Reflections Post: Weeks 13 & 14, Overall

Reflection Week 13:
So this week our big thing was a tour of Goodwill on the west side of Duluth.  I have visited this store many many times, to donate items, and to shop.  Being a college students and having so many thrift stores in Duluth is awesome.  I love finding cool used stuff, and paying next to nothing for it.  This field trip was so much different though than any other time I have been there.  Driving up to the store I looked at it like I always do because its such a HUGE building but it never actually crossed my mind as to what goes on in the rest of the building.  It was amazing to take a tour of the entire place and see all the stuff that actually goes on!  I felt like one of the more educated people on the topic of goodwill, which was kinda cool.  I always knew that they provided a jobs to the mentally disabled, and that they are non-profit.  The mattress thing blew my mind.  The fact that they take goods that no one wants and are 1 step away from going to a landfill, and then have some guy from the Twin Ports area design a machine to compress old mattresses into a 2x2x2 brick that they can sell is awesome.
On Wednesday I did my final post for my SMART goal, overall I am super stoked on how I did.  My goal to eat red meat only once a week proved to be a lot easier than I thought, and also over the course of this class I have a completely new outlook on food.  I am taking small steps toward become a nutritionally sound person.  Next things on my list, cut out the alcohol, and hopefully have some type of a garden this summer!  Eating less red meat, and getting my proteins from other more eco-friendly sources will always be going on in my life.
Friday I did my final post the Read 'n' Seed.  All in all the book wasn't bad, I struggled with the style of writing the author used.  When picking out books I should have looked at some less "scientific" ones.
Week 14:
Monday we had our last class :'(.  I'm not even being an ass kisser when I say this is one of the best classes I have ever taken.   You know going to college and taking all these stupid generals that no one is actually passoinate to learn about.  Its refreshing to learn life lessons in class, and not some stiff blabbing at you with a powerpoint straight out of your extremely over priced textbook.  We all brought in our junk projects and there was so many cool ideas!
Wednesday, I did my other group members Online learning activity and learned about the negative effects smoking has on people's health, and how it discourages them from exercising.  I also learned about some Water sanitation issues from around the world, and how the gov't can control what consumers buy so much, that they can damage farmers business by just saying there is a possibility of contamination of a certain crop.

So today is my last post.  Did all the share and voices, eye openers, junk projects, blogging and all the other stuff for the semester.  Which I feel like I learned from definitely.  My favorite parts of the class had to be the documentaries.  They were very eye opening and just kind of inspire me to be a better person and take action on issues.  It also makes me want to be a more educated person on things so that I can in turn educate others.  Which is exactly what the makers of documentaries are trying to do, is create a chain reaction in us, and to be completely honest I probably would have never watched any of those if they hadn't been shown to me in this class.  So now that I had all this information conveniently presented to me I will take it as my responsibility to get it out there to others throughout my life.  This class has honestly changed my life.

Pam

Reflections Post: Weeks 11 & 12

Week 11

For week 11 we started off class by splitting up and developing definitions for Environmental Literacy, and 2 other things.... :/ ha can't really remember what they were.  We divided up into 3 different groups and each took one term.  Dr. V told us that we had to make the definition understandable to a 10 year old.  Which made it a little difficult.  So when we looked at what each group had to say about their term in the 1st round, they were all kind of broad and using big words, the 2nd round some of them got a little better, and for the most part the 3rd ones were the best, they were a little more specific and in simpler terms.  We then watched The Story of Stuff narrated by Annie Leonard.  She did an excellent job at making the waste industry and process of buying and disposing material goods so simple.  People just never think about those types of things though.  You need or want something, buy it, it breaks of becomes of no use to you and then you throw it away.  Well when 6 billion people are all doing this on one planet it piles up QUICK.  We then talked about our junking projects which I wasn't there for.

Week 12

This week we started off by learning how to do blog hops on McLinky, so now we can all be connected!  If the outside world does ever decide to read our sweet ass blogs for Environmental Health 3500.  Then we went over our photo essays, which everyones were so cool and interesting.  I really liked having everyone present their posts.  I get a chance to go outside my group every once in awhile but its so much better when the author presents the information straight to ya!... We then talked about our letters to an official or editor, and then our online learning projects.










Reflections
The thing that stand out to me the most was the video we watched during week 11.  Annie Leonard did such a good job of explaining it and making people feel passionate about the issue.  Since taking this class I am just more aware of my actions and consequences.  The growth I have gone through environmentally makes me feel so much more positive about myself, and I am confident when I educate the uneducated on the issues we have been learning about. 

