May 2016

  • The role of education institutions in tackling climate change

    This morning's blog comes from Steve Martin ... The University and College Union (UCU) along with support from the National Union of Students held a one day conference last week (May 13th) at the University of Manchester, to look at...

  • Pale, Male and Stale

    Another stimulating day at the NUS sustainable development observatory board yesterday – although we’re now an advisory group, I note.  Too many Boards, it seems. We had a glimpse of the latest survey results about what students think about the...

  • A ‘green’ focus delivers both educational and financial benefits

    Giving your school a ‘green’ focus delivers both educational and financial benefits, said an article in a recent TES.  The abstract (that is, the taster on the page that you could read without paying) said ... "Not so long ago, sustainability...

  • Green Scorecard – no data yet

    I don't know about you, but I've been waiting rather impatiently for the launch of the Green Scorecard, and we're told the other day by EAUC that this has been delayed for "technical issues".  Happily, though, these are being "worked on"....

  • What should academics be promoting?

    I've been coming across a lot of articles recently that seem to take it for granted that universities, and the academics within them, should be "promoting sustainable development".  Sometimes this is hedged around with caveats and thoughts of a more...

  • Do we need to learn to be more welcoming of nature's migrants?  

    The current migration of people into Europe from North Africa, the Middle East, and farther afield because of war and other social turmoil has already been linked to climate change – not only because this has been seen as a contributor to...

  • Lighting up pathways for a new world

    Another day, and there's yet another ESD conference in an exotic location.  This one's in that part of Spain that is forever British.  No, not Ibiza – Gibraltar. The breathless strapline for this event (I'll not be going) is: Universities as Beacons of...

  • Does renewable energy need subsidies?

    This is a controversial issue as the UK government unwinds the subsidies available for the installation of renewable energy, although subsidies for coal (etc) remain in place.  A new Circulate report explores the issue.  It begins: "The short answer to this...

  • The trouble with GDP

    Whilst everyone seems to acknowledge that there are problems with GDP as a measure of (changing) economic activity, there are no clear ways out of the difficulty.  For example, whilst pollution may be, generally speaking, a bad thing, it can...

  • Sharing Cities: a case for being truly smart and sustainable

    On Tuesday 10 May, Julian Agyeman, from Tufts University in the USA, will be speaking at the Watershed in Bristol on: Sharing Cities.  He'll be exploring his latest book, explaining how the concept of sharing offers cities the opportunity to connect smart...