Another Definition: "Sustainability is
preserving the habitability of life on the planet for present and
future generations while developing healthier, more informed social
and economic decisions and relationships."
Cradle to Grave:
A Class Exercise on Sustainability
Background Information
Cradle to grave resource use is a commonly used phrase when
discussing sustainability. Cradle to grave means just that:
considering, investigating and analyzing all aspects in the life cycle
of a product. Considerations to include:
- What is the total resource use to produce and dispose of the
product?
- What is the pollution impact on our planet to create and dispose
of the product?
- What is the human impact on our planet to want, produce and
dispose of the product?
- What are the resources used to dispose of a product? This
includes the total life span of the product. Even if you
recycle a product, many resources are used in the recycling
process.
Class Project
This project is very involved and would work well as an unit. Have
students create graphs, charts, writings, interviews, and artwork to
explain the product lifespan.
1) We suggest
choosing one product for the entire class and assign different stages
of investigation to each small group.
2) Choose one item
and analyze it’s cradle to grave resource use.
3) Evaluate each
stage of the products creation:
a) The design stage: research all technology and resources
used to design the product and the impact of that technology. (ex. If
computers were used, what are the resources to design, construct and
dispose of the computers.
b) The manufacturing stage: research resources used in
creating the product. Few products are made from one material,
therefore, assign each ‘part’ of the product to a different group
also include worker wages and working conditions in the analysis.)
c) The transport stage: research by what means and the
distance the product is transported to reach the store where it will
be sold. (Include transportation to the storage warehouses and
transportation to the individual local stores.)
d) The consumer: Research the approximate distance the
consumer travels to purchase the item. What is the common mode of
transportation? (Analyze the impact of the personal transportation
used --- car, bike, bus, walking, etc.)
e) Useful life of product: Research how long the product
should last and be useful to the consumer. Does it degrade over time
or become outdated by newer technology?
f) Product disposal: Research what is the common method of
disposal. Landfill? Recycling? Analyze the decomposition time for all
parts of the product or the recycling methods involved.
g) Consumer awareness: Class dialogue on lifespan of the
product. Are they surprised, shocked to discover the "hidden
costs" of the product? Does it change their viewpoint when
considering purchasing items?
3 Basic Questions
framework
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