You Can Make A Difference

The message I hope to have portrayed while presenting all the facts and figures around sustainability and the environment is that you can make a difference. It is through small steps on an individual basis that big changes can happen and I believe we owe to future generations to make these changes now.

I hope I have inspired at least one person's journey in regards to sustainability and I will finish with a quote from The Lorax (Dr. Seuss, 2009) which I believe sums up sustainability and its practices.

Dr. Seuss. (2009). The Lorax. New York, NY: HarperCollins Children's

 





Sustainability: We Need a Crystal Ball

In 1987 the United Nations published the report World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future. Written within this report was the statement that “living standards that go beyond minimum are sustainable only if consumption standards everywhere have regard from long-term sustainability.” Ten years after this the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) realised the Declaration on the Responsibility of the Present Generations Towards Future Generations (1997). The theme running through this document is that “those presently alive today should at the very least take account of the interests that future generations will have” (Sustainable Environment, n.d.). I believe that these statements are pivotal to the success or failure of the impact of sustainability in the future for two main reasons. First of all they highlight the importance of living within our means and not using or abusing resources just because they are available. However, it is hard to measure this as our needs are “socially and culturally determined” (UNESCO, 1997). The second point, is the importance of sustainable practices being constant throughout society. From my previous blogs it is clear that this is not the case between organisations, cultures and countries. Wiess (1992) writes that “sustainable development relies on a commitment to equity for future generations” (p. 19) but contradicts the ideologies of the present to “take advantage of temporary control over the earth’s resources . . . [instead] using them for [personal] benefit” (p. 19). The following video from Alex Steffin shows the commitment some individuals are making in regards to creating a sustainable future already.

 

 

 The Relationship between Globalisation and the Environment

 Francesoh (2010) writes that to some extent globalisation has had a positive effect on the environment through the increased improvements to resources and research in regards to sustainable development; however this is outweighed by the negative impacts. These negative impacts include:

·       overuse of natural resources

·       removal of ecosystems

·       extensive deforestation

·       over-fishing

 

Individuals need to become more aware of the companies and international corporations that participate in these activities and send a strong message to these companies that we, as a society, do not approve of these practices and are committed to our future generations. A prime example of this is when Cadbury was forced to stop using palm oil in its chocolate due to the pressures they faced from consumers. This was due to the negative environmental impacts palm oil plantations have on the natural environment.  

Throughout this blog I have been constantly reminded about how big the social issue of sustainability is, however, it is examples like the one above that demonstrates the importance of individuals standing up for what they believe in, making progress in the bid to create a sustainable future for generations to come however this may look.

About palm oil. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.saynotopalmoil.com/palm-oil.php

BroadcastBC. (2012, October 28). The route to a sustainable future [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8K9PplHfDAI

Francesob. (2010). The effects of globalization on the environment. Retrieved from http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/6301040-the-effects-of-globalization-on-the-environment

Sustainable Practices. (n.d.). Future generations. Retrieved from http://www.sustainable-environment.org.uk/Principles/Future_Generations.php

United Nations. (1987). World commission on environment and development: Our common future. Retrieved from http://www.un-documents.net/wced-ocf.htm

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation. (1997). Declaration on the responsibility of the present generations towards future generations. Retrieved from http://www.unesco.org/cpp/uk/declarations/generations.pdf

Weiss, E. (1992). In fairness to future generations and sustainable development. Retrieved from http://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=149

8&context=auilr

 

 

What did you do for Earth Day?

Yesterday was Earth Day 2013. Earth Day was founded on April 22, 1970 and is celebrated every year in order to "reflect on our planet, our environment and what we can do to help keep them healthy" (DLTK's Crafts for Kids, n.d.).

I celebrated Earth Day by putting plans in place in my household to create a worm farm and vegetable garden which we have been talking about for some time now. How do you practice sustainable living?

Please share any particular idea you have either been planning or have impliemented around sustainable living in your life.

