GUIDELINES FOR ADAPTING TO THE EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION AREA 10. Transversal Competences:...

GUIDELINES FOR ADAPTING TO THE EUROPEAN HIGHER

EDUCATION AREA10 Transversal Competences SUSTAINABILITY



This section of the Guidelines for Adaptation to the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) is the first of the series devoted to the TRANSVERSAL COMPETENCES of the University of Girona It was drawn up by the following team of people

Eva Arbat Bau (The Green Office UdG)Teresa Calabuig Serra (Scientific and Environmental Research Group UdG) Teresa Cabruja Ubach (Equal Opportunities Policies for Men and Women UdG) Pep Juandoacute Mayoral (The Green Office UdG) Rafel Llussagrave Torra (Department of Geography UdG)Rosa Ma Medir Huerta (Scientific and Environmental Research Group UdG)Alfons Romero Diacuteaz (UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Human Development UdG)Josep Vila Subiroacutes (The Environment Institute UdG)

With coordination by the Quality Teaching Support Programme UdG (Lluiacutes Espunya Daneacutes and Josep Juandoacute Bosch)

Legal deposit GI626-2011

Published by Quality Teaching Support Programme

Girona November 2010

3Transversal competences SUSTAINABILITY

PRESENTATIONThe concept of sustainability which affects many different areas of our lives and is widely debated in all fields ranging from domestic to global contexts needs to be considered in an unambiguous way any educational institution that seeks a healthy connection with society

In the case of Spain new legislation on the sustainable economy which is currently going through parliament includes a definition of the role of universities in this field and makes explicit mention of environmental social and economic sustainability

To this end the University of Girona has defined one of its transversal competences as the ability to laquoassess sustainability in terms of onersquos own proposals and actionsraquo This competence requires some knowledge of the concept and of the alternative ways of applying it in various fields of knowledge It also requires a commitment to sustainability by both the university as a whole and each individual member of the university community Any proposals for professional or research work must include sustainability as a conceptual reference point

This commitment is defined in a very specific way in the sense that sustainability is a competence that must be developed in all areas of study at our university - in all subjects and all modules chosen

To provide our academic staff with some help in relation to the work and assessment involved in this competence we have drawn up this new section of the Guide to Adapting to the European Higher Education Area

4 Transversal competences SUSTAINABILITY

1 SUSTAINABILITYThe concept of sustainability first appeared in 1987 in the report Our Common Future better known as the Brundtland report1 drafted by the World Commission on Environment and Development which was set up by the United Nations Assembly in 1983

This report defines sustainable development as that which laquomeets the needs of present generations without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needsraquo

Subsequently sustainable development was officially adopted as the target to aim for at the Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 where representatives of 179 countries in the world signed an agreement to try to halt the unsustainable degradation of the planet and reduce inequality among its inhabitants The application of this agreement was the central issue at the first World Summit on Sustainable Development held in Johannesburg in 2002

The idea of sustainability comes from the realization that the Earthrsquos natural resources are finite and that our activities can compromise the viability of the planet and life as we know it In this sense it was noted that the way industrial societies currently work and the effects of increased consumption may endanger the long-term survival of the planet

Therefore when we look at the issues that affect the objectives of sustainability a great many aspects and subject areas are involved all of which are interrelated It is also clear that certain actions have greater environmental social or technical impacts so complexity as well as equality and accountability are fundamental concepts in any analysis of sustainability and the measures needed to achieve it

Thus the idea of sustainability brings together all the complex social economic and ecological aspects (Fusco L)2 so that a) people as well as different cultures can live together with equal rights and responsibilities b) economic activity provides a fair distribution of wealth that will cover peoplersquos basic needs and optimize the use of resources and c) all life forms are respected and biodiversity is preserved Furthermore a balance needs to be found between the development of human societies and the dynamics of natural cycles

Therefore to talk about sustainability any intervention must be analysed from the economic social and ecological perspectives Any activity may spring from one of these three areas but if

1 Informe Brundtland lthttpeswikipediaorgwikiInforme_Brundtlandgt (1987 lthttpeswikipediaorgwiki1987gt) 2 lthttpwwwfrancoangeliitricercarisultati_autoriaspcodiceAutore=9916gt


2 EDUCATION FOR SUSTAINABILITY AT THE UNIVERSITYThe concept of education for sustainability implies a new way of thinking about the world which combines these ecological social and economic dimensions into one great array of understanding of knowledge and of practical skills that goes far beyond the usual parcelling out of knowledge Sustainability involves the collective development of codes of interpretation and of behaviour on the basis not only of new greener technologies but more especially the development of a new ethics that can steer the human capacity to act in the right direction (Geli 2002) [and which can also we would add promote solidarity among and between generations]

Higher education plays a particular and very important role in the field of education for sustainability The university must take up this challenge because it is responsible for training future professionals who will directly or indirectly affect our region and the people who live here In its efforts to generate and transfer knowledge and encourage critical thinking the university becomes a mirror of society The ethical duty of the university involves therefore adopting sustainability criteria with the maximum impact on its own activities both in terms of its management and its fundamental task of education and research while not forgetting the important social responsibility that this institution has in a local regional and global context

the other two are not integrated - if the activity is incoherent with any of the three areas - then it cannot be a case of sustainable development

Acting in a sustainable way then means re-educating ourselves as individuals and as professionals so that we acquire the ability to

a) Make universal values prevail - values such as dialogue solidarity (among and between generations) and respect for all life forms

b) Create and innovate in order to find both short and long-term solutions to the complex challenges thrown up by the existing system


For this reason the University of Girona has chosen sustainability as one of the competences to be incorporated in all the courses that are taught in our institution This means all our students whatever the course they study will incorporate the sustainability criteria in their future professional practice

The ACES network

The proposal presented in this document is based largely on the work of the ACES network (Curriculum Greening of University Studies) created in 2000 by four European and six Latin-American universities and coordinated by the University of Girona within the framework of the European Unionrsquos ALFA Programme

This network was created to encourage curriculum greening in higher education and to help progress towards the design of university courses aiming for sustainability This work has highlighted ten basic characteristics that can serve as a guide to universities that have taken up the challenge of incorporating sustainability into the curriculum

This model was adopted by the Sectoral Committee of CRUE (Conference of Spanish University Rectors) and serves as a benchmark for many universities throughout the state

These ten characteristics serve as reference for working on this competence in the various courses at the UdG (httpwwwcrueorgSostenibilidad)



3 IDEAS FOR INTRODUCING SUSTAINABILITY INTO COURSES OR MODULESWhen designing courses or modules the UdG teaching staff can incorporate the idea of sustainability as a transversal element covering the whole of their pedagogical activity and indeed some of them have already included it to a large extent

To incorporate sustainability into any reality study area or professional andor teaching activity one needs to find the point of convergence or integration between the economic aspect (satisfying basic needs stability efficiency) the ecological aspect (integrity of the ecosystem biodiversity efficient management of resources) and the social aspect (intra and intergenerational equality social cohesion gender equality cultural identity) In all cases finding this meeting point will lead to a certain degree of sacrifice in terms of meeting all the objectives of each aspect

With the aim of encouraging teachers to consider this perspective much more explicitly we propose a few ideas that may help They are all aimed at acquiring this transversal competence of the University Some or all of the ideas can be used by everyone depending on their circumstances (training field of knowledge characteristics of the study the course or module etc)

