A-Z of Sustainability by CK Futures

A-Z OF SUSTAINABILITY By Ariana Megan

CK

Futures:

Strait,

Louis

Marsland,

Barrett,

Bryony

Tuck

Welcome to the A-Z of Sustainability Want to play your part in fighting the climate crisis? You’ll find a wealth of ideas inside this handy guide created for you and your family by 4 talented local young people. ü Need a new outfit? Check out pre-loved sources such as charity shops and vintage websites ü Looking for a family project? Build a bug box, create a bee-friendly area of the garden or cook up a meal using home-grown, locally sourced or organic ingredients. ü Want further-reaching change? Get involved in your local climate action group There’s something for everyone and we hope you’ll be as inspired as we are by this AmaZing A-Z. Read this guide, reduce your carbon footprint and help make your community more sustainable.

How the A-Z was born The A-Z was created to support an EcoExchange between Cheltenham schools and young people in our twin towns. Using the A-Z, the young people have been sharing ideas, knowledge and new approaches on climate change.

The EcoExchange is part of CK Futures, a project created by Charlton Kings Parish Council to support Cheltenham Borough Council’s aspiration for a carbon-neutral Cheltenham by 2030. It builds strong connections between people, the climate and the local environment in Charlton Kings, recognising the important role that young people play, locally and globally.

Now the EcoExchange and A-Z are being adopted by schools across Cheltenham. It has inspired students oversees to create their own А-Z!

About the A-Z’s authors Ari, Louis, Megan and Bryony are Youth Ambassadors, coordinated by Vision 21 & Severn Wye Energy Agency to provide a safe space for young people aged 16-24 to discuss climate issues and contribute ideas for local action. More about the authors can be foundat the end.

Acknowledgements CK Futures, the EcoExchange and the A-Z of Sustainability are supported by Gloucestershire County Council, Cheltenham Borough Council, Charlton Kings Parish Council, the Cheltenham Twinning Association and Vision21.

Over to you We hope you are inspired by the A-Z and we would love to receive your feedback.

Email us at: ckfutures@charltonkingsparishcouncil.gov.uk Phone us on 01242 250087 or write to us at: 26 Church Street, Church Piece, Charlton Kings, Cheltenham, Glos, GL53 8AR. Cllr Felicity Parnham, CK Futures Lead Gill Cocks, EcoExchange Lead Ari Strait, Louis Barrett, Megan Marsland, Bryony Tuck

CONTENTS ☐ Appreciating Activists ☐ Build Bee and Bug Boxes ☐ Compost Creatively ☐ Defend Diversity ☐ Ecological Economics ☐ Find Forest Fungi ☐ Go Green ☐ Honour Honeybees ☐ Imagine Interdependence ☐ Join in for Justice ☐ Keep your Kitchen Cooking ☐ Love your Lungs ☐ Marvel at Migrations ☐ Notice Native Species ☐ Opt for Organics ☐ Picture your Perfect Planet ☐ Question Quality ☐ Repair, Re-use, Recyle ☐ Shop Secondhand ☐ Take Time to Tidy your Town ☐ Unplug ☐ Vegetarian or Vegan ☐ Watch a While ☐ eXchange eXperiences ☐ You! ☐ Zero in on Zero Waste ☐ Bios

There are many inspirational environmental activists that are dedicating their lives to share ways that we can live more sustainably and in an eco friendly way.

Research 3 activists and make a small summary about what you think is the most powerful and important things they have said and done

BUILD A BUG BOX Our

beautiful

insects

alarming

rate

such

pesticides.

lovely

as

due

to

are

dying

modern

Welcome

at

an

technologies them

with

a

home made of scraps of wood, old

bamboo canes and old branches Create

a

basic,

square

box

with

five

pieces of the same sized wood. Nail the pieces together so it looks like a box with no top: Cut some bamboo canes into short straws that will fit inside your bug box,

with

the

hollow

part

of

the

bamboo sticking outwards; this will be the new habitat for a variety of insects.

Stack the canes and sticks into your box,

filling

all

the

space

so

it’s

packed tightly.

Finally drill a hole into the back and fix it to a fence or tree trunk.

What to compost:

What NOT to compost:

Fruit

Anything containing meat,

scraps,

Vegetable

oil,

scraps, Coffee grounds,

fat, or grease, Diseased plant

Eggshells,

Grass

and

materials,

plant

clippings,

Dry

from

leaves,

Finely

wood

and

chopped

bark

chips,

Shredded newspaper.

Sawdust

or

pressure-treated

chips wood,

Dog or cat feaces, Weeds that go to seed, Dairy products.

DEFEND DIVERSITY

ONE OF THE BIGGEST ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS WE ARE CURRENTLY FACING IS LARGE SCALE LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY, ESPECIALLY DUE TO THE CUTTING DOWN AND BURNING OF RAINFORESTS.

