post #13- Fort Myers Beach

I have lived in fort myers since 4th grade and it was really cool to learn about the history of fort myers beach!!  I thoroughly enjoyed listening to Joe's stories about growing up on San Carlos back in the day and what the town was like.  I loved all of the old artifacts in the cottage and the old pictures of what the house looked like when it was first built!  When we walked through Matanzas pass it smelled pretty bad and I noticed a bit of garbage.  I wish that it would have been cleaner!  The local quality of life on the beach is being enhanced by those who have luived there their entire life.  They make an ongoing effort to preserve the education for the younger generation and make it a point to teach the history of the beach to all of the young children who are growing up there in today's world.  Fort myers has changed so much growing up here.  I feel like the beaches have washed away quite a bit and the water has definitely gotten dirtier.  I remember there being a lot more trees.  Tree line rd. did not exist, gulf coast town center did not exist, the new airport didn't exist.  So much development has gone on over the past few years and it is starting to not feel like a small town anymore.  More and more people are coming here during season also.  I would not take the money of 300% for my childhood home for condos.  We do not need any more of them in this area!  A 20/20 program would be a wonderful thing to be a part of and would be a better contribution to our community.  Money is not everything and greed is killing the community.

#12--sustainable consumerism

One of the world’s most pressing issues is that humans are consuming beyond our means. We are in debt both to our planet’s ecosystems and to the financial mechanisms that keep our economies growing.  It implies consuming differently, not necessarily less. Green washing is making sure that a companies’ policies or products are environmentally friendly.

I would not be willing to pay for premium foods labeled "organic" after what we learned in class.  All it means is that it has a fancier way of being grown than a normal product that makes it more expensive.  I wuld buy locally grown food to support local businesses.  I would rather do that then go shopping in a publix or other grocery store.  Not only does it taste better and better priced but I believe that the people who grow it actually take pride in their crops.  My best friend lives downtown so we spend a lot of time walking around.  I do not go to gulf coast town center very often I do prefer to go downtown.  I Like it better downtown because I really do not like the "college" atmosphere.  All of my friends are older and we really like the atmosphere downtown.  The bars and the night life are amazing as well as the food.  Our favorite resturaunts are all ma and pa places. 

#11-downtown!

When I think of Downtown fort myers I think of (honestly...)::
-bums
-MLK and the ghetto
-heavy drinking and bars
-downtown pizza
-taste of town and other festivals held in the park
-the dirty water
-jail

... I have grown up in fort myers so I think that I have a view comparable to most who have also been raised in the area.

The main idea when downtown was built was so that people could walk everywhere they needed to go within a couple short blocks or within 5 minutes.  Well, it definitely takes much longer than that now.  I think that is pretty funny that the one building by the court house was supposedly painted in "UF" colors... more like Miami Dolphin colors. 

A few cool things that I learned today:
-Fort Myers was actually a military base (with a different name!) that was used to scare off the Indians. 
-Fort Myers was huge on cattle herding and McGregor was one of the main trails!
-the 3 uncommon friends are Edison, Firestone, and Ford (the main statue in centennial park)
-Red mangroves are all along the water's edge
-There is an "Art of the Olympians" musuem! (I had NO idea AND they had an autographed basketball from Chris Bosh--my favorite!!)
-There are many significant statues and works of art (like the tile mosaic of the 3 different generations on the building behind the back entrance to starbucks) all around the downtown area
-The odl bank was used to folm day of the dead-cool!

Downtown is trying to fix tiself however it is nowhere near where it needs to be and far from being sustainable.  There is much work that needs to be done and plenty of fixing up to do!!

Entry #10--Carbon Footprint

Carbon footprint calculator::

If everyone lived like me we would need 6.6 planet earths to provide enough resources.

The breakdown of my ecological footprint::
-30% services
-30% food
-20% mobility
-5%shelter
-5% goods

To support my lifestyle it takes 29.2 global acres of the Earth's productive area
-34 tons of carbon dioxide

Behavior Modifications:
-eat more locally grown food
-not drive around as much or car pool
-have a more ecologically friendly car

These are just a few different things that I think I can do on my own to help reduce my carbon footprint, judging by the quiz we took and the the questions that were asked in it.

