Journal Entry #9 - Field Trip at Waste to Energy Facility

                                                                                                                                    February 27, 2011

     How well does the Energy from Waste systems technology mitigate the impact of consumerism?

     It mitigates the impact of consumerism by reducing, recycling, reusing, and recovering the excess refuse that consumers discard.  After taking a field trip to the Lee County Waste to Energy Facility, I have learned a considerable amount of information about how their system works. Each year the Florida Chapter of the American Public Works Association (APWA) recognizes those in the public works field for their accomplishments. Very fitting for Earth Day was the announcement by the Florida Chapter of the APWA, that the Lee County Waste To Energy Facility Expansion Project had won their award for "Project Of The Year" in the Structures and Environment category. It is one of only a few Florida facilities that generate "Renewable Energy Credits". The energy created supplies the Lee County Solid Waste Division the power to run the Waste To Energy facility, the Recycling Facility, and the Transfer Station at the Buckingham complex and allows for the sale of an additional 45 Megawatt in power. This is enough energy to supply 36,000 homes. Visit http://www3.leegov.com/solidwaste/Autopage_T1_R18.htm for more details. 

     First of all, it is not an incinerator. Second, this is a great facility that allows anyone take a tour and familiarize themselves with how the system works. My tour allowed me to get an up close and personal view of how their recycling system works. Basically, they take ALL trash (that is not harmful) and covert it to energy. The amount of garbage that the claw picks up, to convert to energy, is equal to the amount of energy used in 1 house for 2 months.


     If there is an open opportunity to visit this facility I would definitely recommend stopping and taking a tour to learn about how important this is for us. If every county in Florida decided to incorporate an Energy from Waste Facility, then we could be using our unwanted garbage and creating energy instead of having everyone's garbage sitting in a landfill.

 

Personal Journal Entry #8

                                                                                                                                February 23, 2011

    

     After taking my dog for a walk I recalled a chapter I read in the colloquium textbook, State of the World. Thinking about it, the reading has given me a better understanding of commercialism and the importance of creative play.

     Today, however, commercialism primarily refers to the tendency within corporatism to turn everything into objects, images, and services sold for the purpose of generating profit. There is also a tendency for intangible things such as happiness, beauty, or health to be given a monetary value or to be spoken of as commodities. The main point of the reading is that children's need for creative play is diminished by the commercialism in today's society. Solution: children need to play and be outside to stray away from constantly playing video games, watching television, and overeating.

     Children's favorite leisure activity these days, in both industrial and developing countries, is watching television. In the United States, children spend more time in front of the television screens than in any other activity besides sleeping--about 40 hours a week outside of school. 19 % of U.S. babies under the age of one have a television in their bedroom. The mere introduction of electronic screen media into a culture can profoundly influence societal norms such as standards of beauty, diet, and interpersonal interactions.

    A survey of 400 major employers across the United States found that many of their new young employees, whose childhoods have been shaped by intensifying commercialization, lacked critical thinking and basic problem solving skills, as well as creativity and innovation, all of which are nurtured in creative play. Efforts to limit children's exposure to commercialism and promote creative play are aided by a growing recognition of the need for children to CONNECT WITH NATURE. Advertising and marketing alone have been associated with eating disorders, sexualization, youth violence, family stress, and underage alcohol and tobacco use.

    I found an interesting website that talks about creative play, I would recommend visiting this website:

http://www.creativeplayplus.com/category/creative-play/ 

Personal Journal Entry #7

                                                                                                             February  13, 2011            

    

      "Preventing the collapse of human civilization requires nothing less than a wholesale transformation of dominant cultural patterns. This transformation would reject consumerism— the cultural orientation that leads people to find meaning, contentment, and acceptance through what they consume—as taboo and establish in its place a new cultural framework centered on sustainability. In the process, a revamped understanding of “natural” would emerge: it would mean individual and societal choices that cause minimal ecological damage or, better yet, that restore Earth’s ecological systems to health. Such a shift—something more fundamental than the adoption of new technologies or government policies,  which are often regarded as the key drivers of a shift to sustainable societies— would radically reshape the way people understand and act in the world. (State of the World)"

    

     Consumerism has now so fully worked its way into human cultures that it is sometimes hard to even recognize it as a cultural construction. It simply seems to be natural. But in fact the elements of cultures—language and symbols, norms and traditions, values and institutions—have been profoundly transformed by consumerism in societies around the world.

Here is a table depicting cultural norms:

Personal Journal Entry #6

                                                                                                                                   February 6, 2011

The Puppy Bowl

     While taking my dog for a walk, I took a minute to just think. It was his birthday yesterday and I had no idea what I should get him. So, at that point, I decided that a good birthday present for my dog would be to let him run around and take a long walk. With a long walk, he could soak up the sun and sniff every fire hydriant, bush, or tree that he possibly desired. And he absolutely loved it! It is not every day that he has the opportunity to play outside for a long time, but if it isn't too hot he actually enjoys working off all his wound-up energy.

   And today we are sitting in and watching the Puppy Bowl. This is a show on Animal Planet and it is basically a football game with puppies instead of people. The show is adorable. Nicky, my mother, and I were quite satisfied to sit and watch the game. All dogs love to run around and play and I am happy that my dog, Nicky, loves to be in the great outdoors just as much as I do. It is important if you are a pet owner that you allow them to absorb the nature outside at least once or twice a day; it is both healthy for your dog and for you, the owner!

