Green

Courses tagged with "Green"

Who killed the river that runs through Los Angeles? Did you even know there was a river? Using a mix of archive and new footage , this album tells the fascinating story of a city that has ignored the benefits of its river for decades. Now waking up to the fact that it could be a green belt with more acreage than all of Central Park, river activists are fighting developers to bring back nature to central Los Angeles. Up till now the city conquered the threat of floods by concreting over the river to make it the backbone of the urban drainage system, overriding the needs of deprived local communities. But laying ever more concrete and asphalt is no longer the way to meet 21st Century environmental needs; an alternative approach to flood protection and habitat restoration is necessary. This material forms part of The Open University course U216 Environment.
What strategies can hospitals adopt to reduce their impact on the local and global environment? How might they reduce the carbon footprint of vehicles transporting patients, visitors and goods? This album visits three hospitals which have adopted green approaches to energy efficiency, by cutting electricity consumption, reducing traffic volume, and even generating their own renewable energy. This material forms part of The Open University course T206 Energy for a sustainable future.
Have you ever thought about how far the contents of your supermarket basket have travelled to get to you, how this impacts on our planet’s systems? It's no secret that climate change is caused by our over-dependence on fossil fuels...so what can we do about it? This is an album with a difference; YOU get the chance to find out how YOUR personal shopping choices are affecting the climate. How addicted to fossil fuels are you? Using the interactive video feature, start off on track 2 and follow the easy instructions at the end of each of the next 12 tracks. You may be surprised! Video tracks 14-17 visit an eco-house with a compostable toilet and a green community in Hockerton. Audio tracks 18-20 explore the microscopic activity inside a compost heap, debate the role of blood sports for pest control, and give tips on how to write about science. This material is from The Open University Course Y161 Introducing environment.
Alex Kirby from Climate News Network informs us that a panel of international climate scientists says the world has only until 2050 to become a zero-carbon society − and discusses how the rewards for doing so would be immense.
The UK could reduce its emissions by converting farmland to absorb more carbon dioxide − but risks increasing climate change effects abroad.
Governments must act immediately to end conflicts and counter the impact of climate disruption so as to avoid a humanitarian catastrophe affecting millions.
At the beginning of the 21st century, more than half the world’s population live in cities. Issues about governance, intensification of social relationships, the impact of globalisation, and the way green spaces are utilised become ever more pressing concerns. The tracks on this album explore some of the challenges faced across the world as citizens and administrators adapt to ever increasing pressures on city spaces and resources. The material forms part of the course DD304, Understanding Cities.