Topics for presentations

 

Electricity Generation and Conservation

The primary goal is to educate people about renewable energy technologies that are available to generate electricity. The objective is to present different methods used to generate electricity, and compare the advantages and disadvantages of the different methods. It is critical to teach the public that fossil fuels are limited, and our societies must develop and utilize technologies that are not so dependent on fossil fuels. Eventually the people of planet Earth will have to live without fossil fuels, so we must use the remaining fossil fuels to develop a green economy that can function entirely independent of fossil fuels.

 

Greenhouses and Gardens 

The primary goal is to educate people about the benefits of producing their own food. The objective is to teach people how to build a basic greenhouse and garden beds so they can grow food on their own property. Whether you live on a property with acreage, or in a bachelor suite, anyone can grow some of their own food. And when considering the many advantages of growing some of your own food, it is easy to justify taking on the relatively simple challenge of starting to produce food for yourself. Every individual has the opportunity to invest in their personal health and well-being. Growing food is one of the easiest, most affordable, and most effective investments you can make to improve your quality of life.

 

Sustainable agriculture

The primary goal is to explain the concept of permaculture and compare it with industrial agriculture. Traditional subsistent agriculture was very different from the industrial agriculture methods that are used today. Industrial agriculture is highly dependent on fossil fuels and large, expensive machinery, as well as massive amounts of fertilizers and pesticides. In contrast, the practice of permaculture is based on growing food using organic fertilizers, biological controls, and primarily mechanical methods of weed control and harvesting. The objective of permaculture is to care for the land and to leave it as good or better than it was. Which means the methods of inter-cropping, rotation of crops, and addition of organic fertilizers actually improves the quality of the soil over time. The quantity and quality of soil are crucial factors in the consistent and sustainable production of nutritious foo

 

Introduction to Biodiversity

The primary goal is to inspire students to gain an appreciation for biodiversity so they will feel compelled to get involved in conservation efforts. By presenting the fascinating world of biodiversity to students in an interactive and entertaining manner, they may experience learning about the biological world in a way they never have before. Showing them exotic species and examples of keystone species may motivate them to join in the efforts to conserve essential habitats and endangered species.

 

Ecological Principles

The industrial era, and the global economy/financial system that has developed with it, must come to an end because it is based on the idea of achieving infinite growth in a system of finite resources. This idea does not consider even the most basic principles of ecology. The system does not take into account (ie, put a value on) natural capital. So it doesn’t consider the significant ‘costs’ of extracting natural resources from the environment. For example, when we want to cut down trees and forests for whatever purposes, we must first understand the value of those forests as functioning ecosystems, and then assign a market value for the services they provide.

 

Natural Capital

The primary goal is to explain the concept of ecosystem services. The natural cycles of the Earth are critical for the survival of all of life on the planet. The hydrologic cycle is responsible for purifying, transporting, and replenishing the freshwater ecosystems that are absolutely essential for the survival of the human species, and most others as well. The carbon cycle is the process in which carbon is used by biological organisms during their lives and is released into the atmosphere when they die. Other important natural cycles include nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, among others. Water is purified through the evaporation process, as well as by roots, swamps, marshes, and bogs. The air we require to breathe and survive is produced by photosynthetic organisms. And food has naturally grown in abundance in many parts of the world which has allowed us to nourish our bodies and minds, and survive and thrive in natural environments. Bees and other pollinators do the enormous task of pollinating food crops which allows us to harvest vast amounts of food.

 

The Importance of Nature

People, especially children, need strong connections with biological things, not material things, in order to achieve true happiness. So it goes without saying that we as parents, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, grandmas, grandpas, mentors, coaches, educators, heroes, and leaders must help our children step back from the technological world in order to appreciate, respect, cherish, and love the natural world. It is only through connections that we can create strong relationships and build unbreakable bonds. We must first connect to something before we are able to care and love for that thing. Connecting provides the building blocks for love, compassion, and peace.

 

Why do people love their pets so much?

Because they interact with them and have a connection with them. No material thing can ever replace that. And no connection to any material thing will ever compare to that. Even in a technological world where everything can be done for us, there will never be any material or machine that can even remotely compare to the connections and bonds that we form with biological things.

 

The earth is our Mother. Which means that ALL of us are her children. She has given us life and she will be there to support us throughout our entire lives. But we ALL MUST choose to love her and help her heal in her times of need. If we do not help her, she will not be able to support us any longer.

 

Sustainable living

The primary goal is to teach people about the limits of growth in a closed system with finite resources. Planet Earth can only produce a limited amount of food for all of the living species. The carrying capacity of the Earth is the amount of organisms that can live within the limits of the global ecosystem network without compromising the functioning of ecosystems. It is important for every individual to understand their environmental footprint and the consequences of their actions. People need to be aware of the economic system that they are a part of, and think about issues like globalization, industrialization, and environmental degradation that may be present in their specific community. Large cities have very interconnected and complex economic systems that involve many issues. Whereas small rural communities are often very self-sufficient where most food and many products are made locally. So traditional small-scale communities provide models of self-sufficient systems. Although large cities are much more complex than small communities, there is much that can be done to improve self-sufficiency. Doing things like establishing community gardens, car-pooling, reducing use of energy and resources, utilizing renewable energy technologies, and living more conservatively can greatly improve self-sufficiency and sustainability within large cities.