What is “sustainable consumerism”? Are globalization and capitalism positive or negative drivers in this phenomenon? What is greenwashing? Would you be willing to pay a premium for foods labeled “organic”, “local”, or “fair-trade”? Do you prefer to frequent mom and pop stores in downtown Ft. Myers or patronize chain stores at the Gulf Coast Town Center? What are the ramifications of your behaviors either way? Think holistically.

Sustainable consumerism is the process of a consumer being well aware of the products they buy; educating their selves on products rather than going with what is being said about it by companies. A sustainable consumer makes smart ecological choices.

From globalization we have been given the ability to connect with others, help developing countries and in so many ways become a little more aware of the outside world. At the same time globalization has presented different species to enter our ecosystem and other things from other countries. From capitalism we have become more demanding and reliant on producing products after products to become further than we are now. With such a demand products need to be produced twice as fast…soooo what happens to the left over one too many products that no one seems to have use for any longer?? It just adds to our waste. Yes we are becoming more knowledgeable both ways but yet each concept has a negative impact on the environment.

Greenwashing is when a company portrays to sell eco-friendly products but they really do not. Since almost everyone is trying to go green and help the environment, they believe the lies and end up purchasing products that have little to no good for the environment.

I would be willing to pay a premium for foods labeled local but not organic or fair-trade. I do not purchase organic. Honestly I favor the Gulf Coast Town Center over Downtown Ft. Myers, so more of a patronize chain stores. By choosing the Town Center I am saving gas and not contributing to the air pollution.

What kinds of emotions does the word “downtown” evoke? How has their stature in communities changed over time? Why is downtown Ft. Myers experiencing something of a renaissance? What are some of the prominent architectural features? How (and why) are they designed to rekindle the “pedestrian” spirit? Discuss some other “nods to history” that we saw on our tour. How has the economy of Ft. Myers evolved from past to present? How does all of this relate to sustainability?

When I think of downtown I think of a busy environment that has a lot of people moving in and out of it. I would picture it as not the cleanest but slightly bearable, fast paced with many businesses such as restaurants, bars, and theaters. It would be a place you go to get away from the norm and familiar environment. In Downtown Ft. Myers case it kind of fits the profile. I have been in and out of this area many times and it definitely gets pretty busy out there. Downtown Ft. Myers is an atmosphere of creativity with a historic twist because of the buildings. All of the many years I have visited Downtown Ft. Myers I never viewed it as an historic landmark. It holds so much more history then just some place created for people to gather.

Downtown is experiencing something of a renaissance because it is rapidly growing. With all that happens around and within Downtown Ft. Myers it is slowly being transformed into something more than just having a historic purpose. Most events happen right in Downtown, most having nothing to do with its history such as Zombie-Con. Some prominent architectural features include the building made of coral, Olympian Art Museum, The Edison, Ford, and Firestone Statue, the statue of the solider and the court house. I think Downtown Ft. Myers is trying to rekindle the “pedestrian” spirit through attractions, the ease to walk along sidewalks and the closeness of the buildings. I think this sparked as a need to somehow bring Downtown Ft. Myers back to its originality; a time when most people we not reliant on vehicles and were able to walk freely and completely embrace their selves in the historic environment that surrounded them.

Ft. Myers economy has evolved greatly due to all of the attractions it has to offer and all of the events the happen there. Not to leave out the overwhelming amount of population that is not present. All of this relates to sustainability in that Downtown Ft. Myers is preserving its history and has created a place where people can get from one place to the next just by walking, no need for vehicles.

Calculate your ecofootprint at http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calculators/. How did you fare? Print out your final report and bring to class. Click the explore scenarios button. What behaviors could you modify (be reasonable now!) to reduce your footprint? What is the resulting value? Assume the average American ecofootprint is 4.6 (earths). If everyone lived like you do, what is the maximum population that earth could sustain (according to this calculator)?

