Reflection: Weeks 1-4

These first four weeks of class seem to have just flown by! I've already learned a great deal this semester, about a wide variety of topics and I'm excited to  see how my reflection today compares to my next reflection in 4 weeks.
Before taking this course I was completely in the dark about blogging but after 4 short weeks I feel i'm a fairly capable blogger. I can create and design my own blog, edit posts, include gadgets and pictures and stay updated on other peoples blogs as well. I've really come to appreciate blogging, especially as an environmentally conscious approach to an environmental health class. I feel like I'm making a difference every day just by posting online instead of handing in papers.
This course has really drawn my attention to the impact I have on the environment. After taking the ecological footprint quiz I realized that the little things I don't usually think about (like taking shorter showers, carpooling, or carrying a re-usable coffee mug, for instance) can really minimize the impact I have on the  environment. The book i chose for my Read 'N' Seed assignments has also been eye-opening and educational for me. I never truly appreciated how arduous the lives of organic farmers can be what with all the testing and potential spread of  pesticides and other chemicals.
Most importantly, this class is teaching me to examine my life more closely. I've begun to look at things differently, in terms of the potential impact of my every day decisions. I feel much more environmentally conscious already and I'm sure there's much more to come.

Share and Voice: Pumpkin Recipe

It's October, and some of you are probably planning on carving pumpkins to decorate for Halloween. You'll cut off the top, carve a face and scoop out the insides and the seeds. Instead of letting them go to waste, I'd like to share with you how to make a tasty snack out of those leftover pumpkin seeds. The recipe I follow goes like this:

HOME MADE PUMPKIN SEEDS: 
-After removing the seeds from the pumpkin, pull them out of the orange pumpkin pulp and place them in a separate bowl.
-Rinse the seeds with cold water.
-Set the seeds on a paper towel to dry
-Preheat the oven to 350
-Coat a cookie sheet with a light coat of vegetable oil (or cooking spray)
-Place the seeds in a flat layer on the cookie sheet, shaking it so many of the seeds are coated on both sides with the oil.
-Season the seeds with salt, cayenne pepper or other spices to your taste.
-Place the cookie sheet in the oven and bake for about 12-16 minutes or until the seeds are turning brown.
-Remove the seeds from the oven, let them cool down (otherwise you will burn yourself!) and enjoy!

This recipe is a great way to use pumpkin seeds that would otherwise go to waste after pumpkin carving. I hope you try it and enjoy!

Share and Voice: Smart Textbook Buys

I know it's a  little late for most of us to be buying textbooks, but for all your future endeavors I'd like to recommend the website www.chegg.com. I'm sure some of you have heard of this website already, but for those of you who haven't I think it can be a great resource.

This website allows you to rent textbooks for a very reasonable price (often less than half of what you would pay in school stores) and delivers within 1-2 business days, which is great for last-minute textbook buys. The rental system is also great because it allows textbooks to be re-used instead of sitting unused on a bookshelf for years. The books are easy to return and they're usually in great condition when they arrive. The other great thing about  Chegg is that they plant a tree each time you rent from them!


    (Picture courtesy of www.chegg.com)

I've used Chegg several times with great success. I encourage you all to use this site to buy your textbooks in the future, both for the sake of your wallet and for the sake of  the environment.

Read 'n' Seed 2: First Quarter of: The Organic Food Guide: How to Shop Smarter and Eat Healthier

For my second read n seed assignment I read the introduction and first two chapters of The Organic Food Guide: How to Shop Smarter and Eat Healthier. The author of the book, Steve Myerowitz discusses how complicated it can be to buy food nowadays and attempts to sort through some of the confusion when it comes to buying organic.

In terms of buying organic foods, the author describes the life of organic farmers and ho complicated the process of organic farming can be. Organic farmers must go through rigorous testing, record keeping, inspecting, and commit to 3 years minimum of chemical and pesticide free farming before the farm can be considered certified. Chemical free means no antibiotics, fertilizer, growth hormones or other artificial products, which can prove difficult when pesticides and chemical sprays can fly easily in the wind from farm to farm. What I found most interesting was the philosophy aspect of organic farming.  This philosophy includes considering the entire ecological perspective of the food we eat, the soil it grew in, the animals or other creatures that live there, and the health of the humans involved. The philosophy of many organic farmers is an attempt to find harmony with the entire web of life involved in cultivating and consuming food. I believe this is something we as a society often lose sight of, and that we could be healthier and enjoy our food more if we just considered the entire process involved in food production.

The Meyerowitz also talks about how the process of buying food and understanding food labels can be quite difficult in contemporary society. With such a variety of products each promoting their own health benefits, it can be tough to find exactly what you need or want. The author sums up this idea by stating, "They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away, but shopping for one can be confusing!" Even in buying something as simple as apples (organic or not), it's important to be an educated consumer in order to make smart food choices.

So, the next time we all go grocery shopping, it would be great if we could all try to consider that the food does not just come from a shelf at the grocery store, that it in fact comes from a delicate web of life and perhaps we will all have a better understanding and appreciation of the food we eat every day.

Eye Opener: Ecological Footprint

After taking a quiz to calculate my Ecological footprint I feel inspired to make changes in the way I live on a daily basis. According to this quiz, it would take approximately 4.1 earths to support humanity if everyone lived the same lifestyle I do. This quiz broke it down into a pie chart to describe the areas in which I leave the biggest footprint. According to the pie chart, 49% of my footprint goes towards energy, 15% goes towards food, 16% goes to shelter, 16% goes to goods and 5% goes to mobility.

This ecological footprint quiz was quite a reality check, and I think it has made me more mindful of the impact of many of my consumer habits. These habits, which include the food I tend to eat, my method of transportation, how and when I choose to recycle, and even the clothes I buy all have an impact on my ecological footprint and I plan on attempting to minimize my footprint starting now, after this eye-opening activity.

To take the quiz yourself just visit this link: Ecological Footprint Calculator

Share and Voice: The Colors of Duluth

For my first share and voice, I thought I would post a few pictures I've taken of the fall colors around Duluth. Fall is by far my favorite season, and I think the beauty of Duluth is at it's best this time of year. These pictures were taken all over, from up the shore to West Duluth. I hope these pictures might inspire you to get out and enjoy the beauty of the season while you still can!

Thanks for looking at my fall pictures!