Advocacy Project: My Political Representatives

Local Political Representatives

President

President: Barack Obama

Political Affiliation: Democratic

Contact Information:

The White House

1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20500

Phone:

Web Address: http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/

Congresspersons (Senate & House)

State Representative: Tim Huntley

Political Affiliation: DFL

Contact Information:

585 State Office Building

100 Rev. Dr. Matin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Saint Paul, MN 55155

Phone: 651-296-2228

Web Address: rep.thomas.huntley@house.mn

U.S. Representative: James L. Oberstar

Political Affiliation: DFL

Contact Information:

Duluth Federal Building Room 231

Duluth, MN 55802

Phone: 218-727-7474

Web Address: http://wwwc.house.gov/oberstar/zipauth.htm

State Senator: Yvonne Prettner Solon

Political Affiliation: DFL

Contact Information: 

75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

Capitol Building, Room G-9

Phone: 651-296-4188

Web Address: http://www.senate.mn/members/member_emailform.php?mem_id=1061&ls=86

U.S. Senator: Amy Klobuchar

Political Affiliation: Democrat

Contact Information:

302 Hart Senate Office Building

Washington, D.C. 20510-2304

Phone: 202-244-3222

Web Address: http://klobuchar.senate.gov/contactamy.cfm

Governor, State Legislators (Senate & House)

Governor: Tim Pawlenty

Political Affiliation: Republican

Contact Information:

Office of the Governor 130 State

Capitol 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.

St. Paul, MN 55155

Phone: 651-296-3391

Web Address: tim.pawlenty@state.mn.us

County Board President

St. Louis County Administrator: Alan Mitchell

Phone: 218-726-2448

2nd District Commissioner: Steve O'Neil

Political Affiliation:

Contact Information:

Room 208

100 N. 5th Avenue West

Duluth, MN 55802

Phone: 218-726-2359

Web Address:

City Major: Don Ness

Political Affiliation: DFL

Contact Information:

Room 402

411 West First Street

Duluth, MN 55802

Phone: 218-730-5230

Web Address: dness@duluthmn.gov

"It's not easy to be Green."-Kermit

Reflections: Weeks 7&8

Week 7:

We read "Ill Winds The Chemical Plant Next Door" which is about a chemical plant (Borden) and its effects on the small town that it is in (Buffalo). Borden has been accused of dumping illegal amounts of toxins into the water, which had some major effects on the families that lived there. The article left us wondering if the chemical plant was the major cause of the people developing cancers. In my own personal opinion I truly do think that it does has some effect with the residents developing cancers. We also watched the documentary "Green" which was made by a student named Laura Dunn. The video was a big eye opener to the issue about the 100 mile stretch of the Mississippi River in Louisiana called "Cancer Alley". Cancer Alley has a huge trend of cancer among the residents. This video really opened my eyes to what the chemical plants are really doing to the environment and the surrounding communities! We also did an Eye opener: Environmental Working Group. In this eye opener we went to the Environmental Working Groups database where we got to pick one of the cosmetic that we use everyday and found out how dangerous they really are to the environment and to us as well. I picked the face wash that  I did used but now I don't after what I found out about it!! I am still in search of the perfect face wash that is environmentally friendly and one that will not react to my super sensitive skin.

Week 8:

We read Privatizing Water which was about the riots in Cochabamba, Bolivia where hundreds were injured and one killed  over the water privatization. After reading this it really made me think of how lucky I really am to have water and to not take it for granted, which most of us Americans do. We also watched the documentary "Thirst" which was also on water privatization. The film showed us how other countries are dealing with the water issues and how some are preserving. In the video the mayor of Stockton, California is planning on signing their water to be run by a private sector which really made the citizens mad due to the fact they had no say in it what so ever. We were unable to finish the video due it not working but I can only imagine how it finished in the end! The person with the power always seems to win...

"It's not easy to be Green."-Kermit

Eye Opener 4: Environmental Working Group

The Product:

For this eye opener, I decided to do the face cleaner that I use everyday which is Clean & Clear Blackhead clearing scrub. The results were not in my favor and pretty much made me want to throw it away and never use it again!!

