the issues around flooding: climate change

THE BIGGER DEBATE:

In the English-speaking world, the subject of climate change is still an 'issue'...
Public opinion on climate change - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In the UK:
Owen Paterson faces choice between ideology and evidence - 04 Sep 2012 - James' Blog: a blog from BusinessGreen.
Owen Paterson, his sceptic brother-in-law, and how Defra went cold on climate change - UK Politics - UK - The Independent
Owen Paterson's climate change scepticism 'has blinded him to future flooding risks', claims Labour as winter storm continues to batter Britain - UK Politics - UK - The Independent
Number of climate sceptics rising in the UK, survey finds | Environment | theguardian.com
What climate change? Fewer people than EVER believe the world is really warming up | UK | News | Daily Express

In the US:
Most climate change sceptics in US, UK and Japan - Telegraph
Why Are Americans So Ill-Informed about Climate Change? - Scientific American
Newspapers in UK and US give climate sceptics most column inches | Environment | theguardian.com

In Australia:
The No Carbon Tax Climate Sceptics Party
Sceptics put heat on climate change | The Australian
Big Australian media reject climate science
Wasting energy on climate change sceptics - The Drum (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
Know any climate change sceptics? Turn off their air conditioning | Kevin Hawkins | Comment is free | theguardian.com

An interesting comment has been widely reported in this month's press from Prince Charles, who was handing out prizes to Young Sustainability Entrepreneurs:

"It is baffling, I must say, that in our modern world we have such blind trust in science and technology that we all accept what science tells us about everything – until, that is, it comes to climate science. All of a sudden, and with a barrage of sheer intimidation, we are told by powerful groups of deniers that the scientists are wrong and we must abandon all our faith in so much overwhelming scientific evidence. So, thank goodness for our young entrepreneurs here this evening, who have the far-sightedness and confidence in what they know is happening to ignore the headless chicken brigade and do something practical to help."

"Perhaps it has been too uncomfortable for those with vested interests to acknowledge, but we have spent the best part of the past century enthusiastically testing the world to utter destruction; not looking closely enough at the long-term impact our actions will have."

Prince Charles: climate change deniers are 'headless chickens' - Telegraph

But whilst the Telegraph was too polite to criticise the Prince, the Mail and Express were not:
Prince of Wales hits out at climate change deniers... labelling them the 'headless chicken brigade' | Mail Online
Climate change deniers are 'headless chickens' says Prince Charles | UK | News | Daily Express


CLIMATE CHANGE AND FLOODING IN THE UK:

It seems, then, that an understanding of the current flooding will be framed within the climate change debate - although, it is a little more nuanced when you look at the details...

David Cameron has linked the widespread floods and bad weather affecting the UK to climate change, saying he “strongly suspects” the phenomenon is causing more “abnormal weather events”. In comments that are likely to anger some Conservatives who are sceptical of climate change, the Prime Minister told MPs: “We are seeing more abnormal weather events. Colleagues across the house can argue about whether that is linked to climate change or not. I very much suspect that it is." Owen Paterson, the environment secretary, has been accused by Labour of being "blinded" to the risks of flooding by his climate change scepticism.

The Prime Minister was responding to a question from Tim Farron MP, the Lib Dem President, who said: "The science is clear that the extreme weather conditions affecting our communities are a destructive and inevitable consequence at least in part of climate change."

Mr Cameron said: “The point is whatever one’s view [on climate change] it makes sense to invest in flood defences, it makes sense to invest in mitigation, it makes sense to get the information out better. We should do all of those things.”

David Cameron 'very much suspects' climate change causing abnormal weather such as floods - Telegraph
Exeter-based Met Office expert backs PM's claim that the increase in 'abnormal' weather is linked to climate change | Exeter Express and Echo

The debate about climate change is distracting us from the true causes of flooding, a group of eminent scientists warned yesterday. Concreting over flood plains, cutting down trees and expanding cities is making flooding much worse – and we need to act on that knowledge, they said. The exact link between global warming and flooding is much less certain, and those who keep pursuing the topic are taking attention away from the true problem of over-development, they said in a research paper.

