Some of the work being done to reduce the uncertainties in these estimates is briefly mentioned. Illustrations of the main impacts of climate change on a global scale on societies and economies are presented. Following Agenda 21, the pressure to move schools, the curriculum and communities away from environmental education towards education for sustainable development has increased. Shifts in education policy about teaching environmental matters reflect this, as do the aims and purposes of the new national curriculum which now refer to education for sustainable development rather than environmental education. In an already human-centred curriculum, however, the introduction of sustainable development can shift the focus to people and their needs once again, particularly if cast as the raison d' tre for teaching and learning about environmental change.
Societies increasingly shape and change the natural environment.
They also, through science, technology, art and a wealth of other cultural practices, shape the concepts and categories for the terms in which environmental change is understood. A broader and deeper vision of education's role is required. PRI aims to raise pupil motivation and achievement in science particularly in investigative and ICT skills and increase the interaction between schools and the science and engineering research community. The talk will concentrate on the curriculum materials and how they use environmental monitoring in schools both in the form of primary and secondary sources of data for pupils to analyse and learn from. SchoolNet was created in 1999, to help answer an increasing number of enquiries from schools, teachers and the general public on topics of environmental interest.