Crokscrew Sanctuary

The Living Machine mimics nature because it is a natural water restoration system instead of an artificial water treatment plant. Its innovative aquatic treatment system restores waste water to near-drinkable quality using native, nutrient-absorbing wetland plants and animals. The water that passes through the system is typically more pure than water that comes from municipal water treatment plants.

Stewardship is responsible management of natural resource. Conservation is to educate to preserve land, water and energy for the future.The role of private  non-profits is to manage the natural resource of the Crokscrew Sanctuary and to educate the public with their tours on how to help protect the natural life.

We will have a greater impact on our community by raising awarness about environmental sustainability.We need to preserve and conserve our land for are future generation.

Estero Island/Matanzas

I was interest and surprise to learn that the Estero Island Cottage and Matanzas Pass was on Fort Myers Beach.We meet a older women that educate us about the history of Estero and the Cottage. The Cottage was built in and 1920s, and survived the great 1926 hurricane, and is still standing strong today. On our walk on the boardwalk we learn and taste each type of mangrove.

The quality of life is being enhanced with more shopping mall and more roads construction. We designing energy saving building

My hometown has change due to the economy and safety.  We have less young adult, there are more childrens playing indoor than outdoor, there camera on every traffic light and less stop sign

If a developer offered me 300% the market value of my childhood home to develop into condo I would have to decline. Living in a condo don't give you the sense of a community. Condo are usually a 1 or 2 bedroom. There were made for single and partners. Not for familys.


Yes I would sell the land to the county under the 20/20 program have four main objectives:

• Protect and preserve natural wildlife habitat
• Protect and preserve water quality and supply
• Protect developed lands from flooding
• Provide resource-based recreation

Globalization and Sustainable Consumerism

A "sustainable consumerism" is buying orgain food, green products , and energy saver appliance or electronic.Capitalism and Globalization can both be positve or negative.  Negative, because anything with a organic or natural label are more expensive. Positive, because it could educate us about how are wastefulness is effecting are environment. Greenwash is the practice of companies making product appear to be environmentally friendly by putting them in green package, claiming they are sustainable. For example:

Tyson Chicken, for promoting its products as "all natural," even though the company treats its chickens with antibiotics. Cereal boxes are tattooed with claims of vitamins, antioxidants and fiber. But those Vitamin C-packed berries may also contain pesticide residue. Cereal maker Kraft, for example, produces a Natural Advantage line of cereal that includes “antioxidants” and “natural fiber.” Yet the company uses genetically modified corn, potatoes, and soy in its morning treats, as well as milk products from rBGH (growth hormone)-treated cows. Clorox, for example, is using common greenwashing images of a leafy forest to cash in on the green revolution and to promote their Green Works Cleaning Wipes. They advertise the wipes as being biodegradable, but what about the chemicals in the wipes, how well do they break down in the environment? And the plastic container that these wipes are packaged in is definitely not biodegradable.

I would prefer buying food local because it cheaper, use less chemical, and packaging.Several studies have shown that when you buy from an independent, locally owned business, rather than a nationally owned businesses, significantly more of your money is used to make purchases from other local businesses, service providers and farms -- continuing to strengthen the economic base of the community.

I usually shop at the mom and pop stores rather than a chain store. I eat more haitian-culture food than non-culture food. The mom and pop store have more of the ingredient I need to make a haitian meal. The chain store are usually more expensive and are not sustainable. Most of the product at the mom and pops store are locally grown or purchase

My social trap is driving more than walking. I live in a small town. By car it take 5minute to get to your desination, by foot 15minute to one hour.

ECHO

I enjoy the ECHO field trip and I learn uniques gardening technigues. Turken Chicken and turning cow manure into gas for cooking and lighting was the particular thing that stand out for me. I feel their work is relevant to the developing world it help them become more productive in farming. They use less chemical and more resource compare to the "American" agriculture. I learn about the Moringa. Moringa has a variety of uses.  Its leaves, flowers, and pods are food source for humans and animals. The flowers are a googd nectar source for honey, and the seeds are rich oil source for cooking and lubricant uses. The roots are a source of a spice and many parts of the plant have been used in medicinal preparations. Even very muddy water can be cleared when crushed seeds are added.  I performing my service learning hours with ECHO and I will continued throughtout my college years at FGCU.

