Our current MOOC course “LOW3: Living Zero!” held its second in-person meeting, evaluating the first two modules about Sustainable Lifestyle (Module 1) and Sustainable Housing (Module2) and the corresponding exercises and online discussions.
In a 2-step optimization process of their individual lifestyle impact, measured through the Ecological Footprint Calculator, our students learned about their current environmental impact, designed a reduced scenario based on behavioural changes, and then tried to achieve through further optimization a “1-planet lifestyle”.
From an average carbon footprint of 7.8 tonnes CO2 / person x year, they achieved a reduction to 4.9 tonnes through behavioural changes and 2.5 tonnes for their “1-planet lifestyle” scenario. Only around 70% of them achieved the final goal of living within the limits of our planet, 30% still needed more than one planet for compensating their lifestyle impact.
What does this mean for our daily lives and the societal changes needed within the next years? How might mobility systems and habits change, how will a sustainable food supply look like in the future, and how will housing look like under the principles of a sharing, circular economy with limited availability of resources? All these topics have been discussed among the participants within our Living Lab environment, which facilitates these value discussions and exchanges due to its character of a non-formal learning environment.
Finally results of students resource consumption at their individual homes have been presented and discussed, with students analysing critically their energy consumption for different kind of daily activities like heating and cooling, cooking, lighting and appliances, getting a good feeling about magnitudes, the relation between energy use and CO2 emissions, and possibilities of optimization and reduction. The presentation of results of the Sustainable Lifestyles Accelerator Project (www.suslife.info; www.suslifespain.blogspot.com) rounded up the meeting.
After these more general modules on Sustainable Lifestyle and Housing, now specific Learning Modules will follow on Solar Photovoltaics and Solar Thermal installations in buildings as well as the impact of Building Materials and Water.
