post-course questionnaire

Explain the concept of sustainability
It is the equallibrium between society, econonmy, culture and the environment. The mutual benefit to all parties involved in the interaction between these four well-beings. The focus of sustainability is to create behaviour which our world can cope and exist with.
Share your views on social equality, includng culture and religion
Social equality is something which mankind can aspire too however actually attaining it is not a reality, due to human nature there is always a hierachy within mankind. Social equality prevents the natural evolution. However i do think it is something which we should try to reach as with social equality a benchmark can be set on a level of quality of life which everyone should have access to. I still feel culture and religion are two major barriers to social equality, it creates divisions within society. I understand it is important to have culture and religion however it is undeniable that the influence of these two things prevent equality.
Share your views on the natural world
The natural world is something we have to protect and it is something we have to act on now. By studying this course i have seen just what our influences on the natural world cause. I am horrified by the reality of mankinds actions and seemingly callous destruction of it and its natural internal systems. If mankind does not change its behaviour the demise of the natural environment into an inhospitable place which cannot support life is ineviatable
What do you consider to be important for our world and species
I think the most important thing right now for our world and species exsistance is to find the balance between economy and environement as quick and effectively as possible. We have to live within our means, providing protection for the very thing that tolerates our species, while still having economic development as mankind. It is vital that we overcome the attitude of resisting change because it does not make short term economic sense, as a society we have to broaden our understanding and recognise initial loss does result in future gain, a gain which does not just encompass the economy but the four well-beings as well. I also think education is necessary, education is the only way we can change current behaviours. Through the retraining of adults to the intial education of young children, on a large scale society needs to learn about its responsibilities.

25 steps towards sustainability

..yes another resource from the section, im having a sustainability overload to get me motiveated for our week of sustainability. this is a resource that requires reading grrr, but its actually interesting and simple, the layout with actual real people examples is good, its almost like a paper version of our movie we are making, like showing sustainable practice in action, it has given me some handy facts for carpooling day like the fuel usage of cars, and i am shocked and amazed about the recycling, imagine if everyone could generate that much rubbish it would be great!

climate change you tube clip

hey also from the same resources section is this, its a great simplified version of the outcomes of what we can choose to do at this very point in time as a society. i find the box method he uses really good at outlining the future in a very basic but clear way. it gives no question as to what choice mankind should do now, and it definately isnt to continue debating over what global warming is more to what we are doing and what is going to happen whether global warming exists or doesnt. although i found the guy a little cheesy towardthe end he actually makes sense.
another great resource, i am now thinking how i can adapt what he said in anyway into our current project
also linked to his other video clips he's a very convincing guy, he seems pretty onto it, i like how he keeps saying to us to actaully think about it not just take his word for it

Charles Moore Sailing the great Pacific Garbage patch

I just watched this presentation, its in the where to from here resources on the wiki. If youre finding this whole sustainability thing interesting definately give this a jam its so interesting. It is a guy talking about mainly plastics and recycling and just how much we are doing that is damaging to the environment with plastic, i found the section on plastic bottle lids particularly eye opening, the fact that bottles with their lids still on are found on opposite sides of the world from where they originate becuase of the type of plastic it is made from, one which is non recyclable alike its bottle and floats because its made up of a different compound, the graphics he shows are pretty blunt, the turtle with a plastic ring around it, something it has just "come to live with",and the death of all the albotross because they accidentaly eat things like bottle lids.
I hate how man created this back in the 60's with the disposable living idea, man mankind is dumb! we are completely interrupting and destroying the environment and our surroundings and we accept that everything else should "learn to live" with the outcomes of our actions, somethings definately gotta change. very interesting it also gave me some handy things i think to say in my diary cam now for the recycling and packaging days

sustainability research facts about behaviour

Recycling

Conserving Resources
Every ton of paper recycled a year saves 17 trees and 7000 gallons of water.
Every ton of steel recycled saves 2,500 pounds of iron ore, 1,400 pounds of coal, and 120 pounds of limestone.
Recycling one ton of glass saves the equivalent of 10 gallons of oil.
Reducing Pollution
According to the U.S. EPA, methane is the second largest source of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere, and landfills account for 37% of methane gas output. By reducing and recycling properly organic materials, including paper, we can divert them from landfill, thereby reducing anaerobic decomposition and the production of methane gas.
Energy Savings
Recycling one aluminum can saves enough energy to run a TV for three hours.
The recycling of one glass container saves enough energy to light a 100-watt bulb for 4 hours.
For every pound of steel recycled, it can save enough energy to light a 60-watt bulb for 24 hours.
Every ton of paper recycled can save up to 4200 kilowatt hours of energy.

