Journal Entry #5

Swiffer Wet Jet vs. Libman Freedom Mop

I currently own a Swiffer Wet Jet and I can't tell you how many commercials I have seen lately for the Libman Freedom Mop.  Now I love my Swiffer Wet Jet, its easy, light weight, portable, and I thought economical.  Now that this Libman Freedom Mop has come out, it has made me question my loyalty to my faithful Swiffer Wet Jet.  The commercials for the Libman Freedom Mop portray a very similar mop to Swiffer, only the Libman claims to be better for the environment.  With my Swiffer, I have to purchase the pads, batteries, and the floor cleaner.  The Libman Freedom Mop only requires that you purchase the cleaning solution (of your choice!)  Well with a difference like that I just had to try out the alternative. 

Well after comparing the two...I am not so certain Libman is the best mop.  While yes, you are not purchasing multiple pads and the solution, you do still have the issue of cleaning the pads that come on the Libman Freedom Mop and with purchasing your solution.  The whole sale gimmick for Libman was that you save money and the earth by not having to keep buying the bottles of solution....

WRONG POINT #1
Unless I missed something, any type of floor cleaning solution you buy comes in a plastic bottle very similar if not almost identical to the Swiffer Wet Jet Refils.  So with that in mind you really aren't buying any less plastic with the Libman Freedom Mop than you are with the Swiffer Wet Jet.  







 WRONG POINT #2

Libman claims that their mop is more economical because you can re-use the cleaning pads.  Well I have a huge problem with that.  Anyone who is mindful of money and waste is going to re-use the Swiffer Wet Jet pads.  So the pads get multiple uses unlike how Libman likes to portray.  PLUS with the Libman Freedom Mop you are either required to purchase more pads if you don't feel like washing the old one or you have to wash the old ones.  By washing the pads, you are using money to buy the         detergent and money to pay the electric bill to power the washing machine and dryer. 

With these two points in mind, I would have to side with my faithful Swiffer Wet Jet being the more economical choice!  It just goes to say that advertising can be very sneaky in trying to persuade the consumer. 

Journal Entry #4

My Ecological Footprint

http://myfootprint.org/en/your_results/?id=1595769

 

I could not believe the results from my ecological footprint quiz!!!  I mean how wasteful am I????  I immedietly took inventory of my habits after this quiz so that I could change my "wasteful" ways :)  The myfootprint website gives ways to reduce your footprint and starting immedietely I am going to change those things.  I am going to use some of my remaining journal entries for this semester to keep you all posted on my progress :)

With this wonderful weather we have been experiencing lately, I have started using less electricity!  I keep our windows and doors open when I can to take advantage of the beautiful weather outside.  Since then I have shut off our air completely and we have enjoyed every minute of it :) 

For starters as I mentioned in one of my previous entries, my husband and I try to take our motorcyle to and from work when we can so that we are using less gas, which in turn puts less harmful fumes into the air, which shares a point in our rapidly growing pollution problem.  Now to be honest, what girl wants to ride a motorcycle everday?? It can be windy, hot, cold, etc.  But starting this week I have religiously ridden the motorcycle everyday to work!  This is one of the tips on the list for reducing your footprint:  Use cleaner transport.  While the bike might not be cleaner than a car, it certainly puts out less dangerous things both in type and quantity than my car. 

I also had my husband do a full detail on the fluids in my car too!  This has needed to be done for a while now and with such a hectic busy life, I have continued to put it off.  But according to myfootprint by servicing your vehicle regularly, you can help keep the emission control systems operating at peak efficiency. 

I am so guilty of another suggestion for reducing your footprint.  Avoid allowing your car to idle (except in traffic).  How lazy have we as humans become?? On my lunch break, instead of getting out of my car (because walking would not kill me-its not like I sit behind a desk all day...I do) and walking inside to get my lunch? To answer how lazy humans have become-some popular chain fast-food establishments have enlarged their drive through services to having multiple lanes to order from....its like going to a bank!!

