Week 1 support children to connect

SECTION I – What is sustainability?

CHCECE012

SUPPORT CHILDREN TO CONNECT TO THEIR WORLD

WEEK 1 4/4/2014

Learners guide Version 1

UAG REQUIREMENTS

Let us look at the UAG to see what assessment tasks are required for this unit.

What do we mean by the term sustainability?

DEFINITIONS OF SUSTAINABILITY.

Webster Dictionary (1913) To maintain, to support, to keep alive, to subsist, to nourish.

Sustainability is defined as meeting the needs of current and future generations through simultaneous environmental, social and economic improvement. State Sustainability Strategy (Western Australia)

“Using, conserving and enhancing the community's resources so that ecological processes, on which life depends, are maintained, and the total quality of life, now and in their future, can be increased” Ecologically Sustainable Development Steering Committee 1992.

Educators are becoming increasingly aware of the importance of sustainability in early childhood and school – aged services.

Services that embrace and promote sustainability can actively contribute to using the earth's resources responsibly.

They can inspire children to develop an appreciation for the natural environment and to become sustainably competent participants in creating their future.

So why do early childhood educators need to understand and promote this learning to children? This e-book tells us why from a child's point of view.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lieN18OTlME&list=PL952C160CFCC6FE5B

ACTIVITY 1Engaging children with sustainability practices relates to the National Quality Standards. What quality area do you think it might connect with?

What standard and elements would it connect with?

Let's relook at this document, and see what it says.

Engaging children with sustainability practices ALSO relates to a number of the Early Years Learning Framework outcomes in Belonging, Being and Becoming.

Let's revisit this document, and investigate the learning outcomes.

ACTIVITY 2

Social sustainabilityIs concerned with the impact of business practices on the working conditions, community and regions in which it operates. It can also refer to the degree of satisfaction and well-being of people.

Environmental sustainabilityIs concerned with the environmental impacts of business such as the impact on the natural environment and environmental processes; the consumption of energy/water and other non-renewables; waste production and disposal; and the impacts of the production and disposal of goods.

Economic sustainabilityIs concerned with measuring the external cost of an organisation on its environment (including its influence on the land and the economic impacts on the surrounding people), not just the internal profit.

THE IMPACT OF KEY GLOBAL ISSUES

HOW CAN WE INVOLVE THE CHILDREN IN LEARNING ABOUT THEIR WORLD?

CLIMATE CHANGE

Australia and the world are experiencing rapid changes in climatic conditions.

This human induced climate change is resulting in significant changes in weather patterns.

Since the middle of the 20th century, Australian temperatures have, on average, risen by about 1c in an increase in the frequency of heatwaves and a decrease in the number of frosts and cold days.

Rainfall patterns have also changed – the northwest has seen an increase in rainfall over the last 50 years while much of Eastern Australia and the far southwest have experienced a decline.

Australian Bureau of Meterology

http://www.bom.gov.au/cgi-bin/climate/change/timeseries.cgi

GREENHOUSE EFFECT

This is a naturally occurring process that occurs as the heat radiated from the sun warms up the various gases that are in the earths atmosphere.

Without these gases it would be impossible for living things to survive.

The gases play an important role in trapping heat from the sun.

GREENHOUSE EFFECT

They keep the earth warm and insulated – similar to what happens within a greenhouse for plants.

The 'enhanced greenhouse effect' refers to the effect that the increasing concentration gases has on increasing the world's average temperature – a direct result of Post Industrial Revolution activities.