Downtown Fort Myers

The word "downtown" make you think a secrete place where the adults goes to be free. A place where everybody with different background and with one common goal is to relax and let loose. A place where you are not judge by the color of your skin, gender, and sexual preference.

Some of the “nods to history” that I saw in the tour was the homage to the Olympians, the only museum in the world that displays the artworks of past Olympians.  Several monuments dedicated to Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Harvey Firestone, the great inventors, who all once resided in Fort Myers.  There are even several historical plaques, which mark a certain time in history involving the Calusa natives, amongst other significant moments in time, placed throughout the downtown area. One of my favorite art work was the tile mosaic depicting the history of Southwest Florida. The images included, the Seminole Indians, frontiersmen, and the World War II infantries positioned in this area.

A lot of the building built in WWII is being used today.  This is sustainable when thinking about the cost and environmental effects of new construction.

Sustainable meal-orgainc cornbread

 8 tablespoons unsalted organic butter (1 stick), divided
 1 1/4 cups finely ground stone ground organic yellow cornmeal
 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
 1 teaspoon baking powder
 1 teaspoon baking soda
 1 teaspoon fine salt
 2 large eggs
 1 1/2 cups buttermilk, shaken before using
 Heat the oven to 450°F and arrange a rack in the middle.
 Place 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large (10-inch) cast iron skillet; set aside. In a small saucepan or using the microwave, melt the remaining 6 tablespoons butter; set aside.
 Place cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
 Whisk eggs in a medium bowl until frothy, then whisk in buttermilk until incorporated. Pour egg mixture into flour mixture and, using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir until dry streaks are just   incorporated. (Do not overmix.) Fold in the melted butter until just combined, then let the mixture sit for 5 minutes.
 Meanwhile, place the skillet in the oven until hot, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and swirl the melted butter around to coat the bottom of the pan.
 Pour the batter into the hot skillet and bake until golden brown and a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Place the skillet on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes before   serving. To serve, cut wedges directly from the skillet or let the cornbread cool for another 15 minutes before inverting onto a plate.

Genetically modified eucalyptus

1. Ecology of the Eucalyptus tree.

• EucalyptusAustralian trees are good for making paper. They are terrible for just about everything else – soil, insects, plants, and waterthe trees from down under support fewer insects, birds and other animals endemic to the United States. Worse, they create toxic conditions in the soil and their canopies block out sunlight for underlying plants. They hog water and yet easily catch fire, relying on fire to spread their seeds.

http://news.discovery.com/earth/genetically-modified-eucalyptus-trees-ignite-controversy.html

2. Benefit of this technology

• ArborGen points out that the high growth rate will allow the company to grow more wood on less land, which could provide a boost to the region’s timber exports. What’s more, the wood could potentially serve as a biofuel feedstock.
  http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/80beats/2010/02/01/will-genetically-modified-eucalyptus-trees-transform-southern-forests/

3. Intrinsic Concern

• Eucalyptus are internationally known for their devastating impacts–from invasiveness to wildfires to their ability to worsen droughts.  Massive wildfires in Australia earlier this year were fueled by eucalyptus, which contains a highly volatile oil. 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. 

http://bigteaparty.com/genetically-modified-eucalyptus-trees-threaten-southern-us/

4. Extrinsic Concern

• ArborGen would likely revolutionize the timber industry and the Southern landscape by becoming the first company to roll out bioengineered trees on a massive scale.By adopting eucalyptus as a tree stock, the United States would simply be catching up with countries like Brazil, which has leveraged vast tree plantations in recent decades to pivot from a net wood importer to an exporter.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=eucalyptus-genetically-modified-pine-tree-southwest-forest

peak oil and green energy



"Conservation a Dirty Word"

Farming Methods

• Use of chemicals on the land
• The effects of felling trees and uprooting hedges
  

Recreation

• Killing animals and plants (e.g. plant collection, over fishing, over hunting, egg collecting, insect collecting).
• Blood sports (e.g. fox hunting, badger baiting, hare coursing, wildfowling, game bird shooting).
• Accidental killing of plants and animals (e.g. careless fire lighters and campers, flower pickers, litter
  spreading etc.).

