About

The purposes of this blog are twofold.  One, to fulfill the requirements for the "Education for Sustainability" course in OP's GCTLT qualification and two, to act as a repository for useful sites and materials that concern themselves with sustainable  practice.

People and the Planet. A report by the Royal Society

Here is a report produced by the Royal Society that you might like to read.   
Rapid and widespread changes in the world’s human population, coupled with unprecedented levels of consumption present profound challenges to human health and well being, and the natural environment. The report (above) gives an overview of how global population and consumption are linked, and the implications for a finite planet.

Key recommendations include:

1.  The international community must bring the 1.3 billion people living on less than $1.25 per day out of absolute poverty, and reduce the inequality that persists in the world today. This will require focused efforts in key policy areas including economic development, education, family planning and health.

2.  The most developed and the emerging economies must stabilise and then reduce material consumption levels through: dramatic improvements in resource use efficiency, including: reducing waste; investment in sustainable resources, technologies and infrastructures; and systematically decoupling economic activity from environmental impact.

3.  Reproductive health and voluntary family planning programmes urgently require political leadership and financial commitment, both nationally and internationally. This is needed to continue the downward trajectory of fertility rates, especially in countries where the unmet need for contraception is high.

4.  Population and the environment should not be considered as two separate issues. Demographic changes, and the influences on them, should be factored into economic and environmental debate and planning at international meetings, such as the Rio+20 Conference on Sustainable Development and subsequent meetings.

Other recommendations made in the report focus on: the potential for urbanisation to reduce material consumption, removing barriers to achieve high-quality primary and secondary education for all, undertaking more research into the interactions between consumption, demographic change and environmental impact, implementing comprehensive wealth measures, developing new socio-economic systems.

 The 21^st century is a critical period for people and the planet.  The global population reached 7 billion during 2011 and United Nations projections indicate that it will reach between 8 and 11 billion by 2050.  Human impact on the earth raises serious concerns, and in the richest parts of the world per capita material consumption is far above the level that can be sustained for everyone in a population of 7 billion or more.  This is in stark contrast to the world’s 1.3 billion poorest people, who need to consume more to be raised out of extreme poverty.

The report goes on to say that the highest fertility rates are now seen primarily in the least developed countries while the lowest fertility rates are seen in the more developed countries. This fact has a significant flow-on effect in the poorer areas, in the ability of families to feed, educate and provide the basic necessities of life for their off spring.

Developing countries will be building the equivalent of a city of a million people every five days from now to 2050. The continuing and rapid growth of the urban population is having a marked bearing on lifestyle and behaviour: how and what they consume, how many children they have and the type of employment they undertake.  Urban planning is essential to avoid the spread of slums, which are highly deleterious to the welfare of individuals and societies.

The Royal Society, a fellowship of the worlds most eminent scientists,  seek a more equitable future for humanity where consumption levels between developed and developing nations is rebalanced alongside a stabilisation of the worlds population by voluntary methods.

The great Kiwi ...'know how can do' attitude

For those of you that have the desire to look to your own resources to get the job done Mitre 10 have a site here that give instructional videos showing how to do all of those little jobs around the house that need attention.  There is a two-fold benefit...One you will save money and get more bangs for bucks and two you will learn more DIY skills.

5 Tips for Better Work-Life Balance

This site gives

x 5 Tips for Better Work-Life Balance

Beat burnout by discovering ways to devote more time to the activities and people that matter most to you. 

By Jen Uscher
WebMD Feature

Stress management

Stress management: Tips to reduce stress and improve productivity

This site gives tips for effective stress management.

Effective time management is a primary means to a less stressful life. These practices can help you reduce your stress and reclaim your personal life.

By Mayo Clinic staff

 

Top 48 most motivational and inspirational websites

Procrastinators lament:

Procrastination is a sin,

It brings me endless sorrow,

I really must stop doing it,

In fact I'll start tomorrow.

Need a boost to get you off the couch, setting goals, and moving towards them. This site is a one stop shop for motivational tools. Here you will find the 48 of the most motivational and inspirational websites on the Internet.

Sustainable practice begins at home

To live sustainably and inspire others to do the same we need to lead by example. This site has all sorts of useful links for household management:-Schedules and routines, cleaning tips, homemade cleaners, food tips, finances, health and safety, 'how to' videos, home storage solutions, stain removal, homemade cleaners, laundry tips and much much more.