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Education for sustainable development (ESD) in different subject areas

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Education for sustainable development (ESD) in different subject areas

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"Sustainability is one of the main themes in the construction apprenticeship standards therefore fundamental to my role"

A full case study of the work of Chris Tunningley, assistant faculty director at Leeds College of Building is available here.

A full case study of the work of Gareth Jones, curriculum manager construction, Solomon Whittaker, curriculum manager construction and Sarah Condren, staff development manager at Burnley College is available here.

Content could include:

Sustainability challenges created by construction

Life cycle analysis of construction materials

Sustainability in supply chains and sourcing

Environmental impact assessments, planning and relevant legislation

Sustainability kitemarks, accreditation schemes and standards

Guest speakers from local construction firms with a sustainability-related purpose and/or strong sustainability performance.

Site visits to local projects with strong sustainability features

Examples of sustainability in relevant occupations
(taken from IFATE's sustainability framework):

"A construction occupation may require a designer to understand the impact of the insulating materials they are using to build homes and their resilience to 'heatwave' conditions, resulting in more sustainable housing construction...

An architect can consider if green areas could be planned within the development such that wildlife (flowers, shrubs, trees, animals, and insects) will be able to flourish, even within an office or industrial setting. A building services design technician could consider if a planned development allows for nesting boxes, animal road crossings or other facilities that will encourage biodiversity. Are the plant species planned for use in green spaces appropriate to the climate, area and existing wildlife?"

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Education for sustainable development (ESD) in different subject areas - The Education and Training Foundation

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This guide exists to introduce educators, teachers, trainers and tutors to the links between their subject area and sustainable development - to help you explore appropriate content you could bring to your teaching and learning practice. Within each subject area you might find: Prompts and suggestions of sustainability topics that relate to your subject area [...]

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ELT materials that can be adapted to ESOL, English & Maths

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ELT materials that can be adapted to ESOL, English & Maths

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This page is a "hub" where we collect links to posts and sites sharing lesson plans and classroom materials. A lot of these are categorised by topic (e.g.

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An upcoming online course by the British Council looking at integrating climate action in the English language classroom.

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Welcome to 'Climate Action in Language Education'

This course is a practical course designed to train English language teachers how to integrate environmental issues in English language teaching, through the exploration of language, principles and projects. It aims to equip teachers and learners with the skills they need to take and sustain meaningful and impactful action to protect the environment in their local contexts.

How does the course work?

Sign up for a free TeachingEnglish account, or log in to your existing account

Click the enrol button

Join the course and start learning

About the course

Climate Action in Language Education is a nine-hour self-study training module, which is divided into three three-hour units.

Nine hours of engaging and interactive content to help you learn and develop your teaching skills at your own pace.

Real-time up-to-date insight, resources and innovative ideas for you to try out and engaging discussions taking place in a dedicated community of course participants.

Live events with your course tutor and language teaching experts

Modules

Module 1: Introducing climate change issues into language teaching classes

In this module, you will gain a general introduction to the topic as well as learning how to recognise and evaluate the reasons why environmental issues can be an integral part of language classes. You will learn the key term climate change terms and concepts relevant to your teaching context, and practical teaching approaches you can use both inside and outside the classroom.

Module 2 - Developing and delivering lessons with a sustainability focus

In this module you will explore a principled approach to bringing sustainability into any classroom topic as well as learning how to recognise and overcome the barriers that can prevent teachers from doing this. You will learn how to equip learners with the language skills they need to understand, discuss and engage critically with climate change issues, and promote solutions to local and global environmental problems.

Module 3 - Making sustainability part of your learners' lives

In this module you will explore climate action beyond the classroom. Module 3 is aimed at helping you develop projects, through which your students can use climate related language relevant to their context and participate in community action aimed at tackling the environmental crisis. You'll learn how to design, manage and evaluate learner-centred projects which enable your students to act and make a meaningful difference.

Start dates and duration

The course begins on 19 October 2021 and lasts for 4 weeks.

Cost

This module is available free of charge

Certificates

For participants who successfully complete all tasks and achieve a score of 70% or above in the online exercises, there will be a downloadable certificate of completion at the end of the course.

Level of English required

CEFR B1 and above

How to enrol on this free course

If you have an account on TeachingEnglish

1. Click the 'Enrol on this course' link below. You will be asked to log in to your TeachingEnglish account.

2. Log in to your TeachingEnglish account.

3. If your login details are correct, you will automatically be redirected to the course page.

If you don't have an account on TeachingEnglish

1. Create your free TeachingEnglish account.

2. Once you have created your free account and have logged in, you will be directed back to this page.

3. Click 'Enrol on this course' below.

4. You will automatically be directed to the course page.

How to access the course after you have enrolled

On a desktop or laptop computer

1. Log in to your free TeachingEnglish account.

2. If you have enrolled in the course, you will see 'MY PORTFOLIO' in the menu bar at the top of the page next to the Home button.

3. Move your mouse over MY PORTFOLIO to see the drop-down menu.

4. Click on 'My courses' to access your training.

On a mobile device

1. Log in to your free TeachingEnglish account.

2. Tap the three horizontal lines next to the home button to open the menu.

3. Below 'Home', you will see MY PORTFOLIO and 'My courses' below. Tap on MY PORTFOLIO if you don't see 'My courses'.

4. Tap on 'My courses' to access your training.

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This course is a practical course designed to train English language teachers how to integrate environmental issues in English language teaching, through the exploration of language, principles and projects. It aims to equip teachers and learners with the skills they need to take and sustain meaningful and impactful action to protect the environment in their local contexts.

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Many of the posts below are in conjunction with members of NATECLA who have contributed following a webinar on sustainability in ESOL & the subsequent Twitter #ESOLchat . Many thanks to all, especially Carol!

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Many of the posts below are in conjunction with members of NATECLA who have contributed following a webinar on sustainability in ESOL & the subsequent Twitter #ESOLchat . Many thanks to all, especially Carol!

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New - ETF ESOL Sustainability Resources 

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New - ETF ESOL Sustainability Resources 

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These resources were commissioned by the ETF, delivered by HOLEX and developed and tested by Manchester Adult Education Service, Idea Store at Tower Hamlets Council and Westminster Adult Education Service.

Although developed within an adult education context, these resources will be applicable to ESOL teams in other further education settings too.

Link as of 2026: https://etfoundation.co.uk/professional-development/etf-offer-by-topics/education-for-sustainable-development-esd/esd-resources-for-esol-practitioners/

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Addtional reading from Natecla webinar - Sustainability in ESOL

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Addtional reading from Natecla webinar - Sustainability in ESOL

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BBC Learning English video - Essential English vocabulary climate change and COP26

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BBC Learning English video - Essential English vocabulary climate change and COP26

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4t-pXH4FBo&t=1s

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BBC Learning English -Essential English vocabulary climate change and COP26

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'Integrating global issues in the creative English language classroom'.  The PDF that can be downloaded from the British Council site

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'Integrating global issues in the creative English language classroom'.  The PDF that can be downloaded from the British Council site

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Environmental Issues - Online  Quizzes, Games & Worksheets

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Environmental Issues - Online  Quizzes, Games & Worksheets

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Source: https://www.esolcourses.com/topics/the-environment.html

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Free English Teaching and Learning Resources About The Environment

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Online English language activities about the environment and environmental issues, with worksheets and activities on recycling, earthquakes, landslides, vocanoes, sustainable fishing, green energy projects, World Ocean's Day and Earth Day. Free resources include teaching materials, interactive reading and listening quizzes, word searches, gap fill exercises and printable worksheets for elementary and intermediate level English students and young learners.

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Infographics on sustainability - Pinterest

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Infographics on sustainability - Pinterest

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56 Sustainability Infographics ideas | infographic, sustainability, sustainable city

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Apr 5, 2016 - Explore Sustainable Cities Collective's board "Sustainability Infographics", followed by 5783 people on Pinterest. See more ideas about infographic, sustainability, sustainable city.

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The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) recognises the vital role the Further Education (FE) and Training sector has to play in combating climate change and achieving sustainability and social justice both nationally and globally.
We are currently developing our strategy and initiatives to help support the sector’s adoption of education for sustainable development (ESD) to enhance teaching, learning, assessment and leadership.

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As part of our strategy development we're looking at where the ETF can add most value to supporting the FE and training sector to embrace ESD. Part of this will be developing CPD to help teachers, trainers and others from the sector in their current professional practice, developing their understanding of how to bring ESD into their pedagogic and business approaches. Whilst this work is in development, we recommend the following resources.

Developed by the Climate Commission for UK Higher and Further Education and Nous Group, this resource provides clear actions and guidance on how colleges can respond to the climate emergency and advance sustainability. It encourages a strategic, whole-institution approach and would be suitable for many other types of organisation in the sector beyond colleges.

Developed by UNESCO, this resource is a guide for education professionals on the use of ESD in learning for the SDGs, and consequently to contribute to achieving the SDGs. The guide identifies indicative learning objectives and suggests topics and learning activities for each SDG in a non-prescriptive way meaning educators can adapt its contents to suit their learning contexts and environments.

Developed by the National Union of Students, this resources showcases good practice in the incorporation of sustainability in a wide range of UK further and higher education courses. It provides inspiration of how ESD can be embedded well into a breath of courses including those you may not immediately associate with the sustainable development agenda.

AELP 2021 Spring Conference

Watch Cerian Ayres, ETF's National Head of Technical Education, and Charlotte Bonner, ETF's National Head of Education for Sustainable Development, discuss apprenticeships and Education for Sustainable Development in 'Preparing apprentices for the world of work, and the work of the world' recorded at AELP's 2021 Spring Conference.

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Education for sustainable development (ESD) - The Education and Training Foundation

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As part of our strategy development we're looking at where the ETF can add most value to supporting the FE and training sector to embrace ESD. Part of this will be developing CPD to help teachers, trainers and others from the sector in their current professional practice, developing their understanding of how to bring ESD into their pedagogic and business approaches.

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The Climate Action Roadmap for FE Colleges is now available!

Click here to download the Roadmap (PDF)
Click here to download the Roadmap (PPT)

Click here for more information the Roadmap
Click here for media updates
Click here to access the SECR Tool

The Climate Commission, in partnership with Association of Colleges provided support webinars to guide colleges through the FE Climate Action Roadmap. These are freely available to watch:

What is Nous Group?

Nous Group is an international management consultancy working in the UK, Canada and Australia. Nous supports education, health, government and social care sectors to ensure a better future.

Nous Group advises colleges and universities on designing and implementing strategies to improve their sustainability and environmental impact. If you would like to get in touch to discuss how Nous could support your institution on sustainability, you can find our contact information at nousgroup.com/uk or email nousuk@nousgroup.com.

What is the initiative?

The Climate Action for UK FE Colleges Roadmap has been developed in collaboration between Climate Commission and award-winning management consultancy, Nous Group. The Roadmap provides clear actions and guidance on how colleges can respond to the climate emergency and advance sustainability.

The Roadmap is a key output for the Climate Commission.

In June 2020, a draft of the Roadmap was workshopped with 12 college principals to ensure its relevancy to the sector. It also considers the sector's varying capacity and experiences in addressing the climate crisis in its outlined actions.

The Roadmap is designed to be:

practical and easy to follow

affordable

outcome-driven

How has the Climate Commission contributed to this initiative?

Collated resources and existing work in the FE sector to share with Nous

Included the roadmap in final Climate Commission outputs

Scheduled June workshop and create sub-group of college leaders to take part in the workshop to the sector

How has Nous Group contributed to this initiative?

Reviewed existing sector work and materials

Created roadmap

Tested roadmap with FE leaders at June workshop

How have colleges contributed to this initiative?
Colleges have been involved in creating the Roadmap. On June 17th, 12 colleges and student governor, Ebony Clark, (City of Bristol) gathered with Nous Group and the Climate Commission to work through the Roadmap and ensure its relevancy to colleges.

Participating colleges include:

Basingstoke College of Technology
Bridgend College
Brooksby Melton College
Cambridge Regional College
Capel Manor College
Dumfries and Galloway College
Dundee and Angus College
Fircroft College
Gloucestershire College
Kingston Maurward College
Portsmouth College
Stockton Riverside College
City of Bristol

On 16 July 1100-1230, the Climate Commission hosted a Student-Led Discussion with the Further Education Sector to ensure the Commission's direction speaks to the needs and priorities of the sector. The event had further discussions on how the Roadmap can be used and implemented across UK colleges. View the event here.

David Russell, CEO of the Education and Training Foundation, highlighted the Roadmap in the organisation's July-August newsletter

Association of Colleges' news item on launch of the Roadmap (July 2020)

News item in FE Week (July 2020)

EAUC news item on launch of the Roadmap (July 2020)

Below is a video of Steve Frampton, President of the Association of Colleges, announcing the launch of the Climate Action Roadmap for FE Colleges (July 2020)

TES article (November 2020) - How to become a net-zero college. Includes FE Climate Action Roadmap with examples from Fircroft College, Dumfries & Galloway College & Basingstoke College of Technology.

Nous Group' news item at the beginning of the partnership (May 2020)

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Hughes Media Internet +44 (0) 1886 85 33 85 www.hughesmedia.co.uk

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Climate Commission and Nous Group Climate Action Roadmap for UK FE Colleges

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The Climate Action Roadmap for FE Colleges is now available! Click here to download the Roadmap (PDF) Click here to download the Roadmap (PPT) Click here for more information the Roadmap Click here for media updates Click here to access the SECR Tool The Climate Commission, in partnership with Association of Colleges provided support webinars to guide colleges through the FE Climate Action Roadmap.

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Integrating global issues in the creative English language classroom

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Integrating global issues in the creative English language classroom

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This publication provides innovative ideas for teaching while raising awareness of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

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Edited by Alan Maley and Nik Peachey

This publication has a twofold aim - to help students learn a language creatively whilst at the same time raising awareness of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through bringing together a range of innovative ideas for teaching creatively and addressing these key issues. The activities include enabling students to think creatively about sustainable food and food supplies, creating energy which does not harm the environment, and collaborating with other students globally to diminish the digital divide.

Watch the video to explore some practical ideas and download the publication below.

