This video that I found isn't about education, and it does have information, but it is set up to be like a public awareness message. I thought that this did a great job capturing a viewer attention and motivating them to seek out more information. Also using the popular Blue Man Group helped to get people to watch the video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=snPdEl0Duoo
Friday, October 16, 2009
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Global warming will have significant economic impacts on Florida coasts
Leading Florida-based scientific researchers released two new studies today, including a Florida State University report finding that climate change will cause significant impacts on Florida's coastlines and economy due to increased sea level rise.
A second study by researchers at Florida Atlantic University recommends that the state of Florida adopt a series of policy programs aimed at adapting to these large coastal and other impacts as a result of climate change. Key findings of the FAU report were included just this week by Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's Climate and Energy Action Team when it adopted the "Adaptation" section of its final report.
"The impacts of climate change on Florida's coasts and on our economy will be substantial, persistent and long-term, even under our conservative estimates," said Julie Harrington, director of the Center for Economic Forecasting and Analysis at FSU. "Should, as many models predict, sea level rise, and hurricane strength and other factors become more extreme, much greater economic impacts will occur along many parts of Florida's coast in this century."
The second new study, by researchers at FAU, focused on state adaptation policies needed as Florida faces the impacts of climate change.
"The goal of our study is to help the state of Florida adapt, in the most effective way possible, to climate change impacts that are now inevitable," said Jim Murley, director of Florida Atlantic University's Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions and leader of the study. "These approaches must be comprehensive and strategic, not piecemeal and episodic. Governor Crist and other leaders have rightly identified adapting to climate change as one of the state's greatest challenges -- we look forward to working with the state to protect our people, natural splendor, and economic livelihood. There is real work to be done."
This research was supported by a grant from the National Commission on Energy Policy, a project of the Bipartisan Policy Center.
About the FSU study:
This study uses current estimates of sea level rise from Florida State University's Beaches and Shores Resource Center and 2001 estimates from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to evaluate the effect of sea level rise on the six coastal counties. The results show projected trends in storm-surge flood return periods associated with hurricanes, damage costs associated with flooding from major storm events, and the value and area of land at risk.
Under the FSU study's estimates for sea level in Dade County, the value of land at risk totals $6.7 billion in 2080 (in 2005 dollars). (By comparison, using International Panel on Climate Change sea level estimates, the value of land at risk in Dade County ranges from $1 billion to $12.3 billion in 2080). The study also calculated the effect of storm surge and sea level rise on future damage costs, finding that if a storm like Hurricane Wilma from 2005 occurred in 2080, the cost to Dade alone would be from 12 percent to 31 percent higher (in 2005 constant dollars). While these findings do not account for adaptive strategies or potential future increases in property values, they still provide valuable information about potential impacts and resources that are put at risk from sea level rise.
About the FAU study:
Key findings of the report have been included by Gov. Crist's Climate and Energy Action Team as it adopted the "Adaptation" section of its final report this week in Tallahassee. Important findings from the FAU study call for major state environmental, growth management and public infrastructure decision-making processes to be adjusted so they are responsive to future climate change impacts.
"FAU will continue to research how Florida can be a leader in providing guidance to other states on how best to put in place workable solutions that will help communities adapt to future climate change impacts," Murley said.
"Storm events associated with certain levels of storm surge could increase in frequency in the future, due to sea level rise," Harrington said.
"As sea level rises, damage costs associated with extreme storm events increases significantly for the Florida counties examined in this study," she said.-Florida State University
A second study by researchers at Florida Atlantic University recommends that the state of Florida adopt a series of policy programs aimed at adapting to these large coastal and other impacts as a result of climate change. Key findings of the FAU report were included just this week by Florida Gov. Charlie Crist's Climate and Energy Action Team when it adopted the "Adaptation" section of its final report.
"The impacts of climate change on Florida's coasts and on our economy will be substantial, persistent and long-term, even under our conservative estimates," said Julie Harrington, director of the Center for Economic Forecasting and Analysis at FSU. "Should, as many models predict, sea level rise, and hurricane strength and other factors become more extreme, much greater economic impacts will occur along many parts of Florida's coast in this century."
The second new study, by researchers at FAU, focused on state adaptation policies needed as Florida faces the impacts of climate change.
"The goal of our study is to help the state of Florida adapt, in the most effective way possible, to climate change impacts that are now inevitable," said Jim Murley, director of Florida Atlantic University's Center for Urban and Environmental Solutions and leader of the study. "These approaches must be comprehensive and strategic, not piecemeal and episodic. Governor Crist and other leaders have rightly identified adapting to climate change as one of the state's greatest challenges -- we look forward to working with the state to protect our people, natural splendor, and economic livelihood. There is real work to be done."
This research was supported by a grant from the National Commission on Energy Policy, a project of the Bipartisan Policy Center.
About the FSU study:
This study uses current estimates of sea level rise from Florida State University's Beaches and Shores Resource Center and 2001 estimates from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to evaluate the effect of sea level rise on the six coastal counties. The results show projected trends in storm-surge flood return periods associated with hurricanes, damage costs associated with flooding from major storm events, and the value and area of land at risk.
Under the FSU study's estimates for sea level in Dade County, the value of land at risk totals $6.7 billion in 2080 (in 2005 dollars). (By comparison, using International Panel on Climate Change sea level estimates, the value of land at risk in Dade County ranges from $1 billion to $12.3 billion in 2080). The study also calculated the effect of storm surge and sea level rise on future damage costs, finding that if a storm like Hurricane Wilma from 2005 occurred in 2080, the cost to Dade alone would be from 12 percent to 31 percent higher (in 2005 constant dollars). While these findings do not account for adaptive strategies or potential future increases in property values, they still provide valuable information about potential impacts and resources that are put at risk from sea level rise.
About the FAU study:
Key findings of the report have been included by Gov. Crist's Climate and Energy Action Team as it adopted the "Adaptation" section of its final report this week in Tallahassee. Important findings from the FAU study call for major state environmental, growth management and public infrastructure decision-making processes to be adjusted so they are responsive to future climate change impacts.
