Mantanzas Pass

I thought the views from the edge of the water were very nice at Mantanzas Pass.  That was the most remarkable part of the venture.  The tide was out when I was there which gave me the chance to see the lower parts of the mangroves, I was surprised that so many of them were not deeper in the ground and that some ended where the water was when the tide was in.  I suppose that is because they cannot grow in the water.  I never thought too much about the mangroves being infused with the water's edge and how that would impact the plant.  

The most memorable sound in the mangroves was the movement of the lizards in the leaves and fallen branches.  It was sort of spooky actually because I was there alone.  I also didn't expect to be eaten up by mosquitoes in the middle of the day,  I was not prepared for that as I work a sleeveless top that day.     

My hometown has grown in population.  I grew up in a town called Savona, New York.  When I lived there you could not find it on the map,  I had 32 kids in my graduating class, and everyone knew everyone else.  Now there are more families there, the school system has merged with another small town near us.  They changed our school into an elementary school and the other town's school into a high school.  The community must be more widespread, and less recognizable or tight knit.

Savona had a lot of natural elements, there was the steep hill that we (tried to) ski on, there is the woods that we hiked and hunted, the ponds and lakes that we fished, and the farmers with their dairy cattle and fields of corn to feed them.  To sell that to build condos and turn it into a small city would take a lot from the environment and impact the ecosystem there.  There are other areas that would be less damaged by such projects, they would have to look elsewhere.

When they were running the highway through a neighboring town many of the homeowners did not want to give up the land and the homes that they raised their families in.  The state used eminent domain to acquire the land and people lost money on their lands.  I always thought that was wrong and that they should have tried to change the route of the new highway.  The road runs all along the base of the mountain, it took a great deal from the land and the environment.  I would not sell for less than the land it's value, especially if it is a natural setting, unless it was to be used for a natural project.

Footprint Calculator

After taking the Footprint calculator my footprint said that if everyone lived like I do it would take 3.9 planets to sustain us.  It appears the most of my footprint is created through my use of electricity (although I think my children make a much bigger impression in my footprint than I do, I am ALWAYS shutting off lights and fans after them).  I will have to tell them about this footprint, although I have used saving the environment as a motivator without success  but this may be a visual for them to understand the impact, in addition to this I could put up a clothesline, which I have considered for a long time to save the energy needed to use the dryer.  Second, to my surprise was food.  I understand that packaging makes a lot of waste but 17.8 tons of CO2, whoa!!!!  I buy products that have less packaging (for instance cereal in bags, large bags of cat food, large bottle of laundry soap, etc.) but if I were to buy more non packaged foods it would be helpful in reducing that number.  I didn't give thought to the land it takes to raise the crops and animals that I eat, 17.7 global acres needed to produce them-I don't even really like meats, but It appears that crops are the bigger issue in my overuse of this service.  Using the bus instead of driving saves quite a bit on the environment, and is my smallest piece of the pie.

If everyone lived in a manner that it would take 4.6 earths to support us, the population on the earth would need to be divided by almost 5 to determine the number of people the earth could sustain at this rate.  If there are seven billion people on earth the earth could sustain 1,400,000,000.

Sustainable Consumerism

Sustainable Consumerism is the wise use of resources, minimization of waste, using renewable energy sources within the capacity for renewal, all while meeting the needs of this generation as well as generations to come.  Globalization is a positive driver in this because the entire world population needs to make practices in this effort or else it will not be productive.  Capitalism can be a positive or negative driver in this based on the way things go-for instance, if renewable energy has a breakthrough and it can make a business profit then capitalism will be positive because a company will buy into it, on the other hand if we continue to make slow progress in the area of renewable energy then companies wont buy into it and capitalism will play a much more negative role.

When planning my shopping list I search through local ads, print coupons off the internet, and shop and many stores to save money on foods.  I buy things when they are on sale, and plan meals around what is on sale.  I do not see myself paying more for organic or local foods because I run on such a tight budget.  If I had no concern for money, or if my budget allowed for more spending I would definitely support these efforts. 

I am more likely to patronize chain stores because they have better deals.  Mom and pop shops are good for some things but mostly things are less expensive in larger stores.  However, using the chain stores will put the mom and pop stores out of business and create a monopoly.  This happened among chain stores even-Walmart and Target superstores put a hurting on Winn Dixie and K Mart to the point where they closed down a lot of stores or sell out to other chains.  People will go where the best deal is, especially now while the economy is in recession.  This can be a problem in the long run.  On the other hand if people bought only from mom and pop shops the competition would be fierce and that would drive the prices down.

