Conscientious Consumerism

Overview

Grade: 9-12

Topic: ENV.GP: GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEMS AND ISSUES

Standard: ENV.GP.1: Human Population
ENV.GP.2: Potable water quality, use and availability
ENV.GP.3: Climate change
ENV.GP.4: Sustainability
ENV.GP.5: Species depletion and extinction
ENV.GP.6: Air quality
ENV.GP.7: Food production and availability
ENV.GP.8: Deforestation and loss of biodiversity
ENV.GP.9: Waste management (solid and hazardous)

Students will explore how consumer choices can influence various global environmental problems and issues such as climate change, water quality and use, sustainability, air quality, food production and availability, deforestation, and loss of biodiversity. Students will practice how to research companies and labeling requirements; calculate ecological footprints based on lifestyle choices, and explore interconnected global impacts.

Format

• Watch Conscientious Consumerism presentation (12:39)

• Watch REC video

• Read article

• Activity for students

*Option for teachers- Instead of viewing the recorded presentation, you can choose to present this power point to your students yourself during class. Here is the PPTX with presenter notes to download for use.

Activity

• After watching Conscientious Consumerism and reading The Elusive Green Consumer, choose a sustainable consumer practice new to you or that you do not do on a consistent basis.

Examples:

-Buying organic products

-Reducing meat consumption

-Using reusable products (water bottles, shopping bags, etc.)

-Using more sustainable transportation (public transit, biking, or walking)

Think about how this practice compares to "traditional" or less sustainable alternatives in terms of cost, convenience, and accessibility. Challenge yourself to adopt this practice for 30 days, and keep a journal of how many times you use the sustainable practice, detail any challenges or times you did not/could not do it, and think about how you can make it a permanent behavior change.

Share your experiences with your teacher and class with a short presentation or paper.

• Schedule a follow up virtual Q&A with your county educator to answer further student questions!