A) Ideas favouring a commitment to sustainability so that the students trained at the UdG always look for a more sustainable way of intervening in the real world in their area of expertise

A1 Include conceptual andor practical content that addresses problems arising from the interaction of society the economy and the environment

A2 Introduce into each disciplinary field a consideration of how resources can be used rationally and efficiently in each project and activity and a consideration of the impact of the decisions taken in each specific case

A3 Encourage participation in action taken and activities held by the University of Girona - and other institutions - that are related to sustainability regardless of their field of study


A4 Create opportunities for reflection on the possibilities of change towards sustainability and on the mechanisms for effecting such change in their own field of study

A5 Offer alternative models through examples and case studies

B) Ideas for allowing flexibility and permeability within disciplines

B1 Encourage participation from professionals or input from other fields of knowledge in our courses or modules so as to complement our own insights in the field

B2 Create opportunities where students work alongside professionals and students from other fields (even if these have to be from fields far-removed from the subjects or modules for example a series of lectures that bring together analytical perspectives of specific topics - related or not to the module - from teaching staff and students from various different faculties or fields)

B3 Introduce consideration of case studies from different disciplinary perspectives

C) Ideas for contextualizing the subject the problem exercise etc in space and time in an integrated way everything exists in relation to a context a place a culture

C1 Incorporate local and global issues through examples practical exercises andor assignments and projects

C2 Incorporate environmental social and economic dimensions

C3 Provide space for other fields of knowledge

D) Encourage critical thinking and decision-making in the context of future scenarios Include prospective guidance for alternative scenarios (that respect future generations)

D1 Use and promote technological options that respect people and the environment

D2 Critically analyse the scientific and technological knowledge that affects future scenarios

D3 Analyse real-life cases and situations in which future perspectives can be identified


E) Incorporate complexity as an interpretative paradigm of reality and thinking

E1 Observe the countless relationships that comprise a reality (the systemic principle that relates the knowledge of the parts with the knowledge of the whole) and reflect upon that

E2 Analyse the complexity of cause and effect of a specific problem and integrate the retroactive principle a cause acts upon the effect and the effect acts upon the cause

E3 Promote creativityimagination to find interpretations of and possible tangible or abstract solutions to the real world

E4 Propose doubt as a generator of knowledge

E5 Introduce concepts such as the dialogic principle (which integrates antagonistic elements as complementary ones) non-linearity cyclical processes feedback holism and the principle of autonomy and dependence


4 CONCEPTS OF SUSTAINABILITY LINKED TO AREAS OF EXPERTISE Below we set out a list of concepts directly related to the principles of sustainability - some generic and some more specific - that have been classified according to specific fields of knowledge Without doubt many of them are already present in the content being planned in many subjects and modules In any case it is provided here as a reference to check those already present and to incorporate if appropriate those that have not been considered initially Neither is it intended to be a comprehensive list

41 General concepts applicable to any field of knowledge (in the form of conceptual and procedural content)Complexity

General systems theory

Holism

Inter Transdisciplinarity

Environmental Ethics

Sustainable development

Global Change

Responsible consumption

Local-global and multiscale approaches

Quality of life


42 Concepts for specific fields of knowledge

Arts and humanities Cultural Communication Philosophy History History of Art Catalan Language and Literature Spanish Language and LiteratureThe relationship of humanity with the environment throughout history civilizations that disappeared after exhausting their resources (Mesopotamia Yucatan Easter Island Ancient Greece etc) technological changes effects of new energy sources

The philosophical and ethical basis of sustainability environmental ethics animal rights bioethics post-normal science technoethics

The adaptive behaviour of societies and cultures alternative values models of sustainability respect for cultural and biological diversity

Implicit and explicit environmental values found in literature the implication of writers in environmental debate the cultural dimension of the environmental movement linguistic sustainability

Feminist bioethics

Postcolonial criticism

ScienceBiology Biotechnology Environmental Science Chemistry Bioethics load capacity ecological footprint green chemistry greenhouse effect climate change environmental problems interdependence of systems (ecosystems) acid rain the hole in the ozone layer environmental ethics environmental physics environmental audits life cycle renewable energies exploitation and availability of resources (including water and energy)


Health Sciences Nursing Medicine Physiotherapy Science of Physical Activity and Sport PsychologyEnvironmental health effects of pollutants on people environmental toxicology epidemiology

Development and health inequalities in health health or welfare intersectorality mutual aid self-help gender health and welfare the slow movement

Public health efficiency in health care cost-effectiveness of interventions rational use of all medicines and of antibiotics in particular assessing medical technologies

Promoting health risk factors and disease prevention food safety vaccinations occupational health quality of life in terms of health

Bioethics and medical ethics

Donating onersquos body to science organ donation

Environmental psychology

Social and Legal Sciences Audiovisual and Multimedia Advertising and Public Relations Tourism Business Administration and Management Accounting and Finance Economics Political Science and Public Administration Criminology Law Social Education Pre- School Education Primary School Education Education Social Work Geography Land Planning and Environmental ManagementEcological footprint load capacity developing sustainable tourism eco-taxes eco-tourism eco-feminism

Politics as a system of resource distribution political structures of sustainability environmentalist political thinking environmental policies N S relationships treaties protocols summits local Agenda 21 initiatives Factor 4 concepts environmental law environmental legislation feminist jurisprudence gender violence


Externalities taxation systems for supporting the environment alternative pricing systems alternatives to capitalism and communism environmental economics versus ecological economics corporate social responsibility fair trade the United Nations REDD programme (reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation) life cycle analysis environmental services payments environmental certifications degrowth banking ethics Cradle to Cradle (circular economy) ecological capital responsible consumption the slow movement business ethics

Education for sustainability environmental literacy Educating Cities responsible consumption green schools fair trade knowledge-sharing network climate change respect for cultural and biological diversity gender equality and equity

A society of risks environmental risks technological risks

Global change population environment and resources geographic information systems ecological footprint environmental aspects of planning local-global relations environmental hazards technological risks urbanization processes in the world types of cities rural areas

Engineering and Architecture Architecture Agricultural and Food Engineering Building Engineering Electrical Engineering Industrial Electronics and Control Engineering Industrial Technology Engineering Computer Engineering Mechanical Engineering Chemical EngineeringEnergy efficiency and associated CO2 emissions integration with nature the use of local materials sustainable transport ecological footprint land development urban ecology reducing and offsetting CO2 emissions (carbon credits)

The water cycle construction waste knowledge of the natural environment environmental impact environmental hazards technological hazards environmental audit

Life cycle analysis clean production zero waste introducing externalities in industrial processes energy efficiency the role of science and technology in society Industrial ecology Eco-design environmental certifications Cradle to Cradle (circular economy) Green ITC permaculture agro-ecology organic farming


5 LIST OF SUPPORT WEBSITES51 Teaching resourcesVideos on sustainability

Compilation of short videos in which experts and scholars reflect on the most important issues facing the world today Issues include education energy the economy the environment politics religion etc

lthttpwwwbigpicturetvgt (in English)

Education and Sustainability

Magazine targeting teachers at all levels published in Catalan Spanish and English

lthttprce-barcelonanetindexphpoption=com_contentamptask=viewampid=87ampItemid=237gt

