ECOLOGICAL LIFESTYLE Guidebook
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INTRODUCTION We are living in an era in which climate change and environmental issues have become topics frequently featured by the media. Environment protection, natural resources preservation and sustainable development are considered priorities in activities of all levels from governments, businesses, schools to communities. These efforts will only bring fruitful results once individuals in community work together to take actions towards sustainable development. In the framework of the project “Partnership to support and promote informal and non-formal education for Advocating an eco-lifestyle and climate change adaptation and mitigation in Vietnamese and Laotian Universities”, Center for the Development of Community Initiative and Environment (C&E), with support from Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung Southeast Asia has initially compiled educational and communicational tools about ecological lifestyle for young audiences. Ecological lifestyle is introduced to the youth through various ways such as contests, trainings, practical experience, providing sufficient, useful information and knowledge. The ultimate aim is to develop a youth network who take the lead in practicing ecological lifestyle in all areas of their work, studying as well as in their daily life. “The guidebook on ecological lifestyle” is designed to provide young people with specific recommendations about realistic and sustainable actions that can be applied in families, at schools as well as workplace. The authors look forward to receiving feedbacks from organizations and individuals for further improvement in future issues. C&E Center
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ACRONYM C&E Center for the Development of Community Initiative and Environment YXC YouthXchange
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CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 ACRONYM 2 I. ARE WE DESTROYING THE EARTH? - IT’S TIME TO ACT! 5 II. YOUTHXCHANGE AND ACTION LEVELS 12 III. ECOLOGICAL LIFESTYLE TOPICS 15 1. WATER What is happening? What should we do? Benefits we get The challenge for you
16 17 18 19 20
2. ENERGY What is happening? What should we do? Benefits we get The challenge for you
22 23 24 28 28
3. SHOPPING What is happening? What should we do? Benefits we get The challenge for you
30 31 32 32 33
4. FOOD What is happening? What should we do? Benefits we get The challenge for you
34 35 36 37 38
5. WASTE What is happening? What should we do? Benefits we get The challenge for you
40 41 42 44 44
4 6. TRANSPORTATION What is happening? What should we do? Benefits we get The challenge for you
46 47 48 49 49
7. ENTERTAINMENT What is happening? What should we do? Benefits we get The challenge for you
50 51 51 53 53
IV. POCKET TIPS
1. BEHAVIOR CHANGE MODEL 2. SMART MODEL ADVICE FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF ECOLOGICAL PROJECT
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56 58
GLOSSARY 60 REFERENCES 61
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I. ARE WE DESTROYING THE EARTH? - IT’S TIME TO ACT!
Human’s lives depend on natural resources. These resources exist in many forms such as minerals, land, water and energy, supply basic materials for all of our activities on the planet. Without the consumption of natural resources, all economy, society and human beings cannot exist. Nature gives man all the resources necessary for life, from energy to heat, electricity and transportation, timber for paper and furniture, cotton for clothing, building materials for streets and houses, food and drink for a healthy diet.
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Tỷ tấn
100 80 60
BIOMASS MINERALS METALS FOSSIL FUELS
40 20 0 The graph shows that human’s need to exploit resources is increasing and is expected to rise in coming years. (Source: Factsheet Measuring Resource Extraction, Aachener Stiftung, 2010)
With the world’s population continuing to increase, economy and life conditions are significantly improved, human consumption also increases accordingly. The increased consumption means that manufacturers have to exploit a larger amount of resources to produce goods and services for our needs. It would be great if the ecosystem can grow up to speed with the human race, but unfortunately we can not change the size of the Earth in order to fit our needs. According to calculations of the Global Footprint Network, there should be 1.6 Earth to provide sufficient resources for the needs of people today. This figure has been calculated based on Ecological Footprint Data of countries in the world.
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WHAT IS ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT? “The Ecological Footprint is a tool asking us ‘how much nature do we have, compared with how much we use?’ It cannot tell us what to do, but allows us to make informed decisions “WWF Scotland
All activities of humans on Earth are consuming natural resources in many different ways, from directly to indirectly through food, through the use of energy, shopping for goods. Additionally the Earth provides resources to absorb and assimilate human waste. No one can live on the Earth without leaving any impact on the planet. To calculate the impact of humans on Earth, scientists came up with the concept of “ecological footprint”. The ecological footprint is a measure of demand for land and water capable for biological productivity necessary to provide for the needs of human life (food, wood, energy, infrastructure land, CO2 absorption area, the ability to contain and assimilate waste). This figure is calculated in unit of global hectares (GHA) and can be used at individual, national or regional level.
Ecological Footprint Resources we use The area of land and water required to supply all the resources that an individual ‘consumes’. *By resources we mean food, housing, transport, consumer goods, water, energy, and land to build on
Waste we produce
The area of land and water required to absorb the tangible wastes produced by individuals. The area of land and water required to absorb the carbon dioxide emissions produced when fossil fuels are burnt for energy for the individuals
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CHALLENGE: CALCULATE YOUR ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT There are many formulas and websites around the world providing the software to calculate ecological footprint. This document introduces the version of “Global Footprint Network”. Visit the following link to calculate your ecological footprint and record your result in the box below. Note: this site currently does not have specific data for Vietnam so you should choose the America (USA). Link: http://www.footprintnetwork.org/en/index.php/GFN/page/calculators/
Scan this
To enter this website
My ecological footprint is: ____
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OVERSHOOT DAY Every year, scientists mark the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what Earth can regenerate in that year. It is called the Overshoot Day. Overshoot Day is hosted and calculated by Global Footprint Network. They calculates the number of days of that year that Earth’s bio-capacity suffices to provide for humanity’s Ecological Footprint. The remainder of the year corresponds to global overshoot.1 In 1970, Overshoot Day was December 23rd, close to the end of the year. However Overshoot Day has gradually come sooner through the years. In 1980 Overshoot Day was on November 3rd In 1990: October 13th In 2000: October 4th and in 2010 it reached to August 28th. This year – 2015, Overshoot Day is
August 13th.
The fact that Overshoot Day comes earlier is a clear sign that the Earth is losing its renewable ability to meet with human’s demand for consumption. If we continue to consume resources and dispose into the environment at the current pace, by 2030 we will need two new Earths to meet human needs. Sadly, we have not set our feet on any “Second Earth” to exploit. The good news is: if the level of emissions and the use of human resources are mitigated, and reduced 30% by 2030, we can go back to the consumption level that the Earth can provide and recover.
Number of Plant Earth
2.5
Business as usual Earth Overshoot Day 28/6/2030
2.0 Ecological Footprint
1.5
Carbon Emissions reduced 30% Earth Overshoot Day : 16/9/2030
1.0 0.5 0 1960
1 Overshootday.org
1970
1980
1990
2000
2010
2020
2030 Year
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WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF DESTROYING THE EARTH? In 2009, humans extract around 60 billion tons of resources each year, 50% more than only 30 years ago.2 In fact, the current situation of increasing consumption at fast pace has caused many problems which arise from the increasing consumption of energy, water, fossil fuels, increasing amount of waste, emissions and increased land use. They not only harm the environment but also threaten the very existence of human beings on the planet. The climate is changing, freshwater, fisheries and forest resources are shrinking, cropland are being ruined, many plant and animal species become extinct. Climate change or more specifically, global warming is a serious environmental problem nowadays. As reported by the World Bank in the years from 2012 - 2014, the evidence is increasingly clear that even with the most active mitigation actions, the 1.5 ° C increase in average temperature of the Earth (currently this figure is 0.8 ° C) in the middle of this decade compared to before the industrial revolution has certainly happened in the earth’s atmospheric system and the impact of climate change such as extreme weather events is inevitable. 0.8 ° C of global warming seems to be not great, but it is enough to cause a lot of negative impacts such as rising sea levels, increasing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events (droughts, floods, storms ...), reducing biodiversity, damaging the economy.
Thay đổi nhiệt độ bề mặt toàn cầu
4.0 Model mean global mean temperature change for a high emission scenario RCP8.5 2.0
Model mean global mean temperature change for a low emission scenario RCP2.6
0.0
-2.0 1900
1950
2000
2050
2100 Năm
Annotation: RCPs are the descriptions of situations involving carbon dioxide emissions and the atmosphere from 2000 to 2100 RCP2.6: best circumstance when the emission of CO2 is low RCP8.5: worst circumstance when the emission of CO2 continues to rise gradually Source: IPCC 2 Resource efficiency for sustainable growth: global trends and European policy scenarios – Dr. Stefan Giljum and Christine Polzin, Sustainable Europe Research Institute (SERI) - 2009
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Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change - IPCC predicts:
By 2050 the average temperature of the earth will rise 2°C Compared to the pre-industrial era and There will be an increase of 4°C by 2100 If the planet average temperature is 4°C warmer, the weather conditions, the heat and the extreme weather phenomena which are unusual or unprecedented today will become a norm. Human development goals, ending poverty, increasing global prosperity and reducing inequality will become very difficult as the world is 2°C warmer. When the world’s average temperature increase by 4°C, we probably will not achieve any goals at all.
4C 0
CO2 emissions are now 60% larger than in 1990 and increased at a rate of 2.5% / year. Concentrations of greenhouse gases continuously increased from about 278ppm in pre-industrialized era to 391ppm in September 2012 with the rate of 1.8ppm / year. In particular, according to 350.org, in May 3/2015 global CO2 levels exceeded 400ppm. These alarming figures and gloomy prospects are not only the story that scientists or environmental activists said to be a “false threat”. It is not difficult to notice that we were trapped in a world that is built on the consumption of fossil fuels and CO2 emissions, and is still struggling to find the answer to slow down the pace of global warming. International Energy Agency (IEA) has warned that unless urgent action is taken early, it would be extremely costly to reduce emissions fast enough to keep the Earth below the 2°C warmer. It is essential that people realize the link between consumer actions, procurement and the use of natural resources as well as our daily emissions and to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change. Meanwhile, we will be more responsible for every action and decision of our own. Its positive side is that: our actions can make the change, and not a sustainable action is redundant at all.
Most importantly
NOW is the time
to act
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YOUTHXCHANGE AND ACTION LEVELS
YouthXchange is an initiative launched by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in 2001 to promote sustainable lifestyles among youth. In Vietnam, the initiative YouthXchange (YXC) has been inherited by Center C&E and has developed a network of young people towards sustainable lifestyles - YouthXchange Vietnam since 2010. Through its network of YXC Vietnam, the youth has been sharing useful knowledge and participate in the exciting playground of sustainable living with a variety of topics and different aspects. YXC Vietnam promotes youth to apply sustainable lifestyles, ecological lifestyle through the implementation of specific actions. These actions can be performed on many different levels: the individual level, school level and community level. As follows:
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Level 1: individual action Think about the actions that individuals can take place at home, at school, at work or in public places.
Level 2: Connecting schools These are actions that can be applied at school (or work) for more people to join the implementation.
Level 3: Connect the local/ global community Act at this level will be “community�, which can apply to a group of people in the same conditions and circumstances or even be widely used in many places.
The ecological lifestyle actions in this document can be applied according to the different levels. Whether at any level, YouthXchange encourage to implement possible ecological friendly actions and spread it gradually following levels of 1-2-3 above. These actions will have greater impact on the environment and surrounding communities.
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ECOLOGICAL LIFESTYLE TOPICS
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ECOLOGICAL LIFESTYLE TOPICS
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WATER
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WHAT IS HAPPENING?