"FAU will continue to research how Florida can be a leader in providing guidance to other states on how best to put in place workable solutions that will help communities adapt to future climate change impacts," Murley said.
"Storm events associated with certain levels of storm surge could increase in frequency in the future, due to sea level rise," Harrington said.
"As sea level rises, damage costs associated with extreme storm events increases significantly for the Florida counties examined in this study," she said.-Florida State University
Swimming in a Sea of Acid
The image above shows how coral reefs may change from increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide coupled with increasing temperatures. Sigourney Weaver narrates the film on on this website http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sigourney-weaver/swimming-in-a-sea-of-acid_b_320994.html. It is an independent film called Acid Test and it explains the other threat our oceans are facing with increasing carbon dioxide. This threat is called ocean acidification and it has a lot of scientists freaked out! Many imperative organisms in the ocean are at risk from the increasing acidity. This film is only 20 minutes long and it really does a good job of explaining what scientists already know about this relatively new problem and what we can expect for the future of our oceans. Watch it!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
ANGRY TAXPAYERS UNITE!
Seems like not even us in SW FL can get out of feeling the consequences from abused environmental resources. Okechobee Lake has 3 times the normal nutrient levels allowed by the state. NOW the problem has to be fixed! I wonder who's going to pay for it?? The TAXPAYERS, which is anyone who has a job. JEEZ the TAXPAYERS are going to be mad about how their $ is being spent and will ask themselves who did this in the first place... the taxpayers did... oops... WE'LL STILL PUT UP A FIGHT!
ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT
New Educational Tools Found
Hey everyone,
I finally found a cute little on-line video that will serve as a great introduction to global warming for kids of all ages. This will not only be a good ice-breaker, but will also get the kids to think about the activities and there importance before hand, hopefully sparking some creative juices. I'm also hoping that this will intrigue the kids to explore the web-site on their own and get involved with a good cause. I expect that their reaction to the activities will be more productive and thought provoking with the use of this cartoon. I plan on showing episodes 1-4. If you want to check it out, here's the link:
http://globalwarmingkids.net/
-Stevie
I finally found a cute little on-line video that will serve as a great introduction to global warming for kids of all ages. This will not only be a good ice-breaker, but will also get the kids to think about the activities and there importance before hand, hopefully sparking some creative juices. I'm also hoping that this will intrigue the kids to explore the web-site on their own and get involved with a good cause. I expect that their reaction to the activities will be more productive and thought provoking with the use of this cartoon. I plan on showing episodes 1-4. If you want to check it out, here's the link:
http://globalwarmingkids.net/
-Stevie
ENVIRONMENTAL ADVANTAGES OF RECYCLINGAccording to Weyerhaeuser's Environmental Savings, recycling one ton of paper saves:
17 trees
6953 gallons of water
462.57 gallons of oil
586.5 pounds of air pollution
3.06 cubic yards of landfill space
4077.45 KWhr of energy
"The Life of Litter. Decomposition Rate for Trash" Nemve E. Metropolitan Diary, New York Times. October 1, 2001
Paper -- 2.5 months
Orange Peel ---6 months
Milk Carton --5 years
Cigarette Butt -- 10-12 years
Plastic bag -- 10-20 years
Disposable diaper -- 75 years
Tin can -- 100 years
Beer can -- 200-500 years
Styrofoam -- Never (immortal)
The Eugene Weekly - Insatiable
* The average American planned to spend $800 on Christmas gifts in 1997 - almost three times what the average Vietnamese citizen earns in a year of labor.
* 96 percent of 8 to 12 year olds included a big screen TV in their holiday wish list for 1997. Nearly three-fourths of parents say they would like to reduce their children's TV watching.
* It takes an average of six months for a credit-card user to pay off holiday bills.
* The total U.S. Credit card debt is more than $450 billion and is growing at a rate twice that of wage increases. The number of personal bankruptcies has quadrupled in the last 15 years.
* Americans produce five million extra tons of trash each year between Thanksgiving and New Years Day.
* Compared to the 1950's, Americans are twice as rich, but less happy. The average American's buying power has doubled since the 1950s but in national surveys the number saying they were "very happy" declined from 35 to 30 percent.
* The U.S. has 6 percent of the world's population but consumes a third of the world's resources and produces a third of the world's toxic waste. U.S. per capita consumption has nearly doubled in the last two decades.
*Eighty-four percent of Americans would prefer a less materialistic holiday, but Christmas retail sales increased seven percent last year.
* Teenagers see 360,000 advertisements by the time they graduate from high school. There are more shopping centers in the U.S. than high schools.
* Two-thirds of Americans say they would be happier if they had more time to spend with family and friends. Only 15 percent say they'd be happier if they had nicer possessions.
* Nearly a third of Americans say they have voluntarily traded income for improvements in quality of life.
* Half of Americans would rather have more free time, even if it means less money.
* Americans now work about one month longer a year on average than they did two decades ago.
* Each day, the average American city-dweller consumes 150 gallons of water, 3.3 pounds of food and 15 pounds of fossil fuels and produces 120 gallons of sewage, 3.4 pounds of garbage and 1.3 pounds of pollutants.
* 82 percent of Americans agree that we buy and consume more than we need.
* 93 percent of American teenage girls say shopping is their favorite pastime.
Sources: Chicago Tribune, The Economist, E Magazine, Adbusters, Center for a New American Dream, New Roadmap, Merck Family Fund, U.S. News and World Report, Zero Population Growth, The Overworked American.
17 trees
6953 gallons of water
462.57 gallons of oil
586.5 pounds of air pollution
3.06 cubic yards of landfill space
4077.45 KWhr of energy
"The Life of Litter. Decomposition Rate for Trash" Nemve E. Metropolitan Diary, New York Times. October 1, 2001
Paper -- 2.5 months
Orange Peel ---6 months
Milk Carton --5 years
Cigarette Butt -- 10-12 years
Plastic bag -- 10-20 years
Disposable diaper -- 75 years
Tin can -- 100 years
Beer can -- 200-500 years
Styrofoam -- Never (immortal)
The Eugene Weekly - Insatiable
* The average American planned to spend $800 on Christmas gifts in 1997 - almost three times what the average Vietnamese citizen earns in a year of labor.
