Energy Efficient Appliances and Light Bulbs

When you buy an appliance, you commit to paying both the initial cost and the operating cost for as long as you own it. Appliances with the energy star logo are significantly more energy-efficient than the average comparable model, but may cost considerably more initially. The Energy Star program is operated jointly by the U.S.Department of Energy and the EPA. A few of the appliances that can be energy star certified are refridgerators, stoves, dish washers, clothes washers, clothes dryers, air conditioners, water heaters, computers and office equipment. Besides buying energy efficient appliances, it is important to unplug these appliances when not in use. Saving energy saves money: Households can save up to $400 a year on utility bills!

Light bulbs can also be energy efficient. If every American home replaced just one light with an ENERGY STAR light, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, about $700 million in annual energy costs, and prevent 9 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions per year, equivalent to the emissions of about 800,000 cars. An ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) will save about $30 over its lifetime and pay for itself in about 6 months. It uses 75 percent less energy and lasts about 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb. These too, cost a little more than regular light bulbs, but save the customer much more money in the end. The energy efficient light bulbs are hazardous if broken, so the user should look up what to do if this should happen.

Certified Sustainable Lumber Practices

It is important to choose sustainable practices when buying appliances, building resources, etc. Lumber harvesting is one resource that is not always done sustainably. Clear cutting severely damages the environment. Therefore, certified lumber is a much better choice.

To measure the sustainability level of lumber, two main attributes are evaluated: harvesting and chain of custody. The harvesting process is evaluated based on how trees are planted, grown, cut down and renewed to ensure the long-term health and existence of a forest. Chain of custody tracks exactly who or which company touched a piece of lumber, tracing it back to the company that employed the person or machine that cut down the tree. Only 10 percent of the world’s forests are certified sustainable.

Lumber certification alleviates concerns about mismanaged forests that contribute to soil erosion, loss of wildlife, and the clear cutting of old-growth forests. Lumber certification tells an architect or builder a product is made with environmentally responsible practices and material.

Dozens of product certification programs operate worldwide, while two programs take center stage in the United States: The Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the Forest Stewardship Council. Both are independent third-party organizations that certify the harvesting process and chain of custody for lumber producers.

Certified sustainable wood costs more, but the impact on the environment is much less drastic than clear cutting.

Fertilizer runoff

Fertilizers are used by homeowners to maintain and improve landscape beauty and quality. Increased use of home lawn and garden fertilizers, however, has caused concern about pollution of lakes and groundwater. This pollution can cause disruptions in the food chain.

The two fertilizer nutrients that are primarily involved are nitrogen and phosphorus, which are needed by all plants for healthy growth. Although an individual lawn or garden is small, the total area of lawns and gardens in urban environments can be significant. Runoff and drainage waters carrying these nutrients move over hard-surfaced streets where there is no soil to act as a filter. The result is an increase in pollution problems. Proper fertilizer use can enhance plant growth without polluting the environment, but misuse of fertilizer will harm the environment. One problem that we talked about in class is the fact that fertilizers and pesticides are used all the time instead of to correct a problem. Perfectly manicured lawns should not be so desired! Rather, the use of native plants should be encouraged.

Ecological Footprint

An ecological footprint is made up of 4 components: land energy, consumed land, farm land, and forest land. This is translated into the amount of fossil energy a person consumes, the amount of land or “built environment” a person occupies, the amount of land it takes to feed a person “food land”, and the amount of forest product consumed. The average North American uses an average of 20 acres. We went to myfootprint.org in class and I volunteered to take the quiz to see what my ecological footprint is. I thought that my family was relatively environmentally friendly, but if everyone on earth lived the way my family does, we would need 6.58 earths to provide enough resources to sustain our lifestyles. North Americans are accustomed to using much of the earth’s current resources. The problem is that developing countries see us as an example and want to be like us. As they develop, they use more and more resources. We, as Americans, cannot chastise them for wanting what we have! We must use more sustainable practices to reduce our impact on the planet.