The paper, published in the Hydrological Sciences Journal yesterday, says: ‘There is such a furore of concern about the linkage between greenhouse forcing [the process by which man-made greenhouse gases are said to force climate change] and floods that it causes society to lose focus on the things we already know for certain about floods and how to mitigate and adapt to them. ‘The linkages between enhanced greenhouse forcing and flood phenomena are highly complex and it has not been possible to describe the connections well, either by empirical analysis or by the use of models,’

Bob Ward, policy director at the London School of Economics Grantham Institute, disagreed, warning that talking about climate change is vital to the debate. ‘Four of the five wettest years on record in the UK have all occurred since 2000, with 2012 being the second wettest, and this winter shaping up to be the wettest ever,’ he said.

Climate change is NOT main cause of floods, say experts | Mail Online
Climate change not main cause of floods, scientists suggest - Telegraph
Taylor & Francis Online :: Flood risk and climate change: global and regional perspectives - Hydrological Sciences Journal -

A freedom of information request has revealed that the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) is cutting spending for "climate change initiatives" to only £17.2m this financial year. This is 41% less than the year before. It is feared slashing the funds will mean a greater risk of issues related to flooding and other global warming consequences in the UK. Bob Ward, policy director at the London School of Economics' Grantham Research Institute, commented: "These shocking figures should worry everyone in the UK. Defra is the lead government department for climate change adaptation and is primarily responsible for making the UK resilient to the impacts of global warming, such as increased flood risk."

Paterson slashes UK climate change budget - News in Brief - The Ecologist
Exclusive: Climate scepticism blamed as Owen Paterson slashes spending on global warming - UK Politics - UK - The Independent

Questions about the link between flooding in the UK and climate change could be answered within two years, according to a leading scientist.

Prof Myles Allen from Oxford University said the only thing holding back the work was the lack of investment. Around £10m a year would provide a real-time attribution system on the role of humans in extreme weather. He said it was a "scandal" that the public should be denied clarity on this issue. Scientists are notoriously cautious about linking single weather events, such as the recent storms and flooding in the UK, to rising global temperatures. Researchers can discern a human fingerprint in extreme weather, but it has required huge amounts of computing power to calculate all the possible outcomes.

BBC News - Lack of research linking climate change and floods is a 'scandal'

As more heavy rain, high tides and gale force winds were forecast to bring further flooding to parts of Britain this weekend, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change published its final report breaking down the impact of global warming for individual areas. It is the first time it has brought climate models together to make seasonal and regional projections. Britain will also see greater rainfall in the next two decades, with a maximum of 12 per cent more rainfall and an average rise of 4 per cent.

Dr Peter Stott, the head of climate monitoring and attribution at the Met Office Hadley Centre, agreed that Britain is likely to see wetter and warmer temperatures in future. “We are seeing more extreme temperatures and more intense rainfall events around the world. The expectation in a warming world is for an increased frequency of heatwaves and greater moisture in a warmer atmosphere is expected to lead extreme precipitation events, more intense and more frequent.”

Winter deluges may become the norm for Britain - Telegraph

The deluge that has engulfed southern and central England in recent weeks is the worst winter downpour in almost 250 years, according to figures from the world's longest-running weather station. The rainfall measured at the historic Radcliffe Meteorological Station at Oxford University in January was greater than for any winter month since daily recording began there in 1767, and three times the average amount. The latest Met Office data shows that the region from Devon to Kent and up into the Midlands suffered its wettest January since its records began in 1910. But Ian Ashpole, the Radcliffe Meteorological Observer, said: "The Radcliffe measurements more than double the length of the Met Office record and give us a better grip on how things are changing."

Flooding has been identified as the most dangerous impact of climate change for the UK and is hitting harder and faster than expected, according to scientists. Thousands of homes have been flooded since December, and much of the low-lying Somerset Levels remains under water.

January was England's wettest winter month in almost 250 years | UK news | The Observer

CLIMATE CHANGE AND FLOODING IN THE WEST COUNTRY:

The particular focus currently is on the Somerset Levels:

Flooding experts have warned that the increasing frequency and severity of flooding that will likely be caused by climate change may mean the Levels will eventually have to be abandoned to the sea.