Environment Technology and Culture

Quarterly magazine published by the Catalan governmentrsquos Department of Environment and Housing dealing with issues of environmental interest From this webpage you can access its contents in Catalan Spanish and English

lthttpmediambientgencatnetcatel_departamentrevistagt

Publications on sustainability by the UNESCO Centre Catalonia

United Nations Organization for Education Science and Culture in Catalonia On this site in addition to publications by this institution there are other educational materials on sustainability as well as access to the official UNESCO website

lthttpwwwunescocatorgcarecursospublicacionsambit=4gt


Publications by the UNESCO Chair of Sustainability

This site lists various publications some of them periodical from the UNESCO Chair of Sustainability as well as articles of opinion published in the press by members of the Chair

lthttpwwwcatunescoupcedupublicacionsgt

Publications and multimedia resources by the United Nations Programme for the Environment

On On this website there are references to printed and online publications by UNPE as well as various multimedia resources such as presentations photos podcasts and videos on environmental issues (climate change environmental conflicts biodiversity etc)

lthttpwwwuneporgpublicationsgt (en ingleacutes)

Publicaciones del World Watch Institute

Esta institucioacuten es una organizacioacuten de investigacioacuten independiente de reconocido prestigio internacional que investiga y presenta propuestas de intervencioacuten en el marco de tres programas clima y energiacutea alimentacioacuten y agricultura y economiacutea verde

lthttpwwwworldwatchorgtaxonomyterm37gt

GRECA website of the Environmental amp Scientific Education Research Group

This University of Girona research group supported by the Catalan Government is one of the driving forces behind the process of incorporating sustainability into the curriculum at the UdG Their website includes the grouprsquos lines of research along with an interesting bibliography on the subject

lthttpwwwudgeduEducacioCientificaiAmbientalPresentaciotabid10624languageca-ES Defaultaspxgt

Environmental Literacy Council website with resources on various environmental themes

This is an independent non-profit organization set up by scientists economists and educators who provide this site which has scientific information on environmental issues for teachers and


students There are resources on various topics (food air and climate land water environment etc) as well as various activities

lthttpwwwenviroliteracyorggt (in English)

Web EE-Link

Website of the North American Association for Environmental Education where various teaching resources can be found - including courses for teachers classroom and audiovisual resources lists of higher education programmes and proposed curriculums

lthttpeelinknetgt

WORLD RESOURCES INSTITUTE Website

This is an independent non-profit organization formed by a group of over one hundred scientists economists political experts analysts mapmakers and media professionals working together to protect the Earth and improve peoplersquos lives The site contains news and publications on climate energy and transport governance and access markets and enterprise people and ecosystems charts and graphs

lthttpwwwwriorggt (in English)

Website of the Advisory Panel for the Sustainable Development of Catalonia [Consell Assessor per al Desenvolupament Sostenible de Catalunya (CADS)

This advisory panel was created in 1998 to advise the autonomous Government of Catalonia and promote participation in the policies and actions that have an impact on the environment and sustainable development CADS is composed of 15 renowned experts supported by a technical body composed of professionals involved in the environment and sustainability The website includes international publications as well as publications referring to issues related to sustainable development in Catalonia

lthttpwww15gencatnetcadsAppPHPindexphpgt


52 University and sustainabilityTECNET (Talloires Environmental Citizenship Network) Articles from various universities describing their experience of introducing sustainability into their practices

lthttpwwwulsforgpublications_declaration_indexhtmlgt

Second Nature The mission of this organization is to promote a process of transformation in higher education The site provides assistance to faculties and universities in their efforts to integrate sustainability as the nucleus of both training and management The site contains various different resources (scientific articles books magazines etc)

lthttpwwwsecondnatureorggt

Publications by the ACES Network (ACES Ambientalitzacioacute Curricular dels Estudis Superiors [Curriculum Greening of Higher Studies]) This is a network of universities in Europe and Latin America established within the framework of the European Unionrsquos ALFA Programme in the field of curriculum greening coordinated by the University of Girona This site contains the four publications resulting from its work

lthttpinsmaudgesambientalitzacioweb_alfastinasportadahtmgt

EDUSOST - Education for Sustainability research network

This website has activities and documents relating to education for sustainability in different sectors (business higher education formal education etc) in Catalonia

lthttpwwwedusostcatgt

DIRMAS Directori de la Recerca en Medi Ambient i Sostenibilitat de Catalunya [Directory of Research on Environment and Sustainability in Catalonia]

A list of research groups scientists and researchers who carry out their work in Catalonia in the field of sustainable development drawn up by the governmentrsquos Advisory Panel for the Sustainable Development of Catalonia (CADS)

lthttpwwwdirmascatindexphpoption=com_contentampview=frontpageampItemid=1gt


IMA (Institut de Medi Ambient [Environment Institute] University of Girona)

This site hosts the environmental research groups of the University of Girona as well as details of courses seminars masterrsquos degrees and doctorates and various articles and papers from conferences and seminars organized by the IMA

lthttpwwwudgeduMediAmbientArticlesidocumentstabid5938languageca-ESDefaultaspxgt

The University of Gironarsquos Green Office website

The Green Office (Oficina Verda) is an institutional body of the University of Girona which acts as an executive unit for the implementation deployment monitoring and ongoing review of the strategic plan for greening the university This site has information on action undertaken within its various lines of policy (eg mobility planning and adaptation of space waste management resource optimization training for sustainability and environmental communication)

ltwwwudgeduovgt

53 Websites with information on environmental and sustainability issues listed by field of knowledge

Arts and humanities- Association for the Study of Literature and Environment

lthttpwwwasleumnedugt

- Cap a una sostenibilitat linguumliacutestica (Towards a linguistic sustainability) Book

lthttprebiunabsysnetcomcgi-inabnetopO7741IDdde39913ACC=161gt

- Environmental Ethics and Environmental Philosophy

lthttpwwwcepuntedugt


- International Association of Environmental Philosophy

lthttpwwwenvironmentalphilosophyorggt

- European Society of Environmental History

lthttpwwwesehorggt

- American Society for Environmental History

lthttpwwwasehnetgt

- H-Environmental This website is intended as a general resource for people interested in environmental history

lthttpwww2h-netmsuedu~environgt

Sciences- Journal of Environmental Biology

lthttpwwwjebcoingt

lthttpwwwresearchgatenetjournal0254-8704_Journal_of_environmental_biology_Academy_of_Environmental_Biology_Indiagt

