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Greening Your Curriculum Pilot Program Deborah Renville and Bert Jacobson October 2010 Many other resources that you can draw on for your courses or your continued interest in sustainability will be available at http://www.igencc.org/home/gyc http://www.aashe.org/resources/programs.php http://www.TheSEEDCenter.org http://www.asle.org/ Six Modules 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Defining Sustainability Developing Ecological Literacy Social Equity/Environmental Justice The Emerging Green Economy Developing a Capstone Project Thinking Globally, Acting Locally Module One Setting the Stage for Sustainability: Defining Sustainability Objectives: Upon completion of this module, faculty participants will be able to develop course learning activities that will promote student abilities to: 1. Define Sustainability 2. Discuss sustainability in relation to a particular course learning activity Syllabus Organization • • • • • • • • Core Tenets Learning Objectives Integration with current course Supporting Data—Core concepts Risks and Challenges/Reasons for Hope Curriculum Examples, Resources and References Student Engagement This PowerPoint presentation Brainstorm Take 5 minutes and brainstorm by yourself what you believe to be the definition of sustainability. Discuss as a Group Read • Top 10 Myths about Sustainability • The Difficulty in Defining Sustainability 11 Your Carbon Footprint http://www.myfootprint.org/ Write a Reflection • How do you feel sustainability connects to your curriculum? Discuss as a Group http://www.igencc.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Mod1DefiningSustainability-Resources.pdf The Wombat http://globalcommunity.org/flash/w ombat.shtml Module Two Developing Ecological Literacy: Understanding the Ecological Crisis, Causes, and Imperatives Objectives: Upon completion of this module, faculty participants will be able to develop course learning activities that will promote student abilities to: 1. 2. 3. Describe human impacts on a variety of Earth life support systems Translate these concepts into their current course. Discuss systems thinking, the interconnectedness of environmental systems, and the human impact upon these systems. Brainstorm Take a few minutes write down what ecological literacy means to you. Discuss as a Group “Higher education now has a challenge bigger than any other it has ever faced because humanity is at crossroads without historical precedent.” --Dr. Anthony Cortese, President, Second Nature Global Perspective life supporting resources declining consumption of life supporting resources Courtesy of Debra Rowe, President U.S. Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development rising "If it can't be reduced, reused, repaired, rebuilt, refurbished, refinished, resold, recycled or composted then it should be restricted, redesigned or removed from production." -Ecology Center, Berkeley 24 Why is Sustainability so important 1. HOT: Climate change 2. FLAT: Human presence on a global scale 3. CROWDED: Unprecedented growth in population and consumption 4. All living systems in long term decline at unprecedented and accelerating rate (Hot, Flat, and Crowded, Thomas L. Friedman) Some Facts • Freshwater withdrawal has almost doubled since 1960 and nearly half the world’s major rivers are going dry or are badly polluted (New Internationalist, no. 329) • 11 of the world’s 15 major fishing areas and 69% of the world’s major fish species are in decline (State of the World, Worldwatch Institute) Consumption over last 100+ Years We have used up about: • • • • • Half the topsoil Half the oil Half the rainforests Third of all natural gas Third of all coal Dominant Inaccurate Human Beliefs of the Old Worldview • • • • • • Humans dominant species separate from environment Resources free and inexhaustible Technology the answer Earth can assimilate all wastes All human needs can be met by human means Individual success independent of health of communities, cultures and ecosystem vs. Updated Worldview of Sustainabilty Green Washing Used to describe the act of misleading consumers regarding the environmental practices of a company or the environmental benefits of a product or service. Walmart Commercial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h f65xUKRCuk&feature=player_embed ded MAC Commercial Esso Commercial http://www.youtube.com/watch?v= mVpEauWmGeQ&feature=player_em bedded Clean Coal http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0 bcRgnIcntI&feature=player_embedde d Break into Groups Which commercials are green and which are green washing and why? Write a Reflection • How do you feel Ecological Literacy connects to your curriculum? Discuss as a Group http://www.igencc.