Love it or Lose it

David Orr in this piece brings up the topic of "biphobia", which is the culturally acquired urge to affiliate with technology, human artifacts, and solely with human interests regarding the natural world. If maybe one person feels like this it may not be a big deal but if a growing number of people feel like this it might be become a detrimental state of being. At the other end of the spectrum is "biophilia" which is defined as the urge to affiliate with other forms of life.

Somehow some way humans have always modified their environments in order to make them more fit for themselves; not always benefiting nature at best. With the knowledge we now have we need to make a choice between biphobia and biophillia. They way biophobia has manifested itself has led the world in which it is becoming easier to be biophobic. For example ozone depletion, meaning more eye cataracts and skin cancer, does not give us more reason to stay indoors. Biophobia acts in a "vicious cycle" which leads people to act in such a way as to undermine the characteristics of nature making the person or persons dislike nature.

We now live in a time where it is greatly debated about what it means to live "sustainably" on earth. But our dilemma is that we are trying to define what sustainability means while dealing with an either an intimate relation with nature or total mastery of it. This is what tugged at my heart when I read this article because it is one hundred percent true and we must do something about it.

Will Modern Civilizations Endure?

I believe modern civilizations will endure. We are only a spec in the time line of civilizations but given what we have accomplished and all our knowledge I can't imagine civilizations progressing to a more modern time period, unless there is some sore of global scale natural disaster that is out of our hands. Yes in the ancient days there were the Romans, and the Mayans, etc. All big civilizations but right now in most of the world we are caught up with technology. And if a certain region doesn't encompass things that maybe a second or third world country would have we at least know about them and have some knowledge about their presence.

In the ancient days there could be people on one side of the globe and others on another side and no one would know because there were no means of travel as there are now, or means of communication as there is now. I have never studied a time in which there was more technology than what we have now or a time in which we were so "caught up" in all kinds of aspects whether it be medical, military, technology, engineering wise, etc. If there was such a time we have no remains of it therefore I don't think it has ever existed.

I think we will continue to evolve and grow and there will be a modern civilization. However I do think we are creating "our own bed" if you may by the way we are living and exploiting this planet.

High & Low from Colloquium

I heard about this class before I had to take it and it has been pretty much what I've expected just a bit faster I presume because of the summer term. I have actually learned a lot in this course. I've never been as one would say "environmentally inclined" and from the readings in the weather makers, all the video's we've watched, and the lectures I can now say I can carry a conversation with someone about environmental sustainability. I actually like learning about it. It's amazing how complex the environmental spectrum is. One thing affects another that then affects another and so forth. It can get overwhelming but if there's anything I've learned in this course is that you can't let all these issues get to you at once.

I remember after leaving class on the first day I was so overwhelmed with environmental issues; I felt like a huge weight had been put on my shoulders (not to mention it has been the longest class I have ever sat through). Then slowly but surely the more we've learned as a class we've come up with ideas for different issues and I think that's very substantial coming from someone that had not even come across any of these issues.

It is apparent that the world is heating and I've known this for sometime and some other key facts that we've talked in class, but never to the specificity that I now know. Another thing I had no idea about is how fishes have been hypothesized to get fished out by 2048. This is mind boggling to me that we have taken advantage of our resources to this extent. This is not only in my future children lifetime but in mine as well.

My major is biology but I'm more geared to pre-med so this is not really "my thing" but I'm more conscientious in my daily activities now. I really try to read all the material assigned because I truly enjoy reading it and learning about it all. It's better to know and be prepared than be ignorant. Another thing I try to fit in my schedule is to watch a bit more of the news although I may not enjoy it, its important to know about your surroundings and what's going on in the world and that is something colloquium has helped me with.

So all in all I did enjoy the class it had more work than I had anticipated, but it forced us to really learn the material. Also Professor Muldoon really taught us a lot of neat things not just from an environmental standpoint but economical as well. As he once said in responding back to a student that said we are destroying this earth, "the earth has been in existence for billions and billions of years we are not destroying it, it will shrug us off its shoulder before we get a chance to destroy it; and that is exactly what is happening."

Downtown!

Downtown experience was fun! Our group didn't get first place, but we got second so it wasn't all in vain. It was hot and muggy and we were all exhausted after, but it has been by far the most interesting field trip I have ever been on. The things on the list for the scavenger hunt were almost impossible to find. I don't think I found one thing myself. Thank god for the other girls in my group! But we all had our duties I was in charge of the map one of the girls was in charge of writing the answers down  and the other girl had the best vision she found a lot of things. So I accredit our success to our organization. Plus Professor Muldoon may have helped us out a little here and there!

It was actually quite ironic because for Fourth of July I had been in the downtown area and then the very next day we had our field trip there it was as if I had lived in the downtown area for a day. I am now very familiar with the area and next time I am to go down to downtown I will remember our field trip and smile!!