Another thing that I have already begun doing to reduce my footprint was my use of electricity.  Before I started this class, my electric bill was around $196 AHHHHHHH.  I know this may be low to some people, but for me it was extremely high!! So I have made huge efforts to reduce that bill not only for the good of earth, but selfishly, the good of my wallet =)  Since that high bill, I have made sure all lights/fans are turned off during the day or when we are not home.  I have invested in room darkening curtains for all the windows, and I have started hand washing my dishes and being more mindful when washing laundry.  After all those efforts have been made I am proud to say that my electric bill this month was only $88!!!!!  After recording my meter reading I can't wait for the next bill because it will be even lower!!!

 

Stay tuned for updates!!!

Journal Entry #3

For this journal entry, I viewed a blog of a fellow classmate and decided to expand on some of her ideas :)  Before I started this blog, it never really occurred to me, how much I was already doing in this area.  There are tons of ways to help the environment and some of the smallest things added up can make a huge difference.  My husband and I had our home custom built for us in April of this year right before we were married.  I did a "walk through" of my house and never really noticed how much we were doing to help the environment right here at home. 

When were getting close to finishing our home, our builder had us pick out light bulbs for all our fixtures.  Looking back, I thought this was so silly.  I immediately went for the cheapest most inexpensive bulbs only to be stopped by our builder.  Not only were the energy efficient bulbs more economical, price wise, but they use less energy!   


By lowering your thermostat, you can also protect the environment by using less electricity.  In the summer months it is ideal to have your thermostat around 78 degrees while in the winter you should have it set to around 68 degrees.  Not only will this help the environment but it will help your power bill too :) 

By closing unused vents, you can help with your electric bill also.  My husband built a 3/2 home with about 1400 sq. ft.  This will be ideal when we start our family, but right now with just the two of us, we don't use that much of the space.  So for the rooms we aren't using regularly, we close the vents and keep the doors shut.  That way our ac unit is not working overtime to heat/cool those rooms.

 Our builder put in these standard shower heads in all our bathrooms.  The use of low-flow shower heads helps greatly with efforts to save water.

 

Planting trees is also a good way to help the environment while at the same time help yourself :)  Tree's produce oxygen and taken in carbon dioxide.  They also can increase property value, reduce urban runoff and capture dust particles too!

RECYCLE-RECYCLE-RECYCLE
Yes I know the Mountain Dew can in the background show that I am not eating as healthy as I should be, I am still making an effort to recycle when and where I can!

My husband and I try to make an effort is reducing the amount of exhaust and gas fumes in the air by using a motorcycle to commute to and from work if we can.  My husband probably is more religious about this than I am as he rides his motorcycle to work EVERYDAY rain or shine. 

Journal Entry #2

I wanted to elaborate on our first paper that we wrote in this class for this blog entry.  After reading in our University Colloquium text about the exposure to the environment and the effects it has on not only children but to adults as well I decided to do an experiment.  I work for the State of Florida in the Department Of Health.  I work 40 hours a day inside a building with only windows in a few offices.  I am not one of the fortunate workers who gets to enjoy the day view everyday.  I along with many others call my small 5 x 4 cubicle my home for those 40 hours a week.  My cubicle sits in the center of the floor that I am located on so sunlight....is much forgotten during the day.  I used to work Monday-Friday from 7:00-3:30, this schedule was very enjoyable for me, but I didn't feel like I was making the best use of my time.  I have now switched my schedule to a flex-week.  (I work four 10 hour days and have the weekend and one weekday off :))  I have found that by changing my schedule to this new schedule I have more time "off" to enjoy nature and the outdoors.  I also have made a change in my daily routines while I am at work.  I try to take my breaks and lunches outside now so that I can experience the outdoors as much as possible.  I have noticed, and so have my supervisors, that I am much more pleasant than I was before.  I do not get as burnt out as quickly as I did before.  I have noticed an increase in my production and processing times =D  I definitely think there is a lot of truth behind the article we read in our text.

