Ecological footprint calculators:
impact on the quantity of nature that it takes to support people or an economy.
Carbon footprint calculators:
measured in Carbon dioxide equivalents and tells you how much greenhouse gases in total were emitted.
Sustainability Assessment Tool
PhD scholar, Muchaiteyi Togo, investigated systemic approaches to integrating environment and sustainability across institutional functions and operations at Rhodes University. She developed a Unit-based Sustainability Assessment Tool to assess the level of integration of sustainability in university functions. Recommendations emerging from this research include the following points: be upfront about mainstreaming environment and sustainability in university written statements, build a shared understanding of sustainability, define what contextual sustainable development issues there are in your organisation and its context, and adopt a holistic approach to mainstreaming and sustainability, for example, by developing interdisciplinary curricula, making it a campus-wide initiative, and supporting collaborative work in sustainable development issues. The Unit Based Sustainability Tool developed through this research has been more widely used in other African university contexts within the Mainstreaming Environment and Sustainability in African Universities Programme (a UNEP/UNESCO/AAU partnership project - see www.unep.org/training).
Climate Change
How much of it is anthropogenic (caused by humans), and how much is simply part of a natural cycle? It is a complex and difficult topic to engage with, and there are so many conflicting perspectives. Most of us are perplexed by the science behind climate change, and confused by the arguments that rage around the topic. However, regardless of our viewpoint on 'climate change', we still need to consider the impacts of our activities on our natural environment and resources - which sustain our life on earth.
Many Rhodes University staff and students are involved in various forms of action in response to climate change. Want to to raise awareness and promote meaningful change? See the SRC environmental page.
See below a small selection of information resources:
Last Modified: Thu, 30 Jan 2020 14:31:37 SAST
