Comenius Gaia - Improve your life

Sustainable Development

2012-12-12T18:08:00.000+01:00

"Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. (Brundtland Report).

We often talk about sustainable development as a solution to many of our problems, especially the environmental related ones; it is a solution that could help us to improve and "clean up" our environment in a concrete way.

But what is sustainable development?

It is a form of development, ranging from the economic to the social sphere, which aims at preserving humanity from a rampant use of natural resources.
We increasingly hear that natural resources are scarce, that they will soon run out if men do not start to use them in a better and more responsible way.

In fact the main cause of environmental problems is man, who, though he is part of the environment, does not preserve it; though he’s worried about his own health, does not really bother about it.

Man is aware of the environmental problems and the strong impact they might have on him. He knows that, sooner or later, he will have to deal with these problems, but for the present he makes do with "apparent" remedies, which can be worse than the problems themselves since they can cover up the larger issues at hand. A few measure have already been devised to preserve nature, but they’re still insufficient.

One of these measures is The Kyoto Protocol, the international treaty on global warming and pollution which remains a giant step forward in the protection of nature and of man himself, even though it has not been ratified by the United States, one of the world's largest consumer of energy.

Man depends on the environment, he is linked to it by a much deeper bond than he believes. If this bond were dissolved, he could suffer greatly.

The goal of sustainable development, after all, is this: to maintain and to forge an even stronger bond with Nature in order not to break up our friendship with stupid and reckless actions. Many people are unaware of the indissoluble bond we have with nature, and if they ignore its existence they live as if it did not exist.

The fact is that it will not always be possible to ignore the problems looming on the horizon, so much so that many companies have already proposed energy saving programs. It is up to us, the ones who are environmentally friendly, to reach out to people who still are not.

It is precisely for this reason that our school has joined a Comenius Project the main purpose of which is to better understand environmental problems and their causes. It 's good that young people, the future of the world, understand what is weakening Nature and try to find a cure for it. Nature will be grateful for an act of courage and love. So, who is more suitable than us to help the environment? We are a courageous and responsible generation and we know that the best medicine is called "sustainable development"?

Sustainable development, in short, is not a far away and abstruse issue, which can only be dealt with learning the Kyoto Protocol or the Brundtland Report by heart,. It is quite close to our daily life. It speaks the language of energy. It feeds on ecology and breathes with the environment. It is so similar to a living being. In fact isn’t Nature as much of a living being as our cat? As such, we owe Nature the unconditional. respect we have always been given by her.

Disseminazione del progetto

2009-11-23T21:49:00.004+01:00

Il 23 Novembre 2009 gli studenti del liceo "Augusto" partecipano alla Settimana europea dello Sviluppo sostenibile e del Mangiar Sano.

Ecco il Programma del convegno

LO SVILUPPO SOSTENIBILE

2009-06-18T23:56:00.001+02:00

“Lo sviluppo sostenibile è quello che provvede al soddisfacimento dei bisogni delle
generazioni presenti senza compromettere la possibilità di soddisfacimento dei bisogni di quelle future” ( Rapporto Brundtland).

Oggi come oggi si parla molto spesso di sviluppo sostenibile. Si tratta di una possibile soluzione a molti dei problemi che ci circondano, primo fra tutti quello ambientale; è una soluzione che se sarà attuata potrà aiutarci in maniera concreta a migliorare e “risanare” il nostro ambiente.

Ma intanto cos’è concretamente lo sviluppo sostenibile?

In verità è una forma di sviluppo, che spazia da ambiti come quello dell’economia fino a raggiungere la sfera sociale, e che ha il compito di preservare l’uomo dall’uso sfrenato e poco intelligente delle risorse naturali.

Sempre più spesso ci sentiamo ripetere che le risorse naturali sono un bene limitato, destinato pertanto ad un’“estinzione”, che se l’uomo non allontanerà ed eviterà, si avvicina ogni giorno di più.

Infatti la causa principale dei problemi ambientali di cui si sente parlare è proprio l’uomo; quell’uomo che è parte dell’ambiente, ma non si cura del suo mantenimento; che si dice attento e preoccupato, ma in realtà non si preoccupa nemmeno della sua stessa salute. Egli infatti è cosciente del problema ambientale e del forte impatto che potrebbe avere su di lui, sa bene che prima o poi si troverà a doverlo fronteggiare direttamente; ma per ora si accontenta di rimedi “apparenti”, che possano avere una durata accettabile e possano mascherare il problema più grande che si cela dietro di essi. Sono grandi gesti nei confronti della Natura, anche se ancora insufficienti.

E dunque si è creato il protocollo di Kyoto, trattato internazionale riguardante il riscaldamento e l’inquinamento globale per la tutela dell’ambiente, che pur vedendo l’assenza di uno tra i più grandi consumatori mondiali di energia, gli Stati Uniti, resta comunque un passo da gigante nella protezione della Natura e dell’uomo stesso.

L’uomo dipende strettamente dall’ambiente, con un legame molto più profondo di quanto egli creda; un legame della cui mancanza, una volta sciolto, potrebbe soffrire profondamente .

L’obiettivo dello sviluppo sostenibile, in fondo, è proprio questo: cercare di mantenere e di stringere ancora più forte questo vincolo di donare e ricevere che ci fa scoprire ogni volta quanto la Natura voglia la nostra amicizia e quanto noi alle volte, con gesti stupidi e sconsiderati, gliela rifiutiamo. Tante, troppe persone sono all’oscuro di questo legame indissolubile che l’uomo ha con la Natura; e, se non ne sono all’oscuro, quanto meno lo ignorano e vivono come se non esistesse.

Il fatto è che non sarà sempre possibile far finta di niente davanti ai problemi che si stanno profilando all’orizzonte, tant’è che molte aziende hanno già proposto programmi di risparmio energetico, ed è compito nostro, di noi uomini attenti all’ambiente, sensibilizzare le persone che ancora non lo sono. Ed è proprio per questo che all’interno della nostra scuola è stato creato il Progetto Comenius, il cui scopo principale è quello di comprendere e far comprendere meglio i problemi ambientali che ormai fanno parte della nostra realtà e quali sono le cause che li generano. E’ bene infatti che soprattutto noi giovani, futuro del mondo, riusciamo a capire bene quale sia l’origine di questa malattia che sta indebolendo la Natura, e troviamo una cura per sconfiggerla. E’ un compito gravoso, che molti non si sentono di affrontare… ma sicuramente la Natura ci sarebbe grata per un atto di coraggio e di amore che ancora in pochi le stanno riservando. E quindi, da generazione responsabile e coraggiosa quale siamo… Chi più adatto di noi ad aiutare l’ambiente, grazie a questa medicina, che si chiama “sviluppo sostenibile”?

Lo sviluppo sostenibile, insomma, non è una realtà lontana ed inaccessibile, a cui si può giungere solo conoscendo a memoria il protocollo di Kyoto o il Rapporto Brundtland: è una realtà che ci vive accanto, che magari qualche volta noi allontaniamo, ma di cui, con un po’ di buona volontà, possiamo entrare a far parte anche noi. Parla il linguaggio del risparmio energetico, si nutre di ecologia, respira con l’ambiente.

Somiglia molto ad un essere vivente in sé e per sé. Ma in fondo la Natura non è forse un essere vivente come il nostro gatto?

Come tale, le dobbiamo il rispetto che lei ci ha sempre dato incondizionatamente.

2009-05-28T17:25:00.001+02:00

Videohanbook

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Disseminazione del progetto - Convegno Scuola & Impresa

2009-05-25T21:59:00.002+02:00

Il gruppo Comenius "Gaia" relaziona al convegno Scuola & Impresa organizzato dal liceo AUgusto.
Ecco il video che raccoglie parte degli interventi.

2009-05-25T11:14:00.003+02:00

Comenius Gaia conclusions

Visit to Westminster

2009-05-25T00:12:00.004+02:00

Dear Dr Spink

I got your e-mail address from Norman Bambridge. I'm one of the Italian teachers who was with the group you so kindly hosted in the Grand Committee Room in Westminster on Tuesday 19th May 2009
.
I wish to thank you also on behalf of my colleague Carlo Panizzon and of all the Italian students for the privilege you granted us.

We felt honoured to be received by an English MP who chose to devote us part of his invaluable time in such an important and historic day as the one in which the Speaker of the House resigned.

We particularly appreciated your availability and the care you took in answering our questions. We were also glad of being shown St.Stephen's Chapel by such an exceptional tour guide.

Our visit at Westminster was a key note in our stay and we thank you again for making it so special.

My best regards

Maria Teresa Ciaffaroni
Also on behalf of the Italian delegation

Dear Maria,
Thank you for your email and I hope I find you very well.
It was a pleasure to meet you and I thank you for all you do for young people and congratulate you all on your command of English and your knowledge of the issues.
Very best wishes.
Bob
Dr. Bob Spink
MP for Castle Point

Catch-up with project GAIA

2009-05-24T17:10:00.001+02:00

CANVEY ISLANDERS WHO WERE UNABLE TO ATTEND THE FINAL PRESENTATION OF PROJECT GAIA, held at the Furtherwick Park School on Wednesday, can now view the unedited videos on the project’s working Website.

For the benefit of non-Italian speakers, the following links are filtered through Yahoo’s BabelFish translation service (which still requires some improvement).

Readers can browse the project site as they normally would, without having the translation interrupted.

Click here for the warts-and-all versions of the hastily composed Furtherwick Park presentations.

Click here for the edited contributions from the project’s Dutch participants.

Notes on the visitors’ itinerary, including their interrogation of Castle Point’s MP, Bob Spink, can be downloaded (in Word .doc format) from this link: Visit notes.

With so much negative press about MPs at the moment, it is nice to be able to report something positive. As is so often the case with our Castle Point MP, Bob reorganized his day at the drop of a hat to accommodate the visiting students and give them the benefit of his extensive knowledge on environmental matters. (This on the same day as the Speaker announced his resignation and the press pack was clamoring for interviews.)

Written by Ted Pugh

May 23, 2009 at 12:44 pm

Link to the original article

Report on the visit to the Palace of Westminster

2009-05-24T10:58:00.001+02:00

Teachers and students visited the Palace of Westminster to meet Dr. Robert Spink MP and to ask questions of him, generally relating to Sustainable Development and the use of the worlds energy resources.

Q: Claudio Quaranta. (LGSA)
What do you see as the future of energy provision in the United Kingdom?
A: Bob Spink MP.
Looking ahead, possibly as far as 2050, Nuclear Fusion must be part of that energy provision. However, this will probably only provide some 25% of the overall needs.
In addition, the use of clean burn coal will add to that figure and I believe we have some 150 estimated years of supply underground in this country although it must also be balanced with the cost of transportation in energy terms, wherever the supply comes from and that could negate as much as 20% on those figures.

Q: Jasmin Mischke. (CZO)
What is Britain doing about ensuring the future of energy provision?
A: Bob Spink MP.
We must become cost effective when we look to renewable sources of energy and certainly what you are doing in the Comenius project re-enforces our duty to future generations to become energy efficient.
Such energy efficiency can equate to 25% of our total demand.

Q: Marta Casasola. (LGSA)
What do you think about the capture of energy from waste landfill sites?
A: Bob Spink MP.
The conversion of gas capture serves two major purposes, firstly the prevention of methane entering the atmosphere and creating a greater emissions footprint and secondly as I am pleased to say, both I and my constituency of Castle Point have supported the installation of conversion plants at our local landfill site generating some 12 megawatt of electricity, roughly translated to supplying 12,000 homes electricity demand for a year and probably for the next forty to fifty years.

Q: Wiebke Haselbach. (CZO)
What about energy use by the public sector?
A: Bob Spink MP.
What a very good question! The public sector including Government use some 20% of the energy consumption in the UK. I make a point on the size and use of my car in my public life having only an 1100cc engine. I wish other parliamentary colleagues would follow my example.

Q: Chiara Corradi. (LGSA)
What about the use of alternative fuels?
A: Bob Spink MP.
Bio-fuels including Palm Oils appear to be the most efficient but again there is a balance to be made with the economic and environmental cost of initial production
also the cost of conversion or refining of waste bio-fuel products. I can say this issue
was also raised on Canvey Island recently but that related more to an environmental location concern.

Q: Mats Patermann. (CZO)
Do you think the UK Government invests enough in sustainable and renewable energy projects?
A: Bob Spink MP.
No, definitely not! Perhaps too much reliance on Blue Skies Research and Nuclear Fusion and Fission to provide those answers.

Q: Sabrina Ramuenka. (CZO)
In Germany we seem further advanced than in the UK in the use of Bio-fuel technology, what other sources are being researched?
A: Bob Spink MP.
We are currently looking at Sugar Beet conversion to Bio fuel. Also, you may be aware that Richard Branson of Virgin is promoting its use, currently with his own freight aircraft.

Q: Federico Monteleone. (LGSA)
What is your opinion on more Wind Turbine Farms being created?
A: Bob Spink MP.
They form part of the renewable energy plan but obviously have limitations in terms of supply. They are also expensive and environmentally unfriendly and a further issue is they don’t always generate electricity when needed.

Q: Thomas Schaefer. (CZO)
What are the risks from more Nuclear Energy provision?
A: Bob Spink MP.
It is well documented, there is a very long ‘half life’ degeneration of radio active waste material which future generations will have to address. However, we have a duty to ensure nuclear waste is safer.
We must consider also, that on average each year some 100 coal miners across the world are killed whilst nuclear energy provision remains a ‘nil’ fatality production.

Q: David Scancarello. (LGSA)
What do you think about waste incineration and the possible links to cancer?
A: Bob Spink MP.
Essex in general and my constituency of Castle Point being one of its Boroughs does
not support having an Incineration facility before we address the issue of reducing our current approximate 750,000 tonnes annual waste to landfill to around 150,000 tonnes by 2030 and we have signed up to the EU ‘LATS’ Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme. During that time newer technology will emerge and a review of incineration will undoubtedly occur and hopefully will have no health impact issues.

Q: Monica Boccuzzi. (LGSA)
In Italy, following a popular referendum, we do not have nuclear power plants but we ‘buy in’ Nuclear Energy from other countries, do you think this is a way forward for the UK?
A: Bob Spink MP.
As I have mentioned, the risks of using Nuclear Energy are lesser than Fossil Fuels in energy production and the resultant increase in the carbon footprint. However, we should address this simple fact that Solar Energy radiates over our whole planet some 44 minutes every day of every year. Our problem globally is how to capture that energy.

Q: Christine Hertel. (CZO)

Do you know how much the UK spends on Nuclear Energy research?
A: Bob Spink MP.
Too much! There is a reliance on Nuclear Energy but cheaper and cleaner forms of PWR (Pressurised Water Reactors) and Sand bed systems are here.
The UK have announced today that the biggest Wind Turbine Farm has opened in Scotland. What happens if it is not windy?
A greater negative equity on energy production and cost efficiency!

Q: Maria Teresa Ciaffaroni. (LGSA)
In Venice we are experimenting with the use of seaweed as a bio fuel resource. Is there anything similar in the UK?
A: Bob Spink MP.
We are currently working on the seeding of Algae and its potential, both as a food and energy source and as discussed already, our collective demands are greater than the renewables available. We also have lots of seaweed!

The whole party thanked Dr. Spink for his time, by applause, for arranging the meeting to be held in the Grand Committee Room of the House.

2009-05-23T15:05:00.002+02:00

gaia-presentations

Notes from Canvey Conference

2009-05-22T18:27:00.002+02:00

NOTES FROM THE COMENIUS PROJECT HELD AT FURTHERWICK PARK SCHOOL CANVEY ISLAND FROM 17 TO 20 MAY 2009.

Present:
Christopher Hayes (Head teacher) – Furtherwick Park School. (FWP)
Norman Bradley (Comenius Co-ordinator) – Furtherwick Park School.
Paul Kaufman (Deputy Head teacher) – Furtherwick Park School.
Norman Bambridge (Project Advisor) – Furtherwick Park School.
Christian Duntsch (Project Leader )– Carl Zeiss Oberschule Berlin (CZO)
Thomas Schaefer – Carl Zeiss Oberschule Berlin.
Christine Hertel – Carl Zeiss Oberschule Berlin.
Carlo Panizzon – Liceo Ginnasio Statale Augusto Roma. (LGSA)
Maria Teresa Ciaffaroni – Liceo Ginnasio Statale Augusto Roma.

Students:
Furtherwick Park School – Essex.
Orry Black.
Charleigh Burns.
Matthew Ray
Connor Lockwood.
Callum Ward
Grant Kemp.
Carl Zeiss Oberschule – Berlin.
Max Kramer.
Mats Patermann.
Jasmin Mischke.
Sabrina Ramuenke.
Wiebke Haselbach.
Liceo Ginnasio Statale Augusto – Roma.
Rebecca Aprili.
Monica Boccuzzi
Chiara Corradi.
Marta Casasola.
Sara Esposito.
Federico Monteleone.
Claudio Quaranta.
Simona Sinisi.
Davide Scancarello.