FRESH WATER SHORTAGE EARTH’S WATER is salty water
is fresh water
AMONG THE FRESH WATER
79% 20% 1%
in the form of glaciers and ice caps at the poles
is mainly in the form of ground water
is on the Earth’s surface
WATER POLLUTION
15 second a child died of water problems
Among every three people in the world, one does not have basic sanitary conditions
1$
Every
In developing countries, women and children are responsible to bring water to their families and overall it costs 140 million hours for this task invested in water services and
4.3$
Theo “Earth’s water distribution” United States Geological
97% 3%
In Vietnam The shortage of clean water every year affects at least
1 million people
6 million
medical cases are reported to be infected due to clean water shortage. (Ministry of Health of Vietnam’s Report 2015)
sanitation will bring a profit of due to significant reductions in medical service fees of individuals and community (WHO Report, 19 November 2014)
Now we know that water resources on Earth is limited and the demand for water of human being is rising dramatically as well as other issues are taking place due to water pollution. Should we waste our clean water resource, what would happen?
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WHAT SHOULD WE DO?
IN THE KITCHEN
- Use the appropriate amount of water to wash dishes or vegetables in the sink instead of keeping the tap open. Water should fill up only half a tub. - Buy suitable kitchen-ware such as sinks, dishwashers ... with a capacity suited to daily usage of your family.
DAILY CLEANING Lock the tap while brushing your teeth, washing your face or hand. It can save up to 11.000 liters of water annually. Use the shower instead of a bathtub can save more than 170 liters of water. Reduce shower time to 5- 7 minutes each time and avoid taking shower too often in summer. Each time you use hot water can produce ½ kg of CO2 per minute.
Use soap or shampoo made of natural or environmentally-friendly materials.
Consider using toilet with suitable water-saving dual flush system instead of the one with only one discharge button. Regularly check the water pipes in the bathroom especially with shower and toilet. A drop of leaking water for 1 second can cost 12.000 liters of water / year in general.
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LAUNDRY
Only use hot water when necessary.
Choose reasonable washing mode and appropriate level of water for each type of laundry. Do not wash a huge or tiny amount of clothes. This does not only save water but also makes the laundry faster, indirectly help save power consumption.
Buy energy-saving washing machines with suitable capacity for your family.
PLANTS IN THE GARDEN AND AROUND THE HOUSE Water plants in the early morning or late evening to avoid water lost via evaporation. Water longer each time but less often will help the plant rooted and be more adaptable to dry weather better. Mulch in the garden (created by leaves, grass clippings, straw...) can reduce evaporation by up to 70%. It can keep the soil warm and prevent grass from growing too fast. Provide more compost or moisturizer into soil in order to increase the water holding capacity. Reuse Water: e.g. water used to wash vegetable or rice can be reused for watering plants, last water of hand - washing can be used for cleaning.
THE BENEFITS WE GET
Personal benefits
Save money from water and energy bill monthly Good for your health and reduce medical costs Save time Open space for your house
Environmental Benefits
Save considerable amount of water for the entire world population to use. Protect the environment, less pollution with environmentally-friendly cleaning products. National water resources conservation Reduce pollution and reduce CO2 emissions
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THE CHALLENGE FOR YOU Tick the actions that you are willing to do to save water
Select
Actions Use sufficient amount of water to wash dishes, prepare food, do not wash directly under the tap with the water running Buy suitable washing sink, washing machine, dishwasher with suitable capacity Lock the faucet while brushing your teeth, washing your face and hands Take a 5 – minute shower or finish the shower within durations of two songs Use soap and cleaning products made from natural materials Check water pipes regularly to avoid leaking (especially the toilet) Use toilet with 2 flushing mode Choose appropriate washing mode and amount of water to wash clothes Water plants in the early morning or the late evening Reuse water in the house
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“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it” – Robert Swan –
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ENERGY
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WHAT IS HAPPENING? Our lives are now dependent on energy produced from fossil fuels, such as petrol, gas and coal for daily activities and work. The production and consumption of these fuels cause negative impacts on the environment and our own lives, which can be seen clearly in current phenomenon such as global warming, acid rain.
?
To realize the importance of energy in our lives, try counting the number of appliances around you that are powered by electricity or gasoline? What would you do if there is no electricity for a day long?
The world will run out of oil in the next
41,4 years
60,3 years 1,1 billion people
, natural gas in the next
(IEA, 2012)
About
(equal to more than 15% of the world popula-
tion) are living without electricity. (World Bank, 2015) Vietnam is among the
top 30
(World Fact book - CIA, 2011) `
In The Future Solar Energy (FSE) report announced on 5/5/2015, scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology said our solar energy technology is enough to meet current global demand. However, the biggest challenge are changing the habit of using fossil fuels and the lack of investment capital. (Vnexpress)
countries consuming electricity the most in the world
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WHAT SHOULD WE DO?
LIGHTING OPERATIONS Prioritize LED or compact fluorescent light Compact bulbs use less electricity and can reduce up to 75% power consumption. They also have longer life span compared to incandescent bulbs. LEDs are becoming increasingly popular. They have equivalent or superior performance compared to compact bulbs and last even longer. Re-consider the amount of light bulbs Remove unnecessary light bulbs and set a single switch for all the bulbs that you always use at the same time. Lit only necessary areas in the room. Insert your bulbs near where you work so that you can optimize the use of lights in the house. Clean the bulbs regularly Dust reduces light intensity; it is necessary to clean light bulbs frequently. Use natural light Place your table / desk close to the window, which will help you take advantage of natural light, you do not need to turn on the lights.
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AIR CONDITIONER Set appropriate temperature: Optimum temperature in the office is 26oC in summer. While turning on air conditioner, you should turn on the fan for 10 minutes to disperse cold air in the room. After that, turn off the fan to not affect the flow of conditioned air. By this way, you can reduce the ambient temperature down to 20oC. .
Choose appropriate clothing Choosing and wearing clothes that is appropriate with the weather can reduce the need for heating or air conditioning. Use heavy and multi-fold curtains Heavy curtains with multiple folds will retain the heat in winter and summer insulation, therefore the room will be cooled or heated in a natural way. You should install cover above the curtain to prevent hot air behind the curtain.The holes or crevices in the windows / doors also cause heat loss. You should check whether your room has holes/crevices or not and use tape or cement to block them . Plant trees Trees can cover and shade shadow on windows or roof. They create a cool atmosphere and reduce the temperature considerably. Approximately 1/3 of the heat from the outside can enter your house through the roof, therefore a roof garden will absorb and reflect the heat. Take advantage of wind and natural light If the room’s temperature is high, you should open the door and window and turn on the fan. Placing a fan near the window can make the temperature in the room reduce faster. Open doors and windows to ventilate wind naturally in your home is also a way of cooling without using air conditioner.