It was hard work and exercise but it beats being in a classroom for five hours so I think we were all happy, plus it gave us an excuse to notice the little things that sometimes we may just walk by and not notice.

Echo Experience: Service Learning Reflection

My service learning experience was awesome!! I did my complete ten hours at the Echo Organization located in North Fort Myers. I had previously heard of the ECHO organization because students from one of my other classes had done some volunteer work with ECHO, but I wasn't actually aware of what it was. ECHO stands for Educational Concerns for Hunger Organization and it is a non-for profit Christian organization. 

The first time I went to Echo I was amazed at how peaceful and tranquil the site is. There is definitely a positive energy that dwells in the people that work there as well as in the work that they do. Echo exists to help the poor on an international level especially in the agricultural aspect.

I dealt directly with the volunteer coordinator, Karen Franklin, that was very hospitable to myself and the other volunteers as she placed us to work in the Get into the Gardening Event. For this event we basically guided guests to the right area for the tours or to buy plants as well as handed out fliers. The event had trees for sale and but also had different activities going on such as educational workshops and the ECHO tours.

The second time I went to volunteer they placed me to help in a seed bank to collect seeds off a lettuce tree that was bought to them from a missionary that had been to Australia. The task was simple but very time consuming I now know how much patience is needed when picking for seeds and being able to efficiently do the job.

The Land Ethic

What is ethic? Ecologically, it is a limitation on freedom of action in the struggle for existence. Philosophically, it is a differentiation of social from anti-social conduct. But all theories and definitions of ethics lie within the principle that an individual is a member of a community and that his ethics allow for co-existence among others.

Land ethics are simply the expanding of the definition of ethics to include soils, waters, plants, and animals to equal the land. Why is it necessary to add land to our understanding of ethics? Well, because it's our habitat it's where we live and if we don't take care of it, who will?

A land ethic changes the way we should live in our land. We shouldn't be conqueror's of the land but learn to live as citizens of it. Many times in order for us to accept or apply a concept or action in our lives it has to be of some economic importance. Well with animals and other environmental entities at times it is not applicable and thus we just overlook land ethic as a priority or ignore it completely.  Lack of economic value is sometimes a character not only of species or groups, but of entire ecological communities such as marshes, bogs, and dunes. What we usually do is delegate these lands into refuges, monuments, or parks but it is difficult for the government to undertake this task because unfortunately it cannot possibly own or control such scattered parcels. Therefore a critical obligation on behalf of the private owner is the only solution for these problems.

"El Lago del Espiritu Santo"

There is no other area in the world like our Florida Everglades. The type of wildlife that it inhabits, the openness of land is quite exquisite and only available there. That is why the Spanish called it the 'El Lago del Espiritu Santo' meaning the lake of the Holy Spirit.  Truly the Everglades means 'big water'.

The origin of the name Everglades came from "River Glades" River became 'Ever' and after the acquisition of Florida from Spain in 1819 by the U.S. was it's present name used.The Indians though called it the 'Pa-hay-okee' which means "Grassy Water." The Everglades today is referred to as a plural entity and one word.

The Everglades encompasses shallow lands with shrubby trees in masses of water. The trees are called saw grass. In the Everglades is the greatest concentration of saw grass in the world. With the mud, the water, and the tall growing saw grass it is impossible to get through the Everglades by foot. Saw grass is so strong that really the only thing that defeats it is fires. Layers of ashes mark where old fires once were.

A major part of the Everglades is the rock it encompasses it which holds the fresh water and the grass. The surface rock below the Everglades dips south at an incline of half a foot to every six miles. The material of the rock came from the sea, which is called "oolitic limestone." With the sun and air it hardens in clumps. And in some places it becomes shelly.

Video & Lecture OIL COMBO

Recently in class we had the opportunity to watch: the Crude Awakening, 60 minutes clip on natural shale gas, and Squeezing More Oil from the Ground. These three videos all touched on the same agenda: oil. We are moving from the era of cheap oil (peak oil) to where oil will become more scarce thus even more valuable than what it already is. Unfortunately, we have exploited many of Earth's natural resources including that of oil.

Oil is like the blood of the Earth, said a researcher in one of the videos. And I find that statement to be very true! It was interesting to listen to some of the thoughts some of the scientists had, for example I had never realized that gas what runs most of our machinery and is used in the manufacturing of many more things such as cosmetics, has for a very long time been cheaper than a water bottle. When you stop and think in this way you realize what a big mistake it has been for oil to be so cheap. We have literally abused of a resource that first of all is non-renewable and second of all that has taken this Earth millions and millions years to make. But the worst part is that humanity has known oil is a non-renewable energy source yet we have grown so dependent on it to the point it is in almost everything we touch and do.