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Mod2DefiningEnviProblem-Resources.pdf Let’s Go Fishing http://www.cloudinstitute.org/games/ Slide #38 Module Three Social Equity and Environmental Justice Objectives: Upon completion of this module, faculty participants will be able to develop course learning activities that will promote student abilities to: 1. 2. 3. 4. Define Social Equity, Environmental Justice, and the Triple Bottom-line Discuss social equity, social justice, and social paradigm shifts in relation to sustainability. Identify opportunities for student civic engagement around local, regional, and global issues. Discuss regionally appropriate responses to meeting basic human needs. Brainstorm What does ‘social equity’ or ‘social justice’ mean to you? Take a few minutes and write something down. Social Equity/Social Justice Focuses on the individual, community, corporate, and government responsibility to develop, implement, and monitor practices that are fair and objective. A general definition of social justice is hard to arrive at and even harder to implement. In essence, social justice is concerned with equal justice, not just in the courts, but in all aspects of society. This concept demands that people have equal rights and opportunities; everyone, from the poorest person on the margins of society to the wealthiest deserves an even playing field. Environmental Justice “We all have a right to a clean and safe environment where we live, work, play and go to school” --ASPEN Discuss as a Group Overview The production of goods and services results in the production of environmental pollutants and hazardous waste. – Operational and abandoned industrial facilities – Landfills – Incinerators – Sites for treatment and storage of wastes This waste and pollution often is left behind for communities to deal with. Overview “Data suggest that people of color and lowerincome groups are exposed to these hazards with greater frequency and magnitude … segments of the population are not equally exposed to hazards in the environment.” – The Reporter’s Environmental Handbook Overview “Urban environmental problems are threats to present or future human well-being, resulting from human-induced damage to the physical environment, originating in or borne in urban areas.” –David Satterhwaite, “The Links Between Poverty and the Environment in Urban Areas of Africa, Asia and Latin America” (1999) History The Cuyahoga River in Cleveland caught fire because it was so filled with oil and debris. Fires raged on the river in 1868, 1883, 1887, 1912, 1922, 1936, 1941, 1948, and in 1952. The 1952 fire caused over $1.5 million dollars in damage. It wasn’t until another fire in 1969 that the country took notice of the environmental problems plaguing Ohio … yet river pollution continues today. Cuyahoga River Fire Nov. 3, 1952. Cleveland Press Collection at Cleveland State University Library. Plain Dealer photo of reporter Richard Ellers from Cleveland.com. History The environmental justice movement was started by individuals, primarily people of color, who sought to address the inequity of environmental protection in their communities. It is grounded in the struggles of the 1960s Civil Rights Movement. Yet the Office of Environmental Justice wasn’t established until 1994. Today, policies such as the Clean Water Act and Clean Air Act regulate pollution. But there’s a lot of cleanup and regulation still needed. Problems Today Urban areas are subjected to a variety of environmental problems. This is due to a variety of factors, including: – Location—the areas where poor people can afford to live are often undesirable pieces of real estate because of their proximity to industrial areas, exposure to high air or water pollution, and/or the likelihood of damage by natural hazards – Lack of political power—low-income and minority communities often lack the political power to fight for a cleaner living environment or to obtain environmental services they may be lacking – Lack of money—without money, residents of many urban areas can’t pay for what’s needed to mitigate environmental impacts (using pumps to evacuate flood waters, getting out of the city when air pollution is severe, or drinking only bottled water in the case of contamination) [Source: Sustaining Cities: Environmental Planning and Management in Urban Design by Josef Leitmann (McGraw-Hill 1999)] Beyond the City Beyond local urban problems, urban areas often cause greater problems for other parts of the country. That’s because cities are sources of greenhouse gases and are key users of ozone-depleting substances. And all that waste generated in cities has to go somewhere! Problems