2019 Climate Change Diary

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This diary belongs to: 

PUBLISHED BY: 

CLIMATE MATTERZ 

Contact: lyzzettes@gmail.com

2019 CLIMATE CHANGE DIARY 

Introducing the Global Goals 

A SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT LEARNING GUIDE 

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In collaboration with 

The theme for the 2019 Climate Change Diary is “Introducing the Global Goals”. 

This is the first diary linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 

(SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, which South Africa is a signatory to. Previous 

diaries were linked to the United Nations Millennium Development Goals 

(MDGs), the pre-cursor framework of the SDGs. 

Education 2030 vision 

The Global Education 2030 agenda is part of 

the new Sustainable Development agenda, 

which consists of 17 Sustainable Development 

Goals (SDGs). Education has a dedicated 

goal, SDG 4, and is present in other 

goals too. UNESCO, as the sole UN agency 

mandated to cover all aspects of education, 

is entrusted to lead and coordinate the Education 

2030 agenda with its partners. 

Disclaimer: You may copy material from this publication for use in non-profit education programs if you acknowledge the 

source. Whilst great care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information provided herein, the editor and publisher 

cannot take responsibility for any errors in the diary or any consequences arising from such errors.

FOREWORD 

Our beloved Nelson Mandela once said, “Education is the most powerful 

weapon which you can use to change the world.” Education is 

the key to eliminating gender inequality, to reducing poverty, to creating 

a sustainable planet, to preventing needless deaths and illness, 

and to fostering peace. 

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I believe that having a good education is important to one's success in life and without a 

good education you will find it hard to achieve success in life. Solomon Ortiz said that 

‘‘Teachers make a lasting impact in the lives of their students”. It is with this in mind that I 

believe the Climate Change Diary can make a meaningful difference in supporting teachers 

and learners as an exciting resource to promote quality education in our schools. 

Particularly of interest and relevance to teaching and learning from a sustainability perspective 

is the alignment and focus of the diary with the Sustainable Development Goals. 

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), also known as the Global Goals, are a universal 

call to action to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure that all people enjoy 

peace and prosperity. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by all United 

Nations Member States in 2015, provides a shared blueprint for peace and prosperity 

for people and the planet, now and into the future. At its heart are the 17 SDGs, which are 

an urgent call for action by all countries - developed and developing - in a global partnership. 

They recognize that ending poverty and other deprivations must go hand-in-hand with 

strategies that improve health and education, reduce inequality, and spur economic growth 

– all while tackling climate change and working to preserve our oceans and forests. 

In South Africa, the National Development Plan and the African Union's Agenda 2063 

guide the implementation of the SDGs. It is within this context that WESSA’s (Wildlife and 

Environment Society of South Africa) Schools and Youth department supports and endorses 

this fantastic resource to share information and best practice ideas with schools to participate 

and contribute towards achieving the SDGs and in so doing, play a significant role 

in aspiring to and achieving the kind of Africa we want, as people caring for the earth. It is 

our wish that you will enjoy using this interactive resource as teachers and learners to empower 

yourselves with the relevant knowledge needed to bring about the change we want 

to see in the world as we respond to the demands of the 21st Century 

skills and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. 

Donavan Fullard General Manager: Schools and Youth 

WESSA

Contents 

This diary belongs to 1 

Page 

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Foreword by Donavan Fullard, WESSA 3 

The World’s Largest Lesson 5 

To—Do List for the Planet 6/11 

Education 2030, Calender, Planners 12/19 

Global Citizenship Education and #HumansofmyWorld 20/21 

WESSA—YRE 22/25 

Goal No 4 Quality Education 26/27 

January 2019 Intro to Climate Change 28/41 

February 2019 Sustainable Development 42/57 

March 2019 Water Resources 58/73 

April 2019 Agriculture and Food Security 74/87 

May 2019 Consumption and Production 88/105 

June 2019 Biodiversity Month 106/121 

July 2019 Population Growth 122/137 

August 2019 Gender Equality and Conflict 138/155 

September 2019 Biodiversity Month 156/171 

October 2019 Oceans and Coastal Areas 172/189 

November 2019 Energy Month 190/205 

December Human Health 206/221 

Lifelong learning is a process that begins at birth 222/223 

Sustainability is not just something to learn 224/225

THE WORLD’S LARGEST LESSON 

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In September 2015 World Leaders came together at the United Nations 