Results:

-The face wash scored 6 out 10 on the hazardous scale.

-The ingredients in this product are linked to: cancer, violations, restrictions & warnings, allergies/immunotoxicity

-Other concerns for ingredients used in this product: neurotoxicity, persistence and bioaccumulation, organ system toxicity, miscellaneous, multiple, additive exposure sources, irritation, enhanced skin absorption, contamination concerns

-They also conduct animal testing (which I had no idea they did!!)

What I learned:

I was really shocked on how bad this product is...I had no idea they would even test face wash on an animal. That fact right there just makes me sick to my stomach! I will never again use this product. I even typed in some of the other products that I use everyday just to see what they would score too. Well pretty much everything that I use everyday is horrible and well I plan on changing this when I get done with college because the things I use now are usually on sale and really cheap. I use to use the Burt bee's but I guess my skin really did not like the product because I broke out from it but I am going to try some other products that are more natural.  From now on I am going to do some research before I go and buy some product!!

"It's not easy to be Green."-Kermit

Review: The Future of Food

Summary of the reviewed piece:

The video "The Future of Food" was a very informational and interesting piece. The film when into detail about how our produce was once very diverse in the different varieties of select veggies like potatoes and corn. Now we only have a hand full of different kinds of those same veggies.  It then went into the history of changes that farming went through by the different pesticides and fertilizers they used. The film went into great detail on how the farmers had to keep increasing the usage of pesticides they used on the crops which then as increased the health risks from the pesticides used. 

All this information built up to what the whole film is about "The Gene Revolution".  The company that started it all was Monsanto and their patenting of different seeds. The film stated that Monsanto owns 11,000 patents on their roundup ready seeds. Monsanto took their patented seed seriously, so serious they went as far as bring lawsuits against farmers who apparently had "their" patented seed in the crops. The most famous lawsuit that they talked about in the film was the Percy Schmeiser case, it was big because Percy fought back against Monsanto and the lawsuit against them. The film also discussed how they got the different genes into the plants. They touched on the 3 most common ways that are used: bacteria, use of electricity, and the gene gun. 

The film also discussed how Monsanto had employees that also used to work the EPA, which definitely helped Monsanto keep doing what they are doing without having any problems. The film also talked about how Monsanto wants to bring their patenting out side the country into parts like Mexico. It also went into detail about how the cost of growing crops out is much higher than what the farmers get back from growing them.

This film was a good eye opener for me, it made me look more into buying locally grown foods from the farmers around here. Helping the little man out instead of the huge corporation that really do not care about us!! Growing up in a small town and around a lot farms, it really touched home for me and it makes me sad to think of these hard working people having to go through all this hardship for all the work they really do for us!

List of new terms with definitions:

Green Revolution-usually refers to the transformation of agriculture that began in 1945.

Roundup ready- is the brand name of a systemic, broad-spectrum herbicide produced by the U.S. company Monsanto and contains the active ingredient glyphosate.

Promoter gene- is a region of DNA that facilitates the transcription of a particular gene.

Antibiotic marker gene (reporter gene)-is a gene that researchers attach to another gene of interest in cell culture, animals or plants.

Organic food-are made according to certain production standards, meaning they are grown without the use of conventional pesticides and artificial fertilizers, free from contamination by human or industrial waste, and processed without irradiation or food additives.

Genetic modified (GM)-foods that have had their DNA changed through genetic engineering.

Landrace-refers to domesticated animal or plants adapted to the natural and cultural environment in which they live (or originated) and, in some cases, work.

Links to additional resources that readers can go to for more information:

Check this site out to learn more on Monsanto.

Check this site out to learn more about the gene revolution.

"It's not easy to be Green."-Kermit

Reflection: Weeks 5 & 6

Overview of the Past Two Weeks:

In the past two weeks we watched documentaries called "Diet for a New America" and "Future of Food." These two documentaries were both big eye openers for me and the rest of the class as well. Diet for a New America was about the foods that we eat and how it effects our bodies as well as the environment. This really opened my eyes to what I am really eating and its effects on the environment. Future of Food was about the Genetically Modified and its effect on the farmers and the whole nation. We also did an Eye Opener: CSPI (Center for Science in the Public Interest). In this eye opener we chose a assessment that calculated the food we ate and its effect on the environment. We also did an Eye Opener on an different reading assignments that was assigned to us.

