Reflections: Week 8-14

Reflection

Reflecting is probably one of the best soul foods that I can give my spirit, and for this class in particular, it was especially satisfying. This class has given me the knowledge and motivation to make a change not only at the individual level, but also inspiring environmental health change at the societal level through advocacy. From “Tapped” to junking, it’s been a fund ride.

Week 8 involved a follow up on my read ‘n’ seed to learn more about one of the most crucial elements of life, water. As a member of MPIRG, I decided to take part in their environmental task force by showing this same documentary as an event for the Health Fair. Through watching this documentary, I learned the severity of BPA, and how to make health related decisions in relation to this dangerous chemicals. I take strides towards using glass jars and BPA free plastic products.

Week 9 opened the second side of health education responsibility 7, which was advocating for health. Before this, advocating for health to senators and house representatives probably would’ve scared the life out of me. With the help of all the advocacy education, I was able to realize that I am meant to change health at more than the interpersonal level. I want to make policy changes that will create changes for health at the macro level.  Week 11’s overview issue helped me to take the research steps to creating change at the macro level. My issue topic was the Fair Farm Bill, in which I was engaged to do advocacy action on the UMD campus through MPIRG and Food and Water Watch in the Duluth area.  Never in a million years would I have seen myself trying to contact our Senator to change our food policies, but I’m glad I did!

From the movie “Fight Club,” a character said, “we work jobs we hate to by sh** that we don’t need!” I’ve always pondered on that until “the story of stuff” was shown in class. This YouTube video extended the movie quote to inspire change on what and how much I purchase. That video showed me so many specific reasons why I should think before I purchase. I now find myself in Target asking myself, “do I really need this, and is this really worth causing more damage onto someone else’s health?”

My favorite project in this class was junking. I have a new love for searching through Linky Parties and seeing how many people are finding ways to salvage old things that would normally end up a landfill and turn them into new objects for use.  I was amazed at the projects people completed for the junking “show and tell” day, and I also learned some tips and tricks for my future projects.

Last but not least, learning how to blog was has turned into a new skill for me. I love learning from others and blogging does it in a way that can be entertaining for me! Now that I’ve learned how to blog, Knowing how to use this tool better, will allow me to spread the knowledge and experience I have the with new HERO project for my internship!

Over all, this class has been one of the most beneficial and entertaining classes that I have ever taken. Whether, I’m shutting off lights, blogging about ways to improve health, or changing policy, all of these actions were caused by this course. Thank you!

Advocacy Project: Letter to Senator

Dec 12^th, 2011

Dear Senator Klobuchar

1200 Washington Avenue South, Room 250

Minneapolis, MN 55415

As a constituent, I am writing this letter to urge you to vote yes for implementing the GIPSA rules for the 2012 Farm Bill. These rules can be found in the

 sections 11005 and 11006 of Title XI of the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (Farm Bill). These rules can provide protection for farmers when collaborating or competing against those who run large food corporations.

According to Food and Water Watch, Small/medium sized farmers are being driven out of business due to larger companies setting unfair commodity price standards. The small/ medium sized farmers keep our Minnesota economy strong, and the local community healthy with ethical practices of farming.

 The GIPSA rules will protect farmers against large food corporations in many ways. One of which, is prohibiting retaliation against poultry growers who speak out about abuses when trying to cooperate with the large corporations they farm for. These are the farmers that are your potential constituents and need help competing against the corporations who oppose these rules such as Swift, Cargill, and Tyson.

I understand that some of your campaign support relies on large corporations such as General Mill, but you also desire to represent the people of MN. Voting yes on the GISPA rules for the Farm Bill 2012 will allow you to provide support for balance between the corporations and individual farmers that support you.

Thank you for reading over my plea and voicing for the farmers that make Minnesota on of the greatest states in the nation. If you would like to contact me for further conversation, please call 218-591-1111

Sincerely,

Shannon Flaherty

Duluth, MN

Share 'N' Voice: Hair products

Hello Ladies! It's obvious that all of us have hair and lots of it. The picture below looks like mine before I battle it with a curling iron.......Yes, I know it's scary; that's why I wear hats a lot : )

As I was washing my hair with my original shampoo, "Bed Head" down the drain, our class got me to thinking more about this product. How do the chemical in that shampoo affect my health, and how does it affect the water system that I'm dumping it into? 

My rating was a 7 from the eye opener website that we did in class. Octooxynol-40 is the chemical in this product that can cause the following

Endocrine disruption, Allergies/immunotoxicity, Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive), Multiple, additive exposure sources, Ecotoxicology, Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs),

I've tried the brand "organix" shampoo from Target, and it just wasn't enough of a powerful weapon to taime the Shannon fro on top of my head, so I gave up on organic shampoo. (the organix products do have good scores on the eye opener website) 

I was roaming through the Whole-Foods Co-op and found this on sale!!!! I decided to give it a try. After reading the ingredients list, I figured that it had to be better than "Bed Head." By using this shampoo, my rating went from a 7 (Bed Head) to a 5. 

To my surprise, this product is amazing. It leaves my hair looking shinier and healthier than my original shampoo that was a concoction of toxins. I even got a lot of hair compliments on the day that I used this. 

Organic Shampoo and Conditioner seem to expensive for you? 

Not to worry! Here's a tip that I learned at the salon I worked at to conserve on Shampoo and Conditioner so you can spread the dollars you spend. 

1) Start out small: With Shampoo, you really only need enough for your roots, because that's where the oil builds up. The shampoo from your roots will wash the rest of your hair when it's running down your hair when you're rinsing. 

2) Conditioner, Start with the ends and work your way up.

Think of your fingers as combs with conditioner on them to get out the snarls. If your hair is snarly like mine, just do a small section at once. Once you get the end snarls out, work your way up to the scalp. 

I was amazed the first time I did this, because my during my whole life I've used a giant pile of conditioner and still felt like it's never been enough. Give it a shot! 

Share 'N' Voice- "Trash Audit"

Hello Ladies!

"UMD initiates new composting program," was the title of an article in the Statesmen on campus. In the picture, the girl that is throwing away her compostable coffee cup is the leader of the Environmental Task Force that I'm on for MPIRG. She and I as well as others did a trash audit of what recyclables are being thrown in the regular trash bins. Suprisingly enough, the biggest amount of recyclables being wasted wasn't aluminum cans, water bottles, or paper. It's was the compostable products from the UMD coffee shop!!!!


This is a picture that was collected from out trash audit, containing things only from the coffee shop. One thing I learned is that the plastic cups for smoothies and iced coffee drinks are also compostable! I think that's just amazing that human beings are smart enough to find a way to make plastic compostable.

The Statesmen mentioned that, "in 2009, the coffee shop was estimated to give out roughly around 250,000 disposable cups per year." Let me emphasize that this was cups alone! The coffee shop switched to 100% biodegradable cups and lids, but they're  compostable and need a bin to be thrown in that's designated for composting. Not only are the cups and lids biodegradeable through composting but so are the cutlery and plates!

I used to thing that biodegradable-compostable products could do their environmental benefits by just breaking down in the garbage landfills......NOT TRUE. There is a method that composting follows and it requires action on our part to throw these things in the rights bins, so the people that compost them can take care of the rest of the process. For the coffee cups, lids, cutlery, plastic looking cups, and plates in this case, they need to be put into the new big yellow bucket outside of the coffee shop in order to produce the environmental benefits they were designed to! 

Message for this blog: Put coffee shop compostable products in the yellow bin outside the coffee shop.


We could save up to 250,000 cups alone from a land fill!