and committed to the Global Goals for Sustainable Development. 17 

goals to achieve 3 extraordinary things in the next 15 years. End extreme 

poverty. Fight inequality and injustice. Fix climate change. If every school 

in the world teaches children about these goals, we will help them become the 

generation that changed the world. In partnership with UNICEF, the World’s 

Largest Lesson reaches out through education networks around the world to 

enable children across the world to learn about the SDGs through their 

schools. Awareness is the first step and activation is the next step. The comics 

series aims to encourage children to become inspiring service heroes in 

their own communities, and in the process learn how they can be active participants 

in shaping the world around them into a better place for all. 

The Heroes for Change Comic is available online for download at this 

link: http://www.comicsunitingnations.org/comics/ 

"If we are to create long term sustainable change we have to start with the 

young—and that’s why in my work as a SDG Advocate I’m especially passionate 

about the World’s Largest Lesson. It’s a simple thought—that if we teach children 

about the SDGs—from Goal 1 (No Poverty) right through to working together 

(Goal 17) and remind them of the Goals, year after year, teach it to them like I 

was taught the lives of the Kings and Queens of England—or the 10 Commandments—then 

these lessons will stick and galvanize them into taking action of 

their own in the name of all the Goals." 

Richard Curtis, UN Sustainable Development Goals Advocate, Film maker and Co- 

Founder Comic Relief 

http://worldslargestlesson.globalgoals.org/new-content-its-all-about-action/

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THIS IS OUR STORY 

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http://www.comicsunitingnations.org/comics/ 

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https://www.globalpartnership.org/education 

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WEEKLY PERIOD PLANNER 

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Global Citizenship Education: Taking it Local 

What is global citizenship education? 

Global Citizenship Education (GCED) aims 

to empower learners of all ages to assume active roles, both locally and globally, 

in building more peaceful, tolerant, inclusive and secure societies. 

GCED is based on the three domains of learning - cognitive, socio-emotional 

and behavioural. 

 

 

 

Cognitive: knowledge and thinking skills necessary to better understand the 

world and its complexities. 

Socio-emotional: values, attitudes and social skills that enable learners to 

develop affectively, psychosocially, and physically and to enable them to live 

together with others respectfully and peacefully. 

Behavioural: conduct, performance, practical application and engagement. 

The key learning outcomes, key learner attributes, topics and learning objectives 

suggested in GCED are based on the three domains of learning mentioned 

above. They are interlinked and integrated into the learning process. 

UNESCO’s work in this field is guided by the Education 2030 Agenda and 

Framework for Action, notably Target 4.7 of the Sustainable Development 

Goals (SDG 4 on Education), which calls on countries to “ensure that all learners 

are provided with the knowledge and skills to promote sustainable development, 

including, among others, through education for sustainable development 

and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture 

of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity 

and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development”. https://en.unesco.org/ 

themes/gced/definition accessed 11/12.18.

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HUMANS OF MY WORLD 

This exhibition features people’s voices from the photo-narrative series of HumansofmyWorld, 

shedding light on the human stories behind the Sustainable Development Goals 

(SDGs). 

Agenda 2030 and the 17 SDGs represent an unprecedented leap forward in the fight 

against poverty and inequalities, as well as the struggle for environmental sustainability. 

The SDGs embody a universal, inclusive and transformative vision of sustainable development, 

which calls upon all leaders to ensure a life of dignity for all, leaving no one behind. 

Through this exhibition, you will have the chance to “meet” individuals from around the 

world and learn why the SDGs are important to them. 

Nearly 10 million people from 194 countries participated in the MY WORLD 2015 survey, 

an extensive consultation ensuring people were part of the decision-making process in the 

development of the SDGs. 

The MYWORLD2030 survey will continue to capture people’s awareness, priorities and 

perceived progress in the SDG implementation. 

https://myworld2030.org/ 

TAKE THE MY WORLD SURVEY, AND BE PART 

OF THE COMMUNITY.