Pam!

Reflections Post: Weeks 9 & 10

Week 9

On Monday of Week 9, we dida active learning, by dividing the class into 3 groups.  We eached described 3 different parts of advocacy.  Our main topics was reasons why people don't advocate, and easy was to do better than you are currently doing.  Then we got ants on a log again, no complaints from me! :)  We also had an Advocacy Project post due which include our personal elected officials from our hometown mayor, to the President of the U.S.A.
On Wednesday I did my week 6 of the Eco-Chic Lifestyle change. Which I did not fully achieve that week.
and Friday I did the 3rd Quarter Read n Seed, which went a lot better than my 2nd one!  I am starting to like the book more and more.

Week 10

Monday of this week I was sick!  I am still sick!, and I am sick of being sick!  I did not go to class, and have yet to meet up with Dr. V and discuss what I missed.
Wednesday and I posted my week 7 of the Eco Chic Lifestyle Change,  I achieved my goal for the week, because I have been eating nothing but vegetable and chicken type soups.

We are starting to near the end of the semester and it's going to be time to register for me next week!  I am sad that this class will be over.  Its a change to be in a lecture that is engaging!  I feel like I taking so  much knowledge away from this class, and it is stuff that I will actually be using throughout my life. Which is why I am considering a minor in Health Education.  I wish there was such a thing as a minor in Community Health.  Because as I was looking at the classes pertaining to the minor I don't really know how much they would tie in.  Like Sex Education, etc.  seems geared more towards people that are going to be teachers.  We will see, still have to meet with my adviser. But either way this class is truly changing my life for the better.  I wish they could make this type of thing a category that must be filled.  Honestly when I signed up for this class it was because it was a recommended as a lib. ed., it sounded interesting but I may have never heard of it before if it wasn't for my advisor.  I think the name should be like LIFE CHANGING CLASS 3500.  Just to make it more noticable when picking out classes :).

See you all Monday,

Pam!

Very yummy red meat-free salad I had on Tuesday :)

Reflections Post: Weeks 7 & 8

WELL!.... it has been a busy last few weeks.

Week.7.
We were assigned to do the EWG eye opener.  I evaluated my BareMinerals makeup.  It came back with a score of 3, so not too shabby.  But, there is always room for improvement. 
After awhile a guy from the American Lung Association to recruit us to go the the UMD Smoking Forum last wednesday.  We had a discussion about what we would say, if we were to attend.  SO.... I decided to go.
I am in favor of a smoke free campus.  I said my piece while I was there, you can read all about it on my Smoking Forum Post.
My Read n Seed quarter 2 was due last friday.  Definitely needs improvement.

Week.8.
So we got to learn all about Dr. V's favorite!.... Junking.  This is a pretty cool hobby I would like to get into.
I have all sorts of random crap that could probably go towards that kinda stuff.
Then we watched a documentary called Thirst.  It focused on a town who was trying to privatize its water supply.  I don't think that a company should be able to profit off of water.  That's like trying to sell air.  The coolest part about the vid was that the community all worked together to try and stop the evil mayor from going through with it.  It was really disappointing to see them get shot down over and over, but they never gave up.  I am gonna do a little research and see what happened in the end.

Til' Monday
Pam :)

Reflections Post: Weeks 5 & 6

WHAT WE DID!
So for week five we had to do an eye opener.  I did the tour of our food industry.  Then we watched a film about Genetically Modified Foods.  I then did a post about my first 7 days of my SMART Goal, (which is going wonderfully!)  My last post of the week was my first quarter of my Read 'n' Seed.
Week 6 we started out class with a good discussion, I love discussions because it makes me feel so much more involved in the class.  Then we watched a film by John Robbins about the Revolution of Food.  After which , we learned how to make a graphical header for our blog, which I had already done.
WHAT I LEARNED!
The tour of the food industry was a lot of stuff we've been learning about in class, but the way they had it laid out in a way that everything is connected, was really eye opening.  The only time I ever thought of food negatively before this class was when it had to do with my weight. Now that I realize food affects so much more than our body I have been making much more eco-friendly, and nutritious choices. 
The film about GMO's was also scary.  I think there should not be a patent on anything in nature.  Nature is called nature for a reason we don't have a whole lot of control over it, and therefore can't own it. 
So far my book Exposed is going really well. 
From the John Robbins film I took away so many disturbing images in my head.  The arthrosclerosis (when they pulled the fat out of an artery!), the blood with all the fat in it!, and a heart surrounded by fatty tissue.  I like how he views food as a healing thing.  It is so true that we need to watch what we eat so much closer than most of us do, it affects our bodies so much.
WHAT I'M GONNA DO!
All of the things I've been shown, and all that I have learned over the last few weeks just keep motivating me more and more to live a healthier lifestyle, not just for my body's sake but also for my surroundings.  I will voice my educated opinion about these topics, and make better choices when it comes to my own actions.

