SPRINGBOARD FOR THE GLOBAL CLASSROOM Becoming Stewards of the Planet By Charles McGill Subject Areas Social Studies. Could also be used with senior classes in Geography, Global Education or Environmental Science Intended learners: Grade 11 This unit could fit into either human geography or a locally developed global education course. Students should have prior understanding of environmental issues and have discussed our responsibility for our social and physical environment. This should include knowledge about: • Water quality • Air quality • Climate • Forests • Animal/Human interaction Overview This teaching plan integrates the themes of global education and human geography for by examining sustainable consumption and development. We stand at a critical moment in Earth's history, a time when humanity must choose its future. As the world becomes increasingly interdependent and fragile, the future at once holds great peril and great promise. To move forward we must recognize that in the midst of a magnificent diversity of cultures and life forms we are one human family and one earth community with a common destiny. We must join together to bring forth a sustainable global society founded on respect for nature, universal human rights, economic justice, and a culture of peace. Towards this end, it is imperative that we, the peoples of Earth, declare our responsibility to one another, to the greater community of life, and to future generations. Learning Outcomes It is expected that students will: • Demonstrate appropriate research skills on environmental and developmental issues. • Compile and document task-specific information from a wide variety of print and electronic sources on environmental and developmental issues. • Present and interpret data on environmental and developmental issues. • Evaluate and interpret data for accuracy, reliability, bias, and point of view. Global education objectives • Help students understand the world and their place in it more fully 1 • • • • • • • Take action, either personally, in the classroom or community to practice the skills of responsible, global citizenship. Make connections between local and global manifestations of common issues to build understanding of interconnections and interdependencies and ensure that a Southern perspective, where the majority of the world's people live, is included. Analyze the systemic impacts of power and violence. An examination of historical perspectives uncovers alternatives and lessons, which can inform a new direction. Engage in an analysis of who is included and excluded; who benefits, who is harmed and who is ignored, whose voices speak loudest and most often. Develop critical thinking skills applicable to daily decisions, which impact global peace and security by examining issues relevant to their daily lives. Plan for a sustainable future by examining solutions to current challenges. CIDA Themes: • Sustainable development • Poverty reduction CIDA's mandate "to support sustainable development in developing countries in order to reduce poverty and to contribute to a more secure, equitable and prosperous world" provides the backdrop for these plans. Clearly, poverty reduction is at the heart of this mandate, which is carried out through a wide range of programming and monitoring activities. BC Performance Standards for Social Responsibility Exercising democratic rights and responsibilities: • Understanding and acting on rights and responsibilities (local, national, global) • Articulating and working toward a plan for a preferred future for the community, nation, and planet. Overview It would be beneficial if the teacher had prior knowledge of ways of solving problems in peaceful ways, valuing diversity and defending human rights. Specifically, this would include: • • • • • • National security Military preparation Peacekeeping Causes of War Effects of War (e.g. landmines, displacement, etc.) Crisis areas. War is examined as a social, economic and ecological disaster with social and ecological consequences that reverberate for generations. Students will engage in activities that challenge them to become Stewards of the Planet. A steward means taking care of 2 something, in this case the environment. Throughout the course students will build on their previous understanding of the global environment as they deepen their knowledge base, examine their own ecological footprints and identify actions required to increase sustainability. Social Studies 11 Classes with a Focus on Sustainability and Stewardship Sample Timeline and Topics Piloted in the 2002/03 School Year by Charles McGill Overviews, web links and/or sample assignments are included for several of these lessons. The Resource list that follows has a good selection of excellent web links. Class 1 Mind Mapping SS11 Units Class 2 Why Wars? Sequencing 20th Century Conflict Class 3 Anticipation Guide/ Cyber Wars Class 4 Simulation Exercise Class 5 Peace Jigsaw Presentations Class 6 Peace Class Visual Presentations Class 7 Canada at War Class 8 Canada Keeping & Making Peace Class 9 The Persons Case or The Integration of Women into the Workplace Class 10 Test Classes 11,12,13,14 Sustaining our Environment Class 15 Creating a commitment to sustainable consumption. 3 Go to www.davidsuzuki.org and click on the Nature Challenge for a list of 10 suggested challenges. Have students choose commitments they can make and sign a “pledge” to take action on their commitments. Class 16 Global Morning Exercise. See Green Teacher www.greenteacher.com This excellent consumer awareness activity was designed by Mary Gale Smith and is found in Best of Green Teacher, June 1997 issue. Class 17 The Human Development Index (HDI) Class 18 Maquiladoras/Maquilador Class 19 Fair Trade Presentations. Equiterre: Ecological and Socially Responsible Choices: http://www.equiterre.qc.ca/ Ethical Junction: Making Ethical Choices Easy: http://www.ethical-junction.org/ Ethics in Action Awards: http://www.ethicsinaction.com/ The Fairtrade Foundation Education Packs: http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/education.htm TransFair Canada: http://www.transfair.ca/ Class 20 Life Cycle Analysis: Recycle Challenge Teaching Note: Canada’s Second National Waste Reduction Week (October 21 to 27th, 2002) was intended to raise public awareness about waste and its environmental and social impacts. This year’s theme "Too Good To Waste" was about appreciating our world and paying attention to how we can protect the environment by conserving resources and changing our wasteful habits. Schools in the district were encouraged to participate in the Recycling Challenge and conduct their own Waste Reduction Week activities, such as theme days, litterless lunches and book and clothing swaps. It was a great way to raise awareness about the amount of waste we create, and discover how easy it is to recycle. To get schools actively involved in Waste Reduction Week the Township of Langley challenged schools to recycle as much as possible and compete to see which school could recycle the most, on a per capita basis! For the week, the students actively recycled their paper, glass and cans and documented their efforts. See www.wrwcanada.com for more information on this challenge. • Discuss the Challenge results and ask “What more can we do?” • Review the concepts of reduce, reuse, recycle • Discuss the premise that reducing is by far the most important precept. Discussion Question: How much of our Canadian economy is based on consumption? 