Waste to Energy

My experience at the Lee County Waste center was a very informational experience. I feel that I was able to be more aware about my community and how to help with our waste disposal issue.  I personally did not think there was a trash issue, however going on the field trip I was able to learn more about the dumps and the alternatives that are better for our environment. I do wish I could have seen more and have more of on hands on experience than listening to a lecture for more than an hour. I never thought about how much trash a household throws out, for it being close to a million that shocked me. Then to equate that just with Lee County not even Florida, I realized how much of an impact the waste energy facility makes. Even though there is a debate about how the trash is wasted, looking at the pictures of the dumps, I did not understand why any person would want to have that in their town. Not only does it look bad; it smells bad, but also takes revenue from the town because no tourist wants to visit a town where it smells but also stinks. I personally think it is a great idea to have a facility in that they burn the trash but also can collect aluminum and precious metals that can bring lee county more revenue. However, there is room for improvement, in that we do not need to waste so much of our resources like food, clothes, etc.  Personally, I never thought about how many dumps we have in America and how it affects us until we went to the facility. It does make it want to change how I dispose my waste, telling my family and friends. I feel that waste disposal is not something that one thinks about on a normal basis because it usually does not affect them. It is like out of sight, out of mind. I believe that once people are educated on the matter, they can make smarter decisions when it comes to disposing waste. I do think it is best to dispose of the trash in a facility by burning to create natural gases. Therefore, it will make me want to do better with my waste disposal, however being that I live in a college campus other than recycling and not wasting any of my belongings, it is not that easy. I know that my family and I use or resources poorly and that is something that we can no work on. Now that we are educated, we can do better. We will do better.  

Journal 1

Overall my sense is place is obviously my campus. I feel almost special knowing that someone designed a place for me to live, learn, and sustain. Also I take into mind that that even though the building of Florida Gulf Coast University were put in a specific place by architects to know that each tree, plant, or animal was placed there by human nature. That they were not disturbed or uprooted but they are in their natural habitat. In some tours that are used, some tour guides say that the animals were here first and we came after, so therefore we respect them and what they have built. I believe that; we are on eight hundred acres and we will only building half of that keeping the other four hundred in its natural environment. Who does that? Florida Gulf Coast University does. Even though they are made objects here at Florida Gulf Coast University, they are here to better sustain this land. Even with our building like now called, Seider Hall being Leadership in environmental & energy design is helping or environment by having nontraditional air condition units, the showers to reduce carbon foot prints, recycling 70 percent of its waste and 20 percent of the waste was recycled back into the building to make the floors.  It helps me understand not only our university’s mission statement of having a university that prides itself on public service and environmental sustainability.  That makes me feel like I am a part of something bigger than going to an university to get an education but by doing service learning, learning about all the natural habitats, environments I am making a difference in society. Moreover, because I am in the classes like colloquium and foundations of civic engagements, I am also learning these aspects in class, I am taking the initiative to go to my community and helping. Thus, passing the idea of service learning down to later generation, which ultimately will create a better society for the next people coming up in the world. You do not see that at any other university that puts so much inferences on the idea of service learning, the idea that you need to give back to your community to be able to reap the benefits. That if you want something in life you actually need to help someone else before you get there. That whole idea just makes the sense of place so much stronger. The idea that I can just look out my window at a pond surrounded by trees maybe see some type of wildlife bird and then the next day see a baby alligator. How blessed am I to experience that .Even though I do not understand everything about Florida Gulf coast environment, it is something that I am excited to learn. I feel at home at Florida Gulf Coast University because this campus is so special and unique in itself. Not only does it care about the students, academics, etc but also the small things like the animals, the trees, air. Which in turn are actually huge because that’s how we survive.