Reflection: Weeks 8-14

In the second half of the class we began with one of the most pivotal moments for me personally in this class, and that was watching the documentary “tapped.”  Watching the documentary really had an impact on my participation on buying bottled water.  Prior to watching this documentary, I was a firm believer in drinking water out of the bottle, or plastic I should say, and very much shunned away from drinking water from the tap. After learning what really takes place in the bottle water industry, I have new found respect for the water system right in my own home and refuse to buy bottled water. Wow what an eye-opener.  Learning how to create an “about me” and a favicon was relatively easy for me at this point during the class, since we had already learned so much about the little intricate details in designing a blog earlier on in the course. It was refreshing to switch up web members and get other classmates perspectives on what they thought about the posts I made throughout the second half of class. I really enjoyed the freedom of the “Share n Voice” assignments as well. Having the liberty to talk about topics I thought were important about the environment and share it among others was also motivating.

In my opinion, the second half of this course was more encompassing especially having to participate in the advocacy project. I thought the advocacy project was great component to this course because as health educators, one of our responsibilities is to advocate for health. Having some experience in what that entails from a political aspect was very inspiring. This was an area in which I never experienced and I’m appreciative of Dr. V. incorporating this into the syllabus because it allowed for the opportunity to not only learn who are legislators are, but to also to know what steps to take if we want our voices heard concerning a policy change. During the advocacy project component of the course, we were also introduced to some very useful websites that we can refer to in our future careers for resources which I thought were very informative. Learning how to write a fact sheet and how to appropriately address a political official on a policy change was also very useful.

The photo essay was another one of my favorites. I felt so compelled by the documentary tapped; I wanted to dedicate my essay to water. It’s the foundation of life and I felt that I wanted to learn more about the controversy surrounded it so I just decided to observe three local stores and compare what I learned in the video and in class to what I witnessed in those stores. It was interesting to learn that some stores are aware of the issues concerning water and offered customers other alternatives.

My experience at Good Will was an eye-opener as well. I never knew that there was a difference between Good Will and the Salvation Army. The most memorable moment during the trip was the fact they offered jobs to people who experience barriers. I thought that was very commendable and it dictated to me that this community really cares about its citizens. Also during the trip, I came across some very nice items that I would personally decorate my house with. I have, in the past, brought items from second hand stores, but I was a little surprised by some of the decorative items that particular Good Will offered. I even ended up buying a very nice jewelry box for my daughter from there for little or nothing. It was nice to see all that goes into facility to make it what it is. The tour was very enlightening; learning how they operate the facility was educational.

The junk project for me was both challenging and fun. I had to really use my creativity to come up with something. However, I guess that was the whole point of the project. Learning not to throw things away so quickly because they may not work for the original purpose you purchased it for, doesn’t mean that you can’t use it for something else.  Helping the environment by not throwing a pair of jeans away may not seem like much to some people, but being in this class has prompted me to envision other ways to use things as opposed to just throwing them away so that they end up in some land fill, so I decided to take an old pair of jeans and repurpose them and make it into a skirt!

Overall, this class has been one of my most informative classes. I’ve learned so much and I think in some way, I’m a different person because of it. I’m more aware of what I’m buying and what I’m putting into my body. I now read labels and am always on the lookout for chemicals and pesticides I have discovered or learned about in this class.  Great class to be a part of!!!

Junk Project: Turn your old jeans into a skirt

For my junk project I used an old pair of worned out jeans and made repurposed it by making a skirt out of it.  It's very simple- here's how:

1. Cut along inner seam lines, up to zipper and up the butt line.
2. Reshape the fabric to come together in a skirt pattern.
3. Sew along the new seams with a tight stitch.

That's it!

Share 'N' Voice: Planned Parenthood and the Environment

Hello everyone!

