Share and Voice: Super One Foods

THANKS SUPER ONE FOODS!!!

Thank you Dr. V and Super one foods for giving us the reusable grocery bags! I am so excited to go and use mine. I dont have to decided on "paper or plastic" now:) Also thanks to Heather and Shar for their brillant idea for the thank you card!! Here are a couple interesting facts I found out about plastic bags and how we are going to help out the environment by using our eco-friendly grocery bags.

• Each year, an estimated 500 billion to 1 trillion plastic bags are consumed worldwide. That comes out to over one million per minute. Billions end up as litter each year.
  



• According to the EPA, over 380 billion plastic bags, sacks and wraps are consumed in the U.S. each year.
  



• According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. goes through 100 billion plastic shopping bags annually. (Estimated cost to retailers is $4 billion)



• Plastic bags don't biodegrade, they photodegrade - breaking down into smaller and smaller toxic bits contaminating soil and waterways and entering the food web when animals accidentally ingest

facts found on resuablebags.com

Thanks AGAIN

Share and Voice: Whole Foods Co-op

Whole Foods Co-op

Today my community health class went on a field trip and visited the whole foods co-op here in duluth. We went on a tour of the building and I learned that even the building itself is environmentally friendly! The building is made out of recycled materials. For example the art outside of the building is made from glass and hand rails from a school. The carpeting inside the store is used from recycled tires,and some of the wooden beams on the ceilings are from logs found on the bottom of lake superior. It was really interesting to find out how you can take and reuse materials that you just throw away. The building is even more "green" on the inside. It has bike racks to promote biking, and a shower inside in case you want to walk or jog to work. They also have a solar panel outside and on a sunny day it generates enough energy to keep the registers and other things going for 8 hours!!!! I really enjoyed the tour and learned a lot about organic food and how the store is going green! If you haven't been there go and check it out, its pretty cool:)

Share and Voice: Happy Earth Day!!

Earth day 2009

As you may know today April 22nd is Earth day. This day was founded by Gaylord Nelson. The idea of earth day came to be evolved in 1962, but we didnt start celebrating it till 1970. Twenty Million people celebrated the first earth day! One of the purposes of earth day was to give the environment a day to be celebrated!!!

There are great crafts and projects to do in honor of earth day here are a few:

~egg carton bug mobile

~tin can herb pots

Crafts from Nature Materials:

~pet rocks

~salt art

There has been quite a bit of environmental progress made since the first earth day! If people continue to celebrate earth day, much more progress can be made to help out the earth and the environment!

SO HAPPY EARTH DAY EVERYONE!!! go out and do something good for the environment:)

Ps sorry for the formatting I dont know what happened!

The Big Ten's Environmental Impact

Impact of Schools on the Environment

I recently found this environmental journal called EJ, there was an article in it that talked about the environmental impact that some of the big ten schools have. I thought it was really interesting so I wanted to make a share and voice with some of the statistics found on the universities. The journal is from 2007 so its a little dated but I still think it gives you an idea of how much of an impact these schools can have on the environment.

The schools that were included in this article was: Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue and Wisconsin.

Electricity:

School, Electricity (Killowatts-hrs) per GSF (Gross Square Foot), Electricity (kilowatts- hrs) per student

Illinos No report No report

Indiana 17.73 6,672
Iowa 20.28 8,436
Michigan 20.63 7,738
Michigan State 12.61 5,387
Minnesota 18.50 7,614
Northwestern No report No report
Ohio State 24.10 9,400
Penn State 16.74 7,166
Purdue 16.67 6,623
Wisconsin 19.04 10,087
Average 18.47 7,680

Energy Terminology: (found in the journal)

Kilowatt- hours are the common curency among power producers

A killowatt is defined as the amount of energy needed to heat one pound of wter one degree Fahrenheit.

~The rate at which energy flows (electrical current) is the kilowatt-hour, which measures the amount of energy flowing from producres to consumers in any given system One kilowatt hour is the energy required to keep a standard ligth bulb lit for approximately 10 hours.

Recycle:

Illinois

waste recycled (tons/yr): 4,885

paper recycled (tons/yr): 2,062

plastic, glass, metal and aluminum recycled (tons/yr): 698

Indiana:

waste recycled (tons/yr): 1,900

paper recycled (tons/yr): 1,150

plastic, glass, metal and aluminum recycled (tons/yr): 155

Iowa:

waste recycled (tons/yr): 1,273

paper recycled (tons/yr): 1,272

plastic, glass, metal and aluminum recycled (tons/yr): 1

Michigan:

waste recycled (tons/yr): 3,458.45

paper recycled (tons/yr): 2,279

plastic, glass, metal and aluminum recycled (tons/yr): 234

Michigan State:

waste recycled (tons/yr): 2,000

paper recycled (tons/yr): 1,658

plastic, glass, metal and aluminum recycled (tons/yr): 342

Minnesota:

