Thankful for Volunteers

 

Ramona Madhosingh-Hector,  
Urban Sustainability Agent  

As I work on my annual report and reflect on the many accomplishments over the year, I am thankful for the volunteers in the Sustainable Floridian program. Sustainable Floridians is a pioneer program from the University of Florida that seeks to build sustainability awareness. Since its pilot launch in 2011, the program has been well received by our citizens, and in two years, we’ve trained 66 participants. Our volunteers have donated more than 1,800 hours to extending the reach of the Extension Service in our county. As Program Coordinator, I am indebted to the pioneer participants who remain committed to Extension and its mission.

Thanksgiving is a time to express thanks and gratitude and our volunteers have become part of our family here at Extension. One of our newest volunteers, Margot Hogan Glenos, reflected on her recent experiences with Sustainable Floridians and it illustrates what the University of Florida and its instructors hoped to achieve with the development of this program. I am thankful to Margot for sharing her reflections with us and I hope you enjoy reading her perspective.

Happy Thanksgiving.
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Having retired from a long teaching career, I decided to heed my own advice given to my students- follow your heart and do what makes you happy. As a teacher, I was constantly involved in community projects that involved some type of environmental awareness or conservation. There was great excitement when the students planted trees or gardens on the school campus. They became downright vigilantes when people dropped litter around on “their playground”. It was rewarding to see the students look at the environment through new eyes and know that a seed of conservation and stewardship had been planted in their minds.

When I moved to Florida last April, I wanted to be a part of my new community and pondered where to start. I came across the Sustainable Floridians Program that is offered through the Pinellas County Extension Service and the University of Florida. The course description looked perfect for my needs–sustainable practices tailored to my new home.

The seven week course began with an awareness of the ecological problems facing all of us on a local and global scale. It was hard to visualize scarcity and carbon footprints while gazing out at the beauty of the Brooker Creek Preserve. I watched butterflies float lazily past the panoramic windows as Ramona or Mary presented distressing facts. Squirrels happily foraged for food among the palmettos and oak trees while my classmates and I discussed sustainability.

It was on a trip home that opened my eyes to the development in Pinellas County. Highway 19 stretched on for miles with one town blending into another. It seemed that there were endless shopping centers between Tarpon Springs and Seminole. The traffic was steady and fairly heavy. I realized at that moment how truly important sustainability is to everyone around me. Comprehension dawned in my mind of what a million people living and working together in a space called Pinellas County really looked like. I was momentarily intimidated by the immensity of it all.

The classes began to calm my concerns about sustainability in the world (and Pinellas County). We learned about solutions found in other communities. When our classes took us on an exploration of water and electricity conservation, I really took it personally. It was at this point that I accepted the challenge of reducing my power and water consumption.

I purchased an umbrella clothesline and stopped using the dryer. There is something strangely meditative about hanging laundry on a line in the sunshine. I can hear all sorts of birds calling to each other. The wind chimes around the neighborhood create a unique orchestra of tube melodies in the gentle breezes. My dogs enjoy sitting in the sunshine, watching me fuss with each article of clothing.

Besides using a solar clothes dryer, I have been setting up a rain barrel to help save water for my plants. This is another direct benefit from the Sustainable Floridians. They bring in resource people to teach us how to do things such as building rain barrels. All I need now is some rain to fill up the barrel.

Another area of sustainability that piqued my interest in this course was saving on driving. I have been keenly aware of my ‘car-bon’ tire track for a number of years now. When I was commuting 75 miles every day, I needed a car that would get optimum mileage. After much research, I chose a Prius. It not only gets about 50 miles to a gallon of gas but has nearly zero emissions. Since retiring, I do not drive as much as before. However, the Sustainable Floridians course made me start thinking about my driving habits. Just because I have a low mpg car does not mean that I do not have to be conservative. I plan trips based on needs rather than impulse. If I need to go to the store, I combine it with something else that needs to be done. I am becoming vividly conscious of my driving habits and gas consumption.

Part of the requirement for the Sustainable Floridian course is volunteerism. I am looking forward to getting involved in community events around Pinellas County. It is exciting for me to have the opportunity to work with others who have expertise and experience in the many areas for which I am interested in volunteering.

These are a few of the benefits I gained from Sustainable Floridians. However, the greatest benefit was in getting to know others with a passion for living sustainably. Our class was comprised of people from all ages, backgrounds, interests yet we found common ground in this course. Ideas were exchanged, support and encouragement was offered, and new friendships developed. Knowing that there are other people in the community who feel the same about preserving our world and living sustainably is a huge boost to my own efforts.

I am grateful to the Pinellas County Extension for providing such a valuable course to the public. It was just what I needed to help guide me along a more sustainable path.

