Reading University are apparently of the opinion that "Climate change is the defining crisis of our generation, and it will be the lived reality for generations to come. "
But building on green fields, turning farmland into housing estates, putting more cars on roads that are already over congested, adding to air pollution, destroying local wildlife habitats, all this is not part of the climate change problem?
RU Green or RU Greedy? Or maybe they just don't care about their own back yard? So much easier to lecture other people in other places about what they should do than do it yourself?
"Implicit in our plan is that better climate education is needed and that this education should not be solely delivered in a single school subject or groups of subjects, nor confined only to academic study – climate change touches all areas of society and so our plan covers education broadly. The focus is on climate education, acknowledging that pressures on the Earth’s ecology and biodiversity are strongly linked with climate change. Due to the need to deliver focused action, the plan does not encompass education for sustainable development (ESD) more broadly; this focus does not indicate that development of ESD is not needed. The plan focuses on climate education for young people aged eight to 18; this is not to diminish the importance of climate education for younger children, rather, to provide an initial point of focus. "
I just read a book called "The School in a Wood" written by June Durant, all about precisely this broad based, exploratory approach to teaching and learning. It was all happening at the Coombes Infant and Nursery School in Arborfield, Berkshire. They worked with the local Arborfield Garrison, with Reading University, with authors, artists, performers, musicians, parents, friends and the wider community to create a wonderful educational experience for their pupils. As well as planting hundreds of trees for their nature trail, bringing in rocks for their geology trail, bringing in foods for every occasion and celebrating diversity in every way they could they shared a love for nature. They kept chickens, pigs and sheep as well as the more usual school pets like hamsters and rabbits.
Dare I suggest that rather than sell off Hall Farm for housing Reading University come back to the local community and we discuss how we can develop, together, a community space for learning about climate change through practical experience?
Here are a couple of simple ideas to get started with:
https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/metadata/adaptation-options/conservation-agriculture https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paludiculture
So, Reading University, RU Really Green or RU Just Greenwashing? Fine words, but are they just hot air? In the words of a real Climate Activist:
Blah, Blah Blah?
