Climate, Emotions and Curriculum – A new 60-minute secondary school climate / sustainability INSET video sets out to provide a brief overview of the key issues and why all school staff need to take action. Follow-up resources are listed. The video is here. It covers Climate Science (with AimHi), Emotions (with Thoughtbox), School Operations (with Let’s Go Zero), Curriculum (with the NEU), Partnerships (with Purpose) and Diversity & Inclusion (with Sheffield Environmental Movement and Black & Green Ambassadors). There is also a Call to Action from former education & environment minister Lord Jim Knight, and staff and students from the UKSSN networks. More information here.
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School Science and Nature – The recent edition of School Science Review from the ASE was a special issue with a focus on nature. It was edited by Marcus Grace. Two of the articles are open access: [i] a foreword to the issue and an editorial: Science education and nature [iii] and one of the articles: Engaging schools with long-term monitoring of nature.
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Windows to Open – The DfE is promoting outdoor learning as a means of dealing with the effects of the pandemic. Schools have been told to consider moving classrooms outside when they return in September if five pupils, students or staff, who are likely to have mixed closely, test positive for Covid-19 within a 10-day period – or when 10% of pupils, students or staff who are likely to have mixed closely test positive within 10 days. DfE also says schools should consider “ways to improve ventilation indoors, where this would not significantly impact thermal comfort. Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “We welcome the Government producing some form of contingency plan for schools, although measures such as outside lessons will be difficult in winter.”
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WHO’ll Fix This? – Climate Action says that toxic air pollution is affecting over 3.1 million school children who are being exposed to air pollution levels exceeding World Health Organisation limits on PM2.5. School areas in London have shown to have much higher air pollution levels than any other area. Research has shown 98% of state schools in London are in areas that exceed WHO pollution limits, compared with 24% outside of London. Government data from 2019 show that London school children are four times more likely to go to school in an area that exceeds the WHO limit. Additionally, 28 of the 30 local authorities with the highest school air pollution levels are in London.
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Sustainable Morocco – The future is green is a citizen’s initiative encouraging young Moroccans to learn new skills through growing plants. It is run by Mohammed Adnan El Guennouni whose ambition is to plant a million flowers in Morocco by 2027. He is convinced that education is one of the most effective ways to promote sustainable development; so, rather than giving children bags of food, he wanted to share knowledge so they can plant and harvest their own food. You can see Mohammed interviewed on Matin TV here.
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H to O – The government has published its hydrogen strategy. This sets out plans for “a world-leading hydrogen economy”. The strategy argues that hydrogen could be used in place of fossil fuels in homes and industries which are currently responsible for significant CO₂ emissions (for example, chemical manufacturing and heavy transport, which includes the delivery of goods by shipping, lorries and trains). This would create, the strategy says, over 9,000 jobs by 2030, “potentially rising to 100,000 jobs by 2050”. The government also envisages that many of the new jobs producing and using “low-carbon hydrogen” will “benefit UK companies and workers across our industrial heartlands.” Tom Baxter, of the University of Aberdeen, examines the issues involved in The Conversation where you will also find a link to his explanation of blue and green hydrogen
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Many Future Returns – The International Energy Agency, which is an intergovernmental economic / business forecaster, says that new patents related to core green technologies such as batteries, hydrogen, smart grids and carbon capture are hugely outpacing those in other technologies, including fossil fuels. BloombergNEF, a research company, says that in 2020 more than $500bn was invested into “energy transition” (decarbonising energy production, transport, industry and farming). This was twice as much as in 2010. The Economist has more detail on this. Not everyone thinks that technology has an important role in resolving the climate crises, but clearly many people do.
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Hybrid Trucks – The inside lane on motorways could be fitted with overhead power lines to help the decarbonisation of transport. Hybrid lorries could use these, switching to battery power, diesel or other fuels when overtaking or on smaller roads. The Treasury is considering a £5.7 billion project to convert a number of major freight routes, covering 2,000 miles by 2030. Trials are already underway in Sweden and Germany.
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Pollinator Decline – How much of the world’s food production is dependent on pollinators? asks Hannah Ritchie in an article for Our World in Data. This is the summary: “The populations of many pollinator insects – bees, wasps, and butterflies – are in decline. Many crops rely on pollinators which raises concerns about the future of our food. Three-quarters of our crops depend on pollinators to some extent, but only one-third of global crop production does. This is because many of our largest producing crops (staples such as cereals) are not dependent on them at all. Very few crops are completely dependent. Most would see a decline in yields if pollinator insects disappeared, but would not collapse completely. Taking all this in account, studies suggest crop production would decline by around 5% in higher income countries, and 8% at low-to-middle incomes if pollinator insects vanished.”
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Hats off to the RSPB – NAEE might be 50 years old this year but the RSPB is celebrating the 100-year anniversary of the 1921 Plumage (Prohibition) Act. This was the RSPB’s first successful campaign to benefit the natural world. In 1889, sickened by a slaughter of exotic birds for their feathers, Emily Williamson started the Society for the Protection of Birds in order to campaign for change. Her efforts helped bring about the 1921 Plumage (Prohibition) Act and the founding of the RSPB. Emily’s achievement is to be commemorated with a statue at her former home in Fletcher Moss, near Manchester. More details here.
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Plastic Pledge – The Woodland Trust has announced a new pledge in the war on waste: no more new single-use plastic tree guards on its land from the end of 2021. The Trust says that the commitment puts it “at the forefront of the movement to eradicate plastic from planting schemes UK-wide.” It is funding research to find viable alternatives.
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IYFV 2021 – Did you know that this is the International Year of Fruits and Vegetables? Its promoters say that it is an opportunity to raise awareness of the important role of fruit n veg in human nutrition and health and food security, and as well in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. A background paper outlines the benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption, and examines the various aspects of the sector from a food systems approach: from sustainable production and trade to loss and waste management. This paper provides an overview of the sector and a framework and a starting point for discussion for the Year, highlighting the interlinkages of stakeholders and key issues to be considered for action during the IYFV.
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Earth Overshoot Day – This is the date when humanity’s demand for ecological resources and services in a given year exceeds what the Earth can regenerate in that year. It fell on Thursday July 29th this year, but we forgot to notice it! The truth is, of course, that we have so gotten used to this phenomenon that it has lost the power to shock. Earth Overshoot Day is hosted and calculated by Global Footprint Network which has also calculated the Overshoot Day for each global region. You can find out what date the day would be if it was based on where you live here.
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Beach Litter – The Great British Beach Clean takes place this year from the 17th to the 26th of September. This is the Marine Conservation Society’s annual flagship event which sees thousands of volunteers heading out to clear litter from our beaches across the UK, and record what they find. MCS is asking schools to get involved.