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https://wwf.org.ph/resource-center/story-archives-2020/food-waste-starts-at-home/

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The Sustainable Diner project, under Sustainable Consumption and Production, is part of the International Climate Initiative (IKI). The Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety (BMU) supports this initiative on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag.
The Sustainable Diner Project Team:
Melody Melo-Rijk, Jonna Ellaine Jordan, Lorayne Therese Roque, Alexa Jeanne Lasch, Iris Joy Abrigo, Liezl Stuart del Rosario, Kristan Gabriel Villalon, Carla Pena Singson

Design and illustration by Jonna Jordan and Gabriel Villalon

For more information, please contact:
Jonna Ellaine Jordan
Integrated Marketing Communication Specialist
jjordan@wwf.org.ph

Lorayne Therese Roque
Sustainable Consumer Specialist
lroque@wwf.org.ph

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What are We Wasting for? Reducing Food Waste Starts at Home!

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THE SUSTAINABLE DINER What are We Wasting for? Reducing Food Waste Starts at Home! September 2020 Face the Facts: Why Do We Waste Food When Many People Are Going Hungry? Approximately $1 trillion worth of food is lost or wasted [...]

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We can address the climate and ecological crisis if we act now and act together. Climate change and biodiversity loss matters to our students and our teachers. Make this a priority. Join the collective conversation, get your school onboard and this Sept register for the Climate and Nature Summit Nov 2022.

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We can address the climate and ecological crisis if we act now and act together. Climate change and biodiversity loss matters to our students and our teachers. Make this a priority. Join the collective conversation, get your school onboard and this Sept register for the Climate and Nature Summit Nov 2022.

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Engage in cross curricular conversations in school

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Engage in cross curricular conversations in school

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Become aware of the ESD to 2030 Framework 

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Become aware of the ESD to 2030 Framework 

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Sustainability Sustainability The Guaranteed Irish symbol helps consumers and businesses to identify products and services that are #AllTogetherBetter choices for communities across Ireland. Guaranteed Irish award the license to companies ... Continue reading "Sustainability"

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ECO-UNESCO Youth Climate Justice Challenge

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ECO-UNESCO Youth Climate Justice Challenge

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Climate change effects are being felt at a local, national and global scale. Becoming a Climate Ambassador will give you the opportunity and platform to do something really positive within your community. Adapting to climate change and mitigating the adverse impacts is a growing concern in every community in Ireland and our Climate Action Officers look forward to working with you on this exciting programme!

Why get involved?

Become a Climate Leader!

The Climate Ambassador programme is a great opportunity to become a leader in your school, campus, workplace or community and to promote positive climate actions in a local context.

Join Us

The Environmental Education Unit of An Taisce operates some of Ireland's most successful environmental programmes including Green-Schools, Blue Flag, Green Campus, Clean Coasts and National Spring Clean.

Meet others who share your passion

The programme runs for the full calendar year and during that time we will provide you with lots of opportunities to meet our Climate Action Officers, who will fully support you, and other Climate Ambassadors, to develop, share and learn from each other's ideas and experience.

Learn more about climate science & communications

You will receive a full day of training initially which will cover the causes and effects of climate change as well as the solutions. We also organise training as well as tours and workshops throughout the year at our network gatherings.

Take Action

We ask that you carry out at least two climate actions and two climate communications within your community/school/campus. With our support and advice, you could organise a local tree planting, bog conservation, climate conversation or set-up a radio interview with your local station. We will have plenty of simple, yet effective ideas and look forward to hearing yours too!

Achieve

You will be asked to compile a brief activity report about what you have been doing during your time as a Climate Ambassador. All participants will receive certificates for their work and be invited to a prestigious ceremony in November each year. Ten Climate Ambassadors will also be presented with an Outstanding Achievement Award. This event is a great way to celebrate and recognise all of your work completed throughout the year.

Sign up to receive the monthly Climate Ambassador Newsletter!

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Climate Ambassador Programme - About - Become a Climate Ambassador

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Climate change effects are being felt at a local, national and global scale. Becoming a Climate Ambassador will give you the opportunity and platform to do something really positive within your community. Adapting to climate change and mitigating the adverse impacts is a growing concern in every community in Ireland and our Climate Action Officers look forward to working with you on this exciting programme!

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Check for sustainability logos on products

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Check for sustainability logos on products

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https://repak.ie/recycling/recycling-symbols/

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Recycling is easy once you know how! But with so many symbols it can get a little confusing. We have compiled this simple guide to familiar symbols to help you make sense of it all.

A Guide to everyday recycling symbols

Recycling symbols now appear on everyday items and packaging to keep you in the loop. The symbols will let you know if a product can or can't be recycled.

It's important that you can identify and understand these symbols so that you can play your part in recycling, always remembering to put the right thing in the right bin, CLEAN, DRY and LOOSE.

Symbol

Meaning

The Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) symbol indicates that wood has been sustainably sourced, from well-managed forests, independently certified in line with FSC rules.

These symbols relate to the type of plastic resin used to make the item. In Ireland currently, you can place all rigid plastics only in your household recycling bin, regardless of the number, colour or symbol. For more guidance on rigid plastics see 'what can I recycle' and 'recycling FAQs'. Soft plastics must currently go in your general waste bin, with some recycling centres accepting clean, dry plastic film for recycling. Please check with your local facility. You can find a full listing on MyWaste.ie

You will see this symbol on packaging of electrical items. It asks you not to place the electrical item in your household bin - electrical items must be recycled in line with local environmental regulation. You can dispose of electrical items at WEEE points and many electrical retail premises, nationwide. You can find out more on MyWaste.ie

MyWaste.ie (an initiative brought to you by the Regional Waste Management Offices on behalf of the Department of Climate Action, Communications and the Environment) has developed its own symbols for use on packaging in Ireland. This symbol indicates that packaging can be recycled in your household recycling bin. For more information see MyWaste.ie

This symbol indicates that parts of the packaging may be recyclable and other parts may have to go in your general waste bin. For example, you can place a clean, dry liquid soap bottle in your recycling bin, but the pump dispenser must go in your general waste (or you can reuse with a refill). For more information see MyWaste.ie

This symbol indicates that, unfortunately, the items is not yet recyclable. For example, items in this list include toothpaste tubes, blister packs for medication, rubber gloves, and all soft plastics (plastic bags, cling film, etc). For more information see MyWaste.ie

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Recycling symbols: what they mean and how to read them | Repak

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Recycling is easy once you know how! But with so many symbols it can get a little confusing. We have compiled this simple guide to familiar symbols to help you make sense of it all. Recycling symbols now appear on everyday items and packaging to keep you in the loop.

