that the topic of this photo essay is Ways to Be Environmentally Friendly. Cliche sounding I know, but, I feel like I was slightly narrow minded when it came to this topic. I tend to think of only the most common ways to be green, like recycling or not using plastic bags or water bottles, but it can be so much more than that if you open your eyes! So, here is what I found...enjoy :)

 

This is the apple orchard we have. Obviously, it doesn't look like much since it's the end of November, but instead of buying apples, we grow our own! My dad makes apple cider out of them and for Thanksgiving, I'll be making apple pie with them!

 

At my house, we heat with a wood stove. So, my dad goes out in our woods and uses the dead trees out there for firewood. Instead of buying wood, we use what we have on our land. 

 

Now, I know this just looks like a pile of cans. Which it is! But I didn't really think my family did a whole lot of recycling. While we don't recycle everything, we make an effort to recycle all the soda cans that we use. 

As I said before, we use a wood stove to heat out house. So, we don't just dump the ashes out, we reuse them. In the winter, our road can get icy, so we throw them on the road to prevent sliding around. It works great and is better than buying those toxic salts. 

This picture doesn't show a whole lot, but there's obviously no way I could get a picture of our well underground! We have an underground water well, so any water that we use comes from this. I think this is awesome, considering how much we've been talking about water in class. There are so many contaminants and chemicals in water that we are unaware of...I'm thankful that I don't need to worry about that when I'm at home! 

Mmmm salsa! One of my favorite things. The best part is that it's homemade, made with locally grown veggies and peppers. My dad has been making it for years and it is amazing! 

Now, this is for sure my least favorite picture but I thought I should include it still! It's frozen venison from the deer my dad just shot while bow hunting this past week. We had talked about in class how venison is so good for you since it doesn't contain any hormones or added junk. I thought it fit right in with this topic of being green and eating environmentally friendly. 

This is a picture of our garden. It doesn't look like much (same as the apple orchard) since it's the end of November. But this year for Thanksgiving we are using the potatoes from it to make mashed potatoes...so good! We also grow all sorts of other vegetables and herbs in it.

Well, I hope you all enjoyed my photo essay blog. It actually turned out to be more fun than I thought it would be. It's amazing the different ways that we can be environmentally friendly without even realizing it! 

* Photo credit Ruthanne Juza

Advocacy Project: Issue Overview

Introduction:

The issue that this blog will focus on is the chemicals that are being mixed in with our drinking water and how the energy industry is opposed to allowing the public access to this information. The current legislation that has been proposed to address this is the Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act, (H.R. 2766),  also known as the FRAC Act.

Who is affected by the issue?

I believe that the people who are most affected by this issue are those that are consuming the water that is full of chemicals. Obviously, consuming chemicals unknowingly will cause harm, whether you realize it or not. It is unfair and wrong that people are drinking water that contains harmful toxins and they aren't even are of it. What is even worse is that industries that oppose making this knowledge public. As we all know, money is the major driving force behind this type of controversy.

So who loses in all of this and what exactly do they have to lose? Well, the people come first and what they could potentially lose is their health. Along with that, they are losing, in a way, their rights. We live in a country where people should have the right to know what is in their water, and the fact that we don't, is mind boggling to me. Obviously, the energy industry and drilling indrustry are also who would lose in all of this. People that live in areas where drilling is occuring could be consuming water that has chemicals in it, due to the hydraulic fracturing process. The energy industry plays a huge role in this as well, since they are the ones who would have to disclose the chemicals that they mix with the water and sand that they pump underground. Now, I know this all sounds a little confusing! But it's really pretty simple. Chemicals and toxins are being leached into drinking water through these processes of drilling and energy processes. If this act gets passed, the industries would be required to release whats known as trade secrets, their chemical information that is unknown to other industries. If the act would get passed, people would gain the information needed in order to better understand what they are putting in their bodies through their own drinking water. Perhaps, medical issues could be better understood and hopefully prevented.

What are the consequences of the issue?

