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Climate change teaching in schools

I think primary schools have a few key functions:

Instilling basic numeracy and literacy to an acceptable standard; starting an appreciation of music and the arts; providing the basics for foreign language learning; and equipping kids to find stuff out and think for themselves. The internet is a great resource if used properly, and you can show them the pitfalls of misinformation and bias; kids will follow their own paths and interests, and if you’ve helped develop their critical faculties, you’ve less need to spoon feed them the knowledge that is felt to be important.

Compartmentalisation starts too early, if you equip kids with the skills to learn, and the desire to learn, they’ll learn. Do this early. Then secondary education can focus on more detailed, specific studies as necessary but if the kids have the tools from an early age, they’ll be better able to make progress more quickly anyway. Kids aren’t stupid, and if you’ve taught them how to think for themselves and be more critical about what is presented to them, they’ll be much more able to find their own way into environmental issues, politics, economics and social stuff.
 
SolarPV and 'tidal' are also coming along and getting more cost efficient, etc.

If only tidal was 'coming along'! There has been truly massive underinvestment in this area from failing to progress the Swansea lagoon - http://www.tidallagoonpower.com/projects/swansea-bay/ which could have been the forerunner to several more or such as the Orbital O2 - https://orbitalmarine.com/o2-power-generation/ - we should have hundreds of these deployed by now!!!

Regards

Richard
 
I would hope that an existential threat could get more than a few minutes in a school's curriculum. Besides, if taught well and holistically, climate change encompasses many subject areas — mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, earth science, geography, sociology, philosophy, business, politics, psychology, law, etc. You can even throw astronomy into that mix to show what happens when a nearby planet has a runaway greenhouse effect in action.

Joe
 
For those that are interested
The young lady you are (hopefully) supporting has just won the "Miss Earth" (England representative) and will be representing UK in the Miss Earth finals (in the Philippines) in December

If she is lucky enough to win the whole competition....she will have a voice and platform to hopefully make a real difference
She is a marine biologist with a degree in same

Her prize giving ceremony below
https://flic.kr/p/2nNYrG6
 
If only tidal was 'coming along'! There has been truly massive underinvestment in this area from failing to progress the Swansea lagoon - http://www.tidallagoonpower.com/projects/swansea-bay/ which could have been the forerunner to several more or such as the Orbital O2 - https://orbitalmarine.com/o2-power-generation/ - we should have hundreds of these deployed by now!!!

Regards

Richard

There are problems with the more ambitious projects like lagoons. But tidal doesn't require lagoons. However, yes, this is all lagging compared with wind power. Solar lags by less I think. But tidal flows still have some development to get though. e.g. tethered flow generators are still hampered by reliability problems due to the sea being a less 'friendly' environment than the air for many materials. e.g. fouling can become a problem.

However the available energy take from tidal it is very high around the UK. Its advantage is the predictability/reliability and the dispersion around the coast making it available more of the day/night.
 
I would hope that an existential threat could get more than a few minutes in a school's curriculum. Besides, if taught well and holistically, climate change encompasses many subject areas — mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, earth science, geography, sociology, philosophy, business, politics, psychology, law, etc. You can even throw astronomy into that mix to show what happens when a nearby planet has a runaway greenhouse effect in action.

Joe

Yes. TBH my big worry over some decades is the way education about science and *engineering* has tended to fade in schools generally. There are exceptions, but the costs seem to mitigate against it. And those who really know the subjects are also likely to get better pay and conditions elsewhere! IIRC there is still a chronic shortage of qualified Physics teachers for schools. And of course along with that Government has allowed apprenticeships to largely dry up, along with FE and making the OU much more expensive.

Having left the EU I fear science in HE will also suffer in many Unis. No Horizon program or a replacement that matches it.
 


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