Manatees

Manatees are one of the animals on the endangered species list. I enjoy boating and think it is a pain to have to follow the laws in the no wake zones but after doing research on the fact, I will pay closer attention to those laws.

Manatee protection rules are established to restrict the speed of water vessels where necessary to protect endangered manatees from harmful collisions. In the year 2009, 429 manatees were killed in Florida. 93 of these deaths were caused by watercrafts. Boaters need to be more responsible and pay attention to the no wake zones. The faster a boat travels, the more force is applied to the strike.

he difference between the force of a strike at 30 miles an hour is exactly twice that of a strike at 15 miles an hour, all other factors being equal. Approximately 25-30% of manatee deaths statewide are attributed to watercraft injuries - including personal watercraft. A PWC moves at high velocities and, along with passengers, weigh about 500 lbs at a minimum.

If the watercraft strikes a manatee in the head as it is taking a breath, acute trauma may result and the animal may die immediately. A mid-body strike can even be fatal if ribs are broken or disarticulated. Their internal injuries can result in death from internal bleeding or infection.

Things to do When Boating or Jet Skiing to Avoid Manatees:

▪ Abide by the posted speed zone signs while in areas known to have manatees present or when observations indicate manatees might be present. What to look for when trying to see manatees: Observations may include a swirl on the surface caused by the manatee when diving; seeing the animals back, snout, tail, or flipper break the surface of the water; or hearing it when it surfaces to breathe.

▪ Wear polarized sunglasses to reduce glare on the surface of the water. This will enable you to see manatees more easily.

▪ Try to stay in deep-water channels. Manatees can be found in shallow, slow-moving rivers, estuaries, lagoons, and coastal areas. Avoid boating over seagrass beds and shallow areas.

▪ Remain at least 50 feet away from a manatee when operating a powerboat. Don't operate a boat over large concentrations of manatees.

▪ If you like to water ski, choose areas that manatees do not use, or cannot enter, such as land-locked lakes.

▪ Don't discard monofilament line, hooks, or any other litter into the water. Manatees may ingest or become entangled in this debris and can become injured or even die. Note: discarding monofilament fishing line into the waters of Florida is unlawful.

Melaleuca

Melaleuca is an exotic invasive tree that was introduced into Florida from Australia to stabilize swampy areas near lakes and canals. These trees drink massive amounts of water and have caused a fire hazard, earning their name as the Everglades ecosystem’s worst enemies. A collaborative effort to wipe out the melaleuca, called the TAME Melaleuca Project, is being carried out by the USDA's Agricultural Research Service. In 1990, the South Florida Water Management District began an aggressive campaign to lower melaleuca populations across South Florida. As a result, melaleuca acreage on public lands has decreased dramatically. But the 60 to 100 foot tall trees continue to spread at such a high rate on private property that there has been little decrease in overall acreage covered.

The volume of seeds helps the trees to spread. Stress on the trees (fire, cutting, or spraying) causes them to open and release the seeds and mature trees can hold millions of seeds. While herbicides will kill trees, they cannot keep up with seed production and unless a stump is ground, trees will resprout after being cut down.

The story of Bottled Water

We watched the story of bottled water in class one day. We discussed the fact that the “need” for bottled water is a manufactured demand. Most of the drinking water in America is clean enough to drink out of the tap. There are very few places in which there is an actual need for clean water. Some of these bottles are recycled, but many of them end up in landfills. There are great alternatives to bottled water. Filtered jugs can be filled and put in the fridge or reusable bottles can be filled and taken with you if you’re on the run.

An interesting piece of an article I read was this: According to the report, more than 1 billion water bottles are winding up in the trash in California each year. That translates into nearly 3 million empty water bottles going to the trash EVERY day and an estimated $26 million in unclaimed California Refund Value (CRV) deposits annually. If recycled, the raw materials from those bottles could be used to make 74 million square feet of carpet, 74 million extra large T-shirts or 16 million sweaters, among other things.

Instead, they are swallowing landfill space, increasing air pollution and destroying the ozone layer.