The first and most important consequence of this issue is people's health. The consumption of chemicals is not healthy and can be detrimental to one's health. The people that are most affected by this issue are the ones that are unknowningly drinking water that may be contaminated and not good for them. ProPublica, which is an online journal, has published many reports that suggest that hydraulic fracturing could be the cause of water contamination in areas that have drilling operations happening. The EPA has not been able to conclude that fracturing is the cause of the water contamination, yet blames this lack of information of the fact that the 2006 Energy Policy Act does not require that hydraulic fracturing be a part of federal water laws. When I read this, I was really thrown for a loop. I don't understand how this can not be a part of federal water laws, when it is clear that the drilling industry is performing an operation that could be causing chemicals to be leached into invidiual's drinking water. It all seems a little twisted to me. Everyone is affected by this because everyone consumes water, one way or the other!

What is the economic impact of the issue?

The economic issues that surround this issue isn't too hard to understand. As I said before, money is the driving force behind so many issues in our society. The Independent Petroleum Association of America believes that states already do enough to regulate hydraulic fracturing. According to them, they believe that is would just be an additional and unecessary regulation. They would end up paying about $100,000 for this new regulation. Along with this, the Energy in Depth, a lobbying group, claims that the FRAC Act could potentially cause half of the Unities States oil wells and gas wells to be closed down. This is huge! Obviously, the gas and oil industries are the ones that would bear the brunt of the FRAC Act being passed. They would lose extreme amounts of money. The government would also sustain a major loss, since the oil and gas industry provide a huge amount of revenue. But, in the end, the economic benefits are not what is the most important. I understand that massive amounts of money will be lost and that it would cost money for this act to be put into place. But, if it saves lives and prevents people from consuming chemicals and toxins in their water, wouldn't it be worth it?

Social Impacts

 I struggled a little bit on how to answer this question. I don't feel that the social impacts play a very large role in this act. I believe that society would benefit from this act being passed, in the end. Yet, the fact that many people who work for the gas and oil industries could lose their jobs does cross my mind. This would certainly be a huge social impact for them and the families involved.

Barriers

The barriers are pretty easy to define. The gas and oil industries are the major and primary barriers when it comes to passing the FRAC Act. They are very opposed to passing this act, due the amount of money and jobs that would be lost. Another barrier would be the lack of information. This situation is one where the lack of knowledge is huge. I know that for myself, when I drink water, I never really stop and think what could potentially be in it? I think a way of overcoming this issue is spreading the word and getting people to understand the severity of it all. A way of overcoming the barriers with the industries could be to write letters and advocate for the cause.

Resources

The major resource needed is the money to pass the act. It would cost the industries more money to provide more intensive regulation of the chemicals and toxins that are being released when drilling operations are occurring. I'm not sure if this is even possible, but if there was a way that the government could provide the funding for the extra regulation, perhaps the industries would be more apt to let this act pass. On the other hand, the government will lose money due to the fact that many industries may have to be shut down. Money is the major resource behind this act and one that I'm not sure how it can be overcome.

History

There is not just one community that is being affected by this issue, due to the fact that drilling occurs in 31 states. The EPA has said that the hydraulic process is safe, yet water contamination has been found in more than a thousand places where drilling occurs. The FRAC was first introduced to congress in June 2009, was adjourned in January 2011, and was reintroduced in March 2011. So far, no decision has been made and the act is still in congress. Yet, there has been many court cases and lobbying that has occurred over this act.

Allies & Opponents

The people who would support this issue are those in charge of the act and also the people who are affected by the contaminants in the drinking water. The House bill was introduced by representives Diana Degette and Jared Polis, both Democrats from Colorado and Maurice Hinchey, a Democrat from New York. The Senate version of this bill was introduced by senators Bob Casey, a Democrat from Pennsylvania and by Chuck Schumer, a Democrat from New York. These states are all involved in drilling. Now for the opposing side. The ones who would oppose this act being passed are the oil and energy industries and those that support them. 

Advocacy Efforts

There have already been many lobbying events and court cases surrounding this act. I believe that this will continue until the act is either passed or denied. I know that all would agree that those who lose their jobs would be affected dramatically if this act was passed. I think that this is certainly common ground and that its an issue that needs to addressed more in depth. I don't think there is a win-win for this situation. If the act is passed, a great deal of money and jobs will be lost. If the act isn't passed, then people will continue to drink water that is contaminated. It almost seems like a lose-lose to me. 

