Discuss how the consumption of material goods contributes to global warming and climate change-plan

Plan for outcome
Where am I going to start my research?
-Definitions of global warming and climate change and consumption of material goods
-Find out the extent in which we consume (amount per year, types of goods)
-Consider the local, national and global perspectives
-The effects of overconsumption
-Where does the waste end up?

What types of sources will I use?
-Internet articles
-Government websites
-Environmental sites
-Videos (story of stuff)

What are my main areas for discussion (sub questions)?
-Why do we consume so many material goods?
-Which type of goods affect the environment the most?
-Are there ways to change this?

Who are the main "climate change thinkers"?
What is currently happening in HK regarding this topic?
NGOs

Climate Change & Me

-Are my friends and family really aware of the issues?
-How do I contribute to climate change?
-What steps could I take to address climate change?
-Do I have an ethical responsibility to act?

Energy emissions -Turning on the lights (3-4)
-alarm clock
-coffee maker
-fridge
-microwave
-stove
-toaster
-blender
-water (taps running)
-dishwasher
-radio
-car
-vehicles
-construction
-boats
-factories

Effects
-Ice melting
-Sea level rising
-Coastal cities shrinking
-Using up natural resources

Ways to change
-wind turbines
-solar panels
-dam
-hydro-energy
-energy saving lightbulbs
-greenhouses
-biking

My life
-Lights
-Water running
-Phone
-Laptop
-Bus
-MTR
-Fridge

IKEA ADVERT
The message that IKEA is sending to society?
-materialism
-consumption
-objects serve a purpose
-the new things are always better
-How does consumption of material goods link to climate change?
-Do companies have a ethical responsibility to address climate change?
-Should the judgement of a company's success only be measured through profit, or should it be about the environmental impact it has? 
Advertising- "Keeping the consumers dissatisfied"
"We live in a throw away society"
How does my attitude affect the environment

Question Generation

Questions

1. What is the relationship between ethics and climate change? Do I have an ethical responsibility to act?
2. To what extent does climate change affect our lives?
3. What can we do to take action to improve climate change?
4. How do we measure the success of the actions taken toward improving climate change?
5. Discuss how the consumption of material goods contributes to global warming and climate change.
6. Does the government have the ethical responsibility into improving climate change?
7. Do companies have a ethical responsibility to address climate change?
8. Investigate how and why climate change is anthropogenic (human caused)?
9. Discuss the short term and long term effects of climate change
10. What are countries worldwide doing to address the issue of climate change

Final question for outcome:
Discuss how the consumption of material goods contributes to global warming and climate change.

Question Generating Tool

Climate Change

Definition

"Climate change refers to the change in climate as a result of human activities that cause a change in the atmosphere’s composition, in addition to natural climate variability. Human activities cause an increase in ambient concentration of greenhouse gases, mainly through burning of fossil fuels. The greenhouse gases act like a blanket in the atmosphere, keeping the sun’s energy from radiating back to space, and resulting in a rise in temperature globally – a phenomenon commonly called global warming. This general rise in temperature in turn leads to a proliferation of other problems, such as more frequent heat waves, rise of sea level, reduction in agricultural production, scarcity of water resource, spread of disease, ecological and environmental imbalance, etc." -Govhk

http://www.gov.hk/en/residents/environment/global/climate.htm

Trustworthy site however might be bias 

-Never use etc. in an academic piece of work

Climate change in HK- Initiatives

-Energy Efficiency in buildings

-Reducing Carbon footprint

-Carbon audit (guidelines of the levels of carbon emissions)

-Energy level labels on equipment (mandatory)

-Promotion of using cleaner fuels and renewable energy

-Using energy efficient cars or vehicles

-Wide participation from the government to conquer this issue

-Hong Kong is part of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40)

http://www.c40.org/

What you can do?

-Turning off electrical appliances 

-Maintaining temperature at 25.5 degrees Celsius

-Reducing showers by a minute

-Switching to compact fluorescent lamps

-Recycling use of waste material