Downtown

When someone says "downtown" I tend to think of daily grind, hustling of people and cars, crowded streets, busy offices and businesses, and strange people that fit into the landscape of the city.  Over time downtown has become about accessibility, convenience, and getting among people.

Fort Myers has a lot of historic overtones, but there is a coming out in the city as well.  The high rises that dot the area are new and flashy in comparison to the old, historic district.  The historical element is still prominent in the city and the city has worked it well, with old style street lamps, brick pavers on the street, and storefronts that look like they came from the nineteenth century.  

There is a lot of foot traffic in the city.  Everything is within walking distance and it seems easier to get around by walking than to get your car into the traffic.  This is helpful in minimizing the level of traffic, getting people to do business locally, and to get people involved.

Fort Myers also has some features that applauds the days of old.  The fantastic buildings, the old courthouse with the words, "The First Order of Man is Justice", the ancient clock at the end of Monroe Street, The statues of Edison, Ford, and Firestone in the park, the charm of Main Street, and the nostalgia of antique storefronts all add to the time honored aura of historic preservation that is Fort Myers.

Fort Myers is probably more wealthy now than in the days of the original development.  There are more people, more businesses, and wealthy people who reside here part of the year.  In the days of Edison, there were very few people in comparison and with people comes business, with business comes money.  This could cause Fort Myers to become less sustainable if people were to take from the milieu instead of trying to preserve and maintain it.  Part of the benefit of maintaining historic values is that people are less likely to draw more out of their surroundings. 

Energy

Energy is pretty expensive, but that may be a good thing.  If it were cheap people would misuse energy.  We would be more careless about running our dryers too long, turning our air conditioning too low, leaving lights and fans on when we leave the room.  Conservation would be only for tree huggers.  

Conservation is not a dirty word, it is the smart way to handle the issue of energy use.  We depend too much on foreign oils and it costs us dearly, we need to find a way to conserve energy and make it "hip" so that young people learn the value of conservation as well.

Jimmy Cardigan had it right, as president he could have thrown conservation out the window, let taxpayers pay the light bill-not Jimmy's problem!  It is very honorable that he chose the more conservative roads to follow and led his team down that road as well.  As a child, in upstate New York, I remember my mother buying us warm pajamas and slippers, we had layers of warm blankets on our beds, and she insisted that we put on a sweatshirt and keep the thermostat down. She was a smart lady!

I firmly believe in the benefits of alternative fuels.  If I were to win the lottery I would donate, invest, and do whatever in support the development of renewable energy and biofuels.  I did a research paper on the feasibility of solar energy in America and through the research discovered that it, at least at this point, is not very feasible-it is too expensive.  I would invest in research to make the solar panels more affordable and durable.  

I feel that wind energy is a missed value in this area.  We could build wind turbines in rural farm lands, along highways, maybe even out in the gulf where it isn't seen by tourists.  Then of course, biofuels.  What a great way to reuse our waste!!! What a great way to reduce our dependence on foreign oils!!!! What a reduction of CO2 in the environment!!! (the amount of CO2 from the exhaust of biofuels are not any higher than the plant would've produced through natural decomposition).  

The steps that I could take tomorrow to reduce my carbon footprint is to put up a clothesline instead of using my dryer.  Most days that could be done, unless it is raining there is no excuse for not taking advantage of the climate to dry our clothes.  In the next five years, I will need to buy a car (I use the bus system now to reduce my carbon footprint-I have access to a car if I need to go off the bus route or if it is later than the bus runs, but generally I use the bus whenever possible).  When I buy my car it will be a hybrid so that I wont need to burn petroleum as much.

Climate Change

In my opinion climate change is a natural phenomena, a part of a cycle that the earth goes through.  I would argue that the impact of human activity has increased the momentum of this change and has put our world on a fast track to a much hotter climate.  NASA, whom I consider to be a reputable source for information on the topic agreed stating "Correlations between rising CO₂ levels and global surface temperatures suggest that our planet is on a one-way warming trend triggered by human activity. Indeed, studies by paleoclimatologists reveal that natural variability caused by changes in the Sun and volcanic eruptions can largely explain deviations in global temperature from 1000 AD until 1850 AD, near the beginning of the Industrial Era. After that, the best models require a human-induced greenhouse effect (National, 2013).

The article goes on to argue both sides and in the end doesn't conclude either way, but admits that there just isn't enough information from historical data to determine if and how much our activity impacts the climate.  It also states that computer models cannot be used successfully because computers can only analyze information that is inputted  without historical data, the computer models are inconclusive.   but we are undoubtedly encouraging this rapid change, how does the CO2  that we are pumping into the environment not have an impact on the atmosphere that protects us from the sun's harmful rays?  

