Eye Opener: Online Learning Activities

Jeff's Advocacy Assignment - Medical Terminolgy

Use the web to find all the definitions. Here are some sites that will help you: www.medterms.com
wikipedia.org
www.medilexicon.com
Please find the definitions for the following terms:

Results:

Pre-op - Before an operation

Post-op - After an operation

Out-patient - Is not hospitalized over night, but has made a hospital visit

In-patient - Staying overnight in the hospital

Receptionist - Administrative Assistant

Doctor - Medical practitioner, practices medicine

Nurse - responsible for the treatment, safety, and recovery of patients

Pharmacist - distribute prescription drugs

Anesthesiologist - Is responsible for putting individuals under before a procedure and "waking" them up

Radiology - Does imaging technology (x-rays are an example)

Lauren's Advocacy Assignment - The Salmon Challenge

Instructions
1. You will be given ten questions, just choose the best answer by clicking on it with your mouse. Good choices will help your salmon grow big and strong and migrate to Puget Sound, bad choices will harm or kill your salmon.
2. You may get a Water Quality Alert with no good solution.
3. Click on CHECKUP to see your salmon's current size, health and location.
4. Click on TRY to give your salmon a jumpstart if you discover it is sick.
5. Clicking on the arrow will take you to the next question
6. When you are finished with the game, post a comment about what you learned from it!*NOTE: Salmon Challenge requires Shockwave Player plug-in (external link) to view the animations.

Results:

My neighbor decided to put antifreeze down the drain and killed my fish! Poor Allan is dead now after being in good health... and only after 5 questions :(

Jessica's Advocacy Assigntment - I Don't Want to Clean my Room

Instructions: Read the comic about Anita and her room, then complete the actitivy. There is 24 object in Anita's room that has to place them in the correct recycling bin. There are four different bins. They include a composting bucket, bottle and can recycling bin, paper and cardboard recycling bin and a garbage. Its important for kids to learn how to recycle for numerous reasons. One reason is that it helps maintain a healthy environment which my advocacy project talks about. Another reason would be for kids to learn the importance of recycling and the positive effects that it has on the environment.

Results:

Some of these were tricky... Especially the food items that were organic and that I kept trying to throw away instead of recycle...

Hannah's Advocacy Assignment - Barriers to Bicycling

Instructions
This is a two-part activity.

Part 1: Please read the following web pages:

• Learn about the benefits of bicycling and see for yourself what a great mode of transportation it really is.
• Check out these state- and nation-wide crash facts. The point is not to blame either motorists or bicyclists (because both are at fault), but to learn what causes accidents and think about how they can be avoided with proper bicyclist accommodation.
• Read the following Rules of the Road to learn how to keep yourself and others safe. It is important for bicyclists and motorists alike to know these rules.Part 2: For your assignment, please choose ONE of the following options:

Write a short description of a time when you were somehow involved in (or witnessed) a bicycle-motorist accident. Describe what happened and state how the problem could have been avoided.

OR

Go out into the community and photograph a situation that is unsafe for bicyclists. (Ideas include lack of room on the road, huge potholes, etc.)

Results:

While in high school, there was an accident that involved a boy that was three grades younger than me. He was biking home from the beach on a curvy road, when he was hit by a car. The car accident resulted in the death of the boy riding his bike. The driver of the car was also intoxicated, on his way home, in the middle of the afternoon.

I think that this tragedy could have been easily prevented by there being a biking lane on the busy, curvy road...

Overall, all of these "assignments" were great learning tools. They all really made me think. In each activity, I had learned something knew whether it was something small like a tip for recycling I hadn't known before or something larger like the importance of safe practices while driving to keep bikers safe. Great job on finding or making worthwhile activities group :)

Eye Opener: Photo Essay

When I decided what I was going to do for this project, my idea was immediately ruined by the snow... So, I thought of what I did over spring break and if there were any pictures that I could use for this project... Here's what I came up with!

The bridge that is seen here is the Sidney Lanier Bridge that is located in Brunswick, Georgia. The original bridge was built in 1956 and has been recently re-built and improved! (It was originally built by the same company that had built I-35W that had collapsed in 2007).



After visiting Georgia, I did some research. I found that this bridge, which is a cable-stayed bridge (cables support the bridge deck) completed back in 2002, actually is environmentally friendly!

