Universities

Experiential Learning in Sustainable Global Stewardship

Status: 
In Progress
Description: 

Ongoing interdisciplinary course and program offerings related to sustainability, environmental studies and social responsibility. We work in partnership with educational institutions globally, and support and promote sustainable initiatives locally.  See: http://www.earthedintl.org.

Location

100S, 40E Iglesia El Tremedal
San Ramón 20201
Costa Rica
10° 5' 8.9736" N, 84° 28' 30.9" W

Santa Cruz Highschool Is Now Green

Status: 
In Progress
Description: 

I will ask to the high school director for the permission for pasting posters and for give speeches in all the grades, about "10 different ways that we can take to change the world". 

Location

Camino Chicureo
Santiago 9340000
Chile
33° 17' 10.0572" S, 70° 41' 5.7084" W

The Armageedon Movement

Status: 
In Progress
Description: 

Let us make sure 2012 happens, not as an event of the end of the world, but an end to the way of life that has become, moving towards a sustainable world in which we are very much connected to the very earth from which we grow. The life styles we have grown up with cannot continue and i myself refuse to live the way of my parents. 9-5 job in order to just get by. Life is much simpler then that if one is just willing to put forth a little effort. 

It is up to us all who have began to form this new consciousness to go out of our way every day to create awareness of our suffering planet and to advocate change we cannot just sit by and watch. in the 60's there was the civil rights movement, the women's rights movement, the vietnam protest and so forth. now our cause is greater then ever. The cause is our earth and insuring our future not as is but in symbiosis with nature and all that we are connected to. Let our voices be heard, let our actions be seen, let our future be sustainable. A new conscious is forming in the youth of the world and something is being triggered from within that something is very wrong here. let us awaken and take action. RISE 

Tales Henrique Silva Chaves

A  ultima Hora

O filme A Ultima Hora relata a situação que a terra vem sofrendo no decorrer da evolução humana, a maior parte da civilização humana procura somente em criar, inovar, produzir, aumentar o consumo a capacidade de produção. Mas acabam se esquecendo que o planeta terra necessita de um espaço e tempo para a sua recuperação para que seja um planeta auto sustentável, ou seja, sem a atuação humana nessa ajuda, planeta precisa de centenas ou então ate milhares de anos para sua recuperação. Achei interessante uma fala de alguns dos cientistas “...a terra possui todo o tempo do mundo, mas nós humanos não possuímos todo esse tempo...”, “...foi a mente humana que basicamente causou o desequilíbrio com o resto da natureza, a tragédia é que a mente humana é a chaves para nossa sobrevivência, o cérebro humano ...nós somos um dos únicos animais do planeta realmente capazes de reconhecer que poderíamos afetar o futuro com que fazemos hoje...(David Suzuki) ”. O mundo não reconhece que somos interligados meio ambiente a humanidade, porque não conseguimos viver sem a natureza, agimos baseados na situação econômica mundial, vivemos em pensamento na economia, não sabendo que para essa restauração não existe recursos que paguem. Hoje no meu ver, o mundo não vive sem os combustíveis fosseis (carvão mineral, petróleo...etc), e não reconhece que esta exagerada roda de consumo acaba afetando a nos mesmo, nós humanos, atingindo crianças com doenças por exemplo, hoje nos EUA em uma sala de aula 40 % das crianças tem Asma. Stephen Hawking fala que umas das conseqüências mais serias causada ao aquecimento global causada por níveis altos de gás carbônico e combustíveis fosseis, e que com isso o aumento da temperatura talvez acaba se tornando auto suficiente, que provocaria derretimento das geleiras polares e com isso diminuindo a energia refletida aumento ainda mais a temperatura, ele também acaba se comparando a terra com outro planeta, Vênus; onde sua temperatura e com mais de 250oc e tem chuvas acidas sulfúrica, onde com que a humanidade não resistirá sobreviver a essas situações. Efeitos como o fenômeno Catrina será constante no futuro e fraco se continuarmos assim.

Quando falamos do meio ambiente não lembramos que os oceanos fazem parte também, uma das coisas dentro desse eco sistema que esta sendo mais atingido, um outro fator a se preocupar, porque se os oceanos começarem a esquentar também, poderá ocorrer liberações de gás carbônico e outros gases tóxicos. Alem disso o aumento das águas ocorrido pelo o derretimento e imensas pedras de gelo sem falar das calotas polares.

O problemas pode ser resolvido da seguinte forma, “se desesperando”. Uma vez que existe inúmeros grupos contra a devastação do planeta e que elabora projetos, paralisações e campanhas e que esses grupos não se homogênea as grandes forcas políticas, não existira nenhum outro órgão com grande forca para pode parar esse grande desenvolvimento da devastação do planeta terra. O que falta hoje na humanidade ao meu ponto de ver é uma grande falta de inocência e uma falta perspectiva da humanidade sobre uma civilização melhor, somos considerados grandes vilões contra a terra. Extrapolamos ao limite, como será o futuro?... Será que a terra consegue nos dar mais do que precisamos ?... As vezes sim, ou as vezes não ! . O governo não

No meu ponto de vista, o que está faltando na humanidade para manter o nosso planeta terra salvo e “o uso sábio de recursos” e a conscientização de toda a humanidade.