Sunday 17 May 2009.
The German and Italian groups were met at Stansted Airport around mid-day from where transport had been arranged to take the whole twenty strong party back to the Oysterfleet Hotel on Canvey Island.

From mid afternoon the Italian and German party together with Norman Bradley were invited to a traditional barbeque hosted by Norman and Doreen Bambridge.

Monday 18 May 2009.
0900 to 1100 Hours.
Mr. Hayes (Head teacher) welcomed the teachers and students to Furtherwick Park School and hoped their work over the next three days would be productive and bring a successful conclusion to the project.
Mr. Hayes also mentioned students will be able to work with the School IT Management team on the specially designed Information Technology Bus and hoped they would enjoy that experience.

Finally, he was aware that students would be able to present a briefing of their work to the English Parliament through an arranged meeting with Dr. Robert Spink MP for the Castle Point constituency, at Westminster on Tuesday afternoon.

The project leader Christian Duntsch explained the work students would undertake in this first session in preparing video handbook introductions and that five working student groups would each have a subject for their introductions. He also mentioned that extracts of the work undertaken over the past two years would help complete the whole video handbook presentation. He went on to say although this was to be a video presentation; it should also include descriptive explanation text within the video.

The working groups were:
Group One -
Wiebke Haselbach. (CZO)
Federico Monteleone. (LGSA)
Davide Scancarello. (LGSA)
Orry Black. (FWP)
The topic for their presentation was a video introduction of their respective schools.

Group Two –
Sabrina Ramuenke. (CZO)
Chiara Corradi. (LGSA)
Grant Kemp. (FWP)
Simona Sinisi. (LGSA)
The topic for their presentation was to explain what is Comenius programme.

Group Three –
Jasmin Mischke. (CZO)
Rebecca Aprili. (LGSA)
Marta Casasola. (LGSA)
Callum Ward. (FWP)
The topic for presentation was the topics undertaken over the past two years.

Group Four –
Max Kramer. (CZO)
Monica Boccuzzi. (LGSA)
Charleigh Burns. (FWP)
Connor Lockwood. (FWP)
The topic was to explain Sustainable Development.

Group Five –
Mats Patermann. (CZO)
Claudio Quaranta. (LGSA)
Sara Esposito. (LGSA)
Matthew Ray. (FWP)
The topic was to explain what is GAIA.

1100 to 1130 hours.
The touring parties were taken on a tour of the school in which their response was noting that the number of computers available per student was much higher than either at CZO or LGSA. The Italians also mentioned the school had much larger playing fields than at LGSA.

1130 to 1315 hours.
Groups continued with their presentation tasks whilst the teachers were able to circulate and advise when necessary on the subject matter which in the case of the English students this was their first introduction to the overall project.

Most of the groups were able to achieve their initial pre-editing video recording.

1315 to 1415 hours.
A Buffet lunch was prepared for the students and teachers with also students from Furtherwick Park who had previously worked on the Comenius project and who had visited the schools in Berlin and Rome and they were able to give their thoughts on the curriculum, extra curriculum and cultural exchanges it provides.

1415 to 2030 hours.
The whole group were taken by Coach to the Lakeside Shopping and restaurant centre in nearby Thurrock (one of the largest indoor shopping centres in the area) to enjoy a welcome social break.

Tuesday 19 May 2009.
0900 to 1100 hours.
Christine Hertel introduced the morning session by confirming what the students had achieved and what needed to be completed in this session, noting some group work was in advance of others. Cutting and editing may be achieved before these were presented on Wednesday morning.

She went on to say these will be placed on the E-Twinning site linked to YouTube through capacity issues.

A special mention was made of the IT Team working on the school’s ‘i’ bus and how their technical support was invaluable.

1100 to 1130 hours.
Norman Bradley had arranged a meeting with teachers from Castle View and Cornelius Vermuyden Schools on the Island to look at continuity of the Comenius projects with CZO, LGSA and other schools in the future.

1130 to 1315 hours.
Students finished their video introductions during this period and then each group started to complete the presentation scripts for presentation on Wednesday.

1315 to 1415 hours.
A buffet lunch was again provided following which students engaged with FWP students in the play areas.

1430 hours.
A coach trip was arranged to take the whole party to London, firstly for the planned visit to the Palace of Westminster for 1600 hours to meet Dr. Robert Spink MP and for the students to ask questions of him, generally relating to Sustainable Development and the use of the worlds energy resources.

Q: Claudio Quaranta. (LGSA)
What do you see as the future of energy provision in the United Kingdom?
A: Bob Spink MP.
Looking ahead, possibly as far as 2050, Nuclear Fusion must be part of that energy provision. However, this will probably only provide some 25% of the overall needs.
In addition, the use of clean burn coal will add to that figure and I believe we have some 150 estimated years of supply underground in this country although it must also be balanced with the cost of transportation in energy terms, wherever the supply comes from and that could negate as much as 20% on those figures.

Q: Jasmin Mischke. (CZO)
What is Britain doing about ensuring the future of energy provision?
A: Bob Spink MP.
We must become cost effective when we look to renewable sources of energy and certainly what you are doing in the Comenius project re-enforces our duty to future generations to become energy efficient.
Such energy efficiency can equate to 25% of our total demand.

Q: Marta Casasola. (LGSA)
What do you think about the capture of energy from waste landfill sites?
A: Bob Spink MP.
The conversion of gas capture serves two major purposes, firstly the prevention of methane entering the atmosphere and creating a greater emissions footprint and secondly as I am pleased to say, both I and my constituency of Castle Point have supported the installation of conversion plants at our local landfill site generating some 12 megawatt of electricity, roughly translated to supplying 12,000 homes electricity demand for a year and probably for the next forty to fifty years.

Q: Wiebke Haselbach. (CZO)
What about energy use by the public sector?
A: Bob Spink MP.
What a very good question! The public sector including Government use some 20% of the energy consumption in the UK. I make a point on the size and use of my car in my public life having only an 1100cc engine. I wish other parliamentary colleagues would follow my example.

Q: Chiara Corradi. (LGSA)
What about the use of alternative fuels?
A: Bob Spink MP.
Bio-fuels including Palm Oils appear to be the most efficient but again there is a balance to be made with the economic and environmental cost of initial production
also the cost of conversion or refining of waste bio-fuel products. I can say this issue
was also raised on Canvey Island recently but that related more to an environmental location concern.

Q: Mats Patermann. (CZO)
Do you think the UK Government invests enough in sustainable and renewable energy projects?
A: Bob Spink MP.
No, definitely not! Perhaps too much reliance on Blue Skies Research and Nuclear Fusion and Fission to provide those answers.

Q: Sabrina Ramuenka. (CZO)
In Germany we seem further advanced than in the UK in the use of Bio-fuel technology, what other sources are being researched?
A: Bob Spink MP.
We are currently looking at Sugar Beet conversion to Bio fuel. Also, you may be aware that Richard Branson of Virgin is promoting its use, currently with his own freight aircraft.

Q: Federico Monteleone. (LGSA)
What is your opinion on more Wind Turbine Farms being created?
A: Bob Spink MP.
They form part of the renewable energy plan but obviously have limitations in terms of supply. They are also expensive and environmentally unfriendly and a further issue is they don’t always generate electricity when needed.

Q: Thomas Schaefer. (CZO)
What are the risks from more Nuclear Energy provision?
A: Bob Spink MP.
It is well documented, there is a very long ‘half life’ degeneration of radio active waste material which future generations will have to address. However, we have a duty to ensure nuclear waste is safer.
We must consider also, that on average each year some 100 coal miners across the world are killed whilst nuclear energy provision remains a ‘nil’ fatality production.

Q: David Scancarello. (LGSA)
What do you think about waste incineration and the possible links to cancer?
A: Bob Spink MP.
Essex in general and my constituency of Castle Point being one of its Boroughs does
not support having an Incineration facility before we address the issue of reducing our current approximate 750,000 tonnes annual waste to landfill to around 150,000 tonnes by 2030 and we have signed up to the EU ‘LATS’ Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme. During that time newer technology will emerge and a review of incineration will undoubtedly occur and hopefully will have no health impact issues.

Q: Monica Boccuzzi. (LGSA)
In Italy, following a popular referendum, we do not have nuclear power plants but we ‘buy in’ Nuclear Energy from other countries, do you think this is a way forward for the UK?
A: Bob Spink MP.
As I have mentioned, the risks of using Nuclear Energy are lesser than Fossil Fuels in energy production and the resultant increase in the carbon footprint. However, we should address this simple fact that Solar Energy radiates over our whole planet some 44 minutes every day of every year. Our problem globally is how to capture that energy.

Q: Christine Hertel. (CZO)
Do you know how much the UK spends on Nuclear Energy research?
A: Bob Spink MP.
Too much! There is a reliance on Nuclear Energy but cheaper and cleaner forms of PWR (Pressurised Water Reactors) and Sand bed systems are here.
The UK have announced today that the biggest Wind Turbine Farm has opened in Scotland. What happens if it is not windy?
A greater negative equity on energy production and cost efficiency!

Q: Maria Teresa Ciaffaroni. (LGSA)
In Venice we are experimenting with the use of seaweed as a bio fuel resource. Is there anything similar in the UK?
A: Bob Spink MP.
We are currently working on the seeding of Algae and its potential, both as a food and energy source and as discussed already, our collective demands are greater than the renewables available. We also have lots of seaweed!

The whole party thanked Dr. Spink for his time, by applause, for arranging the meeting to be held in the Grand Committee Room of the House.

1700 to 1730 hours.
Dr. Spink then invited the whole group to cross the Westminster Great Hall being the oldest part of Parliament, the walls being built in 1097 and the Hall being one of Europe’s largest medieval halls with an unsupported roof. The hall was extensively rebuilt during the fourteenth century. He then arranged for the opening of St. Stephens Chapel where he explained some of its history and its beauty.

Upon leaving the Chapel, Dr. Spink was again thanked for his time, the manner in which he welcomed everyone and took the time to answer all the questions put to him. This was indeed an historic day.

1730 onwards.
The whole party enjoyed a walking tour down Whitehall to Downing Street, through the Barracks to Horse guards Parade into St. James Park and to Buckingham Palace where Maria Teresa Ciaffaroni informed the students of the Royal standard flying meaning the Queen was in residence.

From there, a walk down The Mall, past Clarence House and Admiralty Arch into Trafalgar Square and from there, down The Strand into Covent Garden for some shopping and an evening meal.

We returned along the embankment passing the Tower of London and Tower Bridge then the journey home.

Wednesday 20 May 2009.
0900 to 1100 hours.
The groups were invited to make ready any final additions to their presentations before adjourning to the school hall for presentation. The local press who had attended initially on Monday made a return visit for the group presentations.

STUDENT INTERVIEWS:
The whole student group were individually interviewed to get reactions to the project over the past three days and their involvement, including those new to the Comenius GAIA project:

Furtherwick Park students.

Q: Charleigh Burns.
What have you learned about sustainable development?
A: I know that CO2 emissions are a great concern to the whole planet and that under the Kyoto Protocol we have to reduce these.

Q: Connor Lockwood.
How can you impact on energy efficiency?
A: By cutting down on electricity use, lighting and heating, control the use of water, recycle paper and plastics and we are doing this in School.

Q: Orry Black.
Do you know what sustainable development means?
A: Being energy wise, the need for more efficiency and recycling of waste, paper and water.

Q: Grant Kemp.
What is Comenius?
A: Its all about countries visiting and discussing sustainable development knowledge, planning and the use of the worlds limited resources.

Q: Matthew Ray.
What is GAIA?
A: Looking after the planet’s resources and what ancient cultures found out and did in respect of resource use.

Q: Callum Ward.
What do you think about joining this project group?
A: It has been very informative so far and the focus on our planets limited resources points out that doing nothing is not an option.

Carl Zeiss Oberschule students:

Q: Sabrina Ramuenka.
What do you think the Comenius project is achieving?
A: It is more than just interesting in looking at the use of resources and how each of the partner countries often work separately in energy saving, but also how the cultures and curriculum’s can inform us to work together.

Q: Jasmin Mischke.
What do you think has been achieved over the past two years of the project?
A: Learning the cultural differences but deeper understanding of the technical and financial problems associated with energy conservation.

Q: Mats Patermann.
What is GAIA?
A: It is the mother earth and we are all its children and we must be mindful of the use of resources and this conference has brought students from participating countries together as one voice.

Q: Wiebke Haselbach.
Have the school groups discussed the different country cultures?
A: Yes, we all like the fact that English schools have uniforms. This has been discussed at CZO but not adopted but they do look smart.

Q: Max Kramer.
What is your opinion of the sustainable development conference?
A: It has been very interesting working on projects and seeing how other countries deal with the same general issues affecting the planet.

Liceo Ginnasio Statale Augusto students.

Q: Monica Boccuzzi.
What have you learned from the sustainable development project?
A: A valuable and interesting experience meeting students from other countries, how they live and work in their schools, the different curriculum’s and culture. However we must also work hard to achieve the project aims and objectives.

Q: Claudio Quaranta.
What or who is GAIA?
A: It dates back to the Greek or Roman Gods and the way we should use energy, particularly renewable energy. The work on this conference has taught all students to communicate how we must achieve this regardless of costs.

Q: Simona Sinisi.
What is the Comenius aims as regards this project?
A: To change the way we all develop and use resources to make sure this is efficient and renewable for the next generations.

Q: Rebecca Aprili.
What do you think has been achieved over the past two years?
A: I am fairly new to the project and I asked could I join my school group to enable me to learn more about other countries, including England and Germany and become more informed about the work our school has done already but seeing that in greater context particularly energy saving ideas.

Q: Chiara Corradi.
What do you think about the Comenius project?
A: Before I came to England I didn’t know the extent of the project but I have enjoyed learning more about working together, in English, with other students and the difficulties we face which we must act on energy use and saving.

Q: Marta Casasola.
Have you been involved with the project before?
A: Only at our school but I have enjoyed very much, my first experience of meeting those students from England and Germany who have been working on this research and have learned a lot which will help me think about the use of the world’s resources.

Q: Federico Monteleone.
What do you think about the different school cultures and attitudes to Sustainable Development?
A: Our school is very different to Furtherwick Park and Carl Zeiss, you have many more computers than we do and large playing areas both grass and tarmac. I hope we can get more computers because this will help us work on projects like sustainability.

Q: Sara Esposito.
What do you know about GAIA?
A: It is important, in my opinion that we learn our future is in our own hands and working with the students from other countries, we can have a greater voice in order to do something about saving the worlds resources.

Q: Davide Scancarello.
What do you think about the differences of the participating schools?
A: It has been a very interesting experience working with students from other countries and I hope I will be able to do this again in the future. Two students have never left Italy or flown before and the project funding has enabled this to happen so it is proper we put great effort into learning and communicating our work.
It is also nice to speak English rather than just in classroom sessions.

1100 to 1130 hours.
A break time at which point the German party left the conference and were taken to Benfleet Station in order to travel to London for a final sightseeing tour then to Gatwick Airport for their return flight.

The Italian party went shopping locally before returning to school for lunch and finally leaving for Stansted airport mid afternoon.

CONFERENCE SUMMARY:
With the completion of the five video introductions it was agreed that Carl Zeiss Oberschule would compile all of the work of the last two years into the final video handbook production and upload this to the E-Twinning site. Copies of the work will be sent to the participating schools.

What has proved to be of importance to this and hopefully future projects is the fact of directly engaging with Government and our very grateful thanks in this case to Dr. Robert Spink MP for his interest and time in receiving all the students and teachers at the Palace of Westminster.

Maria Teresa Ciaffaroni Norman Bambridge
LGSA Roma FWP School Canvey Island

Joint authors of this report – 22 May 2009

COMENIUS “GAIA” - FINAL PROJECT MEETING

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Furtherwick Park School, Canvey Island , 17 - 20 May 2009

Sunday 17 May 2009

12.00 Arrival of the German and Italian groups at Stansted Airport
3.30 – 8.00 p.m. Traditional barbeque hosted by Norman and Doreen Bambridge

Monday 18 May 2009

9.00 – 11.00 a.m. Welcome to Furtherwick Park School by Mr. Hayes (Head teacher).
Work on video handbook introductions
11.00 – 11.30 a.m. Tour of the school
11.30 – 1.15 p.m. Work on video handbook introductions
1.15 – 2.15 p.m. Buffet Lunch
2.15 – 8.30 p.m. Visit to the Lakeside Shopping and restaurant centre

Tuesday 19 May 2009.