“You are looking at retreat”, Prof Colin Thorne of the University of Nottingham told the Guardian. “It is the only sensible policy – it makes no sense to defend the indefensible. Can the Somerset Levels be defended between now and the end of the century? No.”

Hannah Cloke, associate professor in hydrology at the University of Reading, agreed, saying “We could make the choice to protect the Levels forever, but that is going to take a lot of resources. My gut feeling is that you are going to have to let that be a marshland in the end.”
UK weather: more flooding expected in south and west - Blue and Green Tomorrow

Government-funded landscape experiments in Somerset and Yorkshire are demonstrating that blocking upland drainage channels, replanting trees next to rivers and deliberately flooding fields can protect downstream homes by slowing the flow of water, which stops waters rising fast and reduces the silting up of channels.

Flooding experts say Britain will have to adapt to climate change – and fast | Environment | theguardian.com

The current floods are causing enormous distress to people living and working in communities such as Muchelney and Moorland, and have resulted in appalling damage to some homes and businesses. And being part of the Levels community ourselves, we share and understand their worries, their frustrations. It's really tough at the moment.

Living in a major floodplain, generations of Somerset people have learned to adapt to the floods, but the scale of flooding over the last two years tells us we need to look urgently at how we manage water, and how we make ourselves resilient to climate change. These floods warn us that we must face up to what's coming – significant long-term changes in rainfall patterns, including wetter winters and more frequent spring and summer downpours as well.

We must work together to overcome floods | Western Daily Press

The impact of climate change - especially milder, wetter winters - on the South West has been considered quite seriously by the local media:

Future climate change in the South West

It is predicted that the South West will experience hotter, drier summers and warmer wetter winters.

By 2050, according to the UKCP09 projections, the South West will experience hotter summers with an increase in average summer temperature of between 1.3 - 4.6 °C on the current average summer temperature. The hottest summer days could rise by as much as 7°C although it is more likely to be around 4°C. Average winter temperatures are also set to rise with an expected increase of between 1.1 - 3.6 °C on that which is currently experienced today.

In terms of precipitation, the total annual rainfall is unlikely to change, however, the patterns of rainfall could shift with total summer rainfall likely to decrease by around 20% and winter rainfall predicted to rise by a similar amount.

The key findings from the UKCP09 medium emissions scenario for the South West region for the 2020s, 2050s and 2080s are shown in the South West Region Emissions Scenarios (pdf, 20kb)(opens in a new window)  table.

Future climate change in the South West - dorsetforyou.com
How the South West is preparing to weather storms of climate change | Western Daily Press

Utility companies and government agencies are also taking it very seriously:
Climate change - the wider picture - South West Water
South West | English Heritage
Natural England - Climate change project

There is a considerable amount of research available on how to understand, as well as to prepare for, climate change in the South West:
Climate SouthWest's old site archive - main site now at climatesouthwest.org
SWCouncils - South West Climate Change Action Plan
climatesouthwest.org/library/Tools/South_West_FINAL1.pdf
www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/ClimateChangeSeminars_Climate_SWE_030707.pdf/$FILE/ClimateChangeSeminars_Climate_SWE_030707.pdf
Adapting to Climate Change – developing local preparedness in the South West | Sustainable Health South West
www.devon.gov.uk/topic_paper_2_-_climate_change.pdf
Vulnerability to heatwaves and drought: adaptation to climate change | Joseph Rowntree Foundation
ukclimateprojections.metoffice.gov.uk/media.jsp?mediaid=88427&filetype=pdf

For a rather naughty alternative take on flooding and climate change: 
from an Exeter University student...

LISTEN: Exeter University graduate's UKIP shipping forecast takes Twitter by storm | Exeter Express and Echo

.
.
.

education issues

Did you enjoy school? Or, rather, what bits of school did you enjoy? The lessons, the teachers, the learning? Or was most of that boring and negative? Did you enjoy meeting up with friends and doing stuff with them in between the classes?

