Lesson video

Hi, everyone, I'm Miss Read, and welcome to today's lesson.

In today's lesson, we will be thinking about how sustainable is London? And we'll be comparing its sustainable impact to the cities we've already learned about, Curitiba, and Freiburg.

Let's get started.

So, for today's lesson, all you'll need is a piece of paper and a pencil, and your brain.

Please take a moment now to clear away any distractions, including turning off the notifications on any apps, or conversations you have running in the background, if you know how to.

Finally, if you can, try to find a quiet place where you won't be disturbed during the lesson.

Pause the video now, so you can get the things you need.

Now you're ready, let's move on.

So in today's lesson, we'll be learning about London.

We'll be recapping on the other sustainable cities that we've learned about.

We'll be asking how sustainable is London by looking at waste and recycling, and transport.

So, let's quickly recap on the definition of sustainability.

If you remember, you can say it along with me.

So, sustainability is, using resources that are good for people, the environment, and the economy, both in the present and in the future.

And there's sustainability at the heart of that Venn diagram.

Let's do it again, and I want you to say it along with me.

So, sustainability is using resources that are good for people, the environment, and the economy, both in the present and the future.

Now, when we discuss resources, we're talking about the things that help the country to support itself, such as the energy sources like fossil fuels, wind, or solar energy, or the things that are found in the land, such as precious stones, or wood from rainforests.

So, here is an image of London.

Now I live in London, I wonder how many of you out there live in London as well? Perhaps you've visited it.

Now, London is the capital city of England, and it's also the capital of the United Kingdom as a whole.

It is a settlement that dates back to the Roman period when it was first established, due to its proximity to the river.

You can see the river in this picture.

The river is known as the River Thames, and it still flows through the city centre today.

Now, here is a map of London.

Let's take a closer look.

You can see the River Thames flowing through its centre, it's the blue line.

And on the outside, it's divided, it's defined by the M25 motorway that runs around the edge of the city's boroughs.

I'll show you with my pointer.

Here is the River Thames, the blue line running through the centre, and it's defined by the M25.

You can see it's a main road because it's a yellow line.

Now, in 2019, London's population was nearly 9 million.

And that meant that people were spanning over 32 boroughs.

Boroughs are the areas in which people live.

By looking at this map of the United Kingdom, we can see that London is situated in the Southwest of the country.

You may also see some other large cities, such as Liverpool and Manchester, which are in the North of England, and Edinburgh, which is in Scotland.

You need to choose the correct answer below.

Here's your first task.

How many boroughs are there in London? A, 3, B, 23, C, 32? Pause the video now and write down your answer.

Excellent, now you've had a go, let's check the answer.

So how many boroughs are there in London? It's, of course, C, 32.

We can pause the video now so you can tick or fix your answer.

Let's move on.

So, in our previous two lessons, or in fact, in previous lessons, we looked at the sustainable impact of two cities.

The first city we studied in Lesson Four was Curitiba in Brazil, there's Curitiba.

Now you can see it marked on the map of Brazil.

Now we learned that Curitiba had reduced the amount of pollution throughout the city by converting a busy road into a pedestrianised street so it was just for people commuting or walking to work, or shopping.

They also invested in an affordable bi-articulated bus system.

The second city we learnt about was Freiburg, which is in Germany.

And again, you can see Freiburg on the map on the left, and then you can see it situated in Germany.

We learned that the city leaders of Freiburg had helped people to become more sustainable by investing in a biogas power plant, and encouraging the citizens to recycle their food waste and grow their own food to reduce waste in general.

We also learnt that they had invested in affordable tram system that reduced traffic and pollution levels.

In addition, Freiburg is a city that has considered its environmental impact by planting thousands of trees, and growing vegetation on many of the city's buildings.

Here's a task.

You need to answer the question below.

Name two sustainable cities that you have studied in this unit.

Pause the video so you can complete this task.

Let's check the answers.

The answers are, of course, Curitiba and Freiburg.

Make sure you spell those correctly.

Pause the video now so you can tick or fix your answers.

Great work, everyone.

So, how sustainable is London? Well, we're going to look at the sustainable impact of London in two ways.

We're going to think about recycling, and transport.

We'll think about the impact of these on the environment and the people in the city before making comparisons between the sustainable impact of London versus that of Curitiba and Freiburg.