My Recommendation

I want policy makers to vote yes on the FRAC Act. In the beginning, when I first did my research, I was sure that yes was the right answer. I still am, but with a little hesitation. I didn't realize the negative impacts that this act would cause. But, I still feel that peoples health and well being come before any amount of money. I say yes to voting on the FRAC Act.

Share & Voice: 6 Ways to Reuse Plastic Bottles

As I was searching a website about plastic water bottles, I came across this awesome article on ways to reuse them. In this article there are six unique ways to reuse your plastic water bottles, so it doesn't wind up in a landfill somewhere. These are certainly ideas I never would have thought of! My favorite is the geometric lamp shade, which is featured above. Seriously, what a cool idea. They also had some other great ideas like making a coin purse out of a water bottle and a plastic vase. I really liked this article for the great ideas it had and also for the fact that they linked to wherever the information was coming from. This led me to the site greenupgrader.com. It's really cool and is all about finding creative ways to be green. Check it out!

Advocacy Project: Healthy People/THOMAS

Mmmmm clean water

Water Quality: EH-4.
Title: Increase the proportions of persons served by community water systems who receive a supply of drinking water that meets the regulations of the Safe Drinking Water Act.

The overall goal of this act is: that 89% of persons served by community water systems received a supply of drinking water that meets the regulations of the Safe Drinking Water Act in 2005.

Sponsor: Senator Dirk Kempthorne (introduced 10/12/95) Co-sponsors were 40

Latest major action: The Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act (H.R. 2766, S. 1215), dubbed the "FRAC Act," was introduced to both houses of the 111th Congress on June 9, 2009.


Recommendations: Vote yes for The Fracturing Responsibility and Awareness of Chemicals Act

My political representives: Congressman Ron Johnson and Congressman Herb Kohl

Share & Voice: Trip to Utah

Hi all! I decided to my post this week on a trip that I took to Utah this summer. My sister and her husband live there and I went out to visit when my niece was born. I had the opportunity to do some hiking, which was awesome and so gorgeous. We hiked to a waterfall that was incredible! I was also able to witness an amazing thunder storm. I thought that these pictures would tie in nicely with my blog and also help illustrate how beautiful water is in nature.

The above pictures I took when we were on our hike. It was so cool to see such a huge waterfall. You could get so close to it that the water would spray on your face.

The last two pictures here I took in the backyard of my sister's house. There was a huge storm rolling in and I was able to capture some of the clouds. It was awesome how fast it came in and was so cool to see it over the mountains.

Hope you all enjoyed my pictures!

Advocacy Project: My Political Representatives

This blog might sound pretty boring to those that read it! But, it is important to know who our political representatives are and how to contact them. I'm from Wisconsin, so these are my political representatives!

President: Barack Obama- Democrat. Contact Info: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact. Mailing address: 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20500. Website: www.whitehouse.gov/administration/president-obama 

Senate congressman: Herb Kohl-Democrat. Contact Info: 330 Hart Senate Office Building, District of Columbia, 20510. Website:  kohl.senate.gov

Senate congressman: Ron Johnson- Republican. Contact Info: 386 Russell Senate Office Building, District of Columbia 20510. Website:  ronjohnson.senate.gov

House congressman: Sean Duffy- Republican. Contact Info: 1208 Longworth House Office Building, District of Columbia, 20515. Website: duffy.house.gov

House congresswoman: Tammy Baldwin- Democrat. Contact Info: 2446 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515. Website: http://tammybaldwin.house.gov/send_email.aspx

House congressman: Ron Kind- Democrat. Contact Info: 1406 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515. Website: http://www.kind.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=18&sectiontree=18

House congresswoman: Gwen Moore- Democrat. Contact Info: 2245 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515. Website: https://forms.house.gov/moore/webforms/issue_subscribe.htm 

House congressman: Tom Petri- Republican. Contact Info: 2462 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515. Website: https://forms.house.gov/petri/zip_authen.shtml