in Low-Income Cities • • • • • • • • Low coverage and poor quality of water supply and sanitation Inadequate drainage and frequent flooding Infrequent solid waste collection Water pollution from poor sanitation Ambient and indoor air pollution from low-quality fuels Open dumping and mixing of solid wastes No hazardous waste management Uncontrolled land development and pressure from squatter settlements • Recurrent natural and man-made disasters with loss of life and property damage In Higher-Income Cities • • • • • • • • Good water supply, with some concern for trace pollutants Good sanitation, drainage, and solid waste collection High levels of effluent treatment to reduce water pollution Ambient air pollution primarily from vehicles Controlled landfills with incineration and/or resource recovery A shift in emphasis from treating to preventing hazardous wastes Regular use of environmental zoning Good emergency response capacity for natural and human disasters Top Problems The biggest urban environmental problems fall into three main categories: – Pollution from urban wastes and emissions – Access to environmental infrastructure and services – Resource degradation Indoor Air Pollution • Formaldehyde—which is related to building materials, including pressed-wood products, carpets, upholstery, permanent-press clothing and draperies, paints, coating products. It can cause range of problems including headaches, dizziness, nausea, skin irritation, and difficulty breathing. • Lead—from old lead-based paint, candlewicks, soil, and water pipes. It has been called “the nation’s number one preventable environmental threat to the health of children.” As many as one million U.S. kids have elevated levels of lead in their blood. At highest risk are minority and low-income children who live in older or rundown housing with lead-based paint. Lead can cause problems in the brain, central nervous system, blood cells, and kidneys, may be stored in the bones, and can delay physical and mental development, lower IQ, and cause shortened attention spans and behavioral problems. Indoor Air Pollution Asthma is a chronic lung disease that affects an estimated 15 million Americans and may result from indoor air pollution. Outdoor air pollutants including ozone, sulfur dioxide, and particulate matter are also asthma triggers. Statistics have shown racial and socioeconomic disparity in the prevalence and severity of asthma in the United States. “The asthma prevalence rates for African Americans, children living in lower income households, and inner-city populations are all markedly higher than the national rates. … African American children are four times more likely than white children to be treated for asthma in an emergency room and are hospitalized for asthma more than three times as often as white children. Most strikingly, the death rate from asthma among African American children in 1993 aged zero to four years was six times the rate among white children the same age.” –The Reporter’s Environmental Handbook Water Pollution Water pollution in cities often stems from municipal and industrial discharges. Case in point: A shallow marine area off the New York/New Jersey coast is the site of the world’s most intensive ocean dumping site for dredge soils, industrial waste, and sewage sludge. Some 8.6 million tons of waste are dumped into the area off the mouth of the Hudson River each year, and storms have caused some of this sludge to move inland, contaminating Long Island and New Jersey beaches and shellfish beds, resulting in disease outbreaks. Drinking and bathing in polluted water has been linked to a variety of ailments including diarrhea, cramps, nausea, headaches, skin lesions, developmental problems, and even cancer. What About Solutions? Urban areas that are suffering from these environmental problems can be reenergized. On solution: sustainable development. “A principal tenet of the vision of sustainable communities is a commitment to becoming socially just, equitable, and accessible to all racial, cultural, age, and income groups. Sustainable communities work to ensure social opportunity and access to essential services for all members, to tolerate and encourage diversity, and to minimize the separation or isolation of income and racial groups.” –The Ecology of Place by Timothy Beatley and Kristy manning (1997) What About Solutions? Essential elements of sustainable urban development include: • extensive use of vegetation to filter pollution, prevent the "heat island," effect and capture carbon dioxide • purification and recycling of all water and waste • 100% supply of renewable energy • a sustainable food supply which does not deplete nearby lands and grow as much as