emeraldhorner-blog

[emeraldhorner-blog]

Journal 10- Post-Conceptions

After reading my first journal over again, there is a lot to reflect on.

I stated that students would have various conversations about Southwest Florida and how to preserve it. Colloquium encompassed a lot more than just conversations about preservation. Throughout this course, we talked about livable cities, government issues and human destruction. We went in depth about where pollution stems from. The Earth Charter was a wonderful eye-opening document, which shows how so many other factors play into the destruction of Earth.

I feel that this class has met all the expectations I had for it, and then some.

The field trips and conversations urged me to spend time with nature. I learned about all of my impacts through the ecological footprint and what I can do to be more conscious.

I had talked about sustainability being important in my career choice, nursing. I learned through research about the various ways health care facilities are becoming green. This is extremely important this day in age considering the damage humans have already done.

Another concept that really spoke to me was the concept of a sense of place. It is important to find that place of belonging and feel like yourself truly. I continue to search for these places along with visit my other ones.

All in all, Colloquium was an interesting class, which I think every student should have to take. We all live on the same Earth, we better take care of it. The field trips were all action packed and one even included a scavenger hunt. Not only was the information in this class interesting and shocking, it was very changing to me. We all must do better.

One of my favorite photos I have taken in Colloquium. This is from the first Field trip in FGCU’s nature trails in the cypress dome. It is the cypress trees reflection on the water.

[emeraldhorner-blog]

Journal 9- Lee County Waste to Energy

Going into this field trip I was very confused on why a class about sustainability would be going to visit an incinerator. Little did I know, this incinerator helps convert the air to water vapor before being released back into the environment.

A company named Covanta Lee, Inc. created Lee County Waste to Energy in 1992. The technology used in this incinerator and filtration system comes from Germany. Lee County WTE receives about 720,000 tons of waste per year, from both Lee County and Hendry County.

Not only is this place an incinerator, it is also a single-stream recycling plant, filtering out the waste once received. It functions under the Clean Air Act, ensuring that their gas emissions are at least 80% under standard. The power created by the incinerator is sold to Lee County, preventing them from burning fossil fuels.

Paint, Motor Oil, Batteries, Propane Tanks, Antifreeze and Tires are all collected, sold and reused. Clean Wood, metal, concrete, RSM and Cardboard are recovered and recycled. Yard Waste and Compost is turned to mulch. The only things that get sent to landfills are drywall, dock pilling, PVC, asphalt and shingles.

It is pretty amazing to learn about this wonderful facility that can help preserve our Earth and reduce humans waste. The idea of disposable items is causing pollution and destroying our planet. I wish that Waste to Energy plants were common worldwide to help reduce this horrible pandemic.

Some fun facts include:

The 4 R’s: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, and Recover

The 4 main fuels used in the world: Coal, Natural Gas, Nuclear, and Diesel & Fuel Oil

Renewable Alternatives: Hydroelectric, Solar & Wind, Waste

The Lee County Waste to Energy Plant from aerial view.

A picture of the 21 step process that waste undergoes to be converted to water vapor and then be released. It is a complicated process that was brilliantly designed. 

Here is the first step of the process. In this room, trucks unload their waste to onto the ground. Then, a man-driven machinery drives the garbage into the pit where the heat is found. 

This is a picture of the incinerator room which houses the machinery that produces the heat strong enough to incinerate the garbage. This room was extremely warm, to say the least. 

The last part of this field trip included visiting the control room. A man watches over the screens all day long to ensure the levels aren't falling or increasing in different areas of the incinerator. 

Reflection: Honestly, I thought this was the best field trip. I did not enjoy being lectured for 2 hours and I wish I got to see more of the plant. On the positive note, I found this piece of equipment very fascinating. It is able to take man made trash, and turn it into simply water vapor and heat, while producing electricity. The design deserves to be shared world wide. Human waste is too prevalent, and I wish that we could all carry around reusable cups and have nothing disposable produced, but sadly it is a way of life. We have created things that benefit and convenience us, so there is no way of convincing others to do without it, even if it is killing us in the log run. 

[emeraldhorner-blog]

Journal 8- ECHO and the Food Footprint

Our Visit at ECHO began with watching a video on the struggles of humans and what exactly ECHO is doing to help. ECHO has been around since the 1970′s. It is inspiring that ECHO is building these farms all around the world to supply for those in need and to educate farms on the best technology and growing techniques.

Here we have a picture of the entrance to ECHO’s farms. 

Bamboo Grove: 

Bamboo is a plant that is used for construction due to its strength. It is fast growing and also provides food. 

The bamboo hut constructed for living and shelter. Also includes the cutest kitten living at ECHO. 

The bamboo trees growing in the Bamboo groove. 

Some innovative growing techniques that ECHO has implemented includes the Duck and Tilapia pond. The Ducks poop over a net that leads to the Tilapia pond. The tilapia then eat the poop for food and help keep the environment clean from feces. 

This is the shelter for the Ducks with the netting hanging over the pond. 

Another growing technique includes the compost piles. 

Here is a worm compost bin filled with egg cartons. The use of worms helps the compost decompose faster and produce better quality compost. 

The raised beds are effective in the Hot Humid Lowlands due to the high amount of rainfall and frequent flooding. 

The raised bed includes growing crops on a bed of hay or straw above regular ground. 

Not only does ECHO teach farmers in various areas how to grow crops that are sustainable in their specific environment. ECHO also has came up with innovative ideas to use materials frequently found in third world countries. 

Planting vines and other plants along Terraces and living walls can provide food, oxygen and shade. This style of living is common in South America. 

This is a tire garden. Tires are typically discarded after their use is over, but they can be turned into a beautiful garden especially in places where soil is bad. 

Planting in Cylinder Blocks or other discarded materials allows for a beautiful area along with recycling. 

Old plastic pools can be turned into plant beds to help grow bigger plants. 

We have taken a look at how ECHO provides for its farmers. Now, let’s take a look at the innovative technology that ECHO has created to help benefit those in third world countries without power, shelter and filtered water. ECHO helps educate those in ways to filter water, such as wells, clothes, boar holes and suction pumps. 

