Nektarina (S)pace January 2013

(S)PACE

ISSN 1847-6694

NEKTARINA working together towards a sustainable future

January 2013

DOLOMITES A world nature heritage site

In this issue: Green Economy, Urban Sustainability, Home Schooling and more

Nektarina (S)pace

NEKTARINA (S)PACE IS A WEB MAGAZINE PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY NEKTARINA NON PROFIT, A NON GOVERNMENTAL, NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION REGISTERED IN CROATIA. WWW.NEKTARINANONPROFIT.COM ISSN 1847-6694 2

The January Hues

NEKTARINA (S)PACE IS A WEB MAGAZINE PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY NEKTARINA NON PROFIT, A NON GOVERNMENTAL, NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION REGISTERED IN CROATIA. WWW.NEKTARINANONPROFIT.COM ISSN 1847-6694 3

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Nektarina (S)pace, Web magazine Year 2, Issue # 5, January 2013 Published by Nektarina Non Profit ISSN 1847—6694 Under Creative Commons License

Working together towards a sustainable future www.nektarinanonprofit.com

Nektarina Non Profit is a non governmental, non profit organization, and most of our projects are based on volunteer work. Our articles are a compilation of data (where we always provide the source(s) at, or opinion pieces from one of our volunteers, partners or collaborators (in which case there is a by-line). We come from different backgrounds, and English is not the first language for any of us, so there might be an occasional language flop :). If you are using any of our content - it would be really great if you can link it back to us, and if you are using other people's content that you found in this magazine, please make sure to copy the source links we provided. Thank you!

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A bunch of enthusiasts Publisher: Nektarina Non Profit Creative Director & Editor-in-Chief: Sandra Antonovic Lead Researcher & Contributing Editor: Livia Minca Content Contributor: Yula Pannadopoulos Journalist: Alyosha Melnychenko Contributor for January Issue: France Pecovnik Photography: Sandra Antonovic

Contributors: This could be you!

If interested, email us to space@nektarinanonprofit.com

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In this issue: From our desk: Enjoy the journey World Heritage Site: The Dolomites - Where mountains become poetry Green Economy World Economic Forum The Bookshelf: Small is Beautiful (E. F. Schumacher) 8

Urban Sustainability Home Schooling Positive Examples: Education for Sustainable Development Slovenia Liveable cities: Ljubljana Our Blockbuster: Yann Arthus Bertrand’s HOME Birds in Winter Schools section Delish!

Recipe of the month Coming up in February

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From our desk:

By Yula Pannadopoulos Did you know that Nektarina (S)pace first started in October 2009, as a web portal format of a web magazine? That format wasn’t really working for us, and in spring 2011 we started exploring ways and options how to publish a web magazine in a pdf format that could be read on most devices, but also downloaded for those who’d chose to read it offline. Once we agreed on a pdf format, we begun talking about page size. Broadsheet? Berliner? Compact ? Those sounded really cool, but we weren’t exactly publishing a daily paper—we decided to go with a monthly edition, and while our attempt to lower our (and yours) carbon footprint shaped our choice of an online magazine (as opposed to a printed one), we appreciated the fact that some people might actually want to print out some (or all) pages. Finally we came to a conclusion that sticking with the good

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old A4 paper format would work best for everyone.

September 2012 issue was our first attempt at such a format, we liked it, and it seemed to work out for the readers too. You can find our September, October, November and December 2012 issues at our Issuu page and also on our Education for Sustainability webpage. None of us working on the magazine was a professional in that line of work—no one was a professional writer, or a professional editor, or a designer. All we were was a bunch of enthusiasts eager to share our ideas, views and interests, hoping to exchange opinions, get some feedback, learn and teach, inspire and get inspired, connect people, and get connected.

We are still amateurs in this, but we are also more enthusiastic than ever. We learned a lot during making the first four issues, we realized that there are endless ways we can tell our story, share our thoughts, express ourselves. We also realized that we need some sort of structure that would be flexible enough to nurture creativity, but also formal enough to give the reader a sense of continuity throughout the year. We worked hard on the content plan and schedule, we decided to increase number of pages (and try to keep them more-less at the same level in each issue) and we agreed to expand the range of topics (but still remain focused on environmental and sustainability issues and developments).

Developing this January issue hasn’t been easy—we had to juggle our daily (work) activities to find the time for the magazine. We loved every minute of it! It was and it is a constant challenge, and we keep questioning ourselves (and hopefully improving our work) in attempt to compile and deliver interesting (and educational) content.

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We will have 10 monthly issues this year (we’ll have a break in July and August), and we will do our best to bring you about 150 pages of inspiring content and photography in each issue.

Every month we will explore one World Nature Heritage Site (UNESCO). We visited some of them last year (and hopefully we will manage to visit some more throughout this year), we have lovely photos, we learned a lot, and we’d like to share that with you. This month we are talking about the Dolomites, an absolutely amazing part of the Alps.

We are introducing several other parts that will be recurring every month: → Sustainable Development and Sustainable Future: In each issue we will talk about sustainability on different levels, and we will also have updates from our project Education for Sustainability. This month we are sharing some information on Urban Sustainability and we are presenting one of our publications, Sustainable Living. → Education for Sustainability, Positive Examples: each month we will present positive examples from countries where sustainability is (already) a part of schools curricula (in some way). This month we bring you a positive example from Slovenia. → Liveable Cities: we’ll be sharing stories from locals talking urban sustainability, environment, transport, food. This month a young student France Pecovnik shares his view of Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. → Our blockbuster choice: every month we share a review of a film (usually a documentary) that we found particularly interesting,

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educational and/or thought provoking. We will try to address films that can watched online (legally) without a charge. This January we bring you HOME, a beautiful, mesmerizing documentary by Yann Arthus Bertrand. → Delish! - Try out one of the recipes we’ll be sharing every month, bring you different food cultures, regions and experiences.

Finally, in each issue we will share parts of our Schools’ Newsletters, something we have been issuing for the past two years - we are already looking forward to continuing our relationship with schools, teachers, pupils, parents and communities.

We love working on Nektarina (S)pace magazine, we enjoy every day, as we select content, as we struggle with editing and layout, as we learn and grow, as we share experiences, ideas and thoughts.

We do hope you will enjoy this magazine, learn something from it, experience a different perspective on things, or just enjoy photographs.

If you’d like to share your thoughts with us, become a contributor, have your photos or articles published, don’t hesitate - send us an email to space@nektarinanonprofit.com.

From our end, we’d like to thank Livia, Sandra, France, Ayesha, Jessica, Will, Nema, Amanda, Marnie, Lenore, Felicia, Daniel, Philip, Julika and many others who inspired us, criticized us ;), gave us examples, learned with us… They all, knowingly or not, left their mark, and we are grateful for it.

Enjoy the journey!

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The Dolomites: Where mountains become poetry 16

They were named Dolomites after the geologist Déodat de Dolomieu and in 2009 their unique beauty was recognised by UNESCO which designated them a world natural heritage property. The inhabitants love their ‘pale mountains’ and not only since they became world famous, for the majestic rocks have strongly characterised the region and its people since time immemorial and have made South Tyrol what it is today: a region of contrasts.

The characteristic rock of the Dolomites consists of fossilised coral reefs formed during the Triassic Period (around 250 million years ago) by organisms and sedimentary matter at the bottom of the ancient tropical Tethys Ocean. The Alps arose as a result of the collision of the African and European tectonic plates, forcing the rocks at the point of impact to soar skyward. The western part of the Tethys Ocean, which formerly divided these two continents, disappeared. The Dolomites now stand proud and distinct from the other limestone Alps. In 1788 the French geologist Deodat de Dolomieu discovered the properties of this rock, which he realised was a type of mineral comprising calcium magnesium carbonate found in varying proportions in the whitish-grey sedimentary limestone rock of the Dolomite mountains.

The Dolomites have been inhabited since the Iron Age. The Rhaetians, Romans and Lombards all left their mark. The oldest permanent settlers are the Ladin people whose vernacular is South Tyrol’s third official language.

