Blog #6 ECHO

I am a distance learner at FGCU, living several hours away, on the east coast of Florida.  I decided to take the drive to Ft. Myers to visit ECHO, and I am so glad that I did!  ECHO is an amazing place!  I was impressed with the entire organziation.  I did a bit of research about ECHO before going there, so I knew a bit about what they do for the people of temperate climates around the world. 

So many things stand out from my trip to ECHO.  I was very interested in the talapia pond.  I love the synergy between the ducks, the pond and the talapia.  The amount of food that can be obtained from this simple pond is amazing to me.  The ducks live in an enclosure above the pond, that is open slats on the bottom, allowing their waste to drop into the water.  The ducks lay eggs, which people can gather and eat.  The ducks themselves can be eaten.  The waste from the ducks is consumed by algea in the pond.  Talapia eat the algea.  The Talapia can be eaten by the people.  What a great example of permaculture.  Everything gives something to it's adjacent element. 

I was also very excited to hear about the Moringa plant.  This plant is amazing!

Pound for pound, Moringa contains:

• 3 times the iron than spinach
• 4 times the calcium found in milk
• 3 times the potassium of bananas
• 2 times the protein found in yogurt and almost the same amount of protein found in eggs
• 7 times the vitamin C of oranges

It's seeds can be ground up and placed in water.  This water will be 96% pure within a few hours!  The moringa purifies the water by binding with impurities, including bacteria, found in the river water.  The impurities sink to the bottom of the jar.  Simply pouring the water through a cloth to filter it then makes it safe to drink.  Leaving the water in a plastic container out in the sun for a few hours will purify it even more!  With water born illnesses like diarrhea affllicting the majority of people world wide, this can be a true life saver!

I was also very impressed with the urban gardens, grown in tires, on rooftops, etc.  There was just so much to see at ECHO, each part more impressive then the first.  Their work is very relevent to the developing world.  They give volunteers the tools they need to go out to these countries and teach the people living there how to grow food, how to use appropriate technologies to better their lives, and how to give their families and communities what they need to thrive.  I think the fact that ECHO doesn't give out their seeds for planting crops, but instead gives out samples that can be used to increase knowledge is very important.  The people in develping countries need to be given the knowledge and support necessary to grow food and provide for their families.  They do not need to be given everything...they need to be empowered to help themselves.  I feel that is very important.

What I saw at ECHO is very different from what I have seen at other American farms.  There is a lot more syngery seen here.  There are so many innovative ways to grow food, in so many different environments.  American farms that I have seen grow one crop, in long rows, using machines to cultivate the land.  ECHO teaches people to use what they have available to grow the food they need.

Another thing that was impressive to me was the appropriate technologies that are used.  Being a nurse, I was excited to see the simple hand washing station.  Using an old degergent bottle, a piece of rope, a small piece of wood and a bar of soap hanging in an old pair of stockings, an appropriate handwashing station is born!  That alone can cut down on so many disesase!  Appropriate technology allows people around the world to use what they have available to produce techonologies that improve their life.  These technologies are environmentally friendly, and very low cost.  Some examples I saw at ECHO include the hand washing station mentioned above, as well as the Fireless cooker, the Rocket Stove to use for cooking, a pump operated by a bicycle, to a zero graze unit for goats.

If I lived in SW Florida, I would definately be interested in volunteering for this organziation.  I can appreciate their vision, and think they are making a huge difference in the world.  I like what I read in one of their pamphlets, "do not do for the farmer what you can teach him to do for himself".  Perfect!

Blog Entry #5 Sustainable Farming

What is sustainable farming?  It's not something I had thought about prior to taking this course.  Now, I think I will be much more aware, and will enlighten others to the benefits of sustainable agriculture.  There are three major elements of sustainalbe farming.  1) Social, or community.  The products of the farming should be locally grown, and should be abundant for the community.  2) Economic.  The farms must be viable, and they must provide affordable food for the community.  3) Environmental.  The farms should reduce harm to the environment, decrease energy use and erosion, provide fertile soil, minimal use of water to function, and provide genetically diverse crops.  It sounds like a lot, but with some research and education, it is not only possible, but should be preferred.

The ecological principles that are woven into the framework or sustainable farming are those used in permaculture as well.  They include adaptation, behavior, diversity, emergent properties, engery flow, growth and development, limits and regulation. 

Permaculture relies on synergy between all elements used.  It is modeled after natural ecosystems, whre the product of one element feeds the needs of adjacent elements.  One plant gives off nutrients that are used by surrounding plants.  The shade of one tree protects the plants growing beneath it.  The waste of an animal enriches the soil, providing nutrients for the animal's food to grow.  There is minimal waste, and maximum benefit for the environment.

Organic food is grown using natural pest control, and no chemicals or artificial fertilizers.  It has not been shown to be better tasting, more nutritious or safer for human comsumption.  But, I do feel that organically grown food is better for the environment.  That being said, I do not typically buy organically grown food.  It is more expensive, and it is not as easy to find.  I do, however, go to local farmer's markets.  Most of the food purchased there is grown locally, and organically.  I feel that we should all buy locally grown food, including seafood, to live a more sustainable and environmentally sound life.

