THE GREENER LIVING COURSE

THE GREENER LIVING COURSE

The Cork Environmental Forum (CEF) - Global Action Plan (GAP) Greener Living Course helps participants implement changes to their lives that will enable to live a healthy and environmentally friendly life.  The course is based on the understanding that actions that enhance our health and well-being are also environmentally friendly.  A positive side effect is that participants can also expect to reduce their bills a little over the course of a year.

CEF - GAP GREENER LIVING COURSE

The Greener Living training facilitates permanent changes in the attitudes and action of the participants.  The focus on action and group discussion means it is suitable for all levels.  The course examines actions we can take eight connected aspects of our lives.  These eight topics are water, energy, transport, food,biodiversity, waste, consumerism, and community.  The course also provides information on the UN Sustainable Development Goals and climate change and biodiversity are key cross cutting issues.

The meeting are lively and enjoyable and while the actions are relatively simple to implement, The Greener Living Course helps participants to get into the routine of doing them.  By coming on a Greener Living programme participants discover that ECO friendly is also ECOnomical and that it enhances health and well-being.  During the course participants will learn how they could take practical steps such as:

• Start a home composting system
• Install energy efficient lighting
• Switch some journeys to public transport or cycling&walking
• Install a range of water conservation measures
• Identify grants available for energy efficient improvements in the home
• Estimate their carbon and water footprint
• Reduce their food waste
• Have an awareness of the nature and biodiversity on their doorstep
• Understand why Climate Change is also a social justice issue
• Identify connections between social, environmental and personal well-being

The course facilitator offers support to participants between meeting and assists them with the actions they have decided to take.  This approach of giving information during the meetings and encouraging participants to take relevant actions between the meetings has provide a very successful way of initiating long-term lifestyle changes.  The supportive team atmosphere created at the meetings is undoubtedly a large factor in this success.  The training has also been shown to have a positive effect on participation levels in their community activities.  On the courses participants are also invited to identify a project that they could work on together in their local community after the course has finished.

For future information on organising a Greener Living Course in your community please e-mail Bernadette@cef.ie

Cork Environmental Forum (www.cef.ie)