* 96 percent of 8 to 12 year olds included a big screen TV in their holiday wish list for 1997. Nearly three-fourths of parents say they would like to reduce their children's TV watching.
* It takes an average of six months for a credit-card user to pay off holiday bills.
* The total U.S. Credit card debt is more than $450 billion and is growing at a rate twice that of wage increases. The number of personal bankruptcies has quadrupled in the last 15 years.
* Americans produce five million extra tons of trash each year between Thanksgiving and New Years Day.
* Compared to the 1950's, Americans are twice as rich, but less happy. The average American's buying power has doubled since the 1950s but in national surveys the number saying they were "very happy" declined from 35 to 30 percent.
* The U.S. has 6 percent of the world's population but consumes a third of the world's resources and produces a third of the world's toxic waste. U.S. per capita consumption has nearly doubled in the last two decades.
*Eighty-four percent of Americans would prefer a less materialistic holiday, but Christmas retail sales increased seven percent last year.
* Teenagers see 360,000 advertisements by the time they graduate from high school. There are more shopping centers in the U.S. than high schools.
* Two-thirds of Americans say they would be happier if they had more time to spend with family and friends. Only 15 percent say they'd be happier if they had nicer possessions.
* Nearly a third of Americans say they have voluntarily traded income for improvements in quality of life.
* Half of Americans would rather have more free time, even if it means less money.
* Americans now work about one month longer a year on average than they did two decades ago.
* Each day, the average American city-dweller consumes 150 gallons of water, 3.3 pounds of food and 15 pounds of fossil fuels and produces 120 gallons of sewage, 3.4 pounds of garbage and 1.3 pounds of pollutants.
* 82 percent of Americans agree that we buy and consume more than we need.
* 93 percent of American teenage girls say shopping is their favorite pastime.
Sources: Chicago Tribune, The Economist, E Magazine, Adbusters, Center for a New American Dream, New Roadmap, Merck Family Fund, U.S. News and World Report, Zero Population Growth, The Overworked American.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
I thought everyone might find this article interesting.
Adding Lime To Seawater May Cut Carbon Dioxide Levels Back To Pre-industrial Levels
ScienceDaily (July 22, 2008) — Scientists say they have found a workable way of reducing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere by adding lime to seawater. And they think it has the potential to dramatically reverse CO2 accumulation in the atmosphere, reports Cath O'Driscoll in SCI's Chemistry & Industry magazine.
Shell is so impressed with the new approach that it is funding an investigation into its economic feasibility. 'We think it's a promising idea,' says Shell's Gilles Bertherin, a coordinator on the project. 'There are potentially huge environmental benefits from addressing climate change -- and adding calcium hydroxide to seawater will also mitigate the effects of ocean acidification, so it should have a positive impact on the marine environment.'
Adding lime to seawater increases alkalinity, boosting seawater's ability to absorb CO2 from air and reducing the tendency to release it back again.
However, the idea, which has been bandied about for years, was thought unworkable because of the expense of obtaining lime from limestone and the amount of CO2 released in the process.
Tim Kruger, a management consultant at London firm Corven is the brains behind the plan to resurrect the lime process. He argues that it could be made workable by locating it in regions that have a combination of low-cost 'stranded' energy considered too remote to be economically viable to exploit -- like flared natural gas or solar energy in deserts -- and that are rich in limestone, making it feasible for calcination to take place on site.
Kruger says: 'There are many such places -- for example, Australia's Nullarbor Plain would be a prime location for this process, as it has 10 000km3 of limestone and soaks up roughly 20MJ/m2 of solar irradiation every day.'
The process of making lime generates CO2, but adding the lime to seawater absorbs almost twice as much CO2. The overall process is therefore 'carbon negative'.
'This process has the potential to reverse the accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere. It would be possible to reduce CO2 to pre-industrial levels,' Kruger says.
And Professor Klaus Lackner, a researcher in the field from Columbia University, says: 'The theoretical CO2 balance is roughly right...it is certainly worth thinking through carefully.'
The oceans are already the world's largest carbon sink, absorbing 2bn tonnes of carbon every year. Increasing absorption ability by just a few percent could dramatically increase CO2 uptake from the atmosphere.
This project is being developed in an open source manner. Further information is available at http://www.cquestrate.com.
I found this article to be quite interesting. It might be a possible idea for some of the groups to furthur investigate.
ScienceDaily (July 22, 2008) — Scientists say they have found a workable way of reducing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere by adding lime to seawater. And they think it has the potential to dramatically reverse CO2 accumulation in the atmosphere, reports Cath O'Driscoll in SCI's Chemistry & Industry magazine.
Shell is so impressed with the new approach that it is funding an investigation into its economic feasibility. 'We think it's a promising idea,' says Shell's Gilles Bertherin, a coordinator on the project. 'There are potentially huge environmental benefits from addressing climate change -- and adding calcium hydroxide to seawater will also mitigate the effects of ocean acidification, so it should have a positive impact on the marine environment.'
Adding lime to seawater increases alkalinity, boosting seawater's ability to absorb CO2 from air and reducing the tendency to release it back again.
However, the idea, which has been bandied about for years, was thought unworkable because of the expense of obtaining lime from limestone and the amount of CO2 released in the process.
Tim Kruger, a management consultant at London firm Corven is the brains behind the plan to resurrect the lime process. He argues that it could be made workable by locating it in regions that have a combination of low-cost 'stranded' energy considered too remote to be economically viable to exploit -- like flared natural gas or solar energy in deserts -- and that are rich in limestone, making it feasible for calcination to take place on site.
Kruger says: 'There are many such places -- for example, Australia's Nullarbor Plain would be a prime location for this process, as it has 10 000km3 of limestone and soaks up roughly 20MJ/m2 of solar irradiation every day.'
The process of making lime generates CO2, but adding the lime to seawater absorbs almost twice as much CO2. The overall process is therefore 'carbon negative'.
'This process has the potential to reverse the accumulation of CO2 in the atmosphere. It would be possible to reduce CO2 to pre-industrial levels,' Kruger says.