#9--Energy

Alternate energy does not emit carbon dioxide and have no undesired consequences.  By 2050, one-third of the world's energy will need to come from solar, wind, and other renewable resources.  These include Biomass Energy, Wind Energy, Solar Energy, Geothermal Energy, Hydroelectric Energy sources.  From an environmental perspective, solar power is the best thing going. A 1.5 kilowatt PV system will keep more than 110,000 pounds of carbon dioxide, the chief greenhouse gas, out of the atmosphere over the next 25 years. The same solar system will also prevent the need to burn 60,000 pounds of coal. With solar, there's no acid rain, no urban smog, no pollution of any kind.

I am all for getting away from fossil fuel.  Its’ emissions are horrible and worsening day by day.  There are so many alternatives that are coming more into perspective.  As time passes these alternatives will be used more. 

Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Car

Maintenance - Keep your car tuned up and running efficiently. 
More Maintenance - Replace your air, oil and fuel filters according to schedule. 
Tires - Keep your tires properly inflated (just this can save 400-700 pounds of CO₂ per year). 
Drive better - Studies have shown up to 30% of the difference in miles per gallon (MPG) is due to driving habits alone.  You could save more than a ton of CO₂ per year by:
  - Accelerating slowly and smoothly
  - Driving the speed limit
  - Maintaining a steady speed
  - Anticipating your stops and starts
Make your next vehicle a fuel-efficient one Household fuel efficiency - If your household has two cars and one is used mostly for commuting, make the commuting car a real gas sipper if you can’t for both.

Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Travel

Combine your trip with another. 
Carpool - Just once a week saves 20%.
Check out your transit options - It may not work for you every time, but use it when it does.
What about your bike? - Get in shape, too! 
Only a mile? - Walk.
Think it through - Do you need to take this trip at all? 
Get it on the Internet. 
Optimize - Save this trip for later and combine with another. 
Telecommute - Work from home occasionally.

Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Air Travel

Think about the trip - Can you combine it with another or get more done on one trip? 
Train - For some trips the train may be a good choice for you.
Fly nonstop - Nonstop flights are better than connecting flights (for many reasons). 
When you get there - Do some research ahead of time to find better ground travel options (shuttles, transit, trains, etc.) at your destination. 
Lodging - Ask your hotel about their environmental commitment and steps they’re taking to reduce, offset.
While you’re away - Turn your stuff off.  Turn down your thermostat and your water heater; turn off your electronics

 

Reduce the Carbon Footprint of Your Home

Programmable thermostat – Costs about $50 or less and will save you that much or more in the first year.
Weatherstripping and Caulking – Costs almost nothing while reducing your energy use, reducing drafts and improving comfort.   

Lighting – Compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) have that cool curly shape and save more than 2/3rds of the energy of a regular incandescent.  Each bulb can save $40 or more over its lifetime.  Read the box or instructions for safe disposal.

Heating and Cooling - Keep your heating and cooling system(s) tuned.  When it’s time to replace, do your research and ask for ENERGY STAR.
Insulation – Weatherstripping, caulking and insulation work together to save you energy, improve the comfort of your home, make it quieter and help you save money. 
Water-Conserving Showerheads & Toilets – You can reduce water and heating costs, even in your bathroom. To save even more water, turn the faucet off when brushing or shaving. These simple changes and steps can save many thousands of gallons of water annually.

Appliances – Always pay attention to the total lifetime cost, including energy—not just the price tag.  Look for the ENERGY STAR label
Bigger isn’t always better - Just get the size you need; do you really need that extra refrigerator in the basement?
Electronics – Likewise, look for ENERGY STAR. And do like your Mom said- turn things off. If you’re going away or not using an item for awhile, unplug it to prevent “vampire” energy loss from electricity usage on standby.

Windows – These can be expensive, but when it’s time to replace them, make sure they are ENERGY STAR rated.
Solar – We love solar, but make sure you reduce your energy load first to keep your costs down.
New Home – Consider an energy-efficient

#8--Climate Change

Climate change is a significant and lasting change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over periods ranging from decades to millions of years. It may be a change in average weather conditions or the distribution of events around that average.  Climate changes in response to changes in the global energy balance. On the broadest scale, the rate at which energy is received from the sun and the rate at which it is lost to space determine the equilibrium temperature and climate of Earth. This energy is then distributed around the globe by winds, ocean currents, and other mechanisms to affect the climates of different regions.  Factors that can shape climate are called "forcing mechanisms" that include such processes as variations in solar radiation, deviations in the Earth's orbit, mountain-building and continental drift, and changes in greenhouse gas concentrations. There are a variety of climate change feedbacks that can either amplify or diminish the initial forcing. Some parts of the climate system, such as the oceans and ice caps, respond slowly in reaction to climate forcings, while others respond more quickly.  Forcing mechanisms can be either "internal" or "external". Internal forcing mechanisms are natural processes within the climate system itself and external forcing mechanisms can be either natural or anthropogenic.

