Lesson video

Hello, my name is Ms. Gilyeat and I'm your geography teacher for today.

Today's lesson is the final lesson of the Anthropocene topic and we are learning about a sustainable future.

So our lesson outcome for today is that you can explain how sustainable living can reduce the environmental impact of our everyday lives.

Now, we've got four key words for today's lesson.

The first one is sustainability, which is meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Food miles are a measure of the distance between where a food is grown or made to where it is eaten.

Public transport is the shared use of vehicles such as trains, buses, trams and planes on routes where people pay fares.

And seasonal food is food that is grown and harvested at a specific time of year when it is naturally ripe and ready for consumption.

We've got three learning cycles.

So first of all, we're gonna look at sustainable choices.

Then we're gonna look at sustainable transport and finally start thinking about a sustainable future.

So first of all, I want you to have a quick chat with your partner.

What do you think sustainability means? In 1987, the United Nations defined sustainability as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

So it's making sure that our current generation have got the resources that we need to live, to survive and to thrive, but also we're not using resources to an extent where future generations won't be able to use them.

So we've got a definition here from Greenpeace.

Now, sustainability is a way of using resources that could continue forever.

A sustainable activity is able to be sustained without running out of resources or causing harm.

If something is unsustainable, it means it's using up resources faster than they're being replaced.

Eventually, the resources will run out and the activity won't be able to carry on.

Okay, so if we think about this in practise using natural resources in a sustainable way, if trees are a resource that we use and if we cut them down without replanting them, there'll be none left for people to use in the future.

This is not a sustainable way of using that resource.

A more sustainable way if we were going to cut down the trees was to make sure that we plant a new tree for every tree that is cut down.

Okay, I've got two definitions in boxes there and I want you to think what do these two definitions have in common? So pause the video, read the definitions and then looking at statements A, B and C, and it's more than one that can apply, what do those definitions have in common? Okay, so they both say something about the future and they also suggest that we are using up the planet's resources too quickly.

Now sustainability can be defined as meeting the needs of today without preventing future generations from doing so.

So well done, it's all about thinking about our generations, what we need, but thinking about in the future as well.

Now in the Anthropocene, human activity is putting pressure on Earth's natural resources.

By reducing waste and reusing materials, we could help conserve energy, raw materials and the environment.

This would mean less pollution, fewer emissions and less damage to ecosystems. Now here are some examples of reducing waste and reusing materials.

We can recycle paper, metals and plastic properly.

Avoid over-packaged products and making sure that when we can we don't buy excess packaging.

Using reusable water bottles instead of single-use plastics and donating old clothes instead of throwing them away.

Those are just some examples of how we can reduce waste and reuse materials, but by all means are not all.

Now let's have a look at an example of a shop which is aiming to be more sustainable.

So the shop is called Earth.

Food.

Love which is in Totnes in the south of the UK.

Now Earth.

Food.

Love is one of the UK's first zero-waste food shops.

It sells organic food and cleaning products and toiletries without any plastic packaging.

Customers bring their own containers to refill what they need, helping to reduce waste and avoid single-use plastics.

Okay, let's check what we've learned.

Can you give four ways you can reduce your waste and reuse materials.

Here are some examples, however, these don't account for all of them.

You might have said something different.

So recycling paper, metal and plastics properly, avoiding over-packaged products, using reusable water bottles instead of single-use plastics and donating old clothes instead of throwing them away.

Well done if you got some of those.

Now in the Anthropocene, making thoughtful food choices is a simple way to reduce our environmental footprint and support more sustainable farming.

Eating food that's grown locally and in season helps the environment.

It reduces the need for long-distance transport, packaging and storage, lowering emissions and energy use.

Seasonal foods are often fresher and can also need fewer chemicals to grow.

Now Riverford is a UK company that delivers organic, seasonal vegetables grown on British farms. By focusing on local and seasonal organic produce, they avoid plastic packaging, use fewer chemicals, reduce food miles.

Now Riverford's model supports sustainable farming, protects soil health and cuts carbon emissions, showing how local food choices can help reduce environmental impact.

Okay, what I would like you to do is tell your partner how eating local and seasonal food reduces our environmental impact.

You might have said something like this.

Eating food that's grown locally and in season helps the environment.

It reduces the need for long-distance transport, packaging and storage, lowering emissions and energy use.

Seasonal foods are often fresher and can need fewer chemicals to grow.

Okay, we're on to our first tasks for this lesson.

What I would like to do first of all is define the term sustainability.

Then I'd like to look at the two examples of sustainable choices and explain how they reduce environmental impact in the Anthropocene.

Pause the video and have a go at this first task.

For this third task, what I would like you to do is annotate the image with different ways that eating seasonal and local food reduces our environmental impact.

And I've done one for you to get you started.

Okay, let's have a look at these answers then.

So, sustainability could be defined as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

So, for recycling, this is how it's reducing environmental impact.

Recycling material means that less new materials have to be made, using less energy.

Recycling also produces less waste and using reusable bottles or other reusable items, I should say really, reusing items such as water bottles reduces demand for new items to be made which uses more resources, also not using single-use plastic reduces waste.

So well done if you got that right.