And Professor Klaus Lackner, a researcher in the field from Columbia University, says: 'The theoretical CO2 balance is roughly right...it is certainly worth thinking through carefully.'
The oceans are already the world's largest carbon sink, absorbing 2bn tonnes of carbon every year. Increasing absorption ability by just a few percent could dramatically increase CO2 uptake from the atmosphere.
This project is being developed in an open source manner. Further information is available at http://www.cquestrate.com.
I found this article to be quite interesting. It might be a possible idea for some of the groups to furthur investigate.
Alternative Energy Revolution
This comic from xkcd.com puts the issue lightly, presenting it in a humorous way. But I feel that it symbolizes the opinion of the general public when it comes to alternative energy. We still don't trust any of the alternative energy sources that are out there enough to let them replace or current fossil and natural gas fuels. However at some point we will need to face up to reality. With energy demand expected to rise through 2030, we need to get serious before we exhaust our already depleted supply of natural resources. If alternative energy is going to work anywhere, it needs to work on a small scale first, and a college campus like FGCU, is the perfect place to start an alternative energy revolution.
Monday, October 12, 2009
The Education Climate Wedges
I found this site to be packed with information that can be used on a educational basis in classrooms around the globe. For people who learn by hands on activities the wedges are a great way to physically show what our emissions are doing to the planet as well as what we can do to reverse the problem. The site details 15 strategies for imporving efficency and decreasing our emissions. If we can improve on these strategies and spread the word around, we may be able to begin to curve the problem of global warming. Check out this site it is full of great information and explains the wedge theory in more detail.
www.aaas.org/news/press_room/climate_change/mtg_200702/wegde_concept_teacher_guide.pdf
www.aaas.org/news/press_room/climate_change/mtg_200702/wegde_concept_teacher_guide.pdf
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Education Group
Hello Everyone,
This is Yesenia again, I wanted to get a few comments on this short video clip I got from you tube. I was thinking of adding it at the begining of my presentation, before I introduced a short 10 questions survey to the students. I thought it would get them thinking about what is actually causing climate change.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDIP71Lviys&feature=related
Please let me know what you think.
This is Yesenia again, I wanted to get a few comments on this short video clip I got from you tube. I was thinking of adding it at the begining of my presentation, before I introduced a short 10 questions survey to the students. I thought it would get them thinking about what is actually causing climate change.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDIP71Lviys&feature=related
Please let me know what you think.
Education Program Group
Hello Everyone,
For my education presentation I will be presenting to high school students in the Naples area. My goal is to better inform them of the true potentials of global warming in an interesting way. I am looking for suggestions. I am currently working on a powerpoint that I will post in a few days, however, I was just wondering if anyone knew of any good cartoons or graphics I could use in my presentation, keep in mind these are high school seniors and I want to try to keep them interested in my presentation. Thanks
For my education presentation I will be presenting to high school students in the Naples area. My goal is to better inform them of the true potentials of global warming in an interesting way. I am looking for suggestions. I am currently working on a powerpoint that I will post in a few days, however, I was just wondering if anyone knew of any good cartoons or graphics I could use in my presentation, keep in mind these are high school seniors and I want to try to keep them interested in my presentation. Thanks
Need Service Learning hours but want to earn them by actually making a difference here on campus? On October 24th, students around FGCU will participate in a worldwide celebration to create awareness for lowering our carbon dioxide emissions from 385.92 ppm to 350 ppm. Our main event on campus will be to plant a goal of 350 cypress trees between the rec fields and the lake by the library. Be prepared to get dirty. The event starts at 8am at the rec fields and will go until we have planted all the trees. If you are interested please email Tanheya Small at tnsmall@eagle.fgcu.edu.
24 OCTOBER 2009
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF CLIMATE ACTION
Help us to remake the world!
Join us in planting trees on the FGCU campus to help lower carbon emissions in the atmosphere!
Starting @ 8am, by the Recreation Field
Contact: Tanheya Small @ tnsmall@eagle.fgcu.edu
…Because together we can make a difference!
24 OCTOBER 2009
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF CLIMATE ACTION
Help us to remake the world!
Join us in planting trees on the FGCU campus to help lower carbon emissions in the atmosphere!
Starting @ 8am, by the Recreation Field
Contact: Tanheya Small @ tnsmall@eagle.fgcu.edu
…Because together we can make a difference!
LEED Certifications
LEED points are awarded on a 100-point scale, and credits are weighted to reflect their potential environmental impacts. Additionally, 10 bonus credits are available. A project must satisfy all prerequisites and earn a minimum number of points to be certified.
The categories and possible points are:
Sustainable Sites: 21 points
Water Efficiency: 11
Energy and Atmosphere: 37
Materials and Resources: 14
Indoor Environmental Quality: 17
Bonus points are awarded for Innovation in Design worth 6 possible points and Regional Priority worth 4 points.
40 points are necessary in order to gain certification, however there are additional rankings according to how many points:
Silver: 50+ points
Gold: 60+ points
Platinum: 80+ points
Friday, October 9, 2009
Life without plastic
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I found this website- www.lifewithoutplastic.com that talks about our dependence on plastics and alternatives we could use in our everyday lives. It also talks about the dangers of using so much plastic because of the toxins in it. Here is a summary of what I found on this site: Plastics are becoming a prominant problem environmentally because most plastics are made of a non- renewable resource petroleum. Plastic packaging – especially the ubiquitous plastic bag – is an enormous source of landfill waste and is regularly eaten by numerous marine and land animals, to fatal consequences.
Not only are plastics a danger to the marine and terrestrial animals but also to our own health. The most disturbing of these are hormone (endocrine) disrupters, such as Bisphenol A (BPA), which can stimulate the growth of cancer cells. Exposure to BPA at a young age can cause genetic damage, and BPA has been linked to recurrent miscarriage in women. The manufacture of plastic, as well as its destruction by incineration, pollutes air, land and water and exposes workers to toxic chemicals, including carcinogens. The evidence of health risks from certain plastics is increasingly appearing in established, peer-reviewed scientific journals.
This site also give a description of the different types of plastics and the toxins associated with them. You can also purchase alternative products to plastic on the website. Check it out!