Here are some homemade water pumps to help filter and bring water out of the ground or wells. 

Various solar panels that can be created with scraps are shown. 

Water filtration systems to help ensure clean water to those in need. 

Reflection 

All in all, this trip to ECHO was very informative. It makes me happy to know that they’re still some people out here trying to do better for the greater good. 

ECHO not only uses land to grow plants and animals, it tests out ideas to help other farmers grow, along with providing for the local community. Places such as ECHO are important to the the sustainability of the Earth along with the sustainability of humans who are less grateful than us. I love how ECHO re-uses everything it comes in contact with, truly showing that these ideas and technology can be applied in places with nothing. Education is key to spreading  ideas and evolving. 

As soon as I get my own house or apartment, I will be practicing many of ECHO’s growing techniques along with coming up with my own!

[emeraldhorner-blog]

Journal 7-Based on the Box Topics of Margaret Robertson’s Issues

Margaret Robertson’s Sustainability: Issues and Solutions

Discussions and Reflections

#1

Box No. 6.1

Page 91

The Aral Sea Disaster

This piece was written in the perfect way to show humans what we are doing. We begin to change nature around us to benefit us, and then nature deteriorates and all hell breaks lose. Ecosystems are damaged and nature is disrupted. Eventually, the effects of the deterioration of our Earth come back to effect humans in a negative way, such as climate change and health issues. It’s a never-ending cycle that humans continue to ignore until it is too late and we are affected already. It must stop from the beginning.

#2

Box No. 6.2

Page 95

Bottled Water

No one really thinks about all the suffering of others when buying a bottle of water. So many factors including manufacturing, production, and transportation are put into play. Humans are so worried about drinking tap water, that they resort to buying bottled water instead, when in reality, bottled water isn’t any better. Not only have we created a system that does not benefit us, we also have created all these problems due to the process of getting bottled water.

#3

Box No. 7.1

Page 115

Reconsidering Invasive Species

All ecosystems work off of a food chain. When a new species is introduced into this chain, other species begin to compete for food and disrupt the chain. Humans have unfortunately introduced various species all over the world and disrupted the naturally occurring food chain, cause mass extinction. It is baffling to see that the 5 causes of animal extinction all arise from man made problems. Trying to keep the systems we have left, healthy and strong, should be our main goal.

#4

Box No. 8.2

Page 144

Our Stolen Future

Most of this sounded foreign to me and I honestly had to look up endocrine disruptors to understand what she was talking about. The best way to advocate about issues is to share your knowledge of these issues with other people. She was able to create awareness about dosing with endocrine disruptors and allow others to find out more. The human body is a marvelous system of systems and the more we try to study it, the more we realize we fully understand it.

#5

Box No. 9.1

Page 178

Jevon’s Paradox

Jevon’s paradox basically states that efficiency of a product does not lower the consumption, but instead makes the energy less expensive so that people can afford to use more of it. He compares this paradox to the steam engine, saying that the more efficient it is at consuming coal just prompts the demand for more use. He states that at the rate that humans are consuming natural resources, we will eventually run out. It is so heartbreaking to know that humans are just taking away from Mother Earth and someday she is going to just stop producing.

#6

Box No. 10.1

Page 192

Natural Cooling Inspired by Termites

Some of the best inventions arise from people who do not have the resources or money to do things the typical way. In this case, a building in Africa used plants and termites to help cool their building, instead of resorting to an A/C unit. Not only is their idea brilliant and saves money, it also helps the environment by not using energy, providing plants for photosynthesis and cleans the air.

#7

Box No. 11.1

Page 210

The Oberlin Project

This is a wonderful, thought-out project. Not only is Oberlin focusing on sustainability, it is also advocating and preparing students to help. Oberlin is creating a town center to attract economic growth, renovating living spaces and preserving its natural land. The natural land preserved will serve as the town’s main source of agriculture along with fiber and wood. The town center uses sustainability friendly ideas such as natural ventilation for cooling. The project has become nation wide gossip and is inspiring others to do the same. Changing our construction and economic development plans to be more sustainable is not hard, and still produces such an amazing outcome.

#8

Box No. 11.3

Page 216

Mole Hill: A Garden in the City

People who are unfortunate or less lucky than the rest of us deserve to have a decent place to live also. Cultural aspects should be renovated and restored rather than torn down to build another building. The use of these old houses not only helped the environment, it also helped those in need. Nature is also one of the most beautiful decorations, improving mood and air quality.

#9

Box No. 12.1

Page 231

Bees and Other Pollinators

Bees do wonderful things like pollinate our plants and strength the food supply. Sadly, they are on the track to go extinct due to man made factors. Loss of habitat, pesticides, disease and pests and climate change are going to eventually wipe out bees in a whole. Bees become weakened by the neurotoxins in pesticides and have disrupted immune functions, becoming more susceptible to diseases. When bee keeps transport bees across the country for pollination times, we spread all these diseases from area to area. Our crops do not grow as well due to less pollination. Once again, humans are destroying something that will just end up hurting us in the end. We must put in funding to build these pollinator corridors and save the bees.

#10

Box No. 14.3

Page 287

Keep America Beautiful

Where do they think their waste goes when it gets ‘thrown out’? Once matter is created, it cannot be destroyed!!!! This is so infuriating because they paid no attention to the environment or their impacts, but only cared about the economical aspects of making money. With money, comes power. All these giant organizations such as Coca-Cola and Phillip Morris joined in cause they will benefit and make money. The KAB then tried to blame pollution on the people who litter, when in reality, everyone litters. It all ends up in the ocean anyways. Companies like this make me believe the human race is doomed.

[emeraldhorner-blog]

Journal 6- Pachamama Alliance- Awakening the Dreamer project

1. Reflections / journals from Awakening the Dreamer

Section 2: Where are we

Reflection: Notice your reaction (1:06)

In this reflection, I am supposed to focus on how I feel instead of what to do about it. In all honesty, I feel mad at the world. Humans are beyond selfish and it frustrates me that people don’t believe in global warming and they cannot see what they are doing to our home. Our Earth is dying and just continues to get worse and worse.

