Recently, on Eco Design + Living, I asked readers to share some of the things they are doing to decrease their ecological footprint. Read about it here. Some of you may be wondering what an ecological footprint is and how it's calculated. For those who already know, I encourage you to take the test again over a period of time to see a comparison. For those wanting to be in the know, an ecological footprint is the amount of natural resources, calculated as an area, it takes to sustain a person. These natural resources are the products of our ecosystem that we consume, including the resources needed to take care of our waste. Natural resources are regenerative, though because of the growth of the world's population and the desire for all people to raise their standard of living (amount of consumption) to the level of developed countries, the world is in danger of overshoot. What this means is that humans are using more resources than the planet can regenerate in a meaningful time. Wastes accumulate; soil, oil, and water decline; and species are pushed to the brink of extinction.

These natural resources are the underlying foundation of our economy (the sale of goods and services derived from natural resources) that is showing signs of serious strain. Some believe we are experiencing a recession that has finally hit bottom and we're now poised for the growth machine to kick in. While I don't doubt that we will have fits and starts over the years to come, we are facing...

Margo Pelligrino arrived in Apalachicola May 12.

Margo Pelligrino scheduled to arrive at Sandestin May 15

Note: Walton Outdoors will post Margo’s arrival time at Sandestin when confirmed

Margo Pelligrino is a wife and mother of two from New Jersey with an important message to share.

Margo arrived in Apalachicola on May 12 on her way to New Orleans on her Eastern Outrigger canoe, paddling more than 1,000 miles in support of the Healthy Oceans Act.

Margo is collecting S.O.S. messages from residents who want to urge their representatives to protect, preserve and restore our oceans for future generations. Her goal is to build support for a Healthy Oceans Act, and steps to protect our oceans from global warming and ocean acidification.

Working with the National Resources Defense Council, and the last leg of the journey with the Gulf Restoration Network, Margo hopes to make a difference.

“We have gotten so use to decline, it isn’t shocking any more,” Margo stated when talking about the deterioration of our waterways.

“We are ruining the fabric, pulling out one thread at a time,” Margo said sadly.

But Margo believes society can make the necessary changes and stop future pollution.

The evidence of decline in Florida waterways was apparent...

Share something you have changed or want to change about your lifestyle that lessens your impact on the Earth.

• share a link, a list, or a short description
• 250 words max
• may include a photo
• post anonymously, with an alias, or be yourself
• stories will be posted to a page on the Eco Design + Living website
• no efforts too small
• local or not so local, welcome
• please respond by June 1, 2009

Send stories to chandra@cfhdesignstudio.com

Eco Design + Living is an online resource for living sustainably on the Emerald Coast and beyond. For more information e-mail chandra@cfhdesignstudio.com

Here's how the beach at Eastern Lake looked in 1977. The Goodyear Blimp was going from the Orange Bowl to the Sugar Bowl. One picture shows the dunes of Tresca Lake. They were removed and covered over with asphalt by a small, local developer. Some call this area Seagrove, but I try not to (long story). That is down the road. William and Katie Wesley platted probably the first subdivision in the Eastern Lake area as Eastern Lake Estates from 1903 land grant. That section is the west side of the lake. Our earlier mailing address was Pt. Washington, which was where John Wesley homesteaded and got a land grant in 1895. This was the first land grant in South Walton, I believe. Pt. Washington was a community before that, of course. I have an 1882 map with Pt. Washington on it. I still have a letter from my dad with the Pt. Washington address. More on this later and probably in another blog.

Be sure to explore my other blogs on SoWal. I've posted about 30 on different historical / environmental topics such as Pensacola, West Florida, Octavia, Alaqua, Camp Walton, Grayton Beach Smith House, Eastern Lake Trail and Historic Bridge, Florida Borders, Land Grants, and Native Peoples. Be sure to log in to view pictures and maps. They really make an impact.

All pictures by Brenda Rees, Shaping Florida (c) All Rights Reserved
\
...

Plastic bottle or stainless steel? This NY Times Op piece by Daniel Goleman and Gregory Norris sums it up. How Green Is My Bottle?

To summarize, if you think you will buy more than 50 plastic water bottles in your lifetime, then stainless steel is a better environmental choice.

If you only plan on buying one, then plastic has less of an impact on the planet.

Read the story...

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2...419bottle.html

Eco Design + Living is an online resource for living sustainably on the Emerald Coast and beyond. For more information e-mail chandra@cfhdesignstudio.com