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https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/10/3/873

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by 1,2,* 3 and

Welsh School of Architecture, Cardiff University, Bute Building, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff CF10 3NB, UK

School of Psychology, Cardiff University, Tower Building, 70 Park Place, Cardiff CF10 3AT, UK

Bewley's Tea and Coffee UK Ltd., 8 Century Point, Cressex Business Park, Halifax Road, High Wycombe HP12 3SL, UK

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received: 14 February 2018 / Revised: 8 March 2018 / Accepted: 16 March 2018 / Published: 19 March 2018

It is estimated that 2.5-10 bn disposable coffee cups are used every year in the U.K. Most of these cups end up in landfill or as litter, as the majority of poly-coated paper cups are not recyclable or not recycled. Here, we report on a field experiment that was conducted at twelve university and business sites to examine whether the use of reusable cups can be promoted through easily implementable measures. The study found that both environmental messaging and the provision of alternatives increased the use of reusable cups. While a charge on disposable cups increased their use as well, a discount on reusable cups did not. The effects for the individual measures were modest, but additive, meaning that the greatest behavioural change was achieved with a combination of measures. None of the measures negatively impacted the total number of hot drink sales. One university continued with the charge after the experiment had finished and distributed more reusable cups for free among their students. This boosted the use of reusable cups up to 33.7% across three cafés. This shows that a charge in combination with the provision of alternatives can increase the use of reusable cups substantially in the long term. View Full-Text

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Figure 1

Poortinga, W.; Whitaker, L. Promoting the Use of Reusable Coffee Cups through Environmental Messaging, the Provision of Alternatives and Financial Incentives. Sustainability 2018, 10, 873. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10030873

AMA Style

Poortinga W, Whitaker L. Promoting the Use of Reusable Coffee Cups through Environmental Messaging, the Provision of Alternatives and Financial Incentives. Sustainability. 2018; 10(3):873. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10030873

Chicago/Turabian Style

Poortinga, Wouter, and Louise Whitaker. 2018. "Promoting the Use of Reusable Coffee Cups through Environmental Messaging, the Provision of Alternatives and Financial Incentives" Sustainability 10, no. 3: 873. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10030873

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Promoting the Use of Reusable Coffee Cups through Environmental Messaging, the Provision of Alternatives and Financial Incentives

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It is estimated that 2.5-10 bn disposable coffee cups are used every year in the U.K. Most of these cups end up in landfill or as litter, as the majority of poly-coated paper cups are not recyclable or not recycled.

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Unplug electronics and don’t leave them on standby mode

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Unplug electronics and don’t leave them on standby mode

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https://www.thesun.co.uk/money/16529341/seven-worst-appliances-to-leave-on-standby-revealed/

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AS energy bills soar and millions of families are struggling to cope with rising prices, the easiest way to cut your costs might be to make sure your appliances are switched off.

Leaving everyday items on standby could be costing you hundreds of pounds a year.

That's money many families can't afford to lose at a time when a cost of living crisis is starting to bite.

But research by Utilita reveals that the average UK home has 10 items left plugged in and switched off despite not being used.

It's estimated that around 30% of households leave items on standby that they haven't even used in a year.

TVs are games console are among the worst offenders, adding extra pennies to your bills with every hour they're left in rest mode.

But plenty more appliances and gadgets may also be adding to your bills without you even realising.

Archie Lasseter, sustainability lead at Utilita, said: "Standby mode is a real energy drainer - some items use the same amount of energy as when they're switched on.

"In each home, leaving just one TV on standby can waste up to £16 of electricity a year, which is a staggering £432 million for all UK households."

Here we round up some of the worst offenders.

Xbox and Playstation

Your games console might be a lot of fun, but it's also adding a lot on to your energy bill.

According to Utilita, a Playstation costs 2.41p for every single hour you play it, and an Xbox 2.22p.

The consoles use 130 an 120 watts respectively when they're in use, but still eat up 10 watts when they're on standby.

That means even when you're not gaming, they're costing you 0.18p an hour if they're on standby.

That's 4.45p a day, or a whopping £16.24 a year.

TV

These days, TVs often don't actually make it easy for you to switch off.

Back in the day, there would be a big off button on the TV set itself but now everything is done off the remote control, which usually only offers you standby mode.

That means you're going to have to make the effort to turn the set off at the wall if you don't want it idling in standby mode.

But the savings will be worth it, as the TV is one of the most energy-hungry devices in the house when left on standby.

A telly uses 40 watts of energy when it's being used, but still wants 10 watts when it's sitting in standby.

That means it costs you 3.7p if you're watching your TV for five hours, but it'll still cost you 4.45p a day if it's unused by sitting in standby mode.

Over a year that racks up to £16.24.

Printer/Scanner

When was the last time you used your printer? It's a gadget that many households have but may only use a handful of times a year.

While it might be handy to keep hold of your printer, you'd better unplug it when it's not in use.

Having a printer or scanner in standby mode still uses up electricity.

These devices need around 40 watts of energy when they being used, but still eat up 4 watts when they're in idle mode.

That might not seem a lot, but it racks up to 1.78p every day and a hefty £6.50 a year unnecessarily added to your energy bill.

Baby Monitor

You'll definitely want the monitor on when baby is sleeping, but what about when they're awake and in the room with you.

Baby monitors are super sensitive and even in standby mode will be listening out for any noises or movement.

We know that kids are expensive to raise - one recent estimate puts the cost at bringing up a baby to age 18 at an eye-watering £100,000 - so there's no point unnecessarily adding more to that sum.

The typical baby monitor eats up around 15 watts of energy when it's in use, but still needs 3 watts in standby mode.

Over a year that's an extra £4.87 on your bill.

Laptop

More people are working from home than ever before, and that means you're likely glued to your laptop for a good few hours a day.

Utilita says running a laptop for five hours will cost around 6.95p as the device uses a hefty 75 watts of energy.

Be sure to unplug your computer once it's got enough charge for you to do your work, rather than leaving it eating up power all day.

And before you simply close the lid and walk away at the end of the working day, make sure you've shut your laptop down.

While the device will only use around 3 watts of energy in standby mode, leaving idling will cost you an extra 1.33p a day, adding up to £4.87 over the course of a year.

Smart speaker

According to Utilita, leaving a kettle switched on at the wall adds £4.87 to an end-of-year energy bill.

And even the microwave will use £1.62's worth of juice before it's even started heating something.

But what about the smart speaker that keeps you entertained while you're cooking the dinner or making a cup of tea?

While a smart speaker's energy usage is fairly low at 3 watts, surprisingly it uses up almost as much power when it's left on standby at 2 watts.

So this is one you really need to unplug at the wall.

Leaving a smart speaking unused but plugged in could put an extra £3.45 on your annual bill. There's not much smart about that.

Mobile phone charger

The majority of people tend to charge their mobile phone overnight as it's one of the few times we're not using this device.

But while it may be convenient, it might not be the most cost-effective way to juice up your phone.

We recently looked at how much it costs to charge an iPhone and how much to keep a Samsung fully charged.

And while keeping our devices juiced up might not cost as much as you feared, there's no point wasting money by leaving them plugged in when you don't need to.

But even when there's no phone attached to it, your charger will still be using energy if you leave it plugged in.

Leaving a charger plugged in unnecessarily will add another 32p a year to your bill, as well as all the energy you use when you're actually charging your phone.

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The seven worst appliances to leave on standby revealed

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AS energy bills soar and millions of families are struggling to cope with rising prices, the easiest way to cut your costs might be to make sure your appliances are switched off. Leaving everyday items on standby could be costing you hundreds of pounds a year.

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https://www.greenfoundationireland.ie/

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Edited by John Gormley

At a meeting in Germany between John Gormley (former Minister for the Environment) and Jan Philipp Albrecht (the incoming President of the Heinrich Böll Foundation), they discussed the possibility of collaboration with Green Foundation Ireland. The Heinrich Böll Foundation is a member of the Green European Foundation.

John suggested a visit to Ireland to re-establish the Irish connection with the Heinrich Böll Foundation and this took place from 12-15 September 2022, along with René Böll (the son of Heinrich) and GFI's Tommy Simpson. Following on from this visit, a book Reconnecting with Böll - An Irish Journey, edited by John, was published in December 2022.
You can find out more about our book here.
A Message for our Earth

In 2015, Pope Francis wrote Laudato Si' (The Letter), an encyclical letter about the environmental crisis to every single person in the world. A few years later, four voices that have gone unheard in global conversations have been invited to an unprecedented dialogue with the Pope. Hailing from Senegal, the Amazon, India, and Hawai'i, they bring perspective and solutions from the poor, the indigenous, the youth, and wildlife into a conversation with Pope Francis himself. This film follows their journey to Rome and the extraordinary experiences that took place there, and is packed with powerfully moving personal stories alongside the latest information about the planetary crisis and the toll it is taking on nature and people.

