Tobacco Sucks

Tobacco is legal for many reasons because it does not have immediately obvious health effects, people are willing to do it even though the health risks are apparent, and because it's good for the economy. Every box of cigarettes in North America, Europe, and Australia must have warning labels describing the risks of smoking, yet people choose to disregard this. In Erie, similar to many places around the world, smoking is banned in public places. However, we gave new areas for the smokers to fulfil their needs. I honestly dont think all the PSAs about smoking will stop anybody who has already begun smoking, just prevent some people from starting.

Environmental Misunderstandings

Let's take a look at this winter compared to last. By the time halloween came by last year, we had already had 30 inches of snow (normal Erie weather, huh?) compared to .7 inches this year. This weekend was our first major snowfall this year! Now let's look at what critics around the country would say about this. Some would be saying that CO2 is drastically warming our atmosphere, others would say that pollution is altering our climate. One specific, outspoken critic might even blame it on a fabled creature called Manbearpig. The truth behind this strange, lukewarm December Erie weather is called the El Nino, a weather pattern in the Pacific that causes warmer weather for about 9 months. This is happening on all different kinds of cases around the world. Like Mr. Corbin's examples with the polar bears and the shark attacks, we only hear half the story. Sure, the weather changes a few degrees here and there, some rare plant species in Bosnia went extinct, or more frogs have been found born with extra heads and legs, but doesn't that kind of stuff happen all the time? These are being blamed on things like chemical spills and increased fossil fuel use. The truth is, most harmful chemicals are being phazed out and 1st world country fossil fuel consumption is at an all time low. It's just that we haven't been around long enough to understand what's really behind these unpredicted changes. I think that we as a world just need to accept that the world is going to change whether we affect it or not. So let's just move on.

Soy in Real Life

When you go to the supermarket nowadays, you can usually find a soy substitute for just about anything: milk, cereal, bread, ice cream, even meat. What most people don't know is that some people use soy for reasons other than they are vegetarian. Soy has many benefits, like proteins that lower cholesterol and the risk of heart disease, and Isoflavones to reduce bone diseases such as osteoperosis and bone cancer. However, those same Isoflavones combined with the phyto-estrogens found in soy are harmful to people with some types of cancer such as breast cancer. But, the benefits definitely outweigh the risks.

Industrial Farming is Really Bad

I think that industrial farming needs to stop, but it's already too late to reverse the trend. Even though industrial farming can poison our food with pesticides and other chemicals, we still rely on the farms to supply us with ALL of our food. Most people don't grow any food in their backyard, so they have to pay for their food. Too many people already rely on the farms that there is no way the farms can return to the older ways of farming naturally. Though there are some financial and governmental benefits to industrialized farming, the environmental and human health is too much of a risk factor.

Decisions, decisions

There are so many different ways to make decisions out there, that sometimes I'm not quite sure which one to use. The GREAT decision model is a great (no pun intended) way to make decisions in any situation. Another one we learned just last term from Mr. Lights was the SIPDE process. It means 'Search for possible dangers, Identify the problem, Predict what the possible choices are, Decide which action, Execute the decision.' It is a decision-making model that is very helpful when driving, but it is also a good way to avoid undesirable situations. Say you are driving and see a possible danger up ahead, like a hidden driveway. Instead of just speeding around the corner, use the SIPDE process to make the right decision, which would be to slow down. Another good decision making model is the Vroom-Jago Decision Model. It is sort of a pre-decision decision model. The Vroom-Jago is what you use to decide whether or not to make a decision alone or in a group. First, you must see who the decision will affect, in short term and the long run. If your decision will affect more than just yourself, you will have to decide whether or not to include them in your decision. Usually, if you can get more people in on your decision, the better it will be. Since all of these decision making models have different uses, they are all the best!

In the Fairview community we have a plethora of useful community resources fo us to take advantage of. The Library at the high school and on Manchester Rd. help you improve your mental and social health. The Fairview High School Atheletic Facilities (Library, Pool, Weight Room, Soccer/Football Fields, etc...), and Snap Fitness can improve your social health along with your physical health. Fairview alone has many different churches that help improve your spiritual and emotional health. Our state has reserved state parks where we can walk and be in a healthy environment. The state has hospitals for when your not physically healthy, you can get better. PA also has specific rehabilitation centers for your mental, physical, or emotional health. The American Government has an unemployment benefit system that can help many of our health needs, such as emotional, physical, mental, and even environmental, when we cannnot support ourselves. Social security does the same job for older Americans. We also have health insurance to aid our physical and emotional needs.

The First Assignment

Hello 1st period Wellness 10, if any of you don't already know, my name is Carl Nerthling. I'm 16 years old. I love to play football, my number is 66. I also like to snowboard and I am doing ski bus this winter. After football season is over, I plan on getting a job, most likely somewhere in Fairview. I am still deciding on where I want to go to college, but i want to go to medical school somewhere. The college i will go to will be in PA though. After I'm done with schooling, i want to get a career in radiology.