House congressman: Reid Ribble- Republican. Contact Info: 1513 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515. Website: https://ribble.house.gov/contact-me/email-me

House congressman: Paul Ryan- Republican. Contact Info: 1233 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515. Website: https://paulryan.house.gov/Contact/Email.htm

House congressman: Jim Sensenbrenner Jr.- Republican. Contact Info: 2449 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515. Website: http://www.house.gov/sensenbrenner/ 

Governor: Scott Walker- Republican. Contact Info: Office of the Governor 115 East Capitol, Madison, WI 53702. Website: walker.wi.gov

 

	All the above picture can be found at http://www.usay.org/states/wisconsin

 

             

Reflection Week 1-7

I can't believe the semester is already half over! It's crazy how fast time goes by, especially being a senior and being busy constantly. I have learned so much in this course so far. In the beginning, I wasn't so sure how I felt about this course, but I really have become so much more knowledgeable when it comes to being environmentally friendly and all that it encompasses.

Blogging:
I really knew nothing about blogging until this class. Although blogging is not my favorite thing to do, I have learned all about blogger and how it works. It was confusing at first, especially when it came to being able to log in under the right account and the settings, but after some time and tweaking, it was all figured out! I learned about how to create a favicon, how to correctly link items, how to create posts in general, how to write an about me page, etc. The list goes on and on!

Videos:
Over the last few weeks, we have watched some documentaries that really opened my eyes to some very serious issues. We watched Tapped, which was my favorite film so far. It really helped me understand the severity of plastic water bottles and what they are doing to our environment and our health and well being. The Future of Food was another documentary that we watched that helped me realize how our food is being produced and what goes into it. This class has really helped me understand how our world today is so obsessed with money and the convenience of food instead of the nutrition and the health benefits behind it. It really made me see that paying a little more to get something that is organic and locally grown is worth the cost.

Overall:
I can't believe all that I've learned so far in this class and we have so much time left still! I think the biggest changes I've made involve using better water bottles and eating more organic food. I've always been interested in nutrition, but watching the videos related to food will really change the way you think even more. I'm excited to do my junking project that's coming up soon! It should be a great project. This has been a very enlightening and fun class so far and I'm excited to see what's next!

Eye Opener: Junk on the Brain

Part 1: antiques/antiquing- of or belonging to the past, dating from a period long ago, junk/junking- any old or discarded material, anything that is regarded as worthless, meaningless, or contemptible, flea market-  a market, often outdoors, consisting of a number of individual stalls selling old or used articles, curios and antiques, cut-rate merchandise, etc., thrift shop- a retail store that sells secondhand goods at reduced prices. The previous definiations were all found at dictionary.com. Upcycling- the process of converting waste materials or useless products into new materials or products of better quality or a higher environmental value (wikipedia), resale shop- a charity shop, thrift shop, thrift store, hospice shop, etc. (wikipedia). I had to dig a little bit more to find the last two definitions. 

Part 2: I think the terms above have to do with environmental health in the way that they are all about reusing and making do with what you have. Oftentimes people just throw away things that could be put to good use by someone else. It's very true that "someones trash is someone elses treasure."  

Local Resources
Antiques: Father Time Antiques
395 S Lake Ave # 1, Duluth, MN 55802-2311 (218) 625-2379 () ‎(no website available)

Junk: Jadco Special Haulers Inc
4011 Rehbein Road, Duluth, MN 55803-9274 (218) 724-5538 () ‎(no website available)

Flea market: Studebaker Drivers Club Swap Meet Flea Market & Classic Car Show. Lake Superior College, 2101 Trinity Rd, 2 mi S of Miller Hill Mall. Annually 2nd Sunday in August. Call for dates and update information. 8am-4pm. Antiques to junk, plus on display is some 200 automobiles. Admission is $2/person and $2 parking. 218.722.8533 or 218.722.4855
E-Mail: stude.one@usfamily.net http://www.collectors.org/FM/US_mn.asp 

Thrift shop: Duluth Goodwill Industries Vocational Enterprises, Inc.700 Garfield Avenue Duluth, MN  55802 Retail store hours: Monday – Friday, 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. Saturday, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m.
218-722-3050 http://www.goodwillduluth.org/shop-locations.htm

Upcycling: I could not find anything that dealt with upcycling in Duluth. I had never heard of this term before and had a hard time finding a definition for it as well. 

