September 26th – September 30th
Click on the link below to watch 
transport – London, The Price of Traffic!
PRE-VIEWING QUESTIONS
1. What is the most common form of transportation in your community? Are there bike paths and sidewalks on most roads? List all of the public transportation options available to you. If you had more options, would you use them? Why or why not?
2. What different types of transportation are available in cities around the world? Which types serve the most people? Which types serve the fewest people?
3. Of the types of transportation that you’ve thought of, which are the least harmful to the natural environment? Which are most harmful? Be specific about what types of pollution they cause, if any (e.g. noise, air).
4. What role does the city government play in deciding how the citizens get around? How can the city encourage one mode of transportation over another?
POST-VIEWING QUESTIONS
1. How do you think the cabbie in the video felt about the congestion charge? Is a cab driver’s opinion likely to reflect the opinions of most Londoners? Why or why not? Now consider how each of the following people might feel about it:
a. A storeowner near a transit stop
b. A business owner who makes daily deliveries to central London
c. A public citizen who takes public transportation to work
d. A public citizen who drives to work
e. A public citizen who walks to work
f. A student who takes the bus to school
2. What effects could the Olympic Games being hosted by London in 2012 have on the citizens of East London? Use specific examples from the video to support your answer.
3. In the video, Nicky Gavron, the Deputy Mayor of London, refers to the Mayor of London, Ken Livingston, as courageous. Why do you think she describes him this way? What responsibilities do elected officials have to their constituents? Do you think he had the best interests of most people in mind when he decided to institute the congestion charge? Why or why not?
4. Based on what you saw in the video, do you think the congestion charge and the 100 public spaces program have improved the quality of life on Londoners? Why or why not? Use specific details from the video to support your answer.
October 3rd – October 7th
Click on the link below to watch transport – Paris, Velo Liberte!
PRE-VIEWING QUESTIONS
1. How prevalent is biking in your community? Are there bike paths on most roads? What is the most common way for people to get around in your city or town?
2. What are some potential environmental effects of a lot of automobile traffic on the roads? How does traffic affect the inhabitants of a city in their daily lives?
3. From your home, how far do you have to travel to find a grocery store? A bank? A school? A place of worship? A green space? How do you think this distance differs for people in rural communities? Urban communities? Suburban communities?
4. What role do you think transportation plays in climate change, if any? Think about all forms of transportation (i.e. walking, biking, driving, etc.).
POST-VIEWING QUESTIONS
1. Do you think a system like Vélib’ could work in your community? Why or why not? If not, can you think of a place in the United States that a similar system might be successful?
2. What do you think is the best way to get around in your community? If you could redesign all the transportation options in your city or town, what would you create?
3. Some of the positive effects of the Vélib’ system are mentioned in the video, are there any negative effects?
4. Roads are public space as are tramways, bus lanes, bike lanes, sidewalks and parks. What do you think is the most equitable way to divide that public space among the citizens of a city or town? What type of research could be conducted to help develop a plan for public space?
5. What are some of the challenges that the Vélib’ system has faced since its inception? How are those challenges being addressed? Use specific examples from the episode.
6. Of the following examples of transportation, which is the most efficient? Rank them from 1 to 7, with 1 being the most efficient and 7 being the least efficient.
a. A person walking
b. 75 people riding on a bus
c. 500 people riding a subway
d. A person biking
e. A single person driving in a pick-up truck
f. Four people riding in a car
g. A single person in an electric car
Were these easy or hard to compare? Why or why not? List some of the factors that you used to make your decisions.
7. What different types of efficiency do we measure (i.e. cost efficiency, energy efficiency, etc.)? How do you use efficiency in your own life (i.e. saving money, managing your time for homework, etc.)?
Click on the link below to watch transport – food miles!
PRE-VIEWING QUESTIONS
1. Have you ever heard of urban gardening? If so, is it something that you’ve done or that you would like to do? If not, what do you think it means?
2. Think about a typical dinner that you eat. What foods does it include? Do you know where that food comes from (before it ends up in the supermarket)? Where it is grown? Using what methods? Where it is processed, if it is processed?
3. On average how far do you think a food item travels before it ends up on your plate? Make a prediction in miles. How does the distance that food travels affect its taste? Can some foods travel further than others without their taste being affected? Give specific examples.
POST-VIEWING QUESTIONS
1. What is the main difference between fossil fuel-based agriculture and solar-based agriculture? What are the benefits and drawbacks of each type? You can make a pro and con list if you’d like.
2. When did fossil fuel-based agriculture emerge? Why did it emerge at that time? Name two specific reasons.
3. What are some of the environmental benefits of buying food from local organic farmers? What are some of the drawbacks?
4. In the video, when Michael Pollan describes why our current food system is unsustainable, he states that there are “internal contradictions that will lead to breakdowns.” What does he mean? Can you think of what those internal contradictions might be?
5. In the video Ann Karlen from the Fair Food Project talks about what the word fair means to her. List three points that she makes about being fair. What do you think are “fair” practices when it comes to food? Fair to whom or what? The animals, the consumers, the farmers, the environment? Make your own list of what you think are fair and unfair practices.