Summary
Hong Kong is a well-developed and prosperous city. The prosperity, however, has been achieved at a great cost of environment. The environment will be unrepaired if we keep consuming without regulation.
Consequences of over-consumption have been fully discussed and clearly understood by the teachers and students.
The notion of sustainable development provides an alternative for human development: while societal demands and economic needs are satisfied; environmental issues are concerned and damages to
the world are limited to the lowest level. In the previous chapters, information and examples have been provided to encourage students to think about and discuss the possibilities and effectiveness of
such an alternative development. In this part, four activities are provided to assist teachers in guiding students to integrate all the ideas, values and notions of the course and to turn the idea of sustainable
development into action in daily life.
These activities aimed at leading students to conclude what they have learnt and to consider how to improve the environment of Hong Kong.
Source of picture:
Information Services
Department
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Let us take a look at the pictures we have seen at the beginning again, and recall this question in your mind: are you looking forward to the future of Hong Kong as those
children imagine? Do you have confidence in making Hong Kong a comfortable and liveable city and creating a sustainable future for it?
If we are hoping for such a future, from today on we must take actions to protect our environment and shoulder the responsibilities, which include:
A Sustainable Development
Willingness to Pay
Environmental Justice
● Make efforts to achieve a balance between our lives,
● Pay the necessary price of environmental
● Affirm
needs for development, and the urgent demands for
environmental protection.
● Control damages to the environment within an
endurable limit.
● Make the Earth home for the next generations.
the
value
and
importance
of
the
interdependent relationship between all species and
protection.
● Voice your opinions on environmental issues and take
into consideration the affordability and incentive of
safeguard the relationship.
● Respect and uphold the rights of all people to a healthy
environment and to participate in decision-making.
different groups.
● Reconsider your responsibility for each environmental
● Do not exploit or oppress minorities groups by inequitable
distributions of environmental burdens.
policy and measure.
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As an environmental citizen, we must understand that the behaviours of an individual can change the environment, and in return the environment may also affect our life. A
famous quote from Winston Churchill goes as “We shape our building, thereafter they shape us”. While benefiting from the natural environment and resources, we should bear
the responsibilities and fulfil the obligations of protecting them and making appropriate use of them.
Furthermore, we are not just citizens of Hong Kong; we are citizens of the global village. We should notice that many of our daily activities might cause environmental
pollution. Purchasing and using import goods, for example, would cause to continuous increase of carbon emissions; The factories in Guangdong province established and
run by businessmen from Hong Kong since 1980s, has become one of the most significant sources of pollution in the region. Changing our habits and promoting effective
environmental management, therefore, are the actions we have been taking for creating a sustainable future for both Hong Kong and the world. Living in such an inhospitable
world at present, we need to take our first step to create a wonderful future.
If we are willing to make greater efforts to protect our environment and to advance the change of our society, a sustainable future would become foreseeable.
Can we make it?
Be a responsible environmental
citizen:
(environmental citizenship)
(Jasonoff, 2005)
Having concerns for environmental problems,
being equipped with enough knowledge of
Willingly to make a difference
Visioning of our future
(make a difference)
(Wright, 2005)
(visioning)
(Sandler, 2000)
Willing to make a difference and take actions,
Analysing the current situation and reducing
aiming at promoting our city, nation, and
the problems; constructing a micro vision that
planet towards a sustainable future.
can guide us to overcome present difficulties,
realize change, and achieve a better future.
environmental issues and the competence by
which a person would be able to participate
discussion on environmental policies, and
making contribution to the policy making.
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Reference:
Wright, Richard T. (2005), Environmental Science: Toward a Sustainable Future (9th Ed.), Upper Saddle River, N.J. : Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Jasonoff , Sheila (2005), Science and Environmental Citizenship, Dauvergne, Peter (ed.) Handbook of global environmental politics. (365-382) Northampton,
Mass.: Edward Elgar.
Sandler, Alan (2000), Sustainable Development: Visioning and Planning, Wheeler, Keith A. & Bijur, Anne Perraca.(ed.), Education for a Sustainable Future (215236), New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers.
Cunningham, William P. & Cunningham, Mary Ann (2010), Environmental Science: A Global Concern. (11th ed.) New York : McGraw-Hill.
281
Summary
Background:
Hong Kong is a well-developed and prosperous city. The prosperity, however, has been achieved at a great cost of environment. The environment
will be unrepaired if we keep consuming without regulation. Consequences of over-consumption have been clearly discussed and understood
by the teachers and students.
The notion of sustainable development provides an alternative for human development: while societal demands and economic needs are
satisfied, environmental issues are concerned and damages to the world are limited to the lowest level. In the previous chapters, information
and examples have been provided to encourage the students to think and discuss the possibilities and effectiveness of such an alternative
development. In this part, four activities are provided to assist teachers in guiding students to integrate all the ideas, values and notions of the
course, and to turn the idea of sustainable development into action in daily life.
Purpose:
These activities aimed at leading students to conclude what they have learnt and to consider how to improve the environment of Hong Kong.
