9 JUNE 2008 -
Delegates from 20 primary schools in the Harrogate district will be attending a special training and information event for staff and governors who are interested in becoming more environmentally friendly.
Harrogate Borough Council is organising this free event and are pleased to announce that they will be joined by one of the country's leading climate change researchers.
Delegates will hear from keynote speaker Dr Johan Kuylenstierna, Director of the Stockholm Environment Institute at York University.
Johan is a well-known authority on environmental issues, and he will share his knowledge of climate change in Yorkshire.
Council staff will also outline help that is available to schools to tackle the challenge of climate change.
The event is part of the council's Climate Action Programme, which has been funded by the Harrogate District Strategic Partnership.
It is being held on
16 June at the Sun Pavilion in Harrogate and will start with a buffet tea at
4.00 pm.
Head teachers, schools governors, class teachers and parent helpers involved in school environment activities are all welcome to attend.
Councillor Richard Cooper, Harrogate Borough Council's Cabinet Member for the Environment said:
"Many schools are interested in becoming greener, because they recognise the importance of encouraging their students to care for the environment.
There is also a lot of financial sense in reducing waste and conserving energy.
We can help schools to make these changes.
This session brings together our experts under one roof so it will be an excellent opportunity for school staff and governors to get to grips with this important issue."
Over twenty local primary schools have already benefited from the Climate Action Programme, which has been developed to explain the issues surrounding climate change.
PHOTO OPPORTUNITY:
3.45 pm Monday, 16 June Sun Pavilion, Cornwall Road, Harrogate.
Dr Johan Kuylenstierna will be invited to light a light bulb using council's unique 'Electricycle'.
Staff from Harrogate Borough Council's environmental strategy team have converted a normal bike into one that can be hooked up to set of energy saving and energy wasting bulbs, so that riders can experiment with them and discover the huge difference in pedal power needed to light them up.
This bike is used in schools to show children how hard you have to pedal to light a normal bulb and how easier it is to pedal to light a low energy bulb.
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Councillor Richard Cooper is available for comment on 07957 844380.
Further technical information is available from John Ward-Campbell, Environmental Project Officer on 01423 556909.