The reality will strike when gas does reach a consistent high and then what will we do? Many jobs will be lost plus economic, political, and scientific tension will arise even more throughout the world. My opinion is that we should honestly start investing serious time and knowledge in other forms of energy whether it is electric or natural gas because oil seems to always cause issues with other countries. Oil is going to become more and scarcer till finally it "runs-out" we should make use of our time NOW and figure out new ways that we can solve the dependency we have on a non-renewable environmentally hurtful energy source.

Visit to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

  Our trip to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary was quite interesting. I had no idea there was a park in Florida that had so many trees and land! We arrived around 1:00 pm and were introduced to the water filter system the sanctuary had which was quite interesting. We were then split into two groups and ventured off to walk the sanctuary's boardwalk.

As we began to walk I saw more and more vegetation till we arrived at an area-like savanna clearing a truly beautiful scenery. As we continued our journey we came into contact with different  wildlife and species of trees. We continually saw many kinds of spiders and insects of which thankfully bit no one. The day was scorching hot but under the canopy of trees you could feel a cool breeze which helped throughout the walk.

We then stumbled upon an area where there once was a lake and it had dried up due to low rainfall. There were lots of vultures present waiting patiently as the fish that were once residents of the lake slowly died. You could see how the fish, the vultures, the crocodiles, and even a turtle interacted with each other. The best part was when the crocodile went and bit the turtle but due to the hard shell of the turtle it was able to escape the jaws of the crocodile.

A Time to Act

"A Time to Act," January 2000 Everglades Coalition Conference in Naples slogan. The time had come for restoration to be addressed. Conservationists had stopped hunting of particular birds in the everglades and had helped preserve millions of acres of wetlands as well as secure the 'largest nutrient cleanup in history.' But this was not enough. The Everglades ecosystem was not in balance and development was also preventing the region from redeeming itself in other words.

There was a Homestead airport to be built in 2000 the most prominent threat to the ecosystem in a generation. Alan Farago, activist leading the airport opposition would have a big role in the outcome of the airport construction. Alex Penelas, the most prominent Cuban-American Democrat, was the airport's leading supporter. And Jorge Mas Santos, leader of the Cuban American National Foundation, anti-Castro group, would be one of the airports key investors. The basic message exhibited to the public by the disputers of the airport was that it made no sense for the federal government to construct a major airport near to the Everglades, but yet wanted it's taxpayers to spend $8 billion to restore the Everglades. 

Al Gore was a major figure in whether the airport would get constructed or not, but Gore refused to take a stand. He said he pledged to only seek a "balanced solution" that would help the economy without harming the climate. Gore was walking a line between Democrating-leaning environmentalists and Republican-leaning Cuban-Americans.

After much political footwork and obstacles Clinton finally signed the Everglades bill on December 11, 2000. The 20th century had been a time of 'mess-making' and the 21st century would be a time to clean up the mess. There were many unanswered questions but overall it was a step in the right direction and a movement toward a sounder environment.

"One Big Interconnected System"

After viewing the National Geographic Video, Strange Days on Planet Earth, it is perplexing how much the Earths' climate is connected and what one does in one part of the Earth can affect people thousands and thousands of miles away.

In 2001 researchers confirmed that by burning fossil fuels we have raised the Earths' average temperature by one degree Fahrenheit. This obviously has adverse effects in different ecosystems and in some ecological niches, temperatures have risen by as much as nine degrees Fahrenheit. One of the animals discussed were the Caribou and the porcupine river herd. Each year they cover about 1,500 miles in migration, but the rising temperatures have affected the herd. In 1989 there were 187,000 Caribou herds and now there are only 120,000. The rapid decline in Caribou can be accounted partly to mosquitoes. In the summer months since it is hotter, mosquitoes are more prevalent thus the Caribou climb mountains and hills to evade them. In part they sacrifice their supply of food; because there is less to graze on the rocky mountains. Also, rising temperatures means more storms they have to endure during their migration.

Phytoplankton have also been declining until recently they began to rise again. The rise and fall of phytoplankton is directly correlated to the sudden rearrangements of cold and warm water. Every two to three decades the Pacific does a 'flip flop' called Regime Shift. The Regime Shift disrupts the food supply to disruption of water currents which cut off nutrient rich water from the depths. The Zoa Plankton do better in cold waters than in warm so if the waters are gradually getting warmer this will greatly affect phytoplankton and nearly all marine life phytoplankton are at the bottom of the food chain.

Hold on Tight!

It becomes apparent in the readings of Jared Diamond that even the richest and most technologically advanced societies today face increasing environmental and economic problems that should not be taken lightly. In the comparison between the Gardner barn and the Huls barn Diamond outlined some of the parallels between the farms although purposefully leading the reader to believe the Gardner barn was still in existence. The point Diamond was trying to get across was that a societal collapse is an extreme form of continuous decline that then becomes characterized as collapse, as Norse Greenland that inhabited the Gardner Barn.We must learn from our past to be able to learn in ways of future success.