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IRON Do not use the iron in the air conditioned room or when clothes are still wet. Sort your clothes before ironing. Iron the thick ones first then the thin ones in order to make use of the hot temperature. Since the heat of the iron reduced slowly, you can iron 2 more sets of clothes after powering it off. Use suitable temperature for each type of fabric in order to save power and protect your clothes from burning because of high temperature. Clean the metal surfaces of the iron regularly, it will operate more efficiently.
TV / COMPUTER / PHONE Shut down computers / TVs when not in use Nowadays, launch time of electric appliances has been shortened to just a few dozen seconds. Thus, when not in use you should turn off the computer instead of choosing “Sleep” or “Hibernate” mode. For TV, you should not turn off the TV by using remote control, because it will switch to standby mode and continue to consume electricity in your house. To save power and extend the life span of TVs, turn off by pressing the power button on the TV or unplug it from the power source when not in use. It can also reduce the risk of fire and make your family safe. Reduce screen brightness The brighter the screen is, the more power it consumes. Setting suitable screen brightness can also reduce emissions by a quarter Use LED (Light Emitting Diode) screen LED screen produces as half greenhouse gases as other normal screens. Choose “Airplane” mode while charging your phone / tablet To charge your phone faster, select “airplane” mode, turn off 3G and Wi-Fi, minimize the brightness and only turn it on again when fully charged.
Watching TV together: members of the family should spend the time to watch TV programs together instead of using different TVs separately at the same time
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HEATER Choose heater size which is appropriate to your family’s demand. Turn heater on for about 15-20 mins before use.
FRIDGE Place refrigerators at appropriate locations Place refrigerators in a cool place and 10 cm away from the wall for hot air to come out easily. The fridge should be put in high and dry place. Do should not put obstacles around it to obstruct air ventilation. The surface where you put a refrigerator must be certainly flat to ensure its’ stable function during use Do not set the temperature too low Set the refrigerator at 7oC and the freezer at -18oC. Food stored at this temperature will remain its fresh quality. Clean the fridge frequently Snow and ice stuck inside the fridge will reduce its efficiency. The accumulation of dirt will create a favorable environment for micro-organisms and mold to grow.
Arrange space in the refrigerator reasonably When there are too much space available in the refrigerator, it will need more cooling. You should fill 70-80% of the refrigerator with food. You should arrange food reasonably to easily take them out when you need to avoid opening the fridge for too long. Before storing food in the refrigerator, remove unnecessary packaging plastic bag, cardboard boxes. The temperature at different parts of the fridge are not the same so that it is necessary to arrange food reasonably. It will help you use the refrigerator in a most efficient way.
Food Arrangement
Cake
Processed food
Dairy products
Fresh food
Egg, butter, jam and other seasoning can be placed in the fridge’s door.
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THE BENEFITS WE GET
Personal benefits
Environmental benefits
Save electricity costs Boost working efficiency Protect your health
Less power generation systems needed Save natural resources Less light and air pollution
THE CHALLENGE FOR YOU Tick the actions that you are willing to do to save the energy
Actions
Select
Replace normal light bulbs with energy-saving light bulbs Use a reasonable number of light bulbs and place them efficiently Usually clean the light bulbs Use natural light Set air conditioner above 26oC in summer Plant trees Block holes and cracks appearing on your house’s roof or walls Do not use iron while the air conditioner is on Do not iron clothes when they are still wet Clean the metal surface of the iron Turn on the heater 15-20 mins before use Do not set the fridge’s temperature too low Clean the fridge usually Do not put hot items/food in the fridge Always use 70 – 80% the fridge’s space Do not open the fridge for too long
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Select
Actions Switch off electrical devices (TV, computer) when not in use Reduce the screen brightness Turn on “airplane mode” when charging your mobile phone/tablet Avoid using electrical devices during peak times Maintain electrical or electronic equipment regularly (TV, fridge, air conditioner, fan…) Buy devices with energy-saving label
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CONSUMPTION
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WHAT IS HAPPENING? According to a recent report published by Nielsen in 2015, consumers in Southeast Asia increasingly tend to spend more and this is creating a wave of demand for high-end products, especially the products in the “fast-moving consumer goods” sector. Mr. Vaughan Ryan – CEO of Nielsen Vietnam said that consumers nowadays can be very active in consumption due to the significant rise in number of middle class in Asia, particularly in Vietnam. In 2020, middle class in Vietnam will be tripled and reach 33 million people.
According to the “Consumer Barometer – Country Report in Vietnam” in 2015 carried out by Google, there are 1,4 devices connected to the internet per person in Vietnam and this is a 75% growth compared to 2013. In addition, Vietnamese consumers tend to replace electronic/technological products more often, which causes the increase of electronic waste. Currently, many countries in the world have issued green procurement policy to promote sustainable production and consumption model. Typically in Asia, there are South Korea and Japan. In Japan, the regulations related to this policy was launched in the 1990s; while in South Korea, the environmental labeling program started since 1992.
