Climate Change Playlists – The Educational Recordings Agency has published a number of climate change playlists ahead of COP26. These comprise brief videos taken from TV programmes that explore climate change issues. NAEE has contributed an introduction to the impacts of climate change section for key states 3/4.
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Mind the Gap – As part of the launch of Global Action Plan’s Dirt Is Good Project programme for schools this month, a short film to highlight the impact of the values-perception gap has been released. Research indicates that this gap is a major barrier to young people’s participation in environmental and social justice actions. You can view the film via the Dirt Is Good website or directly via YouTube. More detail on this issue can be found in the Generation Action white paper.
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The Power of Education – A paper from the Brookings Institute says that recent research shows that if only 16 percent of high school students in high- and middle-income countries were to receive climate change education, we could see a nearly 19 gigaton reduction of carbon dioxide by 2050. The paper argues that when education helps students develop a strong personal connection to climate solutions, as well as a sense of personal agency and empowerment, it can have consequential impact on students’ daily behaviors and decision-making that reduces their overall lifetime carbon footprint. Imagine, it says, if 100 percent of students in the world received such an education. The research is published on PLOS ONE.
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Nature Play – A newreport from NSW: Nature Play for New South Wales Insights and Recommendations is designed to facilitate the growth of nature play in the state. The information provided in the report is drawn from targeted consultation with key stakeholders, as well as close collaboration with leading nature play experts and advocates across Australia.
For further insights into what is happening in Australia, look at the recent Conversation feature on the continent in terms of climate change policies and what to do about commitments at COP26.
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Climate Action Internships – Raleigh International, in partnership with National Citizen Service (NCS) / UK Year of Service, are recruiting 15 Climate Action Interns on a 9 month paid internship opportunity (30 hours pw). These Interns will support and extend the reach of Raleigh International’s Action Not Excuses campaign and Re:Green programme, which aim to build a movement of young leaders taking urgent action now to address the climate and biodiversity emergencies across the UK and globally.
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More on the Gap – Global Action Plan is also conducting new research in partnership with psychologists at the University of Bath. They need classes of Year 8 and Year 12 students who can take part in a 30-minute classroom activity as part of this research. This study will help us understand the impact of narrowing the Values Perception Gap (the misperception that most others don’t care when they actually do) on the actions young people are willing to take to help people and the planet. The results will inform the design of educational materials that empower the global citizens of tomorrow. If you have any questions or want to get involved, please contact Dr Lucy Anderson, Research & Impact Lead at Global Action Plan for more information. Alternatively, sign up directly by completingthis form. The deadline for signing up is October 29th.
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Youth Innovation Challenge – Do you have a great idea to help solve issues of climate change and marine litter? GEEP and the Taiwan Ocean Conservation Administration invite applicants from 15 to 30 years of age to propose a solution to address climate change, marine litter, or both issues, that uses environmental education as a key element. The deadline to submit proposals is Monday, October 25, 2021 at 11:59 PM US Eastern Time.
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Inclusion and Diversity – Race for Nature’s Recovery is a new employment initiative, pioneered by a group of environmental and youth empowerment organisations. Its aim is to create new roles in the UK’s environmental sector for unemployed 16-24 year olds from predominantly ethnic minority backgrounds. It is a collaboration between Action for Conservation, Generation Success, Students Organising for Sustainability UK and Voyage Youth which came together to promote the shared aim of creating a more inclusive and diverse environmental sector because studies have shown the environmental sector to be the second leastdiverse workforce in the UK.
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Communicate Links – The first set of recordings from Communicate 2021: On the Road to COP15 and COP26 sessions are now available to viewonline. Just follow the link to view session recordings and a list of the links shared across the conference
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Cross-curricular Pedagogy – Teaching Climate Change in Primary Schools is a new book by Anne Dolan. lt “provides an overview of climate change and highlights the importance of including climate change education in primary schools. It emphasises the importance of cross-curricular pedagogical approaches with a focus on climate justice, providing in-depth assistance for teaching children aged 3–13 years.”
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Saving the Planet One School at a Time – This is the subtitle of a book by Headteacher David Dixon that will be published in early 2022. The book will share“informed insights and a range of practical approaches to help school leaders play their part in making their schools more environmentally friendly and thus better places to learn for all.”
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Felis Silvestris – Here’s a link to an ITV news report on the re-introduction of the wild cat to Kent and Devon as part of plans to secure the future of Britain’s rarest mammal. The report suggests that the species is the “farmers’ friend”.
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Acinonyx jubatus – Wild cheetah populations have fallen from an estimated 100,000 a hundred years ago to about 7,000 now, and the animal is on the Cites most endangered list. International trade in cheetahs was banned in 1975. A report in Science Direct estimates that around 3,600 cats were smuggled between 2010 and 2019 with most going to the Arab states such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar despite laws that punish the keeping of so-called exotic animals.
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Part of Every Child’s Day – Outdoor Classroom day is on November 4th. This is a global movement to make time outdoors part of every child’s day. On two days each year, teachers are encouraged to take children outdoors to play and learn. All year round, the OCD community campaigns for more time outdoors every day.
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Imagine – At the University of Southampton’s Festival of Social Science on the 20th of November [0930 to 1200] there’s a session on Imagining a Sustainable Future via Green Stories. Attendance is free via Eventbrite . There will be an opportunity to learn about what a sustainable society might look like and how fiction can be used to communicate green solutions, help reduce our feelings of powerlessness in the face of climate change, and inspire action.