EcoLiving 101 is a discussion-based course that uses PowerPoint slides to convey information and facilitate interaction among participants. The course
is sixteen hours in duration and is divided into eight sessions. Typically, the first half of each session will focus
on environmental issues and concepts that help broaden our perspective and provide context. The second half of each
session will focus on specific "pro-environmental" actions to reduce our environmental impact. The course outline
is presented below.
Session 5: Personal Transportation
Session 6: Food Choices
Session 7: Material Consumption
Session 8: Outside Practices
Session 1: You and Me on Planet Earth
Session 2: Conserving Electricity
Session 3: Conserving Water
Session 4: Reducing Heating Requirements
Participant
Feedback: Charlottetown Seniors College, Fall 2008.
Average participant rating on the quality of the course: 9.6
out of 10.
"I really enjoyed the course. I would advise anyone to attend."
"Great course. Everyone should
take it at least once."
"Extremely well marshalled facts and figures presented attractively and effectively."
Participant Feedback: Summerside Seniors College, April 2009.
Average participant rating on the quality
of the course: 9.7 out of 10.
"Superb conscience tweaker!"
"Great ideas for simple things anyone
can do."
"It really made me think about my surroundings and what I could do as a person to help the environment!"
During the course, you will examine your own household and lifestyle for opportunities to reduce your environmental impact. Usingthe resource materials provided, you'll have the opportunity to estimate not only your financial savings, but also your savings
of electricity, water, gasoline, heating oil, and carbon dioxide. (Please note: no special math or science skills are required - you'll
be totally supported by the instructor and, if you like, he'll even do the calculations for you!) Some people prefer just to
attend the sessions and not to be bothered with calculations, which is fine, although the savings guarantee cannot apply in the absence
of calculated savings.
Course Benefits
By the end of the course, you will have
- increased your awareness of the absolute splendor and critical importance of our
environment,
- identified additional ways to reduce your impact on the environment, and
- identified opportunities for saving money.
Registration Fee
The registration fee
for the course is $75 per participant. You are welcome to attend the first session on a trial basis, free of charge,
and pay your registration fee at the second session. No fee will be owing if you choose not to return for
the second and subsequent sessions.
Savings Guarantee (your option)
The savings guarantee applies
to the full sixteen hour EcoLiving 101 course and ensures that you'll be able to get your "money's worth" - meaning that you
will have identified at least enough annual savings to cover the your registration fee. Here's how it works.
You
will be required to document your total expected annual savings. The instructor will help you do this using the forms provided.
The
total expected annual savings considered will be gross savings, not net savings. Let's say you install an energy-efficient showerhead
that costs $10 and is expected to save $90 worth of heating oil each year. Your gross savings will be $90 and your
net savings will be $80 (because the cost of the showerhead has to be deducted). Of course, every year after that, you'll
save the full $90 because you only have to pay for the showerhead once.
By the end of the course, if you and the instructor
have not been able to identify enough savings to cover the cost of your registration fee, then you will be entitled to a refund
for the difference between the registration fee and the gross savings that were identified.
Despite the
savings guarantee and the emphasis in the course on saving money, it's hoped that participants will begin to see
themselves as partners in the management and welfare of this wonderful Planet. Although it is nice to save
money, it's also nice to appreciate the deeper significance of living more lightly, not only in consideration of the well-being
of people living in other parts of the world and of future generations, but also of the well-being of the myriad other
species with whom we share this Planet.