Educational toolkits – ENGLISH

Topic: Flood protection in mountain catchments

Resolution: Small retention measures for flood protection of mountain river catchments are more effective than construction of a large dam reservoir.

Description: Students will consider the advantages and disadvantages of managing the catchment of mountain rivers with natural-based methods and hydrotechnical solutions, such as building a large retention reservoir. The materials focus on possible environmental consequences, in context of flood risk.

Topic: Anthropogenic seismicity

Resolution: In the area of anthropogenic seismic hazard construction of new important infrastructure should be prohibited

Description: Students will consider whether places threatened by anthropogenic hazards should be excluded from any human activity and infrastructure development, or maybe investors should be obliged to use shock-proof structures. The impact of mining on the natural environment is also explained. This topic tackles issue of conflicts of interest in man-environment relations.

Topic: Sea transport in the Arctic

Resolution: Sea transport in the Arctic Ocean should be developed

Description: This material gives insight into problems of the Arctic areas from the point of view of the needs of the economy, in particular the transport of countries located in this zone. Students learn about the economic benefits of shortening the transport routes as well as environmental threats (environmental pollution, acceleration of glacier melting processes).

Topic: Wind Energy

Resolution: Wind power plants are the best renewable energy source in mid-latitudes.

Description: Students will consider environmental, technical and economic aspects of using wind energy in the perspective of climate change.  Reliability of such energy source are considered, as well as landscape modification, wildlife threat and climate change influence.

Topic: Geoengineering vs climate change

Resolution: Governments should invest in geoengineering techniques to counteract climate change

Description: We have just a decade to reduce emissions and achieve the Paris Agreement’s highest ambition of limiting warming to 1.5°C. We have been warned, repeatedly, of the high stakes of our present climate gamble. If we continue on our current course, radical solutions are going to be needed sooner rather than later. Students will consider whether geoengineering is a safe, efficient and necessary method to combat climate change.

Toolkits prepared by ENERGY Discovery Centre:

Topic: ENERGY MANAGEMENT

Resolutions:

• Driving a car running on electricity generated from fossil fuels is eco-friendlier than driving a car running on petrol.
• In order to reduce the harms of climate change, people should allow wind turbines to be set up in their back yards.
• Solar panels are better to use in power production than wind turbines.
• Because the production of wind & solar energy is unpredictable, people must get used to the idea that electricity might not always be available in the near future.

Description: As global demand for energy continues to rise rapidly and environmental concerns deepen, questions about sustainable energy production take center stage. The future of energy management presents many wicked problems, combining technological issues with social problems. Often the answers are more focused on risk mitigation rather than a uniquely “rights” and “wrongs”.

Thematic package on energy management gives briefly but thoroughly enough an overview of different means of energy production: from oil shale, wind, solar, biomass, hydropower, and nuclear power. Apart from that small-scale production of energy, how to store renewable energy, what is the price of green energy, about electric cars, about the correlation between energy consumption and climate change or even energy hungry data volumes are described in this package. What is more from story cards you can read a citizen science story of two students who studied whether windmills have an impact on earthworms or how tsunami can destroy a nuclear plant. Altogether there are 14 information cards, 4 story cards and eight question cards. Who is keen to know how solar panels work, a-ten-minute video lecture gives a good overview.

Topic: Climate change

Resolutions:

• Global ocean levels will rise about 2 metres by the end of the 21^st century, and that’s why we cannot develop costal areas anymore.
• To combat the climate crisis, every person has to skip at least one air flight a year.
• Organic tomatoes from Spain are eco-friendlier than local greenhouse tomatoes.
• All species have to adapt to the effects of climate change, except for humans.
• Students must learn about climate change at school, not spend their Fridays protesti

Description: Although the energy-related educational packages address the topic of climate crisis, a separate package presents the opportunity to broaden the students’ viewpoint. The climate crisis is entwined with energy production and consumption issues, but is also a wider concern affecting other aspects of scientific research and our daily lives. This educational package explores the local and global effects of climate change, the problem of individual (consumer) choices versus the accountability of industries etc. This package combines scientific issues with ethical ones in a more straightforward manner.

Thematic package on climate change in 16 information cards gives a good overview of what is climate change, what is causing it, how this impact our future, who are the climate refugees and victims, should we humans change something in our everyday life to help the environment around us. Apart from information cards, there are 6 story cards that describe how Qatar uses energy to cool down the outside air, what are the consequences of extraordinary weather conditions, how is the life in lower income countries, why we see young climate activists, how polar bears will survive and what adaptions are needed in plant production. There are 8 question cards that help students to get more familiar with climate change issue. 10-minute video lecture gives a good insight to climate change as well.

Topic: Biodiversity

Resolutions: 

• Extensive lawnmowing should be banned in urban settlements.
• It is better to keep bees in cities rather than on farmlands.
• The beach rose (Rosa rugosa) should be eradicated from nature.

Description: Cities are usually considered purely artificial enivironments rather than areas rich in diverse species. But in reality, cities can be more biodiverse than the surrounding areas, usually extensive farm lands and production grounds. Scientific literature shows that the wellbeing of urban dwellers is liked to the urban settlement’s biodiversity. This educational package explores the concept of biodiversity and puts it in a relevant (close-to-home) context. Students will explore the importance of bees, the effect of invasive species, and other practical issues concerning biodiversity.

Thematic package on biodiversity in 11 information cards give a good overview of extinction, what threats biodiversity, who are alien species, why insects extinct, how important is urban nature, why we should not lawn the grass too often, the collapse of bees, how we can keep on track our biodiversity digitally. There are also 5 story cards about the English lawn, bosco verticale, rosa rugosa, the mink and citizen science how people are looking for cowslips. There are 16 question cards that help students to get familiar with biodiversity issue. 10-minute video lecture talks about the importance of biodiversity.

Topic: Circular economy

Resolution: Plastic packaging is vital for storing foodstuff hygienically.

Description: This educational package introduces the concept of circular economy – the idea that today’s economy is based on take-make-waste, whereas circular economy strives to leave out waste as much as possible, and to concentrate on reuse, recycling, etc. This educational package encourages students to consider production & consumption, the carbon cycle in ecosystems, and sustainability issues on the whole.

Thematic package on circular economy starts with a good description what does this concept mean and is this something new. There are 17 information cards that give an overview of waste management, which materials can be recycled, textile industry and its environmental impact, more thoroughly about plastic and plastic waste, food waste and food packaging and composting, also a social dimension of the fact that cheap clothing provide jobs somewhere else. Apart from information cards there are 6 interesting story cards about how one Estonian started a brand from textile scraps, how big brands destroy unsold products, why eco-friendly bamboo cups are not “friendly” and how the plastic bag was invented. There are 16 question cards that help students to get more familiar with circular economy.

Toolkits prepared by IRESE (Greece):

Topic: Space exploration