Project 3–Go Greenfor Health!
We now know a lot more about the connection between “going green” and our health. Living green = living
HEALTHY! In fact, the March/April 2012 American Journal of Health Education featured a research article on the
determinants of recycling behavior – now classified as a health behavior! Here is the link to our study’s abstract:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/193250… Environmental Health Promotion is a
new and growing area in community and public health. We work to help people change their behavior to have
fewer toxic exposures (healthier lifestyle) and to better protect our shared environment/resources. For this project,
you will use the internet and the listed resources to further explore healthy living and healthy environments. You
will: 1) read and reflect about everyday chemicals in foods and products and health, 2) examine your personal
care products and identify healthy alternatives in Skin Deep database, 3) watch and reflect on the Story of Stuff,
4) calculate and reflect upon your ecological/carbon footprint, 5) watch and reflect on CDC’s Healthy Places
video, and 6) review UNF resources. Next, you will respond to or answer the following questions in a brief 2–3
page, single–spaced paper. Number your responses in your paper.
WebMD Toxin Overview
Review this brief WebMD article https://www.webmd.com/a–to–z–guides/news/20230504/cleaning–personal–
products–contain–dangerous–chemicals (see this journal article for more details:
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.2c07247). Also review the Toxic Substances Control At of 1976
https://www.epa.gov/laws–regulations/summary–toxic–substances–control–
act#:~:text=The%20Toxic%20Substances%20Control%20Act%20of%201976%20provides%20EPA%20with,
%2C%20drugs%2C%20cosmetics%20and%20pesticides. Answer the question(s).
• Q1: Describe safety and health concerns related to cleaning products, cosmetics, and other exposures
in the U.S.
Skin Deep
Go to EWG’s “Skin Deep” resource http://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ . Go to the search box and type in a specific
product you use (“Ivory Liquid Hand Soap”). Click on the product to review the findings. Do this for 5 of your
products that you use frequently. Next, click on a category in the menu across the top of the site (eye care,
makeup, oral care…). Find the healthiest (least toxic) product in that category that you have heard of before
and know you could purchase if you wanted to. You may need to review many to find one you are familiar
with. Answer the question(s). (Note: EWG is a research and advocacy group that has filled an “information
and research gap” on widely available products that otherwise would be unavailable in the US. EWG
research methodology is sound, sources are cited and transparent, and findings are widely used by notable
higher education institution. However, some argue the findings are alarmist and unfounded. Keep this in
mind).
• Q2: For each of your 5 products, list: a) the product name, b) it’s score, & c) what health issues it is
related to.
• Q3: When you conducted the category search, what product did you find (that you have previously
heard of) that is most healthy? What score did it receive?
• Q4: Perhaps the most alarming fact is that of the 100,000 synthetic chemicals in our products today,
only about 20,000 were around when your parents were young and far less than that when your
grandparents were young. The “advances” we enjoy today have a cost, and one that is really
unknown. So, the retort “my grandmother used this and that and lived to be 99 years old” may not
apply to our products today. What can you do with this information to protect your health and limit your
exposure to toxic chemicals?
12
Course & Curriculum Erin Largo–Wight, PhD © 2024–2025
Story of Stuff
“The Story of Stuff” is a 20 minute online video that focuses on economic, environmental, and social factors
that influence exposure – human health relationship and can be watched free of charge here:
The video provides a historical overview and was created
by this group http://storyofstuff.org/, which has since produced follow–up videos that focus on solutions. The
video is marketed as educational, widely used by notable higher education institutions, and cites its resources.
However, some still argue it is unfounded activism. Keep this in mind as you watch the entire video starting at
the introduction. Answer the question(s).
• Q5: Summarize the main theme of Story of Stuff.
• Q6: What solution(s) are you most interested in applying in your life?
Little and Big Things You Can Do
1. Power down and then, power up! By now, we all know that reducing energy use is a top priority – for the
climate, for public health and for environmental wellbeing. There are many opportunities for each of us to do our
part at home: drive less, fly less, buy local seasonal food, support local farmers markets, wear a sweater instead of
turning up the heat, use a clothesline, avoid plastics (even in clothes), vacation closer to home, buy used or borrow
things before buying new, recycle, compost, and reuse. All these things save energy and save money and are good
things to do. But industry, transportation, and buildings consume the bulk of energy, so improving the policies
that govern these sectors makes far bigger change than we can ever make as individuals. Let’s use our citizen
power to oppose dirty coal plants and Tar Sands development, demand stronger standards for energy efficiency
across the board and shift public support from fossil fuels to clean energy and public transportation. Now, that will
make a difference!
2. Waste less. We’re using and wasting too much stuff and it’s stressing the planet’s limits and resources. There
are hundreds of opportunities each day to nurture a “Zero Waste” culture in our home, school, workplace, church,
and community. This takes developing new habits that soon become second nature. We all know the list: carry our
own refillable water bottle and shopping bags, get printer cartridges refilled instead of replaced, compost food
scraps, upgrade computers rather than buying new ones, repair and mend rather than replace, and get off junk mail
lists. All these are good to do, but household waste is just the tip of a very big iceberg; in the U.S., household
waste accounts for less than 3% of total waste. Reducing the other 97% requires better policies and business
practices, and to do that, we need to use those same citizen skills we need to reduce energy use: gather, write,
lobby, protest, and vote legislatively and “with your dollar”.