4 Discuss this statement: As consumers, we can register a protest by not buying in and by choosing products made to service a real human need that incorporate principles of durability, recyclability, low energy consumption and ecological cost. Class 21 Guest Speakers: What Are We Doing? Two guest speakers were invited to speak to the class about environmental and development issues. (1) A CIDA speaker discussed the Canadian aid program, and shared his knowledge and experience in the area of humanitarian assistance. (2) Canadian Red Cross Facilitators talked about Human Development and Breaking the Poverty Disease Cycle. They examined and linked many of the causes related to human suffering - from local realities such as malnutrition, illiteracy and inadequate health care to global realities such as international debt, foreign aid and conflict. Class 22 Ecological footprint Introduce the concept of “backcasting”. Unlike forecasting the future, where one looks forward with projections, backcasting starts with one's goal or vision and looks back at how one might get there. Backcasting changes the design question from " Hey where are we going?" to "OK, we know where we're going, now what's the best way to get there from here?" No matter where you live in the world, or what type of community you live in you leave a footprint! It's important to measure our Ecological Footprint. Why? With a world population of 6.1 billion people and rising, we need to be concerned about the Earth's ability to provide us all with the things we need to live, and to absorb all the waste we produce. In this lesson students assess their Ecological Footprint, one of the most effective tools for measuring our impact and providing us with valuable information for making better choices. Students calculate how the Ecological Footprint measures their use of earth's resources in terms of water and land area. They are then challenged to examine how they can change their behaviour in order to care for the environment by decreasing their ecological footprints. Have students assess their ecological footprint, using web resources listed in the bibliography. Go to www.ecovoyageurs.com Hit Measure your impact Hit Click Here Calculate your "EF" Then have students expand their knowledge by examining Ecological Footprints and populations from 10 different countries. Instruct them to click on the numbers on the world map to compare world populations and Ecological Footprints of 10 different countries and collect data. Go to the following site: www.rprogress.org/programs/sustainability/ef/Footpdist/ and fill in a variety of statistical information of your choice. Note your results. Analyze your comparisons between the US to the rest of the World. See the World Wildlife Foundation Living Planet Report 2002 for more information at www.panda.org Pose this question to the class: How can we change our behaviour in order to better care for the environment? 5 Class members were then asked to write an in-class essay illustrating how the Ecological Footprint is helping them and other Canadians become stewards of the planet. In Class Essay Instructions Every time you take a sip of water, enjoy a hearty lunch, or hop into your car to visit a friend you have an impact on the Earth. Think of that impact as a Footprint…an Ecological Footprint, a metaphor for human impact on the earth. This Ecological Footprint is a measure of the productive land and sea (nature) that would be required to support each individual’s current lifestyle forever. The essay should help others understand why the Ecological Footprint can help them become a steward of the Planet. Write a short in class essay that is based on the premise that the Ecological Footprint is helping you and other Canadians to become stewards of the Planet. See quotes from sample essays (Appendix 1) Class 23 The Natural Step: Case Studies. In this lesson, students explore how they might become stewards for the environment through examining case studies of companies that practice sustainable manufacturing and are responding to consumer demand for recycled, recyclable, or otherwise environmentally friendly products. Making social and ecological change happen is not easy. The Natural Step is a useful tool that provides the science, analysis, methodologies and tools to use in the quest for sustainability. Case studies allow students to hear the stories of individuals, teams and organizations learning about change and sustainability, and then acting on that learning. Students examine two case studies: the first examines the world’s largest wood furniture company Ikea, and the second looks at the British Columbian community of Whistler which is grappling with the paradox of sustainability in a high profile resort town. Procedure: Do a creative thinking exercise using the following question: What is a Steward of the Earth? For resources to guide this discussion go to http://www.stanleyparkecology.ca/activities/index.html Review with the students the Nature Challenge commitments they made in Class 15. Discuss/Explain the Natural Step Teacher will need to refer to resources from the web site http://naturalstep.ca The Natural Step (TNS) is often referred to the compass for sustainability helping to indicate the direction for sustainable action. Along with the Ecological Footprint, the TNS Framework is used to define sustainability. A number of businesses are in the process of redefining their activities within the TNS Framework and serve as models of how movement towards a more sustainable world may occur. TNS's Strategies for Action includes four elements (referred to as ABCD) • Awareness-Developing a common understanding of the situation within an organization • Base-line mapping-Mapping current operations of an organization in terms of the four system conditions. 