waste recycled (tons/yr): 3,306

paper recycled (tons/yr): 1,854

plastic, glass, metal and aluminum recycled (tons/yr): 544

Northwestern:

waste recycled (tons/yr): 1,200

paper recycled (tons/yr): 628

plastic, glass, metal and aluminum recycled (tons/yr): 231

Ohio State:

waste recycled (tons/yr): 1,446

paper recycled (tons/yr): 791

plastic, glass, metal and aluminum recycled (tons/yr): 95

Penn State:

waste recycled (tons/yr): 4,868

paper recycled (tons/yr): 1,670

plastic, glass, metal and aluminum recycled (tons/yr): 366

Purdue:

waste recycled (tons/yr): 1,592

paper recycled (tons/yr): 1,065

plastic, glass, metal and aluminum recycled (tons/yr): 295

Wisconsin:

waste recycled (tons/yr): 1,755

paper recycled (tons/yr): 1,179

plastic, glass, metal and aluminum recycled (tons/yr): 576

Average:

waste recycled: 2,517

paper recycled: 1,419

plastic, glass, metal and aluminum recycled (tons/yr): 321

From this data you can see how a school can effect the environment in a harmful way and how they can help out the environment! Its interesting to see what kind of an impact a major community such as a university has on the environment compared to a household or an individual.

Victoria's Secret goes organic?

Its true. Victoria's Secret now has a new line of body products that are organic. The New line is called Pink Body and it features body care such as body washes, body scrub, body mist and even nourishing shave cream. Some of the products include U.S.-sourced Citrus and Organic Mint to invigorate, a boost of caffeine from Organic Coffee Beans to energize and tone and Organic Shea and Cocoa Butters to help heal and hydrate. Along with body products Victoria's Secret is also branching out into naturally made hair care. One of their hair products includes Global Goddess, Au Naturel Shampoo and Conditioner. Although the hair products dont mention anything about being organic the shampoo and conditioner is infused with beneficial essential oils and plant-derived ingredients, all absent of synthetic fragrance, dyes and high impact additives. So there you go ladies, if you love to buy body products from Victoria's Secret now you can do it by thinking green!!

The Green Home

HGTV'S green house 2008>>>>>>>




Over the break I was watching tv with my mom, and we stopped on a show called Deserving Design on HGTV. The episode was talking about this family who decided to change their home and go completely green. In the show the designer (Vern Yip) comes in and remodels a room(s) in the family's home. The way the family is choosen by how deserving they are and what they are doing or have done to make them eligible for a room make over. This family did a lot to help out the environment. From recycling, to going green with furniture, and using eco friendly light bulbs and fabrics. So the design team came in with a Eco friendly design and re-did two rooms in the family's home, a yoga room and a surprise room. It was really interesting to see how little changes can make the room more environmentally friendly and help out the earth by using less hazardous materials and more recycled materials. Starting with the paint, the designer used VOC paint, which stands for volatile organic compounds. Some of the benefits for using VOC paint include:

Health: Reduced toxins benefit everyone, including those with allergies and chemical sensitivities.

Environment: Reduces landfill, groundwater and ozone depleting contaminants.

Effective:Low-VOC products perform well in terms of coverage, scrubability and hideability (covering flaws on previous coats).

Water-Based: Easy cleanup wtih soap and warm water.

Little or No Hazardous Fumes: Low odor during application; no odor once cured. No off-gassing. Painted areas can be occupied sooner, with no odor complaints.

Not Deemed Hazardous Waste: Cleanup and disposal greatly simplified.

In the rooms they used antiques for the furniture, which is a great way to be eco friendly because they are all recycled. For the flooring, mainly in the yoga room, they covered it in organic bamboo. It actually looked pretty cool and was said to be environmentally responisible, or not harmful to the environment. As for some of the accents, they used beeswax candles which were all natural and for the curtians they used flax fiber. Overall I found the episode really interesting and learned creative ways on how to make a home more eco friendly.

Share & Voice: Water Recycling

Hey Everyone!
So all of this talk about water privatization and our usage of water has got me thinking. I cant imagine my life without water. Not only for drinking but for cooking, bathing, laundry, the list could go on and on. I know I can do more things to help out with the water supply such as cutting down on my 15 minute showers ( I know its horrible), and turning off the water while brushing my teeth, etc. I wanted to find out what we as a whole are doing to cut down on water waste, so I did a little research. I found a really good website on water recycling and reuse and the benefits that it has on the environment. This website talks about how the United States Enivronmental Protection Agency regulates many aspects of wastewater treatment and drinking water quality. I never knew that water recycling could have so many benefits! Here is a list of benefits that water recycling has on the environment:

• Water Recycling Can Decrease Diversion of Freshwater from Sensitive Ecosystems.
  
• Water Recycling Decreases Discharge to Sensitive Water Bodies.


• Recycled Water May Be Used to Create or Enhance Wetlands and Riparian (Stream) Habitats.


