Will Modern Civilization Survive? Post #19 and #20

     Societies have risen and then fell into the obscurity of the past all throughout history.  In fact, the collapse and failure of civilizations seems to be naturally consistent with nature.  No matter whom we are, we are all descendants from failed civilizations; a people scatter far from our origins in the attempt to thrive as a population. The difference now is that even though the collapse of civilizations was common, their demise was sporadic and localized.  One civilization fell as another rose and prospered.  The survivors left the ashes of their once beloved lands to immigrate to other areas in hope of a future filled with hope and opportunity.  Our issue now is that were a global society and the collapse of civilization with not be localized or sporadic but will encompass the world.  There will be no immigration to better lands or hope of new chances. What we are left with will be what we will live with.  Collapse would not be sudden, instead constantly spreading as in a ripple effect or like in the cartoons when the snowball turns into a avalanche, destroying everything in its path.  Global collapse would have consequences beyond imagining and would break even the best of us. A pretty scary prospective which many experts believe may be a reality in the near future.  I personally like to be a little more optimistic but also realistic.  I do believe that some sort of collapse is inevitable which historically has always been the case.  Evidence cannot be ignored especially when face with such issues as overpopulation, pollution, global warming, lack of resources, and over fishing.  No matter how were look at it there is no way to escape unscathed from our uncertain and looming future.

      

     The question is, how bad will it be?  I believe that such countries the U.S. will fare much better than, let’s say, a third world country but never the less will experience great change in life style . I believe that the U.S. will resemble more a 3^rd World County than anything else, maybe even a little worse.  There will be an abyss between classes, the poor will be truly poor, and many people will suffer. The world will be very different but will continue to be strangely familiar. Many people envision the future as humanity returning to the land, becoming simpler, but I believe that people will continue to flock to the cities in search of limited resources. The difference will be instead of living with abundant comforts, we will be instead scavengers and survivors feeding off of the late a great civilization of yesterday.    

     

I do believe that we will eventually find a solution to our problems but not before many people suffer and our present civilization falls to its knees. Corporations and politicians rule the world and their interest are about how to make the most profit here and now.  Only when the money stops flowing and there is no longer profitability in the current standard will there be change.  How about the general population?  We may lack the finances but we have strength in mere numbers for we are the majority of the population.  The problem is that were so busy preserving what we have, going with the flow and keeping our heads above the water, that we will fail to see the dangers until they have become a reality.  At that point, will it be too late to turn things around.  We have a great track record of coming together when we are faced with a common threat but will the massiveness of the problem be too much to overcome when were already over our heads?  I would assume that we will fail but to what extent?  We’re talking about the end of human civilization as we know it, not the end of the human race.  We are versatile and very adaptable, making humans in general, a very resilient species.  We will fall, but eventually we will overcome and again rebuild a great civilization. Hopefully we will understand the errors of our ways and apply what were have learned toward building a new and sustainable future civilization.

The Highs and Lows of Colloquium Class Post #18

I enjoyed Colloquium class because of the diverse and extremely different perspectives that were presented about societal sustainability, the natural resource crisis, global warming, and dangers of pollution.  There were many high points to the course which were both memorable and left an impacting impression about the world we live in.  I greatly enjoyed the field trips and I was impressed with ECHO.  Their philosophy differed from other organizations when it came to world aid.  The eco-agricultural strategy was impressive and I feel has promise and many innovating ideas that were simple to apply after some education. My part of the final project, which was agriculture, was influenced in many ways by ECHO.  Another high point to the course was the reading material, particularly The Weather Makers.  Most of the class stated dislike for the book but I thought that it was well written and intriguing in subject.  I read the entire book and then I gave the book to a friend after I recommended it to her.  Hopefully she will find the value in reading the book as I did.  There was not much to the course that I found difficult other than the lengthy essay we needed to write.  Maybe it was because I procrastinated in starting the essay and was rushed or maybe the sustainability of agricultural Africa was not on my list of interest.  I did learn a lot about Africa, which may also have influenced my final project, but I found the essay the least likable about the course. I know that there were two other choices for the essay but they weren’t any better than the one I chose, (a personal opinion).  Overall, the Colloquium course was productive, fluid, and educational.