So, waste and recycling.

Well, a report by the BBC found that in 2017 UK households produced just under 27 million tonnes of waste.

That is a lot.

Now, across the whole of the United Kingdom, around 45.

7% of household waste is recycled.

A report by Timeout found that in London, around 34% of household waste is recycled.

So that's lower than the national average.

Another interesting fact for you is that roughly two thirds of the country's plastic waste is sent abroad to be recycled rather than being recycled here in England, or the United Kingdom.

Now, why do you think that less waste is recycled in London than in other places around the country? Hm, interesting answers.

Well, the Mayor of London, who's called Sadiq Kahn, believes it's because there are so many purpose built flats without access to good recycling schemes or networks.

Here's a task for you.

You need to choose the correct answer below.

How much waste was produced by households in 2017? Was it A, 2.

7 million tonnes, B, 27 million tonnes, or C, 270 million tonnes? Pause the video now, and write down your answer.

Let's check the answer.

The answer was of course, B, 27 million tonnes.

That's still a lot of waste.

You can pause the video now so you can tick or fix your answer.

Well done, everyone.

Let's move on.

So, we're going to look at three things that Sadiq Khan, and organisations that he is working alongside, are doing to have a more sustainable approach to recycling.

One, Flats Recycling Project.

My turn, your turn.

Flats Recycling Project.

So, Resource London is a programme that was set up by the London Waste and Recycling Board, which works alongside Sadiq Khan to have a more sustainable approach to recycling.

They are working with restaurants across 10 boroughs to consider how to increase recycling by flat dwellers.

Can you remember? What's the first sustainable measure that Sadiq Khan's trying to take? That's right, the Flats Recycling Project.

So here's the second one.

Water fountains.

Your turn, excellent.

Now, the Mayor has partnered with Thames Water to provide a new, a 5 million pound fund, to boost the number of drinking water fountains across London.

The fountains are an effort to reduce the number of single-use plastic bottles in the city.

Let's recap on those two.

What was the first measure? That's right, the Flats Recycling Project.

What's the second? That's right, Water Fountains.

Here's the third, FoodSave.

Your turn.

Now, FoodSave supports over 200 organisations that are involved in food in London to prevent food waste, and put surplus food to good use.

Surplus means extra.

Any surplus food is meant to go to people in need.

However, food that's unfit for human consumption can be used for animal consumption.

Where a food waste can't be avoided or redistributed, FoodSave encourages businesses to get it collected for composting or to make energy.

This bit helps to make sure that the food doesn't go to landfill.

Let's recap on those three.

What's the first? That's right, it is the Flats Recycling Project.

Number two? That's right, water fountains.

And the third? FoodSave, absolutely.

Now, it is important to say that while these projects all aim to help London become more sustainable, when it comes to waste production and reuse, these are schemes that have been developed within the past 10 years, and are therefore still a long way off from having a wide scale impact.

Here's a task.

You need to choose the best option.

Why did London's recycling schemes not have as much of an impact as the recycling schemes in Freiburg? Is it, A because not as many people care about recycling in London, as in Freiburg ? B, the recycling schemes in London have not been established for as long as those in Freiburg? Or, C, the recycling schemes in Freiburg are better than those in London? Pause the video now and choose the best option.

Which did you think was the best option? Let's check the answer.

It was B, it's because the recycling schemes in London have not been established for as long as those in Freiburg.

As a Londoner, I'm really hoping that the measures that have been put in place are really going to help us become a more sustainable community.

So, transport.

Now, air pollution refers to substances in the air that harm human health, welfare, plant, or animal life.

Most pollution in London is caused by transport, heating systems, and substances released into the air from factories and other businesses.

In 2010, there were an estimated 9,400 premature deaths in London from longterm exposure to air pollution.

That means that in 2010, an estimated 9,400 people died because of longterm exposure to air pollution.

So they died before their time, that's what premature means.

Let's take away that fact.

How many premature deaths were there in 2010 due to longterm exposure to pollution? Can you shout the answer out? That's right, very sadly, there were 9,400 premature deaths.

Let's recap that one more time.

How many premature deaths were there in 2010 due to the longterm exposure to pollution? Shout it out.

That's right, there were 9,400 premature deaths.

So, transport and sustainable measures are really important because what the Mayor of London, and all of the people across London want to try and do, is reduce the number of premature deaths each year.