9.00 – 11.00 a.m. Work on video handbook introductions
11.00 – 11.30 a.m. Meeting with teachers from Castle View and Cornelius Vermuyden Schools
11.30 – 1.15 p.m. Work on video handbook introductions
1.15 – 2.15 p.m. Buffet Lunch
2..30 p.m. Coach trip to London
4.00 – 5.00 p.m. Visit to the Palace of Westminster to meet Dr. Robert Spink MP
5.00 – 5.30 p.m. Visit to Westminster Great Hall and St. Stephens Chapel
5.30 p.m. onwards. Walking tour in central London plus evening meal in Covent Garden

Wednesday 20 May 2009.
9.00 – 10.00 a.m. Preparation of final presentations
10.00 – 11.30 a.m. Final presentation of video handbook introduction
11.30 a.m. Departure of German group
1.15 – 2.15 p.m. Buffet Lunch
2.30 p.m. Departure of Italian group

Presentation of schools

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Comenius

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What "Gaia" is

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Sustainable Development

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Products

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Energy saving

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Reducing the waste of energy

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Renewable energies

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Sustainable energy

2009-05-21T22:02:00.003+02:00

Plucky Students Prepare To Criticize The Establishment

2009-05-21T19:43:00.003+02:00

MOTHER OF URANUS, Oceanus, Coeus, Crius and Hyperion, Gaia (the primal Greek goddess personifying the Earth) adopted Lovelock’s mantle on Wednesday as students, representing four countries, called upon their schools to embrace new sustainable technologies for the benefit of the planet.

The appeal was made by five groups of passionate 16/17 year-old students, at Canvey Island’s Furtherwick Park School, which was hosting the final presentation of Project Gaia, a three year investigation into renewable energies and environmental impact funded by the European Commission as part of its Comenius Lifelong Learning Programme.
What began as a cool opportunity to meet members of the opposite sex; travel to different countries; and experience different cultures, had soon revealed itself to be nothing more than an elaborately contrived way for the establishment to make the students work for the rewards on offer. So it is perhaps understandable that one of the visiting dudes should force the audience to recognize his own sobriety in the face of such wicked intentions.

Project Gaia turned-out to be one of the longest and hardest projects that any of the students had undertaken. Confronted with a mass of scientific data; statistics and opinion from both sides of the environmental debate, they soon found that reaching definitive conclusions would not be easy. Defining the problem, when so much scientific evidence supports the fact that mankind’s actions are placing the planet in jeopardy, was fairly easy; but deciding how to redress the situation and, in particular, devising a sustainability plan for the schools in which they studied, was far harder than any had anticipated.

Five groups of students each introduced an unedited video they had made on a different aspect of the project. There had been insufficient time to produce a final, single, edited version; but the students had been unphased. Confronting their stage fright in the presence of a large audience, they mastered their fears and bravely pressed on with their introductions, leaving their videos (made in English for the benefit of their island hosts) to speak for themselves.

The presentations were impressive. The audience was left in no doubt that the presenters had risen to the challenge, and had gathered all the material necessary to provide a compelling argument for the need for all schools and colleges to stop sitting on the fence and take urgent action on introducing proven sustainable technologies in all their buildings.

With options ranging from simple timed delivery of urinal flushing systems; through building insulation and solar panels to wind turbines for electricity generation; there is now an array of options from which establishment heads can choose to lessen their environmental impact.

The argument was clearly put. All the students need to do now is produce a single, edited version of their individual presentations; document their findings and distribute the final package to head teachers throughout the EU in the hope they will heed its contents.

Canvey Island can be proud of the contribution made to this international project by its Furtherwick Park School students.

Written by Ted Pugh

May 21, 2009 at 5:04 am

The original article on The Canvey Beat

Students Under Pressure To Finalize Report

2009-05-19T10:43:00.004+02:00

STUDENTS FROM the Carl Zeiss Obershule, in Berlin, and the Liceo Augusto, in Rome, joined their Furtherwick Park colleagues this morning to finalize the Project Gaia Report.
Yesterday evening’s welcome barbecue, with its introduction to warm British beer and alfresco dining amid changeable British weather, was all but forgotten as the students divided into separate groups and began collaborating on the report’s production.
Their challenge is to provide conclusions on their schools’ impact on the environment, and how the situation can be improved, for a final presentation on Wednesday.
Photographs of their deliberations, as a PowerPoint slide-show, can be downloaded here: Project Gaia – the deliberations

Written by Ted Pugh

May 18, 2009 at 1:25 pm

The original article on The Canvey Beat

Canvey Conference - May 2009

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Heerlen Conference - March 2009

2009-05-16T13:05:00.000+02:00

Photo report on year 1

2009-05-13T09:04:00.001+02:00

Comenius Project

Uploaded on authorSTREAM by ciaffaroni | Upload your own presentation

The Canvey Beat - Furtherwick Park To Host Final Report From Project Gaia

2009-05-11T19:37:00.001+02:00

CANVEY ISLAND’S FURTHERWICK PARK SCHOOL WILL HOST THE FINAL REPORT FROM PROJECT GAIA, a European Environmental Impact Study regarding the sustainable development of schools. The project has been conducted by Furtherwick Park students in partnership with three other EU colleges.

The presentation will take place at the school at 9.00 am on Wednesday, 20th May, and will last approximately two hours. Places are limited; but anyone wishing to attend will be made welcome.
The project has been funded by the European Commission as part of its Lifelong Learning Programme, named Comenius after the Teacher of Nations: John Amos Comenius.

Furtherwick Park School students delivered a presentation on waste management at the Comenius Gaia Conference, in Berlin, this time last year.

Furtherwick’s partners in the enterprise have been the Carl Zeiss Obershule, in Berlin; the Sintermeerten College, in Heerlen, Holland; and the Liceo Augusto, in Rome.

Fifteen students and four teachers from partner schools will visit Canvey for three days from Sunday 17th May, led by the project’s leader: Christian Duntsch. They will collaborate with Furtherwick Park students on the Monday to finalize the report, and then take a welcome break on the Tuesday to visit Westminster and the Houses of Parliament.

A flavour of the report can best be given by a quote from the project’s Italian blog:-

‘It seems to me that we need to deal with the arguments of which we often do not know enough; a greater and real knowledge of the total truth from the economic and political point-of-view. It is this creed that is fundamental to being able to widen the discussion, and it is now time to not only confront the surveys, but to give greater space to the debates.’ — Irene Moroni.

The original article

Intro video to Gaia from Liceo "Augusto" group

2009-05-09T13:14:00.001+02:00

Sustainability criteria

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Alternative Economy

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Fair Trade

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Renewable energies

2009-05-09T10:50:00.001+02:00

A presentation on different types of renewable energies made by Rebecca Aprili, Chiara Corradi, simona Sinisi

The other side of Rome

2009-05-08T13:11:00.001+02:00

Presentation made by Monica Boccuzzi, Sara esposito, Claudio Quaranta

Ecological islands

2009-05-07T18:56:00.001+02:00

A power Point Presentation made by Marta Casosola, Federico Monteleone, simona Sinisi on recycling facilities offered by Rome Council.

Uploaded on authorSTREAM by ciaffaroni

Notes from the Heerlen Conference 18-21 March 2009

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Present:
Anita Romano Sintermeerten College – Heerlen.
Ivo Lipsch Sintermeerten College – Heerlen
Marielle Rooduijn Sintermeerten College – Heerlen
Wendy Schoonbrood intermeerten College – Heerlen
Thomas Schafer Carl Zeiss Schule – Berlin.
Christina Hertel Carl Zeiss Schule – Berlin.
Carlo Panizzon Liceo Gymnasio Augusto – Roma
Teresa Ciaffaroni Liceo Gymnasio Augusto – Roma
Paul Kaufmann Furtherwick Park – Canvey Island.
Norman Bambridge Furtherwick Park – Canvey island.

Students:
Students:
Sintermeerten
Anne Hermans
Danique Spierts
Thomas Zijlstra
Jace van hek
Dana Siebertz
Ghizlan el Barracki
Bas Ortmans.
Linda Mutze
Michelle Knol.

Carl Zeiss
Wiebke Haselbach
Sabrina Ramunke
Jasmin Mischke
Mats Paterman
Max Kramer

L.C.Augusto
Fiorella Marin
Andrea Costumato
Eleonara Lombardi
Giulia Sili
Flavia Torella.
Silvia Valentini
Maurizia Persia

Wednesday 18 March 2009.
1500 to 1700 hrs.

Following a welcome by Wim Horsch (Sintermeerten College Director of Education), the pre-course conference discussions were made to the delegations from FWP Canvey Island and LGA Roma.

This included noting that due to a misunderstanding it had become too short a notice to bring students from FWP for the conference but that both Paul Kaufmann and Norman Bambridge could support the students in their activities over the next two days and could take back those processes and systems the students present would use and develop.

The proposed agenda was presented by Anita Romano (Project Co-ordinator for SM) and in turn she introduced Ivo Lipsch (SM) who would be the project conference host. It was also mentioned that SM exam timetabling would affect her attending the Thursday sessions and similarly Marielle Rooduijn and Wendy Schoonbrood would attend between lessons.

Ivo Lipsch mentioned that he had only been involved in the project since November 2008 and recognised that sound advice given by Wim Horsch was to use the wealth of experience those attending (teachers and students) and that and he would endeavour put that into practice throughout the conference.

Thursday 19 March 2009.
0900 to 1100 hours.

Ivo Lipsch formally opened the conference and welcomed everyone before inviting Thomas Schafer to give a power point presentation of the project structure then inviting students from Roma and Berlin to similarly present presentations of their work, which would be the underpinning knowledge for the video handbook development.

He suggested the students split into five international mixed groups and that SM College had provided lap-tops and video cameras for their use and that a member of the IT support group was here to assist in this first session and then as required.

Delegates could use this main conference room as well as the adjacent student area and that the teachers would visit the groups towards the end of this session to review and support progress.

1100 to 1130 hours.
This was a planned student break session at which time the teachers discussed the observations made and Norman Bambridge suggested a simple support or production plan should be created and given to each student to apply their work to.

This included giving a maximum running time or around three minutes, noting that some
e-twinning and other computing systems have small margins of upload capability i.e. 5mb.

Teresa Ciaffaroni said the plan should highlight interviewer technique, clear questions and structured or linked answers which enable secondary questions to be asked either by that interviewee or other group members for continuity.

She also mentioned other ways of impacting on answers including music, pictures, screen design and text.

Any finally a question for the students to question themselves on does the product have the impact they set out to achieve.

1130 to 1300 hours.
Students reconvened in the conference room enabling Ivo Lipsch to compliment students on their progress during this session particularly in their scripting and filming plan. He gave a copy of the production plan to them and invited the teachers to support the groups by positive questioning and advice. This would become more apparent as filming was undertaken.

He then mentioned that although the programme has been changed for the afternoon session to include a group visit to Maastricht, this would enable everyone to discuss the project in a relaxed atmosphere whilst also taking a critical look at the way that energy is used in the city particularly if it was related to the topics they were developing for the video handbook.

1300 to 1330 Buffet lunch provided by SM College.
This session enabled students and teachers to both socialise and discuss with students. particularly the Dutch who were hosting German students before the arrangements for travelling from Heerlen Station to Maastricht by Bus and train were explained.

1400 to 2100 hours.
Combined group travel tickets were arranged by Ivo Lipsch and subsequent travel to Maastricht by bus and train which upon arrival he became an enthusiastic tour guide.

Students were allowed a central shopping area restriction whilst teachers visited the old part of the city including the walled area and city gates.

One of the visits was to the St. Servaas Basilica which includes 5th Century cemetery in the churchyard, the rebuilding of the church dates from around AD1039, cloisters and side chapels from around AD1475. St. Servaas was the first Bishop of Maastricht who died in AD384.

Teachers enjoyed an early evening meal hosted by SM College in one of the plaza restaurants before meeting up with all students for the return journey to Heerlen.

It was our combined pleasure to thank Ivo Lipsch for his amusing hosting, knowledge and enthusiasm shown to everyone present.

Friday 20 March 2009.
0900 to 1100 hours.
Students continued their filming productions throughout this session and were asked to be prepared to show preliminary filming product after the morning session break.

1100 to 1130 hours.
The break enabled discussions between groups about product stage and content and at which teacher input would enable further editing during the remaining morning session. It was appreciated that some final cutting and editing would be undertaken back at the various schools.

1130 to 1245 hours.
This session enabled viewing of some presentations, whilst further IT Technical support was also provided by the college.

1245 to 1315 Buffet lunch provided by SM College.
The lunch enabled students to interact again, not only in their working groups but with all students and teachers present.

1315 to 1415 hours.
The first part of this session enabled students to put the presentations into visual form although fine tuning and any necessary revisions, as mentioned, would be needed.

Upon completion Ivo Lipsch asked each group to comment both on the project work and on the interaction within the group and with other groups.

He noted that the original plan of having five groups was changed by necessity and two groups worked closely together but the feedback confirmed they had all completed their tasks with the final editing and fine tuning to be done.

All students commented positively on group interaction. Most saying they enjoyed working with students from other countries even though some students though the topics boring and a couple of students remarked on project co-ordination.

Ivo Lipsch then asked Teachers to briefly evaluate the two-day conference work. All agreed at had been positive, the environment excellent, supporting students views of the interaction between them.

The available working time put the students under pressure to complete their tasks, which as mentioned before, fine tuning and final editing apart, was achieved but they reiterated that
face-to-face meetings were a valuable feature of the European Union programme.

The Italian students had arranged an afternoon trip by train to Aachen and upon their return the Dutch students had arranged an unplanned social evening and this was a very pleasant gesture to finish the conference on.

Norman Bambridge and Teresa Ciaffaroni
Conference notes authors.

PROJECT SUMMARY

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The project looked at Sustainable Development within the various participating regions or areas including the schools involved and within that context the topics included the use of Technology in energy production, similarly in energy conservation and energy generated by other means including waste management and energy capture.

The video handbook production completed by the students, explains the processes they reviewed in completing the tasks, which included visits to industry, state nominated specialists and companies involved in waste management.

They have shown awareness of the impact they wished to have on both their peer groups and cohorts and those who create policies and strategies, particularly their own school environments and this again has been demonstrated in the video handbook productions.

The visit in May 2009 to Furtherwick Park School on Canvey Island in Essex will enable to final tuning of any outstanding work, the presentation to those industrialists, Council Officers and individuals including a Member of Parliament who have supported the work in this Country.

This process could undoubtedly be the exemplar for the other schools involved and a final report will be made at that time.

Vehicle emissions

2009-03-23T17:59:00.000+01:00

Presentaion on vehicle emissions by Norman Bambridge

Heerlen Conference - 18-21 March 2009

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COMENIUS GAIA - HEERLEN CONFERENCE 18-21MARCH 2009

PROGRAMME

Wednesday 18 March 2009
2,30 pm Arrival of English guests at SintermeertenCollege
4.30pm Arrival of Italian Guests at Heerlen railway station, picked up by
Ivo Lipsch and taken to Eikhold hostel, met by Anita Romano.
8.06 Arrival of German guest at the Hotel the Paris, met by Anita and ivo
The Dutch host families will meet the German students at the hotel.

Thursday 19 March 2009
9.00 Start of project at SintermeertenCollege room 316.
9.10 Introduction to project work at school.
9.20 Work on video handbook.
11.00 Break.
11.20 Work on video handbook.
1.00 Lunch break.
2.00 End of project work.
2.30 Visit to Maastricht.
6.30 Teachers’ dinner in Maastricht.

Friday 20 March 2009
9.00 Start of work on video handbook in room 316.
11.00 Break.
11.20 Work on video handbook.
12.30 Lunch break.
1.00 Departure of English guests.
1,10 Evaluation of work and progress.
2.00 Departure of Italian guests to Aachen.
German students retrn to host families.
4.53 Departure of German guests.

Saturday 21 March 2009
11.53 Departure of Italian guests from Heerlen railway station.

EMISSION NOTES

2009-03-22T12:35:00.000+01:00

The Safety First Organisation in partnership with Thurrock and Basildon College

EMISSION NOTES FOR THE PRESENTATION MADE AT CASTLE POINT BOROUGH COUNCIL ON MONDAY 19 JANUARY 2009.

Background.

Castle Point Borough Council has in place and applied the principle of sustainability in everything we do in the Borough. These objectives can be read in their Air Quality action Plan.

Part of that policy is to reduce emissions targets agreed by Central Government as set out in the UK Climate Change programme.

Overall, the objectives target a reduction of 500 tonnes annually through the declared action plans between 2007 and 2010 and the means of applying those targets for the Road Passenger Transport through a restructured Road Vehicle Tax, were presented in the chamber.