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Integrating global issues in the creative English language classroom

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Edited by Alan Maley and Nik Peachey This publication has a twofold aim - to help students learn a language creatively whilst at the same time raising awareness of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through bringing together a range of innovative ideas for teaching creatively and addressing these key issues.

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GOING GREEN: 8 activities to teach sustainability in your classroom

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GOING GREEN: 8 activities to teach sustainability in your classroom

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Going Green: 8 Activities to Teach Sustainability in Your Classroom - Project Learning Tree

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Supplement your curriculum across subject areas with these 8 easy activities with a sustainability theme for middle school students.

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Courtesy of Maria Veselova-Smith. Skills Workshop https://www.skillsworkshop.org/resources/wind_power_sustainable_power_for_the_future_maths_investigation

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A fabulous free online ELT/ESOL resource on the topic of the environment/sustainability. Includes weekly lessons live-streamed on YouTube, interviews, articles, creative sessions, etc.

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Introduction

Renewable English was created to help educators and learners in their quest to be more sustainable. In the first series of lessons we look closely at traditional unit themes and look more deeply into our behaviour and see how we can easily make positive changes towards a cleaner, healthier planet.

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Giving educators and learners the tools to raise climate change awareness

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Renewable English was created to help educators and learners in their quest to be more sustainable. In the first series of lessons we look closely at traditional unit themes and look more deeply into our behaviour and see how we can easily make positive changes towards a cleaner, healthier planet.

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'Green is Great' - British Council lesson plan

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'Green is Great' - British Council lesson plan

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This lesson is about sustainability and how the UK is planning to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The lesson involves checking what vocabulary students already know in this topic area and teaching typical collocations relating to reducing emissions and alternative energy sources. The lesson involves a jigsaw reading task, where students read texts on different energy sources and report on these to each other. Extension activities involve students using an online tool to predict the energy future of the UK (or their own country).
Topic
Sustainability and the Environment
Level Time
60 - 80 minutes

Aims

To discuss sustainability and alternative energy (like nuclear, wind and solar power)

To practise reading for gist and detail

To practise paraphrasing a written text orally and in writing

Materials

Lesson plan: download

Worksheets: download worksheet 01/ download worksheet 02

The plans and worksheets are downloadable and in pdf format - right click on the attachment and save it on your computer.

Copyright - please read
All the materials on these pages are free for you to download and copy for educational use only. You may not redistribute, sell or place these materials on any other web site without written permission from the BBC and British Council. If you have any questions about the use of these materials please email us at: teachingenglish@britishcouncil.org

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This lesson is about sustainability and how the UK is planning to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. The lesson involves checking what vocabulary students already know in this topic area and teaching typical collocations relating to reducing emissions and alternative energy sources.

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Source: https://talk.economistfoundation.org/resources/climate-change-in-court/

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'Environmental Problems'. ESOL lesson plan and resources. 1

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'Environmental Problems'. ESOL lesson plan and resources. 1

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Source: https://esol.britishcouncil.org/content/teachers/lessons-and-activities/lesson-plans/environmental-problems

Lesson Plan and resources.

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Topic: Environmental problems

Timing: 60-90 minutes
Aims:
By the end of the lesson learners will be able to:

understand important causes of environmental problems and somesolutions

extend their understanding of lexis connected to climate change and environmental issues

improve understanding of pronunciation information given in a dictionary

take notes and retell information to others

use expressions of certainty when discussing events likely to happen in the future

Copyright - please read

All the materials on these pages are free for you to download and copy for educational use only. You may not redistribute, sell or place these materials on any other web site without written permission from the British Council. If you have any questions about the use of these materials please email us at: e solnexus@britishcouncil.org

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Topic: Environmental problems Timing: 60-90 minutes Aims: By the end of the lesson learners will be able to: understand important causes of environmental problems and somesolutions extend their understanding of lexis connected to climate change and environmental issues improve understanding of pronunciation information given in a dictionary take notes and retell information to others use expressions of certainty when discussing events likely to happen in the future Copyright - please read All the materials on these pages are free for you to download and copy for educational use only.

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'Environmental Problems'. ESL lesson plan and resources. 2

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'Environmental Problems'. ESL lesson plan and resources. 2

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Source: https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/environmental-problems

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This lesson introduces learners to some of the main issues related to climate change. Learners focus on dictionary skills and the pronunciation of strong and weak syllables in long words. Focusing on the lexis in detail will help them recognise and use these terms outside the classroom.
Topic
Environmental problems
Level
B1+
Timing
60-90 minutes
Aims
By the end of the lesson learners will be able to:

understand important causes of environmental problems and some
solutions

extend their understanding of lexis connected to climate change and
environmental issues

improve understanding of pronunciation information given in a dictionary

take notes and retell information to others

use expressions of certainty when discussing events likely to happen in
the future

Materials

Lesson plan: guide for teacher on procedure including answers to tasks.
Download lesson plan
Worksheets: materials which can be printed out for use in class. These worksheets contain:

Vocabulary and word stress

Jigsaw reading cards

Environment

Discussion

Download worksheets
Copyright - please read
All the materials on these pages are free for you to download and copy for educational use only. You may not redistribute, sell or place these materials on any other web site without written permission from the BBC and British Council. If you have any questions about the use of these materials please email us at: teachingenglish@britishcouncil.org

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This lesson introduces learners to some of the main issues related to climate change. Learners focus on dictionary skills and the pronunciation of strong and weak syllables in long words. Focusing on the lexis in detail will help them recognise and use these terms outside the classroom.

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Great for planning writing or a discussion

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Environmental issues vocabulary and language lesson plans for teachers

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Environmental issues are an interesting topic for the English language classroom. It's good to start off with some basic vocabulary, language and speaking exercises about environmental issues, endangered species, natural disasters and the weather.

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English ESL Environment worksheets - various

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English ESL Environment worksheets - various

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ESL Worksheets

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English ESL worksheets, activities for distance learning and physical classrooms (x94256)

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Sustainability - Reading & Writing activity

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Sustainability - Reading & Writing activity

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Source: TES- https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/sustainability-6110415

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Sustainability - Reading & Writing activity

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'Ecocities' - activity to practice all 4 skills

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'Ecocities' - activity to practice all 4 skills

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Source: iSLCOLLECTIVE - https://en.islcollective.com/english-esl-worksheets/search/sustainability

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Sustainable Development  - Discussion activities

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Sustainable Development  - Discussion activities

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Source: TES- https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/download/6015966

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Sustainable Development  - Discussion activities

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Source: https://www.sustainablelearning.com/resource/energy-use-calculator

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Climate Change and Sustainability - Resources, PPTs & videos

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Climate Change and Sustainability - Resources, PPTs & videos

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Source: TES - https://www.tes.com/teaching-resource/climate-change-and-sustainability-11257040

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Climate Change and Sustainability - Resources, PPTs & videos

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Source: The British Council -https://www.britishcouncil.org/climate-connection/get-involved/resources-school-teachers?utm_source=fbinsta&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ce-adults-tcc-global-global-resourcesforschoolteachers&fbclid=IwAR3ccaXMbyXCAuh3Fnh4oMMU4ksKQZHOyT3Un6hBDUSFGqYL8UGlF05OC4U

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Get involved by visiting our Climate Change hub, packed with resources and fun activities. Take part in our Climate Change Challenge, try out a range of experiments and tell us about it.

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'Rainforests' A folder of PPTs, activities and teacher's notes around this topic.

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'Rainforests' A folder of PPTs, activities and teacher's notes around this topic.

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Focus on Geography but just as useful for English language development

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This lesson is ideal as an introduction to any learning linked to transport or sustainability, or just as a way to make statistics more interesting!

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Learning mathematics for an environmentally sustainable future

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Learning mathematics for an environmentally sustainable future

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Courtesy of Karl Bushnell

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Learning mathematics for an environmentally sustainable future

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Article - 'Teaching Sustainability in the English Language Classroom'

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Article - 'Teaching Sustainability in the English Language Classroom'

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Source: Green Journal - https://www.greenjournal.co.uk/2020/07/teaching-sustainability-in-the-english-language-classroom/

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Teaching Sustainability in the English Language Classroom | Green Journal

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Have you heard of greening the classroom? Greening the classroom refers to integrating environmental and sustainability issues into English as a Foreign Language lessons, which in essence means getting across the importance of being environmentally-aware and eco-conscious. Because there is a general need for education when it comes to the environment and sustainability, teaching English [...]

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British Council CPD: 'The Climate Connection Podcasts'

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British Council CPD: 'The Climate Connection Podcasts'

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In this section you can find podcasts produced for teachers and teacher educators by the British Council. Our podcasts are a great way to expand your knowledge and develop an understanding of key issues in English language teaching today. Episodes from our new podcast ’Teaching English with the Brit…

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See ESOL Column for new set of ESOL Sustainability Resources

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See ESOL Column for new set of ESOL Sustainability Resources

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How do race and climate interlink? Why should racial equality be at the heart of the climate movement? If you're struggling to answer these questions, or you'd simply like to learn more about justice issues, then this reading list is for you.

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This is not an exhaustive list, nor does it cover all aspects of race, climate and the environment. Rather, it's a starting point to help us understand how race and climate intersect.

It's also important to note that this list is reflective of us and our place in this movement, and it therefore has its limitations.

We hope this reading list can be expanded and strengthened as more people access it. So please do send in any contributions - we'll review and add them.

Priority list

A Climate of Hope - Climate Justice: A Question of Survival. Utopia Dispatch. Podcast.

From Africa to the US to Haiti, climate change is a race issue. Patrisse Cullors and Nyuesi Nguvu. The Guardian.

Climate Justice is Racial Justice. Keya Catterjee. Eco-business.

Climate and race reading list. (Twitter). The Black Geographers.

Race to the bottom. Azfar Shafi and Ilyas Nagdee.

Shorter reads

We Don't Have To Halt Climate Action To Fight Racism. Mary Annaïse Heglar.

Climate justice means justice for black lives. Jennifer Deol. 350.org, Canada.

Black environmentalists talk about climate and anti-racism. New York Times.

To fix the climate crisis, we must face up to our imperial past. Daniel Voskobynik.

I'm a black climate expert. Racism derails our efforts to save the planet. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. The Washington Post.

What good is clean air if people can't breathe? Racism is inherent to the environmental movement because its inherent to everything. Sarah Lazarovic. Yes! Solutions Journalism.

We need to talk about racism in the climate movement. Tonny Noswhin. Climate Change News.

The Least Convenient Truth - Part 1, Climate Change and White Supremacy. Bani Amor. Bitch Media.

Environmental justice means racial justice. Nina Lakhani and Jonathan Watts. The Guardian.

Extinction Rebellion, racism and the climate crisis. Manthan Pathak. Medium.

Black Lives Matter: the link between climate change and racial justice. Adelle Thomas and Rueanna Haynes. Climate Analytics.

Why Black Lives Matter should Transform the Climate Debate. Naomi Klein. The Nation.

We don't need to halt climate action to fight racism. Mary Annaise Heglar. Huffpost.

Racism dictates who gets dumped on: how environmental justice divides the world. The Guardian.

Get Intersectional! (Or, why your movement can't go it alone). Kirstin Moe. Yes! Solutions Journalism.

My environmentalism will be intersectional or it will be bullshit. Adam Ramsay. Open Democracy.

1.5 degrees to stay alive: climate change, imperialism and justice for the Caribbean. Leon Sealey-Huggins. Taylor & Francis Online.

The climate crisis is a racist crisis: structural racism, inequality and climate change (PDF). Leon Sealey-Huggins. The University of Warwick.

Conservation and human rights abuses - why is this still happening? Helen Newing. ICCS.

Three ways to take the environmental movement out of its white middle class ghetto. Shilpa Shah and Jannat Hossain. Open Democracy.

Decolonize Conservation series. Survival International.

The climate movement's silence. Emily Atkin. Heated.

The fight for Black Lives is a global one; it is a fight for all of our humanity. Jess Mally. The Good Trade.

The Danger of Oppression Olympics. Jess Mally. The Good Trade.

Environmentalism and the Legacy of Colonialism. Keila Mcfarland Dias.

What ACORN taught us. Elyshya Miller and Jeff Ordower.

Podcasts and videos

Patriarchy, racism and colonialism caused the climate crisis. Jamie Margolin. TedX Youth. Colombia.

What do racism and poverty have to do with pollution and climate change? Grist Video.

Settler colonialism is behind climate denial. Novara Media.

Hot Take podcast. Mary Annaise Heglar and Amy Westervelt.

The Yikes Podcast. Mikaela Loach and Jo Becker.

Intersectionality Matters! Kimberley Crenshaw and the African American Policy Forum.

Watch Climate in Colour's video series on YouTube.

Watch Climate Justice is Migrant Justice, session 1. Migrants Organising for Rights and Empowerment (MORE).

Watch The urgency of intersectional organising: BIPOC voices on climate. 350.org.

Octavia's Parables. Toshi Reagon and Adrienne Maree Brown.

Books

How to be Antiracist. Ibram X Kendi.

Conservation Refugees. Mark Dowie.

The memory we could be. Daniel Voskoboynik.

From the Ground Up: Environmental racism and the rise of the environmental justice movement. Luke W. Cole and Sheila R. Foster.

Our History Is the Future. Nick Estes.

White Skin, Black Fuel: On the Danger of Fossil Fascism. Andreas Mal and The Zetkin Collective.

What White People Can Do Next. Emma Dabiri.

Clean and White: A History of Environmental Racism in the United States. Carl A. Zimring.

Organisational statements

Vision for a charity sector that is taking the lead to root out racism. Charity so White.

Solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Movement. Friends of the Earth Europe.

Manifesto for Equality and Interculturalism (PDF). Young Friends of the Earth Europe.

Greenpeace UK's commitment to tackling systemic racism. Greenpeace.

Why justice based solutions are the only solutions to the crisis we face. Friends of the Earth (EWNI).

Pulling Down Our Monuments. Sierra Club.

Practical #allyship - a guide for novices for after the hashtags fade... Climate Emergency Manchester.

Training and learning

Take Climate in Colour's course, "The Colonial History of Climate"

Learn how to be a good ally.

Toolkit for intersectional movement building (PDF). Young Friends of the Earth Europe.

