Integrated Sustainability Analysis
@ The University of Sydney

Educational studies and resources

At the University of Sydney, we have developed a comprehensive Personal Greenhouse Gas Calculator that provides a simple yet powerful means to link the global problem of climate change with elements of individual lives. Our greenhouse gas calculator for Australia is available on-line, as a spreadsheet, or as a form. It contains

• a short, easy-to-handle personal budget sheet providing direct feedback through instantaneous budget re-calculation after each change of entry,
• a normative part (equity and sustainability) and a benchmark,
• comparisons and graphical presentations, and
• a short, easy-to-read explanation of the problem and its importance, strategies for action, and a reference for further information.

It has undergone an independent peer review and was "test-run" by non-academic users.

Parts of this Personal Greenhouse Gas Calculator have been incorporated in the game This Is Your Lifestyle, featured on the ABC Science Online / Film Victoria website, PLANETSLAYER.

Sydney University's Greenhouse Gas Calculator is also included in the New South Wales (NSW) Department of Education and Trainings technology in learning and teaching (TILT) Plus teacher development program. The Technology in Learning and Teaching (TILT) Plus program is a NSW State Labor Government initiative (1999-2003). It builds on the successful TILT program (1995-1999), which won state and federal awards for its training of 15,000 teachers in basic computer skills and classroom uses of computer technology. TILT Plus is being provided for up to 15,000 teachers, school executive and specialist support staff who are more confident in the use of technology. It provides a number of options to support a range of needs. One of these options is the TILT Plus Science program which is available to NSW science teachers, and which contains the Personal Greenhouse Gas Calculator.

For further information

• Contact us for a copy of a journal article on experiences in university teaching about responsibility for climate change: Lenzen M, Dey C and Murray J, A personal approach to teaching about climate change, Australian Journal of Environmental Education 18, 35-45, 2002,
• Contact us for a copy of a journal article on experiences in school teaching about responsibility for climate change: Lenzen M and Murray J, The role of equity and lifestyles in education about climate change: experiences from a large-scale teacher development program, Canadian Journal of Environmental Education 6, 32-51, 2001,
• Contact us for a copy of a journal article on designing comprehensive greenhouse gas calculators: Lenzen M, The importance of goods and services consumption in household greenhouse gas calculators, Ambio 30 (7), 439-442, 2001,
• Contact us for a copy of a journal article on responsibility for climate change, and how Australian education materials neglect some important issues: Lenzen M and Smith S, Teaching responsibility for climate change: three neglected issues, Australian Journal of Environmental Education 15/16, 69-78, 2000, or
• Download an article on responsibility for climate change.

For further information please contact