- Laboratory for Environmental Biology Centennial Museum University of Texas

lthttpwwwutepedulebgt

- American Chemical Society Division of Environmental Chemistry

lthttpwwwenvirofacsorggt

- Royal Society of Chemistry Environmental Chemistry Group

lthttpwwwrscorgMembershipNetworkingInterestGroupsEnvironmentalindexaspgt


- Environmental Chemistry Resources

lthttpwwwlivacukChemistryLinksrefenvironhtmlgt

- Political Ecology Society (PESO)

lthttpjpelibraryarizonaedueco~1htmgt

Health Sciences- Laboratoacuterio de Psicologia Ambiental Universidad de Brasilia (in Portuguese)

lthttpwwwunbbriplpaintroducoesintrohtmgt

- Articles on environmental psychology (in Portuguese)

lthttpwwwpsicologiacomptareassubareaphpcod=d15Ggt

- Publications from scientific congresses and meetings in the field of environmental psychology

lthttpwwwuclmescongresospsicologia_ambientalpublicacioneshtmgt

- Health amp the Environment

lthttpwwwneefusaorghealthindexhtmgt

Social and Legal Sciences- The Environment and the Law Environmental law e-magazine

lthttpwwwcicaesaliensgimadusgt

- Institute of Environmental Law and Economy

lthttpwwwideaorgpyespanolgt


- Society of Environmental Journalism

lthttpwwwsejorggt

- Fundacioacute Fograverum Ambiental The Environmental Forum Foundation is a non-profit organization that aims to promote dialogue and collaboration between business public bodies and the rest of society in order to achieve together a more sustainable development than is the case at present

lthttpwwwforumambientalorggt

- The World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) is a coalition of 170 international companies united by a commitment to sustainable development by way of its three basic components economic growth environmental balance and social advances

lthttpwwwwbcsdorgtemplatesTemplateWBCSD5layoutaspMenuID=1gt

- Sustainable Enterprise Programme (SEP) of the World Resources Institute Empowering business professionals to promote environmental progress

lthttpwwwwriorgwrimebindexhtmlgt

- Teaching and researching economics Environmental economics

lthttpwwweumednetcefesc-ambientalhtmgt

- The Spanish Ecological Economy network

lthttpwwwecoecoesesgt

- European Society for Ecological Economics

lthttpwwweuroecoleconorggt

- The International Society for Ecological Economics (ISEE)

lthttpwwwecoecoorggt


- EDUSOST Research network for Sustainability Education


- Schools network for the Sustainability of Catalonia

lthttpwwwxesccatxescgt

- Catalan Environmental Education Society

lthttpsceapangeaorggt

- Ministry of the Environment Environmental Education

lthttpwwwmmaesportalseccionesformacion_educaciongt

- National Environmental Education and Training Foundation (USA)

lthttpwwwneetforggt

- North American Association for Environmental Education

lthttpwwwnaaeeorggt

- Green Teacher

lthttpwwwgreenteacherorggt

Engineering and architecture- UNESCO Chair of Technology Sustainable Development Imbalance and Global change at the UPC (Universitat Politegravecnica de Catalunya)

lthttpwwwcatunescoupcesgt


- Engineering without borders

lthttpwwwisfesgt

- Engineering for Sustainability

lthttpwwwengineeringforsustainabilityorggt

- CENTER FOR SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS University of Michigan Develops research based on life cycles and environmental parameters to support the design assessment and management of systems that meet societal needs in a more sustainable manner

lthttpcsssnreumichedugt

- National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service (USA) A project of the National Center of Appropriate Technology

lthttpattrancatorgespanolgt

- Internet links for organic farming

lthttppersonasenaccioncomarchivoagriculturahtmlgt

- Centro Rural de Informacioacuten Europea [Rural Centre of European Information]

lthttpwwwcriecvorgesaegt

- Global Organic Farming Statistics and News

lthttpwwworganic-worldnetgt

- Resources on bioconstruction

lthttpwwwgea-esorgsitio_biocons_conthtmlgt


- The Agenda for sustainable construction

lthttpwwwcsosteniblenetgt

- Department of the Environment and Housing Planning strategies and sustainable construction

lthttpwwwgencates8000mediambsostenconstrucciogt

- Environmental Perspectives magazine (Ed Fundacioacute Terra) 19 Eco-construction

lthttpwwwecoterraorgdatapa19pdfgt

- Environmental Perspectives magazine (Ed Fundacioacute Terra) 30 Eco-dwellings


54 Other websites of interestDepartment of the Environment Government of Catalonia Sustainable development

lthttpmediambientgencatcatcatel_medidesenvolupament_sostenibleinicijspComponentID=115443ampSourcePageID=53701gt

United Nations Division for Sustainable Development

lthttpwwwunorgesadsddsddsd_indexshtmlgt

United Nations Millennium Development Goals

lthttpwwwunorgspanishmillenniumgoalsgt

Degrowth network

lthttpwwwdecreixementnetgt


WIDE - Women in Development Network

lthttpwwwwide-networkorggt

AMREF | African Medical and Research Foundation | Women

Women amp Climate Change

lthttpwwwourbodiesourselvesorggt

The Advisory Panel for the Sustainable Development of Catalonia was created in 1998 to advise the Government of Catalonia and promote participation in the policies and actions that have an impact on the environment and sustainable development On their website you can follow the initiatives they are promoting in several areas

lthttpwww15gencatcatcadsAppPHPindexphpoption=com_contentamptask=viewampid=1ampItemid=4gt

6 BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCES 61 Arts and humanities Diversities languages species and ecologies Albert Bastardas i Boada (ed)Barcelona Empuacuteries 2004Available from the UdG Library

Language and identity policies in the ldquoglocalrdquo eraAlbert Bastardas i BoadaBarcelona Generalitat de Catalunya Departament drsquoInterior Relacions Institucionals i Participacioacute Institut drsquoEstudis Autonogravemics 2007 (Colbullleccioacute Institut drsquoEstudis Autonogravemics 50) Available from the UdG Library


laquoEcomedia eco-strategies in todayrsquos artraquo Sala Parpalloacute from 10th February to 26th of April 2009 Organizer Sala Parpalloacute Coordination Luisa del Cerro Texts Sabine Himmelsbach [et al] Valegravencia Sala Parpalloacute DL 2009 Available from CCUC [CATALONIAN UNIVERSITY UNION CATALOGUE]

Environment and Land Use Bases and training resources for new interdisciplinary workJosepa BruDepartment of Environment of the Government of Catalonia (University Monographs 4)

This monograph deals with the following topics the interface between environment land project the territory as a complex system land intervention integrating the environmental point of view and finally advance in structuring training modules The CD-ROM deals with complexity and uncertainty and how to manage them using interdisciplinary work The specific cases and examples are based on projects within the local region

Available from the Environmental Education Service Department of Environment and Housing or by contacting the Green Office of the UdG

62 ScienceEnvironment-related problems in the field of science in first-year courses The UPC Environment Plan [Universitat Politegravecnica de Catalunya] Department of Environment and Housing of the Government of Catalonia (University monographs 2)

This book comprises environmental issues that have been resolved in various areas of expertise architecture electronics physics computer science mathematics mechanics chemistry and telecommunications

Available from the Environmental Education Service of the Department of Environment and Housing and for consultation at the Green Office of the University of Girona


Technical workshops on good environmental practice in laboratoriesThe Department of Environment and Housing has organized a series of three technical workshops on good environmental practice in laboratories aimed at different audiences managers of company laboratories and university laboratories technical college teachers working in subjects such as chemistry health and the food industry and teachers at secondary education schools

Information Available from

lthttpmediambientgencatcatcatciutadanseducacio_ambientaljornades_tecniquesjspgt




63 Health SciencesHealth and environmentM Rosa Girbau i Garciacutea Katy Salas i MiravitllesBarcelona Edicions Universitat de Barcelona 2000

This book aims to inform health science students and professionals of the problems generated in our surroundings as a result of our interference in the environment and to show them the real origins of a number of public health problems