Black and Green Ambassador Project Bristol.

Resist and Renew - power and privilege and anti-racism training.

Navigate - Facilitation for Social Change (run anti-oppression courses).

#Powershift resources@Anti-racism in Development and Aid. Oxfam.

Unlearning Racism course. The Racial Justice Network.

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Race and climate reading list | Local action

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How do race and climate interlink? Why should racial equality be at the heart of the climate movement? If you're struggling to answer these questions, or you'd simply like to learn more about justice issues, then this reading list is for you.

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Rain Forests – Beautiful, Diverse and in Danger.

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Rain Forests – Beautiful, Diverse and in Danger.

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Infographic included in '

50 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Rainforests' - https://greenerideal.com/news/environment/0206-50-things-you-probably-didnt-know-about-rainforests/

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Daily Infographic | Learn Something New Every Day

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The world's rain forests are in danger and yet they are such a vital part of the world's ecosystem, believed to be the oldest ecosystem on earth. They receive the highest volume of rain on the earth and the water they produce evaporates and produces rain elsewhere. So, when rain forests retreat less rain falls across the earth.

This infographic offers some amazing facts and figures about the earth's rain forests. Rain forests cover less than a third of the surface of the earth yet more than half of the globe's terrestrial animals call them home. As the forests slowly recede so the habitat of animals as diverse as the mountain gorilla and the Bengal tiger is disappearing and putting them at increased danger of extinction.

A large number of species live in the trees including many such as salamanders, anteaters, and crabs that are normally ground-dwelling creatures. This makes for the very wide variety of animal species found in these environments. In addition, one-quarter of the world's natural medicines originate in the rainforests of the world.

The Amazon rain forest is the biggest on earth and is roughly the size of the United States. Second to that is the Congo Basin in Central Africa. There are rain forests on every continent with the exception of Antarctica.

Agriculture is the biggest driver of deforestation and many companies are now actively working to exclude products grown in areas that have been denuded of forests. The local people have also been trained to understand the importance of the forest. Not enough is being done, but people are starting to understand that rainforests are essential to the health of the globe.

Please follow and like us:

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Rain Forests - Beautiful, Diverse and in Danger | Daily InfographicDaily Infographic

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The world's rain forests are in danger and yet they are such a vital part of the world's ecosystem, believed to be the oldest ecosystem on earth. They receive the highest volume of rain on the earth and the water they produce evaporates and produces rain elsewhere.

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Additional reading/links from Natecla webinar (Sustainability in ESOL)

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Additional reading/links from Natecla webinar (Sustainability in ESOL)

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Canary Craftivists: a climate campaign for non-activists and crafters

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Canary Craftivists: a climate campaign for non-activists and crafters

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Join Canary Craftivists: a climate campaign for non-activists and crafters

We're helping our planet by campaigning for a cleaner and greener world for all.

Dear quiet, creative crafter, are you worried about global warming and not already part of a climate activism group? If so, this is for you.

If you are a confident and kind climate activist we would also love your help reaching out to and supporting quiet crafters for this new Gentle Protest...

We are running a new #CanaryCraftivists project that takes a gentle, positive approach to climate activism. We need your help to show the UK Government and media that a diverse community is concerned about the climate crisis and want faster, greater action to be taken to tackle it.

Come join us and combine your care for the world with your passion for handicraft and together we can help tackle the climate crisis before it's too late.

It's a crucial time for climate campaigning especially with the UN Climate Conference COP26 attended by world leaders being held on home turf in Glasgow November 2021 and hosted by the UK Government.

Carbon emissions need cutting drastically and we need bolder action from politicians than ever before. We want to seize this opportunity and encourage the UK Government to show leadership in their important role at COP26 through this unique campaign.

Come join us and let's make Canary Craftivists take flight.
A bit about us...
Since 2009, the Craftivist Collective has helped change laws, policies, hearts and minds around the world with quiet, compassionate and visually attractive activism using handicrafts.

So what's #CanaryCraftivists all about?

#CanaryCraftivists uses the soothing, thoughtful process of craft to help us channel feelings of sadness, anger, anxiety or powerlessness into proactive, encouraging action. Rather than projecting despair - which can cause inaction, our quiet actions are attractive and encourage politicians to be part of helping our home flourish for all.

We are flocking to our planet's cause creating a powerful platform for us crafty, non-typical climate change activists to voice our concerns.

And how will it work?

Together, we are engaging our MPs as critical friends (rather than aggressive enemies) with acts of thoughtful Gentle Protest. We are staging quiet, intriguing and crafty gatherings by much-loved and recognisable landmarks in our hometowns to gain local media attention that politicians and their staff will read about. We are also sending our MPs small handmade canary gifts. These are thought-provoking, gentle reminders to do more for our world's welfare and ask the UK Prime Minister to be bolder in his climate commitments.

Other brilliant climate charities and groups are delivering plenty of events and actions that you can take part in that are very different to this campaign. This project is to reach people who have not done activism or climate actions before and may not get involved in more traditional or louder forms of activism.

Our strategy is to keep the climate conversation in the local news - that we know UK politicians read and are influenced by - and popping up where you'd least expect to see climate activism (ie Conservative-led constituencies in towns and villages). Gathering in small flocks of friends and families and making canary gifts for MPs might not seem like the biggest of acts but they are humble, heartfelt, super-strategic and therefore effective steps that can really count. Whatsmore, they won't leave you feeling burnt out, anxious in public after lockdown, or like you're losing too much of your valuable downtime.

Why Yellow Canaries?

For us, the yellow canary is the perfect symbol for this project. They need clean air to be able to fly high in the sky and far afield. In years gone by, they used to accompany coal miners into the mines and give warning signals when the air was too toxic to work in. Miners often called their canary partners 'colleagues' and cared so much for them that they wanted to protect them from harm, sometimes more than themselves.

Just as canaries were effective warning signs then, our Gentle Protest will be a kind, encouraging warning for Members of Parliament now. It will remind them that they can help nature, wildlife and humans flourish before it's too late.

Fiona Dear, Head of Campaigns, The Climate Coalition:
"It's so important to show our politicians and the diversity and scale of support for protecting the things we love from climate change. The Canary Craftivists project brilliantly captures imaginations. Strikingly visual, unusual and memorable, your beautiful yellow canaries are a vital way of engaging politicians' hearts and minds in a powerfully gentle way. "

Here's how to take part

Now lovely crafters, there's two ways you can get involved in #CanaryCraftivists.

Make a yellow cape, or wear yellow clothing, and gather as a small flock (2-12 people ideally who are new to climate action) at a local landmark politicians and residents recognise and treasure and capture in photographs for local media. You can fly away after a few minutes of getting your shots or enjoy a 'crafternoon' making a canary for your MP. Or, simply enjoy a picnic in the sunshine knowing that your Gentle Protest will have a positive ripple effect.

Share your images with your local media (you can fill out this press release). Share your images and #Crafterthoughts on social media showing politicians and the public that the climate movement is more diverse and larger than they might presume. Don't forget to use #CanaryCraftivists and tag @Craftivists when you do to help us gain national media and share with our growing Craftivist Collective community to inspire and empower them to join in solidarity too.

Craft a life sized happy (not dead!) yellow canary (no more than 14cm tall) by hand to send to your local MP along with a handwritten letter (template here) compassionately outlining your climate concerns and encouraging them to do more and faster to address this urgent threat. Use whatever craft you enjoy most as long as your canary fits into your MP's palm and has had time and care in making it. This delicate handmade creature will make them feel all warm and fuzzy when they receive it.

And don't worry, we've done the hard heart and head work for you:

Your handmade yellow canary should not look like it is dead or in pain. It's a humble, friendly and a respectful warning to your MP of the danger climate change poses. This colourful, creative surprise gift is positive and encouraging and can create a little surge of dopamine which will make it even more memorable for your MP to receive. Whenever they see their friendly canary in their office it will be a powerful reminder of the role they can play in protecting our beautiful fragile world and that quiet world-worriers like us are asking for their help. For a power holder, this will be a disarmingly thoughtful gift to receive and therefore all the harder to dismiss.

* (Please use recycled or earth friendly materials whenever possible.)

We can't wait to see all of your handmade canary creations, #Crafterthoughts and flock photos in front of your local landmarks. Please share your gentle craftivism with us @Craftivists using #CanaryCraftivists on social media.

Our 'Canary Craftivists' campaign is part of Climate Action: Race to Zero. Together, we're racing towards zero carbon emissions by 2050 or sooner.

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Join Canary Craftivists: a climate campaign for non-activists and crafters - Craftivist Collective

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We're helping our planet by campaigning for a cleaner and greener world for all. Dear quiet, creative crafter, are you worried about global warming and not already part of a climate activism group? If so, this is for you.

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Hi, based on the request for the infographics used at the webinar, here is a collection of them (and some more!) on a PPT that you can use and adapt for your lessons. Good luck and don't forget to share your ideas with us! :)

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Keep up to date with what is happening across Essex's climate action to protect the environment an sustainability. Could provide good reading for the classroom.

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Welcome to the Essex Climate Action Commission website. Here you will find information about the Commission and its work, as well as news concerning the environment and climate action across Essex.

The Commission released its report Net Zero: Making Essex Carbon Neutral on 20 July 2021. The report can be found on the page. If you missed the online event that was held to mark the launch of the report, a recording is available on the Launch Event page.

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Welcome to the Essex Climate Action Commission website. Here you will find information about the Commission and its work, as well as news concerning the environment and climate action across Essex. The Commission released its report Net Zero: Making Essex Carbon Neutral on 20 July 2021. The report can be found on the page.

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Climate Action in Language Education - lesson plans

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Climate Action in Language Education - lesson plans

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https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/climate-action-language-education-lesson-plans

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Online activities

Throughout November 2023, you can join our free 'Climate action in language education' online activities. Try one or more challenges in your classroom #ClimateActionELT.

Lesson plans

The lessons cover a range of levels and age groups, and each explores a different topic, from sports to storms and from families to fashion. They are designed with flexibility in mind, can be integrated within existing curricula and are available in two versions, for classroom-based lessons and online teaching.

The writers of these lesson plans, Katherine Bilsborough, Christopher Graham and Daniel Barber, are three of the founding members of ELT Footprint, a global community of more than 3,500 teachers, trainers, writers and publishers dedicated to reducing the environmental impact of their place of work, the ELT profession.
See all the lesson plans below
Training

Our free four-week training course 'Climate Action in Language Education' taking place from 7 November to 5 December 2023 is a practical course designed to show English language teachers how to integrate environmental issues in English language teaching, through the exploration of language, principles and projects. It aims to equip teachers and learners with the skills they need to take and sustain meaningful and impactful action to protect the environment in their local contexts.

See all our training courses
The Climate Connection - Competition winners

As well as the lessons created by Katherine, Christopher and Daniel, we have a series of competition-winning lesson plans, which have developed by Digital Learning Associates. Each of these lessons includes video input and comes with a full set of teaching and student resources for a 45-minute ELT lesson themed on taking action on environmental issues, and is in English graded at CEFR level B1.

Resource book

There is also a downloadable resource book, called Climate action in language education: Activities for low resource contexts. This publication provides teachers with a bank of thirty activities, based on ten climate change themes, with step-by-step guidance for each activity.
Download the publication
Lesson plans for primary learners

A green classroom

Age/level: Suitable for use with primary learners aged 6-8 years at elementary level (CEFR A1) and above

This lesson focuses on green classrooms, encouraging learners to think about ways in which they can make their classroom greener. By teaching primary children more about this topic, we can help them to develop the vocabulary they need to take part in important dialogues around sustainability in the future and help them understand that they can do their bit to make their world greener.
Use this lesson in your face-to-face or online teaching
The 5 R's of sustainability

Age/level: Suitable for use with primary learners aged 9-11 years at pre-intermediate level (CEFR A2) and above

Children often learn about 'the three Rs' at school: reduce, reuse, recycle. But in recent years, more sustainability-related Rs have appeared. By teaching children more about this topic, we can help them to develop the vocabulary they need to take part in important dialogues around sustainability in the future and help them understand that there are many things we can do to help the planet.
Use this lesson in your face-to-face or online teaching
A new logo for the World Wildlife Fund

Age/level: Suitable for use with primary learners aged 9-11 years at pre-intermediate level (CEFR A2) and above

This lesson is part of a series of engaging lessons about the climate emergency and biodiversity loss. It explores different topics connected to the crisis. In this lesson, learners will reflect on the importance of all animals, and look at how big, cute animals are over-represented in wildlife conservation efforts. They will read about five more unusual, endangered animals and choose one to replace the giant panda as the symbol of worldwide conservation.
Use this lesson in your face-to-face or online teaching
Lesson plans for secondary learners

Sports in (climate) crisis

Age/level: Suitable for use with older teenagers at advanced level (CEFR C1) and above

In this lesson, learners will learn about the impact of major sports events on the living planet and the impact of global heating on sports, and explore possible solutions and compromises that the world of sport might need to take to lessen its impact. It would be a suitable lesson to supplement a unit in the coursebook on sport, or at the time of a major sports event.
Use this lesson in your face-to-face or online teaching
Fast fashion

Age/level: Suitable for use with younger teenagers aged 12-15 at pre-intermediate level (CEFR A2) and above

This lesson focuses on fast fashion, presenting key data in the form of an infographic. By teaching teenagers more about this topic, we can help them to develop the vocabulary they need to take part in important dialogues around sustainability in the future and help them understand that there are alternatives to fast fashion. The lesson begins with a warmer to introduce the topic. This is followed by a matching word-definition task, with keywords that appear in the infographic. Learners then have an opportunity to practise saying big numbers and statistics before they complete the infographic and discuss the information, including thinking of ways they can change their habits in the future. The lesson finishes with a brainstorming activity in which learners find and present ideas for upcycling a T-shirt.
Use this lesson in your face-to-face or online teaching
Upcycling

Age/level: Suitable for use with older teenagers at intermediate level (CEFR B1) and above

This lesson focuses on upcycling, encouraging learners to think about ways in which they can upcycle common objects. By teaching teenagers more about this topic, we can help them to develop the vocabulary they need to take part in important dialogues around sustainability in the future and help them understand that they can do their bit to make their world greener. The lesson begins with a warmer to introduce the topic. This is followed by a crossword with key 'green' vocabulary and a text analysis activity to model language they need for the last activity of the lesson. Learners play an upcycling speaking game, where they start thinking creatively about the possibilities that upcycling offers. In the final part of the lesson, learners work in pairs or small groups to plan, prepare, research and present their ideas for an upcycling project.
Use this lesson in your face-to-face or online teaching
Buy. Use. Toss

Age/level: Suitable for use with lower secondary learners at intermediate level (CEFR B1) and above

This lesson is part of the Climate Action in Language Teaching series of engaging lessons about the climate emergency and biodiversity loss. It explores different topics connected to the crisis. Learners will think about what happens to the things we throw away. They categorise some rubbish into 'necessary' and 'luxury' products then answer questions about the last plastic item they threw away. They read the 'autobiography' of a plastic bottle and write their own story in the same style. Finally, they discuss the extent to which other people's waste is their responsibility and the responsibility of all, and agree on practical ways to reduce plastic waste in the world at three levels: personal, local and national/ corporate.
Use this lesson in your face-to-face or online teaching
Family footprint

Age/level: Suitable for use with older teenagers at upper-intermediate level (CEFR B2) and above

The climate emergency begins at home, and self-awareness of the impact of home life on the environment is very important. In this lesson, learners will develop their language and 21st-century skills in critical thinking and reaching agreement and compromise in discussions. They will then implement a questionnaire with some sensitive questions about home life and environmental issues.
Use this lesson in your face-to-face or online teaching
Storm coming!