6 • Clear vision-Creating a vision and identifying measures that take an organization from where it is now to where it can be in a sustainable future • Down to Earth action-Prioritizing measures for achieving the organization's vision that move it toward sustainability. To assist with this last step, TNS uses a technique called "backcasting". Unlike forecasting, where one looks forward with projections, backcasting starts with one's goal or vision and looks back at how one might get there Next have the students log on to www.whistleritsournature.ca They are to watch the videos on Natural Step and take notes. I suggest that they watch 3 of the available 5 videos: the funnel, 4 systems conditions, and ABCD thinking Additional resources on the Natural Step can be found at these sites http://members.ozemail.com.au/~natstep/framework/framform.html www.naturalstep.org The students examine two Case Studies based on the Natural Step by going to http://naturalstep.ca and clicking on case summaries for Ikea and Whistler. Each student reads one of the Cases. Then they pair up with someone who has read the same case and they form an expert group to do a review. Once they have critiqued the case they share with two other students (jigsaw) who have read a different case. The critique should be to the point yet include all relevant and important information. The students discuss the point of view expressed by the author and provide their assessment of the author's point of view. Class 25 Class Presentations Rich & Poor Students present the results if their research assignment in this class. Assignment: Rich & Poor Most of us accept poverty as a fact of life. And yet people have dreamed of eliminating poverty, and some have tried to make their dreams a reality through reform and revolution. Are there structural causes of poverty? Can they be eliminated? Note: This assignment may be done individually or as a group. WHY ARE PEOPLE POOR? Find some answers to the big question, "Why are people poor?" Take notes on the factors that limit people's chances to escape their restricted living conditions, or which drive them into poverty. As you gather information, imagine individual people in different parts of the world living in differing circumstances. For each of the characters you imagine, create a "portrait of poverty," explaining the factors that contribute to that character's impoverished condition. A street child in Rio de Janeiro will have some different economic and social conditions limiting his opportunities and controlling his life than a young girl living in a village in Botswana, a farmer in Central America, or a garment worker in an Asian sweatshop. Poverty is not just a problem for developing countries. You should also pay attention to the conditions that contribute to poverty in Canada and in the United States. Sometimes it is harder to understand the problems 7 closest at hand, especially in comparatively rich countries. Develop your character studies into full portraits that begin by describing the daily lives and living conditions of your fictional characters, then explain the root causes of their poverty. What are the social, economic, political and cultural conditions that contribute to poverty in each case? Assignment: Portrait of Poverty (Adapted from historica.ca) Describe the daily lives and living conditions of 2 fictional characters. Give each a name and a country. Explain the root causes of their poverty under these heading: • Social • Economic • Political • Cultural conditions See a completed sample of this assignment (Appendix 2). Class 25 Jigsaw Presentations based on Forecasting the Future Assignments Take a turn at being a Science Fiction writer. Learn about a global environmental hazard and then cast your imagination into a future when the consequences of the danger have become a reality. ASSIGNMENT (Adapted from historica.ca) THE PRESENT Use the Web Resources listed below and other resources to research current threats to the global environment, such as climatic change, ozone depletion, and loss of wildlife habitat, deforestation, etc. Pay particular attention to the way the conditions are linked and to the long-term effects that scientists and environmentalists forecast if preventative measures are not taken. These will be the bases for your story. YOUR SCI-FI FUTURE Write a short story set in a future where the environmental effects you learned about have taken effect. Your characters are affected in one way or another by the conditions in which they live. Maybe they have adapted (by natural or artificial means) to the new environment. Maybe they are suffering from the consequences. Use the combination of scientific facts and your imagination to make the situation realistic and interesting. READING & PRESENTATION You should illustrate your story when you read it in a JIGSAW group. Your drawings or paintings can liven up the presentation. If you have photo-enhancing software, you might manipulate one or more photographs to illustrate your imagined future world. MARKING GUIDE Story = 30 marks Visual & Presentation = 20 marks 8 See samples of students assignments (Appendix 3). Assignment Resources Environment Canada Information about climate change, water and air quality, as well as environmental predictions. www.ec.gc.ca Environment On-Line Information about climate change, energy, forests, biodiversity, ozone depletion, resource use and water. www.creat.org/index.html Greenpeace An influential activist organization that exposes global environmental problems. www.greenpeace.ca Internet Research Resources for Science Fiction Writers (English) Tips for how to find accurate information on the Internet to assist with science fiction writing. www.writerswrite.com/journal/jan99/gak11.htm United States Environmental Protection Agency: Global Warming Site (English) Examines the issue of global warming and what to do about it. www.epa.gov WWF - World Wide Fund For Nature Info about climate change, endangered seas, and forests. www.panda.org Class 26 Advertising and Consumption Class 27 Youth as Consumers. Class 28 Youth as Citizens. Class 29 Unit Test See sample test questions (Appendix 4). 9 Resources Used it in this Teaching Plan Books and Magazines Bill Bigelow and Bob Peterson, eds, Rethinking Globalization: Teaching for Justice in an Unjust World (Milwaukee: Rethinking Schools Press, 2002). See Rethinking Schools Online: http://www.rethinkingschools.org Roland Case and Penney Clark, eds, The Canadian Anthology of Social Studies: Issues and Strategies for Teachers (Burnaby: Simon Fraser University, 1997). Craig Kielburger and Marc Kielburger, Take Action! A Guide to Active Citizenship (Toronto: Gage Learning Corporation, 2002). The things we carry: Sustainable Consumption, Environment, & Global Issues. Vancouver, B.C.: Environmental Youth Alliance, 2001& 2003 Available through www.cinamatheque.bc.ca/education Nattrass, B. and M. Altomare. Dancing with the Tiger. (Gabriola Island, B.C.: New Society Publishers, 2002). David J. Smith, If the Earth Were a Village: A Book About the World’s People (Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2002). New Internationalist Magazine Online www.newint.org Sharon Sterling and Steven Powrie, Global Citizens (Outlooks; 6) (Don Mills: Oxford University Press, 2001). Suzuki, David. The Sacred Balance. Vancouver, B.C.: Greystone books, 1997 . Websites Ecological Footprint Sites http://bestfootforward.com