GREENHOUSE EFFECT

There is “....an altered balance between input and output radiation of the Earth. If the input is greater than the output, the difference causes the temperature of the Earth to increase” (BOM, 2010)

Gases that contribute to this effect

CARBON DIOXIDE Carbon dioxide is released into the air as humans

and animals exhale and as we burn fossil fuels. Plants and trees absorb much of this. Deforestation is the major contributor to

increases in carbon dioxide as trees are cleared for wood and development and the plants and trees are no longer able to absorb carbon dioxide via the process of photosynthesis. (Vivian Head, 2008)


Photosynthesis


CARBON DIOXIDE

“The Amazon Rainforest has been described as the Lungs of our Planet because it provides the essential environmental world service of continuously recycling carbon dioxide into oxygen. More than 20 percent of the world oxygen is produced in the Amazon Rainforest”. Raintree website (1996)


METHANE While there is not much methane in the

atmosphere as carbon dioxide, methane traps heat 21 times more effectively (National Centre for Sustainability). It is mainly a by product of bacteria that live in the intestines of some animals, including cows and sheep. It helps to break down organic matter in wetlands (i.e. rice fields).


METHANE Rubbish dumps also release large amounts

of methane into the atmosphere as discarded organic matter beaks down.

Methane emissions may account for as much as a third towards global warming and as the main cause for rising ozone levels. Vivian Head (2008)


METHANE

When a cow belches methane is released. In one day a cow can emit up to a quarter of a kilo of methane! (Vivian Head, 2008)

Multiply that by how many cows there are in the world!!!


NITROUS OXIDE This gas is present in very small quantities in the

atmosphere but is 200-300 times more effective at trapping heat than carbon dioxide (National Centre for Sustainability). Again, Nitrous Oxide is produced naturally by bacteria that live in the soil. Since 1970 nitrous oxide has risen by more than 15 percent, mainly due to our increased use of nitrogen based fertilizers, emissions from sewerage plants and vehicles' exhaust fumes. (Vivian Head, 2008)


CHLORINATED FLOROCARBONS Also known as CFC's these gases can be

easily converted into liquid and used in the production of fridges, air conditioners and aerosols. CFC's have a warming effect of 3000 to 13000 times more than carbon dioxide and they take up to 400 years to break down. They also contribute to the depletion of the ozone layer.


OZONE AND THE OZONE LAYER About 90% of ozone is concentrated

between 15 and 30 kilometers above the earth's surface which is called the stratosphere.

This is the ozone layer. It absorbs 93-99% of the high frequency

ultraviolet light from the sun.


OZONE AND THE OZONE LAYER Exposure to this form of light is potentially

damaging to living things. The ozone layer protects us from this.

Ozone is also found closer to the ground in the troposphere in lower concentrations where it is a large contributor of the smog often seen hanging over major cities around the world (BOM,2010)


Over the past 20 years the widespread use of CFC's (Chlorofluorocarbons) in products like spray cans and refrigeration units has significantly contributed to the hole in the ozone layer.


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http://www.theozonehole.com/ozonelayer.htm

ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT

Assessing your ecological footprint is a way to calculate the demands you put on natural resources compared to the earth's ability to regenerate these resources. It shows the impact you are having on the planet's biocapacity.

“The Earth's biocapacity is the amount of biologically productive area – cropland, pasture, forest, and fisheries – that is avilable to meet humanity's needs. ” World Wildlife Fund


The WWF Living Planet Report (2008) states that since the late 1980's human consumption has exceeded the earth's biocapacity and continues to 'overshoot' at an alarming rate. By 2003 the overshoot had reached 25%. by 2007 it had reached 50%.


Lets us have a look at this video Change the way you think from the World Wildlife Fund about how much it takes to make a coffee.

http://www.wwf.org.au/our_work/people_and_the_environment/human_footprint/


WWF Composition of Australia's Ecological Footprint

http://www.wwf.org.au/our_work/people_and_the_environment/human_ footprint/footprint_calculator/

http://www.wwf.org.au/our_work/people_and_the_environment/human


The Earth's biocapacity to sustain human consumption is being exceeded by many countries including Australia.

Australia's Ecological Footprint – the amount of land and water area a population uses to sustain themselves – significantly exceeds the Earth's capacity.

Examples can be seen in ??? ...students to answer.....