Well, here's an inspiring teacher who would make even the most bored student sit up:
Jay Doubleyou: teaching the teachers: the future of education

But what sort of things should we be doing in the classroom? How about learning to think!?
Jay Doubleyou: questioning and problem-solving
Jay Doubleyou: how do you make decisions?

Here is someone very critical of what we actually do at school:
Jay Doubleyou: dumbing us down
Jay Doubleyou: john taylor gatto: on video

And here is another teacher with an understanding of the education system:
Jay Doubleyou: ivan illich on education and health
Jay Doubleyou: deschooling society

What are schools like in your country?
What do you know about education in the UK and US?

Jay Doubleyou: explaining how your country's education system works

.

.

.

the media

How does the media report 'the issues'?

It's divided about crime statistics:
Jay Doubleyou: crime and punishment

Beneath the figures, there is a sobering statistic for politicians trying to gain kudos from the fall in offending levels. Whatever the numbers say, around two-thirds of the public believes crime is rising or, at best, static.

The mysterious case of the falling criminal offences: burglary and murders down again, statistics show - Crime - UK - The Independent

but still nobody wants to believe these 'lies, damned lies and statistics':

We can't trust crime figures: Massive blow for the Coalition as watchdog say police statistics are unreliable | Mail Online

How do you watch TV?
Jay Doubleyou: english-language news media
Jay Doubleyou: english-language news media - part two
Jay Doubleyou: turn off your tv
Jay Doubleyou: advertising

But everything on TV is true, isn't it?
Here's a piece of political satire from British TV.
The first story looks at another TV series - about people 'on benefits':

Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe S02E06 - YouTube
BBC Two - Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe

There's been a lot of debate about 'people on benefits':
Benefits Street - 4oD - Channel 4
benefits | Search Results | Mail Online
Owen Jones: My latest battle to stop the demonising of people on benefits - Comment - Voices - The Independent
Benefits Street Live Debate v The Big British Immigration Row - News - TV & Radio - The Independent

Or what about the case of 'Maddie'...



Rebekah Brooks accused of bullying Government over McCanns | Joana Morais

Raymond Snoddy wrote in Marketing: "To what extent has all this coverage been kept afloat for so long because the child is white and photogenic, and has articulate, resourceful parents? Of course, the news value of the story was also enhanced by context - everyone's worst nightmare, a child snatched from an apparently secure apartment in an upmarket holiday resort. But the sad truth is that if a black child had been snatched from a sink estate in Liverpool or Glasgow, the chances are you would not know their name."Reactions to the disappearance of Madeleine McCann - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is absurd. Second time this month I've seen Madeline McCann make front page news. This is a 6 year old case. 230,000 missing children reports are filed every year. Why have the media been infatuated with this one case just because the child has a very innocent, helpless sort of face? Does there exist anyone in the UK who genuinely thinks the media's obsession with the Madeline McCann case is in any way justified?Why the hell am I still seeing Madeline McCann on the front page news? : unitedkingdom

But the death of the Princess of Wales is some time ago by now...
Is missing 'Maddie' the Daily Express's new Diana? - Page 14 - Books, Magazines & Newspapers - Digital Spy Forums

Britain's oldest Sunday newspaper was closed over the hacking scandal:
Hacking trial: ex News of the World journalist Dan Evans describes destroying evidence of hacking activity - Crime - UK - The Independent
Rebekah Brooks to begin her defence at phone-hacking trial | UK news | theguardian.com
News International phone hacking scandal - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

And the Guardian newspaper which pushed the hacking story has been accused of 'treason' for publishing the stories about the United States spying on its citizens and foreign governments:
The Guardian’s treason is actually helping terrorists | The Sun |Columnists|Rod Liddle
The real reason it’s open season on ‘The Guardian’ - Comment - Voices - The Independent

Anyway, it's all 'bread and circuses':

The expression "bread and circuses" captures a certain cynical political view that the masses can be kept happy with fast food (think Cartman's "Cheesy Poofs" on South Park) and faster entertainment (NASCAR races, NFL games, and the like). In the Roman Empire, it was bread and chariot races and gladiatorial games that filled the belly and distracted the mind, allowing emperors to rule as they saw fit.
There's truth to the view that people can be kept tractable as long as you fill their bellies and give them violent spectacles to fill their free time. Heck, Americans are meekly compliant even when their government invades their privacy and spies upon them.William Astore: Bread and Circuses in Rome and America
Bread and circuses - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For more distraction:
Jay Doubleyou: history of britain in front of the tv
Jay Doubleyou: sport as poetry in motion... ?

