Session EOS2.3

[Programme]

EOS2.3 | Climate and ocean education: Geoethics, emergency, fossil fuels, war and more

Climate and ocean education: Geoethics, emergency, fossil fuels, war and more

Co-organized by CL3/OS5, co-sponsored by IAPG and Future Earth

Convener: David Crookall | Co-conveners: Giuseppe Di Capua, Svitlana Krakovska, Bärbel Winkler, Dean PageECSECS

Orals

| Wed, 26 Apr, 14:00–15:45 (CEST)

Room 0.15

Posters on site

| Attendance Wed, 26 Apr, 16:15–18:00 (CEST)

Hall X2

Posters virtual

| Attendance Wed, 26 Apr, 16:15–18:00 (CEST)

vHall EOS

The state of the planet, especially climate and ocean (C&O), has become even more dire than just a year ago. Some quotes (mostly 2022) will illustrate this:
• The world is halfway through the time allocated for achieving the SDGs and the UN reports [that] countries have gone backwards on most of them. Bendell.
• Our world is suffering from the impact of unprecedented emergencies caused by the climate crisis, pollution, desertiﬁcation and biodiversity loss. UN Secr-General, Guterres.
• Multiple climate tipping points could be triggered if global temperature rises beyond 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. This will be disastrous for people across the world. futureearth.org, McKay, Rockström.

System-wide C&O education, with a good dose of geoethics, is a crucial key to reducing the impending tragedy. Thus C&O educators carry a great geoethical responsibility for the health of the Earth and the life that it carries, including humans. This also is a well-supported idea:
• Climate literacy is the key to a greener future. Conner.
• Understanding human behavior and the social drivers of climate change are essential for the public to fully appreciate the climate system. Shwom et al.
• Improved science and climate literacy are needed for planetary citizens to better understand the implications of global change. Harrington.
• Creating a climate-literate population is key to driving green jobs – and ambitious climate action. earthday.org
• It is about empowering people with tools, to better use that ocean knowledge to become more responsible and able to take decisions that involve ocean resources. Santoro, 2022.

The state of the climate and the related urgent need for climate education are captured in this quote:
• Since the IPCC (2018) 1.5°C Report, the global climate emergency has become widely acknowledged. With all adverse climate change indicators at record highs and global emissions still increasing, political will needs to be driven, hard and fast, making climate change literacy a survival imperative for civilization. Carter.

The above can be applied, mutatis mutandis, to related threats, such as biodiversity, pollution, food security and fossil-fuel-driven war. We welcome presentations from all cultures on a broad range of topics, from hands-on pedagogical methods and practices, through geo-communication, curriculum matters, outreach and research, to policy and its implementation.

Please note these other, related EGU sessions: ^{(NB: Not included here are all the sessions in related programme groups, such as: AS, CL, CR, NH, OS, SSS).}

GDB2: As climate change impacts accelerate, are we sleepwalking into the inferno…?

Mon, 24 Apr, 16:15-18:00, rm E1.
https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU23/session/47436

EOS1.1: Science and Society: Science Communication Practice, Research, and Reflection

Tues 25 Apr, starting 08h30, rm N1.
https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU23/session/44933

TM14: Climate change communication: What policy, education, research, geoethics and action are realistic?

Tues, 25 Apr, 19:00-20:00, rm 1.14.
https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU23/session/47690

EOS4.1: Geoethics: Geoscience Implications for Professional Communities, Society, and Environment

Thurs, 27 Apr, 08:30-15:45, rm 0.14.
https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU23/session/44934

Please also note that you are invited to submit an article to a special issue of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) journal 'Geoscience Communication' on the theme of climate and ocean education (literacy). The central goal and scope for this special issue is to show how climate and ocean education may effectively communicate with and raise awareness in everyone, from ordinary citizens, through educators to high-level decision makers. Please check out the call for papers and find more information on submitting in the CfP: https://oceansclimate.wixsite.com/oceansclimate/gc-special. Please help to disseminate this special issue, eg, by posting on your various media.

Orals: Wed, 26 Apr | Room 0.15

Chairpersons: Dean Page, Giuseppe Di Capua, Bärbel Winkler

14:00–14:05

5-minute convener introduction

14:05–14:06

Virtual preparation

14:06–14:16

EGU23-4157

solicited

Highlight

Virtual presentation

A journey to a cold seep: a paired teaching video lesson on how scientists study methane in the Arctic Ocean

Vibeke Aune, Giuliana Panieri, and Solmaz Mohadjer

The knowledge generated through scientific research in the Arctic Ocean is often done with little input or communication with the public. In particular, school communities have few opportunities to engage in and contribute to knowledge generation and sharing related to the Arctic Ocean.

To address this issue, the 2022 AKMA OceanSenses expedition (11-23 May) brought together scientists and teachers to co-create educational materials that are scientifically accurate and pedagogically engaging. Here, we present an educational video about methane activity in the Arctic Ocean. The video follows a pedagogical model known as paired teaching. This approach enables scientists and teachers to create and instruct virtual lessons and activities that are carried out under the guidance of in-class teachers in school classrooms. The video is designed to be viewed in short segments. In each segment, the video scientist asks questions that will be explored through hands-on activities and group discussions under the guidance of the classroom teacher in between segments.

