Blog #13 Estero Island Cottage

Jo was awesome, she was really knowledgeable about the history of the island becauser she experienced it. her hospitality made the trip sincerly enjoyable. Her cookies and her pictures were wonderful. Then the canoeing triup was just what we needed to really get out and build a relationship with our sense of place!!!

Blog #12 Sustainable Consumerism

What is sustainable consumerism? Well, I think sustainable consumerism is very good idea, but how sustainable can a consumer truly be in this American culture.Not very is what all I have seen, until i moved here to FGCU were it is a requirment to learn how be a sustainable consumer just by taking one of these colloquium classes, ut means buying smarter, not over consuming to the point that you can replenish for future generations.
Capitalism and Globalization promote unsustainable consumerism it is apart of the American culture, We consumer more than any other country, export little. We consume most of the worlds oil, and try to control the rest through wars and other politcally ethical issue. Unsustainable consumerism means that you overconsume and like America export little.

Blog #11 Downtown Fort Myers

Our downtown was full of information of the history and architectural innovation. The word downtown evokes the a historical or old time feel, it makes feel like I'm apart of a community or a culture. The stature in communities have changed overtime because in the early history of downtown Fort Myers was known for innovation.mthe reason that downtown was known for this was because of three men Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, and Harvey Firestone! They were immortalized in this fountain:

Blog #10 Ecological Footprint

When I tcalculated my Eco-footprint the website reminded me just how much I Ido consume. It would take 4.3 Earth's to sustain my current standard of living. I did not think that my lifestyle was that detrimental the environment, but according to this calculator I am one of the worst abusers of our Eco-system. It said that my worst category was food which I can agree with because I do eat meat everyday. My best category was mobility because I tend to carpool often in order to save gas money.

Blog #9

Is energy to cheap? No, at least not my bills from FPL. is conservation a dirty word? 8 believe conservation is not a dirty word, because we needed to conserve at least some of the natural beauty of the environment. the biggest issue with conservation in my mind is human greed. The United States of American is the most individualistic country in the world and this has caused a rapid growth in urbanization. the funny things about improving your standard living is that ou a deforming the environments natural feel literally. These urban jungles and increasing revenue is all we care about these days. President carter and his famous fireplace talks have inspired people to make a change in their lives by turning the thermostats down a couple of degrees in the winter and up a few in summer, but even these direct presidential talks allowed people to ridicule him calling him "Jimmy Cardigan." With regards to alternative energies I believe that goverment intervention is editable, but I would like to think of myself as a "free-marketeer" but I am just another one of the individual's living in a ethnocentric community.the renewable energy that has the most potential in my mind is Solar energy. Because like every living thing we get energy from the sun, it grows our food, and can even power our stoves...The steps that I could take tomorrow to change my ecological footprint would be to carpool instead of driving my non eco-friendly car which gets only about 17 miles per gallon. In the next five years I will hopefully be making more money which does in fact open up more doors to be sustainable, because I therefore buy a more fuel effiecient car which could market the new growing initiative for going green!

Image Source:
http://www.industrialinterface.com/blog/2009/12/13/sustainable-energy-best-infographic-ever/

Blog #8 Climate Change

In my view climate change is caused by a combination of both man made and natural forces. So the real question is should we believe the media or just keep polluting without a care in the world because we think that all of these horrific so "natural disasters" keep happening around the world. I believe that climate change is editable but humans with all there urbanization have just made the rate at which the climate naturally evolves increase. So where do we get information about climate change or in other words who is a credible source? Well I would most likely believe a scientist over a preacher, so therefore, I think that the most creditable sources of tracking climate change would be the scientific community. Another source could be the elderly because they my have actually experienced some of these climate changes and will be able to explain their first hand experience.The real question is will there be a planet for our grandchildren or will climate evolve into something inhabitable by them? Only a higher power would know that.

