Reflection Weeks 13-14 & Overall Course

In these past two weeks I have learned a lot. We started off the 13th week with a field trip to the Goodwill in Duluth. I learned the importance of reusing items. I had not been to a Goodwill in years, so it was a good and eye-opening experience to see all of the merchandise they actually had in their store. I also learned that Goodwill's main purpose is not to make money but to provide a service to the community. This is done through offering jobs to individuals who otherwise may not be able to hold down a job. I thought this is wonderful. I also did not realize how much goes into sorting and cleaning all of the donations that come in. This experience was very eye opening.

This past week we also finished our eco-chic goals. My goal was to take the bus to and from campus 5 times per week. I did not succeed in making my last goal. But when I look back on my final goal I am not surprised that I did not make it. I think it was an unrealistic last goal because of my other commitments. Overall, I thought I did very well in completing my goals the other weeks.

We also completed our junk projects. Above, there is a picture of the 3 decorative pillows I made out of my old marathon T-shirts. I did not even have to sew the pillows. I just cut slits into the T-shirts and tied the edges together. I loved sharing our junk projects in class. Everyone had such wonderful projects and they inspired me to keep on junking.

Finally, we created our own online learning activities and had to complete our other group member's projects. I created an activity that had group members map out alternative forms of transportation routes in the hopes that they will try and incorporate these routes into their daily routines. I really liked doing the online activities. I thought it was cool and unique way to learn about our individual advocacy projects.

OVERALL COURSE REFLECTION:

I learned a lot during this course. It was a very eye-opening experience. I really learned a lot from the documentaries that we watched. The one that shocked me the most was the documentary "Tapped". I could not believe how bad bottled water was for the environment and how manipulative the companies can be. I can say that I have been very careful not to buy any bottles of water and use my reusable water bottle. Another documentary that I really liked was "Unnatural Causes". This documentary takes a look at the differences in health based on social class; I thought this documentary was sad and fascinating.

This class forced us to make changes in our lives. Since setting my SMART goal I have now been regularly taking the bus, whereas before I drove everywhere by myself. This course also forced us to look at the ugly sides of controversial and difficult topics. I appreciated this because it showed us the truth to the topics that we may otherwise may not know. I really enjoyed this course and enjoyed blogging. Since I am a quiet person, I really liked expressing my ideas online, whereas I may be more reluctant to share my ideas in front of a class. This class was a great experience I feel like I am walking away with knowledge that I will effect my lifestyle forever.

Eye-Opener Online Learning Activities

Breath-Freeville Mystery

Background Check Information:
Druscilla de Spilla

1. Benzene
2. Comes from motor vehicles, gasoline and smoke.
3. Causes harmful effects on blood and bone marrow, including leukemia and anemia.
4. The Seattle Times reports, tougher restrictions on car emissions, by creating cleaner running engines, would help reduce benzene in the environment.
5. I learned that Benzene is a very dangerous chemical that comes primarily from driving motor vehicles, something I do almost everyday.
   

Punky Carbon

1. Carbon Monoxide
2. Comes from the partial breakdown of fuel.; such as from motor vehicles, cigarettes, kerosene and wood stoves.
3. Causes carbon monoxide poisoning, which can act like the flu, symptoms include headache and nausea, but prolonged exposure can lead to death.
4. To reduce the amount of carbon monoxide in the environment, the EPA is working on cleaner burning fuels, and new car technologies to make burning fuel safer and cleaner.
5. I learned the largest source of carbon monoxide is car emissions.

Red Hazzy Harry

1. Nitrogen Oxide
2. Largest producers of this chemical is motor vehicles and power plants.
   
3. Causes respiratory problems, smog and acid rain.
4. One way to reduce the amount of Nitrogen Oxide that is released into the atmosphere is to put tougher restrictions on power plants. A federal law that makes it illegal to pollute the atmosphere would help reduce this dangerous chemical.
5. I learned that Nitrogen Oxide can travel a long way (EPA ) so even though you may not live near a power plant, you still may feel the effects.