RESEARCH THE BENEFITS OF BIODIVERSITY, AND WHY OUR ECOSYSTEMS RELY ON IT TO FUNCTION.

AS AN EXTRA CHALLENGE, YOU COULD TRY AND INTRODUCE NEW WILDLIFE INTO YOUR GARDEN BY, FOR EXAMPLE, PLANTING FLOWERS OR HANGING UP A BIRD BOX.

Ecological Economics T he re a re i ncrea s i ng ly more e c o nomi c t heori e s a nd models su rround i ng the i de a of e n v iro nme nt al s us ta i nability.

Research 3 economic methods to offset the negative externalities of climate change

A negative externality is a negative impact on society, like plastic waste or air pollution

Find your carbon footprint CARBON FOOTPRINT IS THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF GREENHOUSE GASES (INCLUDING CARBON DIOXIDE AND METHANE) THAT ARE GENERATED

BY OUR ACTIONS MEASURING YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT ENABLES YOU TO TAKE SOME INITIAL STEPS TO ADAPTING TO A CHANGING WORLD AND CREATING A MORE RESILIENT BUSINESS.

https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/ https://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx

GO GREEN Why drive when you can walk or ride!

If you’re going short distances take a walk with friends, classmates and family or ride your bike. Driving less will help save gas, cause less air pollution and gives you exercise.

Vehicle transport like cars are a major contributor to greenhouse gases. Try to walk or take public transport only for a day to make a difference to the planet

Honour Honeybees

Honey bees are clearly vital parts of our ecosystem, acting as highly efficient pollinators of our food crops as well as for wild flora. We need bees to keep our crops and earth healthy, but in recent years their numbers have been decreasing by the billions.

How you can help: 1. Fill your garden with bee-friendly flowers, such as foxglove, birdsfoot trefoil and red clover.

2. Provide shelter for bees.

3. Stop using pesticides 4. Help out a tired bee by mixing two tablespoons of white, granulated sugar with one tablespoon of water, placing it near the bee so it can help itself to this homemade energy drink.

IMAGINE INTERDEPENDENCE All living things are dependent on both nature and each other for their survival. This dependence is called ecological interdependence and it can take numerous forms from food webs to habitat creation.

Draw a doodle of an ecosystem you can see and how nature interacts around you

Join in for Justice Taking care of the environment on an individual scale is important, but systemic change also needs to occur to achieve climate justice, and reduce the enhanced greenhouse effect.

Look for environmental organisations/pressure groups near you, attend climate protests (if it is safe to do so), vote with concern for the environment, and educate yourself on harmful governmental policies and how they can be changed to reduce environmental impact.

KEEP YOUR KITCHEN COOKING CLOSE The food industry has a large impact on the climate, but this can be reduced if you source your food responsibly.

Try to buy your food ingredients from local shops, and avoid getting takeaways or eating out regularly. Also, look up where your produce comes from, and try to purchase food which is grown in your own country.

Love your lungs Fresh air is important for various health reasons such as cleaner lungs, greater oxygen, serotonin and improved blood pressure

Research: What pollutes the air in our towns?

What are the effects of air pollution? Why is it bad for us?

TASK: Design a poster to inform people about how they can promote clean air.

Write to your local government to ask them what they've done to make streets cleaner or come up with your own ideas

Migration is the seasonal movement of animals from one region to another

Spend 5 minutes researching an animal native to your country and its migration patterns to make a poster about it

M A R V E L

A T

migrations

NOTICE NATIVE SPECIES

Go outside to your favourite place and list as many creatures and plants as you can spot The world we live in is full of a beautiful variety of creatures but with increasing alarm over the sixth extinction event these beings are ever more threatened due to human action

Opt for Or

Pesticides and certain synthetic fertilizers can have detrimental impacts on the ecosystems surrounding farmland.

"Organic" foods are grown without the use of artificial pesticides and fertilizers. Try to make a meal using only organic ingredients

Despite the various problems in the world like war, racism and climate change, it's important to remember and focus on the world we are trying to live in.

PICTURE YOUR PERFECT PLANET Write down a short paragraph or create a visualisation about the type of world you would be proud of

The increase in consumerism and throw away culture mean that many corporations get away with selling cheap quality goods that are made in environmentally unfriendly ways

Q U ES T I O N Q UA L IT Y

Task: Look at your favourite possessions and find out whether they were made sustainably

Repair, Reuse, Recycle There is a huge amount of unnecessary waste that could be prevented if we were more considerate of what we do when we think we are done using something

Task: Think of as many objects that you can where you can or will repair, reuse or recycle them

SHOP SECONDHAND The fast fashion industry is infamous for its impact on the environment.

Shopping secondhand, especially when it comes to clothes, can greatly reduce your carbon footprint.

TASK: Look through your clothes, and see how many you bought secondhand. Try visiting a local charity shop to see if they have any clothes you like.

