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www.tc2.ca 1 ©TheCriticalThinkingConsortium
Investigating sustainabilityObjectives: • introducetheconceptofsustainability—environmental,social,andeconomic
• increasestudentawarenessoftheneedtoconsiderthelong-termimplicationsoftheirdailyactsanddecisions.
Use the following activities selectively to investigate the connections between sustainable living and lifestyle choices
Introduce the topic ➤ Make threecopiesofSustainability quotationsandcut thequotationsintostrips.Provideeachstudentwithonequo-tationand instruct students toparaphrase themessage inthequotationandtodiscussitwithapartner.Expandthediscussiontogroupsoffour.Instructstudentstodiscusstheirquotationsandsummarizethecollectivemessageofthequotationsinasfewwordsaspossible.Inviteeachgrouptosharetheirideaswiththerestoftheclass.
➤ Writethefollowingquotationontheboard:
We cannot simply think of our survival; each new generation is responsible to ensure the survival of the seventh generation.
—Linda Clarkson,VernMorrissette, and GabrielRègallet.(1992).Our Responsibility to the Seventh Generation.Winnipeg:InternationalInstituteforSustainableDevelopment.
➤ Invitestudentstodiscussitsmeaning.Visuallyintroducetheconceptoftheseventhgenerationinadiagramsimilartotheonebelow.Discusswhatitmeanstothinkofthesurvivaloftheseventhgeneration.
➤ ExplainthatthisquotereflectsthetraditionalviewheldbyAboriginalpeoples,whohavelivedsimilarlifestylesandcarriedouttraditionalpracticesforthousandsofyears.Thepointistothinkaboutwhattheimplicationsthatanactionmighthavefromthetimeaperson’sgreat-grandparentswerealiveand lookingahead to the timewhen theirgreat-grandchildrenwillbealive. Invitestudentstothinkofpracticesthatmighthavebeenmaintainedintheircommunityforthepast75yearsandmightbecontinuedforanother75yearstocome(forexample,school,summerholidays,givinggiftsonbirthdaysorotherholidays,familyrecipes,RemembranceDay).
➤ Introducetheterm“sustainability”anddiscusswithstudentswhatitmeanstoliveasustainablelifestyle.Invitestudentstosuggestsynonymsfor“sustain”(forexample,maintain, continue, keep
Understandingsustainability
This TC2-developed critical challenge was previously published as a Tools for Thought resource. Please refer to our Tools for Thought collection to access the tools referenced in this critical challenge.
your your great- grand your you your grand great grandparents parents parents children children grandchildren
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Sustainability quotations
We still have to learn how to live peacefully, not only with our fellow men but also with
nature and, above all, with those Higher Powers which have made nature and have made
us.
— E.F. Schumacher
Only to the white man was nature a “wilderness.”
— Luther Standing Bear
If we do not change our direction, we are likely to end up where we are headed.— Chinese proverb
When we tug at a single thing in nature, we fi nd it attached to the rest of the world.”— John Muir
We need a new environmental consciousness on a global basis. To do this, we need to
educate people.
— Mikhail Gorbachev
We share the earth not only with our fellow human beings, but with all the other
creatures.
— The Dalai Lama
Nothing will benefi t human health and increase the chances for survival of life on earth as
much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet.
— Albert Einstein
We are living on this planet as if we had another one to go to.
— Terri Swearingen
Modern man no longer regards Nature as in any sense divine and feels perfectly free to
behave toward her as an overweening conqueror and tyrant.
— Aldous Huxley
The best friend on earth of man is the tree. When we use the tree respectfully and
economically, we have one of the greatest resources on the earth.— Frank Lloyd Wright
The sun, with all those planets revolving around it and dependent on it, can still ripen a
bunch of grapes as if it had nothing else in the universe to do.