Age/level: Suitable for use with younger teenage learners of English at upper-intermediate level (CEFR B2) and above

In this lesson, learners will learn extreme weather vocabulary and read and listen to news reports about weather events. They then collaborate in groups and role play an emergency meeting to save their town. This lesson would be suitable as a supplement to a unit on weather, geography or the environment, after a recent extreme weather event, or near World Meteorological Day on 23 March.
Use this lesson in your face-to-face or online teaching
The Climate Connection - Power to change

In this video and lesson plan from the Climate Connection environment series, four schools around the world report on their concrete impacts in improving their environment or tackling climate change. Students from India, Zimbabwe and Malaysia describe their achievements in carbon reduction, plastic waste removal, and redesigning festivals to reduce pollution.
Use this lesson
The Climate Connection - Making our school green

This video and lesson plan from the Climate Connections series looks in detail at projects in three schools, which aim to solve local and global problems through active pupil engagement in environmental challenges. Using student videos mainly from Indonesia and one from Lebanon, the video gives a youth voice on projects in planting and water conservation.
Use this lesson
Climate Action - The winners

Schools around the world made videos in 2021 reporting their work in sustainability, and this video rounds up the ten best videos submitted to the British Council. This showcase of young people's environmental actions shows students from the Philippines to Ethiopia and from Nigeria to Ukraine engaged in a range of projects in their communities, each with a goal such as reducing climate change or increasing biodiversity.
Use this lesson
Climate Action - Ukraine School Project

This free education resource has been developed based on a film submitted in 2021 to the British Council's Climate Connections project. The children based in a school in Vydranytsia (the western part of Ukraine) share how their projects and activities are responding to environmental and climate issues.
Use this lesson
Water for all

Age/level: Suitable for use with adult learners of English at intermediate level (CEFR B1) and above

There is a global water crisis. In this lesson, the learners will use and develop their reading skills to gain a bigger understanding of the crisis, its causes and some possible solutions. They will go on to use some 21st-century skills such as collaboration and creativity to make some campaigning posters to create a greater awareness of the problem in their local communities.
Use this lesson in your face-to-face or online teaching
Farming and the environment

Age/level: Suitable for use with adult learners of English at upper-intermediate level (CEFR B2) and above

This lesson looks at how farming can damage the environment, but also how climate change can make farming difficult. Students will be discussing farming and the environment from different perspectives, and some groups will present their ideas to the whole class.
Use this lesson in your face-to-face or online teaching
21st century jobs

Age/level: Suitable for use with adult learners of English at advanced level (CEFR C1) and above

This lesson will encourage learners to discuss the future of work and the environmental impact that the workplace can and could have. They will consider both the types of jobs that we can expect to develop in the 21st century and the nature and characteristics of the jobs. The final task will be to make a list of ideas for the future of work in the light of the climate crisis and global inequality.
Use this lesson in your face-to-face or online teaching

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Climate Action in Language Education - all resources

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Online activities Throughout November 2023, you can join our free 'Climate action in language education' online activities. Try one or more challenges in your classroom #ClimateActionELT.

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Tree planting in Brecon
Good for listening E3 and above

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Could planting giant trees offset a lifetime's carbon footprint?

Learn language related to...

the future

Need-to-know language...

patient - describes the ability to wait for a long period of time

legacy - part of your history; something left behind after death

long-term - lasting far into the future

lifetimes - period of time people are alive

generations to come - groups of people born around the same time in the future

Answer this...

How many sequoia trees have been planted on a site in Wales?

Transcript

They are huge and ancient trees. Most likely to be found in California - like these sequoias in Yosemite National Park. But if you wait, you are going to have to be patient here, you may start to see some growing further afield in parts of the UK.

Nelli Bird, BBC reporter
And this is what they look like when they start off - so tiny compared to what they'll turn into. And already, nearly five hundred of these trees have been planted here on this land, just outside Brecon [in Wales].

Henry Emson is the man behind the One Life One Tree project.

Henry Emson, Founder, One Life One Tree project
The idea came about when I was looking at my children's carbon footprint and I wanted to get a head start for them on how they could offset before they started to hit adulthood, and I came across an article that talked about giant sequoias. But this is really about a legacy and, you know, these trees over a period of, you know, a couple of hundred years, should be able to actually bring someone's carbon footprint down to zero.

And so, on this site in mid-Wales, nearly five hundred giant sequoias have been planted. Not easy to spot from high up yet - they have these green nets around them for the first few years to protect them.

Alongside each sequoia, three native trees are being planted to increase biodiversity.

Henry Emson
This is a long-term project. We're really keen that people think about, you know, the short-term things that they can do to reduce emissions - that's what the planet needs.

But behind each tree is a story.

Lindsay Perks
We've come over from Bristol today to plant this tree in memory of my dad and the kids' granddad. It was very difficult for him to talk about what he wanted for his funeral, so this just feels like an appropriate thing to do. My dad liked to work in woodwork...

Nelli Bird, BBC reporter
It's lovely that you'll be able to come back and see it, isn't it?

Matt Perks
Yeah, it's something that will last our lifetimes and the kids' lifetimes and beyond as well.

And if you are wondering whether the giant sequoias can thrive in the UK, take a look at this forest not far up the road in Powys in mid-Wales. The oldest sequoias here were planted in the mid-nineteenth century.

Today, sequoias are under threat in their native California - one-in-ten destroyed in devastating wildfires last summer.

Planting in the UK can help protect a species that will tower over generations to come.

Did you get it?

How many sequoia trees have been planted on a site in Wales?

Nearly five hundred giant sequoias have been planted on the site in mid-Wales.

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BBC Learning English - Lingohack / Could planting giant trees offset a lifetime's carbon footprint?

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Could planting giant trees offset a lifetime's carbon footprint? the future patient - describes the ability to wait for a long period of time legacy - part of your history; something left behind after death long-term - lasting far into the future lifetimes - period of time people are alive generations to come - groups of people born around the same time in the future How many sequoia trees have been planted on a site in Wales?

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#climatechange graphic for use with ESOL learners. Courtesy of Emily Bryson

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#climatechange graphic for use with ESOL learners. Courtesy of Emily Bryson

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The COP26 UN Climate Change Conference provides an excellent opportunity to bring sustainability and climate issues into learners’ ideas, intake and production. Through new vocabulary, analysing language, discussion, cooperative tasks, projects and in-class research activities, students connect with meaningful issues and develop their thoughts and voices.

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Teaching with video offers thousands of possibilities for learning!
Teachers can use video resources in many ways to engage learners, develop language skills and systems knowledge, build learners' confidence, explore identity, and develop critical thinking skills.
Video resources can inspire projects, inform students' own research and enhance their world view, and they bring more real-world contexts into learning, but teachers often don't receive clear guidance and support on exploiting video for learning.

Our first series of Sensations English webinars for teachers explores using video effectively in English Language Teaching. We want to help teachers feel confident and empowered using these powerful resources.

Each webinar is presented by a leading expert in video pedagogy. They will share useful insights and demonstrate practical strategies to give you more confidence and develop structures for teaching using video.

Get expert advice on ways to add to your students' learning using video.

Build your skills on how to use video in your classes.

Explore the impact of video news resources on engagement, intake and critical thinking.

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Teaching with video offers thousands of possibilities for learning! Teachers can use video resources in many ways to engage learners, develop language skills and systems knowledge, build learners' confidence, explore identity, and develop critical thinking skills.

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EFL Worksheets for B1 + by Silvina Mascitti

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EFL Worksheets for B1 + by Silvina Mascitti

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Topics: General English - global issues - environment - climate change . Level: B1 and above Skills: Speaking and Listening Aims: To discuss the meaning of extinction and the species in danger of extinction. To learn / review about the United Nations. To predict information before watching a video.

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COP26 – the UN Climate Change Conference - British Council Nov 21

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COP26 – the UN Climate Change Conference - British Council Nov 21

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British Council Teens: Climate change: why does 1.5°C matter?

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British Council Teens: Climate change: why does 1.5°C matter?

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Why is it so important that we limit the rise in temperature to 1.5°C? Watch this video to find out.

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You might not think of Britain as a tropical country, but at the Eden Project they have their very own rainforest! Richard learns about the centre's cutting-edge work in research and education, and pretends to be a bat for one of the world's rarest plants.

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Liveworksheets transforms your traditional printable worksheets into self-correcting interactive exercises that the students can do online and send to the teacher.

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Vocabulary video lesson on Climate Change form BBC Learning English

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Vocabulary video lesson on Climate Change form BBC Learning English

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The Climate Connection brings people around the world together to meet the challenges of climate change.

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Presidents, prime ministers and dignitaries from nearly 200 nations have descended on the city of Glasgow in Scotland. They are congregating for the 26th UN Climate Change Conference - COP26. However, one notable person seems to have been omitted from the invitation list. That person is 18-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg. Ms Thunberg is in Glasgow for the global summit, but is unsure as to whether she will be allowed to attend any of the meetings. Speaking to the BBC, she said: "I don't know. It's very unclear. Not officially [invited]." She added: "I think that many people might be scared that if they invite too many radical young people, then that might make them look bad."

U.S. President Joe Biden will be at the event, and China's President Xi Jinping will attend via video link. President Biden was in Rome on Friday for a meeting with the Pope. A number of climate activists noted the irony of his motorcade having 95 cars in it, just two days ahead of a climate conference. Ms Thunberg criticised the conference for what she views as a lack of delegates from developing countries. She said: "We need more representation from the Global South, from the most affected people and areas." The UK's Prime Minister Boris Johnson is hosting the conference. He said: "COP26 must mark the beginning of the end of climate change." He added: "Too many countries are still doing too little."

Try the same news story at these easier levels:

Sources

https://news.yahoo.com/greta-thunberg-london-protests-cop26-122906794.html

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/thunberg-joins-london-finance-protest-before-climate-summit-2021-10-29/

https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/news/19683416.climate-activist-greta-thunberg-says-cop26-invite-unclear/

Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice activities, drag and drop activities, sentence jumbles, which word activities, text reconstructions, spelling, gap fills and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

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Greta Thunberg 'not officially' invited to COP26

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Presidents, prime ministers and dignitaries from nearly 200 nations have descended on the city of Glasgow in Scotland. They are congregating for the 26th UN Climate Change Conference - COP26. However, one notable person seems to have been omitted from the invitation list. That person is 18-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg.

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Welcome to the Global Cities Climate Action Exhibition! Created for COP26, this interactive virtual exhibition showcases world-leading climate action initiatives from 11 global cities. Visit different rooms to discover case studies from each city and contribute a project to the interactive map. This is a partnership project developed by Arup and C40.

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Welcome to the Global Cities Climate Action Exhibition! Created for COP26, this interactive virtual exhibition showcases world-leading climate action initiatives from 11 global cities. Visit different rooms to discover case studies from each city and contribute a project to the interactive map. This is a partnership project developed by Arup and C40.

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The ESOL Podcast - S2, Ep5. Climate Change

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The ESOL Podcast - S2, Ep5. Climate Change

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The ESOL Podcast is made by ESOL students and teachers in the UK. It is a space to share ESOL stories, and for ESOL students to discuss issues of the day.

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TEP S2. Ep5. Climate Change

TEP S2. Ep5. Climate Change

For the last ESOL Podcast episode of 2021, Maria and Azadeh talk about the important issue of climate change. They made this episode as part of the Newcastle College ESOL Podcast project and you can find many more podcasts by ESOL students at Newcastle College on spotify and other podcast platforms - https://open.spotify.com/show/1l9w1KKS6nt2TE7ewGRLb3?si=9113734e4f404ee2 If you would like to make an episode for The ESOL Podcast please send us an email info@esolpodcast.co.uk or contact us through Facebook or Twitter. @TheESOLPodcast

2021 © Spotify AB

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TEP S2. Ep5. Climate Change by The ESOL Podcast

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TEP S2. Ep5. Climate Change by The ESOL Podcast

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For the last ESOL Podcast episode of 2021, Maria and Azadeh talk about the important issue of climate change. They made this episode as part of the Newcastle College ESOL Podcast project and you can find many more podcasts by ESOL students at Newcastle College on spotify and other podcast platforms - https://open.spotify.com/show/1l9w1KKS6nt2TE7ewGRLb3?si=9113734e4f404ee2 If you would like to make an episode for The ESOL Podcast please send us an email info@esolpodcast.co.uk or contact us through Facebook or Twitter.

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Sanjay Puri Architects designs university with stepped green roof (dezeen.com)

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Mumbai studio Sanjay Puri Architects has designed a building for Prestige University in India that will feature a stepped green roof punctuated with courtyards.