For more 'issues', see also:

Jay Doubleyou: stimulating discussion: the politics of...

.

.

.

crime and punishment

ISSUE: LOCK THEM UP AND THROW AWAY THE KEY

Prisoners have it good in Norway - but once they're out, they are the least likely to commit another crime:

The study shows that Norway has the lowest overall re-offending rate among correctional clients in the Nordic countries, 20 %.

Recidivism studies | Council of Europe Annual Penal Statistics

For a video:
BBC News - Crime and punishment, Norwegian style + video

For the debate in the UK and the US:
The Norwegian prison where inmates are treated like people | Society | The Guardian
Norway's controversial 'cushy prison' experiment - could it catch on in the UK? | Mail Online
Norway's Prisons Are Doing Something Right - NYTimes.com
Norwegian prison time isn't as easy as some Americans thought (Anders Breivik) - Straight Dope Message Board

ISSUE: IMMIGRANTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR CRIME WAVES

And what about foreigners committing all the crimes?

The Handbook of Crime Correlates (2009), a review of studies of correlates with crime, states that most studies on immigrants have found higher rates of crime. However, this varies greatly depending on the country of origin, with immigrants from some regions having lower crime rates than the indigenous population. In the US, studies have found lower crime rates among immigrants than among non-immigrants.^[1] Other studies suggest that immigration generally does not lead to an increase in crime, and may in some instances, suppress such trends.^[2]
Immigration and crime - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It depends if you are of the right:
'Immigrant crimewave' warning: Foreign nationals were accused of a QUARTER of all crimes in London | Mail Online
Immigrant crime soars with foreign prisoners rising | UK | News | Daily Express
Crime by foreigners doubles in five years - Telegraph
Foreigners 'commit fifth of crime in London' - Telegraph

Or not:
The Telegraph Twist: Let's do justice to crime figures | Migrants' Rights Network (MRN)
Crime doesn't rise in high immigration areas – it falls, says study | UK news | The Observer

And the debate is an issue outside the UK too:
PM Lee: Singaporeans Commit More Crime than Foreign Workers - A Singaporean In Australia
Police 'foreign crime wave' falsehoods fuel racism | The Japan Times
Malaysians, not foreigners, behind most crimes, says Home Minister - The Malaysian Insider

Back to Norway, and a very interesting, nuanced observation:

"The problem is foreigners, not immigrants," Sjøvold tells NRK. The Police Chief thinks that foreigners who come to Norway for short periods of time are already criminals, and come here to commit crimes.
"It's a problem that this can stigmatize immigrants who already live in Norway," Sjøvold explains.
His statement is part of a series of articles on NRK.no this week about "immigration myths," based on Statistics Norway's 2012-survey about Norwegians' attitude towards immigrants. One out of three respondents think that most immigrants are a source of insecurity.
Last year, the number of reported cases of pickpocketing increased by 19,4 percent, and mild and serious cases of theft increased by 8,1 and 10 percent respectively. The number of reported cased related to drugs also went up, by 15,1 percent.
Police think that the increase in criminal acts is due to the high number of foreigners that come to visit Norway for short periods of time. "It's hard for police to investigate these cases because we don't know their identities, and they can quickly leave the country again," Sjøvold tells NRK.
Foreigners increase Norway's crime statistics
.
.
.

songs about issues in the classroom

Following on from
Jay Doubleyou: discussing issues in the classroom
we can also listen to and try out songs about 'issues' - in English:

Global Issue Songs in the English Classroom

by Sunao Shimizu (Rikkyo University, Tokyo, Japan)

