LECLIC Guide
Section 2. Climate change and lifestyle
LECLIC Guide
Section 2. Climate change and lifestyle
You will understand:
Climate change is one of the most pressing problems facing society today. Although it is usually described as an environmental problem, it is best understood as a human problem.
We propose a STEAM approach to understanding the climate change issues relating to the understanding of this human problem. Thus, statistics, as a science whose aim is to describe and infer quantitative information about individuals, groups and sets of events, has an important role to play in helping society to understand and adapt to the growing threats of climate change. Statistics would provide us, through the use of surveys, insights of the research about the relationship between climate change as (geophysic, environmental issue) and lifestyle (healthiness, recycling,...).
Research in the field indicates three relevant areas of study when understanding students actions -indirectly their families- on climate change and lifestyle:
Climate change knowledge
Climate change impacts
Behavioral changes in response to climate change.
In the next survey you can assess your knowledge about the relationship between climate change and lifestyle.
Do not hesitate and answer it!
In words of the students participating in LECLIC:
"The answer to the question <<what is the relation between climate change and our lifestyle?>> is that they each affect one another. Meaning that our lifestyle and the choices we make can improve or worsen the climate change and because of all the problems (weather changes, desertification, melting of glaciers) that the climate change brings upon us we make different decisions that can help or worsen this horrible situation”
Specific information can be found in the powerpoints explaining the relatioship in each country:
In order to analyze the differences and similarities between countries we used again the data without being segregated by country. We used all the data together and plan actions to organize and analyze it to compare the results by country.
Use the next buttons to access to the students site data where the information is extended:
In this work we will show the graphical analysis of the data from the different countries that make up the LECLIC project, shown below, on various aspects that will be named below, with the final objective of answering the question "How should we act to mitigate climate change in relation to goods?"
Thanks to their participation, it is possible to proceed to analyse various aspects named in the survey that each country had to carry out on habits and various questions, facilitating the subsequent investigation of the same, which will have a corresponding section in this work.
The named aspects to be addressed are:
Bying items that pollute less
Use of aerosols
Fulfilling the 3 Rs (Reduce, Recycle and Reuse)
Use of plastic bags
Use of phone
Play videogames
Extended information can be found in the site created by the students and titled:
LECLIC: How should we act to mitigate climate change in relation to the goods?
1.-The question "How does climate change affect health? which in Spanish means ¿Cómo afecta el cambio climático a la salud? has many variables, such as gender, ages, countries and the types of diseases that each country has and how many people are affected by each disease.
2.- The populations studied in this survey are from 4 countries: Italy, Greece, Portugal and our own country, Spain. While the sample of all the people who have responded to the survey among all the countries is between 286 people and 288, giving the option that each question of the survey could be answered from 1 to 5, with 1 being in complete disagreement and 5 in total agreement, or in the case of extremes, 1 being the minimum risk or 5 the maximum risk.
The named aspects to be addressed are:
Respiratory diseases
Allergies
Skin problems
Cancer
Others
Anxiety
Sleep disturbations
Depression
Post-traumatic stress
Suicidial thoughts
Extended information can be found in the site created by the students and titled:
In this project we will work on the most renewable ways to go to school and consequently reduce climate change. These methods will be presented in graphs of the four participating countries, each model will be interpreted for a better understanding of the results.
Each task has been distributed among the members of the group so that the work is balanced and fair, and if there is a difficulty, help will be given to those who need it, without rivalry and presenting a single united and firm group.
The named aspects to be addressed are:
Go to our school by car
Go to school by foot
Go to school by hybrid car
Go to school by sharing the car with other families
Go to school by public transport
Go to school by electric transport
Go to school by bike
Extended information can be found in the site created by the students and titled:
LECLIC: How should we act to mitigate climate change when we go to school?
