Eye Opener: Photo Essay

My photo essay is pretty straight-forward and simple. It is just on how environmentally efficient the University of Minnesota Duluth is when it comes to the bathrooms. I walked around taking pictures with my cell phone on things that stood out to me.

This hand dryer located in the new civil engineering women bathroom is a dyson airblade handdryer which uses only 540 watts and three of these can be connected on one line. It is fast, easy, and cuts down on time drying hands.

On the other hand, there are still more bathrooms on this campus that have more paper towel dispensers instead of energy efficient handdryers such as the dyson airblade. This method kills trees and less sanitary than an automatic handdryer. You wash your hands, turn off the water, then TOUCH the push button for the paper towel to come out of the dispenser, and then dry your hands. To me it's disgusting touching the wet push button after somebody else touched it. I'd rather see more dyson airblades installed than see these around the school.

Speaking of turning off the water, some sinks still have the double or single handle for turning on the water. This women bathroom in the civil engineering building has sinks that are timed and rationed for water. Extremely efficient and saves on water.

I gotta say that this is one of my favorite things at UMD. Water-Saving Dual-Function Handle toilets. This particular one is in the women bathroom in the civil engineering building, however I know there is another bathroom at the other end of campus at the planetarium lower level. Flush up for liquid waste. Flush down for solid waste. So easy, so simple, so cool.

This is an older women bathroom located underneath the library. I wasn't sure if it was built before 1994, but let's assume it is. Most toilets before that year flush 3.5 gallons of water with each use. Let's say it gets flushed 4 times a day--that's 14 gallons already in ONE day! Times 365 it makes it 5,110 gallons in a year; and yet, we all know that these bathrooms are flushed more than 4 times a day since we have over 11,000 students using the facilities every single day.

Moving on, I really like how some bathrooms have light switches. This bathroom is a unisex located in A.B. Anderson Hall first level. The light doesn't have to be on 24/7 if nobody is using it. I walked around campus looking for light switches in bathrooms that had more than one stall but there weren't many. At work, there are two stalls in the bathroom but the light only turns on when somebody walks in. It has a motion sensor connected to it enables the light to turn in when somebody walks in. I think that even the bathrooms that have a higher traffic rate should have light switches or motion sensors to save on using light energy.

In conclusion, UMD is slowly rolling to having more energy efficient bathrooms but there is plenty of room for improvement for the older bathrooms. Can't wait to see more of the dual-function handle toilets. Those just crack me up! :D

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

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. ;)

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! :)

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

Welcome to Sarra's Notes in Nature!

"Lady Slipper: Minnesota State Flower. July 19, 2009."
Location: Split Rock Lighthouse State Park, MN
(If you want to go see it during the summer, stop into the park in the government office and ask any of the DNR staff. It is the only lady slipper in the entire state park because it was planted there.)

My name is Sarra Vinnik, and my blog is about my adventures with nature. I enjoy trail-running and hiking a lot and when I can remember, I bring a camera along to take pictures of scenery that has meaning to me. Almost every nature picture I take has some amount of thought behind it.

There are 5 possible types of posts on my blog. They include:

1. Advocacy Project
2. Eye Openers
3. Reflections
4. Eco-Chic Lifestyle Change 
5. Share and Voice

If you notice at the bottom of this post, the categories will be listed as labels. This post is has been labeled with all five kinds of posts. You will also see the number of each kind of post in my Labels Gadget at the top of the page. All post titles from now on will begin with one of the categories above.
The members of my web group are:

1. Amy & Kristen@Enviro-Surfing with Amy & Kristen 
2.  Caleb T.@Caleb Cares About Contamination
3. Andrea V.@Fun in the Sun with Andrea
4. Jamie T.@Jamie on the Big Lake
5. And myself Sarra V.@Sarra's Notes in Nature
 

 

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Thanks for visiting my profile! Feel free to posts lots of nature photos that you have taken with a little note about Time, Place, Location, and style of Camera (or as much as you can remember). Ciao!