Do you know about “Vietnam Green Label” program? This program has been implemented nationwide since March 2009 and aimed to continuously improve and maintain the quality of living environment by reducing energy consumption and materials use as well as waste generated by production process and products consumption. In 2011, only 3 companies are certified Vietnam Green Label. (Source: VEA)
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WHAT SHOULD WE DO? Think carefully before you buy something Before deciding to buy any product, give a careful thought: Do you really need it? How does the production of that product (packaging and related materials) impact the environment? Does the using of this product harm the environment or not? Do not bring too much money when going shopping to avoid the “greed” to buy unnecessary items. Find out in advance about the products you intend to purchase to choose a good manufacturers in the market. Refuse to use plastic bags when possible. Bring cloth bags, personal backpack or container to store dry and wet products. Avoid using bottled water or single-used plastic bottles. This material does not break down easily and causes major damage to the natural environment. Buy products which can be stored in a long period and buy reasonably amount. Buy clothes which do not need dry cleaning to save money and reduce the use of chemicals. Do not select products containing toxic materials by reading the clothes’ tag: Clothes with “Do not iron” sticker contain per fluorinated chemicals (PFCs), which is warned by the Environmental Protection Agency of the United States that it could cause cancer. Once absorbed in the body, PFCs take years to disappear. The anti-dust clothes contain PBDE or polybrom diphenyl ete which are extremely hazardous due to its ability to accumulate in the tissues of living organisms. Clothes dyed with blue, black or brown color are likely to cause skin irritation. Disperse blue 1 is restricted in use because it increases the risk of developing malignant tumors in laboratory animals. Consider buying products made from recycled materials to support recycling market. Also consider buying used products which can still operate effectively. Purchase energy-saving devices Prioritize products such as shower gel, shampoo, soap, dishwashing gel... which are natural and environmentally friendly.
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THE BENEFITS WE GET
Personal benefits
Environmental benefits
Save money, manage consumption effectively Save time Healthy, and more nutritious Safer with good quality products
Reduce waste to the environment such as plastic bag, food waste, toxic gas emission like CO2. Reduce energy used in transportation Reduce leftovers in production
THE CHALLENGE FOR YOU Tick the actions that you are willing to do to consume more sustainably everyday ď Š
Plan and think carefully before buying Buy local products Read products’ label carefully Avoid using plastic bottled water Buy seasonal food Do not buy too much food that might end up not being used Consider buying recycled and secondhand products Buy energy-saving and water- saving products Buy natural products which are less harmful to the environment Bring your own cloth bag or eco-bag when going shopping Refuse plastic bags given by sellers
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FOOD
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WHAT IS HAPPENING?
The amount of food produced annually is enough to supply for the entire world’s population. However, this amount is not distributed equally, it is wasted and cannot reach the poor. Currently about 842 million people are starving and 2 billion are malnourished, in contrast with 1.4 billion people are overweight and obese (UNEP Development Agenda 2015).
Meat products have significant negative impacts on climate change. The area of land for farming accounts for 70% of land used in agriculture and 30% of total land area on Earth. According to Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), livestock sector produces 18% greenhouse gases (such as methane and nitrous oxide).
Each year, 1.3 billion tons of food (1/3 of world’s production) is discarded, in which 45% is vegetables, 35% is fish and fishery products, 30% is cereals, 20% is dairy products and 20% is meat. (UN, 2015)
500,000 fast food restaurant are marked on Google world map.
“Food Miles”: Food miles is a term which refers to the distance food is transported from the time of its production until it reaches the consumer . Studies have shown that 12% of greenhouse gases comes from the transportation of food to consumers.
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WHAT SHOULD WE DO?
SELF-PRODUCTION
Grow food at home whenever you can. Households in cities can create a small organic garden in the courtyard, rooftop or balcony.
Credit: Viᝇt HĂ
Make compost from kitchen waste like damaged or leftover fruits, banana peel, orange peel, egg shells ...
CHOOSING FOOD Plan, consider and review before buying Before each meal, you should check how much food you still have in your house and make a list of what you need to buy. Read product labels Select food which has clear origin or organic food. Besides, because food contains a lot of ingredients, often contain preservatives and additives, read the label of each product carefully before purchase. Buy local food This way, you are directly supporting the local economy. These foods have a shorter transport distances, less preservative and save costs. Buy seasonal food By doing this, it helps people fully enjoy the taste of food and its nutrients. Price of the food in the right season is also cheaper.
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USING FOOD Proper nutritious diet: eat enough nutrition and choose appropriate diet for your body.
Avoid fast food, canned food and frozen food.
Do not waste food: cook enough to eat and do not leave left-overs.
Go vegan: Vegetarian diet is not only good for your health, keep fit but also reduce the water footprint, the energy in the production and processing of meat.
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FOOD PRESERVATION
Read carefully and follow strictly the preservation instructions on products’ packaging Each kind of food has its own preservation method. On the packaging of each product, manufacturers often specify how to preserve food to retain its best quality. Some food can be stored dry at normal temperature, in a cool place or avoid direct sunlight. Frozen food must be kept in the freezer before use. Others can be kept in the cool compartment of the fridge. Good products can become worthless or toxic if being stored in a wrong way. Do not store fresh products (meat, vegetables, fish...) for too long to keep their nutrients. If you want to use fruits and nuts in a long-term ... or those that are not available in a specific season, you should preserve by making dried food and jam, storing in can or vacuum bag.
The trend of modern agriculture is organic food. Organic food is not only clean and good for human’s health, but also helps to minimize harmful effects on environment by reducing ecological footprint, water footprint ... in the production and processing. Organic agriculture is based on 5 criteria: No chemical fertilizers. No pesticides. No growth stimulants. No genetically modified organism (GMO). The area of organic production needs to be isolated from polluting sources and separated from other fields using synthetic chemicals. Organic agriculture is not only about planting but it also include livestock. In catering, it uses organic food for animals, minimizes environmental impact and waste are utilized and handled environmentally friendly.
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THE BENEFITS WE GET
Personal benefits
Environmental benefits
Provide clean and high quality food for yourself and family. Reduce food cost Reduce storage cost and lower food price Save time and efforts.
Stop emitting toxicants to the environment Reduce C02 which caused climate change Save energy and virtual water in production process. Reduce the amount of inorganic garbage. Reduce climate change caused by greenhouse gases coming from the cooling process Protect soil and undergroundwater from chemicals and other stimulants.