Reflection: Notice your reaction (2:55)

The human species has just further worsened over time. We have turned against one another and in that sense, we are continuing to ruin the Earth and not pay attention to our actions. I feel powerless knowing that we have turned this earth to a point of no return, and that I am just one small girl trying to make a difference. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. The people in power allow for this to happen, and they rarely focus on the environmental factors of things. My mind is chaotic thinking about all the things that are happening and how the world is just so unjust.

Section 3: Identifying your unexamined assumptions

It is okay to not speak up about things. : If you never speak up about things that are unjust or you do not fight for what you believe in, you're just as much of the bad guy then the actual person who did it.

You can buy happiness: this may be true to a certain extent but it is only temporary happiness and you cannot fill a void with objects.

I own the land I live on: I do not specifically go by this but it is worthy to bring up. Just because we own things do not mean we are entitled to do whatever we want to it. Changing the natural flora and fauna or building on the land not only affects the people around us but the natural world, which will eventually come back to you.

I earn things because I work hard for them: We can see how unjust this world is simply by looking at all the fancy things people buy because they earned the money. We don't think about who had to suffer for us to get this product and how the production of it is harming our environment just for our material needs.

There will always be a solution, humans are smart enough to find a solution: Most of the time, yes we can find solutions, but are they the correct and fair solutions? Are filling up landfills to dispose of waste the correct solution to our problem of pollution? Not at all.

Section 4: A New Story

I typically feel disconnected when I do not experience the things I love and when I am out of touch with nature. It is simple to go outside and watch the sunset, yet I find myself so busy all the time that it is hard to do. I feel most connected when I am out in nature, able to breathe in the fresh air and listen to the bird’s chirp or the rainfall. The earth is a magnificent thing that has many beauties and wonders that simply fulfill you. Humans are the most evolved species, and sometimes our thoughts get the best of us. It is calmly to be able to go outside and listen to how Earth should naturally sound; instead of all the excess noise humans create. The peacefulness that comes with the natural world clears my mind of worries and allows me to think bout just how simple it should all be.

Section 5: What is possible now?

Journal: What gives you hope?

Humans have their part in destroying the Earth, but there are some people who are trying to save it. One thing that gives me hope, not necessarily from this video is the plastic bag ban initiative happening all over the world. Whole countries are placing bans and fines on plastic bag usage, leading to less of a demand and therefor less pollution. Countries that are doing this include cities in the US, Botswana, China, Israel, South Africa and more. Another thing that gives me hope are the organizations put in place to help undeveloped or developing countries with clean water, medicine, food, shelters and more. Some examples of these places include UNICEF, USAID, and OXFAM. Places in India and the Middle East are turning together to help promote and spread awareness about the harmfulness of arranged marriages and are fighting for women rights. The World Health Organization is growing larger and spreading to new areas to ensure that people are getting adequate health care. The Greenpeace initiative was put in place to help protect our polar caps and prevent from nuclear testing.

They're a lot of harmful things humans do, but they’re also a lot of humans who have morals that try to do the correct things. These initiatives and organizations give me hope and the feeling that even though I am one person, I can still make a difference.

Journal: Describe your vision.

Honestly, when I imagined an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just human presence, I envisioned a primitive time. Back then, we didn't have this much hatred, and I think it mainly has to do with social media and the allowed amount of hatred we find acceptable now a days. Back then we didn't have all these material objects being manufactured, but instead we lived off of what was needed and not what was available. We traded with the people around us for things we couldn't access and we learned to love and respect our neighbors because they live on our same Earth.

In my opinion, there is no going back to the way things were, making it virtually impossible to have an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling and socially just world. Humans have adapted these ways and once we get used to something, it is hard to change back to our 'inconvenient ways'. We have used everything around us for our benefit, and made these things a habit that most find impossible to give up, such as driving. We have learned to exclude people, who don't fit into our specific categories, when in realty, there are no categories. It is just something that society has created and helped fill us up with hatred. It is scary that my vision related back to how things once were, and not how things can be in the future.

Section 6: Where do we go from here?

Journal: Declare your commitment

I am committed to bringing forth an environmentally sustainable, spiritually fulfilling, and socially just human presence on this planet.

My personal commit includes always standing up and advocating about things that I find wrong or unjust, or simply issues that's I am passionate about. I will find things that I am against, and work towards fighting against them, in a peaceful manor. Never backing down because it gets too hard. Thinking about everything from various perspectives and allowing others to have their viewpoints, but always sharing mine. I will not beat around the bush, but I will get to the point, and show people just how cruel things can be.

Emerald Horner

10/09/2019

Journal: What will you do?

Purchase energy efficient appliances: currently I live at FGCU, but when I move into my own place, I will be installing new appliances that help save energy. (May 2020)

Get out and vote on issues that I am passionate about: If I do not put my two cents in, I am doing nothing, therefor I must voice my opinions and help fight for the right things (November 2020)

Not be afraid to speak up and educate people about various things, whether I see it happening or anytime I can advocate (Everyday)

Stop using plastic: bring reusable bottles with me, buy reusable bags and wax wraps to store food, and focus more on places and things that reduce packaging and plastic use (everyday)

Car pool more often and ask friends if they need rides (Everyday)

Simply just be a nice human being. Everyone is going through their own struggles, and simple acts of kindness can help spread positivity and reduce hatred among us (Everyday)

2. Wow Moment

My wow moment was during section 4 when I listened to the Indian man talk about his cultural and how relationship to the Earth. The Indians are taught that we are one with the earth, and focus much on the spiritual connection that we feel and experience with the things around us. They emphasize that the Earth is their home, and that everyone on earth functions interdependently. We cannot have one without the other, and when one is affected, everything else is also affected. I feel like this plays a huge role in why humans do not seem to care. They are lacking that spiritual connection to nature and more involved in the fast past environment we as humans have created. If we focused more on spending time in nature, and less on this society and standard we have built, I believe the world would be a better place, with violence and destruction of our habitats.