In 2009 the Dolomites were included in the Unesco list of landscapes deemed especially worthy of protection. Along with the Jungfrau-AletschBietschhorn and Monte San Giorgio in Switzerland, the pale mountains have become the third natural heritage site in the Alps.

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Dolomites The pale mountains. According to the architect Le Corbusier the Dolomites are the world’s finest example of natural architecture.

The Dolomites are widely regarded as being among the most attractive mountain landscapes in the world.

Their intrinsic beauty derives from a variety of spectacular vertical forms such as pinnacles, spires and towers, with contrasting horizontal surfaces including ledges, crags and plateaux, all of which rise abruptly above extensive talus deposits and more gentle foothills. A great diversity of colours is provided by the contrasts between the bare pale-coloured rock surfaces and the forests and meadows below.

The mountains rise as peaks with intervening ravines, in some places standing isolated but in others forming sweeping panoramas. Some of the rock cliffs here rise more than 1,500 m and are among the highest limestone walls found anywhere in the world. The distinctive scenery of the Dolomites has become the archetype of a “dolomitic landscape�.

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The Dolomites are inhabited by Ladin-speaking people. Fleeing from migrating Germanic tribes, they populated the Dolomite valleys where the seclusion enabled them to preserve their traditions, customs and language.

Their tiny hamlets comprising farmhouses huddled together on the mountainsides are called Viles and hark back to the necessity of surviving as close-knit communities in the face of the hostile elements. On long winter evenings some farmers developed skills as wood carvers.

Weaving a story One of the spectacular features of the Dolomites is the way lush Alpine pastures suddenly give way to sheer limestone and Dolomite rock faces and towers. The myriad shapes and forms which reveal the evolution of the Dolomites is fascinating. Around 100 natural monuments are protected, including plants and landscape features such as earth pyramids, caves and Alpine lakes. *** Extensive areas of natural and cultivated landscapes have long been protected in seven nature reserves, four of which are located in the Dolomites. The aims of the nature reserve concept include providing spaces for recreation and encouraging people to behave responsibly in their relationship with nature. The nature reserve visitor centres provide interesting information on each region’s geology, history and environments in a lively manner. ***

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After German and Italian, Ladin is South Tyrol’s third official language. It is the region’s ancient language which evolved from Vulgar Latin and is spoken by around 30,000 people in the valleys around the Sella massif. The people here preserved their language and developed their individual Ladin culture over centuries in the seclusion of their valleys. Ladin is one of Europe’s tiniest languages. South Tyrol’s 18,000 Ladin speakers live above all in Val Gardena/Gröden and Val Badia/Gadertal valleys. *** One of the culinary highlights is the typical Ladin cuisine, simple made from fresh, genuine ingredients.

Turtres da erba (spinach pancakes) Recipe for 4 persons Ingredients for the dough: 200 gr of rye flour, 100 gr of white flour, 1 egg, some tepid water, 30 gr of melted butter, salt Ingredients for the filling: 150 gr of cooked and minced spinach, (or 150 gr of mashed potatoes), 150 gr of ricotta, salt, pepper, nutmeg, some oil Preparation: Mix carefully all ingredients and you will obtain a farely elastic dough, let it sit (covered) for one hour. Prepare the filling with spinach and ricotta (add some oil). Add some salt, pepper and some nutmeg, let everything cool off. Form thin circles (12 cm) with the dough. Fill the circle of dough with the prepared filling and cover it with another circle, push carefully with your fingers along the edge. Deep fry the pancake on both sides in abundant boiling oil. *** 22

The inhabitants of the mountains never ventured into the area of barren rock, for it was said that anybody who did would be punished.

Consequently the first rock climbers were from the cities. From 1800 they conquered peak after peak with the help of Tyrolean mountain guides, became heroes and brought fame to the Dolomites. The first Alpine club opened in London. Finally Tyrolean climbers followed. *** The Tyrolean farmers regularly indulged themselves in a spa holiday. However, tourism only really gathered momentum after the Brenner railway opened in the 1860s. In cities physicians prescribed their rich patients fresh air, best savoured in the mountains. Grand hotels opened, good-humoured landladies were on everybody’s lips, scenic roads were built. Theodor Christomannos was one of the driving forces. He built the road into the Val d’Ega/Eggental and the luxury Carezza hotel, where guests sat at their windows and marvelled at the mountain backdrop. *** In South Tyrol culture is everyday culture that people live by, not a souvenir that holidaymakers can pack in their suitcases and leave to gather dust at home. The question often arises: what is German, what is Italian? The tri-lingual region unites the best from the cultures living here: in Italy’s northernmost province Alpine snugness and congeniality meets the Mediterranean atmosphere; the down-to-earth approach meets the dolce vita. However, culture in South Tyrol also means history, illustrated by the numerous churches, fortified manor houses and castles found throughout the region. Contemporary art and architecture provide a wonderful counterpart.

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The South Tyrolean chestnut experience trail Ten informative stations line the trail: they focus on the theme of the chestnut, ranging from history to science to trivia, educating the public about the significance of the chestnut and the chestnut tree. If you would like to explore the ten stations in depth, you’ll need about an hour and a half. The Chestnut Trail is thus suited to hikers of all ages who are interested in nature. The Chestnut Trail is situated in the middle of Foiana, above Lana. The starting point of the flat, very manageable path, which is 2 km in length, is visible from a distance: there is an oversized wooden sculpture of a chestnut casing.

More About Chestnuts

In former, leaner centuries, the noble fruit in its thorny casing served as a dietary staple: the chestnut and chestnut flour can be used not only for bread and cakes but also for pasta, gnocchi and polenta. The chestnut was also used as coffee substitute and its bitter honey is extremely popular to this day. During times of crisis, the chestnut was used as a protein-rich dietary supplement in times, securing the survival of the people. In the nineteenth century, there was a disease that killed many of the chestnut trees in Europe: this led to the decimation of the fruit and to its supersession. The chestnut became important again only after the world wars.

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Sustainable South Tyrol South Tyrol sets a high bar for itself when it comes to conscientious and environmentally friendly recreation. The province is known far beyond its borders for its foresight in energy efficient solutions. This expertise has grown out of experiences living in the Alps.

South Tyrol combines a southern lifestyle with Alpine reliability. The Dolomites, which UNESCO declared a World Heritage Site in the summer of 2009, tower over the province, which is Italy’s northernmost. The landscape is also rich in its diversity, encompassing more than 7,400 square kilometres: mountains alternate with valleys, replete with apple trees, mountain streams give way to mountain lakes.

98% of South Tyrol’s ski areas operate their facilities using electricity from renewable energy sources. The electrical energy the province obtains through waterpower not only meets local needs, but is also a major export.

Even the water used for production of artificial snow passes back into the cycle of nature through the melting of the snow.

In South Tyrol, you can leave the car in the garage. There are numerous alternatives to driving yourself here, since public transport is so well developed. A single pass is valid throughout the province on trains, buses, and cable cars so it carries you all the way to your destination.

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The ski area at the Val Senales (Schnalstal) glacier is known for having snow 365 days a year. It is precisely because of its unique location, in the heart of alpine nature, that the Val Senales glacier cable cars have been geared towards the theme of environmental protection for several years. A combined heat and power unit and hydroelectric power plant supply the necessary power for the lifts; in peak hours, additional electricity − produced exclusively from renewable energy − is bought. An Eco Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS) certificate, which is the European Union’s system for community eco-management and auditing, confirms this.

In addition, Val Senales is the only Italian ski area to be awarded with the 2011 pro natura – pro ski Award by the Lichtensten-based pro natura – pro ski Foundation. Skiresort.de also honoured Val Senales − out of a field of more than 100 ski areas in eleven countries − with a major international award: Environmentally Friendly Ski Area of 2011.

