Class Review & Final Thoughts

Dr. Morris,

I feel the class was conducted perfectly. I really enjoyed the class and now feel a better "sense of place." Keep your current strategy for future classes. Thanks again for a great semester!

Kyle

Sanibel-Captiva Urbanization

This past weekend, my family and I took a road cycling ride starting from the Sanibel Causeway and all the way through Blind Pass. Although I'm from this area and I take fishing trips in Pine Island Sound every weekend, this was my first time discovering the entire inner Sanibel landscape. While riding, I couldn't believe how many mansions, perfectly manicured yards, golf courses, and development surrounds the area. I expected big homes and some small shopping centers, but I was dumbfounded how much we've manipulated the island. It's no wonder why red tide and environmental problems on the island are escalating. Pesticides, wastewater, and pollutants destroy the surrounding seagrass beds, mangroves, and bays. As a result, we've seen an increase in fish kills in the past several years (especially during the housing boom). As we came closer to Blind Pass, large mansions lined up the beaches. I questioned, how did these people get away with building these homes on environmentally critical areas? Why would Sanibel conservation groups tolerate million dollar construction projects on their beaches? Sanibel is a perfect example of how money has blinded us to destroy our remaining natural places. Our local and state government needs to push a strict agenda towards conserving our beaches and protecting them from private companies and individuals who seek to make profits by exploiting the land. We need to understand our place in the world and the importance of preserving Florida's ecosystems.

Understanding Ft.Myers

Before visiting downtown Ft.Myers, I never stopped to think and appreciate our city's rich history. Looking out at the Caloosahatchee River, I envisioned Calusa Indian canoes searching for fish. Walking down First Street, I can imagine the great cattle drives to Punta Rassa. Every corner of Ft.Myers seemed to have a story that can teach us important history lessons. Unfortunately, many young students and adults in our area are unaware of their city's past. An uneducated society that doesn't even know their own city's history, can be doomed to repeat past mistakes. The Caloosahatchee River is a prime example of this. Before the Caloosahatchee reached its current state, the river was in a natural meandering phase. When Ft.Myers experienced population growth and became a popular area for trade and business, the river was altered by man's decision to "straighten" the waterway. This was done for easier transportation to encourage people to visit the area. After decades, the wildlife and fish populations dropped drastically and became one of America's most endangered rivers. Today, the river has not shown any steady improvement. Because of dumping agriculture waste and releasing nutrient-rich freshwater, the river is struggling even more. If people in our area were more aware of the origin of the Caloosahatchee River's downfall, we would not continue to support the current pollution agenda. Understanding our city's history and becoming informed citizens is an important step towards a healthy, sustainable future for us and the environment.
Not only do history lessons matter, the city lifestyle can teach us to survive locally and hence, a more effective and sustainable society. Less traveling leads to less greenhouse gas emissions, city-living promotes a steady local economy, and a "sense of place" is established. This field trip helped me realize how important it really is to understand the history and benefits of a city.

Forest Management & Camp Caloosa

On Thursday, I volunteered at Camp Caloosa to assist in removing exotic tree and plant species found at Camp Caloosa. Camp Caloosa is located next to Babcock Ranch and is mainly made up of Pine flatwoods. Just like most of the woods here locally, the land is infested with melaleuca trees, Brazilian peppers, Australian pine, and invasive plant species. Our guide and forester, introduced the class to the primary exotic species that have taken over South Florida, their impact on the land, and how to properly exterminate them without stimulating even more growth (from spreading seeds). Once we reviewed the basics and were able to identify the "unwanted" trees and plants, we had the opportunity to cut down the invasive species with machetes and saws. After several hours of cutting down a thick area of melaleuca trees, we noticed a huge difference. The area seemed more open and capable of providing a habitat for wildlife. Thick clumps of melaleuca and other exotic trees prevents Florida Panthers, Gopher Tortoises, Bobcats, White-tailed Deer, and other keystone species from living in the area. We witnessed several areas that have been managed using controlled fire burns that destroy dead pine and invasive plant/tree species. These areas now support a wide variety of wildlife and has reached its original state (before the invasive plants have taken over). Forest Management is an important field in maintaining a healthy woodlands environment and here in Southwest Florida, we need to make sure we properly exterminate exotic trees to sustain native plant growth.

