Watched by 200,00 viewers so far, this 12-minute film by Leo Murray from the RCA explains in the simplest possible terms the dynamics of non-linear change, feedback loops and tipping points in the Earth’s climate systems. Watch it here!
The future of water
The role of schools · By Carmelo Marcén
The subject of water is often present, as much in daily conversations as in the media; it is regularly in the news. Much the same thing happens in schools, where water is talked about and worked with. Aspects related to its properties and natural cycle are most frequently touched on; although in recent years the focus has been on the uses of “water as a resource”. Included in the proposals for courses in secondary or high school education are topics linked to the importance of water for human beings and other themes related to the finite nature of this resource. Curricular development happens over time, but the way that the subject of water is represented within the curriculum has stayed more or less the same.
Food as teacher
We are what we eat · By Vandana Shiva
Dr. Vandana Shiva, physicist, environmental activist, winner of the alternative Nobel Peace Prize in 1993 and author of numerous publications on intellectual property rights, biodiversity, biotechnology and bioethics has played a key role in the fight for changes in agricultural practice, women´s rights and food systems worldwide. Here Dr. Shiva argues that the reductionism and fragmentation of narrow disciplinary teaching has replaced traditional holistic education, and she analyses some of the dire consequences of engendering “mental monocultures”.
Who wants to be a farmer?
Teaching Sustainable Agriculture: University challenge or political priority? · By Richard Evans
The question for agricultural colleges is no longer, “who wants to be a farmer? “, but rather how can we train professionals to spearhead an integrated land management strategy necessary to feed Europe beyond peak oil? Musings from an ex-software company director who has gone back to college to learn about sustainable agriculture.
Competing for number 1 eco-city?
Branding vs sustainable cities · By Oriol Lladó
The most sustainable city, the most economical car, the most efficient fridge… Excellence in the field of sustainability is a prized marketing value. Does it have any educational interest?
“It’s all the grownups’ fault”
The city of children is a sustainable city · By Francesco Tonucci
In the light of the serious problems of environmental sustainability and social degradation, ecologists, sociologists, psychologists and doctors are calling for urgent changes to make our cities habitable again. When working with children, it is surprising to discover that the city that they ask for and need is very similar to the city that experts on the subject describe.