The current situation.

The European Union legislation proposes a reduction of CO2 emissions of new passenger cars to 120 grams per kilometre (g/km) by 2012. The current average emissions is around 160 grams per kilometre.

This strategy forms the cornerstone of delivery of the Kyoto Protocol on reduction of greenhouse gases.

It requires operators of licensed vehicles to modify their vehicles to meet existing and future EU directives. The emissions targets are contained in Directive 70/220/EC.

Many councils are not expected to achieve these targets when they become mandatory in 2010.

A Road Passenger Transport Action plan.

Councils may require operators to reduce their carbon emissions by specific dates by:

• Purchasing new vehicles.
• Modifying existing vehicles.
• Encouraging the use of alternative fuels.

Emissions standards timescales.

The 1993 Exhaust emissions limits introduced (Euro 1) in 1993 for new cars included systems development including Catalytic converters etc.

The Euro 4 target covering all new cars (except those above 2500 kgs, or with more than six seat applied from 1997. From September 2009,

Euro 5 starts in September 2009 and applies to all new cars with light commercial and
special needs cars. Euro 6 starts from 2014.

The current benchmark is Euro 4 (whilst most Councils are still reacting to Euro 3).

All Public Carriage Office (London) required all licensed vehicles to be of Euro 3 standard or better by 30 June 2008.

Emissions standards premiums.

An excess emissions premium will be based on the number of grams per kilometre (g/km) that an ‘average’ vehicle sold by a manufacturer is above the 120 g/km curve.

The proposal is that 20 Euros per g/km for the first year of 2012 gradually rising to 35 Euros in 2013, 60 Euros in 2014 and 95 Euros in 2015.

Band CO2 emissions g/km 12 month rate 6 month rate
A Up to 100 g/km. Not applicable Not applicable
B From 101 to 120 g/km. £35 Not applicable
C From 121 to 150 g/km. £120 £66
D From 151 to 165 g/km. £145 £79.75
E From 166 to 185 g/km. £170 £93.50
F Over 185 g/km. £210 £115.50
G Over 225 g/km.
Cars registered after 23 February 2006 £400 £220
The Vehicle Tax changes applied these principles from 1 March 2008 with new tax bandings being:

A way forward.

In order to document and achieve declared targets, Council Officers together with the trade representatives such as this forum are in a position to produce a plan that arguably could be the first in the country to have such discussions and agreed outcomes.

Some of the considerations could be:

The agreed age of licensed vehicles (Manufactures are required to produce emission standards to meet the agreed timescales but of course this is relative to the choice of vehicle.

It could be that in order to determine an agreed standard, an annual licensed mileage be agreed, linked also to an agreed number of licensed vehicles.

For example, if the discussions agreed a maximum number of vehicles that would be licensed for the next five years (taking the 2010 to 2015 algorithm) that would determine a formula for agreeing licensed mileage.

Thus number of cars x mileage = annual licensed kilometres per annum. (this may look something like (say) 400 licensed vehicles x (say) 45,000 kms. per annum = 18 million kms. per annum). (say 28,000 miles pa).

Factoring that figure of 18m g/km at the average of 40 g/km above the benchmark could produce a (paper) total of 72 tonnes in 2010 as a starting point. Thus producing a measure to plan following annual agreements and thereby quantified or measured tonnes reduction which is an unknown factor currently.

This could assist the trade by having an agreed limitation on the number of licensed vehicles for five years, or could enable councils to reduce licensing costs for vehicles whose emissions standards fall within lower categories. That could also produce flexibility in numbers if more vehicles met lower emissions standards.

Richard Robinson and Norman Bambridge
Safety First Organisation.
January 2009

2009-03-20T15:22:00.000+01:00

Reduction of energy consumption

presentation

Sustainable energy

2009-03-17T20:02:00.001+01:00

A presentation on waste or misuse of energy by Eleonora Lombardi and Andrea Costumato

Video handbook

2009-02-21T18:18:00.000+01:00

Instructions to implement the project final product

Spreco di energia neigli edifici pubblici e privati

2009-02-17T12:34:00.003+01:00

Un interessante studio di lega ambiente sull'uso dell'energia negli edifici pubblici e privati documentato da foto molto speciali

Spreco energetico

L'articolo

Energia Ecosostenibile

2009-02-06T19:53:00.002+01:00

Presentazione realizzata da Andrea Costumato e Eleonora Lombardi

Lezione multimediale - Sviluppo sostenibile

2009-02-06T13:31:00.004+01:00

Cliccando sul link Sviluppo sostenibile si accede alla piattaforma Dokeos ove è caricata una lezioone multimediale sui principali aspetti dello sviluppo sostenibile.

I dati di accesso sono i seguenti

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NOTES OF MEETING - BERLIN , 12 -14 NOVEMBER 2008.

2008-11-19T19:30:00.004+01:00

NOTES OF MEETING OF THE COMENIUS PROJECT TEAM HELD AT THE CARL ZEISS SCHULE, BERLIN FROM WEDNESDAY 12 TO FRIDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2008.

Present: Hans Joachim Rhode - Carl Zeiss Schule Berlin.
Christian Duntsch - Carl Zeiss Schule Berlin.
Thomas Schafer - Carl Zeiss Schule Berlin.
Christine Hertel - Carl Zeiss Schule Berlin.
Paola Aloi - Liceo Ginnasio Augusto Roma
Carlo Panizzon - Liceo Ginnasio Augusto Roma
Paul Kaufman - Furtherwick Park Canvey Island.
Norman Bambridge - Furtherwick Park Canvey Island.

WEDNESDAY 12 NOVEMBER 2008.

Delegates to the conference were met by Herr Rhode (Head of the Lower School) and Christian Duntsch (Project Chairman) who mentioned the School had a new Principal who supported the ideals of the Curriculum and Cultural exchanges and hoped this conference would be successful and continue the excellent work already achieved over many years.

Time was taken to discuss the agenda for the two main conference days and what topics would be actioned as regards ‘Climate and Energy’ which was the theme the conference would be developing with the aim of producing a ‘Video Handbook’ for publication onto the ‘web’ by the early Spring of 2009.

This pre-emptive task was to enable delegates to focus upon ideas in which to start the next two days conference sessions in a positive manner.

THURSDAY 13 NOVEMBER 2008.

The conference opened at 0900 hours.

Thomas Schafer introduced the session by again explaining the project requires the production of a ‘Video handbook’ and the time frame we had to have this completed.

The mornings session will look at what was involved in such a production and the issues or problems it would generate.

He gave a power point presentation on what he considered to be the main areas or issues and invited delegates to discuss these as they considered the implications or effects they raise.

In making a ‘Video Handbook’ its content would restrict the overall production to between ten and fifteen minutes and within that time frame it would need an introduction, content and summary.

The time restriction, although flexible between schools, recognised that in making any video for web upload, this had its own restrictions on time and quality through capacity.

However, multiple topics could be researched for presentation by having a ‘core’ group of say three students acting as (a) Interviewer (b) Interviewee and (c) Summariser.

Thereby, the topic summary could become the ‘vehicle’ for upload with links to the full version and the general consensus felt this needed a capacity time of between two and three minutes.

The general structure would be the Climate and Energy Video Handbook would have an introduction in English with national language summaries as options, or by national language sub-titles or a combination of both. It was also mentioned it may prove interesting to include a ‘hit counter’ for the site.

Delegates mentioned that already in existence is good product information particularly from this years Sustainability Project work and it has all the core elements for development into the handbook itself.

In reviewing the question ‘what is a Video Handbook’ it was concluded we would regard it as a ‘flexible but structured video presentation about the content already established through the Sustainability Project, still very current and at this point delegates viewed the Comenius Project Section website together with the excellent information already posted on the Roma website, see www.Liceoaugustoroma.it (Material Didattico – Aluni – GAIA)

The project needs to be taken back for the individual schools to analyse how the will commence work, which would appear to be by creating a script of questions generated from the work already undertaken, prior to filming any interview, but noting that where students from past projects were not longer at school they may either be available to record there involvement and give both experience and conclusions or observations.

Pre-emptive scripting also serves to ensure no time is wasted to in this short term project requirement and again this enables filming to be undertaken at any early stage.

This also had a ‘student progression’ link by allowing perhaps the more experienced student to be the ‘Summariser’ will others progressing by age (e.g. different year groups) and thereby ‘video handbook project sustainability’ into the next project (the conclusion being this process would be the same, regardless of project topic).

Christian Duntsch and Thomas asked other delegates if they could keep them informed of what and how individual schools would commence work for then the next intended meeting in March 2009 noting that the weeks of 11 and 21 March at Sintermeerten (if possible) looked potential options with a final production meeting between 15 to 20 June 2009 at Furtherwick Park School.

Delegates then discussed the technical capability of individual schools and Paul Kaufman mentioned that Furtherwick Park School holds a Media and Arts status with technical and operational equipment including an equipped seventeen seated IT equipped bus and he would, post conference, discuss this with the head teacher about the final production June meeting to be held in England.

Paul Kaufman mentioned it was important that all schools use a common moviemaker system, which delegates need to confirm what they have or use currently and also to understand the safety protocols for such web use.

It was also noted that following e-mail contact between Christian Duntsch and Wim Horsch (Sintermeerten College, Heerlen, Netherlands, they had no delegate available for this conference but would have a new project team back together shortly.
On this point Norman Bambridge mentioned that Sintermeerten also had very good facilities in terms of IT and perhaps the next meeting could be arranged there which would engage them directly.

The chairman mentioned that he would need to seek advice from his national body on the point of the Comenius contract and those schools included, of which Furtherwick currently is not funded.

Delegates then discussed the issues of showing either photographic or video pictures of children under eighteen years of age with Paul Kaufman mentioning various options we have including parental agreements, non naming or forename use only or of course no direct naming. This will need to be considered in each national production.

All source information for the project will be uploaded to the Comenius Project - etwinning.org website.

The session closed at 1500 hours.

FRIDAY 14 NOVEMBER 2008.

The session opened with Christian Duntsch reflecting on the decisions or conceived structures and processes from yesterday, with some concerns requiring further discussion.

The handbook shows the structure of a ‘Video Handbook’

Were all delegates in agreement with presenting within the introduction, the following points or principles:

The introduction to GAIA is a three year Comenius project on Sustainable development undertaken with four partner schools of Germany, The Netherlands, Italy and the UK.

The current sustainability project deals with energy and alternatives and explores the possibly renewable energy sources of wind, solar and bio-mass, requiring students to consider practical examples of energy consumption and saving and environmental pollution requiring students to create their own individual sans collective environmental plans.

The main aim of the project is to make students aware they have an individual influence and responsibility for their environment.

The production of ‘Climate and Energy’ will include documents, photographic and video reports with videos created both in full length time production and linked shorter summaries as previously described.

The common product now required was for the individual schools to create an action plan including how the information will or has been gathered and analysed.

A ‘short spot’ of product presentation (e.g. the elemental processes intended or used)
Individual and collective (e.g. School) environmental plans.

Thereby for March, we should achieve a Common Project plan on Climate and Energy with four national video presentations.

On this point Carlo Panizzon mentioned how important it was also to ensure we communicate with each other as the work progresses to have commonality in approach.

The delegate overview was the video handbook concept and its processes would stand for all future projects and this was acknowledged by everyone present.

POST LUNCH SESSION ON NEW PROJECTS FOR 2009 TO 2011.

Christian Duntsch had previously circulated CZS idea for a future project on Urban Development in European comparison.

The subject may cover aspects of history, architecture, mobility, sustainability, social change in towns and cities and young people’s needs of urban space. It could further focus on the individual school needs in similar topics added to which may be geography political and social sciences art and natural sciences.

This discussion needed firstly to have general agreement of all contributors to undertake the project in order he could proceed with a funding application by the end of February for hopeful project commencement in September 2009.

Delegates agreed the project concept and Norman Bambridge suggested that whilst analytical comparisons of Cities was problematical, analysis between generic areas could inform of both the problems and the manner in which the city, borough or area was dealing with the problem which would highlight cultural differences potentially in three dimension of national area and local (i.e. the different way similar problems are tackled in each country).

He will provide a dimensional ‘data flow’ sheet of generic areas, potential topics and potential research outcomes to all the delegates within the next few weeks as an example of choices students could make for research.

Thus the project of ‘Climate and Energy’ could include Demography, Social Sciences, Political Sciences, History, Geography, Arts, Architecture, Future Plans, Diversity, Inclusion (Young People).

This may generate the need for a meeting in Berlin in order that Christian Duntsch could expand the suggestion by Paola Aloi that a school from Cagliari (Italy) and Athens (Greece) had made contact, wishing to be involved.

The conference ended at 1430 hours.

Norman Bambridge
Notes author.

Conference in Berlin - 12-14 Nov 2008

2008-11-12T19:02:00.003+01:00

Program for Comenius Conference in Berlin
12th to the 14th of November

Wednesday, 12.11. Arrival and welcome at the school
Thursday, 13.11. Project discussion and planning for 2009
Evaluation of the project
Common evening
Friday, 14.11. More discussion and planning if necessary
Departure

Ultima novità in fatto di riciclaggio rifiuti

2008-06-21T09:35:00.002+02:00

Interessante video su un dispositivo per il riciclagggio dei rifiuti, Funzionerà davvero?

THOR

Interseting video on special equipment for waste disposal and recycling. Any good?

Berlin Conference - May 2008

2008-06-13T14:48:00.000+02:00

Who is getting rich because of global warming?

2008-05-25T23:52:00.001+02:00

I will talk about the "dark side" of this interest for climate changes. Everybody knows about the Kyoto Protocol. Here’s what it amounts to in short:
"The Kyoto Protocol is an agreement under which industrialized countries will reduce their collective emissions of greenhouse gases by 5.2% compared to the year 1990 (but note that, compared to the emissions levels that would be expected by 2010 without the Protocol, this limitation represents a 29% cut). The goal is to lower overall emissions of six greenhouse gases - carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, sulfur hexafluoride, hydrofluorocarbons, and perfluorocarbons - averaged over the period of 2008-2012. National limitations range from 8% reductions for the European Union and some others to 7% for the US, 6% for Japan, 0% for Russia, and permitted increases of 8% for Australia and 10% for Iceland.
The Kyoto Protocol assigned each country a certain amount of "hot air", that is, a specific space of air that every country can pollute. Since developing countries don't have to respect this agreement rich nations are allowed to build factories in developing countries without considering the rules against pollution (even though those rich countries have ratified the Kyoto Protocol). Russia has recently ratified the protocol because they found out a new way to raise money. We know that Russia is a very big country, this means a lot of space and a lot of "hot air" to sell.
All the environmental associations have a lot of good reasons to exist. but one of their target is to keep this problem big, or even bigger, in order to survive. So we need to know how much of what they say is true and how much is not.
Supporting environmental issues is very important if you (as a politician) want to be popular, because at the moment it is very unpopular not to do so. In order to be reliable a politician needs an environmental association to back him/her up. Moreover If you start a "green-policy" you’ll get money from the government, even if you don't really care about the environment at all.
Fear of unpopularity induces a lot of artists to join the "live earth" movement and, frankly, we know that the real target of Madonna and her sponsors is not to make people aware of global warming but to be popular.
My point is that, most of the time, all this green hearts are not so green...but just painted so.

Irene Moroni

Energy Consumption

2008-05-25T19:37:00.000+02:00

Berlin Meeting - Energy Rally

Group One: Kirsten Kothe (CZO)
Sean Clow (FWP)
Eleonora Leopardi (LGAS)
Norman Bambridge (FWP)

The topic for research: Energie Verbauch
Energy Consumption
Consumo Energetico.

The questions for analysis: 1. The needs of people.
2. What energy is used for.
3. The consequences of energy consumption.
4. Why change is necessary.

The source of information gathering commenced with obtaining an overview of the objectives of Econsense.De which is a forum for the sustainable development of German Business.

This initial task was to establish the topic and speaker for that evening (21 May) via an Internet Café at Friedrich strasse Station which upon completion would enable that knowledge to be an introduction to meeting the Berlin Energy Advisor at Kaiserdamm.

That subject was Klimafolgenforschungen (how sustainable development is possible for science, society and economy in climatic research and the consequences of change) delivered by Prof. Schellruben of Potsdam Institute.

The facts and figures we were required to analyse were related to Mtoe (Million tonnes of Oil Equivalent) energy, comparing Germany, Italy and England and the changes over the past fifteen years (to 2005).

This was followed by a meeting with Herr Bramigk at a Hotel in Kaiserdamm. He is a state energy efficiency advisor specialising in the residential sector and was able to give information on how energy is used, how much residual energy is wasted and how to educate ourselves, our cohorts and peers in energy reduction.