possible with city limits Revitalization projects across the country are showcasing how sustainable communities can work, but there’s a long way to go if urban areas are truly going to become sustainable. Exercise Walmart moves into a poor community. What are the social justice implications—good or bad? Discuss in small groups for 15 minutes. Think About It • Does your current teaching challenge students to identify areas of social inequity? If so, how? If not, what can you do to encourage this kind of thinking? • What do you believe to be the most important aspects of social justice? Which aspects are you most likely going to include in your future curriculum? Discuss as a Group http://www.igencc.org/wpcontent/uploads/2010/09/Mod3SocialEquityEnvironmentalJustice-Resources-1.pdf Module Four The Emerging Green Economy Objectives: Upon completion of this module, faculty participants will be able to develop course learning activities that will promote student abilities to: 1. 2. 3. 4. Define the emerging green economy as it relates to our regional workforce needs. Discuss key elements that contribute to sustaianble economic development. Distinguish between new or emerging green career pathways and retraining existing occupations. Act as change agents, entrepreneurs, advocates, consumers, and employees. Iowa Lakes Community College Discuss as a Group What are some green economy/ green jobs in our area? What is a Green Job? Green Jobs and Green Collar Jobs have a positive influence on the environment. . What is a Green Job? Another key tenet of the green job definition is that it must be good for people as well as the planet: “The ‘people’ part means workers in green-collar jobs must be paid a family-supporting wage, have safe working conditions, and have opportunities for career advancement…” --Ada McMahon What is a Green Job? “Pushing a broom for $7 an hour doesn’t count as a green-collar job, even if it’s a solar panel factory you’re cleaning.” Ada McMahon What Do I Need to Know about the New Green Economy? 1. Everyone interacts with the planet and the ecosystems we depend upon for life. 2. Everyone has an important role to play in helping to create a sustainable future. 3. Some of the most crucial green jobs haven’t been created yet, so you have to understand the green economy to predict it and contribute to its strength. 4. This is not just about green jobs, but green thinking, systems thinking, and creating effective change. 5. Schools have a unique and important role that requires new actions. Where are the Green Jobs? • • • • • Where are existing jobs? Where will new jobs be? What are the job categories? Who will get the jobs? What are the skills required to do these jobs? Green Jobs Recycling Renewable Energy Community Outreach Student Activities Curriculum Development Market Transformation The Market Transformation A clean/green economy - starting with maximizing energy and resource efficiency – will: • stabilize and reduce energy costs, • reduce chronic air pollution, • strengthen the economy by shifting expenditures for energy to investment in innovation • improve national and international security by reducing reliance on fuels from unstable and sometimes hostile parts of the world • provide 10 million net new jobs in the next 5-10 years and • restore US technological and economic leadership. ---from Dr. Anthony Cortese We are on the threshold of an enormous new wave of innovation called the Green Economy Just as CCs played a crucial but reactive role in the IT revolution (90s), we know that this time around CCs will need to be ahead of the curve, acting as a driver and catalyst for the emerging green economy. Conceptual and stylised representation of waves of innovation Source: TNEP (2005) Understanding Green Workforce Training Needs New and Emerging Green Job Training Greater Demand for Existing Occupations Re-Training Existing Occupations Air Process Technician Air Quality Technician Alternative Financing Specialist Ambient Air Monitoring Asbestos Abatement Worker/Supervisor/Inspector Aquatic/Terrestrial Habitat Technician Billing Analyst/Rate Analyst Biofuels Processing Technician Biohazard Technician Biological/Chemist Lab Technician/Analyst Biosolids Management Technician Boiler Technician Botany/Biology Technician Building Control Operator/Systems Technician Building Systems Automation Technician Buying/Selling Energy Technician Carbon Offset Analyst Carbon Sequestering Technician Carbon Trading Specialist/Analyst Chemical Hygiene Officer Climate Change-Adaptation Analyst Climate Change Mitigation Analyst Cluster System Operator Coal Gasification Technician Coal Miner Coastal Zone Management Technician Code Inspector Cogeneration Technician Combustion