The video introduces students to methane and gas hydrates, their geographical distribution, and global significance. These topics are taught through lively discussions and observation-based exercises where students work together to relate scientific datasets to discover processes that produce methane and gas hydrates. The video and supporting materials are freely available on the YouTube channel of the European Geoscience Union (https://youtu.be/k0awmdQQlTA).

How to cite: Aune, V., Panieri, G., and Mohadjer, S.: A journey to a cold seep: a paired teaching video lesson on how scientists study methane in the Arctic Ocean, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-4157, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-4157, 2023.

14:16–14:26

EGU23-8483

Virtual presentation

Communicating the need for better understanding of the military’s contribution to climate change and action to be taken

Linsey Cottrell, Stuart Parkinson, and Ellie Kinney

Armed conflict and military activity can be highly destructive for the environment. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has unexpectedly elevated global media attention on the humanitarian, environmental and societal impact of the war, with media reporting on the environmental consequences beyond the scale of other contemporary conflicts.^a However, while this attention on the carbon costs of conflict and military actives is welcome, significant data and knowledge gaps remain on the overall contribution that day-to-day military activities make to climate change.^b Communicating the issues around military emissions is difficult, given both their complexity and because it is politically sensitive. This is particularly the case around military decarbonisation plans, which some regard as a low priority and a risk to military operational effectiveness or preparedness. This makes geoethics important and communication of the problem especially challenging during a time when military spending is increasing due to Russia’s aggression in Ukraine.

This perceived political sensitivity has contributed to the exclusion of military emissions from mainstream climate discourse, despite their potential scale. A study - led by Scientists for Global Responsibility - suggests that the world’s militaries are responsible for 5.5% of global emissions.^c This is considerable yet many governments do not yet publish or fully understand the contribution that their militaries make to climate change. The significant data gaps mean it is inherently difficult to estimate the emissions of the world’s militaries as a whole. In turn, this makes it challenging to communicate the importance of the topic.

This presentation will set out some of the initiatives – such as https://militaryemissions.org - which have been developed by civil society to communicate the problem to the broad range of stakeholders, including the public, the military, civil society organisations and policy makers. Given the diverse audience, a spectrum of communication narratives has been used, including a podcast series with the military think-tank Royal United Services Institute,^d policy briefs,^e webinars,^f blogs, papers, and media articles. Effective, ongoing communication and education is vital to increase awareness around the military’s contribution to climate change and seek to ensure that any emerging climate and decarbonisation plans for the military are properly implemented and their effectiveness scrutinised.

^aCEOBS, 2022a. Sustainable recovery? First sustain interest in Ukraine’s environment. https://ceobs.org/sustainable-recovery-first-sustain-interest-in-ukraines-environment/
^bRajaeifar, M. et al, 2022. Decarbonize the military — mandate emissions reporting. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-03444-7
^cSGR/CEOBS, 2022b. Estimating the Military’s Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions. https://ceobs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SGRCEOBS-Estimating_Global_MIlitary_GHG_Emissions_Nov22_rev.pdf
^dGreening Defence podcast series, available at https://rusi.org/podcast-series/greening-defence-podcasts
^eCEOBS, 2022c. Policy brief: Military greenhouse gas emissions – transparency, reporting and action. https://ceobs.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/CEOBS_briefing_note_military_GHG_reporting.pdf
^fCOP27 virtual panel: Military Emissions Gap annual update 2022, available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRi5Apxht5M&t=3621s

How to cite: Cottrell, L., Parkinson, S., and Kinney, E.: Communicating the need for better understanding of the military’s contribution to climate change and action to be taken, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-8483, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-8483, 2023.

14:26–14:36

EGU23-15965

Virtual presentation

Mapping Our Technosphere: what questions make it (and our biosphere) more sustainable?

Katie Singer

14:36–14:39

Q&A for virtual presentations

14:39–14:49

EGU23-600

On-site presentation

Fossil war impact on atmosphere air, terrestrial ecosystems, and climate: involvement of master’s degree and post-graduate students in Ukrainian Polissia case study

Viktor Karamushka, Svitlana Boychenko, and Olga Nazarova

Since the beginning of the military aggression of the Russian Federation in Ukraine on 24 February, 2022, military actions and rocket attacks caused a powerful devastating impact on the objects of the residential sector and industry, infrastructure of life support and energy sector as well as on the natural environment, ecosystems, life, and health of people. This factor had a significant impact on the educational process in the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. On the one hand, aspects of the methodology and practice of assessing the environmental impact of military operations are reflected in the subjects taught to students of the master's program in Ecology. On the other hand, students of master's and PhD programs are involved in real surveys and environmental assessments of the state of deteriorated and polluted territories. The purpose of this study with students’ participation was to analyze the consequences of rocket and artillery shelling of oil depots in the villages of Kalynivka and Kryachky, Kyiv region, and the oil depot of the Aistra Enterprise in the city of Chernihiv. The article presents the results of the analysis of the impact of fires caused by shelling on atmospheric air, terrestrial ecosystems, and climatic characteristics of the Polissia region. The research and learning experience of the students are discussed additionally in terms of the capacity building of young researchers in extraordinary conditions.

