Eye Opener: Environmental Working Group

I decided to pick my blush that I use, Clinique Blushing Blush Powder. Here is what I found out at the Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database. It had a score of 7 out of 10, not so good. I thought that since it was Clinique a more expensive brand of make-up that it would be better, but I was wrong. The ingredients in it can cause cancer, developmental/reproductive toxicity, allergies, irritations and more. They listed all the ingredients in the product and what percentage of that is bad for you. I was reading through the list and I have not heard of any of the ingredients and most of them are very toxic. It makes me re-think putting it on my face, and how I have been using it for the past two months. I know there is make-up that is all natural or supposed to be, like Bare Minerals. I tried looking it up on the website but I didn’t find anything for it, maybe because it’s a newer product or nothing is wrong with it. Maybe next time before I buy make-up I will see what the rating is so I wont be using a toxic product! 

Reflection Post: Week 5 & 6

Week 5 we watched the movie called The Future of Food. I really liked this movie a lot. The movie was about how farmers were planting seed, that some how ended up being the seed that Monsanto chemically engineered, and then Monsanto would bring a lawsuit against them for not purchasing the patent. These farmers have farmed on these lands for years and never once changed their seeds, and Monsanto came in and took away their life savings and farmland because they were using “their” seed. It was really sad to see that happen to them. Another thing in the movie that impacted me was they were coming close to become a step closer to finding the cure for Breast Cancer and one of the genes they couldn’t use because it was already patented. We have been trying to cure cancer for years, and because of one gene they are now one step behind then closer. The movie goes on and it seems that there is no hope for us against chemically engineered food, until the last of the movie when they talk about farmers markets and organic farms. These two ideas are ways to buy foods that are no way touched by any chemicals and healthy for us. So there is hope for fresher foods after all!

Week 6 I was not in class due to being sick, but I did watch the movie Diet For A New America on YouTube. The movie is from the view point of John Robbins, who’s family owns Baskin Robbins, but decided to turn down anything from his family and live in British Columbia and live off of himself and grow foods. He talks about driving by a feedlot with lots of cattle getting fed seed, because that makes them fatter in areas we like to eat. These livestock can make up to 1.6 billion tons of manure (waste) and where does this waste go? Into the ground, streams and other waters supply near by. These chemicals run into water making algae and running our lakes affecting the eco-systems. This makes me think we need to change something! Ew!

In class everyone also made headers for their blogs and they look great! I am meeting with Steve on Monday to go over it, so I can add one to my page! 

Share & Voice: Its My Life

Visit this website http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/emotions/volunteering/article7.html 


This website is about kids volunteering to help our environment. It helps kids find places to volunteer and ideas to help like recycling, planting trees, and clean up projects! It is a great way to get younger generations then us to get involved and help save our environment! Very Cool! :) PBS is always thinking of new ways for kids to be more involved too! 

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 3: Weekly Update

My SMART Goal

My SMART goal is to use reusable bags every time I go to Target or the grocery store. I did ok this week on my goal, I was at home and went to Target and did not use a reusable bag. L

Successes & Challenges

My challenge this week was that I didn’t have my reusable bag in my car and I forgot to use it when I went to Target. So overall it is making sure I stick to my goal even if I am no in Duluth at home. I am going to make sure to always have a bag in my car that I don’t use all the time so if it do travel that I will have a reusable bag! My success is that earlier that week I did use my reusable bags at the grocery store and also informed my parents to start using them more! My strategies of being successful are my friends reminding me about my reusable bags and informing others makes me think to use them more.

Feelings and what I learned  

I was kind of sad when I walked out of target and didn’t have my reusable bag to use. I learned that overall I need to keep more than one reusable bag in my car to make sure that anywhere I am at I have one.

 Plans for next week

My plans for next week I will make sure to have more than one reusable bag in my car. Also I might modify my change to if I don’t have a reusable bag at least use a paper bag and not a plastic bag to carry my things. I think this will help me achieve my goal, without any downsides. 

"Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 3 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy." Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 3"   "Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy" 

Read 'n' Seed 2: First quarter of "Trash Talk"

Chapters and pages

            I read part one of my book, pages 1-85.

