Water

https://www.miamidiscounttours.com/everglades-national-park

1. "The higher we go up the food chain, the greater the virtual water content."

Robertson, M. (2017). Sustainability principles and practice. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 99.

     The idea of virtual water is a very interesting concept to me, because we do not always think about all of the resources that are used to produce food. This chapter is directly related to the food chapter in that all things need water to grow. This quote brings into perspective that there are so many more resources that are used to produce our food. Take cows for example; cows need a lot of water in order to grow and survive. However, it does not stop there. The cows need water, but the corn, grass and grain used to feed them also need water to grow. By the end of this cycle, it probably takes thousands of gallons of water to grow one cow that we can eat. This is one of the reasons water quantity and quality is of chief concern to us.  

2. "A more-sustainable approach to stormwater uses infiltration. This approach mimics the kinds of conditions that would have existed on the land before development by giving water access to the soil."

 Robertson, M. (2017). Sustainability principles and practice. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, 108.

     I believe infiltration is the absolute best way to reintroduce water into the soil to be reused. I actually have personal experience with this type of conservation. My dad owns and operates a large construction company that works in the storm and waste water management industry. His company puts in lift stations and water retention areas that treat water before it is reintroduced to the aquifer. He built a retention area that has ground up rubber materials that actually filter out all of the nitrates and other harmful chemicals in the water. All of it is done naturally, which eliminates the need for concrete and steel pipes that are used in "gray infrastructure".   

3. "The Everglades begin at Lake Okeechobee."

Douglas, Marjory Stoneman (1988). The Nature of the Everglades. University Colloquium: A Sustainable Future, 107.

     I chose this quote because it directly relates to the service learning project that i am participating in. I am working with Captains for Clean Water, which is an organization devoted to restoring the natural flow of water from the Lake to the Everglades. This simple statement provides the absolute truth that the everglades need the water from the Lake. However, big sugar companies have purchased the land south of the Okeechobee and refuse to restore the water flow. The affects on both the east and west coasts of Florida have been very destructive to the fisheries located there. Also the depletion of water flowing into the everglades has caused the environment to suffer there as well. It is said to see the environment suffer at the expense of peo