The Meaning of Colloquium Post #17

Colloquium means many different things to different people.  The course serves as a warning; a warning of the not too certain future where the main concern is sustainability of our current status.  Best case scenario is we’re faced with being knocked down a notch or two from our current elevated life style.  Worst case scenario is a future similar to Mad Max where we kill each other for bullets, fuel, food, and water.  Of course I took the warning seriously but I have for a long time suspected that our current society couldn’t survive forever.  What surprised me was that most of the class chose to snicker, sneer, and ignore the educational warning offered to them. Many others believed that the content was ridiculous and did not pertain to their lives. I didn’t understand why so many had such narrow perception of the world around them.  Maybe because my classmates are still so young and still have no sense of mortality.  Most of them never had to fend for themselves, had to make sure that all the bills are paid with enough left over for food, or the sense of responsibility that one has with children and spouses.   I know bad things happen to good people, even in the best of times and that most of us, in a financial sense, are extremely fragile.   I know that even if Mad Max is only a flight of fantasy of an over pessimistic prediction of the future, the best case scenario still means increased strive and suffering for my children and for the generations to come.  There is sadness in the thought that my childrens choices and opportunities will be less than my own.   So does that mean that I find a bunker and prepare for the collapse of the world?  I doubt it.  I do take the threat seriously but I still have my reservations of what will actually happen and to what extent.  I know one thing, that  people with higher education, better resources, and that are most adaptable will be the ones that fair the best no matter what scenario presents itself.  The warning hastens me to push to improve myself and to improve my current position and right now the best plan is education.  Education will afford me better opportunities, better leverage, and will give me more knowledge in society if there is collapse or not.   How does Colloquium apply to my major?  I’m not too sure.  I know that much of the knowledge I attained in class will definitely have some impact on the decisions I make in my education, and for the motivations of seeking higher education. I also would assume that I would both seek personally and professionally to reduce my energy conception and ways to reduce waste, which I have done for a while now.  Colloquium’s message is not one of doomsday but a warning; a warning meant to educate and to promote the change that is so needed.  I think that the subject matter is vital and should be taught at all levels of education.

Florida Everglades - Reflections of Marjory Stoneman Douglas Post # 14

The Everglades are definitely unique and one of a kind.  I have on many occasions driven on Alligator Alley and look from right to left seeing only an endless expanse of water and saw grass.  I have always wonder how the Seminoles faired in such hostile lands but after reading Marjory Stoneman Douglas’ “The Nature of the Everglades” I realized the immense diversity of plant and animal life that the Everglades have to offer.  Right here in our back yard is the only Everglade of its type that connects to the second greatest body of fresh water in the United States.  750 square miles of water that eventual filters into the river of saw grass.  I think that the Indian name Pa-hay-okee (Grassy Water) is appropriate and best describes the Everglades; a grassy water that expands south by over a hundred miles and east to west by over 70 miles.  Water, saw grass, and muck over a well-worn sponge like limestone rock.   Not only are the Everglades about water and vegetation but also home to great many types of trees, birds, fish, insects and other larger animals such as alligators, crocodiles, bear, turtles, and panthers .  What the Everglades lack in hospitality, it has in the diversity life.  From Lake Okeechobee in the north to the mangroves in the south, the Everglades dominate over South Florida and still have areas yet to be explored. For after 400 years of  its discovery by European explorers, Everglades still holds mysteries within its endless sea of grass.

Thrown to the Wolves - Service Learning at ShyWolf Sanctuary Post 15 & 16

My Service Learning hours, for my Colloquium class, were spent at ShyWolf Sanctuary in Naples, Florida.  ShyWolf Sanctuary is a safe place for many wild and exotic animals which included Florida Panthers, two different kinds of foxes, wolves, wolf-dogs, coyotes, prairie dogs, and rabbits.  The majority of these animals were brought to the Sanctuary after being critically hurt, sick, or rescued from abusive situations.  At the time of my service there were 35 wolves / wolf-dogs, 1 coyote, 2 panthers, 3 foxes, 4 prairie dogs and a whole lot of rabbits.  All animals required special diets and habitats to survive.  

