Reading #12 - The Nature of the Everglades.

I think the Everglades are a national treasure and that they are worth preserving.  So many diverse species live in the Everglades that if we were to let the everglades be destroyed it would not only effect the land but also the species that live there. In the past man has tried to develop the Everglades only to find out that we have caused much more harm than good.  Not only does the destruction of the everglades effect the plants and animals that live there, it also effects the hydrologic cycle which will in turn effect those who live in Florida. There is only one Everglades on this planet, it is unique and it would be a great loss if it were destroyed.

Reading #11 - Endgame, Michael Grunwald.

I found the article by Michael Grunwald quite interesting. I did not really know much about the history of the everglades. I knew that it had been developed and was much larger in the past. However, i was unaware of all the political issues that surrounded the everglades. I found it quite shocking that many of the FL native birds were hunted so aggressively in order to make hats for women which were popular at the time. This was also the first I had heard of the Airport in Homestead which was a big political issue at the time. I knew that Al Gore ran against Bush and is now promoting environmental practices but I was unaware that he refused to take a stand on the airport in Homestead. I have heard in some of my engineering classes about the restoration of the everglades but I did not know that 8 billion dollars were/are being spent to restore the everglades.  It just goes to show how we as humans find something that does not fit our needs so we change it just to realize we made it worse. Then we spend three to four times as much in order to fix the problem we created. This just goes to show how we can be so ignorant of the environment and take it for granted. Maybe one day humanity will learn from our past mistakes and be more mindful of the environment before we cause too much damage to the world around us.

Personal Reflection on Ecological Footprint and other things

According to the ecological footprint quiz it would take 4.49 earths to sustain the world if everyone acted as I do. To be honest I thought it would be higher as I commute back and forth 55 mi each way to FGCU. So on a positive note I was pleased that it wasn’t a higher number however it is still more than the one earth we have. I don’t believe I could make my lifestyle only use one earth according to that quiz as many of the items on it are all but necessary to function in this country. Never the less, I could do some things better to lower that number and help preserve the earth for future generations.

I also found the video of the gorilla encounter quite interesting. First off I’m surprised they actually found the gorilla and beyond that I am surprised it came when he called. I knew they were intelligent however I was unaware that they were capable of remembering someone after ten years of not seeing them. The bond between the gorilla and the man truly was amazing.

Reading #10 - Reflection on Vandana Shiva

I found reading about biodiversity from Shiva’s perspective quite interesting. I agree with many of her arguments. Before I read this excerpt from her I knew a little bit about the world hunger issues in India however after watching her speak and hearing what she had to say, I found that what I knew was only half of the issue. I have heard of companies exploiting natural resources such as water for profit however I was unaware of how corrupt the agricultural and seed market is. The only point I slightly disagree with Shiva is when it comes to genetically engineered seeds. I believe genetically engineered seeds can prove to be very useful if created for the right reason. Currently companies are just looking to turn a profit which is the reason I believe they are producing seeds which are not striving in harsh environments. If their intentions were to actually help the people then they could produce a seed that required less water and little to no pesticides. However because they also sell the pesticides it is in their best interest not to produce such seeds as it would lower their profits. If this cycle continues then I agree with Shiva that natural organic seeds should be used as they are of much less cost to the farmers and actually survive better in certain climates. Overall I agree with Shiva. There is a problem in the agricultural industry when those who produced the food have to buy it back from the companies they were forced to sell it to at much higher price.  

Reading #9 - Tale of Two Farms - Personal Reflection

A Tale of Two Farms was an interesting read and I enjoyed the perspective that Jared Diamond gave.  When learning about the two farms I was surprised to find out that Gardar farm was currently uninhabited and has been so for 500 years,  and that the society surrounding the farm has all but ceased to exist.  This made me think about why the most technologically advanced farm of its time failed. It also made me wonder if the Huls farm was destined for such failure in the future. Beyond the farms themselves I began to think about society in general  and how advanced civilizations have failed in the past.  Past civilizations have failed usually as a result of war in which they were outnumbered or in which their strategy was poor.  It has only been recently (the past 300 years) that technology could turn the tide on a war.  In this sense technology has become a center  point in society.  However, coming back to the example of the two farms it can been seen that technological advances are not enough to save a society (or in this case farm) from collapse.

