Topic 8 Environmental Health

Why should we raise teenagers' awareness of environmental health?

Probably everyone would want to maintain optimal health and live a healthy life. A healthy environment is the primary condition for human survival, and there is an inseparable bond between the environment and humanity. Most human activities require energy, but greenhouse gases produced in energy generation are released to the environment. Increased levels of greenhouse gases in the environment consequently cause climate changes and increase the occurrence of extreme weather and natural disasters. It also worsens air pollution, causes the sea level to rise, damages the ecosystems, etc. These consequences would, in turn, be harmful to humans. Therefore, we should let young people understand the local situations of air pollution and waste disposal and management problems. Young people should be encouraged to take proactive responses to the government's measures for environmental protection by practising environmentally friendly behaviours and being responsible citizens, thereby building their concern for environmental health.

Main concepts

1. Exploring the problems

• Let students understand that humans are part of the ecosystem and have an inseparable and dynamic bond with the environment. The damages and impacts of human activities on the environment would, in turn, affect human health through the system.
• Let students understand that human activities releasing greenhouse gases, mainly carbon dioxide, have led to global warming and climate change. They can learn from examples and evidence worldwide how increased global temperatures have worsened the occurrence and severity of natural disasters. To enable students to understand typical air pollutants, such as particulates, ozone, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, volatile organic compounds, etc., and their impact on human health, such as increased risk of lung diseases, cancers (especially lung cancer) and cardiovascular diseases and exacerbating asthma symptoms.
• Let students explore environmental health issues, such as waste disposal, indoor air pollution, ozone layer depletion, acid rain, water pollution, etc. (if applicable), and analyze the causes and impacts of related issues on the environment and humanity.

2. Discussing the resolution of the problems

• Let students analyse the sources of carbon emissions in different districts of Hong Kong and understand the goals and strategies set by the government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (carbon reduction), including power supply, construction, transportation and waste disposal. 
• Let students analyse the available data on the local air pollution situation and learn that the levels of major air pollutant concentrations in Hong Kong are steadily declining, reflecting that the overall air pollution situation has improved.
• Let students know that the Hong Kong government regulates the emission of air pollutants from different aspects (land transportation, power generation, maritime transportation and products of volatile organic compounds, etc.) and is committed to cooperating with governmental departments of Guangdong Province to address air pollution issues and studying the causes and its transmission characteristics of ozone emissions.
• Let students get to know leading local and international environmental protection organisations about their concerns about environmental health issues and their initiatives and contributions to protect the environment.
• Let students select current news as teaching materials, collect information on environmental issues and participate in role plays discussing ways to deal with climate change. Students may take turns to give a speech to other students in the group or class and write down their reflections after the discussion.

3. Actions to protect the environment

• Through photographs, videos, news reports, artistic creations or other means, students can understand and appreciate nature's significance, beauty and vulnerability. Let students express their feelings, thoughts and responses on this, promoting and cultivating an environmentally friendly lifestyle in young people. 
• Let students self-evaluate from aspects of life, reflect on how to reduce waste, save energy, develop the habit of recycling, and provide opportunities for students to practise these habits.
• Let students ponder how to practise environmentally-friendly purchasing to prevent wastage when buying clothes and other stuff. For example, organising the clothes you already have allows you to realise that you do not necessarily need to buy new clothes; shop according to your actual needs rather than trends; consider reusing, repairing or recycling used clothes rather than discarding them in the first place. These principles are also applicable to other daily necessities.
• Let students practice preventing wasting food, such as not ordering too many dishes at restaurants that we may not finish, knowing that the production and transportation of certain foods produce more greenhouse gases (such as ingredients shipped by ocean or air to Hong Kong) than others. Choosing foods from local farms or neighbouring countries is more environmentally friendly.
• Let students practise saving electricity and resources in daily life, such as using less paper, electricity and water and refusing to use single-use disposable plastic utensils and packaging.
• Let students practise environmentally-friendly commuting and travel. For example, if travelling by sea or land is appropriate, you may not choose to travel by air; if taking public transport is suitable, you may not choose to travel by private car; you may go by walking or cycling instead of taking other transportation; thereby reducing the release of greenhouse gases or air pollutants due to traffic.
• Let students understand that certain products commonly used, such as paint, printing ink, air fresheners, hair sprays, insect repellents, multi-purpose lubricants, etc., contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Reducing the use of these products can reduce the release of VOCs and the production of ozone, helping to control air pollution.
• Students can practise recycling resources (used paper, plastics and metals) through various activities, such as competitions and visits to school and community recycling facilities. Other recyclable items include air-conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, televisions, computers, printers, scanners and monitors, glass, rechargeable batteries, small electrical appliances, compact fluorescent lamps and light tubes, etc.

4. Information literacy

• To equip students to search for environmental health information and interpret the information received from different sources (oral, written and media, etc.).
• Let students organise and screen the information on environmental health they gathered according to its reliability, appropriateness and source.
• Let students use appropriate reporting and presentation methods with creativity to organise further the information they gathered and present it to the class and other school members, family members and people in the community to disseminate this environmental health information.

Keywords

#Greenhouse Gases   #Air Pollution   #Carbon Reduction   #Sustatinable Development

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