See you monday! 
Pam

Reflections Post: Weeks 3 & 4

Allrighty People!  Can anyone else believe we are done with our 4th week of school?!  pretty soon it will be HALLOWEEN (which I think I am going to be a firefighter this year for it), then turkey day, then Christmas break woohoo!...  Well in the the 3rd week we didn't really have class but me and Steve about my blog and if I was up on everything.  I had a few glitches.  I just need to make sure I stay up on everything and I am checking everyones blogs and such, doing my comments and posts!  I had 5 exams this week :( so not a very fun time for me! This whole blogging thing has become kinda interesting to me, I've been going all over the place and checking out different types of blog and having a great old time!

4th Monday Rita brought Banana's and I don't know if it was because I skipped lunch that day or if she is just really good at picking out bananas, but they were delicious haha!  We also started out with that fun experiment and I got chosen first haha, good thing I had read the SMART goal powerpoint or I probably would have looked like an idiot.  Then we got to watch An Inconvenient Truth.  That was a very powerful movie.... I don't know if I'm completely ready to devote my life to the cause of global warming yet.  It definitely helped me out with a lot of skepticism, but I just don't feel a 100% on it yet.  I can't really explain why, it probably has something to do with being brainwashed by our government, but I just wondering how many of the facts are facts and such.  But that does not mean I don't believe we are destroying our earth.  Slowly but surely we are going to hurt this planet, in a way that might never be reversed...

On a little note me and Jordanne are bringing snack next week!  Not sure what it will be yet, but I kinda have an idea, hope to see you all Monday!

Pam

Reflections Post: Weeks 1 & 2

As the first few weeks are winding down it feels nice to get caught up with everything that has been going on!   I have to say that out of the all the classes I am taking this is probably going to be my favorite.  The first class was very interesting and a lot more powerful than anything I had expected.  Without  preconceived notions about this class I can't say that I ever thought it would be this interesting.  That probably has something to do with the fact I am a business major though, and haven't really been exposed to this kinda of stuff (academically anyways.)
          I have always been moderately environmentally conscious,  growing up my dad is kind of an old hippie and we always recycled and planted tree around the town.  Living in a small community makes it a lot easier to see the effects people have on their surroundings.  If your neighbor has garbage in their lawn, its their garbage.  If you have cigarette butts all over your front porch they are yours.  Everyone knows everything you do to the around the community.  This also goes for the positive like, picking garbage out of ditches, having a leaf raking day, all sorts of stuff like that.  The main people who are responsible for keeping small communities like ours were the people living there, not city employed people.
         Being that all my classes are with mostly business majors it is so exciting to see all of you taking up classes about different types and industries in health.  I am very excited to take a lot of stuff away from this class.  The Read N' Seed should be very cool to.  Reading is definitely a pass time of mine and the fact that I get to pick the book for the subject makes it even better.  I chose Exposed,  by Mark Schapiro.  The fact that I am required to read a book I would normally not read but is also interesting to me just goes to show how many doors this class will open my mind and perception of the information around me and what I will choose to learn in the future.
         Sometime next month is my snack and I have been thinking VERY hard on what I want to bring!  I am really excited to try something new every week with all of you.  Well I'm going to wrap it up now.  So until the next class.

Pam

Welcome to Pamvironmentally Friendly!

My name is Pam,  I am somewhere in between a Sophomore and Junior and will start my major in Healthcare Management next semester, maybe double majoring in Business Management as well (someday I would like to own my own business.)  I chose a picture of a creek that runs into Lake Superior.  I love Duluth and all the outdoor things it has to offer, yet it still has the feel of a city somewhat.  Some of my favorite things to do are snowboarding, cooking, just hanging out with friends, I am a huge movie buff and love all types of movies.  Reading is also a big one for me,  otherwise I am always down to try new things, like this sweet class!

There are 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

The members of my web group are:

1. Abby@Abby's Earth Experiment
   
2. Danielle@Danielle's Discoveries
3. Pam@Pamvironmentally Friendly
   

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."

So I'm gonna finish it off by just saying thank you to everyone who stopped by to check out my new blog!  Its still in production but over the semester I'm sure it will evolve...

Pam

Blogged for the Welcome Linky Party hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy.