The Ups and Downs

This was definitely not a walk in the park type of class that I thought it would be. This is a class that causes you to really think about the world and which direction we are heading in as a society. Before taking this class, I used to think that I could not do anything to change the world. So my lifestyle was just like any other ignorant person that does not believe that anything would change by changing themselves. After taking this class I knew that I was dead wrong.
It was not easy to get through to me at first because like I said, I did not WANT to be there. I felt that I was just there because the school was forcing me to be. The highpoint for me was when it all finally clicked and realized that there needs to be a change in the world or we are all doing to fall in our own demise. It was probably in the middle of my service learning that it hit me because I felt I was actually doing something to help the environment.
We all have to make a change. It starts with ourselves and then works its way to other people. I believe becoming green can be a good disease that could spread but it just takes the right person to get it started to have those follow. My plans are to become that leader to help others see the light that we need to change our ways.

How I have Been Impacted

The experience I had from this colloquium class is something that I will take with me for the rest of my life. I have learned of a few more issues that I was not aware of before taking the class. Before going into the class I was not thrilled to have to take it and just wanted to get it over with. After hearing the lessons and doing the reading assignments, I have learned that this is an issue that is causing problems all over the world and not just here in our back yards.
The best experience I had from this class was the hands on work we did by going on the field trips (to EHCO, Corckscrew, and Estero Island) and the service learning we had to do for the class. On the field trips, we learned about how they were trying to preserve these natural areas of our Florida Everglades for not just the environmnt and our health but also the animals that call those areas home. We have taken so much from the animals and have even killed off many species in the process of doing so. A lot of it has to do with the climate change that we have caused to worsen since the Industrial Revolution.
I intend to continue to improve the environment even after the class is over. I am going to carry it with my in my career too. Even though I am still unsure what I want to do the rest of my life I know it will be something in business. I intend to run a green business to help maintain a sustainable environment so that my chiildren can grow up and live a long and healthy life like I will. It takes just one person to start a movement, so why can't that be me?

Where is Modern Civilization Heading?

With a growing concern for climate change and the greenhouse gases being released into the atmosphere, businesses are under major scrutiny for changing their ways of operation. Over the last several years, the United States has started cracking down on natural gas fuels by putting a cap on how much can be used in a period of time and putting a tax on it. Even though we are making strides to change our ways a little bit, there are too many people that do not want to change their way of business compared to those that are willing to comply.
It is difficult to get everyone on board because we do not want to fall behind in the world economy. There are countries, like China, that do not have a cap on how much fossil fuels they are allowed to burn so they continue to be a world leader in production and exports. Being able to get many countries to transform to a  more sustainable working environment will take a major global change to finally get people aware of climate change and how it will eventually destroy us. Even here in the United States, where we have scientific leaders presenting us with evidence that climate change is real, we are still in denial that climate change is actually taking place.
There are still many countries that are on their way to operating in a sustainable way and are preparing now for the change that will one day have to take place. Germany has proposed a plan to move to more sustainable source of energy, and should be fully converted by 2020. To help heal our environment and sustain it to better living conditions, we need other countries like Germany to move to a better way of operating sustainably.
Hopefully it is not going to take the Polar Ice Caps or Greenland ice cap from melting before the world realises that we are destroying the place we all call home. In order to maintain the environment, it is going to take a lot of time, work, and money but it is something we need in the near future in order to help the survival of our race and planet.

Cleaning it Up!

For my service learning project, a I joined a group clean up at Naples National Golf Club. We were going through the course cleaning and restoring certain areas of the course. Along the woods we were cleaning up the trash left behind by the golfers to not only clean the course but keep animals from consuming the trash or anything else that could harm them. We also did a search for golf balls lost in the woods to clean them out and also recycle the balls for resale in the club house.
We also were restoring areas on the course that were in poorer condition. There were trees that were being overpowered by Spanish moss, so we were trying to remove as much from the trees as we could. The Spanish moss does not actually kill the tree but it does keep the tree from growing because it absorbs the sunlight and water the tree needs to grow. Environmentally, we want the trees to grow as big as they can to help reduce the carbon in the air, so when Spanish moss is on these trees keeping them from growing, it is hurting the environment. We were also planting new trees in place of the older trees that were dying. This is environmentally friendly because we are replacing what once was and keeping the cycle of life going.
I have learned a lot from this experience working to improve the environment. It was nice to get out in the hot sun and feel like I was actually doing something. We sit in class and have facts and situations drilled into our head if we do not start acting now. The service project is a kick start to a better way of living because without the service learning requirement, more than half of the kids would not do anything to improve their way of life. I am becoming more aware of my environment like where I throw my trash

Democrats Try to Change the Country

The Three Amigos, consisting of John Kerry, Lindsey Graham, and Joseph Lieberman, team together in attempts to pass a bill to decrease the use of carbon energy and using nuclear energy and increasing oil drilling in efforts to decrease climate change. The Democratic party is all mostly in favor of this bill, but it is the Republican party that is where the votes matter. They had the support from both the major green groups and of the biggest polluters. All they needed was the support from the White House as well.
The bill had been bounced around from one representative to another trying to get the right wording and a common ground that everyone would be happy with. In order to try and keep the interests of the Republican voters, the bill would increase oil drilling. This was in hopes to get the power hungry Republican Senators to vote in favor of the bill. The trouble was that every Republican that said they would favor the bill was scrutinized by their own political party. Some members feared that this could hurt their next political election. One of the most common Republicans that was originally in favor but later backed down was John McCain.
Especially coming from the Republican point of view, it is a difficult situation to try and persuade the minds of people that are not willing to listen. Yes the Democratic party tried to compromise but the Republicans were not happy with reducing carbon usage and putting a cap on how much could be used.
This is an issue that will continue to plague the United States and even the world. You will always have those that do not believe climate change is happening or that it is not going to hurt them in the long-run. One day this issue will be at a point where we have to act and compromising may be out of the question.

Societies Fall Faster than they Rise.

In the millions of years the planet has been in exsistance, societies have been built by both animals and humans.

Caribou Die Every Time the Temperture Rises.

As time continues to go on, so does the severeness of the climate change problem that has become a major issue in the past years. Every little thing that we do effects the way we live and our environment around us. In the "Nation Geographic's Strange Days: The One Degree Factor," they explore how climate change has effected the different animals and people that survive off these animals.
The caribou in Alaska have lived up there for thousands of years. Due to an increase in climate by 1% this is causing the caribou population to decline in great numbers. The caribou of Porcupine River Herd travel along the Porcupine River during mating season. The tribe that lives along this river rely on the caribou for oil, food, and other tools they need. The river they have to cross is becoming higher and harder for the caribou to cross, espescially the baby calves. The winter time is also effecting them too because the snow is piling higher than before and the caribou have to dig further down to search for food. With these thicker piles of snow, it is also making it harder for them to escape hungry wolves.
There was also an issue with dust from the Sahara, due to Lake Chad being dried up, that is being blown into the Caribbean causing asthma amongst the younger kids. The cases of asthma has increased over the years due to increased dust in the atmosphere.
These issues are going to keep appearing all over the world. There is no way to prevent these issues but we can easily postpone their effects if we are responsible for the actions we take.