Estero Island Cottage and Matanzas Pass

I was surprised by our experience at Estero Island Cottage and Matanzas Pass. I loved going in the little college and listening to the little old lady speak to us for over an hour on the history of the area. It made me feel warm and cozy, like I was sitting in the living room of my grandmother. I enjoyed hearing her first-hand account on the changes that the Ft. Myers Beach area had gone through over the decades- including the hurricanes and the influx of industry. I also liked walking around the area and seeing the mangroves, hearing the bees buzzing and the fish jumping, as well as smelling the fresh fruits and plants that were in abundance. I grew up in the Cape Coral/Ft. Myers area. Just throughout my short lifetime, I can say that I have seen many changes in the area. When I was younger, the area was less built up. Within recent years, I have seen a huge increase in the amount of shopping centers, restaurants, and recreational facilities. I think this has promoted an even greater sense of community since we now have more places to congregate and get to know each other. If a developer approached me offering me 300% the market value of my home to build condominiums over it, or 80% the market value of my county under the 20/20 program, I do not think I would accept it. Although money is important, there is no value for the memories a childhood home or neighborhood holds. I am very sentimental and reminiscent, and I would feel like I was "selling out" if I allowed a desire for money to affect my decisions.

Sustainable Consumerism

"Sustainable consumerism" is a term to describe environmentally-healthy practices used by businesses or companies marketing a product/food etc., as well as the individuals who are buying these environmentally-conscious products. On the large scale, industrialization and capitalism are usually in opposition to this sustainability. The focus of capitalism is widespread marketing, mass production, and gaining the most financial profit with the least amount of effort or economic input. For these reasons, most large corporations or industries let their greed cloud their concern for sustainability. Despite this, "going green" has gained some popularity in recent times. As a result of this, some companies have tried to promote a feeling of environmental awareness and friendliness (this is usually a facade). This is known as "greenwashing"- or a deceptive form of green marketing which leads individuals to believe that a company's policies or products are environmentally-friendly. I would be willing to spend a little bit more money on occasion to buy products that were TRULY organic, as opposed to fast foods distributed by monopolized organizations. After analyzing my eating habits for example, I noticed that I actually do support a lot of local "mom and pop" restaurants than I thought. I have become familiar with a number small, "fair-trade" coffee shops and eateries in the area that I enjoy going to. This benefits the local community as well as the developing nations worldwide.

Downtown

When I hear the word "downtown", I imagine an area with a variety of shops, restaurants, art galleries, and parks. I imagine many people flocking their to hang out and relax. I think that they are a culturally-diverse and unique area of any city, having the ability to appeal to various types of people. Downtown Ft. Myers is no exception. It can be said to be going through a type of "renaissance" because it is opening many art galleries, museums, and theatres. It frequently is home to art and music festivals. Whenever I travel to Downtown Ft. Myers, I feel like the artistic side of me is nurtured. It is particularly impressive because of its architecture which gives an antique feel to the community. Instead of bulldozing these fairly-old buildings and replacing them with modern architecture, they have remained and simply been transformed into functioning hotels, restaurants, and government buildings. This reflects sustainability because it shows how effectively buildings can be preserved, restored, and recycled- helping them to serve many purposes over the years. The "pedestrian spirit" is encouraged in Downtown Ft. Myers because it offers plenty of sidewalks for people to walk, jog, rollerblade, and skateboard. It has many parks where people can play volleyball, picnic, and stargaze. There are many landmarks around the Downtown area which commemorate different veterans and soldiers from the Civil War. I think the area has transformed over time because it has begun to appeal to younger audiences by the increasing night life.