If everyone lived like me it would take 4.3 Earths and 19.2 global acres to provide for them! My ecological footprint broke down as follows:

· Food 15%

· Shelter 19%

· Mobility 12%

· Food 8%

· Services 46%

After clicking the explore scenarios button I had two options: reduce the amount of animal products I currently eat by half. If everyone did this it would result in a the use of 645 million fewer global acres, an area that could cover 484 million football fields or I could purchase products that used less packaging or were made out of 100% post-consumer recycled content material. If everyone did this it would result in the use of 521 million fewer global acres, an area that could cover 391 million football fields. I could purchase products that used less packaging or were made out of 100% post-consumer recycled content material. I edited my footprint by using more recyclable material and eating more locally grown food the end result turned out to be that it would take 4.2 earths instead of 4.3 and 18.8 acres instead of 19.2. My ecological footprint broke down as follows:

· Food 13% (food was 15%)

· Shelter 19%

· Mobility 12%

· Food 8%

· Services 47% (services was 46%)

If the average American ecofootprint was 4.6 earths the maximum population that earth could sustain would be...

Is energy too cheap? Is conservation a dirty word? What would you say to “Jimmy Cardigan”? With regards to alternative energy sources (renewables) are you a "free-marketeer" or proponent of government intervention to steer us away from fossil fuels? In your opinion, what type of renewable energy has the most upside potential? What steps can you take 1) tomorrow and 2) within the next five years to reduce your energy footprint?

Without energy life would cease to exist. “Energy is one of the most fundamental parts of our universe.” ("Energy Story") That being said, energy is too cheap. I think that if energy was more expensive or we were charged by the amount we used instead of a fixed value, then people would be more apt to conserve it.

Conservation is certainly not a dirty word. If anything it is a grand concept considering out situation. Conservation requires us to limit our usage and to live more ecological. But to anti-conservators the C-word should never be uttered and may be viewed as a dirty word. Feeling they have a right and should not have to lower their living standards; completely disregarding the environment surrounding them. I can understand that conservation is not ideally for a country with pretty much everything at our finger tips. And the fact that we have to conserve is a hard reality to grasp. I’m pretty sure the “American Dream” had nothing to do with conservation. We now have something called the “New American Dream” detailing how we can live more sustainable. I wonder what the world thinks of this new concept…

Jimmy Carter had great ideas for helping American become more conservative. His way of dealing with the increase use of oil in homes was to wear a sweater when it got cold instead of tuning up the thermostat. That’s makes so much sense, why continue to turn your AC up and down every time the weather or your body temperature changed? It is not that hard to put on extra clothing.

If not handled properly fossil fuels could cause a lot of damage to the environment not to mention the damage it already caused. So if a free-market with little government intervention is possible then I’m all for it.

In my opinion the renewable energy that has the most upside potential is solar energy. Every part of the world at some point has access to the sun. Solar energy can store sunlight so it is still available on days the sun isn’t out and at night.

To reduce my energy footprint, tomorrow I could unplug appliances that are not in use, when I’m in a room with widows in the day time turn off the lights and open the blinds. To reduce my energy footprint within the next five years I could use reusable products, replace the rest of my faucets with ones that use less water, and change all lights to compact fluorescent light bubs.

In your view, is climate change anthropogenic (manmade), "natural", or some combination of the two? What (or who) would you consider reputable sources for climate change information? How is climate change portrayed in the media? Does this portrayal make you more or less likely to alter your lifestyle? What do you think the effects of climate change will be on your children and grandchildren?

In my view climate change is a combination of anthropogenic activity and natural occurrences. If we look at the history of the climate change we will notice that climate change is a natural occurrence. But looking at just the years that has passed it is very evident that mankind has sped the process of climate change. Our industrialized lifestyles; we have become more and more depended on things that bring harm to our environment, would count as a factor to our contribution to climate change. We have been behind actions such as adding waste to the environment so to we have nowhere but the ocean to place it, we can take the blame for unbalanced resources, and so many other things. I don’t think we really realize that every component on this earth is connected and even the smallest disturbance to the natural balance of things can cause big problems.

I would consider the IPPC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) as a reputable source for climate change information. I first heard of this organization from my global studies class. One source I would not consider is the media. I think climate change is portrayed poorly the media. Yes the media brings the issues on climate change to view implying a need for more environmentally friendly actions but at the same time it is not clearly giving good reports on the causes and effects. I think their needs to be a worldwide spread of climate change so people become more educated. It is not just our actions but it is a mixture of us and the natural occurrences.

I think the media’s portrayal combined with my little knowledge of climate change has caused me to be a little more cautions of my actions. It hasn’t come to the point of completely changing my lifestyle but I can say it has a little.

