An Interview with Mr Taberner: The GeographyDepartment’s New FindSimon Fox: Good afternoon Mr Taberner andthank you for agreeing to be interviewed forthis edition of “Habs Geographical”. As a relativelynew teacher to the school, could youbegin by telling us a little bit about your background?What school did you go to when youwere younger? What was your university lifelike?Mr Dan Taberner: I grew up in SouthwestLondon, near Richmond and I went to school atSt. Paul’s Boys’. After that I went to DurhamUniversity where I studied Environmental Geophysics,which I did for three years. I playedquite a lot of sport there, including much rugby,and then went to Oxford to do a Masters inEnvironmental Geomorphology, for roughly 18months. Then I attended law school and finallydid my teaching degree. I am currently in mythird school and have been teaching for whatmust be my seventh year now. My previousschools were the Harrodian School, a small privateschool in Barnes, and then I taught at HaileyburySchool in Hertford for three years.SF: Could you tell me a little bit about yourEngland rugby experience?DT: When I was younger, I was fortunateenough to represent some of the junior teamsfor England. I was involved in the Under 18England squad and then I toured with EnglandUnder 19s around Argentina before I starteduniversity. Whilst studying, I managed to getseveral caps for the England Students and Istopped playing after I left university, whichwas about 10 years ago.SF: As you have already said, this is not yourfirst school. How does the Habs Geography departmentcompare to your previous schools?DT: Bigger! It is larger in terms of the numberof staff in the department and also the numberof pupils studying the subject. At my previousschools there were two or three teachers in adepartment. It is also the first time I have hadto teach all the way through from Year Sevento Sixth Form. It is a nice, young departmentwith many fresh faces atthe moment, whichmakes it quite dynamic.SF: How did you initiallybecome interested inteaching Geography?DT: Geography was thesubject at school which Ireally enjoyed; I hadsome really good teachersat both primary andsecondary school. I didquite a lot of travelling with my parents, includingaround Europe and also Australia and SouthAmerica as I got older. I have also visited Asiaand Southern Africa. All this travel was themaina source of my enthusiasm for Geographyand the wider world. I experienced differentclimates, scenery, cultures, and environments –all the geographical themes encompassed inseveral holidays. It is hard to study these topicswithout actually seeing it for yourself. Geographyalso seems to run in the family: both mybrothers did the subject at university as well.SF: So what would you say is the area of Geographythat you really take to? Why do you likeit so much?DT: At school and university it was all aboutthe physical Geography for me; both my degreesmainly concentrated on the physical aspects.I loved going outdoors and experiencingall the field trips. However, as I have beenteaching I have been more swayed to the humanside of Geography – especially at A-levelwhere I have really enjoyed teaching the natureof globalisation and environmental managementwhich now compares and brings togetherboth physical and human Geography.When I was at school the two aspects weretaught very separately, with no links made betweenthe two, whereas now one discusses theinteraction between them, such as environmentalchange and global warming where you lookat physical side of it as well as the human causesof the issue and how it can be managed.This is why I am so interested in globalisation,20
transnational corporation and international aidright now.SF: Where do you see technology in a half acentury’s time?DT: Smaller. Faster. Quicker. Better. We will bemuch more reliant on technology. It’s fascinatingto think that the small mobile phones wehave in our pockets contain more technologythan the first rockets that man sent up intospace. Today, you see people being implantedwith microchips and our fingers simply swipingover our iPods. At some point you may even beable to pay for credit card bills with a microchipin your finger. It is incomprehensible what canhappen in the years to come. Of course it willget much faster—not necessarily out of control—but it will play a much larger role in ourlives than it does already.SF: As you know, there has been an ongoingdebate for years about wind turbines. What isyour view on this form of renewable energy?DT: This idea of sustainable energy resourcesis something that we need to develop. Withany form of technology, especially in its relativeinfancy, there are bound to be problems withit. The economic side of it must be considered:how expensive they are, whether they are efficient,whether it benefits the environment. Ona larger scale, there are people that do not likethe look of them and feel they ruin the views.In time I think that will change. Personally, Ithink it is something we need to be working onand developing. They must be made more efficientand cheaper. Where they are locatedmust be discussed – whether they are placedonshore or offshore. If it is onshore, then youhave the issue of unsightliness, although thereare enough areas in the country where thatshould not be the case. The offshore windfarms should be used more. Certainly the nonrenewablesources (coal, oil and gas) are runningout fast and will become very expensive,so more renewable sources should be soughtafter in order to meet sustainable needs.SF: What do you think has caused and enhancedthe global economic crisis and how doyou think we can get out of such a state?DT: The nature of the world we live in today,how globalised it is and all the connections withtechnology, trade, internet and mobile phoneshave all benefited us over the last half century.It is now beginning to cause a few problemsbecause as soon as you get economic downturnin one country, it affects not only thatcountry, but the whole world. This goes toshow how closely linked everyone is; the UKwith Europe, America and Asia. When a countrythat produces many goods goes into decline,there is going to be an impact upon all of itsconnections. Therefore there is not one smallthing that can be done to get out of this issue.It is a global problem that needs a global solution.The superpowers and their governmentsin Europe, in America, in Asia, in the BRICs(Brazil, Russia, India and China) all have to beworking together, not for their own personalgain, but for the global benefit. China andSoutheast Asia can make all these goods, but ifno one is willing to buy them, then there is littleprofit to anyone. Overall, the trade linksneed to be repaired.SF: Genocide is an all too common occurrencein the world we live in today. Hundreds ofthousands of Tutsis and Hutus have been massacredin Rwanda. What do you think theWestern world can do to aid this issue to cometo rest? How will the recent division of Sudan,into Sudan and the Republic of South Sudan,stop the endless conflict in the Darfur region?DT: You have to look back in order to understandhow these situations arise. When youlook at a map of the African continent, you noticethe borders of the countries are completelystraight lines. If you look at the history and politicsof the area, you can understand how thesecolonies have become divided up in such away. The splitting up of the tribes and resourceshas been much of the cause of theproblem. The division of North and South Sudanis primarily based around religion and culture.However by simply drawing a line in thesand and saying that one side is Christian andthe other Muslim, this ultimately would not stopcountries invading to gain more land. This issuewas based around oil resources which weremainly in the south, so North Sudan is less likelyto be happy. In terms of what the Westernworld can do, we must provide political stabilityand support; it must be made sure that everythingdone is legally; the prevention of genocideis vital; NATO and the UN need to actively21
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