Resale shop: Plato's Closet 5115 Burning Tree Rd # 315C Duluth, MN 55811-1876

(218) 733-9455

http://www.platoscloset.com/

I don't really use any of these resources. I used to go to Plato's Closet when I was younger though. I think the main reason I don't is because I honestly don't like to spend the time going through so much stuff! My mom likes antique stores and I've gone with her before, but I don't have the patience really to spend time going through so many things. The same goes for Plato's Closet. It's a great store but they have SO many clothes!

Part 3: I really liked this part of the assignment. It's really neat to see what people do with old things that most would have no use for. I found this old sewing machine this woman took apart and used the pieces to make jewelry. Super cool! Next, I found these wine glasses that were constructed out of glass jars and candlesticks for a wedding. The wedding is being held in a barn with a vintage theme, so it works out great. I also found a headboard that was created out of an old door. It looks awesome and is very vintage looking. These are all great ideas and none that I would have ever thought of. I think looking at all these projects makes me feel a little envious that I didn't think up any of them! It really is amazing what new items people can come up with just by using the materials they have on hand.

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change: Week 5

To review once again, my SMART goal is to reduce the amount of plastic water bottles I use to one per week, and by the end of ten weeks, be only using a glass water bottle. I still have not purchased any plastic, non-reusable water bottles! But I have yet to find a glass water bottle I like. I focused this week on making sure I always had a water bottle of some sort with me so I wasn't tempted to purchase a cheap, plastic bottle I would just throw away. The challenge I faced was the fact that my favorite bottle I have been using is cheap and is leaking. In fact, I noticed this morning it had leaked all over the front seat of my car. Minor issue but I was pretty annoyed since it did get some papers wet. I think it's time for a new bottle! This week I learned that I need to invest in a new water bottle, obviously. So what are the plans for next week? I plan on continuing with my goal as it is, but purchase a new water bottle, one that preferably doesn't leak!

http://www.thegreenfinance.org/enso-bottles-a-plastic-solution/

As I said above, my SMART goal is to reduce the amount of plastic water bottles I use to one per week, and by the end of ten weeks, be only using a glass water bottle. I didn't change my goal throughout the last few weeks. I found that I could be successful by planning ahead and having a water bottle on hand so I wouldn't purchase a plastic one that I would just throw away. I benefited from this project in a few ways. First, I saved some money! I used to buy plastic water bottles pretty often so it was good to save a little money. Also, I liked feeling like I was making a difference, even if it was a small one. I felt good about using a reusable water bottle on a daily basis, along with the fact that those cheap, plastic ones can store bacteria and be dangerous to your health. My goal has been beneficial to the environment since I quit buying plastic water bottles since they will most likely end up in a landfill anyways. I also learned that if you have a good reason behind setting a goal, it makes it all the more worth while and maybe even easier to accomplish. I set this goal because I really did want to change my behavior of buying plastic water bottles all the time. I plan on continuing with this behavior of using only reusable bottles and hopefully I'll be able to find the perfect, glass water bottle someday!


I think anyone can accomplish any goal they set their minds to, as long as they truly want to change. If someone wanted to make a lifestyle change, I would recommend they look over the SMART goal requirements, because I really do think those can help set a very good goal. Good luck to all those who have goals to achieve...if you put your mind to it, you can do anything!

Eye Opener: Environmental Working Group

The Eye Opener this week was about finding out more information regarding a cosmetic item that you use. I chose to look up my foundation since I use it nearly every day and I have been using the same brand for years. I never really think much about the makeup that I use, but I know that I could use more organic, skin friendly makeup. I went to http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/product/101853/Maybelline_Dream_Matte_Mousse_Foundation_1_Tan/ and found out more about my foundation and what is in it. The overall hazard is in the moderate range and the cancer rating was pretty low. I did learn that allergies and immunotoxicity were above moderate. I don't have any allergies and have never had a problem with this foundation so I didn't really read too much into that rating. It was interesting to learn more about what's in my makeup but I'm not sure where to go from there. I realize that the stuff in it isn't very good for you but since I haven't had any bad experience with it, I'm not sure how I feel. I think I might look into trying some different, more organic makeup the next time I go shopping. The only thing about that is that it tends to be way more expensive than the makeup I use. I'll just have to look into it more and find out what will work best for me and be environmentally friendly!