Global Issues Pop Songs: A Short List

AIDS

Streets of Philadelphia   (Bruce Springsteen)

Apartheid

Biko   (Peter Gabriel) Its' Wrong   (Stevie Wonder)

Environment

Mercy Mercy Me   (Marvin Gaye) Rocky Mountain High   (John Denver) Short Supply   (Tracy Chapman) The Rape of the World   (Tracy Chapman)

Human Rights

Abraham, Martin & John   (Dion) Black Is Black   (M. C. Hammer) Black or White   (Michael Jackson) Crime Story   (M. C. Hammer) Ebony and Ivory   (Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder) Happy Birthday   (Stevie Wonder) Happy Ever After   (Julia Fordham) Help the Children   (M. C. Hammer) Mad World   (Tears for Fears) No Fear, No Hate, No Pain   (Eurythmics) They Dance Alone   (Sting) Treat Myself   (Stevie Wonder) We Shall Overcome   (Joan Baez)

Hunger

Colours   (Phil Collins) Do They Know Its' Xmas?   (Band Aid) Living for the City   (Stevie Wonder) So  (Tracy Chapman) Suffer the Children   (Tears for Fears) We Are the World   (USA for Africa)

Identity Issues

Bang Bang Bang   (Tracy Chapman) Doo Wop (That Thing)   (Lauryn Hill) Everything Is Everything   (Lauryn Hill) Honesty   (Billy Joel) Open Arms   (Tracy Chapman) Step by Step  (Whitney Houston) That's What Friends Are For  (Dionne Warwick et al) You were loved   (Whitney Houston)

Indigenous Peoples

Pocahontas Theme   (Walt Disney) Indian Reservation - Cherokee Lament   (The Raiders)

International Understanding

Its' a Small World   (Walt Disney) Everything is Beautiful   (Ray Stevens)

Peace

Billy, Don't Be A Hero   (Paper Lace) Blowin' In the Wind   (Bob Dylan) Conversation Peace   (Stevie Wonder) Give Peace a Chance   (John Lennon) Happy Christmas   (John Lennon) Heal the World   (Michael Jackson) f I Had a Hammer   (Peter, Paul & Mary) Imagine   (John Lennon) Invisible War   (Julia Fordham) Peace Train   (Cat Stevens) Pipes of Peace  (Paul McCartney) Universal Soldier   (Donovan) We Can Work It Out   (Beatles)

Poverty & Homelessness

Another Day in Paradise   (Phil Collins) In the Ghetto   (Elvis Presley) Village Ghetto Land  (Stevie Wonder)

Womens' Issues

I Am Woman   (Helen Reddy) Modern Girl   (Sheena Easton)

World Concerns / Global Issues

Conversation Peace   (Stevie Wonder) Dreaming on a World   (Tracy Chapman) From a Distance   (Bette Midler) Heal the World   (Michael Jackson) Heat on the Street   (Phil Collins) Man in the Mirror   (Michael Jackson) Rain Your Love Down   (Stevie Wonder) Rough Justice   (Bananarama) Take the Time Out   (Stevie Wonder)

 What would you present to your students if you could give them just one gift at their graduation from school? If you were asked this question, what would you say? This question starts off the book Values and Visions and has given me an opportunity to think about what I should teach our students.
 The modern world is increasingly becoming one world, in which we are all involved. The future of our countries will be inextricably linked. We educators must develop new curricula reflecting today's global realities, and teach our students about the world and the changes taking place in it.
 What English teachers can do is to improve students' communication ability, to enhance appreciation of other countries, to raise social awareness of the world, to reduce prejudice or fixed ideas toward people with different cultures, to promote mutual understanding, and to teach students how to cope with or solve difficult problems.
 One effective means to reach global education goals in the language class is to use popular songs which deal with global issues. Listening to music motivates students to learn English and works as a change of class atmosphere. Global issue songs raise students' consciousness about international problems and give them an opportunity to do problem solving and express their opinions. Songs can be used both as an introduction to an issue, as a topic for discussion or to conclude a lesson.
 I create exercise sheets for global issue songs not only for listening, but also for reading, writing, speaking and discussion. My specific educational aims include developing:

listening ability	cooperative learning	critical thinking
communication skills	creative thinking

 The kinds of class activities I do include:

listening cloze	summarizing	true/false questions
partial dictation	making connections	reactions to music
answering questions	paraphrasing	reading comprehension
	discussions

Why Use Popular Songs?

