Entry # 13: Reflection on Climate Change

(http://www.keepbanderabeautiful.org/climate-change.jpg)

During the 5th week of classes this semester, our Colloquium Professor posted the following two clips from YouTube, the first one discussing the two sided scientific argument in regards to climate change, and the second, it's counter argument/objection:

• http://www.youtube.com/user/potholer54#p/a/A4F0994AFB057BB8/0/52KLGqDSAjo
• http://www.youtube.com/user/potholer54#p/a/A4F0994AFB057BB8/1/PoSVoxwYrKI

These YouTube clips introduced the different theories that scientists have on what is actually causing climate change. The films discussed the views of the climate scientists who are proponents and believe that climate change is being driven by manmade causes, and climate scientists who are skeptics. They also address the different possibilities that scientists have proposed in regards to the issue of high GHG emissions; and two alternative theories that are responsible for the rise in temperature- Solar forcing and cloud cover.

I chose to reflect on the issue of climate change because in this entry because it's something that I've learned quite a lot about throughout the semester, and I can honestly say that it's a concept that has been very enlightening for me. It's something that I'm personally involved in-it's something that mankind in general is involved in; granted of whether he/she choses to believe it or accept it.

The Youtube films my colleagues and I were asked to watch were an exceedingly helpful educational tool in informing people about climate change. I was personally quite intrigued by the Climate Change Youtube clips because prior to watching them, though I was aware that there were alternative theories and arguments regarding the actual causes of climate change, I didn't know the technicalities involved-which I felt, the clips presented well.

Something else that specifically caught my attention, and instantly intrigued me is that scientists are exploring so many different possibilities for the issue of climate change. While I was watching these clips, I couldn't help but ponder the idea that rather than trying to prove or disprove a certain idea, skeptics and proponents should be working together. I simply do not understand why such theories can't go hand in hand, and complement one another, so to speak.

It is obvious that I am no scientist. I will be the first to admit that I don't know very much on the subject of climate change per say, but I personally believe that humans are exceedingly responsible for the rising temperatures we have been experiencing, which is something that mostly all scientists have now all agreed on. However, after watching these clips, I can definitely consider the idea that there are perhaps other components that are contributing to climate change, as skeptics believe.

Entry # 12: Environment in the News

The Florida Panther is Florida's state animal. Ironically, scientists have estimated that only 80-100 Florida Panthers remain in the wild. It's biggest threat: the continuing loss of habitat. It's habitat is threatened by the effects of global warming with the rising sea level issue, as well as the increasing development the area has experienced over the last decade. This beautiful animal has been hiding in the endangered species list since 1973.

(http://www.fws.gov/floridapanther/images/floridapanther.jpg).

I discovered an article in Naples Daily News (http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2010/feb/11/florida-panther-critical-habitat-fish-wildlife-/) which discusses a recent rejection of an effort to seek more protection and acquire 3 million more acres of designated "critical habitat" for the panther. The argument against providing "critical habitat areas" is that critical habitat areas would take away resources from other panther protection priorities. Experts believe that a public-private partnership (as opposed to) top-down regulation is the key to removing the symbolic animal off the endangered list.

Although I believe that we need to do something in order to get our state animal off of the endangered species list, I must say that I agree with the rejection of such proposal. There are typically shortcuts with top-down regulations. For example, as discussed in the article, a critical habitat destination would not necessarily restrict development. However, I think plans such as the the one developed for Ave Maria which awards development credits to landowners who agree to set aside land for preservation, would ultimately be much more efficient in the efforts of saving the Florida Panther.

Works Cited

Staats, Eric. "Feds Say No to 3 Million Acres of Panther Critical Habitat in Southwest Florida" . NaplesNews.com. 11 February 2010.

Entry # 11: Ecological Footprint

(http://tdaait.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/green1.jpg)

When I calculated my ecological footprint at http://sustainability.publicradio.org/consumerconsequences, my score was as follows:

-Impact of My Home: 2

-Impact of Electricity Used in My Home: 1

-Impact of the Waste Generated in My Home: 1

-Impact of My Public and Personal Transportation: 5

-Impact of the Food I Consume: 5

-Impact of My Use of Goods and Services: 4

As the results have determined-"Those eco-friendly choices have you headed in the right direction! The bad news? You're still a long way from sustainable. It would take multiple earths to support a planet living your lifestyle". The number of earths it would take to sustain all of the people on the planet if everyone lived like me is 3.7.

According to the results of this quiz, the ways for me to lesson my impact are by reducing my impact of:

• Transportation

(http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/06/18/can_you_dump_the_pump.jpg)

• Food and Drink Consumption

(http://www.thedailygreen.com/cm/thedailygreen/images/Dj/empty-wine-bottles-md.jpg)

• Shopping Habits

(http://www.distinctivemarketing.net/images/reusable_shopping_bag.jpg)

I'm not at all surprised by such results-I'm aware that I am not the most sustainable human being, but I'm also aware that I try to be, and that I make my small contribution on a somewhat regular basis.