The village of Plan (Pfelders), located at the back of Val Passiria (Passeiertal) Valley, has been a soft mobility destination since the year 2007. Its Village Express, a small train on wheels, and two CityBuses allow locals and visitors alike to enjoy the picturesque village, which is located inside the Gruppo di Tessa (Texelgruppe) Nature Park, free of stress and with restricted traffic. Thanks to this innovative mobility concept, visitors can park their cars at the entrance to the village; driving on the roads is only permitted for residents and guests of lodging establishments in Plan. No car means no stress: visitors are brought directly to the village and the slopes. The ski area operates all lifts and snowmaking equipment using renewable energy from a hydroelectric plant. All of these qualities together afford the village membership in the Alpine Pearls, an association that stands for soft-mobile holidays in the Alps.

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A car-free policy not only makes a holiday in Plan environmentally friendly, but also guarantees visitors a calming and relaxing holiday.

Carezza Ski, which lies within a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site, boasts an average of eight hours of sun every day of winter, making it South Tyrol’s sunniest ski area. Here, building in harmony with nature is of the utmost importance: its new reservoir, for example, is the most environmentally friendly of its kind. The natural sink, with hard and sometimes rocky bedrock, makes an ideal reservoir from the hydrogeological point of view. The water level makes it possible to fill the reservoir from the small, pre-existing basin, without additional pressure.

Together with Arosa Ski Area (CH), the ski area of Carezza (Karersee) plans to increase energy efficiency through joint energysaving initiatives and measures. Their Alpine Klimaskigebiete project will mean the introduction of innovative renewable energy sources. Due to the substantial number of sunshine hours at both ski areas, the project aims to harness solar energy and implement photovoltaic systems, with innovative renewable energy sources such as energy carpets or speed bumps that gather electrical energy.

South Tyrol combines a southern lifestyle with Alpine reliability. South Tyrol sets a high bar for itself when it comes to conscientious and environmentally friendly recreation.

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Anyone who wants to explore South Tyrol can do so easily, conveniently and in an environmentally friendly way. The Mobilcard affords adventurous visitors unlimited use of all public transport in South Tyrol for three or seven consecutive days. This includes regional trains from the Brennero (Brenner) Pass to Trento and from Mals (Malles) to San Candido (Innenchen), local buses (municipal bus lines, intercity buses, and CityBuses), cable cars to Renon (Ritten), Maranza (Meransen), San Genesio Atesino (Jenesien), Meltino (Mölten) and Verano (Vöran), the Renon Tram and the Mendola (Mendel) Funicular.

Cyclists can take advantage of the bikemobil card, which is a combination train and bus ticket and includes a bicycle rental. Whether you choose a day pass or a pass that is valid for three or seven consecutive days, nothing stands in the way of unlimited biking fun. Free use of a bicycle is included for one day. Rental locations can be found at railway stations and at various satellite stations, which are marked “Südtirol Rad”. Your rental bike can be returned to any of the participating companies. Many bicycle rental centres also rent electric bicycles. These can also be obtained, at an additional charge, with your bikemobil card.

The latest province-wide advantage pass is the museumobil card.

This card allows visitors to explore South Tyrol’s many wonderful museums, moving from place to place on public transport. Whether to Bolzano to see Ötzi the Iceman or to Predoi (Prettau Mine), use of public transport is unlimited. The museumobil Card entitles the holder to one entrance at each of the various museums. hese advantage cards are available wherever the Mobilcard is sold, including local tourist offices.

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Sculpture Walk Trail Anyone looking to combine the pleasure of the countryside with art appreciation will just love this two-hour-long stroll that passes contemporary art installations along the way.

The South Tyrol Sculpture Path in Lana offers people who love both nature and art the chance to observe how artists from every continent react to the landscape and to the different situations they encounter along the way, as well as how they interpret the landscape of the trail en route from both an individual and artistic point of view. The resulting art stations were also conceived as rest stops or places of contemplation and insight: places that stimulate reflection.

In conjunction with walking—at the natural speed of man—the Sculpture Trail itself turns into a work of art. The artistic interventions at particular points, intersections and forks in the road were created in order to contribute a staged progression and forward motion with the assistance of art. Be sure to walk slowly and take your time, so to fully appreciate the interplay between nature and sculpture: a treat for the eyes, mind and soul.

The Route The Sculpture Trail stretches for kilometres across the entire picturesque Brandis Waalweg, along the Ländpromenade to protected habitat of Rio Valsura/Falschauer and through the Gaulschlucht.

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The Legend of King Laurin and his rose garden 40

In ancient times when giants and dwarfs populated the Alpine valleys the dwarf King Laurin reigned inside the mountain which we now call the Rosengarten (‘rose garden’). He owned vast treasures though his most important possession was a magic hat which rendered him invisible. Laurin’s pride and joy was a magnificent garden in front of the gateway to his fortress within the rock.

In fact it is almost an antagonism if a hard, grey rock has such a lovely and tender name like Rosengarten. But the well-known South Tyrolean Dolomites massif bears this name because of a special and legendary reason.

Countless red roses flowered there the whole year round and they were encompassed by a golden thread of silk. Woe betide anybody who dared to break the thread and pick even a single rose! Laurin threatened to chop off his left hand and right foot. One day Laurin caught sight of the beautiful blond Princess Simhild in a neighbouring castle. He fell in love and abducted her with the help of his magic hat. From then on Simhild lived in Laurin’s mountain kingdom surrounded by gold, silver and precious stones, served and guarded by petite maidens of court and dwarf knights. In spite of such riches and luxury Simhild was sad and was homesick for the flowery meadows of her home.

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Grief and horror reigned in her brother Dietlieb’s castle. While searching for his sister Dietlieb met Dietrich of Bern, King of the Goths.

Dietrich joined Dietlieb and the two parties set off for King Laurin’s realm.

Dietrich marvelled at the luxuriant roses enclosed by a golden thread, though his companions broke the thread and trampled on the roses. The furious Laurin charged at them on his white pony demanding the offender’s hand and foot. An unequal fight ensued. Initially Laurin was able to protect himself with his magic cap. However, the knights could tell where Laurin was by the movement of the roses. One of them unhorsed him and in falling Laurin’s magic hat fell off. He lay on the ground helpless and pleaded for his life. Shackled, he was forced to lead the victors into his kingdom where Simhild was set free.

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The alpenglow is called ‘Enrosadüra’ in the Ladin valleys. Here hundreds of legends tell of witches, nymphs and moon princesses. The dwarf king Laurin’s curse makes the Rosengarten massif near Bolzano glow red in the evening light. Magical, or a unique natural spectacle?

Laurin invited Dietrich and his retinue to a banquet. When all had eaten and drunk their fill a thousand dwarfs suddenly fell upon them and Dietrich and his company were shackled and locked up in the darkest part of the kingdom. Dietrich was so angry at this insidious deed that he summoned inhuman power to break open the irons and freed his men. They broke open all the locks and doors and assailed Laurin’s unsuspecting dwarfs. Finally they succeeded in capturing the dwarf king. The glory of the dwarf kingdom had come to an end. The manacled king uttered a curse to destroy his rose garden. Neither the bright day nor the dark night should ever again see the magnificence of the roses. Only barren, pale rocks should remain. But Laurin forgot to include the twilight between day and night.

For this reason, under certain conditions the pale mountains glow red at sunset.

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Positive Example: Slovenia 56

Education for Sustainable Development in Slovenia Although the debate is almost omnipresent, it does not result in official documentation and practice as much as the global situation demands.

The topic of sustainable development and education for sustainable development (ESD) is present on various levels in the Slovene education debate. Stakeholders involved in ESD come from different institutions and organisations, like the NGO sector, different ministries, institutes, schools, out of school education organisations, etc.

Although the debate is almost omnipresent, it does not result in official documentation and practice as much as the global situation demands.

The white book on education, which includes most of the topics on ESD, was drafted and has been in public consultation since spring 2011. However, as the government fell in September 2011 and a new one has been installed only since February 2012, the question regarding what is going to happen to the procedure is still pending.

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There are also several documents on ESD that are all non-binding, such as guidelines for ESD or the cross-curricular subject called Environmental Education, which is defined as one of the additional non-obligatory subjects on the web page of the Ministry for Education and Sports, etc. In the elementary education it appears as an inter-subject field, meaning the teachers include it in teaching specific subjects, daily activities and other activities in schools.

Elements of environmental education are present in all the three periods of elementary schooling. In the third period (grades 6 to 9) it can be taught as a separate, optional subject, which is designed in an interdisciplinary way: It connects and expands knowledge gained in different compulsory natural science and social subjects. But it is still optional and not compulsory, which means it depends on the teacher how much and what to incorporate in his/her classes. Therefore, not all pupils get this kind of education.

In the NGO community, ESD is called also Global Education (GE).

GE is understood and presented even more broadly than traditionally understood ESD. It focuses on skills and even more on values, topics are presented as interlinked (development cooperation, peace studies, human rights, environmental education, climate change, etc), it involves also contemporary teaching methods, like the open space methodology, learning by doing, blurring the border between teachers and students, participatory learning, research and critical thinking.

However, GE is still implemented on the level of out-of-school activities or on special occasions, where individual teachers invite speakers to carry out workshops.

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Despite its presence in official educational documents, like the curricula, sustainable development is rarely understood with all the three components (economic, social and environmental) and it is mostly linked to environmental education. Even this theme is mostly related to noticing problems, rarely encouraging pupils to active engagement in the field. Important features, such as climate change, are also missing.

It connects and expands knowledge gained in different compulsory natural science and social subjects, but it is still optional and not compulsory, which means it depends on the teacher how much and what to incorporate in his / her classes. Therefore, not all pupils get this kind of education.

A two years educational program for educators was developed by the University of Ljubljana and it included several topics of sustainable development from the three perspectives. The topics were presented using various methods, in line with ESD and many teachers attended the program. However, since its end in 2011, no further similar projects emerged.

A cross sector working group led by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Group for Global Education, is operational. It was established in 2010, influenced by the NGO community dealing with GE, and, despite some bottlenecks in its functioning, the mere existence and formation of the group is a positive sign.

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There are also various voluntary initiatives and networks of schools, linked to ESD. These are eco schools network, UNICEF schools, UNESCO schools, healthy schools, etc. They depend on individual actors in the schooling community, the level of engagement and inclusion and the way sustainable development is incorporated into educational processes, both as methods and as contents.

In Slovenia, the ESD is still not perceived as an integral part of (formal) education as such, but as an additional element. In the textbooks, the elements of sustainable development are mentioned as a separate, additional part of different chapters. The trend of strengthening ESD is noticeable, but it is still in the early stages.

Source: http://www.enjoined.edupolicy.net/files/ SLO_ESD_eng.pdf

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Urban Sustain -ability 66

The Philips Center for Health and Well-Being Olivier Piccolin, a senior vice president in charge of Philips's commercial lighting division: “Today, new factors demand we urgently change our view of cities and how they should evolve. First, the urban growth surge, spawning mega-cities in Asia and other emerging economies, is unlike anything experienced in history. Secondly, the ecological imperative of reducing urban consumption of carbon and other resources forces us to find accelerated solutions. And there's intense pressure on budgets to support the increasing demand for public services in cities, So we must find new definitions of what makes a successful city.

The Center's Livable Cities think tank has begun the task of defining how a fit-for-the- future city can be created and sustained, in emerging markets. So 'success' will not be judged solely in terms of economic growth and efficiency, but will include more subjective factors including social, economic and environmental resilience, and inclusiveness for all parts of the population and diversity--as well as remaining authentic during transition. Perhaps 'equal opportunity' or 'percentage of green spaces' will one day sit alongside GDP as a component in future rankings of successful cities. “ 67

Liveable Cities: Ljubljana

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By France Pecovnik

Did you know that Ljubljana classifies as Slovenia's only large town? It seems as if both the location of the city - in the very centre of the country - and it's symbol (the Ljubljana Dragon) symbolizes the same thing - power, courage and greatness.

Ljubljana is very "citizens and environment" oriented city, and several years ago, in co-operation with Siemens, the city launched a programme Ljubljana, pametno mesto (Ljubljana, smart city). The web site is in Slovenian only, but you can still check it out at www.ljubljanapametnomesto.si

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Ljubljana is very "citizens and environment" oriented city. The city centre has been closed for car traffic for over five years now.

Ljubljana is also a cyclists' oriented city, for decades, and most people use bicycles as their main mean of transport, even in the winter months. The city also provides the possibility to rent a bike. Since mid 2011 a self-service bicycle rental system offers the residents and tourists about 300 bicycles and 600 parking spots at 31 stations in the wide city area. The daily number of rentals has amounted to about 2,500 (Ljubljana has about 280,000 inhabitants). The city centre has been closed for car traffic for over five years now.

Another low carbon way of transport that Ljubljana (and the entire Slovenia) is very in favour of are trains, connecting Ljubljana to it's suburbs and the rest of the country. There are numerous programmes, weekly, monthly and annual passes to ensure people stick with trains as their second preferred (after bicycles) way of transport.

Still, there is always some room for improvement, especially for the cyclists - many cycle lanes are in poor condition and constructed in a way that privileges the motorized traffic.

Also, contrasting some of the European capitals, cycling is banned from some of the main streets and there are many one-way streets making it difficult to cycle in the city centre. The city government and the cyclist groups are working together to improve those things.

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Green Economy

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These articles are reproduced without modifications from their respective sources, which will be indicated at the end of each article. The purpose of this excercise is not to reinvent the wheel and come up with things that have not been said before about green economy, but rather to gather together a large spectrum of information and make it available for everyone who does not have the time for an extensive research, in order to highlight the importance of this concept in the current global context.

Defining Green Economy UNEP has developed a working definition of a green economy as one that results in improved human well-being and social equity, while significantly reducing environmental risks and ecological scarcities. In its simplest expression, a green economy can be thought of as one which is low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive.

Practically speaking, a green economy is one whose growth in income and employment is driven by public and private investments that reduce carbon emissions and pollution, enhance energy and resource efficiency, and prevent the loss of biodiversity and ecosystem services. These investments need to be catalyzed and supported by targeted public expenditure, policy reforms and regulation changes. This development path should maintain, enhance and, where necessary, rebuild natural capital as a critical economic asset and source of public benefits, especially for poor people whose livelihoods and security depend strongly on nature.

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WRI Managing Director Manish Bapna responds to some of the most commonlyasked questions regarding Green Economy

What is a Green Economy?

A Green Economy can be thought of as an alternative vision for growth and development; one that can generate growth and improvements in people’s lives in ways consistent with sustainable development. A Green Economy promotes a triple bottom line: sustaining and advancing economic, environmental and social well-being.

The prevailing economic growth model is focused on increasing GDP above all other goals. While this system has improved incomes and reduced poverty for hundreds of millions, it comes with significant and potentially irreversible social, environmental and economic costs. Poverty persists for as many as two and a half billion people, and the natural wealth of the planet is rapidly being drawn down. In a recent global assessment, approximately 60% of the world’s ecosystem services were found to be degraded or used unsustainably. The gap between the rich and poor is also increasing – between 1990 and 2005, income inequality (measured by the gap between the highest and lowest income earners) rose in more than two thirds of countries.

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While the prevailing economic growth model focuses on increasing GDP above all other goals, a Green Economy promotes a triple bottom line: sustaining and advancing economic, environmental and social well-being.

A Green Economy promotes a triple bottom line: sustaining and advancing economic, environmental and social well-being.

The persistence of poverty and degradation of the environment can be traced to a series of market and institutional failures that make the prevailing economic model far less effective than it otherwise would be in advancing sustainable development goals. These market and institutional failures are well known to economists, but little progress has been made to address them. For example, there are not sufficient mechanisms to ensure that polluters pay the full cost of their pollution.