Earth Day Network. (n.d.). The face of climate change. Retrieved from http://www.earthday.org/faceofclimate/

DLTK’s Crafts for Kids. (n.d.). About earth day. Retrieved from http://www.dltk-kids.com/crafts/earth/about.html

Sustainability in Early Childhood Education

Prince (2004) writes that children today face an “environmental dilemma” (p. 1) between the modern society they live in, that emphasises fast production and instant gratification compared with the time and energy required to look after the environment. In my previous blog I researched and discussed the politics behind sustainability for countries, like New Zealand, and the economic benefits that drive the importance of sustainability. However, my next discussion is centred on the contradictory understandings of sustainability, between the early childhood education sector and the New Zealand government.

Davies and Elliott (2003) state that sustainability is the capacity to “meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs” (p. 3). This definition seems very similar to the examples from my previous blog, however, when this definition is examined at a deeper level it is obvious that there is no hidden agenda of economic advancement, but simply to protect our planet so that future generations can grow up in a safe and healthy world, with all their needs met. Also for teachers working with New Zealand's bicultural early childhood curriculum, Te Whaariki (Ministry of Education, 1996), it is important to acknowledge and implement culturally relevant practices that recognise the significant knowledge Maaori possess in regards to Papatuanuku (Duhn, 2012). Davies and Elliott (2003) go on to right that “adults need to work with the younger generations to empower them so that they learn to influence the changes, and ultimately, transform the status quo” (p. 2). I believe this statement is pivotal in the argument as to why sustainable practices must be implemented within all early childhood services within New Zealand.

The philosophy of a centre has an impact on how environmental education is implemented within an early childhood centre’s curriculum. Prince (2004) argues that sustainable practices need to be woven into all curriculum areas of a centre, therefore making it meaningful to children. However, what sustainability looks like within individual centres is open to interpretation. This is due to the experience and understanding teaching teams have surrounding sustainability and its practices. However, Prince (2004) goes onto write that sustainability should be about “fostering . . . a love of nature and a sense of wonder in young children” (p. 3) through offering experiences, fostering relationships and being interconnected with the environment.

Due to the huge targets the New Zealand government has set in regards to sustainability, it is quite understandable that the idea of sustainable living can be quite daunting for individuals.  However, within many early childhood centres in New Zealand small but significant steps are being taken to reduce waste and conserve energy, this includes:

·       Recycling

·       Waste Management

·       Reusing furniture

·       Natural and reusable materials for play

·       Composting

·       Saving Power

·       “Green cleaning” (Kinsella, 2007, p. 16). This is the process of moving away from harsh chemicals, to using natural resources found in most kitchens. For example, bicarb, salt, lemon and olive oil.

·       Water conservation

·       Redesigning of outdoor play areas

(Kinsella, 2007)

Many centres are also becoming involved in the Enviroschools project, which offers “support [for] children . . . to be active citizens, contributing to ecological regeneration and the creation of healthy, resilient and sustainable communities” (The Enviroschools Foundation, n.d.). The importance of meaningful and hands on experiences that are available to children is also a key aspect to install the importance of sustainable living in young children.

However, if teachers are not role modelling the above behaviours the perception around sustainability will never change. Prince (2004) writes that “attitudes are caught not taught” (p. 13) and stresses the importance of teachers role modelling caring for our natural environment with children. If this is successfully achieved imagine the working theories children will develop of the natural environment throughout their life. This could make a real difference for future generations. This Youtube video demonstrates just what children can imagine and create when they have good working theories of sustainable practices.

 

Early childhood services must be aware of the message they are sending to the community about their commitment to sustainability and this can be portrayed in:

·       Environmental Policies and play materials that reflect this policy

·       Curriculum Approaches

·       Audits into waste disposal

·       Play areas that emphasis sustainable practices

·       Professional development

·       Join early childhood environmental education networks

                                                                                                                                                          (Davies & Elliott, 2008)

I am reminded of the figures I stated in my first blog surrounding the insignificant difference New Zealand can make in regards to global warming. However, just like the quote from Mahatma Ghandi, I believe this Chinese Proverb symbolises the importance of making a change now no matter how small it may seem:

 

If you are thinking a year ahead, sow a seed.

If you are thinking a decade ahead, plant a tree.

                     If you are thinking a century ahead, educate the people.

            (Traditional Chinese Proverb, Author Unknown)

 

Author unknown. Traditional Chinese Proverb.
 