The Irish premiere of The Letter - A Message for our Earth, was launched by President Michael D Higgins at Áras an Uachtaráin on 1 December 2022.

The Letter has already had over eight million views on YouTube. The screening at Arás an Uachtaráin formally kicks off a series of community screenings of The Letter, supported by Trócaire.
The film can be viewed free online here;
you can read anarticle by Kevin O'Sullivan in The Irish Times here;
and more information can be found herewww.theletterfilm.org.
CITIZENS'ASSEMBLY ON BIODIVERSITY LOSS

Submission by Green Foundation Ireland

In September 2022 Green Foundation Ireland made a submission to the Citizens' Assembly on the topic "How the State can improve its response to the issue of biodiversity loss".

The Citizens' Assembly is a body comprising the Chairperson and 99 citizens, randomly selected to be broadly representative of the Irish electorate, established to consider some of the most important issues facing Ireland's future.

We would like to thank COLIN STAFFORD-JOHNSON and FIONN KEELEY for allowing us to use their videos as part of our submission.

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Green Foundation Ireland, a foundation for green cultural change

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Edited by John Gormley At a meeting in Germany between John Gormley (former Minister for the Environment) and Jan Philipp Albrecht (the incoming President of the Heinrich Böll Foundation), they discussed the possibility of collaboration with Green Foundation Ireland. The Heinrich Böll Foundation is a member of the Green European Foundation.

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https://www.friendsoftheearth.ie/#:~:text=Friends%20of%20the%20Earth%20Ireland%20is%20a%20community%20at%20the,its%2050th%20anniversary%20in%202021.

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For a just world where people and nature thrive

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Friends of the Earth Ireland is a community at the heart of the growing movement here for a just world with zero pollution.

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Raise awareness about sustainability  actions 

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Raise awareness about sustainability  actions 

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https://www.wgu.edu/heyteach/article/environmentally-friendly-classroom-5-simple-tips-going-green1801.html

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When I started my career, I was a literacy teacher at an under-resourced school. I had seven classes of varying abilities and no books. My only option for sharing poems and short stories with my students was making copies, which is the antithesis of maintaining an environmentally friendly classroom. When I asked a colleague about where to make those copies, she laughed before explaining that teachers were entitled to a mere 100 copies a month-I had 200 students-and that was only if the one machine available to us didn't break down.

I helped keep my local office supply store in business that year, and because I spent my own money, I had to think of creative ways to minimize the number of copies I made. Though difficult at the time, this experience generated a desire to find additional ways to help create an environmentally friendly classroom. Here are some ideas you can use in your own class.

Ad

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Environmentally Friendly Classroom: 5 Simple Tips for Going Green

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When I started my career, I was a literacy teacher at an under-resourced school. I had seven classes of varying abilities and no books. My only option for sharing poems and short stories with my students was making copies, which is the antithesis of maintaining an environmentally friendly classroom.

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https://www.trvst.world/sustainable-living/10-reasons-why-you-should-buy-second-hand/

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With the introduction of mass, low-cost production, more and more people feel less incentivized to buy used products. Regardless, . Many of us have at least one item we purchased at an auction, a second-hand store, or a charity shop. So, why buy second-hand when you can buy new ones?

Buying used goods, especially clothes, doesn't necessarily mean you cannot afford something new. It could be that the items in second-hand shops may be rare vintage, limited in stock, or something of significant value that you may never have the opportunity to buy again if you miss out on it.

But the most important reason is the environmental cost you'll be saving. Whatever your reasons, choosing to shop for second-hand items is a great idea. They offer great value to you while doing the environment a huge favor.

When talking about second-hand items or going thrifting, we might easily think of clothes and garage sales. Yes, shopping at online thrift stores for second-hand clothing and other fashion items is most common. But we can also buy items like furniture, books, electronics, baby gear, a new car, pre-owned gift cards, tools, kid's toys and home care items, musical instruments, collectible toys, video games, and many others as second-hand.

Buying these items from swap shops does not only save money when compared with what a new one costs. It also encourages reusing, which is sustainable for the environment. In other words, you are doing yourself and the environment some good when you shop for second-hand items.

We have discovered that . Why, then, should you buy used items when you can afford a new one (or not)? Here are a few reasons that are sustainable and environmentally friendly.

Why You Should Buy Second Hand

1. Get high-quality products for a lower price.

This remains the driving force behind buying used rather than new. Many people prefer buying their clothes, handbags, furniture, and kids' items from thrift shops. Their reason is that several branded new items, especially clothes, are made with lesser quality materials and sold at high prices.

Remember this the next time you want to buy some clothing, a book, furniture, electronics, and more. First, check out the thrift stores close to you, and you might find something you like more than the popular items.

2. Decrease negative impact on the environment

Our climate has, over time, experienced drastic changes occurring as a result of our daily activities that have proven to be harmful and unsustainable. The fashion industry is the second-largest industry globally and the second-largest polluter of the environment.

The production of cotton clothes consumes a lot of water and energy. When you buy and sell thrift clothes, shoes, bags, and other fashion items, you decrease the demand for new items hence, reducing the pressure on manufacturers to produce these items in large quantities.

Furthermore, when you shop at local retail stores for secondhand goods, you support local businesses and help reduce emissions from shipping and traveling further afield. Purchasing locally is almost always better for the environment.

People who buy used cars help reduce the need for companies to source materials required to build the car and ship it around the world, thereby reducing pollution to some extent. According to a 2015 study, the demand for more new goods will decrease if there is a constant supply of used products that are still valuable. In other words, .

3. Discover some luxury brands

It's very possible to come upon a lucky luxury find when shopping second-hand. In fact, some people earn a side income by browsing for high-valued items and reselling them for a profit. You can buy those items you may only see online and are beyond your budget for less money or by using a gift card at a second-hand store.

There are thousands of luxury products in stores like this, waiting for someone to rediscover them. Many of these stores have an app you can use to shop for these products.

You can find high-end designer outfits on eBay, Facebook, an online thrift shop, a garage sale, charity shops, or retail stores. And you might just find a rare vintage or luxury item you will love.

Instead of buying something new from fast fashion brands, buying secondhand clothes or products from a thrift store extends the life cycle of second-hand clothing or products, which is an incredible way to avoid waste pollution.

4. Avoid unethical and controlling strategies of manufacturers

Second-hand shopping and ethical shopping work hand-in-hand. As a regular thrift shopper, you will be contributing less to the average output of manufacturers. This happens when we, as a global society, choose to buy fewer new products. Manufacturers make so much to sate a hungry market. Reduce the demand, and we reduce the activities that contribute to pollution and the degradation of our environment.

Also, manufacturing strategies used by companies that mass-produce goods are not convenient and conducive for their workers. Increasing demand for these massed-produced goods will only support exploitative and unethical practices. Often, they defy human rights.

While there are good companies out there that are ethical and transparent with their methods and strategies, they are only a handful, and their products tend to be quite expensive, with their prices above what an average person can afford.

So, each time you buy and sell used goods, you invest in building a fairer world by reducing sweatshops and slave labor. If we change our buying habits, then manufacturers will need to change their production strategies as well and produce more ethical fashion.

5. Decreases environmental pollution and saves resources

A considerable percentage of cotton grown for textile relies heavily on pesticides which acidify the soil and contaminate the nearby water supply.

One of many noteworthy fast fashion facts is that the industry produces about 20% of global wastewater and emits about 10% of global carbon emissions, which is more than what is emitted by maritime shipping and international flights when combined. This further proves how our activities cause more damage to the environment.