Scheduled to be completed in June 2022, the low-rise building will be located within Prestige University's existing 32-acre campus in the Indian city of Indore.

Designed to blend into its surroundings, the five-storey Prestige University will be a red-brick, stepped building that rises out of the ground and features a series of rooftop courtyards connected by small staircases.

"As opposed to creating an imposing edifice, the building will be gradually stepped up from the approach direction, belying its 20-metre height," architect Sanjay Puri, who founded his eponymous firm in 1992, told Dezeen.

The building's grass-covered roof will be stepped up from its north side, making its entire surface area an accessible terrace to be enjoyed by students and staff.

As well as small courtyards designed for recreational activities, the terrace will also include different-sized open-air sections that will provide the building's interior with natural ventilation.

Inside, a diagonal pathway will run across the length of the ground floor, which will also help to open up the building's internal spaces and fill them with fresh air.

"These design elements are planned in response to the city's climate, which varies from 30 to 40 degrees Celsius for eight months of the year," said the architecture firm.

CF Møller Architects hides "invisible villa" in Norway under green roof

In the interest of easy access, a cafeteria, administration offices and an auditorium will be located on the building's ground floor. The library will be arranged in various areas across the first floor, which will be connected by a bridge that will overlook the diagonal "indoor street" below.

Classrooms will occupy the second floor and be ventilated by the open-air sections above them. On the third floor, visitors will find more tiered classrooms, while administrative facilities will be located on the fourth floor.

According to the studio, Prestige University's design takes its cues from traditional Indian architecture in both its materials and its ability to adapt to the local climate.

"The building will imbibe from traditional Indian architecture to create an energy-efficient, sustainable building with minimal dependence on artificial lighting and air conditioning," explained Puri.

"In addition to housing numerous activities, the building will become a large open public space with an accessible ground floor and landscaped roof."

Based in Mumbai, Sanjay Puri Architects recently also completed the Rajasthan School in India, which was designed with oversized pergolas to cope with the desert climate of its location.
The renderings are courtesy of Sanjay Puri Architects.

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Sanjay Puri Architects designs university building with accessible stepped green roof

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Mumbai studio Sanjay Puri Architects has designed a building for Prestige University in India that will feature a stepped green roof punctuated with courtyards. Scheduled to be completed in June 2022, the low-rise building will be located within Prestige University's existing 32-acre campus in the Indian city of Indore.

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Resources for teaching and lesson planning ideas

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Welcome to our Resources pages. These pages lay out a wealth of resources for you to use in creating a Carbon Literacy course.

Carbon Literacy is being delivered by scores of people and organisations working in partnership with the project including schools, employers, universities, community groups, hospitals, individual trainers and charities. To that end, we want to be able to help our partners deliver the best training that they can and support this by making as many resources available to our partners as possible.

Resources range from "starters for ten" to help you communicate to non-expert audiences or advocate for a project internally to the detailed information, exercises and resources to support you in developing your training response and help you deliver Carbon Literacy to your audience.
Getting started
We have organised information so that you can use it in various ways. The sections below should be self-explanatory, but drop a mail to info@carbonliteracy.com if all is not clear or you have any specific queries or resources we can add.

We are well aware that there is still more we can do to make this information more useful and accessible and we intend to continue to develop our resources, however generally we think it is better to share some of what we've got so that it can help you right now and then improve it as we go along.

We hope you find these resources useful and they support you in participating in The Carbon Literacy Project.

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Welcome to our Resources pages. These pages lay out a wealth of resources for you to use in creating a Carbon Literacy course. Carbon Literacy is being delivered by scores of people and organisations working in partnership with the project including schools, employers, universities, community groups, hospitals, individual trainers and charities.

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How the food we eat is destroying our environment

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How the food we eat is destroying our environment

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How the Food We Feed Farm Animals Is Destroying the Environment

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We all have the opportunity to reduce the environmental impacts of livestock feed by reducing or eliminating our demand for animal product consumption.

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Linking Sustainability to the climate, biodiversity loss & pollution

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Linking Sustainability to the climate, biodiversity loss & pollution

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The Problem: Unsustainable Consumption

Unsustainable consumption by the human population is arguably the biggest underlying cause of environmental issues around the globe.

Our consumption of resources (everything from energy to food and fast fashion) is growing rapidly (in 2017 extraction of resources reached 92 billion tons) and is seriously harming our planet. This is because this way of life requires mass manufacture of products, which depletes finite materials and damages our planet's ecosystems in often irreparable ways.

Excessive consumption also makes our planet increasingly uninhabitable by polluting the water, air and land. Whether we like it or not, waste products from the commodities we consume, (including vehicles fumes, ocean plastics and landfill) are overwhelming our natural ecosystems.

Perhaps the most alarming impact of this drive for 'more' is climate change (or climate breakdown), which represents dramatic shifts in climatic conditions.

To discover more about the many ways in which we are damaging the environments we physically and mentally depend on, read on, or use the menu to the left to delve into specific topics.

Earth's climate is changing as a result of human behaviour.

Our excessive use of non-renewable energy, continues to release CO ₂ emissions (and other gases) into our atmosphere, which trap heat and cause the average temperature to rise (the greenhouse effect).

None of us intend to damage the planet as we go about our daily routines, but our high carbon lifestyles are taking their toll.

Unfortunately, the impacts of human driven climate breakdown are already apparent. The average global temperature of our planet rose to 1°C above 'natural' (pre-industrial) temperatures in 2017. Although this change may seem insignificant, this small increase has already caused both direct and chain effects such as:

Sea level rise

Desertification

Wildfires

Water shortages

Crop failure

Extreme weather events

Death of coral reefs

Rainforest degradation

Rapid extinction of species

I f we continue 'business as usual' , temperatures are likely to exceed above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century 3.1° -5.1°C . At these temperatures, the impacts previously described would intensif y and we would likely see abrupt and irreversible changes .

For instance, temperatures currently experienced in heatwa ves would become the new norm for summer months , creating vast, inhospitabl e regions . Furthermore, coral reefs w ould likely be entirely wiped out , with at just 2°C of warming. 99% disappearing

It is believed that we only have 11 years to prevent further catastrophic and irreversible impacts. Therefore it is crucial that we quickly make changes to our lifestyles.

This link takes you to the XR (Extinction Rebellion) emergency page, which explains more about the Climate Emergency. https://rebellion.earth/the-truth/the-emergency/

Our continued exploitation of the world's resources in combination with climate breakdown is also causing habitat change and destruction, which ultimately leads to the extinction of species. For example, habitats are often directly altered (e.g. forest clearance) to make space for farmland and artificial structures. Biodiversity loss is also caused by: direct exploitation, invasive species and pollution (including nutrient loading).

Global water systems are becoming contaminated with litter (including plastics), chemicals, fertilisers and sewage. This diminishes clean water reserves and causes further harm to aquatic ecosystems which increases their vulnerability to other environmental issues.

The air we breathe is being polluted by gases and toxins from industry, transport, wildfires and homes. Common pollutants include, smoke, soot, methane, and carbon dioxide. When present in harmful concentrations, major health problems arise such as lung disease and emphysema. In extreme cases, air pollution can even lead to declines in life expectancy.

Deforestation, agriculture, industry and landfill are polluting not only water sources, but terrestrial habitats too, inflicting further harm on our wildlife. Land pollution exacerbates the fact that space for wildlife is already shrinking (due to urbanisation, construction and climate change) by adding the threat of entrapment in litter, and ingestion of toxic materials. Additionally, similar to aquatic systems, this pollution reduces the resilience of habitats on land in the face of additional issues such as climate change.

While this all seems rather frightening, there is still great potential to rethink our behaviour and trigger positive change. And although it may be difficult to maintain hope for the future, examples of widescale positive change are already evident, such as the success of the renewable energy sector which generated 35.8 % of the UK's energy in 2019. Furthermore, people are more concerned about environmental issues than ever before (according to polls), thanks to the ongoing efforts of activists (e.g. Greta Thunberg) and protests (e.g. Extinction Rebellion), suggesting that a whole wave of people are now prepared to act!

In terms of future goals, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) advocates that limiting warming to below 1.5°C would significantly reduce the negative impacts of climate breakdown and secure a better future for the next generation. However, achieving this will be no simple feat. It will require global cooperation and mobilisation, and a dramatic shift in behaviour towards lower and more sustainable consumption.

If we do however take major action towards solving the climate crisis, we can take comfort in the fact that many of our actions will simultaneously improve other environmental issues, since their causes are often interlinked. For instance, consuming a plant-based diet reduces greenhouse gas emissions whilst also decreasing the need for deforestation (to create farmland).

Unfortunately, we can't individually solve the climate and environmental crises, but we can effect positive change in our lives and directly influence those around us. Sadly, the alternative is to be part of the problem. By providing an example for others to follow, we can trigger positive impacts that ripple throughout our communities and ultimately contribute to a major part of the solution. A nursery provides the perfect setting to share changes and influence a large group of people! Links to learn more about the Climate Emergency in general can be found within the text above and the list below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pRETT1L-aZQ - David Attenborough on the future of the planet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAJsdgTPJpU - Greta Thunberg speech at UN Climate Action Summit.

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The Problem: Unsustainable Consumption Unsustainable consumption by the human population is arguably the biggest underlying cause of environmental issues around the globe. Our consumption of resources (everything from energy to food and fast fashion) is growing rapidly (in 2017 extraction of resources reached 92 billion tons) and is seriously harming our planet.

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Understanding sustainability:
To ‘sustain’ means to support and keep existing, so the way we live is only ‘sustainable’ if it does not use up all the resources needed for us and future generations to stay alive.

The parameters to take into account during any development are the environment, the well-being of people, and economic growth: Planet, People, and Profit.

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Adaptable ideas for your learning institution, going beyond the classroom.
The purpose of schools is to produce contributing community members. In order to best prepare for the future, schools need to model and help students understand the impact each of us have on the world. This includes teaching sustainability in schools and helping students understand the importance and purpose of environmentally friendly practices. This helps students be informed about making decisions that can maintain and improve the world that we live in.

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How to Improve Sustainability in Schools - TeachHUB

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Climate change and sustainability are major issues today's students are tackling. Check out ways to bring sustainability into your school.

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Blog with energy saving tips that you can embed into an ESOL lesson

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There are lots of changes we can make around the home to reduce the amount of energy we use. If every home followed some or all of the energy saving tips below, our energy use as a whole would dramatically decrease and we'd save a lot of money too.

Top 10 Energy Saving Tips at Home

1. Switch it off

You know this already but it's surprising how many people leave things switched on or plugged in when they're not in use. Leaving a room? Switch the light off. Turning the TV off at night? Switch it off at the wall so it isn't left on standby. Has your phone / laptop / tablet finished charging? Unplug it.

2. Buy Energy Efficient Appliances

Chucking out your existing appliances and replacing them with energy efficient ones is not always the most environmentally responsible way of doing things, and most of us couldn't afford to do that anyway. However once an appliance has broken and can't be repaired this is a good time to look into replacing it with a far more energy efficient one. Energy efficient appliances are normally slightly more expensive to begin with but will save you money in energy bills over time and of course are much better for the planet.

3. Use Energy Efficient Light bulbs

LED light bulbs use 90% less energy than traditional light bulbs and they can last up to 40 times longer as well. - The Green Age. And did you know that most LED lightbulbs can be recycled as well? - Ultra LEDS

4. Line Dry Don't use Tumble Dryers

Tumble dryers use a lot of power and it's free to dry your clothes outside or on a clothes airer inside, so from a money point of view this a no-brainer. Not only are you saving money on your bills but your clothes will last longer if you line dry rather than tumble dry.

I do understand that some households feel a tumble dryer is necessary, homes with lots of active kids for example, but at the very least not every load of washing needs to be put in the tumble dryer!

Why is line drying better?

"If all households with a tumble dryer dried one load of washing outside each week, instead of by machine, they would save over a million tonnes of CO2 in a year." - The Guardian

5. Check the house for draughts

If your home is draughty you're probably spending more on heating than you should be. An easy way to reduce your energy bills is by making sure you find the source of draughts and get rid of them.

6. Only fill the kettle with as much water as you need

If you're only making one or two cups of tea it really isn't necessary to fill the kettle to the top. It takes longer to boil the kettle meaning you're using more energy than is required. From a money saving point of view it's pennies each time, but it also adds up over time. So do the planet and yourself a favour and only boil as much water as you need (you'll get your cup of tea quicker as well).

How does saving energy help the environment?

"When you consume less power, you reduce the amount of toxic fumes released by power plants, conserve the earth's natural resources and protect ecosystems from destruction." - Save on Energy

7. Check your thermostat

Living in the UK, having some sort of heating during winter is necessary. But to save yourself money and energy you could maybe turn the desired temperature down just a bit or reduce the amount of time the heating is on for each day. Turning your thermostat down by just one degree will reduce your heating bill. Having the heating come on 10 minutes later each day and going off 10 minutes earlier each day will make little difference to how warm the house is but will save you money on power bills.

8. Replace baths with showers and take shorter showers

A bath uses around 80 litres of water, whereas a shower uses only around 35 litres. The more water you use the more energy you're using to heat it. If you can reduce your shower time by 2 minutes you will save money in energy bills; and your water bills if you're on a meter. (Average shower time is around 9 minutes). According to research by the energy company Eon, it's a potential saving of 300m worth of energy a year for the whole of the UK.

Power showers might feel great but they use more water, so if you're serious about reducing your energy use, and saving water, look into more efficient shower heads. If you need help reducing the time you spend in the shower there are timers available (which are sometimes free from your energy supplier).

What's using the most energy in your home?

"In an average home, the TV, DVD player, set-top box etc account for around 8% of the energy bill, while computers, laptops and printers make up another 5%." - USwitch

9. Use a quick wash cycle and a cold wash

It's rarely necessary to put the washing on for 2 hours at 60º, you can adequately clean your clothes on a cold wash and on a quick wash cycle. Less water, a lower temperature and a shorter spin cycle all save energy and water. It also causes less damage to your clothes so they'll last longer as well! Use cold water or a 30°C cycle whenever possible.