3. Reflection as a whole

The course is a bit long and it is kind of hard to pay attention fully to videos. All in all, I am glad I took the course though, as it has opened my mind and made me think critically about what humans are doing to help and hurt our earth. Humans have made a huge impact on this earth, from using up almost all of its natural resources, to destroying habitats and climates. It is really sad to know that most of this is irreversible or will take hundreds of years to replenish itself. Humans have divided up our earth and created these horrible stigmas about each other just to spread hatred. What gives me hope is the fact that there is still humans trying spread awareness, make their voices heard, and promote peace amongst each other.

There are organizations being built to help one another and help reduce our carbon footprints. There are laws being passed to help sustain our environments and some people are finally starting to realize these negative affects we have created.

It is uplifting to know that I am not the only one fighting for this issue and that the fight continues to grow everyday.

We may not be able to reverse the earth to how it once ways, but there are ways we can fight and take a stand to ensure that it doesn’t rapidly continue.

[emeraldhorner-blog]

Journal 5-Earth Charter and Global Efforts

Reflection:

Since we spoke very briefly about the Earth Charter in class I have decided to put both headings under one reflection.

The Earth Charter was very eye opening to say the least. It basically summed up the whole concept of sustainability and the concept of this course. This document shows how much the world must change to achieve peace, along with sustainability.

Humans are ruining the Earth with their greed and carelessness. We need to change our ways in order for the Earth to be able to support us. People are more involved in celebrities and fame to pay attention to the Earth.

I was honestly shocked to hear about all the different issues that play into the destruction of Earth. Many of these issues are extremely broad, such as poverty and world peace, but they relate back to our environment somehow. I believe it will be very hard to achieve all these goals; cause humans have a tendency to not care if it doesn’t affect them directly or now. We must respect the animals and plants around us, and understand that the earth is our home. Whatever we do to our earth, affects us in the long run.

Principles of the charter that are most applicable today:

14c. Enhance the role of the mass media in raising awareness of ecological and social challenges.

Social media plays a huge role in human’s lives now days. It seems like everyone has a cell phone, and the amount of people on social media everyday is ridiculous. If humans were able to use their social media platform in a beneficial way, such as spreading awareness about effects around the world, maybe people will start to care. A strong incentive for people to do things is an emotional connection. If we start to spread pictures of how our animals are dying, it will get attention. We can also use social media as a way to advocate and educate people about different topics, and what they can do to help or get involved.

5f. manage the extraction and use of non-renewable resources such as minerals and fossil fuels in ways that minimize depletion and cause no serious environmental damage.

Humans have been using fossil fuels at a rapid rate. Cars run off gasoline and natural gases are used to make electricity. We continue to use these resources without giving them the proper time needed to replenish them. We must put a control or limit on the amount of fossil fuels we use before we run out and have nothing left. There have also been various oil spills that leak out into the ocean and cause death or harmful algae blooms. A lot of these companies drill holes into the ground, not concerning themselves with the harmful effects it has on the environment. A regulation on the use and harvest of fossil fuels and minerals must come into affect before it is too late.

13a. uphold the right of everyone to receive clear and timely information on environmental matters and all development plans and activities which are likely to affect them or in which they have an interest.

The government controls our social media and exactly what is portrayed to the media. If they do not want humans to find out about certain things or issues, they have ways of restricting this information. This is not fair at all. We have the right to know what is going on, especially when it has to do with the place we call home.

I believe that we should be able to know all details about issues that are happening round the world, in order to be able to react or cause a change. Without knowing about it, humans cannot do anything about it.

What forces may hinder the full implementation of the Earth Charter? How can they be overcome?

The human way of life limits the earth charter greatly. Many of these things will not get done because of how humans live their lives with no consequences.

The Earth charter is a very broad document that talks about various aspects life, from poverty to unloving family relationships. There are just some things that are out of our own control that we cannot specifically fight or help. There is so much conflict between humans of race, government, and gender that will simply not get solved because humans are predisposition to have these thoughts. There are places that lack the resources to get things done or simply just cannot. Everyone does not live the same lives.

Another huge factor that plays a part in a lot of the struggles we face include humans greed for them. People would rather turn places into shopping malls than turn them into protected areas of nature. People would rather spend money and time on themselves, instead of trying to help the less fortunate.

In my opinion though, just improving our current situation on some issues can help significantly. As a planet, we should be sharing our wealth and making sure that everyone gets fair treatment, instead of millionaires buying fancy thing and poor people living in poverty. Our governments must be changed to ensure that no one holds more power over the other. We can implement education in countries that have none, along with making sure humans don’t starve. We can be promoting reuse, reduce and recycling all around the world, instead of just rich neighborhoods that can afford recycling bins. We can change our ways to ensure everyone is treated equally and that discrimination doesn’t occur because in the big picture, we all are humans we inhabit the same earth.

What was your wow moment on the global efforts and Earth Charter?

Reading through the earth charter, many of these ideas are unrealistic, but it is not achieving them all that count. Simply just reading the document and learning the ways that we could change could benefit our society and Earth.

It is crazy to hear about all the various issues that humans create and how easily they can be solved in we just focus on the one common factor, which is that everyone lives on Earth, and it is our home. If we destroy our home, we also destroy ourselves.

[emeraldhorner-blog]

Journal 4-Urban Environments-Downtown Fort Myers

The history of Fort Myers and the famous people involved:

The South Florida land was inhabited by the Calusa Indians. These people were hunters and gathers that lived off the land and the animals that inhabited the area. Most of their food included fish and shellfish from the Caloosahatchee River. In the early 16th Century, Spaniards arrived from over seas and were met with great hostility from the Calusa’s.

The Spaniards brought over cattle to be herded. The cattle trail is known today as McGregor’s Boulevard on Edison’s Estate.

Two Jesuit missions were derived from the Spaniards, which took place on the Calusa’s capital on Mound Key in the Estero bay. Both missions resulted in the Calusa’s win and lots of death, including Ponce de Leon.