I know you are probably thinking “what in the world does planned parenthood have to do with environmental health," but it is really interesting and I thought I would share this with you.  This kind of ties into our advocacy projects in a way and I thought It would be encouraging for both men and women to take note. Because there are so many agriculture chemicals being used on crops, as well as chemicals affiliated with our everyday lives, this in turn, is having adverse effects on the human reproductive systems. Atrazine is the number one pesticide used in the US by volume and  is known as an Endocrine disruptor according, to the video that I will link for you in just a moment, it's known to cause cancer as well as  pose reproductive effects such as  decrease sperm in males and alter hormones. But Atrazine is just one of the many pesticides that are commonly used that pose effects to the reproductive system. In the short video, I thought it was very informative to learn that some of the everyday products that we use, or some of the things that we use and may not give much thought to them plays a dominate role on our reproductive health:

I am happy to hear that Planned Parenthood was a part of the coalition on getting BPA banned in Minnesota. BPA is now removed from baby bottles and Sippy cups which are means used to feed babies . Minnesota was the first state to pass this law and other states are currently trying to get this law mandated.   If you are interested in ways to avoid using such chemicals or ways to take action to stop the use of unsafe issues you can  go to greenischoice.com to get involved.

Advocacy Project: Letter to Elected Official

December 6, 2011
Senator Mark Kirk
U.S. Senator
230 South Dearborn
Suite 3900
Chicago, IL 60604

VOTE YES ON H.R.432: BAN POISONOUS ADDITIVES ACT 2011

The proposed act to ban poisonous additives will have a tremendous impact on vulnerable populations, such as school aged children, throughout the state of Illinois. As a , citizen of Cook County, a future Health Educator and most importantly a mother,  I feel that the need to implement the ban of poisonous additives because it will help decrease the ailments that many of children suffer from and are susceptible to in our community each day they attend school. The use of pesticides that are found in school lunches that are regulated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture as well as chemicals that children our exposed to both infrastructure and outdoor parameters, of school properties, will only increase the amount of days children miss out of school to attend to their illnesses. In addition to days missed, schools will have to implement special classes to accommodate those with disabilities as well as staff qualified teachers who are able to assist children who suffer the effects of pesticide exposure. One approach to counteract pesticide exposure, as it relates to school lunches, is by participating in the Farm School Lunch program to ensure that children are consuming nutritional foods that would help reduce the amount of pesticides used in foods because the foods will not be processed or injected with chemicals or preservatives because it comes from local community farmers. The implementation of “Green” schools would also aid in reducing the amount of children who are affected by pesticide exposure. Implementing “Green” schools will enhance the educational system by providing the opportunity for children to have access nutritional foods, improve the school environment and have potential of financial savings by building efficiency.  

Because children are in school 2/3 of their day, executing Farm School Lunches into community schools and implementing Green schools will enable children to achieve their optimal health as well as enhance developmental ability. A study showed that 20% of fruits, vegetables, and grains detected residue of organophosphate pesticide. Even though this is a 44% decline from previous studies, the fact is that some pesticides may pose greater risks to children than others do, and some residue in other foods may pose greater risks in children than other residue.

I hope you realize that the best procedure to go forward with to enhance our children’s health in our schools is to vote “YES” to House Bill# 432.


Sincerely,


Chnice Watson

Share 'N' Voice: Sustainability at the DECC

Hi everyone!

The other day I was searching for an event that was scheduled to take place at the DECC. As I was searching their website, I came across a page that’s titled “Environmental Statement.” I read it and thought about how cool it is that the facility takes such measures to practice environmental sustainability. One thing I thought was a great gesture was for the facility to coordinate conferences in an Eco-friendly nature by taking the time out to cipher through and recycle waste left behind conference participants. I also thought it was great that they donate their surplus food to the Second Harvest Food Bank. They also participate in local composting program in which just about all of their biodegradable waste is composted. I’m not sure if you all knew this about the DECC-I didn’t and I thought it was worth mentioning considering most major events in the Duluth community takes place at this venue. I just wanted to spread some light about this because it’s very commendable how facilities in the community are taking strides to a healthier environment. Just imagine how much energy and natural resources the community would save if every venue adopted such sustainable practices to better the environment.

Advocacy Project: Fact Sheet

Is pesticide exposure affecting your children?

Pesticide exposure effects
Pesticides that are used in the U.S. are becoming more common in societies today, however there is a great concern of pesticide exposure among school-aged children that poses adverse effects. These pesticides are associated through dietary exposure as well as environmental exposure.