Okay, here we've got some examples of how eating local seasonal food has a lower environmental impact.

Now it reduces the need for long-distance transport, lowering emissions and energy use.

Less packaging is needed, reducing waste.

Seasonal foods are often fresher and can need fewer chemicals to grow.

This improves the soil health and food doesn't have to be stored for as long, therefore it uses less energy and less emissions.

Well done if you got some of those.

Okay, let's get on to our second learning cycle looking at sustainable transport.

Now, in the Anthropocene, our growing demand for travel and global trade has made transport, one of the fastest rising sources of CO2, especially from cars, planes and ships that all burn fossil fuels.

So cars, planes, and ships is some of the worse contributors.

Transport also contributes to air pollution, climate change and noise pollution, especially in cities.

Now, using sustainable transport helps reduce carbon emissions and air pollution.

It cuts down on fossil fuel use and improves air quality in towns and cities.

So some of the main examples of sustainable transport include cycling, using public transport and electric vehicles.

So here we've got an example of a city called Copenhagen in Denmark.

Now, Copenhagen is one of the most bike-friendly cities in the world.

Over half of its residents cycle to work or school every day.

And thanks to safe bike lanes and bike bridges, the city also invests in electric buses and efficient public transport.

Putting quality infrastructure in place encourages more people to use it.

So if you think about it, if the government spends money on making these choices easier for people such as putting bike lanes in and making public transport effective, reliable and affordable, more people are likely to use it.

So we've got a speech from one resident from Copenhagen here, so she says, "I love living in Copenhagen because I can cycle everywhere safely.

The city's focus on sustainable travel means cleaner air, less traffic and a healthier environment.

It really feels like we're doing our part for the planet.

Okay, what I'd like to do to check your understanding is tick all the forms of sustainable transport.

So cycling, electric vehicle and public transport.

Well done if you got those right.

Okay, for task B, what I'd like to do first of all is give three ways that these modes of sustainable transport reduce our environmental impact in the Anthropocene.

So how do they reduce our impact? And second, how do you think sustainable transport can benefit people living in cities too? So pause the video and have a go at question one and two.

Okay, let's have a look at our answers then.

So how they are better for the environment, they use less fossil fuels, reduce carbon emissions and improves air quality.

And how they can benefit people too? Well, using sustainable transport improves air quality which means people are breathing cleaner air which is better for our health.

Also, if we cycle and walk rather than driving, this is good for our physical and mental health too.

Okay, finally, for this lesson, let's start thinking about a sustainable future.

Now, building a more sustainable future takes action from all levels of society.

Individuals can make eco-friendly choices in their day-to-day lives, communities can work together on local projects like recycling or in green spaces, and governments can create policies and laws to protect the environment and support clean energy.

Okay, let's have a look at how a community is aiming to fight against climate change.

Now, Ashton Hayes is a small village in Cheshire where the community has been working together to reduce their carbon footprint since 2006.

Their goal is to become the first carbon-neutral village in the UK.

So what they're doing, residents have installed solar panels, improved home insulation and held local events to share ideas on saving energy.

And the project is led by the people, not the government, and shows how a whole community can come together to create a more sustainable future.

Okay, let's check our understanding.

Building a more sustainable future is just the responsibility of communities.

That is false and can you tell me why? Building a more sustainable future takes action from all levels of society, individuals, community and government.

Okay, we're on to our final task for this lesson.

So, what I would like you to do is imagine you've been asked to design a village of the future, one that's environmentally friendly and ready to face the challenges of the Anthropocene.

Your job is to plan a sustainable community that protects the planet whilst also helping people live well.

So, what I'd like you to do is first of all, produce a map or drawing of your village, so make that you label some of the key features, and then a written explanation explaining how your village is sustainable.

So when you are thinking about your village plan, include ideas for energy, transport, waste and resources, food and water, and areas for green space and nature.

Pause the video.

Good luck with your sustainable village.

Okay, here's my example of a village called EcoHaven.

So I'll go through some of the sustainable features of the village.

So there are recycling bins placed around the village.

There's areas for green space for people to go walking.

Wind turbines are used for energy, lots of bikes and paths and public transport.

And there's also community gardens for people to grow their own food.

So here's my explanation of how EcoHaven aims to be sustainable.

In EcoHaven, all homes use solar panels and wind turbines to produce clean, renewable energy.

The village has no cars, people get around by walking, cycling or using electric buses.

To cut down on waste, we have a recycling centre and a monthly clothes swap to reuse clothes.

Local farmers supply food through a weekly market and there are shared gardens where people grow fruit and vegetables.

Rainwater is collected in tanks to water plants and flush toilets.

The village is full of green spaces with parks and paths.

EcoHaven is built for a greener future where people live in balance with nature.

Okay, here we've got a summary for today's lesson.

Sustainability means meeting today's needs without harming future generations.

Reducing waste and reusing materials helps conserve resources.

Choosing local and seasonal food reduces environmental footprints.

And sustainable transport reduces carbon emissions and pollution.

Individuals, communities and governments all play a role in sustainability.

Now that's it from me.

Well done on today's lesson.

I'll see you later.

Bye.