http://demesta.com/ecofoot www.city.toronto.ca/energy/footprint.htm www.ecovoyageurs.com www.ire.ubc.ca/ecoresearch/ecoftpr.html www.rprogress.org/programs/sustainability/ef/Footpdist Ethical Issues/Fair Trade Equiterre: Ecological and Socially Responsible Choices: http://www.equiterre.qc.ca/ Ethical Junction: Making Ethical Choices Easy: http://www.ethical-junction.org/ Ethics in Action Awards: http://www.ethicsinaction.com/ The Fairtrade Foundation Education Packs: http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/education.htm 10 TransFair Canada: http://www.transfair.ca/ Models for Action Kids Can Free the Children: http://www.freethechildren.org/ Global Exchange: http://www.globalexchange.org/ Global Gang: http://www.globalgang.org.uk/ www.edgateway.net for discussion forums on environmental issues Natural Step Model http://members.ozemail.com.au/~natstep/framework/framform.html http://naturalstep.ca www.naturalstep.org Government and Non-Governmental Organizations Canadian International Development Agency: http://www.acdi-cida.gc.ca CoDevelopment Canada: http://www.codev.org/codev/ Change for Children: http://www.changeforchildren.org/ Check Your Head: http://www.checkyourhead.org/ http://edgateway.net International Labor Organization Kids: Child Labour: http://us.ilo.org/ilokidsnew/kids.html Oxfam Canada: http://www.oxfam.ca/ Peace Corps Kids World: http://www.peacecorps.gov/kids/ UNICEF Canada: http://www.unicef.ca/ UNICEF – give it up 4 Kids: http://www.giveitup4kids.ca/ Victoria International Development Education Association: http://www.videa.ca/ Earth Stewardship http://www.stanleyparkecology.ca/activities/index.html Resort Municipality of Whistler. Whistler, B.C., 2000. RMOW http://www.whistler.net/rmow/reading http://rprogress.org/programs/sustainability/ef/Footpdist Teacher Resources Eco Education BC: http://bccf.com/ecoed/ The Global Classroom-Growth of the Global Perspective. http://www.members.shaw.ca/globalteaching/ Peace Tools for Teachers: http://www.salsa.net/peace/teach/teachers.html 11 Appendix 1 Sample Student Essays: Ecological Footprints “There are no passengers on spaceship, we are all crew.” Our ecological footprint represents how much land is required to support us. We live in a society where we consume majority of the Earth’s consumables but barely represent 20% of the population. Our habits of consumption play poorly against the sustainability of our home Earth. Some people consume so much that if everyone consumed that much then we would need multiple Earth’s. The small fraction of the population consumes the majority of Earth’s resources. We live in a society where we eat without thought of where it came from or what damages it may have caused. While we eat our luxurious meals, the majority of people around the world are given little choice. Our wasteful ways greatly increase the amount of land that is required by people who live in richer countries. We have habits that don’t make sense to the rest of the world. Society has flawed viewpoints on the environments’ impact of humans. The rich countries have been conditioned to the point where many are unaware that problems exist. The measure of our ecological footprint shows us how false these viewpoints are. Canada isn’t as bad as many, but is still very bad. The average number of hectares a Canadians consumer is massive when compared to a country like India. We have lived for a long time without the need to question whether food and water will be available. These commodities have become second nature to us, which is a terrible thing, who knows what could happen if suddenly our “endless” supply of food and water banished. Then, perhaps, we would know how many people in this world survive! The ecological footprint is a very good tool to compare Canada’s needs to other countries. We have seen how Canada consumes much more than it should, and maybe we will be seeing the consequences of our misuse in the future. Our current lifestyle is by no means sustainable for the long term. The ecological footprint is a way of showing how we use our nature. It shows how other countries live and whether they live like Canadians. This relates on how we see the world and see if it is reflected on them. Finally, the ecological footprint is showing us how we can respect the environment and not take it for granted. It is important to understand other countries problems because the world is a global village. Everything that we do has an impact on the world. As the world turns, so does everyone else. We cannot say that the stuff that happens in Canada doesn’t impact the world. The Ecological Footprint represents how Canadians are blessed to have such a beautiful country. Other countries are not blessed like us, Canadians. Some countries like India, which has and ecological footprint of 0.9 ha, and China, which has an ecological footprint of about less than 3 are prime examples. These countries aren’t blessed to have resources like us. So when you are taking a bath, think about the water that other countries do not have! An ecological footprint is a measure of nature that we require to support our lifestyles. I do think Canadians can be stewards of the planet by solving our own 12 problems. I think Canadians should become aware of all the energy we consume and the food we throw out. But Canada has been trying to help nature by reducing their ecological footprint. So, when you eating a hearty lunch or taking a sip of water, think about the world, think what the world needs and then yourself. Don’t be self-fish. An ecological footprint should aware us of the so-called environment. If your ecological footprint is quite high, try to bring it down. You are an individual and we can make a big difference! The idea of an Ecological Footprint is helping myself and other Canadians to become stewards of the planet because it is a quick and easy way to come about the realization of our actual impact or the world, and our place in regards with other countries. I have always thought myself a good green peace girl. That throwing the cans in the blue box will save the future. But the Ecological Footprint proved other wise. Filling out my footprint details taught me it wasn’t so much what I wasn’t doing that was dooming our future, but what I was doing. That my showers were wasting water, wearing new clothes was dooming our earth, eating meat destroying our wildlife. After being shocked to find out I was a menace to the environment I had a new found excitement to make it up to the earth. Along with the three steps taken by our class, I have been enforcing much stricter recycling rules at home. Teaching my family what they did not know. I like to think each person in the class looked at their own lifestyle after seeing their score. I suggest we even make it a school wide test. Furthermore I was dumb struck to see Canada’s footprint compared to that of India for example thought we were supposed