There are “missing markets” – meaning that markets do not systematically account for the inherent value of services provided by nature, like water filtration or coastal protection. A “market economy” alone cannot provide public goods, like efficient electricity grids, sanitation or public transportation. And economic policy is often shaped by those who wield power, with strong vested interests, and rarely captures the voice and perspectives of those most at risk. A Green Economy attempts to remedy these problems through a variety of institutional reforms and regulatory, tax, and expenditure-based economic policies and tools.

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What does a Green Economy look like?

The transition to a Green Economy has a long way to go, but several countries are demonstrating leadership by adopting national “green growth” or “low carbon” economic strategies.

There are many examples of successful, large-scale programs that increase growth or productivity and do so in a sustainable manner.

For example: → The Republic of Korea has adopted a national strategy and a five-year plan for green growth for the period 2009–2013, allocating 2 per cent of its gross domestic product to investment in several green sectors such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, clean technology and water. The government has also launched the Global Green Growth Institute which aims to help countries (especially developing countries) develop green growth strategies.

→ In Mexico City, crippling congestion led to a major effort to promote Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), a sophisticated bus system that uses dedicated lanes on city streets. Significant public investment in the BRT has reduced commuting times and air pollution and improved access to public transit for those less able to afford private cars. This remarkable success is now being replicated in cities across Mexico and has led to investment from the federal government in urban public transit for the first time.

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→ China now invests more than any other country in renewable energy. Its total installed wind capacity grew 64 percent in 2010. This growth is driven by a national policy that sees clean energy as a major market in the near future, and one in which China wants to gain a competitive edge.

The transition to a Green Economy has a long way to go. → Namibia is managing its natural resources to generate economic, social, and environmental benefits. Local communities across the country are granted the right to use and capitalize on the benefits of using wildlife and other natural resources within the boundaries of “communal conservancies.” With an economic incentive to sustainably manage these areas, food and employment is being provided for hundreds of thousands of Namibians in rural areas. More than half of the jobs are filled by women, and wildlife populations have increased.

→ Businesses are increasingly leading progress toward a Green Economy.

For example, the carpet company Interface FLOR is improving its competitive positioning in this normally petroleum-intensive industry by focusing on how sustainability can enhance its business model. The company is working towards a closed loop system, meaning that its waste products are also its manufacturing inputs. Its company culture reinforces its goals – when employees know they are making a difference in the world, they tend to work harder and be better at their jobs, making the enterprise more productive. Interface’s CEO, Ray Anderson, has said “If we can do it, anyone can. And if anyone can, everyone can.”

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How does Green Economy differ from previous efforts to promote sustainability – what is new?

In many ways, Green Economy objectives simply support those already articulated for the broader goal of sustainable development. But this new framing responds to two recent developments.

First, there is a deeper appreciation today by many governments, companies, civil society and the public that we are reaching planetary limits, not just in terms of greenhouse gas emissions but also in our use of water, land, forests and other natural resources. The environmental and social costs of our current economic model are becoming more and more apparent.

Second, and perhaps even more important, the global recession has led to a reconsideration of key tenets of the current economic model – such as the primacy of growth and the belief in light-touch regulation. In openly questioning the strength of the status quo, many public- and private-sector leaders are seeking:

A Green Economy attempts to remedy problems through a variety of institutional reforms and regulatory, tax, and expenditure-based economic policies and tools.

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→ Policies and regulations that can identify and manage financial and other risks more effectively → New markets and industries that can create good, long-term jobs → Public support for innovation to position a country to compete in tomorrow’s markets.

These developments point to the need for new sources of growth that are environmentally sustainable – for example, employment in highgrowth sectors such as clean energy. Past sustainability efforts have not focused sufficiently on fixing the failures of economic policies such as pricing pollution. But we now have a chance to tackle these challenging problems given the policy openings created by the response to the financial crisis. A good example is Korea’s adoption of a national green growth strategy (described before).

These developments point to the need for new sources of growth that are environmentally sustainable.

Some see marrying sources of new growth with sustainability as the future. Why is China investing in wind? To win tomorrow’s markets, not necessarily to compete in today’s. As the late C. K. Prahalad – a visionary on corporate strategy ―was fond of saying, “we need to move from seeing sustainability as a cost or hindrance to realizing that it’s a key driver of innovation”.

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What are some of the concerns and tensions with the concept of a Green Economy?

One question people ask is “can we afford this?” We’re still in the wake of the global financial crisis and many people perceive Green Economy solutions as expensive. The United States is asking itself whether it can afford to put a price on carbon today. Developing countries are concerned that transitioning to a Green Economy will hinder economic growth and the ability to reduce poverty.

Moreover, there will be short-term, nontrivial losses associated with changes in industry and market structure (e.g., a decline of the coal industry and related job losses.) Supporting those actors who will bear the brunt of the transition will be critical to building broad ownership for a Green Economy.

Some countries feel that they are lagging in green technology know-how and therefore will be at a competitive disadvantage in the race for future markets. Others feel that the Green Economy is a pretense for rich countries to erect “green” trade barriers on developing country exports. These are all legitimate concerns that deserve attention.

Ultimately, a hard-nosed economic analysis should inform decisions on what policies and investments to promote today. When the full costs and benefits over time are taken into account however, many Green Economy solutions will be seen as more attractive. Nevertheless, there will still be difficult choices and tradeoffs.

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For example, should India aggressively promote grid-connected, relatively expensive solar power when hundreds of millions in the country still have no access to electricity? And even where Green Economy solutions make economic sense, they may be politically challenging. The transition to a Green Economy will not be easy.

We are still in the wake of the global financial crisis and many people perceive Green Economy solutions as expensive.

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What are the challenges to a transition to a Green Economy, and what will make it possible?

The principal challenge is how we move towards an economic system that will benefit more people over the long run. Transitioning to a Green Economy will require a fundamental shift in thinking about growth and development, production of goods and services, and consumer habits. This transition will not happen solely because of better information on impacts, risks or good economic analysis; ultimately, it is about politics and changing the political economy of how big decisions are made.

The problem is vested interests. Those who benefit from the status quo are either overrepresented in or have greater access to institutions that manage natural resources and protect the environment. U.S. climate legislation, for example, was defeated in no small part by resistance from fossilfuel based energy advocates.

Transition to a Green Economy will require a fundamental shift in thinking about growth and development, production of goods and services, and consumer habits.

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The following steps would help create a more level policy-making palying field: → Increase public awareness and the case for change. Greater visibility on the need for this transition can motivate voters and consumers - not just because of the costs but also the economic benefits generated by a Green Economy, such as new jobs and new markets. People will not adopt policies because they are green. They will do so when they believe it is in their interest. → Promote new indicators that complement GDP. Planning agencies and finance ministries should adopt a more diverse and representative set of economic indicators that focus less exclusively on growth and track the pace and progress of development. → Open up government decision-making processes to the public and civil society. This would help ensure policies are accountable to the public and not to vested and well-connected interests → Identify and take advantage of political leadership when available as this will be crucial in order to limit the undue influence of “dirty” economic holdouts.

Timing is everything when it comes to big policy reforms. Green Economy advocates will need to be ready when that window of opportunity presents itself. Ultimately, the widespread transition to a Green Economy will depend on whether or not the long-term public interest is reflected in today’s economic policies.

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World Economic Forum 98

Today we live in the most complex, interdependent and interconnected era in human history.

A very special event is taking place these days (23-27 January) in Davos, Switzerland. It is the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting and important international figures from the political and economic world are meeting to discuss the hottest topics of the moment relating to how the world economy is advancing and what solutions can be tackled in the future for the problems that we are facing. On the event’s webpage the following statement is given: “For over 40 years, the mission of the World Economic Forum – committed to improving the state of the world – has driven the design and development of the Annual Meeting programme. The Annual Meeting remains the foremost creative force for engaging leaders in collaborative activities focused on shaping the global, regional and industry agendas. Today, we live in the most complex, interdependent and interconnected era in human history. We are increasingly confronted by major adaptive challenges as well as profound transformational opportunities. This new leadership context requires successful organizations to master strategic agility and to build risk resilience.”