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JANUARY 2019 

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INTRODUCTION TO CLIMATE CHANGE 29

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FEBRUARY 2019 

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SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 

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MARCH 2019 

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MAY 2019 

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CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION 

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PRODUCTION AND CONSUMPTION 

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Welcome to Recycle City! 

Just a few years ago, this place was called Dumptown . For 

years, the folks living here hadn't thought much about 

where their food, toys and other possessions came from - or 

where they went when they threw them out. And, eventually, 

that became a very BIG problem ... 

Because Dumptowners didn't know what happened to waste 

after it was thrown away, they thought nothing of dropping 

empty cooldrink cans here and there or putting cans of leftover 

paint right into their trash cans. They bought and 

dumped more and more every year. 

Things that easily could have been reused or recycled were tossed in 

the trash, because nobody knew recycling made a difference . At the 

dump, they threw dangerous chemicals and poisons (hazardous 

waste) into the regular garbage (solid waste).

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The garbage heap grew and began to smell. Sometimes it caught fire, sending 

toxic smoke into the air and making it hard for everyone to breathe. Dumptowners 

tried moving away from the mess, but wherever they moved, the problem 

was still there-on the ground and in the air. They knew they had to fix it. 

They learned to reduce the amount of waste they threw away. For example, 

they bought items at the store that weren't wrapped in extra packaging, so there 

would be less to throw away, and they bought products in larger containers . 

They learned to reuse other things-like washing out empty containers to store 

food in instead of throwing them away. And, they learned to recycle. They set 

up bins around town to collect glass, paper, plastics, and aluminum that could 

be converted back into raw materials, then made into new products. They turned 

their food scraps and yard trimmings into rich compost to grow their gardens. 

Dumptowners paid special attention to reducing the toxic materials they bought, 

such as trying safer pest control products or household cleaners. For the hazardous 

products they did buy, Dumptown set up special collection points where 

people could drop off used chemicals, paints, and cleansers for safe handling 

and proper disposal. 

Finally, they closed the old city dump and built a new solid waste landfill outside 

of town. With the town's new image, it needed a new name, and Recycle City 

was born. Travel around Recycle City and find out what folks here are doing to 

reduce waste and make the environment better. 

Explore Recycle City here: https://www3.epa.gov/recyclecity/ 

mainmap.htm 

Inside many parts of Recycle City, you'll find information on recycling, reuse, and 

waste reduction.

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CONSUMPTION AND PRODUCTION 93 

Recycle City Neighborhoods 

Inside many parts of Recycle City, you'll find information on recycling, reuse, and 

waste reduction. Find out what's being done to improve the environment for everybody! 

Northwest Neighborhood 

Northeast Neighborhood 

• Wrecker 

• City Hall 

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Community Warehouse 

Landfill 

Materials Recovery Center 

• Hazardous Waste Center 

• Church 

• Home - Kitchen and Bath Supplies 

 

Businesses (Rerun Theatre, 

Pets, Cafe) 

Southeast Neighborhood 

• Factory 

• Service Station 

• Supermarket 

Southwest Neighborhood 

 

The Savemore home (including 

home cleaning & household supplies, 

home garage & garden supplies, 

home paint & hobby supplies) 

 

School 

On the Road 

• Cars, trucks and scooters

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Miss Redux 

In her lessons, Miss Redux always teaches the three R's in the same order: reduce, 

reuse, and recycle. 

Reduce always comes first because reducing what we use and what we waste 

means using fewer natural resources and less energy. Less waste also means 

less land is needed for burying waste in landfills. Ways to reduce waste include 

purchasing goods that use less packaging, sharing or renting things (like carpet 

cleaners) that aren't needed regularly instead of buying them, and buying household 

cleansers that do not contain hazardous ingredients. 

Reuse comes second because reusing items—using them twice or many times 

instead of just once—keeps them from becoming waste. Some ideas for reuse 

include using glass or plastic containers after they're empty, or taking a cloth 

sack to the store when you shop (you don't need a bag, and you can use the 

sack again the next time). 

Here at the school, many kids bring their lunches in plastic containers, which 

they can wash and use over and over again, instead of wrapping their food in 

plastic wrap that they throw away every day. Meanwhile, some businesses have 

donated their old computers to the school for reuse, and the local theatre company 

donates its used sets and costumes to the Drama Club.

