Reflection Week 7&8

WOWza....so were already moving on to week 9 of class here.  Seems like just yesterday we were all venturing into our first day of environmental.  Break is finally here! Lets sum up what we have been doing for the past couple weeks....BLOGGING?  Its funny that pretty much every conversation that I have with my Health Ed peers is about the topic of blogging. We just cant get enough!  Lets take some time here to sum up the past two weeks of class:

Week 7

In week 7, review of reading 16: 111 Winds: The Chemical Plant Next Door was assigned.  This reading is a story about a girl named Becky Bradway, who lives near a chemical plant called Borden Chemical, a blue collar plant which is located a little ways from Buffalo.  The existance of cancer has been a prevalent cause of disease surrounding the area, and Becky decides to dig up a little dirt on the topic.  The topic of carelessness is brought into play because people continue to keep working at the plant and the plant continues to stay in production.The workers and people who live around the factory are suffering from illnesses due to the plants chemical production, and there is nothing being done about it.  This story was

 hard to comprehend for a lot of the class, but the main idea was brought of the article.

A fun eye opener took place during week 7: The Environmental Working Group.  In this eye opener, we were asked to pick one product that we use on a daily basis, and have it critiqued by the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database.  You then got a score back saying how hazardous the product was to the environment and if the product was linked to any disease causing chemicals. Eye Opener is right!  I chose to do my Clinique Face Cleanser.  My product was rated a score of 3, which was not as bad as I was expecting. In fact, all of Clinique's product were a score of under 6, which is not as bad as some companies. So props to Clinique for having somewhat eco-fr

iendly products!

Also during week 7, we viewed the film "Green."  Green was made in 2000 and directed by graduate student Laura Dunn. This film takes place from Mississippi to Baton Rouge, LA to New Orleans, LA.  The title "Green" was given to display the importance of the main topic: money.  There is also an epidemic of cancer appearing in these areas, hence the name "cancer alley'' that is given to this part of the country.  25% of the nations petrochemicals are produced in over the 150 petrochemical plants in Louisiana.  This film captures the heartfelt pleads of the citizens of LA and what the plants are doing to their lives.  It was heartbreaking to watch all the little kids on the film and how they have to grow up in such terrible conditions.  This film was definitely an eye opener for all of us.

Week 8

In week 8 of class, we had  reading : Privatizing water. This is a subject that is totally new to me because I have never even heard of the topic of water privatization.  It amazes me that this is even being an issue.

  The reading was somewhat difficult to understand but the main idea is that we are running out of water and we are going to have to start paying for something that was free in the first place.  I don't know what I really think about this topic because never in my life have I ever thought that someday we would have to have ownership over water. Where and when is the line drawn? This is something that will probably be going on for a long time until it gets settled. Also, during week 8 we viewed the film "Thirst," which is a film directed around the same topic of water privatization. I will elaborate more on this topic in my review of the film! Oofta we were busy in weeks 7&8 and now its finally time for a break!

Have a Good Break Everyone!!!