A 250 Watt desktop computer, used eight hours a day, generates over nearly half a tonne of greenhouse gases each year. Check your computer, photocopier, printer and fax machine have the Energy Star® power management feature enabled. By enabling Energy Star, the computer goes into a "sleep" mode when not in use, reportedly reducing emissions up to 75% (must be an underused computer!) which would save $76.00 per computer each year.
Energy inefficient appliances add heat to the office and increase cooling costs.
Monitor screen savers do not save energy. Turning off the monitor does.
The life of monitors and disk drives is extended by turning them off when not needed
Portable computers use less energy than desktop models and generally ink jet printers use far less energy per page than laser models.
Use desk lamps or standard lamps where most light is needed, so less lighting is required for the entire room.
Don't over cool: 1°C difference in temperature between indoors and outdoors adds 10% to your bill and increases greenhouse gas emissions by the same amount.
For more tips see : http://www.energysmart.com.au/wes/DisplayPage.asp?PageID=34
This inforamtion came from the Desert Knoweldge Australia COOLMob newletter Stay COOL, published on line each month. It is a great resource! To find out more about DKA COOLMob, to join or for a home energy or water audit, contact Kat on 8952 0299
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Sustainability Radio
Did you know that the Arid Lands Environment Centre now have their own Sustainability Radio show?
The show is on every wednesday from 7- 8 pm on 8CCC (102.1FM)
The show covers both local and international environmental issues and ideas for sustainable living in Alice Springs.
Recent interviews include topics such as vegetable oil cars, worm farms, and an acoustic performance of eco-folk tunes.
Tune in!
The show is on every wednesday from 7- 8 pm on 8CCC (102.1FM)
The show covers both local and international environmental issues and ideas for sustainable living in Alice Springs.
Recent interviews include topics such as vegetable oil cars, worm farms, and an acoustic performance of eco-folk tunes.
Tune in!
Monday, February 25, 2008
Day and Night world map
This map shows the current position of the Sun and moon and indicates which parts of the Earth are in day and which are in night.
The website also contains more information on the sun and moon and useful links to things such as sun and moon rise tables and moon phase calculators
The website also contains more information on the sun and moon and useful links to things such as sun and moon rise tables and moon phase calculators
Monday, February 18, 2008
Thinking about Climate Change - A Guide for Teachers and Students
Thinking About Climate Change: a guide for teachers and students is now available for download at www.theweathermakers.org/tacc
A joint initiative between Professor Tim Flannery, the Purves Environmental Fund and Text Publishing, this guide is constructed for students between years 7 and 10 across the curriculum disciplines of Maths, Sciences, the Humanities and Information Technology. Adapted from Tim Flannery’s seminal book, We Are the Weather Makers, Thinking About Climate Change offers lesson plans, research aids and discussion suggestions to allow teachers and students to explore the implications and complexities of climate change and to learn and practice relevant skills. The guide has been compiled and tested by curriculum professionals and practising teachers and fact-checked by respected climate experts.
Thinking About Climate Change was distributed free to every secondary school in Australia in November 2007. It can also be downloaded for free from the Learning Resources tab at www.theweathermakers.org. This site is regularly updated with activities, news, links and additional teaching resources.
A joint initiative between Professor Tim Flannery, the Purves Environmental Fund and Text Publishing, this guide is constructed for students between years 7 and 10 across the curriculum disciplines of Maths, Sciences, the Humanities and Information Technology. Adapted from Tim Flannery’s seminal book, We Are the Weather Makers, Thinking About Climate Change offers lesson plans, research aids and discussion suggestions to allow teachers and students to explore the implications and complexities of climate change and to learn and practice relevant skills. The guide has been compiled and tested by curriculum professionals and practising teachers and fact-checked by respected climate experts.
Thinking About Climate Change was distributed free to every secondary school in Australia in November 2007. It can also be downloaded for free from the Learning Resources tab at www.theweathermakers.org. This site is regularly updated with activities, news, links and additional teaching resources.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Junior Art Competition
The Reef & Rainforest Carnivale LJ Hooker Colouring-In Competition brings 9,623 Primary Schools from around the country together into one of the largest junior school art competitions in Australia!
