An Activity Booklet for Schools. Ages 12-18
www.blueskies.com/inspired
What will the future be like?
Above is a picture showing how we might live in the
future. It suggests that one day we could be living in
the sky and driving flying cars!
Activity: Draw a picture to show how YOU think we will live in the future.
Future reality?
Here is an alternative
impression of the
future which shows the
world suffering from
extreme heat, drought
and flooding.
There are lots of challenges
that face the world which
could mean the future is not
as bright as we hope. Over
the next few pages you can
find information on some of
the biggest challenges that
we face.
Activity: Describe what you think are the
biggest challenges that our world faces?
1. Climate Change
Many scientists believe that the planet
is getting warmer because more
greenhouse gases are being released
into the atmosphere. As a result this is
causing our climate to change.
Greenhouse gases include carbon
dioxide and methane. When a volcano
erupts it releases lots of carbon dioxide,
and when food rots this releases lots of
methane.
Greenhouse gas emissions also come
from driving cars and burning fuel to
make energy.
Activity: List 5 things we do in
our everyday lives that release
Greenhouse Gas emissions.
Some people predict that the earth may
get an extra 3°c warmer on average by
2050 because of the amount of
greenhouse gasses being released.
If this happens then some places will
experience more heavy rain which can
lead to flooding, and other places will
experience warmer, drier conditions
which can cause drought making it more
difficult to grow crops for food.
2. Resource Depletion
Resource depletion is what happens
when we run out of a natural material
such as oil or water. This can occur if
we consume too much of something
and use it faster than the time it takes
to replenish.
Some materials are non-renewable. This
means that they can’t be reproduced or
grown.
Oil is a non-renewable resource,
however we rely on oil for a lot of things
that we do everyday. For instance
plastics and fertilisers are made from oil.
Our vehicles also run on oil, and we use
oil to generate electricity.
Some people think that we are running
out of oil and wont be able to produce
enough to meet our future needs.
Water is also becoming an increasingly
scarce resource. According to the
World Health Organization, 2 billion
people lack access to clean water and 1
billion people do not have enough to
even meet their daily needs.
By 2050 the number of people on the
planet is projected to exceed 9 billion,
and if current trends continue more and
more useable water will be lost.
Activity: Name ten things that use oil or water
3. Species Extinction
Scientists have shown that human beings
depend on the existence of different
species such as bacteria, insects and
various animals. For instance we rely on
bees to pollinate a lot of our crops.
Today human activities are causing the
extinction of many species and scientists
are struggling to understand what impact
this will have on our future survival.
The removal of topsoil from intense
farming practices and ‘sand-winning’ is
destroying the precious micro ecosystem
that takes centuries to form and supports
all life on land.
For example rising ocean temperatures
(caused by climate change) is reducing the
ability of an organism called ‘plankton’ to
reproduce. Many sea creatures feed off
plankton, therefore a shortage of plankton
could lead to the extinction of some of the
fish that we need for food.
We are also beginning to see a reduction
in bee populations due to a mite
infestations and a mysterious problem
called ‘Colony Collapse Disorder’. Over
70% of our food is pollinated by bees; if
bee populations fall too far, our food
supplies will be seriously threatened.
Activity: Name three species that we
depend on and describe where they live.
How can I help?
There are lots of things we can do to reduce our impact on the planet, by reducing,
reusing, recycling and sharing our use of the earths resources. Here are some ideas…
Ride a bicycle or walk
when travelling short
distances instead of
taking a car
Respect each other
as equals
Save Water
Stop people from sandwinning
Switch lights off
when leaving a room
to save energy
Don’t leave the car
engine running when
stopped
Help those less fortunate than you
Protect wildlife
Help farmers use less
chemical fertilisers
Eat less meat
Harvest the
rainwater
Don’t burn waste
Recycle more
Don’t waste food
Use solar power
Don’t cut down trees
Plant a tree
Turn off sockets
when not in use
Give to charity
Activity: Suggest three things you think you can do.
Share what you
have with others
People can make a difference
Activity: Can you name the people on
this page and describe what they have
each done to help change the world?
Business can make a difference
Businesses are very important. They
design things, grow things, make
things, buy things and sell things.
Without business, we would not be able to
buy the things and use the things that we
rely on, such as food, cars and clothing.
But business can also have a big impact on
the world’s resources. They can consume
lots of energy, produce lots of emissions
and create lots of waste. So business can
make a difference by doing what they can
to reduce their impact on the planet.
Blue Skies tries to make a difference by
reducing the amount of energy it uses. It
also turns its fruit waste to compost and
helps farmers to reduce their use of
chemical fertilisers. Blue Skies also has a
Foundation which works to improve health
and education in local communities, for
instance by constructing new classrooms
for schools.
And Blue Skies helps to inspire people
to make the world a better place by
providing healthy, fresh, revitalising
fruit - the perfect fuel for the brain!
One company that is trying to make a
difference is Blue Skies. Blue Skies makes
fresh-cut fruit and freshly squeezed juice. It
has factories all over the world, including
one here in Ghana which employs over
1,500 people at its factories near Nsawam.
Find out more about Blue Skies at www.blueskies.com
Activity: Name three other businesses which make a difference.
YOU can make a difference
Write down what you promise to do
to make the world a better place
Share your promises
Submit your promises online at
www.blueskies.com/inspired
or ask your teacher to post your promise
on the wall, or bury it in a time capsule
for future generations to find and see if
you have kept your promise!