Reflections: Week 9 and 10

We started week 9 off differently than doing just an eye opener. We began our advocacy project by looking up political representatives, what their position is, and how to contact them. It is always good to know who is representing us in Congress. During class we were assigned groups to discuss and teach about the readings that were due before class time, concerning advocacy and CHES Responsibilities. It was interesting to learn about, and to come up with an interesting way to teach about it! My SMART goal has been going good and I also read the third quarter of my book! It's going by really fast, can't believe we only have one quarter left!

For week 10, we had to have chosen a Healthy People 2010 goal and a bill that goes along with it for our advocacy project. Mine is about beach closings and reducing the number of closures due to sanitation issues. I'm interested to learn more about it! We then watched Unnatural Causes, In Sickness and in Wealth episode. It talked about how socioeconomic status and race affects resources and and opportunities for health. It was interesting to hear about, because not many people are informed about these kinds of things. Finally, we were introduced to our Photo essay eye opener. I'm still trying to think of something to come up with, but I'm excited to see everyone's final pieces!

All I can say is, this semester is going by very fast!!

Eco-chic Lifestyle Change Week 7: Weekly Update

MY SMART GOAL


My SMART goal is to use a reusable water bottle instead of plastic bottles. It is very unhealthy for the environment and for me to be using plastic water bottles over and over.


"I will use an aluminum water bottle 100% of the time 7 days a week for the next 10 weeks"

SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES

I did better this week at remembering to bring my water bottle to work. I didn't forget a single time! I continue to bring it with me to school everyday and while I'm driving. It helps me avoid giving in to drinking pop when I have it with me, because I feel it is a waste to even bring it with me if I'm not going to be using it. I'm happy I kept remembering it!

FEELINGS

I feel better this week about my goal than last week, because I didn't forget to bring it to work with me. It's nice to have my bottle sitting next to my bed every night when I wake up thirsty, or if I'm sitting in bed doing homework. I'll even carry it down to the living room with me when I go down there to sit and do homework or just watch tv for a bit.

PLANS FOR NEXT WEEK...

I will be keeping my goal the same. I didn't forget to bring my bottle to work at all, so I don't quite feel a need to buy a new bottle to keep in my locker there. I will continue to bring it with me everywhere and use it to keep me healthy!


Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 7 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic With Amy.

Share and Voice 6: One on one with nature

Last weekend, I joined my dad and brother in Bemidji to deer hunt on opening weekend. I always look forward to getting out of town to spend some time in the quiet woods with no distractions. Kind of my escape from reality for a couple days. Unfortunately, I saw no deer. But I got a chance to enjoy nature and take some pictures of things I saw, so I thought I might share them with you!

This picture is my view from my treestand looking south. The tree in the foreground has marks on it from porcupines and birds. The bark is eaten right off! In the background, the two tall trees are where my dad's old treestand sits. The tree on the left is leaning so far that it pretty much pulled the stand right apart! One of the trees that holds up my stand is quite similar, but not as bad quite yet. It got to be very windy out in those woods, and I felt like the trees were gonna pull MY stand apart! But thankfully, nothing happened to it and I was safe.

Here is a closer view of the porcupine marks. Kinda cool lookin!

This is a blue jay that NEVER went away. Very pretty bird, but when he was hopping around in the leaves it would make me think it was a deer walking! It was fun to just sit watch him though :)

And finally, the beautiful sunset I got to sit and watch. One of the most peaceful things to do.

It was so nice to sit outside for 10 hours and just take it all in. Fresh air, birds chirping, and just the sounds of nature. One of the most relaxing things I have done in a really long time!

Advocacy Project: Healthy People/THOMAS

1. The Healthy People 2010 goal I chose is under Water Quality 8-9. The objective for this goal is: Increase the proportion of days that beaches are open and safe for swimming. There wasn't any information about it on the Progress Quotient Chart.

2. Opportunities and Challenges: The Beaches Environmental Assessment and Coastal Health (BEACH) Act was passed in October 2000, which amended the Clean Water Act to establish a program for national grants to make water quality standards, monitoring of beaches, and approaches to public notification better, and strengthen national information collection. EPA created the BEACH program to support more regularity in beach health programs and to offer better information to the community. Contained in that program, EPA accumulates information on beach advisories and closings. It has been able to gather that information using annual questionnaires sent to contributing states, tribes, local governments, and other organizations that care for beaches used for swimming. The questionnaire gathers the information about advisories and closings that have taken place during the swimming season.


Emerging Issues: Programs used for beach monitoring are normally run by local health agencies, and programs differ by place. The results in monitoring are conflicting because there are different indicator organisms that agencies use, and differing monitoring occurences. EPA has specific performance standards that States and other governments must attain to collect beach grants, as part of the grant program. These standards are anticipated to offer improvements in the collecting of beach advisory data.


There was no information provided for progress or disparities.

3. H.R.2093 Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act of 2009



Title: To amend the Federal Water Pollution Control Act relating to beach monitoring, and for other purposes.


Sponsor: Rep Pallone, Frank, Jr. [NJ-6] (introduced 4/23/2009) Cosponsors (27)


Latest Major Action: 8/7/2009 Referred to Senate committee. Status: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
 
Recommendation: Vote yes for H.R. 2093 Clean Coastal Environment and Public Health Act of 2009
 
My Political Representatives: Senator Al Franken and Senator Amy Klobuchar