Eye Opener: Junk on the Brain

An antique is an old collectible item that is desirable because of its age, beauty, emotional connections, etc.
 Father Time Antiques
395 S Lake Ave #1
Duluth, MN 55802
218-625-2379
http://www.merchantcircle.com/business/Father.Time.Antiques.218-625-2379#follow_merchant
According to the urban dictionary, junking is an art form of searching for bargains or antiques to use.
Calvary Crushing and Recycling
5197 Lavaque Rd.
Duluth, MN 55803
218-723-1294
http://www.yellowpages.com/duluth-mn/mip/calvary-crushing-recycling-459265823
A flea market is a type of bazaar held either indoors or outdoors where one can purchase or barter inexpensive and secondhand goods.
 Studebaker Drivers Club Swap Meet Flea Market and Classic Car Show
Lake Superior College, 2101 Trinity Rd.
Duluth, MN 55811
218-733-7600
http://www.greatfleamarket.com/minnesota/more3.html
A thrift shop is usually a retail store run by a charitable organization to help raise money.
Ragstock
7 West Superior St.
Duluth, MN 55802
218-722-1201
http://ragstock.com/locations/minnesota/

Upcycling is a process where one used product gets converted into a better quality product that is helpful to the environment.
There really isn't much on upcycling in Duluth that I could find using a search engine.

A resale shop is similar to a consignment shop where one can take goods and place in the hands of the store's owner to sell.
Dannie Duluth Consignment Clothing and Furniture
932 E. 4th St.
Duluth, MN 55805
218-724-8507
http://www.dannieduluth.com/

These terms are available for people to utilize and make them more than just a term. They provide with places and things to do to help with making our environment more appealing and healthy for us to live in. Reusing and upcycling a product is important for conserving energy and helping future generations enjoy a healthy environment.

I myself don't really antique or junk, but I love recycling--yep, actually love doing it because I know I'm doing something important for the good of the earth--and I shop at a lot of flea markets, thrift shops, and resale/consignment places. I find so many vintage or gently used clothing that appeal to me and can use them to mix and match in my wardrobe. Sometimes, I have to NOT go in to those stores because I end up spending more than I should.

I went on JunkMarketStyle.com and found a metal file holder that was used to create a picture holder. I thought it was a pretty good idea to showcase old family photos against a metal frame to depict age and vintageness (i think i just made up that word haha!).
http://www.junkmarketstyle.com/item/35489/from-metal-file-holder-to-picture-holder

OMG! I also find the most amazing idea ever! It was an old garden hose reel that was used as a wine bottle holder. Instead of buying a wine holder for $100 at my wine shoppe that I work at, I can just take my mom's garden hose reel that she won't use anymore next summer and just store my wine bottles that way. This project totally excited me because I'm such a wine fanatic. My last name means 'one who makes wine' and my ancestors owned a vineyard in Ukraine.
http://www.junkmarketstyle.com/item/35375/summer-wine-storage
Another idea that I thought was really cute was using old toy trucks as planters. I could use my little niece's old toys as she grows out of them to decorate my mom's house and garden for the next few years.
http://www.junkmarketstyle.com/item/35410/truck-transformation

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 5: Weekly Update

Last night was the coldest night yet. So cold that I wasn't able to sleep at all. Even wearing a hoodie and sweatpants to bed didn't help much. I'm still trying to hold out til November 1st. to turn the heat on. I can make it...yes...hehe.

Sniper, the kitten my roommate and I got last week, loves to cuddle up on your stomach or feet and sometimes even around your neck. So he is definitely an extra source if warmth.

This week was extra challenging to stay warm without turning on the heat. However, soon as November 1st. hits I don't care--it's on! Of course, my plan is to only turn it on for 8 hours during the night while I'm sleeping since I'm not at my apartment for most of the day. I'm also thinking about whether or not it would be cheaper to get a space heater instead of turning on the heat. I  might need to do an experiment for that.

Eye Opener: Environmental Working Group

http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/product/213167/Aquafresh_Revive_Teeth_Whitening_White_Trays/
 So according to the above website, the Aquafresh Revive Teeth Whitening Trays that I use a few times a month are not that bad to for the environmental health-minded individual. The overall hazard is low, as well as risks of cancer and developmental and reproductive toxicity. Its ecotoxicology is stated to be on the low end as well.

The product has only 13 ingredients that are easy to understand and read. It contains the following:
Glycerin, Purified Water, Hydrogen Peroxide, Colloidal Silicon Dioxide, Carbomer, Polyvinyl Pyrrolidone, Potassium Hydroxide, Potassium Phosphate, Flavor, Sucralose, Citric Acid, Disodium Edetate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate.

The website did seem to focus on the idea that Hydrogen Peroxide "could" be cancerous. However, the dosage in each tray is so low. Other things a consumer may need to worry about is whether or not he or she may have an allergic reaction to any of the ingredients in this product.

For me, I will probably never stop using it because I'm rather vain and like to have white teeth. Toothpaste and floss every day goes a long way, but sometimes, when you have a hot date or a special event to attend, you just got to have that extra sparkle. ;)

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 4: Weekly Update

 My SMART goal was saving energy and keeping my electric/heating bill down. This week I was tempted to actually turn the heat on because it would get slightly colder during the night. Then I thought: "Nah, I can get through just one more night--maybe one more week? I just need to get another blanket, that's all." Maybe wear more clothes? Haha! I do find myself going around the apartment turning off the lights in rooms that my roommate forgot to do so. One night I came home and found that he didn't turn off the OVEN for five hours after baking his apple pie!!! I was soooooo pissed! 1) The whole building could have burned down and 2) That's wayyy too much energy being used on nothing. Also, this week we both got a little kitten. Not sure how that would play in to saving energy...(hmmmm, question mark).

