Read 'n' Seed 6: Final Review of "Trash Talk & Paper or Plastic"

Overview


I read two books, Trash Talk and Paper or Plastic. Trash Talk was about reusing items more than once and awesome ways to use them. For example dryer sheets, to save your money and the environment, you should only use half a dryer sheet at once and use the dryer sheet more than once. We could all do this! Paper or Plastic was about  using to much paper or plastic packaging, bags, etc. 

Three Most Significant Things


1. Both of these books about about helping the environment in eco-friendly ways. 


2. Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR): This is any material that was used by a consumer and then recycled for use in a new product. In Paper and Plastic, companies are turning to this, to help save the environment and it is also saves money. 


3. In Trash Talk is talks about energy waste, “to waste energy is no different than throwing your hard-earned money out with the trash (96).” Energy creates pollution and pollution destructs our wilderness. It also states that an average household spends “1,300-2,400 dollars annually on energy—44% of that being heating and cooling (96).” This is important because if we save our energy resources, we are not polluting the air, and it will also save us money. 


Why is it important? 


Both of these books, focus on ways to save the environment. They take things that you would throw away after one use and come up with ideas to use them again. This saves money by not having to buy something because you made it. It also keeps trash out of the landfill. The other comes up with new ways of packaging to use less materials, saving trees and also not filling up landfills with trash. 


Would I recommend these books?


I would definitely recommend these because they give and have ideas to help you be more eco-friendly. They are a little harder to read because they are not a chapter books, they are more informational. But, they still have really great ideas to help our environment, and they are easy things you could change in your life. :)

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 10: Overall Project Reflection

SMART Goal(s):


My SMART goal for the semester was to use reusable bags every time I went to the grocery store or Target. I also added in half way thru to buy an organic product every time I went grocery shopping.

Successes and Challenges:


I had a success of using reusable bags every time and liking a lot of new organic products. :) I also tired to inform others of using reusable bags and how it can benefit the environment. Challenges I had was when I went home for the weekends and would go grocery shopping or to Target and not have my reusable bag on me. That was my area of weakness. 


Benefits, What I learned, and Behavior Change:


Benefits of using reusable bags is not having plastic bags that do get recycled sit in landfills for 1000 years trying to break down and deposit. It will help make less trash, less trash = cleaner environment! I learned that the world consumes 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags. That is a ridiculous amount of plastic bags! WOW...I also found that "One set of reusable bags has the potential to "save" over 20,000 plastic bags throughout one's lifetime (squidoo.com)." My behavior change will stay with me after this class is over, every one should use reusable bags, every step counts! 


External Benefits:


I am only one person, but by using a reusable bag every time I went to the grocery store and Target, saved a lot of plastic bags. Every time I go, I used to have at least 4 plastic bags each trip. Now I only use one reusable maybe two, they are big and roomy :)




Continuing On:


This is something that I will continue. It is a simple life change that I made, and I can commit to doing it after this class is over too. I can also set an example for other college students that are still using plastic bags. 


Recommendations:


I think that any life style change can always benefit you and even the environment. I think for people new years resolution, they should considered a lifestyle change. This will be something they can stick too until the following year. So if you are having a hard time thinking of a new years resolution, consider a lifestyle change. It is easy, and is a positive change! 

I used http://www.squidoo.com/reuseable-bags-environment, for my resource for information listed above. 

 "Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 10 hosted by Amy@Eco-Chic with Amy." Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 10" 

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)