The animals are separated into their individual habitats which are cleaned and restocked daily by the volunteers and owners of the Sanctuary.  I was actually surprised on my first day at the Sanctuary because the animal habitats are actually built around and in the back of the owner’s residence.  The house is situated at towards the end of a road in a residential area.  The wolves are separated in pairs or into larger groups of 3-5 wolves depending on their character and their established relationships.  All the animals are neutered to avoid increase in population.  Every animal seems to have a story of origin and most are cruel and sad. 

One wolf was rescued after being abused for 5 years.  The owners had the wolf on a chain and choker out in the sun for the majority of the 5 years.  The neighborhood children would throw rocks, sticks, and metal cans at the wolf.  The owners fell on hard times as the husband was arrested and incarcerated and the wife returned to Mexico.  The wolf was left behind to die without food or water.  A Good Samaritan ended up calling Animal Protection and the wolf was retrieved.  Unfortunately, the wolf was ill with numerous parasites, heartworm, and it’s metal chock chain was now imbedded into his skin.  Animal protection originally planned to euthanize the wolf but the Sanctuary took him in and nursed him back to health.  Now he is the Alpha Male of his small pack of 3 and has rebounded in heath and spirit, living a more fulfilling life. 

Another wolf was used on a breeding farm (for wolves) and had dozens of litters but when she started to produce less and less, she was left to die with food or water.  She was rescued and brought to ShyWolf Sanctuary but she was not responsive at first.  The wolf refused to eat and just slept all day.  She was not very receptive to the volunteers or other wolves.  The owners found the solution for the wolf’s depression when they rescued to wolf puppies from a similar breeding farm.  The female wolf was immediately receptive of the wolf cubs and became their replacement mother.  Today she still lives in the habitat with both of the cubs. 

The volunteers are all from different paths and unique in their own sense.  Many are high school and University students but there are also volunteers that have been helping out the Sanctuary for years.  The volunteers are there for the animals and to help the Sanctuary with the giant responsibility to take care of the animals but we must also recognize the many others that donate funds to the Sanctuary.  The price to preserve these animals is high.  In one week, the wolves alone, consume 1500 pounds of meat (beef and chicken).  Also all these animals are routinely assessed and treated by a veterinarian.  Even with the all the effort to help the animals, ShyWolf Sanctuary continues to have opposition.  I was told by the owner of the Sanctuary that some PETA activist challenged ShyWolf Sanctuary by stating that to keep the animal caged in a artificial habitat was cruel.  The owner responded back with a simple question that the activist couldn’t answer: How long do you think that a wolf that has never known the wildness survive on its own?

A New Perspective for Downtown Fort Myers

The Fort Myers downtown field trip was enjoyable and definitely unique when compared with the other field trips.  As a Paramedic, I had worked the same area on many occasions and prior to the fieldtrip, I had a very different perspective of the area.  I could say that my experience was positive and actually increased my interest in getting to know the downtown area.  I do like the fact that many of the buildings and the roads have been restored and a recorded history of events is presented to the public on signs which are visual in many different areas.   Downtown is a blend of both old and the new construction which allows us to appreciate the urban environment over a period of time spanning over 100 years.  One would ask what does downtown have to do with colloquium and the environment.  In all definitions, urbania is an environment all its own that has a significant impact on all that surrounds it.  True, the buildings, roads, harbor, and associated infrastructure are man-made, the area still represents an environment that is very efficient in using the resources of the surrounding area.  With urban areas spread worldwide in all corners of the world, to not consider urbania as an important functional environment would be like excluding the mountains, ocean, or the rain forests.   Many people look at cities as something evil encroaching onto nature but in reality we owe much to cities for they have given humanity shelter for generations.  Instead of looking at nature and urbania as opposing forces, we should instead seek ways of blending both together to form a harmony between the natural and the man-made.