Now, here are three ways that London, and the people who manage London, have considered in making London transport more sustainable.

First, The Congestion Charge.

Your turn.

Now, the London Congestion Charge is a fee charged on most cars and motor vehicles being driven within the Congestion Charge zone, which is in central London.

The hours of operation were recently increased by Sadiq Khan from between 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM, from Monday to Friday, as you can see on the sign, to 7:00 AM, from 7:00 AM to 10:00 PM, seven days a week.

The congestion zone was originally created in 2003 to deter drivers from driving through the centre.

Now, it's very expensive to drive into the Congestion Charge zone, and Sadiq Khan has not only increased the hours of operation, but he's also increased the charge from 11 pounds 50 to 15 pounds.

As a result of these things, the zone has successfully reduced traffic volumes, and therefore pollution in the centre.

In fact, traffic volumes are a quarter lower than they were in 2009.

Sadiq Khan hopes that the increased cost and time will further reduce traffic and pollution in the centre.

Let's recap on that first measure.

What's the first sustainable measure? Shout it out.

Louder.

That's right, The Congestion Charge.

The second, my turn, your turn.

Santander bicycles and Cycle Highways.

Great.

Now Santander Bicycles were originally installed in 2010.

They used to be known as Boris bikes, as they were originally installed by Boris Johnson, now the Prime Minister, who was then the Mayor of London.

They have been installed across the city with the aim to reduce the number of people travelling on buses, tubes, trains, cars, and taxis.

And since they were installed, over 73 million journeys have been made using the bikes.

That's so many.

In addition to these bicycles, Cycle Highways have been installed from some of London's major roads, making the roads more accessible and safer for cycle users.

Let's recap on those two measures.

What's the first one? Shout it out.

That's right, the Congestion Charge.

What's the second? Shout it out.

Santander Bikes and Cycle Highways.

You are very good at this.

Okay, the third measure? Now, London currently has more than 200 electric buses making it Europe's largest electric bus fleet, which is quite impressive.

Now, this electric bus fleet operates throughout the centre of London, and the Mayor of London has pledged to increase the fleet throughout 2020.

The aim is that by 2037, that there will be 9,200 buses across London that will be zero emission.

This means that none of the buses in London will emit harmful fumes.

Let's recap on those three.

What's the first measure? Very good, The Congestion Charge.

What's the second measure, shout it out? Santander Bike and Cycle Highways.

And what's the third? Electric buses, very well done.

Let's move on.

So, despite the move towards these zero emission or electric buses, London transport systems have been criticised as being very expensive.

In fact, a recent study by Deutsche Bank has revealed that London's public transport is more expensive than any other major city around the globe.

In 2015, this meant that only 46% of Londoners used public transport, while 35% of people still relied on their cars.

This is very different to Curitiba where 85% of the population use the bi-articulated bus system, because it is cheap and affordable, and therefore everyone can use it.

Now, this is going to be a bit of a mouthful for me.

I'm going to say bi-articulated bus system, and I want you to say cheap and affordable.

Bi-articulated bus system.

Bi-articulated bus system.

Bi-articulated bus system.

Cheap and affordable.

I thought I was going to catch you out there.

Well done.

Okay, here is your last task.

Let's have a closer look.

You need to answer the question below.

Explain why the bi-articulated bus system in Curitiba is more popular than public transport in London.

You can use this sentence starter.

The bi-articulated bus system in Curitiba is more popular than public transport in London because.

Pause the video now so you can complete that task.

How did you do? Let's have a look at my model answer.

So I said, the bi-articulated bus system in Curitiba is more popular than public transport in London because the bi-articulated bus system is cheap and affordable for everyone.

Pause the video now in case you need to tick or fix your answer.

Well done, everyone.

So, that brings us to the end of today's lesson, a really big well done, and for all the fantastic learning you've achieved today.

I wonder if you can write down what the most interesting thing that you've learned today, at the end of this.

If you're able to, please take a picture of the work and ask your parents or carer to share it with your teachers so that they can see all the fantastic things you've learned today.

And if you'd like, you can ask your parents or carer to send a picture of your work to @OakNational on Twitter, so I can see your lovely work too.

Don't forget to complete your end of lesson quiz.

Take care, and enjoy the rest of your learning for today.