An overview of the event can be consulted at: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/AM13/EF_AM13_ExecutiveSummary.pdf

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But how does this and the Forum in general relate to our issue at hand, sustainability? Does it, indeed?

Well, for one thing, we are promoting our “Education 4 Sustainability” project in the spirit that today’s young people – tomorrow’s adults and decision-makers – should learn in school about sustainability in all its forms (environmental, social and, yes, economical). So that when they grow up they are not only able to live in a world where all natural resources that we have enjoyed are still available, but also to understand the mechanisms of an economy that undoubtedly is already changing and will continue to do so in the future. And the way it will be shaped will influence the very core of their lifestyles.

So yes, organisations and events such as the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting should be watched closely because they have the potential to change the course of future sustainability. In the last years the ever-sopresent dispute ”environment vs economic developement” has been continuously diminnished by the intriguing cohabitation of the two notions into the “Green Economy” syntax. So far it does seem that this tandem is working, as the sector of Green Economy is increasing its share every day, but only time will say if this has been the miracle sustainability option that everyone was hoping for.

This year’s theme: Resilient Dynamism, speaks to a more balanced world, one that continues to innovate without creating bubbles and achieves widespread prosperity without consuming more natural resources that the planes has or can generate.

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In the meantime, an article on GreenBiz.com by Aron Cramer (president and CEO of BSR , recognized globally as an authority on corporate responsibility by leaders in business and NGOs and by his peers in the field) talks exactly about our topic: “Davos 2013: The building blocks for a sustainable future?” Below are some excerpts from the article, that is available in full at: http://www.greenbiz.com/blog/2013/01/23/davos-2013-buildingblocks-sustainable-future.

“The World Economic Forum’s 2013 meeting in Davos kicked off this week amidst ongoing stagnation in the world’s economy. This will be the fifth Davos since the global financial crisis took hold. And while 2013’s stagnation is far preferable to the fear and loathing that permeated Davos in 2009, the leaders who gather here this week continue to grasp for answers.

This year’s theme, Resilient Dynamism, speaks to a more balanced world: one that continues to innovate without creating bubbles and achieves widespread prosperity without consuming more natural resources than the planet has or can regenerate.

Each Davos is different, and it is impossible for one person to truly understand the entire event: After all, there are 2,500 official attendees and probably twice as many aides circling the perimeter.

Government leaders who actually make sustainable growth a priority.

With the U.S., E.U., and Japan caught in a low-growth trap, and Brazil and India slowing, growth at any cost appears high on the agenda. In fact, there are some governments slightly off the main stage making green growth a priority, namely the South Koreans and the Danes, who are spearheading the Global Green Growth Initiative. It’s time for the biggest players, though, to get off the sidelines and revitalize their efforts to catalyze investments in green infrastructure, technology transfers and renewable energy.

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Collaborations that can go to scale: While Davos has the image of alpha males and females strutting their stuff, it is actually partnership central, with many interesting collaborations developed and showcased. I’ll be participating, for example, in efforts to advance WEF’s New Vision for Agriculture, which has powerful partnerships up and running in 10 countries to align nutrition, sustainability, and economic development at the farm level. This is but one example of the kinds of collaborations that are needed, with renewed collaboration needed most around climate, to jump-start policy discussions.

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An understanding of how empowered individuals are part of the system represented in Davos: Davos is in some ways the original social network, though certainly not on the scale of Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Interesting efforts have been made in the past couple of years to broaden the network, namely, including the establishment of a community of ‘Global Shapers:’ social entrepreneurs, activists, artists, and thinkers under the age of 30.

For many, Davos appears to be a top-down event in an increasingly bottomup world.�

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The Bookshelf: Small is Beautiful 104

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By Jonathon Porrit / abridged

“Small is beautiful” is forty years old. When it was first published, there was no instant fanfare, no rave reviews. To begin with, sales were very modest, but increased steadily every quarter until both the book and its enormously popular title were suddenly everywhere.

And they still are, forty years on. Countless people in dozens of different countries have been deeply inspired by this little book, impressed by the clarity of its key ideas, and moved to do more in their own homes or work places as a direct consequence of it.

The achievement is all the more astonishing in that “Small is beautiful” is essentially a collection of essays and speeches written and given over a number of years, more or less cobbled together as a series of overlapping snapshots. But even the repetition seems to work, re-presenting the same issues from quite different perspectives depending on the target audience or literary outlet.

Overall, Fritz Schumacher was a great synthesizer, bringing many disparate concerns within the same frame of reference. He was the first of the “holistic thinkers” of the modern Green Movement.

Everything he wrote forty years ago is just as relevant today, and the refusal of contemporary economists and politicians to take it on board remains all but inexplicable. As he argues so passionately, the cardinal error of our whole industrial way of life is the way in which we continue to treat irreplaceable natural capital as reserve.

“Fossil fuels are merely a part of the “natural capital” which we

steadfastly insist on treating as expendable, as if it were income,

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and by no means the most important part. If we squander our fossil fuels, we threaten civilisation; but if we squander the capital represented by living nature around us, we threaten life itself” .

On this and many other matters, Fritz Schumacher blazed a trail that still provides the only alternative to the anachronistic advocacy of full employment in an age of robotisation and “mobile capital” pursuing ever cheaper labour costs.

On some other issues, however, his views have not weathered quite so well. Like every other environmentalist writing in the early seventies, Schumacher was convinced of the imminence of serious oil shortages and deeply fearful of the economic and social dislocation that these would cause. Forty years on, the emphasis now is not on oil running out , but rather on the environmental damage that will be done if they continue to be used up at current rates. *** It is intriguing to remember that small wasn’t always beautiful in Schumacher’s eyes:

“ What I wish to emphasise is the duality of the human requirement when it comes to the question of size: there is no single answer. For his different purposes man needs many different structures, both small ones and large ones, some exclusive and some comprehensive. For constructive work, the principle task is always the restoration of some kind of balance.

Today, we suffer from an almost universal idolatry of giantism. It is therefore necessary to insist on the virtues of smallness—where this applies.”

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Our Blockbuster: HOME 108

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By Polly Cook

When you sit down to watch a documentary on climate change you expect pretty much the same thing. Impressive computerised images used to show where our planet might be in ten year's time. Crammed with science and graphs. Clever, and shocking but rarely doing anything different. This film however, is in a different league.

Most of the footage is shot from above - which makes for quite simply, awesome viewing. Yann Arthus-Bertrand, a French photographer famous for his ‘Earth from above' footage, filmed the documentary in 54 different countries all over the world, managing to reach and capture even the most remote of places.

Home is gracefully narrated by Glenn Close, the script is straightforward and content heavy, yet beautifully written, giving just the right about of information exactly when you want it. It gradually unfolds a story, starting with the birth of Earth, and then moves onto how it developed, how it flourished, and at the rate we're going, humanity becoming the eventual death of it.

But what sets this film apart from others, is how much material it covers. It didn't stop at filming polar bears swimming in vast open water or at someone taking a chainsaw to the roots of a tree in the middle of the Amazon. Bertrand used bird's eye view footage of the frozen lakes in Siberia, the practically non-existent River Jordon, the cultivation of soya in the rainforests and mass cattle herding.

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He captured the intertwining crammed roads in Los Angeles, the robotic ‘invention' of Dubai, and the soaring sky scrapers in China, built on land that only forty years ago was a fishing village. It is these shots, among so many others, makes Home the all encompassing, innovative film it is.

Bertrand looks at the bigger picture - not just what is happening, but how and why. He explores our greed for meat, oil, wealth and the utter ignorance that surrounds development. He presents information people wouldn't know from just watching the odd TV programme. Sure, we all know oil is running out. But Home confronts the problems with eucalyptus monocultures, shrimp farming and how climate change is creating more social divides between rich and poor than ever before. In fact, there isn't much this film doesn't touch on.

