Reflection Post: Weeks 7 and 8

Week 7: October 26, 2009 Week seven was yet another eye opening week!  We started out class by watching the documentary Green , which is a film about the petro chemical plants that are effecting the lives of many African Americans in the South.  It was hard to watch at times, because I hate to think that plants like those exist in the United States, and the emission of toxic chemicals coming from those plants is negatively effecting people, yet nothing is being done about it.  It stated that in the specific area where this documentary was shot 150 petro chemical plants are located, and those plants are responsible for producing 25% of the nations petro chemicals.  I found it interesting to learn that people in the South who are living right next to these plants are suffering from cancers, asthma, and other ailments, and still nothing is being done to change what's happening.  During this week of class we had another eco-chic lifestyle change due, where I added a new goal to my overall goal!  I have decided that instead of just using a reusable water bottle, I am also going to start using reusable bags.  The eye opener that was done this week was very cool too!  We went to the Environmental Working Group website and looked into some of the products that we put on our skin, and learned what kind of chemicals are in that product I found out that the lotion that I use all the time is not good for me or the environment!!!
Week 8: November 2, 2009 This weeks class has been just as informative as all the rest! We watched the documentary Thirst , which is about water rights, and whether or not water should be privatized. I absolutely loved watching this documentary, I was ticked off, yet intrigued by it. I was amazed by the courage of the community in this documentary, and their fight to keep control of their water local. It was also scary, because despite the communities efforts, they were overlooked simply because a board made up of no more than seven people voted against keeping the water control local. My eco-chic change for this week has stayed the same, but I struggled this past week with drinking all the water I have set for myself to drink. I am hopeing that this coming week goes better! Lastly we did a really cool eye opener, where I learned about new terms like junking  , and upcycling  . I love reusing things and giving them new purpose, so this weeks eye opener was really fun for me!