— Galileo
www.tc2.ca 2 ©TheCriticalThinkingConsortium
going, withstand, preserve).Introducethephrase,“thinkingandlivingtodaywithtomorrowinmind”andexplaintostudentsthatthisiswhatismeantbysustainabilitythinking.
➤ Posethequestion;“Whatdoweneedtoprotectorsustainforthesurvivaloftheseventhgenera-tion?”Invitestudenttodiscusstheirideaswithapartnerandsharewiththeclass.Clusterstudentideasunderthreeheadings:
• environment:dealingwiththephysicalaspectsofearth(nature);environmentalstewardship.
• economic:dealingwithbusinessandthewaypeoplemakeandusemoney;economicgrowthissustainableonlyifitcanbemaintainedwithoutthreateningourqualityoflifeortheenvi-ronment.
• social:dealingwithourinteractionswitheachotherandtheireffectsonpersonalhealthandwellbeing;socialequity,justice.
➤ Explain to students that the International Union for the Conservation of Nature identifiesthreelifestyleconsiderationsforsustainingourfuture:environmentalsustainability,economicsustainability,andsocialsustainability.DisplaytheVenndiagramrepresentingthethreedimensionsof sustainable development that can be found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sustainable_development,anddiscussthemeaningofeachterm.ThesegoalsarealsoreflectedintheUnitedNationsDecadeofEducationforSustainableDevelopment(2005)andareconsideredthethreepillarsofsustainability.
Explore sustainability further using some or all of the following critical challenges
Critical challenge #1
How does the lifestyle depicted in the scene illustrate sustainable living?
➤ Linktothewebsitehttp://www.sfu.museum/time/en/enter/.Itcontainsseven3600scenesdepictingthetraditionallifeofaBCcoastalFirstNationcalledtheSto:lo(pronouncedstoh-loh).ClickontheHTMLversionandselectascene(forexample,beach,longhousefront).Astheimagerotatesslowlyonthescreen,explainthatthisisanillustrationofthelifestyleoftheSto:lopeoplePointoutorinvitestudenttoidentifythemainfeaturesdisplayedinthescene.Thetitleofthesite,“AJourneyintoTimeImmemorial,”referstotheconditionsbeyondourmemoriesthathavelastedforseeminglyforever.
➤ IntroducethestrategyfoundinEvidence/reason/conclusion(partoftheToolsforThoughtcollection).InvitestudentstoexamineoneormoreofthescenesfromtheSto:lowebsiteandidentifypracticesoractionsthatillustrateasustainablelifestyle (that is, thepracticesaresustainable for sevengenerations).Encouragestudentstoidentifyevidencethatwouldshowthepracticetobesustainable.Forexample,catchingfishissustainableonlyiffewerfisharetakenthan are replaced. Provide students with a copy ofRecording evidencetorecordtheirfindings.
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Recording evidence
Practices and activities
Evidence for or against sustainability
Overall, the activities are ❏ very sustainable
❏ somewhat sustainable ❏ most unsustainable ❏ not at all sustainable
Reasons:
Soci
alsu
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lity
Envi
ronm
enta
lsu
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Econ
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sust
aina
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Critical challenge #2
Create a rebuttal or counter-argument in response to one of the letters to the editor.
➤ Askstudentswhytheythinkmanypeoplearereluctantorunwillingtolivetodaywithtomorrowinmind.Makealistofthereasons.IntroducethestrategyfoundinOral rebuttals/counter-arguments(partroftheToolsforThoughtcollection).Invitestudentstothinkofcounter-argumentstothereasonswhyindifferencetosustainablethinkingprevails.
➤ ProvidestudentswithacopyofLetters to the editor.Invitestudents to select one letter to the editor and create twoor threecounter-arguments to thereasonsofferedfor thestatedposition.Instructstudentstoidentifythedifferentreasonsraisedintheargumentandresearchtopicsiftheyrequiremoreinformationtoprovideconvinc-ingcounter-arguments.EncouragestudentstouseDeveloping counter-argumentstoformulatetheirresponse.