Journal Entry #5 - Field Trip to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

                                                                                                                                        February 6, 2011

     The Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary was a very interesting field trip to take. Located in Naples, Florida, there are many different types of activities to partake in: bird walks, early walks, sunset strolls, night walks, and bird watching. The Audubon Society built the boardwalk with a special tropical hardwood that requires no chemical treatment and is harvested in a sustainable way that helps preserve the Brazilian rainforest where it grows. They also strive to use earth-friendly products and to reward companies that protect the environment.

     As you walk along the boardwalk trail, there are many interpretive signs on display to show the historical backgrounds of Corkscrew. The first sign you come across displays: The Start of the Sanctuary and continues with this quote, “We have to save the swamp a hundred times but we only get to lose it once.” In the 1930’s, lumbermen began logging bald cypress trees because the trunks were knot-free and the wood was highly resistant to rot. Lumber companies built railroads on levees to haul the huge logs out of the swamp. Once the railroads came in, there wasn’t much stopping the harvest of all south Florida’s cypress. In 1952, logging began at the southern end of Corkscrew Swamp. Because this was the largest remaining stand of unlogged old-growth cypress forest, concerned citizens and a coalition of organizations including the National Audubon Society joined forces to save it. Thanks to the willing cooperation of lumber companies that owned the land and the generous support of donors nationwide, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary was established in 1954 with 2,880 acres of prime cypress swamp.

     In addition, there was effort to get legislation passed to protect wading birds, which was the initial action of the fledgling Audubon Society. It was the first nationwide, grass-roots conservation organization in the country. The society’s efforts to save the plume birds launched many further actions that helped preserve Corkscrew Swamp, one of the few remaining functional parts of the greater South Florida Ecosystem. Corkscrew is also “working with nature to manage the quality and quantity of our water”. Water is the lifeblood of Corkscrew Swamp and Everglades. Yet during the last century, people altered the natural flow, attempting to control flooding and to make more land available for agricultural and residential development. As ground water supplies dwindle and water quality deteriorates, we are beginning to understand the impact of our actions and the need to restore that natural system.

    This field trip was both fun and informative. I have learned much about the various plant and animal life in Corkscrew and I hope to one day visit again early in the day to see the animals in the natural habitat. Anyone that lives in Florida should take a moment to visit the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and enjoy the boardwalk. There are many exciting things to be learned and all you have to do is discover them for yourself.

Below are pictures from the trip:

Personal Journal Entry #4

                                                                            January 30th, 2011
           

What is the best way to live?

          This is a question somewhat difficult to answer. Everyone will have different opinions as to what comprises the best way to live. There is no right or wrong answer here. Many would say the best way to live would be to have enough financial resources to meet our needs and some of our wants, an abundance of friends, and the ability to give back to the community as our successes allow. Just as importantly, some would say the best way to live would be to appreciate the beauty of the world around us and the desire to "pay it forward". Just as it takes "a village to raise a child", it takes the global community's commitment to the preservation of our natural resources to ensure that each generation to come will enjoy the same abundance of fresh air, water, and food as the generations before it.   

          I believe that a successful and fulfilling life happens when the following:

1) When a baby is born into the world, appreciated and loved by family.

2) When a child discovers that same love and spreads warmth and joy to others around them.

3) When an adolescent becomes well educated and is made aware of their responsibilities as far as sustaining the environment in which they live.

4) When an adult discovers the career in which they will thrive and prosper and continues to make a purposeful commitment to preserving and sustaining their environment.

And…

5) When an elder has lived a long life filled with accomplishment, satisfaction, and happiness and is perhaps able to volunteer as a means of giving back to the community.

Personal Journal Entry #3

                                                                                                                                 January 23, 2011

    

     After reflecting on my personal world view, I considered the following questions:

     Is there a relationship between the quality of life and the quality of the environment? If so, what does this relationship really mean to me as an individual? How can I use this information to benefit my own life and those around me?

     Quality of life can be a term used to evaluate the general well-being of individuals and societies. But it is more than that. Indicators of the quality of life are the built environment, physical and mental health, education, recreation and leisure time, and social belonging. There are many areas where a healthy environment positively affects our quality of life. We have national parks which increase the value of life for recreation. I also recollected  that here in the United States we have clean lakes, rivers, and beaches that provide many different forms of recreation including boating, fishing, wakeboarding, surfing, waterskiing, scuba diving, etc. Further, we have an abundant food supply, including organic farming, leading to a healthier lifestyle. Environmental quality is a general term which can refer to varied characteristics that relate to the natural environment as well as the built environment, such as air, water purity or pollution, noise, and the potential effects which such characteristics may have on physical and mental health caused by human activities. It is important for us to realize that we are very fortunate to have so much here in the United States.

     When taking all of this into account I realized that, personally, I sometimes take these things for granted. On a daily basis I do not contemplate the environment as much as I possibly should. I do admit that. But the important thing to remember is that I do care. I can try to become more active in the environment. I do think that it is important to recycle and not cause plastic to float into our oceans and harm the underwater species. I know that if I can make the vow to help the environment, by remembering to recycle or not waste food, that I will make a difference. Imagine what an effect this would have on the environment if we all chose to do something. We can get involved. It is all a matter of if you want to take care of the environment that you, your family, and your friends live in. It is not just about you. It is how you can benefit your quality of life and if you have the perseverance to help those around you. A well cared for environment is beneficial for everyone!