10. Use timers

For those of us who don't have central heating and have to use plugin electric radiators (thanks landlord!) invest in a timer so that your radiators come on and go off at set times of the day. Without using a timer it's easy to leave them on for much longer than they're required to warm the house and it's also way more tempting to switch them on during the day for a quick boost of heat (well for me it is anyway).

Timers can also be used for other electrical appliances around the home if you have a bad habit of leaving things on.

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An additional tip is to check your energy supplier. Try to switch to a green energy supplier if possible. At the moment they can be slightly more expensive but that's because they're competing with massive companies who can afford to charge slightly less - although I'm sure these larger energy companies could be charging way less than they currently do! Do some research and see what you can find out. The more people who switch to green energy suppliers, the cheaper they'll become and the bigger companies will start to change their ways when they start losing customers.

Got any more energy saving tips? Let me know.
If you like what I do and want to support me, you can buy me a 'coffee' which helps with the running costs of the website. Alternatively come and say hello on facebook, twitter or pinterest.
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Energy Saving Tips at Home - Green Eco Friend

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There are lots of changes we can make around the home to reduce the amount of energy we use. If every home followed some or all of the energy saving tips below, our energy use as a whole would dramatically decrease and we'd save a lot of money too.

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How do race and climate interlink? Why should racial equality be at the heart of the climate movement? If you're struggling to answer these questions, or you'd simply like to learn more about justice issues, then this reading list is for you.

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This is not an exhaustive list, nor does it cover all aspects of race, climate and the environment. Rather, it's a starting point to help us understand how race and climate intersect.

It's also important to note that this list is reflective of us and our place in this movement, and it therefore has its limitations.

We hope this reading list can be expanded and strengthened as more people access it. So please do send in any contributions - we'll review and add them.

Priority list

A Climate of Hope - Climate Justice: A Question of Survival. Utopia Dispatch. Podcast.

From Africa to the US to Haiti, climate change is a race issue. Patrisse Cullors and Nyuesi Nguvu. The Guardian.

Climate Justice is Racial Justice. Keya Catterjee. Eco-business.

Climate and race reading list. (Twitter). The Black Geographers.

Race to the bottom. Azfar Shafi and Ilyas Nagdee.

Shorter reads

We Don't Have To Halt Climate Action To Fight Racism. Mary Annaïse Heglar.

Climate justice means justice for black lives. Jennifer Deol. 350.org, Canada.

Black environmentalists talk about climate and anti-racism. New York Times.

To fix the climate crisis, we must face up to our imperial past. Daniel Voskobynik.

I'm a black climate expert. Racism derails our efforts to save the planet. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. The Washington Post.

What good is clean air if people can't breathe? Racism is inherent to the environmental movement because its inherent to everything. Sarah Lazarovic. Yes! Solutions Journalism.

We need to talk about racism in the climate movement. Tonny Noswhin. Climate Change News.

The Least Convenient Truth - Part 1, Climate Change and White Supremacy. Bani Amor. Bitch Media.

Environmental justice means racial justice. Nina Lakhani and Jonathan Watts. The Guardian.

Extinction Rebellion, racism and the climate crisis. Manthan Pathak. Medium.

Black Lives Matter: the link between climate change and racial justice. Adelle Thomas and Rueanna Haynes. Climate Analytics.

Why Black Lives Matter should Transform the Climate Debate. Naomi Klein. The Nation.

We don't need to halt climate action to fight racism. Mary Annaise Heglar. Huffpost.

Racism dictates who gets dumped on: how environmental justice divides the world. The Guardian.

Get Intersectional! (Or, why your movement can't go it alone). Kirstin Moe. Yes! Solutions Journalism.

My environmentalism will be intersectional or it will be bullshit. Adam Ramsay. Open Democracy.

1.5 degrees to stay alive: climate change, imperialism and justice for the Caribbean. Leon Sealey-Huggins. Taylor & Francis Online.

The climate crisis is a racist crisis: structural racism, inequality and climate change (PDF). Leon Sealey-Huggins. The University of Warwick.

Conservation and human rights abuses - why is this still happening? Helen Newing. ICCS.

Three ways to take the environmental movement out of its white middle class ghetto. Shilpa Shah and Jannat Hossain. Open Democracy.

Decolonize Conservation series. Survival International.

The climate movement's silence. Emily Atkin. Heated.

The fight for Black Lives is a global one; it is a fight for all of our humanity. Jess Mally. The Good Trade.

The Danger of Oppression Olympics. Jess Mally. The Good Trade.

Environmentalism and the Legacy of Colonialism. Keila Mcfarland Dias.

What ACORN taught us. Elyshya Miller and Jeff Ordower.

Podcasts and videos

Patriarchy, racism and colonialism caused the climate crisis. Jamie Margolin. TedX Youth. Colombia.

What do racism and poverty have to do with pollution and climate change? Grist Video.

Settler colonialism is behind climate denial. Novara Media.

Hot Take podcast. Mary Annaise Heglar and Amy Westervelt.

The Yikes Podcast. Mikaela Loach and Jo Becker.

Intersectionality Matters! Kimberley Crenshaw and the African American Policy Forum.

Watch Climate in Colour's video series on YouTube.

Watch Climate Justice is Migrant Justice, session 1. Migrants Organising for Rights and Empowerment (MORE).

Watch The urgency of intersectional organising: BIPOC voices on climate. 350.org.

Octavia's Parables. Toshi Reagon and Adrienne Maree Brown.

Books

How to be Antiracist. Ibram X Kendi.

Conservation Refugees. Mark Dowie.

The memory we could be. Daniel Voskoboynik.

From the Ground Up: Environmental racism and the rise of the environmental justice movement. Luke W. Cole and Sheila R. Foster.

Our History Is the Future. Nick Estes.

White Skin, Black Fuel: On the Danger of Fossil Fascism. Andreas Mal and The Zetkin Collective.

What White People Can Do Next. Emma Dabiri.

Clean and White: A History of Environmental Racism in the United States. Carl A. Zimring.

Organisational statements

Vision for a charity sector that is taking the lead to root out racism. Charity so White.

Solidarity with the Black Lives Matter Movement. Friends of the Earth Europe.

Manifesto for Equality and Interculturalism (PDF). Young Friends of the Earth Europe.

Greenpeace UK's commitment to tackling systemic racism. Greenpeace.

Why justice based solutions are the only solutions to the crisis we face. Friends of the Earth (EWNI).

Pulling Down Our Monuments. Sierra Club.

Practical #allyship - a guide for novices for after the hashtags fade... Climate Emergency Manchester.

Training and learning

Take Climate in Colour's course, "The Colonial History of Climate"

Learn how to be a good ally.

Toolkit for intersectional movement building (PDF). Young Friends of the Earth Europe.

Black and Green Ambassador Project Bristol.

Resist and Renew - power and privilege and anti-racism training.

Navigate - Facilitation for Social Change (run anti-oppression courses).

#Powershift resources@Anti-racism in Development and Aid. Oxfam.

Unlearning Racism course. The Racial Justice Network.

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Race and climate reading list | Local action

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How do race and climate interlink? Why should racial equality be at the heart of the climate movement? If you're struggling to answer these questions, or you'd simply like to learn more about justice issues, then this reading list is for you.

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Please add your suggestions for relevant courses below. Thank you!

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Please add your suggestions for relevant courses below. Thank you!

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Lesson plan: Creating a positive digital footprint

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Lesson plan: Creating a positive digital footprint

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Possibly useful activities to embed both digital and sustainability issues in this short lesson

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Breadcrumb

Raise awareness of digital footprints and how to manage them.

e-safety speaking critical thinking

Raise learners' awareness of what their online activity says about them

This lesson raises learners' awareness of what happens to the information they post online and generates discussion on how they can manage their own digital footprints. It also helps learners to develop their speaking and critical thinking skills.

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Breadcrumb Raise awareness of digital footprints and how to manage them. e-safety speaking critical thinking Raise learners' awareness of what their online activity says about them This lesson raises learners' awareness of what happens to the information they post online and generates discussion on how they can manage their own digital footprints.

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Live stats on various aspects on global warming & sustainability

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BBC News (March 2022): 5 things learnt from the IPCC report

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BBC News (March 2022): 5 things learnt from the IPCC report

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Sustainability is our key to a liveable environment, and that's why we need to understand what's happening to our environment.

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Climate change: Five things we’ve learned from the IPCC report

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What are the key messages in the UN’s sober study on the impacts and risks from rising temperatures?

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Share weekly resources that can be used to support the embedding of sustainability goals.

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We finally made the century, and we're celebrating with this cracking set of ESOL resources around reducing energy costs produced by Greening Wingrove.

This will also be the last of the numbered ROTWs. We'll still post resources weekly, but we're ditching the the numbering system as it's actually a lot more confusing that you might imagine (especially when scheduling posts in advance).

Please click on the graphic below for more info

ESOL Energy Course Materials

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Resource of the week #100: ESOL resources for reducing energy costs

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We finally made the century, and we're celebrating with this cracking set of ESOL resources around reducing energy costs produced by Greening Wingrove. This will also be the last of the numbered ROTWs. We'll still post resources weekly, but we're ditching the the numbering system as it's actually a lot more confusing that you might imagine (especially when scheduling posts in advance).

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Reading Comps - some Sustainability topics

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Reading Comps - some Sustainability topics

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Sustainable development goal: peace & justice and how it relates to the climate crisis. War in any country is not good for the environment

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Sustainable development goal: peace & justice and how it relates to the climate crisis. War in any country is not good for the environment

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Climate breakdown is accelerating rapidly, many of the impacts will be more severe than predicted and there is only a narrow chance left of avoiding its worst ravages, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has said.

Even at current levels, human actions in heating the climate are causing dangerous and widespread disruption, threatening devastation to swathes of the natural world and rendering many areas unliveable, according to the landmark report published on Monday.

"The scientific evidence is unequivocal: climate change is a threat to human wellbeing and the health of the planet," said Hans-Otto Pörtner, a co-chair of working group 2 of the IPCC. "Any further delay in concerted global action will miss a brief and rapidly closing window to secure a liveable future."

Droughts, floods, heatwaves

In what some scientists termed "the bleakest warning yet", the summary report from the global authority on climate science says droughts, floods, heatwaves and other extreme weather are accelerating and wreaking increasing damage.

Allowing global temperatures to increase by more than 1.5C above pre-industrial levels, as looks likely on current trends in greenhouse gas emissions, would result in some "irreversible" impacts. These include the melting of ice caps and glaciers, and a cascading effect whereby wildfires, the die-off of trees, the drying of peatlands and the thawing of permafrost release additional carbon emissions, amplifying the warming further.

'Atlas of human suffering'

António Guterres, the UN secretary general, said: "I have seen many scientific reports in my time, but nothing like this. Today's IPCC report is an atlas of human suffering and a damning indictment of failed climate leadership."

John Kerry, the US special presidential envoy for climate, said the report "paints a dire picture of the impacts already occurring because of a warmer world and the terrible risks to our planet if we continue to ignore science. We have seen the increase in climate-fuelled extreme events, and the damage that is left behind - lives lost and livelihoods ruined. The question at this point is not whether we can altogether avoid the crisis - it is whether we can avoid the worst consequences."

The report says:

Everywhere is affected, with no inhabited region escaping dire impacts from rising temperatures and increasingly extreme weather.

About half the global population - between 3.3 billion and 3.6 billion people - live in areas "highly vulnerable" to climate change.

Millions of people face food and water shortages owing to climate change, even at current levels of heating.

Mass die-offs of species, from trees to corals, are already under way.

1.5C above pre-industrial levels constitutes a "critical level" beyond which the impacts of the climate crisis accelerate strongly and some become irreversible.

Coastal areas around the globe, and small, low-lying islands, face inundation at temperature rises of more than 1.5C.

Key ecosystems are losing their ability to absorb carbon dioxide, turning them from carbon sinks to carbon sources.

Some countries have agreed to conserve 30% of the Earth's land, but conserving half may be necessary to restore the ability of natural ecosystems to cope with the damage wreaked on them.

Chance to avoid the worst

This is the second part of the IPCC's latest assessment report, an updated, comprehensive review of global knowledge of the climate, which has been seven years in the making and draws on the peer-reviewed work of thousands of scientists. The assessment report is the sixth since the IPCC was first convened by the UN in 1988, and may be the last to be published while there is still some chance of avoiding the worst.

A first instalment, by the IPCC's working group 1, published last August, on the physical science of climate change, said the climate crisis was "unequivocally" caused by human actions, resulting in changes that were "unprecedented", with some becoming "irreversible".

This second part, by working group 2, deals with the impacts of climate breakdown, sets out areas where the world is most vulnerable, and details how we can try to adapt and protect against some of the impacts. A third section, due in April, will cover ways to cut greenhouse gas emissions, and the final part, in October, will summarise these lessons for governments meeting in Egypt for the UN Cop27 climate summit.

'Cataclysmic' for small islands

Small islands will be among those worst affected. Walton Webson, an ambassador of Antigua and Barbuda and the chair of the Alliance of Small Island States, called the findings "cataclysmic".

He urged the UN to convene a special session to consider action. "We are continuing to head for a precipice - we say our eyes are open to the risks, but when you look at global emissions, if anything we are accelerating towards the cliff edge. We are not seeing the action from the big emitters that is required to get emissions down in this critical decade - this means halving emissions by 2030 at the latest. It is clear that time is slipping away from us."

Governments in other parts of the world could help their people to adapt to some of the impacts of the climate crisis, the report says, by building flood defences, helping farmers to grow different crops, or building more resilient infrastructure. But the authors say the capacity of the world to adapt to the impacts will diminish rapidly the further temperatures rise, quickly reaching "hard" limits beyond which adaptation would be impossible.

'Global dominoes'

The climate crisis also has the power to worsen problems such as hunger, ill-health and poverty, the report makes clear. Dave Reay, the director of Edinburgh Climate Change Institute at the University of Edinburgh, said: "Like taking a wrecking ball to a set of global dominoes, climate change in the 21st century threatens to destroy the foundations of food and water security, smash onwards through the fragile structures of human and ecosystem health, and ultimately shake the very pillars of human civilisation."

The report plays down fears of conflicts arising from the climate crisis, finding that "displacement" and "involuntary migration" of people would ensue but that "non-climatic factors are the dominant drivers of existing intrastate violent conflicts".

