Blog Entry 4

I believe the most pressing environmental issue facing the world today is loss of natural land and animals. Everywhere around the world people are tearing down natural land to build skyscarpaers, condos, and universities. The land they are destroying is not only messing with our own health, by destroying resources vital to our own survival, but it is also destroying animals. There are tons of endangered, and threatened animals out there, many of which people dont even care about. I am not against hunting, i think its fine, people can do what they want, but i am against killing for no reason. There are tons of people who hunt just to kill and leave these animals there. There are also people who just dont care that we are losing entire species, because they dont know of their importance to our survival. If you kill off one little tiny bug, it will effect the entire food chain. People dont realize this, they think "oh its a bug who cares", but there are other species that rely on that bug for survival, and if its gone, they will be too, and there predator, and so on until it reaches the top of the food chain and we run out of animals to prey on. Which by the time that happens, we will already have killed off all of our natural agricultural food. If i was given 100 billion dollars to use on the environment, i would use probably 60% of it on preserving land and animals, and use the rest accordingly with other issues.

Blog Entry 3

Corkscrew Field trip.

Diferent ecosystems I saw on this trip included, swamp, prairie, and wooded land. The different areas provide different resources to all the species that surround that area. The trees provide shade, and the swamp provides water. The living machine was very interesting. Id never even heard of one, or knew they existed. I think it is amazing that some corporations even use them at their corporate structures as a way to conserve energy. Conservation is the saving and preserving of natural resources and wildlife, while stweardship is how we manage our resources. Many non-profits provide ways to help ensure the preservation and conservation of the worlds eco-systems and wildlife. Many of which, also provide knowledge and education to people on how they can help as well. People who are knowledgable of these organizations and what they are doing, can help out in their own community and make a difference on their own. Civic engagement is very important in the preservation of our environment. The audobon society chose this acreage to save plume birds, and made a huge impact in their survival, without this property and the society, they may have been hunted to extinction. Government plays their part in providing assistance to non-profits when needed. Bulldozing and building condos would help with the housing market since so many people are always moving to florida, however, we need preservation areas in order to keep on surviving. If we were to bulldoze the area, many animals would lose their homes, and many important agricultural species would be ruined and change the surrounding ecosystems.

Blog entry #2

Your musings on the campus trail walk and the selection of this site for the FGCU campus. Is it consistent with the “eco-empowerment” mission of the university? Or is it entirely incompatible? Why or why not? Does your particular background predispose you to a certain viewpoint?

I think the campus trail walk was a good experience, our professor taught us many things about the different plant and bug life we saw on the walk. Our guide, however, was so infatuated with these southeast asia orchids that she didn't do much guiding and didn't even need to be there. If our professor was not an agricultural expert, we would not have learned anything from this trip. As for the site for FGCU, i think its a bit hypocritical for them to be so eco-oriented and yet tear up wetlands to build our school. However, this area is mostly wetlands and it is hard to find a big area for a school without running into some issues. I do think it is a good thing that the campus is built here instead of some mall or condos, because they have promised to leave a certain percentage untouched... which some corporate structure may not have been so willing to do. I'm not sure if this is consistent with the eco-empowerment mission of the university, i can tell they are trying, which is why we all have to take this course, but im not sure if i am qualified to make that decision.. I don't know everything that is said or done with the school. My background makes me practical, it makes me uncertain as to what the university is doing or has done to be eco-friendly. Many people just believe what they are told, and i have learned to second guess things and not just believe everything the tv and news tell you.