Cushions Recommended – Teach the Future is holding a teach-in to raise awareness of its climate education bill and the campaign more generally. They day that there will be “some great speakers, so it should be very fun and informative, as well as being an important act of protest.” It’s taking place in Westminster on Saturday 23rd July at a location to be released 24 hours beforehand. If you’re interested, sign up here. It’s recommend that you take a blanket, cushion or camping chair.
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Primary Letters – Anglia Ruskin University’s Global Sustainability Institute collated around 100 letters from primary school children around the world urging their respective leaders to take more action to address the climate crisis. These were made into a book that was illustrated by Anglia Ruskin’s BA Illustration students, and copies were sent to world leaders and politicians at COP26. More details here.
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SDG Stories – The Sustainability Exchange says that colleges and universities have informative stories to tell about how the SDGs are being integrated within their communities. You can read case studies here that set out to share good practice and discuss the issues involved.
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COP27 Stories –The Green Stories Project in association with Herculean Climate Solutions, the Climate Fiction Writers League and Change Agents UK are preparing an anthology of short stories to be made available at no cost to the thousands of delegates and attendees of COP27. We want to present the top climate solutions wrapped up in engaging stories to hook the reader. Each solution will be rated (Top Trumps) style on cost, location, risk, climate mitigation and adaption score. Between now and November 2022 we will be bringing together sustainability experts and experienced writers to put together the anthology. If you can help in this exciting project as a writer, sustainability expert, publisher, or graphic arts (for the illustrations), funding etc. then please get in touch: D.A.Baden@soton.ac.uk
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Art & ESD – A free online event showcases the Erasmus+ CARE research project. It looks at how art – especially contemporary art – can be used as an approach to learning about sustainable development in primary schools. The research project website is here, and you can book for the event here.
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17 Goals – Wakelet is offering challenges that can be taken up by schools for each of the 17 UN SDG goals.
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24 Hours in Tuscon – Registration for the annual conference of the North American Association for Environmental Education [ NAAEE ] opens soon. It will [i] focus on the powerful role education can play in creating healthier communities and tackling today’s complex environmental and social issues; [ii] dig into vital topics such as climate change education and climate justice, the benefits of connecting to nature, building a green workforce, protecting biodiversity, and centering equity in our work; [iii] explore creative new approaches that have emerged from the pandemic; and [iv] delve into ways in which current research can increase our effectiveness as we work to transform communities so they are more sustainable and just. The Research Symposium (October 11–12) and the Conference (October 12–15) both take place at the Westin La Paloma Resort in Tuscon (and on-line).
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All About Nature – Nature Scot says that the All About series is aimed at late primary and early secondary school children. The resources are available from the National Library of Scotland.
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A Friend to Climate – climatefriendlyschools.org.uk is a website that offers to guide all educational establishments towards becoming climate friendly.
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All Hat and No Cattle – Frank Biermann, Professor of Global Sustainability Governance at Utrecht University, argues in The Conversation that the UN sustainable development goals are failing to have meaningful impacts. He says that nothing has changed where it matters: “We found few new policies, institutions or budget allocations designed to further specific goals. Did any government change its laws to achieve the many intersecting transformations envisioned by the SDGs? Did any ministry in those governments create new programmes for implementing the SDGs? If so, there is little evidence of it. What we found instead are changes in discourse. Those in power now refer to the SDGs often. Yet the way they govern has not changed.”
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Red v Grey – Grey Squirrels are said to be a threat to the UK’s plan to plant 1.5bn trees by 2050. Wildlife groups predict that grey squirrels will be responsible for killing 225 million of the trees by stripping bark. The UK Squirrel Accord – 41 leading conservation and forestry organisations, government agencies and companies, with links to voluntary red squirrel conservation groups – says that the government should go further in its attempts to eradicate the 2.7 million grey squirrels that have bred in Britain since they were introduced from America in the 1870s. By contast there are about 287,000 red squirrels, 75% of which are in Scotland. Defra is funding projects to reduce the grey squirrel population including one to feed them contraceptives in hazelnut paste.
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Holes must be Plugged – A new Progress Report by the UK’s independent Climate Change Committee (CCC) finds major failures in delivery programmes towards the achievement of the UK’s climate goals. There’s a summary here on the Climate Action website. CCC Chair, Lord Deben, said: “The UK is a champion in setting new climate goals, now we must be world-beaters in delivering them. In the midst of a cost-of-living crisis, the country is crying out to end its dependence on expensive fossil fuels. I welcome the Government’s restated commitment to Net Zero, but holes must be plugged in its strategy urgently. The window to deliver real progress is short. We are eagle-eyed for the promised action.”
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Inefficient Land Use? – WWF says that 40% of the UK’s most productive agricultural land is used to grow food for farm animals instead of people. It calls for rethink on “inherently inefficient” approach to feeding farm animals foods that humans can eat, which is fuelling the climate and nature crises. Its report highlights what it sees as the benefits of a lower intensity approach to farming, that would create space for nature and boost the resilience of the UK’s food system.
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Big Butterflies – The annual Big Butterfly Count runs from July 15th for three weeks. You’ll need to spend 15 minutes in a sunny spot and count the number and type of butterflies you see. Details here.