➤ Invitestudentstowritealettertotheeditorusingtheircounter-argumentsasthebasisforarebut-taloftheoriginalletter.
Critical challenge #3
Create an effective argument to convince your family to make modest changes in your family’s lifestyle that reflect sustainability thinking and will have a significant environ-mental impact in the long run.
➤ Askstudentstocreatealistoftheaspectsoftheirlifestylethattheythinkhelpsustaintheenvi-ronmentandalistofthosethataredetrimentaltotheenvironment.Encouragestudentstowalkthroughtheactivitiesofadayandexaminetheimpactoftheiractions.
➤ Basedonthebrainstormedlistandtheenvironmentalfootprintassessment,invitestudentstocon-siderchangestheirfamilycouldmaketotheirlifestyletomakeitmoreenvironmentallysustainable.Pointouttostudentsthatthechangeswouldneedtomakeasignificant,nottrivialdifferenceandreflectsustainabilitythinking.Explainthattheirtaskistocreateaneffectiveargumentsupportedwithevidencetoconvincetheirfamilytomakethischange.
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Letters to the editorWhy bother with a day?
Dear Editor,Earth Day has been celebrated for 20 years. We walk instead of ride, plant trees, turn
out the lights for an hour, and then what? We go back to the lifestyles that harm the planet
and will eventually lead to our own destruction.
Governments support and promote Earth Day to make us think they support environ-
mental issues. But they really don’t. It is just talk. Citizens support Earth Day so they can
feel good one day a year. All it does is relieve their guilty consciences.
We should forget about Earth Day. It is a joke and does no good at all. The only way we
can survive is to think about the earth every day, not one day a year.Why pick on me?
Dear Editor,I am tired of people telling me I should change my lifestyle. I have worked hard all my
life and now I can afford a big house with air conditioning, three vehicles, and a big boat.
That is my right.When entire cities are dumping their sewage into the ocean what difference will it make
if I change the way I live?The environmental movement has been around for more than 40 years and nothing has
really changed. The message is still that there is no hope for the planet. Nothing has changed
and I don’t intend to change either.
What about the costs of not developing?
Dear Editor,Recent articles in your paper claim the environmental cost of extracting oil far exceeds
the economic benefi t. I disagree. It is time people faced the fact that the world depends on
oil and that people depend on the oil industry to enable them to feed their families.
Instead of thinking just about the environmental costs of development, think about the
human costs of stopping development. Thousands of people would be out of work. Entire
communities would become ghost towns. The cost of oil products would sky rocket and
people would be unable to afford gas and heat.
It is not just other countries that depend on our oil. We depend on it too.
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Developing counter-arguments
Argument:
Reason to be countered
Counter-argument
Plausible
Convincing
The ideas/events presented in
The counter-argument makes
the counter-argument are true the reason seem unimportant
or could likely happen
or less believable
Rating: 1 2 3 Rating: 1 2 3
3 = very plausible
3 = very convincing
Rating: 1 2 3 Rating: 1 2 3
3 = very plausible
3 = very convincing
Rating: 1 2 3 Rating: 1 2 3
3 = very plausible
3 = very convincing
Strategies for creating counter-arguments
• fi nd factual errors
• look for questionable assumptions or beliefs
• suggest more important, reasonable,
• consider other peoples’ interests • think of undesirable consequences or side effects
• or desirable options
www.tc2.ca 4 ©TheCriticalThinkingConsortium
➤ IntroducethestrategyfoundinAssessing the evidence(partoftheToolsforThoughtcollection).Oncestudentshaveidenti-fiedthelifestylechange(s)theywillpresenttotheirfamily,encourage them touse Assessing the evidence to assesstheevidencefortheirargument.Suggesttostudentsthattheymayneedtoresearchtheimpactofcertainactionstocollectconvincingevidence.
