Blog 6- 2/21/11

ECHO was a pretty cool place! I thought it would be a little boring when I first heard about it because how interesting could growing plants honestly be? But to my surprise, I learned a lot more than I expected. And I really enjoyed learning about the Maringa plant/tree. I told my boyfriend about it and he wants to plant one in his backyard now!

I also thought it was very interesting how they had all the simulated environments for different climates. I wouldn’t think that would be possible here in Florida since it is pretty much always scorching hot outside, but I guess with all of their ideas and simple technology, it is possible. What I saw there didn’t really fit with what I imagine “American” agriculture to be. I think of large scale industrial or commercial farming with thousands of acres of land devoted to only a few crops. I think of animals kept in small pens or cages with no room to really go anywhere. So it is safe to say that what I saw at ECHO was very different from my ideas of “American” agriculture.

I believe that what ECHO is doing is extremely relevant to the developing countries around the world. There are so many people who need to learn sustainable ways of farming to support themselves and their families. With simple technology and easy to learn ideas, ECHO makes it possible to teach others that it is possible to grow something in just about every climate. I think “appropriate technology” is just what ECHO looks into; technology that fits a certain climate or area as well as the people in that area. The technology can’t be something too expensive or crafty to build because a lot of the time people don’t have those resources. So ECHO has come up with some great solutions for people all over the world.

I think it would be pretty fun to do my service learning at ECHO because they stand for a great cause and help hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of people all over the world. It would feel good to be able to help do something that I know will directly affect the lives of others in such a meaningful way as sustaining life.

 

Blog 5- 2/14/11

Sustainable farming is farming that does not destroy the land. It is a great thing, but not always practical in the current times. Sure, if everyone switched over to a sustainable way of doing things it would be cost effective and a whole lot easier, but that will probably never happen because there is too much money to be made other ways. The major elements of sustainable farming include a no till or a minimum till way of getting the land ready to plant which helps reduce soil erosion. Farmers also can plant legumes or cover crops, employ the use of crop rotation, and use solarization instead of fumigation. All of these help make sustainable farming more earth friendly.

                I have not really bought too many organically labeled foods in the past, but as part of a project for my Culture and Society class I have decided to try to expand my food choices to more organic foods. It’s going to be a little hard at first because I am on a tight budget and organic foods are more expensive, but I think it is something worth trying. I have never really invested in organic foods before because I never really knew or cared what the difference was between organic and regular. But now I have taken a few classes that have introduced me to the importance of trying to be more sustainable and support those who are sustainable as well. I honestly do feel very disconnected to the foods I buy right now because I don’t know where they come from or who grows/raises them. The “Third Frontier” plays a role in this disconnect. Louv notes the characteristics of the third frontier are a severance of the mind from food’s origins, a disappearing line between machines, humans, and animals, an understanding of the relationships between animals and ourselves, the rise of the new suburban farm, and the invasion we create on the wild. Obviously we are seeing all of these traits in the current times, especially not knowing where our food comes from. It is something everyone needs to reevaluate and try to consider alternative methods to what they are doing now.

                If there was space on the FGCU campus, I would definitely be interested in starting a little vegetable garden or fruit space! It’s funny because my friend actually wanted to start a club to try to lobby the school to let us have space for a garden of sorts. I think it would be fun and exciting to be able to show people what it is like to see your own hard work come around full circle.

Blog 4- 2/7/11

I think we have so many important environmental issues that need to be addressed in the world, and it is hard to pick just one to focus on as the most pressing. If I absolutely had to choose, I think I would say population growth/industrialization. We are an ever expanding society, which means we are using more and wasting more than ever.  If we keep up at this rate, there will be absolutely no resources left for future generations, we will lose the majority of our biodiversity in the environment, and we will render the Earth basically a useless planet to humans and organisms for a while. So if I could change one thing about this issue, it would be to educate people on birth control options as well as on being a more sustainable steward to the Earth. If we are going to live here we need to take care of what is given to us before it is taken all away.

                If the Rockefeller Foundation gave me a hundred billion dollars I would be an extremely happy person. Haha, just kidding. I would use the money to help combat the environmental issues we face at the present moment in hopes to curb them in the future. First, I would put a lot more education programs in place to teach people how to be responsible and use resources wisely. I would also try to make these programs somewhat of a mandatory thing to do because we all know people are not likely to attend something like this. I would then use some money to clean up the big ocean waste zone in the Pacific that is twice the size of Texas. It is gross and killing the organisms, affecting the ecosystem as well. Next, I would tackle the air pollution problem; trying to find a way to clear up the air and stop harmful pollutants from being deposited in the first place. This would hopefully help stop the ozone depletion. It is hard to pick just one issue because they all are interwoven together. If we work to solve one problem, it will help solve another…then another…and then another!