Recycle comes third, but not last. Recycling—converting used items back into 

raw materials, then making new products with them—conserves our valuable natural 

resources and reduces the need to put so much waste into our landfills. Many 

schools have started recycling programs that help raise money for needed items. 

And many items they buy can be made from recycled materials—such as paper, 

notebooks, playground equipment, furniture, and carpet. 

Things to do in Recycle City 

Here are some activities and games that you can enjoy using the Recycle City 

website. Scattered throughout Recycle City, you'll find all the 

answers and information you need to play. 

Imagine you manage your own supermarket. What are some 

things you can do to reduce the amount of waste caused by 

the products you sell? Then, visit Maria's Market in Recycle 

City and see if she has any other ideas you can use. 

Name three ways that each of these items can be reused, instead 

of throwing them away. (You can use the whole thing or 

only part of it.)- Cardboard box- Plastic milk carton- Glass jar- 

Wooden board- Plastic bag- Newspaper. 

Can you find other ways these items are put to use in Recycle City? 

Find the place in Recycle City where you can get information on 

what to do with leftover cleaning products. Is there a place to 

take those kinds of items in your town? Where is it? 

Visit some houses in Recycle City and look for examples of 

household hazardous waste. How many are there? What 

are some safer, natural alternatives that could take the place 

of some of these things? 

Visit any Recycle City location you like. Before you go inside, 

try to figure out what you would do to reduce waste and energy use 

there. Then, click on the site. Did you miss anything? Did we? 

https://www3.epa.gov/recyclecity/ 

Enjoy your trip to Recycle City and have fun! 

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JUNE 2019 

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BIODIVERSITY MONTH 

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Courtesy of 

http://www.unesco.pl/fileadmin/ 

user_upload/pdf/ 

BIODIVERSITY_FACTSHEET.pdf 

https://www.environment.gov.za/ 

sites/default/files/docs/publications/ 

biodiversity_factsheet.pdf

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POPULATION GROWTH 

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Population & Migration 

Population and migration issues are fraught with moral positions, confusion, and 

unexpected connections. 

We cannot talk about population growth without also discussing decline; or contraception, 

without faith and medical technology. It is the mother of cross-cutting 

issues—at the intersection of economics, environment, gender roles, culture, 

politics, and religion. The population question is about the possibility and necessity 

of balancing the needs of nature and human civilization—and whether we 

can hope to or should have any say over the process. 

The issue is global. Overpopulation of one region will seek release in an underpopulated 

region. Stronger economies will be a magnet for those from weaker 

economies. Local carbon emissions will increase temperatures and change global 

weather patterns, disrupting food supplies and sowing insecurity. Diseases 

that begin in crowded slums can travel the world. Aging populations could lead 

to long-term economic depression, decreasing our ability to address the great 

problems we face such as environmental degradation. 

Changing demographics in countries where men far outnumber the women often 

leads to human trafficking. Basic human rights are abused in countries where 

entire communities live without citizenship rights—unable to vote, own property, 

travel, work legally, or attend school. 

http://pulitzercenter.org/population-migration accessed 18/3/2019


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byMatt Rosenberg 

Updated January 10, 2019 

Current World Population and Future Projections 

The world population has grown tremendously over the past 2,000 years. In 

1999, the world population passed the six-billion mark. By March of 2018, the 

official world population had jumped over the seven-billion mark to an estimated 

7.46 billion. 

World Population Growth 

Humans had been around for tens of thousands 

of years by the year 1 A.D. when the 

Earth's population was an estimated 200 million. 

It hit the billion mark in 1804 and doubled 

by 1927. 

It doubled again in less than 50 

years to four billion in 1975. 

Year 

Population 

1 200 million 

1000 275 million 




1804 1 billion 

1850 1.2 billion 



1950 2.55 billion 







1985 4.85 billion 









2083 10 billion


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Concerns for an Increasing Number of People 

While the Earth can only support a limited number of people, the issue is not 

so much about space as it is a matter of resources like food and water. According 

to author and population expert David Satterthwaite, the concern is 

about the "number of consumers and the scale and nature of 

their consumption." Thus, the human population can generally meet its basic 

needs as it grows, but not at the scale of consumption that some lifestyles 

and cultures currently support. 

