Unit 6: Sustainable Living

Transcription

1 Unit 6: Sustainable Living Teaching Pint Ireland s ecnmy and sciety have changed ver the years, and in particular, during the recent ecnmic bm. Ecnmic grwth has had impacts n the envirnment. We need t plan fr the future t find ways t prtect the envirnment while still meeting ur needs in terms f energy, transprt, fd, clean water and clean air. "Sustainable develpment is develpment that meets the needs f the present withut cmprmising the ability f future generatins t meet their wn needs. Our cmmn future, the Brundtland reprt. T wrk tward a sustainable sciety we all need t behave in a way that minimises ur negative impact n the envirnment s that respnsible envirnmental behaviur becmes the nrm. Outcmes Students will: Explre the cncept f a greener hme. Be able t suggest persnal and lcal actins that cntribute t mre sustainable living.

2 Ec Eye Clip and Cmprehensin (NB remember t print and prepare these in advance). Taking the Green Schls message hme Here we see hw primary schl children invlved in Green Schls bring the message t their cmmunities and their hmes thrugh the Green Hmes initiative. Watch the clip and cmplete the cmprehensin exercise. Activities 1. Individual research: A sustainable lifestyle audit Students can visit the Green Hmes website t research the tpic at Students are asked t fcus n their wn r their family s lifestyle in relatin t sustainable living. Students shuld cmplete a questinnaire at hme. See sample questinnaire. Analysis f results When the questinnaires are cmpleted analyse the results in class by ging thrugh the respnses t each questin individually. Fr example Questin 1: Yes answers = 13 N Answers = 12. Wrk ut the percentage: Yes = 52% N = 48% Repeat this prcess fr each f the questins with set answers. Fr the pen-ended questins the class shuld list all the pssible answers and then classify similar r related answers int grups. Ttal each f the grups and present as a percentage f the ttal.

3 Results and cnclusins Students shuld nw present a shrt written reprt shwing all the results f the audit and then draw the mst imprtant cnclusins. They culd ask: What are these results telling us abut ur lifestyles? What are the key areas which are unsustainable and cntributing t glbal warming and climate change? What are the areas that can be changed which might help the situatin? Actin Nw take actin Display yur findings in schl r in the cmmunity (e.g. at a lcal library, cmmunity centre, shpping centre, in a leaflet sent hme with students). Build a website t highlight the situatin r pst these results n the schl website. Extend the prject t a much wider investigatin in the cmmunity. 2. Investigatin - fieldwrk Sustainable living: A cmmunity audit Pick a scientific sample using the Register f Electrs and cmplete 200 questinnaires. Remember the steps! Step 1: Identify key aims r frmulate a hypthesis. Step 2: Identify and get the backgrund material required. Step 3: Identify the main methds f gathering yur infrmatin. Step 4: Identify the main results and draw a cnclusin. Step 5: Identify sme achievable actins that may help the situatin.

4 Investigatin title: Sustainable living A cmmunity audit Step 1: Aims T assess the extent t which the principles f sustainable living apply t the husehlds f yur cmmunity. T examine the mdes f transprt used by the ppulatin f the cmmunity. T lk at the sustainability f the activities rganised by the Lcal Authrity fr the cmmunity e.g. are recycling/cmpst bins prvided and cllected, are there adequate bring centre facilities in the area? Step 2: Preparatin and backgrund materials View the clip and cmplete the cmprehensin exercise. Prepare the questinnaire and extend it t include questins relating t the Lcal Authrity if desired. Cmplete a pilt survey t test the effectiveness f the questinnaire. If the class has already cmpleted the individual survey, this will act as a gd test f the questinnaire. Make any changes t the questinnaire as required. Pick a sample f the ppulatin t survey. T pick a sample f 200 residents take the fllwing steps. Get a cpy f the recent Register f Electrs frm the Lcal Authrity ffices. Highlight the husing areas that yu want t include in yur survey and wrk ut a ttal ppulatin fr this study area. Select 400 respndents t achieve a cmpleted survey f 200. Divide 400 int the ttal ppulatin. Fr example if the ppulatin is 8500, divide 8500 by 400 = Nw select every 21st persn n the register. Select yur starting pint by using a randm number between 1 and 21. In this way yu will select yur list f respndents. Nw select every secnd respndent as a