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change: Week 4

Week 4 into my lifestyle change and it's going well!  My SMART goal is to reduce the amount of plastic water bottles I use to one per week, and by the end of ten weeks, be only using a glass water bottle. This week went good...I FINALLY made it to the store to get a glass water bottle, and was pretty disappointed with the results. I went to TJ Max, which is where Dr. V. had purchased hers. If anyone else has noticed, its a pretty glass bottle with leaves, so I figured I'd be able to find the same. No such luck. All I could find was a small, Voss water bottle. It wasn't expensive at all, so I grabbed it. I felt pretty good about it but only because it was glass. I didn't care much for how small it was since I kept having to refill it over and over again. Plus, it wasn't very pretty :) So now it is rolling around on the floor of my car while I continue to use a plastic, much larger, pink :), water bottle.

                                          Photo credited to http://greenupgrader.com/11314/water-bottle-company-wants-to-do-more-than-take-back-the-tap/

So what's my next step? I've decided to continue my search for a better, more convenient glass water bottle. I may not have mentioned it before, but I am really picky when it comes to what plastic water bottle I use. Some just have that weird, plastic taste to them that I can't stand. This is a part, along with being environmentally friendly and healthier, that I want a glass water bottle. I still am staying away with the plastic, one time use water bottles. I haven't purchased one in quite some time and feel great about it. Even though I do miss my Smart water!

I have decided to continue with my SMART goal. The part I'm doing good with is not purchasing any more plastic water bottles that I just toss after one use. I just spent a while looking on Amazon for glass water bottles to order, and I am thinking that may be the route to go. If anyone has other suggestions of where to purchase them, let me know!

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change: Week 3

I can't believe it's already week 3 of my SMART goal! Time goes by so fast. My SMART goal is to reduce the amount of plastic water bottles I use to one per week, and by the end of ten weeks, be only using a glass water bottle. This week has been good! I felt I had success with my goal, since I didn't purchase one plastic water bottle. A challenge that I did face today was that I had no reusable water bottles with me, was running errands all day, and really wanted to grab a bottle to go. I suppose I could have since I am still allowing myself one plastic bottle a week, but I decided to go without and felt good about it! Something that I learned this week is to be prepared so I'm not tempted to purchase a plastic water bottle. Also, I NEED to get to the store to buy my glass bottle! I've been putting it off because I've been busy, but I need to make it a priority. I hope to accomplish that by next week! I am planning on continuing with my SMART goal. I hope to continue using no water bottle, and if so, only one per week. Hopefully, I'll make it to the store to get that glass water bottle and start using that!

Eye Opener: CSPI

I chose to take the Score Your Diet quiz. I wasn't too nervous since I eat pretty healthy I think, but after taking it I realized some changes should be made! The food that I scored the highest in were fruits and veggies, which is a good thing. I scored the highest in these because I eat a lot of fruits and vegetables per week. The foods that I scored the lowest in were candy, chicken, beef, and pork, to name a few. It's a good thing I scored low in the sweets section since that stuff is never good for you. But I could eat more chicken since that's so high in protein. I think I scored the lowest in those foods since I really am not a big meat eater. The category that I need the most work in is the Environmental section. I could put more effort into eating locally grown meat, fruit, and vegetables. I think the main reason I don't do that is because I think its not as convenient, but I think if I put in the effort it would be worth it. I plan on trying to eat more locally grown items since it's a great way to help out people in the community, it's environmentally friendly, and it would help me be healthier too! Overall, taking this quiz made me think more about how my diet does affect other things besides myself. I can make more of an effort to eat differently in order to be to be more healthy, be more conscious of animal welfare, and to help the environment.

