September 2018

  • Overly-masculine photocopying

    About 25 years ago I worked on a UK-wide project with three rather splendid colleagues, the memories of whom rest with me today.  One of them, a witty, clever, insightful man of huge experience, regularly had me helpless with laughter...

  • Teaching evolution

    I went to the opening of the Milner Centre for Evolution on Friday at the university.  It's a rather splendid building by the lake and was built with funds provided by Dr Jonathan Milner who was an undergraduate at Bath...

  • Bustards

    For someone quartered safely in Wiltshire, it is almost a shameful thing to say, but I find most burial mounds – barrows (long, round or otherwise) – pretty unimpressive when you see them up close.  I could almost live without...

  • DEFRA and DfE finally give up on environmental education

    DEFRA, with the DfE and Natural England, have now launched their Children and Nature Programme.  This will start in 2019 and end by spring 2023.  It sets out to deliver actions that they have committed to in the government’s 25...

  • Progression in outdoor learning – part 2

    As I noted last week, the respected Institute for Outdoor Learning has drafted a childhood progression in outdoor learning.  This is a "mapping of the range of outdoor learning interventions designed to enable children and young people to form a healthy, developmental and sustainable...

  • Progression in outdoor learning – part 1

    The respected Institute for Outdoor Learning has drafted a childhood progression in outdoor learning.  This is a "mapping of the range of outdoor learning interventions designed to enable children and young people to form a healthy, developmental and sustainable self-led relationship with the...

  • NUS research in schools

    I have long thought that it would be good were NUS to be allowed to operate in schools.  It would, for example, be good for 'student voice', and clearly would encourage schools' interest in sustainability and the SDGs. I was...

  • Rectifying the export tariff

    Climate Action included this in a recent message to its supporters: "While most of us were out catching rays in the heatwave earlier this summer, the government snuck out a call for evidence about small-scale renewable energy in the UK, and...

  • In the line of fire

    This was the title of a leader in the Economist in August.  The sub-head was "The world is losing the war against climate change." The article included the following: Three years after countries vowed in Paris to keep warming “well...

  • Rationing my footprint

    I've been measuring my carbon footprint out of curiosity.  If I were still a teacher of environmental science, I'd be having students to do this as part of their studies – and then exploring the implications and limitations of what...