How to cite: Karamushka, V., Boychenko, S., and Nazarova, O.: Fossil war impact on atmosphere air, terrestrial ecosystems, and climate: involvement of master’s degree and post-graduate students in Ukrainian Polissia case study, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-600, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-600, 2023.

14:49–14:59

EGU23-3485

ECS

Highlight

On-site presentation

Fostering the next generation of Arctic scientists, from five to 35

Jenny Turton, Naima El bani Altuna, Charlotte Weber, Salve Dahle, Nina Boine Olsen, Elise Fosshaug, Katrine Opheim, and Julia Morales-Aguirre

Inspiring the next generation of scientists and science-policy makers is crucial for continued scientific development and to tackle the largest issues currently facing the Arctic and the globe. Outreach in the Arctic has an added importance by promoting future development of northern and Indigenous communities and inspiring educated individuals to remain living and working in the north, thereby providing value creation in the local areas. But at what age should we focus our outreach efforts? And how can we ensure that the children we inspire go onto careers in science and decision making?

Arctic Frontiers is a non-profit organisation based in Tromsø with the purpose of bringing together scientists, business leaders, policy makers and local communities for knowledge-based discussions. Each year, they organise a series of education and outreach activities for a range of audiences, from 'Science for Kids' and 'Science for Schools' for young children to 'Student Forum' and 'Emerging Leaders' for those up to 35 years old. As well as those in formal education (high school and university), outreach is also vital for those outside of academia and education, including in business, cultural fields and the public sector.

The main focus of the outreach and education is the Arctic: a broad and multidisciplinary topic spanning climate change, biodiversity, cultural preservation, sustainable development, energy transition and science-policy interactions. The science and activities that are planned are tailored to each age group. The youngest children focus on experiments and gaging an interest in science. For those in high school, the program lasts three months, from inspiration days to holding a science conference with findings of their research project. Collaborations and funding are necessary for these events to run, and this can alter the amount of scientific outreach as well as numbers and diversity of students they can reach.

The education and outreach components of Arctic Frontiers have been running now for over 10 years. Testimonials and feedback from attendees are largely positive, but efforts should now be made to increase the circle of impact. In this presentation we will focus on how we tailor the outreach to different groups and discuss how we use science at the heart of bringing together different audiences for holistic Arctic discussions. We also welcome feedback on new methods or activities for outreach, to ensure that we see scientific interest from childhood to career.

How to cite: Turton, J., El bani Altuna, N., Weber, C., Dahle, S., Boine Olsen, N., Fosshaug, E., Opheim, K., and Morales-Aguirre, J.: Fostering the next generation of Arctic scientists, from five to 35, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-3485, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-3485, 2023.

14:59–15:09

EGU23-8324

solicited

Highlight

On-site presentation

Activism as a tool for education and societal outreach: legitimacy, efficiency and complementarity with classic science communication

Sylvain Kuppel, Odin Marc, Riccardo Riva, and Marthe Wens

A classic conception held by many scientists is that their role is to produce and provide new and reliable information for use by the rest of society (public, decision-makers, media, etc). In the case of the ongoing climate and ecological crisis, this has been the dominant stance of many scientific actors, including the IPCC and IPBES. It has resulted in producing and making available syntheses of scientific results both on the “natural” processes and “societal” impacts. The relevance of this conception has been seriously challenged through decades of mismatch between expected and observed translation of scientific communication regarding the ongoing crisis into policy-relevant mitigation measures. At the same time, the urgency of current climate and ecological crisis calls more than ever for actionable science with a deep and immediate impact on society.
Effective communication requires that the recipients of knowledge (i) are able to understand, (ii) want to understand, and (iii) are not distracted by contradictory information (Oreskes, 2022). Most of the effort on science communication has focused on (i), ignoring that conditions (ii) and (iii) are often not met. Other cognitive or psychological issues with important political implications must also be carefully pondered, most notably the fact that popularity or acceptability of a discourse is judged by the public in relation to other discourses, and not in absolute terms, (e.g., Overton window, Simpson et al., 2022) and in relation to the position of the communicator (such as emotional state and personal actions in relation the message, e.g., Attari et al., 2019).
Here we contend that scientists joining environmental activist groups, including engaging in direct actions of civil disobedience, have the potential to enhance effective scientific communication on several levels. Indeed, scientists taking their share of discomfort and even breaking the law, is a strong signal of the emotional involvement of the scientists, of the magnitude of the crisis (e.g., the latter largely dwarfs the risk of receiving judiciary sanctions) and of the need to revise the interactions between science, media and politics. In addition to making more acceptable or even legitimizing more moderate ways of communication, such radical propositions of engagement may also raise media attention and therefore audience and support in the general public (Capstick et al., 2022).
We review recent non-violent actions involving scientists, and then discuss the complementary/synergistic aspects that such disobedience and related direct actions bring to the spectrum of scientific outreach, as a renewed way of communication and dissemination, especially about urgent challenges. Besides, the question of its complementarity with common ways (process of peer review, consolidation of scientific knowledge before dissemination at the University) is also evaluated. The targeted strategy may not replace the "ancient system" with a new one but rather lead to the development of a new system aimed at reinforcing the efficiency of the existing ones.

