University Colloquium Class

There are many aspect of this class that I have enjoyed and learned a lot. There are many documentaries that we were assigned to watch that taught me a great deal about how large corporations are treating third world countries. So, I like to know which companies use bad business practices so that I know not to buy their product. I did feel that some of the field trips were redundant. I think that the Corkscrew Swamp, FGCU Trail,and the Matanzaz Pass were all the same type of environment. I would have rather visited a recycling plant or a landfill. I didn't like most of the readings because it just seemed a little pompous. Instead of making it easy to understand and getting to the point they added a lot of filler to make themselves sound smarter. The only exception to this was reading the novel A Land Remembered which was both interesting and I learned a lot. I don't think there's a need for both a discussion and a quiz. Also, I hate the blog because I don't think it's really necessary. I don't feel like I learn anything from it. It's just another thing I have to do to prove I read the materials or watched the film clips. However, overall I did enjoy the course.

Interview

In the course of speaking to my grandmother it is apparent that she has no idea what sustainability means. She is from a time when there was no recycling, global warming, and emission concerns. No, her generation has an inherant respect for the land. She moved to Florida when she was very young and most of the land here was rural farms. Her life revolved around being outdoors in the farm. She informed me that growing up her father killed their farm animals for food. To this day, she can't stand to eat meat. Again, our generation is disconnected from seeing where our food comes from. I think if more people actually witnessed animals being slaughtered they would feel the same way. But, it's how she grew up and how her made a living. She states she can't comprehend how children would rather play videogames instead of playing outside. I informed her that I've learned to have more respect for the land and realize that I am a part of nature not seperate from it. Of course, these are things that her generation already knew.

Reflection

I think the most important ideal through this semester is that we have to be connected with nature. I don't think that most people realize how far we've strayed away from it. I don't recall when I stopped taking walks outside or going hiking. It just slowly crept its way out of my life. I think now most people feel like they don't belong in nature. We gotten to the point where it customary to spend most of your day indoors. An individuals experience with nature shouldn't just be a trip to the beach once a month or skiing in the winter. We should all experience what our own neighborhood has to offer everyday. I myself have set up a schedule where I take my dogs for a walk a different way everday so that I see more of my neighborhood. I think most people don't realize what wonderful things they have within their own community. It's important to appreciate what you have and to use it to your full advantage. As all of our readings have indicated, you must experience outdoors not just talk about it.

Environmental News

Warming Could Wake Up Volcanoes

This article states that climate changes are resulting in the melting of ice. By removing the weight of the ice, magma flows closer to the surface and it could trigger volcanic eruptions. As ice continues to melt, the volcanic eruptions will occur more frequently and more severely. The melting of the ice is said to be cause by global warming that occurs from fossil fuels. The main
concern is with large ice capped volcanoes as they could be more destructive than the smaller volcanoes they're currently studying. It is reported that 10% of Iceland's polar caps have melted since 1890.

I think this is just one more indication that global warming is real and we're destroying the planet with the fossil fuel emissions. I don't know how many more natural disasters need to take place before people start taking this seriously.


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36627947/ns/us_news-environment/
Brecher,John, Warming Could Wake Up Volcanoes, April 18,2010

Urban Environment and Southwest Florida Historical Museum

URBAN ENVIRONMENT AND SWFL HISTORICAL MUSEUM

This is me on a hot spring day on my trek through downtown Fort Myers. The above
is a photograph of me infront of the Uncommon Friends Statue. It's actually really beautiful along the river. I've never really noticed this statue so I'm glad I really took my time to
examine the area.




This above is a photograph of the old Post Office for Fort Myers. There was a plaque indicating that this use to be an ancient site for the Caloosa Indian villages. During the Seminole War, a fort was constructed and named Ltn. Harvie and was later renamed Fort Myers honoring Ltn. Abraham Myers. During the Civil War, the base was reactivated to round up wild cattle.

This is the Old Courthouse for Fort Myers and the new one is located directly across from it. I learned many facts such as 1) the first courthouse was built on this site for $3,640 2) on May 13, 1887 the State of Florida created Lee County with a population of 1,414 and was named after Civil War General Robert E. Lee 3) on October 26, 1914 citizens tore down the county courthouse demanding a larger more modern facility be built.

The above is a picture of the Patio De Leon constructed in 1924. It was originally called Tonnelier Court and was designed to have an old Spanish European style. At one point, this fountain was transfored to house two alligators which were used as tourist attractions. It has just been recently remodeled within the last year.

This is my trip to the Southwest Florid Historical Museum. I would have to say this is my least favorite trip. I absolutely hated the whole process. I have a bad neck injury so trying to listen to the audio tour, take notes, and photograph was a huge ordeal. I thought the audio tour meant that you could walk up to the display and hit a button and it would tell you about the exhibit. Instead, I had my neck crinked to the side the whole time and having in dial buttons. I actually had to go to a massage therapist that night. It was a huge pain. It certainly wasn't worth 8 dollars. I don't even eat lunch out but I had to pay for this "museum". There was hardly anything interesting in there and I found the trip extremely boring. It seems they had a lot of replicas but very little actuall artifacts.

The above is a picture of the tools used by the Calusa Indians who were stone age people. This is called hafting in which handles are attached to tools. These were used for cutting and hammering. Basically, the used the resources around them to make tools of all kinds.

