Energy From Waste

Hello Bloggin Ligers

So today we went to the Waste From Energy Plant. I like all the usefullness it brings to the community and also how it is recognized worldwide for its efforts in converting trash into usefl energy.

Mueller, our host, mentioned how the Plant has generated enough power to supply energy to Lee County but however; FPL has negated them to do so which makes me very upset and dissapointed in the system.Profit is the "P" word.

I guess a clean planet is not PROFITABLE enough. We should do our own research and contribute to the efforts to help our planet because it is profitable to us.

Next Mueller spoke about the concept of

Reduce--> Reuse--> Recycle.

He also told us how there is more to it that we dont know and that is Recovery.

I enjoyed this trip and realized eventhough our country is not as "earth" motivated at least Europe is adapting this Plant system and hopefully we hop onboard soon.

SOIL... not dirt

Hey Ligers

I really enjoyed the movie "Dirt". I was not aware that Dirt was so essential and referring it to a different name changes the context of it. Soil sounds more like a necessity while dirt sounds like a nuisance. Presonally, the fact that those whom appreciate soil refers to it as such reinforces that idea.

The different cultural views were a novel idea that I was absent minded of prior to watching this movie. For example the houses in India that were cleaned with soil and the fact that soil kept it cooler during the summer seemed as a great benefit as a building tool compared to concrete. The cartoons were also a good addition to the movie because it added a perspective they would have, if they had a basic reaction when we build on it, burn trees on it and place asphalt on it as well.

This is definitely a movie that colloquium classes should get to see as well, whatever thier ideas are on the importance of soil, this movie will bring it to the forefront of their thoughts.

Eating

The movie "Eating" was a real eye opener. We are essentially making our selves unhealthy by eating the so called "healthy" food that is regulated by the government. Until watching the movie, I had no idea how unhealthy it was to consume dairy. They mentioned dairy as a liquid meat and even referred to instead of having milk and cookies, but meat and cookies. Gross! I found the interviews to be the most interesting part of the movie. The first doctor they interviewed had a great diet, exercised and had no health problems, but suffered a heart attack at 44 years of age. One of his arteries was clogged 100% and he nearly died. Later he found out that his cholesterol was sky high. He ate only fruits, vegetables, grains for one month and his cholesterol dropped from 160 to 89. The next doctor, like the first, had high cholesterol and prostate cancer. He refused treatment because of his religion but, like the first doctor he took a similar diet and three months later he was cured of cancer and his cholesterol dropped immensely. I had no idea how fruits and vegetables could turn your health around that dramatically. The movie has even inspired me to eat healthier now, at least for a while. Though after watching "Eating" I will always look at food from a different perspective.

DIRT

Class discussed the basis of how are homes and food are made, from dirt... lots and lots of dirt. Dirt is a living organism which homes many types of bacteria and small organisms, vital to keep dirt full of nutrients from our homes. However, everyday due to industry we are destroying dirt by taking other minerals from dirt that we find more valuable. In the long run we will lose all of the important things that we need from dirt. If we continue on the rate of destruction of dirt that we are on right now, we will eventually lose any value from dirt within this century, ensuring it will be very difficult if not impossible to grow dirt. We must continue to help the Earth by using the organic methods to grow food in the best way, the organic way.

Dirt the Movie

I thought Dirt was a very informative movie for our colloquium class. It shows us where everything that we eat comes from and how we should appreciate the land that we're given. So often, we misuse soil and dirt as a part of our living, breathing atmosphere. I like the fact that the researchers went into different countries to see what other people's opinions were about dirt and all of the different ways they tried to encourage the people to farm for themselves. Composting is also a cool mechanism that uses trash to make soil. I think that that method could be used greatly among Americans since we are so wasteful. Overall great class!

EarthShips

The idea of an "earthship" was thought up in the 1970's as a way to live more in harmony with the environment without sacrificing modern delicacies. It's basically a home that is off the grid and made of materials that would otherwise be burried in a landfill...a.k.a.; trash. The walls of an earthship are made of dirt-packed tires, bottles, and cans. Pretty neat way to recycle, huh? After the walls are set, they are then covered with an outside covering of siding for uniformity, but the internal structure is dirt and trash that will end up regulating it's own temperature, making A.C. and Heating a thing of the past. The rooftop of a 3,000 sq.ft. ceiling will collect 2,000 gallons of water in a one-inch rainfall. This water will be filtered with specialized plants and used for drinking, bathing, washing and eventually toilets until finally being returned back the earth. The earthship also supports its own garden, so grocery shopping wont be as necessary as before. Solar pannals are used to energize all of the household appliances, including lighting, refridgerator, washer, T.V., computers (etc.).
The cost of building an earthship is comparable to a normal home, it just takes a little longer to build and gather the building materials. However, once living in it, the electric, water, and grocery bill are almost eliminated. This is a fascinating idea, and one that I will definitely look into in the future.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9jdIm7grCY

ECHO...