 

Water purification

Status: 
In Progress
Description: 
I need to get funding from sponsors and local Goverment for a water filtration system and introduce it to the rural areas and most infected Rivers in South Africa. My goal is to have at least 100  of these installed at various locations. My only problem is funding. Below will give you an idea what we are looking at

On the 8th of February, 2007, a solar/wind powered water purification system (Trunz) was installed at the Lynedoch EcoVillage. This unit can process water from lakes, rivers, boreholes, ocean seas and even semi-treated effluent from sewage treatment facilities, transforming polluted water into potable quality water. Using activated carbon filters, microfiltration, reverse osmosis for water desalination/demineralisation, this system can purify 20,000 litres of water per day.

The Trunz system, manufactured in Switzerland, is currently operational in Mauritania, Pakistan, Switzerland and is now being tested in South Africa at the Sustainability Institute. It has been designed for application in developing countires, disaster areas, and remote regions without access to electricity and clean water.  For more information please visit the Trunz website.  

Debate-Movie at Universidad Católica de Santiago del Estero-Argentina.

Dabate-Movie al Universidad Católica de Santiago del Estero- Argentina

This letter answers the main points of the university in order to give the students the necessary tools to get a global vision of social enviroment.

It is important to develop in each of them a reflexive and critical position of the social world with everything that it involves..

For this reason in the culture unit (U.Nº 4) me introduce the film The 11th. Hour.

After seeing it the students guide to join the compromise with the items me have given them.

Items

1-With the concepts of culture we give, tou are able to get the correct definition of the present time accordin the documental film The 11th.Hour you should say

2-Wich are the main points that we need to work on the natural enviroment? Wich abstracles can you see, to carry out theses actions, and in what way we can overcome them?

You should say

3. Say at least, 2 activities that you can perform in this matter.

You should take a compromise to protect you habitat and fullfil it in short-medium term to the future . You shauld say

The positive result in the work done by the students, shows interest in this issue as well as the personal compromise of The Care of our Holy Land.

www.siendo-humanos.blogspot.com e-mail: alvarosleiva@gmail.com

REDISEÑO AMBIENTAL

Status: 
In Progress
Description: 

alternativas ambientales para un mejor vivir.

Location

Ecuador
0° 20' 2.3388" S, 78° 25' 13.476" W

Students on Ice

STUDENTS ON ICE is an award-winning organization offering unique learning expeditions to the Antarctic and the Arctic. Their mandate is to provide students from around the world with inspiring educational opportunities at the ends of our earth, and in doing so, help them foster a new understanding and respect for the planet.

Educational Philosophy
Students on Ice believe in providing students with unique educational experiences that will challenge the way in which they perceive the world. Their aim is not to simply provide students with a "trip" to a unique destination but rather to give students an opportunity to have an aesthetic experience in some of the most wild and awe-inspiring ecosystems in the world. They do not want students to just pass through a place with camera in hand, but rather to listen to the land; to 'feel' these natural places and in turn, explore how we as humans feel when immersed in such places. Ultimately, their goal is for students to experience a transformative connection with Nature - a connection that changes the way they understand and act in this world.

Educational Approach
Students on Ice approach to education weaves together elements of experiential, expeditionary, and problem-based learning. In starting with a very 'hands-on' approach, active participation and critical thinking are important elements in the SOI learning process. Through posing questions, experimenting and constructing meaning, the learning becomes personal, relational and exploratory in nature. Their expeditions become symbolic learning journeys from the initial development of ideas, to addressing problems and possible solutions, to final reflections. They recognize that the journey will be unique for each student, as will the manner in which each student effects positive change in his/her individual lives following the expedition.

Educational Theme: Environmental Leadership
Woven into all Students on Ice expeditions is the overarching theme: Environmental Leadership. The world is a global ecosystem in which all natural and human systems are interconnected. Humans are part of nature and bound by the laws of the natural world. However, in today's mechanistic, consumer-oriented world our lifestyles have led to a disconnection with nature. We are often unaware or apathetic to where our most basic needs come from - food, clothing, shelter. Our over consumptive practices have led to resource depletion, atmospheric pollution, diminishing biodiversity, and most commonly discussed in the media, climate change. As a global society, we need to move towards living more sustainably. Today's youth have the opportunity to lead the way.

From an environment perspective, they focus their expeditions' lectures, discussions, and activities on current environmental issues facing the regions they are traveling through. Climate change is a particular focus on all their expeditions.

From a leadership perspective, they will explore how youth are effective agents of change and how their efforts contribute to positive societal action. Youth have an opportunity to establish sustainable livelihoods and make informed ecological-based choices early in their lives. The choices they make have a ripple effect and the action youth takes does make a difference. In developing the leadership component of their expedition's theme they facilitate ongoing group discussions on ways to get involved in youth-based environmental initiatives upon returning home.

Their theme of "Environmental Leadership" weaves itself through their education program in conjunction with their ongoing exploration of the history, culture, general science, and politics of our place of travel.

