April 17, 2012

Geri Coppola
This class was very interesting to me because I have never really heard about all the bad things with modern medicine. It really opened my eyes to what can happen to someone when taking medications. It taught me how I can be healthy without using medicine, and healthy eating. I have really enjoyed this class a lot. It has taught me so much about living a sustainable life.

Kealy Stapleton
I have really enjoyed this class and learning about sustainability. I feel as though Professor Segal honestly cares about this course and the possibilities that it has for FGCU students. It has made me want to be more environmentally friendly and be more conscious of ways to be healthier in my own life. I have really liked learning about living sustainably in the course and all of the field trips that we went on. My favorite was ECHO, I will definitely be going back.


Tom Ruch
I found the video that we watched in class last week very interesting and it gave me a new perspective on medications. We are so dependent on medications because it is just so easy to take a pill and think all of our problems are solved but we never really looked at the long term effects of these medications until it was too late. All and all I have enjoyed this class, I have found it very interesting and it has made me think a lot about things that I had not considered before.

April 10, 2012

Waste to Energy Plant Field Trip
Geri Coppola

Advantages of Waste Energy

1.       This process produces less carbon emissions that are being released into the air.

2.       This process reduces the amount of garbage that is going to the landfills.

3.       This process is better for the environment; it is cleaner, more reliable, and a more renewable resource than coal burning.

4.       This process reduces our dependency on our fossil fuels.

5.       This process helps to recover and recycle metals that are in the garbage.

 Disadvantage of Waste Energy

      1.       Initially, it is very expensive for a waste energy facility but then becomes profitable.

I really enjoyed this field trip. It was very interesting to see how they can burn garbage and make that into energy.

Kelly Siegrist

Advantages

1. Waste to energy allows us to get rid of landfills which, are not only an eyesore,  can leak harmful toxins into the environment.
2. Creates a renewable energy source.
3. After a while, the factory pays for itself plus more.
4. Allows for recycling of metals and many other materials.
5. It creates jobs, from the front line, to the engineers that build the new technology.

Disadvantage

1. I wasn't able to ask, but I wondered if they burned plastic.  Plastic is highly toxic when burned and releases dioxin which may not be able to be taken out by high concentrations of heat or by scrubbers.  That could be one disadvantage.

This field trip opened my eyes to how sustainable Lee county is.  I have been to the incinerator back home in Broward county, and it was not a 0 input facility.  They burned trash and converted it into waste, but it did not have a good separating system, and it had smoke coming out of the stack.  Also, more was produced than just ash such as in Lee county.

Kealy Stapleton & Tom Ruch
Advantages

1. Allows for using renewable energy without having to disrupt natural resources.

2. The facility is not only efficient but it also environmentally friendly and that is something the the surrounding county can take pride in.

3. The most obvious advantage is that it reduces garbage going into landfills that has an indefinite decomposition time. We are making positive changes towards changing our detrimental environmental habits.

4. Is beneficial to the economy by creating jobs.

5. Recycle metals and other materials.

Disatvantage

They are very costly to build and it seemed like when politics and permitting gets involved, it can become very complicated, which is a shame because all of our landfills should be doing this.

Kealy- This was not my favorite field trip because of the smell and I didn't really understand a lot of what was going on because I am not very familiar with this sort of thing. I did enjoy learning that there was such an environmentally friendly facility because I had no idea that it was in Lee County before this field trip.

Tom- It was really interesting learning about how the facility works. It is cool to know that technology allows us to do these sort of environmentally friendly things.

April 3, 2012

Geri Coppola 
I enjoyed this weeks class video. It was good because it just reinforced everything that we have been learning about this entire semester. I also liked listening to the final 2 presentations from the Plan B book, they were extremely informational. I am looking forward to our final field trip next week. 

Kealy Stapleton

I really enjoyed this class, especially the video. I am happy that we have finished the final presentations from Plan B. and that next class we have our final field trip. I am sure that it won't be as exciting and interesting as ECHO but I am still looking forward to it.

Tom Ruch 
I also enjoyed this class. Especially the video, although I don't see how quickly we could make those environmental changes, I find it interesting hearing all of the ways that are proposed to do so. I am looking forward to out field trip next week and find it hard to believe the semester is almost over.   

