Sustainable and

Responsible Living

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 Sustainable and Responsible
Living
This chapter will look at ways we can living more sustainably in our home. This
video introduces to the concept of climate change, and why sustainable living is vital.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D_Np-3dVBQ

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 Video Questions

3. What is
1. What is climate 2. Name 2 greenhouse
deforestation and why
change? gases.
is it bad?

4. Carbon dioxide in
6. Mention 3 ways we
the atmosphere has 5. Mention 2 effects of
can be the solution to
been increasing since climate change.
climate change.
what year?

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 Video Answers: Q 1

Carbon dioxide
1. Name 2 greenhouse
Nitrous oxide
gases.
Methane

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 Video Answers: Q 2

Climate change/Global
warming is a long-term
change in the Earth’s
1. What is climate change?
overall temperature with
massive and permanent
consequences.

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 Video Answers: Q 3

Deforestation gets rid of plants,

trees and forests. This is bad
3. What is deforestation and
because the more we deforest
why is it bad?
the earth, the less CO2 it can
absorb from our atmosphere.

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 Video Answers: Q 4

4. Carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere has
1950
been increasing since
what year?

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 Video Answers: Q 5

Rising temperatures.
Animals and plant life struggling to
adapt.
Warmer oceans- killing great barrier
5. Mention 2 effects of climate reef.
change.
Ice caps melting.
Flooding of coastal regions.
More hurricanes, floods, tornados,
heatwaves, droughts.

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 Video Answers: Q 6

Renewable energy (solar/wind).

Reduce, reuse, recycle.
Drive electric cars.
Walk, cycle, public transport.
6. Mention 3 ways we can be the solution Use energy-efficient light bulbs.
to climate change. Air-dry clothes.
Turn off electronics or lights when not
using.
Eat less/no meat.
Spread your knowledge of climate
change.

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 Overall Video Message

But we can also

We are the
be the
problem
SOLUTION

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Sustainable and Responsible Living

This chapter focuses on living our lives in a sustainable and

responsible way.

This involves leading our lives in a way that has the minimum
possible negative effects on the environment, protecting it for
future generations.

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 Environmental Key Terms:
Greenhouse Gases

Greenhouse gases

These are gases that trap heat and help to keep the Earth warm. If a lot of
these gases e.g. carbon dioxide build up in the atmosphere, they trap too
much heat, causing global warming.
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 Environmental Key Terms:
Fossil Fuels

Fossil Fuels

These are natural fumes made from the remains of plants and animals e.g.
coal, oil. When fossil fuels are burned, they release greenhouse gases into the
air.
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 Environmental Key Terms:
Climate Change

Climate Change

This is any long-term significant change in the average

weather patterns.
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 Environmental Key Terms:
Global Warming

Global Warming

This is the long-term rise in the average temperature of the Earth. Global
warming occurs because of the increasing amounts of greenhouse gases
being released, which trap heat, raising the temp.
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 Environmental Key Terms:
Ozone Layer

Ozone Layer

This is a layer of the Earth’s upper atmosphere that absorbs harmful

ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun, protecting us from it. The ozone
layer is damaged by greenhouse gases.
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 Environmental Key Terms:
Carbon Footprint

Carbon Footprint

This is the total amount of greenhouse gases made directly and indirectly by
human activities e.g. burning fossil fuels for heating and transport.

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 Environmental Pollution

• Environmental pollution refers to the ways in

which human activities harm the natural
environment.

• When people do not live responsibly and

sustainably, it causes environmental pollution.

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 Air Pollution: Causes

Burning of fossil fuels e.g. home

heating oil

Deforestation (cutting down trees

which is bad as they help to
reduce CO2 in the atmosphere)

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 Air Pollution: Effects

Lung problems e.g. asthma

Climate change e.g. global warming

Acid rain (rain that is unusually acidic,

mostly caused from burnt fossil fuels)

Decreased ozone layer

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 Water Pollution: Causes

Human sewage

Agricultural run-off e.g.

chemical fertilisers running into
rivers and lakes

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 Water Pollution: Effects
Death of fish

Damage to birds, plants and wildlife

Spoiling natural amenities such as river,

lakes and seas

Diseases e.g. food poisoning from

drinking contaminated water

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How we can reduce pollution
in our own homes…
• We are going to look at ways we can be more
sustainable and responsible when:

• -heating our homes

• -using electricity in our homes

• -using water in our homes

• -disposing of waste in our homes

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Methods of Home Heating

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Methods of Home Heating

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 More Sustainable Methods of Heating
• HEAT PUMPS

• A heat pump is a heating system that uses a small amount of electricity to pull
heat from another source (e.g. the air, the ground).