Our trip to ECHO this past week was fun-filled and very informative. Educational Concerns For Hunger Organization (ECHO) has a plant here in South West Florida where they store many of their seeds and plants and farm healthy foods. We were fortunate to actually try some of their freshly picked broccoli while on our tour of the farm. (picture below) I was surprised to find out that the stem of the broccoli was very tasty, although the leaves got kind of sickening after about four bites.
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We were shown the different types of stoves and water pumps that ECHO uses to plant in third world countries, according to their culture. The evolution of the stove was fascinating and educational in the sense of learning about thermal dynamics and heat loss.

There were many types of bamboo growing at ECHO, including black bamboo pictured below. Bamboo is very sturdy and fast growing. There are thousands of different varieties in the world and can be used as many different types of building materials.

We saw several different types of fruits and vegetables including the miracle fruit, strawberries, avocado, oranges, pumpkin and many more. There were quite a few animals as well for fertilizer, filtration of the ponds, milk, muscle, meat, and even a source of money. ECHO is a Christian based organization, which I think is awesome. I can see the power of God working through this place to make a difference in the world by feeding His people in need.

ECHO Farm

ECHO Farm was a great place for our class to visit to learn what an organization, such as ECHO, is doing to help people around the world. The video was a good introduction to see what ECHO was doing in other countries to help those in need. Some of the poorest countries, economically wise and land wise were being helped by ECHO with volunteers, educators and seeds to help the people there grow their own food. Some of the materials, such as the oven shown above, are still used in those countries and the farm let us see other ways that people less fortunate than ourselves are doing to live everyone day around the world. The farm also grew a number of types of plants and trees that are grown in different types of enviornments of the world, right here in Ft. Myers, Florida. Some of the plants that are grown here, are grown in a variety of unique ways and are used to feed people that are in poverty. ECHO sends some of the food grown here in Ft. Myers to Colorado for storage, in case of a disaster and food is needed for emergency. What is really remarkable about the food grown at ECHO is the quality of the food. It tastes fresh and nutritious. Also, preserve chemical and pesticides are not used on them, so the food is clean straight from the plant. ECHO also has a number of animals at the farm as well. These animals aren't actually used for food, but their droppings are used to help some of the plants grow better as a fertilizer. ECHO is a great organization that everyone taking Colloquium should visit to know what is being done here in south west Florida to help the rest of the world.

Last Week's Class

Last week was a very informative class for me. I learned about specific environmental issues that I had not thought into. Although there were many powerpoint presentations, the class discussion was interesting and I liked hearing other people's opinions. By reading the text from Plan B 4.0, I have gained a vast amount of knowledge on the importance of environmental issues and I hope that one day, we can solve a good variety before we hit a brick wall and collapse. On a lighter note, I look forward to next week's class! :)

Fort Myers Beach; Salt Water Enviornment

Wednesday's field trip to Fort Myers Beach was fun-filled and very educational. The trip started with a pleasant story time sponsored by the Historical Society. There, we learned the history of Fort Myers beach, how the land changed through hurricanes and human habitation. Afterward, we were all given the opportunity to hit the trails and explore on our own. The weather was beautiful and we were lucky enough to even see some wildlife.


One of the paths we took



Red, White and Black Mangrove flooded the areas around the bay that we saw.



Lichen found on bark



A Rabbit we saw

Fieldtrip to the Marine Park

When we first arrived to the park, we met this woman who informed us about what life was like in Fort Myers 50 years ago. It was interesting to hear her tell us about how it was mainly composed of fishermen and a very small population. She was such a sweet lady and even provided us with lemonade and cookies!! We also got to see a variety of different mangroves, like the one pictured above. It was such a beautiful walk through the area (even if we did get lost haha) and I enjoyed getting outside in the beautiful weather. This fieldtrip was wonderful and I can't wait for the next one!

FInally, I made it

Hey Fellow Ligers,

Well class is always a blast just because of all the viewpoints that we all share and I am sure among our small group we have many disagreements. One thing that I know for sure we all care about is the future. I don’t think that’s too far of an assumption. Now how we will remain on this earth is by many ways, in my humble opinion, has to be a mixture of religion, science and open minded thinking. Not to seem too bias towards Plan B but, business as usual is not working and in this case it is broken so we have to fix it. Even though we as individuals feel like we cant make a difference, and what is a dent on the side of a wrecked vehicle?? its one more dent you don’t have to fix ahaha.