➤ IntroducethestrategyfoundinAssembling evidence(partoftheToolsforThoughtcollection).Instructstudentstoorganizetheevidencetheyhavecol-lectedtocreateaconvincingargument.EncouragestudentstouseAssembling evidencetopreparetheirargument.
Critical challenge #4
Research the arguments for and against one of the following industries: wind farms, marine shipping industry, Alberta tar sands, off-shore oil drilling, clear-cut logging, commercial fishing (overfishing), seal hunt. Reach a conclusion about the extent to which the selected industry/development is sustainable. Suggest reasonable actions that could make it more sustainable.
➤ Introducethetermsustainabledevelopment.Remindstudentsofthethreepillarsofsustainabledevelopment (environmental, economic, social).Brainstorm interesting projects eitherwithinthecommunity,nationally,orinternationallyforstudentstoinvestigatefromtheperspectiveofsustainability.Suggestionsmayincludewindfarms,marineshippingindustry,Albertatarsands,off-shoreoildrilling,clear-cutlogging,commercialfishingpractices,sealhunt.
➤ Invitestudentstocreateasummaryoftheprojectdetails.Suggestthatthe5Ws(Who?What?When?Where?Why?)canserveasaneffectivesummarizingstrategy.Instructstudentstoex-aminetheselectedprojectanditsimpactthroughthelensesofthethreepillarsofsustainabilityandtoinvestigatetheargumentsforandagainstthedevelopment.IntroducethestrategyfoundinOrganizing supporting details(partoftheToolsforThoughtcollection).Encouragestudentstodevelopagraphicorganizertorecordthedetailsoftheirresearch.
➤ Instructstudentstoexaminetheirevidenceandreachaconclusionaboutthesustainabilityofthisproject.InvitestudentstouseRecording evidencetorecordtheirthinking.
➤ Invitestudentstoshareprojectsummariesandconclusionswiththeclass.Asaclass,selectaprojectanddiscusspossibleactionsthatwouldmaketheprojectmoresustainable.Determinewhowouldundertaketheaction(government,developer,citizens)andidentifythemosteffectiveaction.
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Assessing the evidence
Conclusion:
Evidence I might expect to see
Actual evidence
Assessing the evidence
inaccurate accurate
irrelevant relevant
too general very specifi c
inaccurate accurate
irrelevant relevant
too general very specifi c
inaccurate accurate
irrelevant relevant
too general very specifi c
The evidence used to support the conclusion is:
❏ highly adequate
❏ somewhat adequate
❏ highly inadequate
Explaining my evaluation:
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Assembling evidenceConclusion: Factory farms are not a good idea.
Reason:
Reason:
Reason:
Evidence:
Evidence:
Evidence:
Transition words:
Transition words:
Transition words:
www.tc2.ca 5 ©TheCriticalThinkingConsortium
Sustainability quotations
Westillhavetolearnhowtolivepeacefully,notonlywithourfellowmenbutalsowithnatureand,aboveall,withthoseHigherPowerswhichhavemadenatureandhavemadeus.
—E.F. Schumacher
Onlytothewhitemanwasnaturea“wilderness.”—Luther Standing Bear
Ifwedonotchangeourdirection,wearelikelytoendupwhereweareheaded.—Chinese proverb
Whenwetugatasinglethinginnature,wefinditattachedtotherestoftheworld.”—John Muir
Weneedanewenvironmentalconsciousnessonaglobalbasis.Todothis,weneedtoeducatepeople.
—Mikhail Gorbachev
Wesharetheearthnotonlywithourfellowhumanbeings,butwithalltheothercreatures.
—The Dalai Lama
Nothingwillbenefithumanhealthandincreasethechancesforsurvivaloflifeonearthasmuchastheevolutiontoavegetariandiet.
—Albert Einstein
Wearelivingonthisplanetasifwehadanotheronetogoto.—Terri Swearingen
ModernmannolongerregardsNatureasinanysensedivineandfeelsperfectlyfreetobehavetowardherasanoverweeningconquerorandtyrant.