March 27, 2012

Kealy Stapleton
I really enjoyed this class. I liked the professors insight and knowledge about organic living and organic farming. It has definitely sparked and interest in me and I look forward to further discussions about this topic. I think it is really important that my generation learns the importance of being sustainable.

ECHO Field Trip

Field Trip Questions

1. ECHO focuses on low technology methods because their main goal is to find ways for underdeveloped nations to feed their people successfully with the little they have. One example of a low technology method was peddling a stationary bike in order to gain power to work a circular saw; here in the developed world, we just plug it into the wall have it turns on. Another low technology machine was a solar oven, compared to more advanced ovens they are made, as well as the ones we use in America. 

2.  Methods that ECHO uses for urban farmers in underdeveloped nations is rooftop gardening.  This method involves little to no soil, and is grow in any contains found within urban cities. 

3. ECHO uses all energy efficient methods for their plants, fruits, and animals. For instance, they have water pumpers, and wells that the people have to pump themselves. Not only does this save energy, it gives the people a workout. They also have solar dehydrators that run from the suns energy and not from electricity, so they are saving energy there. When it comes to watering their plants, they have these systems of tubes that connect to a bucket filled with water, and from the natural gravity, the water gets transferred to all the plants to get watered. Compared to the typical, chemical-based agribusiness operations, ECHO is way more sustainable. Although maybe some agribusinesses are transferring to more energy efficient methods, they will never be as sustainable as ECHO.

4. ECHO develops good soil by using manure to put nutrients back into the soil, by scrapes from other plants to also put nutrients back into the soil. They also cover everything with mulch so that the sun doesn't burn the soil and the mulch helps to keep all the nutrients from washing away when it rains or when the plants get watered. 

5. The moringa tree is a perennial veggie. It is the "favorite tree" of ECHO. It is extremely nutritious and often use to support nursing mothers. It can be used as a water purifier and the oil pressed from the seeds can be used to soothe arthritic joints.

6. The Neem tree originates from India and South Asia. It has antibacterial and anti fungal properties which is why it is called the "village pharmacy" it is also called the "tree of 40 cures". This tree is used for pest control and the it is drought resistant.

7. The duck pond is a symbiotic relationship between the tilapia in the pond, the algae in the pond, and the ducks. The duck droppings feed the algae which grows in the pond which the tilapia eat. The ducks and the tilapia serve as a protein source for an entire village.

8. There are many synergies between plants and animals. As discussed in the question above, the ducks, tilapia, algae, and people all benefit from this relationship.

9. Our tour guide's perspective about the environment and her job at ECHO was "Give a man a fish and he can eat for a day but teach a man to fish and he can eat for a lifetime."

10. I have given a lot of thought about becoming for thoughtful of agricultural products by starting to grow my own food or support more local grows that practice sustainable farming.

Kealy Stapleton

This was my favorite field trip so far! I had a great time and learned so much about different plants and cultures. It was a big eye opener to see how some people rely on these farming practices to sustain life. Our culture is so distant from that principle because it is so easy for us to get our food at the local supermarket. It really makes me want to start my own small garden and be more responsible for providing food for myself.

Tom Ruch
I liked this field trip a lot. It was interesting to see the different ways of providing food without mass agriculture. I enjoyed the different plant varieties and climate growing conditions. I will probably have to come back soon to buy plants with my girlfriend. I think ECHO is doing a great thing for a lot of people by teaching them these sustainable farming practices.

Geri Coppola
I really enjoyed this field trip. I loved learning about all the different ways to grow plants and all the different growing conditions there are. It is interesting to see how so many people really need these farming practices to survive. I am so happy that there are places like ECHO to help those people learn how to sustain their life their way. 

Kelly Siegrist

I loved this field trip to ECHO.  I learned so much, not only to help me better maintain my garden, but also different techniques that can have a less of an impact on the environment.  I also really believe in what they are doing in ECHO.  I always believed in the saying if you give a man a fish, he'll eat good tonight, but if you teach a man to fish he'll eat for a lifetime.  Teaching is the best way of helping less privileged people provide for themselves and their families.

