Module 1
Module preparation
• Arrange the room so that students (target group) can work in teams of 2-5 members
• Prepare resources: laptop, video projector connected to the Internet, PPT with the information
Before starting Sequence 1, the trainer will check the impact of the activities from Workshop 1 on the trainees using the method below.
Today you will become.... Visual investigators!
First step: Create a collage to represent what we learned and experienced in the previous workshop.
Second step: Each group will present the activity of another group trying to guess the meaning of the different images collected in the collage!
Sequence 1.
Climate changes
Objective: to raise learners' awareness of the impact of human activities on Earth's climate.
Context
Global warming is a phenomenon that occurred after the Industrial Revolution as a result of increasing greenhouse emissions into the atmosphere. Because the demand for manufactured products has continuously increased, consuming more and more natural resources, and built spaces have expanded to the detriment of those occupied by forests, the levels of pollutants in the atmosphere have reached, in just 200 hundred years, higher levels than in all previous human evolution.
Climate change affects all regions of the world. They pose a very serious threat, and their consequences affect many aspects of our lives. The ice caps are melting and sea levels are rising. In some regions, extreme weather and precipitation are becoming more frequent, while others are experiencing extreme heat waves and drought. We must act now, or these effects will only get worse.
The trainer will screen the film on climate change. Subtitles in the national language can be used.
After the trainees have watched the film, the map below will be projected and the trainer will emphasize the temperature anomalies and the impact on life and people. Further information on this impact can be obtained by clicking on the link below 🡪
The information was obtained from the Goddard Institute for Space Studies at NASA.
This map shows global temperature anomalies for June 2023, according to GISTEMP analysis by NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies. The temperature anomalies reflect how June 2023 compared to the average temperature of June 1951-1980.
Online activity for home
Follow the link below, watch the movie and write on the blog about your feelings.
Sequence 2.
Linear economy versus circular economy
Objective: to understand the differences, strengths and weaknesses of the 2 types of economies: linear and circular.
Context
❖ Linear economy
Since the industrial revolution until now, action has been taken on the basis of linear economy, which involves resource extraction – production of goods – use of products – landfilling. With the discarding of the product that reaches the end of its life cycle. This system applies in all areas even today.
Most industries relied and still rely on cheap labor, high energy consumption, water, natural resources exploited often in excess. This resulted in millions of tons of waste, and it seems that only some can be recycled.
The consequences of linear economics are:
- Overproduction = a lot of waste from the production process, products that remain unsold, high consumption of energy, raw materials and water.
- Reduced life cycles = products made for trend, generation not designed to be reusable.
- Accumulation of waste (products and packaging), most of them difficult to degrade. The design of packaging and products was not done for recycling purposes, but only for consumerist purposes.
- Depletion and overexploitation of natural resources
Did you know...
We are currently using resources for 1.6 planets. If we continue with this pace of resource exploitation, we will end up needing the resources of three planets by 2050.
❖ Circular economy
"The circular economy is a must-have choice for a sustainable world"
Olga Algayerova, UNECE Executive Secretary
The circular economy is an economic model that aims to keep resources in use for as long as possible, maximise the value extracted from them and minimise waste and environmental impact.
As a concept, the circular economy is simple enough to explain. Circularity is how the natural world works, nothing is lost: water circulates between all the geospheres of the Earth, trees collapsed in the forest are broken down by various organisms becoming nutrients for other plants.
In a circular economy, the focus is on designing products and systems that prioritise resource efficiency, durability, reparability and recyclability. It promotes a closed-loop system in which materials and products circulate within the economy, either in a biological loop or in a technical loop, without losing their value.
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation, which promotes circularity, believes that the circular economy can be summed up in 3 principles: eliminating waste and pollution; preservation of materials and products in use; regeneration of natural systems.
The circular economy is an interesting and inspiring approach to creating a new economy, a new way of producing, consuming and using products. This type of economy aims to create a waste-free system that keeps resources in a continuous flow between producers and users. The aim is to create a system with low environmental impact in the context of high economic activity.
The report on the circularity gap presented at the 2019 annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos estimated that only 9% of the global economy is circular. This is not enough. Clearly, quick steps need to be taken to increase this percentage. But we are only at the beginning and we have a long road ahead of us.
The transition to the circular economy also raises uncertainties because we cannot know in advance what will work and what will not. We need to try different solutions and expand what works, innovation is needed. But innovation isn’t just about scientific research and brilliant new technologies: the ways we use them, the ways we set the rules of the game, and the ways we create the right incentives matter much more.
"We are in the midst of a fourth industrial revolution, changing societies and economies in ways we never imagined before. So what we need is to enable experimentation – with technologies, policies, governance arrangements and business ideas."
Olga Algayerova, UNECE Executive Secretary
A circular economy has the incentives and means to use existing resources efficiently and sustainably – relying on renewable energy sources, extracting more value from waste, minimising food waste and enhancing quality of life for all segments of society. This transition presents tremendous opportunities that will translate into the development of new economic sectors and jobs. This is already happening: the rapidly growing collaborative economy is an example of how we can not only use resources more efficiently, but also make them increasingly accessible.
Things get complicated when you want to apply circularity at the level of companies, industries, national economies or individuals. There needs to be a rethinking of how we buy and consume.
When we talk about the circular economy, we often think of waste management and recycling; food waste, single-use plastics, packaging and straws. But the circular economy is not just a waste issue; A circular economy is largely a sustainable economy.
We should also think about renewable energy, water management, social responsibility, designing for longevity, modernizing and dismantling. We should involve our workforce and communities in our economic cycles. AI is here to help.
Devil's Advocate
-Non-formal method -
Theme
Linear economy versus circular economy
Situation
The method is recommended for confronting pro-cons in choosing the type of economy:
- Features of linear economy
- Features of the circular economy
Goal
The method will challenge learners to identify the pros and cons of each type of economics, appealing to critical thinking.
Description
The group will be divided into two parts:
- The group of adults will collect pros for each type of economy
- The youth group will collect counterarguments
The coordinator will make on the flipchart / board a table with 2 columns: arguments / counterarguments. Then the group will discuss, analyze, critique them together. Eventually, solutions can also be developed.
Recommended number of participants
10 families
Ideal space
Inside
Time needed
About 30 minutes: 10 minutes for identifying the pros and cons, 20 minutes for analyzing and criticizing the arguments.
Required equipment
Sheets of paper, pen, flipchart, marker
Aspects of assessment
The evaluation consists of the formation of critics, and group discussions. In this case, constructive thinking and goal-oriented attitude have a very important role and it is indispensable to remain within the limits of reality.
Skills developed
- Communication
- Spirit of initiative
- Collaboration
- Assertiveness
- Presentation skills
- Creativity
- Active listening
- Critical thinking
- Association capacity
Special instructions
Let’s not judge the arguments of others and profit from controversial situations.
The trainer will check the knowledge gained by the trainees about circular economy using the quiz in the link below:
https://www.natgeokids.com/uk/discover/science/general-science/all-about-the-circular-economy/
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