Abstract

What relationship exists between the phenomena of global warming and globalization? How can a small grassroots organization promote green living and cultural food traditions through environmental education?

Examination of the relationship between global warming and globalization has required a process of basic research of pre-written texts; resulting in a theoretical analysis on selected journalism within this field of research. The literature review presents a comprehensive, theme-oriented discussion on the destructive relationship growing between these two phenomena.

Throughout the duration of the inquiry, I interned for the South African nonprofit organization, SEED: Schools Environmental Education and Development whose mission is to combat global warming and globalization by promoting green living and cultural food traditions through environmental education. Research on the grassroots organization SEED, is based on a qualitative data-gathering approach, incorporating personal interviews with SEED team members, guided by open-ended research questions The value of this inquiry lies in examining the organization of SEED, its mission and environmental education program for tangible grassroots solutions to alleviating the damaging, combined effects of global warming and globalization.

To ensure a comprehensive analysis on the impact being made by SEED, an anonymous questionnaire has been given to ten primary school teachers who are either involved with or have shown interest in one of the SEED school Permaculture gardens. The questionnaire has been composed of closed, multiple choice questions concerned with collecting anonymous opinions from primary teachers on the impact of the SEED Permaculture garden as it relates to the needs, curriculum and interests of learners.

Informants have revealed that the organization plays an important role in challenging global warming and globalization on a local level. As a young grassroots organization, SEED demonstrates how Permaculture gardening provides learners with participatory environmental learning, while promoting healthy harvests and green living. The principles of Permaculture provide us with the necessary antidotes to global warming and globalization. By bringing such principles into being, SEED has begun the process of eradicating the harmful effects of these two phenomena within primary schools; critical environments which help to shape this world’s coming generations.

The essential goal of this capstone paper is to encourage awareness of the power that grassroots level initiatives wield in diminishing the intensity of global dilemmas. This paper is being presented and offered to the School for International Training community for this purpose. The findings will also be shared with SEED in the hope that the data will offer insights into strengthening the organization’s programs, as well as encouragement for the organization’s accomplishments and future endeavors.

Disciplines

Demography, Population, and Ecology | Place and Environment

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