March 13, 2012

Kealy Stapleton

I enjoyed the last presentations of Plan B that were presented in this class. I really liked that these remaining chapters discussed the solutions to the problems they have presented. It is great that there is such a movement to become more sustainable and practice more green ways.I am in disbelief at how fast this class is going by and I look forward to out field trip next week, I have always wanted to go to ECHO.

Tom Ruch
I think this class meeting had good discussions and I really enjoyed the fact that these chapters were all about the solutions to the environmental problems we face. My group is in the process of picking our topic for the third paper and we are all looking forward to our field trip next week.


Geri Coppola
I really enjoyed the discussions in this class. I like how Plan B is talking about the solutions to the problems with our environment. I am looking forward to our field trip to ECHO next week. 

Kelly Siegrist

I enjoyed the class discussion that was created through the Plan B text.  I also enjoyed the little video we watched on urban farming.  I never thought to get rid of grass in order to have more growing space, as well as save on the water that the grass needs.  This video made me excited to have my own garden, and hopefully my own urban farm.

Feburary 28, 2012

Kelly Siegrist

I really enjoyed the guest speaker we had today.  Not only did it make me want to visit ECHO, it almost made me even more excited to have my own edible landscape once I live in my own house.  As of now, my home back on the east coast is filled with organic tomatoes, peppers, cucumber, strawberries, lettuce, and herbs, and being in a dorm makes me miss growing my own food. Now I know the same day I move into a house with a back or front yard, I will plant multiple fruit trees in order to begin my edible garden.  The second part of the class was also enjoyable.  My minor is in community planning and development and my career goal is to work with cities to make them more sustainable and environmental friendly, so this movie gave me some great ideas.  Also, the concepts Brazil used were all very simple and its shocking to me that cities here don't have anywhere close to their technology.

Geri Coppola
The guest speaker today was extremely informational, and interesting. I learned a lot about edible landscaping and in the future I would like to plant some of the trees, plants, and fruits that the guest speaker mentioned. The video about Brazil was also very interesting. It is nice to see that other places have such great ideas and are thriving with those ideas. I think if the bigger cities in the U.S. did what the video talked about in the city in Brazil, then traffic would be so much better.

Field Trip: Estero Island Historic Cottage

On February 21, 2012 we visited the Estero Island Historic Cottage. Here are the Organic Eagle's pictures.

Mangrove

Spanish Moss

Interesting root wrapped around the tree

We couldn't figure out what the black bulges coming off the tree were

Drop roots from the mangroves

Sacrificial yellow leaf

Snail

Sea Grapes

Horse shoe crab shell

Mangrove types

Air plants and Spanish moss

Sabal Palm

Wild Coffee Plant

Cabbage Palm

The Organic Eagle's!

February 21, 2012

Kealy Stapleton
I had a great time on the field trip, despite the hour and a half bus ride there! I really enjoyed the speaker before and thought she was very interesting. It was a beautiful day outside and it was really nice to walk the trail.

Geri Coppola
This field trip was a lot of fun besides the long bus ride. I found the speaker very interesting and loved learning about all the history she told us. I really enjoyed being able to walk on our own with our groups.

Kelly Siegrist

I really enjoined the field trip to the Estero Island Historic Cottage.  I learned a lot about Florida's history and native areas.  It is crazy to think that in such a short period of time, an area can change as vastly as Ft. Myers has, including the rapid increase of population.  It put into perspective the amount of changes we are doing to our local environment throughout the matter of someones lifetime.

February 14, 2012

Kealy Stapleton
This class was interesting because we started presenting on Plan B. The presentations about chapters 1-4 were really interesting and I really liked the jeopardy game especially because our team won. I am looking forward to our field trip next class.

Tom Ruch
Class today was very interactive which made the material much more interesting. Plan B is flowing much better than the previous book. The movie we watched in class had some interesting points as well, like the fact that for every 5 barrels of oil we use, we're only finding 1 barrel. This is not a practice that can be sustained.

Geri Coppola
I had a lot of fun with the presentations this class especially when one of the groups played jeopardy. That was a very different and cool way to interact with the class. I also enjoyed watching the video about Cuba and the oil. 

