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?

Read 'n' Seed 5: Fourth Quarter and Final Review of "The Fate of Nature."

For the fourth quarter of "The Fate of Nature," I read Part VI of the book which covered chapters 33-38 and pages 329-368.  The main focus of this last part dealt with "the problem and hope."  The problem, is not so easily defined.  In simple terms, the "problem" is human's thoughts about and treatment of nature.  So, what is the "hope?"  What can we do?

Hope for the Future

In chapter 33, Wohlforth tells the story of a woman named Antonia who he felt had a special drive and a special passion for the environment.  Wohlforth sat down with her and asked if she thought she was a special person since she deeply cared for other people, animals, and the environment.  Antonia said, "I wish more people were that way.  And I think there are a lot of people who are that way.  And I think the more other people see it, the more they will become that way too."  Wohlforth states that this is the very meaning of "hope."  He also stresses that with hope comes change.  Can we change social norms?  Can people themselves change?  The answer is yes.

Change

Change can be predicted and planned, it can result from desire and hope, or it can be accidental or unintentional.  The relationship we have with the earth is changing.  It can be changing for better or for worse.  Wohlforth stresses that it is our decision in what direction we go.  Chapter 34 discusses that climate change is the biggest threat to our oceans.  It is one of the root causes for death of an entire species or even an entire habitat.  Wohlforth further reinforces that it is our sense of community and connectedness to nature that will make a difference.

Celebrations

The final chapter is titled "Celebrations" and discusses hope for the future.  We can have hope because more people are deciding to choose community over competition.  Wohlforth says that we all have a lot to learn, but that in growing, we can make positive changes in our environment.  He ended up recapping some of the stories he had previously told and leaves us with the image of two killer whales moving a spirit from the blue sea to the "blue, starry sky," further stressing the connectedness of humans and the environment.

Book Overview

In this book, Charles Wohlforth discusses many aspects of the environment and more specifically, his experiences in Alaska.  He draws on personal stories and philosophical discussions to provoke the reader's thoughts.  He challenges the reader to define themselves and their relationship with the environment.  As stated in earlier posts, he discusses some of the history of Alaska and its people, goes into great detail about the Exxon Valdeez Oil Spill, and what this means for the future.  In the first part, he talked about the Chugach people who live in Prince William Sound.  He discusses their beliefs and their connectedness to nature.  The Chugach people place value on every part of nature: rocks, grass, trees, animals, the ocean, etc.  What they took from nature, they gave back.  The book also stresses the importance of reviewing this mindset and why we should care.  Then, we moved on to the oil spill and all of the power big corporations had over the media and how strongly the influenced communities.  This was very shocking to read.  Finally, he brought up the discussion of hope and change.  

Three Important Points and Their Significance 

Of the many concepts discussed in this book, there were a few topics that really stuck with me.  One is looking back to the past.  In the stories of the Chugach people, it brought me back to the talk we had in the first couple weeks of class about the blade of grass and the shining star.  We metaphorically and literally walk all over the resources that we have and use every day.  It made me think about different aspects of the environment, and when I walk outside, I see things differently.  A second important point is to raise the critical eyebrows when we hear new information.  When Wohlforth talked about the oil spill, I was surprised at all of the behind the scenes things that went on.  Is something true just because someone tells us it is?  Should we believe everything we see on the news?  Who is behind this project/research/advertisement and how much funding are they providing?  All of these questions and more need to be asked to determine source credibility.  

Both of these combined bring me to my third point of interest or importance.  This point, is to spread hope and create change.  As people who are educated and people who may be leaders, we have to know how to use our resources and our power to spread the word.  Whether it is environmental health, or other related topics, we need support and a channel.  We need to understand that there is hope and we can make a change.  Many of us in this blog group and in this class are already taking great strides to reduce our footprints.  We can enhance this by spreading the word to others that we come in contact with, and telling them the impact of their actions.  Overall, I really have gained a new perspective of myself and the decisions I have to make.  This has put some fuel on my fire, and I hope I will continue to feed it as I progress in our major and the profession.  

Final Thoughts

I hope you have enjoyed learning about this book as I have.  It has been great to see every one's topics and learn from each of you without having to buy a textbook.  

"I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars."

-Walt Whitman

Eye Opener: Environmental Working Group

For this week's eye opener, I decided to check out my Secret Clinical Strength Antiperspirant that I have been loyal to for years.  I went to the Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety page and sure enough, the product showed up.

