Attenborough: children don’t know enough about nature
David Attenborough and the ARKive (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Sir David Attenborough has voiced his concern about children’s declining knowledge of the natural world. Do you agree with him? Comments here or at Learn From Nature
The naturalist and broadcaster said he was sometimes “amazed” by young people’s poor grasp of biology and the animal kingdom, but admitted their expertise in other types of science – such as computers – towered over his own.
It comes as a new classroom initiative is launched in a bid to inspire primary school children with key moments from Sir David’s remarkable archive of nature programmes.
Sir David said: “Talking to teenagers and so on, I am amazed that they don’t know things about natural history that I knew.
“I’m sure they are equally amazed that I don’t know as much about Twitter, communications, computers and nano-technology as they do. The fact is that there is so much more to be learned in a technological sense today.”
The broadcaster, who turns 85 next month and will next year mark 60 years in broadcasting, added: “It is a given for old men to spend all their time explaining how the world has gone to pot since they were in charge.
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Reduce, re-use, recycle….
For tips on ‘how’ to reduce, reuse and recycle – coming soon – to Learn From Nature and NAEE UK
Pollutionwatch: UK experienced top levels of air pollution in March
Deutsch: English: (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Air pollution (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Shanghai pollution has increased since the World Expo 2010, but now the United Kingdom – with its green coalition government reported on yesterday) – is showing similarly negative results. Comment here or at Learn From Nature on facebook
Air pollution during March reached the top level of the government’s new air pollution index. For most of the month high pressure systems caused air to slowly re-circulate over the UK and near continent. Without rain to wash it out, particle air pollution gradually built up as the air slowly passed over cities and industrial areas, causing all the UK to experience particle pollution problems.
London was the first to measure very high or index level 10 air pollution. Air reaching London on 15 March had been over northern England four days earlier. It drifted over the densely populated and industrial areas of the Netherlands, Belgium and northern France before returning to the UK. Combined with traffic pollution from London, fine particles reached the greatest levels measured since new instrumentation was installed in 2008.
The focus of the pollution problems moved northwards later in the month. Very high air pollution was measured in Manchester, Stoke, Preston, Blackpool, Warrington and Wigan in the north-west of England and Leeds, Sheffield and Stockton in the north-east. The worst polluted air then moved into Northern Ireland and Scotland.
The winds in March brought our own air pollution back to us demonstrating how our cities contribute to poor air pollution in areas over hundreds of kilometres away. Tackling local air pollution can improve the health of people who live near busy roads and decrease the impacts of each city on the wider region.
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Counting down …. to Earth Hour – Go Beyond for Nature!
Earth Hour 2009 participants (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Earth Hour 2012 launch in Singapore (Photo credit: Earth Hour Global)
The final countdown to Earth Hour 2012 has begun.
For Daily updates – Learn From Nature
Hours from now, hundreds of millions of people will switch off their lights for 60 minutes, an observance that is touted as the world’s biggest annual environmental event.
Last year, more than 5,200 cities and towns in 135 countries and territories participated in the movement that began in Australia in 2007.
The Philippines is an official Earth Hour ‘Hero Country,’ having topped the event’s global town and city participation levels for 3 consecutive years.
In 2011, a total of 1,661 cities and municipalities across the country joined the lights out.
According to Earth Hour founder and Executive Director Andy Ridley, who is observing Earth Hour in the country, the popular event reached 1.8 billion people across the globe in 2011.
“This year through digital media, we are offering a greater opportunity to connect people with the desire to take much needed action for the environment,” Ridley said.
What’s the hype all about?
Co-founded by the conservation group World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF),Earth Hour is a symbolic climate change action held annually on the last Saturday of March. It involves switching off lights over a designated hour.
But according lawyer Gia Ibay, Earth Hour Philippines Director, “More than anything, Earth Hour is a celebration of hope. When our planet plunges into darkness, we can look to the stars and dream of what can be. When the lights switch back on though – our real work begins.”
The 60-minute event gathers individuals, businesses and governments across the globe, encouraging them to be responsible for their ecological footprint and to provide solutions to pressing environmental issues.
In the Philippines, switch-off ceremonies will be staged in Makati, Cebu and Davao between 8:30 pm – 9:30 pm on Saturday, March 31.
What else can you do?
Rappler will facilitate online conversations about how you can meaningfully observe Earth Hour 2012 and beyond. Here are 3 ways by which you can participate:
1. Submit a 15-second video clip explaining how you can help save and protect the environment to move.ph@rappler.com. Entries will be put together as a montage.
2. Join the Twitter discussion that will be held on March 31, from 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm using the hashtag #BeyondEarthHour. The discussion will end with a call out to switch off lights.
3. Share your best Earth Hour 2012 experience using the hashtag #EarthHourPH - Rappler.com
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Earth Hour 2012 is but a week away
The Sky Tower in Auckland switched off lights during the Earth Hour. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
This is a photo of Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House during Earth hour (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
No Matter where you are or what you are doing you – as an individual or group – can show that you mean business about conserving energy and being more sustainable. Join up for Earth Hour! | Learn From Nature
At 8.30pm local time on Saturday 31 March, Earth Hour 2012 will see hundreds of millions of people around the world cross borders of race, religion, culture, geography and society to unite in a single moment of contemplation for the planet and celebration of their year-round commitment to protect it.
Now in its sixth year, the annual lights out event has grown from a single-city initiative in 2007 to become the world’s largest display of environmental action, with citizens of 135 countries and territories across every continent coming together for Earth Hour 2011 indicating a growing global movement of positive change in environmental attitudes.
WHAT: Earth Hour 2012
WHEN: Saturday 31 March at 8.30pm in your local time zone
WHERE: Across the globe WHY: To celebrate your commitment to the planet with the people of the world
HOW: Switch off your lights, register your support and get more details at earthhour.org
The 100-day countdown to Earth Hour 2012 has now begun, the iconic ‘lights out’ event that has seen some of the world’s most recognized landmarks, including the Forbidden City, Eiffel Tower, Buckingham Palace, Golden Gate Bridge, Table Mountain, Christ the Redeemer statue and Sydney Opera House switch off in a global celebration of the one thing that unites us all – the planet.
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