I think my children and grandchildren will face harsher and more sever climate changes if the world even last that long. With news of the ozone layer getting thinner means the sun is directly hitting earth causing many issues. Though I read that the cause of the ozone layers situation has nothing to do with climate change but greenhouse gases are contributing to it. I think that by the time I have grandchildren and nothing has changed snow, beaches and anything water based will cease to exist and all life forms will slowly decrease.

Hypothetical scenario – ArborGen (a biotech company) has expressed a desire to plant test plots of genetically modified eucalyptus here at FGCU! This GM eucalyptus has been engineered with enhanced cold tolerance. This allows it to grow not only in Southwest Florida, but potentially as far north as South Carolina. As an eco-aware citizen, the USDA has subpoenaed you to testify on the merits and pitfalls of this plan. Do some research on the web and prepare a brief statement to the USDA addressing the following questions: • What is known about the ecology of the eucalyptus tree in general? • What are the benefits of this technology? • What are some of the potential intrinsic concerns? • What are some of the potential extrinsic concerns? • Can reasonable and cost-effective steps be taken to mitigate these risks? • Do the benefits outweigh the risks?

To Whom It May Concern,


The Eucalyptus tree is fast growing evergreen native to Australia and Tasmania and is a diverse tree with more than 700 species. It can grow anywhere between 30 to 200 feet tall and is said that Florida and Hawaii provides the best weather and conditions for its growth. The eucalyptus tree leaves produce waxy oil that prevents water loss in hot weather. Another benefit of the leave is that the oil it produces is used in soaps and perfumes, is an effective deodorizer and insect repellent and has many other uses. The tree also has medical benefits and produces biomass. If we wanted to use this tree as an energy source it would take about 785 liters of water just to produce one kilogram of biomass; this is a lot better than the 1000 liters potatoes need to produces the one kilogram of biomass. Some downfalls within its benefits: the tree can be toxic, it is flammable, it is an invasive species and it takes in a ton of water. Another big downfall is that some of the branches just suddenly fall off. An incident as this happened in Newport Beach and killed some!

There are some pros and cons to genetically modified eucalyptus trees. It could improve it and the environment could not be negatively affected. BUT on the other hand it could cause this tree to destroy our soil; because they are invasive they could spread many miles destroying lands of soil that will damage our food sources.

Now, can reasonable and cost-effective steps be taken to mitigate these risks? Yes, continue study of this tree before placing it next to my school or anywhere else. A lot of study and close attention is unquestionably needed with this talk of genetically modifying deal; GM productions can create and cause more damage than we could ever imagine.

With all that said, as an eco-aware citizen, I understand the benefits of placing such a tree and I also see the negativity. It is best for the environments and the populations’ heath if we steered away from such productions. The benefits definitely do not outweigh the risk.

Thank you,

A Concerned and Eco-aware Citizen

What was your overall opinion of ECHO? Did anything in particular stand out? How do the examples that were showcased compare to your view of "American" agriculture? Do you feel that their work is relevant to the developing world? What is "appropriate technology"? Would you be interested in performing your service learning with this agency? Why or why not?

Overall, I really enjoyed our trip to ECHO; I learned a lot of interesting information. ECHO exhibits life and hope for the less fortunate. A lot of things stood out; there were so many things that interested me. The treadle pumps were pretty cool, the Neem tree, the Fresh Moringa Leaves were really interesting, the bike used to stir electricity….pretty much everything. The stories about the many uses of the Neem tree were amazing, and seeing all the products it has become was pretty cool. The Fresh Moringa Leaves were by far the most amazing because they can be used to purify water. Who would have thought something like that could bring so much difference and joy to those struggling to find fresh and clean water.

Rice Crops

The examples that were showcased compares to my view point of American agriculture in that they both produce and provide food. The biggest difference is that ECHO’s way of doing so is more environmentally friendly. I definitely feel that the work at ECHO is relevant to the developing world because every aspect of ECHO exhibits how the developing world can survive without a lot of money; their work exhibit methods that can easily be done by those living under harsh conditions.

Appropriate technology is using the materials at hand to create useable and useful items such as the bike in the picture below. Appropriate technology is very good for people living in developing countries because they do not have a lot; if they are taught they can to begin if they haven’t already, creating tools to better their living.

I would be interested in performing my service learning with this agency because I really like the work they do there and I see the difference it can make in the lives of the less fortunate. I plan to take my family there because I really enjoyed and learned a lot.