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education
Education and Research
"Established on the verge of the 21st century, Florida Gulf Coast University is located in Southwest Florida on 760 acres, almost half of which is jurisdictional wetland. FGCU continuously pursues academic excellence, practices and promotes environmental sustainability, embraces diversity, nurtures community partnerships, values public service, encourages civic responsibility, cultivates habits of lifelong learning, and keeps the advancement of knowledge and pursuit of truth as noble ideals at the heart of the University’s purpose.
Our university-wide learning outcomes include that all students will develop "an ecological perspective" and “community awareness and involvement.” FGCU’s Colloquium is an interdisciplinary environmental education course designed to explore the concept of sustainability as it relates to a variety of considerations and forces in Southwest Florida that all FGCU students must complete, and in which faculty from all five colleges are involved. Florida Gulf Coast University’s Students are not only introduced to FGCU values, they participate in them.
The Colloquium course goals are: to provide a sense of place and an understanding of the unique ecological features of the Southwest Florida environment; to assist in achieving the Florida Gulf Coast University learning goal of developing "an ecological perspective" and in teaching the related outcomes that the student will "..know the issues related to economic, social, and ecological sustainability, analyze and evaluate ecological issues locally and globally, participate in collaborative projects requiring awareness and/or analysis of ecological and environmental issues;" to provide experiences to assist in moving toward achieving the eight other FGCU learning goals and their related outcomes; to enable a working understanding of sustainability, of environmental education, and of ecological literacy.
The FGCU Center for Environmental and Sustainability Education works toward realizing the dream of a sustainable and peaceful future for Earth through scholarship, education, and action. The Center maintains an active scholarly agenda providing professional development for educators in environmental education and education for sustainability, including philosophical research and curriculum and program development. Much of the Center’s research and writing is in the field of Earth Charter scholarship.
FGCU’s Coastal Watershed Institute has attracted external funding for both research and education and has received national recognition for implementing innovative teaching strategies. These efforts have resulted in the awarding of over $8 million in support of coastal watershed research and education in Florida. Institute faculty currently conducts research on the use of oysters and oyster-reef communities as indicators of ecosystem health and on the influence of changes in freshwater inflow on estuaries downstream. FGCU has also taken a leadership role in restoration coordination in Southwest Florida through its involvement with the Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration.
FGCU and Bangor University (UK) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop collaborative opportunities for student, faculty, and staff exchanges with a goal of offering joint programs in Natural/Ocean Science between both the institutions. Given the location of both universities, the varied climate (sub-tropical vs. temperate) and coastal zones (e.g. sandy beach/mangrove coast vs. rocky coasts), the collaboration will enhance educational and research opportunities for students and faculty.
Campus Operations
Our thermal ice storage system makes ice during off-peak period. Ice is then melted and distributed to cool campus buildings via underground insulated water lines. This saves FGCU in excess of $200,000 per year in utility costs. Building mechanical equipment cycles off during off hours, weekends, and low use periods to save energy use and equipment wear and tear.
Energy Star appliances are purchased are when available. Computing Services specifies computers for purchase that are certified Gold in the EPA EPEAT program. All paper purchases must be 100% recycled paper. Campus copier fleet comprises multifunction machines which serve as copier, printer, and fax machines - reducing the energy inefficiency of individual machines or desktop printers.
The academic building now under construction is designed to meet LEEDS Silver certification standards. This is especially challenging since this is primarily a laboratory and research building and does not easily lend itself to green design features.
The architecture of campus buildings reflect the sub-tropical climate providing shade for occupants in or near buildings through covered walkways, broad roof overhangs, light colored exterior walls, tinted exterior building windows to reduce solar heat gain to the interior of buildings, and well-insulated roofs. Most occupied building spaces have direct line of sight vision to a window. Campus buildings allow for air movement by utilizing exterior courtyards; ducted fresh-air ventilation; and mechanical air-conditioning with individual or suite control to maximize user-managed energy efficiency. Building construction utilizes durable construction materials and contemporary technology, which have lead to economy, efficiency, and favorable life-cycle cost analysis in the use of buildings. The building designs incorporate standards for the buildings to withstand intensity of the sun, hurricane strength winds and excessive rainfall during some seasons.
There is zero exposure of building occupants to environmental tobacco smoke by prohibition of smoking in the buildings, and limited exposure outside of buildings due to restricted areas for smoking.
Exotic trees and shrubs are cleared by hand to retain part of the ecosystem rather than clearing and replanting. After cutting down the exotic trees, they are ground into mulch for use around campus. The campus has a tree nursery with native pine and cypress for use in reforestation after removal of exotic species. Minimal or no irrigation used for plant material /landscape consists mainly of indigenous plants and trees. During construction, the extent of site disturbance including earthwork is limited to preserve existing vegetation. After the construction, sites are restored to their natural setting to the extent possible.
The University wildlife policy protects the safety of students, faculty, staff, and visitors on the campus from hazardous wildlife, while minimizing the killing or relocation of naturally occurring wildlife.
A vegetarian meal option is available at every food service location for every meal, and cage free eggs are used in our campus dining facilities. Food products are sourced locally when possible. Use of solar powered trash compactors outside around campus compress student generated trash from food service operations reducing frequency of collection. These units are also wildlife proof.
Administration and Finance
Florida Gulf Coast University is currently building a 16-acre solar energy farm on campus. The 2 megawatt (MW) farm will turn solar energy into usable electrical energy for the campus. This 16-acre energy field will significantly reduce our dependence on non-renewable energy sources, save money, reduce our carbon footprint and serve as a model of environmental and ecological sustainability for our region, the state of Florida and the nation. This PV installation, together with the utilization of solar hot water systems on campus, will significantly advance FGCU's energy goals.
Paramount among its benefits is cost-savings. The solar energy field is projected to save the institution $22 million over a 30 year period. Its impact will be felt immediately as electrical cost will be reduced from 10.5 cents per kilo-watt hour to two cents per kilo-watt hour.
As a clean energy source, annually the solar energy field will prevent an estimated 9,000 pounds of nitrogen oxide, 14,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide and 5.1 million pounds of carbon dioxide from being introduced into our environment.