to be a considerate country. It seems to me that Canada must be the country that’s dooming the earth with the amount of resources we consume. So inclusion the ecological footprint has helped us by shocking us into taking action and the survey questions helped us to see on paper, which areas of our lives can do with some rethinking on a larger scale. Now somehow tomorrow’s outfit doesn’t seem so important any more, in comparison with global warming and the end of the world. The research into our ecological footprint is one of the best things to happen in a long time. It will help Canadians become stewards of the planet by giving us an incentive to stay informed, providing ways to lessen our footprint, but most importantly make us aware of what we are doing. The ecological footprint gives us an incentive to stay informed. When citizens find out about our high ecological footprint they are more likely to stay involved and become more educated on this issue. Through their education they will learn how they can help lower their footprint, and it almost becomes a challenge to be able to again look at Canada’s footprint in time and see if the footprint has lowered. With their education it will rub off onto others around them creating a chain reaction. The population will as a whole be more aware, and positive goals will be met. Another thing our ecological footprint gives us is ways to improve our ecological footprint. The numerous websites, reports and articles not only report our footprint, but 13 also give you ways to improve it. The pro’s and con’s encourage you to take action and follow the ideas of which you read. They are simple and easy to follow, things such as not owning twelve different pairs of pants, using less water, and buying locally grown foods can make a huge difference. It is the difference we need. Thirdly it makes us aware of what we are doing to our earth. The human race has taken over earth and consumed without ever returning. If every person on earth were to live like us we would need around for to five earths just to supply our resources. Everyone should have the chance to live as we do in North America; however, at the rate we consume it is not possible. That is why being aware of how much we abuse our earth must be made apparent to help lessen our mass consumption. As seen our ecological footprint record can greatly affect how we treat our earth. It provides us with an incentive ways to lessen our footprint, and finally the awareness. The awareness can help us become stewards for planet earth to put forward a nurturing attitude. If we treat earth with respect it will reflect. If we abuse earth eventually we will die off earth. This is the realization provided by our ecological footprint. The Ecological Footprint is a great way to make people aware of what they are doing to the environment. It is a very simple way of explaining the damage that humans cause to the Earth. Neither too complicated nor too in-depth, the Ecological Footprint provides a factual basis for explaining the environmental impact of each human being on Earth today. One’s Ecological Footprint depends largely on where in the world they live. When we went to the computer lab during class, we learned that Canada and the US has huge ecological footprints compared to other, poorer countries of the world. The fact is that people in North America have money to buy things that pollute the Earth, whereas people from poorer countries get by with only the bare necessities required to live. During the computer lab exercise I learned that my current Ecological Footprint is well below the national average. The results were pleasing and they encouraged me to do more to make my Ecological Footprint even lower. I hope that those who had high Ecological Footprints were also encouraged to do more to reduce theirs. The footprint is easy to understand and I’m sure that most people can comprehend how it works. If something is too complicated people will give up and not care. That is why the Ecological Footprint is a great way of explaining environmental issues to people. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that throwing a shoebox full of garbage away everyday is worse than throwing a cup-full away. In conclusion, the Ecological Footprint helped my classmates and me to understand the environmental impacts that various ways of life have or the environment. It was a simple, yet complete way of explaining a very complicated topic. It has encouraged me to do my part as a Canadian and become a steward of the planet. Not only does the Ecological Footprint tell us our impact on Earth, but it also benefits our lives as well as others. There are many advantages to the ecological footprint. 14 When we find out our ecological footprint, it can either shocks us on make us happy. When your ecological footprint is high, you become aware of what you’re doing. You can then work to lower you footprint. Although people think they’re “tree huggers,” it can turn out that really they’re “tree haters.” So they can start by buying foods in recyclable containers, and recycling these newspapers. “Take nothing, and leave only your footprints.” This saying can apply to our daily lives, we can learn (from our Eco-footprint) that there are things we can do both individually, and with a group. You can carpool, walk, share resources. There is so much we get from the environment, and we take so much, that we forget what were doing. We need to stop and start giving things back to the environment. There are many things that can be done to lower our impact. There are places like China where their footprint is half of ours, we could downsize or share resources. This doesn’t mean that you have to completely stop what you’re doing. It takes steps to accomplish something. The Ecological Footprint is not only beneficial, but it’s also a way to see your impact. Many people don’t realize that they’re affecting the environment in drastic ways. Its things like these (Eco-footprint) that help make a difference to our life styles. 