Level 1 Award in Environmental Awareness

Session OutcomesBy the end of the session learners will;Be introduced to the principles of

environmental awareness by:Understanding the meaning of some

common terminology.Having an awareness of the impact of

environmental change.Have an awareness of resource efficiency.Identifying practical ways to reduce

environmental impacts.

What do we mean by ‘Environmental Awareness’?Highlight environmentally

friendly working practices, relating to

WasteEnergyTransport Water use

Group ExercisesDefine the following terms;

Climate changeEcological footprint Carbon footprint/managementSustainable developmentThe three strands of sustainable

development

GROUP TASK 1

Climate changeClimate change is a significant

and lasting change weather patterns over long periods.

Ecological FootprintEcological

footprint is a measure of human demand on the Earth's resources

Amount of natural resources required to sustain our consumption and deal with our waste

Carbon ManagementThe process of

managing an individual or organisation’s emissions of greenhouse gases

CO2 reduction

Sustainable developmentDevelopment

that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs

Three Strands of Sustainability

Group ExercisesIdentify the following;

The key features of an ecological footprint 

The key features of the science of climate change

The major impacts of climate change and global warming

GROUP TASK 2

Impacts of Environmental changeKey features of an Ecological

Footprint◦Average footprint measured in ‘Planets’◦Speed in which it takes to regenerate

what we use in a year◦Developed world resource use - higher◦Developing world resource use - less◦Need for food, transport, energy use,

agriculture, deforestation◦Population growth

Impacts of Environmental changeKey features of the science of

climate change Global temperature riseNatural reasons (solar cycles, volcanoes

etc…)Man-made reasons (emissions, change in

land use etc…)CO2 and other greenhouse gasesReduced ice caps, sea temperatures

and levels increase, release of greenhouse gases

CO2 EmissionsAgriculture (CO2, Nitrous Oxide)Fluorinated gases (CFC’s, HFC’s) Waste industry (CO2, Methane)Transport (CO2)Industry (CO2, Nitrous Oxide)Household (CO2)

Global Warming The main cause of global warming is the

emission of ‘greenhouse gases’ such as carbon dioxide, methane (25x) and nitrous oxide (300x).

Human activity over the past 250 years, including the burning of fossil fuels, change of land use and agriculture, has increased the concentration of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere.

As these gases build up in the atmosphere they strengthen what is known as the ‘greenhouse effect’.

Impacts of Environmental changeMajor Impacts:

◦ Global warming ◦ Sea level rise ◦ Ocean acidification ◦ Health◦ Temperature rise ◦ Extreme weather

events ◦ Deforestation ◦ Ecosystem strain ◦ Loss of biodiversity

Global WarmingArctic summer ice levels decreasing

year on year since 1979.Sea levels risen by 10cm around the

UK during the 20th century.The Earth’s surface has warmed by

1°C in last 100 years.In 160 years of records the 10 hottest

years have been since 1997.

Group Activity In order to minimise the impact

of waste products on the environment there are actions that we can take by reducing what we use, reusing products and recycling waste.

In groups complete the ‘waste hierarchy’ activity and then feedback your answers to the other groups

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Group ExercisesIdentify the following;

Ways to reduce consumption of commonly used resources

Ways to reuse commonly used resources

Identify recyclable resources

GROUP TASK 4

Ways to reduce….Boil only water you needBuy only what you needBuy things with less packagingCook food for only those eatingSwitch off lights, monitors, appliancesPrint on both sides of paperFlush toilet only when neededSolar power Insulation in homesService vehicles and equip regularlyUse public transportWalk…

Ways to reuse…. New ways of using materials Reuse wrapping, boxes, plastic bags ‘Bag for life’ Repair rather than dispose Composting (paper, wood, food) Chip fat from local chip shop used

as diesel Sell unwanted items Re-use coffee cups Print on both sides Rechargeable batteries Grey water harvesting Rain water harvesting