Endangered Plants and Animals in Florida

There are 56 endangered animals on the list I found online and 55 endangered plants. Those numbers are only for Florida! When I was younger I didn't realize that plants could be endangered also. If a single plant or animal becomes extinct on this list it affects the entire food chain. As of May 21, the total number of endangered species on this list (updated daily) was 16,547.

While researching this topic I found that plants and animals can also be considered threatened, which is different than being endangered. This is what I found:

Threatened means that the animal is vulnerable to extinction and the population of the animal is declining. (ex: Certain species of whale population are being threatened.)

Endangered means that the animal will soon be extinct if nothing is done about it. Some endangered animals are being bred in captivity until their numbers increase enough to be released back in the wild. (ex: Bald Eagles are an endangered species of bird. Pandas are an endangered species of bear.)

Extinct means that the animal has completely died out and there aren't any left of this species. (ex: Dinosaurs are an extinct species of reptile. Dodo is an extinct bird.)

Important Dates in Collier County History

Important Dates in Collier County History

February 26, 1521
Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon set sail from Puerto Rico with 200 colonists to explore and settle Southwest Florida’s lower Gulf coast. Calusa Indians immediately drove off the Spaniards, mortally wounding Ponce.

March 24, 1837
Old Fort Foster, the earliest military post in the County, was activated by the U.S. Army during the Second Seminole War.

March 23, 1873
Barron Gift Collier, the founder of Collier County, was born in Memphis, Tennessee.

June 1, 1881
Wealthy Philadelphia tool-maker, Hamilton Disston, purchased 4 million acres of Florida swampland and wilderness – including all of present day Collier County – from the State of Florida for 25 cents an acre.

November 6, 1886
The Naples Town Improvement Company was organized in Tallahassee, Florida.

August 26, 1887
The first plat map of Naples was registered with the Lee County Clerk’s office in Fort Myers.

June 25, 1888
Work began on building the first Naples pier.

March 5, 1896
Anthropologist Frank Hamilton Cushing unearthed the famed Key Marco Cat while excavating an ancient Calusa Indian site on Marco Island. Miraculously preserved, the tiny wooden statuette was part of one of the richest archaeological discoveries in North America.

February 1, 1901
Naples and Fort Myers were connected by telephone.

October 17, 1910
A hurricane destroyed the original Naples pier.

May 8, 1923
Florida’s State Legislature partitioned Lee County to create Collier County, the state’s 62nd county.

July 7, 1923
Collier County’s Board of County Commissioners held their first meeting, at the Rod & Gun Club in Everglades City.

July 9, 1923
Collier County’s first bank - the Bank of Everglades – opened in the town of Everglades.

July 25, 1923
The County’s first newspaper, The Collier County News, began publishing.

April 13, 1925
First meeting of the Naples Town Council.

January 7, 1927
The Seaboard Air Line Railway’s Orange Blossom Special, became the first passenger train to arrive in Naples.

April 26, 1928
The Tamiami Trail was officially opened to traffic in Everglades, completing the first paved highway from Tampa to Miami.

March 13, 1939
Collier County’s founder, Barron Gift Collier, died in New York City, ten days before his 66th birthday.

September 26, 1943
Florida’s first commercial oil well is drilled near Sunniland, in eastern Collier County.

December 23, 1943
The U.S. Army activated a military base at Naples Army Air Field to train combat pilots during World War II.

December 6, 1947
President Harry S. Truman dedicated Everglades National Park in Everglades City.

May 25, 1949
The Florida State Legislature approved a new charter for Naples, changing it from a town to a city.

July 4, 1953
Naples Airport was dedicated as the Naples America Airport.

September 10, 1960
Hurricane Donna scored a direct hit on Naples and Collier County.

September 30, 1962
Collier County’s seat of government was officially moved from Everglades City to East Naples.

February 11, 1968
Alligator Alley was opened to traffic.

August 29, 1997
Marco Island incorporated to become Florida’s 398th city.

