The brief was to redesign their village, without mains gas and electric for heating and lighting or petrol and diesel for transport, their new ideas should include the production of food, shelter, warmth and work for people.
Puzzled faces and questions follow for children with 10 or 11 years experience of life it is hard for them to comprehend what would not be as available. Many are well aware of sustainable methods which exist and can include them in there plan, what is harder for them to visualize is that other things may not be as available.
Every childs immediate experience i.e. there parents occupations and life style are fundamentally influential as to what are necessities for life and what is an essential job -so children who live on farms - immediately see that the growing of food for local consumption would be essential and yet another child suggested a bureau de change and hotel for that was his experience - discussion ensued -maybe a bed and breakfast for visitors was the general consensus.
Some children have a greater awareness of community and the differing needs of the age groups which life naturally divides itself into. It was interesting that many realised that disposal of the dead was something that should be included and it was through that route that they included churches although one group had a Buddhist centre.
Wind turbines are the most visual of sustainable alternative sources and therefore children were most aware of them closely followed by solar panels, one child new about bio-mass boilers and then it transpired that his father sold them, with a little embarrassment poo powered cars were muted and then included.
What is difficult for children is to understand the inter-relationship of essential elements, cause and effect or sequence and ordering but that comes with life experience.
