Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 4: Weekly Update

My SMART goal: I will take public transportation to school three or more days of the week for the next 10 weeks. 

Well, now that things have settled down a little bit, it's been much easier to meet my goal. Obviously I wasn't able to take the bus anywhere last week because I was home for Thanksgiving, but this week has shown much more promise. I have already taken the bus Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday of this week! 

One of the biggest challenges for me this week was the temptation of driving my car to school due to the weather, but at the same time it makes me want to take the bus more because I don't want to have to drive if the roads happen to get really bad. I actually bought a new hat and mittens to make it easier for me to be outside now that winter is setting in a little harder. I am very surprised at how good it is making me feel to actually be meeting my goal this week :) My plan for next week is to make my SMART goal a little bit more challenging and take the bus 4 or more times next week. Wish me luck!

Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 3 hosted by Amy@Amy in the Rain.

Eye Opener: Photo Essay

For my photo essay, I chose to focus on unsafe living conditions in rental housing. The pictures I took are from a friend's house of mine whose landlord is very untimely with any problems they are having with their house. 

This first picture is of a panel that got pulled out in the basement in one of the bedrooms. As you can see there is moisture and mold behind the panel which is not safe for living and is definitely not up to code. 

These next two pictures are of the front door at their house. The doorknob is broken  and the lock doesn't work so the aren't even able to lock their front door! They weren't even given a key to that door when they moved in!                                                 

 

This is one of the many windows that are painted either partially open or shut in their house. Can you say fire hazard?

This is picture of their bathroom sink. As you can see it has been clogged for quite some time. Pretty disgusting if you ask me.


Make sure you know your rights as a renter. Don't let your landlord take advantage of you or your roommates. UMD has a pretty helpful website for knowing your rights and regulations. Check it out here:https://vcassl.d.umn.edu/kirby/off-campus-housing/

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 3: Weekly Update

My SMART goal: 

I will take public transportation to school three or more days of the week for the next ten weeks

Well, another week has flown by again. I had a really difficult time meeting my SMART goal again this week due to schedule conflicts. I left for the regional volleyball tournament last week Wednesday morning (I drove my car to school) and didn't get back until Sunday night. I was only in Duluth Monday and Tuesday before going home for Thanksgiving break. I did however take the bus to and from school those two days so that made me pretty happy :) 

I have been realizing how much more relaxing it is to take the bus to school. Yes, it sucks having to walk down the road to catch the bus, especially when it's cold out, but it sure beats wondering if I'm going to get a spot in the pay-lot at school (which has been very difficult this year). I've managed to accumulate a number of parking tickets over the last 4 years due to that darn pay-lot being full 24/7. Also, the bus that I take gets to school fifteen minutes before the hour which gives me plenty of time to get to class on time and even grab a coffee! I am somewhat of a procrastinator and when I drive myself to school, I always manage to never leave enough time to get to class early. Taking the bus has eliminated that problem! 

My schedule will be a lot less hectic now that volleyball is over and Thanksgiving break has come. I have high hopes of meeting my goal 100% from now until the end of the semester! 


Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 3 hosted by Amy@Amy in the Rain.

Advocacy Project: Issue Overview

Introduction
What is the issue/problem?

• Trying to reduce the number of adults who are obese

What current legislation has been proposed to address this? 

• S. 1060 Title: Obesity Prevention, Treatment, and Research Act of 2009

Who is Effected by the Issue?

Who is affected the most?

Who loses and what do they lose? 

who gains, and what do they gain?

What Are the Consequences of the Issue?

For the individuals mostly affected?

For their families?

For society?

What is the Economic Impact of the Issue?

What are the economic costs of the issue, and who bears these costs?

What are the economic benefits of the issue, and who benefits?

What is the Social Impact of the Issue?

What are the social costs of the issue, and who bears these costs?

What are the social benefits of the issue and who benefits?

What are the Barriers?

What are the barriers to addressing this issue?

How can they be overcome?

What are the Resources?

What resources will we need to address this issue?

Where and how can they be tapped?

What is the History of the Issue?

What is the history of the issue in the community?

What past efforts were made to address it?

What were the results?

Allies and Opponents

Who would support this issue?

Who would oppose this issue?

How can you involve allies and opponents in advocacy efforts?

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2: Weekly Update

My SMART goal: I will take public transportation to school three or more days of the week for the next ten weeks.

Wow! The week went by really fast! I had a hard time reaching my SMART goal this week for two reasons. The first reason was because of the fact that there were days that I had to drive to school because I had other things going on where I didn't have the time to wait for an hour for the bus to come. The other reason it was hard for me to reach my goal was because we had a volleyball road trip last weekend and we left on Thursday. That meant that I drove to school on Thursday morning and didn't pick my car back up until Saturday night. Now we have regionals this weekend which meant that I drove my car to school Wednesday morning (today) and won't pick it up hopefully until Saturday night. This has kind of limited the amount of times that I even have the opportunity to drive to school. Also, next week is Thanksgiving which means that I won't be taking the bus Thursday or Friday for sure so I'm getting a little bit discouraged that I'm not getting the chance to fulfill my goal. I'll just have to keep taking the bus at any chance that I get and I'll keep you updated!


Blogged for the Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2 hosted by Amy@Amy in the Rain

Advocacy Project: Healthy People/THOMAS

1) Healthy People 2010

• Goal: Promote Health and Reduce Chronic Disease Associated With Diet and Weight
• Objective 19-2: Reduce the proportion of adults who are obese.
• The target for this goal was 15% while the current baseline was 23%. According to the progress quotient chart, we are at -88% moved away from target.

2) Progress, disparities, opportunities and challenges, and emerging issues 

• Instead of reducing the proportion of adults who are obese, the baseline actually increased from 23% to 30%. Increasing obesity in adults was more pronounced for the black non-Hispanic population and the white non-Hispanic population than for the Mexican American population.
• Disparity in adult obesity between the Mexican American and the white non-Hispanic populations declined. 
• National action and community involvement are two very important factors that can help to decrease the obesity epidemic. 
• New pharmaceuticals and surgical procedures are being widely used to try to reverse the trend. In the long run, prevention rather than treatment is the best option. 

3) THOMAS

H.R. 5738

Title: School Eats Act

Sponsor: Rep Rahall, Nick J., II  [WV-3](Introduced 7/14/2010) Cosponsors (5)

Latest Major Action: 10/13/2010 Referred to House subcommittee. 

Status: Referred to the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities. 

Recommendation: Vote yes for H.R. 5738

My Political Representative: Congressman 

Share and Voice 4: Glee - Green It. Mean It.

As I'm sure others in this class are, I am a huuuuge fan of the television series "Glee." According to Wikipedia, "Glee" had close to 10 million viewers last season, and given the content of the show, I can bet that the majority of viewers are in their teens and twenties. One great thing that I've noticed about "Glee" this season is the fact that during commercial breaks, they have been promoting the "Go Green" campaign. They give great tips on how to conserve and be environmentally friendly every day! Here are a few links to a few of the clips that are also featured on YouTube. Check them out!