Art teachers from around the country are encouraged to enter their primary students into the competition for the chance to win a $1500 term deposit for the winning student and $1000 in art supplies for their school. State Finalists will win $500 in art supplies for their school and a $250 term deposit.
For more information, to register and to download the poster do to the website
http://www.carnivale.com.au/juniorart.htm
Art teachers from around the country are encouraged to enter their primary students into the competition for the chance to win a $1500 term deposit for the winning student and $1000 in art supplies for their school. State Finalists will win $500 in art supplies for their school and a $250 term deposit.
For more information, to register and to download the poster do to the website
http://www.carnivale.com.au/juniorart.htm
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Learning for Sustainablilty website
Guide to on-line resources for government agency staff, NGOs and other community leaders working to support social learning and collective action around ICM and other resource management issues. A central section of this site links the reader to a range of guides, tools and checklists that can be drawn upon for guidance in this area to address issues such as participation and engagement. Other pages here highlight the lessons that have emerged from researchers and practitioners in different sectors.
New pages link to resources on underpinning social research methods including systems thinking and action research. One page lists on-line resources for both post-graduate research students and their supervisors.
Topics include thinking about the supervisory team, as well as tips for structuring and writing a thesis or dissertation.
The site also manages additional pages on finding volunteering and job opportunities in the sustainability sector. These are directly accessible from the main site indexing system. As with the rest of the site these
sections bring links to lot of on-line resources together in one easy to access site, each link is annotated to provide a guide to its contents.
www.learningforsustainability.net
New pages link to resources on underpinning social research methods including systems thinking and action research. One page lists on-line resources for both post-graduate research students and their supervisors.
Topics include thinking about the supervisory team, as well as tips for structuring and writing a thesis or dissertation.
The site also manages additional pages on finding volunteering and job opportunities in the sustainability sector. These are directly accessible from the main site indexing system. As with the rest of the site these
sections bring links to lot of on-line resources together in one easy to access site, each link is annotated to provide a guide to its contents.
www.learningforsustainability.net
Earth Hour
Sat 29 March 08
More than ten of the world's major cities today pledged their support for Earth Hour
2008, the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) led climate change initiative that has gained worldwide momentum.
http://www.earthhour.org/
More than ten of the world's major cities today pledged their support for Earth Hour
2008, the World Wildlife Foundation (WWF) led climate change initiative that has gained worldwide momentum.
http://www.earthhour.org/
2008 - INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF PLANET EARTH
UNESCO to Launch International Year of Planet Earth 12-13 February 2008
The General Assembly of the United Nations has proclaimed 2008 as the International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE). Its subtitle ' Earth Sciences for Society' reflects the IYPE's main ambition: to make our planet a safer, healthier and wealthier place for its human societies by ensuring a greater and more effective use of the knowledge accumulated by the world's 400,000 Earth scientists.
On 12 and 13 February 2008, the International Year of Planet Earth will be fficially launched at UNESCO's headquarters in Paris. This event will be co-organized by the IYPE Corporation and the National Committee of the IYPE in France, together with IUGS and UNESCO.
IYPE Website with further information:
http://www.yearofplanetearth.org/
The General Assembly of the United Nations has proclaimed 2008 as the International Year of Planet Earth (IYPE). Its subtitle ' Earth Sciences for Society' reflects the IYPE's main ambition: to make our planet a safer, healthier and wealthier place for its human societies by ensuring a greater and more effective use of the knowledge accumulated by the world's 400,000 Earth scientists.
On 12 and 13 February 2008, the International Year of Planet Earth will be fficially launched at UNESCO's headquarters in Paris. This event will be co-organized by the IYPE Corporation and the National Committee of the IYPE in France, together with IUGS and UNESCO.
IYPE Website with further information:
http://www.yearofplanetearth.org/
Monday, February 11, 2008
iNet student online conference on climate change
Students at your school are invited to take part in the 2008 series of iNet student online conferences, ‘Whose world is it anyway?’
These four online events for primary and secondary students are a chance to discuss big global issues with young people from around the world. Students can also share creative work exploring the issues.
This year’s themes are:
New technologies: a threat or a promise?
Online message boards active 25 - 29 February
*no new contributions can be accepted for this first conference.
Climate change: whose problem is it?
