Introduction to Green Education serves as a prequel to The Principles of Green and Sustainability Science. In her typical writing style, Akinsemolu has authored a sustainability text specifically for global high school students and college freshmen. The text is an interactive sustainability resource material that leaves readers captivated, written in an unconventional mix of scientific exposition and artistic mastery. The book is sectioned into six learning modules with various subtopics for discussion. As a way of introduction, the book opens up with an exploration of the environment and ecosystem, highlighting real-time environmental challenges such as climate change and indiscriminate anthropogenic activities. Furthermore, the text provides a practical hands-on approach to living sustainably. Summarily, the text strives to provide a foundational framework to the principles of green encompassing environmental, economic, and social sustainability.

Course Outline

MODULE 1: Understanding our environment and ecosystems

• Basic Ecology: Succession, Biosphere, Ecosystem

• Flow of energy in the ecosystem: food chain, flow of matter and energy

• Weather and climate and ecosystems

• Biogeochemical Cycles: Water, Nitrogen, Carbon, Sulphur, Phosphorus

MODULE 2: Environmental challenges

• Climate and climate change, greenhouse effect

• Anthropogenic activities: deforestation, transportation, industrialization, afforestation

• Population growth and effects on consumption

• Pollution, different types and sources of pollution, consequences for the planet and for humans

• Waste and waste management (treatment plants, disposal of different kinds of waste including CO2 and gases)

MODULE 3: Going green and helping the environment

• Going green: pillars, principles, ways to contribute

• Sustainability: meaning, principles, goals, areas

• Recycling and sustainable waste management, innovation in waste

• Renewable sources of energy

• Rescuing pollution: bioremediation, green technology, sustainable transportation

• Resources and conservation of resources

• Responsible consumption and production: food and agriculture, water, energy

• Benefits of going green

MODULE 4: Helping ourselves: social sustainability

• Social sustainability: meaning, principles

• Community development: social responsibility, health and social equity, livability, social capital and support, rights

• Social responsibility: human adaptation, community resilience

• Dimensions of social sustainability influencing environment: health and wellbeing, enquiry and learning, belief and meaning, recreation and creativity

• What can I do for social sustainability in my local community?

MODULE 5: Economic sustainability

• Economic and economic growth: how economic growth and activities influence the environment

• Sustainable economy and ways to create sustainable economy

• Environmental law, justice, leadership

• Environmental ethics, policies, impact assessment

• Green architecture, green buildings, biomimicry

• What can I do for my local environment?

MODULE 6: Green entrepreneurship: make a difference!

• What is entrepreneurship: how can I become an entrepreneur

• Green entrepreneurs, activists and successful famous people who made a different for our environment

• Challenges to green entrepreneurship and activism

• Steps to become a successful entrepreneur