Continued from previous POST

TSL 2017 INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS DEBATES, AWARDS & VISITS

Topic - Climate Action

Venue: Oxford, UK – July 3-6, 2017

Wednesday 5th July

Climate Action: Panel Discussion at Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Educational Visits & Reception at TLR

The Museum

The morning session was held at the Oxford University Museum of Natural History that holds the University's internationally significant collections of geological and zoological specimens. Housed in a stunning example of neo-Gothic architecture, the Museum's growing collections underpin a broad programme of natural environment research, teaching and public engagement. Among its most famous features are the Oxfordshire dinosaurs and the Dodo.

The Session

We had a tour of the Museum after which the session started with a video message from Achim Steiner, UNDP Administrator and former Executive Director of UNEP. This was followed by Students' Presentations on the outcomes of the debates, where I also spoke as one of the selected TSL Ambassadors. We summarized the debate conclusions and presented them to the gathering that included leading experts on the subject.

The Panel Discussion

Thereafter we had a Panel Discussion with the leading experts including:

- Myles Allen (Professor of Geosystem Science in the School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, and Head of the Climate Dynamics Group in the University's Department of Physics)

- Katharine Wilkinson (Senior Writer at Project Drawdown)

- Bettina Wittneben (Teacher of Strategic Environmental Management at the University of Oxford), and

- Benito Müller (Managing Director of Oxford Climate and Director of the European Capacity Building Initiative)

Educational Visit to Green Park, Reading

In the afternoon, we visited the Green Park in Reading.  Opened in 1999, this 195 acre park is home to 19 large buildings which house large businesses such as PepsiCo and Bayer. Across the park over 50 species of bird have been spotted and the park boasts a freshwater lake and an energy generating wind turbine.

There we attended two educational talks.

1. 'Climate Change: Past, Present and Future' by Paul Williams, Professor and Research Fellow in the Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading and

2. 'Sustainability in a Commercial Environment' by Summreen Sheikh, Energy and Sustainability Coordinator at Green Park.

The talks were followed by a Walking Tour of the Green Park where we learned more about how some big businesses incorporate sustainability and biodiversity into how they run. Green Park was the first business park in the UK to receive a biodiversity benchmark award.

Steps taken by 'Green Park Reading' to preserve Biodiversity

We learned about the steps the park is taking to look after that biodiversity.

- They strengthened their biodiversity by implementing usage of bat boxes, bird boxes etc. on the trees.

- They piled twigs and branches at different locations to make insect hotels.

- They also used empty pallets to create a breeding ground for grass snakes.

- The park has a large water body (lake) around which lots of plantation is done with special emphasis on tall grass which acts as a preventive barrier

Wind Turbine at 'Green Park Reading'

At the park we also closely saw the Wind Turbine that is a part of the park and produces 2.3 megawatts of energy per year. Thereafter we had a discussion on the growth and suitability of different alternative energy sources, with Ian Gough, from Reduce Energy Ltd an organization specializing in energy efficiency and carbon reduction techniques.

Reception at The Living Rainforest

Then we went to the Living Rainforest and had a guided tour of this unique controlled environment created to emulate a Rainforest. We saw rainforest animals including monkeys, armadillos, scorpions and variety of rainforest Flora including vanilla plant, pitcher plant etc.  We learned more about the dynamics of the ecosystems of the rainforest.

The proceedings of the day ended with the showing and award presentations for the Schools Sustainability Challenge video contest that was won by an inspiring conservation project to defend a local creek in Brasilia, Brazil.

Thursday 6th July

Educational Visit to MINI Cooper Plant Oxford

Guided tours around the working car manufacturing factory to see how MINIs are made including the sustainability practices followed. We were explained how the MINI factory was responding to global climate & energy challenges. We learned about electric cars, and how the company is targeting to achieve more sustainable practices in its global business.

All in all the TSL 2017 International Schools Essay Contest and Debate was an enriching experience for me that deepened my resolve to work towards the goal of fighting climate change.

I feel that a great synergy is possible between our Tunza Forum and TLS since both are educational initiatives focused on students. Membership of both platforms can increase considerably through mutual collaboration for the benefit of students and towards a more sustainable future.