15 Appendix 2 Sample of The Rich and the Poor Assignment Character (A):Abdul Matthewson Character (B): Hata Habakkuk Age:14 Age: 17 Occupation: Works at a sweatshop Occupation: Works in a Maquiladora Life Story: Life Story: Abdul was born in Rio de Janeiro and has been living there ever since. His mother is very poor and his father died when he was very young. Abdul and his mother live in one of the poorest parts of the city, and they must both work in order to bring in enough income to survive. Abdul’s mother makes 1 USD a day, working at a clothing factory. Abdul works at a Rio de Janeiro sweatshop that makes Nike shoes. He makes half his mother’s salary. Their earnings together give them enough food and water to make it through the day. Abdul gets no education, the government provides him with none and he has to work anyway. Abdul has a few friends that he hangs out with, who also have the same awful living conditions that he does. Abdul and his mother only have enough money for the necessities, and therefore Abdul, without an education, will not be able to get a better job in the future. At the job he has right now, he must work, sometimes for 8 hours straight, gluing shoes together. The glue is sickening, but if he refuses to work he may get punished. He gets only one break for lunch, and then he must complete his 14 to 16 hour shift. His country has just been through war, so the economical infrastructure has been eroded. Hata was born in Southeast Asia, and has never moved from a small village just outside a large city. Hata lives with her aging grandmother who can’t work anymore, so it is up to Hata to bring in all of the income for food, water, and basic necessities. She works as a Maquila, and she must make the 2-hour walk from her home to where she works every morning. If she is late, she could be beaten or worse. There is political unrest in the city, so it makes it even more uncertain that she’ll have her job for much longer. She makes 1 USD a day, and the work is hard and tiring, just like Abdul, she only gets one break for lunch, then it’s back to work. Her work is hard and tiresome; she sews the buttons on to sweaters for distribution in the United States. She is expected to make 60 shirts per hour, and she must work for 7 hours in a row. Hata has no education, because there is no school in the village she is living in, and the nearest school is in the city, and she works during school hours. Hata is a Hindu, and according to the Hindu religion, if you are born into a poor family, you can never move up in the ranks. So Hata cannot become richer, because she knows no other religion. 16 There is no support from the government, so Abdul and his mother are left to fend for themselves. Abdul wonders if he will ever get out of this cycle of poverty. Root Causes of Their Poverty: Social Root Causes Abdul: No education Long work hours Father died Social Root Causes Hata: Water a long way away No Parents No government support Economic Root Causes: Abdul: Low wages Infrastructure deteriorated due to war No education, therefore poor job, therefore poverty Economic Root Causes: Hata: Grandmother can’t work No government funding Makes little money Political Root Causes: Abdul: No government support Government breakdown Political Root Causes: Hata: Political Unrest Poor government means poor pay Cultural Root Causes: Abdul: His way of life can make him depressed and unwilling to continue He sees so much suffering around him that he knows nothing else Cultural Root Causes: Hata: There may be disease or sickness, and its everywhere It may be very hot there In the cycle of poverty 17 Appendix 3 Student Samples of the Futures Assignment. Sample Futures Assignment #1: From Homes to Domes My name is Kimberly Verte, and it is the year 2487. I have been living in a floating community for 25 years now. I was born and raised in this very place itself, it is named Oblate Spheroid, which is the name for the shape of our natural earth. I've been told that it was only 267 years prior that the human race no longer lived in homes, but were forced to live in these domes. Although I was raised in a wonderful home, with a loving family, and good health, it does not compare to the stories I have heard of earth. Last Sunday I went to retrieve a special item that my mother had left for me when she passed away a year ago. It was a wooden box, made from real wood on Earth , something that I have never had the pleasure of touching before. The grainy feeling sent shivers up my spine. When I opened it I was shocked to find diaries of my great great great grandmother. There was one in particular that I found most interesting, a diary of Earth’s destruction. The following is what she wrote that October of 2109. Diary, Our Earth is dying faster than ever. The population is continuously dropping each year, rather than increasing such as past times. Pollution is no longer a local problem, it is now global. The ozone layer holes have become massively larger than those discovered in the early 1970’s. Skin cancer has hit an all time high affecting nearly fifty percent of the population in Canada where I reside. The stupidity of people in the past cannot be put into words. Their releasing of CFCs and other halons has done more damage than any good for the human kind. Their lack of acknowledging the effect of chloride acting as a catalyst of the breaking down of ozone has caused these vast spaces of which the sun’s dangerous ultraviolet rays precede into our planet. However the pollution that we breathe in is more of a day to day concern. People suffer each day from numerous health problems including burning eyes and nose, itchy irritated throats, and horrible breathing problems. The chemicals found in our polluted air also lead to cancer, birth defects, brain and nerve damage, and long-term injury to the lungs and breathing passages. For the very first time big steps are being taken to help counteract these pollutants. After the population decline there is much space available and it has been decided to give “sink” forests a try. These large forests are to be strategically placed around the world to help absorb excess carbon dioxide. They say that this may even slow down global warming. I can only wish that these forests will have a great success, and that future conditions do not worsen. Living in this smog, heat and polluted streets is not something anyone on planet earth appreciates. In fact it is so bad that they have even considered “floating communities” which are said to be communities laying about 978 feet in the air, containing no pollution, and terrain similar to earth. - God bless all Well little did my great great great grandmother know how correct she was mentioning the floating communities, and how wrong they were in creating sink forests. It turns out that the little molecules that have cleaned pollution out of the atmosphere 18 since before there was pollution, were now not being produced at all. The lidroxyl radicals, highly reactive molecules which oxidise most common pollutants, had gone missing. The sink forests slowed down global warming, and healed the ozone layer extremely fast. It was all down to ultraviolet radiation. They needed some UV to fuel the reactions that create lidroxyl. One of the unnoticed benefits of the thinning ozone layer was to let in more UV to create more lidroxyl and counter the pollution. So here I am today living in Oblate Spheroid. I am used to it because I was born here, but many people had difficulties adapting at first to the new conditions. This floating community is extremely advanced in technology, and has high rise buildings only so that less area is used up. There is clean crisp air, it is safe to run as much as you like, and take long walks even on humid days. To make sure that air