Dear USDA, (Post 7)

Dear USDA, today I stand before you as a eco-aware citizen in Southwest Florida. I am here to to testify on the merits and pitfalls of bringing plots of genetically modified eucalyptus here at FGCU.


The eucalyptus tree has 800 species, with all but three or four endemic to Australia.   Its full name is Eucalyptus camalduensis and is a perennial, single-stemmed, large boled, medium sized to tall tree. This tree lies near water and the seeds success for growth is based off of flooding. The leaves are loved by kangaroos and koalas. Both animals that are not natural to SWFL environment. Eucalyptus can deploy a full canopy of leaves within a fear years. It is greedy for carbon, and within 27 months can grow up to 55 feet in height.  What benefit would we have to invest in ArborGen to plant test plots of GM eucalyptus at FGCU? Eucalyptus makes great paper however, as a university and more general as a society we are trying to cut down paper usage.


 There are many reasons not to have this tree come on campus. For starters they are extremely flammable. I'm going on a limb here, but I would say bringing a tree into a dry environment where fires occur would not be the best idea.  Especially in a land that is flooded with students daily. A quick rapid fire could easily damage the entire campus and be fatal to civilians.  These types of fires have happened in California where GM eucalyptus plants have been planted.  Eucalyptus trees suck up a lot of water, this could in turn leave us with a drought. The drought could then start a wildfire to the trees we have discussed as highly flammable.  Not even the wildlife in our forests can benefit from this tree.  It is not suitable for them for food or habitat.  It doesn't make sense to me why ArborGen wants to test plot GM eucalyptus. I have stated both intrinsic and extrinsic concerns that show that no reasonable and cost-effective steps can be taken to mitigate the risks.  There seems to be no benefit worth the risk. And NO, paper production and timber is not a stellar reason to plant this tree. Even though I can see where the fast growing ability would be inciting.  We need to stop thinking about instant production and money and consider long-term effects that could damage our environment to where no amount of production or money can solve it.  


Until next time,
Annie






Resources
http://www.anbg.gov.au/cpbr/WfHC/Eucalyptus-camaldulensis/index.html
http://globaljusticeecology.org/stopgetrees_about.php?ID=402
http://www.environmentalleader.com/2010/06/10/arborgen-approved-to-test-gm-trees/
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/02/tech/main6166930.shtml

ECHO! ECHo ECho Echo echo.......(Post 6)

Today, my blog is an enclosed box that echos with every noise made in it... OOOOOOO.....

Ha, well actually todays word of the day ECHO is not (n. a repetition of sound produced by the reflection of soundwaves from a wall, mountain, or other obstructing surface..aka blog). But rather an acronym for Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization.  ECHO is a global Christian organization that equips people with agricultural resources and skills to reduce hunger and improve lives of the poor.

Neem trees are native to areas like India. The leaves can be used for an organic pesticide. They are also used in lotions and skin creams.

Urban Gardening (My favorite idea that I believe should be used as community gardens in urban areas across the United States to bring in communities and to create a sustainable source of food.)

Ok. So here is MY deal. The mission stated above sounds like a wonderful, marvelous, biblical answer to a world issue. I strongly believe in feeding the poor, helping the homeless, and taking care of orphans and widows. These are basic Christian fundamentals that provoked interest in me to go to ECHO. However, my overall opinion is slightly disappointing. I felt that the grounds had a "hands off" atmosphere. It felt like they were too proud of their inventions and crops to share them.  The tour was forced and pushy to which hurt the experience of our class.  When I walk into something like ECHO I don't care as much about what they are doing but how they are using it to benefit the world.  I almost wish the tour would have talked more about how their sustainable farming IS impacting countries, not how it could.  The idea that we have the knowledge and technology to make farming sustainable for a lot of different lands, climates, and economies is incredible... but here in Florida, we don't need this information, the people of these lands and economies do. The only part of ECHO I find impressive is they do send out missionaries with the training to go make farms sustainable in other countries. And it seemed obvious to me, but I am glad they have started serving the hungry here in SWFL with community gardens.