My Results

My deodorant scored a 5 on a scale of 0-10.  This means that it is a moderate hazard.  I was surprised to see how many concerns were linked to the product and its ingredients.  Click here to see the full breakdown.

I was also shocked that, according to the website, that 78% of antiperspirants/deodorants would actually score lower than Secret Clinical Strength.  

I have been loyal to this product for so long, and it is one of my favorites.  That makes it hard for me to want to change.  However, if there are so many other products that have fewer concerns, it might be time for a change.   

Although change is hard, I think it is worth looking into for my own sake.  I really love this website though, because most of the products I use can be found on it.  I have already passed it along to my sister who was shocked at the results of her favorite shampoo.  We both were able to click on different links that showed us which products scored lower that would work better for us.  

I probably won't can my deodorant just yet, especially since all of you have to sit by me in class for 3 hours on Monday.  But, I will actively search for one of the recommended brands to keep my pits dry and smelling fresh all day long!  

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?

:)

New Blog Header at Kristen's Coral Reef

When I heard we were going to use Picnik in class the other day I was pretty pumped!  I really enjoy using Picnik for fun projects or birthday presents, but it had never dawned on me that I could use it to enhance an image for a class such as this one.  What a great and fun tool to use!  

I hope you all enjoy my header!  

Read 'n' Seed 4: Third Quarter of "The Fate of Nature"

For the third quarter of "The Fate of Nature," I finished up the second half of Part IV and completed Part V as planned.  This included pages 234-325, covering chapters 24-32.  Part four finished up talking about conservation, but in part five, Wohlforth really digs in to the Exxon-Valdez Oil Spill.  He was in Alaska when it happened and had the rare opportunity to do some research and reporting on the issue.  Wohlforth surveyed the Sound and talked to many people in the government and the nearby towns and he discovered some very shocking facts.

Wohlforth starts off by discussing the oil spill itself and the lack of resources, a protocol, or even a general game plan when it came to cleaning up the massive "stain" in the ocean.  In a meeting with Dan Lawn, the State of Alaska's pipeline regulator, Lawn said that for years he had criticized the lack of preparation for a catastrophe such as the Exxon Oil Spill.  However, he was punished by his superiors and was no longer allowed to look into the matter if he wanted to keep his job.  Then, when the oil spill actually did happen, government officials and people involved were running around trying to think of ways to prevent something that had already happened.  It was too late at that point.

The oil spill also had many economic implications.  The people who depended on the ocean life as a source of food were now without resources.  Many natives quit their jobs because Exxon, the company that they were furious with, paid them nearly $2,000 per week to help in the cleanup.  However, this ended up giving more power to Exxon and most of the earnings were spent at the pubs and bars.  Exxon hired drunks off the street for as long as they could until they got their urine tests back.  Because of this, there was a snowball effect and the whole community shut down.  Meanwhile, the oil was not going anywhere.  Not to mention the marine animals that were effected.  Wohlforth pointed out that some animals were dying off because the oil had reached their brains and that cleaning the oil off of the fur/feathers was pointless.  Seals, otters, birds, and more had already been effected by the toxins.  One of the more shocking things that went on during this time was the research and media coverage of the situation.  All that the general public saw was good things about the cleanup efforts and the research SOMEHOW matched the ideals of its funding corporations.  This just goes to show how much power large corporations, the government, and the media have.

As far as implications for the future, there are many.  A main implication comes from Lawn's example.  He had been trying to fight for some organized preparation for an oil spill, but no one wanted to listen because it was not a good investment at the time in their minds.  Well, we can do the same thing about the environment.  We don't care because right now, we are not seeing the dangers of our actions.  I still have running water so I will use it, I still have trees so I can cut them down.  It is this way of thinking that gets us into trouble when we DO run out of resources.  What happens when something that is essential to human life just vanishes?  Is THAT when we start caring?

Another implication goes with the whole concept of the government and the media.  This is not to say that the government is bad or media is bad, but we must raise the critical eyebrow as we hear new things.  Who is conducting the research, who is paying for this, how can we be sure this is a reliable source, etc?  We really need to focus on what kind of information is being told to the general public, and utilize our skills as educators to spread the word to those around us.  We need to fight back for a little power of our own to shed light on issues such as the oil spill and the manipulation of the media.  This is not an overnight task by any means, but we should keep it in mind as we continue our education and our careers.