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 3: Weekly Update

This week, I was extra conscientious about my use of heat and electricity since I found out that the bill ties those two together. I did not have to use any heat because the weather was warm at night.  My only challenge is that I live with a roommate who is "sometimes" just a little bit difficult to live with. He forgets to turn off the light and sometimes does not pay attention to unplugging the coffeemaker or the toaster because even if you are not using an appliance it is still using energy if it is plugged in. I am doing my best and slowly, I believe I am making a difference.
I felt pretty proud of myself this week because that is when I got a bill from Minnesota Power and it was approximately $45 for the entire month of September. That was pretty good I thought; and my roommate and I
just split the bill and actually paid it this morning.
This week I learned that not everybody has the same views and values that you do. It can also take time for other people to understand where you are coming from when you are trying to explain environmental issues to them.
My plans for next week is to keep my use of heat and electricity as low as possible. My goal for my next bill in the mail is to be just the same amount if not lower.

Eye Opener: CSPI

http://www.cspinet.org/EatingGreen/tour.html

The above link was shocking to read. The statistics--if they are true--are extremely high. I have heard of the treatment of animals, pesticides, etc. throughout the years growing up, but one new thing that really stood out to me  because I had never heard of it was that employees who work in the slaughterhouses have a three times higher injury rate than the ordinary factory worker. Another factor I learned was that most of the time, these employees are unskilled and not unionized.

http://www.cspinet.org/EatingGreen/calculator.html

For the food intake calculator results, my environmental burden of the animal products I eat in a year are below:


-1.4 acres of grain and grass needed for animal feed.
-0.4 pounds of pesticides used to grow animal feed.
-46.8 pounds of fertilizer used to grow animal feed.
-8,444 pounds of manure created by the animals I eat.

My calorie intake was calculated to be 811; zero grams in fiber; 23 grams in saturated fat--slightly above the recommended intake which is 20 grams; and 443 milligrams in cholesterol which is above the the 300 milligrams recommended intake. When I clicked to improve my diet, some difficulties came up. I already put in the amount 0 for pork intake since I don't ever eat pork; however, when I kept putting in a 0 for pork when it came to improving the intake the program wouldn't allow me to put in a zero saying that the amount had to at least be one. I would say that needs to be fixed for people who have specific diets. I DID put in a one just to see what would happen, BUT the program seemed to have failed. It wouldn't even accept a one in the pork section. I redid the eating green calculator twice more and it still wouldn't take. Not sure if that was a technical problem. This is why I wasn't able to view the pledge much less take it.


http://www.cspinet.org/EatingGreen/score.html

My grand total was negative 116. The only food section I actually scored highest was for dairy. The program asked if I ate fat-free dairy and I clicked yes. Pretty much the only area where I got it right. The foods I scored super low in were beef and cheese. I eat a lot of steak and A LOT of cheese.  I eat double the  amount recommended for cheese. I think that's bad?
The most improvement I need is to eat more organic products, lay off the cheese, and add more fruits and vegetables to my diet. It would be better for the environment as well as animal health.

In summary, this was a good exercise and I actually liked seeing where I stood with the statistics. It makes me want to eat less non-organic food and more greens. It has given me more of an awareness with what I'm putting into my body and I realize that if I keep going with my current diet I probably won't live very long. I thought I ate healthy but the above exercises showed me that I really didn't. Time to go grocery shopping for avocados, apples, and tomatoes! :)

Recycled Toilet Paper???

So I was looking for an article to read about recycling for a paper that I am preparing to write about in another class. I come across this article by accident while surfing the UMD's library databases and wanted to share it with everybody. Hope it means as much to you as it does to me. Thanks for reading!

http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=7bc0f95d-bdf0-49cb-880a-68c3af2d6186%40sessionmgr113&vid=2&hid=107

Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change Week 2: Weekly Update

 

 My SMART goal was to only turn on the heat for my apartment between 10pm and 8am for the next ten weeks. I actually achieved this SMART goal because it was not so cold that I had to turn on the heat.

    It was extremely successful for me to not turn the heat at all to keep my electric bill costs down. The temperatures did not get so low for me to have to do anything about it.

   I felt really happy about the wonderful weather pretty much every day thinking about my SMART goal. I feel pretty good about the upcoming bill in the next two weeks from Minnesota Power.

    I learned that your SMART goals can be achieved if the weather is nice--depending on the type of goal you set.

    For next week I need to buy plastic for all my windows so that I do not have to turn on the heat for another week weather permitting. The only way for me to modify my goal or what I am doing to achieve it would depend on the climate changes.

 

Eye Opener: Ecological Footprint

It was an interesting experience for me to see my ecological footprint. It was less than the U.S. but way more than Tanzania and other countries. It forced me to put things into perspective. Especially when it comes to driving. I need to drive less and recycle more and buy less pre-packaged food.  I can definitely do better in my life.

Below is the link that I visited to calculate my ecological footprint. 

http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/ecological_footprint_calculator.htm