What’s the issue
Research has shown that children (from all age groups) that are exposed to pesticides have different susceptibilities and sensitivities than adults do. Because of this, children a variety of health issues resulting from such exposure.


Symptoms that result from pesticide exposure among school-aged children
Some health issues that children may suffer are:

§  Poor growth impact on neurodevelopment

§  Asthma

§  Nausea

§  Learning disabilities

§  Reproductive issues

§  Autism

§  Cancer

Who does this effect?

§  The child(ren) themselves

§  Parents/loved ones

§  Teachers/Schools

§  Communities

§  Health care systems

Where does this affect children?

Children spend 25% of their waking hours at school. Throughout the day, children are participating in school lunch programs and are engaging in indoor and outdoor activities. In most cases, the menu is not very nutritious, further exposing children to dietary pesticides. Some of the most common foods served through the national lunch program that may contain hormone induced chemicals, just to name a few, are:

§  Hamburgers

§  Chicken nuggets

§  French Fries

Inside school buildings:

§  Air quality

§  Mold/Mildew

§  Lead paint

§  Radon

§  Poor building maintenance

On the playground:

§  Arsenic

§  wood

§  Soil and grass that are treated with insecticides

Some small ways to help protect our children from experiencing the issue:

§  Encourage schools to participate in farm school lunch program

§  Advocate for “ Green Schools" in your community

§  Teaching your child how to effectively wash their hands after outdoor exposure and ask that  teachers and school staff comply with your request

Children are vulnerable and cannot speak up for themselves. They rely on their parents, teachers, doctors and their community to ensure their safety. Let’s not fail our children. So help put the pest aside by contacting your community political representatives and vote yes to our children’s health!

References:

Natural Health 32.5 go.galegroup.com
http://www.understanding-learning-disabilities.com/pesticides-in-schools.html
http://epa.gov/ncer/childrenscenters/pesticides.html

Eye Opener: Photo Essay

Water: Quintessential for life

So far throughout this course, one of the most compelling issues that we have covered is water. Water, in my opinion, should not be such a controversial subject. Water is needed for every living thing. Water was here before mankind and surrounds us every. So the water issues that our world is experiencing very unsettling to me that I felt that I should dedicate my photo essay to-water.

Waters off the island of Jamaica

Water makes up 70% of earth's surface; 75% of the human body and 90% of human blood is made up of water. So as we can see, water is a vital and essential component of life. However, even though we are surrounded by a plethora of water, only 1% is fresh.

Of that 1% of fresh water, as we now know after watching the documentary "tapped," many companies are bottling this natural element for the purpose of profiting from consumers. In addition to the rip off of reselling water for profitable gain, some water bottles made out of plastic containers that contain chemicals which may pose adverse health affects to those who drink water from those plastic containers.

I personally find this disturbing because companies are  playing off of people ignorance on the matter and it is filtering into vulnerable populations such as infants. For example,when parents give their children infant water, it is usually the water the find in grocery stores that is confined to containers that we know are not constantly being tested, as well as the chemicals in which the containers are made from that may pose such negative health effects, such as cancer and neurological effects.

Much attention had started to center around  tap water and all the chemicals associated with it. The water industry started to promote a "healthier" standard of bottled water, by implementing reverse osmosis as a concept of  not drinking contaminated water. Still, what about the chemicals associated with this plastic water jug?

Now that the plastic usage of water bottles have been polluting the environment and there has been a lot of attention surrounding the issue,there has been strides implemented to reduce the environmental effects of plastic water bottle pollution. One way is by promoting the "Green" symbol on bottled water to encourage people to recycle.

Some water containers just simply remind consumers to recycle by refilling the water container.

Another method is by using water systems that are offered in stores and refilling your own water jug.

Other solutions is to use filters that fit on your faucet to help eliminate contaminants from the tap. This method not only avoid using a lot of  plastic, but also it saves money by not having to but bottled water.

In conclusion, because glass bottles offer more purity in there structure and do not pose any affect on the environment by their chemical composition ,I often wonder why companies that bottle water and make so much revenue from the phenomena  just don't use real glass bottles!