THE CHALLENGE FOR YOU Tick the actions that you are willing to do to consume food sustainably everyday
Select
Action Look for information about origins of the food you eat Choose organic food Try vegan food, eat scientifically and reduce the amount of meat Cook at home instead of eating out Buy local food Buy seasonal food Buy/Cook a reasonable amount of food, try not to waste food With the leftovers that can still be used, wrap it up and give it to those who is in need Limit the use of canned, prepared or frozen food Avoid using packaging in shopping or in food preservation
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WASTE
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WHAT IS HAPPENING? Waste problem has become the nightmare of modern society. During the period of living and development, human has been producing different types of waste that they cannot resolve completely.
Roughly 8 million tons of plastic are discharged into the world’s oceans every year. According to a new study, Vietnam, along with China, Indonesia, The Philippines and Thailand are five countries producing the most plastic waste. (Sources: Stemming the Tide Ocean Conservancy and McKinsey Center for Business and Environment) The scary act is that once being thrashed down to the ocean, plastic waste might need up to 400 years to break down. As a result, over 90% of floating waste in the oceans is plastic waste. According to the worst scenario predicted by the Ocean Conservancy, an environmental advocacy group and McKinsey Company, the oceans will contain one ton of plastic waste for every three tons of fish by 2025.
Currently in Vietnam, 12 million tons of household waste is produced everyday on average. In 2020, the amount of urban waste expects to be 20 million tons per day and mostly come from major cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Hai Phong‌. The current process of solid waste management and disposal are old fashioned, mainly by dumping to landfill or by burning, which has major negative impacts on environment. (moitruong.com.vn) The first recycling plant in Vietnam opened on June 27th, 2015 in Da Nang. The technology of thoroughly processing and recycling solid waste without burial is applied which does not emit secondary pollution and can generate renewable energy products. Sweden has made a recycling revolution in which 99% of household waste is recycled in various ways. In 1975 this number was only 38%. (sweden.se)
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WHAT SHOULD WE DO? We can apply many ways to reduce the amount of waste in daily life. Let’s take a look at a new model called 7R which may replace the old 3R model:
Rethink:
Think about the products you intend to buy. Ask yourself: are they really necessary? Or would there be any problem if we don’t have them right now?
Reduce:
Minimize the amount of waste by consuming sufficiently, purchase fewer products of high quality if not necessary (as they require more complicated manufacture process), and make good use of all products.
Refuse:
Say No to unnecessary packaging and encourage manufacturers to stop put their products in too much packages. The simple solution is using eco-bags instead of plastic bags for shopping.
Return: Reuse:
Whenever possible, return bottles and containers which are reusable.v
Reuse and recharge as much as possible. Common things such as envelopes, bottles, plastic bags… can be reused for multiple times. Buy/ sell old clothes while reusable. Encourage the use of rechargeable batteries.
Repair: Recycle:
Repair items instead of throwing them away and buying new ones.
In-organic materials such as paper, bottles, cans…can be recycled into new and creative items. Try to make home compost from food waste.
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ORGANIC WASTE Organic waste is mainly kitchen food waste like vegetable, fruit…which has organic origin and is easily broken down in a short time. The amount of organic waste from households, especially in urban areas, is quite considerable. However it is often disposed directly instead of being reused. After being categorized, organic waste can be used: To make organic compost As food for animals Directly for cultivation/ farming By reusing this type of waste, we can reduce waste pollution, partially produce clean and safe food, and save money as well.
INORGANIC WASTE Some examples of this type are plastic, porcelain, ceramic, rubble, soil, sand or different types of clam or oyster shell…. Inorganic waste is mainly dumped to landfill and most of them are not reusable. To protect our environment, we need to minimize the amount of this type of waste by: Refuse to take plastic bags when shopping Reuse bags whenever possible Use ecological bags or tote bags Try to cook at home or eat right at restaurants instead of ordering food and shipping. Classify plastic bags and other types of waste for more convenient treatment No littering
RECYCLABLE WASTE Some types of waste is recyclable such as paper, metal, cans…which can be transferred to recycling factories and made into new products. Besides, there are actions we can take to reuse discarded items: Reuse single-sided paper. Use paper which is thinner and has low brightness when appropriate Buy/ use products made of recycled paper Refuse to take flyers/ leaflets Arrange and classify books, old documents to give away or sell to recycling factories Recycle plastic bottles to make plant pots
Classify your house waste into these 3 categories whenever you can!
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THE BENEFITS WE GET
Personal benefits
Environmental benefits
Save money Good for health Better self-image when using ecological bags or basket for shopping Better sanitation for your livelihood
Organic fertilizing helps improve soil Avoid toxicants from chemical fertilizers Reduce the amount of waste that need processing and the area of landfill Save energy and resources used in the production process Reduce the amount of plastic waste to protect soil, water sources such as groundwater, rivers, canals‌. Protect the environment and health of other creatures Reduce soil erosion to prevent flood, drought and climate change
THE CHALLENGE FOR YOU Tick the actions that you are willing to do to reduce waste
Actions
Select
Think carefully before shopping to avoid waste Reuse whenever possible Using old products to create new items Donate old books, newspapers, clothes and other equipment Collect and classify waste for recycling or disposal every week Make organic compost at home or use leftovers as animals food Buy eco-bags to replace nylon ones Encourage shoppers to use shopping baskets/bags Try to repair items instead of buying new ones Find clothes and other stuff in second hand or recycling stores Decorate trash bins to attract attention Place 2 separate wastebaskets for organic and inorganic waste at home Use personal water bottle
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“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed” -Mahatma Gandhi-
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TRANSPORTATION
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WHAT IS HAPPENING?
According to authorities, transportation pollution contributes up to 70% of serious air pollution in big cities of Vietnam. Especially, the level of pollution from transportation impacts directly on human’s health and health care budget.