He was able to give handouts showing efficiency savings particularly on residual wastage (appliances that are left on, for example computers and associated equipment, videos, less than full fridges and freezers etc.) which alone could save around two hundred euros annually per household. Also, thermostat reduction, by one degree would save six percent of the annual cost of heating a home.

Energy action plan

2008-05-25T18:48:00.000+02:00

Presentation on joint outcomes from Berlin meeting 20-23 May 2008

Future Energy

2008-05-25T16:45:00.001+02:00

Presentation by Michéle hubel, Fiorella Angerame, Eleonora Alecci, Irene Moroni

How can ve achieve a sustainable school?

2008-05-25T16:43:00.001+02:00

Presentation by Giorgia Bova, Valentina Boresta

Alternative economy

2008-05-25T16:41:00.000+02:00

Presentation by fiorell Angerame

2008-05-25T16:36:00.000+02:00

Presentation by Eleonora Leopardi and Silvia Valentini

Fair Trade in Italy

2008-05-25T14:36:00.000+02:00

Presentation by Alessia Guarnera and Flavia Torella

Waste management

2008-05-25T11:40:00.000+02:00

Presentation by Furtherwick Park School Students delivered at Comenius Gaia Conference in Berlin 20-23 May 2008

NOTES FROM THE COMENIUS ENERGY CONFERENCE

2008-05-22T22:38:00.001+02:00

Attendees:

Host and Chariman: Christian Düntsch (Carl Zeiss Oberschule – Berlin)
Co host: Thoms Schäfer (Carl Zeiss Oberschule – Berlin)
Students: Kerstin Kothe (CZO Berlin)
Michelle Hubel (CZO Berlin)
Vera (CZO Berlin)
Susann (CZO Berlin)
William (CZO Berlin)
Max (CZO Berlin)
Wiebke (CZO Berlin)

Also attending: Frau Dorothea Visentin.
Frau Gundel Fischer
Frau Sabine Deutschmann.

Project teacher: Matthew Elliott (Furtherwick Park School – Canvey Island).
Project advisor: Norman Bambridge (Furtherwick Park School - Canvey Island).
Students: Sean Clow (Furtherwick Park School – Canvey Island) Aaron Acraman (Furtherwick Park School – Canvey Island).
Lewis Lacey (Furtherwick Park School – Canvey Island).

Project teacher: M. Teresa Ciaffaroni – Liceo Ginnasio Augusto Statale di Roma)
Project teacher: Carlo Panizzon – (Liceo Ginnasio Augusto Statale di Roma)
Students: Eleonora Alecci – (LGAS di Roma)
Fiorella Angerame – (LGAS di Roma)
Valentina Boresta – (LGAS di Roma)
Laura Lucantoni – (LGAS di Roma)
Irene Moroni – (LGAS di Roma)
Girogia Bova – (LGA di Roma)
Alessia Guarnera – (LGAS di Roma)
Flavia Torella – (LGAS di Roma)
Silva Valentini – (LGAS di Roma)
Eleonora Leopardi – (LGAS di Roma)

The conference was opened at 1400 hours on Tuesday 20 May 2008 by Hans Joachim Rhode (Head of Carl Zeiss Upper Oberschule) welcoming all delegates attending and hoping their research and time in Berlin would prove enjoyable.

Christina Düntsch outlined the programme for the Energie Rallye Projekt and its objectives and explained that tomorrow morning five groups will be given individual tasks for research and presentation.

Also, for this evening, they had arranged a tour by canal boat on the River Spee for everyone to get to know each other and the opportunity to see some of the old historic and modern buildings of central Berlin.

THE PROJECT.

The project objectives were to produce an energy action plan particularly aimed at the ‘footprint’ of the oberschule and delegates would have five areas of research.

Energy consumption.
Energy technology.
Energy supply.
Legislation.
The School ‘energy footprint’

WEDNESDAY 21 MAY 2008.

The conference commenced with the introduction by two project advisors who had been engaged to develop a research programme for five groups, each to undertake different planned tasks at various locations and with various businesses throughout the city. Each group had a designated CZO student guide for S-Bahn and U-Bahn travel and introductions.

All groups were tasked to return to CZO for 1330 hours for lunch and to undertake an initial analysis of their research.

Group One: Kirsten Kothe (CZO)
Sean Clow (FWP)
Eleonora Leopardi (LGAS)
Norman Bambridge (FWP)

The topic for research: Energie Verbauch
Energy Consumption
Consumo Energetico.

The questions for analysis: 1. The needs of people.
2. What energy is used for.
3. The consequences of energy consumption.
4. Why change is necessary.

The source of information gathering commenced with obtaining an overview of the objectives of Econsense.De which is a forum for the sustainable development of German Business.

This initial task was to establish the topic and speaker for that evening (21 May) via an Internet Café at Friedrichstrasse Station which upon completion would enable that knowledge to be an introduction to meeting the Berlin Energy Advisor at Kaiserdamm.

That subject was Klimafolgenforschungen (how sustainable development is possible for science, society and economy in climatic research and the consequences of change) delivered by Prof. Schellruben of Potsdam Institute.

The facts and figures we were required to analyse were related to Mtoe (Million tonnes of Oil Equivalent) energy, comparing Germany, Italy and England and the changes over the past fifteen years (to 2005).

This was followed by a meeting with Herr Bramigk at a Hotel in Kaiserdamm. He is a state energy efficiency advisor specialising in the residential sector and was able to give information on how energy is used, how much residual energy is wasted and how to educate ourselves, our cohorts and peers in energy reduction.

He was able to give handouts showing efficiency savings particularly on residual wastage (appliances that are left on, for example computers and associated equipment, videos, less than full fridges and freezers etc.) which alone could save around two hundred euros annually per household. Also, thermostat reduction, by one degree would save six percent of the annual cost of heating a home.

Group two: Christian Düntsch (CZO)
Matthew Elliott (FWP)
Aaron Acraman (FWP)
Lewis Lacey. (FWP)

The topic for research: Energy technology.
Technologie.
Tecnologia energetica

The questions for analysis: Wind Turbines.
Solar mirrors.
Solar panels.
Building design.
Other forms of technology including tidal and bio-mass.

The students presented an overview of their research to the audience which included discussion items for the school on the possibility of using solar panels as their new building design had flat roof space and also using wind turbines on the site to generate some of their own power needs.

Group three: Gorgia Bova (LGAS Roma)
Valentina Boresta (LGAS Roma)

The topic for research: School energy footprint.
Piano energetico per la scuola.

The questions for analysis: What is the new CZO building’s carbon footprint.
How can energy reduction be achieved.
The ‘footprint’ of the school now and in the future.

Group four:

The topic for research: Energy Justice (rights) and Law (Legislation).
Giustizia (diritti) e normative energetica (leggi).

The questions for analysis: Individual rights to use energy.
How nations must support technology and education in developing countries.
Developing the use of solar energy.
Education and eco friendly schools.

Group five: Teresa Ciaffaroni (LGAS Roma)
Dorothea Visentin (CZO)
Eleonora Alecci (LGAS Roma)
Fiorella Angerame (LGAS Roma)
Irene Moroni (LGAS Roma)
Michele Hubel. (CZO)

The topic for research: Energy future.
Futoro dell’energia.

The questions for analysis: National energy production.
Eco friendly and sustainable energy.
The balance between needs and production.
Emission friendly energy.

The source of information gathering started with an interview of a senior member of Eleven Solar GmbH, a business dealing with environmental, Bio and energy technology situated in Volmerstrasse.

The task was to establish national energy produced from alternative sources in general and solar in particular. The interview was held in the company meeting room and held in German with translation by Frau Dorothea Visentin.

The facts gathered mostly related to solar energy, comparing Germany, Italy and Spain and the expected changes in the next ten years or so to 2020.

We were informed currently just 1% of energy is from solar or renewable sources in Germany while the EU has set the level of energy produced from alternative sources at 20% by 2020. The representative felt confident this goal would be achieved since there is both financial reward and penalty and many EU countries, particularly southern European such as Italy and Spain are progressing well.

The students also requested to see a photovoltaic panel and he explained as to how it works adding that five such panels on a standard residential property would make it energy independent.

The second programmed interview was with an advisor from a firm specialising in the residential sector dealing with the building of low-energy homes and we were taken to view a neighbourhood containing a whole street of such properties. It was explained how energy is used, how much residual energy is wasted and how to educate ourselves in energy reduction.
We also received handouts showing the construction techniques and energy saving devices used.

WEDNESDAY EVENING.

Wednesday evening, all delegates were given time off for sightseeing with their own or combined groups and FWP teachers and students visited the Reichstag and new Parliament buildings, Brandenberg Tor (Gate) and Unter den Linden and onto the Sony Centre in Potsdamerplaz.

Italian students visited the historic Schloss (Castle) and area at Charlottenburg and the park and included Prof.Carlo Panizzon discussing the historical background of the city and the Henzollern family and how they were prominent in helping to unify Germany and create an empire.

Charlottenburg was built at the end of the seventeenth and beginning of the eighteenth century in a style similar to Versailles.

THURSDAY 22 MAY 2008.

The conference advisors asked each group to prepare presentations, either by power point or by direct delivery (which was the method Group one chose) and for each group to also focus on one topic of how the school could develop energy efficiency.

Following the presentations, the groups with Teresa Ciaffaroni and Norman Bambridge had already formed the view that CZO develop the concept of and Energy Manager linked to financial management of the school, would be a factor in the future of energy efficiency.

This provoked discussion on the financial constraints both in Berlin and in Roma, however, in developing the idea concluded that:

1. If and Energy Manager was employed specifically for that task, it may prove an unsustainable financial burden to which the school could not afford, but

2. If a post was changed within the existing school (non-teaching) structure to have responsibility for energy management, this could be a consideration, particularly if this included financial reward for proven energy efficiency and financial savings.

Both Maria Ciaffaroni and Norman Bambridge and the students from their groups discussed and developed the potential for this role to include:

• The reduction in the amount of energy the building consumes
• How the building uses energy.
• Action planning on energy reduction.
• On-going targets and monitoring.

The benefits of improving energy efficiency:

• Lower energy costs.
• Reduced carbon emissions.
• Improved working and teaching environments.
• Better financial control.
• Legislative compliance.
• Corporate and social responsibility.

Having such a role within the school would enable –

Electrical:
• Obtaining a provider at competitive prices.
• Purchasing electrical management systems.
• Provision of data including budgeting forecasting, historical, annual current and future.
• Turbine provision within the school environment.

Water:
• Surveying school water provision and capability. (Where, what and if it is needed and ‘benchmarking’ areas).
• Water saving devices that could be installed, including Infra red and push taps, urinal controls and flow restrictors.
• Investigating water waste and leakages.
• Monitoring use.
• Rainwater harvesting.

POST LUNCH PRESENTATIONS.
Both LGAS Roma and FWP Canvey Island students had worked on projects and presentations from the December Roma Conference and presented their findings during the afternoon session.

A total of six presentations (five Italian and one English) were made overall and Furtherwick students thanked Nick Walker (Special projects Manager) of Veolia from Pitsea in Essex for his assistance in hosting a student visit enabling them to present a power point delivery to the conference on Waste Management and Energy Conversion.

All teachers were given a copy including the professional energy advisors who requested a copy. A copy of the FWP presentation will also be given to Mr. Walker at Veolia.
Also, the FWP presentation of the visit to Veolia at Pitsea is included on the LGAS di Roma blog (http://takeaction-improveyourlife.blogspot.com/).

Two of the Italian presentations included the very current situation in Naples on illegal waste dumping and management, presented by Laura Lucantoni and secondly, Fair Trade in Italy presented by Alessia Guarnera and Flavia Torella.

A SOCIAL EVENING.

Our hosts had arrange a social evening including dinner in Volkspark Weinberg near Nordbanhoff which proved to be the highlight of the conference through they manner in which all students interacted with each other and undoubted friendships formed.

FRIDAY MORNING 23 MAY 2008.
Furtherwick Park students and staff were invited to attend English classes at CZO which all enjoyed, hopefully including the CZO students.

Whilst not being a new idea, has potential to also make presentations on the conference achievements to other class groups within the school.

Both the Italian and English school groups visited Alexanderplaz in order to shop and show some of the differences between the former East and West Berlin and since the wall came down.

SUMMARY

In our opinion, this was a most successful conference with a structured organisation and a range of issues which enabled students to research, meet and discuss and make presentations of their finding to peer groups.

Other observations for conference enhancements in the future could include developing
pre-conference presentations based upon the research topics of the conference topics.

It was noted Furtherwick Park School are no longer funded under the Comenius project and future attendance requires self funding.

It was also mentioned that Sintermeerten College, Heerlen (Netherlands) were unable to send delegates to this conference.

Our grateful thanks to our hosts Christian and Thomas for all their hard work in making this a success.

Maria Teresa Ciaffaroni (LGAS di Roma) and Norman Bambridge (FWP Canvey Island)
May 2008.

Meeting in Berlin 20-23 May 2008 - Programme

2008-05-22T21:51:00.002+02:00

Meeting in Berlin 20 - 23 May 2008

Tuesday, 20th May 2008

Arival
UK 10:45 TXF
I 13.30 TXF

Welcome in school
Italian students to families
teachers to hotels

18:00 - 19:00 Sightseeing tour by boat (English)

Wednesday 21st May 2008

9:00 - 15:00

Project :
a) Visit of enterprises on the subject sustainable energy (in small groups)
b) First summary and evaluation by the groups

Lunch at school

Time for teachers with their students

Spare time for own activities

Students with their hosts

Thursday, 22nd May 2008

9:00 - 14:00

Project:
a) Evaluation and documentation
b) Talks of pupils from Rome and Furtherwick Park school

Lunch at school

Student guided sightseeing tours

In small groups:
Ku´dam und City West;
Unter den Linden;
Oranienburger Straße (u.a. Synagoge)

Common dinner for the end in
Prater“ / Prenzlauer Berg

Friday, 23rd May 2008

Maybe teaching visit for pupils/students
teachers perhaps discussion of other project work,
work with e-twinning

Departure

UK 18:25 TXF
I 13.40 TXF

Illegal Dumps

2008-05-22T21:43:00.000+02:00

Presentation by Laura Lucantoni

Notes from Rome conference - March/April 2008

2008-05-19T09:40:00.000+02:00

In attendance

Project teacher:
Maria Paola Aloi – (Liceo Ginnasio Augusto Statale di Roma)
Carlo Panizzon – (Liceo Ginnasio Augusto Statale di Roma)
M. Teresa Ciaffaroni – Liceo Ginnasio Augusto Statale di Roma)

Students:
Eleonora Alecci – (LGAS di Roma)
Fiorella Angerame – (LGAS di Roma)
Valentina Boresta – (LGAS di Roma)
Laura Lucantoni – (LGAS di Roma)
Irene Moroni – (LGAS di Roma)
Girogia Bova – (LGA di Roma)
Alessia Guarnera – (LGAS di Roma)
Flavia Torella – (LGAS di Roma)
Silva Valentini – (LGAS di Roma)
Eleonora Leopardi – (LGAS di Roma)
Students from 4H (LGSA di Roma)

Christian Düntsch (Carl Zeiss Oberschule – Berlin)
Thoms Schäfer (Carl Zeiss Oberschule – Berlin)
Frau Gundel Fischer
Students: Kerstin Kothe (CZO Berlin)
Michelle Hubel (CZO Berlin)
Vera (CZO Berlin)
Susann (CZO Berlin)
William (CZO Berlin)
Max (CZO Berlin)
Wiebke (CZO Berlin)

Monday 31st March.2008

Morning
The German delegation arrived Arrival at Ciampino Airport and the students met their host families at LGS “Augusto” .

Afernoon
In the afternoon the German delegation went on a sightseeing tour in the city centre which was concluded by dinner at a typical restaurant with Italian teachers and students.

Tuesday 1st April.2008

Morning
The German students attended lessons according to their hosts’ timetable

Afernoon

The German delegation enjoyed a Guided Tour of Circo Massimo held by the Italian students.

Wednesday 2nd April2008

Morning
First the German students attend lessons according to their hosts’ timetable then from
10.10 to 13.10 the Comenius Project meeting was held at LGS “Augusto” multimedia room.
During the proceedings of the Comenius project various issues related to the project were discussed. Class IV H presented the results of investigations conducted by the students about the environment and sustainable development. The conference offered an opportunity to see that the sensitivity to the issue of sustainability is spreading within our school even beyond the circle of the project working group.
The students then presented the results of the questionnaire submitted to LGSA and CZO students in February. The German students elaborated and commented on the data gathered with the questionnaire already submitted last year and they also added a summary report of data collected in February. The Italian students presented a detailed report on data from the February questionnaire, which are particularly interesting since they concern the whole population of our school. Finally data from students compared/contrasted the data obtained from 2007 and 2008 questionnaire.
In the third section the Italian students proposed a few issues as food for thought for the future work on the Project.