Rainwater HarvestingCollects water from

rainfallGarden useSupply water for

cleaning and flushing

Not for use as drinking water

Greywater HarvestingCollects water

from cleaning and bathing

Clean and filterUsed for flushingCan reduce the

need for water from main supply

Recyclable Resources Plastics Tins, aluminium, steel Paper Glass Cardboard Tetrapak Clothing Electronic equipment Mobile phones Spectacles Tyres Ink cartridges Some building materials

Recycling materials into.....Paper More paper, depending on quality – 7 timesCardboard Paper, jiffy bags, loft insulation, car bodies, packaging, animal bedding,

coffinsCans New cans, car and aviation , bike frames, train tracks, pipes. Never loses

qualityPlastics New bottles, car parts, bins, home composters . It can also be used to make

clothing such as fleece jackets and hats or fibre filling for sleeping bags and duvets. Plastic milk bottles are used in street and garden furniture

Glass Reused where possible (brown, clear) or crushed and turned into fine sand

to be used as building sand, if processed further can be used as floor and wall insulation and lightweight construction aggregate.

Tyres Surfaces for playgrounds, shock absorption, car parts, retreads, fuel, mulch

for landscaping, 3G sports pitches

Group ExercisesIdentify the following;

Meaning of renewable and non-renewable resources

Commonly used resourcesReasons why a business should be more

resource efficientHow resource efficiency affects climate change

GROUP TASK 3

Commonly used resources Renewable

◦ Can be replenished through biological or natural processes

◦ Solar◦ Wind ◦ Tides◦ Hydro power◦ Biomass (plants, trees

etc, when harvested sustainably)

◦ Food stuffs

Non-renewable Cannot be grown,

replenished in the same rate it is consumed

Fossil fuels◦ Coal◦ Gas◦ Oil (fuel, petrol etc)

Radioactive fuel Metals

A few factsWe throw away more than 7 million tonnes of

food and drink every year from our homes - most of which could have been safely consumed.

By pursuing opportunities for re-use, the UK could reduce its reliance on raw materials, including rare earths, by as much as 20% by 2020.

Our research shows doubling the number of sofas re-used, could save 52,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent.  At the moment, 83% of sofas are not re-used and are sent to landfill or recycled.

Tip of the iceberg……

Business Reasons for Resource Efficiency

Regulation and legislation

ReputationCost reductionStaff retentionProfitabilityDevelopment of

industrial capability Standard of living in

less developed countries

Links between resource efficiency and climate change

Emissions of greenhouse gases from manufacturing, agriculture, transport, forestry, aviation, shipping

Embodied energy◦ Total sum of energy to produce

Emissions from ◦ waste ◦ transport ◦ energy use

Transfer of greenhouse gases from one part of a cycle to another e.g. hybrid cars reduce fuel consumption but use inefficient coal fired power stations to charge batteries

Waste TypesHazardous

Waste which may contain hazardous substances, may cause harm to the environment or react with other materials

Non-Hazardous Soils, builder materials, sludge, inert materials

Clinical/Biological Sharps, infected material, some hospital waste, waste

from surgeries hospitals and clinics, infectious organisms, absorbent materials, human and animal tissue

Inert and Active Building waste such as rubble, bricks, stone (Inert) and

wood, old window frames, guttering, pipework, downspouts and other building related matter (Active)

Waste Classification Activity

Task 1… Split cards into: Recyclable/reusable Non-recyclable Compostable Energy recovery

Task 2 … the non-recyclable cards split

Biological/Clinical Non-hazardous Hazardous Inert/inactive

If you want to research more...www.wrap.org.ukwww.letsrecycle.comwww.defra.gov.ukwww.recyclenow.comwww.recycling-guide.org.uk

footprint.wwf.org.uk/ to see your personal ecological footprintwww.carbonindependent.org/ to see your personal carbon footprint

Complete your Workbook Now that you have completed

your activities write the answers in your work book.

Practice QuestionsComplete the crossword and the practice questions on your own.

We will then go through the answers as a group to see how you all did.

This will prepare you for the on-line test.