Ecological Footprint

According to the quiz, if everyone lived like me, we would need 6.3 earths. This is a horrible score, especially considering that that is a higher score than the average for people in the United States. I feel like the reason why I scored this way is because I eat meat everyday, I have a big house, and I drive frequently due to my far commute to school and work. Through exploring the scenarios, if I reduced my meat consumption by half, my impact would go down to 5.7 earths. If I purchased products with less packaging and that used 100% post-consumer recycled material, my impact would decline even further to 5.4 earths. I think my biggest problem is the fact that I live in a 3200 sq ft home. What the quiz doesn't realize though is the fact that I live in this house with my parents who are fairly elderly and I am rarely home. We don't use a lot of electronic appliances and much of the house is unused. Despite this, my ecological footprint would still be quite large. If everyone on earth lived like American citizens, we would not be able to have a very large population on earth. We would probably only be able to hold about 1 billion and a half people.

The Price of Energy

In a monetary sense, I don't feel like energy is too cheap. Many individuals allocate a large percentage of their funds to powering their homes and putting gasoline in their vehicles. But if an individual in an industrialized country takes a step back and examines this issue further, I think he/she would agree that energy is very "cheap" in the more abstract sense of the word. We don't think twice about leaving lights, electronics, or appliances turned on. Although the price of gasoline has bothered many, few individuals have taken up walking or riding bicycles as an alternative. Americans view energy as expendable and ever-present. "Conservation" is viewed as a dirty word to many- meaning it holds a negative connotation. To lazy individuals, conservation implies effort, time, thought, and money. Conserving resources requires the implementation of tactics that are not always convenient. I believe that Jimmy Carter addressed an issue long before many people had the courage to speak about it. I applaud him for making the world aware of the energy crisis that we are now facing. He was on the right track decades ago- long before many. Personally, I feel like there may need to be more government intervention in regards to the environment. Generally I hate the government and want as little to do with it as possible, but in this case, it may be necessary for something bigger than the individual, to step in and require changes to be made. Energy conservation is a serious matter and enough time has already been wasted. If the government steps in now and models appropriate behavior and funds the production of renewable resources such as solar panels, wind turbines etc., much good can be done. Solar panels have a great deal of upside potential due to the limitlessness of the sun's power, as well as the fact that they don't have to necessarily be large and take up lots of space. I will make it my goal short-term and long-term to reduce my eco-footprint on the earth. I will make more attempts to carpool with my friends, take quicker showers and stop running the water while brushing my teeth, washing dishes etc., turn off lights, computers, appliances when they are not in use, and recycle more.

Climate Change

Climate change is the significant change in the statistical distribution of weather patterns over time. This includes the change in temperatures worldwide, as well as the frequency of extreme weather events (natural disaster etc.). I believe that natural factors are partly responsible for such changes, such as continental drift, mountain building, solar radiation, and deviations in Earth's orbit. For the most part though, I think that human behavior is truly to blame for the change in climate, more specifically, the heating of the planet, that has been taking place over the years. Mankind's energy waste, land degradation, and overall lack of concern for the conservation of non-renewable resources, has caused much of the alteration in climate that we are currently experiencing. Climate change or "global warming" has been popular in the media lately. A very "gloom and doom" approach has been taken. Many people say that the world is going to end and that we are all going to die soon as a result of our actions. Popular figures such as Al Gore place extreme blame on humankind and attempt to guilt people into changing their lifestyle. Others claim that climate change isn't happening at all and that it is simply a figment of people's imagination or a hoax created to fulfill political agendas. For these reasons, it is hard to get a balanced or accurate viewpoint on the truthfulness of climate change. I feel like agencies such as The United States Environmental Protection Agency might give a more accurate look at the realities and the hard evidence of climate change. Even if global warming may be exaggerated by some agencies and underplayed by others, I believe that very few can deny that action needs to be taken by all of us to reduce our impact on the environment. If we continue consuming and disposing of resources like we are today, our future generations will have a hard time. They may live in a world with very little access to necessities such as water, food, and gasoline. They could develop horrible health problems due to toxins and poisons in the air, soil, and water.

Hypothetical Scenario

ArborGen (a biotech company) has expressed a desire to plant test plots of genetically modified eucalyptus here at FGCU! This GM eucalyptus has been engineered with enhanced cold tolerance. This allows it to grow not only in Southwest Florida, but potentially as far north as South Carolina. As an eco-aware citizen, the USDA has subpoenaed you to testify on the merits and pitfalls of this plan.