Available in the UdG Library and online at

lthttpbooksgoogleesbooksid=OnsSmWHB7k8Camppg=PP5amplpg=PP5ampdq=Salut+i+medi+mbient++M+Rosa+Girbauampsource=blampots=0ApeXYor-sampsig=Tpui0aqqyWqs88BvZP8nq1mLHbgamphl=esampei=XQ8STPywCNCR4gaF4bSsCAampsa=Xampoi=book_resultampct=resultampresnum=1ampved=0CBQQ6AEwADgKv=onepageampqampf=falsegt


Health Sector Waste Management Guide Alfredo Balmaceda [et al]Barcelona Government of Catalonia Department of Health and Social Security 2000 Available from the UdG Library

Guide to Group I waste management in health centresDepartment of Health and Social Security of the Government of Catalonia Iii Intra-CentreHealth-Sector Waste Management Programme

This guide aims to make available to health centres the elements needed to embark upon a better management of (1) Group I waste adapted to the new legal framework all the while ensuring maximum safety of the personnel involved and minimum costs for the centres This guide should help to design the future management of Group I waste which needs to be incorporated into the overall management plan

Available from lthttpwwwgencatcatsalutdepsalutpdfguiagestioresiduspdfgt




64 Social and Legal SciencesSocial environmental communication and participation]Enric PolDepartment of Environment of the Government of Catalonia (University Monographs 3)

This monograph deals with social impact and environmental impact the social dimensions of the concept of sustainability social aspects susceptible to environmental impact the individual welfare and quality of life social aspects susceptible to environmental impact direct


impact of environmental conditions environmental impact and environmental management environmental communication and change social participation perception of risk and the NIMBY effect

Available from the Environmental Education Service of the Department of Environment and Housing and for consultation at the Green Office of the University of Girona via the link below

lthttpmediambientgencatnetImages43_74483pdfgt

Sustainability from a global perspective economics business and societyJoana Diacuteaz Pont [et al] Barcelona Beta 2000 (Technical dossiers 1)

Currently coordinating a world divided up into governments businesses and civil society must be compatible with such factors as the development of new technologies or the existence of open markets that are governed by international standards But it must also give local responses to the constantly-evolving environment and the needs of people Research in this field has led to the definition and defence of new economic social and business models This book reflects on these new models - especially that of sustainable development - and on the constraints and opportunities they currently comprise

Available from the UdG Library

Prevention at source of pollution in a companyDepartment of Environment and Housing of the Government of Catalonia (University Monographs)

The training module on Prevention at source of pollution in a company focusing on cleaner production should serve as a basis for developing the curriculum of an optional course and to incorporate pollution prevention at source in other university subjects

Available from

lthttpmediambientgencatcatcatciutadanseducacio_ambientalrecursoseduniversitariprevencio_origenindexhtmlgt


Department of Environment and Housing publications on environmental quality of products and companies

Available from

lthttpmediambientgencatcatcatel_departamentactuacions_i_serveispublicacionsqualitat_ambientaljspgt

Sustainable Education - Re-visioning Learning and Change Stephen SterlingGreen Books for the Schumacher Society 2001

Stephen Sterling presents his concepts and thoughts on the new educational paradigm based on sustainability Sustainable (or ecological) education is based on systemic and interdisciplinary principles and should be tackled from different levels educational paradigm organization and management of learning environments and pedagogical processes

Available from the CCUC (CATALONIAN UNIVERSITY UNION CATALOGUE)

Sustainable education criteria for the introduction of sustainability in educational processesA Canadell PratUNESCO Chair of Sustainability UPC 2006

Given that efforts to introduce sustainability in everyday life will be a lost cause until a paradigm shift is produced in educational models this book lays the foundations for the role and responsibility of schools and universities in this process It has an interesting bibliography web links and resources related to educational reform movements especially in the most academic aspects

Available from lthttpwwwctupceducatunescoarxiusllibreseducacio-sosteniblepdfgt

Curriculum Greening of University Studies in Educational Sciences Barcelona 27 November 1998Seminar on the curriculum greening of university studies in educational sciences (1998 UAB - Universitat Autogravenoma de Barcelona (Autonomous University of Barcelona))


Barcelona Government of Catalonia Department of Environment Bellaterra UAB Faculty of Education Department of the Presidency Commissioned by Universities and Research 1999

Available from the UdG Library and online at

lthttpwwwmediambientgencatcatcatciutadanseducacio_ambientalambientalitzacio_universitariaseminaris_estudis_ciencies_educaciojspComponentID=57289ampSourcePageID=368001gt

Seminar on Curriculum Greening of the Faculties of Educational Sciences in Catalonia Girona 26 November 1999Seminar on curriculum greening of faculties of educational science in Catalonia (1999 Girona)


lthttpwwwmediambientgencatcatcatciutadanseducacio_ambientalambientalitzacio_universitariaseminari2jspComponentID=57350ampSourcePageID=368001gt

The 3rd Seminar on Curriculum Greening of the Faculties of Educational Sciences in CataloniaSeminar organized by the Blanquerna Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences February 2003

Available online at

lthttpcampususales~sostenibilidadpdfSeminario20amb20curr20ciencias20de20la20educacionpdfgt


65 Engineering and Architecture1st Seminar on Curriculum Greening for Teaching Staff in the Field of Engineering Tarragona 9th November 1999Seminar on curriculum greening for teaching staff in the field of engineering (1999 Tarragona)


lthttpwwwmediambientgencatcatcatciutadanseducacio_ambientalambientalitzacio_universitariaI_seminari_ambit_enginyeriesjspComponentID=57494ampSourcePageID=368001gt

2nd Seminar on Curriculum Greening for Teaching Staff in the Field of Engineering Tarragona 27th November 2000Seminar on curriculum greening for teaching staff in the field of engineering (2000 Tarragona)

Available online at

lthttpwwwmediambientgencatcatcatciutadanseducacio_ambientalambientalitzacio_universitariaII_seminari_enginyeriesjspComponentID=57519ampSourcePageID=368001gt

Architecture and sustainabilityAlbert Cuchiacute BurgosBarcelona Edicions UPC DL 2006 (Colmiddotleccioacute Temes de tecnologia i sostenibilitat 2)


Environmental Criteria in Design Construction and Use of BuildingsThe UPC Environment Plan Department of Environment of the Government of Catalonia (University Monographs 1)

The aim of this monograph is to establish the preventive environmental criteria that can be applied to newly constructed buildings It lists and describes the environmental criteria in various phases design planning design construction and use of buildings



Environment-related problems in the field of science in first-year coursesEnvironment Plan of UPC Department of Environment and Housing of the Government of Catalonia (University monographs 2)



Sustainable development of EngineersKarel Mulder Edicions UPC 2006

This book is designed to give engineering students an overview of the challenges involved in sustainable development for the engineering profession the contributions of engineering to sustainable development and the barriers that must be taken into account in their practical application

Available online (the contents of the book can only be accessed from on-campus computers at the UdG)

lthttpbibliotecaudgedubiblioteca_digitalleedicions_upcllibreaspcodi=CT017XXXgt

Sustainable Development in Practice Case studies for engineers and scientists A Azapagic S Perdan R Clift Anglaterra John Wiley amp Sons 2004

This book deals with sustainable development and its implications for science and engineering practice The authors explore the concept of sustainable development and the professional implications and describe ten actual case studies from industrial sectors (in relation to water energy waste mining economic environmental and social sciences etc) in order to analyze the technical and scientific aspects of each the problem as well as its implications