Rather than add to the problems, we can effect a change by adopting new buying habits to become sustainable and environmental-friendly.

Before buying those new clothes from your favorite retail store, think about the resources that went into their production and how we could have used them for an environmentally friendly cause. Even if purchasing from a sustainable clothing brand or one that champions eco-friendly production, manufacturing still requires energy and materials.

6. Extends the life of an item

Reusing ensures that we use items to their full capacity. Whether you cannot afford a brand new product or are environmentally conscious, build a habit of buying used.

Whether you shop secondhand to use that item, donate, or gift someone, you are making it useful and giving it a new life. If you buy it for personal use, make sure to use it with care. Keep the item in excellent condition so that you can later donate items, resell, or gift them.

Whichever you decide to do, the reuse and recycle process continues, making it one less item that would end up in a landfill.

7. Allows you to bargain for a better price

When you go to a garage sale to buy some thrift goods, everyone comes hoping to get a good deal. This includes both the buyer and the seller. Unlike mass-produced new goods that come with a fixed price, buying thrift goods allows you to bargain with the seller and saves you more money.

You can both negotiate on different products and come to an amount that works great for both of you. Although the seller may have fixed a price for each item, you can, in most cases, beat down the price.

8. Encourages community building

It is almost impossible to buy used items from people regularly without building friendships and community relationships, one of the reasons thrifting has become so popular.

For instance, in the case of a garage sale, you may be inquisitive about the story behind certain items on sale. When you decide to ask the seller, it might stir up a conversation that will expand your perspective about an area and give you more reasons to buy from them.

Also, suppose you thrift shop regularly from a particular charity shop or thrift store around your area. In that case, you will likely become familiar with the salesperson, who may even give you a call each time there are new arrivals.

9. Support a good cause

Many thrift stores donate some (or even all) of the money you spend on purchasing used clothing and other products to non-profit organizations. When people donate their household goods and unwanted clothes to charities such as the Salvation Army and Goodwill Industries, the U.S. government offers tax incentives to these individuals. This helps reduce the portion of clothing and textiles that would otherwise go to landfills or incinerators and provides jobs for more people.

To make sure that your money is going to good causes, do some research on the thrift stores in your area. Ask them if they have any charity affiliations and how you, as a customer, can do more. This way, you'll spend money to buy things you need while also helping others with their needs.

You can feel (and enjoy) the shopping thrill for different reasons, including doing something good for your community. And the .

10. Prevent waste

The sixth-largest expenditure for households in Europe is buying clothes. Although this isn't a waste of household income, some of that money can do well for other needs. Also, the effect of having so many clothes on the environment is extremely high. The clothing industry creates a vast amount of waste in the supply chain and at the end of clothing life, where it often gets thrown away in any area.

End-users prefer throwing a lot of their used clothes in dumpsites and landfills, and the impact of such actions is not sustainable. Regardless of its size, no country in the world has the land space to sustain this waste practice. The , including the option to sell these clothes as second-hand clothes.

Where To Buy Second-Hand Items

Consignment stores

If you want to buy high-end brands or antique pieces for lesser prices, then visit a consignment store or look for one near you. These stores help brands who want a place to store their goods while allowing them to keep the items' ownership right until it gets sold.

Charity shops

Since most items sold here are donated, buying them is almost like making donations for a good cause. Most charity shops have a list of commodities like kids' clothing and other things they accept for donation, so check their website to know the categories of things they need.

Vintage stores

They usually have a range of products that are quite rare. The rarity of these products makes them sell fast. Since a vintage store always posts newly available items, you should follow them on social media to get some updates. When you see something you like, make sure you buy it at that moment because many people may be interested in that product.

Online marketplaces

There are lots of online shops/platforms where you can get quality second-hand commodities. Some popular options are eBay, Craigslist, and Facebook's online marketplace. Our list of the best online thrift stores also offers more options. And if you're looking for product-specific thrift products, a quick Google search can help you find the right stores.

Conclusion

There are many benefits when you shop secondhand. Purchasing a product that will serve its purpose for a long time is more sustainable than one that you may need to change now and then. Items that last well enough for the owners to resell are often made using high-quality materials.

You can ditch the easy-to-break, mass-produced, low-quality stuff we often see in stores with second-hand items. Let us take suitcases, for instance. Some of us may have seen those of our parents and grandparents. These suitcases were constructed with durable and quality products, which is why they lasted long enough for us and even our kids to see.

Beyond quality and durability, buying second-hand means that you're playing your part in reducing waste. When you buy second-hand, you maximize the resources taken from the Earth and deviate from the throwaway culture.

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10 Reasons to Buy Second Hand Rather Than New

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With the introduction of mass, low-cost production, more and more people feel less incentivized to buy used products. Regardless, . Many of us have at least one item we purchased at an auction, a second-hand store, or a charity shop. So, why buy second-hand when you can buy new ones?

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https://laois.ie/wp-content/uploads/Garden-Wildlife-Booklet-WEB-17MB.pdf

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Leave No Trace - Become involved in Beach/Community Clean ups in your area.

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Leave No Trace - Become involved in Beach/Community Clean ups in your area.

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© 2021 Leave No Trace Ireland and Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics (U.S.). All rights reserved. The Leave No Trace trademark and accompanying design are trademarks of Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, Boulder, Colorado U.S.A. Design Credits

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Stop Climate Chaos is a coalition of 30+ civil society organizations campaigning to ensure Ireland does its fair share to tackle the causes and consequences of climate change. Launched in 2007, it is the largest network of organisations campaigning for action on climate change in Ireland. Its membership includes development, environmental, youth and faith-based organisations who have joined together totake action on the issue of climate change.

Although all of our organisations are different, the impact of climate change impacts on all of the work that we do. Climate change is a huge local, national and global issue and to be effective we must work together. We campaign to make sure that Ireland is doing its fair share to tackle the causes of climate change, and its consequences on the environment and the lives of people in Ireland and around the world.

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Stop Climate Chaos is a coalition of 30+ civil society organizations campaigning to ensure Ireland does its fair share to tackle the causes and consequences of climate change. Launched in 2007, it is the largest network of organisations campaigning for action on climate change in Ireland.

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https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/13/7117

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School of Earth Systems and Sustainability, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

1. Introduction

Human activities cause the endangerment or extinction of thousands of animal species around the globe. Technological advancements flourish, but many people are unaware of the impact that their modern lifestyle has on the environment due to a loss of connection with nature and lack of access to environmental learning opportunities [ 1].

Environmental education in zoos allows students to learn how their decisions and actions affect the global environment. Zoos have shifted their focus to broader sustainability topics as they aim to teach their visitors environmentally friendly daily habits [ 2]. Zoos engage individuals with new species and learning opportunities that they are unlikely to have on their own. According to the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA), zoos give the public access to the natural world, with over fifty million children visiting accredited zoos and aquariums each year. This makes zoos an essential tool in environmental education [ 3].

Zoos demonstrate leadership in sustainability lessons and science learning [ 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. Most zoos use conservation education to promote emotional connections between people, animals, and the environment [ 9]. In fact, zoo mission statements show two predominate themes: conservation and education [ 10]. Zoos are making strides to educate the general public, but because zoos and aquariums "attract visitors of all ages, from early childhood to late adulthood...visitors greatly differ in prior knowledge" [ 11] thus, varying learning opportunities must be provided.

Age and gender need to be considered because, according to prior research, female children tend to be more concerned about animal welfare and feel more empathy toward other species [ 12]. This is linked to the finding that females are more environmentally oriented and willing to participate in environmental organizations, learning opportunities, and surveys [ 13]. The Association of Zoos and Aquariums reported that 54% of the over 183 million annual zoo and aquarium visitors identify as female [ 14]. Based on prior research, it seems that gender plays a role in environmental attitudes. In other words, more women seem to be interested in environmental sustainability concepts [ 15]. These various learning opportunities are linked to social experiences at the zoo, especially when friends and families are able to expand their known relationships, solve puzzles, and build empathetic bonds while seeing and learning about animals [ 6, 16]. Research indicates that these empathetic bonds are particularly important because they enhance visitor support for global conservation initiatives [ 17].

Other research explores the degree to which enjoyment is compatible with leisure time learning at a zoo [ 17]. Learning opportunities can promote family connections, as well as identity and activism, especially among families that purchase zoo memberships multiple years in a row [ 6, 16, 18]. This type of bond with the zoo promotes free choice learning, meaning that visitors are personally motivated to obtain first-hand information. Many visitors want to enjoy the social aspects of their trip and they want to enjoy learning for its own sake, not feel pressure to gain new knowledge [ 19, 20].

The many educational approaches undertaken by zoos to both capture interest and provide knowledge to visitors implies a deeper capacity for environmental education. Zoos can encourage specific pro-environmental behaviors and can provide continuing and crucial education to the public. Zoos have the ability to be a positive influence in climate change education since they allow easy access to nature and provide practical instruction for handling environmental education challenges [ 21]. Zoos can provide visitors a personal connection with animals, which builds compassion and promotes a greater concern about global issues such as climate change [ 17, 21]. In fact, visitors rank zoos second only to scientists in terms of trustworthiness regarding climate change information [ 17, 21]. Climate change is causing a myriad of problems, including habitat loss and harm to various species of plants and animals, resulting in heightened risk of extinction for many species [ 22, 23]. Zoos act to educate their visitors about these issues and teach behaviors that are effective in battling global environmental degradation and climate change [ 21].

Zoo exhibits are not only educational-through informal (signage, docent interaction) techniques, and formal techniques (camps, field trips)-but also result in an emotional connection between visitors and respective species. When visitors recognize this empathy in others and see that they are interested in doing more, a type of social connection emerges that nurtures collective action towards climate change [ 21]. At the end of the day, zoos only reach a self-selected audience-those who choose to visit the zoo-but this audience is broad and encompasses people from across the political, social, and cultural spectra, including many children who attend with school groups [ 17]. This wide variety of visitors has the potential to learn in informal and formal education settings at the zoo, which may later impact their environmental actions.

The goal of this pilot study is to investigate how visiting zoos as a child influences one's later adult stainability behavior and global climate change attitudes by answering the following research questions:

Do university students who visited zoos more frequently in their childhood self-assess as more sustainable in their current daily actions?

Do university students who self-assess with higher sustainability behaviors now tend to have visited zoos for personal reasons or educational purposes?

Do university students who state they have visited zoos more frequently in their childhood show a high level of concern regarding global climate change?

Rather than accepting simple yes/no answers, this research investigated deeper perceptions from a longitudinal view. This provides an understanding of the long-term role zoos can play in educating the public about nature and global sustainability practices. A survey questionnaire was used explore how university students self-assess the influence of previous childhood zoo visits on their current behavior and attitudes.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Survey Instrument

The survey was developed based on literature from previous studies, but since this topic is innovative, the questions were written specifically for the purposes of this project. The survey was designed to identify how respondents self-assess their sustainability behaviors as adults by examining their childhood zoo visitation experiences, specifically zoo-based education programs (formal and informal) and current beliefs about climate change. The survey was comprised of 14 questions and was a combination of closed- and open-ended questions. Questions one through five gathered respondents' demographic data (i.e., education level, gender, year of birth) and remaining questions assessed childhood zoo experiences and measured respondents' sustainability actions and attitudes about climate change ( Table 1).

2.2. Procedure

An invitation to participate in this research survey was posted on the online campus learning management website for Southern Illinois University Carbondale, which can be accessed by all students. In the "announcement" section, this message was posted: "Sustainability and Zoos: Research is being conducted to assess if visiting zoos as a child impacts how people self-assess their sustainable habits and behaviors as adults... Interested in participating? Take the survey here: [link]".

The survey was advertised as an announcement twice over the course of the university's Summer 2020 academic session, specifically on 16 June and 25 June, and was offered online as a sustainable approach to reaching as many voluntary participants as possible. It is important to note that there are frequent updates with new announcements "pushing" older ones below the user's view. Thus, these announcements were purposefully posted at times with fewer competing announcements and on dates to avoid the busy atmosphere that accompanies week one of classes.

3. Results and Discussion

Zoos provide many children an opportunity to learn about the natural world, and this study evaluated the linkage between current sustainability behavior and previous zoo visitation. Findings suggest that as children, many respondents were not aware of gaining global sustainability messages from zoos. However, as adults, participants have indicated that they believe zoos encourage sustainability and conservation, further indicating that this has influenced their level of environmental concern. Environmental concern is generally referred to as an evaluation of a person's beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors based on facts regarding the environment [ 24], while environmental sustainability is defined as a condition of interconnectedness that allows humans to satisfy their needs without exceeding the capacity of the ecosystem [ 25].

3.1. Age of Respondents

There were 136 individuals who participated in the study, ranging from first-year undergraduates through PhD students ( Figure 1). Respondents were from a wide age range due to the presence of several nontraditional students and graduate (Master's and Doctoral) students. The birth years ranged from 1954 to 2002, with the years 1998 and 1999 comprising 42% of the total. This reflects that a majority of survey respondents were undergraduate seniors (42%).

Age can play a role in people's environmental attitudes and behaviors. Cognitive development progresses at different rates based on a wide variety of factors, so the behaviors exhibited by children change gradually [ 2]. The common assumption is that younger people are more likely to be concerned with the state of the environment, which is the age hypothesis [ 24]. However, older age groups can be equally concerned about human impact on the environment because it will harm future generations; this is known as legacy thinking [ 26]. For example, a social survey of 792 people over the age of 55 explored the concept of attitudes and behaviors towards the environment and found that 96% of individuals think the environment should be maintained for future generations, clearly exemplifying legacy thinking [ 6].

According to our survey of college students, individuals who were born before 1997 (classified as a nontraditional student because they are older than 24 years of age) [ 27] were just as concerned with the impacts of their actions on the environment as those of younger students. When respondents were asked if they believed they act sustainably in their daily lives, many answered yes (76%), regardless of age. They also provided written responses to the open-ended question asking for specific examples. Representative comments are noted here:

I recycle what I can. I use reusable containers. I try to minimize my waste and water usage. (R128, born 1964)

I use reusable shopping bags, biodegradable trash bags, no single use plastic. (R89, born 1976)

I'm vegetarian, I ride a bike (don't own a car), participate in community farming, carpool, purchasing home goods and clothing second-hand, buying local goods rather than online, re-using glass jars and plastic containers, composting when I can, etc. (R95, born 1999)

However, when examining how respondents learned these sustainability behaviors, a majority of individuals born between 1953 and 1989 reported that they did not participate in zoo education programming or remember learning sustainability actions at zoos. This is likely due to the fact that conservation and sustainability education at zoos did not become common until the 1970s, when the US environmental movement stimulated concern about local and global issues. Yet, it was not until the mid-1980s that high quality zoo environmental education became more common place in the US [ 28]. It took many years for top-notch zoos to reach the level of excellence shown today, which may have impacted the perception of sustainability learning of participants whose childhood zoo visits occurred prior or during the 1980s.

3.2. Global Sustainability Learning at Zoos

Several survey questions evaluated how respondents link global sustainability learning to their childhood zoo visits. A variety of questions were asked regarding sustainability education, including the main purpose of the zoo visits. Of the 136 surveyed, 69% said that they had primarily visited zoos during their childhood for personal purposes, rather than being brought to zoos for only educational reasons, such as a mandatory school field trip.

Using open-ended responses, the survey also investigated whether respondents participated in zoo education programs and if so, what type. The responses were then categorized using summative content analysis [ 29]. Only 10% of respondents indicated that they had participated in formal zoo education programs such as summer camp or volunteer activities ( Table 2).

Only 35% of the respondents indicated that they could recall learning any sustainability activities at zoos. Below are representative examples of the affirmative responses to the survey question: "Do you remember learning sustainable actions at the zoo?":

Yes, looking for the sustainability certifications on products, planting native species to fight biodiversity. (R17)

I remember having trash bins saying to recycle what trash we could, and they offered us cute reusable cups with animals on them. I would buy one because I loved the animal and would take it with me around the zoo to get refills or use at other places instead of a throw away cup. (R55)

Summative content analysis [ 29] of written comments further shows that zoos prompted these respondents to think more about how their actions impacted various species, especially those on the endangered species list, due to educational signage ( Table 3).

3.3. Zoo Visits Influence Sustainability Behavior

Respondents were asked to estimate the approximate average annual number of times they visited a zoo during their childhood. According to the data, 45% respondents listed their visits as zero to one time per year, and 37% visited two to four times annually ( Figure 2).

The survey asked the straightforward question: "Do you believe you act sustainably in your daily life?" Approximately 76% of respondents indicated that they do indeed believe they act sustainably now. When asked to describe their sustainability actions, most respondents listed one or two daily actions. Summative content analysis [ 29] was conducted to group the written responses based on similar sustainability activities and six categories emerged: Activism, Community Action, Food Sustainability, Personal Action, Positive Thinking, and Transportation ( Table 4). When the two data points were compared, 76% of respondents who believe they act sustainably in their daily lives had an average childhood zoo visitation rate of two to four times per year, which is a higher average visitation rate than respondents who did not believe they act sustainably in their daily lives. Furthermore, 7% of individuals who say they act sustainably as adults reported a very high annual frequency of visiting zoos as children (nine or more times per year) compared to those who say they do not believe they act sustainably in their daily lives (1%). This implies that zoo visitation seems to have a positive effect on sustainability behavior.

Most respondents (69%) indicated that they visited zoos for personal purposes, such as family trips. Investigating the correlation between purpose and outcome, it can be noted that the 76% of respondents who believe they act sustainably in their daily lives as adults visited zoos for personal reasons as children. On the other hand, of those who self-assess as less sustainable in their daily lives only 23% visited the zoo for personal reasons. Instead, these less-sustainable respondents say they mostly visited zoos for educational purposes as children, such as mandatory participation in school field trips.

Of the 136 respondents, 65% believe that visiting zoos has impacted their level of environmental concern. Below are representative examples of respondent affirmative responses to survey question: "Do you believe visiting zoos has impacted your level of environmental concern?"

It has made me realize environmental topics that are occurring across the globe, such as unsustainable resource mining in Africa and other such topics. It has also opened my eyes to urban sustainability issues. (R17)

In more recent zoo visits, I have been exposed to more information about conservation efforts and environmental issues we are facing. (R30)

Based on the data shown, many respondents do not believe that their sustainability behaviors as adults were specifically influenced by zoos because they do not remember learning global sustainability actions at the zoo during their childhood visits. However, as adults, these respondents do recognize the value of global sustainability information that zoos possess.

Those who indicated that they visited the zoo for personal reasons (i.e., not a required school trip) also indicated a higher level of personal sustainability actions. This could indicate that the social connections played a role in influencing future actions. The desire and motivation to learn also has the potential to be affected by peers, family, and learning setting. Learning approach plays a role in sustainability education and cognitive perception, as some students may absorb more information in a formal school setting, while others learn better outdoors or in more hands-on settings [ 30].

Individuals who indicated that they went to the zoo for personal purposes were more likely to believe that visiting the zoo impacted their levels of environmental concern, specifically due to the presence of educational interactions and information signage at the zoo ( Table 5). The data was categorized using summative content analysis [ 29].

Indeed, when asked if they believed zoos impacted their overall environmental concern, 65% of respondents indicated "yes". Environmental concern is generally referred to as an evaluation of a person's beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors based on facts regarding the environment [ 24], while environmental sustainability is defined as a condition of interconnectedness which allows humans to satisfy their needs without exceeding the capacity of the ecosystem [ 25]. Even though individuals who were brought to the zoo for educational reasons tend to rank their sustainability actions at a low level, they still believe that zoos impact environmental concern. A large majority (90%) of survey respondents indicated that they did not participate in zoo education programs as a way to learn sustainability behaviors at zoos. These findings indicate that zoos must assess their education and outreach techniques to ensure that sustainability information is accessible to the highest possible number of people.

Research done on the cognitive perception capability of children indicates that by age four, children develop the capability to construct simple representative relationships. This increases so that by the age of seven, children can comprehend complex problems. At the age of ten children, can construct categories based on concrete instances [ 2]. Factors such as the age of the child at the time of initial exposure to the zoo, which are linked to distance from the zoo, cost of tickets, amount of time spent annually at the zoo, may vary among respondents. Motivation to learn might indicate how childhood participation in events (such as going to the zoo) could impact views of global issues.

3.4. Attitudes on Climate Change

In order to better understand the attitudes of respondents and why they partake in the global sustainability activities they listed; respondents were asked the open-ended question: "What is your opinion on climate change?" since personal sustainability actions can have an impact on climate change knowledge and mitigation. In the US, climate change is a key environmental issue that often separates people with more pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors [ 21]. Furthermore, zoos often act to educate their visitors about climate change and sustainability issues and teach behaviors that are effective in battling global environmental degradation and climate change [ 21].

An additional question asked participants to rate their overall concern regarding climate change on a 1-10 scale. Answers were analyzed and categorized ranging from denial to extremist ( Table 6). Five categories were created based on the contents and tone of responses. For instance, a respondent would fall into the category "Denial" if they stated that global climate change was not real.

Climate Change is a hoax used to give money to companies that will not do anything to help the earth. They only use the money to line their pockets. (R122)

Individuals were categorized as "Not Concerned" if they stated that climate change is a natural phenomenon that should not concern humans.

The climate has always changed. The current fantasy version being batted around is a political rather than scientific construct-and I have actually run the numbers from raw data to confirm this. (R42)

Individuals who claimed they did not have enough scientific background regarding climate change were categorized as "unsure".

I don't think I know enough about climate change and the science behind to have an informed opinion. (R13)

Comments acknowledging that there is a problem and advocating for more discussion on the topic comprise the "Concerned" category.

I think climate change is a very important topic that we need to discuss more so we can take more action to reduce our environmental impact and slow the current rate of climate change. (R30)

Respondents who realize there is a problem and advocate for finding immediate solutions through action and policy were labeled as "Very Concerned".

It's our responsibility as a society to take care of the planet we live on, but that can't simply be a burden carried by the working class. As children we're taught that we can do plenty of things like recycling or riding bikes to reduce our carbon footprint, and it's true that we all have a part to play, but we can't successfully fix any of the problems we've created without determined leaders or the proper legislation. Big corporations and fossil fuel companies must be held accountable for their actions if the general public is expected to make any real changes at all. (R130)

Finally, a respondent exemplifies the "Fear" category if their response notes extreme concern and that drastic measures must be taken in order to respond to the climate crisis.

It is very real. It is here now. People will die. I want to move north, possibly to Canada. (R11)

Written comments in response to open-ended survey questions showed that a majority of respondents (83%) see effects of climate change in their lives as they fall into categories of "concerned, very concerned, and extremist" based summative content analysis that discovered similarities in responses [ 29].

In addition to these descriptive categories, respondents rated their overall concern regarding climate change, on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being "not concerned" and 10 being "very concerned". A majority of individuals (41%) chose 10 and no respondents indicated one as their response value ( Figure 3).

These data were then analyzed to investigate correlations between respondents who rated their concern about climate change very high (8-10) and other characteristics. In the survey, respondents were asked to indicate their gender through the options "male, female, prefer not to answer". Of the 101 (74%) of respondents who indicated a high level of concern (rating it 8-10) regarding climate change, 72% were female. This matches the overall response rate of 72% female, and further supports previous research on the role that gender plays on environmental thinking and behavior [ 8, 15].

The majority of high level of concern respondents indicated that they visited zoos two to four times per year, and 71% of high level of concern respondents indicated that they visited the zoo for personal reasons. These results verify that individuals who are very concerned about climate change spend time at zoos in a way that positively promotes global learning for that individual.

Finally, survey respondents were asked to indicate their area of academic study. The responses were then categorized based on whether the field was ecological in nature. Ecological fields of study were defined as those in the S.T.E.M. field-Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics-which all play a part in sustainability education [ 31]. Of the 74% (101 out of 136) of individuals who indicated they had a high level of concern regarding climate change (8-10), 65% indicated that they had a S.T.E.M. related primary or secondary field of study. This indicates that individuals who show a high level of concern regarding climate change have a high likelihood of incorporating S.T.E.M. into their academic pursuits.

4. Limitations

This study gleaned new data regarding zoos and attitudes towards sustainability action, but several limitations must be acknowledged. The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic halted our planned in-person survey research, and we kept this online questionnaire extremely brief due concern about students feeling online overload (i.e., Zoom fatigue). We opted to have fewer questions in order to encourage a higher number of valid responses. Based on this study, we realize that, in the future, various potential confounding variables could be assessed through additional survey questions (i.e., income, future occupation, average duration of visit to the zoo, group composition). Furthermore, a small population size during the summer semester led to insufficient sample size for inferential statistical analysis. This could be avoided in the future by submitting a Freedom of Information Act request to obtain email addresses for all students in order to send the survey directly to each student, rather than rely on the learning management system that is not consistently used by all students during the summer session. Finally, it should be noted that there is an assumption of bias within the results due to the fact that individuals with prior interest in the subject are more likely to be motivated to participate in the survey. However, despite these limitations, the study provides original research on an innovative topic that can be used as a baseline data in future research.

5. Conclusions

Given the magnitude of global environmental problems that humans must address, local and personal environmental actions must be part of the solution. Likewise, for many people in urban areas, their only experience with nature and diverse species comes from an opportunity to a visit zoo. To assess the innovative topic of the role that local zoos can play in providing globally relevant environmental education, this pilot study evaluated self-assessed sustainability behavior and global climate change attitudes among university students in terms of their childhood zoo visitation. A diverse campus setting led to a variety of responses, indicating that global sustainability attitudes and environmental concerns are present among multiple generations and from students in varying academic fields. Females self-selected to participate at a higher rate than males in the survey, supporting prior research that females are historically more interested in environmental issues, having higher levels of concern about endangered species and the impacts of global climate change [ 12]. There is also a relationship between the reasons that individuals visit the zoo and how highly they assess their sustainability actions. Specifically, people who visit a zoo for personal purposes (as opposed to a required school trip) are more likely to participate in individual sustainability actions in daily life. This indicates that learning in an enjoyable zoo setting plays a role in influencing future environmental actions among individuals.

Indeed, learning should be fun and embedded in the zoo visit. Analysis found that 76% of respondents believe they act sustainably in their daily lives, but only 35% of individuals indicated that they learned their sustainable habits at zoos. Yet, 65% of respondents indicated that they believe zoos impact their overall level of environmental concern. This underscores the need for environmental education that is entertaining, practical, and accessible to many people. Furthermore, research suggests that zoo visitors are interested in sustainability topics and zoos are the ideal setting to provide this link between local visitors and global environmental issues. These results also verify that individuals who are very concerned about climate change spend time at zoos in a way that positively promotes global sustainability learning for that individual.

Our research shows that key aspects of local-to-global learning can occur at zoos. Zoos can have a positive influence on climate change education since they allow easy access to nature, opportunities for life-long learning, and practical instruction for handling environmental education challenges [ 21]. They promote learning by providing a comfortable, fun, low-pressure setting in which to acquire information about the earth and its species, which could be expanded to promote a conservation-minded society. Indeed, zoos already have a broad audience, and they should continue to develop new ways of engaging visitors in order to reinforce and extend global sustainability messages and actions.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, J.A.T. and L.A.D.; methodology, J.A.T. and L.A.D.; investigation, J.A.T.; writing-original draft preparation, J.A.T.; writing-review and editing, J.A.T. and L.A.D.; supervision, L.A.D.; project administration, J.A.T. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Institutional Review Board Statement

The study was conducted according to the guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki, and approved by the Institutional Review Board of Southern Illinois University Carbondale (protocol number 20180, 2 June 2020).

Informed Consent Statement

Informed Consent was obtained from all subjects involved in the study.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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Linking Personal Experience to Global Concern: How Zoo Visits Affect Sustainability Behavior and Views of Climate Change

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Globally, many species are threatened by habitat loss and are impacted by climate change due to human activities. According to the IUCN Red List, nearly 9000 animal species are now endangered or critically endangered. Yet, humans are largely ignorant to the impact they have on the environment due to lack of effective sustainability education.

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https://www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/healthbusinessservices/national-health-sustainability-office/sustainable-transport/sustainable-and-active-travel-walking-and-cycling/

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Active travel like walking or cycling helps to reduce pollution and it's better for your health.

Being active is important for maintaining and improving our physical and mental health. Adults should aim for at least 30 minutes a day of moderate activity, 5 days a week.
Find out more about the benefits of an active lifestyle on the Healthy Ireland website.
Cycling

Cycle to Work Scheme

The Cycle to Work Scheme is a tax incentive scheme encouraging employees to cycle to and from work.

Related topic
Cycle to Work Scheme
Plan your cycle route using the National Transport Authority's cycle planner.

Walking

Walking to work has the benefit of requiring no special equipment. It is free and creates zero emissions.

Plan your walking route using the National Transport Authority's journey planner.

Resources
Promoting cycling (PDF, 326KB, 4 pages) Cycling information sheets (PDF, 378KB, 7 pages) Promoting walking (PDF, 548KB, 2 pages)
Posters
Cycling - light up you life (PDF, 2MB, 1 page) Cycling - fitter, further, faster by bike (PDF, 424KB, 1 page) Cycling - bike maintenance checklist (PDF, 1.28MB, 1 page) Walking - from A to Z for free (PDF, 424KB, 1 page)

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Sustainable and active travel - walking and cycling - HSE.ie

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Active travel like walking or cycling helps to reduce pollution and it's better for your health. Being active is important for maintaining and improving our physical and mental health. Adults should aim for at least 30 minutes a day of moderate activity, 5 days a week.

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Patrick Kirwan's Slides

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JCT Panel Discussion_resources to share.pptx

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Walk to town and avoid taking the car for short journeys

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Walk to town and avoid taking the car for short journeys

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I am going to listen to the Climate Book again, it was brilliant but there was so much information in it, I need to listen to it again. I am also going to watch H2O , the molecule the made documentary again

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I am going to listen to the Climate Book again, it was brilliant but there was so much information in it, I need to listen to it again. I am also going to watch H2O , the molecule the made documentary again

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I will share more resources with educators in Ireland so that together we can shape a new model for sustainable development 

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I will share more resources with educators in Ireland so that together we can shape a new model for sustainable development 

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Educate students on actions they can take.

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Educate students on actions they can take.

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Turn off tap when brushing teeth.
Turn off lights.

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I am going to start a compost heap in my school and at home

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Beach clean when enjoying a walk! Woods too...

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Beach clean when enjoying a walk! Woods too...

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Reusing anypossible cardboard or plastic for school resources or otherwise and not wasting  water.

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Reusing anypossible cardboard or plastic for school resources or otherwise and not wasting  water.

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turn off screens and lights

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Grass is gone!! Native wild flowers!

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This is worth exploring for hearts and mind change - https://www.innerdevelopmentgoals.org/

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This is why we are co-creating the Inner Development Goals (IDG) - a non-profit, open-source initiative committed to fostering inner development towards more sustainable futures. We research, collect, and communicate science-based skills and qualities that help us to live purposeful, sustainable, and productive lives.

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Sources and impacts of marine litter video by Jane Lee/ Marlisco: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=017bBeXhYz4

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Sources and impacts of marine litter by Jane Lee/ Marlisco

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" Climate Change and Land" is the second teacher's guide book of the collection "The climate in our hands", a series of volumes on the topic of climate change. It has been researched and written by the OCE team and the OCE's scientific and education partners. Teachers who wish to request a free copy of the handbook can apply by filling out this form.

This multidisciplinary guide is aimed at primary and middle school teachers (target: students aged 9 to 15) and offers turnkey sessions based on the investigative approach to help students understand climate change and the functioning of the land, through experiments or document analysis. It concludes with proposals for mitigation or adaptation measures to be implemented in their schools or communities.

The guide book includes four main parts:

Scientific Overview: a teacher-friendly overview of the scientific background needed in order to master the topics that will be discussed in the lessons;

Pedagogical Overview: a brief overview of the different approaches to learning that are proposed in the guidebook, as well as some hints on how to make the best out of this teaching resource;

Part 1 - We understand: this is the core of the lesson plan. A series of lessons are proposed that follow the natural path of reasoning of students.

Part 2 - We act: this second part of the class activities builds up on the knowledge and skills acquired in Part 1, and proposes a project-based learning approach.

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The Climate in our hands - Climate Change and Land | Office for Climate Education

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" Climate Change and Land" is the second teacher's guide book of the collection "The climate in our hands", a series of volumes on the topic of climate change. It has been researched and written by the OCE team and the OCE's scientific and education partners.

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https://www.issn.ie/5-minutes-of-sustainability

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General 2 — Irish Schools Sustainability Network

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https://www.issn.ie/bitesize-biodiversity

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Let's reconnect with nature by learning more about the wildlife around us and then bringing it back to our classrooms. Many students and adults find it difficult to identify common wildflowers, trees, birds and mammals. We want to address this. At the end of the year we want you and your students to be able to identify at least 30 living things (species) and know a little more about them. When you learn a new word, you start to see it everywhere. We're hoping that by learning the names of these living things the students will see them and have a little more appreciation for them.

We're meeting on Mondays every week at 4pm for 15mins. We'll provide you with a set of resources on one species. Perhaps a plant, a mammal, an insect, or a bird. You'll be invited to teach your class(es) about that living thing once a week. At the end of each term we will hold a fun quiz.

Click on the link above to 'Register'.

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Gallery 3 - Irish Schools Sustainability Network

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Let's reconnect with nature by learning more about the wildlife around us and then bringing it back to our classrooms. Many students and adults find it difficult to identify common wildflowers, trees, birds and mammals. We want to address this.

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Global Citizenship & Environmental Education Resource Booklet

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Global Citizenship & Environmental Education Resource Booklet

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​https://static1.squarespace.com/static/620cd16fee18017565b24653/t/638e043a23049138f4922395/1670251583251/ISSN+CSPE+Resource+(1)+(1).pdf

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https://www.wavesofchange.net/

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https://nationalaquarium.ie/

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Galway Atlantaquaria | Ireland’s largest native species aquarium.

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Ireland’s Largest Native Species Aquarium | Galway Atlantaquaria

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A visit to Atlantaquaria is a great day out for visitors of all ages. Discover the diversity of life in our oceans, rivers, lakes, and canals. Buy tickets today.

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https://mfrc-atu.ie/meet-the-team/dr-joao-frias/

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https://drive.google.com/file/d/16DgXnZH54myE6dQ5JP_u53iMzUqiHOSI/view

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JCT Panel Discussion_resources to share.pptx

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https://www.jct.ie/science/cpd_elective_workshops#BioplasticsWorkshop_TeachersBooklet

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Festival of Professional Learning March 2023

As part of JCT's Festival of Professional Learning, from Saturday 25th March to Thursday 30th March 2023, the JCT Science team will facilitate three workshops. The first one, held on 27th March, is an interactive 'live' workshop with science students participating in the elective, 'Cooking up ways to develop students' engagement with sustainability'; the JCT Science team is inviting teachers, with their students, to join our live and interactive Science experience, using inquiry as an approach to investigate if bioplastics are a solution to traditional single-use plastics. We will also be joined by guest speakers Dr João Frias, a researcher of microplastics and Dr Nóirín Burke, the Director of Education at Galway Atlantaquaria Ltd.

On the 29th March, we will be joined by guest speakers Dr João Frias, a researcher of microplastics, Dr Nóirín Burke, the Director of Education at Galway Atlantaquaria Ltd. and Patrick Kirwan, a science teacher in Ardscoil na Mara in Waterford. We aim to empower teachers to support their students in moving from awareness to action around the topic of sustainability.

Finally, on March 30th, in collaboration with Dr Paddy Kavanagh from DIAS and ESERO, this workshop looks at how data within images released from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) can help answer the question 'Is Galaxy formation a continuous process?'.

Materials for the workshops can be found below.

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Festival of Professional Learning March 2023 As part of JCT's Festival of Professional Learning, from Saturday 25th March to Thursday 30th March 2023, the JCT Science team will facilitate three workshops.

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https://www.jct.ie/science/cpd_elective_workshops#BioplasticsWorkshop_StudentHandout

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Festival of Professional Learning March 2023

As part of JCT's Festival of Professional Learning, from Saturday 25th March to Thursday 30th March 2023, the JCT Science team will facilitate three workshops. The first one, held on 27th March, is an interactive 'live' workshop with science students participating in the elective, 'Cooking up ways to develop students' engagement with sustainability'; the JCT Science team is inviting teachers, with their students, to join our live and interactive Science experience, using inquiry as an approach to investigate if bioplastics are a solution to traditional single-use plastics. We will also be joined by guest speakers Dr João Frias, a researcher of microplastics and Dr Nóirín Burke, the Director of Education at Galway Atlantaquaria Ltd.

On the 29th March, we will be joined by guest speakers Dr João Frias, a researcher of microplastics, Dr Nóirín Burke, the Director of Education at Galway Atlantaquaria Ltd. and Patrick Kirwan, a science teacher in Ardscoil na Mara in Waterford. We aim to empower teachers to support their students in moving from awareness to action around the topic of sustainability.

Finally, on March 30th, in collaboration with Dr Paddy Kavanagh from DIAS and ESERO, this workshop looks at how data within images released from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) can help answer the question 'Is Galaxy formation a continuous process?'.

Materials for the workshops can be found below.

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Festival of Professional Learning March 2023 As part of JCT's Festival of Professional Learning, from Saturday 25th March to Thursday 30th March 2023, the JCT Science team will facilitate three workshops.