Advocacy Project: Letter to Public Official

December 6, 2009

Senator Russ Feingold

United States Senate  

506 Hart Senate Office Building


Washington, DC 20510-4904

Dear Mr. Russ Feingold,


I am in favor of the bill H.CON.RES.158, supporting for early detection month for breast cancer and all other forms of cancer as well.  The new health care program is saying women don't need a breast exam till age, 50 and only need an exam every two years. This is a huge change because The American Cancer Society say women should be start getting exams when they turn 40 and every year. If this bill does not pass lives will be lost due to not having early detection for cancer. 

Early detection, helps the number of cancer survivors and also with living cancer free years after. Without early detection people are going to be in the later stages of cancer, this means it will be harder to overcome and beat. I understand that this new health care program might cut health care cost, but what about trying to save lives from early detection. 


This new bill, will help people who may not have the money every year to get the medical check-ups they need. This will help lower the number of deaths from cancer by a significant amount. This impact of the new bill will help scientist with the funding to come one step closer to helping cancer patients. 


This change in early cancer detection will mean a lot to me, and others who have known someone who has had and battled, or lost their life to cancer. People who have been part of events to raise money for different cancers will also be affected by seeing a difference in cancer care. This will be a positive affect on all parties who are in-favor of the bill. 


The American Cancer Society predicts that for 2009 there will be 1,479,350 new cancer cases and 562,340 deaths in the United States. From 1991 to 2005 men overall cancer death rates have decreased 19.2% and women 11.4%. This means that there was a significant increase in cancer survivors due to early detection. 


As a resident of Wisconsin I know you support bills that will help people, and not harm them. I hope that this will be bill will also have your support too. Early detection is important step in preventing, treating, and overcoming cancer and I hope you vote Yes, for this bill to be passed for more awareness of early detection. 


I believe that continuing early detection, like  breast cancer and others will improve the quality of people lives and help health care providers. This bill impacts a lot of people in a positive way, and the outcome will be greater.


Thank you for taking the time to read my letter, I hope that this will impact your decision to vote yes. 


Mallory Johnson


(contact info)


Sources I Used: not in actual letter
http://www.cancer.org

http://caonline.amcancersoc.org

Share & Voice: 11 Ways to Go Green

I get the magazine women's health and sometimes they have really cool ideas about nutrition, health and a lot more. This time I came across 11 ways to go green and I thought it would be cool to share it with everyone! These are also really easy ways to go green, that we could do now! 




1. Turn it down: don't use as many lights and don't use the plastic bags


2. Replace the five most frequently used lights in your home with compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs

3. Wash your clothes in cold water


4. Turn down your water heater to 120 degrees 


5. Lower your thermostat by 2 degrees 


6. Go vegetarian one day a week 


7. Use a clothes line or a drying rack 

8. Install a low-flow shower head 


9. Get rid of the dishpan, using a dishwasher cleans better and uses less water! 


10. Replace your appliances with Energy-Star approved products

11. Carpool once a week 




Visit this website for a more on going green @ Women's Health Magazine

Reflection Post: Week 11 & 12

Week 11


We got into groups to define different parts of environmental health that a 10 year old would be able to read and understand. Our group had environmental citizenship and we came up with: We all affect the environment and need to be responsible for our actions. Remembering we are part of the worlds community and helping out. We learned that breaking down parts in a the definition help people who don't have knowledge of the topic understand! We also watched a short video clip called "The Story Of Stuff" it shows how things are made and put on to our shelfs to buy then brought home and then waste. Americans have this cycle of work--watch--spend, we repeat this over and over which is resulting in twice as much trash then 50 years ago! Thats a lot! I also found that they are making products cheaper so they break faster and consumers buy more, not good. Another shocking thing is that breast milk is the most toxic! What?! We also looked at 5 different junk objects and come up with ideas in which ways we could use them. Some groups had some really cool ideas! Getting exciting for a junking project! 

Week 12


We learned about how to Blog Hop! I think it is a great idea where people can share there same ideas with others! We shared are photos essays on a Blog Hop, it was really cool to see what everyone came up with! Everyone had great ideas! We went over how to write a letter to an editor and a politician, I think it is pretty cool we are going to do these about are advocacy issues! 