Moreover, obviously I'm going to have a large impact of transportation because I live in a very spread out city in Florida, where it is nearly impossible to go anywhere by bike or on foot. I suppose I could make less of an impact if I tried carpooling more often, but I honestly hadn't realized that I drove that much. It certainly isn't my fault that everything here is so far apart! As for the food and drink consumption impact, I was a bit concerned. I eat an average amount, but I can assume that the regular consumption of wine is not at all sustainable, and definitely brought down my score a substantial amount...but as we are Italian, my family drinks a lot of red wine! It is simply custom to us.

My family and I do wish to promote a sustainable lifestyle-we recycle mostly all of our glass and plastic garbage, as well as some paper and aluminum wastes and such. We are consistently making an attempt to conserve energy, and we have recently changed all of our lightbulbs to the green friendly lightbulbs they will someday make mandatory. We also really make an attempt to minimize our water consumption, and do not use water carelessly or without thought.

In conclusion, I can say that my family and I are willing to evolve. We are undoubtedly willing to adapt to new energy efficient customs, and to try to improve our impact on the environment. As we have limited resources to do so (by this I mean-our large spread out city, the fact that a lot of renewable energy is not offered to people in our area, etc), it may take a while, but I believe that we may someday live sustainably. By carpooling more often, purchasing more green products, and keeping up with my current eco-friendly choices, I hope that I can reduce my impact on the planet.

Entry # 10: Food Intake/Packaging

Part A

For this entry, I was asked to list each food item (including water) which I consumed during a period of 24 Hours:

Breakfast
-Whole Wheat Bread With Raisins: 1 slice, purchased from Whole Foods
-Papaya: 2 Slices
-Espresso Coffee: 8 fl. oz., home made

Snack
-Raw Almonds: 1 Serving (22 almonds), purchased from Whole Foods
-Water: 2 cups (16 fl. oz.)
-Granola: 1 Cup, purchased raw from Whole Foods

Lunch
-Black Bean Soup: 1 Cup, eaten at Food-N-Thought
-Fresh Apple: 1 Medium-Sized Apple
-Water: 2 cups (16 fl. oz.)

Snack
-Low Sodium V-8 Juice: 1 Cup
-Water: 3 Cups (24 fl. oz.)
-Fresh Kiwi: 1 Fruit

Dinner
-Salad: Consisted Arugula (1 Cup), Cherry Tomatoes (0.3 Cup), Olive Oil (2 Tablespoons), and Vinegar (1 Tablespoon)-Home made.
-Tempeh: 1 Serving (1 Cup), seasoned with Canola Oil (0.5 Tablespoon)-Home made
-Brussel Sprouts: 1 Cup, sauteed with Olive Oil (0.5 Tablespoons), and Garlic (1 small)-Home made
-Water: 1 Cup (8 fl. oz.)

Using MyPyramidTracker.Gov, I was able to estimate my total caloric intake for the day-1824. According to the website, I am only supposed to be consuming 1815 calories per day, which means I'm a little over. I'm not concerned though, because the website didn't incorporate the fact that I run 7 miles 5 days per week into its calculations. The website suggested overall, that in order for me to maintain my weight, I must consume more milk, grain, and fat products, in substitute for a few of my fruit or vegetable servings. This may be difficult for me to do because aside from eating fish, I am vegan.

(http://www.usu.edu/wellness/images/uploads/Wellness/NUTRITION%20PROGRAMS/nutritionPyramid.png)

Furthermore, most of my food intake occurred at home, and a large quantity of my grocery shopping is completed at local organic farmer's markets, amongst other health food stores (such as Food-N-Thought, Whole Foods, Etc). With that in mind, I can assume that my food choices are exceptionally sustainable, as I am not going out and spending unnecessary money on unhealthier alternatives. Considering also that I am vegan; most of my food consumption includes fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, and soy products-most of which need not be manufactured, thus again illustrating the sustainability of my food consumption habits.

(http://theriverreporter.files.wordpress.com/2009/03/vegan-pyramid-800x600.jpg)

I must, however, still consider shipping/transportation costs, as well as packaging for the food (which includes mostly plastic and cardboard-not so sustainable in that aspect). But overall, I cannot imagine that a ridiculous amount of resources (as energy and water) are used in the production of my diet in comparison to many other citizens.

Part B

I was also asked to keep a list of all of the portable handheld items I handled in the period of 24 hours:

-Listened to my iPod Shuffle for an hour and a half whilst running this morning
-Called and received a multitude of phone calls and text messages
-Printed 2 Quizzes from the Internet in order to prepare for an exam (6 pages, as well as the ink)
-Drove to Food N Thought for lunch and grocery shopping
-The soup which I mentioned I ate for lunch from Food N Thought came in a styrofoam box, with a plastic spoon, and a paper napkin
-Groceries were bagged in paper bags

As for how much energy and water went into each of the products I handled, I imagine that my ipod shuffle, as well as my iPhone required an impressive amount and were not very sustainable. The printing of my quizzes was done on a sustainable account, as I printed front and back, although energy was obviously consumed while I was printing. Driving to Food N Thought was also a very energy consuming activity I engaged in today, but riding my bike or walking there was out of the question as it is roughly a 10 mile distance from my house.