Online message boards active 10 -14 March
Extended deadline for sending in creative work: 25 February
Do you live in a 'global village'?
Online message boards active 28 April - 2 May
Deadline for sending in creative work: 17 March
If you could change the world to create a better future, what would you do?
Online message boards active 16 - 20 June
Deadline for sending in creative work: 12 May
For more information, visit www.ssat-inet.net/haveyoursay
Register to take part
To make sure you are kept updated, register to participate at www.cybertext.net.au/studentreg3.htm
Students may register online individually. Teachers can also register themselves and then pass information on to all their students.
What kind of creative work can be submitted?
· written work: essays, stories, poems, newspaper articles . . .
· videos
· audio recordings
· presentations
· websites
Students providing material for the online conferences are invited to submit an avatar, rather than a personal photo. The two sites that could
be used to create these images are: http://www.simpsonsmovie.com/main.html and http://www.weeworld.com/default.aspx
(teachers may need to set up an account for students or students may wish to draw their own picture and send as a jpeg file).
For more detailed information, please visit www.ssat-inet.net/haveyoursay
All contributions, with students’ age, name, school and country, must be sent to Ms Debra Brydon at brydon@cybertext.net.au by the
deadlines specified above.
Students who aren’t able to submit any creative work by the deadline are still welcome to join in the discussion on the message boards.
If you have any questions about the conferences, please contact Debra Brydon: brydon@cybertext.net.au
These four online events for primary and secondary students are a chance to discuss big global issues with young people from around the world. Students can also share creative work exploring the issues.
This year’s themes are:
New technologies: a threat or a promise?
Online message boards active 25 - 29 February
*no new contributions can be accepted for this first conference.
Climate change: whose problem is it?
Online message boards active 10 -14 March
Extended deadline for sending in creative work: 25 February
Do you live in a 'global village'?
Online message boards active 28 April - 2 May
Deadline for sending in creative work: 17 March
If you could change the world to create a better future, what would you do?
Online message boards active 16 - 20 June
Deadline for sending in creative work: 12 May
For more information, visit www.ssat-inet.net/haveyoursay
Register to take part
To make sure you are kept updated, register to participate at www.cybertext.net.au/studentreg3.htm
Students may register online individually. Teachers can also register themselves and then pass information on to all their students.
What kind of creative work can be submitted?
· written work: essays, stories, poems, newspaper articles . . .
· videos
· audio recordings
· presentations
· websites
Students providing material for the online conferences are invited to submit an avatar, rather than a personal photo. The two sites that could
be used to create these images are: http://www.simpsonsmovie.com/main.html and http://www.weeworld.com/default.aspx
(teachers may need to set up an account for students or students may wish to draw their own picture and send as a jpeg file).
For more detailed information, please visit www.ssat-inet.net/haveyoursay
All contributions, with students’ age, name, school and country, must be sent to Ms Debra Brydon at brydon@cybertext.net.au by the
deadlines specified above.
Students who aren’t able to submit any creative work by the deadline are still welcome to join in the discussion on the message boards.
If you have any questions about the conferences, please contact Debra Brydon: brydon@cybertext.net.au
Sea Week 2008
The Marine Education Society of Australasia (MESA) is a national organisation that promotes the sustainable use of marine and coastal environments through education.
Each year a different theme is chosen for Seaweek. In 2008 Seaweek’s theme is "Extinction - a Saw point" highlighting the plight of the declining sawfish. “Sawfish populations have declined over the years because of pressures imposed on them from fishing and modification of their habitat. Sawfish are vulnerable to most forms of fishing in particular net fisheries as at any size their toothed rostrum is easily entangled in the mesh’
If you would like to participate in Seaweek 2008 please visit the MESA website www.mesa.edu.au where you can access information about Seaweek including:
• Information sheets on Saw fish and other threatened marine species
• Teaching activities
• Photo gallery
• Scientific papers
• Talk with experts
• Live webcasts during Seaweek
Contact Verity Bone
SA/NT MESA state representative
E: veritybone@hotmail.com
Friday, January 11, 2008
New EPA Resource for Teens
EPA USA SECONDARY SCHOOL WEBSITE
This Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Web site "Your Environment, Your Choice" was designed especially for high school students to help make environmentally sound choices about the products they use, the waste they create, and the environment in which they live.
This Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Web site "Your Environment, Your Choice" was designed especially for high school students to help make environmentally sound choices about the products they use, the waste they create, and the environment in which they live.
Sustainability Wiz Online Program
Based on best-practice international research and Gould Group's practical experience with thousands of schools, Sustainability Wiz guides schools through the steps essential to incorporate sustainability in meaningful ways into curricula, operations and culture - and from there into homes.
Using a range of fun online tools and resources, engaging and empowering activities, and through a community of support, Sustainability Wiz provides a one-stop shop for schools and their wider communities.
Importantly Sustainability Wiz allows students from around the world to engage in addressing climate change through actions in their school and the community and tackle issues such as carbon footprint, and water and energy usage to create schools for the future.
Using a range of fun online tools and resources, engaging and empowering activities, and through a community of support, Sustainability Wiz provides a one-stop shop for schools and their wider communities.
Importantly Sustainability Wiz allows students from around the world to engage in addressing climate change through actions in their school and the community and tackle issues such as carbon footprint, and water and energy usage to create schools for the future.
Being, Becoming and Belonging
BEING, BECOMING & BELONGING
26-28 June 08, Adelaide SA
World Education Forum SA - International Conference
How do we care for and educate children and young people for the world in which they live now and in which we hope they will flourish as citizens of tomorrow?
The World Education Forum, South Australia, thinks that it is time to take stock of the effectiveness of the effort that has been made to date. They urge you to join them and share your expertise and re-examine the values which underpin many of the assumptions that drive modern educational policy.
For more information, go to http://www.infront.com.au/evt/wef/
26-28 June 08, Adelaide SA
World Education Forum SA - International Conference
How do we care for and educate children and young people for the world in which they live now and in which we hope they will flourish as citizens of tomorrow?
The World Education Forum, South Australia, thinks that it is time to take stock of the effectiveness of the effort that has been made to date. They urge you to join them and share your expertise and re-examine the values which underpin many of the assumptions that drive modern educational policy.
For more information, go to http://www.infront.com.au/evt/wef/
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Wikispaces
Have you used wikis yet?
A wiki is a website which allows users to add and edit content collectively.
One wiki that you might like to look at is the Desert Park Education Wiki which will help you to plan educational visits to the Desert Park and to share resources with other teachers.
Another is Eduwiki. Eduwiki is a collaborative partnership between educators across the world that enables us to instantly share ideas, resources, projects, and more importantly to connect to one another. The wiki talks about various digital tools and how members of the wiki find them useful in their classrooms.
Recently a group of NT teachers, some in Darwin and others in Alice, came together via a wiki to work on Re-thinking Waste in Schools. To find out more about this project visit the Rethinking Waste wikispace
A wiki is a website which allows users to add and edit content collectively.
One wiki that you might like to look at is the Desert Park Education Wiki which will help you to plan educational visits to the Desert Park and to share resources with other teachers.
Another is Eduwiki. Eduwiki is a collaborative partnership between educators across the world that enables us to instantly share ideas, resources, projects, and more importantly to connect to one another. The wiki talks about various digital tools and how members of the wiki find them useful in their classrooms.
Recently a group of NT teachers, some in Darwin and others in Alice, came together via a wiki to work on Re-thinking Waste in Schools. To find out more about this project visit the Rethinking Waste wikispace
Friday, December 14, 2007
AAEE Conference in Darwin
The Australian Association of Environmental Educators (AAEE) will hold their 15th biennial conference in Darwin in July 2008. It would be great to have some presentations from teachers and schools that are doing some great programs in environmental education, so if you are involved in sustainable schools, dust watch, energy blitz, rethinking waste or any other great initiative of your own, please think about sharing your story. There are some really innovative things happening in the Territory and it will be great to get them into the national arena. Please contact me if you would like more information.
Information will be sent out to schools early in term 1 asking for expressions of interest from 5 remote school teachers who would like to attend/present at the conference. DEET will fully fund the attendance of 5 teachers that meet the selection criteria.
Information will be sent out to schools early in term 1 asking for expressions of interest from 5 remote school teachers who would like to attend/present at the conference. DEET will fully fund the attendance of 5 teachers that meet the selection criteria.
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