Share and Voice: Question: O' Christmas Tree

With this Thanksgiving done and over with, many people move on to the next coming holiday. In my house, as soon as Thanksgiving was over I helped my mom put up our artificial Christmas tree and when I came back to my apartment I decorated my own artificial tree. This got me thinking, what is better for the environment? My aritifical tree was probably made is a large production plant with all sorts of chemicals. It probably took a lot of gas to ship the tree up to Minnesota from where it was made. Yet, an artificial tree can be used year after year. Is mass farming of Christmas trees any better than mass production of fake ones?

I provided some links about information about artificial vs real Christmas trees:
The Great Debate

National Christmas Tree Association

I ask your opinion:
Do you think an artificial tree or a real tree better for the environment?

Share and Voice: Have a GREEN Holiday This Year

So the snow has fallen in Duluth and as far as I am concerned the holiday season is in full force. Now instead of having a white holiday this year how about having a green one! In about two weeks is the biggest shopping day of the year, Black Friday. Now instead of running out at 4 a.m like all the other crazy shoppers out there hustling to get the newest products, I suggest you try and be a little more eco-chic. I encourage you to make gifts using junking techniques; it would be much more memorable and timeless than any new clock radio. Or possibly try your hand at knitting or crocheting.

If you do not have the time to be uber crafty I suggest you check out TreeHugger. This site provides idea for gifts that are organic, recycled products or products that leave a small carbon footprint. I have linked the 2010 Gift Guide to make your shopping quick and convenient. Some of the products are kind of pricey but the point is try and look for eco friendly products this winter. If you do find something you like, click on the provided hyperlink and you can easily order it.

Going green this holiday season does not stop at purchasing the gifts; look to reuse other products to wrap the gifts in ( I'm fond of using magazines). You'll save money and still be able to wrap your gifts. The most important thing to remember is that the holidays are not about gifts but who you spend them with.

Happy shopping!

Share and Voice: Food and Water Watch

I have found this really interesting website while I was looking up information about bottled water. Since we watched the movie "Tapped" I have been really bent out of shape over what theses bottled water companies are doing in order to make a profit.

I ran across the website Food and Water Watch during my search.

This website is agency located in Washington D.C that is dedicated to make sure food and water products are safe, environmentally friendly (sustainable) and accessible to all. This website offers a lot of good informational articles about food produced in the U.S, fish and water, including bottled water. Besides the great articles on this site, what I found really neat is the provide many different ways you can take action and get involved. Most ways involve contacting law makers and advocating for safe products, which in my opinion is a basic human right. No one should have to worry about whether their water is safe, or AFFORDABLE! Food and water are needs and basic human rights that should not be allowed to be taken away from us so corporations can make a profit. I encourage everyone to check out this website whether it is take action or read some of the great articles.

Share and Voice: Activity: How are Green Are You?

We almost 10 weeks now we have been learning about the environment and how we can make our world a healthier place. Now I propose the question:

How green are you?
Have you been soaking in what we have learned and have you made any significant changes in your lifestyle since beginning this class?

I have found a cool little quiz How Green Do You Want to Be? It may not be the most scientifically accurate quiz but I thought it was fun.

I took the quiz I received the result "I've Seen the Green Light" Basically, I have acquired the necessary information about what is harmful and what is good for the environment. I have started taking some action, such as bringing my own bags to the grocery store or Target. But there is a lot more I could do, such as take public transportation more often.

I challenge everyone to complete the activity, share your results and if you would like share what changes you are going to make or already have made to make your lifestyle a little more environmentally friendly!

Share and Voice: Poisioned for Profit

I thought this book looked very interesting:

Poisoned for Profit is a book about how environmental toxins are making children seriously ill. For example, there are higher rates of cancer and birth defects. I was reading the synopsis of this book and it reminded me of the film, Green, we just watched in class. I was outraged and could not believe what type of environment the people we living in; and they are simply trapped helpless there. No one is helping them relocate and they are just being ignored; it makes me sick to think about it. This book includes what type of toxins are in our environment, such as the one s found in our yard, home, and other unsuspecting places. It also talks about how the evidence of environmental toxins are being covered up; this how the companies that make these toxins continue to stay in business. Finally, the book offers solutions of how to avoid these deadly toxins and what can be down to stop the companies that pollute our environment.

This book looks extremely interesting and I plan on reading it in the near future, and suggest you give a try also :)

Share and Voice: Minnesota Cities are Going Green

I found the article, Minnesota Cities are Going Green, in the Minneapolis Start Tribune. This article talks about how many cities around the state want to go green and clean up their act but it is really hard to find funding to do so. This article introduces GreenStep Cities, which is a program that helps cities plan and implement green initiatives. They also challenge lawmakers to provide funding for green initiatives. The Minnesota Cities that are pilot cities for GreenStep include, Edina, Bloomington, Falcon Heights, and St. Louis Park. The main goal of GreenStep Cities is to have 25% of utilities and energy resources used by residents to come from renewable sources.

I think this a great step towards become energy efficient on a larger scale. The GreenStep Cities program website is included if you would like to check that out also. http://greenstep.pca.state.mn.us/

Share and Voice: Recycling Online

Nowadays, you can do almost anything online.I came across a concept I thought was really cool. You can recycle online! The website ecycler.com does just that. You can recycle anything you normally would recycle. Recycling service costs money and this site is designed to set up users with other users who want their recyclable products. So instead of paying, you can recycle for FREE! This website is free to all users. It allows you to look for items, giveaway items and track the amount that you recycle. What it does is it connects those looking to get rid of lets say old newspapers with those in the area who are looking for old newspapers. They enter their information on the site, it alerts others in the area and then you put your product out on the curb for a pick up. It's really simple and I thought it was cool innovative idea. Soon everything will be able to be done over the internet!