In Vietnam, by 2020 estimatedly 36 million of motorcycles will be approved for use. However, according to government’s report, there are approximately 46.065.091 vehicles were registered by September 15th, 2015 (including 2.579.675 cars, 43.485.416 motorcycles)
According to statistics by National Traffic Safety Committee (from December 16th, 2014 to May 15th, 2015), there were 9.318 accidents which resulted in 3.735 deaths and 8.554 injuries
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WHAT SHOULD WE DO? Walking, biking and using public transport more and more in your daily lives. Avoid transporting by plane when it is unnecessary, especially for traveling. Carpool: carpooling with your friends and colleagues to work, go to school or hang out together Use cars with suitable sizes for your family Following safety precautions and other instructions on the product label. Drive at steady speed and avoid rapid acceleration which increases fuel consumption and pollutant emission. Regular maintenance: - Keep your vehicles well maintained every 3 to 6 months. Check tires monthly and keep tires inflated to the specified pressure (2.8 kg of live weight for popular motorbikes in Vietnam) - Change the oil in your vehicles regularly. Avoid rush hour
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THE BENEFITS WE GET
Environmental benefits
Personal benefits Health protection Better time management for yourself Save money on fuel, parking, periodical maintenance and repairing
Reduce fossil fuel consumption Decrease the emissions of toxic air into environment Reduce traffic jam and smog Keeping transportation system well organized in urban areas can reduce noise
THE CHALLENGE FOR YOU
Select
Actions Biking or walking whenever possible Using public transportation more often Carpool, vanpool with friends or family members Avoid traveling by plane, take train or bus for your trip instead. Drive at steady speed, avoid unnecessarily fast acceleration. Regular maintenance Avoid rush hour
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ENTERTAINMENT
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WHAT IS HAPPENING? Have you realized that even when we are having fun, we may produce waste and cause pollution? According to the research about ecological lifestyle in the Vietnamese students conducted by C&E center, 72.6% of respondents usually “use laptop, TV or mobile phone” in their free time.
It is stated in a study that jogging could help avoid the risk of Alzheimer up to 60%. In general, physical activities are good for health and jogging is the most effective yet simple. 40% of your trips are within 2 miles around your house. You can choose to do it environmentally friendly.
WHAT SHOULD WE DO? Choose environmentally-friendly and low-carbon leisure activities A low carbon activity does not require lots of fossil energy and emits less carbon to environment. It includes how we move and devices we use. Biking, jogging, surfing, skating, climbing, sailing…are some sporty activities without using any engine. They not only allow you to interact with natural surrounding but also protect the environment.
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Additionally, environmentally – friendly and outdoors activities will help spread the knowledge of climate change and change people’s behavior towards green lifestyle. These activities could be organized in many green ways; for example, using vegetarian food/ organic food, washable/ recyclable dishes, send invitations online instead of using paper, make use of natural light….
So what is a high carbon emission activity?
A high carbon activity uses some equipment and vehicles that consume lots of fuel and energy. We should reduce these activities and replace them with environmentally friendly ones that are good for our health. An example would be staying at home watching sports or entertainment program on TV or computer. Why don’t we go out to exercise, play sports that improve our health or enjoy reading a book? Instead of going to the gym to use running machine, why don’t we run in a park to get fresh air and immerse ourselves in nature? There are various ways to balance your time for relaxing and joining in eco friendly sports after studying or working hard. All you need to do is to reconcile the impact of our activities on the environment.
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Here are some interesting examples:
In Vietnam, model of recycling playground for children has been developing and spreading widely across the country with the effort of some pioneering clubs like Think Playgrounds (Hanoi), Kicodo (Danang Architecture University)…
Credit: Dtrung Phạm Another interesting model is practical game about environment in which green actions are combined with challenges and missions. A reality game named “City Greeners” was organized annually from 2012 to 2014 under the cooperation of Go Green club and C&E center. Participants had to move around Hanoi by bike and complete challenges to practice healthy, economically and environmentally friendly lifestyle and convey the message of this lifestyle to others. Environment for Sport Alliance encourages people who play some sports like skateboarding, surfing, skiing and mountain biking to use more green products. Comet is a member organization of this association who uses sustainable bamboo and non toxic plastic to produce skateboards.
Credit: Hoàng Trần
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THE BENEFITS WE GET
Personal benefits
Environmental benefits
Health improvement. Enjoy small things in life. Relaxing
Decrease carbon dioxide emissions Reduce the amount of waste especially high-tech waste such as mobile phone, computer, TV‌
THE CHALLENGE FOR YOU
Select
Actions Jogging/ running/ bicycling for about 15 - 30 minutes per day Go on a picnic/ camping/ climbing instead of going to entertainment centers Join a sports club or other social activities Drawing, writing, composing songs about environment to spread your ideas to others Spend less time on TV or computer Choosing eco-friendly destinations and services when travelling: an eco-lodge, environmentally friendly form of transportation‌
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Apart from the actions mentioned in this guidebook, there are various ways to practice green lifestyle and reduce your ecological footprint. Let’s spend time researching for more and apply them daily!
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POCKET TIPS
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BEHAVIOR CHANGE MODEL Moving our lifestyle towards sustainable development is in relation with possibility to change personal behaviour successfully and widely. Efforts to change behavior usually meet many challenges along the way and their result are difficult to evaluate. Let’s look back on the behaviour change model we often use before. Is it somewhat like this?
INFORMATION
KNOWLEDGE
VALUE SHIFT
BEHAVIOR CHANGE Image 1. Behaviour change model If we believe in this model, all behaviours will be changed simply by giving the information and expecting it will lead to change in action. Actually, it is really not that easy. Although people know the strong impact of global warming, it does not necessary mean they would change their lifestyle to prevent it. Another simple example: a man who knows the health consequences of smoking but that reason might not be big enough for him to give up smoking. In recent years, the Global Action Plan (GAP) has been developing a new theory about a behaviour change model which indicates that the process of changing behaviour should go in the direction of circle or spiral.