Davis, J., & Elliott, S. (2003). Early childhood environmental education: Making it mainstream. Watson, Australia: Early Childhood Australia.
 
Duhn, I. (2012). Making 'place' for ecological sustainability in early childhood education. Environmental Education Research, 18(1), 19-29. doi: 10.1080/1354622.2011.572162
 

Kalifa, J. [Jaina Kalifa]. (2013, April 24). Climate changers – kids thinking big about sustainability. [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=WhkAzAD5HdQ
 

Kinsella, R. (2007). Greening services: Practical sustainability. Watson, Australia: Early Childhood Australia.
 

Prince, C. (2004). Environmental education in the early years. Palmerston North, New Zealand: Kanuka Grove Press.
 

The Enviroschools  Foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.enviroschools.org.nz

An Overview of Sustainability

After defining global warming in my previous blog, I felt it is necessary to look at what sustainability means in practice and look at its history.

Sustainability – A Tricky Definition

Fien and Tilbury (2002) write that sustainability is hard to define, due to the fact that sustainability and its practices tend to be culturally constructed and there can often be hidden agendas behind the definition. I found this was definitely the case when researching the meaning of sustainability. This can be seen in the Ministry for the Environment’s definition. The Ministry writes that sustainability is the practice of “meeting the needs of today, without adversely impacting on the needs of tomorrow” (Ministry for the Environment, 2013). On the surface this definition would be considered broad, implying that we all have a part to play in the process. However, after further reading, I found that the Ministry focuses on the economic benefits of sustainability for businesses, choosing to ignore why New Zealand, as a society, should implement sustainable practices. I found this narrow minded. Given this, I chose to continue my search to find a definition that focused more on why society as a whole, should practice sustainability.

My search led me to a Youtube video defining sustainability. Although simplistic, I believe it demonstrated a much more holistic perspective, stating that sustainability is simply “allowing the world to continue to do what it was designed to do” (RealEyesvideo, 2010). The video also defines four main “care instructions” (RealEyesvideo, 2010) required to look after our planet. These were to reduce our dependence on:

·       Fossil fuels and heavy metals

·       Synthetic chemicals that persist in nature

·       Reduce destruction of nature

·       Ensure we are not stopping people globally from meeting their needs.

(RealEyesvideo, 2010)

If these factors are to be considered, then is New Zealand achieving these targets?

A Brief History of Sustainability

Clark (2012) writes that the debate over sustainable practices began to intensify in 1992, when the Earth Summit was held in Rio de Janeiro. The world leaders who contributed to the Earth Summit had the goal of “tying the achievement of environmental sustainability with overcoming the interdependent problems of poverty, illiteracy and militarism” (Clark, 2012). This made me even more aware of how different my understanding is of why we practise sustainability compared to the objectives of the leaders at the earth summit. It also demonstrated again, that the agenda behind sustainable practices was, like the Ministry of the Environment, being used for economic development rather than for the preservation of our plant.

Then in 1997, the Kyoto Protocol was signed by 55 developed countries, with the aim of reducing “total greenhouse gas emissions of developed countries” (Ministry of the Environment, 2012). New Zealand had the target of reducing its emissions to the levels they were in 1990. The New Zealand government also had the obligation to:

·       Submit annual inventory of emissions

·       Provide regular updates to national and regional programmes, providing details on how to reduce emissions

·       Adopt policies and measures provided by international scientific and technical research and development.

(Ministry of the Environment, 2010)

Since the signing of the Kyoto Protocol, the New Zealand government has revised its target to reduce our carbon emissions by a further 10 – 20% above those of 1990 by 2020. They state that they intend to achieve this through three phases:

·       Domestic emission reductions

·       Storage of carbon in forests

·       Purchase of emission reduction units in other countries

(Ministry of the Environment, 2010)

After reading this plan set out by the New Zealand government, I felt very positive in regards to the commitment we were making towards sustainability and protecting our environment. However, when reviewing figures published by Clark (2012), on how countries are performing against their targets, it shows that New Zealand is not meeting the agreement as set out by the Kyoto protocol. This is a major concern and questions must be asked about the current government’s commitment and obligations to sustainable practices.

