Share & Voice: Pharming Parties

Today I just heard of these things called "Pharming Parties."  Apparently I am behind the ball because I have never heard of them before.  I thought I'd share a video about them.

Pharming Parties are becoming more and more popular among teens.  These parties are when a bunch of people go into their parent's medicine cabinets and grab whatever pills they can get their hands on.  Then, all of the people put the pills in a bag/bowl/dish/whatever, and ingest them to get high.

THIS SCARES ME.  I think it is important to stay on top of these issues and I wonder if many parents know about this.  We can't keep our kids in bubbles, but maybe we should rethink who can get into the medicine cabinets!

Share & Voice: UMD Great American Smoke Out

Breathe Free Canvas...Show your support!

This past Thursday, the Great American Smoke Out was held in the Rafters at UMD.  This event was put on by the American Lung Association, UMD Health Services, and the Student Health Advisory Committee (SHAC).  The theme this year was a break room and we encouraged all students to attend the event.  There were many games, a movie, fun activities, and more for all who attended.  For those students who brought in a pack of cigarettes, they received a free Subway turkey sub for "quitting cold turkey."

We had a great turnout this year and encouraged all students that attended to sign the Breathe Free Canvas to show their support for UMD's smoke free policy.  There were also a few booths set up with some fun activities.  Eta Sigma Gamma (ESG) had a table where students could come and jump rope for one minute.  Once the minute was over, they had to breathe through a straw as they recovered to show the effects of smoking.  SHAC had a table set up where students could come spin the wheel.  All of the colors on the wheel corresponded to frequently asked questions about UMD's breathe free policy.   There was also information about cessation services for those who were considering quitting or are in the process.  

Overall, the event had a great turnout of students including those who smoke and those who do not.  I want to thank everyone from ESG and SHAC who came to help and all of you who signed the canvas.  A HUGE thanks goes out to Kristy Seaver for making it all happen.  

Enjoy a few photos of the event...

Eta Sigma Gamma table

Students showing their support by the canvas.

Signing the canvas

Jump rope activity

Breathing through the straw

Share & Voice: "Climate Change: The Evidence and Our Opinions"

Lonnie G. Thompson - Ohio State University

Climate Change Lecture

Last night, I had the opportunity to attend a lecture entitled, "Climate Change:  The Evidence and Our Opinions."  This presentation was given by Lonnie G. Thompson (left) who is a professor at Ohio State University.  Thompson's talk revolved around his studies of tropical glaciers and the evidence that they are able to show us about climate change.  He has been going on expeditions for over 20 years and has accumulated over 7,000 meters of drilled ice.  In these samples taken from all over the globe, he found some pretty shocking results.

Ice Cores and Expeditions

Ice Core 

  Thompson discussed how glaciers are excellent recorders of climate change in that they preserve long, high-resolution histories of our planet.  This is because ice preserves nearly everything that is in it.  Ice tells us a history of temperature change, vegetation, the atmosphere, volcanic history, and more.  These ice cores even contain entrapped microorganisms and plants that are over 5,200 years old.  In the picture to the left, you can see that the ice core has lines in it, much like tree rings.  These lines indicate one year each.  This means, that without a microscope, you can plainly see how much ice has built up year to year and how quickly we are losing our glaciers and ice caps.  Another indicator of climate change/global warming was bubbles in the ice.  In earlier time periods, you can see nice round bubbles.  However, once you look at more recent history, the bubbles become elongated.  This shows that the ice has melted and then re-froze.  So, why are we losing glaciers?  Thompson points out that besides natural mechanisms, there are non-natural mechanisms that WE as humans are creating that are causing 95% of our glaciers to retreat.  These mechanisms include greenhouse gases, burning fossil fuels, and more.

Solar-powered ice drill

Thompson pointed out another fact that was shocking to me.  He said that of the 6.8 billion people on earth, 1.6 billion do NOT have electricity.  That being said, he also pointed out that of the world's electricity, 65% comes from fossil fuels.  This is quite scary because we are using up our resources much faster than we should be.

Thompson went a bit over my head when he started showing an endless number of charts and graphs and data to go along with them.  But, his main point was this:  Global warming is happening and the percentage of ice loss is rapidly accelerating in the tropics.  We are causing this and need to realize that it is real.

Global Warming Does Not Exist You Say?

For those who say that global warming does not exist, Thompson had a few answers.  He kindly replied that 98% of science agrees that global warming exists and that it is cause for alarm.  He also says that some studies are only looking at satellite data and points out that this is flawed because they are not able to see the melting that is taking place from the top down.  That is why the ice cores are so crucial to our understanding of climate change.

What Does This Mean for Us?

According to Thompson, society has 3 options:

1. Prevention - we can take measures to reduce changes and educate others
2. Adaptation - we can take measure to reduce the impacts of global warming on human well being
3. Suffer - we can suffer from global warming and eventually destruct our planet Earth

Conclusions

This presentation was definitely eye opening and unexpectedly interesting.  I had never heard of ice cores before and did not realize how much information they could provide us with.  It is clear that we need to take preventative measures if we want to see a change.  If we don't, we may lose our planet.  

