What is sustainability?

Sustainability is a paradigm or worldview that refers to the ability to meet the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs.

Sustainability is a way of understanding and interacting with the world that enables society to "meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs" ( Our Common Future, United Nations , 1987). This representation of the paradigm of sustainability echoes the "seventh generation" philosophy of some First Nations, which suggests leaders consider the effects of their actions on their descendants through the seventh generation in the future.

Sustainabilty IS the path towards addressing climate change and global warming.

Why sustainability, why action, why now?

    Impacts in Western Canada you may not have thought of
    Costs of Kyoto - Staggaring or Affordable
    It is now a human rights issue
    Harmful effects of climate change happening now
    EU is leading the way - can Canada be a leader
    Youth adopt MPs to address climate change
    Sask/Alberta worst in GHG emissions
    Latest Climate Change Report (IPCC - 2500 scientists from 100 nations)
    For those skeptics out there - here is an article

Here is the handout you will get in class.  Here is the rubric we will use for marking. Remember this is 10% of your overall mark.

Here are some sustainability links that may give you some ideas about sustainability and actions that you could take as part of your project.

Note, climate change is a political issue.  Various web sites may criticise or endorse certain political parties over others.  Be sure to look at the issues critically using several political viewpoints.

David Suzuki's web sites - excellent ideas about what you can do from writting letters to politicians to changing light bulbs.  There are so many excellent resources on this site that you could spend the whole year finding out new info.

Time Magazine - 51 things we can do to save the environment

http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Climate_Change/What_You_Can_Do/
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Climate_Change/
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/Climate_Change/Science/
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/tour/vote.asp
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/tour/watch.asp
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/_pvw370829/Climate_Change/What_You_Can_Do/carbon_neutral.asp
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/_pvw370829/Climate_Change/Kyoto/
http://www.davidsuzuki.org/_pvw370829/Climate_Change/Kyoto/FAQs.asp

Miscellaneous sites

http://www.saveourclimate.ca/
http://www.advancegreen.ca/en/
http://www.re-energy.ca/
http://www.greenlearning.ca/home/index.php
http://www.lowimpactliving.com/pages/green-projects/green-projects
http://www.roadmap2020.ca
http://www.roadmap2020.ca/saving-energy.pdf
CYCC - Adopt an MP - http://www.ourclimate.ca/main/index.php
http://www.climatecrisis.net/
http://www.pembina.org/climate-change/index.php
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/climatechange/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change
http://www.climatechange.gc.ca/  (I am not sure if this link is still active - it may be temporarily down)
http://www.ec.gc.ca/climate/home-e.html (This government climate change link is active)

There are other sites that are also quite good.  Please let me know if you have other links you would like added to the list so other students can share your expertise!

Enjoy....

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Physics 20 Major Due Dates
Assigned	Task	Self-Check (SC) or Hand In (HI)	Due Date
Unit 1 - Intro To Physics
Aug 30	Scientific Literacy Project - 15%	HI	M1 - Sept 14 M2 - Oct 6 M3 - Nov 1 M4 - Nov 28

Course Continuation Dates are: 

Sept 19th, Oct 11th, Nov 7th, Dec 5th, Jan 11th