Technician Commissioning Technician Compliance Officer/Specialist Crop Yield/Biomass Analyst Decomposition Technician Desalination Technician Direct Digital Control Programmer Disaster Site Technician Drinking Water Lab Technician Ecological Footprint Analyst Ecology Technician Efficiency Specialist Efficient Landscaping Technician Emergency Planning Technician Emergency Preparedness & Response Trainer Emergency Response Technician Energy Assessment Technician Energy Analyst Key: Energy Auditor Energy Broker/Trader New Jobs Energy Contracting Specialist Increased Demand Energy Crop Farmers for Existing Jobs Energy Efficiency Specialist Energy Efficient Building Construction, Project Engineering & Implementation Technician Energy Portfolio Planner Energy Project Developer/Manager Energy Resource Manager Energy Regulation Specialist Energy Specialist Energy Technology Program Specialist Environmental Database Technician Environmental Education & Outreach Technician Environmental Management Systems Technician Environmental Regulatory Technician Environmental Site Assessor Ergonomist Exploration Technician Field Services Technician Fire management Technician Fisheries Technician Forestry Technician Fuel Cell Technician Fuel Testing/Verification Technician Generator Technician Generation and Utility-scale Construction Technician Geology Technician Geospatial Technician Geothermal Technician Global Equity Specialist Graywater Systems Treatment Manager Greenhouse Gas Emission Specialist Green Power Technician Green Product Specialist Ground Water Remediation Systems Technician Hazardous Materials Technician Hazardous Waste Technician Health & Safety Technician Health Physics/Radiation Safety Technician Home Energy Rater Technician Horticulture/Landscape Technician Hydrology/hydropower Technician Incentive Auditing Industrial Hygiene Technician Industrial Pretreatment Operator Industrial Process Specialist Industrial/Municipal Wastewater Treatment Operator Infrastructure/Construction Technician Inorganic/Organic Contamination Instrumentation Technician Irrigation Technician Landfill Technician Land Survey Technician Land Use Planning/Redevelopment Technician Lead Abatement Worker/Supervisor/Inspector LEED Technician Legislative Aide Lifecycle Analysis/Product Stewardship Technician Lighting Specialist Loss Control/Prevention Representative Maintenance Technician Marine Science Technician Measurement & Verification Technician Mine Reclamation Technician Mobile Lab Technician Mold/Mildew Remediation Technician Natural Resource Technician Nonpoint Source Pollution Technician Nuclear Fuel Enrichment & Reprocessing Technician Nuclear Reactor Technician Nuclear Waste Technician Ocean Power Technician Oil & Gas Exploration Technician Oil & Gas Field Technician Oil & Shale & Tar Sand Processing Technician Operations & Maintenance Technician Parks & Recreation Technician Performance Monitoring/Continuous Commissioning Technician Permaculture Design Technician Permitting/Licensing Technician/Specialist Plan Reviewer/checker Procurement & Tracking Technician Program/Project Coordinator Public Safety/Security Officer Purchasing Agent/Sales Rep (utility/private) Quality Assurance/Control Specialist Range Technician Recycling Technician Regulatory Affairs Technician Renewable Energy Site Assessment Tech Renewable Energy Systems Installer Renewable Energy Maintenance Technician Remediation Technician Resource Conservation/Efficiency Manager Risk Management Technician Safety Coordinator Safety & Health Auditor Safety & Health Trainer/Industrial Trainer Safety Specialist Sample Collection & Prep Technician Sanitary Survey Technician Site & Building Exterior Manager Site Safety Manger Smart Growth Technician Soil Conservation Technician Soil/Geotechnical Properties Technician/Analyst Solar Photovoltaic Technician Solar Resource Assessor Solar Thermal Technician Solid Waste Technician Source Sampling Technician Storm-water Management Technician Subsurface Disposal Technician Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition Technician Surface Water Technician/Operator Sustainability Coordinator Sustainability Educator/Trainer Sustainability Systems Analyst Sustainable Design Technician Sustainable Process & Procedures Manager Surveyor/Site Assessor Tertiary/Advanced Wastewater Systems Technician Testing/Commissioning Technician Transmission & Distribution Technician Transportation & Logistics Specialist Transportation Source Technician Treatment, Storage & Disposal Facility Technician Underground Storage Tank Technician Uranium Prospector Urban Agriculture Technician Utility Scale Renewable Energy Installation Technician Waste Reduction Technician Waste-to-Energy Technician