Unit 4

Eco- and
Climate Justice
in the Context of
Education
Eco-Justice

– In her introduction to Teaching for EcoJustice Rita. J. Turner writes: “I am a

teacher because I am not satisfied with the world as it is. I’m a teacher because I
want to see people shape the world for the better. I want to see a future that is
more just, healthy and happy than the world I see around me today. I want a
future in which humans aren’t destroying the ecosystems we depend on for
survival. In which my well-being and comfort do not rely on the suffering of
others, either humans or nonhumans…We depend upon one another for survival
– on other people, other species, and on the ecosystems around us. We must
acknowledge these connections in order to survive” (Turner 2015:xviii).
CLIMATE CHANGE

In preparation for this week, you were asked to watch episode 1 of:

Climate Change in South Africa: How Bad Can It Be? (Part 1/3)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qKq9itUVQ8

Now test your knowledge with a true and false quiz:

True or False

– South Africa is heating up due to climate change at twice the

global average
– Climate change has a negative impact on agriculture
– Climate change can lead to an increase of food prices
– There is a proven link between climate change and domestic
violence
– According to scientist South Africa will see an increase of 4
degrees Celsius by 2100 – turning South Africa into a desert
– Only 41% of South Africans have heard of Climate Change
– According to scientists we have 11 years left to make significant
changes before the damage becomes irreversible
All the statements are TRUE
 Some facts from the next episode…

– 89% of green house gasses are caused by fossil fuels

– South Africa is the 14th biggest carbon polluter in the world
– Sasol in Secunda is the single biggest source of carbon dioxide emissions
anywhere in the world
– Mpumalanga is said to have the dirtiest air in the world.
Questions to consider

– Why should South Africans care about climate change?

– How does eco-justice and climate justice relate to social justice?
– Why is eco-justice, climate justice and environmental justice a
human rights issue?
– What is your role in all of this?
Rather than being educated to reproduce a culture that is doomed to
failure, we must begin to educate ourselves and our students about what
it means to live differently on the Earth (Martusewicz, Edmundson, &
Lupinacci 2011:7)
 Homework
– Prepare for your final assessment TEST 2, which will open from 30 May @ 08:00 until May 31@
23:59.
– In the test you will answer 40 questions on UNIT 2, 3 and 4.
– The test is 60 minutes.
– The test will be available on Questionmark – follow the link on Blackboard.
– For TEST 2 you must study the following articles: COLLINS, MSIBI, VANDEYAR, HARRO (Cycle of
Liberation), and ARTILES ET AL.
– For TEST 2 you must study UNIT 2 – 4 and questions on slides to help you study.
– The test counts 30% of your final mark for EDUB1613.
Good luck! And Goodbye!

– Thank you for your participation in this

module. I trust that it has been a
positive learning experience.