The most southern part of Georgia is VERY popular for turtles and where they lay their eggs... Once the turtles are hatched, they end up migrating back to the water by following the moon light. Since the Sidney Lanier Bridge is a popular port in Georgia, it is very important for there to be proper lighting for ships entering and leaving the area. It was important that "to keep lights on the 4,000 foot-long, cable-stayed Sidney Lanier Bridge from disorienting the migrating turtles, the Georgia Department of Transportation worked with the U.S. Coast Guard and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to install a minimum number of lights on both the bridge deck and the approach road and to use shielded low-sodium, low-wattage lights that cut glare and light scatter. Since every season there are an estimated 100-120 turtle eggs laid in each nest on the island beaches and on average approximately 64,000 of the nestlings make it to the water, the lights may protect a large number of turtles. "

I found it VERY interesting that the people who built this bridge, were looking out for the turtles and doing whatever possible to help continue their migration in Brunswick, Georgia!

Eye Opener: Environmental Working Group

For this eye opener, I chose something that I use daily and sometime multiple times throughout the day... Vaseline petroleum jelly! I use Vaseline nightly on my lips and on my eyes for a little extra hydration and when my lips are really chapped, I am applying it many different times throughout the day.

Here are my exact results from the Cosmetic Database Website:

Ingredients in this product are linked to:

	Cancer
	Developmental/reproductive toxicity
	Violations, restrictions & warnings
	Allergies/immunotoxicity
	Other concerns for ingredients used in this product: Contamination concerns

After doing this assignment, I am pleased to see that there are not many concerns with using this product (at least not a lot listed) that would effect my health. It is however, a shame that the company conducts animal testing. After further research on Vaseline's website, here is what I found regarding their animal testing:

"Our first priority is to our consumers and, where required by regulators for safety reasons, we carry out limited tests on some ingredients and foods to ensure our products are safe and suitable for their intended use. However, we will not use animal testing when we have available either an accepted alternative test or other information that allows us to sufficiently evaluate safety. We will continue our work for alternative methods by participating in industry and scientific programs, and we will continue to support legislation that promotes the elimination of animal testing through the development of alternative methods."

Eye Opener: Review of Reading #35

Lots of It About - Corporate Social Responsibility

"I believe in corporations, the are indispensable instruments of our modern civilization; but I believe that they should be so superviesed and so regulated that they shall act for the interests of the community as a whole" - Teddy Roosevelt

The reading, "Lots of It About - Corporate Social Responsibility" targets the problem of big businesses not taking responsibility when leaving communities high and dry (out of jobs, only pursuing the interests of their stakeholders, exploiting third-world countries, trashing the environment and challenging democratically elected governments). There has been a push for companies to become more responsible for their actions. "Business Strengthening America", is a program that does just that. BSA encourages civic engagement and volunteering throughout corporate America, which in turn large companies are required to think of more than just their stakeholders interests.

East Indies:

The first big push to change a company and the way it worked dates back to 1790. Elizabeth Heyrick led a consumer boycott by urging her fellow citizens to stop buying "blood stained" sugar from the West Indies. This boycott resulted in the Indies buying their sugar from producers in Bengal who did not use slaves as their workers. Currently, the influence of non-governmental organizations on corporations is much more pervasive.


In America, businessmen created modern organizations that spanned the continent much faster than the government could. By 1891, the Pennsylvania Railroad had employed over 110,00 people which was three times the amount of people enlisted in the army, navy and marines combined. Because of this, it was easier for monoliths to lay down their own rules. Companies laying down their own laws however, did not have that freedom for long. Shortly after, there were unions that had sprung up and journalists who revealed corporate abuse.

Not until the 1980's did America start seeing more independent businesses. For that, we have Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan to thank. In the 1980's there were generations of more aggressive and numerous stakeholders who believed that companies should be run on their (individuals) interests.

Good Deeds Aplenty:

Many of the American companies were willing to take on social obligations without the prompting of the government. Quaker's had founded many banks and confectionery firms where they had regular meetings to justify the good that their business is doing for their peers, religion was a large part of corporations inspiration at the time to do good. Much of America's educational and health infrastructure was formed based on religion. Companies had introduced pensions and health-care benefits longs before government had told them to do so, and were able to guarantee work for 48 weeks out of the year. Important people during this time included: Henry Ford who began paying his workers twice the minimum wage, Henry Heinz who paid for his workers education, and Tom Watson who gave his workers an education as well as country-club memberships.

Currently, many companies try to do good and believe they should be doing good for their stakeholders as well as shareholders because they are in favor of "building to last". There are two reasons why acting responsibly is in shareholders interests:

• It builds trust, and trust gives companies the benefit of the doubt when dealt with customers, workers and regulators. It allows them to weather storms, such a lay-offs or a product that does not work
• The edge it gives in attracting good employee as well as customers.

