Students sign up to eco pledge
LEARNERS LISTING WAYS TO CUT CARBON FOOTPRINT
STUDENTS at Burton and South Derbyshire College (BSDC) are making pledges to reduce their carbon footprint as part of a collegewide drive to reduce impact on the environment and increase sustainability.
Leading the project are learners from the Access to HE Humanities with Environmental Studies and Access to Humanities and Social Science courses, who will be creating a Facebook page to encourage people to submit their pledges as part of their studies.
Students will be taking an online carbon footprint test and will then pledge to make three changes to their lifestyle to reduce their carbon footprint. They will then challenge other students to take part by tagging them into a challenge post.
Learners will keep a track of their progress and provide an update each month.
Access to HE Humanities with Environmental Studies student Megan Sykes said: “This project has given me a chance to hold myself more responsible for what I am doing. I’m a strong advocate for sustainability and believe we all need to hold ourselves accountable and be role models to others. We’re inviting everyone to think about their carbon footprint, their wastage and how sustainable their choices are.
“The Access to HE course I’m studying will provide me with an opportunity to go to university and hopefully achieve a master’s degree. It’s opened doors and got me back into an education setting. Environmentalism and sustainability is something that I want to carry with me out of education and the college.”
Access to HE courses are bridging courses for learners looking to progress to a university degree but don’t currently have the qualifications to meet the entry requirements. The Access to HE Humanities with Environmental Studies course involves a mixture of humanities subjects, along with environmental topics such as pollution and the human population and the greenhouse effect and global warming.
In addition, the college also runs a free distance learning course: Understanding Environmental Sustainability, which provides an overview of the principles of sustainable development, communities and energy management, and the social responsibility of businesses in relation to sustainability.
As well as the Carbon Footprint challenge, BSDC is helping to make positive changes for the environment via its Meat Free Mondays in its Mulberry Bistro and Food Hub.
Cheryl Hunter, Access to HE lecturer, said: “Environmental sustainability is a subject which is extremely close to my heart and it’s exciting to see students and staff at the college getting on board to make a positive impact. If we all make small changes, it can have a big impact on the bigger picture and the future of the planet.”