Petite la Wheeze

1. PM Fine
2. Caused by burning of fuel in power plants, motor vehicles, dust blowing from highways, and other industrialized factories.
3. Causes cancer, respiratory illnesses, and damages the heart.
4. Currently the EPA is trying to pass standards to get tougher restrictions for factories and power plants to reduce emissions.
   
5. I had never even heard of this chemical before so it was very eye opening to learn about the damaging effects of this chemical.

Fossil Phil

1. Carbon Dioxide
2. Caused by burning of fuel in factories, power plants, homes and vehicles.
3. This chemical is contributing to global warming and global climate change.
4. Do It Yourself.com suggests planting trees, do not use appliances such the refrigerator, washing machine and dish washer as much, and insulate your house properly. This will help make your home more energy effecient.
5. I learned that dry ice is carbon monoxide in it's solid form and that fire extinguishers also produce carbon monoxide.

Burnice D' Smog

1. Formaldehyde
   
2. Caused by the chemical breakdown in forest fires, car exhaust and cigarettes. Also found in carpeting and plywood.
3. This chemical causes eye, nose and throat irritation. Has been known to cause headaches, asthma and fatigue. Also been known to cause throat and nose cancer. It also causes smog.
   
4. The Illinois Department of Health suggests to increase indoor air flow by opening windows in your house. Also make sure your home does not have any products such as old insulation or carpeting that may contain the chemical.
   
5. I knew formaldehyde was a dangerous chemical because we always had to be careful and use fans and gloves while dissecting in anatomy class but I did not know it was found in so many other common places such as my house. This is very scary and eye opening!

Occupational Hazard Crossword:
Crossword Puzzle Answers:

1. inhalation
2. decades
   
3. lead
4. wash
5. blood
6. symptoms
7. work

This was a really creative assignment. I was really surprised that lead can stay in your systems for such a long time! I thought the articles that you choose to include in your post were very helpful.

Water Vocabulary Match:

I thought this game was very cool. I learned a lot of different terms and facts about water infrastructure. For example, through the vocabulary game I learned that coagulate can apply to not only to blood but other substances such as water. I really thought the EPA website was really interesting. It went really in depth about the different type of water systems and what can be done to protect them.

Childhood Lead Poisoning

Recalled Items:
9/29/2010 Paw Wall Hooks: Sold for nearly 2 years from 2008-2010
9/21/2010 Love Tester Mood Rings: Sold from September 2005- September 2010
7/26/2010 VIP Lacrosse Gloves: Sold from July 2009-July 2010
3 ways to prevent lead poisoning:

1. Always clean up any paint chips in house and always notify landlord peeling or chipped paint
2. Do not allow children to chew on window sills or any painted surfaces
3. Always wash a small child's hands immediately

I watched the short video and I thought it was quite hilarious. Behind the humor, I thought it had a lot of useful and important information. I really liked how it listed all of the symptoms of lead poisoning and at the end they mentioned how to test for lead. The video was also quick, simple, and straight to the point. It was really cool.

Understanding Emissions

Comment of 2-3 things I learned:

1. I thought the "Walking on the Environment" article was really interesting. I learned that emissions from cars and other forms of transportation are responsible for 28% total greenhouse gas emissions.
2. I really liked the "Walkable Communities" video. I did not know that some communities were specifically designed for the citizens to walk from place to place.
3. I also found it very shocking that sources such as cars and other motor vehicles are responsible for most of the air toxins that cause cancer.

The Effects of Smoking:

Took the survey monkey quiz on the effects of smoking. I tried to go back and copy the questions done but when I tried to take the quiz again it would no longer let me access it.
I thought the websites that were hyper linked in her post were very helpful in completing the assignment. I feel I learned a lot and was really shocked by some of the facts I learned about smoking.