Teacher training

This is from CRU's local paper in Norwich.

Hat tip Dave B.

Comments

[biddyb]

I thought you might be interested in this, below. I receive at least one of these sorts of invitations about once a week, sometimes more. The language it is written in brooks no dissent - no-one can be off message, can they? It drives me wild with rage, grrrr.

FREE Briefing Day for Local Authority Councillors

8th February 2011
Organised in partnership with The Centre for Sustainable Energy

Local authority councillors are invited to this FREE one-day event designed to give elected members a firm understanding of the opportunities that exist to shape a low carbon future for their area that brings both economic and social rewards. Attendees will gain:

a better understanding of the importance of bold leadership, inspiration, innovation, leadership, skills and knowledge in tackling climate change.
increased awareness of the importance of creating green investment opportunities in the face of public spending cuts.
improved understanding of how to integrate low carbon measures into existing local buildings, businesses and lifestyles.
more confidence to take ownership of and drive forward projects centred on local ownership and management of low carbon assets in their area.

The day will consist of five sessions, including inspirational examples of work led by other local authorities and individuals. The sessions will cover:

Inspirational keynote presentation from Bristol City Council. BCC will introduce the groundbreaking work they are doing linking up their green capital and digital economy agendas, along with the city's Climate Change and Energy Security Framework and recent bid to the EU European Local Energy Assistance (ELENA) facility for financial and technical assistance towards developing strategic city-wide sustainable energy projects.
Inspirational plenary presentation from Dan Weisselberg of the Bristol Green Doors Campaign. Bristol Green Doors is a Community Interest Company established to make links between home owners who have carried out low-energy refurbishments to their homes, and those who wish to learn from their experiences, through city-wide ‘open-door' days and training events.
Panel Q&A session with Bristol City Council and Bristol Green Doors representatives.
Supporting communities to engage in planning for a low carbon future - using a large scale, four-metre-long model of a town with surrounding rural hinterland as a teaching aid for planning and renewable energy technology. This session will also include issues around community-led planning, SPD (supplementary planning documents) and the importance of elected members increasing their own knowledge in order to encourage policies within LDF (Local Development Frameworks) which support renewable energy.
Getting your community on board: planning and running community events (looking at planning the event, renewables, the planning system, project management and finance) - using an interactive DVD resource pack developed by CSE with funding from the Department of Communities and Local Government.
How it can be done - lessons from engaging communities and large scale retrofit programmes.
Places are limited to 30 attendees per session, so get in touch immediately to reserve your place.

[BBD]

biddyb

I almost wish that you had not posted this. Real head-in-hands material from start to finish.

The underlying theme seems to be - come and learn how to engage with subsidy farmers and others and help them greenwash their way to a nice share of public money. And slap on some greenwash yourself in the process.

This stuff is emetic.

Next time you get the chance, do ask how the UK is supposed to 'tackle climate change' when we only contribute 1.84% to global annual CO2 emissions. You might add that China (22.3%) is belching CO2 at such a rate that its annual emissions growth is larger than total annual emissions from the UK.

This makes it literally impossible for reductions on any scale in the UK to have any effect on future climate. All this 'tackling' is actually nothing more than magical thinking. And very expensive magical thinking at that.

[David]

biddyb - sign me up this minute..!
I'm particularly keen to see how much I could screw out of the EU in the name of 'sustainable energy'...

[Xplod]

Biddyb,
one of your earlier posts mentioned "equality impact assessments". I recently wrote a report proposing an increase in Taxi licence fees (very modest ones, honest!). I was jumped on by the policy wonks that now infest local authorities, because I hadn't carried out an EIA. I mean, lets get serious here, if the licence fees are increased, it "impacts" all licence holders equally. Doesn't it? Well apparently, no !

I had to identify that no "equality" group was adversely affected. Mind you, there was a deafening silence when I asked for their "remedy". That would have involved different licence fees for different "equality" groups, and they were completely stymied by that....So, the proposal stood, for a universal increase, across all "equality" groups. Jobsworths to a man (well, women, in this case). No imagination, no pragmatism, no realisation of the real world, but boy, do they wield some power! And they are immune from the cutbacks! And, yes, there is support from officers, but a couple of "pinkish" councillors jumped on the bandwagon! Long way to go, before this utter nonsense is removed.

Frankly, they were clearly saying that my policy was "ist" (sex, race, age, etc etc etc), and that I was guilty, so I had to prove I was innocent, rather than the basic tenet of innocent till proven guilty.

And, at what a cost!

Frustrated xplod

[Alex Cull]

Commentators on this thread might be interested to learn that Phase 1 of a project to provide "opportunities for leadership and participation in issues of climate change among young people" is now under way in Lincolnshire:
http://www.speakgreen.info/

"GREEN TEAM is an all age group of young people working together, on their own initiative and self motivated, facilitated at a senior level by school leaders, teachers and youth workers. Green Teams will be encouraged to develop an identity and to think about a practical schedule of activities to explore and raise awareness about climate change within the school and outside it in the local community"

There's more about speakgreen over at Harmless Sky, where I did a guest blog last month:
http://ccgi.newbery1.plus.com/blog/?p=360

[biddyb]

Feb 1, 2011 at 11:10 PM | Alex Cull
Don't you love the way Green Team is all about young people working on their own initiative, but will be "facilitated", "encouraged", etc. to "raise awareness about climate change".

It's nothing, absolutely nothing, whatsoever to do with their own initiative.

Feb 1, 2011 at 7:51 PM | Xplod - I'm with you there. EIAs are such a waste of time but I guess the Equality & Diversity Officers need to justify their existence. During these hard times I have tried to suggest they be made redundant. No doubt their will claim they are being victimised and it will be too expensive to get rid of them. They have a habit of lurking in the background ready to pronounce and send you to the Standards Board if you put a toenail out of line.