Kelly Siegrist 

I enjoyed this class because we were able to talk about Plan B.  Plan B is a book that looks into more serious environmental issues than our colloquium book did.  I also had fun playing Jeopardy.  The movie on Cuba was also interesting, I did not know Cuba had such a history involving oil. 

*I also found a website showing population of the world.
http://www.miniature-earth.com/

February 7, 2012

Geri Coppola
I really enjoyed this class. It is nice being able to open discussions about various environmental topics from the presentations. I also liked the video we watched, it was very interesting.

Kelly Siegrist 
I also enjoyed this class because we were able to have discussions.  I also really enjoyed this video.  My parents always speak of South Florida back in the 60s and 70s but it was nice to finally see photos and another persons view on how much Florida has changed. 

Tom Ruch

I enjoyed watching the movie we saw in class very much. I thought it was very interesting and touched on every topic which is important, from the environment to the natives that lived here long before us. The speaker was really easy to follow even though all he did was sit and talk. 

Kealy Stapleton 

I enjoyed reading and presenting on this chapter. It was a subject close to my heart because my mom is a newspaper journalist that actively covers the everglades restoration project.  I was happy to see that the class was actively engaging in discussion and that the professor had some input as well. 

Calusa Nature Center Field Trip

On Tuesday, January 31st we visited the Calusa Nature Center. Here are our pictures.

American Alligator

Red Maple

Poison Ivy & Virginia Creeper

Swamp Bay Leaves

Brazilian Pepper

Horned Owl

Bald Cyprus

Turtles

Wild Coffee Plant

Southern Slash Pine and Saw Palmetto

Bayberry

Organic Eagles!

January 31, 2012 


Kealy Stapleton
I had a great time on this field trip, I really enjoyed learning about all of the different plants and animals. I especially liked seeing all of the animals up close that were inside the center. I am glad that we get to get out of the classroom and see what we are learning. I am looking forward to the other upcoming field trips.

Geri Coppola
I really enjoyed this field trip. It was cool to learn about all the different plants that we have growing in our area. It was also nice to see all the animals that I wouldn't normally see and learning more about them as well.

Kelly Siegrist

I was so glad we were able to go on this field trip.  I have always wanted to visit Calusa Nature Center and this trip provided a great opportunity.  I learned so much in this field trip, mainly about native and invasive species here in south west Florida.  I also enjoyed seeing the animals and being close enough to touch them.

January 24, 2012

Geri Coppola

This class answered all my questions that I was confused about from the previous class. I enjoyed watching and discussing with the other teams about their presentations.  

Kelly Siegrist

I enjoined this class.  Not only was my team and I allowed to get out of our seats and present, we were also able to discuss with other classmates.  After this weeks class I was able to see where my peers stood on topics from sustainability to stewardship.  I also enjoined the discussions we had in class.  I felt a lot more engaged and awake.

Kealy Stapleton

I really enjoyed the group presentations. I appreciated that the class got involved in our presentation and were answering our questions. I was nervous about being the first group to present but I felt that overall that we got our message across and delivered the material in a efficient way. I am feel better that I now have a better understanding of the expectations of the class requirements and I am looking forward to our field trip this week.

Thomas Ruch

I think this past class went very well for every group that presented. The conversations were easy to start and almost everyone got involved. The different groups presenting make the class seem to flow better, sometimes one person talking is easy to tune out. It’s very beneficial to the class to get many different opinions on a given subject, it allows every student to form a personal opinion. 

January 17, 2012

Geri Coppola

This class was confusing for me. Towards the end of class we formed groups and picked chapters for our presentations, but I feel like it was unorganized and wasn’t clear on what we were supposed to do for the class. I liked that we took the quiz on how many Earth’s we take up. I never knew what I could do to help the environment more, and this quiz showed me in what aspects I can improve on.

Kelly Siegrist

This class was interesting because I was able to find out what University Colloquium was about.  Many of the questions I had concerning this course were answered and I am looking forward to the rest of the semester.

Kealy Stapleton

I really enjoyed the lecture this class, it helped me get a better understanding of what Colloquium was all about. I liked hearing how many worlds it would take to support everyone's lifestyle in the class. It was interesting and it got me thinking about ways that I can be more green in my own life