Wastewater Collection System Technician Wastewater Lab Technician Water Conservation Technician Water Resources Technician Water Rights Technician Water Security Technician Watershed Management Technician Watershed Protection Technician Water Supply/Distribution Technician Water Supply Quality EducatorTrainer Well Drilling Technician Wellhead Protection Technician Wetlands Technician Wildlife Technician Wind Resources Assessor Wind Turbine Technician Understanding Green Workforce Training Needs New and Emerging Green Job Training Greater Demand for Existing Occupations Re-Training Existing Occupations 1. Key to increasing market integration of new innovations, stimulating new jobs and business growth 2. Improves market competitiveness New Building Control Strategies: Occupancy sensor driven temperature Setbacks Storing and Integrating New Green Fuels: Biodiesel Reusing cooking oil to fuel trucks Funding, Installing and Maintaining Ground Source Heat Pumps Managing Green Cleaning and Green Custodial Services Organic Landscaping And Ground Managements Green Laboratory Management Urban Agriculture, Organic Community Gardening Projects Waste Reuse Getting Local Produce to market Waste Reduction and Recycling Green Office Practices Audits: Waste, Energy, Water Green Purchasing Practices Residential Green Living Green Hospitalities Green Finance and accounting: Life Cycle Costing Green Building Management Energy Modeling, Daylight Modeling Behavior Change Programs: Social Marketing Deconstruction, demolition waste recycling Green HVAC Green Interior Design Green Pluming The Role of Community Colleges in the Emerging Green Economy Green Economy is already expanding significantly, driven by: - increasing consumer demand, - venture capital infusions, - and federal and state policy reforms. “Community Colleges are the fulcrum on which this whole transition is going to be made.” --Van Jones, Oct. 19, 2008 Leveraging the Power of Community Colleges: How Many People Can We Reach? Almost half of all undergraduate students in the USA are now studying at Community Colleges ! There are over 1100 Community Colleges in the USA = 6.7 million students Community College enrollments are growing at a faster pace than University enrollments Community Colleges are central to our nation’s future success in the Emerging Green Economy Write a Reflection • How do you feel the Emerging Green Economy connects to your curriculum? Discuss as a Group http://www.igencc.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Mod4GreenEconomy-Resources-1.pdf Module Five Developing a Capstone Project Objectives: Upon completion of this module, faculty participants will be able to: 1. Develop course learning activities that will promote students’ sustainability literacy. 2. Collaborate with other faculty in developing course assignments Given what we’ve discussed and the resources which will be sent to you electronically, begin to think about creating one well-developed sustainability assignment for one of your courses. Are you currently introducing sustainability into any of your courses? Discuss as a Group Module Six A Call to Action: Thinking Globally, Acting Locally Objectives: Upon completion of this module, faculty participants will be able to develop course learning activities that will promote student abilities to: 1. 2. 3. Develop and integrate connections between our daily choices and a variety of local and global implications of these choices. Discuss examples of local stakeholders on the campus and in the community that contribute , collaborate, influence, and engage in sustainability in our local environment. Sense the world in a new way. Use the campus and community as a resource • What is this place? • How is it used? • What could this mean to your curriculum for students? Use the campus and community as a resource • What is this place? • How is it used? • What could this mean to your curriculum for students? Discuss as a Group http://www.igencc.org/wpcontent/uploads/2010/09/Mod5 -ThinkingGloballyActingLocallyResources.pdf Capstone Project Creating a Sustainability Assignment Capstone Project Assignment • Create one well-developed sustainability assignment for one of your courses • Include an objective and an assessment tool. Capstone Project: Creating a Sustainability Assignment I. Title: II. Course Student Learning Outcomes supported by this assignment III. Learning Outcomes- this assignment IV. Description of the Assignment (Critical Thinking Skills of the assignment– an important part of teaching our students about sustainability) V. Method of Assessment Complete a course evaluation (to be sent on-line) We can choose a sustainable future Congratulations for all you will do in the future.