What is sustainability?

For our Eco Fun Fund, our October initiative is Sustainable Space.

Human beings are the only species on Earth that have the ability to alter our environment on a grand scale. From issues including Global Warming, Ozone Depletion, Overpopulation, and the need to feed people to Extinction of species, The Laurie Hawkins PS should learn how development and our industrial society can implement changes so that sustainability of our environment is achieved.


Many people question the meaning of sustainability. What does it really mean?

In short, Sustainability is the ability to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.



How can I be more sustainable?

Be energy efficient, reduce waste, travel wisely, shop smart, and support your community. Here is a link that you can visit to get more details about each category and then you can think of ways to implement it in your daily lives.

http://www.sefton.gov.uk/default.aspx?page=6601

Here is an idea that I found on images when I Googled sustainable classrooms.

The Sustainable Classroom: A Ideal Learning Environment For Students

The Sustainable Classroom: A Ideal Learning Environment For Students

This is a link to a site that can give you an idea of a sustainable classroom. It talks about how it was built and what it was made up of.

http://www.ecospacestudios.com/portfolio/schools/

Definition of Sustainability from Wikipedia:

Sustainability is the capacity to endure. In ecology the word describes how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time. Long-lived and healthy wetlands and forests are examples of sustainable biological systems. For humans, sustainability is the potential for long-term maintenance of well being, which has ecological, economic, political and cultural dimensions. Sustainability requires the reconciliation of environmental, social equity and economic demands - also referred to as the "three pillars" of sustainability or (the 3 Es).
Healthy ecosystems and environments are necessary to the survival and flourishing of humans and other organisms. There are a number of major ways of reducing negative human impact. The first of these is environmental management. This approach is based largely on information gained from earth science, environmental science and conservation biology. The second approach is management of human consumption of resources, which is based largely on information gained from economics. A third more recent approach adds cultural and political concerns into the sustainability matrix.
Sustainability interfaces with economics through the social and environmental consequences of economic activity. Sustainability economics involves ecological economics where social aspects including cultural, health-related and monetary/financial aspects are integrated. Moving towards sustainability is also a social challenge that entails international and national law, urban planning and transport, local and individual lifestyles and ethical consumerism. Ways of living more sustainably can take many forms from reorganising living conditions (e.g., ecovillages, eco-municipalities and sustainable cities), reappraising economic sectors (permaculture, green building, sustainable agriculture), or work practices (sustainable architecture), using science to develop new technologies (green technologies, renewable energy and sustainable Fission and Fusion power), to adjustments in individual lifestyles that conserve natural resources. Despite the increased popularity of the use of the term "sustainability", the possibility that human societies will achieve environmental sustainability has been, and continues to be, questioned—in light of environmental degradation, climate change, overconsumption, and societies' pursuit of indefinite economic growth in a closed system.^[1][2]

Evergreen.ca Teachers Corner

http://www.evergreen.ca/en/resources/school-ground-greening/teachers-corner/

Working in the Outdoor Classroom

Welcome to Teachers’ Corner, Evergreen's online educators’ resource. Here you will find a wide range of free online resources to help you get the most out of the outdoor classroom by sharing lesson plans from educators across the country who are already integrating greening projects with their curriculum.

Lesson Plans

• Search for Lesson Plans
• Submit Lesson Plans

Teaching Resources

• Tips and Techniques
• Before You Go Outside – Be Prepared
• School Ground Activity Kits
• General Lesson Structure – One Teacher’s Experience

Houseplants improve indoor air quality!

Much of the research on these beneficial houseplants has been done by NASA scientists researching ways to create suitable space station habitats. All indoors plants (flowering or not) are able to purify indoor air to some degree through their normal photosynthesis processes. But some were found to be more beneficial than others in removing harmful household toxins, even removing 90% of chemicals in the air in only twenty-four hours!
The three main household toxins of concern are:

• benzene
• formaldahyde
• trichloroethylene

These carcinogenic chemicals are used in the manufacturing of synthetic substances and materials and are off-gased from new materials for some time (up to several years, depending on the material of product in question). Benzene can also be emitted from gas ranges during use, making some types of houseplants below great for use in the kitchen. This means these types of houseplants may just decrease your risk of cancers, asthma, allergies, auto-immune disorders and other diseases.

http://www.sustainablebabysteps.com/types-of-houseplants.html

Aloe (Aloe vera)

This easy-to-grow, sun-loving succulent helps clear formaldehyde and benzene, which can be a byproduct of chemical-based cleaners, paints and more. Aloe is a smart choice for a sunny kitchen window. Beyond its air-clearing abilities, the gel inside an aloe plant can help heal cuts and burns.

http://www.mnn.com/health/healthy-spaces/photos/15-houseplants-for-improving-indoor-air-quality/a-breath-of-fresh-air

http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/air-quality/news-10-fabulous-houseplants-absorbs-indoor-pollution?image=6

 

 The Ten Most Common Poisons Among Kids:

http://shop.sixwise.com/thetenmostcommonpoisonsamongkids11805.aspx

There are loads of benefits to having plants in the home and of course inside office buildings too. These include:

-  Plants can decrease stress while enhancing productivity by some 12%. People intuitively feel that the contact to plants and nature has a calming effect on them.

-  Plants in the workplace attract, retain and enhance the attitude of employees.

-  Plants help towards an energy efficient building whilst counteracting the effects of a sick building syndrome. Plants help with bottom line savings on sick leave expenses.

-  Plants help to reduce background noise levels in buildings. While some plant species are more effective than others, the benefits are more pronounced in buildings with hard, reflective surfaces.

-  Plants help improve humidity levels inside.

-  Plants help influence and improve particle content and odour quality of indoor air.

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And there are more. Simply 'Google' houseplants improving indoor quality and you will find yourself looking at literally hundreds of websites dedicated to this very subject. And they all say the same thing: houseplants indoors = increase air quality. 
Simple, really.  Don't we want to create the best atmosphere for our children, especially in a learning environment?

Green up the school

An article about how they are implementing different ideas and programs into the school to make it eco friendly, from food, energy, activities and school initiatives. I know this is in England, but there are some ideas that we could use to implement into our school.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/feb/12/carbonfootprints-carbon-emissions

Life Cycles

Life Cycles: Lists of animals, quizzes and games

http://a-z-animals.com/reference/life-cycles/

What Are Life Cycles?
The life-cycle of an animal, includes all of the stages from the end of the last generation to the beginning of the next. Life-cycles vary in time depending on the species of animal, and can be as short as just a few weeks for insects, to up to 200 years for sea urchins. Despite the time differences, all animal cycles begin with the growth and development process, which is then followed by reproduction. The reproduction stage in the cycle of life marks the end of the cycle and many animals often die after they have reproduced just once.

Biodiversity

Biodiversity for kids

http://www.ecokids.ca/pub/eco_info/topics/biodiversity/

Biodiversity, short for biological diversity, is the term used to describe the variety of life found on Earth and all of the natural processes. This includes ecosystem, genetic and cultural diversity, and the connections between these and all species.