Some conclusions from the theoretical study, country by country data analysis and comparison of countries data analysis looking for similarities and differences between countries:
Save energy at home
Most of our electricity and heating is fuelled by coal, oil gas, etc. Use less energy Reduce the use of heating and air conditioning, replace them with LED bulbs and energy-saving light bulbs, wash your clothes in cold water or keep your clothes clean instead of drying them. Improving the energy efficiency of your home, for example by adding better insulation or replacing your gas or oil furnace with an electric heat pump, can reduce your carbon footprint by 900 kg CO2e per year.
Get around on foot, by bike or by public transport.
The world's roads are full of cars that run on diesel or petrol. Walking or cycling instead of driving reduces greenhouse gas emissions and is good for your health and fitness. Travel long distances by train or bus. And drive as much as possible. Being car-free reduces your carbon footprint by 2 tonnes of CO2 (equivalent) compared to a fuel-driven lifestyle.
Eat more vegetables
More vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds, and less meat and dairy products can significantly reduce your environmental impact. Plant-based foods generally produce fewer greenhouse gases and require less energy, land and water. Switching from a mixed to a vegetarian diet can reduce your carbon footprint by up to 500 kg (equivalent) of CO2 per year (or up to 900 kg if you eat vegetarian).
Consider your commute
Aircraft consume a lot of fuel and generate significant greenhouse gas emissions. This is one of the quickest ways to reduce the environmental impact of low-altitude flying. If possible, visit us in person, travel by train or skip long journeys when you don't have to. A short, long walk can reduce your carbon footprint by around 2 tonnes of CO2 (equivalent).
Throw away less food
When you throw food away, you also throw away the resources and energy that go into growing, producing, packaging and transporting it. And when food rots in landfills, it produces methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Then use what you buy and compost the rest. Reducing food waste can reduce your carbon footprint by up to 300 kg CO2e per year.
Consume less, reuse, repair, recycle
Electronics, clothing and other products we buy emit carbon dioxide everywhere in the manufacturing process, from the raw materials we get from manufacturing to the products we put on the market. To save us time, buy less, buy used, save what you can and repeat. Every kilogram of fabric produced emits about 17 kilograms (equivalent) of CO2. Buying some new clothes (together with other customers) can reduce your carbon footprint and waste.
Change your home's energy type
Ask your electricity company if your home runs on oil, coal or gas. If possible, see if you can switch to renewable sources such as wind or solar. Or install solar panels on your roof to generate power for your home. Switching from oil, gas or coal to renewable energy sources such as wind or solar can reduce your carbon footprint by up to 1.5 tonnes of CO2 (equivalent) per year.
Student 14709 from Agrupamento de Escuolas Rio Novo do Principe-Cacia, Portugal:
Changes in lifestyles can contribute to achieving low-carbon emission growth that is both equitable and sustainable. Evidence shows that, even after two centuries, technological advances due to the industrial revolution have not touched the life of each and every human life equally.
Ricardo from Scuola secondaria di I Grado Ciro Sciana from Sicily:
Our Life style must be sustainable and eco-friendly for a Better world :less CO2 emission and more Energy from renewables likes sun, Wind and other non-polluting sources. Today , in many asian countries coal Is First source of Energy in industries and Power plans. Coal Is the most pollutnig and Dangerous fuel Its the climate's worst enemy.
Kapsampelis from 14th Junior High School of Patras
My participation in this program helped me to understand the relationship between lifestyle and climatic change... recycling most of the objects of your daily life, as well as going to school or the supermarket on foot, is a way of reducing this phenomenon.
Hugo from Colegio La Salle-Buen Consejo of Puerto Real
It has helped me in a way that I am now a bit more aware of activities that are related or small actions that we can do to avoid it as well as removing small habits that we have that can be harmful to the environment.
Barros, H. y Pinherio, J. (2020). Climate change perception by adolescents: reflections on sustainable lifestyle, local impacts and optimism bias. Psicology: Revista de Psicología ambiental/Bilingual Journal of Environmental Psychology, Vol. 11, núm 2, 260-283. doi: https://doi.org/10.1080/21711976.2020.1728654
Clayton, S. (2019). Psicología y cambio climático. Papeles del Psicólogo, vol. 40, núm.3, pp. 167-173, https://doi.org/10.23923/pap.psicol2019.2902