Clark, D. (2012). Has the Kyoto protocol made any difference to carbon emissions?. Retrieved from http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2012/nov/26/kyoto-protocol-carbon-emissions

Department of Public Information. (1997). UN conference on environment and development (1992). Retrieved from http://www.un.org/geninfo/bp/enviro.html

Fien, J. & Tilbury, D. (2002). The global challenge of sustainability. In D. Tilbury, R.B. Stevenson, J. Fien and D. Schreuder (Eds.). Education and sustainability responding to the global challenge. Cambridge, England: IUCN Publications Services Unit.

Greenhouse Policy Coalition. (n.d.). Overview of the Kyoto protocol. Retrieved from http://www.gpcnz.co.nz/Site/The_Kyoto_Protocol_/Overview

Ministry of the Environment. (2010). The Kyoto protocol. Retrieved from http://www.mfe.

govt.nz/issues/climate/international/kyoto-protocol.html

Ministry of the Environment. (n.d.). Sustainability: a definition. Retrieved from http://www.

mfe.govt.nz/issues/sustainable-industry/tools-services/definition.php

RealEyesvideo. (2010, April 9). Sustainability explained through animation [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B5NiTN0chj0

The Relationship Between Global Warming and Sustainability

Sustainability has been a current social issue both within New Zealand society and early childhood education for some time now, with a noticeable increase in sustainable practices being woven within the curriculum of many early childhood centres.

Sustainable practices can be seen through the implementation of:

· Worm farms

· Compost bins

· Recycling

· Water conservation

· Tree planting

· And many more creative and interesting ideas

However, I have found many teachers asking the same question,“Where to next?”

This question has intrigued me and I want to explore further where we have come from in regards to sustainability, how we are performing at present, and what the future could hold for sustainability within early childhood education and beyond.

When embarking on researching this social issue, I found I was continually asking myself, “Why is sustainability so important?” This led me on a journey of tackling the subject of global warming, to obtain a greater understanding of the importance of practising sustainability.

So what is global warming?

Morgan and McCrystal (2009) state that global warming is the process of “human activity enhancing the natural tendency of the atmosphere to trap heat ordinarily radiated from the Earth’s surface into space” (p. 29). There is also definitive evidence to prove that the earth is warming, with Remowden (2007) stating that “since 1950 . . . New Zealand has warmed by 0.6°c . . . [with] the global average raising by 0.6°c in just the last 30 years” (p. 54). However, the cause of this rise in temperature seems to polarise people.

 

Natural warming cycle or man-made problem?

It seems that there are two main perspectives on this issue - conservative and liberal. At the conservative end of the spectrum, global warming can be viewed as a “stalking horse for anti-consumerist Greenies” (Morgan & McCrystal, 2009, p. 229), with policies surrounding global warming being seen as detrimental to the global economy. At the liberal end of the spectrum, there is belief that international corporations continue to deny global warming because their“interests are mortgaged to the fossil fuel economy” (Morgan & McCrystal, 2009, p. 229). At present, with research on the cause of global warming still being very limited, it is hard to determine the true effect climate change is having on our environment. However, we cannot wait another twenty years for definitive proof before making a change, while in the meantime continuing to pollute and kill our plant.

What can we do to help?

Ronowden (2007) suggests that

global warming is out most immediate challenge… [but] the bad news is that there is nothing New Zealand can do that will make any difference to our changing climate [because] our carbon emissions are less than 0.5 percent of the global total. (p. 116)

When reading this statement, I became very disheartened about our efforts so far in regards to sustainability, and I began to question whether it was worth our time and effort. However, I then listened to a speech presented by Al Gore where he quoted Mahatma Gandhi stating that “you must become the change you wish to see in the world.” I believe that this quotation is important for teachers working within early childhood education to consider and will become the statement by which I shape the rest of my research on sustainability around.

Morgan, G. & McCrystal, J. (2009). Poles apart: Beyond the shouting, who’s right about climate change?. Auckland, New Zealand: Random House New Zealand.

Renowden, G. (2007). Hot topic: Global warming and the future of New Zealand. Auckland, New Zealand: Auckland University of Technology Media.