Blog #7

Eucalyptus Tree

In general the eucalyptus tree is quite desirable for many reasons it grows quickly, and produces a natural insecticide. These oils can also be used for cleaning, but what the eucalyptus tree is most widely known for at least in our area of the world is for its ability to suck up water. This tree could change the natural environment. The benefits of genetically modifying organisms is that we are able to yield different outcomes from each GM tree. Another major benefit is that some GMO's actually allow farmers to have higher yields of production. Some concerns of planting these trees would be that these GM trees could cause major habitat tranformations for wildlife. In order to minimize these risks there must be some way of regulating them, maybe make them illegal to plant in swamping areas. I believe the benefits do not outweigh the risk.

Blog #6 ECHO

My overall opinion of ECHO was that it was a vital organization that greatly contributes to the fight against world hunger. The one thing that differentiates ECHO from other educational hunger control organizations is that they do not just give away food; they teach the civilians of these third world countries to grow their own food. So, if you are looking for charity than ECHO is not the organization for you, but ECHO really implements the ideas of the old saying

 “Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day, teach a man to fish, and you feed a man for life.”

ECHO stands for Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization and I believe that this is a great organization that teaches appropriate technology where they emphasize relatively small scale technologies that are not only eco-friendly, but are also very labor intensive. These small scale technologies seem relatively scarce in the “American” agriculture today; it seems that there has been a change throughout history from traditional farming to the highly lucrative factory type of farming. As you can tell my view on “American” agriculture today does not exactly correlate with the view of ECHO. I would be interesting in staying at ECHO for a month or two but I do not think I would want to leave the comforts of not having to kill my meat myself. I would probably become a vegetarian.

Blog # 5

The major elements of “sustainable” farming are to feed everyone while improving the quality of the environment, and to also get the most out of our non-renewable resources. The type of farming not only promotes a healthier life for farmers but for society as a whole. Ecological principles are woven into this framework because the whole idea behind “sustainable” farming is that it is based on the ecology of the natural environment, where we focus on the relationship between organisms and their environment. Which would you buy organic or naturally labeled foods?

Personally I would buy organic just because of the fact that the USDA must approve it organic, rather than just having things that labeled “hormone free” or “all-natural”. I feel disconnected with the current food system because I cannot afford the luxuries of pricy organic foods.

If I was given the chance to grow vegetables or fruit on campus would you?

Yes, I would love to try it and see how easy or difficult it really is to grow your own, rather than buying your food. 

Reflective entry on Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

The Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary was established in 1954 after logging of the Bald Cypress Trees began wiping out the native swamp.The National Audubon Society joined to save and preserve native species within this natural habitat.

Winding through the boardwalk through the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary we came across distinct eco-systems. Pond Cypress, Bald Cypress, Pine flatwoods, and wet prairie along with marsh wetlands.

While trailing through the wetlands, we spotted a Snowy Egret. In the late 1800's plume hunters killed thousands of Snowy Egrets for their feathers which were made into high fashion hats. In 1896 there was a campaign to boycott feathered hats and to protect wading birds.

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Corkscrew has the first Living Machine waste water treatment system permitted in Florida. This innovative system, designed by Dr. John Todd, mimics nature with it's natural water restoration system instead of an artificial water treatment plant. The aquatic treatment system restores waste water to near-drinkable quality using native, nutrient-absorbing wetland plants and animals. The water flows through six different filtering tanks, using limestone sediments along with other native plants to clean the water.

Although when the water exits the filtering tank system it is clean, but state regulators require further precautions. It is disinfected with chlorine, pumped to a holding tank, and then pumped to a chamber to dechlorinate the water with sodium sulfite. The water is then recycled into the restrooms for flushing.

Conservation is the wise use, regulation, and restoration of the environment with endangered species. Stewardship can be known as the responsibility to take care of something belonging to someone else. Stewardship also symbolizes responsible planning and management of resources. Private non-profit organizations model how people should become a component in sustaining our environment and conserving the natural resources of our Earth.

Like-minded people can create change by bringing different backgrounds and aspects of the environmental movement together to collaborate. Civic Engagement requires individuals along with collective group actions to address the public issues. Not only working together will create change, but individual actions become the basis of progress.