Downtown Fort Myers Field Trip

Wednesday we went on our class field trip to Downtown Fort Myers. One of the things I found most interesting was the story about how the construction workers that were supposed to build the yacht harbor in Sarasota drove too far and ended up building it in Fort Myers instead. I also liked the story about the Pleasure Pier. I think that the building that was moved off the pier onto land should be restored and used. It is a cool piece of the history of Downtown Fort Myers.

I also had no idea that Lee county was one of the last places to move away from segregation. The story of the two boys who were accused of raping a white girl because they were swimming with white children was extremely sad to me.

I also found it interesting that the canals in the Keys were dug out to use the keys stone. I thought that they were dug so that there would be more water-front property. I'm sure that was also part of the reason too!

I have never been to Downtown Fort Myers. It was definitely a worthwhile field trip. I mentioned to Nicole that I didn't know much about the area and she justified it with the fact that I live in Naples.. but to be honest, I don't know much about the history of Naples either! This has really opened my eyes and given me the opportunity to gain a better sense of place.

Invasive Exotic Species: Burmese Pythons

Burmese Pythons are another exotic invasive species that are overpopulating Florida that were recently featured on Animal Planet. These snakes got here from pet owners who did not want them anymore and from damaged zoos, pet stores, exotic animal warehouses, and wildlife refuges in the aftermath of Hurricane Andrew.

The climate and ecosystem of the Everglades are ideally suited for the Burmese Python because it is hot and humid. The Everglades also offers the snakes plenty of prey to sustain them.

The number of pythons in Florida alarms scientists because there is nothing to keep this snake’s population under control. They will cause significant decline in native species in Florida. Some scientists estimate there may hundreds of thousands of these snakes within the state. A female Burmese python can lay more than 30 eggs at a time. Larger females can easily exceed these numbers. One female captured in the Everglades was found to have 85 eggs developing inside her. A well-fed female python will generally reach sexual maturity in a few years. On top of that, these snakes can live for more than 20 years in the wild, and healthy females can reproduce annually for much of that lifespan. Now take that reproductive capacity and spread it over the last 17 years or so, when these snakes are believed to have entered the Everglades in large numbers.

http://www.reptileknowledge.com/articles/article22.php

Invasive Exotic Species: Feral Hogs

The same show on Animal Planet also featured Feral Hogs as an invasive exotic species of Florida.

Florida's feral hog population is second in the United States only to that of Texas. Feral hogs are found throughout the state in a variety of habitats from the southern Everglades to the northern hills of the Panhandle.

The hogs are native to Europe and Asia are aggressive mammals posing serious ecological, economic, aesthetic, medical and veterinary threats. Domestic pigs were introduced from Europe to the Americas by Spanish explorers. Over time, some pigs escaped or were intentionally released into the wild. Subsequently, free-ranging, feral populations established themselves on American soil.

Biologists estimate the nationwide population of feral pigs to be around four million animals, 500,000 of which are in Florida. Wild hogs can host many diseases and parasites, including cholera , tuberculosis, salmonella, anthrax, ticks, fleas, lice and others. Male pigs can be particularly intimidating, tipping the scales at up to 200 pounds. In some parts of the state, pigs are wreaking havoc on farms and saplings in regenerating forests. Efforts to keep the pigs under control include hunting, trapping and fencing, but it's a constant uphill battle. A pig can produce two, and sometimes more, litters a year, especially in southern Florida where conditions are perfect. And a litter can number a dozen. That's a lot of pigs.

The article states that the hogs usually don’t attack humans, but if they feel cornered they might become aggressive and possibly attack. The show on Animal Planet featured a first-hand experience of a woman who was attacked, so it is possible.

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/DyeHard/story?id=827155&page=1

http://dnr.wi.gov/org/land/wildlife/publ/wlnotebook/pig.htm

http://texnat.tamu.edu/symposia/feral/feral-14.htm

Invasive Exotic Species: Nile Monitor Lizards

I was watching a show on Animal Planet about invasive exotic species the other day. One of the animals featured was the Nile Monitor Lizard.

