Blog Entry #9

Blog Entry #9: Is energy too cheap? Is conservation a dirty word? What would you say to “Jimmy Cardigan”? With regards to alternative energy sources (renewables) are you a "free-marketeer" or proponent of government intervention to steer us away from fossil fuels? In your opinion, what type of renewable energy has the most upside potential? What steps can you take 1) tomorrow and 2) within the next five years to reduce your energy footprint?

Energy can be cheap in certain situations. For instance, on campus, electric is included in your housing cost. Which means whether you use 50 dollars a month or 400 dollars a month in electric, it is all costing the student nothing. In this situation, it is too cheap. How are we to determine how much energy is going to be used and put it in a base cost? I believe students should have to pay their own electric bills, for two reasons. One, so that FGCU doesnt get screwed when some people use way too much energy and can use the money for other more important things. Two, so that students understand just how much they are using, and try to change their lifestyles to use less. Is conservation a dirty word? Umm, no.. I dont think so? I think that some people dont use it correctly and can make it seem less important, but i dont think its "dirty". When it come to alternative energy, i believe the government should have some regulation, so we dont choose something more harmful than what we already use. But in retrospect, the company or scientists or whoever is coming up with the new "source", it should mainly be all on their hands. Im no scientist so i dont know what is the best way to go, but in my opinion, i think biofuel is a good way to go. I dont think solar power, wind power are good ideas because they rely on the weather, and are super expensive to put up. In regards to what i can do to reduce my own energy consumption, tomorrow, would be the usual, recycle, reduce, reuse. In the coming years, i may be able to do more with more knowledge.

Blog entry #8

Blog Entry #8: In your view, is climate change anthropogenic (manmade), "natural", or some combination of the two? What (or who) would you consider reputable sources for climate change information? How is climate change portrayed in the media? Does this portrayal make you more or less likely to alter your lifestyle? What do you think the effects of climate change will be on your children and grandchildren?

In my opinion, climate change is both natural and man-made. There have always been greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, they are what keeps the heat and makes it liveable on earth. Without them, the earth would be one giant ice age. However, since industry kicked off, man has been putting more and more gases into the air, which has made an impact on the natural order of things. Man has made it a bit hotter, but not much. However, if we dont start to pay attention and control what we are doing, we may push ourselves into a situation that we cant get out of. Perhaps another ice age, or a catastrophic series of natural disasters, or an intensely hot burnout. Climate change is portrayed in the media as a very bad thing, its all mans fault. Im not going to change my lifestyle because of it. I have been raised to live at certain standards of living and i sure as hell am not going to go back to prehistoric lifestyles. However, i do believe we should try to find alternate ways of doing things so we can perhaps lower the amount of gases being spewed into the atmosphere. I believe for my children and grandchildren it wont be much different then it is now, i think the overall effects of what is going on now, wont take place for a few hundred years. Then again, im no scientist so who really knows.

Blog entry #7

Blog Entry #7: 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. Do some research on the web and prepare a brief statement to the USDA addressing the following questions:

· What is known about the ecology of the eucalyptus tree in general?

· What are the benefits of this technology?

· What are some of the potential intrinsic concerns?

· What are some of the potential extrinsic concerns?

· Can reasonable and cost-effective steps be taken to mitigate these risks?

· Do the benefits outweigh the risks?

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing this letter in regards to planting the genetically modified eucalyptus trees on Florida Gulf Coast University's campus. There are a few benefits to the Australian native tree, including firewood, tissue papers, oils, honey, etc. However, the fact of the matter is that this tree is not native. We already have many invasive species in Florida, wildlife and plantlife. The potential harms that this tree could cause should be considered as well. Some things to consider would be that the tree absorbs so much water. It has been used to bring down water levels in some areas because of its vast absorbing qualities. Southwest Florida is a wetland area, we cannot plant trees that can potentially change the entire environment around the area. This would cause harm to all the other native species that rely on wetlands to survive. Another big concern is the fire hazard associated with these trees. "Eucalyptus oil is highly flammable (ignited trees have been known to explode) and bushfires can travel easily through the oil-rich air of the tree crowns" (wikipedia) This not only causes concern towards all the wildlife and plantlife around the trees, but also mankind. Forest fires can travel fast and can be very hard to put out, and the risk of these trees causing a fire at FGCU is too much. For one, it is a conservation area, there are many parts of the campus that are strictly conservation and if something were to happen to them because of this invasive species, that would be terrible. Also, all the students that are on campus all throughout the day, and those who live on campus could be caught in the middle of a brushfire with this highly flammable species. As a concerned citizen, and a student of FGCU, I do not think it would be a good idea to bring these trees into the area. The potential risks outweigh the potential benefits, and should be taken into consideration when making this decision.

Sincerely,

Lydia Mayernick

blog entry # 6

Blog Entry #6: What was your overall opinion of ECHO? Did anything in particular stand out? How do the examples that were showcased compare to your view of "American" agriculture? Do you feel that their work is relevant to the developing world? What is "appropriate technology"? Would you be interested in performing your service learning with this agency? Why or why not?

I thought ECHO was a great place. I loved the animals although I feel some of them could have been in better living conditions. I thought it was cool how the ducks fed the tilapia who in turn can feed people. The "mountain" was pretty cool, i wish we could have seen what all was on it. The thing that stood out the most to me was probably the Miranga leaves because our guide was so excited about them and talked about them for a long time! Most of the things we learned about had to do with feeding people in other countries with the different ways to grow crops and whatnot. It didnt really fit in with "american" agriculture as i understand it to be. Their work is relevant to the developing world as long as they go do missionary work and bring some supplies over there and show the people how to build the "appropriate technology". Appropriate technology is machines and such that you can build with minimal supplies found in most places around the world. I would not be interested in performing my service learning with this agency, mainly because it was super hot out there, and i tend to get dehydrated and faint easily.

blog entry # 5

Blog Entry #5: What are the major elements of "sustainable" farming? How are ecological principles woven into this framework? Do you buy organic or "naturally" labeled foods? Why or why not? Do you feel connected or disconnected to the current food system? If there were space on campus, would you be interested in growing your own vegetables (or, if the thought of vegetables makes you wince, fruit instead)?

The major elements of sustainable farming include, but are not limited to: Conservation and preservation - recycling used materials, preserving natural resources, etc. Biodiversity - crops are rotated around the fields to enhance the soil and prevent disease spreading. Chemicals are used only when necessary, and only the ones that are approved for "sustainable" farms. Animal Welfare - Animals are treated better at sustainable farms, allowed to roam and graze naturally. Socially just- Workers are treated fairly in pay, benefits, safety, and housing. Ecological principles are woven in through every aspect of sustainable farming, through conservation and preservation, and animal and human welfare. I do not buy organic food, however I do buy greenwise chicken, when I want a full chicken to cook because they have smaller chickens, and I don't cook for very many people, and their chickens have the gizzards and everything already pulled out and cleaned up inside. So, it takes some nasty steps out of preparing a chicken. I do feel a bit out of the loop in the current food trends with everyone trying to buy organic and eat "healthy", I don't care what I eat as long as it tastes good. I wouldnt mind growing my own food, my family used to grow our own vegetables in Michigan and we made an amazing salsa from them. We also grew raspberries which were great to just go out and eat. We had neighbors who grew great watermelon. So, I really wouldnt mind growing my own food at school if there was room for it, I just would have to take the extra time out of my day to take care of it.