The movie Food Inc. was disturbing both for its grotesque images of humans and their capacity for animal cruelty, and for the fact that we live in a country that not only allows this, but in some cases, actually encourages this kind of behavior! There were so many parts of this movie that showed me things about the food industry that I didn't know. Shame on Tyson, and Monsanto and all the other companies that would rather take the cheap and easy way out than do what is right. They treat their staff and their animals poorly and abuse the privileges that come with success and money to hurt others. They are greedy companies that do not give a damn about their consumers or their employees as long as they can make a quick buck. Also, Shame on our government and legal systems that allow companies like this and their money to corrupt what is supposed to be an honest process. I was alarmed when I saw that these major companies are planting their lawyers and staff into our legal system in order to swing votes and laws in their favor. There were many parts of this video that will resonate with me forever. Even just today in the grocery store, I was shopping for produce and I kept thinking about one quote from the film: "Every time you buy something in the supermarket, you are placing your vote." I for one think that organic produce is severely overpriced and I cannot afford it as a college student. However, sometimes I choose the apple with the small bruise or the tomato with the tinny scuff mark so that maybe the industry will sell more of the food it produces and not waste as many fruits and veggies just because they are "ugly".
Friday, October 5, 2012
Estero Bay Fireld Trip
This is Jo Hughes, she is 81 years old. She taught us about conservation and how the Estero Bay area looked 50+ years ago. In their spare time, Jo and her friends make sea grape jelly to sell to the public. we got to sample some of their creations during her talk in the cute beach cottage on the reserve. I did not try the jelly, but my classmates did and said it was wonderfuly sweet. I thought Jo was incredibly nice and a great role model for all of us for when we get older. It was nice to see how much pride she has for her community and hear her stories about growing up in that area. Today, not very many people take pride in their "neighborhoods". whether that mean their school, town or even their block, a lot of people today either just don't care or complain about where their local environment. Even on campus, I see people all the time sporting gear from other schools or trash talking FGCU. I wish they would take a page out of Ms. Hughes book and have some pride in where they are.
On the boardwalk our professor read us a story about the history of the bay. I thought hearing about all the history was interesting because it was hard to imagine a place like that ever being full of life and people. I also learned what makes the water turn green. Apparently it is from all the fertilizer that people use in their yards running into the water and causing a certain algae to grow, turning the water from clear blue to murky green. Ms. Hughes commented about how beautiful the water used to be. I wish I could see it like that. We also saw a dolphin..or manatee.. maybe if the water was cleaner we would be able to tell.
I enjoyed the trip to Estero Bay because it showed me how much things around me could change.
On the boardwalk our professor read us a story about the history of the bay. I thought hearing about all the history was interesting because it was hard to imagine a place like that ever being full of life and people. I also learned what makes the water turn green. Apparently it is from all the fertilizer that people use in their yards running into the water and causing a certain algae to grow, turning the water from clear blue to murky green. Ms. Hughes commented about how beautiful the water used to be. I wish I could see it like that. We also saw a dolphin..or manatee.. maybe if the water was cleaner we would be able to tell.
I enjoyed the trip to Estero Bay because it showed me how much things around me could change.
Last Child in the Woods
I read Gifts of Nature, The Third Frontier, & Nature-Deficit Disorder and the Restorative
Environment from Last Child in the Woods by Richard Louv. I hate reading, however, I actually enjoyed reading these chapters because I felt that I could relate to what the author was saying. He made the point that maybe we wouldn't need so much medication for our children if we allowed them to release their energy naturally. As a nursing student, I couldn't agree more. I am in no way saying that children with serious hyperactive disorders should not be medicated. In many cases, the medication is necessary and beneficial to both the child and their family, but for those who are "high functioning" or on the "low end of the spectrum" of the disorder, perhaps they would benefit from simply running around outside and taking a break from structure. I remember going outside right after school to burn off steam, or goin straight to dance class. I also remember days that I had to go to piano lessons after school and feeling like I had been sitting inside all day and not wanting to sit and focus for one more second. Public schools today have taken away P.E. programs and recess in most places. These are things that offer a child a break from the constant focus and stress of public education. I also think that parents need to be more flexible and understanding of their childrens' behavior. If you keep a 7 year old boy inside all day and force him to constantly sit still and read or do math problems, then... yeah.. when he gets home he's probably going to be extremely rambunctious and hyper. I would even expect a serious lack of focus. I do disagree with Louv in respect to organized sports. He states that they are just as bad as keeping a child indoors. I do not agree, as long as the sport is fun for the child and does not add to the child's frustration level. The bottom line is... kids feel stress too... let them run it off in nature.
