Reflection: Weeks 1-7

Blogging 

Through my environmental class I have learned a lot about blogging. I had no idea what blogging was really even about, but I learned quickly. I learned about the behind the scenes work that goes into a blog. Simple things like layout, posting, labels, and how to set up a blog. Then I learned more about blogging etiquette and how to truly make a blog your own. We have learned more and more tricks along the way and more recently I made a favicon. I think it is really cool because I didn't know that's what the symbol at the beginning of web addresses was, but now I do and now I have my own. I have to say that I do enjoy blogging and have even visited other blogs that are not required in the class. I think this might be something I will really get into once I am done college!

Films in Class

This class has truly opened up my eyes about many different aspects of our environment. Over the past few weeks we have watched a few different movies. These movies are one's that I wish everyone around the world could watch. They are truly inspiring and educational. They make me want to change so many things in my life and the choices I make. One of the films we watched was called "Fresh". It discussed things like food contamination, environmental pollution, and depletion of natural resources. The main idea was how over the years, agriculture has turned into an industrial model. We have changed the way our food is grown and processed and I think we are feeding ourselves all the wrong things. Another movie we watched was called "Green"and this movie shocked me! The documentary talks about 150 petrochemical plants that run along the Mississippi river and how these chemical plants have caused major health concerns for those who live near them. One area has been given the name "cancer alley", and listening to the stories is heartbreaking. So many families are suffering from the pollution that these petrochemical plants produce. The last film that I want to talk about is called "Tapped". This documentary discusses the bottled water industry and asks the question whether access to clean water is a human right or a commodity that should be bought and sold like any other product. Ultimately companies are going into communities, pumping their tap water into their trucks then bottling it and selling it back to the communities. This is something that I disagree with completely. It is our tap water and companies shouldn't be allowed to put it in a bottle and sell it. Along with this issue is the fact that the empty bottles are ending up in the ocean and polluting our earth. The movies that I have watched in class are truly inspirational to really start to stand up for our rights and take the term "vote with your dollar" seriously. We as consumers have the choice to not buy certain products and in order to let our voices be heard, we need to start to do this. 

Other Topics

After every film we discuss our thoughts about it and how we as consumers can make a difference. Education! Most consumers don't truly understand what they are buying, where it comes from, or how it is made. It is up to us to educate ourselves about what we buy everyday. It won't be on the label, they won't promote the 'bad' in a product, so we have to make the decision to want to get to know what is truly in our baskets. 

We have also talked about other topics that impact our environment. Recently we discussed antiquing and junking. Sounds like trash? Think again! We discussed different ways that we can reuse old items and recycle many different things from one individual to another. Many items that we throw in the garbage could be something that another person could use. It is society's way of recycling. We need to learn how to do this much better as a society because our beautiful land is turning into a dump. Protect our earth, because we only have one! 

The Impact on Me

I could write so much about what I have learned so far in this class. I want to share with you a few of the things I have learned and have implemented them in my life. The first thing is changing a lifestyle to help reduce my ecological footprint. Over five week I challenged myself to turn off the lights in my bedroom every time I left my room. At first it was a struggle but now it is a part of my life. Such a simple thing, yet something that can have a huge environmental impact. Another thing that I have learned through the films is to read labels and learn more about what I buy. Now when I go to the grocery store I am more aware of what I put in my cart and I read the labels. I am making better choices in the food I buy and I am voting with my dollar. Another change I have made is using reusable bags. I was reading a classmates blog and that was her challenge over five weeks. After reading her blogs and learning about how harmful plastic bags can be, I now use reusable bags! We are half way through this class and I can't wait to learn more about how I can make a difference in preserving our environment.