282
Process
Section 1: Activities Summary: Environmental Detective Groups
5 minutes
Teachers will distribute worksheets (1) and ask students to read the content of the worksheets.
15 minutes
Teachers will make use of a brief instruction (1) and the worksheets (1), guiding the students to analyse the sources of pollution and green
measures in daily life.
15 minutes
Six students will be invited to explain the sources of pollution and the green measures from Chart 1 to Chart 3 (three students explain the
sources of pollution, and the other three students introduce green measures).
5 minutes
Through this activity the teacher will explain:
1. Our daily lives can be a source of different types of environmental pollutions; we must, therefore, take actions to protect our environment;
2.One source of pollution can cause different environment problems at a time;
3.At present, some environmental measures have already been implemented. In the following sections, students will take a school campus
as an example to think about how to improve its environment by taking green measures.
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Section 2: Index and Standards for a Sustainable City
10 minutes
Teachers will make use of instruction (2) to illustrate some sustainable cities’ indexes and standards of environmental factors and to
point out the fact that integral environmental quality is a crucial criterion for evaluating whether a city is a sustainable one or not.
Then teachers will give students worksheets (2) for class discussion and separate them into 6 groups (6-8 students in each group).
20 minutes
Teachers will ask the groups to have discussions according to worksheet (2). The groups are required to finish the first and the second parts
of the worksheet.
10 minutes
Teachers will invite representatives from 1 or 2 groups to give report and elaborate the standards and grading schemes the group has designed.
Teachers can give suggestions and comments on the students’ reports.
Teachers will ask the students to finish the third part of the worksheet at home.
Section 3 : “Start with Me” - School Environment Improving Programme
5 minutes
Teachers will distributes worksheets (3), separate students into 6 groups (6-8 students in 1 group), and ask students to use the indexes
given in worksheet (2) to examine school environment.
20 minutes
The teachers will ask each group to have a discussion according to worksheet (3). Each group is required to choose some of the sections that
are poorly scored, analyse the reasons, and provide a plan for improvements.
15 minutes
Teachers will invite representatives from 2-3 groups to report their work on behalf of the group. Teachers can give suggestions and comments
on the students’ reports.
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Section 4: Be a Green Citizen
5 minutes
Teachers will separate students into 6 groups (around 6-8 students a group), distribute worksheets (4), and ask students to read the
content of the worksheet.
20 minutes
Teachers will ask students to have a discussion according to worksheet (4).
10 minutes
Teachers will invite representatives from 1-2 groups, on behalf of their group, to share the results of their discussion and to describe what does
an “environmental citizen” mean as they believed and what will be the future of Hong Kong they wished to have.
5 minutes
The teachers will give a comprehensive explanation and educate the students, as a member of family, of school, of community and of Hong
Kong, that they have the responsibility for environmental issues and they should take actions in everyday lives. They should understand that
as an “environmental citizen”, who is benefiting from a variety of natural environments and resources, they should have the responsibilities of
conserving the resources.
Teachers can also encourage students to take actions to protect the environment, to promote to the community to make changes so as to
create a sustainable future.
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Activities Summary: Environmental Detective Groups
Worksheet (1)
Suppose you are a member of an environmental detective group, and the goal of this group is to reveal
pollution problems in our daily life and advocate environment protection. Please mark all sources of pollution
and all environmental protection measures in the three pictures below, explain the relationship between
different types of pollution and their sources, and think about what environment protection measures are
most effective.
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Name:
Class (No.):
(
)
Sources of pollution and various types of pollution caused
1
2
Environment protection measures and their effect
1
2
287
288
Sources of pollution and various types of pollution caused
1
3
2
Environment protection measures and their effect
1
3
2
289
290
Sources of pollution and types of pollution caused
1
3
2
Environment protection measures and their effect
1
3
2
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Summary of Activities: Index and Standards for a Sustainable City
Worksheet (2)
Imagine you are an environmental consultant, and you are designing a set of evaluation standards for a sustainable city,
which includes eight examples as indicators, in order to improve the sustainable development of Hong Kong.
1.Please refer to the materials given below about the environment of Hong Kong and design a set of evaluation standards (which
should include eight examples as indicators) for the sustainable development of Hong Kong, and explain why you choose them as
standards.
Introduction to the environment of Hong Kong
Land
resource
●Hong Kong’s land resources are very limited, equal to approximately 1,104 square kilometres.
Lands that can be used for residence are only approximately 263 square kilometres in area because
of the rugged and mountainous terrain. In addition, lands that are over 500 square kilometres in
area have been designated as “preserved areas” to be built into country parks, special areas, and
nature conservation areas.
●Due to the limitation of land resources, tensions and even conflicts between people and between people
and the nature frequently occur. At present, the total population of Hong Kong is about 7 million. The
overall population density is 6,540 people per square kilometre; that of urban areas like Kwun Tong can
reach even up to 54,530 people per square kilometre.