Share and Voice: YouTube Video: Trash to Treaure

So I was on YouTube today and this popped up while I was searching something else. This video may be a little ridiculous but I think it has good intentions behind it and it has a good message for all of us to ingrain in our minds. In fact, the main chorus is can be quite catchy so perhaps you'll here these guys in your head when you are about to throw something recyclable in the trash :)

Share and Voice: Eco Exclusive Store in Duluth

I was walking in downtown Duluth yesterday when I saw a large green sign that said ECO. I was instantly intrigued. Since it was after business hours, I went home and looked up the store on the internet. Turns out, ECO stands for Environmentally Conscience Options. This store is dedicated to suppling environmentally friendly, non-toxic building supplies, such as counter tops, tiling, flooring, and even home furnishings. The store even offers classes that teach about how to make your home more energy efficient and do it yourself projects.

We all may be a little ways off of building our own homes or having the money to fix up our current ones but I just thought it was great to know that there a businesses that exclusively offer eco-friendly products and when were to find them. Also as Duluth native I was surprised I have never heard of this place before. It's kind of nifty to know there is some place besides Home Depot or Menards to buy home improvement products.

Share and Voice: Great Website: Environmental News

While I was surfing the internet I found this great website with loads of new and up to date news about topics pertaining to environmental health. It is called the Environmental Health News .

This basically an online newspaper with great stories about the environment and how it pertains to a person's or community's health. For example, they have a column that is specifically to new scientific breakthroughs, and a column dedicated to the specific month and stories in the government or from around the country pertaining to the environment.

If you click on the tabs a the top of page you are given access to hundreds of other informational articles. I particularly found the Science tab useful. It is very well organized by topics and has tons of great information!

I think this website is a great source of information and think you guys should all take a look at it!

Share and Voice: News Story: A Smarter Way of Looking at Power

News Story: A Smarter Way of Looking at Power

The Univeristy of Minnesota is trying to develop a SmartGridU. Massoud Amin, the director of the University's Technological Leadership Program is trying to develop a smart grid. What a smart grid is, basically your power supply that fights against blackouts. This is a more reliable and more effecient power system. It also incorporates wind and solar power better than the traditional system. you may not think blackouts are a huge deal, 92 minutes of power outrages are recorded in the midwest, and about 214 minutes a year on the East coast, yet compared with other countries such as Japan (who only experience about 4 minutes of blackouts a year) the United States are behind the times. Amin's goal is to first try to get the U on a smart grid system and then eventually the United States. It may be a costly upgrade but Amin claims the money saved by a more efficient power supply will pay for the upgrade within a few years.

Share and Voice: A Beautiful Day at Pattison Park

Hello everyone! I have recently spent the day at Pattison Park, which is a wonderful state park in
Wisconsin about 20-30 minutes south of Superior. There are miles of hiking trails that run along the Black River (This can be seen on the right). There are also many waterfalls that can be seen just off the beaten path. The picture on the lef tis off Little Manitou Falls. There are two set of falls at Pattison Park, Little Manitou and Big Manitou Falls.

To the left there is a picture of my mother and I at Little Manitou Falls a little mile hike. This was probably one of the most fun and relaxing days I have had in a long time.

I would recommend Pattison Park to anyone who is looking to escape there hectic life for just a little while.

Till next time,

Sarah

Share and Voice: Event, Making Strides Against Breast Cancer

There is an exciting first time event happening in the Northland! On Saturday, October 9th, the first Making Strides Against Breast Cancer 5k will be held at Lake Superior College.

The Making Strides event is a non-competitive 5k that is meant to celebrate breast cancer survivors and to express the hope and goal of ending a disease that threatens the lives of our loved ones. By participating in a Making Strides event you’re helping create a world with less breast cancer and more birthdays - where breast cancer never steals another year from anyone’s life.

There is no registration fee or minimum fundraising amount and people of all ages are welcome to participate. You can participate as an individual or as a team.

The money raised by this Making Strides event will:

Help people stay well by educating women to live healthy lives and reduce their risk for breast cancer, and to get screening tests such as mammograms to find breast cancer early

Help people facing breast cancer get well by providing information, day-to-day help, and emotional support to guide them through every step of their breast cancer experience

Find cures by investing in and conducting research leading discoveries into breast cancer’s causes and cures

There are many ways you can make strides against breast. You can donate, walk or become a volunteer. Any questions feel free to comment on the post.

To sign up or donate visit:

http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/MakingStridesAgainstBreastCancer/MSABCFY11Midwest?pg=entry&fr_id=28112.

Let's take steps towards becoming a world with less breast cancer and more birthdays.

Here's a great clip to help you all motivate you to make strides to a world with more birthdays!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNW5y1d92H8

Hello my name is Sarah Zapp and welcome to my blog, Take a Hike!



I am currently a community health education major at UMD. This blog is tied to an Enviromental Health class at UMD. The blog will be about the impact people have on their environment and the impact the environment has on our lives. This blog will also touch on different things that can be done to improve our environment and our quality of life.

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

1. Advocacy Project
2. Eye Openers
3. Reflections
4. Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change
5. Read 'n' Seed
6. Share and Voice

If you notice at the bottom of this post, the categories will be listed as labels. This post 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. Brier@lovinnaturewithbrier
   
2. Kristy@kritysfuninthesunspot
   
3. Jamie@jamiesaysjump
   
4. Ell@ellydreamsgreen
   
5. Lauren@laurenspouringrain
   
6. Mary@blueskiesformary
   
7. Sarah@takeahikewithsarah
   

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

This is gist of what my blog is going to be about, a space to learn and share ideas about our environment and how to improve it. Feel free to add input, it would only enhance the experience. It's going to be a wonderful learning experience!