Industrialisation

• Building houses, factories, towns, cities and roads.
• Disposing of the by-products of industry such as slag heaps, waste heaps, air and water pollution, dangerous
  chemicals and nuclear waste.
• Using renewable materials (e.g. trees for making paper, crops, animals for food etc.).
• Using non-renewable resources (e.g. minerals, coal and oil).

"Methods of Conservation"

By law
Giving protection to animals and plant species or special areas of land or water.

Restoration
To restore unsightly countryside (e.g. waste tips and slag heaps etc.).

Alternative Energy
A need to find alternative resources to replace coal and oil etc.

Nature Reserves and Zoos
Of special value in preserving rare animal species.

Recycling
Reprocessing of unwanted products (e.g. newspapers, scrap metals, glass and sewage etc.).

Education
Making more people aware of the need to protect and preserve the environment through schools, youth organizations and the media.

http://www.ypte.org.uk/environmental/what-is-conservation-/5



I would inform Jimmy Cardigan on the reason renewable energy is not are main source of energy. Renewable energy has generally been more expensive to produce and use than fossil fuels. Renewable resources are often located in remote areas, and it is expensive to build power lines to the cities where the electricity they produce is needed. The use of renewable sources is also limited by the fact that they are not always available — cloudy days reduce solar power; calm days reduce wind power; and droughts reduce the water available for hydropower.

http://www.eia.doe.gov/energyexplained/index.cfm?page=renewable_home

I agree with the government intervention to steer us away from fossil fuel. Fossil fuel are use more than can be produce. It known to release greenhouse gases which cause pollution. Scientist believe it the leading cause of climate change. Different source of energy such as solar and wind power use less energy.

Renewable energy

 

Sustainable Agricuture

8 Major Element of Sustainable Farming
1: Sustainable Crop Production
2: Ecosystem Management and Protection
 3: Resource Conservation and Energy Efficiency
4: Integrated Waste Management
 5: Fair Labor Practices
 6: Community Benefits
7: Product Quality
8: Product Safety and Purity
http://www.scscertified.com/fff/sustainable_agriculture.php

The ecological principles woven into this framework is that Sustainable farming is healthy for the environment. protect the natural resource base on which agriculture depends.reduce air, soil and, above all, water pollution from pesticide residues and from fertiliser and livestock effluent run-offs.biotechnology breeding plants with genetic resistance to diseases, pests and broad-spectrum herbicides, but also in developing traits that deliver clear benefits for food/feed processing, consumer, industrial and pharmaceutical applications.
http://www.agronomica.org/SF.htm

No, I  don't buy organic or naturally labeled food because they usually expensive. I'm disconnect with the current food system because I don't know the facts of the food system agricultural production and consumption pattern.

The "Third Frontier" is genetitic engineering in food and environment.

Yes I would be interested in growing my own vegetable and fruits if I was giving a space on campus to do so.

 

Introduction to Colliquium

I was expect to learn and understand the definifition of the word colliquium and why we are require to take in FGCU and not the other universities in Florida. My personal behavior that are unsustainable are using more energy from renewable source .Wasting water by taking fiften minute to take a shower and five minute to brush my teeth while letting the water run. Not using any public transportation to get to school or work; and flying four time out of the year.

Political Science relating to sustainability or ecology
1.Examines the politics of environmental degradation in countries of the global south, a.k.a. the developing world, through case studies of topics including Amazonian deforestation in Brazil, international development projects in India, and oil drilling in the Niger Delta.

