Entry #6

ECHO (Educational Concerns for Hunger Organizations) is a great non-profit Christian organization that helps poverty suffering countries in agriculture. They send missionaries to the developing countries to teach farming techniques so that they can live off their own land. The turkens and how they use the animals to help the land is what stood out for me. For example, they put the duck house above the pond that has tarpon that eats the ducks waste and algae; It's clever and so simple to do.  At ECHO the work they do is very relevant to the developing world. ECHO uses "appropriate technology." They use everyday things that most people already have to make into something you can use to farm with, such as rugs, cans, and tires to grow plants into. I would be interested in performing my service learning hours with ECHO. It would be interesting to learn how to use stuff I already have to farm and your helping others in impoverished countries at the same time.

Entry #5

Major elements of "sustainable" farming are protecting the water quality and supply, maintaining biodiversity, renewable energy, and plant and animal production. For water quality and supply, keeping pesticides out of the water helps crop growth. Maintaining the biodiversity can help with pest management. Renewable sources of energy such as, wind, solar, and biomass address concerns and increase energy efficiency. Plants and animals ensure the long-term success of agriculture. Taking care of the land, being sustainable, and treating the workers happy is an ecological principle woven into this framework. I do buy organic foods; I buy fruits, vegetables, milk, and some other dairy products that are USDA approved. I think I'm connected to the current food system, but I learn something new and different everyday and feel disconnected to the food system. I buy organic because it's healthier, there's no pesticides, or added stuff. I would rather grow my own fruits and vegetables on my property, but for those who don't have their own property  and are interested in growing food, might like the idea of being able to do so on campus. I probably would.

Entry #4

The most pressing global environmental issue we are facing today, would be overpopulation. Which relates to the over consumption of agricultural lands, natural areas that are cleared to build cities, and more natural resources being used. More humans create more pollution. Overpopulation means we are putting more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere than we should. There is very little land left that is undeveloped. If a wealthy benefactor gave me a $100 billion to address a global problem, I would allocate the funds to different organizations that work towards the preservation of resources for future generations. I would partition the money among the different global issues. I would give a certain percentage of the money to all the different organizations that are apart of helping making our Earth a better place since it is effected by so many pressing global issues that we face today.