Last Blogprompt of the year

This is the Tenth and last Blogprompt of the year.

It's not a difficult one.

Think about where you live at home (that is where you live now or where you lived before you moved into a Hall of Residence.)

Think about the area in which you live. Perhaps find out the area covered by your electoral ward or better still your Super Output Area (SOA). Find out from here.

Think about how closely your home area fits in with the definition of a 'sustainable community' that we introduced last week (you might want to refresh yourself of this definition by having a look at the powerpoint or one of the white papers. Here.

Blog to what extent your ward/SOA resembles a 'sustainable community' and what extent you don't think it does. Give some evidence from your observations (or your memories) of this judgment.

Use some of the collected data from your ward or SOA to make your point. Find this from here.

Blogprompt Number Nine

This is a simple Blogprompt...and we would like you to do it straight away.

Don't put it off
Don't close this window and do something else
Respond to this now (it'll only take 3 minutes)
Please complete the survey right now.
Don't forget to press submit.

The Survey is HERE

And that's all you need to do for Blogprompt Nine!

Blogprompt Number Eight

Education for Citizenship

Education for Sustainable Development also includes making learners aware of their role as 'Active Citizens'. Studies of 'citizenship' are intended to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed for effective and democratic participation. It helps learners become informed, active citizens who have the confidence and conviction to work together to take action in their communities.

It is important to know about rights, responsibilities, duties and freedoms and about laws, justice and democracy. Citizenship encourages respect for different national, religious and ethnic identities.

For the Blogprompt this week first we want you to do a bit of research.

Find out

The constituency in which you live
Your local MP (name, party)
The name of your local council
Which political party dominates your local council

Secondly

2010 is election year.
What is your attitude concerning people who are not planning to vote in the general election?
What main concerns do you have that may influence your vote?

Double Blogprompt Numbers Six and Seven

Now that most people have caught up it's time to publish another Blogprompt before we fall too far behind!
Thanks for the contributions so far - they are very interesting.

At the moment the theme in class is sustainable travel. Transport undoubtedly has had a major influence on economic and social development facilitating the movement of goods, people and ideas. Greater accessibility, mobility and communication has shaped the type of global society we live in today.

But is there a cost? Environmentalists will emphasize the problems associated with unlimited travel - depletion of fossil fuels, local air pollution, emissions of greenhouse gases, congestion and accidents, destruction of the countryside and the expansion of land under concrete to name but a few. Even our over-reliance on motorized transport has been linked to a general lack of fitness in the population at large.

So...what are your views? Is there really a transport problem? Do the benefits of motorized transport outweigh the costs? Are there any minor (or perhaps major) changes you personally feel could make our present transport system more sustainable?

Blogprompt Number Five

Christmas is coming!

Cultural festivals, such as Christmas, are undoubtedly enjoyable and an important time for families and friends to relax together. Many have important religious significance. On the other hand, such events are often defined by excess and waste...lights, fireworks, over-packaging, excessive spending, over-eating and embarrassing self indulgence.

What do you think? Is Christmas sustainable? How would it all work in a changed world?

Or should all the 'do-gooders' leave our festivals alone!!!!

(Happy Christmas and have a good break, see you next year)

Blogprompt Number Four

In class we have looked at some selected articles from some newspapers related to climate change. I have also briefly (very briefly!) commented on the role of the media in shaping the opinions of the public with respect to sustainable development issues.

Most newspapers sold in the United Kingdom are tabloids. Only one broadsheet features in the top six selling newspapers of January 2009 (Audit Bureau of Circulations 2009).

1. The Sun 3,146,000

2. The Daily Mail 2,200,398

3. The Daily Mirror 1,366,891

4. The Daily Telegraph 783,210

5. The Daily Star 768,534

6. The Daily Mirror 736,340

The most watched television programmes in the United Kingdom have limited history of dealing with serious issues!

ITV1

w/e 8 Nov 2009

		000's
1	THE X FACTOR RESULTS (SUN 1959)	15,003
2	THE X FACTOR (SAT 2000)	13,051
3	CORONATION STREET (MON 1932)	10,851
4	CORONATION STREET (MON 2029)	10,542
5	DOC MARTIN (SUN 2102)	10,285
6	CORONATION STREET (FRI 2029)	9,459
7	CORONATION STREET (FRI 1932)	9,164
8	CORONATION STREET (THU 2031)	8,601
9	EMMERDALE (MON 1900)	7,456
10	EMMERDALE (THU 2000)	7,379

so....To what extent do the best selling UK newspapers cover stories related to serious issues? To what extent would you think that it is their role to do so? In your opinion does the tabloid media and 'low budget entertainment' (reality shows, soaps) have too much power and influence in this country?

Blogprompt Number Three

One of the central themes underpinning sustainable development is equality and fairness. This is reflected in the concept of 'empowered citizenship'- in that we can all make a contribution to making our community (our local area, our region, our country, our planet) a better place now and in the future.

Some important areas are quite difficult to understand. Science, economics, politics are often quite difficult to comprehend and yet are central to decisions that are made by others about our lives.

To what extent do you think that it is your duty as a citizen to be 'informed'? Are you informed? How do you get to be informed about serious issues? To what extent do you think that you should leave the complicated decisions up to others ?