Read 'n' Seed 6: Final Review of "Silent Snow"

This semester I read the book "Silent Snow" by Marla Cone. This book focused on the many different arctic nations across the globe and the toxic pollutants that the animals and people living there are exposed to. The author spent time traveling to these different countries, such as Greenland, Canada, Norway, Russia, Alaska, and many more. While she was there she spent time living with different Inuit tribes or families, living as they do with sparce resources.  Some of th emajor topics dicussed were the history of and detection of pollutants in the Arctic throughout the 1900's, the specific compounds found in certain countries, the effects on the animals, effects on humans consuming the animals, daily life of inuit tribes, legislations currently trying to control these compunds, the future and new compounds causing new threats, and many more.

three most significant things

I think one of the most significant topics throughout the book was the continued mindset of the Inuit people regarding the issue of the food they eat being contaminated with toxins. They believe that their people have been eating this food for thousands of years and nothing has happened, therefore it must be safe. It is true that their sea diet provides excellent amounts of nutrition. The beluga whale blubber contains highly nutritious dense fat, rather than the animal fat consumed in America. But the diet also contains small traces of harmful toxins, such as mercury. Another significant topic in the book were the actual effects recorded. In a study done on infants through adolescense in a small inuit town, they were checking the affects of mercury on these children from their mothers eating the mercury tainted food while pregnant. The findings were mostly cognitive, hardly any physical, and were relatively minor; such as slightly lower IQ's and reaction time. As far as animals go, they found a couple polar bears with both male and female reproductive organs. However, they were not able to definitively prove that was a cause of pollution. Finally, a significant topic was the last section about what is being done about stopping or slowing the pollution rate. This section focused on new flame retardants used on electronics and furniture that has been found in the Arctic and is highly dangerous. It also outlined manufacturing bans that many countries have signed in an effort to control this dilema.

Why is it important?

The findings discussed in this book are important for everyone. It discusses at length possible future outcomes and affected populations, if the pollution rate to the arctic does not slow down. More close to home, the book talks about the extremely high levels of contaminants in the Washington state area and especially the Great Lakes. Parts of the Great Lakes are more contaminated than Arctic areas.

Recommend?

Because of the reasons in the previous section I would recommend this book for anyone. It addresses key issues across the globe today, but also provides never-before-heard-of (at least by me) descriptions how arctic people go about their lives. To me that was always the most interesting material, what they have to do to hunt, how they prepare food, what kind of technology they have, and what they do for recreation; All good things.

Eco-chic Lifestyle Change Week 10: Overall Project Reflection

My SMART goal for the project was to walk to school and work 5 times a week. I had great success in achieving my goal over the weeks. However, I did not change my goal over the course of the project. 

There were many things I found to help me be successful.  I would listen to music on my walk to help pass the time.  By the third for fourth week, once I got into the routine of walking, it became much easier.  After that I looked forward to walking.  Also, sometimes I would walk with a roommate to have someone to talk to.  I came across only a few challenges along the way.  One is in the past couple weeks it began to get very cold.  I would put layers and layers of clothes on but would always end up freezing.  Also, I started to be late for early morning classes a lot. I would never take into consideration it took longer to walk rather than drive. 

I benefited from this project in a number of ways.  I learned that it is easy to make lifestyle changes; by just making easily attainable goals. About myself I learned that I seemed to have more energy throughout the day when I would walk to my morning class.  Also, I learned that the hardest part about a behavior change is the first 2 weeks, before it becomes routine. 

The environment may have benefited from me doing this project simply by me driving a lot less and putting less emissions into the air. I am not sure if I will continue this goal into the winter. However, once spring time comes I will look forward to walking to school once again. Any advice to others wanting to make lifestyle change goals would be once again make small attainable goals.

Blogged for the Eco-chic Lifestyle Change Week 10 host by http://ecochicwithamy.blogspot.com/

Advocacy Project: Letter To Public Official

December 7, 2009

Mrs. Amy Klobuchar
U.S. Senate
302 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Ms. Amy Klobychar,

The current trend in America over the last few decades has been for the public getting more and more obese. To make matters worse the youth of the nation is right in the middle of all the statistics.  Children and adolescents have been the fastest increasing risk group for obesity in the Country for some time now. Something must be done to help secure the future of our country.

The proposed bill H.R.2044, STOP obesity in schools act of 2009, would be a great first step to take in lowering the obesity rate of children.  This bill will help children make daily smart decisions in their schools.  It is a problem that has continued to spread over the years; this bill will help stop the problem form one of its sources.

I appreciate you taking the time to hear my concern, and hope you support the stop obesity in schools act of 2009. I hope you continue to spread the word of bill H.R.2044.

Sincerely,
Jake Eastwold

Reflection: Weeks 11 & 12

I am reflecting on the last 2 weeks of class, weeks 11 & 12 of the semester. This semester has really flown by and finals are just around the corner. I was ill and could not attend class for week 12, but our class on week 11 was very informative.

We watched a short video called Story of Stuff that was very interesting. The narrator did a very nice job of explaining how things work in a very easy to follow format. She was discussed some very troubling facts about our country. Such as we only account for 5% of the world's population but we are using almost a third of the world's resources.  Also a lot about how we are always sending away problems from the U.S. to more under-developed countries and taking all their resources and polluting their land. There was also a very interesting theory she brought up about how american consumers are brainwashed into spending money always consuming more and more.

We also did a pretty entertaining activity about junking. It was fun to hear all the groups ideas about what to use the items for. There were a lot of really creative ideas and some funny ones too, such as a pet coffin I remember or a very large shot glass. We also did a photo essay project, and I chose to do mine on enivironmentally friendly things going on at my work, St. Luke's Hospital. I enjoyed walking around and taking picutres of this but it also made me think there is more they could be doing around the hospital. Such as install hand blower machines in some of the bathrooms, every bathroom had paper towels.

That is what has been happening to past couple weeks. I look forward to the upcoming weeks, and our trip to the Goodwill!