pollution doesn’t start up again, we are not aloud to own personal vehicles. It is a protected place that still has green vegetation unlike the trashed Earth that sits below. However there is still hope for future generations, to see, touch and feel the natural wonders of Earth. Now that scientists have realized their mistakes, that their effort to fix the problems ended up virtually destroying life, things have a chance to change. Specialists in the chemistry and environmental fields have started returning to earth with special equipment to protect them from the heavily polluted air. They have set up special homes to protect them from the pollution when they are not in gear. They have carefully begun letting selected emissions into the Earth’s atmosphere. As the ozone starts breaking up, UV rays will be allowed back into the atmosphere and hopefully creating enough lidroxyl to start fighting the common pollutants. While this may only be a false hope, it is all we have left to believe in. That hopefully one day my grandchildren’s children may have a chance to sense the beauty of Earth. The “fresh” running water, beautiful proud standing mountains, lush green forests and the benefit of it all being natural. And to know that it will stay the way it is because for once, the human race has learned from their mistakes and a whole New World is theirs to again explore. Early 1970's- It was discovered that the ozone layer protecting earth from UV rays had holes. The human race was now more susceptible to skin cancer. October, 2052- Fresh water availability is now limited. January, 2098- Landfills in the United Kingdom are full. Pollution is at an all time high. The chemicals in the air lead many people to burning noses, eyes, and irritated throats, as well as long term respiratory problems. May, 2110- “sink” forests are created to suck up excess carbon dioxide. Government starts discussing the possibilities for floating communities. June, 2130- Ocean water reaches an extremely toxic level, and any contact is strongly advised against. June, 2139- Another 10% of the world’s forest vanishes. February, 2159- The sea level rises between 30 and 75cm. March, 2178- 80% of North America’s landfills are full. December, 2200- Government takes talk into action and constructs the floating communities above ground. April, 2220- Conveyance to floating communities begins. 19 July, 2488- Scientists are sent back to earth on a special mission to open the ozone layer back up, and subsequently creating lidroxyl to cleanse common pollutants out of air. There is a likelihood of life on earth once again. September, 2786- Success. Scientists used new technology, and their discovery of lidroxyl to almost completely erase all effects of polluted air. Life on earth will soon begin. October, 2788- People in floating communities are ecstatic. Slowly they will be moved to their new home on earth after being fully educated on how to keep the earth a clean, safe place. Sample Futures Assignment # 2: The End Of The Earth I peer out of the shielding to the smouldering remains of Earth, several thousand kilometres below us. The date is April 3rd, 2543, and I am aboard Earth-2, an orbiting biosphere that was built in the late 23rd century. I walk to the library terminal and insert my optical ID card. I begin my search for information on what lead up to the failure of our natural habitat. I can access everything from air quality statistics to videos of the Earth pre-destruction. Many scientists had been sure to document as much as possible for future generations such as myself. I watch my favourite video clip of children playing in an open field. This was taken in the late 20th century, back when the extent of our problems was still unknown. I pull up an article from the mid 1980’s, suggesting the cause of the recently discovered ozone disruption. During that time period, it was discovered that a hole had formed in the ozone layer over Antarctica, caused by the release of CFCs and HCFS. These chlorofluorocarbons and hydro chlorofluorocarbons were commonly used in refrigeration units and aerosols. They were soon banned in most of the world. The citizens foolishly believed that they had solved the problems, but, as we see today, they did not. It was discovered that the build-up of carbon dioxide and other hazardous chemicals in the upper atmosphere caused the Earth to be ‘incubated’ by the sun. The resulting increase of temperature proved to be fatal. The ice caps melted, raising the sea level in upwards of 6 meters. This left much of the western coast of North America and almost all of Western Europe underwater. The climate changes that came with this, such as extreme drought caused by changes to rainfall patterns and the shift of climate zones. Though we must give the citizens of that time some credit. Many people tried to solve the problem by mass re-forestation, hoping that the forests would absorb the carbon dioxide. Sadly, this was discovered to perform poorly, in some cases even making the problem worse. The resulting emissions from rotting vegetation made reforestation an unpopular idea. Other discoveries, like how the use of jet planes which created air vapour contrails, also greatly affected the climate. These contrails appeared to form clouds where no clouds should be and only added to the incubation effect on the Earth. I laughed to myself as I remember the stories my mother once told me of how her ancestors flew with primitive jet engines! 20 In the mid to late 1990’s, the governments of the world tried to agree on cutting emissions to reverse the build-up of these chemicals. The Kyoto Protocol seemed to be the perfect solution to the problems that they were beginning to experience; however, their goals failed. Major countries, notably the United States, were strongly opposed to the protocol, deciding it to be uneconomical. Many people agreed that the Kyoto Protocol was based on false science. If only they could have seen how that decision would change the world for the worse. The next report I read was of the environmental disasters that occurred as a result of World War III, which occurred in 2019. As Albert Einstein once said, “I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones.” His quote wasn’t entirely true, but wasn’t entirely false either. After that war, approximately one quarter of human beings were dead; either as a direct casualty of the war or a casualty of the environmental terror that resulted from the war. The worst nuclear fallout occurred over the Middle East, but the radioactivity swarmed the globe with a devastating effect, destroying a large portion of agricultural lands. I’m told many of my ancestors were wiped out during this war, with only one or two members surviving from a large family. As the world recovered from their violent conflicts, roughly 100 years passed without much incident, other than the continuing growth of environmental