In the 18th Century, the Seminole Indians moved in and that is where the Caloosahatchee River got its name. During the late 18th century, the English had invaded and wiped out many of the Calusa’s due to the spread of European disease. The Calusa’s that remained took cover in Cuba.

Many wars broke out between the Seminole Indians and the Europeans, known as the Seminole wars. During the second Seminole war, the area that is known now as Fort Myers was given the name Fort Harvie. Fort Harvie was abandoned in 1842 and then was reinhabited years later, changing the name to what we now know it as; Fort Myers.

The name came from a man named General David Twiggs, whom he gave to as a gift to his son-in-law, Abraham Myers.

During the 19th century, the Estero River was the main way of transportation of people and goods. The river’s edge was originally at Bay shore Boulevard in downtown Fort Myers. The Caloosahatchee canal was built in the 1890’s and in 1904, a railroad was built in Fort Myers allows for even more transportation.

Some other important information includes Edison, Ford and Firestones mission to produce rubber locally, which is why Fort Myers has an abundance of various palm trees. George Sanders built the Edison mall in the 1960’s.

How Fort Myers plans its building: Fort Myers has implemented various things to preserve the history along with its environment. The old county court house that was built in 1915 was restored into the county commissioners office. Many of the old buildings in Fort Myers were also turned into public art exhibits to preserve the culture, such as the Berne Davis Art Center, which was once the Caloosahatchee manuscripts.

The Works Project Administration lead to monumental areas such as Centennial Park, the Yacht Basin and the Old Post office federal building.

Due to the lovely environment of the downtown area, the city plans its construction to help preserve and sustain the environment, while providing for the people. Downtown has medium to high-density housing that is affordable. Most shops and retail areas are in walking distance, preventing the need for transportation. Various green-areas and parks, along with cultural facilities, are also all around the Fort Myers area to attract people. These areas help inform people about the history along with the species of plants and animals that reside in the area.

These statues are metal pillars that include the names of Seminole Indian tribes alongs with plant species native to Fort Myers. These statues are right in front of the Fort Myers old post office, that was recently renovated into an art museum to showcase the cultural history of Fort Myers. 

Lastly, the City of Fort Myers has implemented various retention ponds and river basins to help keep the water clean and the bay in kept up shape.

Here we can see the River Basin fountain in action as it filters water while spitting it back out. Not only is it a beautiful sight, it is also helping keep our waterways clean. 

Lots of debates go on about construction in the area since it is home to lots of cultural history. There is one building in particular, located right in front of the old Paradise Pier. This building was a dance hall that housed many events and even some of Edison’s and Fords birthday parties. The building is now abandoned, and the city has to make a choice on whether to renovate it and keep the cultural aspect, or allow for someone to buy the property and do as they please.

This is a picture of the old abandoned dance hall that Edison and Ford had celebrated some birthdays at. As you can see, it is abandoned and on a great piece of property right next to the waterfront. 

Fort Myers must have these debates in order to determine what to do because there are many aspects that play a part, such as environmental/ sustainable, political, and cultural. I believe that it plays a part in the history of the area and that we should renovate it into something that everyone would enjoy, while still preserving the cultural history it holds.

How can you apply aspects of biophobia, biophilia and topophilia in the city:

Biophobia is known as the fear of nature. Downtown has various building at every street corner, whether it be for retail shops or food. This takes away from the environmental aspect of the area and can lead to biophobia because frequent on-goers are no longer used to being around nature.

Biophilia is the love of nature. Even though there are a lot of buildings, Fort Myers has still implemented a plethora of parks and green-areas that people can go to. The ability to learn about the species in these parks and be outside in nature can create a stronger bond with the environment.

In this picture we can see the beautiful green areas and walkways that allow humans to come outside and enjoy the fresh air while exploring nature. 

Topophilia relates to the loving of a place, or relating to this class, a sense of place. In Downtown Fort Myers, there are things for everyone, whether they like nature or not. The wide variety of activities and places allow for people to find what they like, and create this environmental or emotion connection to the area. The cultural aspects of Fort Myers also allow for one to feel culturally accepted.

How does the learning on the city relate to the readings and the course objectives?

This field trip relates to concepts in our book such as biophobia, biophilia, and topophilia, as stated above. The retention ponds and river basin fountains also relate to our conservation of water. The parks and green areas relate to how humans are trying to keep our land beautiful and preserve the natural environment.

This is just another picture of the beautiful green areas in DownTown Fort Myers. 

Fort Myers development techniques and processes help keep Fort Myers a green and livable city. This trip also relates to one of our course objectives, which is “Analyze sustainability concepts and interactions from ecological, economic, and social perspectives.” Fort Myers has debates on whether to tear down old cultural buildings and build new infrastructure or to renovate them and allow for the culture to be preserved. These debates look at issues from ecological, economic and social perspectives.

Reflection:

Personally, I had never been to downtown Fort Myers, but I will definitely be visiting again. The area had things for everyone, regardless of age, gender, race or social status. I learned a lot about the history of the people and the buildings, and how Fort Myers tries its best to look at the area from all perspectives in order to help promote sustainability and the happiness of people. I feel as if more cities should follow the same construction and planning process of Fort Myers. The green areas and Centennial Park was beautiful, along with the shops and old monumental buildings. I am from Broward County, where the construction of gas stations and shopping plazas line all the street corners, so it was very pleasant that downtown Fort Myers lacked this high paced environment and focused on small town things.

[emeraldhorner-blog]

Journal 3-Koreshan Historic State Park

To start off with, our class took a field trip to the Koreshan Historic State park. In the 1800’s a group of people settled on this land, known as the Koreshans. Their leader was a man named Cyrus Teed who spread beliefs of a celibate lifestyle. They also believed that the earth was a hollow sphere life on the inside of the sphere. In my opinion, their beliefs are nuts, but they were able to sustain a well-developed community and life off the land.