I do not feel the need to alter my lifestyle because of global warming at all. There are so many factors that contribute to this process naturally and very little from actual mankind.  I do think that this will continue and eventually will become a major problem further down the road and will affect my future family members.  We can not live our life scared of everything and watching our backs constantly with what "can" happen. There are things that we can do to help keep global warming from happening as quickly but we will never be able to 100% keep it from happening. 

#7--GM Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering in the myrtle family.  Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia. There are more than 700 species of Eucalyptus, mostly native to Australia, and a very small number are found in adjacent areas of New Guinea and Indonesia and north to the Philippines. Only 15 species occur outside Australia, and only 9 do not occur in Australia. Species of Eucalyptus are cultivated throughout the tropics and subtropics including the Americas, Europe, Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East, China and the Indian Subcontinent. They are known as gum trees because many species exude copious sap from any break in the bark.  Eucalyptus species have desirable traits such as being fast-growing sources of wood, producing oil that can be used for cleaning and functions as a natural insecticide, or an ability to be used to drain swamps and thereby reduce the risk of malaria. Outside their natural ranges, eucalypts are both lauded for their beneficial economic impact on poor populations and derided for being invasive water-suckers.

Most eucalypts are not tolerant of frost, or only tolerate light frosts down to −5 °C (23 °F); the hardiest are the so-called Snow Gums, such as Eucalyptus pauciflora which is capable of withstanding cold and frost down to about −20 °C (−4 °F). Several other species, especially from the high plateau and mountains of central Tasmania have produced extreme cold-hardy forms and it is seed procured from these genetically hardy strains that are planted for ornament in colder parts of the world.

Due to similar favorable climatic conditions, Eucalyptus plantations have often replaced oak woodlands, for example in California, Spain and Portugal. The resulting monocultures have raised concerns about loss of biological diversity, through loss of acorns that mammals and birds feed on, absence of hollows that in oak trees provide shelter and nesting sites for birds and small mammals and for bee colonies, as well as lack of downed trees in managed plantations. Monarch butterflies use eucalyptus in California for over-wintering, but in some locations have a preference for Monterey pines.

In the 1850s, Eucalyptus trees were introduced to California by Australians during the California Gold Rush. Much of California has a similar climate to parts of Australia. By the early 1900s, thousands of acres of eucalypts were planted with the encouragement of the state government. It was hoped that they would provide a renewable source of timber for construction, furniture making and railroad ties. It was soon found that for the latter purpose eucalyptus was particularly unsuitable, as the ties made from eucalyptus had a tendency to twist while drying, and the dried ties were so tough that it was nearly impossible to hammer rail spikes into them.

The U.S. government is set to approve a request from ArborGen, the genetically engineered (GE) tree research and development giant, for permission to plant 260,000 GE cold tolerant eucalyptus trees in 29 “field trials” across seven southern U.S. states.   Approval of such a large-scale planting of these dangerous flowering GE forest trees in the U.S. is completely unprecedented.  The GE eucalyptus would be allowed to flower and produce seeds, enabling them to potentially escape into native ecosystems and forests.

Eucalyptus is internationally known for their devastating impacts–from invasiveness to wildfires to their ability to worsen droughts.  Additionally, eucalyptus grandis, one of the species in the GE eucalyptus hybrid, is also a known host to Cryptococcus gattii, a fungus that can cause fatal fungal meningitis in people and animals that inhale its spores. In Brazil, eucalyptus plantations are known as ‘green deserts’ because they do not allow anything else to live.

In my opinion, I do noth think that this would be a good idea at all.  There are way too many risks and negative aspects of doing this.  With this plant producing so much oil and having a high risk of catching fire, why would we want to plant this in a warm climate where these risks are pretty much guaranteed to happen?  Also, we have too many "special" plants in the south.  If we were to take an invasive plant, it could possibly kill of many of the unique plant species that make the south special.