Rant over. Even though I may not agree with the atmosphere of ECHO I do agree with the mission and the work it COULD produce if more people were taking their knowledge into the needed areas. On the lands they have grown many types of crops. One particularly stood out to me.  It's called the Moringa leaf and looks like this

The Moringa leave is a SUPER GREEN! It has 7x more vitamin c of oranges, 4x calcium of milk, 4x vitamin a of carrots, 3x potassium of bananas, 3x iron of spinach, and 2x protein of milk. Imagine how much higher the survival rate would be in areas of starvation where this plant was accessible.
how do the examples of that were showcased compare to your view of "American" agriculture?
do you feel that their work is relevant to the developing world?

I love the technology used at ECHO.. again, it isn't necessary for Americans to know how to use or create these technologies but, if the knowledge was taken over to countries who needed them then I say it is a great use of resources and energy.  It is important to have appropriate technology when working with developing nations who have no advance technology.

Appropriate technologies is reaching to the needs of the people in a specific region or area and providing for those needs. In a case where a village does not have running water, an appropriate technology would be to create a water treatment or water supply system for that village.  If they have water, but it is unsanitary, then an appropriate technology would be to find resources they have or could maintain to create water purifiers.


I could see myself performing my service learning hours with ECHO. Even though my experience was not the best, the heart of its mission I do support. I think I would actually like it more if i got to know more about what they are doing with the information they gather at the grounds. However, if by volunterring meant I would have either the tour guide or the other lady watching over me then I probably wouldn't be interested. I wouldn't want to get in trouble for looking at the goats or trying the food. It's FOOD it's meant to be EATEN! (unless of course.... its harmful, or generally is a pain to grow. but even then...what else are you supposed to do with it?)

Cute goat.

Until next time,
Annie

Sustainable farming...oops, I mean "Sustainable" farming (Post 5)

There are three major elements of sustainable farming 

1.     Environment protection

2.    Social responsibility

3.    Economic viability

Once you know the three elements, you can understand how ecological principles are woven into sustainable farming's framework. For example, to protect the environment, you have to protect the natural resource base on which agriculture depends. You also need to protect water pollution, and energy conservation. Social responsibility, at its basic level, is protecting the farmer’s health and safety. I would go as far as including workers pay.  Within social responsibility, there needs to be care for society as a whole, not just workers on the farm.  By this I mean taking into consideration the pesticides or other chemicals being used that could harm any human.  Economic viability is the third factor that basically means the farm is meeting the needs of the consumer who is willing to buy their crops. Without sales, any type of farming would deplete. It should be noted that there are many more costly aspects to sustainable farming then industrial. More restrictions on crop production methods, traceability, inspections, certification and separate storage and distribution effect the consumer. This is why industrial farming does so well, more people are willing to shop at Wal-Mart to get their produce (EWW!!).*

Buying Organic? Is it worth it? 

Even before taking this course, I was skeptic towards over-priced organic foods. Because I am a poor college student feeding just myself, I don't buy organic fruits or vegetables (a pesticide is a pesticide and organic/non-organic foods both contain them). When I prepare meat (which is infrequent) I will splurge making sure it's free-range/organic or that it comes from a local farm. Who knows if free range/organic is better.  My decision came after watching a documentary on the meat market (most of my theories, ideas, and thoughts for these blogs come from documentaries...good or bad.)

Because my survival is dependent on the supermarket, I feel very disconnected from the food system.  More now then as a child. I know I've mentioned being from Michigan before, but it bares repeating here because my northern roots have really made me who I am.  My mom has always had a garden in our backyard, this is where we got most of our veggies and herbs for meals. If we had to buy anything (including meat) we would go to the local farmer's market to pick up the remaining ingredients. There we had a connection with the farmers. We knew them by name, knew where their farm was and how they grew their crops or handled their animals.  Now being in SWFL, I have felt deprived of the land. The connection I once had and loved had been torn apart until, I heard about the food forest on campus. This space on campus (even just knowing it existed) brought comfort to me. I love that there is a group of people who find the importance of growing your own food. 

Until next time,
Annie

*Resources

Agronomica Research and Consultancy, http://www.agronomica.org/SF.htm

We all got issues (Post 4)

Needless to say, we all have problems, issues, and stuff we don't want to deal with. But with everything in life, sooner or later we will need to face our problem, triumph over our issues, and deal with the crap. Our environment is no different. 