Source: Students on Ice  

_______________________________________________

A 15-year old local Scottsdale, Arizona girl, Alexandra Polasko, spent 2-1/2 weeks this past August on a Students on Ice expedition to the Arctic Circle. Now back at school she and two other students from the expedition are planning to hold a national conference, The American Green Youth Summit, in summer 2010 in Boulder, Colorado, bringing together two students from each state to learn about protecting the environment.

"The summit will be about students reaching out to other students," Polasko said.

Before the expedition, Polasko said she had a passion for the environment but did not feel connected to it. But after seeing polar bears and sea lions losing their homes and not knowing why, she said she saw how humans affect the environment.

"We are not simply passengers on the planet," Polasko said.

Her most dramtic experience came on the trip's fifth day when students in Zodiac boats in a fjord came upon a shelf of ice. They watched as a giant shelf crashed into the water.

"I felt as if the Earth...as if its arm was breaking off or its finger was breaking off...I could see the reduction in the ice; I could see the animals suffering; I could see the impact that was happening firsthand," Polasko said.

Source: Arizona Republic

_________________________________________________

I'm so impressed that high school kids today actually want to go on educational expeditions like this to the Arctic Circle and Antarctic, instead of wanting to go to a more "FUN" vacation destination, or just wanting to lay around all summer. Growing up in Chicago my junior class trip was to California. All we cared about was getting a nice tan. Thank goodness these kids are WAKING UP.  

 

ASU College Student Starts GreenSummit

When Chris Samila an Arizona State University student took a trip to Costa Rica to see the Arenal Volcano, he noticed that many homes in Costa Rica used compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).

Instantly, a light went on in his head.

“In the middle of the jungle, they're using CFLs. Why not here?” he asked himself.

Samila, a senior in ASU's School of Global Studies, also began to realize that he and his generation would be the ones most affected by the depletion of the world's resources.

“I really did not realize the global scope of the issue until I began studying here,” Samila says. “The school also opened my eyes to the global economic potential of making America a strong leader in sustainable technology.

All of those thoughts coalesced, with help from the School of Global Studies Student Association and other organizations, to produce the Green Summit, a one-day sustainability event that took place on ASU’s Tempe campus in April 2007.

When he organized last year's first GreenSummit, Chris Samila never imagined that anyone but students would come, and perhaps residents of Tempe and Phoenix.

But they did come, and the summit was so successful that Samila has planned a second summit, set for September 5-6, 2008 at the Phoenix Convention Center.

And it will become a nationwide event, Samila says. He already is planning to hold a GreenSummit in Atlanta next year, and he has his sights set on other cities in the United States.

It's one of the most affordable conferences in America given the wide range of sustainability topics and number of presenters.

“The goal of the summit goes beyond conserving paper,” Samila says. “It is designed to be a catalyst for change.”

The GreenSummit will have a number of components this year. There will be a two-day conference for both professionals and consumers, offering more than 100 educational sessions, and an exhibition hall with more than 120 exhibitors with cutting-edge green products and services.

There also will be networking events, a green industry career fair and green building tours around the Valley.

Samila expects more than 10,000 people to attend, including a delegation from Eastern Europe that the U.S. Department of Commerce is bringing to showcase American innovations and ideas revolving around sustainability.

“This year, we have organized the Green Innovations Expo into 10 categories to help manage the expansive and complex idea of sustainability,” says Samila.

“These categories help define the diverse variety of ideas, products and research in order to highlight how sustainability affects your personal and professional life.”

The categories include Green Building Design, Green Chemistry Materials, Business Products and Services, Renewable Energy, Transportation, Greener Computing, Fashion, and Beauty among others.

Samila says people often ask him how he has the time to produce such a large conference, in record speed, while he is still an undergraduate student.

“My answer is that I'm a ‘permanent senior’ at the moment. I hope this will be a permanent career for me.”

2008 GreenSummit Expo and Conference

The Natural Resources Defense Council's online magazine Onearth featured Chris Samila in an article called, "Most Likely to Succeed" which you can read HERE.

Environmental Educational Tool for Teachers and Students.

 We have have over 1000 Environmental based Experiments, labs and lesson plans 

for Teachers/Home Schoolers and their students. Search topics like Global Warming (of course), climate change, air pollution, science, ocean etc..

*The site is fun and easy to use

*You do not have to hassle with any login procedure

*Grade ranges are from K-12

*The site is 110% kid safe 

www.greenplanetsearch.com is also: 

*An environmental search engine with over 3000 sites indexed and adding more green sites daily (we are an actual search engine, this is not another Google custom search)

* Original Environment related News Aricles

*Green Website Awards for sites that deliver great content in a unique qnd captivating way

*Submit your Green Website feature

Below is a screenshot of our home page showing  the ECO LESSON PLAN ENGINE on the top of the page.

Directions for LESSON PLANS, go to www.greenplanetsearch.com on the top of the page it will say ECO SEARCH ENGINE.

On the right of that you will see the black which states "switch to eco lesson plans" Click It, then you will see it change to the ECO LESSON PLANS, type in your search and learn!!! 

 

 

 

 

 

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