#6--ECHO

ECHO was  a pretty unique place to visit.  I can't believe that people actually intern here and literally live off of the land.  There were a lot of things that stood out to me.  There were so many different types of plants and were grown in 6 different "types of land".  It was neat that they had live animals there too to help out with their crops-so cute =].  Here are a few different things that I learned:

-They have a tilapia pond that is big enough to feed a village.  It had a lot of ducks kept in it so that their waste would feed the algae in the pong which in turn would feed the fish.
-One of the plants' ( I can not remember the exact name) seeds can be ground up and placed in a 2 liter bottle of dirty water.  After 2 hours of sitting the water is 95% pure.
-A lot of animals (goats, chickens, rabbits) are used to help produce manure to help feed the plants.
-rice can be grown 2 different ways--the traditional way in a flood ground with seeds planted far apart or in a slightly moist area with seeds placed close together.  The difference between the two is that there is more weeding to be done by the women in the dry area.

After seeing all of the different cookers and grinders, I have to say that we have it easy in our country.  I could never imagine growing, picking, and grinding my own rice like that.  I can't believe people across the world literally have to build their own miniature cooker to have meals!  I feel that the work done at ECHO is relevant to the developing world because it is important to make use of what you have to be able to survive.  In foreign countries they do not have the types of luxuries available to them as we do to us.  (making use of appropriate technology--using what you have to make what you can) 

Even though ECHO was a really neat place to visit, I do not think that this is somewhere I would like to volunteer.  I do not think that it really suits my personality.

My friend Mikey pumping the water!

Two ways to grow rice

Solar ovens

Entry #5--Sustainable Farming

The 3 basic elements of sustainable farming are:
-environment protection
-social responsibility
economic viability

"Key ecological principles for land use and management deal with time,

species, place, disturbance, and the landscape. The principles result in

several guidelines that serve as practical rules of thumb for incorporating

ecological principles into making decisions about the land."   http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/wacademy/acad2000/pdf/landuseb.pdf

I personally just buy what I please at the grocery store.  I do not buy "organic" or "naturally" labeled food because it is very expensive and I really do not find the product that much better than what is normally purchased.  I feel disconnected with the current food system.  I find myself buying a lot of frozen food because it lasts longer.  I live by myself and do not eat at home very often so it becomes a huge waste for me to purchase fresh food.  Most of it gets thrown out because it goes bad and I end up losing money.  I am not sure if I would take advantage of a space on campus to grow my own fruits and vegetables because I know I do not have the time to commit to taking care of them.  I have thought about growing my own little garden at home, however.  I do not have much of a green thumb so many of the things I plant end up dying.  I would probably make more use of fresh foods if they were readily available at my own home.

As for a spot on campus, I believe that they do have their own little garden set up.  I get emails just about every week to volunteer as a back yard farmer.  It is by the welcome center on campus.  I will have to check it out sometime.

#4--The Most Pressing Global Environmental Issue

I would have to say that the most pressing global environmental issue in my own opinion would be over-population.  It's not that I necessarily feel that over population is the biggest problem its that the more people there are in this world, the more problems occur and the worse current issues get.  For example, a few major issues that everyone is concerned about are:

-deforestation
-pollution and depletion of the ozone layer
-global warming
-h2O depletion
-killing off of species

There more people there are on the planet...
-more trees are cut down
-more garbage
-more oxygen being used
-more devlopment

"Overpopulation occurs when a population has exceeded its carrying capacity.  The entire planet and virtually every nation is already vastly overpopulated. Africa is overpopulated now because, among other indications, its soils and forests are rapidly being depleted—and that implies that its carrying capacity for human beings will be lower in the future than it is now. The United States is overpopulated because it is depleting its soil and water resources and contributing mightily to the destruction of global environmental systems. Europe, Japan, the Soviet Union, and other rich nations are overpopulated because of their massive contributions to the carbon dioxide buildup in the atmosphere, among many other reasons." http://animalrights.about.com/od/wildlife/a/HumanOverpopulation.htm

If I had a billion dollars to address a global problem, I would disprese it to people in our country to spend it however they please.  Life is too short to worry about every problem and to live scared about "what could happen" if we continue our ways.  I would spend some of the money on campaigns targeted towards elementary and middle schools, our next generation, on how they could make a difference in the world and make changes in their homes to help the planet.

Entry #3-Corkscrew field trip

There were many distinctive eco-systems we saw on our trip today and I really learned a great deal about our enivornment!!  I thought it was really cool that they had the giant "bins" filled with plants and trees that naturally purified the water. 