The biggest pressing global environment issue facing us today is the use of plastic. Why isn't it oil? Why isn't it water? Why plastic? Well here's the deal. I believe our dependence on oil is a critical issue but no amount of money will fix it. We are and will be dependent on oil until it runs out. End of story. Unfortunately, we haven't found a true, economic/environment sustainable method to change this. Water, as we have learned, is an extremely crucial matter that will be fought over one day.  It is devastating to know that many areas around the world have water un-drinkable to the people. Charity:Water is a non-profit organization bringing clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations. 100% of public donations directly fund water projects.  Even though water is a pressing global environment issue, it becomes a greater issue because of the waste we put into it. For example plastic. Plastic, which is made from petroleum, is a material that the Earth cannot digest. Meaning every time we use it and toss it, it stays with us on land an in our water effecting life from the tiniest living organism to humans.


Don't believe me? Take a look at The Great Garbage Patch. In class, we briefly took a look at the Pacific Gyre or known as The Great Garbage Patch. Roughly the size of Texas (268820 Square Miles), it contains approximately 3.5 million tons of trash! Talk about a pressing problem.  You might wonder why an issue in the pacific should concern humans. Well, plastic breaks down into small particles that attract toxic chemicals.  These particles are ingested by wildlife on AND in the ocean, contaminating the food chain. Reason enough to take action..... unless you enjoy eating trash.


Here's a YouTube video outlining the problems with plastic. 

As I listen to the song "If I Had a Million Dollars" by Barenaked Ladies, I wonder....what if a wealthy benefactor like Rockefeller Foundation gave me $100 billion to address a global problem, how would I allocate the funds? Would I dedicate 100% to reducing the use of plastic, or partition the money among many different issues? After my mind went deep into wanderlust, I came up with my plan of action.


Of course I would donate the The Garbage Patch organization. More so, I would like to take part spreading awareness about the effects this island has on our environment and our health. For number purposes lets say I would split the funds 60/40 between The Garbage Patch and Charity:Water. My reasoning for giving more the Garbage island is simple, water will become contaminated for EVERYONE if we keep up the use and disposal of plastic. Plus I bet $40 billion will significantly help Charity:Water. In return I only ask they give me a free $25 shirt from their online store (to help spread awareness of course).


Until next time,
Annie

Resources

http://plasticpollutioncoalition.org/learn/basic-concepts/
http://www.greatgarbagepatch.org/
http://www.charitywater.org/
http://www.youtube.com/strangedaysaction

The winding trails @ Corkscrew (Post 3)

Today’s journey (field trip) took us deep into the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.  Another location here in SWFL that I never knew existed. I suppose that is the intent of this course, to expand our minds on the sustainability of the neighboring land. 

Corkscrew had distinct ecosystems that included; Pine flat-wood, cypress dome, and oak hammock. They provide a range of ecosystem services. One could view the three ecosystems as filtering the water to help purify it before it goes into the waterways.  Beyond the nature, I found the “living machine” a man-made system, to be more fascinating.  In our culture we toss out anything we find invaluable and spend money and energy to create value.  The living machine takes the waste from the restrooms (commonly considered invaluable) and turns into a working wastewater treatment center (very valuable).  If bigger organization could grasp the mindset to use what we already have plenty of, our planet could be in less danger of running out of resources. This shows a great deal of stewardship to the sanctuary because they could have simply built a wastewater treatment center that would have taken up space and energy.  Because the Audubon is a non-profit private organization they are able to stick with their roots of conserving the environment. That is their heart and should as well to educate and show others how to have sustainability rather than wastefulness.  When groups like this one come together they can be an influence to change how people may see the environment. After touring the sanctuary, I have a better understanding of how humans have destroyed the natural flow of the water in Florida along with killing many birds.  Without the group of likeminded people, these swamps could be entirely cleared; killing the ecosystems and we would not get the chance to be educated on such things. The community supports the sanctuary making it a civic engagement. The Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary has become a loved part of Florida.  With thousands of visitors each year, it is obvious that people support its existence.  There is no real concern that anyone of power could destroy it. The community all supports the motivation to preserve this particular acreage.  There are trees in the sanctuary that are over 700 years old! This is a great motivator to preserve it; it is historically holding the oldest cypress trees.  Because the sanctuary is a crucial role in SWFL sustainability, the government should have a role in maintaining it.  The role of the government should be to protect the acreage and move forward with conserving it. This land is far too valuable to just let bulldozers in to destroy it and replacing it with a nice senior living center. First of all, it would affect the flow of water we are trying to conserve.  It would kill the entire habitat and their environment, which would throw off the ecosystem a great deal.  We would also be destroying the one man-made system that is doing more good then harm in Florida, setting a great example on how to conserve.