However, for the wealth of information given to the audience in this documentary, it is not surprising that there are moments (for me it was when I saw a shanty town being shadowed by an oil plant) it seems there is no hope, and you feel like jacking it all in and giving up trying.

That is, until the dystopian mood of the film mutates into something quite different, declaring over and over 'It is too late to be pessimistic'. It concludes presenting a whole reel of things humanity has done in an attempt to stop climate change: responsible consumerism, wind farms, solar power and climate change education. But most importantly, the fact that most of the world is now at least recognising we have a problem.

When the credits start rolling, you come away with these fantastic images floating around in your head, reminding you of how beautiful this planet actually is. What's more, you want to do your bit to save it. At least, that is the hope.

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HOME has a very clear message. We have a greater impact on the Earth than it can bear. We over-consume and are depleting the Earth's resources. From the air, it's easy to see the Earth's wounds. So, HOME simply sets out our current situation, while saying that a solution exists.

The film's subtitle could be It's Too Late To Be A Pessimist. We have reached a crossroads; important decisions must be taken to change our world. Everybody knows about what the film says, but nobody wants to believe it. So HOME adds its weight to the argument of environmental organizations that we need to revert to a more commonsensical approach and change our consumer way of life.

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In the past 200,000 years, humans have upset the balance of planet Earth, a balance established by nearly four billion years of evolution. We must act now. It is too late to be a pessimist. The price is too high. Humanity has little time to reverse the trend and change its patterns of consumption.

Through visually stunning footage from over fifty countries, all shot from an aerial perspective, Yann Arthus–Bertrand shows us a view most of us have never seen. He shares with us his sense of awe about our planet and his concern for its health. With this film, Arthus-Bertrand hopes to provide a stepping-stone to further the call to action to take care of our HOME. HOME is the first film that has been made using aerial-only footage.

The film marks artist-activist Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s feature film directorial debut.

HOME the movie is carbon offset. All of the CO2 emissions engendered by the making of the film are calculated and offset by sums of money that are used to provide clean energy to those who do not have any. For the last ten years, all the work of Yann Arthus-Bertrand has been carbon offset.

HOME is available online for free: www.homethemovie.org www.youtube.com/user/homeproject http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Home_(2009_film)

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Birds in Winter

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What to do and what not to do when caring about birds in wintertime During cold winter months water starts to freeze, and berries become scarce. Other food is hidden and trapped by ice, snow and hard ground. But it's easy for you to attract birds to your garden, and help them get through the tough winter months, by following these easy tips.

Do’s Do put out food containing saturated fat Do put out fatballs, dried fruit, sunflower hearts, peanuts, mild cheese, soft fruit, porridge oats and unsalted nuts Do put out mealworms, soft fruit, seeds and grain, cooked rice, cooked pasta, inside of cooked potato and pastry Do put out water for birds to bath and drink, with a twig or ping-pong ball in to stop it freezing Do clean the bird feeder or table regularly to avoid bacteria build-ups Do set feeders up in quiet areas close to trees Do try to fill the feeders around midday Do plant a prickly bush either around the bird feeder or table or nearby to stop other animals taking he food and for birds to hide in Do put up a bird box for smaller birds to shelter in and for birds to mate later on

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Don’t’s Don’t put out the remnants and leftovers of your Christmas turkey Don’t put out stale bread as it lacks nutrients Don’t put out food with lots of wheat if you would rather not attract wood pigeons Don’t use antifreeze products to keep water for birds from freezing Don’t panic if you notice a change in bird’s behaviour, this is normal Don’t let any food spill on to the ground near feeders as it attracts unwanted pests Don’t put salt or sugar in to water to stop it freezing

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Make your own bird cake What you need: Good quality bird seeds Raisins Peanuts

Grated cheese Suet or lard String Yoghurt pot Orange halves

What to do: 1. Carefully make a small hole in the bottom of a yoghurt pot. Thread string through the hole and tie a knot on the inside. Leave enough string so that you can tie the pot to a tree or your bird table.

2. Allow the lard to warm up to room temperature, but don’t melt it. Then cut it up into small pieces and put it in the mixing bowl.

3. Add the other ingredients to the bowl and mix them together. Keep adding the seed/raisin/cheese mixture and keep squeezing it until the fat holds it all together.

4. Fill your yoghurt pots with bird cake mixture and put them in the fridge to set for an hour or so.

5. Hand your bird cake from the bird table.

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Sustainable Living A compilation of info Free e-publication

In September 2012 we published a compilation of information on Sustainable Living. On thirty something pages we bring you a mĂŠlange of photographs and some basics about Sustainable Living - its definition and dimensions, among which:

Shelter & Energy Food Transportation Water Waste

The publication is available online, and is free for download as a pdf, hence suitable for most portable devices: http://www.issuu.com/nektarinapublishing/docs/sustainable_living

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Home Schooling

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Homeschooling or homeschool (also called home education or home based learning) is the education of children at home, typically by parents or by tutors, rather than in other formal settings of public or private school. Although prior to the introduction of compulsory school attendance laws, most childhood education occurred within the family or community, homeschooling in the modern sense is an alternative in developed countries to attending public or private schools. Homeschooling is a legal option for parents in many countries, allowing them to provide their children with a learning environment as an alternative to public or private schools outside the individual's home.

Parents give many different reasons for homeschooling their children. The three reasons selected by parents of more than two-thirds of students were concern about the school environment, to provide religious or moral instruction, and dissatisfaction with the academic instruction available at other schools. From 2003 to 2007, the percentage of students whose parents reported homeschooling to provide religious or moral instruction increased from 72 percent to 83 percent. In 2007, the most common reason parents gave as the most important was a desire to provide religious or moral instruction (36 percent of students). This reason was followed by a concern about the school environment (such as safety, drugs, or negative peer pressure) (21 percent), dissatisfaction with academic instruction (17 percent), and "other reasons" including family time, finances, travel, and distance (14 percent). Other reasons include more flexibility in educational practices and family core stability for children with learning disabilities or prolonged chronic illnesses, or for children of missionaries, military families, or families who move often, as frequently as every two years.

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Numerous studies may suggest that homeschooled students on average outperform their peers on standardized tests. Homeschooling Achievement, a compilation of studies published by the Home School Legal Defense Association, supported the academic integrity of homeschooling. This booklet summarized a 1997 study by Ray and the 1999 Rudner study. The Rudner study noted two limitations of its own research: it is not necessarily representative of all homeschoolers and it is not a comparison with other schooling methods. Among the homeschooled students who took the tests, the average homeschooled student outperformed his public school peers by 30 to 37 percentile points across all subjects. The study also indicates that public school performance gaps between minorities and genders were virtually non-existent among the homeschooled students who took the tests.

A study conducted in 2008 found that 11,739 homeschooled students, on average, scored 37 percentile points above public school students on standardized achievement tests. This is consistent with the Rudner study (1999). However, Rudner has said that these same students in public school may have scored just as well because of the dedicated parents they had. The Ray study also found that homeschooled students who had a certified teacher as a parent scored one percentile lower than homeschooled students who did not have a certified teacher as a parent.

In 2011 Martin-Chang found that unschooling children ages 5-10 scored significantly below traditionally educated children, while academically oriented home schooled children scored from one half grade level above to 4.5 grade levels above traditionally school children on standardized tests (n=37 home schooled children matched with children from the same socioeconomic and educational background).

In the 1970s Raymond S. and Dorothy N. Moore conducted four federally funded analyses of more than 8,000 early childhood studies, from 126

they published their original findings in Better Late Than Early, 1975.

This was followed by School Can Wait, a repackaging of these same findings designed specifically for educational professionals. They concluded that, "where possible, children should be withheld from formal schooling until at least ages eight to ten."

