Journal #15

Colloquium Experience


My University Colloquium experience was undoubtedly very informative and eye-opening. After taking this course I more carefully watch my ecological footprint, and find myself thinking how to conserve energy. Recycling has always been a part of my life, and I have recently discussed reducing our ecological footprint with my friends and family. This class has even influenced me to educate my close ones on how to reduce wasting energy! Behavioral changes are the first step in creating a more sustainable environment and this course has genuinely influence my behavior. I have to admit taking a required course in the summer seems a bit boring and a lot of work, but this course allows you to learn progressively. This Colloquium course can be directly related to John Dewey’s philosophy of “hands on”, and experimental learning. “History of education is development from within, based upon natural endowments; and that education is a process of overcoming natural inclination” (John Dewey). I especially liked the reading from John Dewey because they remind me of my father, who is a role model for me. It says in the curriculum that the objective of this course is to increase ones sense of place in the environment. I had no idea what a “sense of place” was, and furthermore did care too much. I think I have increased my respect for the environment and will take the time and adjustments to reduce my carbon footprint. A sense of place derived from the natural environment could be described as experimental learning. However I would discard the amount of essays one has to complete and possibly add in a test for the students who do not fare well in essay writings. The best place to learn progressively in my mind would be to kayak or canoe the Estero Bay (Might be too unrealistic to obtain 30 canoes). Wildlife is always in the vicinity of the bay and it would be a great experience for the students. I enjoyed myself in the FGCU Colloquiumcourse and felt it was a great way to experience “hands-on” learning.

Journal #14 Downtown Ft. Myers

The field trip to Downtown Ft. Myers was very exciting. The trip promoted progressive learning and helped create a great sense of place. Ft. Myers is a very historic city that is located on the Caloosahatchee River. I learned that this town was a port and the river was used as a route for settlers to transport goods to the north. The area has an old historic appearance and with monuments scattered across the city. In the heart of Centennial Park was a statue of the three most prominent citizens of Ft Myers: Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and Harvey Firestone. These entrepreneurs and scientists resided in Ft Myers part time in the early 1900’s and have had their homes transferred into educational exhibits. I wanted to visit the houses of these 3 legendary gentlemen which are now museum exhibits, but we were on the other side of town with limited time. However I did see the Yacht Basin, Centennial Park, and the old post office which severed the town of Ft Myers in the early 1900’s. I was educated that Fort Myers was built in 1850 as a military fort to fend off Seminole Indians. It was named after Col. Abraham C. Myers, who was stationed in Florida for seven years and was the son-in-law of the fort's founder and commander. Also residing in Ft. Myers in the mid 1800’s were the Colusa Indians (Cityftmyers.com). Calusa means fierce, and these Indians definitely upheld their name, massacring the area's few settlers. The Calusa were the first people to connect the Caloosahatchee River with Lake Okeechobee, which created a trading route between them and other tribes. Learning about the history of a Fort that I was born so close to was very pleasing for me. I was informed about the services of the Fort and waterways in the past but somehow never thought about too much. Having been born in Southwest Florida and learning about its rich history is very rewarding to me.

Photo:worldofstock.com

Journal #13

Food Intake:

I absolutely have a high calorie intake, but the foods I eat are somewhat healthy. My diet is planned because I workout and am trying to gain muscle mass. The food I consume most is most likely protein bars made from oats and soy protein. They are healthy, but very expensive. The other foods I consume depend on the chef at the restaurant I work at. This food is free for all employees and quite tasty. The lunches mainly include steak, eggs, chicken, tacos, fish and/ or burgers. Not exactly healthy but I work on the beach, sweating all day so I believe I will lose the extra calories really quick. I watch my diet carefully so the calculated numbers are within range. Typically I will consume about 2500-3000 calories daily
Here is my summary of the foods I consumed today:

Bacon Cheeseburger: 600 cal
2 protein bars: 500 cal
Mahi Mahi Sandwich: 400 cal
Chicken with potatoes: 400 cal
Serving of lays chips: 100 cal
Milk: 120 cal
Gatorade: 150 cal
Ice Cream 200 cal
2 bottles of water: 0 cal.
Total: 2470
A medium amount of energy was used from me consuming these foods because I purchased half of them and the other are left over’s from the past nights dinner at the restaurant/ club I work at. They items I purchased are recycled, including the bottles and aluminum wrapper of the protein bars. The food at my work place is all provided on stainless steel trays, which we then transfer to washable plates to eat on. This is a very sustainable decision by my employer to provide the food on trays rather than plastic to go boxes or disposable trays. However the days I am off I do tend to shop at Publix for a subs and meats, where I do obtain plastic bags and/ or wrapping. I believe my food consumption is sustainable because I mostly eat at work, and bring organic protein bars with me. Drinking more water using a canteen would allow me to be a more eco-friendly human being.