                This lead me to question the future of America. Jared Diamond did state he was not implying that the Huls farm would fail or that American society would fail as a result of technological advances.  To this point I agree. It is not Technology that will be the undoing of advanced societies but rather their dependence on unsustainable technologies which have ever increasing cost as the natural resources are being depleted. It would be unreasonable to deter from technology entirely but rather it would be more practical to make our technology sustainable and this I believe will save our society from collapse in the future.

FIELD TRIP: AGRICULTURAL ENVIRONMENT-ECHO (May 28, 2011)

ECHO is an amazing place to visit and I am proud that this organization is located in Fort Myers.  ECHO’s mission is to provide agricultural practices that will help people feed themselves and possibly provide them an extra source of income through the production of surplus crops.  ECHO is a non-denominational Christian organization which is dedicated to fighting world hunger. The founder of ECHO realizes that people need more than just a one time hand-out.    After working with the Haitian people for many years he realized that giving a man a fish helps feed him for a day but teaching him how to fish will provide food for a lifetime.  People need knowledge and training to become sustainable farmers and they need to work with the resources that are readily available to them in their countries. 

            The demonstration of farm models and sustainable agricultural approaches help people grow their crops in various climates.  ECHO models farming in dry climates, rain-forest climates, mountainous terrain, and even models how to plant an urban garden where soil is scarce.  Because resources are scare in many communities, ECHO models how living fences can be used in gardens as well as the planting of bamboo to provide building materials for fences, homes, and furniture. People around the world face many agricultural challenges.  Poor farmers are being pushed off of good land with rich soil to the Rocky Mountains to farm.  Soil erosion is a problem and it is difficult to grow many crops.  ECHO is researching ways to use layers of plants and tires to stop soil erosion and show missionaries, who will go to these areas to teach the local farmers, how to stop erosion and what crops to plant in their mountainous soil.

            The lack of water is also an agricultural challenge for the farmers of the world.  ECHO models how to makes wells with common items found in these countries such as bicycle wheels.  The techniques they have developed do not require electricity.  Rather than use precious water to flood rice paddies, new techniques using much less water are being studied at ECHO.  This technique is yielding 30% more rice crop than the traditional method of flooding fields.    Bad water kills many people each year around the world and the introduction of the plant chaya into a local community can help purify the water the people drink.

            Getting the proper nutrients for good health is also a problem many people face throughout the world.  The miracle tree Moringa, which has proven to grow in various climates, provides many of the nutrients needed to remain healthy.  There are more nutrients in the leaves than are found in other foods such as citrus, carrots, vegetables, and milk.  The introduction of this food source to farmers around the world is a focus of ECHO.  This plant can help provide nutrients while eliminating hunger and missionaries are encouraged to introduce this plant to the rural farmers they work with.

            ECHO also models how ducks, fish, rabbits, and goats can help a community by providing protein to families through animal meat and eggs.  Huts are modeled that house the ducks, goats, and rabbits.  The animal huts are built in such a way as to catch the manure for farming and provide necessary nutrients for fish to flourish.  Goats are an excellent animal for families to raise because they provide meat to eat, manure for crops, muscle to pull small wagons, milk to drink and make cheese, and money when the animals or their by-products are sold to others. It is also comforting to know that if a world disaster should occur and plants around the globe are destroyed, ECHO has a seed storage area located below ground in Colorado.  They have a plan in place to help the world grow agriculture so the remaining people can survive.

            ECHO is providing solutions to hunger without any on-going government financial assistance.  The work done is supported by donations made from individuals and churches.  Occasionally ECHO does receive small grants to conduct research but the grants are “few and of small dollar amounts” stated my tour guide.  It is inspiring to me to see the significant work this small Christian organization is performing to help eliminate world hunger and teach small farmers to be sustainable.