Engineering for Sustainable Development Guiding Principles Royal Academy of Engineering Universidad de Loughborough Engineering Subject Centre

Aimed at academic staff in universities and engineering departments who want to incorporate sustainability into their classes

- Introduction to sustainable development and the problems involved in different fields of engineering

- Case studies practical applications of SHD- Resources for further investigation of case studies

Available online at

lthttpwwwraengorgukeventspdfEngineering_for_Sustainable_Developmentpdfgt

Energy participation and sustainabilityE Velo Garciacutea J Sneij Oria J Delclograves Ayats Catalan Association of Engineers without Borders (Enginyeria Sense Fronteres) 2006

Teaching support book in the field of technology education whose aim is to achieve the inclusion in university studies of a critical analysis of development models and the energy systems that sustain them The authors describe various experiences of both renewable energy use and small-scale appropriate technologies some of which are in the context of developing countries They analyse the experiences in different types of projects rather than give a technology description

Available from the Enginyeria Sense Fronteres website

lthttpcatalunyaisfesNOVAenergiapublicacionsEPSpdfgt

Eco-management guides by the Department of Environment and Housing of the Government of CataloniaThese eco-management guides present a set of useful recommendations for identifying environmentally-sensitive areas of the production processes in various industrial sectors in order to manage the inevitable waste output in the best way possible

Available online at

lthttpmediambientgencatcatcatel_departamentactuacions_i_serveispublicacionsprodnetajspgt


66 Sustainability and the UniversityInternational Journal of Sustainability in higher Education International magazine on sustainability in higher education

lthttpwwwemeraldinsightcomInsightviewContainerdocontainerType=JournalampcontainerId=11316gt


Curriculum greening in university studies towards sustainability in training Reflections and experiences of the ACEU network ACEU Curriculum Greening in University StudiesAnna Maria Geli (coordinator)Department of Environment and Housing of the Government of Catalonia (University Monographs 6)

This book edited by Dr Anna Maria Geli brings together the thoughts and experiences accumulated by eight research groups from three universities in Catalonia the Universitat Autogravenoma de Barcelona the Universitat Politegravecnica de Catalunya and the Universitat de Girona concerning the process of curriculum greening in higher education with the aim of guiding the training of university staff towards sustainability






Publications from the ACES network1 Arbat E Geli A m (eds) Curriculum Greening in Higher Education 1 Environmental aspects of universities Girona University of Girona Red ACES 2002 201 p

2 Junyent M Geli A m Arbat E (eds) Curriculum Greening in Higher Education 2 Process of characterization of curriculum greening in higher education Girona University of Girona Red ACES 2003 232 p

3 Geli A m Junyent M Saacutenchez S Curriculum Greening in Higher Education 3 Diagnosis of curriculum greening in higher education Girona University of Girona Red ACES 2003 333 p

4 Geli A m Junyent M Saacutenchez S Curriculum Greening in Higher Education 4 Taking action in the curriculum greening in higher education Girona University of Girona Red ACES 2004


lthttpinsmaudgesambientalitzacioweb_alfastinascatalaindexhtmgt

Report of the 1st National Forum on incorporating an environmental perspective in technical and professional trainingPresentations of experiences and research on the incorporation of an environmental perspective in different fields of knowledge categorized in this case as agricultural production and management of natural resources public administration social sciences and law ecology and natural sciences education and psychology engineering and technology and teacher training Also recorded are experiences and reflections on the greening of higher education

Available online at lthttpambientaluaslpmxforoslpcdgt


7 ACTIVITIES EXAMPLES71 Activity APractical report of a local-scale environmental problem

Subject Environmental problems in the Catalonian region (optional course in Environmental Sciences degrees

(Dr Josep Vila Department of Geography Faculty of Letters)

IntroductionDecision-making relating to for example where to locate certain infrastructure or activities in the region has on many occasions generated bitter public debates that are often reflected in the media Such discussions which have a clear environmental basis revolve around the benefits or harm of certain actions The various positions are supported by arguments supplied by the participants - the stakeholders - who are active in different sectors of society the private sector the public sector technical and scientific organizations and ordinary citizens In addition some of these groups often do not have set arguments or opinions but rather include several opposing views The relative strength of the arguments of the stakeholders in each sector and the alliances that may arise vary in each case and over time However to a greater or lesser extent they all end up influencing the decisions that are made - decisions that in the context of this highly complex set of arguments will in turn end up influencing for better or worse the long road towards building a more sustainable society

ActivityThe activity consists of preparing a report on a local-scale environmental problem in order to work on the discursive diversity of the stakeholders involved private sector public sector technical and scientific organizations and ordinary citizens The aim of this is to encourage students to become aware of the need for a complex approach towards understanding environmental issues and to facilitate a decision-making process that favours a broad consensus For this practical activity we will work on a local problem because this makes it easier to identify the various groups of stakeholders and their arguments On a larger scale it is often impossible to carry out an analysis in a practical activity such as this one


Before carrying out the practical in the theory classes we analyse the general characteristics of the different stakeholders involved in environmental issues in a part of the programme called The socioeconomic and political framework in environmental problems Another support component worked on before during and after the practical involves the monitoring the environmentally-related current affairs of the Catalan region through the press and a selection of articles and documents

Methodology1) Presentation of some specific examples prepared by the academic in charge of the subject or from cases submitted in previous years For example noise pollution at the ANTEX company in Anglegraves the mobile phone masts in LrsquoEscala nitrate pollution of aquifers in Palafrugell the Torrebonica golf course in Terrassa the marina at Roses the impact of scuba diving in the Medes Islands the expansion of the Vidreres industrial estate the Cruiumllles waste dump etc

2) Definition and explanation of the different sections to be included in the report

a Presentation and location

b The dynamics of the conflict history - chronology

c The position of the stakeholders involved

d Conclusions evaluation and possible alternatives

3) Categorization of content style and presentation standards for the document It needs to be pointed out that the reports must have a synthetic character and that explanations should focus on the most relevant data and points of view And moreover that the style should be typical of a technical report and informality should be avoided

4) Working Groups The practical cannot be undertaken by individual students Debate is required and the different points of view within working groups must be compared Depending on the number of students groups of 2 or 3 students are organized


5) Tutoring support Tutors are able to provide some guidelines to help students present and defend their report (or other practical work or projects) while also helping to resolve doubts and look further into matters of form in the written document

6) Deadline for writing the report The need to meet deadlines must be emphasized

7) Day of presenting and defending the report This will always take place sometime after handing in the report The students will present and defend their report to their fellow students There will be 15 minutes to present the report and 10 minutes to defend it by answering the questions raised by their classmates and the teacher in charge In order to encourage student participation part of the final mark will be given for the quantity and quality of interventions during the presentations

8) Evaluation A mark of between 0 and 9 will be given for this practical 50 for content and 50 for the presentation and defence A mark of 1 is reserved to evaluate student participation in the process of presenting and defending their reports to their fellow students


72 Activity B Course work

Mathematics and your immediate surroundings

(Ms Teresa Calabuig Department of Specific Didactics Faculty of Education and Psychology)

IntroductionThe objective of this proposal is for students to work on using mathematics as a tool for interpreting the world and its problems and to help them to recognize mathematics as a resource for tackling those problems and if possible resolving them At the same time they have to come up with appropriate proposals for work in primary schools To this end the teacher and students jointly propose topics related to their surroundings and that of the children These topics must be related in one way or another to sustainability and should be motivating