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change: Week Two

Alright well....here's an update on my SMART goal! To be perfectly honest, it's not going to be the most positive post, since I haven't done so well this past week. My SMART goal is to reduce the amount of plastic water bottles I use to one per week, and by the end of ten weeks, be only using a glass water bottle. No more plastic ones! This past week was a little tricky, since I already had plastic water bottles at home that I had purchased. So I wanted to use them and not just toss them out, but that contradicts my goal. Regardless, I ended up using them. On the other hand, I haven't purchased any more plastic water bottles since the start of my goal, so that's progress! I haven't really experienced any other challenges yet. It is difficult though, since it's so simple to just grab a water bottle in the store and not think about it. I felt pretty good about not purchasing any more water bottles, but felt guilty after using the ones I had. Especially since I remembered my goal AFTER I used the bottle. This week I learned that I should recycle the plastic water bottles I have at home and that I need to get to the store to purchase a glass one. I have reusable plastic water bottle at home, but would really like to end up using only glass in the end. My plan for is to purchase a glass water bottle within the next week here, so I can start using it! I plan on sticking with my goal, since I do like it and I think that it will be achievable in the end. Wish me luck!

Eye Opener: Ecological Footprint

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not overly environmentally friendly...something that I'm working on changing! So I wasn't too excited to take the quizzes and find out exactly how NOT eco-friendly I've been. Needless to say, I wasn't surprised at my results. I took the Ecological Footprint quiz, which I actually thought was pretty cool. It showed that if everyone lived like me, we'd need 4.9 planet earths to support our lifestyles. That's not good!

I liked how the quiz broke everything down, so I could see what I needed to focus more on. I think that I could really start purchasing more locally grown food, which would be healthier and more eco-friendly. Also, I could cut back on how often I drive my car. The bus is available to use and is free, so it would be cheaper to use that instead of driving my car everywhere. There's a lot of learn through taking these quizzes...it helped me see that I need to start being more "green" and how to go about it!

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 1: My SMART Goal

Here is the link for the above photo. I thought it was a cool picture of water bottles and I actually found it on someone's blog that is all about being environmentally friendly.


Hi everyone! I chose to do the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change project. I didn't have a hard time coming up with my project at all, since it's actually something I've been meaning to do for awhile and it ties in to my blog really well. For my SMART goal,over the next ten weeks I will reduce the amount of plastic water bottles I use per week to one. By the end of the ten weeks, I will only be using reusable and glass water bottles.  I will be purchasing a glass water bottle so that I can reuse that one. I tend to go through A LOT of plastic water bottles, especially the Smart Water bottles. I feel that this will be a challenge for me, since I find it so convenient to just grab a bottle of water when I'm at the store. This project is eco-friendly since using plastic water bottles is a waste, along with the fact that using glass instead of plastic is much better for you. Along with that, it'll save me some money along the way! I am really looking forward to this project and keeping up with how others are doing throughout the semester. To start, I better get this plastic water bottle off my desk :)

Welcome to Ruthanne's Raindrops!

The above photo was taken by myself when I was in Utah this summer. There was a huge storm rolling in over the mountains...it was pretty awesome!


Well, I'm Ruthanne and I am senior this year! I named my blog Ruthanne's Raindrops in the beginning since I just liked the way it sounded :) After thinking about it though, it really fits me and where I'm at in my life. Since I am a senior I will be starting so many new things this year. I like the idea that rain and water is seen as sort of a cleansing, new, fresh beginning, kinda like how graduating will be. Also, for my Lifestyle Change project I will be using only glass water bottles instead of plastic...which may be a challenge since I do like my plastic water bottles! Along with that, water is such a HUGE part of our planet. It's so important to nearly everything in our environment. It all seems to tie into together for me and I am excited to start blogging!

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

1. Advocacy Project
2. Eye Openers
3. Reflections
4. Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change
5. 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. niki@tropicalenvironmentswithnikij
2. john@totheboundarywaterswithjohn
3. hannah@hannahsecosafari 
4. amyandkristen@enviro-surfingwithamyandkristen

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

I hope you enjoy my blog and I look forward to learning more about the environment this semester!