The lizards' weapons include: sharp, snake-like teeth, long, muscular tails they use as whips, and claws that look like the sinister pendants of voodoo necklaces. They can climb, run up to 18 miles per hour on land, and swim under water for an hour at a time. They grow up to 9 feet and are carnivorous. They’re no

t picky eaters. Bugs, frogs, smaller lizards, turtles, birds, rodents, baby alligators, endangered gopher tortoises, endangered burrowing owls, the eggs and offspring of any of these animals, feral cats, domestic cats, possibly even the family dog, road kill, whatever. They sometimes hunt in packs. It is clear to see why they wreck so much havoc in Southwest Florida. “They have the potential to devastate native fish and wildlife populations."

Local legend has it that a pet store went bankrupt sometime in the '80s and the proprietor let loose a gaggle of monitors in an area where, back then, almost nobody lived. Another theory is that wholesale distributors of exotic pets dumped monitors on purpose in the hope that they would procreate and provide a steady inventory to later be caught and sold. A third idea is that a series of owners over the years bought monitors when they were still small and then couldn't or didn't want them anymore when they began to grow into small dinosaurs.

Sightings in Cape Coral have become less because people are moving out of the city and therefore there are less people to make the calls.

They're down there, in the man-made canals, and you might not see them, but you sure see their burrows, deep holes dug into the dirt on the banks, and if you traipse around all that Brazilian pepper and cabbage palm they'll smell you before you see them. They're moving, eating, looking for mates. They're making more babies.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/environment/wildlife/article1011745.ece

“A cure as destructive as the disease”

Recently, a 6-month offshore drilling moratorium has been put in place by The Interior Department so that new safety requirements can be implemented. Many in the industry say “The moratorium is arbitrary government interference in the private sector that would wipe out thousands of jobs and millions of dollars of income, compounding the already terrible economic effects that resulted from the spill.” Deepwater oil production will be allowed to continue under close oversight and tighter safety requirements, but consideration of new drilling permits are being suspended.

“The Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association, an industry group that opposes the moratorium, says the suspension of operations on the 33 drilling platforms translates into a loss of $250,000 to $500,000 per day, per rig, or a total of roughly $8.25 million to $16.5 million per day. It says supply boats -- two per rig -- will lose nearly $1 million per day. And it estimates that the moratorium puts at risk 800 to 1,400 jobs per rig that translate into lost wages of $165 million to $330 million per month. The effect of that loss of income for onshore businesses that serve the affected families would magnify the economic damage.”BP will pick up the salaries of laid-off rig workers. (Offshore Drilling Moratorium)

But many engineers who worked with the Interior Department to develop a set of new safety recommendations for deep-water drilling say they think the moratorium could actually undermine safety. They say that shutting down and then restarting the drilling introduces new marginal safety risks. The bigger problem is with the migration of drill rigs from the Gulf of Mexico. The newer rigs are in higher demand, so they will go first and be the last to return, leaving only older equipment to be used once the moratorium is lifted. The crews from the rigs will disperse or move to other industries, leaving less experienced workers. The U.S. uses about 23% of the world’s oil and without deepwater drilling in our own waters, our dependency on foreign oil will increase. (ELA) Transporting oil in tankers has historically accounted for more oil spillage than well blowouts.

Opinions on whether or not the moratorium is necessary are vast. Some people think only high-risk should be the only ones to stop production and others say that 6 months is a relatively short time to shut down production. Either way, it is said that lifting the moratorium before the 6 month time span is unlikely. (Some Experts Call Oil Drilling Moratorium Misguided)

Sources:

http://www.eia.doe.gov/ask/crudeoil_faqs.asp#barrels_consume_year

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127942449

http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/06/18/offshore-drilling-moratorium-4-most-pressing-questions/

Random Things I Learned at E.C.H.O.

Bamboo is grass. When you put it in your garden, you will have to do no weeding! Bamboo is important in construction for third world countries because they cannot simply go to Home Depot to buy wood and other building supplies.

Eggshells, newspaper, and other trash are added to a bed of dirt and covered in a process called vermiculture T

he worms in the dirt eat the trash and recycle it, leaving more nutrient-filled dirt to fertilize plants.