"The programs and activities at Audubon Centers and Sanctuaries reflect the three pillars of Audubon’s mission: education, science, and conservation action, adapted to the specific Center site and to the community it serves. With its goal of helping people discover, learn about, and care for nature close to home, Audubon is continuing its commitment to establishing Centers in communities that have the least access to nature."(corkscrew audubon website)  Responsibility to take care of something belonging to someone else (or the environment) is important to many people who work for non-profit orgnizations.  Every little effort that any person makes to do this can make a huge impact and promote change.  We all have to work together and do our part to conserve what is left. 

The original purchase of the land was for the audubon group to collect their "bird" feathers to make their fancy hats and have since then added on to their land.  Why would we want to bulldoze and build condos on such beautiful land?  All of the different plants and areas work together in their own little ecosystem and provide something different that another may not be able to do.  If we were to tear down this land, we would be taking a large area that is preserved to stay as natural as possible and make sure that we have some type of "natural" area remaining so we do not destroy the little that we do have left.

Entry #2--Campus Trail Walk

I believe that the campus trail walk and the site selection are consistent with the "eco-empowerment" mission of the university.  I can't believe that there were 21 original locations to where FGCU could have been placed.  I believe that the Alico location was the best choice.  When I think of the location on Colonial and 75 I just think of how congested and "cheap" the area has become... especially with a Walmart right around the corner.  A "nature" school should truly be in the nature, not a congested area.  I was really astounded by the different facts that I learned today about FGCU.  Some of the fun facts of the day....

• Our air conditioning system is based on a "block of ice" that is frozen over-night and the melted cool water is dispersed underneath the ground to cool off the buildings.  It is frozen overnight because it is cheaper to run the electricity and also makes the equipment more efficient because it does not have to work as hard in the Florida heat if done during the day.
• The over hangs that are over the walk ways and the windows help prevent the sun from coming in the buildings during the day to keep the building cool.
• The solar power fields are used to run electricity to half of the new buildings on campus.
• All of the plants on campus that have been placed there are native.
• Academic Building #7 is one of the 3 buildings in our state that is LEAD certified, and at a Platinum level.
• All of our lakes are connected.  They serve to catch the overflow of water and hold it in the area as long as possible so that it can refill the water supply underground.
• The board walks are made with a special wood that is shipped in to our school that will last approximately 50 years and is rot proof and insect proof.
• The rocks along the paths next to the buildings serve to catch the rain water off of the roofs of the buildings to help it seep into the ground instead of causing run-off.

Although the school is environmentally friendly, there are a few things that I disagree with that the school could have done better.

• Although we do have a solar powered field I believe that the panels should have been placed on the tops of the buildings to keep from tearing down the land.
• I did not like watching a video showing how we kicked panthers and other animals out of their homes =(
• The idea of recycling on campus is awesome.. but have you ever truly taken noticed that we are throwing our recyclables into a plastic bag?....
A bee hive in the back trails of campus.
"laxative berries"

I had no particular view point before this tour.  I also found it very interesting that there are so many different types of plants found on our campus that are edible and used for different things such as depression medicine and an antidote to poison ivy. I was freaked out to go on this tour before hand but now that it is over with I can say that I really enjoyed it and getting to know our school better... I am beyond thrilled I did not see one frog even though I got eaten alive by mosquitos!

Entry #1

My expectations for this class are to learn more about the environment and what I can to better myself to help preserve it.  I am honestly not exactly sure what sustainability means, but I know that it has to do with the environment and making decisions to help preserve it. (After typing this I looked up the definition online--"exploiting natural resources without destroying the ecological balance of an area".)  I am studying business management and own my own business called Bronze Appeal.  I specialize in custom air brush spray tans and am completely mobile.  Not only do I provide my services out of my own home, but I also travel to where ever my clients may want me to meet them.

I try to do things that I know make a small difference in the world but I know I still have a lot of bad habits that could use improvement.  As of right now, I can say that I am very big on recycling. I recycle just about everything I can(card board from food packaging, soda cans, empty food containers, empty cleaning supply bottles, etc).  There are areas in my life that could use improvement to be more "green."  I do drive a lot-running all of my errands or scheduling all of my appointments after one another could help me cut back on my carbon footprint.  I am also a clean freak and am constantly cleaning my house-yes this includes harmful chemicals.  I should be checking to make sure that the supplies I am using are good for the environment instead of just buying what ever has the best deal.  As for my business, I have already made sure that the solutions I use for my machine are not harmful to the environment.  I use Norvell solutions which have no known toxins and are water based.  I use original solutions however there are organic ones available if wanted. 

First field trip this Thursday around the campus trail.. nervous about it since the water is high and I am mortified of frogs. We will see how it goes.