 Pop songs create an enjoyable learning environment and attract students' interest. Griffee (1992) lists the following advantages:

classroom atmosphere	student interest	language input
cultural input	text	supplements
	vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation

 Griffee also emphasizes the power of song. Songs function differently from speech. A small amount of information and a high degree of redundancy make songs sound simple and this contributes to understanding. Besides, songs create their own world of feeling and emotion. When we listen to a song, we feel as if it were being sung for us personally. We are often comforted, encouraged or moved by songs because they speak to us directly about our experiences.

Why Global Issue Songs?

 When teaching world problems, we often use techniques such as video and newspapers. Global issue songs, in which musicians appeal to us against war, prejudice and environmental destruction are effective but often overlooked. 1985 was the year when musicians in many countries produced charity records and videos to help save the hungry in Africa, to oppose apartheid and to foster environmental protection. Groups like Band Aid, USA for Africa and Artists United Against Apartheid attracted peoples' attention all over the world. Through these songs, many youth could gain knowledge about people suffering from poverty, hunger or discrimination.
 To live together in harmony in the 21st century, cross-cultural understanding and cooperation are needed. Language learning can be a valuable tool for deepening multi-culturalism and mutual understanding. In this sense, global issue songs provide us with an opportunity to raise awareness of world problems and to motivate students to speak English. Global issue songs function well for students. The more they listen, the more their curiosity about global problems will increase. I believe global issue songs can promote tolerance, reduce prejudice and help students think about world issues from various angles.

References

Brown, H. D. (1992) "TESOL at 25: What Are the Issues?" TESOL Quarterly. 25 (2), 245-259.
Burns, S. & Lamont, G. (1993) Values and Visions. Manchester Development Education, UK.
Fisher, S. & Hicks, D. (1985) World Studies 8-13. Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd.
Griffee, Dale T. (1992) Songs in Action. Hertfordshire: Prentice Hall.
Pike, G. & Selby, D. (1988) Global Teacher, Global Learner. London: Hodder & Toughton. 

Newsletter Issue . . . #32   #33   #34   #35   #36   #37   #38   . . .
Global Issues SIG Newsletter Index
www.jalt.org/global/35Songs.htm

Global Issue Songs in the English Classroom by Sunao Shimizu
.
.
.

environmental issues - the best sites

Again, the excellent blog from teacher Larry Ferlazzo
Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL
comes up with an excellent list of resources:

The Best Sites To Introduce Environmental Issues Into The Classroom

July 19, 2008 by Larry Ferlazzo | 6 Comments

I was pretty careful about how I titled this latest “The Best…” list. These sites are good to “introduce” environmental issues in the classroom, but generally don’t provide information on systemic, political, and corporate issues related to environmental damage.

I wasn’t able to find one excellent site that would provide those types resources and be accessible to English Language Learners. However, sites like Breaking News English and the Voice Of America Special English or other links on my The Best News/Current Events Websites For English Language Learners — 2007 that have numerous accessible news stories about current events related to the environment. These stories can be used to raise questions about the roles of First World consumption, the profit motive, and the influence of campaign contributions on political decisions.

I haven’t ranked sites here in order of preference — I think they’re all engaging and accessible to English Language Learners. I have, though, grouped them into four primary categories:

* Ones that provide “calculators” that help users determine their personal “carbon footprints.”

* Ones that provide information on what people can personally do to reduce the damage they cause to the environment, but don’t necessarily ask a series of questions so users can determine their “carbon footprint.”

* Online games that primarily relate to people’s personal actions on how they can affect the environment.

* “Big picture” sites that offer some broader perspective on the environmental crises the world faces, though they don’t necessarily provide an in-depth analysis of “why?”.

