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  • The power of horses

    The following comment was made in 1897 and recorded by the folk at Oxford Dictionaries: "The term 'horse-power' has probably seen its best days" This was optimistic, at best, and I had to struggle with it in 'O' level physics in the 1960s...

  • The USA's difficult energy transition

    The NAEE blog has commented on a Washington Post article which shows the proportion of electricity generated from different sources in the USA.  There is an interactive map which shows the amount of electricity generated in each State for the...

  • Beyond Jargon; beyond reason

    I read two papers before Christmas on higher education and what is known as the sustainability problematique.   One was in review and so there is little I can say about it, except that it was very clearly put together with little...

  • Does a sustainable world really begin in the classroom?

    Here's part of the text of the opening address by Fred van Leeuwen at a seminar organised by Education International in Paris during COP21. "This week all eyes are transfixed on this conference, on the future of earth’s climate.  And that...

  • Myths, misconceptions and misunderstandings in carbon management

    Myths, misconceptions and misunderstandings in carbon management – a pragmatist’s insight into the world of saving carbon in a University was the title of a recent I-SEE seminar at Bath.  It was presented by Peter Phelps, the university's Energy and Environment Manager....

  • China, Climate, Coal and Oil

    Happy New Year. Here's a feature on China and the climate from the Telegraph.  It makes mildly encouraging reading and sits alongside other articles from the same writer saying that the rise of renewables (especially in China) are unsettling the Masters...

  • What should the purpose of school education (in England) be?

    The House of Commons Education Select Committee has launched an inquiry into the purpose and quality of education in England, with a call for written evidence [ deadline 25 January ] addressing the following points: * What the purpose of education...

  • Office for Students

    If you've not been following the discussions around the future regulation of higher education in England, maybe spending too much time in Paris, for example, you may have missed the controversy over HEFCE's consultation about quality assurance, and whether (or not)...

  • The Paris Agreement – no one thought much about education

    There are four references to education in the Paris Agreement [1]. Page 11 – In Section #83 of the Adoption section of the Agreement: "Calls upon all Parties to ensure that education, training and public awareness, as reflected in Article 6 of...

  • HE, ESD and the development of soft skills

    The Times Higher has a story this week on the effect that universities have on the development of, so-called, soft skills: citizenship, innovation, developing personal values, etc.  The answer, in short is not a lot compared to the development of...