Given the rich resource of sunshine in Southwest Florida, the solar energy field is a pilot program designed to encourage and model the use of clean energy. On behalf of the state of Florida, FGCU will use this project to teach and conduct research into renewable energy sources to benefit K-12, the business community and the construction industry as well as the general public.
Other Administrative Services activities include the department of Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) hiring a sustainability coordinator to assist with inventory of our greenhouse gas emissions and for promoting environmental stewardship and sustainability on campus. EH&S also successfully launched an internet based ride-sharing program known as Ride2FGCU to promote alternative transportation among the campus community, a lighting study to determine if offices and classrooms are over lit, and an electrical study on campus vending machines. In addition, EH&S held various activities for FGCU bike week during Florida Bike Month to encourage bicycling among our faculty, staff and students. EH&S provided student government funded shower timers to approximately 800 students during FGCU’s Water Conservation Awareness Week. EH&S also holds a campus wide sustainability orientation for employees and students in the fall. The Physical Plant department is installing bottle filling spigots on existing water fountains and is launching an Eagles Love Tap Water campaign to reduce plastic bottle waste. Employees from across campus organized a well attended supply swap.
The University was selected as a beta test site for the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS). STARS is a voluntary, self-reporting framework for gauging relative progress toward sustainability for colleges and universities. The University is an institutional member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. The University is also an organizational member of the US Green Building Coalition, the organization that sponsors the LEED building certification. FGCU is a signatory to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, and is a member of the Leadership Circle for this organization."
I found this website and was interested to read what exactly our University is doing and the ideals that our school was found upon. My group's project is about the consequences of global warming and the expenses that it would take to relocate the campus. In order for us to successfully find out this information, we must do some research on our University's stance, goals, and background.
Education and Research
"Established on the verge of the 21st century, Florida Gulf Coast University is located in Southwest Florida on 760 acres, almost half of which is jurisdictional wetland. FGCU continuously pursues academic excellence, practices and promotes environmental sustainability, embraces diversity, nurtures community partnerships, values public service, encourages civic responsibility, cultivates habits of lifelong learning, and keeps the advancement of knowledge and pursuit of truth as noble ideals at the heart of the University’s purpose.
Our university-wide learning outcomes include that all students will develop "an ecological perspective" and “community awareness and involvement.” FGCU’s Colloquium is an interdisciplinary environmental education course designed to explore the concept of sustainability as it relates to a variety of considerations and forces in Southwest Florida that all FGCU students must complete, and in which faculty from all five colleges are involved. Florida Gulf Coast University’s Students are not only introduced to FGCU values, they participate in them.
The Colloquium course goals are: to provide a sense of place and an understanding of the unique ecological features of the Southwest Florida environment; to assist in achieving the Florida Gulf Coast University learning goal of developing "an ecological perspective" and in teaching the related outcomes that the student will "..know the issues related to economic, social, and ecological sustainability, analyze and evaluate ecological issues locally and globally, participate in collaborative projects requiring awareness and/or analysis of ecological and environmental issues;" to provide experiences to assist in moving toward achieving the eight other FGCU learning goals and their related outcomes; to enable a working understanding of sustainability, of environmental education, and of ecological literacy.
The FGCU Center for Environmental and Sustainability Education works toward realizing the dream of a sustainable and peaceful future for Earth through scholarship, education, and action. The Center maintains an active scholarly agenda providing professional development for educators in environmental education and education for sustainability, including philosophical research and curriculum and program development. Much of the Center’s research and writing is in the field of Earth Charter scholarship.
FGCU’s Coastal Watershed Institute has attracted external funding for both research and education and has received national recognition for implementing innovative teaching strategies. These efforts have resulted in the awarding of over $8 million in support of coastal watershed research and education in Florida. Institute faculty currently conducts research on the use of oysters and oyster-reef communities as indicators of ecosystem health and on the influence of changes in freshwater inflow on estuaries downstream. FGCU has also taken a leadership role in restoration coordination in Southwest Florida through its involvement with the Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration.
FGCU and Bangor University (UK) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to develop collaborative opportunities for student, faculty, and staff exchanges with a goal of offering joint programs in Natural/Ocean Science between both the institutions. Given the location of both universities, the varied climate (sub-tropical vs. temperate) and coastal zones (e.g. sandy beach/mangrove coast vs. rocky coasts), the collaboration will enhance educational and research opportunities for students and faculty.
Campus Operations
Our thermal ice storage system makes ice during off-peak period. Ice is then melted and distributed to cool campus buildings via underground insulated water lines. This saves FGCU in excess of $200,000 per year in utility costs. Building mechanical equipment cycles off during off hours, weekends, and low use periods to save energy use and equipment wear and tear.
Energy Star appliances are purchased are when available. Computing Services specifies computers for purchase that are certified Gold in the EPA EPEAT program. All paper purchases must be 100% recycled paper. Campus copier fleet comprises multifunction machines which serve as copier, printer, and fax machines - reducing the energy inefficiency of individual machines or desktop printers.
The academic building now under construction is designed to meet LEEDS Silver certification standards. This is especially challenging since this is primarily a laboratory and research building and does not easily lend itself to green design features.
The architecture of campus buildings reflect the sub-tropical climate providing shade for occupants in or near buildings through covered walkways, broad roof overhangs, light colored exterior walls, tinted exterior building windows to reduce solar heat gain to the interior of buildings, and well-insulated roofs. Most occupied building spaces have direct line of sight vision to a window. Campus buildings allow for air movement by utilizing exterior courtyards; ducted fresh-air ventilation; and mechanical air-conditioning with individual or suite control to maximize user-managed energy efficiency. Building construction utilizes durable construction materials and contemporary technology, which have lead to economy, efficiency, and favorable life-cycle cost analysis in the use of buildings. The building designs incorporate standards for the buildings to withstand intensity of the sun, hurricane strength winds and excessive rainfall during some seasons.
There is zero exposure of building occupants to environmental tobacco smoke by prohibition of smoking in the buildings, and limited exposure outside of buildings due to restricted areas for smoking.