Ordinarily, I give a little more of a description for each site than I have in this list. I’m a little pressed for time this summer, though, so, outside of grouping these sites by categories, I’ll leave it to you to discover more details about them on your own.

Here are my choices for The Best Sites To Introduce Environmental Issues Into the Classroom:

CARBON FOOTPRINT CALCULATORS:

Zero Footprint Kids Calculator and Ecologic Games are the most simple and accessible to Beginning and Early Intermediate English Language Learners. Consumer Consequences and Ecological Footprint Calculator are excellent and best for Intermediate and Advanced ELL’s.

My Footprint is the newest addition to this list.  It’s another ecological footprint calculator, but it appears more ambitious (yet accessible to Intermediate English Language Learners) than some of the others I have on that list.  I’m particularly impressed that it seems to incorporate data from just about every country in the world.

PERSONALLY REDUCE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT:

Planet Green Game; ESL Environmental Education; Eeko World; and The Green Guide all give accessible information about how to personally change your actions to have a positive effect on the environment.

Scholastic has a good environmental game called Virtual Forest Challenge that I’m adding to this list. It’s very accessible to English Language Learners.  In the game, you are a virtual character going through a typical day. You regularly are faced with having to make choices between decisions that are ecologically helpful and ones that are not — you have to make the call.

ENVIRONMENTAL GAMES:

Tox Mystery; Environmental Intelligence Unit; ElectroCity; the Carbon Lifestyle Game; and My Abodo are all good, engaging games on the environmental consequences of one’s actions.

The Power of Green is an online game from Con Edison that shows users how they can reduce energy costs in their house or apartment.  It’s engaging, the language is accessible, and it has very helpful information.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL BIG PICTURE:

Climate Change from the BBC News Around; Planet In Peril from the Cable News Network; the Global Warming Map from National Geographic; Environmental Mysteries from North Carolina PBS; the Brainpop: Our Fragile Environment online movies; Can You Keep The Earth In Balance? from National Geographic; Six Degrees Can Change The World, also from National Geographic; and Breathing Earth begin to provide some broader framework for the environmental mess we find ourselves in.

(I’m also adding the Human Footprint Interactive here)

Next 10 is a nonprofit group in our state that has developed some excellent online learning tools that relate to California, particularly related to the environment. One of them is aCarbon Footprint Calculator and a Home Energy Saver that includes California data. They also have an extraordinary tool that lets you discover the carbon footprint of your community based on your zipcode.

Scorecard gives you specific information about environmental dangers in your community after your type in your zipcode.

USA Today has created an online interactive where you can type in the name of your school and then learn the level of industrial pollution in the area.  It’s called Toxic Air and American Schools.

I’m adding two new sites to The Best Sites To Introduce Environmental Issues Into The Classroom.

One is Global Warming Facts and Our Future from the National Academy of Sciences. It’s a very engaging and extensive site, and includes audio support for the text. The vocabulary may be pretty challenging for Intermediate English Language Learners, but it’s worth the attempt.

The other is the Low Impact Living Environmental Calculator. There are several of these type of calculators already on the “The Best…” list. This site’s unique feature is the ability to compare how you rank relative to a typical home in your region.

A Florida elementary school has a simple, but good, introduction to environmental issues, and provides audio support for the text.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a free 133 page downloadable curriculum that connects English language-learning with environmental issues.  It’s calledTeach English, Teach About The Environment, and looks pretty good to me.

I’m adding an interactive map from Conservation International to this list.

United Nations Environment Program has created quite a few infographics on environmental issues around the world. They are designed well, and contain an enormous amount of information. Much of it would be accessible to Intermediate ELL’s.

Noise Pollution: The Scarcity of Silence is an accessible infographic on….noise pollution.

Evolution of renewable energy is a very useful interactive tracing renewable energy use from 8000 BC to the present.

Planet Earth is a talking story from The British Council.

As always, feedback is welcome.

If you found this post useful, you might want to look at previous “The Best…” lists and also consider subscribing to this blog for free.

The Best Sites To Introduce Environmental Issues Into The Classroom | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…
.
.
.