**All images are from the website:  http://bprc.osu.edu/Icecore/

A map of the Ice Core Sites

Share and Voice: Generation T

Have you ever gone through your closet and thought, "I haven't worn this T-shirt in years!"  Many of us have probably had a moment like this and just threw the T-shirt away.  Well, there are actually many ways to re-use T-shirts that are great projects and can also make great gifts. 

I was recently at a spa part where my friend showed me how to make a scarf out of a T-shirt.  All I needed was a pair of scissors.  I don't have my charger for my camera otherwise I would post some of my own pictures.  Here is an image taken from Kaboodle.com that shows the scarf I made with an old basketball T-shirt: 

All I had to do was cut the T-shirt into loops, pull, and BOOM...I had a scarf.  I decided to do some digging and came across a website called Generation T that has over 100 ways to transform your T-shirts.  This site has already got me cutting up old shirts and transforming them into new, useful items. 

What is great about this site is that almost anyone can make these projects and they require minimal materials.  Some projects are more advanced, and as you progress you can really show your creativity.  Other projects include notebook covers, pillows, bags, Halloween costumes and even a bean bag chair.  The possibilities are endless. 

Have some fun exploring the site and see which projects interest you!

Share and Voice: 30 Days 30 Ways

In most of my posts, be they assignments or share and voices, I have pledged to do something "green."  Usually, I give the disclaimer that I will take action in small steps.  Most of you have agreed with me that change needs to be feasible and is something that takes time.  So, I set out on a quest to find out how to make those small changes, while adding up to a greater cause. 

I found a website entitled 30 Ways in 30 Days which gives us exactly that.  The main purpose is to show individuals such as ourselves that we have the power.  No, we cannot save the world with our wishes or the snap of our fingers.  BUT we can take action each day.  It is important for me to not be overwhelmed when jumping into something new.  This site provides the opportunity for you to tweak one thing each day to live in a more sustainable way. 

Day 1 is to evaluate your life...all eyes on you.  There are days inbetween that include simple steps that you can focus on and incoporate into your life.  It ends with Day 30 which is to talk it up...live proactively.  The message in the final day is that it really isn't the final day.  Once you have taken the challenge and gone through the transformation process, you have the decision to make.  Will I continue to live this way? 

Check out the 30 Days 30 Ways page and tell me what you think.  Is it something you could incorporate in your life?

Share & Voice: We Are the World

This video is entitiled "We Are the World 25" and was made in an effort to raise money for Haiti.  It is a very powerful song to listen to and it is worth listening to the lyrics.  It shows how big of an impact people can make when they band together.

Last year, for Eta Sigma Gamma, we also raised money for Haiti by doing a "Hearts for Haiti" fundraiser.  We made chocolate roses out of Hershey's Kisses and sold them outside of the book store.  It was great to come together as a group for a greater cause.  Many people were drawn to the chocolate factor, but when they heard that the money was going to Haiti, a lot of them wanted to buy even more!

I hope you enjoy this video as much as I do and share some thoughts on other similar activities you may have done.

P.S.  How AMAZING is Celine Dion at 3:51?

:)

Share & Voice: Breathe Free Dilemma

Taken from the UMD website

What is your opinion?

Most of us are aware of the Breathe Free Policy at UMD that states, "Smoking is prohibited on all UMD property.  The smoking ban includes indoor facilities and the campus grounds, as well as all University vehicles."  Now, as a member of the Student Health Advisory Committee (SHAC), I have seen first hand the controversies surrounding this policy.  Even though we are a smoke free campus, there are still people who choose to smoke on campus grounds.  This however, is not what I would like your opinion on.  

Since we are smoke free, we no longer have receptacles for cigarette butts.  This is an effort to put an end to smoking on campus.  But, as smoking continues, what do people who smoke do with the butts?  Most of the time, the cigarette butts end up scattered on the ground.  One of the goals of the policy is to remain environmentally responsible as a campus and as a community.  So, what is the solution?  Is there a solution?  I want to hear what you think about the environmental aspect of the policy.  

More information about the policy can be found at the BreatheFree webpage.  

Share & Voice: Miniature Earth

(Taken from the miniature earth website)

This is a video called Miniature Earth that I watched for a class last year.  I think it relates to what we are currently talking about in class.  This video shrinks the earth down to a population of 100 people and shows different statistics on a variety of topics.  When you watch the video, think about the Star Wars activity we did in class and think of the people who ended up not fitting into the square at first because the people in the middle (including myself) were just focused on themselves.  In the context of this video, see which statistics you would be on the inside of the square for, and which ones would place you on the outside.  

For example, when it says "18 live with an improved water source," I would be on the inside.  When you watch, think about what you are doing or could be doing to help the people on the outside.  Which number stood out to you the most?  Which number do you think we as a population could change by making a daily effort?  Which numbers do you feel are out of your control?  What was your overall reaction to/impression of the video?  

I hope you are able to take something from this video as we continue to learn.  It is not meant to put down anyone's lifestyle, but merely to put things into perspective.  Thanks for watching!

