Saving the World, One Light Switch at a Time

Over the course of the 10 weeks of  the “Living Sustainably” course, I have continually wondered what this concept means to me. I’m still not entirely sure but I think that it means just being sensible about the choices you make.

If the recession has taught us anything, it should be that nothing lasts forever and you should live within your means. While this is true in terms of money, the same can be said of the planet. If we’re not careful, the problem may become too big to handle.

I’m not an optimist but I do believe that sustainable living is achievable. People who gear their entire lives toward saving the planet are admirable, but most people simply can’t deal with the hassle. I feel that accepting ways that you can contribute to saving the planet and changing things in your everyday life so that you don’t even realise that you are doing it make the real difference. Like turning off appliances and light switches when they are not being used has become so habitual to me that I am compelled to do it, when other people have left them on too. I do the same with taps, but that may have more to do with a song on Barney than environmental awareness. I now feel guilty when I throw something recyclable in the regular bin.

Just making a conscious effort to make a change is the key. Eventually even little things add up and make a big difference.

Ruth Daly

Personal Definitions of Sustainability Invitation

Trinity College
Dublin

You are invited to submit your own personal definition of sustainability to our blog.  It must not exceed 50 characters in length…if it does it gets sent back to you.  It must also be original.

Students on the Living Sustainably module here at Trinity College Dublin write their own definition at the beginning of the course and these will be posted over the coming months.  We would be pleased to publish yours as well.

Please send definitions to Professor Nick Gray

New Broad Curriculum Course for 2011/12

Course Outline

New Broad Curriculum Course for 2011/12

The course begins by exploring the scientific background to the key global environmental problems facing us today (i.e. climate change, biodiversity, pollution, natural resources, population, socio-political divisions).  We will be investigating whether these threats are real and identifying what the actual challenges facing us are from a global, regional, local and personal perspective. What will post-climate change society be like?  Is global change as much of a moral issue as it is an environmental or economic one? Sustainability is central to dealing with these global problems and this concept is examined in detail, including the key mechanisms to achieve it.  In doing so we will examine our own contribution to environmental change and explore how this can be mitigated.  The course takes a hard critical look at the mechanisms for change (i.e. offsetting, recycling, renewables, travel etc.) and looks at what can be done. The course provides a platform for you to create your own action plan to deal with a changing planet.

Course Aims

Broad Curriculum courses aim to develop curiosity and analytical ability, creativity and reflectiveness, adaptability and breadth of reading, ethical responsibility, international outlook, articulacy, literacy and numeracy.

Course Objectives

By the end of the course, you should be able to:

1. Explain the scientific background to current global environmental change.

2. Describe how global change may affect ecosystems and human populations.

3. Understand the concepts that form the basis of sustainability

4. Know how to measure global impacts and how to reduce them.

5. Have a clear plan of action as to how you can live more sustainably and help mitigate global environmental change.

Assessment

The course involves set reading as well as a number of personal actions.  Assessment will involve a series of interactive activities including preparing a short statement about your concerns for the future; completing on-line surveys; producing personal carbon and water footprints; designing a personal action plan; and contributing material for either the blog or website. The course is equivalent to 5 ECTS.

The object of this course is to change the way you live or to make you very angry, possibly both.