3. Use our voice at home and beyond. We can’t solve these problems unless we start talking about them – at
work and school, in the neighborhood, in line at the supermarket, on the bus, and at home. Then, reach beyond
your immediate community to turn the volume up on this much needed public conversation: write letters–to–the
editor, blog on issues you care about, write letters to the places you like to frequent, draft petitions, get on the
speakers list at City Council meetings, and call your Congressperson. Each of our voices matter, but only if we use
it.
4. DeTox your body, DeTox your home, and DeTox the Economy. Many of today’s consumer products – from
children’s pajamas to sunscreen – contain toxic chemical additives that simply aren’t necessary and usually aren’t
even disclosed. Research online to avoid inadvertently bringing extra toxics into your home and body. Then tell
your friends about toxics in consumer products. Together, ask the businesses why they’re using toxic chemicals
without any warning labels. And ask your elected officials why they are permitting this practice. Getting the toxics
out of production at the source is the best way to ensure they don’t get into any home and body.
5. Unplug (the TV and internet) and Plug In (the community). The average person in the U.S. watches over 4
hours of TV a day. Four hours per day filled with messages about Stuff we should buy. That is four hours a day
that could be spent with family, friends, and in our communities. On–line activism is a good start, but spending
time in face–to–face civic or community activities is even better. Spending time together strengthens the
community and many studies show that a stronger community is a source of social and logistical support,
improved economic resiliency and greater security and happiness. Strong communities are also critical to having a
13
Course & Curriculum Erin Largo–Wight, PhD © 2024–2025
strong, active democracy.
6. Park your car and walk…and when necessary MARCH! Car–centric land use policies and lifestyles lead to
more greenhouse gas emissions, fossil fuel extraction, conversion of agricultural and wildlands to roads and
parking lots, and community health issues. Driving less and walking more is good for the climate, the planet, your
health, and your wallet. But sometimes we don’t have an option to leave the car home because of inadequate bike
lanes or public transportation options. Then, we may need to march, to join with others to demand sustainable
transportation options. Throughout U.S. history, peaceful non–violent marches have played a powerful role in
raising awareness about issues, mobilizing people, and sending messages to decision makers. Sometimes, we’ve
just got to fill the streets to be heard.
7. Change your lightbulbs…and then, change your paradigm. Changing lightbulbs is quick and easy. Energy
efficient lightbulbs use 75% less energy and last 10 times longer than conventional ones. That’s a no–brainer. But
changing lightbulbs is just tinkering at the margins of a fundamentally flawed system unless we also change our
paradigm. A paradigm is a collection of assumptions, concepts, beliefs, and values that together make up a
community’s way of viewing reality. Our current paradigm dictates that more stuff is better, that infinite economic
growth is desirable and possible, and that pollution is the price of progress. To really turn things around, we need
to nurture a different paradigm based on the values of sustainability, justice, health, and community. Together,
let’s rethink what matters and what we want our economy to prioritize.
8. Recycle your trash…and your elected officials. Recycling saves energy and reduces both waste and the
pressure to harvest and mine new stuff. Unfortunately, many cities still don’t have adequate recycling systems in
place so recycling can be a real hassle. In that case you can usually find some recycling options in the phone book
to start recycling while you’re lobbying your local government to support recycling citywide. Also, many
products—for example, most electronics—are designed not to be recycled or contain toxics so recycling is
hazardous. In these cases, we need to lobby government to spur innovation by prohibiting toxics in consumer
products. Product Tack Back laws, which hold producers responsible for the entire lifecycle of their products, help
inspire cleaner design and safer materials use too.
9. Buy Green, Buy Fair, Buy Local, Buy Used, and most importantly, Buy Less.
We know we can’t shop our way out of today’s environmental mess, but when we do shop, we should ensure our
dollars support businesses that protect the environment and worker rights. Look beyond vague claims on packages
like “all natural” to find hard facts about how the product was made and what it contains. When possible, buy local
products from local stores and markets, which keeps more of our hard earned money in the community. Buying
used items keeps them out of the trash and helps avoid the upstream waste created to make new stuff. But, buying
less may be the best option of all. Less pollution. Less Waste. Less time working to pay for the stuff. Sometimes,
less really is more.
10. Flex our Citizen Muscles On each of these issues, and many others, citizen engagement is the key to making
real progress. Unfortunately, many of us have gotten disillusioned with the political process and checked out. The
result: half of eligible voters don’t even bother, super PAC money determines election outcomes, and we end up
with duds in office who care more about their corporate donors than real people. It’s time to gear up to get our
citizen muscles back in shape! Let’s dust off our civic values and make a plan to get our citizen muscles – and our
democracy –working in top form again!