References

Attari, S. Z., et al., Climatic Change, 154, 529–545, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10584-019-02463-0, 2019.
Capstick, S., et al., Nat. Clim. Chang., 12, 773–774, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01461-y, 2022.
Oreskes, N., Proc.Indian Natl. Sci. Acad., 88, 824–828, https://doi.org/10.1007/s43538-022-00121-1, 2022.

How to cite: Kuppel, S., Marc, O., Riva, R., and Wens, M.: Activism as a tool for education and societal outreach: legitimacy, efficiency and complementarity with classic science communication, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-8324, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-8324, 2023.

15:09–15:11

Q&A for first three on-site presentations

15:11–15:21

EGU23-15886

On-site presentation

Innovative tools to narrate the importance of climate literacy

Selvaggia Santin, Mauro Buonocore, Ottavia Carlon, and Agnese Glauda

Climate literacy means making individuals aware of the daily interactions we all have with the world around us and, consequently, supporting them in making responsible and informed decisions on how to make such interactions sustainable and not harmful to the environment. The idea behind climate literacy is not only to educate people on such principles but also to provide learners with practical applications and equip them with tools they can use to become active change agents in their communities. CMCC is actively taking part in this ambitious challenge through an innovative, interactive platform in which climate change information, tools and data are narrated in a new, multidisciplinary way to help people understand what climate literacy is and what is the meaning of successful adaptation to climate change - and how to practically do it.

Focused on the Adriatic area, the multimedia platform collects a series of nine success stories taking place in the context of the Italy-Croatia Interreg AdriaClim project, which involves local authorities, experts, scientists and citizens in a common effort to adapt to climate change impacts in coastal areas.

The nine stories are presented through the use of new - or different - words, images, unheard voices and multimedia contents to provide a new narration for innovative solutions. We simplify scientific jargon, giving new life to the words of climate science and sharing information that appeals to facts, and data but also emotions. We dived into the heart of the climate change discourse to extract the most useful keywords to talk about adaptation: we collected and organised them in a simpler, non-canonical dictionary, with practical examples, general context scenarios, differentiated sources and more. Images represent reality but can also be used as access points to knowledge, and impactful visual narratives to explain and illustrate complex concepts and phenomena. Getting in touch with experts and institutional representatives who are at the forefront of the adaptation activities carried out in their areas gives life to a peer-to-peer process that can be an inspiration for different stakeholders.

Our Climate Literacy platform narrates stories that are born within science but are able to reach non-experts and citizens and help them understand and act about the challenges and solutions of coastal adaptation. Through a multimedia and interdisciplinary dialogue, the platform provides a unique hub for the contamination of knowledge and ideas to act in the face of future impacts.

How to cite: Santin, S., Buonocore, M., Carlon, O., and Glauda, A.: Innovative tools to narrate the importance of climate literacy, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-15886, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-15886, 2023.

15:21–15:31

EGU23-16102

Virtual presentation

Getting to impact at scale: A dynamic analysis to guide propagation of educational innovations in climate change

Florian Kapmeier, Juliette N. Rooney-Varga, Charles Henderson, and David N. Ford

In order to successfully address climate change, society needs education that scales rapidly, transmits scientific information about its causes and effects, and motivates sustained commitment to the problem and science-based action to address it. For decades, government agencies in the US and elsewhere have funded the development of innovative, evidence-based pedagogies and curricula to teach STEM fields, including climate change and sustainability. Research shows that many of these innovations deliver strong gains in learners’ knowledge, sense of urgency, and desire to learn more about climate change and sustainability. To build capacity needed to meet the climate and related grand challenges, rapid scaling of educational innovations is needed in higher education. However, current practices of outreach and word-of-mouth propagation mostly fall short. We develop and analyze a simple computational model to understand why and, using the model and conducting sensitivity analyses, test other, more promising strategies. Our dynamic analysis reveals that outreach has limited impact and does little to accelerate word-of-mouth adoption under conditions typical in higher education. Instead, we find that community-based propagation can rapidly accelerate adoption, as is also shown by successful real-world scaling efforts.

How to cite: Kapmeier, F., Rooney-Varga, J. N., Henderson, C., and Ford, D. N.: Getting to impact at scale: A dynamic analysis to guide propagation of educational innovations in climate change, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-16102, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-16102, 2023.

15:31–15:41

EGU23-17490

Highlight

On-site presentation

“Seas & Oceans”: An interactive, immersive science-art exhibition for communicating science and educating the public

Noel Baker

Science-inspired art has recently gained momentum as an effective communication tool for educating the public about scientific topics, benefiting from the intrinsic abilities of art to reach a broad audience, convey ideas in novel ways, and inspire on a deep, emotional level. An upcoming science-art exhibition furthers this concept by offering an immersive, interactive experience to the public. Titled Seas & Oceans, the two-month event seeks to educate and inspire the public about the environment, climate change, sustainability, biodiversity, and related topics through a variety of activities:

1) an art exhibition containing artwork produced by collaborations between scientist and artist pairings,
2) scientific talks given to the public by scientists from a range of disciplines,
3) workshops for local schools and children’s organizations,
4) informal chats between scientists and the public through a “Science Café”, and
5) other interactive performances and activities.