Terms:

Corporate Social Responsibility - how responsible companies should be to those other than their own shareholders

Greenpeace - Leading independent campaigning organization that uses peaceful direct action and creative communication to expose global environmental problems and to promote solutions that are essential to a green and peaceful future

Codswallop - Nonsense

Oligopolistic - A market condition in which sellers are so few that the actions of any one of them will materially affect price and have a measurable impact on competitors.


Other View Points:

http://www.forbes.com/2008/10/16/corporate-social-responsibility-corprespons08-lead-cx_mn_de_tw_1016csr_land.html ---> A website article that believes corporate social responsibility is a great thing. Companies that "demonstrate a concern for the environment, human rights, community development and the welfare of their employees both in the U.S. and abroad, they will make their firms more profitable. Their firms will gain a competitive advantage by appealing to the growing numbers of socially and environmental oriented consumers, investors and employees."

http://hbswk.hbs.edu/archive/4008.html ---> A website that believes corporate social responsibility is not a smart choice on behalf of business owners. It states that "company social responsibility initiatives could diminish shareholder returns, distract business leaders from their focus, and often allow companies to continue bad behavior in the shadows."



--- If all business focused on Corporate social responsibility, would our country be better off or would it hurt hurt more because companies focus would be more on the individuals rather than the "real" service the company is providing?



(For some reason, my font sizes are not working very well... Sorry that it might be hard to read or look funny!)

Eye Opener: CSPI

For this Eye Opener, I had chose the Eating Green quiz. Since I don't have a lot of time to make food for myself (juggling jobs, a sport and 16 credits doesn't leave me with a lot of time at home), my servings per week of eating pork, beef and chicken were low which was great (I didn't get a negative score!) However, the amount of dairy that I eat gives me negative results... I love yogurt and milk plus a little bit of ice cream here and there (my weakness :])

My overall Health Score I had done well on however, the environmental and animal welfare categories were negative (pretty sure this is a bad thing!)

Overall, I had a score of 7 which left me in the "Uh-oh you need help" category... Safe to say, that REALLY surprised me!

Check out your score!

Eye Opener: Ecological Footprint

For the ecological footprint assignment, the first test that I did was a Ecological Footprint Calculator. I found out that if everyone lived like me, we would need THREE planet earths to support each individual. That was somewhat surprising to me because I try to do my best recycling, turning lights off when possible, taking short showers and driving with others when possible. When exploring my answers, I found that if I were able to take the bus more often, use newer appliances and buy products with recycled products, the energy level I use would be greatly reduced!

The second test that I took was the Travel Calculator. This test calculates how much gas you use when going on with your daily routine, traveling to sporting events as well as long distance holiday trips. After putting in all my information, I found that my gas use and pollution emission is greater than most people's. I am assuming that this is because of the trips that I take. The closest family members that I have is two hours away, so when going up north to visit family, home or with my boyfriend to visit his family, we're driving at least two hours minimum, one way. Not only do I do a lot of traveling to visit family, but I play on the club Ultimate Frisbee team and all the traveling we do for tournament is by bus or car.

The last quiz that I did was another Ecological Footprint Quiz which was more comprehensive then the first. It was more specific in questions and took a little longer. On this quiz, my footprint was 151.72 which is much lower than our country's average. That surprised me a lot and I made me pretty happy! :)

Welcome to E is for Environment!

My name is Erika Serena and I am a Junior at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. I am a Community Health major, minoring in Psychology. Currently, I am on track to graduate in the Spring of 2010. This blog is going to be used for my Environmental Health course with Dr. Amy Versnik Nowak.

Blogger is a place I am going to attach my assignments, create posts about current issues and things I am learning, while commenting on and learning from peers blogs. I will also be posting pictures, getting to know the blogger website and hopefully build my knowledge of technology! :)

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

1. Advocacy Project


2. Eye Openers


3. Reflections


4. Reviews


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. Jessica
2. Hannah
3. Jeff
4. Lauren

You can subscribe to my blog by clicking the subscribe gadget in the gadget column. You can also follow my blog by clicking "Follow this Blog" in the gadget column. I am subscribed to all the blogs in my blog list gadget. You can see my complete profile and all the blogs I am following by clicking on "See Complete Profile." (Make sure all these gadgets are in place).

(The photo in the above corner was taken at Birch Lake which is located in Babbitt, Minnesota)