14
Course & Curriculum Erin Largo–Wight, PhD © 2024–2025
Single Use Plastics in our Oceans
Watch the following documentary “A Plastic Wave” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9–
dpv2xbFyk&t=193s. The documentary follows Dave Muir as he investigates sources of plastic waste on
beachfronts. “A Plastic Wave” explores the impacts of plastic in the environment, what can be done, and whether
there is a solution to plastic in our oceans. Plastic pollution in our oceans has become a world–wide issue. The
Natural Resources Defense Council Inc (NRDC) is a United States non–profit international environmental
advocacy group dedicated to ensuring people around the world have rights to clean air, water, and the wild. Read
over the NRDC webpage on single use plastics here: https://www.nrdc.org/stories/single–use–plastics–101. For
additional information and how you can create an impact within your community, explore the NRDC’s “Get
Involved” webpage.
• Q7: After watching “A Plastic Wave”, explain how microplastics move through the food chain any why their
• microscopic size is even more dangerous than larger identifiable plastics.
• Q8: Dave Muir mentions the “4 R’s” to help reduce consumption of single use plastics. List them and
explain how you think each “R” helps to lessen single use plastic consumption.
• Q9: The NRDC webpage on single use plastics mentions plastic bans implemented throughout several
cities in the United States. Discuss the bans and their accomplishments, and whether you agree with
outlawing single use plastic items such as those mentioned.
• Q10: What could you do (starting this week) to help prevent single use plastics in our ocean?
Calculate Your Ecological Footprint
Set aside 30–60 minutes to take the online quiz to calculate your ecological footprint and record your score.
Go to https://www.footprintcalculator.org/ and enter an email address and take the quiz. Review your results
(your “number Earths”) and click more details for additional results. Retake the quiz with different answers and
explore the impact.
• Q11: What was your ecological footprint score, what does the score mean, and what were your
thoughts about this?
• Q12: How could you get a smaller footprint? What areas of your life (transportation, land use, water
use, diet, etc) makes the largest environmental impact? Retake the quiz and change your answers to
see how could reduce your personal impact.
CDC’s Healthy Places Video
Watch Dr. Howard Frumkin, MD, DrPH Ted Talk here: Dr.
Frumkin is Professor Emeritus of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of
Washington School of Public Health. He is an internist, environmental and occupational medicine specialist,
and epidemiologist and held positions at Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, first as director of the
National Center for Environmental Health and Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(NCEH/ATSDR), and later as Special Assistant to the CDC Director for Climate Change and Health.
• Q13: What is healthy human habitat?
• Q14: What are the healthy community design principles discussed in the video? (list at least 6)
• Q15: Give a brief summary of the current community design of Jacksonville and explain how could we
• improve the health of Jacksonville through community design? What can you do specifically?
Explore UNF!
UNF has many resources, services, and amazing opportunities to help you become healthier! Any enrolled
UNF student has free access to any of the recreation facilities and programs listed below. You will choose one
of the following activities. Next you will review all the websites below and complete the question(s). You must
demonstrate in your response that you thoroughly explored the resources and understand the services and or
information provided. The purpose of this section is to give you the opportunity to explore some NEW, FUN,
and HEALTHY at UNF.
Note 1: If you are off campus this term and cannot personally visit these services, please choose an online research option.
15
Course & Curriculum Erin Largo–Wight, PhD © 2024–2025
Note 2: Many of the UNF resources listed in this course packet apply to several dimensions of health. For efficiency, they will be listed only once in this
course packet. Please understand the services may cut across many health dimensions. Also, if you learn of a new organization or service that should
be listed, please share that in your project!)
a. INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND EDUCATION – Student Programs: Are you a
motivated and active student looking for opportunities to develop as a leader and make a difference for the
world, environment, and sustainability? Explore online several different programs (merit–based award
scholarship programs and hands on field school and honor society) that allows you to do just that.
https://www.unf.edu/environment and click on student programs (describe program you are most
interested in). And talk to Dr. LW! I’m the Director of IERE and love connecting with interested students. J
b. ECOADVENTURES RENTALS: Check out gear that makes it easier to explore our beautiful world! (Be
safe). https://www.unf.edu/recwell/ecoadventure/gearcheck…
c. PRESERVE NATURE TRAILS: Go for a hike with a friend on UNF’s campus. This is a unique gem that
every Osprey should have the opportunity to explore.
https://www.unf.edu/recwell/ecoadventure/naturetra…
d. CAMPUS SAFETY: Safety is central to environmental health and a top priority on campus. Explore online
https://www.unf.edu/upd/
• Q16: Describe your chosen activity and the impact on you. Be thorough. For in person activities, include
details such as dates, location, others involved, etc. If you explored online, please describe what you
explored, what you learned, and how it can help you.
• Q17: Describe one concrete way that you will use one of these services listed here.
*If you will not use any of these services, demonstrate you reviewed and understand the services available and describe ways in which
other students could benefit and or use the services.