Serving as the scientific coordinator of the event, I will present the strategies used to prepare the event, challenges faced in its organization, feedback from scientists and artists about their collaborations, and methods / performance indicators used to gauge its success in educating the public and energizing interest in the associated scientific topics.

How to cite: Baker, N.: “Seas & Oceans”: An interactive, immersive science-art exhibition for communicating science and educating the public, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-17490, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-17490, 2023.

15:41–15:43

Q&A for last three on-site presentations

15:43–15:45

Final Q&As for any presentation, announcements & wrap up

Posters on site: Wed, 26 Apr, 16:15–18:00 | Hall X2

Chairpersons: Dean Page, David Crookall

On-site posters

X2.4

EGU23-215

ECS

Variety and diversity in climate and ocean literacy activities

Pariphat Promduangsri, Pimnutcha Promduangsri, Stacey Alvarez de la Campa, Farhad Bolouri, and Hüseyin Gökçekuş

Climate change (CC) and ocean degradation (OD) affect every living species on the planet. CC and OD negatively impact marine life, plant life, soils and agriculture, animals and humans. One way to fight against CC and OD is by learning from climate and ocean programmes and activities, both formal and informal.

Climate and ocean education is crucial as it helps people to better understand how climate is changing and how the ocean is degrading. Such education will thus provide know-how and ways to act for individuals and for communities to adapt to and mitigate CC and OD.

In this poster, we survey some of the variety and diversity of climate and ocean literacy activities at personal and institutional levels. At the personal level, we will show experiences that help people to learn about CC and OD, such as work with indigenous communities, attending conferences and studying in MOOCs. Examples at the institutional level include working in an environmental association, attending workshops (eg, EN-ROADS) and participating in a participatory simulation (eg, IOCS).

We invite you to visit our poster and share your climate and ocean literacy activities.

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References

UNESCO. (n.d.). Climate change education. Paris, UNESCO. https://www.unesco.org/en/education/sustainable-development/climate-change

United Nations. (n.d.). Education is key to addressing climate change. United Nations. https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/climate-solutions/education-key-addressing-climate-change

How to cite: Promduangsri, P., Promduangsri, P., Alvarez de la Campa, S., Bolouri, F., and Gökçekuş, H.: Variety and diversity in climate and ocean literacy activities, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-215, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-215, 2023.

X2.5

EGU23-217

ECS

Climate and ocean literacy: Cultural dimensions

Pimnutcha Promduangsri, Pariphat Promduangsri, Stacey Alvarez de la Campa, Farhad Bolouri, and Hüseyin Gökçekuş

Climate and culture influence each other. On the one hand, climate change (CC) and ocean degradation (OD) have an impact on culture (with a small c). According to UNESCO (2021), the negative impacts of CC on culture include loss of cultural heritage, local knowledge and language. CC also reduces access by communities to their culture.

On the other hand, culture plays an essential role in helping communities to fight against, adapt to and mitigate CC and OD (UNESCO, 2021). Culture includes knowledge, know-how and local practices in combating climate and OD. Culture is informally and formally transmitted through society and education. UNESCO (2021) illustrates the role of culture in fighting against CC:

Culture is a powerful resource for addressing climate change impacts. … Intangible cultural heritage practices have proven to be highly effective tools for helping communities prepare for, respond to and recover from climate change-related impacts and emergencies.

CC and ocean literacy methods encourage and embody cultural diversity. This presentation will provide examples of the cultural dimensions of climate and ocean literacy. These includes:

The views of indigenous communities about climate and ocean literacy (Barbados);
EN-ROADS (international and Iran), an online participatory simulation, often includes people from several cultures, especially in online workshops;
IOCS (intercultural and France), an online participatory simulation, specifically includes an intercultural dimension and encourages people from different cultures to participate.

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Reference

UNESCO. (2021). Culture & climate change, Question & answers. Paris, UNESCO. https://en.unesco.org/sites/default/files/info_sheet_climate_change.pdf

How to cite: Promduangsri, P., Promduangsri, P., Alvarez de la Campa, S., Bolouri, F., and Gökçekuş, H.: Climate and ocean literacy: Cultural dimensions, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-217, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-217, 2023.

X2.6

EGU23-659

solicited

Integrating research in educational process: assessment of gas-aerosol atmospheric pollution over the southern and south-eastern regions of Ukraine due to military actions

Svetlana G. Boychenko, Tatyana Kuchma, and Viktor Karamushka

For a certain time since the beginning of the aggression of the Russian Federation in Ukraine, education in many Ukrainian universities has been suspended due to security reasons. Ffurther adaptation of the educational process within the Ecology program to the conditions of war included, inter alia, the integration in educational courses the research methodology, and environmental impact assessment of hostilities. The impact of the military actions on the environment in general and the atmosphere, in particular, was in the focus of the discussions during the course Climatology and Meteorology. Researchers and students analyzed powerful direct and indirect effects, namely due to changes in the optical characteristics of the atmosphere, atmospheric pollution as a result of the emission of products of detonation of missiles and shells and increasing emission of greenhouse gases and gas-aerosol impurities. Satellite data were used for this purpose.