TIDY YOUR TOWN The fight for a healthy planetary environment starts in the smaller communities. If you can take some time to improve the climate impact of your surroundings, you are contributing towards the global effort against climate change.

TASK: Organise a litter pick with your family and/or friends, or attend a similar clean up event in your community.

The most widely used method to generate energy is through burning fossil fuels. Not only is this unsustainable, meaning we cannot rely on it to support future generations, it also has detrimental effects on the planetary ecosystem.

TASK: Set aside a period of time every day to avoid non-essential energy usage, such as watching TV or being on your phone

VEGETARIAN OR VEGAN OPT ING FOR A MEAT - FRE E DI ET HAS NUME ROUS BE NEF I TS FOR T HE ENVIRONMENT , INCL UDI NG: Cons erving Water 25% of the g lobal freshwater supp ly is us ed up b y th e meat and da i ry i ndu st ry. Jus t one p ers on going ve gan co uld save ov er 900,000 litres of water per y ear

Reduci ng Emi ss ions Animal a gricu lt u re gener ates appr ox imat ely 14 % o f gr eenhouse emi ssio ns. A vegan die t co uld cut your emissio ns in ha lf.

Rainfores t Cons erv ati on Animal a gricu lt u re is resp onsible for 9 1% of the dest ruct ion of t he Amazon r ainfor es t. A ve gan diet c an cut la nd use by 7 6%.

Reduci ng Energy Cons ump t i on It i s est ima ted th at p roducing an imal-base d pro tein requi res eight t imes mor e fos sil fuel e ne rgy than pro ducin g pl ant -based prote in.

Task: Op t for mea t an d d airy-f ree opti on s when y ou can, p er ha ps only ea tin g meat or dair y on we ek end s. Res ea rch ea sy vegan rec ipes to try out.

WATCH A WHILE

There are many ways you can learn more about the environment. Choose an educational documentary on climate change and write down the top 5 things you have learnt

CLIMATE CHANGE AFFECTS US ALL AND WE SHARE THE SAME PLANET. WRITE A LETTER DETAILING THE EXPERIENCES YOU HAVE IN YOUR LOCAL AREA

XCHANGE XPERIENCES CK Futures hopes to allow students to exchange eco ideas internationally by creating an ecoExchange with our twin schools EVENT PROGRAM

CK furu

you THE PERSON YOU HAVE THE GREATEST INFLUENCE OVER IS YOURSELF. YOU HOLD THE POWER TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE

Take a moment and think of an "environmental resolution" that you are going to try and stick to in order to be more environmentally friendly

ZERO IN

ON ZERO WASTE Waste generation has increased massively around the world in recent decades, with high income countries generating 683 million tonnes of the world's waste.

This contaminates our air, water and soil, degrades our environment and poses global health risks

By using reusable containers and not throwing away unnecessary goods, try to dedicate a day a week without throwing anything into the bin

Ariana Strait

arianastrait2002@gmail.com

Hello!

Hello! My My name name is is Ariana Ariana Strait Strait and and II became became very very active active in in environmental environmental sustainability sustainability through through my my Politics Politics A A level. level. II created created the the environment environment committee committee in in my my school, school, volunteered volunteered for for environmental environmental charities charities and and wrote wrote a a short short musical musical about about climate climate change. change. I-m I-m the the most most interested interested in in environmental environmental politics politics in in a a grassroots grassroots form form and and have have also also stood stood as as a a local local candidate candidate for for my my ountry-s ountry-s

reen reen Party.

Party.

Louis Barrett

louisbarrett75@gmail.com

II was was approached approached about about CK CK Futures Futures when when helping helping out out at at a a repair repair workshop workshop for for a a charity charity called called Vision Vision 21.

21. II was was subsequently subsequently involved involved in in brainstorming brainstorming ideas ideas to to help help sustainability sustainability in in Charlton Charlton Kings, Kings, which which lead lead me me to to co-write co-write this this leaflet. leaflet.

II have have recently recently finished finished my my A A Levels, Levels, and and II am am hoping hoping to to study study a a joint joint honours honours degree degree in in Maths Maths and and Physics Physics next next term. term.

Megan Marsland I am passionate about sustainable living, which is what led me to do my work experience with Vision 21. I now act as a youth ambassador for the charity in partnership with Planet Cheltenham. I have spoken about fast fashion and the Youth Ambassador scheme on local radio (available on my website if you want to give it a listen). This booklet was a real labour of love for me and enabled me to educate myself on matters I would not have otherwise thought to learn more about.

BRYONY TUCK Hi! I’m Bryony. The EcoExchange really appeals to me as it involves two of my passions: the environment and languages.

It has been very rewarding to see our plans become reality and I’m sure this programme will continue to thrive! I love sport and will be going to study Medicine at Cardiff University after my gap year :) .

CK Futu res E co E x ch an ge i s su pp ort ed by a g r an t fr om Glo u ces t e rs hi re Co unt y Co un c il