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 More Sustainable Methods of Heating
• HEAT PUMPS

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 More Sustainable Methods of Heating
• Pellet Boiler Stoves

• A pellet boiler stove uses eco-friendly wood pellets made from compacted
sawdust from the wood industry as fuel.

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 More Sustainable Methods of Heating
• Fit rooms with thermostats so that some rooms can be kept at a lower
temperature than other rooms, e.g. bedrooms cooler than the living room. This
reduces energy costs.

• Keep windows and doors closed so that the heat does not escape unnecessarily.

• Make sure that the house is well insulated so that heat is not lost unnecessarily.

• Heating systems can be controlled by timers/mobile apps so that heat is only on

when needed.

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 Insulation

Insulation is a material that is used Good home insulation is very

to stop heat coming into or out of important for sustainable living.
something.
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 Types of Attic Insulation
• Wool

• Fibreglass

• Foam pellets

These all prevent heat loss through the roof

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 Types of Wall Insulation
• Cavity walls (two rows of bricks
with a gap between them).

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 Types of Floor Insulation
• Carpets and carpet underlays

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 Types of Window Insulation
• Double or triple-glazed windows

• They help insulate the house

because air is trapped between
the panes of glass.

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 Types of Draughts Insulation
• Heavy curtains

• Draught excluders

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Building Energy Rating (BER)
• A home must be assessed in terms of its energy
efficiency before it can be put up for rent or
sale.

• Houses are rated on a scale of A-G, with A

being the most energy-efficient and G the least
energy efficient.

• A rated homes have an efficient heating system

and are well-insulated.

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 iPad Task
• Visit property websites such as www.myhome.ie or www.daft.ie
to view some of the properties listed in your area.

• Note the BER rating given to the properties.

• Observe the prices of houses in your area compared to rural

areas like Mayo or Leitrim.

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 Using Electricity Sustainably Part 1
(Choose any 4)

• Choose appliances like washing machines with a good energy rating

e.g. an A rating.

• Turn off appliances like TVs when not in use, and don’t leave them
on standby as this still uses energy.

• Choose energy-efficient light bulbs e.g. LED bulbs.

• Turn off lights when not in use.

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• When boiling the kettle, fill it with only the amount of water needed.
 Using Electricity Sustainably Part 2
(Choose any 4)

• When washing clothes, wait until you have a full load.

• While cooking, choose dishes that are cooked in one pot e.g.
casseroles.

• When turning on the oven, plan to cook several items at once e.g.
baking bread and scones.

• Use the microwave for cooking as it is energy efficient.

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Gathering and Heating Water Sustainably

• Gathering: rainwater harvesting systems

e.g. on roofs, to collect rainwater for
flushing toilets, garden hoses.

• Heating: solar panels can use the energy

from the sun to heat household water
supplies.

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 Using Water Sustainably Part 1
(Choose any 4)

• Have showers instead of baths, and don’t spend long amounts of time
in the shower.

• Turn off the tap while brushing your teeth or shaving.

• Install a dual flush button on toilets- flush when necessary.

• Fix any dripping taps or leaking toilets in your home.

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 Using Water Sustainably Part 2
(Choose any 4)

• Wait until there are full loads before running the washing machine or
dishwasher.

• Use a watering can rather than a hose when watering plans as it uses
less water.

• Place a basin in the sink for washing vegetables- and use that dirty
water to water plants.
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Using Water Sustainably

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Waste Management

How can we
reduce this??

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 Waste Management
• Organic/ biodegradable:

This can easily be broken down by nature e.g. paper, vegetable peels. (Usually what goes into
your brown bin).

• Inorganic/ non-biodegradable:

This cannot be easily broken down and is harmful to the environment e.g. plastic, metal.
Some forms of inorganic waste can be recycled e.g. glass.

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 The EU Waste Hierarchy

Highlights the
preferred ways of
dealing with waste.

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 The EU Waste Hierarchy
• 1. Prevention: reduce the amount of waste you produce e.g. only buying
the food needed.

• 2. Minimisation: minimise the amount of wase you produce e.g. repair

goods rather than throwing them out.

• 3. Reuse and/or repurpose: reuse waste for the same or other purposes e.g.
reuse plastic containers for food.

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 The EU Waste Hierarchy
• 4. Recycle: (to make it into a new product). Only put clean paper,
cardboard, plastic boxes etc into the household green recycling bin.
Recycle glass bottles in bottle banks only.

• 5. Energy recovery: (make energy from waste disposal). Waste disposed of

in landfills make gas that can be used to produce heat.

• 6. Disposal: waste is buried in landfill sites or incinerated (burned) but no

new energy is made.

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Sustainable and Responsible Waste Disposal

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 Composting

Composting is when organic matter e.g. veg

peelings, egg shells, are broken down overtime
by micro-organisms to make compost

Compost can be used for potting flowers and

plants

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