While data is collected on population growth, it is difficult for 

even sustainability professionals to understand what will happen on a global 

scale when the world's population reaches 10 or 15 billion people. 

Overpopulation is not the biggest concern, as enough land exists. The focus 

would primarily be on making use of uninhabited or underpopulated land. 

Regardless, birth rates have been falling around the world, which may slow 

down population growth in the future. As of 2017, the total fertility rate for the 

world was 2..5, down from 2.8 in 2002 and 5.0 in 1965, but still at a rate that 

allows population growth.


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Growth Rates Highest in Poorest Countries 

According to World Population Prospects: The 2017 Revision, most of the world's 

population growth is in poor countries. The 47 least developed countries are expected 

to see their collective population nearly double from 2017's one billion to 1.9 

billion by 2050. That's thanks to a fertility rate of 4.3 per woman. Some countries 

continue to see their populations explode, such as Niger with a 2017 fertility rate of 

6.49, Angola at 6.16, and Mali at 6.01. 

In contrast, the fertility rate in many developed countries was below replacement 

value (more loss of people than those born to replace them). As of 2017, the fertility 

rate in the United States was 1.87. Others include Singapore at 0.83, Macau at 

0.95, Lithuania at 1.59, the Czech Republic at 1.45, Japan at 1.41, and Canada at 

1.6. 

According to the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the world's population 

has been rising at a rate of roughly 83 million people every year, and the trend is 

expected to continue, even though fertility rates have been dropping in almost all 

regions of the world. 

That's because the world's overall fertility rate still exceeds the rate of zero population 

growth. The population-neutral fertility rate is estimated at 2.1 births per woman. 

Picture courtesy #AshrafHendricksGroundUp: https://www.groundup.org.za/ (CC BY-ND 4.0) 

Rosenberg, Matt. "Current World Population and Future Projections." ThoughtCo, Jan. 10, 2019, thoughtco.com/current-worldpopulation-1435270.

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AUGUST 2019 

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GENDER EQUALITY & CONFLICT 141

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OCEANS AND COASTAL AREAS 

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TO DELFT DEEPER, ACCESS ALL YOUR YOUTH GUIDES 

HERE: 

http://www.fao.org/yunga/resources/youth-guides/en/

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ENERGY MONTH 191 

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Where does our poo go? 

HOME THEME RESOURCES EVENTS MAP STORIES POO JOURNEY 

Ever wondered what happens to your poo once 

it drops into the toilet? 

Perhaps you’re lucky enough to live in a country where you don’t have to think 

about it. Because for billions of people, there is no safe toilet or sanitation service 

to take away the waste, allowing poo to get out into the open air where it’s 

spread by flies, making people seriously ill. 

And even where there is some sanitation infrastructure, pipework can break or 

raw sewage can be emptied into the environment, contaminating farmland and 

water sources. 

Dealing with our poo properly is not only about averting danger, it’s also about 

seizing an opportunity. Poo, safely treated and reused, has massive potential as 

an affordable and sustainable source of energy, nutrients and water. Sanitation 

systems also generate jobs and investment opportunities. 

By 2030, the Sustainable Development 

Goals aim to reach everyone with sanitation, 

and halve the proportion of untreated 

wastewater and increase recycling 

and safe reuse. 

To achieve those goals, we need everyone’s 

poo to take a 4-step journey.

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HUMAN HEALTH 211 

The 4-step poo journey 

1 .Containment: Poo must be deposited 

into a hygienic toilet and stored in a 

sealed pit or tank, separated from human 

contact. 

2. Transport: Pipes or latrine emptying 

services must move the poo to 

the treatment stage. 

3. Treatment 

Poo must be processed into treated 

wastewater and waste products that 

can be safely returned to the environment. 

4. Disposal or reuse: Safely treated 

poo can be used for energy generation 

or as fertilizer in food production. 

Watch the video: 

https://youtu.be/UJqlftFVNiE 

Courtesy: http://www.worldtoiletday.info/2017/where-does-our-poo-go/

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2019 Climate Change Diary

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