But many times when learning about collapsed societies or visiting their ruins the mystery of their remains may trigger many thoughts. Such as can this happen in our society as well? What exactly did the Mayan people encounter? Many of the abandonment's of past societies were caused partly because ecological problems, but whose to say we are not making our own bed as well. Some of the encountered circumstances were over-hunting, population growth, deforestation/habitat destruction, water management problems, etc. These problems then give rise to what actually "tips" the iceberg such as food shortages, starvation, wars, diseases, etc.Some societies have collapsed completely while others have had different rates of decline. But a common fear or concern in today's day is that "ecological suicide" or ecocide.

Today's society's are encountering extensive environmental issues than the ones mentioned above such as the buildup of greenhouse gases and other toxic chemicals and energy shortages. What we do today and how we help resolve these issues will only decide what happens in future generations and decades to come!

Don't Loose Hope

Although we have come to the brink of extinction with many species there is no reason to loose hope. With the right tools, mindset, and spirit restoration is possible!

Currently read a story that inspired me about a man named Paul Rockich. When he was six he was found standing by his father looking up to the Uquirrh Mountains in Utah and saw what he remembered to be beautiful green forests depleted to black lands due to extensive logging, and toxic emissions. He vowed to fix the mountains and put the trees back. Twenty years later he worked day and night by carrying buckets of grass seeds up to the mountain and scattering the seeds all over. He worked alone for nearly fifteen years using his own money in which friends and family would sometimes help him, but he never gave up. Apparently, the smelting company was dragged into cleaning up their emissions left on the mountain because of Paul's work and soon after he was hired to help them with their restoration project. Today the Oquirrh Mountains are back to what they once were. They are covered with green native trees of which Paul planted and the animals have returned to their home once again.

Another very controversial topic in restoration is water pollution. If streams or rivers are polluted with chemicals and so forth that can lead to the destruction of a whole ecological niche. Including animals, plants, even us humans. There have been signs of improvement in this aspect and amazing projects that have taken place to protect endangered fish and sanitation. Such as the cleaning of the Hudson River.

There are many other areas where restoration is in need such as in animal life protection, sustainable awareness, etc.

Biodiversity Reflections

Biodiversity is defined by it's name. Diversity of life! As stated in Tomorrow's Biodiversity, "Biodiversity is the fabric of life. It provides the conditions for life's emergence and maintenance, and the many different ways in which that life is expressed. The erosion of biodiversity and the erosion of cultural diversity are related."

It is very important to understand that every being and living organism has a certain impact in society and in the ecology. Although, us humans may have the upper hand in layman's terms, this does not mean we have the right to do as we please. All life forms have an intrinsic worth and that must be respected. As Vandana Shiva states in What is Biodiversity and Why it is Important, "Just as our bodies maintain their temperature, the earth's equilibrium is maintained through ecological processes in which biodiversity plays a central role."
The instability of one species may also be a threat to other species that are supported through the same ecological process.

In today's day and age globalization has accelerated the breakdown of biodiversity. The genetic diversity in crops has decreased substantially impairing biodiversity and food security. About 75% of the diversity of agriculture crops is estimated to have been lost at the turn of the century. Scary facts such as, the entire pork economy of the world is based on four breeds. In China alone forty to fifty breeds were once farmed but they have been replaced by hybrid pigs from the "four global breeds," (Shiva 48-49).

We must be more concernced with the act of conserving, but also with the economic issues that are affected by lack of biodiversity. 

My Sense of Place

What is a "sense of place"? When I first read this it took me a moment to grasp this concept. I believe this means the direction in which your life is taking and the steps that are to come in life. How it relates to educational experiences in the out-of-doors is something also to conceptualize.

I believe my sense of place right now is in my studies and in my moving forward with major life-changing decisions. The decision of choosing a career and going to college for many as for myself is seen as a privilege, but it is also years of sacrifice and hard work. I think at my age important decisions are being made that may influence the rest of my life for the better or for the worse. The decline in the economy has made my desire and aspirations of attaining a degree in my field even stronger; thus, my sense of place is to continue my education to be able to provide for a better tomorrow for those around me.

Educational experiences in the out-of-doors can directly influence your "sense of place." Perhaps a traveling experience can marvel your interests in such a way that you discover the new desire of becoming a historian. Or perhaps a volunteering experience may create some significance for you whether it be for a future job or in what you were able to acquire from your involvement. In other words, your out-of-doors experiences may greatly impact who you are and what you will become. I know as for me I have had several out of door educational experiences that have greatly influenced me as well as my "sense of place."