Eucalyptus plants can be found on all parts of the earth. They range from being the size of a small shrub, to taking on the form of a tree (some as tall as 300 ft). They generally have long slender leaves with flower buds that vary from white, to yellow, to red, to pink. They are mostly found in tropical areas due to their cold intolerance. They are known to be excellent sources of wood as well as great draining and absorbing tools. One downfall of the eucalyptus is the fact that they can often be fire hazards due to the oil that is produced on its leaves.

Genetically-modifying this species so that it will have a higher tolerance to the cold and adding it to the campus of FGCU, would have many benefits. It would be a beautiful addition to the university and would prove to be an excellent source of aesthetic pleasure. Unfortunately though, there would be a few concerns to consider. Instrinsically, the eucalyptus could be a fire hazard here in Florida. As previously mentioned, the oil on the leaves increase it's chance of setting on fire. In an area that is known for dry spells, it may not be the best idea to place such a species so close to a major university. An extrinsic concern would be the fact that FGCU's wetlands are a major component of the school. The eucalyptus, as previously stated, is known to drain and absorb water. If this were to take place on campus, it would mean death for many of the species and habitats on campus. Despite all of this, I think it would be beneficial to conduct further cost-effective research on this genteically-modified species and to weigh the pros and cons. In addition, the monitoring and maintenance of this tree could be included in the course requirements of classes held here at FGCU as well as be opened up as a service learning option. This way, the cost of outside labor would be minimized.

In this case, I believe that the benefits outweigh the risks. By trying such a unique experiment, FGCU would stand out as an environmental pioneer and would receive much merit and accolades for their courage and ingenuity. This would be beneficial to not only the students and staff, but for many other states who could be introduced to this cold-tolerant eucalyptus.

ECHO Field Trip

I thoroughly enjoyed our visit to ECHO, or Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization, in Ft. Myers. ECHO is a non-profit organization with the goal of creating sustainable solutions to the problem of world hunger. They team up with other organizations and networks to educate and lend support to poor farmers internationally and to feed the world. This idealistic goal is incredibly noteworthy to me. I like the fact that instead of "giving a man a fish", ECHO's focus is on "teaching a man to fish". In other words, by providing the knowledge of how to farm sustainably, they are helping people worldwide to implement the same practices and to learn how to feed themselves. This type of work has longterm and far-reaching benefits. Throughout our visit, I saw so many cool and unique things. I loved looking at the different resources they were able to grow crops out of- tires, old shoes, kiddie pools etc. I thought this was an excellent display of creativity at its finest. In every little aspect, the land at ECHO is designed in a way that is purposeful. This stands in stark contrast to the typical view on "American Agriculture". Most American farms are wasteful and lazy. If better thought and planning was put into the majority of farming techniques, incomparable benefits could be reaped. I believe that the mass majority of people would feel like ECHO's ideology is not suitable for the developing world because it requires a great deal of time and effort. Although this is true, the human race needs to get over it's laziness and it's need for constant gratification in order to overcome the countless problems that are earth is currently undergoing. More agricultural organizations like ECHO should step in and help spread these techniques to people all over the world. "Appropriate technology" is a term used to describe tools that fit the social and cultural needs of a society. Lastly, I would love doing some of my service learning with this agency. I appreciate what they stand for and I had a great time learning about all that they do. I'm sure volunteering with them would be a rewarding and educational experience.

Sustainable Farming

Sustainable farming entails taking steps to make as little of a negative impact on the environment as possible. Ultimately, principles of ecology are interwoven into the maintenance of agriculture in order to satisfy the basic human needs, while simultaneously enhancing the environmental quality and the natural resource base for farmers and society as a whole. Some of these methods include the utilization of organic fertilizers and pesticides, biodegradable shipping and packaging materials, local distribution vs widespread, and minimal use of machinery. All of these alternatives are used in an effort to reduce the overall "carbon footprint" of each farm. In regards to natural or organic foods, I personally do not purchase or consume very high quantities of them. I respect the idea of them and agree that more people should eat them, yet I honestly can't say that I live my life in accordance with the ideal that I claim to support. As a college student, I don't have a lot of money and I am constantly on the run. As a result of this, my diet consists of mostly cheap and "fast" foods. Consuming organic products is more expensive and less convenient for the phase of life that I am currently in. I think the idea of having a personal garden is noble and I appreciate it. I think it would be rewarding to put time and effort into planting some crops and then seeing them grow and getting to eat them. Unfortunately I must say that I have never actually done this before, but hopefully in the future when my life is a little less chaotic, I will try this.

