5 Minutes of Sustainability.
What is this resource - 5 minutes of sustainability was created in direct response to teachers and students asking ‘what can WE do about climate change and biodiversity loss? This series of impactful student-led videos can stimulate interesting discussions, create awareness and empower schools to tackle the climate and nature emergency.
Each video is on a new topic and highlights feasible, actionable steps to combat climate change, manage energy, reduce waste and improve biodiversity in your schools.
Who is this resource for - Sustainability Coordinators and any primary & secondary teachers who want to take action in their subject area.
How to use this resource?
Sustainability Coordinators
Play the videos to the whole school once a month/half term to create awareness.
Use the videos to bolster an action you want to take as a whole school. Ask each department how they can use their lessons to help support that whole school action.
Classroom Teacher
Play a video when covering a topic that relates to biodiversity, travel, energy, & data.
Allow the class to brainstorm how they are going to take an action as an individual, as a class or as a school.
1.INTRODUCTION
We’ve been asked by students and teachers “What can we do about climate change and biodiversity loss?”. In response we created ‘5 Minutes of Sustainability’ which is all about the actions we can take. Each video outlines an action we can take, an explanation of how that action helps, and the impact of taking that action.
Videos are released once a month. You can show these to a whole school at the same time to emphasise the power of collective conversations and action. Mobilising mindsets and changing a culture takes grit and hard work. In this video the students outline the systems they have set up in their schools to make it easier for people to take action.
2.Data
Learn how changing your emailing behaviour and deleting data can help to address climate change.
Topics for CBAs
Data Centres, Carbon Footprints, The Cloud, Storing Photos, Streaming, Letters or emails.
School Projects
School Data Policy, Deleting Days.
3.SAVING ENERGY
Saving energy saves you money and it lowers your greenhouse gas emissions. This video outlines some simple tips. Use this recording sheet to help you.
Topics for CBAs
Insulating Your Home, Heat Pumps, Energy and The War in Ukraine, Generating Electricity at Home Using Solar Cells and Wind Energy, Net Zero
School Projects
School Energy Policy, Intercom Announcements, Fundraising For A Wind Turbine For Your School, Reducing Your School’s Energy Consumption
4. Influencing government
How do you spark social change? Influence your government.
Topics for CBAs
Social change, Political Will, Activism, Campaigning
School Projects
Persuasive Letter Writing in English (make it part of your end of term assessment), Social Media Campaign - get your voices heard, Invite Political Speakers In.
5. reduce your waste
Recycling shouldn’t be the focus! We should reduce the amount of waste we produce.
Topics for CBAs
Reducing packaging waste, impacts of waste / plastic pollution on environment, awareness of manufacturing ‘environmental costs’ - raw materials, energy, transport.
School Projects
Classroom or whole school waste audit, design or art-based project using upcycled waste, campaign to request local supermarkets to reduce packaging, plastic footprint audit by students - record daily single-use plastic use in a datasheet & set a target to reduce it
6. Eat for the planet
Why do we need to consider our food choices and how can we eat for a more just sustainable world?
Topics for CBAs
Biodiversity loss, land use, meat substitutes, farming policy, just transition.
School Projects
Food waste audit, meat free Monday campaign, article writing for local paper to highlight how food choices can be a solution to climate change and biodiversity loss.
7. TREES for climate and biodiversity
Topics for CBAs
Carbon off setting, Plantation Vs Forest, Carbon Capture, Causes of Biodiversity Loss
School Projects
Plant a Planet Campaign, Measuring the carbon stored in trees on your school site, Plant an orchard or a small forest in your school
8. LET IT GROW
Leaving an area of your lawn grow, even a small patch, is a positive act for nature and for climate. It sends a signal to everyone in your community that you care and you may influence others.
Topics for CBAs
Irish Bee Species, Irish Pollinators and the All Ireland Pollinator Plan, Create a School Pollinator Plan.
School Projects
Let it grow campaign in the school grounds and the school garden.
All Ireland Pollinator Plan Actions
9. CYCLE/WALK/CAR POOL
In Ireland, transport causes the 2nd highest share of greenhouse gas emissions. It makes up 17% of our total emissions and the emissions from transport are going up! So get walking, cycling, car polling, or take the bus!
Topics for CBAs
Air quality monitoring, diesel versus petrol cars, co-benefits of climate action, air pollution.
School Projects
Walk or cycle to school days, carpooling days, no idling zones, car free zones, air quality monitoring.