Exotic trees and shrubs are cleared by hand to retain part of the ecosystem rather than clearing and replanting. After cutting down the exotic trees, they are ground into mulch for use around campus. The campus has a tree nursery with native pine and cypress for use in reforestation after removal of exotic species. Minimal or no irrigation used for plant material /landscape consists mainly of indigenous plants and trees. During construction, the extent of site disturbance including earthwork is limited to preserve existing vegetation. After the construction, sites are restored to their natural setting to the extent possible.
The University wildlife policy protects the safety of students, faculty, staff, and visitors on the campus from hazardous wildlife, while minimizing the killing or relocation of naturally occurring wildlife.
A vegetarian meal option is available at every food service location for every meal, and cage free eggs are used in our campus dining facilities. Food products are sourced locally when possible. Use of solar powered trash compactors outside around campus compress student generated trash from food service operations reducing frequency of collection. These units are also wildlife proof.
Administration and Finance
Florida Gulf Coast University is currently building a 16-acre solar energy farm on campus. The 2 megawatt (MW) farm will turn solar energy into usable electrical energy for the campus. This 16-acre energy field will significantly reduce our dependence on non-renewable energy sources, save money, reduce our carbon footprint and serve as a model of environmental and ecological sustainability for our region, the state of Florida and the nation. This PV installation, together with the utilization of solar hot water systems on campus, will significantly advance FGCU's energy goals.
Paramount among its benefits is cost-savings. The solar energy field is projected to save the institution $22 million over a 30 year period. Its impact will be felt immediately as electrical cost will be reduced from 10.5 cents per kilo-watt hour to two cents per kilo-watt hour.
As a clean energy source, annually the solar energy field will prevent an estimated 9,000 pounds of nitrogen oxide, 14,000 pounds of sulfur dioxide and 5.1 million pounds of carbon dioxide from being introduced into our environment.
Given the rich resource of sunshine in Southwest Florida, the solar energy field is a pilot program designed to encourage and model the use of clean energy. On behalf of the state of Florida, FGCU will use this project to teach and conduct research into renewable energy sources to benefit K-12, the business community and the construction industry as well as the general public.
Other Administrative Services activities include the department of Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) hiring a sustainability coordinator to assist with inventory of our greenhouse gas emissions and for promoting environmental stewardship and sustainability on campus. EH&S also successfully launched an internet based ride-sharing program known as Ride2FGCU to promote alternative transportation among the campus community, a lighting study to determine if offices and classrooms are over lit, and an electrical study on campus vending machines. In addition, EH&S held various activities for FGCU bike week during Florida Bike Month to encourage bicycling among our faculty, staff and students. EH&S provided student government funded shower timers to approximately 800 students during FGCU’s Water Conservation Awareness Week. EH&S also holds a campus wide sustainability orientation for employees and students in the fall. The Physical Plant department is installing bottle filling spigots on existing water fountains and is launching an Eagles Love Tap Water campaign to reduce plastic bottle waste. Employees from across campus organized a well attended supply swap.
The University was selected as a beta test site for the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS). STARS is a voluntary, self-reporting framework for gauging relative progress toward sustainability for colleges and universities. The University is an institutional member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. The University is also an organizational member of the US Green Building Coalition, the organization that sponsors the LEED building certification. FGCU is a signatory to the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, and is a member of the Leadership Circle for this organization."
I found this website and was interested to read what exactly our University is doing and the ideals that our school was found upon. My group's project is about the consequences of global warming and the expenses that it would take to relocate the campus. In order for us to successfully find out this information, we must do some research on our University's stance, goals, and background.
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
- Interesting video this is a UK television Advertisment!
It's also very interesting to read some of the comments on the video. There are a ton of varying opionions. Here are a few I found:
"Wouldnt it be easier to let ppl die from floods and whatnot?"
"Climate change is natural.Think of the ice age...That happened NATURALLY. The earth goes through phases of warming and cooling."
"this is complete bull. Humans only exert 6 pentagrams (10^15) per year of co2 compared with ocean/volcanic/plants/respirat ion which exerts 423 pentagrams (10^15) per year."
"The carbon tax styled cap and trade will develop into a tax on all carbon expellers, meaning humans. Ie., The banks want to tax your ability to breathe. The private banks already tax the population illegally by turning them into fake corporations (IRS)."
"Global Climate Change is a wholly unreal. It was a nonexistant crisis concoted by the Club of Rome in writing in their 1972 publication, "Limits to Growth." It is merely an excuse to destroy industrial civilization and subject the populations of the world to great decrease. The Club of Rome states that the idea of a man-made global warming "Fit the Bill" as it had earlier been devised to convince countries that the earth was cooling. "
"climate change is happening rapidly, but we are not looking outside the picture, we will wait until the effects take place"
Ocean Energy Technology
I found this article when researching different alternative energy resources that we could be able to utilize in Florida, FAU received a grant a couple years back to research how to use the Gulf Stream as a renewable resource, I thought it was pretty interesting!
"The Center of Excellence in Ocean Energy Technology will address Florida's energy crisis by looking at South Florida's ocean currents, specifically the Gulf Stream (the most energy dense ocean current), as an abundant renewable energy source to meet not just Florida's power needs but also the world's power needs.
Florida's electricity consumption is estimated to increase by nearly 30 percent over the next 10 years. In-state energy production is less than one percent of consumption, leaving the state heavily reliant on imported sources of energy. Ocean-generated electricity would have a significant economic impact for Florida, creating more than 26,500 new Florida-based jobs, changing Florida from an energy importer to a leader in energy exports.
The Florida Center of Excellence in Ocean Energy Technology will be housed at FAU's SeaTech -- Institute for Oceans & Systems Engineering in Dania Beach, Florida. The Institute is part of FAU's Department of Ocean Engineering, located within the College of Engineering & Computer Science.
The six universities selected to receive a center of excellence include the University of South Florida, Florida Atlantic University, University of Florida (two centers), University of Central Florida and Florida State University."
Education Stand Point
To contribute my team and I are working to create a childrens book depicting the outcomes of not recycling, global warming, and what the children can do to help out the Earth. We are hoping that if the children see how global warming affects them personally the drive to help out will be started in them young. In this case it can also bring the message back home to their parents who may be interested in the new found subjuct in their kids.