Most Pressing Global Environmental Issue

I know that there are many pressing environmental issues that are causing widespread fear and concern for the future of our planet. Some of these include climate change, deforestation, species extinction, and water degradation. Although the problem of climate change or global warming may be the most concerning and has definitely gained the most attention in the media as of recently, I feel like it may be the hardest to undo. Don't get me wrong, I definitely agree that more money and time should be allocated to environmental projects that will benefit our earth and stop it from the supposed "heating up" that is taking place, but the effects of human actions and behaviors on this planet will be incredibly difficult to reverse. There is a different issue that is of particular concern to me that has been affecting human populations for ages now. The problem of improper or insufficient food circulation bothers me to no end. I can't understand how this globe has the capability of providing every person on this earth with enough food and nourishment to live comfortably, yet much of the earth's population goes to bed starving every night. Too many people are malnourished and dying from starvation and lack of a proper diet. Meanwhile, countries like the U.S. are full of people stuffing their faces with hamburgers and having an incredible excess of food. If I had 100 billion dollars,  I would dedicate about half of it to solving this problem of food partitioning. The remaining 50 billion dollars would then be divided among problems such as climate change, energy conservation, land degradation etc.

Corkscrew Field Trip

In replacement of one of our typical class lectures, we visited Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Naples, Florida. Although I am not a huge fan of the outdoors, I must admit that this particular site was rather impressive. It was amazing to see the amount of diverse ecosystems that were all present in one area. By walking about one mile on a boardwalk, we were able to see a number of different habitats including: pine flatwoods, cypress forests, and marshes. Through our examination of these very different ecosystems, we were able to view a plethora of varying animal species. Within the same small area you could see various birds such as anhingas, wood storks, and herons. Reptiles such as alligators, frogs, and turtles were also in abundance. Insects like butterflies, bees, and lovebugs were also seen throughout the course of our field trip. Multitudes of fish were present, as well as the rare mammal like an otter or squirrel. The Corkscrew Sanctuary also boasts countless plant species such as the ghost orchid, slash pines, spanish moss etc.

I was equally impressed by the man-made attempts that were made in this area to preserve life and increase sustainability. It is important for humans to take on a role of "environmental stewardship"- recognizing their responsibility to take care of and manage and the natural environment and its health. The people at Corkscrew have made it apparent that they have taken on this mentality. Upon our entrance to the sanctuary, a large device called "The Living Machine" greeted us. It is a waste water treatment system that uses sunlight, bacteria, plants, and animals to restore water to pure conditions. This innovative aquatic treatment system is a prime example of how humans' creativity can yield unique and beneficial tools to accomplish human needs while also preserving the environment. If more civic engagement would take place in regard to the health of our natural world, I believe huge changes could be made for the better. If large corporations, organizations, and government agencies would support the cause by increasing awareness as well as funding for environmentally-based projects, monumental strides could be made in this area. I truly believe though that efforts should be made by each individual person though to reduce their eco-footprint. For example, the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is a success today because of the efforts made by a few people who created the Audubon Society. This group was interested in this particular area because it was a spacious site full of old growth cypresses. The government did not provide much support for their endeavor like they should have. Instead, the Audubon Society had to purchase the land and pay the government the cost of the lumbar present in the area. I am thankful to this group of people who persevered despite the opposition they met. Because of their hard work, an amazing piece of nature has been able to grow and thrive and become home to countless plant and animal species. The beauty of such an area is invaluable and should never be compromised for a mere space to place more commercial structures or condominiums.