• Water Recycling Can Reduce and PreventPollution

Recycled water is most commonly used for nonpotable (not for drinking) purposes, such as agriculture, landscape, public parks, and golf course irrigation. Other nonpotable applications include cooling water for power plants and oil refineries, industrial process water for such facilities as paper mills and carpet dyers, toilet flushing, dust control, construction activities, concrete mixing, and artificial lakes (EPA website). I think that its a great idea to recycle water. If we can recycle bottles, cans, glass, plastic why not water!

Share and Voice: Chocolate Lovers

Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate!


One of my favorite things to eat is chocolate. Although chocolate isnt all that good for you, I never considered its effects on the environment. So as I was researching I ended up on about my planet.com here I found just how much of a toll making and producing chocolate has on our earth. Here are some interesting facts that I found:

• Chocolate creates a large water footprint, often several thousand gallons of water per 100 grams of chocolate do to the need to grow the cocoa plants quickly and effectively.


• Some candy bars contain dual wrapping which is not always recyclable.


• Growing the cocoa plants often takes up a considerable amount of land.


• Farmers might also use possible herbicides that keep weeds from competing with the plants.


• Lastly you have to consider the human toll chocolate creates. Thousands of people work in slave-like conditions to harvest the cocoa beans, making nearly no money and suffering in terrible conditions.

To prevent some of these things there is always organic chocolate. Although this chocolate may cost a bit more its better for the environment and for you. So the next time you are craving chocolate.....think about trying an organic chocolate.

Heres a link to Hershey chocolate one of my favorites:) Here you can click on your favorite treats and see the nutritional information, the history of Hersheys and a timeline its pretty cool check it out!!!!

Hersheys.com

Share and Voice: Going GREEN!

Going Green!!

I was recently researching online ways in which I could help out the environment. Even little ideas and things that I could do to contribute to helping out and protecting the environment. I found this great website that list ideas A-Z that could help out the planet. The site listed some cool things that you could do that wouldnt take that much time or effort at all but that would have a significant influence on the environment. The site also gives some ECO-Statistics that are shocking and that help inspire you to do more and Go Green!!! check it out its pretty interesting........Going Green

Share and Voice: ENVIRO Cool Blog Award!!

Hey Everyone,
So I recently recieved the ENVIRO Cool Blog Award from Autumn (Thanks Autumn) for my post about Google Earth! Now it is my turn to continue the trend and pass it on....so the one I choose for the Award goes to.....
SARA J:)

Sara's post was about spring cleaning and it gave different recipes on how to make homemade cleaning supplies! I found this rather interesting. Not only does making your own cleaning supplies help you save money but it also is more friendly towards the environment. Good Post Sara and congrats!

So Sara here are the instructions for passing this award on:
1. Leave a comment below so that I know you "picked up" the award.
2. Create a Share and Voice post that says you've received the award and indicate who the award is from (be sure to hyperlink).
3. Also indicate to whom you are going to pass on the award and why. Be sure to hyperlink the blogger (use main blog URL) and the blog title (use the specific URL for that blog post).
4. Copy and paste these instructions at the bottom of your post.
5. Publish the post.
6. Visit each blogger you've awarded and leave a comment telling them they've won.
7. Continue the process...

Share and Voice

So the other day I was on Google and I learned that there is now something called Google Earth. Google Earth is talks about the ocean and gives really interesting facts and tours beneath the ocean. The site also includes videos where you can see global changes with decades of historic imagery, dive beneath the surface of the ocean and track and share your paths with others. In order to get all of the features you have to download Google Earth 5.o otherwise on the homepage you can watch a video, or click on Google Earth 5.0 Product Tour on the bottom. I thought it was a really neat go check it out!!!

Environmentally Friendly with Jessica

Environmentally Friendly

with Jessica

Hi my name is Jessica Scholzen. I am a Junior at the University of Minnesota Duluth. I am majoring in Community Health. I am currently enrolled in Dr. V's Hlth 3500 Environmental Health. My blog is going to talk about the enviornment and ways in which we can keep it safe.


There are 5 possible types of posts on my blog. They include:

1. Advocacy Project
2. Eye Openers
3. Reflections
4. Reviews
5. Share and Voice

If you notice at the bottom of this post, the categories will be listed as labels. This post is has been labeled with all five kinds of posts. You will also see the number of each kind of post in my Labels Gadget at the top of the page. All post titles from now on will begin with one of the categories above.

The members of my group are:
1. Hannah

2. Erika

3. Jeff

4. Lauren


You can subscribe to my blog by clicking the subscribe gadget in the gadget column. You can also follow my blog by clicking "Follow this Blog" in the gadget column. I am subscribed to all the blogs in my blog list gadget. You can see my complete profile and all the blogs I am following by clicking on "See Complete Profile."

I hope that my blog will help inform you on the environment and ways that we can help keep it clean and safe. Hope you enjoy my blog!!!