All around we are trying to find facts that are not only truthful but also things that are happening right here in Florida so the kids can compare the book and their actual life. This way the effects are personal and can make the kids want to make a difference in their commuity.
Some research has been done, however trying to pick out a limited amount of facts to fit into a childrens book which makes sense in a chronological order is taking much more effort than was originally thought. Yet, the outlook seems promising and we will be sure to update on the research we find.
If you have any suggestings please feel free to inquire.
Thank you.
All around we are trying to find facts that are not only truthful but also things that are happening right here in Florida so the kids can compare the book and their actual life. This way the effects are personal and can make the kids want to make a difference in their commuity.
Some research has been done, however trying to pick out a limited amount of facts to fit into a childrens book which makes sense in a chronological order is taking much more effort than was originally thought. Yet, the outlook seems promising and we will be sure to update on the research we find.
If you have any suggestings please feel free to inquire.
Thank you.
I found this interesting article about how to reduce food waste on Earth911.com
Composting with worms, ewww!
Composting With Worms
Let worms eat your organic waste! They will happily turn it into some of the best fertilizer on earth – worm compost, otherwise known as “worm castings” or “vermicompost.” A fascinating, fun and easy way to recycle your organic kitchen wastes, vermiculture:
- Requires very little work
- Produces no offensive odors
- Helps plants thrive
Only a few things are needed to make good worm compost: a bin, bedding, worms and worm food. By following the steps listed below, you will learn to make, maintain and use your own worm compost.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
What we have so far..
Our group decided to go with education as the theme for our project. Our goal is to determine student knowledge of climate change on both the high school and collegiate levels through a survey; the survey will also provide students with factual information on the topic once they have completed it. We plan on surveying a sample of FGCU college students, and we have to contact a few local high schools to see if they'll allow us to survey their students. We then plan on comparing the results of the two sample groups to see if there is any difference in their knowledge of the topic. We also believe the survey will provide insight into what misconceptions currently exist about climate change within this age range. The survey will consist of ten questions in both multiple choice and true/false format. We used our quiz from class and web resources to come up with the questions last week. When the students finish taking the survey, we will provide them with the answers along with additional information about climate change. Educating the public about the many misconceptions surrounding climate change and providing them with actual facts is an important step toward finding a solution to the issues, which is why we chose this idea for our solutions project.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Skeptics Video
This is the video I was talking about in class! Check it out! It explores some of the skeptics beliefs about global warming. While it is knowledgeable to know about what climate change is and how it effects us it is also key to understand the arguments against our actions! The better we understand the doubt with climate change the better prepared we can be if someone questions our motives!
Coming along...
I am currently collecting recycled materials for my arts and crafts project for the home schooled kids in Naples. I am collecting bottle caps for lockets, old CD's and clothing for magnets, and paper products for masks. Anyone have any other ideas for arts and crafts projects made from recyclables? It's close to Halloween, so I would like to utilize that to get the children interested in the project. I'm also currently struggling with how to talk to these children about the importance of what they are doing in relation to climate change without scaring them. Any ideas?
-Stevie
-Stevie
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Dumptown Game
Welcome to Recycle City! I found this website that has a game called Dumptown where it is your job to become the City Manager and clean up the town. There are many different programs that can help you make this town a cleaner more sustainable place. When you first get to this website click around the city to see what has been done to make Recycle City a better place. For example when I clicked on the pet store it said they used shredded newspapers for the puppies to play in, giving old newspapers another use. There are a lot of interesting ways to clean up the city and recycle things you never thought you would be able to. This is a great interactive way to learn more about recycling and what you could do in your own town!
Solar Forest
The name is a bit misleading, but this so-called "solar-forest" is actually a layout design for solar panels that gathers energy and shades, protects and can even charge cars that have electric capability. This article from Alternative Energy News explains how it works. Something similar to this was initially considered here on campus. While the university did not elect to use it, I think it can still be a viable option if we decide to expand our green energy efforts and continue using solar as our primary source. Especially considering both the lack of space, both in terms of parking and usable land. I think something like this needs to be the next step we take towards becoming a green campus.
Green Buildings
LEED is an internationally recognized green building certification system, providing third-party verification that a building or community was designed and built using strategies aimed at improving performance across all the metrics that matter most: energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, improved indoor environmental quality, and stewardship of resources and sensitivity to their impacts. LEED is flexible enough to apply to all building types – commercial as well as residential. It works throughout the building lifecycle – design and construction, operations and maintenance, tenant fitout, and significant retrofit. And LEED for Neighborhood Development extends the benefits of LEED beyond the building footprint into the neighborhood it serves.
LEED buildings here at FGCU: AB7 and Biscane Hall
Friday, October 2, 2009
Excerpts from Case Study on Lee County's Material Recovery Facility
Lee County’s Material Recovery Facility (recycling facility) began as a 900 square foot operation with workers standing at tables, hand sorting through two tons of recyclable materials per day. Today Lee County’s MRF has grown into a 60,000 square foot facility that offers normal weekly curbside recycling and electronics curbside collection as well. Lee County also has two off site facility that serves as a drop off location for household chemical waste and electronics recycling.
“One of the main reasons for recycling is to reduce the amount of garbage sent to landfills. Today, recycling efforts in the United States divert 32 percent of waste away from landfills. That prevents more than 60 million tons of garbage from ending up in landfills every year.” (EPA: Recycling, n.d.) Many recycling processes require less energy than it would take to manufacture the same item brand-new; therefore recycling is a sustainable answer to this problem of over-consuming and disposal of garbage.
The EPA website states, "that the some of the benefits of recycling are:
· Recycling protects and expands U.S. manufacturing jobs and increases U.S. competitiveness.
· Recycling reduces the need for creating new landfills and incinerators.
· Recycling prevents pollution caused by the manufacturing of products from virgin materials.
· Recycling saves energy.
· Recycling decreases emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change.
· Recycling conserves natural resources such as timber, water, and minerals.
· Recycling helps sustain the environment for future generations.” (EPA: Recycling, n.d.)
Thursday, October 1, 2009
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Bill McKibben | ||||
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