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English secondary schools climate change pack

DEPARTMENT FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS News Release (News Release ref:121/07) issued by The Government News Network on 2 May 2007

A resource pack to help teachers and pupils explore and understand the issues surrounding climate change was sent to every secondary school in England today.

The pack, which includes the Al Gore film An Inconvenient Truth and a number of other resources, was developed by Defra and the Department for Education and Skills. It is accompanied by online teaching guidance showing how to use the resources in the pack in science, geography and citizenship lessons.

Schools Minister Jim Knight said:

"Climate change is one of the most important challenges facing our planet today. This pack will help to give young people information and inspiration to understand and debate the issues around climate change, and how they as individuals and members of a community should respond to it."

Climate Change and Environment Minister Ian Pearson said:

"There is a clear scientific consensus on the causes and impacts of climate change. Climate change is not solely an environmental issue - it is a challenge for the economy, for health, and for our way of life now, and in the decades ahead.

"The commitment and enthusiasm of young people will be essential to meeting this challenge. We must ensure that they have the tools and the information they need to make informed decisions about their lives and their communities, which this pack for secondary schools will help to provide."

The pack contains:

* DVD copy of An Inconvenient Truth

* DVD containing four short films commissioned by Defra:

- Tomorrow's Climate, Today's Challenge
- My CO2
- Diaries of the Climate Change Champions
- The Carbon Cycle animation by Climate Change Champion Sofia Selska

* A leaflet on the Sustainable Schools Year of Action

* Links to comprehensive online guidance on how teachers can use these resources in the classroom.

The pack is being sent to nearly 5000 secondary schools in England, and forms part of the Sustainable Schools year of action, which aims to support all schools to become models of sustainable best practice.

Notes to editors

1. The Sustainable Schools Year of Action runs over the 2006-07 school year (starting in September 2006). Over the course of the year, there will be a wide range of resources and activity to support schools in embedding sustainability in the curriculum and how they operate.

2. Guidance for teachers will be available from Thursday 3 May at http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/sustainableschools/yearofaction.

3. The nine Climate Change Champions were announced on 11 May 2006, chosen from among more than 600 entries following a competition asking them to use different types of media to communicate the threats of climate change in their regions. During their year "in office", the champions have been spreading the work about climate change to their region through local activities and engagements.

4. On 2 February 2007, Environment Secretary David Miliband and Education Secretary Alan Johnson announced that a copy of An Inconvenient Truth would be sent to each secondary school in England. More information is available at http://www.defra.gov.uk/news/2007/070202b.htm.

5. More information on what individuals can do in their everyday lives to tackle climate change and other environmental issues is available at http://www.direct.gov.uk/greenerliving.

6. The Defra-produced film and animation will be available at http://www.climatechallenge.gov.uk/multimedia.html.

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