Satellite observation of atmospheric concentrations of formaldehyde, aerosol, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxide, and sulphur dioxide from the Sentinel-5P satellite was an important research method integrated into the educational process. Daily satellite observation data were analyzed using the Google Earth Engine platform for the period 2019-2022. Data were monthly and yearly averaged within the boundaries of rayons (second-level administrative units of Ukraine). In addition, shelling incidents data from the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) were analyzed. It helped to register dynamic of the air pollution in the conditions of war.

A full-scale war in Ukraine caused the suspension of many enterprises that were the main sources of gas emissions into the atmosphere, especially in the eastern and southern parts of Ukraine. Therefore, in recent months, the content of pollutants in the atmosphere over these regions is mainly tent to background values and as a result of hostilities. However, massive shelling, the use of military heavy equipment, and fires caused additional emissions of a number of pollutants into the atmosphere. It should be noted that in certain regions and certain months during the active phase of hostilities, these emissions were exceeded by several times compared to the average for the period 2019-2021.

How to cite: Boychenko, S. G., Kuchma, T., and Karamushka, V.: Integrating research in educational process: assessment of gas-aerosol atmospheric pollution over the southern and south-eastern regions of Ukraine due to military actions, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-659, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-659, 2023.

X2.7

EGU23-7892

Activism as a tool for education and societal outreach: making action attractive and accessible for scientists and effective for a greater audience.

Riccardo Riva, Elodie Duyck, Sylvain Kuppel, Odin Marc, and Marthe Wens

The current state of the climate and environmental crisis calls for science to be able to have a deep impact on society, and to have it quickly. Here we propose to discuss how scientists engaging in climate activism can contribute to educating the general public and press for urgent action, as well as under which conditions such scientific activism can be most effective. The classical way science has been interacting with society has mostly consisted in making scientific results public, without interfering in how politicians, business and the general public would make use of them. Similarly, the role of science educators has been often limited to spreading knowledge to students and broader audiences, independently from how this knowledge affects society. However, such a dynamic is clearly not enough for nowadays climate and environmental science education. Despite an overwhelming scientific consensus about the trajectory of the Earth’s climate and about what is going to happen in the coming decades unless humanity drastically changes its use of natural resources and cuts greenhouse gases emission, too little is still happening. As a result, many scientists, both within and outside academia, have been looking for other ways to communicate the urgency of the climate crisis, including outreach to policy makers and the general public. Notably, communication efforts have been increasingly extending to the public support of environmental action movements and the joining of protests and civil disobedience actions. Since it is good practice to adapt educational methods to both the audience and the message, we argue that activism can be seen as the result of a search for methods that produce viable results and the desired impact on society.
Using recent examples of civil disobedience by scientists, including actions we joined and/or supported in national or international groups, we discuss how such activism can be complementary to classical approaches to public education about the urgency of the climate and environmental crisis. We also present the reception and reaction from other actors (politicians, companies) and how such actions are received, supported or criticized by the scientific community. We specifically discuss the relation between activism and the broader scientific community, since we believe that scientific activism can only become an efficient way to communicate science and enhance policy-makingif (i) it finds a way to be accepted and respected within the scientific community, and (ii) it follows some rules allowing such communication to maintain (or ideally increase) scientific reputation and position in the broader society. We also stress the important role of universities and research institutes in making possible, especially for early career scientists, to engage in such activism. Scientific institutions need to make clear that climate activism and advocacy is welcome among both researchers and teachers, that their freedom of speech is protected, and that such activities are recognized as valuable.
Finally, we will show some examples of how scientists engaging in climate action can build networks of support, contribute to normalizing such activism in the scientific community, and valorise this form of engagement.

How to cite: Riva, R., Duyck, E., Kuppel, S., Marc, O., and Wens, M.: Activism as a tool for education and societal outreach: making action attractive and accessible for scientists and effective for a greater audience., EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-7892, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-7892, 2023.

X2.8

EGU23-16704

solicited

Highlight

Education for climate change - Utilizing atmospheric research facilities

Nikos Kalivitis, Dimitris Stavrou, Mihalis Vrekoussis, Olivia Levrini, Giulia Tasquier, Laura Riuttanen, Athina Ginoudi, Giorgia Bellentani, Georgios Mavromanolakis, and Maria Kanakidou

In order to face the challenges of climate change, coordinated actions and efforts are required on global, regional and local scales. To succeed, they must be conveyed to informed, conscious and active citizens who understand the challenges and are ready to alter their way of living and thinking toward protecting our planet. Therefore, educating young people is one of the most effective tools for combating climate change. However, the increasing interest in climate change education by stakeholders, policymakers and the research community is not yet broadly incorporated into science education activities.

Atmospheric research stations provide valuable information about evolving climate change. Long-term observations of atmospheric parameters provide scientific evidence for the connections between the anthropogenic effect on atmospheric composition and the resulting changes in the planet’s climate.