Critical water shortages Decline of certain species Stressed fisheries (not enough fish) Land degradation


ACTIVITY 3 – Working in pairs

Using your iPads let us spend some time calculating our own ecological footprint!

http://www.wwf.org.au/our_work/people_and_the_environment/human_footprint/footprint_calculator/


DVD

Children of Rio – Sustainable Development.

This was a study initiated after the First Earth Summit in Rio United Nations Economic and Social Council.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSiYw3a-jfo

EARTH RESOURCES - energy

Energy is the major cause of climate change in Australia. This is because 90% of the electricity we use is produced by burning polluting coal. This has made Australians the highest per capita greenhouse polluters in the world.

While most greenhouse gas omissions are produced by industry, the amount and type of energy used by households also has considerable implications for the environment.

EARTH RESOURCES - energy In 2006-2007 household energy consumption

made up about 8% of total energy use. Electricity is used by almost every Australian

household and accounts for 85% of household greenhouse emissions (excluding car).

Some electricity comes from renewable energy (8%) but MOST electricity (92%) comes from burning fossil fuels such as coal and gas.

So how do we reduce greenhouse pollution?

EARTH RESOURCES – renewable energy

This is energy sourced from the wind, water, sun and biomass products, such as wood.

2 ways to use renewable energy

1. installing small renewable generation units i.e. wood or solar hot water

2. choose renewable energy as part of their electricity supply via Greenpower.

EARTH RESOURCES – renewable energy

What is Greenpower?

This is an Australian government accreditation program for renewable energy. The energy is generated by mini hydro, wind power and biomass which produce no greenhouse gas omissions.

Your chosen service provider organises this on your behalf.

Students to now complete ACTIVITY 4 (p24)

http://www.greenpower.gov.au/what-is-greenpower.aspx



EARTH RESOURCES - water The impact of climate change is also linked to the

reduction in the amount of rainfall we have Higher temperatures is another factor. If you combine this with the increasing population you

can see that we are running out of water. Australia is one of the driest countries on Earth. Many regions have had water restrictions placed there

for a number of years - others have annual changes to the restrictions.

EARTH RESOURCES - water

Water usage by Australian States (HANDOUT 1) Volume of household water used per capita (kL) 1993-94 – 2011-12

http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/CaSHome.nsf/Home/MAT+02+Water+Use+It+Wisely

What could you do to conserve water at a either your home or a children's service?

EARTH RESOURCES - water

The ABS (March 2007) suggests that Australians saved a large proportion of water in their households -

1. bathroom used 66.5% of the household water

2. followed by the laundry (63.9%)

3. and the kitchen (49.9%)

4. only 39.8% saved water in the toilet.

EARTH RESOURCES – food Everyone is familiar with the saying “you are

what you eat”. However do we really know what we are eating?

The Australian Dietary Guidelines inform us about what food groups and servings we should have – however many of us are unaware of what ingredients have been added in food production. And how these additives can affect our health.

EARTH RESOURCES – food 1. Additives - many are known to cause allergies and

reactions – especially in children.

2. Antibiotics – many large scale meat production uses antibiotics and other drugs to increase animal yields.

3. Genetic Engineering – this is the changing of the genetic makeup of a plant or animal by the transference of genes to improve production and resist pests.

EARTH RESOURCES – food waste

There are over a billion people on this planet who do not have enough to eat – yet stop and think about how much food is thrown away every week. The cost of food waste in Australia is more than 13 times the $386 million that was donated by Australian households to overseas aid agencies in 2003. Australian Conservation Foundation (2007)


The most recent estimate by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation, released in October 2009, says that 1.02 billion people are undernourished, a sizeable increase from its 2006 estimate of 854 million people.

Let us have a look at some specific facts....http://www.foodwise.com.au/foodwaste/food-waste-fast-facts/


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EARTH RESOURCES – waste

Commercial packaging is now everywhere in our modern world. Our food, drinks, clothing, medicine, furniture, computers, cleaning materials, publications all come packaged. Much packaging cannot be recycled and ends up as land fill. Some products sold today break down more easily than the traditional plastic products.