Some organizational aspects to bear in mind

Primary Teacher Education StudiesProject to be carried out in classes of between 40 and 50 studentsWork groups of 3 or 4 peopleDuration of project 3 monthsNumber of tutorials at least two per group an initial one and a follow-upWritten Presentation appropriate style and clarity but with minimal cost and environmental impactOral presentation 10 to 15 minutes per group All group members must intervene

Below we set out the project dossier for the students ie the activity as presented to the students

The reason for doing this projectOne of the challenges that the university has today is to train you to be professionals who are capable of critically assessing the current development of society and able to take action in favour of sustainable development


Educating students about the environment is an unavoidable and highly complex challenge Its complexity is due mainly to the fact that it involves a huge diversity of knowledge and techniques For this reason it is not to be treated as a separate subject but as a meeting point for all subjects3 Mathematics and the teaching of mathematics must be included since they provide the knowledge skills and elements of reflection that contribute to a good understanding of the world and therefore give you a greater ability to make progress in the world in a responsible way

A knowledge of mathematics should enable us not only to apply it in practical cases but also to identify the major problems of the world and see that the solutions depend largely on mathematics and sciences4

Why use group work and why an oral presentation

Two basic skills that every teacher should have are working in groups and being a good communicator At school you have to forge an understanding with the other teachers and staff with students and their parents Knowing how to discuss and present your ideas to the group and how to share and enhance those ideas will be fundamental

Doing group work will enrich you as professionals and as individuals and the discussions (in the best sense of the word) that will arise in your groups will improve the end result It needs to be a collaborative work It should be understood that the final mark given for the work will be same for all group members

Competences1 Identifying the interdisciplinary relationships between the different areas of the curriculum and the teaching strategies required for their development

2 Selecting and developing creative well-presented and sustainable teaching resources appropriate for the level

3 Communicating orally and in writing in Catalan about educational issues showing creativity and adapting oneself to the target audience and the objective and using appropriate support materials

4 Contextualizing mathematics and science as historical and socio-cultural knowledge and appreciating that the relationship between them is one of the main pillars of scientific knowledge

5 Identifying and critically analysing the social and ecological implications of educational activities in the fields of scientific knowledge and mathematics

3 ALSINA C FORTUNY J M Mathematics and the Environment in Catalonia Workshop Government of Catalonia Department of Environment 19944 COLLINS J Mathematics and Enviromental Education Surrey WWF UK (World Wide Fund for Nature) 1990


6 Being able to consider the ecological and social implications of the objectives methodologies and references of each discipline in all fields of knowledge in order to develop proposals for action committed to sustainability peace social equity and gender

7 Designing and promoting activities of collaborative work

Project Guide You will be given guidelines on what the project should contain and additional sections that must be adapted and organized according to the topic chosen the proposal itself and the way the group will work

The work should include

1 A justification of the choice of topic

2 A list of the mathematical elements identified in relation to the topic based on the suggestions of the group

3 A comparison of this list with the mathematics curriculum

4 The relevance of the topic to other areas of the curriculum

5 A review of school materials (especially text books) to see if this specific topic is used to work on this area of knowledge

6 The grouprsquos own proposal for working on the mathematics in an interdisciplinary way based on the chosen topic which incorporates criteria for sustainability - in particular environmental and social criteria

The work must have a clear overall structure but you should remember to include

IndexIntroductionMain textConclusionsBibliography andor sources of information


List of possible topicsIt is essential that you feel comfortable with and motivated by the chosen topic This is the most important factor in ensuring successful work I recommend that there is consensus among all group members rather than a simple majority

The topics that make up the list below are generic and have been selected because they relate easily to education for sustainability and can be exploited using mathematics and mathematics education as the backbone of the proposal (Other completely different topics or ones related to those given below may be proposed provided that they meet the aforementioned criteria)

- Cultural diversity in schools- Our immediate surroundings the school playground

- RRR (Reduce Re-use Recycle) Leave nothing behind- Pollution noise water air etc- Globalization- Hiking- Hobbies- Advertising- Transport- TV programmes made for children- Todayrsquos news- Photo rally - What is our home like- History- Climate change- Traditional school festivals- Literature Stories andor novels


73 Activity C Treatment with antibiotics

(Dr Marta Aymerich Department Of Medical Sciences Faculty of Medicine)

In the degree course in Medicine there is an optional module Emergency Medicine which incorporates problem-based learning (PBL) in the teaching methodology One of the problems has the following case historyi

Mr Juan Roura a 77-year-old man went to visit his wife who is in an advanced stage of Alzheimerrsquos disease to celebrate Christmas at the hospice where she is a resident Although his wife did not seem to recognize him and could not participate in the celebrations Mr Roura had dinner with a large group of residents and other guests with whom he interacted

The next day he had fever and complained of pain His doctor ordered a test for type A influenza virus which proved negative Since he was getting worse and had a productive cough with purulent sputum breathing difficulties and high fever he was admitted to the emergency department Physical examination revealed mild respiratory distress a temperature of 389 degC a respiratory rate of 28min and a blood pressure of 14280 mm Hg Auscultation of the lungs revealed rhonci (wheezing) during bronchial expiration and rales (crackles) in the right lung lobe The following x-ray was obtained


The doctor ordered a sputum culture and a blood culture While these tests were being carried out in the laboratory treatment with vancomycin was initiated The blood culture results made available 48 hours later were positive for Streptococcus pneumoniae which was sensitive to amoxicillin and cefotaxime although as expected it was also sensitive to vancomycin Three days after the start of antibiotic treatment Mr Roura showed some improvement and was afebrile The cough was less intense and respiratory rate decreased He was discharged and advised to follow treatment for a further five days with no change to the antibiotic prescribed

This problem as with all the others in the module is explored in three tutorials each consisting of 10 students and a tutor In the first session the problem is presented and then followed by a brainstorming session leading to the drafting of a study plan In the second session usually two days later the sources of information and the results in terms of the objectives outlined in the study plan are pooled Finally in the third session another two days later we finalize the work on any additional objectives that had been identified as necessary in the second session while applying what has been learnt to the problem in question

In this problem apart from working on the specific objectives of the module - such as identifying the most frequent causes of chest pain - we also work on a transversal objective related to sustainability In this case we refer to bacterial resistance to antibiotics or in other words when an antibiotic no longer has an effect on a particular strain of bacteria because that strain has developed through genetic evolution a mechanism to overcome the antibiotic thus making it resistant

Usually while waiting for lab results to confirm which bacteria is causing a particular infection (in this case pneumonia) treatment needs to be started Since it is not known exactly which bacteria is responsible treatment involves a so-called broad-spectrum antibiotic ie one which can be used against various bacteria suspected of causing the infection However once the analysis is completed and the bacterium identified treatment must be adapted the preference is always for a narrow-spectrum antibiotic which is less toxic easier to administer and less expensive In this case the original antibiotic treatment was not changed and although the patient did in fact improve the problem is that this treatment favoured the emergence of resistant bacteria by contributing to the distribution of the antibiotic and therefore increasing the probability that the bacteria could learn to become resistantii Unfortunately there are many resistant bacteria and it is precisely this use of antibiotics that has been noted as an important risk factor in developing resistanceiii