Corkscrew Sanctuary
Our Class recently visited the Corkscrew Sanctuary in Naples, FL. Our professor said that this was a chance to see Florida as it used to be. It was a beautiful and enlightening trip. I learned what a "strangler fig" is and how big our trees would be if we hadn't cut them down. Also, I learned that they have to burn areas of the sanctuary every so often so that everything can grow properly. I saw a gigantic spider, numerous species of birds.. that I can't name.. and a baby alligator covered in green slime. It does frustrate me that I know so much about the human body and so little about environmental species. Unless it is an herbal supplement or some sort of poison, I can't tell the difference. It also makes me feel dumb when the environmentalists in our class can name a bird by its call and I have no idea what they are talking about. I cannot look at a species of fern and know the difference or two similar birds and tell them apart. However, I did feel like I learned a little more about different species in nature. I could now name a Resurrection fern and a strangler fig, and a cypress Knee.
During the trip we walked along a boardwalk (Pictured) into a forest of very old cypress trees. some of them were so big around it would take three of us linking arms to surround its circumference. It made me think about what our school would be like if they had never cut down the cypress trees. I love FGCU, but in some ways, our school is extremely hypocritical. We are the "Eco friendly" campus, and yet we are located smack dab in the middle of a wild life reserve. This area was full of wild animals and forests and we have replaced them with "green" buildings and solar fields to make ourselves feel better. Just a thought.
Overall, it was a good trip, and I'm glad I went.
During the trip we walked along a boardwalk (Pictured) into a forest of very old cypress trees. some of them were so big around it would take three of us linking arms to surround its circumference. It made me think about what our school would be like if they had never cut down the cypress trees. I love FGCU, but in some ways, our school is extremely hypocritical. We are the "Eco friendly" campus, and yet we are located smack dab in the middle of a wild life reserve. This area was full of wild animals and forests and we have replaced them with "green" buildings and solar fields to make ourselves feel better. Just a thought.
Overall, it was a good trip, and I'm glad I went.
An Inconvenient Truth
In class we watched the film "An Inconvenient Truth" by Al Gore. I was amazed at the amount of information we actually know about global warming. The film was entertaining as well as informative. Al Gore discussed some major problems with our environment such as the polar ice caps melting and the increasing number of dangerous storms that we are currently experiencing. One thing that I have always thought is that the Earth is just going through its normal heating and cooling phase. Gore showed a chart (pictured) that shows just how bad our warming spike has gotten. I am not stupid or ignorant, I do know that this is obviously caused by humans and the industrial/wasteful lives that we live. However, after the first ice age the earth warmed and melted most of the ice, and then a second ice age came and went. This seems to me live volatile conditions that are natural. I am not saying that the global warming issue isn't bad, I am just saying that I don't know if it will be the end of human life and the world. Nature is adaptive... isn't it?
Regardless, these environmental issues have caused me to question my apathy towards global warming. I believe it stems from the complete disregard for our environment by our political leaders. We desperately need a president that cares about the Earth if we expect everyone to get on board. If the leader of our country doesn't care, why should we... could it really be that important if they couldn't care less. Now obviously I know this is an important topic, I just mean that if environmentalists expect to actually change how America treats the environment, they are going to need to start with the political leaders.
Regardless, these environmental issues have caused me to question my apathy towards global warming. I believe it stems from the complete disregard for our environment by our political leaders. We desperately need a president that cares about the Earth if we expect everyone to get on board. If the leader of our country doesn't care, why should we... could it really be that important if they couldn't care less. Now obviously I know this is an important topic, I just mean that if environmentalists expect to actually change how America treats the environment, they are going to need to start with the political leaders.
Assignment
This blog is an assignment for my Colloquium class at FGCU. I will reflect upon the various places, films, and readings that I experience in class.
Here is the link to the assignment:
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