Unit 4: Housing & Energy... sustainable solutions (this unit should take about 6 hours to complete)
There are so many SDGs that connect to this unit, and to every unit in this course. Can you think about SDG #s 1, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 ALL connect to the homes in which we live and the energy we use?
In the developed world, many people own big homes full of lots of "stuff", most of which requires a lot of resources and energy to manufacture and transport. Many people work long hours to buy more and more "stuff", feeling dissatisfied with their jobs and with the maintenance required to manage all of the "stuff" they have accumulated.
1) To begin this unit, please watch the two videos above and do a little more research about the tiny house movement and the reasons why tiny/small homes exemplify sustainable solutions for the future. Keep notes as you go, as you'll need those for a summative assessment. :)
2) Please use what you've learned about tiny homes to create a podcast, video or screencast in response to the following question: "How, and to what degree, could the tiny house movement be a sustainable way to address one or more of the SDGs?". Think about your audience: how can you use the tiny house movement to get your viewers/listeners to think about their own living spaces and how they might make more sustainable choices? Frame your message in a relevant way so that your audience may think about this a little bit differently.
4) Next, it's time to think about energy and why alternative, green energy sources need our attention. Watch the videos below and check out the following websites. Also read a June 2020 article from the BBC about innovative green building technologies in China. For each of the following energy sources, please take some notes, comparing and contrasting the energy sources using these categories: source (where does this energy source come from or originate?), emissions (when you use this energy source to create power, what type of emissions are created, and how much?) and land use (how much land must be dedicated to this energy source in order for it to be a viable power source?). Then investigate which countries in the world as leaders in sustainable energy approaches. Choose one of those countries and create an infographic including the following: country name, population, location (map), statistics about energy usage, justification as to why this country is showing innovation and leadership with sustainable energy usage, and challenges this country still faces in terms of its energy consumption.
Energy sources to investigate: Coal Natural Gas Petroleum Nuclear Hydroelectric Wind Solar Geothermal Biomass
Some websites to get you started: https://news.energysage.com/five-types-of-renewable-energy-sources/ https://world101.cfr.org/global-era-issues/climate-change/sources-energy-comparison https://energyeducation.ca/encyclopedia/Renewable_and_sustainable_energy https://us.sunpower.com/complete-guide-7-renewable-energy-sources
5. Last task for this unit: watch the Ted Talks below featuring carbon-neutral Bhutan. Write and submit a 2-page personal reflection about what inspires you from this TedTalks, especially in light of what you've learned from your reading and research in this unit. Please write this reflection as an editorial or a personal narrative essay that could be published on Citizen C.