Deck 25: What Then Shall We Do

Question 1

Explain why vegetarianism can have a lower climate change impact than a beef-based diet.

Answer 1

Many small steps can be taken by individuals to reduce the destructive impacts of human activity on the environment like-
• Not to buy products that are not required, that is avoiding conspicuous consumerism
• Shifting the diet from non-vegetarian to vegetarian
• Be alert about the products that are misleading about their eco-friendly qualities.
• Can use paper bags at the grocery store instead of plastic bags.
The reason why vegetarianism can have a lower climate change impact than a beef-based diet is that the energy required to grow and mature the beef and other animals consume more and a lot of grains are consumed by the cattle and then release methane which is 23 times stronger than greenhouse gases. The fertilizers used in producing the fodder for the cattle also create animal manure and if discharged into the rivers, then are major reasons for polluting the water sources.
The vegetables and fruits are more healthy than meat-based diet as it reduces the risk of cardiac problems caused due to cholesterol as meat contains high-fat content compared to vegetables, thus vegetarianism can lower the impact on the climate than non-vegetarianism.

Question 2

Have you ever been involved in charitable or environmental work What were the best and worst aspects of that experience If you haven't yet done anything of this sort, what activities seem appealing and worthwhile to you

Answer 2

NO ANSWER

Question 3

How sustainable is your school What could you, your fellow students, the faculty, staff, and administration do to make your campus more environmentally friendly Perhaps you and your classmates could carry out an environmental audit of your school. Some of the following items are things you could observe for yourself; other information you'd need to get from the campus administrators.
Water use. What's the source of your drinking water How much does your campus use Where does wastewater go How many toilets are on the campus How much water does each use for every flush How much would it cost to change to low-flow appliances How much would it save in terms of water use and cost

Answer 3

For all questions, answers will be different for each institution.

Question 4

Give two examples of green washing.

Question 5

What green activities are now occurring at your school How might you get involved

Question 6

How sustainable is your school What could you, your fellow students, the faculty, staff, and administration do to make your campus more environmentally friendly Perhaps you and your classmates could carry out an environmental audit of your school. Some of the following items are things you could observe for yourself; other information you'd need to get from the campus administrators.
Food. What's the source of food served in campus dining rooms Is any of it locally grown or organic How much junk food is consumed annually What are the barriers to buying locally grown, fair-trade, organic, free-range food Does the campus grow any of its own food Would that be possible

Question 7

List five things that you can do to reduce your environmental impact.

Question 8

In the practice quiz, we asked you to identify two key messages from the millennium assessment and two goals and objectives that you believe are most important for environmental science. Why did you choose these messages and goals How might we accomplish them

Question 9

What lessons do you derive from the case study about 350.org If you were interested in bringing about change in your neighborhood or in the wider world, which of the tactics used in this effort might you use for your campaign

Question 10

How sustainable is your school What could you, your fellow students, the faculty, staff, and administration do to make your campus more environmentally friendly Perhaps you and your classmates could carry out an environmental audit of your school. Some of the following items are things you could observe for yourself; other information you'd need to get from the campus administrators.
Ecosystem restoration. Are there opportunities for reforestation, stream restoration, wetland improvements, or other ecological repair projects on your campus. What percentage of the vegetation on campus is native What might be the benefits of replacing non-native species with indigenous varieties Have gardeners considered planting species that provide food and shelter for wildlife

Question 11

How sustainable is your school What could you, your fellow students, the faculty, staff, and administration do to make your campus more environmentally friendly Perhaps you and your classmates could carry out an environmental audit of your school. Some of the following items are things you could observe for yourself; other information you'd need to get from the campus administrators.
Energy. How much total energy does your campus use each year Is any of it from renewable sources How does your school energy use compare to that of a city with the same population Could you switch to renewable sources How much would that cost How long would the payback time be for various renewable sources Is there a campus policy about energy conservation What would it take to launch a campaign for using resources efficiently

Question 12

List six stages in the Life Cycle Inventory at which we can analyze material and energy balances of products.

Question 13

Describe four major contexts for outcomes from environmental education.

Question 14

Identify the ten biggest environmental organizations.

Question 15

Reflect on how you learned about environmental issues. What have been the most important formative experiences or persuasive arguments in shaping your own attitudes. If you were designing an environmental education program for youth, what elements would you include

Question 16

List six goals of sustainable development.

Question 17

How sustainable is your school What could you, your fellow students, the faculty, staff, and administration do to make your campus more environmentally friendly Perhaps you and your classmates could carry out an environmental audit of your school. Some of the following items are things you could observe for yourself; other information you'd need to get from the campus administrators.
Buildings. Are any campus buildings now LEED certified Do any campus buildings now have compact fluorescent bulbs, high-efficiency fans, or other energy-saving devices Do you have single-pane or double-pane windows Are lights turned off when rooms aren't in use At what temperatures (winter and summer) are classrooms, offices, and dorms maintained Who makes this decision Could you open a window in hot weather Are new buildings being planned Will they be LEED certified If not, why

Question 18

Identify two key messages from the UN millennium assessment that you believe are most important for environmental science.

Question 19

Define conspicuous consumption.

Question 20

Identify two goals or objectives from the UN millennium goals that you believe are most important for environmental science.

Question 21

How might it change your life if you were to minimize your consumption of materials and resources Which aspects could you give up, and what is absolutely essential to your happiness and well-being. Does your list differ from that of your friends and classmates

Question 22

How sustainable is your school What could you, your fellow students, the faculty, staff, and administration do to make your campus more environmentally friendly Perhaps you and your classmates could carry out an environmental audit of your school. Some of the following items are things you could observe for yourself; other information you'd need to get from the campus administrators.
Transportation. Does your school own any fuel-efficient vehicles (hybrids or other high-mileage models) If you were making a presentation to an administrator to encourage him or her to purchase efficient vehicles, what arguments would you use How many students commute to campus Are they encouraged to carpool or use public transportation How might you promote efficient transportation How much total space on your campus is devoted to parking What's the cost per vehicle to build and maintain parking How else might that money be spent to facilitate efficient transportation Where does runoff from parking lots and streets go What are the environmental impacts of this storm runoff