People and the Planet- topic 5:

5.2 How far can these issues be resolved sustainably?

5.2b) Different role models exist for greener urban futures

What is the message from these cartoons?

• Being a GREEN CONSUMER is becoming more important as we worry more about the impact we can have on our environment and as we try to make our money stretch further, there are 2 main ways we can become GREENER CONSUMER’S

1) Reduce our consumption of products, including energy, water and food

2) Buy environmentally friendly products- such as energy star electricals, fair trade tea and coffee and eco- friendly cleaners and washing powders

GREEN CONSUMERISM- the intentional purchase of products and services that the customer considers to be made ethically. This may mean with minimal harm to or exploitation of humans, animals and/or the natural environment

How to be a green consumer

• Don’t buy more than you need- think of all that waste we looked a couple of lessons ago!!!! Even buy one get one free only take if you really need- ask the shop to keep receipt and exchange at later date!?

• Go for longer lasting products, rather than short life ones- light bulbs, batteries, battery less toys, canvas bags

• Buy organically grown foods (reduces impact on environment as less chemicals get into soil or water)

• Look for eco- friendly label- e.g. rainforest alliance label on PG Tips tea and Galaxy chocs, also on paper and furniture

• Look for energy rating on electricals• Buy products with less packaging OR remove excess at

check out• Use public transport and walk/ cycle more• Practice the 5 R’s reduce, reuse, recycle, renew, respect

Do bigger shops actually mean less choice?

• Since the 1980s the Supermarket has rapidly increased in size, the top 5 chains account for 80% of the market in the UK

• What are the top 5 Supermarkets?

• These Supermarkets appear to give us masses of choice, but they actually limit choice, they decide on stock thus deciding on things we can buy.

• Usually local, smaller, independent shops find it hard to compete, as they cannot match the costs, thus big supermarkets often force smaller independent shops to close

• This means our choice is limited we have to buy from the big supermarkets if the smaller shops have closed down.

Is this a thing of the past?

The upside of Supermarkets

• The supermarkets do provide positives such as year round choice of seasonal food

• The size and competition keeps prices fairly low for us, BUT usually the cheap price is a result of importing food from abroad where its mass produced, then flown to the UK- having a negative impact on the eco- footprint BUT giving us cheap food year round!

What would you choose cheap food all year round OR a lower eco-footprint for the

UK? Why?

• This importing food from abroad increases our food miles (the average distance our food travels from field to plate)

• This increases our eco-footprint by increasing the carbon we produce this also increases our CARBON FOOTPRINT

• We used to be import less than 10% of our food, but now 95% of fruit and 50% of veg is imported, although to have some food like bananas and pineapple we have to import, even things that we can grow in the UK like apples and pears is being importedWhat would you choose?

No bananas or a lower eco- footprint?

Sometimes though its better to import! Why?

• To import tomatoes grown in Spain is better for our pockets (the economy) and for the environment because to grow tomatoes in the UK you need to use a Greenhouse and to heat these uses much more energy and causes lots more carbon emissions than flying tomatoes from Spain where extra heat and greenhouses are not needed as Spain has warmer climate.

Farmer’s Market’s

• Began in the UK in Bath in 1997, after being pioneered in the USA years before

• There are 500 in the UK today, making around £120million pounds

• A farmers market is a set of stalls, like in Romford, but only stalls of local farmers and food growers are there

• The idea is that customers get to know the producer and learn about where there food comes from to help

them understand their food and raise awareness of the benefits of this type of food buying

Why buy local food?• You can ask the farmer what’s in the food, how it was

grown• You can help keep local farmers employed, boosting the

local economy• The food miles are significantly lower than buying from

Supermarket• The product is fresh (less than 30 miles from place

produced)• You can get speciality foods like local cream, cheese, eggs

and jam• You can try before you buy• May get some bargains• Buy seasonal produce in season• Most meat is free range or organic reducing environmental

impactsOutline the potential benefits of buying from Farmer’s markets

Farmers markets the negatives?

• Often more expensive than supermarkets• There is not one close enough to many people so

access is limited• Only every week or month so not continuous

availability• Unable to provide everything people need, so not

efficient in today’s busy life styles• For London, local does not always mean local- for

Londoners produce can be from anything up to 100 miles away

Task

• Design a double poster entitled-

• Supermarket vs. farmer’s market

Practice Question

• Using examples, explain how people can become green consumers (4 marks)