Here we present educational activities at well-established atmospheric observatories part of international observational networks like ACTRIS, LTER, GAW and ICOS. The stations in those networks provide the necessary data and the links between atmospheric composition changes and climate perturbations. At the same time, these stations host at their premises local hubs where teachers and students have the chance to receive hands-on training on using environmental data in education and, ultimately, in school classrooms. The atmospheric research stations support networking, training and community building by stimulating personal engagement and out-of-school education of trainees.

How to cite: Kalivitis, N., Stavrou, D., Vrekoussis, M., Levrini, O., Tasquier, G., Riuttanen, L., Ginoudi, A., Bellentani, G., Mavromanolakis, G., and Kanakidou, M.: Education for climate change - Utilizing atmospheric research facilities, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-16704, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-16704, 2023.

Posters virtual: Wed, 26 Apr, 16:15–18:00 | vHall EOS

Chairpersons: Bärbel Winkler, David Crookall

Virtual posters

vEOS.5

EGU23-2367

solicited

The Making of Ynyslas: weaving hard scientific evidence into an understandable narrative

John Mason

In communicating the science behind climate change, there is no single magic bullet. This is because different people process received information in different ways. Some communication-methods have been used far less than others, one in particular being narrative. Opportunities for narrative present themselves worldwide because of the large eustatic rise in sea levels following the Last Glacial Maximum, a well-understood phenomenon in terms of timing and rate. That rise flooded over fertile lowland plains, such as the mostly <30 metres deep modern-day Cardigan Bay, off the western coast of Wales. The advance of the shoreline towards modern-day land created many well-known coastal features. One such is the shingle-spit, dune hinterland and intertidal submerged forest at Ynyslas, Ceredigion, Wales (UK). Ynyslas is a National Nature Reserve with a Visitor Centre and ca. 250,000 visitors a year. A book describing how its landscape came into being has proved popular with almost 2000 copies having been bought since publication in August 2019 (despite closure during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-21). Interviews with some of those who read the book indicate that weaving climate science into an interesting narrative, explaining what actually happened, gives people important new insights into the processes involved and the threats now facing modern coastal communities.

How to cite: Mason, J.: The Making of Ynyslas: weaving hard scientific evidence into an understandable narrative, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-2367, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-2367, 2023.

vEOS.6

EGU23-3261

The Making of Ynyslas: communicating change through the visual impact of a drowned landscape

John Mason

Ynyslas National Nature Reserve is a shingle-spit and sand dune complex on the western coast of Wales. In its hinterland are extensive estuarine flats, shifting sandbanks and deep channels. The shingle-spit fronts a wide sandy beach that uncovers at low tide, featuring extensive peat deposits of mid-Holocene and younger ages (6-4.7 KYA). Set in the peat are the stumps of the famous Submerged Forest, consisting of alder, birch, oak and pine that once flourished here before rising water-levels drowned them. Offshore in Cardigan Bay, although extensively reworked Quaternary glaciogenic sediments predominate, similar but either older or undated peatlands have been encountered sporadically in boreholes, one undated example being twenty meters beneath the sea bed in a water depth of 20 m. Clearly these and the Submerged Forest record parts of the post-glacial marine transgression that created the shallow (typically <<50 meters) Cardigan Bay over several thousand years following the onset of the Holocene. The fact that the results of the transgression can be so starkly seen at low tide, coupled with the offshore borehole records, provides a stark reminder of the effects of climate change, of which sea level rise is probably the greatest threat to communities along the Welsh coast. Such straightforward evidence for the effects of climate change provides an excellent opportunity to further explore topics around both its causes and its effects, using a narrative of what actually happened, based on the scientific literature. The Making of Ynyslas (2019) is that narrative and has proved to be an effective method of outreach based around this highly popular (250 K visitors per year) destination. Given that the post-glacial transgression was global in nature, other such science-communication opportunities are likely to present themselves elsewhere.

How to cite: Mason, J.: The Making of Ynyslas: communicating change through the visual impact of a drowned landscape, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-3261, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-3261, 2023.

vEOS.7

EGU23-4214

How marine insurance causes damage with insurers aiding and abetting it!

Praveen Gupta

vEOS.8

EGU23-15590

ECS

Highlight

Time to recognize the geoscience disclosure as the tool to face climate change impacts: can we care about something that we do not know?