Journal Entry #1

I am a Legal Studies major and in some of my other classes we had to research cases regarding child abuse.  This topic is always very touching and moving to me as children are so innocent in nature and intent.  They depend on the love and nourishment of adults/parents in order to survive in this crazy hectic world.  One of the articles I researched was a news story that was covered in the town I live in.  Below is the article:  

http://www.wctv.tvhomeheadlinesFla_Court_1_Spank_Isnt_Domestic_Violence_129957013.html 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) - September 16, 2011 -

An appeals court says a single spank doesn't qualify as domestic violence.

A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal on Friday quashed an injunction for protection against domestic violence. It cited common law and a 2002 Florida Supreme Court ruling that says reasonable or non-excessive corporal punishment can be used as a defense against child abuse charges.

Circuit Judge Karen Gievers of Tallahassee had issued the injunction against a father identified in the ruling only as "G.C." He had been accused by his former wife of spanking their 14-year-old daughter once on the buttocks with his hand.

The father said the teen had been disrespectful and defiant.  The girl said she was only being sarcastic.

I found this to be very upsetting for many reasons.  The determination for what domestic violence is today has become so lost.  There is too much gray area that is left up to interpretation.  I had a discussion with another classmate who upset me greatly regarding this issue.  She stated that something like this was nothing compared to the abuse she experienced as a child.  She continued to say that a slap or spank was not child abuse compared to her treatment.  While I do sympathize with the pain and suffering she must have endured, it pains me to see that people can think this way.  How can someone else's pain and suffering be any less than the next?? Who is here to judge what is and is not abuse?  I think anything of this nature towards a child should be considered abuse.  

Very sad story and sad circumstances surrounding this story.  =(

Field Trip # 2 A Marine Environment

For this field trip, I visited the Smithsonian Marine Ecosystems Exhibit in Ft. Pierce, Florida. This aquarium has many displays of ecosystems and marine wildlife.  I took my husband and son with me to this exhibit and we all thoroughly enjoyed the museum.  Even though the exhibits were in controlled environments, the species were well adapted to onlookers.   

 

Several of the tanks showed different types of plant life that grows around marine life.  These plants were beginning to grow algae on the ends as most aquatic plant life does. 

This is a scarlet cleaner shrimp under the shell and there is also a clown anemonefish.  If you have seen finding Nemo, you should recognize these creatures :)

I found this to be one of the coolest creatures we encountered that day!  This is a Blue Sea Star.  As you can see this is much like a regular star fish but is much thicker and is able to freely move his limbs around.  We watched as this chubby star fish moved its way around the bottom of the tank. 

This was a baby shark that had just hatched recently!!

This aquarium was full of species from the Caribbean.  All of the exhibits were expertly removed from their prospective oceans and transferred to this museum. 

This is a rock-boring urchine.  These creatures use their five sharp teeth and stiff spines to dig our burrows in the rocks.

On the bottom right is what is called a Pink Tipped Anemone.  This is the largest anemone in the American Atlantic tropical waters.  Small fish and shrimp often live in the tentacles for protection.    Also in the photo are Sun Zoanthid's.  These are the little yellow colored circle things to the right of the pink topped anemone.  These are easily mistaken for a plant or fungus, this a colonial animal closely related to anemones and corals.  Just to the right of the Sun Zoanthid's is the Symmetrical Brain Coral.  This is called a brain coral due to the closeness of this coral's skeleton to a human brain. 

This is a closer view of the Symmetrical Brain Coral. 

This is called Grooved Brain Coral.  This coral is distinguished from other brain coral by the extra valley inside the ridges.  Large specimens may be six feet in diameter. 

This is a Queen Conch shell.  The long stem looking things on the bottom of the shell are the eyes and the shell actually grows with the animal! I always thought they got rid of the shell and moved to a larger one. 