2.Considers the special problems posed by environmental collective action for international policymakers; some of the primary actors and organizations involved in addressing environmental problems; and selected international environmental issues such as global warming, ozone depletion, and rain forest destruction.

3.An intensive investigation into the history and theory of environmental ethical and political thought.

4.Examines the politics of environmental transformation in Florida, including issues of water supply, growth management and Everglades restoration. This course supplements the department's offerings in environmental politics.

(http://www.registar.ufl.edu/catlog/programs/courses/political.htm)

Eco footprint

According to Eco Footprint calculation if everyone lived like me we would need 3.8 Planet Earth to provide enough resources and it will take 16.8 global acres of the Earth productive area.To reduce my footprint by 0.6 to 3.2 Planet Earths I could eat fewer animal-base foods, purchase products that use less packaging or are made out of recycled material , use more energy from renewable sources, switched to more energy-efficent appliances, use more public transportation instead of driving my car, and take a local holiday instead of flying.  If the average American ecofootprint is 4.6(earth)  it will take 20.3 global acres of the Earth's productive area to sustain there lifestyle. To reduce the foot print by 0.7 Planet Earths to 4.6 Planet Earths is to eat more local food and fewer procressed foods, and use other source of transportation.( http://www.footprintnetwork.org/)

Climate change

Climate changes are cause by natural and human.  Natural factors responsible for climate changes are continental drift, volcanoes, and ocean currents.  Human contributed with the rise of greenhouse gases and our others daily activities.  To find the most reliable source on climate change is by visiting the United State Environment Protect Agency website to lean about scientific finds concerning changes in the climate or join the global debated about what or how the government and industries should react.  The media portrayed climate change to be caused by human activities.  The portrayal makes me more likely to alter my lifestyle by being more aware of the amount of electricity I used, find other source of transportation, and use less paper.  The future effect of the climate change for my children and grand children’s will probably be more severe storms and floods, rising sea level which will reduce the quality and quantity of freshwater supplies, and most of the world endangered spices may become extinct.

Global Environmental Issues: Global Warming

The most pressing global environment issue facing us today is Global Warming. Global Warming an issue of climate change cause by human activities such as driving, turn on lights, and heating and cooling the homes. If I was giving $100 billion to address global warming  and have to divide the money 100% on the issues of Global Warming. I would hire a group of scientist to plant and protect trees that store the carbon dioxide our society produce on a daily basic (20%). Which will help the economy by employing individual in the planting and maintenance of million of trees each years (10%). Fund  law to give company tax break on encouraging carpool. Carpool minimizes the amount of greenhouse gases put into the air by automobile (10%). Fund laws to give insurance tax breaks on healthy individual by lowing their insurance rates by being healthy. Being healthy active help with the air pollution and energy saving cost by using less energy products such as watching television,  being on the computer, and using appliances (10%). Funding public transportation (20%). Help fund the law to pass the Clean Air Act in every state. The Clean Air Act is making companies change their product such as hair spray and cars to stop air pollution and endangering are lives (30%).

"discipinarties" and relationshop to sustainability

Louv. R. emphasis on the "Nature-Deficit Disorder" and "The Third Frontier"

1.His argument seems believable in "Third Frontier," Louv stated "research flood trees with genetic material taken from viruses and bacteria to make them grow faster to create better wood products, or to enable trees to clean polluted soil." Cattle are injected with hormones to make them grow faster and dairy cows are given a genetically engineered hormones called rBGH to increase milk production...2. Our improved quality of life trump our need for nature. For example, we rather play farm ville on facebook than take a class on gardening or volunteer at Echo or Eco Preserve...3.Our generation is succumbing to this disorder of nature. Education shouldn't be straight from a book. I believe all sscience student should go on a nature walk or dissect animals. ..4. "The Third Frontier." is technology taking over are involvement with nature in a negative way. We believe we should have control over are animal and plants reproduction system.