Explore Step 2.2: Find out more about communities striving for sustainable futures
Suggested Subject Area: Environmental Education, Geography and Literacy
Purpose To provide students with opportunities to:
Preparation You will need:
Procedure Read more about villagers in the earthquake-prone islands off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia, who were trained to respond to natural disasters in particular earthquakes, helping prevent the loss of life as education is at the heart of tackling climate change. Consider an education project as part of a proposal to adapt to a changing climate, improve wellbeing and sustainability at your school. See: http://www.globaleducation.edu.au/case-studies/saving-lives-with-disaster-preparedness.html Read about turtle conservation projects in Vietnam. See: http://www.globaleducation.edu.au/case-studies/people-conserving-asian-turtles.html Your school might be an ideal place to start a conservation project! Find out about water and sanitation systems and how they have improved the health of people living along the Mekong River. See: http://www.globaleducation.edu.au/case-studies/mekong-delta-water-and-sanitation.html Explore how education activities, village meetings, school activities, a weekly radio program, village puppet shows, a community newsletter and teacher training were designed to involve and support villagers to make changes to conserve biodiversity in Papua New Guinea. See: http://www.globaleducation.edu.au/case-studies/conserving-tree-kangaroos.html Consider how your school could do something similar. View 60 second UNICEF videos about climate change and environments created by people between the ages of 12 and 20 from around the world. See http://www.unicef.org/sowc2011/oneminutesjr5.php?id=3#video (some examples below)
Discussion
Research and discuss with a partner the main problems facing a focus country from the selection above who are experiencing a changing climate and discuss how they are being addressed. Report your findings to the rest of the class. For example: The video ‘One last drop’ created by Tolib from Tajikistan features a number of children who are seeking access to safe, clean water. Did you know that changes in rainfall combined with increased potential evaporation are expected to result in reduced runoff across many places? In some cases reductions could be severe. Follow up The video ‘Baby Trees’ by Dorin from Romania described how young people are concerned about deforestation in their country. Did you know that forests play a major part in the carbon cycle? Carbon dioxide is absorbed from the atmosphere during photosynthesis and stored in plants, leaf litter and soil until decomposition returns it to the atmosphere. When the carbon is absorbed faster than it decomposes, the standing stock of forest-carbon increases and the increase is known as ‘biosequestration’. The video ‘CO2’ by Kamila from Uzbekistan shows young people’s concerns about greenhouse gas emissions. Did you know that increases to the amount of carbon dioxide in our atmosphere is causing the world’s climate to change, resulting in extreme weather, higher temperatures, changes in rainfall patterns, rising sea levels, increased bushfire risk, and threats to ecosystems globally? Consider what the video titled ‘Protect Nature’ by Hanna from Finland might be saying? Use a consequence wheel to examine first, second and third order consequences of any issue that is part of understanding the use of sustainable practices at your school as a way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that you know about. See Resource 1.2. More extension activities If interested in reading more about how communities globally are managing forests more sustainably like the students from Romania are hoping for, read a case study at http://www.globaleducation.edu.au/case-studies/sustainable-living-from-logged-forests-in-papua-new-guinea.html about how communities in Papua New Guinea who are living near logged forests are learning to manage the remaining trees sustainably and earn an ongoing income.  |
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