The Swamp Sanctuary is a great place to learn about ecosystems. I enjoyed seeing the many bugs, trees, plants, and animals in their natural environment. 

Until next time,
Annie

woops, already behind schedule. (Post 2)

After writing the first blog today, I noticed that I am supposed to have the second blog done today, the first one last week. It's always great to start behind. (kidding).

Today, we went on our first field trip that took place on campus. I found this walk thru the trail amusing simply because I had no clue the trail existed.  Our campus is known for being (or thought of being) eco-friendly and supports eco-empowerment. Overall, I see our campus rising above most universities in this general area. Now, obviously the campus has its own problems like being erected on environmentalists' 'holy' ground.  However, my thought is this land would have been used for something else if not a university.  I found it interesting that there has been thought in the construction of the campus to keep it eco-friendly. For example, the simple idea of putting a tunnel in the ground to support animals crossing the road without getting killed is a simple yet great idea to help sustain the animals that live around the area.  There are inconsistencies that go along with the consistencies. The bridge brought from Brazil? or another foreign land I can't remember is not the most eco-friendly.  It would have taken a lot of oil in production and shipping to bring it to SWFL.  Now, the bridge is supposed to last 10 years which could be interpreted in less energy because it will last longer. The campus is also supporting endangered birds on their migration path. Hopefully the endangered bird wont be eaten by the campus cat (inconsistency).

I find it really interesting and cool that our campus is creating sustainable gardens and fruit trees for students. This is a stride towards eco-empowerment. Generally speaking, I don't think the student population cares very much about the universities efforts towards sustainability. With my northern roots, I tend to take the standpoint that sustainability is necessary for community growth. The idea of using FGCU as a community who plant gardens and fruit trees gives me hope for sustainability in an area that I don't see much community involvement. Even if the university falls thru on some areas of eco-empowerment I still see it making efforts.  No school will be able to have a completely eco-friendly campus. Anytime humans are involved in mass quantities the term eco-friendly is almost an oxymoron.  I don't believe the term is entirely incompatible with our university but, I could see how one may think that way. 

Until next time,
Annie

Interested..Yes. Hopeful.. No. (Post 1)

Welcome to my University Colloquium blog. Today marks the second class and the first field trip. 

Before coming into this class I thought colloquium was learning about the environment of SWFL (not at all inciting to me). Now, I'm not sure what it all entails.  I guess I expect to learn more about the environment and gain knowledgeable about sustainability and how to become sustained (if it's even possible anymore). I expect to enjoy this class due to my natural interest (and cynicism) on our governments motives and attempts of sustainability. It intrigues me to see how other countries try to sustain themselves too.  Do I think we need to find ways to be a more sustained nation? Yes, our dependence on oil looks awfully scary to me currently but, I don't trust our government to take care of our sustainable problems. If anything this class will express even more the problem we are creating and the hole our nation has dug. Either way, I am interested to learn more about it. 

Considering this class has to do with sustainability, it is a good idea to have an understanding of the word. My personal understanding of sustainability is the idea to survive without dependence on outside sources (other then the nature). This could be completely false but, when I think of sustainability its having a garden, growing own fruits and foods, suppling needs, working as a community to benefit one another without the interference of government. (can you tell yet I don't like big government?) Sustainability is looking into the future and turning around the poor choices we have made on our environment in history.

The great part about taking this required course is I will actually be teaching these ideas in the future. As a secondary education major I could teach geography, american history, economy, government. All these fields will incorporate sustainability. Early western civilization is all about how humans became sustainable. This could partially be a factor to why I think this class will be enjoyable. It fascinates me to learn what humans have done and will do for survival.  

Now, I would be a huge hypocrite if I didn't give a disclaimer for my lack of personal sustainability efforts. As noted before, I believe we are in a crisis for sustainability that can not be fixed. We can each individually make efforts to live with the mindset to not have access waste but, the damage has already been done and the government/economic ties are tightly wound around this issue. This is why I am interested in this topic but not necessarily moved to make drastic change. I still use plastic bottles, take showers that are longer then three minutes, leave lights on occasionally, drive, fly, buy un-necessary items, only recyclable if its easily available, buy fruits and veggies from other countries at supermarkets, and the list goes on. Maybe this class will push me and motivate me to change my lifestyle and to become an activist for sustainability. This blog can only tell.

Until next time. 

Annie