This is a photograph depicting how they burnt out the bowl of a basswood spoon. It was interesting to learn what kind of tools they made and how they used them. You can see how creative and resourceful they were.

Above is a exhibit of an ancient water burial taking place. When an individual died they would wrap the body in cloth. The body would then sink to the bottom of the pond. The muck at hte bottom of the pond would then cover it.

I also learned about the Seminole War in December 28, 1835 in which a band of Seminole Indians attacked troops. All of the soldier were killed and thus there was a second Seminole War.

This shows Buckingham and Page Field during World War II in which a gunnery school was built to help with the war efforts.

These are some of the items soldiers carried with them during World War II. So, overall the museum experience kind of let me down. I was hoping that there was going to be more to it. However, I did learn a few new things but I don't think I'll be going back.

Energy Consumption

ELECTRICITY USAGE

I have decided to research how much electricity I approximately use on a daily basis. There are many factors in determining energy usage. You must account for what type of home you have (i.e. house, appartment), age of home, number of occupants, number of appliances, type of bulbs used, if you have a pool/spa, type of windows, air conditioning/heating useage, and so on. So here are the factors that relate to me:

Home: Single Family
Age: 1987
Occupants: 2
Appliances:
Refridgerator: Energy Saver (2008) Used: 24 hours/day
Stove: Energy Saver (2008) Used: 3 times/30 minutes each
Microwave: 1 (2000) Not used today
Tv: Large Screen TV Used: 2 hours
Computer: Lap top Used: 3 hours
DVD Player: 1 Not used today
Phone-Cell Phone/Home Phone Used: 2 hours
Washer: 1998 Used: 1 (small wash, cold, short cycle)
Dryer: 1998 Used: 1
Dishwasher: Energy Saveer (2008) Used: 1
Clocks: 3 Used: 24hrs/day each
Lights: 10 Used: 4 hours
Bulbs: 50% Flourecent
AC: Approx. left on 75 degrees/turned off when not home. Used: 24/day at 75 degrees
Fans: 4 (only used when AC off) Not Used
Water Heater: Medium Used: 1 hour total
Water Pump: Well Water Used: 24hrs/day
Toilets: 2 Used: 8 times
Misc.: Fish tank (pump/light) Used: 24hrs/day
Hair Dryer: Daily use Used: 1 for 20 minutes

TOTAL ENERGY USE FOR ONE DAY: 42 kWh

My electric provider is LCEC. Their supplier is Seminole Electric Cooperative which is located in Tampa, Florida. Seminole owns, operates and transmits energy via their power plants to 46 counties in Florida. It utilizes two 650 Megawatt generating units powered by coal, delivered by rail, and obtained from mines in Illinois and Kentucky.

Total Miles Traveled Today: 5 miles/Single occupant
Gas Milage: 25 MPG
Carbon Footprint: 6.5 tons/year of Co2

I'm really aware of my energy usage. I think that energy awareness is not only good for the environment but is also cost effective. There are economical advantages for turning off the AC when not home, turning off the lights when not in a room, and buying enery saving appliances. I have actually convinced others to do the same after informing them of my total electric bill. They have reported back that turning of the AC when not at home during the day nearly cut
their electric bill in half!!! I can't imagine why anyone wouldn't want to cut back their energy
usage. It's the small things that make a difference in your budget. So, I think I make sustainable choices besides driving so far to work.

CORKSCREW SWAMP SANCTUARY

Out of all of the field trips that I have been on this semester the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary was by far my favorite. It's a really beautiful, peaceful, viberant place full of wildlife. It was nice to actually walk along the boardwalk and see animals everywhere. It was especially fun because I got to bring my dad and my nine year old sister with me. They enjoyed the experience just as much as I did. My sister was so excited about going on the trails and even brought her binoculars with her. My dad, who was stressed out due to his work schedule, was completely relaxed by the time we left. This supports the theory that walking outdoors in nature reduces stress and anxiety.

We walked the trails at a slow pace so that we didn't miss anything. It wasn't long before we came across two very large alligators. It was great to see them out in the wild in their natural habitat. My little sister loved seeing them so we just saw there for half an hour watching them even though they didn't do much.

One thing that struck me was the clearity of the swamp water. There were some parts where you could see all the way to the bottom. It was nice to see all the different types of freshwater fish. We ran into a gentleman who fished a lot and he was telling us about all the types of freshwater fish that he thought were in the ponds. He said there was probably mostly catfish and bass.

We also enjoyed all the different types of plants and trees we came across. It was really beautiful to see all the birds and nests. I couldn't believe how many different types of birds there were. It appeared that a lot of people did bird watching there. I wished I had brought a better camera because it was difficult to photograph them in all the foilage.

The boardwalk streched on for miles over different terrain and at different elevations. The aquatic plants were amazing. When looking down into the water you could see all the types of fish hiding in the plants.

Somewhere in this picture is a baby alligator approximately three feet long. He's partially submerged in the swamp water hiding behid the foilage. I wouldn't have even seen him if it wasn't for my dad. My father has a "Steve Irwin" ability to spot animals so I'm glad he came along. So we all enjoyed the trip and we are going to go back soon. Overall, the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary was amazing and I'm glad I went.