EARTH RESOURCES – waste“Without growing awareness of the detrimental

environmental effects of current waste disposal, there is a significant onus of accountability for effective waste management. Better practice and safer solutions are required. Not only is there a need for more research on current disposal methods such as landfill, incineration, chemical and effluent treatment, but also on recycling, waste management, clean technologies, waste monitoring, public and corporate awareness and general education.”

Wessex Institute of Technology

EARTH RESOURCES – wasteHandout 3

Clean Up Australia Fact Sheet

ACTIVITY 5 List 3 ways in which you could reduce the amount of waste you produce at your workplace/home.

CHEMICALS

We are now bombarded with a wide range of chemical products to choose from.....however the frightening fact is we simply do not know what affects these chemicals are having on our bodies – both short and long term.

Very little research has been carried out on the chemicals we use in our homes and workplaces.

CHEMICALS One of the main reason is that Australia has no

government regulatory body that overseas chemical production or use to ensure consumers are protected from toxic products.

Hazardous chemicals are also included in the carbon monoxide and nitrogen oxide gases emitted from cars, and industry manufacturers.

After use the storage containers of these pollutants end up as landfill which then pollutes our soil and waterways.

CHEMICALS The effect that chemicals are having on children's

health is extremely concerning as children are more vulnerable than adults. Again there is no regulatory body or regulations in Australia independently testing products and protecting children's health.

According to the National Toxics Network, since World War II approximately 80,000 new synthetic chemicals have been manufactured and released in our environment.

CHEMICALS A 2002 report by the \World Health Organization

(WHO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) identified a growing number of children's health impacts caused by chemical exposure.

The WHO has stated that approximately 3 million children under the age of five die every year due to environmental hazards and this is not limited to developing countries.

Dr Mariann Lloyd-Smith, Intergenerational Equity in Action :http://ntn,org.au/ntndocs/intergenerationalequityinaction

CHEMICALS

A solution to our pollution problems?

“Walk around Australia. Try not to use the car”. Maeve, 4 years

HANDOUT 4

CHEMICALS

ACTIVITY 6

Working in pairs research the internet to locate any childhood diseases that are caused by chemicals.

Can you think of any others?

CHEMICALSHealth Impacts include: Asthma

Birth defects

Hypospadis

Behavioural disorders learning disabilites

Autism

Cancer

Dysfunctional immune systems

Neurological impairments

Reproductive disorders

BIODIVERSITY

What do we mean by the term biodiversity?

ACTIVITY 7

LET US LOOK UP THE TERM ON THE INTERNET TO SEE WHAT IT MEANS.

BIODIVERSITY

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BIODIVERSITY

“Biodiversity is the variety of life:the different plants, animals and micro-organisms, their genes and the ecosystems of which they are a part. Australia is one of the diverse countries on the planet. It is home to more than one million species of plants and animals, many of which are found nowhere else in the world.”

Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (1996)

BIODIVERSITY It encompasses environments and ecosystems

that are present on the land and in the water at 3 levels:

1. genetic activity – the variety of genetic information in all plants, animals and microorganisms

2. species diversity – the variety of the species 3. ecosystems diversity – the variety of habitats,

biotic communities and ecological processes. HANDOUT 5

SUSTAINABLE RESOURCES

Sometimes there is no one perfect solution or choice.

Try and buy organically grown cotton or wool products

Hemp is know to be a sustainable product

Choose organic vegetables

Choose ethically responsible companies

Look for eco labels whenever possible

Select items from recycled or sustainable sources

Labels that promote environmental performance

Some eco friendly labels include

A Sustainable Story

Sustainability: told as a Children's Fairy Tale with Beautiful Montage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKWQuU0sHPw

Week 1 support children to connect

Technology

environmental sustainability

sustainability practices

economic sustainability

social sustainability

importance of sustainability

term sustainability

definitions of sustainability

effect photosynthesis