I do not feel particuarly connected to the current food system.  I am enjoying learning more, and hope to apply this knowledge to purchase food that is grown in a sustainable way.  My husband grows some vegetables in our backyard.  I wasn't very interested in his little garden in the past, but now I will be more involved.  He did use some features of permaculture, such as planting flowers with the tomato plants to help with pest control.  He also planted green beans with the tomato plants.  He has begun to compost our kitchen waste, to use as fertilizer.  I think every little bit helps, and each person can make a small difference in their community.



Blog #4 - What is the most pressing global environmental issue?

I feel that the most pressing global environmental issue is the continued loss of biodiversity.



 Biodiversity is important to all aspects of wellness in our world.  Not only does it ensure the heartiness of species, but it allows for the continued presence of plants, animals and ecosystems for use by humans.  Lack of biodiversity causes extremes in the natural balance of nature.  The loss of one plant can cause the eventual collapse of an entire ecosystem.  There has been some positive action taking place, with world wide efforts, such as with the G8Summit and the U.N. Convention on Biological Diversity, to address these concerns. 

Why do I feel the loss of biodiversity is so important to address?

At least 40 per cent of the world’s economy and 80 per cent of the needs of the poor are derived from biological resources. In addition, the richer the diversity of life, the greater the opportunity for medical discoveries, economic development, and adaptive responses to such new challenges as climate change.

— The Convention about Life on Earth, Convention on Biodiversity web site.

The following video sums up what biodiversity means to the world, and to the human population:

As explained in the UN’s 3rd Global Biodiversity Outlook, the rate of biodiversity loss has not been reduced because the 5 principle pressures on biodiversity are persistent, even intensifying:

As stated by Jaan Suurkula, "The increasingly rapid, large scale extinction of species is a thousand times higher in the 20th century than the average rate during the preceeding 65 million years!  When extinction is slow, a balance can develop.  The resulsts of the rapidly occuring extinction is unknown, but is likely to precipitate collopses of ecosystems at a global scale.  This could cause large scale agricultural problems which in turn can threaten the food supply for millions of people.  He goes on to say that repeatedly failed attempts to limit the industrialized fishing has contributed to mass extinctions.  Up to 90% of all large fishes have disappeared from the world's oceans in the past half century.  The loss of preditory fish, like sharks, is likely to cause complex imbalances in marine ecology.  The destruction of coral reefs is another factor causing fish extinction.  ...According to the most comprehensive study done so far in this field, over a million species will be lost in the coming 50 years, due mostly to climate change."

Jaan Suurkula, World-wide cooperation required to prevent global crisis; Part one— the problem, Physicians and Scientists for Responsible Application of Science and Technology, February 6, 2004

We had better wake up!  It is alarming to me to see the trends in loss of biodiversity.  But why?  What do we get from all of this biodiversity?

A healthy biodiversity provides a number of natural services for everyone:

• Ecosystem services, such as
  • Protection of water resources
  • Soils formation and protection
  • Nutrient storage and recycling
  • Pollution breakdown and absorption
  • Contribution to climate stability
  • Maintenance of ecosystems
  • Recovery from unpredictable events
• Biological resources, such as
  • Food
  • Medicinal resources and pharmaceutical drugs
  • Wood products
  • Ornamental plants
  • Breeding stocks, population reservoirs
  • Future resources
  • Diversity in genes, species and ecosystems
• Social benefits, such as
  • Research, education and monitoring
  • Recreation and tourism
  • Cultural values

Shah, Anup. “Why Is Biodiversity Important? Who Cares?.” Global Issues. 06 Apr. 2011. Web. 07 Feb. 2012. <http://www.globalissues.org/article/170/why-is-biodiversity-important-who-cares>.

What are we doing to cause this tremendous loss of biodiversity?  Humans are causing it by:

1. Habitat loss and degradation - destroying rainforests, desecrating coral reefs
2. Climate change - Global warming
3. Excessive nutrient load and other forms of pollution - run-off from persticides and fertilizers, air pollution
4. Over-exploitation and unsustainable use - Industrialized fishing
5. Invasive alien species - the introdcution of alien species to areas such as the Everglades

Extinction risks are alarming.  Amphibians are most at risk, with birds and mammals following.



I could continue writing about this pressing problem. I was shocked to read about the currently used medication that has been dervived from plants. The loss of even one plant could have tremendous effects on future medicinal dicsoveries. This is an extremely interesting booklet that I encourage all to read: http://chge.med.harvard.edu/programs/bio/documents/Biodiversity_v2_screen.pdf

If I was given $100 billion to address this problem, I would allocate the funds to explore this problem, and to educate the world population about what diversity does for us, and how we are destroying it. I feel if most people knew the importance of having diversity in plants, animals, genetics, etc, they would strive to conserve and make changes.