Students Take on Climate Stories
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A T M O S Part of the Climate Science Outreach Project SCHOOLS FIGHT TO GO GREEN LOOKING TO FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES STUDENT S TAKE ON CLIMATE STORIES …AND SHEEP POO! JUNE 2012 1 FOREWORD Welcome JUNE 2012 from the Climate Science Outreach team. Our contributors n autumn 2011 students representing secondary schools York from across the UK were set the challenge of becoming National Railway Museum Iscience journalists. They spent three months researching Applefields School (p 10) the issues, investigating the facts, interviewing the experts Archbishop Holgate’s School (p 32) and gathering photos to report on the climate change stories Bedale High School (p 80) from their local area. Huntington School (p 78) The result is a range of stories covering everything from Kettlethorpe High School (p 104) Widnes community recycling initiatives to the use of sheep poo Catalyst Science Discovery Centre as an energy source for the future. The range of stories The Bankfield School (p 96) investigated by our reporters highlights the impacts climate Blacon High School (p 102) change can have on the lives of young people across the The Catholic High School, Chester (p 16) country. You can read all of their stories in this special Hawarden High School (p 24) The Climate Science edition of ATMOS, which is for all those who took part in the Neston High School (p 52) Editorial Climate Science Outreach Project. Ormiston Bolingbroke Academy (p 100) Outreach team. Manchester Editors The Whitby High School (p 60) Museum of Science & Industry Dani Williams The Climate Science Outreach Project is part of the Science Beech House School (p 90) José Monteiro Museum’s Climate Changing programme. To find out more, Harrytown Catholic High School (p 30) Deanne Naula please visit our website: Sale Grammar School (p 94) Copy Editor www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/ClimateChanging Bristol Wellacre Academy (p 20) Lawrence Ahlemeyer At-Bristol Designer Charlie Knight Bradley Stoke Community School (p 12) Foreword The Castle School (p 42) Contact us Chosen Hill School (p 74) When I look back at the thousands of articles I have written over the past Science Museum three decades, among the few that really stand out is the dramatic call to The City Academy (p 62) Exhibition Road Coedcae School (p 66) South Kensington arms by US scientist Jim Hansen in 1988 that helped raise awareness of The Commonweal School (p 14) London SW7 2DD global warming, and warn us of the dangers of climate change. The Corsham School (p 50) sciencemuseum.org.uk This now promises to be the biggest story of the 21st century, one which Science Museum Hardenhuish School (p 76) @sciencemuseum will affect societies, ecosystems, economies and individuals on an epic Hayesfield Girls’ School (p 68) London scale. We’re entering a new era in Earth’s 4.5-billion-year history: the Lakers School (p 64) Science Museum Production Anthropocene, or the ‘age of man’. Marlwood School (p 38) Sustainable Paper – Cocoon Bishop Thomas Grant Catholic But the climate system is complex, as are climate politics. Yet despite the Newent Community School (p 58) Secondary School (p 92) Silk is produced from 100% or 50% post-consumer urgency of the issue there’s a danger that the public are getting blasé about Norton Hill School (p 22) Charles Edward Brooke C of E recycled, FSC certified pulp. global warming, so the need for journalism that combines informative Penair School (p 84) Girls’ School (p 48) Less energy and water are The Charter School (p 98) consumed and fewer CO2 reporting with human interest in polished prose has never been greater. Penryn College (p 108) emissions are produced Queen Elizabeth’s Community Conisborough College (p 44) during manufacturing, That’s why I am so impressed by ATMOS, where 12- to 14-year-olds have Technology College (p 56) Fulham Cross Girls’ School (p 82) compared to the production of virgin fibre paper. generated the ideas, conducted the interviews and written the stories. This The Ridgeway School (p 70) Gunnersbury Catholic School (p 18) exciting initiative demonstrates how young people are engaged and can Mulberry School for Girls (p 28) FSC recycled certification, St Bernadette Catholic Secondary NAPM 100% recycled engage us all – helping us to sort fact from fiction and ignite discussion in School (p 36) Phoenix High School (p 34) certification, ISO 14001, order to understand the defining story of the Anthropocene. Westlands School (p 46) Sacred Heart Catholic School (p 8) Process Chlorine Free (PCF) and PAS 2020:2009 Level 3. Roger Highfield, science writer and journalist, Science Museum Director of External Affairs Worle Community School (p 54) Salvatorian College (p 88) The Urswick School (p 106) Walworth Academy (p 86) 2 3 CONTENTS We look at the impacts of climate change on 40 wildlife, farming and the natural world. Contents Environment 42 Climate change: the view from the Castle 56 Keep the sea pollution free! 44 Climate change in our community 58 Farming in new weathers Can the latest technologies offer a solution to the problems of climate change? 