In conclusion, I like to believe that I live a fairly sustainable lifestyle. I don't consume any (not including fish) animal or dairy products, I shop at local farmer's markets on a regular basis, and most of the meals which I consume on a daily basis are homemade and do not require the use of a lot of resources. As I believe I have previously expressed, I do in fact, make sustainable shopping decisions most of the time. Of course there is room for improvement, but I believe that my small part is going to play a role in the long term well being of our planet.

(http://www.occutec.com/services/environmental/images/SustainabilityServices.jpg)

Entry # 9: Field Trip # 3 Marine Area-Estero Bay Historic Cottage and Mantanzas Preserve

Today I completed the 3rd field trip to Estero Bay Historic Cottage and Mantanzas Pass Preserve. Today's trip is undoubtedly my favorite field trip to this point in the semester. I was fortunate enough to, once again, experience the most delightful weather when I made my visit this morning, which, needless to say, made it all the more pleasant.

I thought the whole preserve was beautiful and I found the area to be very well maintained. I really enjoyed the mangrove boardwalk, I saw an impressive variety of different plants. I actually felt very relaxed and close to nature while I was there. The entire trip was just a breath of fresh air for me, although I wasn't too enthusiastic about the historic cottages. They failed to galvanize me. Below are several pictures I took around the areas I liked most of the boardwalk:

Moreover, Conservation 20/20 is a program that was started by several local Lee County residents who were concerned with the rapid development of the SW Florida region. The program is aimed at protecting and preserving natural wildlife and water quality. Their efforts are to provide resource based recreation in order to protect building or construction in remaining natural preserves by purchasing them with tax dollars.

Living in SW Florida as long as I have, this was not the first time I had heard about the program, and I have in fact visited other preserves that were acquired by this program, including Estero Marsh Reserve and Yucca Pens Preserve. I have absolutely no problem with the government using tax dollars for land preservation. It's our community, and I think that we should all make an equal effort/contribution to protect the natural environment surrounding the area that we have chosen to live.

Entry # 8: Water Rights and Water Usage Reflection

(http://svivaisrael.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/j0437276.jpg)

After reading the Business Week Article "There will be Water", I have come to believe that a single person or entity should have rights to water that flows beneath common ground such that they are able to capture and divert the water to sell for a profit. Although I don't completely agree with all of the politics behind the story, water is, in fact, a scarce resource; if it had not been made a commodity by large corporations or powerful individuals, I believe that the world would have to face an exceptionally greater issue with the current water supply, or shortage, rather. In other words, if people are not buying water, they are getting it for free, and are thus more predisposed to taking such a natural resource for granted.

The article explains how T. Boone's plan involves building a pipeline to Dallas. The plan may impose some inconveniences for any local homeowners in his way, as he will want to purchase their land. Building the pipeline will also obviously tamper with the wildlife along the way, and ultimately deplete the aquifer. If his plan is rejected, alternative solutions to the water shortages for residents in cities such as Dallas would include keeping it local, or getting their water from another location. As Florida's population is indeed growing, there exists potential risk for a situation as such to arise-because, as populations grow, the demand for water will ultimately grow as well.

Furthermore, as a related activity, I was asked to keep track of any water usage for a period of 24 hours. In order to more accurately determine the amount of water I consumed/drank, I used the same 20 FL OZ (1.25 PT) bottle each and every time that I filled up. I ended up re-filling the water bottle 6 times during the 24 hour time frame; thus consuming 120 FL OZ (7.5 PT or roughly 1 gallon) of water throughout the day.

I took 2 showers that day; the first one was 10 minutes long and approximately 20 gallons of water was used, and the second shower lasted 20 minutes, and used approximately 60 gallons. I used http://ga2.er.usgs.gov/edu/sq3action.cfm in order to determine that a shower usually uses 2 gallons per minute. I brushed my teeth twice that day, both times during my shower.

The same website helped me conclude that each toilet flush uses 3 gallons of water. I flushed the toilet a total of 8 times throughout the duration of my day, thus using 24 gallons. Coincidently, I washed my hands, which consumed 1 gallon per minute, 8 times during the day, thus using 8 gallons of water.

In sum, I ended up using roughly 113 gallons of water on the day that I kept record, which was kind of a shock to me. After conducting a little research, I learned from http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/qahome.html that an average American consumes 80-100 gallons of water per day. Which means, that the amount I used was above average, when I was in belief that I took steps to conserve water in my day to day activities.

I always try to brush my teeth during my showers. I also try to keep my showers at a minimum of 20 minutes. I never throw away water, or waste it, and I do laundry only once every two weeks. Keeping track of my water usage was definitely an eye opener! I suppose I will have to make more of an effort in the future.