System of rice intensification is when a patch of land is flooded to grow rice because when the land is flooded, no weeding is necessary. Farmers can grow more crops by having one flooded bed and one dry.

Raised beds are used to grow fruit during the rainy season so the fruit won’t rot when touching the damp ground. Waffle beds are used during dry season to collect the water when it is scarce.

It was surprising

to me when the guide gave us some numbers on how the world’s goods are divided up. 20% of people have 80% of disposable goods, 60% of people have 13% of goods, and 20% of people have 1% of goods. This is why half of the people in third world countries die of hunger everyday. E.C.H.O. believes in relief after a disaster, such as the earthquake in Haiti, but in development the rest of the time. This is evident in the story: Give a man a fish and feed him for a day; Teach a man to

fish and feed him forever.

E.C.H.O. focuses on teaching their farming practices to individual farmers and to children so that they may be carried on to future generations. Many children in third world countries are viewed as labor, so if they are sent to school E.C.H.O. sends them home with the food they have learned to grow. This allows the practices to be viewed as valuable to the parents rather than taking them away from more lucrative activities.

Rainforests replenish the world’s oxygen and take 100 years to restore.

Miracle fruit alters the taste palette, making everything taste sweet for 1 hour so it is fed to diabetics so they can taste sweet things since they are unable to eat sweets.

Sunflowers and marigolds are often planted n

ext to each other because the scent of marigolds repels bugs that are harmful to the sunflowers.

Many diseases are caused by unclean hands, therefore a contraption called the tippy tap is hung on the outside of the houses so residents can wash their hands.

Soil is not necessary to grow crops; only nutrients are necessary. Corn husks, pine cones, aluminum cans, and plastic bottles are some substitutes for soil in a wick garden. A wick garden is made when seeds are planted in carpet and the plants are held in place by the objects around it. Rooftop gardens can be grown in packaging peanuts so the roof does not cave in from the weight of soil. Shallow pool gardens have a

plastic liner to hold water in for the plants.

Air layering is a process in which moss in slits of trees to make new trees. New roots grow into the moss and then the branch can be lopped off and replanted to grow new trees.

The Moringa Tree

Another tree we learned about at E.C.H.O. was the Moringa Tree. The tree offers exceptional nutritional quality. Drying the leaves and crushing them offers 27% protein, 38%

carbohydrates and 19

% fiber. Ounce for ounce, the fresh leaves have more beta-carotene than carrots, more protein than peas, more vitamin C than oranges, more calcium than milk, more potassium than bananas, and more iron than spinach. This is an important nutrient source for new mothers who are breast-feeding and for young children. It can be added to baby formula also. It is often referred to as “mother’s best friend.” The roots may be ground and made into a horseradish-like tasting powder. The leaves may be eaten raw or cooked and the flowers can be brewed as a tea. The pods can be eaten like green beans or asparagus and the immature seeds may be cooked and eaten as you would garden peas.

In addition to the dietary benefits, the leaves may be used as animal forage, green manure, and to make biogas. The bark yields fiber to make rope and mats and the sap is used in medicines. The wood is used as paper pulp and produces a natural blue dye. Nearly every part of the tree is used for some purpose. The seeds consist of 42% oil which may be used as a lubricant for machinery and for cooking.

Another use we learned of was when the seed is crushed and added to water, it will help to purify it. As Americans we have readily available drinking water, but in third world countries, this is an acceptable method to purify water. This process kills approximately 90% of the bacteria in contaminated water. To further purify it, the water can be put into a smooth plastic bottle and left in the sun.

The Moringa is truly an amazing tree.

Protein Sources at E.C.H.O.

One of the things we learned about at E.C.H.O. was the three sources of protein from the lake. In the lake there were blue talapia that ate the grass that was fertilized by the droppings of the ducks held in the cage above the lake. When the interns drained the lake, they would get the three sources of protein: Blue talapia, ducks, and on a day to day basis, the eggs laid by the ducks.