Seriously, this is not of matter of if but when. In this course, I think we need to absorb the bad and look how we can fix it whether it be single-handedly or as a collective group.

Feburary 3, 2010

When it comes to saving our planet, there are many different types of people. Some don't give a rip about what happens because their selfish ego knows that they will be dead by the time disaster happens. Some are so extreme to save the planet that they organize mass suicides. Others do what they can in the little things like recycling, driving less and taking shorter showers. The facts are there...are we over populated? Yes. Are we running out of oil and natural gas sources? Yes. Are our crops drying up, causing more hunger? Yes.

It's a sad truth many of us have heard over and over again through the history of our teachers. For some of us, the facts hit us the first time and we are doing the little things we can to play our part in helping the earth. For others who don't care, more knowledge is NOT going to change their mind. And for the remainder of students who care, but don't know what exactly to do, they need to see the options they have to live a greener life.

We know the facts, and I will do what I can to play my part. However, the actions of the rest of the world are out of my hands. I will do what I can and hopefully influence those around me, but the fate of the world depends on the actions of the entirety of humanity. But the question is raised; When has the entire world played for the same team? Never. I find it pointless to be worried about the actions of people who I have no control over. I find it pointless to loose sleep over what it ultimately out of my hands. I, personally, will live a green life style and pray that God intervenes and saves our beautiful planet.

Hippie Extremist Cry For Tree Suffering

Class Disscussion

The class discussion from last week was very eye opening for me because I got a few different perspectives on what we are and are not doing to help our environment and if we don't act accordingly we may pay the ultimate consequence.

The presentation on chapter one showed that we look like we are heading towards disaster. With the extra three billion people that are expected to be on Earth in the next few generations we will soon begin to see our world's food supply level off. The exponential growth factor that we are facing is baffling. Whats worse is that most of these people are being born in countries that can not support everyone without importing food. Other downsides from the presentation the depleting soil quality for us to grow crops and having clean water for us to drink and water our food with.

However, there were a few bright spots, like how we are planning to harness wind power to help with pollution that is affecting many people. Hopefully we will be using solar power for nearly everything as soon as possible, hopefully in this decade. Also that we are making more fuel efficient cars to reduce oil usage and keep the air clean and without sacrificing quality, style or comfort for efficiency.

Hopefully our government will step up to the task of creating a world with more recycling and less pollution. With more solar power and less oil consumption. More nutritious crops and less depleting land for farmers to grow crops. It is up to our generation of Americans to set an example for the rest of the world to follow.

Callusa Nature Center

This opportunity to visit the Callusa Nature Park was a great experience for our group. We saw many types of the plants and trees that are being preserved for future generations ensuring that our child will get to experience them in the same way. The planetarium’s presentation of manatees was very intriguing and eye opening as to how important they are and much humans are doing to make sure that these gentle giants or “sea cows” do not go extinct. The nature walk was educational learning of how hundreds of years ago the Indians of Florida once used these trees and plants to survive and how we still today use some of those very same things for ourselves. Callusa also has a verity of birds and animals that are kept here. When abused or injuried animals are brought to Callusa it is to keep them safe and help them heal, as they may not be able to survive in the wild.

Calusa Nature Center

Although it seems wrong that the wildlife held captive here are not free to roam around and be reintroduced to nature, every animal in Calusa is there for good reason. The animals are there for one of several reasons. 1) They were being kept as a pet illegally 2)They were abused wildlife 3) They have been injured and would otherwise die if in the wild 4)They have become so accustomed to human presence and have learned to depend on our resources, that they would not be able to adapt in the wild, thus setting them free would lead to their death. Volunteers do all they can to promote a healthy and comfortable life style for these creatures.


Volunteers also work daily to keep trails clean and healthy for a natural living environment. Promoting natural growth and removing any and all litter, their hard and consistent efforts allows all to enjoy the simplistic beauty that Nature has to offer.

Callusa Nature Center

This video is a brief showing of what me and my group experienced at the Callusa Nature Center. We had the opportunity to identify different plants and animals within the tour. This fieldtrip was very valuable because it gave all of us a chance to see what types of plants and animals reside in florida. We even got the change to see what poison ivy looked like. All in all, this was a great fieldtrip and our group had a very enjoyable time.

Last Week's Class

I think that last week's class was very informative. I enjoyed getting a chance to present (even though it was a boring chapter) and I am happy that we are finally moving forward. I am also excited for the fieldtrip this week to see what we will be ding.

Opening Post

This is the opening post to make sure that the blog is up and running. Have a great weekend. :)


sarah