Journal #12

Electricity Use

Electricity Calculation from yesterday:
Television: 4 hours
Game System: 3 hours
Oven: 30 minutes
Shower: 10 minutes
Desktop Computer 4 hours
Laundry: 1hour
Fans: 2 hours
Lights: 4 hours
Electric Shaver: 5 mintues
Electricity travels at the speed of light, arriving at a destination at almost the same moment it is produced. FPL uses a complex power line grid, so that it can reliably deliver electricity night and day to approximately 8 million people in Florida. FPL's 71,500-mile, interconnected, power-line network is made up of large and small power lines. The larger transmission lines function like long-distance interstate highways, expressways and turnpikes. The smaller distribution lines are similar to streets and avenues that crisscross communities. (http://www.fpl.com/environment/lines/power_lines.shtml)
It is amazing how quikly and effecivley electricity can work, but in order to achieve a more sustainable living we must focus on how much electricity we are actually using each day.

When analyzing how much electricity I use, I realize that I could make an effort to live more sustainably. My trouble areas are household lighting (although I did purchase fluorescent bulbs to try to reduce energy use), and game system usage. I try to conserve when possible with practices such as turning off un-used electronics and turning off the air conditioning when not home. These small energy conserving techniques will indeed help me save energy, money, and the environment.

Journal#11

I took the consumer consequences quiz and was not surprised at the results. However I could not figure out how to paste the image onto the Blog. 4.8x was my score which means, number of Earths it would take to sustain all of the people on the planet if everyone lived like me. I already knew I needed to rethink my living habits, but this is proof. The Consumer Consequences quiz did inform me that, “Global acres represent the amount of biologically productive space on Earth. The planet has 26.7 billion global acres of land and ocean. That’s about 4.5 acres per person. If your lifestyle requires more than 4.5 acres, your score will equal more than one Earth.” That the equivalent of 21.6 acres! I believe the most wasteful attribute to the environment is the amount of food I consume, categorized with a 9. I love to eat, and am trying to gain muscle mass, but there has to be another way. Maybe I could do some research on foods that are high in protein and efficiently produced so I can continue with my workout schedule. I did fairly well on all of the other areas, Housing was a 3, and electricity and waste generation were both 2’s. Transportation was a 3 which may be a little on the light side, but I do drive a compact car which get 32 mpg. And as for shopping that is a solid 2 because I rarely spend money. Transportation and food consumption is where I have the biggest negative impact, but hopefully there are habits I can actually change to become a more sustainable human being.

Journal #10- Campus Walk

Campus Walk Reflection

Having studied at the Florida Gulf Coast University for 3 years now, I thought I was well educated about the campus and its natural environment. Most of the surround landscape is well preserved and some even protected. To my surprise the engineers who developed the University had the best intentions to preserve the natural environment. Lakes, buildings, and walkways were constructed in a manner that would minimize habitat damage, and even replenish it. Perhaps the most interesting fact I learned was how the engineers specifically widened and dredged the main campus lake to maximize fish and other creature capacity. The lake is designed to mimic a natural lake, one that is deep enough to keep the water temperature appropriate and the wildlife flourishing. The lake water even runs off from the Caloosahatchee river that is just north of the campus! Another fascinating fact is that 400 acres of land is set aside for environmental preservation, which is an excellent place for researchers and students to observe nature, gather data, and research species in this natural wetland. Another exciting facility is the Art complex which has a beautiful display of art in the courtyard. Everything from wood structures, painted walls, and small organic gardens can be observed at this complex.
I have been to the FGCU campus trail a few times and find it to be a great place to observe nature and relax. Though it is either very hot, or wet in the Summer I think students should take some time to walk through this amazing trail. If observing nature is not your favorite thing to do, you can always take a frisbee with you and enjoy yourself in a similar setting while playing frisbee golf. My favorite thing about the FGCU campus is the connecting lakes with alligators and water birds. I believe this campus will set a great example for other Universities to become more sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Journal #9

It is no doubt that Global warming is upon us and it is affecting many habitats on Earth. One of which is in our own backyard- the Everglades. The Everglades is a series of freshwater marshes that has been reduced to less than half of its former size due to irresponsible land use practices. This preserve is home to thousands of species of animals and is undeniably a vast landscape of timeless beauty. The documentary shown in class on the Everglades was very informative and eye-opening. Once covering 11,000 square miles, the Everglades is drastically reducing in size. This large reduction is devastating many species that inhibit the Southwest Florida region, especially water birds. They are perhaps the most elegant and interesting species in the Everglades. Birds are extremely important to the ecosystem and do many things for our Southern FL environment including; boosting tree growth by removing parasites and damaging insects, naturally garden by transferring seeds, and also help with pollination.These Florida birds are very important to the environment in many ways; they eat bugs including mesquites that carry diseases. Without birds we would become overrun with creatures, they are considered watchers of unseen nature. Many birds in the Southern Florida area are seed dispersers and seed dispersing is a very important ecological process that impacts evolution in the many habitats of Florida. Protecting birds not only serves us humans directly by increasing the quality of air, abundance of plants and trees, and limiting insect population, but helps those of us who are consumed by our daily lives to appreciate life and connect with nature much more. I learned that birds are indeed a necessary component of ecosystems, which we need for our own survival. We must remember that us as humans need the environment, the environment does not need us.

Photo courtesy of Natural sciences.org