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Consumption

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Consumption. As a species, how much of Earth’s resources do we actually use? I think, for the most part, we all like to believe that we live pretty efficient lives. We try to only buy what we need, choose healthier options, and not live in excess. However, I don’t believe that I do that one bit. In fact, thanks to the Footprint Calculator, we can actually see an estimate of our ecological footprint. According to my results, we would need 4.8 planet Earth’s to provide enough resources if everyone lived like me. Hopefully you don’t because I don’t want to be responsible for your death. As far as the goods and services go, it seems to be a reasonable looking pie chart. Services amount to a little less than 50%, with food at a little under 25%. I honestly thought food was going to be number one, considering that’s what I spend the majority of my money on. So, by looking at these numbers overall, I am not surprised at all. I, like many others, want the most we can get out of anything and e...
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Ecosystem Services and Land Use

Going to the Food Forest and the Trail Walk, I had an idea of what we would see, but I didn’t think I would learn so much. Again, relating this back to my first post, a lot of the nature that I was around growing up wasn’t in the backyard of my house. It was abroad. So, going to these two places on campus, I was expecting some of the same kinds of trees and plants that I see on a daily basis. I was so wrong. When we were discussing permaculture, monoculture and sustainable food systems in class, I really just took those concepts at face value. I wasn’t too interested in how they worked and the benefits they provide to us and the environment. I honestly just thought, “Oh, we’re going to go see some trees, plants and then walk around and see more trees and plants.” But, listening to the vast amount of knowledge that our “guides” had when teaching us about all of this stuff really opened my eyes to the possibilities. For example, one of the things that I found really fascinating ...
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My Sense of Place

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Moringa Tree I grew up in Miami, so I never really had the opportunity to be immersed in the natural world. I was always around noise, construction and the hustle and bustle of the “city life.” The times when I had the opportunity to just take a moment, look around and actually see the things around me (which wasn’t often where I lived), I felt at peace. That started to happen when I was traveling more consistently, going to various countries in Europe and having the ability to see all of these exotic environments. For example, the fjords in Norway, the mountains in northern Spain and the crystal-clear, turquoise waters in Greece. But, when I would come back home, I would just stay home. I never ventured out and did anything “outdoorsy” until the Food Forest and the Wet Walk today. If I could identify my sense of place, that isn’t home and actually is me having a life, I would definitely say the Food Forest, Oak Hammock and Cypress Dome. The Food Forest totally opened my ...
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