5 substitute. This will allw yu t get 200 representative interviews using a scientific sample. Nw divide the list up between the class members (students can interview in pairs) and stress that these listed peple are the nly peple that can answer the questins. If the first persn cannt be fund r refuses they must g t the substitute. Step 3: Methds f data gathering Each student must then interview the listed respndent n the drstep and return t schl with the cmpleted questinnaires. Step 4: Results and cnclusins The results and cnclusins are then cmpleted in the same way as the husehld audit. Step 5: Actin Make a display f yur results and exhibit them in schl r in a public building. Send yur results t the lcal authrity with yur suggestins fr change. Write a reprt fr the newspaper highlighting yur findings and recmmendatins. Invite a lcal representative r speaker frm an envirnmental grup t yur class t discuss the issue.

6 SUSTAINABLE LIVING: A HOUSEHOLD AUDIT Our Transitin Year class is ding a prject n Sustainable Living in ur lcal area. I am interviewing 10 husehlds in this area. I wnder wuld yu take 5 minutes t answer sme questins please? Please answer the fllwing questins. The Huse: 1. Are the walls f yur hme insulated? Y N Dn t knw 2. Is the attic f yur hme insulated? Y N Dn t knw 3. Are the windws duble-glazed? Y N Dn t knw 4. D yu have any energy efficient light bulbs? Y N Dn t knw 5. What is the main fuel used t heat the hme? 6. D yu have "ECO Friendly" settings n the washing machine / dish washer Y N Dn t knw

7 D yu use them? Y N 7. Is any f the waste frm the husehld srted and recycled? Y N If Yes, what happens t the fllwing: Waste glass? Cllected fr recycling Brught t a recycling centre Thrwn away/put in bin fr dispsal Waste paper? Cllected fr recycling Brught t a recycling centre Thrwn away/put in bin fr dispsal Waste plastic? Cllected fr recycling Brught t a recycling centre Thrwn away/put in bin fr dispsal Waste fd? Cmpsted at hme Cllected fr cmpsting

8 Brught t a recycling centre Thrwn away/put in bin fr dispsal The Garden: 8. Des yur hme have a garden? Y r N 9. If yes, what happens t the garden waste? Cmpsted at hme Cllected fr recycling Brught t a recycling centre Thrwn away/put in bin fr dispsal 10. D yu cmpst any material? Y r N If yes, what materials are cmpsted? 11. What is used t cut the grass? What fuel is used? Travel: 12. Des the husehld have a car?

9 Y r N 13. If yes, Hw many? 14. Hw d yu cmmute t wrk/schl/cllege? 15. What prprtin f yur family jurneys are by public transprt? 16. Hw wuld yu rate the quality and availability f public transprt in yur area? Gd Very Gd Pr Very Pr Shpping: 17. What kind f shpping bags d yu use? 18. Can yu name three prducts, which yu buy regularly, that cntain recycled materials, (i) (ii) (iii) 19. What d yu d with the packaging ff prducts after yu use them?

10 20. Culd yu suggest any ways that shps culd reduce the amunt f waste material generated? 21. Culd yu suggest any ways that cnsumers culd reduce the amunt f waste generated? 22. D yu check fd labels and try t buy fd that is grwn lcally? Y r N 23. D yu knw what yur carbn ftprint is? Y r N 24. Wuld yu knw where t g t calculate it? Y r N Can I finish by asking yu a few questins abut yurself? 25. Int what age bracket d yu fall? Under t t t 64 ver 65

11 26. Gender? Male Female 27. What is yur marital status? Married Single Other Thank yu fr yur help