hazards. The main population centres now existed in central North America, South America, Southern Africa, and Asia. The rest of the world was either underwater or so contaminated that no life could survive. I can still look at versions of maps and be in awe at how much the land was changed in such a short period of time. It leaves you with a terrible, empty feeling. It was around 2150 when people really starting becoming afraid. The skyrocketing pollution and continuously erratic climate were finally becoming a concern. The sky now had a constant dark haze; some days you couldn’t even see the sun. The governments of the world united and forgot their differences. They finally realized that the Earth was dying and formed what would become the Earth habitat. The Earth habitat employed scientists and citizens alike to try and save humanity. They worked in a large biosphere on the Earth’s surface: the only sustainable habitat remaining. One section of the group spent their time investigating whether or not they could reverse the damages to the Earth. The second group set out to build a space-based habitat, to be known as Earth2. Both groups had some successes and some failures. My remaining family was mostly part of group two, though I am told I did have one great-great uncle who led many scientists of group one through the toughest times. The scientists tested many theories, such as one that had been suggested for terra forming the planet Mars about a hundred years before. They began pumping great amounts of chemicals, in order to heat up the world enough that it may eventually heal itself to the state of pre-human development. In theory, this worked well, but on Earth, all it did was eliminate any last plants and animals that survived outside of the Earth’s habitat. The failure of the scientists to chemically solve the problems of the Earth was a big blow to the morale of the citizens; thus suicide rates hit the roof, or so I am told. 21 When Earth-2 was finally deemed habitable, after two complete failures, most of the nonscientist population boarded shuttles to the space station. The scientists set out to follow their new goal; using biological samples to repair the ills of the Earth. They genetically engineered salvaged plants to absorb certain kinds of chemicals. As well, they developed a plan to properly deploy the terra forming plants, so that they could undo what damages the humans have inflicted. Our new society is the simple life. Machines maintain much of our habitat, as it has already been proven that humans are not reliable when given the chance to take care of nature. I am deeply saddened by the failure of our efforts up until this time; I long to run among the grass like the children in the optical video from the past. I long for the free life of the historic nuclear family, without the oppressive laws that now exist. I reach the bottom of my search and glance at the title of the last article; a report on the Earth habitat, dated not even two years ago. As I open the report, my eyes fill with tears. The report was filled with positive signs that the environmental reconstruction project was finally beginning to show signs of success, but even the leading scientists were sceptical. If only they had known they were too late, as the Earth habitat completely failed not three days later. Some sort of malfunction had destroyed their air regeneration systems and the massive facility was engulfed in the toxic pollutants of the unshielded terrain. The majority of educated citizens died in the period of a few hours. We don’t know why the Earth habitat failed, but many suspect it was sabotage. It marked the end of our hope for living freely like our ancestors once did. To this day, we still do not know if the few plants that were deployed will be enough to ever return Earth to her natural state. Unfortunately, this incident has been unofficially declared the end of the Earth. 22 Appendix 4 Sample Questions for a Unit Test • Discuss a class activity that promoted awareness and knowledge of the links between your life and global environment and development issues • Did your action as a consumer change once we began studying Canada's connections with communities in developing countries. Explain. • Discuss how this unit helped you develop a sense of social responsibility? • "The things we carry", both material and non-material, reflect our values, attitudes, culture and identity. Discuss • What does "sustainable consumption" attempt to change among people in developed countries? • What do the terms "developed" and "developing" countries mean? • Using your notes from the video " Things we carry", list and discuss the material and non-material thing people "carry". • How does "The things we carry” reflect our consumption patterns? • What are the similarities and differences between the ideas of young people who grow up in "developed" countries and "developing" countries? • What are some myths and realities about the values of today's youth? • How are the lives and communities of Canadian teenagers directly and indirectly connected to the ecosystems and communities of both developed and developing countries? (consider what you wear, eat and consume every day) • Discuss the global connections you have through the things you use each day. • We were going to make a new society on another planet. What was the goal of this activity? • What is the Human Development Index? Why is it important for Canadians to learn about this "test"? • What are Maquiladoras? • Compare and contrast "Blanca, a Maquila worker" to your life. • What does the following mean: Sustainable consumption will contribute to more sustainable development by reducing the pressure high consuming countries have on resources and ecosystems. • How would you convince teenagers that their consumption decisions affect global environmental and social problems? • Discuss the difference between production and consumption. • Discuss the sustainable and unsustainable life cycles of a product. • What is an ecological footprint? What does it analyze? Discuss the results of your footprint compared to others. • The concept of "True Costs" is a powerful tool for sustainability. It builds on the idea of "life Cycle analysis", but takes it a step further. "True cost accounting" is used by environmental economists to quantify the real environmental and social costs of producing an item and puts a monetary value on these costs. Use coffee or a banana to explain this. • What is "fair trade"? Use examples in your explanation. • Discuss the following statement: "Your ideas of what you want and need and thus, your consumption patterns are strongly influenced by advertising." 23 • "Deconstruct" an advertisement so that Canadians can better understand the effect on people. Discuss how you can use your power as a consumer and as a citizen to promote sustainable consumption at the individual and societal level. 24