But Jeffrey Kargel, a senior scientist at the Planetary Science Institute in the US, said: "The current warfare activity in eastern Europe, though not attributable to climate change, is a further caution about how human tensions and international relations and geopolitics could become inflamed as climate change impacts hit nations in ways that they are ill-prepared to handle."

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IPCC issues 'bleakest warning yet' on impacts of climate breakdown

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Climate breakdown is accelerating rapidly, many of the impacts will be more severe than predicted and there is only a narrow chance left of avoiding its worst ravages, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has said.

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https://dailyinfographic.com/what-causes-global-warming?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email

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This is a great short read article to use in a lesson, to get a discussion started on the climate crisis and how it will affect UK coastal regions.
There is a video embedded here as well - it is a two part news report that can be used for a listening, discussion and research exercise.
The news report shows the recent flooding in South Africa and how it has devastated communities there.
The second part is an interview with a climate scientist - it is probably better suited for advanced classes, or just for your information as a tutor.
The news report does go on, there are some climate related news there as well, but probably not all useful for a lesson on flooding and how it affects British coastal areas.

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Sky News 20 hrs ago Victoria Seabrook, climate reporter
Some British coastal communities will "inevitably" be forced from their homes as climate change eats away at their shores, the head of England's Environment Agency (EA) will warn today.

EA chief executive Sir James Bevan is expected to say rising sea levels - fuelled by warmer oceans and melting ice - will mean "some of our communities - both in this country and around the world - cannot stay where they are".

"While we can come back safely and build back better after most river flooding, there is no coming back for land that coastal erosion has taken away or which a rising sea level has put permanently or frequently under water," Sir James will say at a speech at the Flood and Coast Conference in Telford.

He will argue that although the aim should be to keep communities where they are, in some places it will make economic and humane sense to move them from danger rather than attempt to protect them from "the growing threat of flooding from rivers, the sea, and surface water as well as coastal erosion".

Sir James's acknowledgement of a planned retreat was welcomed by climate scientists who warn that sea levels will continue creeping up - in some areas beyond our ability to adapt.
Read more: Bangladesh climate migrant megacity crumbling under pressure with warning that same issues will hit UK
Professor Robert Nicholls, director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research called it a "timely official recognition of a major problem that has been predictable for some time but easy to ignore as it only slowly becomes apparent".

Professor Ilan Kelman, Professor of Disasters and Health at University College London, said leaving a community is "devastating" but "nothing new for England and Wales".

Welsh village Fairbourne has been told it will have to move as Gywnedd Council cannot maintain flood defences indefinitely. The low-lying Fens in eastern England, which account for 7% of England's agricultural production, lies partly below sea level due to drainage.

A recent report from the IPCC - the United Nations' international group of climate scientists - projected that coastal flood damage in Europe will increase at least ten times by the end of this century, and even more so if we do not change the way people live in those areas.

In the UK, one million people are expected to be exposed to annual coastal flooding by the end of this century.

Sir James's remarks come as the EA launches a new plan to prepare England for flooding and coastal change.

The body is aiming to improve assessments and mapping of flood risk, as well as information on investment decisions. It is also channelling £150 million into 25 new innovative projects to tackle the threat of flood and coastal change.

Jim Hall, professor of climate and environmental Risks at Oxford University said: "Even if the Environment Agency could afford to build coast protection everywhere - which they cannot - the things that many people cherish about the coast, like beaches and sand dunes, will eventually become submerged, unless we start to plan now for how the coastline can adjust to rising sea levels."

He called for "honest conversations" within coastal communities about the future, and a strategic approach to managing the coast sustainably.

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Some British coastal communities condemned to be swallowed by the sea because of climate change

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Sky News 20 hrs ago Victoria Seabrook, climate reporter Some British coastal communities will "inevitably" be forced from their homes as climate change eats away at their shores, the head of England's Environment Agency (EA) will warn today.

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The Big Microplastic Survey: article & video to use for discussion

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The Big Microplastic Survey: article & video to use for discussion

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Useful website / resources to discuss microplastics, or to use for a reading/listening activity.

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The Big Microplastic Survey

The Big Microplastic survey is a collaborative citizen science project being undertaken by UK registered charity, Just One Ocean and the University of Portsmouth. The project began in July 2018 and numerous individuals and organisations from around the world have joined the programme.

This is not a project that it is time dependent. It is ongoing, with data gathered next year, or even in ten years contributing to our scientific knowledge. So it doesn’t matter if you can’t do a survey because of the snow; it can wait until the snow clear.

This project is all about collecting data that we can use. The more we get the better so please feel free to do as many surveys when you want, whenever you want.

The Idea

The idea for the project was conceived by David Jones, CEO and Founder of Just One Ocean.  David is a conservationist and speaker and having worked with The Plastic Oceans Foundation for nine years, has a wealth of knowledge on marine plastic issues and solutions.  One of the biggest issues we face is microplastics.

Find out more about microplastics

In March 2018 we conducted the first of our microplastic surveys using volunteers to gather the data as part of a University of Portsmouth research project. This was undertaken at the entrance to Chichester Harbour on the south coast of the United Kingdom in March 2018.

Find out more about the Chichester Harbour Survey

We were amazed at the number of people who were willing to take part in the data collection process.  We realised that the majority of microplastic data collection was being conducted by scientists and while that work remains as important as ever, the drawback was the amount of data they could feasibly collect within any given time frame.  We decided that a citizen science project could add valuable information to the work already being undertaken by scientists even potentially enhance it.

Where Are We?

Since we started The Big Microplastic Survey Project we have had an amazing response from around the world, not only from individuals who want to be involved in helping to resolve the microplastic issue, but also from academic institutions and even government departments.  This map shows the locations of registrations.  The whole process was digitised in August 2019 and we will also be continuing to develop our data analysis interface.

We Need Your Help

Although there are many scientists out there doing lots of really good research on the microplastic issue, there are simply not enough and we need more information.  That is where you come in.

The Big Microplastic Survey is has been designed as a global citizen science project that anyone can participate in.  It will gather scientific data and information about the microplastics problem from around the world and is aimed at individuals and organisations that have access to the coast, rivers and lakes and want to get involved.

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Since we started The Big Microplastic Survey Project we have had an amazing response from around the world, not only from individuals who want to be involved in helping to resolve the microplastic issue, but also from academic institutions and even government departments. This map shows the locations of registrations.

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5 types of renewable energy - Infographic

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5 types of renewable energy - Infographic

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The ETF advocates whole-institution approaches to education for sustainable development (ESD), ensuring that all learners become sustainability learners. The core purpose of the FE and Training sector organisations is to provide education and training, and therefore to achieve maximum impact with sustainability work, a focus on the curriculum is vital.

We've developed the Map the Curriculum tool to offer a way for providers and practitioners to understand where ESD content is found in their curriculum.

The tool will help providers to collect and analyse their own data, identifying where they are currently including sustainability topics and skills development in their provision, where there might be gaps and how they might improve.

We anticipate providers will use this tool to:

Baseline their ESD provision in their curriculum

Measure and report on progress over time

Identify where ESD is being included so they can identify existing effective practice to share, expand upon etc. as well as celebrating those who are leading the way

Provide data that can be used to motivate departments, teams or practitioners who haven't yet begun to bring ESD into their work

Identify further opportunities for embedding ESD across their provision.

The tool can be used to map curricular across a whole organisation, across a department or function, or across a specific course. There's enough flexibility built in so that it can be useful to individual practitioners as well as teams and organisational leaders.

To ensure ease of use, and to avoid errors, the spreadsheet itself has been locked to editing beyond where providers need to enter details about their curriculum. If you would prefer to use an unlocked version of the tool to further adapt it to suit your specific needs, please get in touch.

The tool has been developed with inputs and ideas from various FE and Training sector practitioners. Particular thanks go to the curriculum team at ACL Essex who've help test the tool.

As ever, if you'd like to share you experiences of bringing ESD into your work, of if you need support with your ESD work, please get in touch.

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Map the curriculum tool - The Education and Training Foundation

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We've developed the Map the Curriculum tool to offer a way for providers and practitioners to understand where ESD content is found in their curriculum

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Please see attached the final piece of artwork for SLEE Creativity and Upcycling. You see it as you walk through the front doors at Chelmsford ACL.It's called: Our Beautiful Spectrum The intent and purpose of 'Our Beautiful Spectrum' is to celebrate ACL's beautiful diversity of people across the board. Its message is aimed at the big co-operations, who have the REAL power to make or break the Earth and choose to frivolously print 'recycle me' on the tops of bottles, placing the ownership back onto the individual. 'Our' means our. The earth belongs to all of us! You can see this 'recycle me' theme running through the colours in O.B.S.  The bee and the hive represent our ecosystem that so delicately hangs in the balance, betwixt the plastic and the twigs.Over one hundred jar, lid and bottle tops were used in its construction. This number equates to approximately one month's worth of food OR drink for a SINGLE person, if they ONLY had three things per day (wrapped/served in plastic/tin). Not full meals.We hope that it inspires anyone who wants to re-cycle, reduce and re-purpose junk and save the planet. See how easy it is to make a statement?Thanks go to the local community, Learners and staff who attend the College. They helped to save up and contribute the bottle tops and the site staff for hanging it so quickly.It was created over three weeks in the start of June's Pride month. Monday's Creativity and Upcycling group helped to sort, wash, dry and place the tops in the areas of different colours. For health and safety reasons, I secured the tops using a mixture of mastik and a hot glue gun.Thank you and enjoy Nicola

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Please see attached the final piece of artwork for SLEE Creativity and Upcycling. You see it as you walk through the front doors at Chelmsford ACL.It's called: Our Beautiful Spectrum The intent and purpose of 'Our Beautiful Spectrum' is to celebrate ACL's beautiful diversity of people across the board. Its message is aimed at the big co-operations, who have the REAL power to make or break the Earth and choose to frivolously print 'recycle me' on the tops of bottles, placing the ownership back onto the individual. 'Our' means our. The earth belongs to all of us! You can see this 'recycle me' theme running through the colours in O.B.S.  The bee and the hive represent our ecosystem that so delicately hangs in the balance, betwixt the plastic and the twigs.Over one hundred jar, lid and bottle tops were used in its construction. This number equates to approximately one month's worth of food OR drink for a SINGLE person, if they ONLY had three things per day (wrapped/served in plastic/tin). Not full meals.We hope that it inspires anyone who wants to re-cycle, reduce and re-purpose junk and save the planet. See how easy it is to make a statement?Thanks go to the local community, Learners and staff who attend the College. They helped to save up and contribute the bottle tops and the site staff for hanging it so quickly.It was created over three weeks in the start of June's Pride month. Monday's Creativity and Upcycling group helped to sort, wash, dry and place the tops in the areas of different colours. For health and safety reasons, I secured the tops using a mixture of mastik and a hot glue gun.Thank you and enjoy Nicola

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Lesson ideas for lower levels (but adaptable to suit)

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Lesson ideas for lower levels (but adaptable to suit)

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Please feel free to use the lessons I have created here or tweak to suit your own students; of course you could also explore your own lesson ideas and share them with us too. If you would like your lesson to appear on this Sustainability Padlet, please contact either Rachel or Carol at Natecla East of England.

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Green Lessons for Lower Levels_Carol Samlal_Green Action ELT_Shared

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Slides on the 21st C Skills webinar to come

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Slides on the 21st C Skills webinar to come

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Research and findings on our reliance on digital tech

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A collection of articles we're reading that are shaping the understanding of the energy and carbon impacts of digital value chain emissions.

Research has been conducted on electricity use associated with adigital services, but to date no complete study of television distribution has been conducted. Here the authors present the first assessment of electricity used for distribution and viewing of television over different distribution platforms terrestrial, satellite, cable and online streaming. It uses a novel methodology that combines life cycle assessment techniques with models of the diversity of actual user behaviour, derived from detailed audience monitoring and online behaviour analytics data.

Koomey and Masanet published a peer-reviewed commentary in the journal Joule, discussing the pitfalls that plague estimates of the internet's energy and carbon impacts.

The paper describes how these errors can lead well-intentioned studies to predict massive energy growth in the information technology sector, which often doesn't materialize. "We're not saying the energy use of the internet isn't a problem, or that we shouldn't worry about it," Masanet explained. "Rather, our main message is that we all need to get better at analysing internet energy use and avoiding these pitfalls moving forward."

A new white paper published by the Carbon Trust estimates an average carbon footprint of 55gCO2e per hour of video streaming in Europe in 2020, with viewing device as the largest determining factor. The white paper was developed in close consultation with DIMPACT.

What's the true impact of streaming on the climate? Some studies have tried to answer this question, but it's hard to get right. Delivering an episode of Shadow and Bone to your screen requires different technologies that are constantly evolving - from the data centers where the data is housed, to the infrastructure that brings the internet to your home, to the electricity powering how you enjoy the show. Measuring those emissions took a lot of guesswork, resulting in studies with inaccurate estimates and myths - until now.

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A collection of articles we're reading that are shaping the understanding of the energy and carbon impacts of digital value chain emissions. Research has been conducted on electricity use associated with adigital services, but to date no complete study of television distribution has been conducted.

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Sustainability Framework for ELT - Cambridge

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Sustainability Framework for ELT - Cambridge

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Courtesy of https://www.learningvillage.net/

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BBC Learning English video - Rainforests 

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BBC Learning English video - Rainforests 

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Are your students worried about deforestation? Help then learn the vocabulary they need to talk about it with News Review

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Rainforests: destruction gets worse: BBC News Review

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Oxfam Education - Stories of Climate Change

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Oxfam Education - Stories of Climate Change

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Courtesy of Nik Peachey

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https://bit.ly/43qzuEt

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Educational video about marine habitats. Developed for use in ELT classrooms, co-funded by Erasmus KA2 project "Green Standard Schools", project number 2021-1-HR01-KA220-ADU-000035661. Production: Jantar - International House Split (https://www.jantar.hr/en) in collaboration with Institute of Oceanography and Fisheries (https://galijula.izor.hr/en/)

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World Ocean Day - Threatened & Endangered Marine Species

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World Ocean Day - Threatened & Endangered Marine Species

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https://bit.ly/3WQZne8

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GSS: Threatened and Endangered Marine Species

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Educational video about threatened and endangered marine species. Developed for use in ELT classrooms, co-funded by Erasmus KA2 project “Green Standard Schoo…

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https://bit.ly/43w0sLa

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GSS LP - World Oceans Day videos - Google Drive

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Carbon Literacy® is relevant climate change learning that leads to positivity and action towards reducing carbon emissions. The Carbon Literacy Project works to provide you with access to this learning so that you can become certified as Carbon Literate.