This is a picture of the model of Earth that Cyrus Teed created. As we can see, The Earth is a hollow sphere, and humans live on the inside. This idea to me is a little crazy, as we have proven now that the Earth is round and the Sun is the center of our solar system

Koreshan unity settlement

One day, Cyrus Teed saw god, and this god was both a man and a women. He then went spreading around this idea in New York that all women and men were equal. In the 1800’s this was a crazy idea, and therefor he was threatened. He moved to Chicago to try ago and then found refugee in Estero, Florida, where many of his believers followed. His community reached about 200 people at one time. In this land, they were able to fish, hunt, and grow various food, along with practice their ideas freely without judgment.

The self-sufficiency from these people was astounding. They were able to create their own community, revolving around their beliefs. The ideas they believe in were very odd, but nonetheless they were all smart people.

 A picture of Cyrus Teed himself, the founder of the Koreshans. Teed looked like an average caucasian male, but his ideas were what drew all his followers to the settlement. 

Art Hall 

This Art Hall was the center for culture of the Koreshans. Many koreshans came from Chicago to follow Teeds teachings, and therefor, they brought their culture and implemented it into this Art Hall. Various things, such as the wooden piano were shipped from Punta Gorda, down the Estero River, in order to create this environment. In this Art hall, religious ceremonies, concerts, plays and meetings were held. This was the center for entertainment and meetings for the Koreshans.

This is a picture of the Art hall, where various meetings, plays, shows, and religious ceremonies occurred. In the left corner, you can see the Piano that was transported from Punta Gorda down the Estero river, in order to make the Art Hall represent the Koreshan Culture. 

 41 entrances

Originally, the only way of transportation and access into the Koreshan settlement was through the Estero River. In the 1920’s, the US 41 road was created, but this road wasn’t anything like it is today. It was a dirt road, used to travel by horses and the occasional car. These concrete pillars mark what once was the entrance to the settlement.

It is crazy to think that at this time, there were no roads or ways of transportation besides the Estero River. Now a day, cars populate the roads and I honestly do not know what it would be like without them. The Koreshans were able to import and export items that they needed though.

I was not able to get a picture of the entrance way of the settlement from US 41, but here shows you the Estero River, which was the main passageway for the Koreshans, before the road was established. 

General Store

The general store first started off as a store that would monitor and utilize the Estero River passage through the Koreshan land. Flooding ruined this first general store, and a second one was built, but instead utilized the newly developing road, US 41. The Koreshans sold produce and goods grown on their land to the people who would stay here. The store included a restaurant and an Inn on the second floor, where people would spend the night. Through this store, and various other places among their land, they would contribute to the trade in the area, and were able to make a profit. This allowed the Koreshans to be involved with outsiders and sell their products to make money.

This picture shows us the New general store that was built after the first one was destroyed by the flooding of the Estero River. 

Bamboo landing

Bamboo landing is a garden area located near the General store. The name comes from the exotic Bamboo plants that were planted in the area. Along with the bamboo, various other exotic plants were brought to this area to create a Victorian-style sunken garden. Typically, state parks work to preserve native species land and resources by removing exotic species, but in the Koreshan state park, they have worked to keep the exotic species here, since they are a cultural aspect. The park takes various caution to park sure that these exotic species do not travel into land outside the park.

I myself do do not support the transportation of exotic or invasive species to new areas. This is because these animals or plants then take up the resources that native species need to survive; they become competition. This ruins the nature flora of the area, and makes it extremely difficult to remove these species in a later age. 

Founders House

This house was the house of Cyrus Teed, and his ‘pre-eminent’ Victoria. When they passed away, he believed that they would merge to become a biune being, or both a female and male. This house was also used for various things such as a children’s school and a dentist office.

Cyrus Teed’s teachings were ahead of their time. He emphasized that all men and women are equal, therefor they got equal pay, and work was not assigned based on gender, but instead it was based on the skills each person possessed. Back in this time, these beliefs were crazy, and women had no rights. As we can see, today, Cyrus Teed’s beliefs about men and women have evolved to become some of the standards of America today. Women have their own rights, just like men, but hopefully we will evolve to pay women the same as men, just as Teed believed.

This is the founders house that Cyrus Teed and his ’partner’ lived in. As we can see, the leader of the group was treated the best, allowing for a gigantic house. Thankfully, this house was not just for his own pleasure, but it was commonly used for various other things to benefit the Koreshan’s. This shows that Cyrus Teed really did care for the members of his settlement.

Planetary Court

The planetary court was a group of 7 women that oversaw all the business that took place inside of the Koreshan unity settlement. As we can see from the pictures below, the Planetary court lived like royalty, each having their own room that opened to the outside, along with a man who lived at the top, called the “watcher of the house”. This home was constructed to adapt to Florida heat, with a cross-ventilated hallway with windows and a high ceiling to help airflow. The giant porch that surrounds the house also helps keeps the sunlight from shinning into the house.

Here we can see the Planetary court house from the outside. The wide porches and tallness of the house helped with Florida’s devastating heat. The small house at the very top is where the “watcher of the house” spent the night. 

This is typically what the bedrooms of the planetary court looked like. Each member got their own bedroom, representing royalty. It is obvious that the Planetary court was the highest group of people to live in the Koreshan settlement. 

Bakery and Members cottages

The bakery was used to create bread to feed to the members of the unity along with being sold in the general store to outsiders. The ovens of the bakery were actually outside, preventing from fires instead the building and excess heat.

The Koreshans also had a dining hall, which is not pictured because it burned down years later, but this is where they would eat meals as a community.

At the time of the Koreshans, there were about 17 member cottages throughout the settlement. These cottages were built around shotgun architecture, meaning that if someone shot off a shotgun at the front of the house, it would hit the back end without hitting anything else. The houses were divided between the men and the women/ children. Typically, about 20 men would live in one cottage.

Compared to the planetary court house and the Founders house, these cottages were a very different living situation, but the members had a place to sleep, and that was enough for them.

This is a typical shotgun-architecture, mens cottage. As we can see, these cottages aren't very big, and lots of members stayed in the cottages at one time. This showed how the Koreshans made the best of what they had and didn't participate in overgrowth of buildings, they just lived off of what they needed, and nothing more.