The Corkscrew Sanctuary is part of the natural flow of water through the Everglades out to the South Gulf. The restorative efforts will improve the quality and quantity of water for the environment of Southwest Florida.

University's Mission Consistent with Location

Is Florida Gulf Coast University’s “eco-empowerment” mission consistent with the selection and construction of the campus site?

Let me dissect this question a little bit more in order to completely comprehend what it is that we are questioning. What is the University’s “eco-empowerment” mission? The mission statement and vision of FGCU can be found from this web link:

http://www.fgcu.edu/info/mission.asp

The selection of the campus site was narrowed down to two locations the Alico site which is the location that was selected and the Colonial site which is farther north is Fort Myers. I believe that the pros of selecting this site outweigh the cons. The reasons why FGCU chose the Alico site was because it was less developed had a great surrounding ecosystem that was and still is thriving. This thriving ecosystem in which our school was built on has been conserved and protected by the University better than anyone else could have, because this school makes learning about being more sustainable and eco-friendly mandatory for its graduates.  Florida Gulf Coast University has made environmental sustainability one its top priorities. Some have argued that the construction of this university has contradicted everything that we stand for as a University, but what they do not understand is that with this University and it’s prime location we have affectively began planning for our future generations health and sustainability through the education of this generation. Just think about the number of students that have graduated from FGCU, now think about how many of those students took Colloquium, your right 100 percent of them, meaning that Florida Gulf Coast University is making a difference in this global fight to promote sustainability. In conclusion I would have to say that Florida Gulf Coast University has succeeded in their mission to empower their students with a vast knowledge of sustainability.

Arbor Day Tree Planting Ceremony

On Friday morning at 10:00 FGCU faculty, staff, and students including myself planted 36 oak trees surrounding the central campus lawn.  Everyone that attended this event contributed somehow and in some way, because they knew we were there for a good reason. I pride myself on the fact that these trees will grow along with this campus and will without a doubt contribute to this University’s environmental initiative and its natural beauty.  What I like most about this ceremony was that we did get dirty and we did make an immediate difference to not only the environment, but also to the appearance of our campus.

Florida Gulf Coast University Nature Trail

In this picture we see the lake from a view from the bridge. On the way to South Housing last summer I actually noticed a pretty good sized gator in this lake while I was working for the University installing signage during the construction of Palmetto Hall.

This picture illustrates some sort of Wasp's nest, but we are not 100% positive.

 Throughout our nature walk here at FGCU we observed a ton of species of plants and trees. Some species are considered to be exotic or invasive meaning that they are not natural to the Southwest Florida environment. One of these invasive species of trees is the Melaleuca tree, which was introduced in order to perform a certain function such as "improve the Southwest Florida environment for human habitation" by drying up the wet lands. These trees have invaded the Southwest Florida ecosystem, and are very detrimental to our fragile environment. Their paper like texture and rate of spread have caused for their removal.    

Course Expectations and Personal Views of Sustainability

My expectations for this course include:

Ø  A better understanding of the Florida ecosystem.

Ø  To develop a more healthy and eco-friendly life-style.

Ø  Spread “green awareness.”

Ø  Promote “green business practices.”

In my mind sustainability is the principle that encapsulates all aspects of the relationship between humans and the environment in which we live in.  From a business management perspective sustainability is critical to a successful business environment. In business sustainable practices are becoming more of managerial norm, every year more and more firms are implementing a “going green” policy or a new waste management policy. One way that I am personally unsustainable is through consumption of fuel, because my car is not very fuel efficient.

FGCU Colloquium

Ahoy, John Rice here from Florida Gulf Coast University. I am a senior hoping to graduate sometime next fall, but I am just taking it one credit hour at a time. Throughout this course I hope to learn more about the relationship that we share with our local environment and how easy it is to both prevent and cause damage to our ecosystem. Colloquium is mandatory at the University, but it has a great reputation of being one of the best and most memorable courses throughout the alumni community, so I am lokking forward to it. This concludes my first post on my blog for the semester, pictures and updates coming soon!