Biofuels are Growing in Florida

By Mary Campbell, Extension Director, Urban Sustainability

Gas prices in the U.S have increased 20% in the past year. It is not just the US that has been impacted, and this has an effect on our economy as well. The price of gas in the UK is about $8.26/gal. and $9.45/gal. in the Netherlands. Many countries have experienced huge increases over the past two years. In January, 1996 the price of gas in the U.S was $1.27/gal. The increase cost of gas impacts the cost of all products that are transported.

Developing alternative sources of fuel to power our cars and trucks is of great interest with gas prices soaring and carbon dioxide emissions contributing to climate change. Biofuels are renewable liquid fuels made from plant matter rather than fossil fuels. Biofuels can help reduce air pollution, greenhouse gases, and the dependence on imported oil. Twelve grants totaling $25 million were awarded by the Florida Agriculture and Consumer Services as part of the state’s “Farm to Fuel” initiative in 2008. These projects will serve as a catalyst for major commercial investment in the biofuel industry in Florida.

There are two types of biofuels that are currently taking center stage in the push for alternative fuels – ethanol and biodeisel. Ethanol and biodiesel are completely different. Ethanol is a product of fermentation, and biodiesel is chemically-converted fat or plant oil. Currently, the biggest source of biofuel is ethanol — a liquid distilled from corn or other starchy crops. Proponents of biofuels suggest that they are the best, readily-available, renewable substitute for gasoline and conventional diesel. The most contentious issue surrounding biofuels is whether they, in fact, save fossil fuels. Some research reports that more fossil fuel energy is used to produce ethanol from corn than the energy it replaces. Flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) are designed to run on gasoline or a blend of up to 85% ethanol (E85). Except for a few engine and fuel system modifications, they are identical to gasoline-only models. FFVs have been produced since the 1980s, and dozens of models are currently available. Since FFVs look just like gasoline-only models, you may have an FFV and not even know it. To determine if your vehicle is an FFV, consult your owner’s manual. FFVs experience no loss in performance when operating on E85. However, since a gallon of ethanol contains less energy than a gallon of gasoline, FFVs typically get about 20-30% fewer miles per gallon when fueled with E85. E10 (also called “gasohol”) is a blend of 10% ethanol and 90% gasoline sold in many parts of the country. All auto manufacturers approve the use of blends of 10% ethanol or less in their gasoline vehicles.

A method of turning biomass, such as yard waste and crop residues, into “cellulosic” ethanol is part of the research at the UF Florida Center for Renewable Chemicals and Fuels. A new facility to make biofuels from plant waste will begin construction in southern Florida under a $20-million state grant to UF. The use of waste from crops, such as sugarcane and wood, may provide the most practical and efficient source of biofuels. The first commercial cellulosic ethanol facility to convert waste wood materials into a renewable fuel went online near Upton, Wyoming in April, 2008.

Biodiesel is made from sources such as vegetables oils and can be blended with diesel made from petroleum. When the first diesel engines came along at the end of the 19th century, they were originally designed to run on vegetable oil. Biodeisel can be produced from crops such as soybean or Jatropha. Jatropha, or Physic Nut, is a plant of interest for Florida in the production of biodeisel. Jatropha is a drought-resistant perennial, growing well in marginal or poor soil. It is easy to establish and plants produce seeds with an oil content of 37%.

Another source of biofuels is used cooking oils. In San Francisco, SFGreasecycle is a free program in which the city picks up used cooking oil and grease from local restaurants, hotels and other commercial food preparation establishments. Those substances are then turned into biodiesel. Since 2002, Pinellas County has been using biodeisel purchased from a company that recycles grease waste into biodeisel.

Algae have also been reported as a source for biodeisel. Unlike some biofuel sources which require crops to be specially grown, which use more land, fuel, chemicals and fertilizers, the algae already exist. To get the fuel, the algae are processed into a pulp before lipid oils are extracted to be turned into biodiesel. The first algae-to-biofuel facility began operation in April 2008 in Rio Hondo, Texas, and is scheduled to produce an estimated 4.4 million gallons of algal oil and 110 million lbs. of biomass per year off a series of saltwater ponds spanning 1,100 acres.

There is not one single answer to the issues of dependence on foreign oil and greenhouse gas emissions. It will take a combination of improved fuel economy, investment in public transportation, new technology, and new fuel sources like biofuels and electricity to move us into a more sustainable future.

U.S. Department of Energy Alternative Fuels Data Center: http://www.eere.energy.gov/afdc/

Florida Center for Renewable Chemicals and Fuels: http://emr.ifas.ufl.edu/inside_ifas/10_2007/10_2007_27.html

EPA Alternative Fuels: http://www.epa.gov/otaq/consumer/fuels/altfuels/altfuels.htm

IFAS team receives $1 million grant to unlock more energy from sugarcane: http://emr.ifas.ufl.edu/inside_ifas/2008/2008_13.html

New biodiesel crop Jatropha taking off in S.W. Florida: http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2008/apr/05/new-biodiesel-crop-jatropha-taking-sw-florida/