Share & Voice: An Island Eye Opener

     I decided to do my very first Share and Voice on one of my very first trips away from home.  It was my sophomore year of high school and, with much begging and pleading, my mom finally allowed me to embark on my journey to the Island of Eleuthera in the Bahamas.  Now, when most people think of the Bahamas, they instantly think of a fancy vacation, a nice hotel, warm weather, and a pool.  THIS trip to the Bahamas was nothing of the sort.  This was a "science trip" that ended up challenging how I view myself and my environment.  

The dorms we stayed in

     The program we went through is called Wild Studies: Bahama Blue which is a program devoted to educating people about endangered environments through personal observation.  As soon as we landed, we knew we were in for a total culture shock.  There was no outside communication, hardly any fresh water, and 90% of our furniture was made of drift wood.  We drank KoolAid that had been made with diluted salt water for crying out loud.  I had never been in a place that was so conscientious about the environment.  Even our showers were limited to two minutes.  We had to turn the water off while we lathered with shampoo and turn it back on to rinse.  The water was cold and it took many of us the entire week to adjust to this new lifestyle.

Night class and furniture made from drift wood.  

  
      Besides snorkeling and seeing all of the beautiful exotic fish, we also took a one hour class each night.  We had to learn how to dive and how to respect the coral reef and its inhabitants.  We also learned about ecosystems through the human knot activity which emphasized that communication, competition, and team work were key in figuring out the twisted mess of arms.

Human knot activity

     Similarly, in a coral reef, all of the organisms compete with and depend on each other, from the tiniest of plankton to the greatest of sharks.  The classes stressed that when we over fish our oceans or pollute our oceans, we end up damaging this interconnected web.  Sure, usually the system bounces back.  But, what happens when it doesn't?  Put simply, coral reefs die.  To put this into perspective, I will reverse the roles.
     Imagine an entire town, city, state, or even a country that completely runs out of resources and dies off because of something that the fish are doing to us and our environment.  Imagine not having any control over it and not being able to fight back.  Can you even fathom a world where an entire population of people dies out?  In a sense, that is what is happening in the under water world.  Eventually, at the rate we are going, ocean life as we know it will cease.

Here is my group building our castle

Winners of the contest!

     Another activity that I remember vividly during my time on the island, was a sandcastle building contest.  The rules were simple.  We could not use sand to build our castle.  Instead, we had to use anything we could find on the beach.  We did not have to search very hard to find a plethora of washed up garbage that had drifted to shore.  It really made me stop and think about how much we dump into the ocean and how wasteful we can be.  I actually got to see first hand the garbage that damages so much of the ocean life and the reefs themselves.  While the activity was fun, I realized that it was a lesson in disguise.

     Besides all of the lessons and dives we went on, we did get a chance to just soak in the sunsets, relax on a deserted beach, and let the waves crash all around us.  It was quite the experience, and I learned not to take everyday pleasures for granted.  I am glad that I have revisited these memories in this assignment because I had forgotten all that I had learned on this one week "science trip."  I would consider it more of an eye opener  than anything.  I challenge all of you to think back to those times when you have been humbled by an experience or a person, and revisit how you viewed your life at that moment.  Sure, for a while after that week I took shorter showers, educated my family and friends about ecosystems, and even got my family to start recycling.  But, somehow, I find myself back to taking those long, hot showers that we all love.  It was definitely worth revisiting this trip and I hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.

Sunset on our last day of the Bahamas Adventure

     I leave you with my last picture on my many rolls of film from this environmentally-friendly trip.  Take a little piece of the Bahamas with you this weekend and enjoy some relaxation time before you wake up one day and wonder where all of the sunsets have gone.  Life is beautiful.

Welcome to Kristen's Coral Reef!

Dead fish due to oil pollution, toxic materials, runoff and more.

Hello everyone!  My name is Kristen and I am a sophomore at the University of Minnesota Duluth.  I would like to welcome you to my coral reef.  This blog was created for my Environmental Health class and will be updated weekly.  I chose to make mine a coral reef because they are beautiful to look at, but we are also on the verge of losing them because of our actions.  For this class, we will be posting different assignments and commenting on our group members' posts as well.  I hope to gain a better understanding of my immediate environment, as well as the earth as an environment, and how I impact the environment every day.  This blog will be a great tool to do so as we learn from each other.  

There are 6 possible types of posts on my blog.  They include:

1. Advocacy Project
2. Eye Openers
3. Reflections
4. Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change
5. Read 'n' Seed
6. Share and Voice

If you notice at the bottom of this post, the categories will be listed as labels.  This post has been labeled with all six 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 web group are:

1. Samantha@Samantha Green with Envi
2. Adam@Adam's Outdoor Connection
3. Alyssa@Treeific Time with Alyssa
4. Emily@Eco-quest with Emily
5. Katie@Through Green Eyes with Katie
6. Carly@Go Blue Too with Carly

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 am excited to see what you all come up with as we begin our journey and I hope you are too.  (I am also already looking forward to next week's eco-chic snack).  Thanks for swimming by and checking out my coral reef.