Alan Maria Mancini, Alessandra Negri, Marco Tonon, and Francesca Lozar

Human-induced climate alteration is impacting ecosystem functioning and services. Ocean acidification and deoxygenation, mass extinction, rising sea level and extreme meteorological events are related to the rise of atmospheric CO₂ and the consequent increase in temperature. The rate of environmental change is extremely fast, hampering the biota to adapt to the ongoing new conditions, therefore increasing the potential impact on the ecosystem. The geological record is a powerful tool to investigate past trends in order to better understand the current climate change. The ability of geosciences to reconstruct the whole “evolutionary history” of past extreme events, from their onset to their conclusion and the consequent recovery of the ecosystem is something that must be exploited to increase awareness. As an example, the environmental reconstruction of the main events related to abrupt (natural) emissions of CO₂ during Earth history underlines that the current climate change is outstanding in terms of rate of environmental change and impact on ecosystems. Understanding and disclosing these findings is crucial in order to increase the population’s awareness of the current ecosystem threat and therefore, contributing to mitigate the impact. This because, trivially, “people cannot care about something that they do not know”. Anthropogenic pressure mostly derives from governance regime; this can be changed if population consciousness boosts governance actions for climate change mitigation. In this perspective, the geoscience, with its potential to explore and constrain past environmental changes, necessitate to be more considered in the educational career both at school and in the mass media worldwide. Clear examples of how, and how much, the awareness of the population regarding the current climate change plays a fundamental role in stimulating sustainable governance actions derive from the “Youth for climate” movement. Here we propose easily performable, inclusive and proactive educational tools for mitigation strategies to face possible future impacts deriving from the climate evolution, as pointed out in the United Nations 2030 Agenda (Sustainable Development Goal 13: Climate Action). We mainly focus our activities on marine sediments, in order to draw the attention to this widely unknown environment and to show how climate change affects the oceans; this also supports the UN Ocean Decade. In order to assess the knowledge and perception on climate change and ocean life evolution, we will present some data collected among the secondary school students reached by a public engagement project devoted to the dissemination of these subjects.

How to cite: Mancini, A. M., Negri, A., Tonon, M., and Lozar, F.: Time to recognize the geoscience disclosure as the tool to face climate change impacts: can we care about something that we do not know?, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-15590, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-15590, 2023.

vEOS.9

EGU23-16618

Perfect storm for green economy and fossil fuels alike

Will Dubitsky

Fuel prices, inflation and war have created the perfect storm for the green economy and fossil fuels alike.

The presentation is special in its global focus on the perfect storm interconnections of components, much like a huge jigsaw puzzle for which all the pieces fit together, but in a complicated way.

Renewables are expected to represent 90% of newly installed electrical generation capacity between 2022 and 2027, overtaking coal in the process.

Electric vehicle (EV) sales are growing hastily in China and Europe. By contrast, North American targets are weak, leaving much room for automakers to continue to favour the more profitable gas-powered vehicles. Another constraint is the lack of availability of many EV models, with delivery wait times as long as 2 years or more.

The U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) combined, will catapult U.S. clean energy production plus close American EV and clean tech gaps with China and Europe. There was a mind-boggling momentum for green economy projects, existing, under construction and planned, prior to the IRA and BIL. The new legislative initiatives promise to stimulate massive investments green economy research, applications and R & D unparalleled elsewhere, with the possible exception of China.

The IRA and BIL are complex and likely to give the U.S. a North American green advantage at the expense of Canada.

Concurrently, with trillions in profits, the oil and gas sector is headed for gargantuan fossil fuel agenda. Though the sector was writing off tens of billions of dollars in 2020 and all signs point to peak oil and gas nearby, the short-term sector view has taken precedence.

This oil and gas industry tunnel vision perspective is propelled by executive bonuses linked to production increases, 41% in the case of ExxonMobil and 20% for Shell. While the bonus criteria include transition positive elements, many of these elements may actually increase production and/or are greenwashing. Such is the case with characterizations of natural gas as a bridge fuel, howbeit shale gas methane emissions could render this fuel as bad as coal. Notwithstanding, greater production trumps all other considerations.

This is what it is like in a transition, the path is bumpy with much tugging in opposite directions. Not unlike the long history of the struggle for women’s rights. The green transition shakedown is tramping ahead, but gamechangers are only noticed when tide is omnipresent.

There are reasons that give hope for a green metamorphosis, but the foundation is shaky.

How to cite: Dubitsky, W.: Perfect storm for green economy and fossil fuels alike, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-16618, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-16618, 2023.

vEOS.10

EGU23-17036

ECS

The European Teach-In On Climate And Justice, March 2023

Rossen Petkov and Evelina Van Mensel

Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals is essential to resolving the climate crisis. Higher education is critical in preparing climate-resilient societies and preparing students for careers in sustainable development. But how can universities reach more students in a larger variety of disciplines, outside of the dedicated climate or sustainability studies? The key is to show how their chosen field contributes to just and fair solutions. Since 2019, the Center for Environmental Policy at Bard College in New York has led a global initiative in collaborative climate education, The Worldwide Teach-In on Climate and Justice www.WorldwideTeachIn.org. In March 2022, more than 350 universities, high schools and other organizations held climate education events in 60 countries, directly engaging over 50,000 participants. The theory of change behind the initiative is that, at every school in the world, there are dozens of deeply climate-concerned faculty and staff. How do we empower these faculty to reach students across campus-- beyond the few dozen students who are directly studying climate-- in discussion about climate solutions and justice? The key is creating opportunities for faculty who are not climate experts to teach about climate from their disciplinary perspective—to focus on how artists, economists, chemists, philosophers, or business experts and others, are all working to resolve the climate crisis. For the March 2023 Teach-In, Bard is working with universities worldwide to help their climate-concerned faculty to #MakeClimateAClass. In this presentation, the local coordination team for Europe will provide insights into promoting campus-wide conversation about climate solutions in all disciplines.

How to cite: Petkov, R. and Van Mensel, E.: The European Teach-In On Climate And Justice, March 2023, EGU General Assembly 2023, Vienna, Austria, 23–28 Apr 2023, EGU23-17036, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu23-17036, 2023.