gathered from (www.opednews.com/articles)

Eating lower on the food chain

Eating local, vegetarian, and organic can reduce the ecological footprint of our diet by 90%.
A 2006 study found that children who switched to organics quickly stopped having detectable levels of pesticides in their urine.
Similarly, the number of farmer's markets in the US doubled between 1994 and 2004.
A Chicago study found that food in a supermarket traveled an average 1,500 miles to get to the store. By contrast, food at a local farmer's market travels an average of 73 miles.
Cows, pigs, and chickens produce 5 tons of manure per person in the USA per year.
As a consequence of the above, the EPA estimates agriculture is responsible for 70% of the water pollution in the U.S., much of it from concentrated animal feedlots .
Beef requires up to 70,000 liters of water per kilogram of beef produced. Chicken requres up to 6,000 L per kilo produced.
A person can reduce their CO2 emissions more by switching from a typical western diet to a vegan one than they could by switching their vehicle from a gas guzzler to a hybrid.
Animal protein requires ten times more energy and produces ten times more greenhouse gasses than plant protein.
Red meat requires the use of 6-20x as much land, and 5-25x as much water, and produces 5-17x the water pollution as an equivalent amount of plant protein.
If all people in the world ate like Americans, Earth could only support 2.5 Billion people. (There are now 6.5 B, projected to reach 9+ B by mid-century).
90% of antibiotics given to livestock are used to make them grow faster, not to treat infections.
>50% of all antibiotics in North America are fed to livestock, which leads to antibiotic resistant bacteria.
Present seafood trends will lead to the collapse of all commercial fisheries by 2048

gathered from (www.triplepundit.com/pages/great-ecostats-for-foodbased-green-busin.php )

Packaging

Growth of food and beverage packaging is approximately 3% annually
http://www.scionresearch.com/Portals/0/SCION_Packaging_Brochure.pdf, this pdf is about a crown research institue called scion, they are actively working to produce packageing products to support new zealands food industry for a "biobased economy", to provide viable economic and environmentaly friendly options for manufacturers and users. they focus on improving new forests and forestry science, bioproduct development, and sustainable design. some of the above bullet points talking about landfill waste emissions and recycling can ink with the importance of using less packaging

Action Competence Model

Looking at the Action Competence model, i see there is a lot of different ways we can approach this module. I think given the time restraint, something along the lines of indirect action would be easier, and maybe suitable. I like the idea of having a "take it or leave it" option, but at the same time be allowed to share our ideas, having the teacher option would just give an alternative option for people who dont know what or where to go with this.
At this point in time i dont quite understand what we are actually going to "submit" I like the idea of having something written as evidence of a project for example a review or evaluation,and at the same time the evidence could be provided in the form of a demonstration or physical thing. I find the final page with the cyclic layout for approach with investigation, vision, action, change useful and this has given me branches of thought to possibly act on.
I think a group discussion class where we just all (including teacher aid) brainstorm and throw ideas for projects and activites, and then we go from there.

Personal Practices of Sustainability

To be perfectly honest i do very little to practice sustainability,
i took the quiz and found i'd need 1.6 planet earths to provdie enough resources, 3 global hectares, emit 5-8 tonnes of carbon, and 44% of my ecological footprint os food related.

I'm very bad sustainabiltity wise for instance i would drive my car the 4 blocks to tech instead of take an umbrella, or i sit with my electric heater on when im cold. The one thing i am very productive with is recycling, and smaller steps such as not accepting carrier bags, and using less rubbish bin bags. I also have paid the carbon offsetting voluntary payment twice through air new zealand since i was aware of it. But i am also aware there are a lot more things i could do, but currently use the narrow-minded approach of i'll live more sustainably when im older and settled and not in "student mode"