The impact on the earth is evidenced by noticeable weather changes and effects on the land and water.  The Department of the Interior, another reliable source of information, stated that "The glaciers in Montana’s Glacier National Park are melting so quickly, they're expected to disappear in the next two decades. Rising seas are consuming the world’s first wildlife refuge – Florida’s Pelican Island – which President Teddy Roosevelt set aside in 1903....The impacts of climate change are forcing us to change how we manage resources. Climate change may dramatically affect water supplies in certain watersheds, impact coastal wetlands and barrier islands, cause relocation of and stress on wildlife, increase wildland fires, further spread invasive species, and more" (US, 2013).

The media seems to play a neutral card on the topic of climate change, they do not want to offend anyone, be insensitive, or appear to take sides. Some news organizations, the ones that advocate the issue, such as Climate Change News Digest, will always cite in the interest of human impact on climate change and possibly even create hype.  The New York Times  whom I would consider to be neutral stated "Global warming has become perhaps the most complicated issue facing world leaders. Warnings from the scientific community are becoming louder, as an increasing body of science points to rising dangers from the ongoing buildup of human-related greenhouse gases — produced mainly by the burning of fossil fuels and forests" (New, 2013).  Which shows some support for scientists who believe that humans have impact, but still stay somewhat neutral in the communication of their ideas, placing all of the information in the hands of the scientists.

This has little influence on my ideas, I believe that humans have a great effect on the environment and that we are fooling ourselves by saying that it is merely a cycle.  It has had altering effects on my lifestyle, I choose not to buy a car until I have to, I ride the bus in an effort to be green (not use fossil fuels or pump carbon into the environment), I recycle-even went into the city and got recycling buckets for my neighbors and asked them to join me in recycling, I have my plants strategically placed to catch the water from the sprinklers and from the rain off the roof of my home, I reuse the bags from grocery shopping in my garbage cans instead of throwing them away and buying tall kitchen bags-that saves by reusing and is cost effective too!

I think that my children and their children will need to use renewable fuels, we cannot continue to burn fossil fuels.  I wonder what effect that will eventually have on our earth, will it cause earthquakes because the lubricant is burned?  Will it cause a void and the earth collapse in areas that have been drained of the oil?  Will it become unbearably hot because we have drilled all of the coolant out of the earth?  I don't think that we can go on forever using oil, our children will need to be smarter about it and find a better way.  I also wonder what shape the land will be in, I don't think that we will be in a situation like the movie Waterworld, but I believe that we will have some land lost and the population will need to consider building upwards.


References

National Aeronautics and Space Administration. (2013). Science News:  Earth's Fidgeting Climate.  Retrieved from http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/science-at-nasa/2000/ast20oct_1/

New York Times. (2013).  Science:  Global Warming & Climate Change.  Retrieved from http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/globalwarming/index.html

US Department of the Interior. (2013). What we do:  Climate Change.  Retrieved from http://www.doi.gov/whatwedo/climate/index.cfm

Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus trees require a lot of water to survive, the roots soak up most of the water wherever they are 

planted. This could cause the swamps to become drained if planted in high numbers around FGCU 

(extrinsic concern).  Many insects, especially termites depend on the eucalyptus as a food source, this 

could increase the number of termites on campus, which are not desirable around structures (intrinsic 

concern).  They have a broad pollen spread, which could lead to invasive and detrimental environmental 

effects on the forest present in the area (extrinsic concern).  They are rich in  oils that are flammable, 

raising the concerns for safety on our campus (both intrinsic and extrinsic concerns). 

Another intrinsic concern with the eucalyptus tree is the falling branches.  The trees crop branches unexpectedly, to conserve water that they need during seasons when there is less rain.  This is a concern because they can cause damage because they are dense and  heavy with  resin.  If people are camping under the trees during a drop the weight of the branch could kill someone.

One way to reduce the risks involved with eucalyptus is to have farms that are specifically set up for them.  This would reduce the number of them in the forest while we can still enjoy the benefits from maintaining eucalyptus.  This would create jobs, and have economic impact on the area.

The eucalyptus have a lot to offer, most importantly, the biomass.  With that we could create biofuels and reduce our need for imports.  The oils stored in the leaves can be used medicinally, and are very fragrant.  The jobs that are created from plantations of eucalyptus would extend to the community through the marketing of the products.  the timber can be used for building materials.  Although these are great arguments for the planting of eucalyptus plantations or forests, the fact that the eucalyptus is non-native and will soak up the waters in our wetlands would not be worth the benefits.