—Aldous Huxley
Thebestfriendonearthofmanisthetree.Whenweusethetreerespectfullyandeconomically,wehaveoneofthegreatestresourcesontheearth.
— Frank Lloyd Wright
Thesun,withallthoseplanetsrevolvingarounditanddependentonit,canstillripenabunchofgrapesasifithadnothingelseintheuniversetodo.
— Galileo
www.tc2.ca 6 ©TheCriticalThinkingConsortium
Recording evidence
Practices and activities Evidence for or against sustainability
Overall,theactivitiesare o verysustainable o somewhatsustainable o mostunsustainable o notatallsustainable
Reasons:
Soci
alsu
stai
nab
ility
Envi
ron
men
tal
sust
ain
abili
tyEc
on
om
icsu
stai
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Letters to the editor
Why bother with a day?DearEditor,
EarthDayhasbeencelebratedfor20years.Wewalkinsteadofride,planttrees,turnoutthelightsforanhour,andthenwhat?Wegobacktothelifestylesthatharmtheplanetandwilleventuallyleadtoourowndestruction.
GovernmentssupportandpromoteEarthDaytomakeusthinktheysupportenviron-mentalissues.Buttheyreallydon’t.Itisjusttalk.CitizenssupportEarthDaysotheycanfeelgoodonedayayear.Allitdoesisrelievetheirguiltyconsciences.
WeshouldforgetaboutEarthDay.Itisajokeanddoesnogoodatall.Theonlywaywecansurviveistothinkabouttheeartheveryday,notonedayayear.
Why pick on me?DearEditor,
IamtiredofpeopletellingmeIshouldchangemylifestyle.IhaveworkedhardallmylifeandnowIcanaffordabighousewithairconditioning,threevehicles,andabigboat.Thatismyright.
WhenentirecitiesaredumpingtheirsewageintotheoceanwhatdifferencewillitmakeifIchangethewayIlive?
Theenvironmentalmovementhasbeenaroundformorethan40yearsandnothinghasreallychanged.Themessageisstillthatthereisnohopefortheplanet.NothinghaschangedandIdon’tintendtochangeeither.
What about the costs of not developing?DearEditor,
Recentarticlesinyourpaperclaimtheenvironmentalcostofextractingoilfarexceedstheeconomicbenefit.Idisagree.Itistimepeoplefacedthefactthattheworlddependsonoilandthatpeopledependontheoilindustrytoenablethemtofeedtheirfamilies.
Insteadofthinkingjustabouttheenvironmentalcostsofdevelopment,thinkaboutthehumancostsofstoppingdevelopment.Thousandsofpeoplewouldbeoutofwork.Entirecommunitieswouldbecomeghosttowns.Thecostofoilproductswouldskyrocketandpeoplewouldbeunabletoaffordgasandheat.
Itisnotjustothercountriesthatdependonouroil.Wedependonittoo.
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Develo
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R
eason
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C
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Plausib
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Theid
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Theco
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R
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3=veryco
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R
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3=veryco
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Strategies fo
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Assessing the evidence
Conclusion:
EvidenceImightexpecttosee Actualevidence Assessingtheevidence
inaccurate accurate
irrelevant relevant
toogeneral veryspecific
inaccurate accurate
irrelevant relevant
toogeneral veryspecific
inaccurate accurate
irrelevant relevant
toogeneral veryspecific
Theevidenceusedtosupporttheconclusionis:
o highlyadequate o somewhatadequate o highlyinadequate
Explainingmyevaluation:
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Assem
blin
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ence
Co
nclu
sion
:Factory farm
s are no
t a go
od
idea.
Reaso
n:
Reaso
n:
Reaso
n:
Eviden
ce:Evid
ence:
Eviden
ce:
Transitio
nw
ord
s:Tran
sition
wo
rds:
Transitio
nw
ord
s: