Environmental Responsibility English 099 Research Project Summer 2015

Our Research Aim To discover how people can become more environmentally responsible in their daily choices and actions

Preliminary Research Brian Green’s “Enemy in the Mirror” Our Notes and Responses Thesis: two things in us are causing environmental destruction. Greed Indolence Actors Implicated: Us Governments Industry Solutions Suggested: Awareness Cooperation, major government action Accepting the costs: e.g. higher taxes, fewer jobs, higher prices Awareness of consequences for present actions is essential for making better choices. For sustainability and rehabilitation. Other solutions? Cooperation: e.g. with city of Vancouver in its Greenest city by 2020 aims? ? The basic information highlighted about Green’s article is a good jumping off point. The notes and responses should be changed according to class input.

Conclusions Awareness of problems and solutions is essential. Goal: Educate people about environmental problems and solutions. Cooperation between actors is essential. Goal: Investigate and communicate relationships between them. This should also be changed according to class input.

New Questions How are governments helping people to be more environmentally friendly? What can people do to take more responsibility for sustaining and rehabilitating our environment? Source: www.vancouver.ca New questions should arise from the conclusions drawn by the class.

Reflecting on the Inquiry Process Read or view something (e.g. Green). Note the main points/thesis. Note implications and suggestions. Draw inferences, and respond with your own ideas and questions. Record these separately. Draw conclusions based on both your ideas and those of your source. Refocus your research with new questions and/or goals. Consider strategy: what are your next steps? Use the process just undergone with the class re: Green to reflect on the inquiry process. Emphasize that it is a process of inquiry and discovery, then refining focus, strategies, and conclusions. Next go through the process again with the class all using the same source (vancouver.ca) so you all have the same reference point, but with greater freedom. At this point, they will begin to see how many different directions they can go in. Encourage and record individual responses without focusing initially. Help them focus again after step 5.

Findings: According to the city of Vancouver website, Rehabilitation: initiative to plant 1.5 million trees by 2020. Individuals can get involved in this. Collaboration with financial institutions: to fund research and development of more efficient energy. Waste reduction: Minimize waste by 12 % by 2020. Commuting recommendation: take transit or travel by foot as much as possible. Facilitating green commuting choices: Cycling and walking improvements on the Burrard Street bridge. This will be completely student driven. Record any and all points of interest that the students bring up.

Our Ideas and Responses Re: City aim to minimize waste by 12 % by 2020: Individual daily choices and actions can impact this. The 3Rs Good potential (good principle, widely known), but Priorities have been reversed. Help the students focus on points of interest relevant to prior conclusions and questions. Try to guide the students to refined focus.

The 3 Rs Reduce Reuse Recycle

Refined Goal Re-educate people about the 3 Rs The true priority How these can be reclaimed to foster greater environmental responsibility in individuals Clearer understanding of the roles of governments and industry This should extend from discussion about the ideas and information considered so far. Help the students focus the aim.

New Research Questions Allow the students time to consider what questions will help the class achieve their refined goals. Then record all of these questions. Don’t censor, but try to group them. Then discuss strategies that can be used to answer the questions that come up.