Afternoon
The students also made a visit to a fair trade shop. It was a good opportunity to get first hand knowledge of this kind of business get to know some aspects of this activity in detail. The German students were able to compare the Italian shop with similar stores in Germany

The day ended with a common dinner at a typical Roman pizzeria.

Illegal disposal f waste in Italy

2008-05-19T08:03:00.001+02:00

ILLLEGAL DUMPS

Dumps are the cheapest system of rubbish disposal which can guarantee big profits. Most of the waste in Italy goes to “dumps”(discariche a cielo aperto), that are now almost full.

Waste should be burnt or recycled, not accumulated. Why not diversify the “collection of waste” and increase the number of incinerators?

From a technological point of view there are many possible solutions for waste disposal. Public administrations could build big modern incinerators or organize a diversified collection of waste and everyone should dispose different types of rubbish separately in special “containers”.

However, there are plenty of unauthorized, polluting and dangerous dumps connected with illegal activities, such as the racket for the lucrative illegal traffic of waste (ecomafie). A case in point is that of Campania which, thanks to the so-called "waste emergency", has exported hundreds of thousand of waste tons in other regions for many years.

The Italian law punishes unauthorized dumps, or "unauthorised collection, transport, recovery, disposal, trade and intermediation of waste". For this crime one could be punished with up to a six months prison sentence.

According to the prevailing jurisprudence, the difference between simple abandonment of waste and an unauthorized dump is that the first one is absolutely occasional, the second one is repeated and usual.

Laura Lucantoni

Fair Trade in Italy

2008-05-19T08:02:00.001+02:00

The Italian charter of fair trade criteria

The Italian charter of fair trade criteria is a document which defines the shared values and principles of all the Italian fair trade organizations. This charter has been re-drafted many times, introducing changes which have preserved the basic principles without changing the charter founding spirit and values.

The last changes were approved in the Assembly of Associates AGICES in Chioggia (April 2005) in close continuity with the previous ones.

The charter of fair trade criteria is made up of 6 main articles, each of these article is subdivided into many points. Just the most important ones will be analysed.

1^st article

Definition

Fair trade is an alternative approach to conventional trade; it promotes social and economic justice, sustainable development, respect for people and the environment. It is meant to raise consumer awareness, through information campaigns and political action. Fair trade aims at achieving equity for all the actors involved in the chain of distribution, from producers to consumers.

2^nd article

Goals of Fair Trade

· To improve the livelihoods and well-being of producers by improving market access, strengthening producer organizations, paying a better price and providing continuity in the trading relationship.

· To promote development opportunities for disadvantaged producers, especially women and indigenous people, and to protect children from exploitation in the production process.

· To protect human rights by promoting social justice, sound environmental practices and economic security.

3^rd article

General criteria adopted by fair trade organizations

· To avoid employing and exploiting child’s labour, in compliance with the International Convention on the Right of the Child

· To guarantee workers fair wages for their labour and to provide equal working opportunities with no gender, age, social, religious or political discrimination.

To respect the environment and promote sustainable development in all production and distribution processes, favouring organic production, use of recyclable materials, and low environmental impact production and distributive processes.

4^th article

Producers and Exporters

Producers are production and distribution organizations which share the goals of fair trade and respect fair trade criteria, They have

To guarantee product quality

Exporters are organizations which mainly purchase from fair trade producers and mostly sell to fair trade organizations: they share fair trade goals and respect its criteria and have:

To give information on products and producers and on the prices paid to producers

5^th article

Italian fair trade organizations

Italian fair trade organizations mostly sell fair trade products and/or export to fair trade organizations and have:

To be non-profit

In import and export activities Italian fair trade organizations have:

To endorse, through their own mission and values statements, publicity material and actions, the definition and principles of Fair Trade.
To give other fair trade organizations the possibility to become aware of travel opportunities to fair trade production resorts, respecting responsible tourism criteria.

In their selling activity Italian fair trade organizations have:

· To provide costumers all the available information material, including transparent price labels.

· To inform the public about their aims, the origin of the products, the producers and about world trade.

6^th article

Transformed products

Products which cannot be traced back to only one raw material such as: cookies, chocolate, sweets...

Transformations must be carried out by people involved in fair trade or by cooperatives or enterprises which are not in contrast with fair trade values.
Transformed products must quote the wording: “fair trade ingredients total: x٪” in their labels.

Alessia Guarnera, Flavia Torella

QUESTIONNAIRE

2008-05-09T14:49:00.000+02:00

Age: 14-18

Environment and Climate Protection (survey

1. Most climatologists forecast a warming of the terrestrial atmosphere. They expect, e.g., a rise of the sea level and a movement of the climate zones. How much are you persuaded that such a climate change enters?

Fully and completely is convincing 1 2 3 4

2 I do not agree at allNowadays is a lot from the climate change the speech. How much are you persuaded of the fact that we can master the problems which result from the climate change in Germany?

Fully and completely is convincing 1 2 3 4 I do not agree at all

3. Every time when we use oil, coal or gas, we contribute to the greenhouse effect.

Definitely properly 1 2 3 4 I do not agree at all

4. If we continue so as before, we head for an environmental disaster

Definitely properly 1 2 3 4 I do not agree at all

5. I do not agree at all Science and technology will solve many environmental problems, without we must change our life-style.

If I agree fully and completely 1 2 3 4 I do not agree at all

6. It disturbs me if I remember under which environmental relations our children and grandchildren must probably live.

If I agree fully and completely 1 2 3 4 I do not agree at all

7. In comparison to industry we can contribute citizen only a little to the energy conservation.

If I agree fully and completely 1 2 3 4 I do not agree at all

8. In Germany should be generated more energy from regenerative springs (wind strength, solar energy and biomass).

If I agree fully and completely 1 2 3 4 I do not agree at all

9. According to my appraisal the environmental problem is strongly exaggerated in his meaning of many environmentalists.

If I agree fully and completely 1 2 3 4 I do not agree at all

10. We do to ourselves too many worries about the future of the environment and not enough around prices and workplaces.

If I agree fully and completely 1 2 3 4 stimme ich überhaupt nicht zu

11. We citizen can contribute by our behaviour with the purchase and consumption substantially to the environment protection

If I agree fully and completely 1 2 3 4 stimme ich überhaupt nicht zu

12. I issue technical devices completely and do not leave them in the state by company Always often seldom never I switch off light if I leave a space.

Always often seldom never

13. I regulate the heating down if I leave a room for two hours and more -

Always often seldom never

14. Many stream suppliers offer that one can cover ecological stream, i.e. the stream which promotes from renewable energy (solar energy, wind energy, water power etc.). Do you cover ecological stream or do you intend to cover in future ecological stream?

a) I already cover ecological stream
b) I intend to cover ecological stream.
c) Maybe I will cover in future ecological stream.
d) no, I will cover no ecological stream.

16. If you still cover no ecological stream: What could make easier your decision for ecological stream?

a) lighter change possibility for another stream supplier
b) lower costs of ecological stream
c) more transparence about supplier and products
d) more information about ecological stream
e) other, namely...

16. How often do they use in the close traffic (to 5 km distance) the following means of transportation? Of public persons close traffic, as a coach and road

Daily , several times per week , once per week , more seldom than once per week
never

17. Car or motorcycle

Daily , several times per week, once per week , more seldom than once per week , never

18. Bicycle

Daily , several times per week, once per week , more seldom than once per week, never

19. walk

Daily , several times per week , once per week, more seldom than once per week , never

20. To what extent you are personally ready...

... to pay higher prices of products which are less environmental-incriminating ?

very ready 1 2 3 4 not ready

21. ... to pay higher taxes for an improved environment protection if is made sure that these would come directly to the environment protection too good ones?

very ready 1 2 3 4 not ready

22 ... to pay a voluntary fee (approx. 10-20 euros) as a balance for the flights?

very ready 1 2 3 4 not ready

23 ... to be involved in a nature conservation group or similar in the environment ?

very ready 1 2 3 4 not ready

24 ... own flat (in winter!) to heat on maximum 20 degrees centigrade?

very ready 1 2 3 4 not ready

Incontro con il bamchiere dei poveri - Yunus

2008-05-08T11:06:00.001+02:00

Presentazione elaboratta dagli student della lasse IV H del Liceo Gimmasio "Augusto" - Roma

Sviluppo sostenibile

2008-05-08T10:42:00.000+02:00

Presentazione elaborata dgli studenti della classe IV H del Liceo Ginnasio "Augusto" - Roma

Il progetto “Gaia”

2008-05-05T15:48:00.001+02:00

Gaia è un progeto Comenius triennale incentrato sullo sviluppo sostenibile che coinvolge scuole partner di quattro paesi dell’Unione Europea Germania, Italia, Regno Unito e Olanda.
Il progetto, nel secondo anno di attività, affronta tematiche relative alle diverse forme e fonti di energia. Gli studenti partecipanti analizzeranno forme di energia derivanti da fonti alternative e rinnovabili quali energia eolica, solare e biomasse e il loro impiego i vista di uno sviluppo sostenibile.
Gli studenti studieranno esempi pratici di uso e risparmio energetico in vista della riduzione dell’inquinamento ambientale e atmosferico e creeranno un piano di risparmio energetico per la propria scuola dopo aver raccolto informazioni su consumi energetici e comportamenti ecosostenibili attraverso un questionario che verrà somministrato a tutta la popolazione studentesca delle scuole partner.
Il prodotto finale congiunto del progetto sarà un Manuale Scolastico per uno sviluppo ecostenibile.

2008-05-03T14:17:00.002+02:00

Presentazione del progetto Comenius "Gaia"

Progetto Comenius09

Futhervick Park school survey resukts

2008-04-25T16:46:00.001+02:00

Presentation by Furtherwick Park School students

Rome conference - March/April 2008

2008-04-14T14:50:00.000+02:00

2008-04-08T21:48:00.002+02:00

VISITA A ROMA 31.3-3.4.2008

2008-04-06T13:38:00.000+02:00

Durante i lavori del Progetto Comenius sono stati affrontati temi diversi connessi con l’argomento del progetto. La classe IV H ha presentato il risultato di alcuni approfondimenti condotti dagli allievi riguardo all’ambiente e all’organizzazione della città eco-sostenibile. E’ stata l’occasione per constatare che la sensibilità verso la questione della sostenibilità si sta diffondendo all’interno della nostra scuola anche oltre la cerchia del gruppo di lavoro che aderisce alle attività del Progetto.
Si sono poi affrontati i risultati del questionario che è stato somministrato nella scuola romana e nella scuola di Berlino nel mese di febbraio. Gli allievi tedeschi hanno richiamato i dati relativi al questionario già somministrato lo scorso anno e ad essi hanno aggiunto una sintetica relazione dei dati raccolti in febbraio attraverso la somministrazione del nuovo questionario. Gli allievi italiani hanno presentato una dettagliata relazione sui dati ricavati in febbraio, che risultano particolarmente interessanti poiché riguardano la totalità della popolazione della nostra scuola. Al termine delle due relazioni si è proceduto ad un confronto tra i dati ricavati.
Nella terza fase dei lavori gli allievi italiani hanno preso la parola per proporre alcuni spunti di riflessione per il futuro approfondimento dei lavori del Progetto.
Gli allievi del gruppo di lavoro hanno anche effettuato una visita presso un negozio di commercio equo e solidale di Roma: è stata l’occasione per avere un contatto diretto con alcuni operatori del settore e conoscere in modo dettagliato alcuni aspetti di questa attività. Gli allievi tedeschi hanno potuto anche confrontare le caratteristiche del negozio italiano con quelle di negozi che in Germania operano nello stesso settore.

Osservazioni al termine della riunione del 2 aprile 2008

2008-04-03T19:20:00.000+02:00

La nostra economia si basa sull illusione di avere un continuo bisogno di beni che in realtà non sono primari. Basti pensare che i paesi più progrediti sono quelli che hanno il settore terziario più sviluppato e con più occupazione. é un economia, teoricamente, sempre in crescita senza mai un arresto od una retrogressione, che vengono indicate come risultato di una crisi. Un economia che si basa sullo sfruttamento delle risorse primarie (che possono essere sia materie prime che manodopera) che provoca riflessi negativi in ambito ambientale e socio-economico. Ora questo modello di crescita vuole essere adottato anche dai paesi che stanno prendendo potere recentemente quali cina od india, che vedono in questi il modello vincente. O meno è ciò che viene loro presentato come tale.
Il problema è che è un modello che funziona solo se applicato dal minor numero possibile di nazioni e nessuna delle nazioni che, per ora, lo adotta e ne gode i privilegi sarebbe mai disposta ad abbandonarlo. Non lo ferebbe mai perchè questo implicherebbe una retrocessione con poche speranze di rivincita e passerebbe dalla parte dei poveri e sfruttati. Ora se lo sviluppo sostenibile dovesse implicare ciò, o meglio se l economia di quei paesi non fosse completamente pronta ad un cambiamento, si rischia un ribaltamento dei ruoli.
Stamattina sono stata equivocata: non intendevo assolutamente difendere l idea di Bush. Lui vuole difendere a spada tratta il modo di vivere degli statunitensi, io mi riferivo alle fondamenta della nostra economia. Credo che nessun paese voglia realmente rischiare, si cercherà solo di fare modifiche graduali utilizzando lo sviluppo tecnologico nel miglior modo. Ma non credo che questo implicherà un abbandono del capitalismo così come lo conosciamo oggi.
Ciò che andrebbe ribaltato è il modello economico, un modello che non vede arresti alla crescita quando si dovrebbe andare cercando un equilibrio che permetta un vita dignitosa. Un modello che deve fare propri termini come reciclaggio e riutilizzo delle risorse, in quanto c è la credenza che nuovo sia sinonimo di migliore.

Nel nostro progetto si riscontra spesso il termine economia ed economia globale (perchè non possiamo limitarci a discorsi su due o tre nazioni), credo che dovremmo affrontarlo con delle basi teniche adeguate. Mi pare di sentir trattare argomenti di cui spesso non sappiamo abbastanza, una maggiore e reale consapevolezza della realtà globale dal punto di vista economico e politico. Credo che sia fondamentale per poter ampliare il discorso e non passare il tempo solo a confrontare sondaggi, ma dare maggior spazio ai dibattiti. Dibattiti che però si devono fare avendo delle basi.

Irene Moroni

Brava Irene!

2008-04-02T22:49:00.000+02:00

Mi fa piacere che Irene abbia sentito l’esigenza di chiarire la propria opinione e di farlo sul nostro blog, che è spazio pubblico e come tale va quindi utilizzato.

I dibattiti servono proprio a fare emergere le diverse idee ed opinioni.

Irene ha ragione su più fronti naturalmente, a partire dal fatto che sarebbe necessario dare uno spazio più ampio ad una discussione “informata”, in cui cioè si affrontino gli argomenti assai complessi dello sviluppo sostenibile con una adeguata conoscenza dei fatti e delle loro implicazioni.

Ha anche ragione sul fatto che non è pensabile prevedere un abbandono immediato del nostro modello di sviluppo, per molte delle ragioni che lei sottolinea, ma anche, se ci si pensa bene, perché è difficile pensare che volontariamente le persone accettino di rinunciare a qualcosa per il bene comune.

Su questo tema credo si possa aprire una discussione e invito tutti i partecipanti al progetto a dire la propria. Potremmo provare a portare il nostro punto di vista - ammesso si riesca ad articolarne uno – al prossimo incontro di Berlino, ad esempio, oppure potremmo proporre una discussione su questi tempi se si organizzeranno le nuove giornate di autogestione ad aprile, magari invitando anche qualcuno che si occupa istituzionalmente di questi temi.

Maria Teresa Ciaffaroni

2008-04-02T15:07:00.000+02:00

Food for thought

2008-04-02T13:49:00.001+02:00

Issues discussed during our project meeting in Rome on 2 April 2008. Issues are listed top-down

Is the government prepared to use alternative or renewable energy sources?
Who could do more, governments, industries or we?
We, as citizens, blame ourselves to a great extent for what’s happening to our world. But are we really to blame or are we victims of people who make us believe that we cannot live without what they provide us?
Do you have vending points with water, milk on tap or groceries without packages?
How much do you think a basic social and cultural education can help to cope with the question at hand?
How does a (Italian – German) family behave towards the country
do you think it’s too late to do anything about the situation or can the situation be improved?
If so, how? think together, act together
Or do you think the earth has taken care of itself for millions of years and will always be able to do the same now?
How much do you think we are to blame? for the global warming / changes in our environment

2008 Questionnaire results

2008-04-02T13:25:00.000+02:00

A preentation onn 2008 questionnaire reslults

Comparison of questionnaire results

2008-04-02T13:23:00.001+02:00

A presentation comparring Italian and German 2007 questionnaire results

Last week: feelings, impressions, thoughts

2008-04-02T11:05:00.000+02:00

I would like to start by saying that I can't find a proper word to summarize these four days, either in English or in Italian... Any word I tried sounded too shallow and banal, so I've decided to write a few lines to express my opinion more precisely.