The Project's published definition of Carbon Literacy is:
"An awareness of the carbon costs and impacts of everyday activities and the ability and motivation to reduce emissions on an individual, community and organisational basis."
More than just small personal changes, Carbon Literacy highlights the need for substantial change and supports you, as an individual, to have a cascade effect on a much wider audience - whether it's in your workplace, community, school, university, place of worship, or another setting.

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Individual - The Carbon Literacy Project

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Carbon Literacy® is relevant climate change learning that leads to positivity and action towards reducing carbon emissions. The Carbon Literacy Project works to provide you with access to this learning so that you can become certified as Carbon Literate.

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The social and ecological issues that humanity currently faces are so severe that they call into question the fundamental stories that societies are based on. Ecolinguistics provides tools for revealing the stories we live by, questioning them from an ecological perspective, and contributing to the search for new stories to live by.

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FREE: Everything in the course is free, including accessing the materials, registering, a mailing list for updates, and a certificate of successful completion.

START RIGHT NOW: You can work through the nine parts of the course at your own pace, and register any time to access discussion groups, tuition, and additional materials and apply for the certificate.

TEACHERS: Please feel free to use any of these materials in your own classes. You can adapt them as you like and use them for any purpose.

WHAT'S THE COURSE ABOUT? The social and ecological issues that humanity currently faces are so severe that they call into question the fundamental stories that societies are based on. Ecolinguistics provides tools for revealing the stories we live by, questioning them from an ecological perspective, and contributing to the search for new stories to live by. The course examines a wide range of texts from advertisements, lifestyle magazines and economics textbooks to surfing guides, Native American sayings and Japanese animation. In each case, the question is whether the stories that underlie texts encourage us to care about people and the ecosystems that life depends on.

WHO PRODUCED THE COURSE? Arran Stibbe, Professor of Ecological Linguistics at the University of Gloucestershire, working with a team of volunteers (see below). Arran has an academic background in both linguistics and human ecology and combines the two in his research and teaching. He is the founder of the International Ecolinguistics Association , and is author of Animals Erased: discourse, ecology and reconnection with nature and Ecolinguistics: language, ecology and the stories we live by (Routledge). He was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship by the Higher Education Academy for teaching excellence, and has published widely on ecolinguistics.

MORE ABOUT THE COURSE: The course is based on the Routledge book Ecolinguistics: language, ecology and the stories we live by . It describes eight ways that language encodes the stories that society is based on: ideologies, framings, metaphors, evaluations, identities, convictions, erasure and salience. Each part of the course covers one of these types of story and includes notes, exercises, videos and (for those who register) discussion groups and additional materials.

THE TEAM: With great thanks to interns Charlotte Dover, Alex James, and Meg Shaw for many contributions; to students who helped with the filming; to Robert Poole for creating an extra section on corpus approaches; to Hass Otsmane-Elhaou and his team from Unit1 Films for creating the videos; to Amir Ghorbanpour, Ayodeji Adedara, Daniela Francesca Virdis, George Jacobs, James Kyle Hager, Jan Osborn, Lucy Atieno, Mira Lieberman-Boyd and Mitch Larney for proof reading and copy editing; and finally to Jessica Iubini-Hampton for her help in running the course and everything else she does for the IEA.

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FREE: Everything in the course is free, including accessing the materials, registering, a mailing list for updates, and a certificate of successful completion. START RIGHT NOW: You can work through the nine parts of the course at your own pace, and register any time to access discussion groups, tuition, and additional materials and apply for the certificate.

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SORTED Guide to Sustainability in Further Education | Sustainability Exchange

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Introduction to the Guide

This provides college and university institutions with specific guidance on embedding sustainability using a whole-institution approach, with inspiring examples of good practice from others are already doing so.

The Guide offers a starting point and signposts the route to more information if wishing to delve deeper. It can also be used by those already on the sustainability journey, as a means to review your direction and destination.

Supporting the guide is the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Global Universities Partnership on Environment and Sustainability (GUPES).

The Guide is structured around the categories outlined in the Sustainability Leadership Scorecard:

Introduction to the topic area

Organisational value of embedding sustainability in this area

Wider benefits of embedding sustainability in this area

Getting started

Useful resources (links to resource, brief description of resource & use)

Great examples (case studies - provided by EAUC).

Before reading each section, take a moment to pause and reflect on the following questions:

What are we already doing in this area?

If there were no limits, no "if's" and "but's", what would I like to see happening in my organisation relating to this area in 5 years?

Then, reading the Guide in full, consider how to you'd implement your ideas - what would it take? Who else has done similarly, or made some progress here already?

There are 162 resources provided by SORTED Guide to Sustainability in Further Education

Displaying 1-20 of 162 results | View 20 50 100 per page

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SORTED Guide to Sustainability in Further Education

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This provides college and university institutions with specific guidance on embedding sustainability using a whole-institution approach, with inspiring examples of good practice from others are already doing so. The Guide offers a starting point and signposts the route to more information if wishing to delve deeper.

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Interesting article on why people seem slow to act on the threats of climate change until it is on their doorstep, and what we can do about it.

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We know that climate change is happening. We also know that it's the result of increased carbon emissions from human activities like land degradation and the burning of fossil fuels. And we know that it's urgent.

A recent report from international climate experts tells us that we are likely to reach 1.5C of average global warming in as little as 11 years. At that point we can expect "increased risks to health, livelihoods, food security, water supply, human security and economic growth". These experts also found that temperature rise has already altered human and natural systems in profound ways, resulting in more extreme weather, the melting polar ice caps, sea level rise, droughts, floods and biodiversity loss.

But that information hasn't been enough to change our behaviours on a scale great enough to stop climate change. And a big part of the reason is our own evolution. The same behaviours that once helped us survive are, today, working against us.

It's important to remember one thing, however. It's true that no other species has evolved to create such a large-scale problem - but no other species has evolved with such an extraordinary capacity to solve it, either.

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Brain biases
We lack the collective will to address climate change because of the way our brains have evolved over the last two million years.

"Humans are very bad at understanding statistical trends and long-term changes," says political psychologist Conor Seyle, director of research at One Earth Future Foundation, a programme incubator that focuses on fostering peace long-term.

"We have evolved to pay attention to immediate threats. We overestimate threats that are less likely but easier to remember, like terrorism, and underestimate more complex threats, like climate change."

In early phases of human existence we faced an onslaught of daily challenges to our survival and ability to reproduce - from predators to natural disasters. Too much information can confuse our brains, leading us to inaction or poor choices that can place us in harm's way.

As a result, our brains evolved to filter information rapidly and focus on what is most immediately essential to our survival and reproduction. We also evolved to remember both threats, so that they could be avoided in the future, and opportunities, so we could easily recall where to find sources of food and shelter.

These biological evolutions ensured our capacity to reproduce and survive by saving our brains time and energy when dealing with vast amounts of information. However, these same functions are less useful in our modern reality and cause errors in rational decision-making, known as cognitive biases. "Cognitive biases that ensured our initial survival make it difficult to address complex, long-term challenges that now threaten our existence, like climate change," says Seyle.

Psychologists have identified more than 150 cognitive biases we all share. Of these, a few are particularly important in explaining why we lack the will to act on climate change.

Hyperbolic discounting. This is our perception that the present is more important than the future. Throughout most of our evolution it was more advantageous to focus on what might kill us or eat us now, not later. This bias now impedes our ability to take action to address more distant-feeling, slower and complex challenges.

Our lack of concern for future generations. Evolutionary theory suggests that we care most about just a few generations of family members: our great-grandparents to great-grandchildren. While we may understand what needs to be done to address climate change, it's hard for us to see how the sacrifices required for generations existing beyond this short time span are worth it.

The bystander effect. We tend to believe that someone else will deal with a crisis. This developed for good reason: if a threatening wild animal is lurking at the edge of our hunter-gatherer group, it's a waste of effort for every single member to spring into action - not to mention could needlessly put more people into danger. In smaller groups, it was usually pretty clearly delineated who would step up for which threats, so this worked. Today, however, this leads us to assume (often wrongly) that our leaders must be doing something about the crisis of climate change. And the larger the group, the stronger this bias becomes.

The sunk-cost fallacy. We are biased towards staying the course even in the face of negative outcomes. The more we've invested time, energy or resources into that course, the more likely we are to stick with it - even if it no longer seems optimal. This helps explain, for example, our continued reliance on fossil fuels as a primary source of energy in the face of decades of evidence that we both can and should transition to clean energy and a carbon neutral future.

These cognitive biases evolved for good reason. But they're now hamstringing our ability to respond to what could be the largest crisis humanity has ever created or had to face.
Evolutionary upside
The good news is that our biological evolution hasn't just hindered us from addressing the challenge of climate change. It's also equipped us with capacities to overcome them.

Take our capacity for mental "time travel". Compared to other animals, we are arguably unique in the degree to which we can recall past events and anticipate future scenarios.

We can imagine and predict multiple, complex outcomes and identify actions needed in the present to achieve desired outcomes in the future. And individually we often prove able to act on these plans. We invest in retirement accounts and buy insurance, for example, as ways to counter our short-term interests over the long-term.

Unfortunately, this capacity to plan to ensure a future outcome breaks down when large-scale collective action is needed - as is the case with climate change. As individuals, we know what we can do about climate change. But addressing the issue also requires collective action on a scale that exceeds our evolutionary capacities. The larger the group, the more challenging it gets. Remember the bystander effect?

But in small groups, it's a different story.

As primates, we evolved to work cooperatively to defend territory and sustainably harvest food and resources for the group, all while ensuring enough genetic diversity to procreate. Anthropological experiments show us that, on average, any one individual can maintain stable relationships with 150 other people - a phenomenon known as "Dunbar's number". Beyond that social relationships begin to break down, undermining an individual's ability to trust and rely on the actions of others to achieve collective long-term goals.

Recognising the power of small groups, Exposure Labs, the film company behind Chasing Ice and Chasing Coral, is using its films to mobilise communities to take local action on climate change. For example, in South Carolina, a US state rife with leaders who deny climate change, Exposure Labs shows a film to get a conversation started, inviting people from various interest groups - like the agricultural, fisheries, and tourism industries - to talk about how climate change affects them personally. They then work these small groups to identify practical actions that can be taken immediately at the local level to make an impact - something that helps generate the political pressure necessary to compel lawmakers to pass relevant local or state-wide legislation. When local communities shape the narrative around individual interests, people are less likely to succumb to the bystander effect and more likely to engage.

These approaches use a couple of other psychological strategies, too. First, when small groups are involved in coming up with solutions themselves, they experience the endowment effect: when we own something (even an idea), we tend to value it more. Second, social comparison: we tend to evaluate ourselves by looking at others. If we're surrounded by other people in a group who are taking action on climate change, we're more likely to do the same. This is also the impetus behind programmes like comparing energy consumption from household to household in a community. Research shows that when people compare their energy use with their neighbours' via statements on their energy bills they are more likely to reduce energy consumption.

Of all our cognitive biases, however, the framing effect is one of the strongest affecting our decision-making processes. Humans are more likely to change behaviour when challenges are framed positively, instead of negatively. In other words, how we communicate about climate change influences how we respond. People are more likely to act in relation to a positive frame ("a clean energy future will save X number of lives") versus a negative statement ("we're going to go extinct due to climate change").

"Most people believe that climate change is real, but feel powerless to do something about it in the face of consequences that feel far away from home," says Exposure Labs managing director Samantha Wright. "So to get people to act, we need to make the issue feel direct and personal by focusing the issue locally, pointing both to local impacts and local solutions: like moving one's city to 100% renewable energy."

Similarly, behaviour change must be incentivised at the local level. One nation leading the way has been Costa Rica, which put in place an innovative carbon tax on fuel back in 1997. To emphasise the connection for taxpayers between fuel use and benefits to their own communities, part of the revenue goes to pay farmers and indigenous communities to protect and regrow Costa Rica's tropical forests. Costa Rica's system "now generates $33 million annually for these groups and has helped the country reverse their forest loss while growing and transforming their economy," says Carlos Manuel Rodriguez, Costa Rica's Minister of Environment and Energy. In 2018, 98% of electricity used in the country came from renewable energy sources.

Rodriguez says the country is going even further; they've announced a goal to be carbon neutral by 2050, an effort which will include a bus fleet that is 70% electric by 2035 and cutting the number of cars used in cities in half by 2040. The key has been having a large-scale, organised effort - but one supported and understood by hundreds of smaller groups and communities.

At a larger scale, the Paris Agreement and the EU's 2050 carbon neutrality plan play a similar role, creating a common climate change action framework for countries, cities, towns and the private sector. "The EU's 2050 carbon neutral plan is what's needed at the global level to generate enough momentum, awareness and action, more importantly, it sets an example that can be matched and replicated by others," says Patricia Zurita, CEO of BirdLife International, a global partnership of bird conservation organisations.

Above all, the most helpful trait we've evolved to have is our ability to innovate. In the past, we used this skill to discover fire, invent the wheel or plant the first fields. Today, it may look more like solar panels, wind farms, electric vehicles and carbon pricing. Along with innovation, we've evolved to have the communication and technology to pass these innovations on, allowing a single idea or invention to spread far beyond our own family or town.

From mental time travel to cooperative social behavior to our abilities to innovate, teach and learn, all of these evolutionary consequences always have helped us secure our own survival, and they will continue to do so - albeit in the face of a very different threat than we had in our hunter-gatherer days.

We have evolved to be able to stop human-induced climate change. Now we must act.
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Cognitive biases that ensured our initial survival now make it difficult to address long-term challenges that threaten our existence, like climate change. But they can help us too.