Lesson 2: Ways to reduce eco-footprints

Why would Kermit be described as a green consumer?

Better TogetherJack Johnson

Four ways to reduce eco-footprintsDescribe four examples of how people are being encouraged to reduce

their eco footprintsEvaluate schemes to help people reduce their ecofootprints

The big contributors to Cambridge’s eco-footprint

Transport18%

Energy26%

Waste13%

Shopping22%

Four examples

• Today we’re going to look at four examples of how people are being encouraged to reduce their eco-footprints– M&S Plan A (Shopping)– BedZED (Energy)– Cambridge Traffic Management (Transport)– Curitiba Recycling and Garbage (Waste)

• You should make notes as we go• Remember that you can download the PowerPoint

tonight if you miss anything

Green Consumerism

• Consumerism is a fancy way of saying shopping for goods and services

• Green consumerism means shopping for goods and services in an ethical and ecologically-friendly way

Fair trade chocolate – the farmers get a fair wage

Environmentally friendly, non-biological detergent

He cycles rather than drives so that he doesn’t use petrol

He has an ethical bank account – his money won’t be used to fund

environmentally destructive activities

Green Consumerism

• Some shops actively encourage people to be Green Consumers– Most supermarkets have schemes to encourage

people to use fewer plastic carrier bags– Fair Trade is used a selling point in cafes– Farmers markets promote locally grown produce

• Marks and Spencer’s Plan A campaign is a good example of a company promoting green consumerism

Marks & Spencer Plan A

• Plan A is based on 5 key ideas– Climate Change– Waste– Sustainable raw materials– Fair Partnerships– Health

• YouTube video • M&S website

Reducing waste• It’s difficult to cut down on

material waste like packaging. The producer pays principle makes the manufacturer pay

• Councils can encourage people to reuse and recycle by making them pay to throw rubbish away (direct variable charging)

• Combined heat and power plants convert the heat from incinerating rubbish into electricity

Reducing waste

• Curitiba is a very unusual Brazilian City• The city has been recycling far longer than

most MEDC cities• We’re going to watch an excerpt from the

Curitiba video about recycling and waste

Reducing energy consumption

• Buildings are responsible for a lot of energy consumption

• This video is about a housing development called BedZED

• The homes are designed to consume very little energy

BedZED summary

• Thermally efficient• Natural, recycled or

reclaimed materials• South facing homes that

are naturally warmed by sunlight

• North facing offices to reduce need for air-con

• Extra thick insulation

• Making renewable energy

• Low energy appliances• Energy tracking meters• Combined heat and

energy boiler using tree waste

• Green transport opportunities

Reducing the impact of transport

• Congested streets are bad for business and bad for the environment– People can’t get to work– Deliveries won’t be made on time– Fuel is wasted if engines are kept running when

stationary– This produces unnecessary pollution

Traffic in Cambridge

• Cambridge is very old, so the streets are very narrow

• There are several schemes to reduce the impact of transport in Cambridge

• Video 1 Problems• Video 2 Solutions

Homework

• Visit RAFL on the Smart Cloud• Download today’s presentation• Make sure that you’ve completed the SWOT

analysis and that you’ve• Research sustainability in Cambridge

Click on this red book for the PowerPoints from Lessons 1 and 2

You should have already done this

Do this tonightRemember that these red books

give you extra guidance