Final Impressions

As the semester comes to an end I must say that I am walking away from this class with a new outlook on the environment. While I have taken some environmental classes in the past, I feel that I gained the most knowledge from this class. I enjoyed the group work on the chapters in the State of the World which allowed us a brief overview of the chapters without having to spend a great deal of time on them. I also enjoyed the group discussions where we put our desks in a circle. It made the classroom seem more like a community and less like a boring classroom. I also enjoyed each of the field trips and thought that each one had a great deal to offer. However, I did feel that some of the readings we were assigned in the Colloquium Reader were written in a way that was very difficult to understand. I feel that more discussion should have taken place before those readings in order to gain a better understanding of their content. Overall I think that this class was very enlightening and I feel I will be coming away from this experience with a greater respect for the environment.

Thanks for a great semester!

Spirituality, Religion, and Sustainability

After watching the movie "Renewal" in class, I have a new idea about how religion and spirituality can effect a persons relationship with the environment. I was impressed by how the communities responded to the idea that religion is related to the environment. For example when the church in New Jersey decided to make changes such as placing solar panels on the roof, the entire community responded very positively. In addition, I was also extremely impressed with the Jewish environmental camp which gave young children a change to interact with the environment. I feel that it is ideas such as the ones addressed at the camp that will give our children a better chance at connecting with the environment and therefore they will make better decisions later in life. A large number of people in the United States, and around the world belong to a religion or at least have some kind of spiritual connection. By showing these people how the environment can relate to their beliefs we are reaching a huge number of people. This impact will make people think differently about how the treat the environment and hopefully change the impact we are having on our world.

The Earth Charter In Action - Religion and Sustainability Taking Root in Germany

Neighborhood Walk

After completing my second neighborhood walk, I definitely notice a change in my observations from the walk I took in the beginning of the semester. One thing that I noticed I had become more aware of was the idea of green building. While before my main focus was on the types of animals and plant life I found in my neighborhood, now I felt that I was more observant of areas that had been influenced by development. For example, I noticed that in the community across the street that the land had to be raised significantly in order to construct homes in the once flood prone area. I feel that while I was not able to identify any new organisms, I was more aware of the lack of sustainability in my neighborhood.

Sense of Place Interview

This Thanksgiving holiday I was fortunate enough to be surrounded by the majority of my friends and family. And during this time I was able to speak with both of my grandparents about their relationship with the environment as well as discuss the differences between their generation and mine. The majority of the conversation revolved around their opinion that our current generation has a complete disconnect with the environment. They discussed how, while they did contribute to some of the environmental problems we are currently facing today, they lived must more sustainable lives and were taught to appreciate nature. The differences they noted were mostly that the majority of the products being distributed in today's market are now made as disposable product, where in their generation everything was made to be reused. For example, in their youth you would buy flour in cloth sacks which could then be used to make items such as clothes and curtains. In addition they also use to use their old clothes to make blankets instead of just throwing them away. They also stated that the environment was one of their only sources of entertainment. While children today are constantly inside playing video games and watching TV, the people of their generation saw nature as the only source of entertainment. They would use nature for recreational activities such as swimming in lakes and ponds, riding bikes, riding horses, and walk instead of driving to their destinations. After hearing their stories, I informed them of the University Colloquium class that I was taking, as well as all that I have learned during this semester. They seemed to share the idea that the class itself was a wonderful idea that would allow people of the current generation to have a chance to establish a relationship, similar to what they had with the environment.

Environment in Local News

Throughout the semester we have been discussion the growing topic of "going green." The article I have chosen from the New-Press discuses this very topic. The article entitled Fort Myers House a Green Home written by Gabriella Souza, describes a Fort Myers home that has recently been renovated and designated "green" by the Florida Green Building Coalition. And while the home does not look any different from any other home on the block, it is full of green amenities. In addition to the solar panels on the roof which heat all of the water that flows through the house, the home also offers

• painted walls which use less chemicals than normal paint


• tinted windows to keep the home cool in the warm temperatures


• walls which were injected with insulation during the remodeling to save energy


• faucets and toilets that use less water


• compact florescent light bulbs in each of the homes fixtures.

Projects such as this one have been popping up all over the state thanks to the funding provided by the Neighborhood Stabilization Act and the city of Fort Myers is looking to create even more.

After reading this article I have some mixed feelings. While I know that making a house more "green" can have positive effects such as lower costs to the owner as well as a smaller impact on the environment, I have to wonder if spending such a large amount of money is absolutely necessary at this time. While I think that doing things like tinting windows and using paint that contains fewer chemicals are all good idea, I think that using such a large amount of money on solar panels is too extravagant for these times. Currently we have large numbers of people who can longer afford to live in their homes and instead of helping those people we are remodeling livable homes for thousands of dollars. I feel as a society we are making steps in the right direction in respect to the environment. However, I feel that we need to also be aware of the financial aspect of what we are trying to accomplish.

Fort Myers House a Green Home

Field Trip #6: Canoe Trip at FGCU Marine Lab

Field Trip #6: Vester Marine Lab

After taking the field trip to FGCU's Marie Lab I feel that I have a greater understanding of the area. Before this field trip I had never canoed before so I was very hesitant in the beginning. However, with a little practice (and an experienced partner) we made it through. Although the trip did seem a little long and tiring, I feel that I learned a lot from the experience. We were able to see such things as fish, crabs, stingrays, and even a raccoon which we saw swim across the water. We also learned that areas, such as the mangrove estuary where we stopped which was relatively shallow and full of mangroves, is an area where any organisms first start their lives. We also learned that it is very important to protect coastal areas because even the smallest things such as a small amount of pollution can have a large impact on the water and organisms. Also, destroying the areas where mangroves once grew can also have negative consequences because these trees are our natural defence against things such as storm surge.

Vester Marine Lab Offical Site

State of the World Impressions

After hearing all of the student presentation on The State of the World I felt that the three Climate Connections that made the largest impact on me were Geoengineering to Shade Earth, Electric Vehicles and Renewable Energy Potential, and Employment in a Low-Carbon World. I felt that all three of these articles were especially interesting because each one contained information that I could directly relate to my life. In the first article on Geoengineering, we learned that scientists are looking into way to shield the earth from being heated by the sun. I found this very interesting not only because it could potentially effect me, but also because the idea seemed so futuristic. I had no idea that we as a society had the capability to put things into space that would act as a shield to reflect some of the heat we are currently receiving from the sun. In the second article, which talked about electric vehicles, I felt that because we are currently seeing a rise in popularity of these types of vehicles in our own area, I could really relate to the article. The author of this article discusses many of the new ideas that have recently been publicized about how these electric vehicles are the way of the future. Offering fewer emissions and lower costs, the expansion of electric grids to power these cars as well s exchange stations for batteries, will hopefully one day be part of our everyday lives. Finally in the article which discussed employment in a low-carbon world, the author talks about how thousands of new jobs could be created in such a world. With the development and growing popularity of things such as solar home systems, the article states, "could eventually create some 100,000 jobs." In addition jobs would also be created for the green automotive industry, production of secondary scrap-based steel, as well as recycling jobs are all occupations which would be created in a low-carbon world. Overall, I believe that each one of our Climate Connections articles contained information of great significance. While the three articles listed about made the largest impact on me, I feel that each one had an important message.

The Earth Charter

After reading The Earth Charter and having a group discussion in class, I believe that while a few of the points seem reasonable, the charter as a whole seems unrealistic. While some of the points listed in The Earth Charter may be obtainable in certain areas, the main point of the charter is to get people around the world to adopt these points. I do not believe that that will ever be possible. For example points such as "act with restraint and efficiency when using energy, and rely increasingly on renewable energy sources such as solar and wind" is s point which we have discussed in class as a possible solution for many Americans. However, in other countries where the governments and people do not have the money to fund the technologies needed to create such energy sources, this point in currently unobtainable. I think that the points discussed in The Earth Charter would be more easily obtained if, at least for the time being, we reworded it to pertain to individuals, communities, cities, and even whole nations, but not to unrealistically aim to incorporate the entire world. I think that if each of us individually could pick at least a few points to adopt for our everyday life, we could see a significant impact. Points such as reducing, reusing, and recycling materials used in production and consumption are realistic changes that, especially the American population, could make. As for the rest of the charter, I believe that while achieving world-wide participation in the charter is currently unthinkable, hopefully with time and a few changes, we will one day all be able to accept the charter in an effort to save our Earth.

Field Trip #5: Urban Fort Myers and Southwest Florida Historical Museum

Before arriving in downtown Fort Myers for our field trip, I was sure I already knew everything we were going to talk about because I have lived in the area my whole life. However, soon after arriving I realized I was completely wrong. After taking a walk down the water front and learning that the city is looking into expanding its water front and then walking through the area surrounded with different types of palm trees I was in awe of everything I was previously unaware of. I truly enjoyed this particular field trip because of all of the places we got to see. From the water front to the mosaic, and from the post office to the museum, I feel that I gained a great deal of knowledge from this trip, and the great weather helped too! My favorite part of the trip however, (besides the trip to Starbucks) was definitely the museum. I thought it was a great experience being able to see a real "cracker house" as well as the train and the museum itself. We learned that the museum itself was originally built as a train station in 1924. Marge, our tour guide was especially wonderful because she seemed so excited about the opportunity to teach us about everything found in the museum. Overall I think that being able to see how the city of Fort Myers progress from its earliest years with the dinosaurs such as the Megaladon, to the days of the Indians, to the present day was very insightful. I feel that by keeping some of the older buildings and restoring them has really helped promote community engagement. However, I think that educating more people like myself, who have lived in the area and think they already know it all, would prove o be very beneficial. Holding events in the downtown area would also help to promote involvement. Overall I think that simply promoting awareness of all the city has to offer would truly make an impact on the community.

Affluenza

After taking the first quiz, my final score was a 23! The website said that if your score was from 23-30 you should "cut up your credit cards and call a doctor!" I guess I've got a pretty severe case!

After taking the second quiz my diagnosis was:

Positive for:

rash of debt

chronic stress

resource exhaustion / social scars

Upon completing these quizzes and receiving my results, I must say that I am not too surprised with the outcome. After watching the movie on Affluenza and participating in the discussion about the topic in class, I feel that I would definitely test positive for a case of Affluenza. I feel that while I have more extras in my life than that of people in previous generations, I do not believe that my generation is as happy and content with their quality of life.

After reading the suggestions made by the website on how to cure a case of Affluenza, I must say that most of the suggestions are a little too extreme for the average person to realistically achieve. While some suggestions, like the one that asks you to try to cut your usages in half, seem reasonable, other such as not having children and moving to an area with a lower cost of living are a bit extreme. I think that in order to get our society to make changes, we must come up with smaller things that people can do on a daily basis. I think that such suggestions, while they may seem small, will add up to be something much bigger. I do not think we will ever be able to change the habits of today's society, but I do think that we can make small changes that will result in major positive outcomes. In my own life I think that I could in fact make some of the changes suggested by the website. Things such as consuming half the shampoo I consume and using half the laundry detergent are all things I could work to reduce on a daily basis.

Teenage Affluenza