6 46 Are Torbay’s beaches going to be washed away? 60 Is Chester Zoo environmentally friendly? Technology 48 Bee thoughtful 62 Ice, ice maybe 50 Can cows cause climate change? 64 Get your turbines off my yard! 52 The bees are buzzing off! What’s the buzz? 66 Climate change in the UK: is Llanelli going under? 8 Strata: the sustainability starter? 53 Tweeting the changes 68 Acid Bath 10 Time is running out – time for new ideas 54 Bye bye, Spuddy 70 Climate chaos kills helpless hedgehogs 12 Fully charged 14 Hydrogen: fuel of the future 16 The green giant Airbus A380 18 Plug in your phone, plug in your car How are our schools and communities tackling climate change? 20 Recycling for England 72 22 Are we faced with a climate change disgrace? Community 24 Eco-friendly engineering 74 Say YEP to saving energy! 76 Waste not want not From recycling our waste to a greener Christmas, how can we all do our bit? 78 Should schools spend to save CO2? 26 80 Schools fight to go green Lifestyle 82 Is a new London airport plane crazy? 84 Time for change 28 Eco-occasions 86 Walworth feels the heat... but not for long! 98 Barclays bikes? 30 Recycling – your future needs you! 88 Kodak in Harrow, a snapshot of climate change 100 Frodsham’s fate 32 Life swap 90 Dale-ly changes 102 The Blacon Climate Project 34 Ring ring, recycle bin! 92 Local community driving us crazy! 104 How green is Kettlethorpe High School? 36 Count your footprints, count your miles 94 Bio-massive matters 106 The London Olympics: a climate challenge? 38 It isn’t easy being green... 96 On our doorstep… 108 The unseen cost of education 4 5 Technology Can the latest technologies offer a solution to the problems of climate change? 6 7 SACRED HEART CATHOLIC SCHOOL, LONDON As we know, fossil fuels are running out keeping with the surroundings as it waste, equity, water, materials and social and global warming is becoming a bigger looks more modern than all the old wellbeing factors.’ issue than ever before. Here in Britain Victorian bricks. To conclude, we think Strata is a good we have realised we need another way However, not all views on Strata are idea and more buildings should be made of supplying energy without causing as negative, as some people see the true like this, as it is an asset to sustainability much atmospheric damage. And that is purpose of the building and realise and has made many people publicly why renewable sources of energy were it is a really good idea. The building aware of renewable energy. However, developed. Renewable energy, in case has incorporated sustainability into a there are some aspects that could be you don’t already know, is an alternative residential apartment building. By doing improved. These include making it way of producing electricity in a clean, so, it has raised awareness about climate more aesthetically appealing and efficient manner that never runs out, change and the need for society to enabling the turbines to capture the hence it is called ‘renewable’. However, behave more sustainably. Furthermore, wind’s energy from every direction. despite advances in renewable energy A BUILDING THAT PROVIDES 8% OF ITS OWN ENERGY. the building has been recognised Another vital factor to improve the production, much of Britain continues positively, winning a prestigious Concrete building would be to thoroughly insulate to be powered by fossil fuels. But we, Society Award in 2010, with judges it, as this is one of the best ways to Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Secondary A BUILDING THAT HELPS REDUCE CLIMATE CHANGE. commenting on the striking nature of reduce energy consumption, according School, have seen a building that is the building and its excellent use of to Andrew Haigh. A BUILDING THAT IS CALLED STRATA. different from the others. THE SUSTAINABILITY STARTER? STRATA: Strata is a 148-metre-tall skyscraper space within a restricted area. Plus, one We think that if all improvements are put that dominates the skyline of Elephant resident we spoke to felt, ‘It is a good into action, that Strata will not be socially and Castle, and it is London’s first with idea as it will have its own power source rejected and will raise awareness within wind turbines embedded into it. These if a blackout occurred.’ A librarian from society to help reduce climate change. turbines provide a renewable energy Newington Library also said, ‘I don’t An important part of this is doing the source, thus reducing climate change think it’s unattractive, I think it actually little things, such as not leaving the tap as less fossil fuels are being burnt.