●Since the living space of an individual is relatively narrow, it is unavoidable that some large public
facilities need to be built near residential areas, and sometimes constructions expand to suburb
areas and even seas. All of these can be the causes of the conflicts between urban development and
environmental protection.
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Name:
Class (No.):
(
)
Freshwater
and Marine
Resources
●Fresh water of Hong Kong is supplied by two main sources. One is rainwater gathered by local watershed, and the other is the input of fresh water from
Dongjiang in Guangdong Province.
● Although Hong Kong’s rainfall is not so stable, the amount of 2,399 mm annual average is quite abundant. However, considerable parts of Hong Kong’s 1,104 square
kilometres of lands are undulating terrain, which makes collection and storage of precious rainwater a big challenge. Since the High Island Reservoir has been completed
in 1978, average annual yield of the whole catchment system supplies 20%-30% of the total fresh water consumption of Hong Kong, while the rest depends on the input
from the Dongjiang of Guangdong. [Water Supplies Department (WSD) 2011].
● When Marine resources are concerned, seas of Hong Kong in area are about 1,650 square kilometres. The western area of seas of Hong Kong is mainly affected by
fresh water outflowing from the Pearl River (Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government, 2011). The supply of seawater in Hong Kong is abundant, and
desalination therefore is another reliable solution of fresh water supplying. A research on seawater desalination has confirmed the applicability of the technology
of reverse-osmosis desalination in Hong Kong; detailed planning and survey is about to conduct in order to investigate the feasibility and cost-effectiveness of
establishing a desalination factory in Tseung Kwan O, Hong Kong. In order to save precious freshwater resources, the utilization of seawater for toilet flushing has
been applied to the urban areas and most parts of new towns in Hong Kong (the covering 80 % of the total population, and it will increase to 85 % in the near future).
●Domestic, commercial and industrial effluent is gathered mainly through channels and purified before being discharged into the oceans. The
secondary purification treatment turns the effluent into liquid suitable for being discharged into seas; and if the water goes through a third-degree
process of purification and disinfection further, it would become “reclaimed water” available for toilet flushing, irrigation, and other non-potable
uses.
Connection
with
Mainland
China
● Hong Kong is located on the eastern side of the Pearl River estuary of Mainland China and geographically connected with Shenzhen, which facilitates the
mutual population movements and Hong Kong’s input of resources from Mainland China, e.g. natural gas and fresh water from Dongjiang.
●The pollution problems of Mainland China, as a consequence, also affect Hong Kong. For example, the pollutant generated by more than 56,000
factories in Pearl River Delta area is floating to Hong Kong and affecting the air quality of the city (Hong Kong SAR Government, 2011).
Reference:
Water Supplies Department (WSD) (2011): Precious Resource (Knowing Water . Valuing Water general education teaching material series No.1) from http://www.wsd.gov.hk/filemanager/
common/teaching_kit/pdf/Book1.pdf
Hong Kong SAR Government (2011): Government Annual Report 2011, from http://www.yearbook.gov.hk/2011/en/)
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Criteria for sustainable development
Why did you chose the criterion
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2. Grading for the environment of Hong Kong based on the criteria listed above
Criteria of sustainable development
Scores (Circle the grade for each)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
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3. According to the scores, select some of the lowest-scored items and point out the environmental problems in the aspects concerned.
Criteria of sustainable development
Environmental problems
For example:
The density of air pollutant in the city
The air pollutants in Hong Kong, such as suspended particles, are so
high that result in poor air quality.
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Name:
Summary: “Start with Me” - School Environment Improving Program
Class (No.):
Worksheet (3)
As an environmental consultant, you are invited by the school you had attended to evaluate the school’s environment, give suggestions for
improvement and help promote the school campus to become a sustainable one.
1.Evaluation: please make use of the criteria you have just suggested for evaluating the school’s environment (if some of them are not applicable to the environment
of your school, you can revise the items/areas to be evaluated accordingly.
Aspects to be evaluated
Scores (Circle the grade for each)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
297
(
)
2. List the aspects with lowest scores in the evaluation above
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3.Design a practicable plan for improving the school environment.
The name of the plan:
The scope of the plan:
The limitations of the plan and the potential negative impacts on stakeholders of
the school:
The purpose of the plan:
The expected outcomes of the plan:
The content of the plan:
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Name:
Activity Summary: Be a Green Citizen
Class (No.):
Worksheet (4)
1.According to what you have learned from this lesson, please describe the knowledge, attitude, value and behaviour that an
environmental citizen should have in the picture below.
Attitude and value:
Knowledge:
Behaviour:
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(
)
2.As a juvenile who aims at becoming an “environmental citizen”, please describe the ideal Hong Kong you want to have.
Please describe the ideal Hong Kong in your mind:
The questions below may help you to think:
- What energy production methods should be adopted
by Hong Kong in the future?
- What will the urban planning of Hong Kong be in the
future?
- What will be the ways of dealing with effluent and
garbage in Hong Kong in the future?
- In what ways will the buildings in Hong Kong be
constructed in the future?
3. What actions will you take and how to prepare yourself for making this dream come true?
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