Another source of protein from the farm are rabbits and goats. Goats are good for 5 M’s: meat, milk, money, manure, and muscle. The manure from both is used to fertilize the plants. The manure is also used in some poorer countries to make mud cookies. The mothers mix manure, mud and water together and let it dry. Once the mixture dries, they feed it to their children at night so they won’t cry from hunger. Although their bellies are temporarily full, this is very dangerous because of the bacteria in the animal waste and because it has no nutritional value.

The Neem Tree

One of the trees we learned about at E.C.H.O. was the neem tree. The neem tree is referred to as the pharmacy tree. It originated in India. Today, the tree has been brought into many other countries and through E.C.H.O., its popularity continues to grow because it is safe and effective against many ailments. The fruit must be completely yellow at time of harvest to avoid potential health hazards to humans.

Medicinal Uses

Neem cream reduces pain and kills bacteria which promotes faster healing and less scarring on a burn. It also increases the blood flow to the area which can reduce swelling of sprains and discoloration of bruises. Chewing a few leaves or drinking neem tea reduces pain of headaches, blood pressure and opens constricted blood vessels. Neem extracts or seed oil that was applied topically were effective in treating psoriasis. Applying the cream after washing your face could also prevent wrinkles. A daily mouth rinse with neem has shown improvements in tooth decay, bleeding, sore gums, and infections.

Non-Medicinal Uses

Rubbing neem oil on your body repels mosquitoes. Also, anything coated with neem will repel bugs away from plants so they will not eat it. It will also affect the insects ability to reproduce, but is non-toxic to other animals and humans. Neem cakes will improve soil quality and provide an ideal setting for plants to grow.

Oil Spill

I have been somewhat avoiding the current oil spill in the Gulf since it happened over a month ago because I feared that it was going to be more disastrous than the media is letting on. I finally broke down today and did a few google searches. I guess I just don't understand how these things work because I don't understand WHY they can't stop it from gushing! I learned that there were recent efforts to pump mud into the pipe and that cement is another option. I don't see the sense in either because when you add water to them, they are diluted. One website stated that the permanent solution won't be ready until August.

As we discussed in class, this oil spill will likely ruin much of what Florida is know for. Our beaches, fishing, and land development will suffer.

I don't care if gas prices, etc. rise because of this, but what is happening to the animals is so sad. I had seen pictures of the Alaska oil spill from years ago and the pictures taken currently are eerily similar.

The first picture I found is an air view of the Gulf. From far away, it looks like some kind of science experiment. Then I snapped back to reality; it is oil in the ocean, killing animals and washing up on the beaches. The second picture is of a few dolphins swimming through the oil. The caption said that five days after the picture was taken, 6 dead dolphins were found on the Gulf Coast and that "Officials were investigating the oil's role in the deaths." DUH. This is so terrible because even when the oil leak is plugged and the oil is cleaned off the surface, these animals will have to live with the defects acquired from not only the oil, but the chemicals that are being dumped into the water to break up the oil. I wish I could say I see an end in sight...

(http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100529/ap_on_bi_ge/us_gulf_oil_spill)

6 Mile Cypress Slough Preserve

Last week we went on our first field trip to 6 Mile Cypress Slough Preserve. We had a good time, but if I had known how many bugs were there I would have worn pants!

My favorite plant that we saw was the strangler fig. Because of it's name I originally I thought that the strangler fig kills th

e host tree. The guide told us that sometimes the host tree will die, le

aving the strangler fig standing and providing nutrients. I like the strangler fig because it is not the typical tree that comes to mind. Roots of trees normally grow underground and cannot survive when exposed to air, but the strangler fig actually starts from high in the branches of the host tree and its roots gro

w down toward the

ground.

We also saw a baby alligator and the guide told us how we can determine how old the alligator was. He said they grow about 9 inches every year. We determined the one we saw to be about 3 years old.

Our guide told us that since it as been a rainy year at the slough, many animals wouldn

't be seen. It was fun to write on the marker board the new animals we spotted while walking the board walk.

All in all, it was a fun and educational field trip.