IGG Special Focus SENIOR BRANCH SDG 13 Climate Action Introduction

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Description

Introduction to Climate Action, SDG 13

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Instructions

Aim
a) To introduce SDG Goal 13 to Senior Branchers and show them how to help achieve this goal.
b) To learn about the importance of caring for the environment and the global impact of local changes.
c) To focus on global warming, climate injustice, the international aspect of caring for the environment and the role they can play.

This Badge has 6 options, of which the first must be completed, plus 4 others.

1. Discover what the Sustainable Development Goals are, particularly No.13 Climate Action and play the Global Wealth Biscuit Game to learn about justice perspectives.

2. Watch the video “If the World were 100 People” https://www.good.is/infographics/if-the-world-were-100-people.

3. Discuss the Trocaire photo pack Cause, Effect & Solution. Optional, watch the Chasing Ice video.

4. Use the Stay or Go activity to help you consider the impact of climate change on families and communities deciding to migrate.

5. Explore climate action at different levels and consider the role of young people in influencing change.

6. Solution Tree – from the above activities, rank the issues and what can be done soonest to address them.

Introduction
Climate change is a significant change in weather trends and patterns (including temperature, precipitation and wind) that a global region may experience. However, climate injustice refers to the fact that those worst affected by climate change are those who have done the least to cause it. These are often the most vulnerable women, men and children in the world. Climate justice will not be achieved until wealthier countries recognise this injustice.
The activities related to this badge bring Senior Branchers on a human-rights centred journey to examine the SDG 13 Climate Action. This can lead to discussions and reflection on questions such as:
Who benefits?
Who suffers the consequences?
Who is responsible? Is that fair?
How can unfairness be stopped?
Who has the power to change it?
Does everyone have the same rights?
Who has the responsibility to protect the rights of others?

By linking Social Justice and Human rights to climate change we hope to deepen our understanding of SDG 13 and encourage our Senior Branch girls to take action on climate justice.

Understanding Climate Change
To understand climate change, we must first understand the carbon cycle. Carbon dioxide (CO2) enters the earth’s atmosphere from volcanoes, decaying plants, breathing humans and animals and the surface of the sea. CO2 leaves the earth’s atmosphere when it is used by plants during photosynthesis, absorbed into the sea or stored in soil and sediment. This cycle keeps everything on the earth alive. Like methane and nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide is a Greenhouse Gas (GHG). GHGs in the atmosphere trap heat from the sun to create a blanket of warmth that keeps the earth from freezing. This is known as the greenhouse effect. The more GHGs in the atmosphere, the warmer the earth becomes. The amount of CO2 in the atmosphere over the last eight
thousand years has been stable, creating suitable living conditions for human beings. Ever since the Industrial Revolution in the eighteenth century, fossil fuels (coal, oil and natural gas) have been the main energy source powering the economy and delivering unprecedented affluence to huge numbers
of people. The energy is used to fuel our transport system, factories, homes and to create electricity – but burning these fuels also releases more GHGs
into the air. Forests, our natural carbon sinks, are being cleared, reducing the earth’s natural ability to remove CO2 from the air.

In the Amazon, industrial-scale cattle ranching and soybean production for world markets are major causes of deforestation. A further cause of deforestation is the conversion of tropical forests to commercial palm tree plantations for the production of biofuels for export from Borneo and Sumatra Islands in Indonesia. Our consumption habits also play a major role in climate change. Every time we turn on the TV, eat a hamburger or drive to the shops,
we are contributing to the increase of CO2 in our atmosphere. Human activities currently release over 30 billion tons of CO2 into the atmosphere every year. Most of the items we purchase lead to GHG emissions in some way, either because of their manufacture and packaging or their transport – or both!
The more GHGs in the air, the harder it becomes to ensure stability. Atmospheric CO2 concentrations have increased by more than 40 per cent since pre-industrial times, from approximately 280 parts per million by volume (ppmv) in the eighteenth century to over 400 ppmv in 2015. The greenhouse effect
is causing more heat to be trapped. Our world is getting hotter, and this is happening at an alarming speed. Each of the last three decades has been successively warmer on the earth’s surface than any preceding decade since 1850.

Other suggestions:

Explore Trocaire's website on Climate Action;
https://www.trocaire.org/getinvolved/climate-justice

In small groups prioritise your top 3 of the SDGs;
https://docs.wbcsd.org/2018/09/Good_Life_Goals/Post_Card.pdf
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbrYODvkvGk&feature=youtu.be

Take the SDG quiz;
http://17goals.org/quiz-level-1/

Explore how to prepare your home for disaster risk reduction;
https://www.emergencyplanning.ie/en/being-prepared
https://www.winterready.ie/en/guides/advice-home

Take part in a mock refugee event

Explore women as activists for Climate Change

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IGG Special Focus SENIOR BRANCH SDG 13 Climate Action Introduction

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