I haven't chosen this title by chance: "feelings, impressions, thoughts," means that I've received a multiplicity of stimuli which have affected my mind as well as my heart, and for this reason I have to thank any single person who has been next to me, german or italian, teacher or student (I can't believe I've just written such a moving sentence!).

I felt very

(Eleonora Leopardi)

MEETING IN ROME 31st March – 3rd April 2008

2008-03-30T15:22:00.001+02:00

Monday 31st March.2008

Morning
9.05 Arrival of German partners at Ciampino Airport
11.00 Students meet host families at LGS “Augusto”

Afernoon
Free activity with German teachers
20.30 dinner at a typical restaurant for Italian and German teachers

Tuesday 1st April.2008

Morning
German students attend lessons according to their hosts’ timetable

Afernoon
4.00-7.00 p.m.
Guided Tour of some tourist sight organised by Italian students

Wednesday 2nd April2008

Morning
8.10-10.10 German students attend lessons according to their hosts’ timetable
10.10-13.10 Project meeting at LGS “Augusto”

Afernoon
4.00-7.00 p.m.
Visit to a fair trade shop

Evening
8.30 Common dinner at a typical pizzeria

Thursday 3rd April 2008

Morning
Free activities

Evening
8.25 p.m. departure of German students and teachers from Ciampino Airport

VISITA A ROMA 31.3 – 3.4.2008

2008-03-30T13:49:00.001+02:00

Lunedì 31.3.2008
9.05 Arrivo a Ciampino di allievi e insegnanti tedeschi.
Pomeriggio: libero o attività con gli insegnanti tedeschi
20.30 Cena degli insegnanti

Martedì 1°.4.2008
Mattino: partecipazione alle lezioni della scuola italiana o attività con gli insegnanti tedeschi.
16.00-19.00 Visita della città di Roma guidata dalle allieve italiane.

Mercoledì 2.4.2008
8.10-10.10 Partecipazione alle lezioni della scuola italiana.
10.10-13.10 Lavori del Progetto Comenius.
16.00-19.00 Visita di uno o più negozi di commercio equo e solidale a Roma.
20.30 Cena tra alunni e insegnanti.

Giovedì 3.4.2008
Mattino: Partecipazione alle lezioni della scuola italiana o attività con gli insegnanti tedeschi
10.00 Incontro di progetto tra insegnanti.
Pomeriggio: Preparazione della partenza.
20.25 Partenza da Ciampino di allievi e insegnanti tedeschi.

Riassunto delle puntate precedenti

2008-03-01T13:11:00.001+01:00

Il primo anno in cui la nostra scuola ha preso parte al progetto Comenius si prospettava come un anno di “rodaggio”, in cui la scuola si sarebbe confrontata con altri istituti, dotati di maggiore esperienza.
Questa previsione si è rivelata piacevolmente erronea, perché i numerosi alunni che hanno contribuito allo svolgimento delle attività del progetto non solo hanno svolto un eccellente lavoro di indagine all’interno della scuola, i cui risultati hanno costituito una quantità di dati statistici di base, ma hanno anche potuto entrare proficuamente in contatto con alunni tedeschi ed olandesi, mettendo a frutto lo studio della lingua inglese compiuto a scuola e in ambito extra-curricolare, con l’aiuto di un professore esterno (Tony Shamas, madrelingua inglese) che ha aiutato gli alunni a sviluppare un lessico appropriato al tema dello sviluppo sostenibile.
Durante l’anno scolastico è stato formulato e sottoposto agli alunni un questionario finalizzato al raccoglimento di informazioni sulle abitudini degli alunni dell’istituto in materia di consumi e di acquisto. I dati rilevati per mezzo del questionario sono stati percentualizzati ed organizzati in una presentazione Power Point e successivamente mostrati e commentati di fronte a rappresentanti di tutte le scuole partecipanti.
Grazie all’impegno di tutti gli alunni, è stato possibile organizzare alcune visite culturali durante il soggiorno degli ospiti stranieri a Roma. In particolare abbiamo effettuato una visita delle rovine di Ostia Antica ed una visita guidata ai monumenti più affascinanti della Roma barocca e del periodo repubblicano/imperiale.
La controparte dello scambio si è svolta a Berlino dal18 al 22 Giugno 2007, a cui soltanto quattro alunne dell’istituto hanno preso parte. Durante questo periodo, gli alunni e i docenti, provenienti da tutte le nazioni partecipanti, hanno visitato luoghi di interesse culturale ed ecologico ed hanno tratto un bilancio complessivo dell’anno trascorso; inoltre, sono state definite le linee-guida per l’organizzazione dell’attività nell’anno 2008.

2007 Questionnare results

2008-03-01T13:11:00.000+01:00

A Presenation on 2007 questionnaire results

Gli incontri del gruppo di lavoro

2008-02-22T14:02:00.004+01:00

sabato 10.11.2007 12.10-13.10 aula IV H
ALECCI, BOVA, BORESTA, LEOPARDI, LUCANTONI, MARZIONI, MORONI, RICCARDI, TORELLA, VALENTINI, ZUCHEGNA
(proff. CIAFFARONI, D'ARIENZO, PANIZZON)
Vengono richiamate le esperienze dell'a. s. 2006-2007 e si delinea una prima definizione del programma per l'a. s. 2007-2008. Si programmano alcune attività da svolgere con gli alunni stranieri in visita a Roma per il pomeriggio di giovedì 15.11.2007 (possibilmente visita alla mostra ospitata dalla Galleria Borghese).

sabato 15.12.2007 12.20-13.20 aula IV H
BORESTA, BOVA, LUCANTONI, TORELLA, VALENTINI
(proff. CIAFFARONI, PANIZZON)
Si propone di condurre delle visite/interviste presso aziende coinvolte nella distribuzione dell'energia (ACEA, AMA, DESS, ENEL, ENI). Si può avere un contatto con ENI attraverso l'alunna Torella. Si propone di condurre un'indagine all'interno della nostra scuola: USO, ABUSO, SPRECO D'ENERGIA. Le alunne sono interessate al corso di lingua inglese con un insegnante madrelingua. Si crea un blog per pubblicizzare il lavoro del gruppo e condividere dati e materiali raccolti. L'alunna Lucantoni consegna materiale utile sul tema dello sviluppo sostenibile.

sabato 19.1.2008 12.15-13.20 laboratorio di informatica
ALECCI, ANGERAME, BORESTA, LEOPARDI, MORONI, TORELLA, VALENTINI
(proff. CIAFFARONI, PANIZZON)
Si deve stendere un testo di presentazione del concetto di sviluppo sostenibile e dei programmi di lavoro del gruppo e un testo di relazione di quanto si è fatto finora. Per il prossimo incontro si devono formulare delle domande per preparare l'intervista presso l'ENI. Si legge il testo del questionario proposto dal prof. Düntsch di Berlino: al gruppo sembra che alcune domande siano troppo strettamente finalizzate a formulare una valutazione di tipo politico sul comportamento degli intervistati. E' necessario eliminare le domande di questo genere.

sabato 26.1.2008 12.15-13.40 laboratorio di informatica
BORESTA, GUARNERA, LEOPARDI, TORELLA, VALENTINI, ZUCHEGNA
(prof. PANIZZON)
Si confrontano le domande proposte per l'intervista all'ENI. Viene accettata la presentazione del gruppo stesa da Silvia Valentini per il blog. Si pensa che sarebbe utile un incontro con la Preside del Liceo per presentare il nostro progetto e chieder il permesso di condurre l'indagine a scuola.

sabato 9.2.2008 12.15-13.15 laboratorio di informatica
ALECCI, ANGERAME, LEOPARDI, LUCANTONI, MORONI, TORELLA, VALENTINI, ZUCHEGNA
(proff. CIAFFARONI, PANIZZON)
Eleonora Leopardi riferisce quanto avvenuto durante l'incontro con la Preside: il gruppo ha libertà di intervento nella scuola per ocndurre il progetto. Si potrebbe inserire un'attività del gruppo nella festa di fine dell'anno scolastico. Si conferma l'impegno ad organizzare un corso di inglese con un insegnante madrelingua. Il questionario dovrà essere somministrato alla fine di febbraio, quindi è necessario urgentemente tradurre in italiano il testo delle domande.

sabato 16.2.2008 12.15-13.15 laboratorio di informatica
ANGERAME, BORESTA, BOVA, GUARNERA, LEOPARDI, LUCANTONI, MORONI, TORELLA, VALENTINI
(proff. CIAFFARONI, PANIZZON)
Il corso di inglese tenuto dal prof. Anthony Shamas comincerà venerdì 22.2.2008 e si terrà dalle 14.45 alle 16.45: si impegnano a partecipare le alunne Fiorella Angerame Marin, Valentina Boresta, Giorgia Bova, Alessia Guarnera, Laura Lucantoni, Flavia Torella, Silvia Valentini. Il gruppo confronta varie traduzioni proposte e sulla base delle traduzioni proposte viene definito il testo italiano. Per la somministrazione del questionario si pensa che sia meglio svolgerla per intero in un'unica giornata per accelerare il lavoro. Si farà venerdì 22.2.2008. Si stabiliscono i nomi di chi distribuirà il questionario: il prof. Panizzon consegnerà alle alunne le fotocopie necessarie all'inizio della prima ora presso la classe II C. I professori delle alunne impegnate saranno informati del fatto che le alunne dovranno uscire dalle loro aule durante la prima ora. Si propongono idee per l'attività da svolgere durante la festa di fine dell'anno scolastico. Si dovrebbero raccogliere informazioni su eventuali fornitori di energia pulita ecologica presenti in Italia: è un'opportunità possibile in altri Paesi, ma il gruppo si chiede se esista anche in Italia. Laura Lucantoni fornirà al gruppo un altro testo di presentazione del tema dello sviluppo sostenibile, da pubblicare nel blog. Si propongono idee per attività da realizzare durante le prossime giornate di didattica alternativa (14-15.4.2008).

sabato 1°.3.2008 12.15-13.15 laboratorio di informatica
BORESTA, BOVA, TORELLA
(proff. CIAFFARONI, PANIZZON)
Il giorno 22.2.2008 è stato somministrato il questionario a quasi tutte le classi della scuola; il giorno 23.2.2008 è stato somministrato anche alle classi che non erano state interpellate il giorno precedente. Si esaminano le schede raccolte con le risposte degli alunni. Purtroppo non di tutte le schede si può ricostruire da quale classe provengano. Si suddivono le schede per classi, ove ciò sia possibile. Si comincia lo spoglio delle schede: ogni allieva ritira numerose schede per continuare il lavoro di spoglio a casa. Gli allievi della scuola di Berlino saranno a Roma nei giorni 31.3-3.4.2008: si devono organizzare le attività dei giorni della loro visita.

sabato 8.3.2008 12.20-13.30 sala dei professori
ANGERAME, LEOPARDI, MORONI, TORELLA, VALENTINI
(proff. CIAFFARONI, PANIZZON)
Le alunne presenti si iscrivono presso il sito e-twinning per rendere possibile un contatto diretto con gli allievi della scuola tedesca. Si procede con il lungo lavoro di spoglio delle schede del questionario. Le alunne portano numerose schede a casa per continuare il lavoro.

sabato 15.3.2008 12.15-13.45 laboratorio di informatica
ANGERAME, BORESTA, LEOPARDI, LUCANTONI, TORELLA, VALENTINI
Si programmano le attività dei giorni 31.3-3.4.2008 in cui gli allievi di Berlino saranno a Roma. Si precisa come i dati del questionario verranno raccolti, per poter essere inseriti nel modo più efficace in una presentazione come documento Power Point.

sabato 29.3.2008 12.15-13.35 sala dei professori
ALECCI, ANGERAME, BOVA, LEOPARDI, LUCANTONI, MORONI, TORELLA, VALENTINI, ZUCHEGNA
(proff. CIAFFARONI, PANIZZON)
Si discutono gli ultimi particolari per realizzare le attività dei giorni in cui gli allievi tedeschi saranno in visita a Roma (31.3-3.4.2008). Si precisano i particolari della presentazione come documento Power Point. Si precisano le attività dei pomeriggi del 1°.4 e del 2.4.2008: visita ad alcuni monumenti di Roma con presentazione da parte delle allieve italiane; visita ad un negozio del commercio equo e solidale. Mercoledì 2.4.2008 si terranno i lavori del gruppo del Progetto Comenius nel corso della mattinata a scuola.

sabato 5.4.2008 12.15-13.25 sala di ricevimento dei genitori
ALECCI, ANGERAME, GUARNERA, LEOPARDI, LUCANTONI, MORONI, PERSIA, SILI, TORELLA, VALENTINI, ZUCHEGNA
(proff. CIAFFARONI, PANIZZON)
Entrano nel gruppo del Progetto Comenius altre due allieve della scuola: Maurizia Persia (II C) e Giulia Sili (II C). Si raccolgono impressioni e commenti sulle attività condotte durante la visita degli allievi di Berlino (31.3-3.4.2008). Si avverte la necessità di organizzare un'attività che permetta di far vedere al resto della scuola qual è il lavoro del gruppo. Si raccolgono proposte di attività in preparazione della visita che il gruppo farà a Berlino nei giorni 20-23.5.2008. Ogni allieva approfondirà un argomento e a Berlino lo presenterà in inglese, cercando di animare una discussione comune sugli aspetti più interessanti e problematici di ogni argomento. Moroni: gli imbrogli dell'ecologia; Alecci e Zuchegna: l'emergenza rifiuti in Campania; Sili, Lucantoni e Persia: le discariche abusive; Angerame: la città dell'altra economia; Leopardi e Valentini: i criteri della sostenibilità; Guarnera e Torella: i vantaggi e i profitti del commercio equo e solidale; Boresta e Bova: la nostra scuola è eco-sostenibile? Silvia Valentini stenderà un testo a commento dei risultati del questionario che è stato somministrato a tutti gli allievi della scuola.

sabato 12.4.2008 12.20-13.15 sala dei professori
ANGERAME, BORESTA, BOVA, LUCANTONI, MORONI, PERSIA, SILI, TORELLA, VALENTINI, ZUCHEGNA
(proff. CIAFFARONI, PANIZZON)
Si organizza l'attività da realizzare in occasione delle giornate di didattica alternativa a scuola (14-15.4.2008). Si desidera far sapere a tutti gli allievi della scuola di che cosa si occupa il gruppo del Progetto Comenius. Lunedì 14.4.2008 il gruppo terrà un corso dell'attività didattica alternativa: L'energia per tirare avanti. L'intervento sarà strutturato in tre momenti: 1. Che cos'è il gruppo Comenius dell'Augusto; 2. Gli usi dell'energia; 3. Dibattito. Se possibile, martedì 15.4.2008 si continuerà il dibattito o si proietterà il film di Al Gore Una scomoda verità.

sabato 10.5.2008 12.20-13.15 sala dei professori
ALECCI, ANGERAME, BORESTA, BOVA, GUARNERA, LEOPARDI, LUCANTONI, PERSIA, SILI, TORELLA, VALENTINI, ZUCHEGNA
(proff. CIAFFARONI, PANIZZON)
Si precisano gli abbinamenti secondo i quali le allieve italiane saranno ospitate a Berlino nei giorni 20-23.5.2008. Per sabato prossimo ogni allieva deve essere pronta a presentare in inglese un argomento specifico. Guarnera e Torella: fair trade; Lucantoni: discariche; Leopardi e Valentini: la sostenibilità; Angerame: la città dell'altra economia; Alecci: biomasse; Boresta e Bova: la sostenibilità nella nostra scuola.

Questionario 2008

2008-02-19T13:23:00.000+01:00

PROTEZIONE DELL’AMBIENTE E DEL CLIMA

1. La maggior parte dei climatologi prevede un riscaldamento dell’atmosfera terrestre. Si aspetta, ad esempio, un innalzamento del livello del mare ed uno spostamento delle fasce climatiche. Quanto sei d’accordo con questa previsione?
1) Totalmente 2) Molto 3) Poco 4) Per nulla

2. Oggigiorno si parla molto di cambiamento climatico. Credi che l’Italia possa affrontare i problemi che derivino da tale cambiamento?
1) Totalmente 2) Molto 3) Poco 4) Per nulla

Quanto condividi le seguenti affermazioni?