 Main topics

            Bags, brushes, brooms, carpets, cereal, cloth, conta, dryer sheets, for the birds, furniture, glass, hangers, metals, nylons, oven racks, plastic rings, rods and handles, soap, styrofoam, the garden, tires, and trashy bits. My book is about reusing the things listed above after their main purpose of use. An example is for dryer sheets to be more eco-friendly you can use only half a dryer sheet at a time, and reuse it more then once. This saves on buying dryer sheets by a significant amount.

 Things learned & Terminology 

                  I learned that for all the items listed above there is more then one way to reuse it again, or indefinitely. For example benefits tires have are reusing to prevent erosion along waterways, construct dams, homes, and roofing using tires, create activity areas, swings, and sport training tools, save money by building your own miniature gardens and compost piles. I didn’t really learn any new terminology yet, but maybe in the next part of the book I will.

 Implications

    This would affect our society because we would be saving are scarce resources which means to reuse are resources until we can’t. Also items listed above are things that people use once and throw away, and waste money on. If they would take the ideas in this book reuse them, they would save on purchasing things like garbage bags, or dryer sheets. We should care because these things we are throwing away are just sitting in landfills, and we don’t have very much room left. People should be more informed on how to save and reuse these items, from maybe putting it on the labels of the items or just print more knowledge. This book and the reusing of these items reminds me of my grandma, she reuses everything until it falls apart, she learned this from the Great Depression and not having anything, and making things last as long as they could. Reusing these items will benefit our society and our environment. 

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2: Weekly Update

My smart goal was to use re-usable a bags every time I went grocery shopping, and to Target. I have been very successful! I keep a bag in my car at all times, I just have to keep remembering to grab it! 

I went to Target this week as well as the grocery store and both times I used my re-usable Target bag! Keeping a bag in my car at all times helps me be successful and remember to use it. Other challenges that might come later will be trying to remember to put it in my car as well as use it.

It felt really rewarding to use my own bag for my things! I felt super eco-friendly when I pulled out my bag and said here I have a usable bag for my things! It made me think why doesn’t everyone do this? I think they should get rid of plastic and paper and make everyone use re-usable bags, Target a big corporation could do this, because I feel like it wouldn’t stop people from shopping there. It would also be very eco-friendly!

I learned if you buy a re-usable bag at Target you get .50 cents off of your entire purchase!! I know its not a lot but if was awesome! Not only can you help your environment if can save you money in the long run! It cost a dollar to purchase a re-usable bag and using it two times at Target you already made that money back! Very cool!

My plan for next week and weeks ahead is the same strategy that I have been using. Make sure to keep it in my car and every time use the re-usable bag when I go to the grocery store or Target. I really like my lifestyle change and think it’s achievable as it is.


"Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy." Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2" Amy's blog URL  "Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy" 

Eye Opener: CSPI

1. Score Your Diet
   ...http://www.cspinet.org/EatingGreen/score.html
1.  Health Score 12, Environmental Score -25, and Animal Welfare -21 My overall was -34 which on the website was uh-oh, i need help! 
2. I scored the highest on fruit and vegetables. These are higher because fruits and vegetables are grown naturally and not from an animal. They did have a negative number in the environmental area because of air and water pollution, and overuse of fertilizer also others. 
3. I scored the lowest on milk/yogurt and cheese. This is very accurate because I eat a lot of these! This is bad that I scored on these because they were negative in all areas of health, environmental and animal welfare. 
4. I need to improve in all areas. I can try to eat more things that are natural or organic. Underneath a couple of ares you could pick different things like lean beef/pork or free range poultry. Also fat free dairy, or low fat cheese you could pick from as well. I am going to try to work in those areas of eating that kind of beef, poultry, dairy and cheese. It might take time but I think I can do it. 
2. Summary
1. I think eating green is important, but I never thought about. I never thought the way I ate was hurting the environment, or animals. I could change some things, but I don't know if i will change every thing that I eat. I think that it would be hard to do that. I do have a friend who is vegan, but I don't really believe in only eating organic and non-animal products. If I looked more into it and found evidence that eating better like organic is better for our environment I would look more into it.