Go Green

Natural disasters strike us almost every day. Floods, droughts, hurricanes, etc. and often these are directly or indirectly related to climate change. A phenomenon that is unmistakably going on. But a phenomenon that we can also slow down or stop if we want to. And we will have to if we want to guarantee the survival of a lot of life on Earth. But how do we go about it? What can we do as citizens ourselves to do our bit? In this project, we searched for answers to these questions with the students. Not only did we introduce them to the causes of global warming, but we also looked at how we can build a more sustainable society in which there is a healthy balance between people and society. Sustainability is an important factor in our schools. But the transition to become a more sustainable school can be difficult. With this project, the students learnt how to act and be responsible so that they can make a difference both at home and with their friends. In this way, we all make our small contribution to a more sustainable society.

We focused on a number of objectives. We wanted our students to: *get better at sustainable thinking *have a more sustainable form of energy use *produce less waste *participate more in the circular economy. Our schools wanted to: *produce less waste *Investigate how we can switch to more sustainable energy To be able to do this the students had to: *gain scientific knowledge about the causes and consequences of climate change *knowledge about the pros and cons of alternative and/or sustainable energy *analyze their ecological footprint *reduce energy consumption in their daily lives *knowledge on the impact of waste on the environment and the climate *implement ways to reduce the amount of waste they produce *gain knowledge on the role of circular economy in tackling the waste problem *recycle old products and buy new products based on recycled materials *have a global vision of climate change. To be able to do this the schools had to: *investigate how the school currently deals with waste, energy consumption etc *based on the investigation, create a work plan to tackle the environmental issues of the schools when it comes to reducing waste, saving energy and switching to more sustainable energy.

We carried out a number of activities: First, each participating school investigated what their ecological footprint is. The data was used to draw up a work plan for the school to work on during the project. At the end of the project, we assess whether the developed actions that took place had an impact on reducing the ecological footprint. A new work plan was set up with which the schools will continue to work on after this project. Secondly, an Energy Advisor App was developed. Everyone (in the EU) can use it to compare their energy usage to the average in their country. (Above average, average or below average) Apart from that they get tips on reducing energy consumption. The app can be used in English, Dutch, Swedish, Spanish and Portuguese. Thirdly, we worked on 4 different topics - Natural disasters: where they occur and how they affect the place . What impact does global warming have on them? And is this the same for all parts of Europe, and by extension the world? Our students investigated this in their own country. Afterwards, they compared it with those of students from other countries in the project. - Reusable energy: the students got acquainted with different forms of renewable energy. They worked with renewable energy themselves by making a solar-powered mobile phone charger.- Ecological footprint: the pupils investigated the ecological impact of different products. They examined whether locally developed products actually have a smaller ecological footprint. - Circular economy: the students started Repair cafes in their own schools or investigated how the school works with circular economy already.

Tangible project results: * A work plan on how to make our schools greener and more sustainable. * A presentation from each country regarding effects of global warming, containing a map of environmentally vulnerable places in each country that are affected by global warming. * One shared European film about problems due to global warming, similarities and differences between the countries, natural disasters, and the ability to protect them from happening together with a shared environmentally interactive map of vulnerable places in Europe. * Energy Advisor App * Solar-powered mobile phone chargers. (produced in Belgium) * Step-by-step tutorials to build your own solar-powered mobile phone charger in each partner’s language. * Presentation from each school's investigation and actions taken regarding reducing the ecological footprint of the school. * The making of different eco-products: soap, bioplastics, rings and key rings all from recycled waste * Repaired/recycled objects: wooden objects, textile bags and jam from rescued fruit * Presentation of each school´s work with repair/recycle café or how the school is dealing with issues. * Lesson plans and materials, in English, Dutch, Swedish, Spanish, Galician, and Portuguese. Intangible project outcomes: * Knowledge on the greenhouse effect and reasons for global warming * Students getting a geographic frame of reference and knowing where the different locations are in Europe, makes it easier for the students to make analysis. * Learn about Sustainable Development Goals number 7, 12 and 13 * Learning to work together in groups solving problems and making analyses together. * Use of technology to make presentations * Knowledge of renewable energy * Awareness of the importance of renewable energy. * Use of technology to promote a better lifestyle. (reduce energy consumption) * Improved awareness about the circular economy. ​​* Skills to help fix simple problems. (e.g. puncture in a tyre of a bike) * Practical skills on how to reuse old objects.