Lifestyle, News

Go Green With A Free Carbon Literacy Course At Manchester Met

0 120

By Jacque Talbot

Being green takes effort and time, especially when you haven’t the faintest idea of what it’s about. You know you should turn off electrical appliances when you’re not using them, save water, catch a bus instead of driving. You know large factories that make big, foggy, black smoke are a bad thing. But why? Wouldn’t it be more enabling to have some knowledge behind all this? Fortunately, Manchester Metropolitan University (Manchester Met) is currently offering a free Carbon Literacy course, organised by the Environment team, to anyone who wants to become more environmentally savvy and understand the benefits of being green.

Upon the release of the 2006 Davis Guggenheim film documentary An Inconvenient Truth, which explores former US Vice President Al Gore’s attempts to highlight the issues surrounding global warming, there was a surge of desperation and action regarding climate change. This has since declined. A worrying realisation considering that we have recently passed the ‘tipping point’ of carbon (parts per million) within the atmosphere, as well as the temperature threshold for mitigating the worst of anthropogenic climate change. This is surely the time for action.

The earth has a finite amount of resources, meaning that, eventually, our planet will be ‘used up’. This is why it is our responsibility to ensure that we care for and support the environment for future generations. All living things, including ourselves depend on the world’s water, food and atmosphere in order to live. Therefore it is fair to say our affinity with the earth is a natural bond which needs to be nurtured and treated with respect.

We are conditioned from birth to expect rewards or gifts in the form of materialistic goods, so it is little wonder our consumption rates are growing exponentially. Our society allows us to pick, choose and quickly discard items at an alarming rate. So, to keep up with this mass consumerism, we are stuffing our waste (often still in working order and containing precious, reclaimable metals) into the earth. In fact, 51% of our household goods and food stuffs are taken to landfill, creating millions of tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year.

You would think that there would be global agreement about the devastating impact of climate change and our environmental deterioration. However, the mass media is fuelled by commercial gain, and commercial gain alone. Which is why, if you look carefully you’ll find that the same name that gets money from various, anti-climate change tabloids, also receives hefty sums of money from irresponsible fossil fuel production such as fracking. It isn’t surprising then that the media has a vested interest in ridiculing these progressive ideas and keeping the general public ignorant. They claim that climate change has no scientific basis and only prevents monetary expansion.

There are also people who don’t believe in global warming because they haven’t noticed a rise in temperature, or they believe that God is in control of the situation. Though these are obviously creditable claims, they don’t quite match the 97% of scientists who unanimously agree that the world is in some desperate need of preservation. It is quintessential that the public understand that global warming and climate change do not equate to noticeable temperature rises in regards to just weather. It is instead much more about the increase in freak weather activities, often materialising as land based and coastal flooding.

So, where can we start? We can make adjustments right from home. Something as simple as turning your laptop off overnight will save enough C02 to fill a double decker bus every year. Using fewer food bags, recycling properly and turning off lights when they are not in use will substantially lower your carbon footprint. But to understand how we can make the difference on a larger scale, Humanity Hallows spoke to Manchester Met Carbon Literacy Facilitator Emma Charlotte Richards. Emma told us:

 “As explained within the project, the idea of ‘every little helps’ can often be counter-productive. Small actions are a great first step on your journey to becoming sustainable. But it is important to remember that if we only do a little, we will only achieve a little. When climate change is such a large issue to tackle we must push for bigger carbon reductions where we can, in particular regards to swapping to clean energy sources.”

The Manchester Met Carbon Literacy course is comprised of two parts. Firstly there is an interactive, e-learning course. This online course takes around 3 hours to complete and will provide you with basic knowledge of climate change.

This will be followed by an engaging 4-hour workshop, led by trained Carbon Literacy facilitators. The session will equip you with the necessary tools to tackle climate change and will show you how you can encourage others to become greener. Upon completion of the course, you will be awarded with a ‘Carbon Literate’ certificate, giving you the credentials to impress employers as it is a great addition to your CV.

For dates and other information about the free Manchester Met Carbon Literacy course, see the Carbon Literacy team Facebook page or the Carbon Literacy website

Jacque is currently studying English and Film at Manchester Met. Follow him on Twitter @Jac_talbot

About the author / 

aAh!

aAh! Magazine is Manchester Metropolitan University's arts and culture magazine.

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More News Stories:

  • Pendulum @ Victoria Warehouse review – Drum ‘n’ Bass in your face

    These Aussies may not have a lot of records to their name after 22 years together, but their mix of alternative and drum ‘n’ bass has made quite the impact. Seen in their collaborations with bands such as Bullet For My Valentine, remixing dance classics from The Prodigy and successfully capitalising on early 2010s dubstep in the form of their side project, Knife Party.

  • Yonaka @ Manchester Academy 2 review – Dark alt-pop trio pack a powerful punch

    Jarvis is a strong role model for younger and older women alike; she isn’t afraid to show her rage towards patriarchy and use her music to share how it negatively impacts her. She also isn’t afraid to speak on her mental health as she introduces ‘PANIC’, detailing the lived experience of having a panic disorder. ‘Welcome To My House’ is another self-admitted dive into the singer’s mind, she explains its about ‘Dealing with negative self-thoughts and then realising, no I am a good person.’. 

  • Mary in the Junkyard @ YES Basement review – rentle indie vs terrifying noisemongers

    Featured image: Steve Gullick An ominous belch marks the start of Ebbb’s set: “BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR.” The anonymous trio – good luck finding info about them – layer it up until the cacophony fuses into a Gregorian chant, albeit one harmonised by a chain of foghorns. It causes chunks of plaster to fall from the ceiling, dandruffing…

  • Pretty Woman @ The Palace Theatre – palm trees, leg warmers and curly perms

    Photography: The Palace Theatre Based on one of Hollywood’s most beloved rom coms, the travelling tour of Pretty Woman: The Musical has finally landed in The Palace Theatre in Manchester. Edward Lewis (Oliver Savile) enters the stage in a suit broadcasting his big-shot businessman credentials, as 1980s Hollywood comes to life with a flock of…