One of the most worrying cases is that of enterococci resistance to vancomycin since this antibiotic is commonly used against multi-resistant bacteria (ie bacteria resistant to various antibiotics)iv Treatment of infections thought to be by gram-positive bacteria (as in the case above) has led to the widespread use of vancomycin This could lead to problems with infections caused by multi-resistant bacteria if they also acquire resistance to vancomycin since this is sometimes the only therapeutic option

It cannot be ignored that for microorganisms borders do not exist and therefore intervention in terms of control strategies must be multidimensional and globalv The inappropriate use of antibiotics anywhere in the world both in humans and animalsvi and even in domestic productsvii can affect the entire ecosystem given the mobility of the population and the significant genetic plasticity of these microorganisms

The existence of antibiotic-resistant bacteria also means that the treatment of infectious diseases is difficult and expensive A broadly-accepted review of the literature has already highlighted the fact that infections by resistant organisms were associated with worse health and economic outcomes than those caused by non-resistant bacteriaviii

Bibliographic references i Adapted from Virella G An Elderly Man With Fever and Cough MedEdPORTAL 2007 Available from httpservices aamcorg30mededportalservletssegmentmededportalsubid=139 - Under Creative Commons license (CC) [Consulted 25 June 2010]ii Nuermberger E L Bishai W R Antibiotic resistance in Streptococcus pneumoniae what does the future hold Clin Infect Dis 200438S363-71iii Taconelli E Antimicrobial use risk driver of multidrug resistant microorganisms in healthcare settings Curr Opin Infect Dis 200922352-8iv Aymerich M Garciacutea-Alteacutes A Jovell A J Las resistencias bacterianas iquestalgo maacutes que un problema cliacutenico La resistencia del enterococo a la vancomicina como ejemplo[Bacterial resistance more than a clinical problem The example of enterococci resistance to vancomycin] Med Clin (Barc) 1999112(14)553-5v Kunin C M Resistance to antimicrobial drugs -a worldwide calamity Ann Intern Med 1993118 557-561vi Hammerum A M Lester C H Heuer O E Antimicrobial-Resistant Enterococci in Animals and Meat A Human Health Hazard Foodborne Pathog Dis 2010 Jun 26 [En prensa]vi Hammerum A M Lester C H Heuer O E Antimicrobial-Resistant Enterococci in Animals and Meat A Human Health Hazard Foodborne Pathog Dis 2010 Jun 26 [Epub ahead of print]viii Holmberg S D Solomon S L Blake P A Health and economic impacts of antimicrobial resistance Rev Infect Dis 1987 9 1065-107


74 Activity DPrevention as a tool for environmental sustainability

The practice of prevention in the University the cooking factory

(Dr Miquel Rigola Department of Chemical Engineering Agriculture and Food Technology Faculty of Sciences)

PresentationThe techniques of prevention cannot be conveyed to students through a theoretical exposition This fact provides us with a major teaching challenge since many of the possible techniques we need to explore are based on tools and experiences that are difficult to recreate in a typical class Neither is it easy to find real projects with which to hold practical demonstrations given the large number of students who follow the course In addition it is difficult to get access to companies willing to open up their facilities for evaluations of this type To find a solution to these problems we developed an exercise at the University of Girona based on the daily activities in a domestic kitchen called laquoThe cooking factoryraquo [I] There are clear similarities to be found between cooking and industrial processes A kitchen stores materials some at room temperature and others in fridge-freezers Cooking transforms these raw materials Resources water and energy are consumed Waste is produced

Outline of the exerciseTeams of 4 or 5 students are organized into groups who will carry out an assessment of the opportunities for prevention in a typical everyday kitchen (one shared by the group or the kitchen of one of the members of the group) A tutor gives initial guidance on how to proceed and will deal with any questions the students have throughout the exercise The students receive guidance but they themselves have to decide how to organize themselves Teams must plan the tasks and organize the assessment Once the practical part of the exercise is over they will then prepare a written document and an oral presentation Finally we compare results from different groups and discuss the discrepancies

The work is divided into two parts


Part 1 DiagnosisPart 1 covers the following tasks

bull Describing the facilities equipment and activities carried out

bull Identifying the basic operations and preparing flow charts of the activities that take place in the kitchen

bull Gathering the available information on the input of raw materials water and energy

bull Identifying and quantifying the output of the processes productsby-products and waste

bull Assigning these input-output flows to the different individual operations

bull Drawing up accounts of materials and energy

The procedures for data collection and the time spent on this are decided by the students Some guidelines we give to students in this respect are

bull The need to identify raw materials and waste streams

bull Input of materials is determined via a record of all purchases made

bull Solid waste output is quantified by separating and weighing individual items

bull The consumption of water and of auxiliary services such as electricity or natural gas is estimated from the corresponding meter readings

bull Because these meters measure the consumption of the entire house students must find alternative ways to determine or estimate consumption for kitchen activities for example the energy consumption of electrical appliances can be quantified by the wattage and total number of hours of operation

bull Analytical measurements should be carried out in certain cases of waste flows (such as the COD of wastewater)

bull Units used to express results (some groups use consumption per capita while others give total consumption regardless of the number of users)


The students were able to judge the need to define the scope of the study in terms of the physical boundaries within which they worked and of the more or less partial information obtained (eg Does consumption vary according to the season Do we have information for all seasons Should the study be limited to before eating or should it be included How can we deal with recycling leftovers food scraps or food surplus And so on) They also face some difficulties in the allocation of resources among the different activities some of which are excluded from the study (for example How is water or electricity consumption distributed among the different activities going on the house)

Part 2 Evaluation and comparison of results thinking of options and priorities Once the input-output flows and consumption are quantified the data from all the participating groups is tabulated we then compare data discuss any differences and talk about the reasons for these variations By comparing the data from different groups and comparing this with data in the existing literature we can help to introduce students to such concepts as benchmarking and best available technology

The data must be assessed with the aim of identifying those operations and management practices that have most impact on resources andor waste In fact as has been seen in many industries it is often found that in line with the Pareto principle a very small number of activities are generating the highest contribution to the waste streams of a particular installation

In the field of waste management it is important to talk about the best units for expressing results in terms of both volume and weight If the data are analysed according to volume the main factor in the waste generation is the packaging whereas in terms of weight organic matter is the main component of solid waste generated in a kitchen It is interesting to investigate the origin of this organic waste matter It often originates during the processing of the raw materials but we also find that there is a significant contribution of material that was unconsumed

The final task is to come up with options for saving resources and minimizing waste streams taking into consideration the different potential stages for action


bull The transformation process itself

bull The installation including the equipment

bull The organization and management of the facility including the management of purchases and storage maintenance and cleaning operations

For options that require investment the estimated savings associated with the proposed improvements must be calculated along with the rate of return

The work concludes with a justification of the recommendations for implementing what are considered as the most appropriate options

Bibliografia[1] Martin M J Rigola M laquoThe kitchen factory a training tool for Cleaner Productionraquo International Journal of Environment and Pollution Vol 18 (2002) nuacutem 2 149-159

































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GUIDELINES FOR ADAPTING TO THE EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION AREA 10. Transversal Competences:...

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Transcript of GUIDELINES FOR ADAPTING TO THE EUROPEAN HIGHER EDUCATION AREA 10. Transversal Competences:...