eco audit of our school - made by students of inova
DESCRIPTION
Presented on the 2nd meeting of the multilateral school partnership Our TRESAURES in Portugal (Feb, 2011) ECO AUDIT OF OUR SCHOOL – Talking about ecology is inevitable today. As our school is a vocational one educating future entrepreneurs, accountants and businessmen, you might wonder whether we have anything in common with ecology. However, you would be surprised to find out that the root meanings of these two English words are hardly distinguishable. They both derive from the Greek word oikos, which means “household”. Ecology is the logos of the household, economy the nomos of the household. Logos can be translated as “reason”, and nomos as “law”, but their connotations overlap. What is more, our school subjects: biology, chemistry, energetics and technology with ecology teach us about various ways of how ecology and other natural sciences are connected to economy through so called "case studies". In other words, we learn about a close correlation between economic growth and environmental degradation. It is quite easy to see that as communities grow, the environment declines, so we need to understand how to satisfy unlimited wants with limited resources.TRANSCRIPT
Private Economics High School INOVA
Eco Audit of our Eco Audit of our SchoolSchool
how we work
what we want to get
INOVAINOVA
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Private Economics High School INOVA
EcologyEcology
study of the relation of living organisms to each other and their surroundings
sub-discipline of biology, the study of life
HOW WE WORK
WHAT WE WANT TO GET
WHAT WE DO
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Private Economics High School INOVA
INOVA...INOVA...
Our school – vocational – educating future
entrepreneursentrepreneurs accountantsaccountants businessmenbusinessmen
What do we have in common with ecology?
?
!
Private Economics High School INOVA
First of all, root meanings of ECOLOGYECOLOGY and ECONOMYECONOMY – both derive from the Greek word oikosoikos – “household”
ECOLOGYECOLOGY is the logoslogos (“reasonreason”)of the household, ECONOMYECONOMY the nomosnomos (“lawlaw”)
...INOVA...INOVA
Private Economics High School INOVA
AdditionallyAdditionally......
School subjects: biologybiology energeticsenergetics technologytechnology ecologyecology
......teach us about the ways ecology is connected to economy
We build our eco audit through “case“case studies”studies” and here is an example how we strengthen our ecological identity...
Private Economics High School INOVA
April, 20 2010...April, 20 2010...
......BP platform in the Gulf of Mexico Gulf of Mexico – deepwater horizon drilling rig explosion
11 men killed, 17 injured
...... JulyJuly 1515,, 2010 2010...... ......the leak is stopped
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Private Economics High School INOVA
ConsequencesConsequences
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......4.9 million barrels of crude oil released
ecologicalecological – extensively damaged marinemarine and wildlifewildlife habitats
economiceconomic – destroyed Gulf’s fishing and tourism industries
Private Economics High School INOVA
Teaching...Teaching...
OXYGEN DEPLETION
PETROLEUMTOXICITY
USE OF COREXIT
ECOLOGYECOLOGY
!
Private Economics High School INOVA
...Science...Science
gathering information and conducting research:
more than 400 species 400 species living in the Gulf islands and marshlands being at risk, including several endangered species of endangered species of turtlesturtles
8 U.S. national parks still threatened
Private Economics High School INOVA
...Economy...Economy
Destroyed tourism, including:
staying at the hotels on the coaststaying at the hotels on the coast eating at the restaurantseating at the restaurants cancelled sport fishing activitiescancelled sport fishing activities not buying fuel at the marinasnot buying fuel at the marinas
?
Private Economics High School INOVA
However...However...
......an UNEXPECTED PHENOMENON UNEXPECTED PHENOMENON occurred – increase in business due to the number of people coming to work with oil removal efforts
We discusseddiscussed this during our vocational classes; searchedsearched the Internet for the latest figures and numbers, talkedtalked about the disaster’s echoes in our own country
Private Economics High School INOVA
Overlaping...Overlaping...
......of economic economic & & ecological ecological consequences:
newly announced energy policynewly announced energy policy more use of Renewable Energymore use of Renewable Energy
However, our society is based on the fossil fossil fuels fuels – big oil companies still have:
MONEYMONEY && POWERPOWER
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Private Economics High School INOVA
School SubjectsSchool Subjects
More examples of our ecologicalecological && environmentalenvironmental awareness:
BIOLOGYBIOLOGY – the study of life ENERGETICSENERGETICS – the study of energy, its
transformations and storage, the flow of energy through ecological systems (ecological energetics)
Private Economics High School INOVA
...and......and...
!......another school subject, technology ecology, teaches us about:
interaction between humans and the interaction between humans and the EarthEarth
changing technology in order changing technology in order to to save save our planetour planet
Private Economics High School INOVA
Examples...Examples...
What have we added to our school’s eco audit:
ENVIRONMENTALENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENTMANAGEMENT – the the management of interaction between management of interaction between humans and the environmenthumans and the environment
NATURALNATURAL ENVIRONMENTENVIRONMENT – all living all living and non-living things on Earthand non-living things on Earth
!
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Private Economics High School INOVA
EEnvironmentnvironment - encompasses the interaction of all living things
EcologyEcology – explains the movement of materials and energy through living communities
...Examples...Examples
Private Economics High School INOVA
the study of co-evolution of humanhuman economicseconomics && naturalnatural ecosystemsecosystems over time and space
concerned with the flows of energy flows of energy && materialsmaterials that enter enter & & exit exit the economic system
Ecological EconomicsEcological Economics
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Private Economics High School INOVA
Environmental EconomicsEnvironmental Economics
......on the other hand, is concerned with preserving natural capitalpreserving natural capital
ECONOMY-ENVIRONMENT RELATIONSHIP ECONOMY-ENVIRONMENT RELATIONSHIP – concerned with energy and material flows, sustainability, environmental quality and economic development
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Private Economics High School INOVA
SustainabilitySustainability
......actionsactions taken today to ensure future generations to enjoy the same levels of consumption, wealth or welfare as nowadays generations
AIMAIM – to manage Western consumption Western consumption while raising the standard of living of the developing world increasing recourse use and environmental impact
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Private Economics High School INOVA
HoweverHowever
......expansionexpansion of sustainable business activities, including the amount of resource (water, energy, row materialswater, energy, row materials) needed for production, consumption and disposal of goods or services leads to job creation
introductionintroduction of GREEN-COLLAR WORKERS GREEN-COLLAR WORKERS in the environmental sector of economy
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Private Economics High School INOVA
Green-collar WorkersGreen-collar Workers
environmental consultants biological systems engineers green building architects
solar energy and wind energy engineers and installers
organic farmers environmental lawyers ecology educators !
Private Economics High School INOVA
HistoricallyHistorically
......correlation between economic growth and environmental degradation:
-- as community growas community growss, the environment , the environment declinesdeclines - -
Economic problem Economic problem – how to satisfy unlimited wants with limited resources?
?
Private Economics High School INOVA
ConclusionConclusion
AnalyzingAnalyzing our eco audit, we have all agreed upon the following:
Unless we want to follow the path of Unless we want to follow the path of ancient civilizations that collapsed ancient civilizations that collapsed through overexploitation of their through overexploitation of their resources, proper and adequate resources, proper and adequate education is again the key point.education is again the key point.