FUTURE CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS
Category: Future
Cities Special Interest Group – Hotting Up? Low Carbon Plans in UK Cities
The battle against climate change and resource depletion will be won or lost in the world’s cities. Cities present us with huge environmental challenges, but also offer huge opportunities, because they create economies of scale in technology deployment and access to capital, both of which are vital if we are to make the existing built environment of our cities sustainable and resource efficient by 2050..
Future Cities Special Interest Group – Hotting Up? Low Carbon Plans in UK Cities
The school where everyone is encouraged to play Minecraft
FUTURE CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS
Minecraft uses square blocks based stuff, a bit like a digital version of Lego. For some time all students in the seventh grade in high school play the game. It is part of an interdisciplinary project that spans the subjects of chemistry, physics, biology, social studies and English.
Should learn to build climate change smart
The project involves students working together to build a future city with pleasant climate smart solutions based on the knowledge they receive within their classes.
The purpose of this project is that students should be forced to make decisions relating to environmental issues in order to know what to build in the game. It creates a desire to learn, says teachers in science and mathematics.
In the game, students have built houses, among other things, containers for sorting and electricity through wind and hydro and solar cells.
I think it’s great fun for students to learn in a different way. Because you get to try to really build things so you understand more easily how they work, says a student at the school.
Required in teaching
Minecraft is a game that currently has around 40 million registered users worldwide. Most played of course at leisure, but at Reading’s coeducational schools it has now become mandatory for an entire year. Students must regularly submit ratings founding essays and keep accounts where they show what they have done and why.
We must not let the PC gaming take too much time. The students really know what they’re doing and understand what the purpose is, it is important to combine the game with the regular teaching.
So far pleased with the results
The project will continue in the spring term and as long as the school are happy with the results. In any case, we have gained a new perspective on some things.
Now I’m almost tempted to waste sorting because I learned what the consequences are if we do not take care of the environment properly.
Links to brief about this:
http://deangroom.wordpress.com/2013/02/03/8-ways-minecraft-works-on-your-brain/
http://blogs.ncs-nj.org/minecraft/2013/01/10/group-1-week-1-recap/
http://www.middleschoolminecraft.com/2013/01/06/science-minecraft-feathers-and-guinea-pigs/
http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business/minecraft-block-by-block-gaming
New eco-car definition nailed for 2013
FUTURE CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS
The government’s autumn budget confirmed the earlier proposals for green car definition in 2013 is now a reality. The most important news is that the emission limits are tightened, while also taking into account the vehicle’s weight. This means that the requirements are tightened on small cars but also some larger, not currently approved green cars, can qualify as a green car.
The new rich limit is 95 g CO2 / km for fossils cars and 150 g / km for vehicles that run on for example ethanol, but practically clean car limit lower for vehicles lighter than 1372 kg and higher for cars that are heavier according to a formula.
Cars that meet the new limits are exempt from vehicle tax for five years. Right now there are about 120 model variants of passenger cars and 13 light trucks that meet the new rules.
The government does not change the benefit taxation of green cars despite criticism of short-termism from many directions. The rule for a special tax credit of 40 percent for gas and electric cars and plug-in hybrids only applies until the end of 2013. However, any alternative fuel cars will continue to permanent impairment of the benefit to the nearest comparable car.
VISION 2020-50
FUTURE CLIMATE CHANGE NEWS
The Reading Borough Council has decided on our long-term ambitions and endeavors in a vision for Reading: Vision 2020-50. The vision aims to bring about a vibrant, humane, creative city in 2020, where people are happy and can make their own life choices.
In the vision, Reading is a vibrant city environment with compact, functional developed areas. There are good communications to shopping and services, workplaces and the surrounding nature. Buildings and infrastructure are characterised by sustainable energy solutions and smart environmental design, and are adapted to future climate change. The city has clean rivers and watercourses, and plenty of parks that are both beautiful and safe.
Through hundreds of different building projects and investments in service and care, Reading will develop into a world-class city. Everything we do – from planning new residential areas to developing schools and elderly care – is based on our shared vision.