This was very interesting too! I have never seen a 9 legged star fish!  This was in the bottom half of the observation tank.  The museum had recently acquired this specimen and is giving it time to adjust and adapt to its new environment. 

Enjoying the observation exhibit :)

This is a horseshoe crab.  Underneath you probably notice those long furry looking things.  Those are called sea cucumbers.  They clean the ocean floor and are very squishy to touch. 

More sea cucumbers and urchines.  If you pick up an urchine, you can see them lower their pointy sticks.  

I only encountered one type of tree life in this exhibit.  This was called Red Mangrove.  These trees have long, finger-like prop roots that provides support for the tree and oxygen for the root tissues.

Although all of these animals were moved from their natural habitats, they seem to have adjusted very well to their new environments. 

Field Trip #1 Fresh Water Environment

One of the habitats we experienced was the water in the springs. This fresh, cool, flowing water was home to many animals and plan life. I encountered many different species while on the river boat tour at Wakulla Springs. Some of these species I was able to get pretty good pictures of, however some were not willing to sit still long enough for a photo shoot.

 I was alarmed at how many American Alligators we encountered on our tour. Leaving the dock only yards away from the swimming area, we encountered our first American Alligator. The tour guide stated that they enjoyed the heat and would sit floating on top of the water for hours on end. They most commonly were on the embankments or floating among the algae and other plant life floating on the top of the water so as to disguise themselves.

We also encountered several West Indian Manatee or sea cows. These beautiful creatures have unfortunately been mistreated over the years by boaters. I was not able to get a picture of the manatee, but one of them was marked with a tracking device and I was able to snap a shot of the tracker on top of the water.

Another animal that was very abundant in the springs was the Suwannee Cooter. This is a type of turtle that lives along the Wakulla Springs. I noticed that these animals liked to be in groups around each other and when they were not resting on a log, they were peacefully floating in the water.

The trees that were most common along the river inhabited part of the water and part of the air, which is another habitat. These trees are called Bald Cypress, and they are very strong rooted trees that are designed to withstand water exposure and the other elements of weather. These trees are home to the nesting areas of Pandion Haliaetus, or Ospreys.

There were several types of fish and plant life in the springs also, such as Bream, Mullet, and Large Mouth Bass. Our tour guide mentioned that cat fish are also common along the springs. Some of the plant life inhabiting the springs algae, seaweed, Eel grass, and pond weeds.

According to the National Geographic, a freshwater environment is made up of water masses such as springs, rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, reservoirs, wetlands, and groundwater all over the planet that distribute freshwater to the wetlands, lakes, and the sea, all of which supports thousands of species including humans. These bodies of water contain either drinkable water or water with almost no salt. The freshwater environment I visited was Wakulla Springs. These springs are between 36 to 20 millions years old but were first noted on a map in 1863.

   The Aix Sponsa, also known as a Wood Duck, was very common along the river as well.  Another habitat we discovered was the air. As previously mentioned, trees and birds mostly live in this habitat and I encountered many different species. The Hawk, Anhinga, Snowy Egret, Great Egret, White Ibis, Limpkin, Hooded Merganser, and also the Monarch butterfly inhabited the air along the springs.  The land surrounding Wakulla springs is very wooded and shady which assists the spring water in retaining its high level during high months of the year, even though gallons of fresh water come from the caves below every minute. The relationship between people and this environment is very controlled. Wakulla Springs is a state park that is closed off at sections to protect the springs. The swimming area is roped off so that swimmers can only enter so much of the springs and so that they are protected from the animal life in the springs such as the American Alligator. The tour boats that are used at Wakulla Springs have been in used for so many years and on the same schedule that the animal and plant life have adapted to their disturbance they cause throughout the day. This enhances the experience all tour riders get when they tour the Wakulla River as they experience the animal life acting as if everything is normal. I think the springs have been kept up beautifully and maintained very well over the years. There are programs for donations that assist in the upkeep and management of the springs which helps people feel like they are able to help preserve the natural beauty of Wakulla Springs.