"Pollution Within" National Geographic

Before reading the article on the National Geographic website titled "Pollution Within," I couldn't help but think "what chemicals are floating around inside of me?" The author, David Duncan, explored this issue and decided to test his own blood. DDT, PBDE, and other poisons commonly used in agriculture and production were found in his body. Although Duncan was in good shape even with the small traces of chemicals inside of him (even though he did have higher-than-normal levels of PBDE), many American families have discovered high chemical content in their children. High levels of PBDE, a flame retardant, has been reported in many infants across the country. Furniture, fabrics, and plastics are to blame for the PBDE exposure to infants which are inhaled in high amounts (above the safety quantity). PBDE is found to hinder memory, learning, and even behavior. Another chemical most commonly found in people is mercury. Mercury has been associated with the consumption of seafood, although other products contain this chemical. People and wildlife are threatened throughout the globe with the rise in mercury levels than ever before.
The most surprising fact mentioned in the article was stated on the final page which covers a program called REACH: Registration, Evaluation, and Authorization of Chemicals. REACH was approved by the European Union and its sole purpose is to require companies to manufacture chemicals that are safe to the public and outweigh the negative effects. REACH is currently opposed by the chemical industry and our own U.S. government. Why would the U.S. government oppose a program that benefits the public? Is it because of lobbyists convincing our government to eliminate any regulation proposals? I found this statement in the article to be very disturbing and how this type of opposition reflects other issues we face today (the oil spill, the economic crisis, etc.). We need to push for safer and biodegradable chemicals that are safe for consumers and the environment. We need to forget thinking in cost-efficient terms and think about a greener future.

My Ecological Footprint

My result on the my ecological footprint quiz was 5.49 Earths, meaning five and a half Earths are needed to sustain an entire population who live my lifestyle. I am dumbfounded by the result. My family tries to live within our needs by purchasing environmentally friendly products, buying organic foods, using minimal electricity, efficient appliances, and solar energy panels. This saddens me how much of an impact an average American family has on the global environment scale. After reviewing the results, I searched through the site to review ways to reduce my ecological footprint.
The site gives plenty of recommendations ranging from simple fixes such as using biodegradable products to higher end solutions such as purchasing energy-saving home appliances. Although these solutions will help lower America's impact on the environment, I still believe we will exceed the Earth's carrying capacity. A growing population and the increasing demand for goods will only lead to less resources and land available. While reading through the solutions page, I approached the issue with deeper, critical thought. The only solution to transforming our consumer lifestyle to a more sustainable lifestyle is to radically change our economic system. Our current system is powered by corporations who seek to make record profits and exploit the land for their own gain. We Americans, as well as other developed countries, need to stop our consumer addiction and become more educated on the negative impacts of the global economy. Instead of spending our income in Wal Mart, we need to focus on fueling our local economy and supporting our small businesses for goods and services. Localized economies will not only help the planet, but provide jobs for the community. Sure little changes can be done to help lower our impact on the environment, but we need to look at the big picture and transform our current flawed system that hurts us and foreign nations.

Corkscrew Mining

NBC-2 news recently reported that further mining projects in the Corkscrew Estero area have been canceled by Lee County commissioners. 1300 acres east of I-75 was potentially in danger of mining. The mining projects were believed to improve the local economy and outweigh the negative impacts. Residents banned together and protested against the mining. Many feared the project will devastate the local environment and harm the drinking water.
Every time I drive down Old Corkscrew, witnessing the giant mounds of dirt and deforested areas, I vision what the area used to be like before private companies arrived in the area. Miles of untouched cypress swamps, pine flatwoods, and prairie dominated the landscape. An abundance of wildlife: White-tailed deer, Florida Panthers, and Black Bears. Corkscrew reminds me of Florida's radical transformation from untouched swampland to shopping malls and golf course communities. Finally, people today have realized that we must protect every remaining watershed, cypress swamp, estuaries, and other ecosystems from total degradation if we want to enjoy its beauty. I'm finally happy to say that our local government voted against the private companies who only seek profit and who can care less about the health of our environment. I hope we can extend this type of protest from the local level to the national level (particularly oil companies).