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
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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:
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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
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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.
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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?
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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?
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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.
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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
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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
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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).
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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