This is typically what the women and children household would look like. It is not large, but it is able to provide the shelter needed for sleep and protection. 

Industrial Area

The industrial area was our last stop in the Koreshan state park. This area was were many of the members created machinery, goods, and even did laundry. The Koreshans were so self-sufficient; they even supplied themselves with their own electricity, and had enough to supply the surrounding members. At first, their electricity was powered by a steam engine, until later they switched over to diesel. 

Here we have the beginning of the industrial complex. All the industrial buildings were close together and had a part of the settlement devoted to it. The building on the left housed the steam engine / diesel engine that the Koreshan’s used to power the settlement. On the right, we have a building that was mostly for welding and use of heavy machinery. 

Reflection

The Koreshan settlement was based off of some very odd ideas, but none the less, these people were very smart and innovative. They moved into this land, and were able to build a self-sufficient community that seemed to prosper at the time. They took pride in the culture that they created and were able to create a historical landmark. 

If I was alive during this time, I do not believe that I would join this group of people, but I would definitely respect their hardworking people and appreciate the fact that someone back in time believed that all men and women were created equally. 

In my opinion, I do not believe in a god, so a religious group does not appeal to me. This field trip was very interesting though, considering I had no idea of the Koreshans at all. It is so fascinating to see how other people lived at the time and to see how the Koreshans were able to divide up their responsibilities based off of skill. I cannot imagine moving to a brand new piece of land and developing it to make it my own, but this is exactly what the Koreshans did. It is crazy to think that this era was less than 200 year ago and that one of the last know Koreshans recently passed away less than 50 years ago. 

This world has changed so much in the past 200 years. At that time, you were able to buy large amounts of land, and build your own community on the virgin land. Now, most of the land is preserved, protected, or already commercially or residentially developed. Settlements such as the Koreshan’s wouldn't be able to happen. That just shows us how humans have rapidly developed, and sadly, it is for the worst. There wasn't even roads back then; US 41 was created and it stood as a dirt road traveled by the rich and wealthy. Now, US 41 is a 3 lane road, leading to noise pollution, water pollution and the destruction of our ecosystem. 

It was once so simple and primitive.

[emeraldhorner-blog]

Journal 2 - FGCU Sustainability Efforts, Nature Trail Walk and Ecological Footprint

Section 1. FGCU focus on Environmental Sustainability -

I was actually shocked to learn about all the efforts of FGCU’s sustainability. I was aware that the school is environmentally friendly and that there were solar panels on campus but I had no knowledge of all the other ways FGCU implements sustainability.

To start off with, FGCU has various trashcans, bins or areas around the campus and housing that help with trash reduction and recycling.

This first trashcan allows for recycling to be kept separated from the trash at the top. The trash is kept at the bottom for easy removal. The small brown bag that is hung from the recycling opening is filled with crushed cherry pits in order to keep away insects and animals.

This trashcan is a compactor. On the left side we have a recycling hole and a container to hold the recycling. On the right side is where trash goes. Students pull down the silver handle and stick trash into the little container which when closed, puts all the trash together and compacts it to a smaller size. This helps FGCU reduce the amount of energy needed to dispose of trash, considering it is compacted and will fill up slower than regular trashcans.

Lastly, we have a waste and recycle unit, which helps students defer between what can be recycled and what belongs in waste. These bins are typically kept inside considering they are open and cannot keep animals out. The best quality about these trashcans is the fact that students can look at the diagram and see if what they need to throw away is trash or recycling. Also, the trashcans themselves are made from 955 used milk cartoons!

Besides trashcans, FGCU has other features that help with sustainability.

Seidler Hall has lighting fixtures that maximize the amount of light produced while reducing the actual amount of lights needed along with energy. Also, the windows in this building allow for maximum amounts of light to pass through them, while keeping out all the heat from the sunlight, keeping the building cooler.

This bridge is located behind Whitaker hall and it is a bypass towards South Village. The bridge was a little bit more on the expensive side because the type of wood used is resistant against mold, crack age and fire. The bridge is supposed to last for decades, ensuring that no other wood will need to be bought to ever repair the bridge.

Lastly is the Air Conditioning unit that fuels 4 of the main buildings on campus. It was one of the first of FGCU’s sustainability projects and was implemented when the campus first opened. It is unlike any other A/C unit, in which it runs off of ice created during the nighttime. Temperature gauges inside each building allow the machine to gauge how much ice needs to be melted to get to the correct temperature. This machine helps save various amounts of energy and avoids producing any harmful emissions.

Unlike any other school I know, FGCU has gone above and beyond to promote sustainability. Not only does the school implement a required class that revolves around sustainability, FGCU also has created various things to help contribute.

FGCU doesn’t just preach about sustainability, we are really about saving the Earth!

Section 2. Learning from the Nature Trail -

We began our adventure through the nature trails at the entrance closest to South Village.

Pine Flatwoods- The Pine Flatwoods in where we began our journey. It is at the start of the nature trails and is the most upland of them. The water level here was dry to ankle deep, and it was slightly shaded but most of its plants were not tall.

Here you can see me walking through ground water, which reached to our ankles

A native Sable Palmetto. 

A slash pine saw palmetto, a sable palmetto and a shoestring fern.

In this ecosystem I learned what the word epiphyte means; a plant that grows on another plant.

Oak Hammock- The next ecosystem that we had entered was known as the Oak Hammock. In this ecosystem the trees were taller and it was slightly more shaded on the ground.

Since we had transitioned downwards between the ecosystems, the Oak Hammocks had much more water reaching to about mid thigh. The transition between two ecosystems is referred to as an ecotone.

These pictures show the growth in the Oak Hammocks, there are lots of plants covering most of the grounds surface.

Cypress dome

- the cypress dome was absolutely beautiful. The treetops extended far above your head and completely blocked the sunlight from reaching the ground. 

This is a view of the treetops from the ground looking up.