What I have learned about myself:

When I watched the documentary "Diet for a New America" I was shocked to learn about they really effects on the food that us as Americans eat. It really made me look at what I eat everyday. I really don't eat that much meat in my diet but the documentary made me realize that we are all about meat in our meals. I also realized that I love my dairy way too much to give it up. But I am slowly watching my intake on it and making small changes on my diet.

What I have learned about the Environment:

I have learned that what I eat impacts the environment in ways that I never thought of before. For example I did not really think that eating meat and any animal product had that much impact on the environment. There is always something I can do to improve on my impact on the environment and I am little by little making those changes.

What I have learned about blogging:

I have learned that it takes some work to keep up with my blogging but I am getting better at it. I do like the fact that we are not using so much paper which is helping out the environment!! I think we all are doing a good job with our blogging!!

"It's not easy to be Green."-Kermit

Eye opener Summary of Reading #33: GM and Ford Pressed to Cut Greenhouse Gases

Summary:
"Facing losses in their profits and reputations, U.S. automakers are being pressured by shareholders to cut their vehicles' greenhouse gas emissions. The U.S. has failed to sign on to the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, a move which shareholders fear could become a future liability in the global automotive market (Lobe, 2002)." That statement there pretty much sums up what the whole article is all about. The article talks about how General Motors and Ford have still not signed on like the other motor companies have. It goes into saying that greenhouse gas emissions from trucks, van, and cars currently make up about 20 percent of total U.S. emissions, which contributes 25 percent of annual emissions worldwide. Now those are huge numbers we are talking about and why would they not do anything about it?!? The article kinda blames President George W. Bush for refusing to sign on because substantial reductions in greenhouse would harm the U.S. economy. Well take a good look at our economy it really is not that good right now...so was this the right decisions or was it the wrong decision? The article goes further into talking about that by not signing on the car makers are falling further and further behind competitors that have decided to make a change like the Japanese manufactures that have developed new energy efficient automobile technology. The article also went on saying that is was not the first time that Ford and GM faced this problem either. What does that tell you about the two companies...not looking so good anymore in my eyes at least!

What I have learned:
After reading this article I feel really ashamed to be a owner of a Ford. The two companies are well aware of the problem but yet they still do nothing about it and refuse it as well! They even tried to debunk the claims that greenhouse emissions were contributing to global warming! What a disappoint they really are to me and to the rest of the U.S.! Instead of fighting against they should have been the bold ones that first used the new energy efficient technology, instead they are stuck in their old ways which basically have left them in the dust! All I have to say after reading this is that my next will NOT be a Ford or a GM because of this!

A question for you:

Which car is really better for the environment now Ford or GM?

Other sites on this topic:
Here is a good site to go and visit and see what changes the New President is doing, which happens to be a 180 from President George W. Bush: 

Obama set stage for national standard to cut auto greenhouse gas emissions

Here is some more good sites to also go and visit to see what Ford is doing now which seem to be in the right direction now:

 
This is news: Good PR for Ford

Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility



"It's not easy to be Green."-Kermit

Eye Opener: CSPI

For the activity I choose to do the Eating Green Calculator. In this activity I had to put in how many servings of pork, beef, chicken, eggs, milk and cheese I eat in a week. After putting the servings that I eat in week, the site gave you the results of the environmental burden of animal products you eat in a year. My results were shocking...I had no idea the impact I was making that big of an impact on the environment. I found it really crazy because I really don't eat that much meat in my diet but I still had bad results! I don't know if I could go vegan because I need that dairy in my diet to grow strong bones!!! This was a good eye opener but I still feel that everyone needs a little bit of protein in their diet for health reasons...just my opinion.


I will try and eat fewer meat products and dairy products (even though I am pretty much in love with cheese and eat it with everything). I am for sure always trying to increase my fruit and veggies servings. I have already did the good thing with only buying whole grains products.


"It's not easy to be Green."-Kermit