Their reason was that children, "are not mature enough for formal school programs until their senses, coordination, neurological development and cognition are ready." They concluded that the outcome of forcing children into formal schooling is a sequence of "1) uncertainty as the child leaves the family nest early for a less secure environment, 2) puzzlement at the new pressures and restrictions of the classroom, 3) frustration because unready learning tools – senses, cognition, brain hemispheres, coordination – cannot handle the regimentation of formal lessons and the pressures they bring, 4) hyperactivity growing out of nerves and jitter, from frustration, 5) failure which quite naturally flows from the four experiences above, and 6) delinquency which is failure's twin and apparently for the same reason." According to the Moores, "early formal schooling is burning out our children. Teachers who attempt to cope with these youngsters also are burning out." Aside from academic performance, they think early formal schooling also destroys "positive sociability", encourages peer dependence, and discourages self-worth, optimism, respect for parents, and trust in peers. They believe this situation is particularly acute for boys because of their delay in maturity. The Moores cited a Smithsonian Report on the development of genius, indicating a requirement for "1) much time spent with warm, responsive parents and other adults, 2) very little time spent with peers, and 3) a great deal of free exploration under parental guidance." Their analysis suggested that children need "more of home and less of formal school" "more free exploration with... parents, and fewer 127

limits of classroom and books," and "more old fashioned chores – children working with parents – and less attention to rivalry sports and amusements John Taylor later found, using the Piers-Harris Children's SelfConcept Scale, "while half of the conventionally schooled children scored at or below the 50th percentile (in self-concept), only 10.3% of the home-schooling children did so." He further stated that "the self-concept of home-schooling children is significantly higher statistically than that of children attending conventional school. This has implications in the areas of academic achievement and socialization which have been found to parallel self-concept. Regarding socialization, Taylor's results would mean that very few home-schooling children are socially deprived. He states that critics who speak out against homeschooling on the basis of social deprivation are actually addressing an area which favors homeschoolers.

In 2003, the National Home Education Research Institute conducted a survey of 7,300 U.S. adults who had been homeschooled (5,000 for more than seven years). Their findings included: 

Homeschool graduates are active and involved in their communities.

71% participate in an ongoing community service activity, like coaching a sports team, volunteering at a school, or working with a church or neighborhood association, compared with 37% of U.S. adults of similar ages from a traditional education background.

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Homeschool graduates are more involved in civic affairs and vote in much higher percentages than their peers. 76% of those surveyed between the ages of 18 and 24 voted within the last five years, compared with only 29% of the corresponding U.S. populace.

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Opposition to homeschooling comes from some organizations of teachers and school districts. The National Education Association, a United States teachers' union and professional association, opposes homeschooling.

Criticisms by such opponents include: 

Inadequate standards of academic quality and comprehensiveness

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Lack of socialization with peers of different ethnic and religious backgrounds

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The potential for development of religious or social extremism/ individualism

Potential for development of parallel societies that do not fit into standards of citizenship and community Stanford University political scientist Professor Rob Reich (not to be confused with former U.S. Secretary of Labor, Robert Reich) wrote in The

Civic Perils of Homeschooling (2002) that homeschooling can potentially give students a one-sided point of view, as their parents may, even unwittingly, block or diminish all points of view but their own in teaching. He also argues that homeschooling, by reducing students' contact with peers, reduces their sense of civic engagement with their community.

Homeschooling is legal in many countries. Countries with the most prevalent home education movements include Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Some countries have highly regulated home education programs as an extension of the compulsory school system; others, such as Sweden and Germany, have outlawed it entirely. Brazil has a law project in process. In other countries, while not restricted by law, homeschooling is not socially acceptable or considered undesirable and is virtually non-existent.

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Delish!

Pasta e Fagioli 132

January Recipe of the month Pasta e Fagioli (Pasta and Beans)

Traditional meatless Italian dish. Like many other Italian favorites including pizza and polenta, the dish started as a peasant dish, being composed of inexpensive ingredients.

There are probably zillion of variations to this great staple (and comfort) food, but here is how we did it: cook pasta (any kind, just not spaghetti or other "long ones" like fettucine, or tagliattelle) al dente, set aside. While the pasta is cooking, chop thinly one small onion (we tried this also without onion - just as tasty), simmer on a bit of oil until it looks "glassy", then add beans (cook them beforehand or buy in a tin - always better if you cook the yourself), season (we added just a dash of black pepper, bay leaves and three spoonfulls of home made tomato paste) and continue to simmer for another 15-20 minutes (cover the pan to save on energy). Add pasta, stir well, taste - add more seasoning if you'd like, and enjoy!

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Low Carbon and Delicious Explore the Mediterranean E-cookbook (free for download)

In May 2011 we published Low Carbon and Delicious e-cookbook, with a great set of recipes from every country on the Mediterranean.

Whether you are a vegan, a vegetarian or an omnivore, you will find something delicious (and simple) to make.

While we are working on our next cookbook, do browse this one, read it and use it online, or download it for offline use. Its pdf format should make it easy to use on most portable devices as well.

The e-cookbook link: http://issuu.com/nektarinapublishing/docs/ low_carbon_and_delicious Enjoy!

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Coming up In February Issue 138

The Alps and Sustainability The Bookshelf: Bill McKibben / Eaarth Glacial Lakes Liveable cities: Stockholm World Heritage Site: Primeval beech forests of the Carpathians and the ancient beech forest in Germany Positive Examples: The Netherlands, The Programme “Learning for Sustainable Development�

The Alliance of Civilizations and much more!

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Notes and Acknowledgments Content / Green Economy

Compiled by Livia Minca

Sources:

www.unep.org/greeneconomy www.wri.org/stories/2011/04/qa-whatgreen-economy

World Economic Forum

Compiled by Livia Minca

Positive Examples: Education for Sustainability in Slovenia

Compiled by Livia Minca

Sources:

www.enjoined.edupolicy.net/files/ SLO_ESD_eng.pdf

The Dolomites (until page 43)

Compiled by Sandra Antonovic

Sources:

www.altabadia.org www.suedtirol.info www.south-tirol.com http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1237

Our Blockbuster

Compiled by Yula Pannadopoulos

Sources:

www.homethemovie.org

Polly Cook article source:

www.theecologist.org/reviews/ films/272468/ home_by_yann_arthusbertrand

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The Bookshelf: Small is Beautiful

Abridged introduction by Jonathon Porrit

Source:

Small is Beautiful Published by Vintage Books ISBN 0-099-22561-1

Delish!

By Yula Pannadopoulos

Birds in Winter Source:

www.countryfile.com

Homeschooling Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Home schooling

Urban Sustainability Source:

http://www.theatlantic.com/ international/archive/2011/04/ sustainable-cities-what-makesurban-areas-around-the-worldsuccessful/237668/ http://www.philips-thecenter.org/

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Notes and Acknowledgments Photos / The Dolomites, photo essay

Cover photo Pages 4/5 Pages 14/15 Pages 18/19 Pages 24/25 Pages 32/33 Pages 34/35 Pages 36/37 Pages 38/39 Pages 44/45 Pages 46/47 Pages 48/49 Pages 50/51 Pages 52/53 Pages 54/55 Pages 140/141

All photography by Sandra Antonovic

Slovenia

Pages 58/59 Pages 64/65 All photography by Sandra Antonovic

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Ljubljana, photo essay

Page 71 Pages 74/75 Pages 76/77 Pages 78/79 Pages 80/81 Pages 82/83

All photography by Sandra Antonovic Nektarina Non Profit does not own the following photographs: Page 42 Page 95 Pages 98/99 Pages 104/105 Page 107 Page 111 Page 114 Page 120 Sources: www.yannarthusbertrand.org mexicotooday.org commons.wikimedia.org stconsultant.blogspot.com haringeygreens.blogspot.com www.shannonbusta.com www.countryfile.com All other photos and images by Sandra Antonovic 145

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www.nektarinanonprofit.org www.education4sustainability.org

NEKTARINA (S)PACE IS A WEB MAGAZINE PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY NEKTARINA NON PROFIT, A NON GOVERNMENTAL, NON PROFIT ORGANIZATION REGISTERED IN CROATIA. WWW.NEKTARINANONPROFIT.COM ISSN 1847-6694

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