Blog #6

        I have a great respect for ECHO and what they do. I think it is a great humanitarian organization that doesn’t depend much on money to operate and to help poor countries. Compared to American agriculture, some of the types of farming and cooking may seem primitive, but anyone from any area and with any type of bank account can do it. The difference that it makes in one’s sense of pride is worth the labor involved.

     In thinking of the term “developing world”, I don’t always think technology and transportation. Sometimes it can be considered as the continuation of the human race in all areas of the globe. ECHO’s work is very relevant in survival of not only the human race, but the Earth as a whole. I like the fact that they teach people to use what they have to survive; which is appropriate technology. I would enjoy to be able to provide service learning hours at the ECHO organization, but I live in Naples and a few trips over there just aren’t economical for me right now. 

Blog #5

    Sustainable farming "is a way of raising food that is healthy for consumers and animals, does not harm the

environment, is humane for workers, respects animals, provides a fair wage to the farmer, and supports and

enhances rural communities" (Sustainable Table, 2012). In return, there are some necessary requirements

involved in order to maintain this cohesiveness. These major elements work in a circle with each other,

meaning that you can't have one without the other. Protecting the environment is a priority when any farming

is considered. Clean air, water, and soil are imperative for healthy crops. Preserving the ecosystem will

achieve these things. Having personal accountability, or social responsibility, will result in protection of the

environment. Economic viability will assist social responsibility which protects the environment. Do you see

how thes elements work together?

    My wife buys the food in our house, and yes, she does buy organic. We are on an almost plant based diet

except for occasional organic chicken, turkey, or seafood. We do feel a connection to our current food

system. I look at it like this: when you have an expensive car, you put the top grade gasoline in it. We

consider our bodies more expensive and important than any car. Why would we fill it with cheap fuel full of

by-products and chemicals? We actually do grow some of our own vegitables depending on the season at

home like squash, oranges, jalepenos, and green onions. When we are finished with school and not so busy,

we would like to have our own little farm and raise our own food.

Sustainable Table, 2012, http://www.sustainabletable.org/intro/whatis/

Blog #4

     I researched on the internet about global environmental issues that we are facing and found quite a few. Charley Cameron, an author on inhabitant .com, listed 6 global issues that we face that I found to be very important. They are water pollution, deforestation, food production, energy consumption, transportation, waste, and global warming. I’d have to say that global warming is the most pressing global environmental issue facing us today because it is a result of the combination of the other listed issues.

     If I were allocated $100 billion to address a global problem, I would enlist the help of a non-profit organization to help me to allocate the money to make the greatest impact on the greatest problem of global warming. By attacking the other issues, global warming might be able to be addressed more easily since the causes of it will have been improved, or at least a system can be in place. 

Blog #3

    Before I name some ecosystems that I saw at the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, I wanted to share my idea of an ecosystem first. In my opinion, an ecosystem is an environment of living organisms and non-living things that exist cohesively. The swamp is a huge ecosystem itself, with an almost infinite number of smaller ecosystems within it. The canopies of the trees are an ecosystem, the small puddles of pond water, the small lakes, the underbrush; all of these house different types of inhabitants that depend on that particular type of environment to survive.

   The Corkscrew Swamp is a portion of the Florida Everglades. This ecosystem is crucial to the many different varieties of plants and animals that live here in Florida . Florida ’s economy and educational system depend on this ecosystem for revenue and to provide environmental understanding to our youth. Southwest Floridians depend on the Everglades for fresh water.

   Conservation is the act of responsibly working together to preserve natural resources. Stewardship is the ethic of the community working together toward conservation and improvement of the environment. The role of private non-profit organizations is to promote these two concepts and saturate the communities with the knowledge of the importance of them. Like-minded people can affect change by word of mouth, volunteering, and practicing what they preach. Civic engagement plays a factor in these two concepts because it ties into them both. Civic engagement can also be called civic participation which is more easily understood. It means that people and their communities have developed plans to address public concerns.

The motivation to preserve the swamp came about to save the Cypress forest that was rapidly diminishing in the 40’s and 50’s. Certain types of birds were also being protected during this time as the populations has plummeted due to the popularity of their plumes in woman’s hats.

   The government makes an annual determination on how much will be budgeted for conservation, restoration, and overall environmental well being. In my opinion, the idea of creating more condos in this area is obsurd. We need this ecosystem and its many smaller ecosystems to survive.