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Help formulate intention Act
Find Out Help formulate questions
Care
Give feedback
Image 2. The process of changing behaviour in the direction of circle or spiral - GAP This model indicates that when you are interested in a topic, you will have many questions, motivation to find information about problems and take actions related to it. When you get help to formulate intention, the step to take action will com easier. Once your actions get feedbacks, positive or negative, it makes you pay more attention to the topic, and the circle keeps going. Three core elements of this model are: Find Out – Act – Care, which are in circle relation, not just in one way direction. During the process of changing behaviour, we can break into the circle among these 3 elements by helping formulate questions, helping formulate intention and giving feedback. A circle of behaviour change takes at least 21 days estimatedly. To change an old habit, all elements of this model need to be applied and you can start at any point in the circle. The affection should be continuously developed in at least 21 days to replace old habits by new ones.
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SMART Model Changing any action, no matter how small it is, needs to follow a detailed plan to avoid forgetting, being distracted or simply being lazy to act. Advice: try applying these criteria of SMART model
s- specific What is your goal? What do you want to achieve? Or what is the action you want to take? Who will you work with or work for? Where will you do it? When will you do it? Why do you want to take actions? E.g.: I want to go to school by bike to improve my health and be more environmentally friendly
m- measurable How to assess whether you meet your goal or not? E.g.: going to school by bike at least 4 times a week
a - attainable Setting goals and take actions in your ability. Do not set goal that is too difficult or too easy. You must be aware of your capacity when setting a tangible and feasible target E.g.: biking only once a week (is too easy) or biking 20 times/week (too difficult)
R - relevant Do your actions match your goal? And do they match your ability and condition? E.g.: choose biking to improve your health while you don’t have a bicycle and can’t afford to buy one. Or your health issue do not allow you to bike.
T - TIMEBOUND Create a realistic timeline: try to estimate how much time each of the activities will take and frequency of your actions. Example: In the first 2 months, bike at least 3 times a week and for the next 2 months, increase your frequency to 4 times a week and remaining in long term.
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ADVICE FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF ECOLOGICAL PROJECT Actions need to come from reality. Before planning to carry out a project/ campaign, spend time on doing research into the situation of the area and people that you will work with to make sure that your project is necessary and reasonable. E.g.: We should not do campaign about energy saving in area where national electricity grid hasn’t reached to yet. Make timeline and control it. What is your development plan? List out each activity, starting with the earliest one and give yourself a date to complete the activity. Then, what will be carried out first? And what’s next? Which actions should be done at the same time? If you spend more time than planned, you will slow the progress of your project and this could affect other activities as a chain reaction. Suggestion: Before carrying out a project, make a list of activities must be done in your timeline.
Photo: an example of event timeline Convey a strong message: Using only words can not impact your audience strongly. Be creative in communication to spread your project’s message and actually can make significant difference to others. Suggestion: impressive picture is one of the best message delivers
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GLOSSARY Ecological footprint: a resource accounting tool that measures the area of biologically productive land and water required to produce the goods and services necessary to support human lifestyle (food, wood, energy, surface infrastructure, carbon dioxide absorption area, wastes generated assimilation). This figure is available per person, country or region and measured in global hectares (GHA). Ecological / sustainable lifestyle: a way to live that is balanced and close to nature, which includes using as few natural resources as possible, reducing negative impacts on the environment, minimizing toxic and waste emissions... This lifestyle is environmentally friendly while can meet the basic needs of human’s life. Bio capacity: is an estimation of the ecosystems’ capacity to produce useful biological materials and absorb waste generated by humans. Bio capacity of a region is calculated in global hectares (GHA) Ecological deficit/ reserve: the difference between bio capacity and ecological footprint of a region or country. An ecological deficit occurs when the Footprint of a population exceeds the bio capacity of the area available to that population. Conversely, an ecological reserve exists when the bio capacity of a region exceeds its population’s Footprint. Climate change/ global warming: refers to the increase of average surface temperature on Earth observed over the decades and its effect on the environment. Greenhouse effect: the phenomenon makes the Earth’s atmosphere warmer due to shortwave radiation passes through the cloud-free atmosphere, continues down to the Surface of the Earth where some is reflected back while most of them is absorbed and warms the surface. Greenhouse gases: gases that can absorb long wave radiation reflected back from the surface, warm the Earth and cause greenhouse effect. The primary greenhouse gasses are water vapor, CO2, CH4, N2O, O3, CFC gases 350ppm: 350 parts per million is a figure that many scientists, climate experts and national governments regards as the “safe” level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. (Source: 350.org) Overshoot day: is hosted and calculated by Global Footprint Network. To determine the date of Earth Overshoot Day, Global Footprint Network calculates the number of days of a particular year that Earth’s bio capacity suffices to provide for humanity’s Ecological Footprint. The remainder of the year corresponds to global overshoot.
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REFERENCES 1. Learning for Change - Global Action Plan 2. Research on ecological lifestyle of Vietnamese Students – Center for Development of Community Initiative and Environment, 2015 3. Guideline Materials on Capacity Building towards sustainable lifestyle - Center for Development of Community Initiative and Environment, 2010 4. Turn Down the Heat - Confronting the New Climate Normal - 2014 International Bank for Reconstruction and Development / The World Bank 5. Turn Down the Heat – Why a 4C warmer world would be avoided? - November 2012 A Report for the World Bank by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Climate Analytics
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Implementation: Center for the Development of Community Initiative and Environment (C&E) This guidebook was compiled and published under the sponsorship of Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung - Southeast Asia Copying regulation: copying and citing this document for non-commercial purposes is allowed Compile: Hoang Thanh Tam, Hoang Hong Hanh, Ngo Thi Phuong Thao, Nguyen The Hung, Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha, Nguyen Thu Hang Edit: Vu Van Tuan, Bui Thi Thanh Thuy, Trinh Minh Nguyet, Nguyen Khanh Linh Design: Nguyen Khanh Linh Photo: C&E Center and colleagues La Ban Printing Company GPXB: 2928-2015 / CXBIPH / 24-142 / TN ISBN: 978-604- 64-3057- 5
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“Humanity must act on the root causes of this crisis, which is driven by greed, thoughtlessness and a lack of concern about the consequences of our actions” – Dalai Lama –