3. Ogni volta che utilizziamo combustibili fossili contribuiamo all’effetto serra.
1) Totalmente 2) Molto 3) Poco 4) Per nulla

4. Se continuiamo ad inquinare, avverrà una catastrofe ambientale.
1) Totalmente 2) Molto 3) Poco 4) Per nulla

5. La scienza e la tecnologia risolveranno molti problemi ambientali senza che noi dobbiamo cambiare il nostro stile di vita.
1) Totalmente 2) Molto 3) Poco 4) Per nulla

6. Mi preoccupa pensare che i miei figli ed i miei nipoti vivranno in un mondo con problemi ambientali.
1) Totalmente 2) Molto 3) Poco 4) Per nulla

7. Noi cittadini possiamo contribuire molto meno delle industrie al risparmio energetico.
1) Totalmente 2) Molto 3) Poco 4) Per nulla

8. In Italia dovrebbe essere prodotta più energia da fonti rinnovabili (energia solare, eolica, geotermica, biomasse).
1) Totalmente 2) Molto 3) Poco 4) Per nulla

9. A mio giudizio, il problema ambientale è fortemente sopravvalutato da molti ambientalisti.
1) Totalmente 2) Molto 3) Poco 4) Per nulla

10. Ci preoccupiamo troppo del futuro ambientale e troppo poco dell’aumento dei prezzi, della disoccupazione, del precariato.
1) Totalmente 2) Molto 3) Poco 4) Per nulla

11. Noi cittadini possiamo contribuire alla protezione dell’ambiente controllando i nostri acquisti e consumi.
1) Totalmente 2) Molto 3) Poco 4) Per nulla

12. Spengo totalmente gli apparecchi elettronici e non li lascio in stand-by.
1) Sempre 2) Spesso 3) Raramente 4) Mai

13. Spengo la luce quando cambio stanza.
1) Sempre 2) Spesso 3) Raramente 4) Mai

14. Metto il riscaldamento al minimo se esco di casa/ stanza per più di due ore.
1) Sempre 2) Spesso 3) Raramente 4) Mai

15. Alcune compagnie di distribuzione energetica offrono la possibilità di scegliere energia ecologica (prodotta da fonti rinnovabili). Utilizzi energia prodotta in questo modo?
1) Si 2) Lo farò certamente in futuro
3) Forse lo farò in futuro 4) No e non lo farò

16. Se non utilizzi energia pulita, cosa potrebbe spingerti a farlo?
1) Facilità di cambiare fornitore energetico
2) Minor costo dell’energia pulita
3) Maggior trasparenza delle compagnie energetiche
4) Maggior informazione sull’energia pulita
5) Altro (specificare) _______________________

17. Quanto spesso utilizzi i seguenti mezzi di trasporto nei brevi tragitti?

- Trasporto pubblico
1) Ogni giorno 2) Qualche volta a settimana
3) Una volta a settimana 4) Meno di una volta a settimana
5) Mai

- Macchina, moto, motorino
1) Ogni giorno 2) Qualche volta a settimana
3) Una volta a settimana 4) Meno di una volta a settimana
5) Mai

- Bicicletta
1) Ogni giorno 2) Qualche volta a settimana
3) Una volta a settimana 4) Meno di una volta a settimana
5) Mai

- A piedi
1) Ogni giorno 2) Qualche volta a settimana
3) Una volta a settimana 4) Meno di una volta a settimana
5) Mai

Fino a che punto sei personalmente disposto a:

18. Pagare di più per prodotti ecologici?
1) Totalmente 2) Molto 3) Poco 4) Per nulla

19. Pagare tasse più alte se fossero sicuramente destinate ad una maggiore protezione ambientale?
1) Totalmente 2) Molto 3) Poco 4) Per nulla

20. Accettare l'introduzione di un supplemento (10-20 €) sui biglietti aerei per favorire l'uso di altri mezzi di trasporto?
1) Totalmente 2) Molto 3) Poco 4) Per nulla

21. Essere coinvolto in gruppi o movimenti per la salvaguardia ambientale?
1) Totalmente 2) Molto 3) Poco 4) Per nulla

22. Impostare il proprio riscaldamento autonomo a 20°C al massimo?
1) Totalmente 2) Molto 3) Poco 4) Per nulla

Intervista ENI

2008-02-10T11:32:00.000+01:00

1. In seguito al progressivo abbandono dei combustibili fossili, l'ENI ha intenzione di cambiare nome?

2. Quali prospettive di sviluppo di fonti di energia rinnovabile ha ipotizzato l'ENI per l'Italia e quale sarà l’energia rinnovabile effettivamente più usata in futuro?

3. Quale valutazione dà l'ENI dell'energia nucleare e dell'eventuale produzione di essa in Italia? (Mi permetto di citarle le mie fonti: http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbandono_dell ed anche http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Energia_da_fusione).

4. Quali agevolazioni offre l'ENI a chi sceglie di sfruttare fonti di energia rinnovabile? - NB: nella Finanziaria 2008 sono previste riduzioni dell'ICI ed agevolazioni sull'IVA per chi installa strumenti di produzione energetica a ridotto impatto ambientale (http://www.empolipertutti.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/finanziaria2008_55-36_agevolazioni.pdf).

5. Secondo lei perché in Italia non si riesce a sensibilizzare la popolazione sul fronte ambientale come succede invece in altri Paesi come la Germania? E’ un problema culturale o un problema temporaneo legato alla politica?

6. Al di là della campagna anti-spreco che l'Eni sta realizzando, quali sono i reali risultati che si sono ottenuti e qual è il vero interesse che l'Eni pone a ciò? Nell'ottica del guadagno si preferisce il risparmio energetico o la rendita dell'istituzione?

7. Quale collaborazione potrebbe fornire il nostro progetto nell'ambito della sensibilizzazione degli alunni della nostra scuola, di età compresa tra i 13 ed i 19 anni?

Comenius Project Gaia

2008-02-01T16:46:00.003+01:00

Gaia is a three-year Comenius project on Sustainable Development carried out by 4 partner schools in Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and the UK..

The project, now in its second year, deals with Forms of Energy and Production. Students will review the use of energy by using sustainable alternatives and explore possible forms of renewable energy such as wind plants, solar panels and biomass..

Students will also analyse practical examples of energy saving and sustainable use provided by companies and organisations dealing both with energy production and environmental pollution.

Starting from a questionnaire which will be submitted to the entire population in each participating school, meant to gather information on energy consumption behaviours, pupils will create their own “Individual Environment Plans” which will then lead to An overall School sustainability plan on energy usage and the potential for saving.

The project will hopefully lead to the production of a Media/School handbook which will also include the review projects.

Rome conference - Novmber 2007

2007-12-12T14:52:00.000+01:00

Links to Sustainable development sites

2007-12-01T17:25:00.001+01:00

Article on Sustainable development from Wikipedia

The OECD on Sustainable Development

United Nations Division on Sustainable Developmnet

Activities of the European Union

UK government on sustainable development

SDI - Sustainable Development International

Real time world statistics

Participating schools

2007-12-01T16:58:00.009+01:00

Partener schools

Co-ordinating School Carl Zeiss Oberschule Berlin

Sintermeerten College - Heerlen, the Netherlands

Liceo Ginnasio Statale Augusto, Rome

Partener schools Furtherwick Park School, Canvey Island, Essex

A couple of videos from partecipating schools in YouTube

Time Reporters Video 2007 Sintermeerten

10. Klasse Wahl B 2007 Carl-Zeiss-Oberschule Part 1

Notes from Rome conference - November 2007

2007-11-20T16:49:00.004+01:00

Present:

Clara Rech (Principal) Liceo Ginnasio Statale Augusto, Rome

Maria Teresa Ciaffaroni (Co-host) LGSA Rome.

Carlo Panizzon (Co-host) LGSA Rome.

Paola Aloi (Project Leader) LGSA Rome.

Christian Duntsch (Project Co-ordinator) Carl Zeiss Oberschule Berlin.

Thomas Scafer (Project Leader) Carl Zeiss Oberschule Berlin.

Hans Joachim Rhode (Deputy Headteacher) Carl Zeiss Oberschule Berlin.

Marc Neven (Project Leader) Sintermeerten College Heerlen, Holland.

Marielle Rooduijn (Project Leader) Sintermeerten College, Heerlen, Holland.

Norman Bradley (Project Leader) Furtherwick Park School, Canvey Island, Essex.

Paula Quinn (Project Leader) Furtherwick Park School, Canvey Island, Essex.

Norman Bambridge (Advisor) Furtherwick Park School Canvey Island, Essex.
Students:

Valentina Bauccio (LGSA Rome)

Flavia Tocella (LGSA Rome)

Srevia Valeuthu (LGSA Rome)

Sean Clow (FWP Canvey Island)

Aaron Acraman (FWP Canvey Island)

Lewis Lacey (FWP Canvey Island)

(SM Heerlen)

In attendance:

The class group from LGSA Rome.

The co-hosts (MTC and CP) introduced the School Principal (Head teacher) Clara Rech who formally welcomed all the delegates and students attending this conference at LGSA and

re-iterated how much importance was attached to energy and environmental sustainability projects and was sure the outcome of this project would have positive outcomes to that need.

Carlo Panizzon outlined the project aim and objectives for the Conference from the agenda previously circulated which were:

Aims: Forms of Energy and Production.
Objectives: Review the use of Energy by using sustainable alternatives.
Processes to include: Pupils creating Individual Environmental Plans.An overall School sustainability plan on energy usage and the potential for saving.A Media/School handbook which includes the review projects.

Communication between students and schools.

Marc Neven mentioned that the students from Sintermeerten had produced a power point presentation as their introduction to this project meeting based upon the use of Minewater heating in the Limburg which was formally a coal mining region.

This was commended as being informative, well thought out and containing all of the processes of research for any topic chosen by all other schools.

They also gave a second (discussion) presentation based upon developing and undertaking surveys of peer groups and the collating of information based upon the preparation of Individual Environmental Plans.

He also mentioned other projects his students were undertaking including the recycling of ‘training’ shoes which the worldwide brand named company will shortly be contacted to establish what they may already have in place and, what the future plans are for recycling.

Referring back to the Mine Water presentation, he suggested that Water problems are not restricted to one particular country, noting the very recent issues again on tidal surges and flood and coastal defences the consequences of which all pupil could review the issues and perhaps produce linked ideas and solutions.

A discussion concluded that pre-emptive peer group surveys for the Individual Environment Plans could be followed by a project end survey to ascertain if thoughts and actions has changed over that period, necessarily regardless whether it was from the same student and commencement.

On the subject of video or handbook production, it was seen as a means of showing the project development to other groups including EU funding co-ordinators and could form part of the joint project report.

Paola Aloi agreed with Student lead groups, as those were attending this conference and how this better radiates information with their peer groups. She also supported the fact of each country has the same generic problems, perhaps only affected by the priority each country places on the issue. For example, in Italy, the current emphasis places Waste Disposal and Recycling very high on the political agenda.

Norman Bradley mentioned the proposed expansion of the wind farm located offshore in the Thames Estuary, to which this pilot scheme exists of some twenty wind turbines and depending upon the results will positively inform the eventual expansion and thereby determine the eventual numbers.

Also, two fairly local schemes will form the base project information on sustainable energy production for students at Furtherwick Park School, one being the Veolia Landfill site at Pitsea, our adjoining borough neighbour and how they are active in the capture and conversion of methane into electricity and their expansion plans to increase current levels of eight megawatts to twelve megawatts.

They have also produced a school based DVD which through Norman Bambridge being a member of their consultative committee, had previously been distributed to this schools consortium.

It is intended to request Veolia’s Manager of Special Projects (Nick Walker) to arrange a small teacher and student lead group of up to eight people, to visit the site shortly with perhaps a follow up of them lecturing student groups at the school and perhaps extend their support by some means of formal linking.

The second area project involves the Tilbury Power Station’s (Coal fired) intention to close in 2015 and to review current energy factors and environmentally led industrial changes now underway to make their production more energy efficient. This links directly to alternative provision already mentioned through wind farms.

Christian Duntsch observed that FWP (Canvey Island) SM (Heerlen) and CZ (Berlin) were already working on Energy and Environment projects whilst LGSA (Roma) were discussing Waste Disposal and Recycling and this met the aims of the project in context that:

Holland: Water and energy heating efficiency.

Germany: Solar energy efficiency.

England: Alternative energy capture and efficiency.

Italy: Recycling, landfill and energy capture.

He also supported the need for Individual environment Plans, noting the generic areas could be different but necessarily would have a structure or survey process that teachers could agree upon which may prove similar to all projects.

Thomas Schafer supported the fact of alternative forms of energy production benefits the school environment and would show that these ideas for IEP’s could have similar processes but produce different and abstract solutions or benefits that had not been considered singularly.

Paul Quinn said this would raise the issue of communication detail which although mentioned earlier has to be carefully considered as to the time effort at commencement and project aims over the two year period. Also, the issue of all schools have or not having conferencing networks.

Hans Joachim Rohde highlighted how important student interaction was, but was also equally aware not all schools having video conferencing facilities, so that a universal project method should be established.

Sean Clow (FWP Student) led the student response in supporting the need for students to communicate with each other or lead group, which also should include proposed and actual methods of presentation. This was also mentioned by the LGSA lead students.Christian Duntsch suggested that all project leaders and co-ordinators consider using a central base communication channel such a Etwinning, which also fulfils another requirement of accessing project development to others and that each representative should look into this.

It was noted that another proprietary method used earlier this year had not proved successful.

Maria Teresa Ciaffaroni said this was imperative to a successful project and would be viewed in that context by outside agencies who could also link to a communal information base. She also mentioned that Video Conferencing is not yet available to LGSA.

Paula Quinn said that year one of the project should concentrate on topic production and individual video monitoring to which most students seem to have a greater ability to undertake whilst year two could conclude with video conferencing exchange and even a communal video presentation, possible even including those companies who may have acted as consultants or advisors during the project development.

Norman Bradley explained the current situation regarding the future of Furtherwick Park School. This unfortunately includes not being accepted into this next round of funding meaning that the school was self funding this project lifetime of 2007 and 2008 and that at conclusion, with the impending closure in 2011 would consider the effectiveness of continuing in 2009 through 2010.

He also explained some of the legal requirements of the Local Education Authority (Essex LEA) has as regards the safety of pupils and this has placed restrictions on how we both host and receive students.

Christian Duntsch sought agreement on the number of meetings that should take place between project co-ordinators and project leaders with students where necessary, which resulted in agreement that four meetings will be held over the two years one meeting of which will be a host meeting.

All teachers will e-mail him with preferred dates as soon as possible, with also the probability the next meeting will be in Heerlen. It was also noted that not all meeting may necessarily involve student attendance particularly where this impacts upon curriculum and finance although of course it is always preferred. It was also agreed that presentations will continue to be undertaken in English

The conference included visits to various locations of this city, most of which can only be described as awe inspiring in concept and build. The hospitality and friendship that has evolved over many years of association, necessarily changed by both schools, teachers subject matter and location in the cultural and curriculum sense has made this another success for Europe.

Norman Bambridge

VISITA A ROMA 13.11 – 16.11.2007

2007-11-16T13:47:00.000+01:00

Martedì 13.11.2007
---
20.15 Arrivo degli olandesi

Mercoledì 14.11.2007
12.05 Arrivo degli inglesi
19.00 Arrivo dei tedeschi
20.30 Cena degli insegnanti a Testaccio.

Giovedì 15.11.2007
9.00-13.00 Lavori del Progetto Comenius.
Pomeriggio: Visita della città di Roma (rione Monti; Campidoglio; Crypta Balbi.

Venerdì 16.11.2007
Mattino: gli allievi olandesi hanno lasciato i loro ospiti italiani (prosecuzione autonoma del soggiorno a Roma)
Pomeriggio: partenza dei tedeschi e degli inglesi.

MEETING IN ROME 13 – 16 NOVEMBER 2007

2007-11-15T15:31:00.003+01:00

Tuesday 13 November 2007

Evening
20.15 Arrival of Dutch partners
Students meet host families

Wednesday 14 November 2007

Morning
12.05 Arrival of English patners

Evening
19.00 arrival of German partners
20.30 Dinner at a typical “Pizzeria”

Thursday 15 November 2007

Morning
9.00-13.00 Project meeting at LGS “Augusto”
1.00 p.m. Buffet lunch at school

Afternoon
Visit to the city centre: Monti, Campidoglio. Crypta Balbi.

Friday 16 November 2007

Morning
Dutch students leave their Italian families
Departure of Dutch, English and German partners