The following are a number of ideas that you could use in a review;
Research nationalities in your school – How many pupils are European? How many pupils are from countries in the rest of the world? How many and which countries do the pupils in your school represent?
Send out a questionnaire, to all pupils and staff, examining attitudes on Europe, and to find out how much people know about Europe?
Pick an item you use or eat everyday and research it – where does it come from, what impacts does its production have on the environment and on people?
Food - Where does your food come from? Who grew it? What environmental and social impacts does production of your food have in the country of origin? In addition, look at food miles, i.e. how far did the food you eat have to travel to reach your plate.
Furniture – Is it made from wood? Can you find out where the wood came from? Did it come from a sustainable forest or did the company who made it cut down rain forests?
Clothes- Where are the clothes you are wearing made? Who made them? What material is it made from?
Ethical products – are they used in the school, if not could you switch?
Globally – check out what aid projects your school supports and how much money has been raised in the last school year.
What happens to the school waste? Where does it go, does it stay in Ireland or does it go to some other country to be treated? Where do your recyclables end up? Can you find out what they are recycled into?
Case Study - Tomato
Tomatoes – if bought out of season are generally produced in Holland, they are grown in glasshouses that need to be heated, producing CO2 emissions. They also need to be transported to Ireland increasing the CO2 emissions even more and thus contributing to climate change. Buying local and in-season would be a much better option!