Due to the lack of sunlight reaching the ground and the lower elevation, the cypress dome has water that was waist deep. There were no shrubs or small plants in the cypress dome, but only cypress trees and small ferns that grew off the trees.

This ecosystem was so peaceful to walk through and sit in. It was cool and shaded, along with peaceful.

Section 3. FGCU Campus and Sense of Place - Where is your favorite place in campus? What makes this place attractive to you? How does this help in your understanding and significance of Sense of Place?

My favorite place on campus is the walk on the boardwalk from North Lake Village to campus. This boardwalk is a couple feet tall, cutting through a swamp, filled with giant trees. They’re two streams that run under the bridge. Being surrounded by nature brings me to a sense of peace. It is very calming and it reminds me of how earth is supposed to be, no man-made things like buildings or trash. Sense of place is somewhere where you feel a deep sense of belonging. On this boardwalk, I am able to listen to my own thoughts without being disrupted by everyday noises. I am able to connect with Mother Nature and breath in the fresh air. 

Section 4. Calculate your Ecological Footprint from this link:

http://www.footprintcalculator.org/signup (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Links to an external site.  Please choose the option to enter more detailed information so you can better analyze your own footprint. Reflect on the results. What is your score? How many Earths are needed to sustain your lifestyle?  Evaluate your lifestyle and your family's lifestyle and what these results mean.

My personal Earth Overshoot day is July 4th

If everyone lived like me we would need 2 Earths

My ecological footprint is a 3.4

My carbon footprint (CO2 emissions in tonnes each year) is 5.7

My carbon footprint (% of your total ecological footprint) is 58

My mobility is the highest category contributing to my ecological footprint

My ecological footprint is very high in my opinion and obviously I need to implement more changes into my lifestyle. Some of my footprint is out of my control sadly, such as my housing situation on campus. Other things like mobility, such as driving my car can be changed simply by carpooling more often. In the future I plan to switch to an eco-friendly vehicle, I just need to make money first. There are also plenty of eating habits I can change, such as my high consumption of dairy and cheese. I am also going to start shopping for produce locally or at farmers markets instead of at grocery stores.

Section 5.  My Ecological Footprint reflection - As you can see from the above finding, many things go into your ecological footprint. Take a look at your specific consumption over 24 hours during a typical day and choose TWOareas to focus on in your discussion. Which two need the most improvement or are areas where you could make changes?

Processed foods: Processed food typically always comes in packages, which leads to more waste generated by myself. Many processed foods that I buy are frozen food in order for me to make meals in the dorm. More energy is needed to reheat these foods. Waste is produced in order to package these foods and keep them from spoiling. These foods also aren’t that great for my body. Many lack nutritional value and have added ingredients to make them taste good.

Instead of buying processed foods there are many alternatives I can turn to:

-Switch to whole grains instead of processed grains

-Fresh fruits and food from farmers markets

-Meal prep or plan ahead for meals

-Make homemade versions of processed foods

Dairy: Cows produce Dairy, and cows emitted greenhouse gas emissions that lead to climate change. Manure and waste from these cows also impact our water system and land. The amount of energy that is used to raise cattle and chicken and animals for meat consumption is insane.

Instead of eating dairy products I can:

-Experiment with vegan alternatives of the food I love

-Switch to plant based milk

-Look for locally produced dairy products to reduce the exchange of energy

[emeraldhorner-blog]

Introduction, Pre-conception and Sense of Place

Hello. 

My name is Emerald Horner, and this is my first blog post. I am a junior at FGCU, entering the nursing program this upcoming spring. After graduating with a Bachelors of Nursing, I plan to continue my education further and return to FGCU to obtain a Doctor’s of Nursing Practice in Nurse Anesthesia. I am from Broward County, Florida, born and raised. Growing up I enjoyed fishing, playing soccer, and just having fun in the sun. 

This semester at FGCU, I am taking a university required course called University Colloquium. Coming into this class, all I knew was that seniors normally took it and that it is required to graduate. Compared to most of the members in my group, not many people knew much more about the class. However, over the past two classes, I have began to understand the outcomes of this class.

Colloquium translates to a discussion or a conversation, in this case, a discussion about sustainability.

Sustainability is the ability to of maintaining a constant environment for suture generations.

In this class, students will have various conversations about Southwest Florida and ways to preserve our environment and Earth.

My expectations for this class include:

-Better understanding how my impacts effect my environment

-What actions can I change to better the sustainability of Earth

-Become more aware of the long term effects of my actions

-Learn more about South West Florida and its environment

-Have a bond with nature

Many people live their life going through their everyday routine, not ever thinking about the long term effects of their actions. They stop at a fast food place to eat their processed food, not knowing that the production of meat and methane gas from that burger is harming our environment.

This is my point, too many people are unaware of their actions.

Everyone states that the earth is dying but they fail to realize that what they are doing is why the earth is dying.

Through this class and it’s learning objectives, hopefully, I will be able to make those connections and realizations about my own actions and then take it upon myself to change or do better.

This ideology relates very much to my career choice, nursing.

If humans continue to harm the environment, we could potentially lose plants and herbs used to make medicine. Climate change is melting our icebergs, potentially leading to extreme weather events and polluted water. Deforestation can cause respiratory problems and vector-borne illness.

The earth is our home, and it needs to be maintained.

Lastly, I want to discuss the term, a ‘sense of place’. A sense of place is a location or space where one feels comfortable and themselves, it has an attachment or a feeling of belonging to oneself.

We had briefly discussed in class about our own sense of place.

My sense of place is my neighborhood park gazebo. Everyday in high school I would spend my afternoons at that gazebo talking to whoever was around, laughing, doing homework, reading or simply just being. I can still picture the engravings on that table.

I had many conversations and many laughs with great people there.

My neighborhood park is on a secluded ‘island’ surrounded by Lake Coral Springs. A brick path walks you over a wooden bridge into the park, past the first gazebo and to the children’s playground, basketball courts, and the second gazebo, my spot. Behind the gazebo is a small forest, enclosing the view with trees and animals.

Whenever I was at that gazebo, I was able to be myself.