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 9: Weekly Update

SMART goal

I did well this past week on my SMART goal. My last post I talked about black friday and if I went that I would use a reusable bag. I didn't even have to use a bag at all! I shopped online! So my goal went well with not using a plastic or paper bag, and not even my reusable!

Successes and Challenges

I was success full with completing my reusable bag goal. My challenge was my goal on buying one organic food product. I went grocery shopping before I came back to school, and I forgot to purchase a organic product.

Feelings Experienced

I experienced a good feeling not having to go out for black friday and fight the crowd. Also, being able to continue to reach my SMART goal.

What I Learned

Even though I didn't use my reusable bag because I shopped online, I forgot about all the packaging my camera that I bought is going to use. Cardboard, plastic, maybe bubble wrap, and where is that going to go? Probably in the garbage, adding to our waste.

 

Next Week

I plan on continue my SMART goal with using a reusable bag, I don't know if I will continue buying one organic product because I am going to try and make my groceries last till Christmas break!

 "Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 9 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy." Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 9" 

Eye Opener: Photo Essay

I had a hard time thinking of something to do for my photo essay. As I was thinking of ideas, and was looking around my house back home and noticed junk my mom turned into decorations. 

The pictures to the left is an old picture frame that my mom found, that used to be junk sitting in our garage. The next picture is of decorative fruit, and last is the two put together to make a decoration for the wall! Junk turned into art for our house. 

The two pictures to the left are of an old tile block we used to build a shower in our house that was left over. Instead of throwing it away my used to as decoration for the holidays! She also puts lights around them too! More junk to good use!  

The pictures to the left is an old plate that never got used by my mom, because she was worried about it breaking. So she found so left over ribbon and tide it onto the plate to make another decoration for our kitchen! Very cool! 

All of these ideas are environmentally friendly because it is taking things that would of been thrown away as junk, or not used and are not awesome decorations for our house! Way to go mom! :) (my mom said I could use our house/decorations for photos)

Read 'n' Seed 5: Fourth quarter of "Paper or Plastic"

Chapters and Pages


I finished chapter two, which are pages 57-118 (which was the second half of the book, it was short) 


Main Topics


Natural Systems Designs are all designs of going green, from eco-friendly building to carry reusable bags. It includes sound, solar, efficient, nature-inspired, conservation-based, safe, humane, cyclic. 


Also talked about forest and how they are the primary source of packaging. It is used for paper, container-board or corrugated box materials, boxboard, solid-wood packaging materials, molded pulp and wood shavings (85). 




What I learned & how it affects society  


I learned that using our resources is affecting us now, which is pushing us toward global warming.


Also at the end of the book, it shows multiple items on how to be eco-friendly. Like using reusable bags, PCR fleece which is made of post-consumer plastic containers. 


http://www.stepin.org/casestudy.php?id=fleeces&page=3 (PCR Fleece Website) 


Natural Systems Designs http://www.naturaldes.com/


It affects our society because if we use all of our resources then we are not going to have anything left, and how are we going to live with our resources? 

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 8: Weekly Update

SMART Goal


My smart goal is to use a reusable bag every time I go to the grocery store or Target, and to buy one organic product each time as well. It went well over this past week! Remembered my bags!

Success & Challenges


Successes I remembered to use my reusable bags and organic product, I bought organic bananas this time. They are really good, I think even better then the non-organic. Challenge is making sure that I bring my reusable bags for shopping on black friday! No matter where I go, or who I am with I need to make sure I use reusable bag and they do too! 


Feelings Experienced


Every time I buy an organic product, I really like them. They taste better, even though they are expensive its worth buying them. I think everyone should try organic products!! 


What I learned 


I learned that trying new things may lead to actually liking them! Also, after reading Eco-Chic with Amy about getting rid of junk, and I am going to help my mom this break to get rid of her junk! Thanks for the idea! 




Next Week 


I am going to stay with my SMART goal of using a reusable bag, and one organic product. Hope next week goals well too! 

 "Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 8 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy." Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 8"