Category Archives: environment

Celebrating World Open Data Day

March 27, 2023climate change, conference, environment, Project News, teachingKarl Donert

Open Data Day (ODD) was celebrated by the Open Data Charter this year on March 23rd 2023 . Open Data Day is an annual celebration of open data all over the world, where groups and communities gather to reach out to new people and build new solutions using open data.

Creating awareness around open data and its benefits aims to encourage governments, businesses, and civil society initiatives worldwide to adopt open data policies and inspire others to do the same.

Since 2015, the Open Knowledge Foundation – in cooperation with other NGOs from the open data world – has offered mini-grants to support the facilitation of events around the globe. This year’s Open Data Day gave out mini-grants for communities that work on: environmental data, tracking public money flows, open mapping, data for equal development, and ocean data for a thriving planet.

ODD is a chance for people around the world to support and encourage the adoption of open data policies by local, regional and central governments.

The Open Data Charter is a collaboration between over 170 governments and other organisations working to open up data based on a shared set of principles. EUROGEO has been a signatory of the Charter since 2019. It promotes policies and practices that enable governments and CSOs to collect, share, and use well-governed data, to respond effectively and accountably to the following focus areas: anti-corruption, climate action and pay equity.

The Teaching the Future project was presented by the project coordinator Karl Donert at the Open Data Charter series of events. EUROGEO has been involved in promoting access to open data through its projects and publications. The Teaching the Future data dashboard takes open climate data and makes it accessible to teachers and learners. Try out our open data climate dashboard.

Earth Map shows climate data

February 15, 2023climate change, environment, teachingKarl Donert

Earth Map (https://earthmap.org/) is an innovative and free application developed by the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations. It was designed in the framework of the partnership between the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations and Google. Earth map facilitates the visualisation, processing, and analysis of land and climate data.

Earth Map allows everyone to visualise, process and analyse satellite imagery and global datasets on climate, vegetation, fires, biodiversity, geo-social and other topics.

It was created to support countries, research institutes and even farmers with internet access to monitor their land in an easy, integrated and multi-temporal manner. It is an interesting tool which can be used to help with teaching about climate and climate change.

Users need no prior knowledge of remote sensing or Geographical Information Systems (GIS).

Look at the video embedded here to find out more.

Earth Map’s data is divided into different thematic segments, including Climate, Geosocial, Vegetation, Land Degradation Neutrality, Water, Satellite images, Land maps, Forestry, Fire, Geophysical, Soil and Biodiversity.

The data allows users to visualise different layers of information to create maps and to generate statistics to describe the areas of interest.

These layers include data from the European Space Agency’s Climate Change Initiative, the Copernicus ECMWF Temperature and Precipitation ERA5 data and Global Forest Change tree cover loss.

Earth Map allows users to access and display information from different time periods. It thereby gives both a temporal (accessing time series data) and a spatial (visualising places) perspective to their areas of interest.

Find out more – Visit Earth Map

Changes in Global Ocean Circulation

January 9, 2023climate change, environment, ocean circulation, teachingKarl Donert

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is a large system of ocean currents that carry warm water from the tropics northwards into the North Atlantic.

It acts like a conveyor belt, driven by differences in temperature and salt content – the water’s density. As warm water flows northwards it cools and some evaporation occurs, which increases the amount of salt. Low temperature and a high salt content make the water denser, and this dense water sinks deep into the ocean.

The cold, dense water slowly spreads southwards, several kilometres below the surface. Eventually, it gets pulled back to the surface and warms in a process called “upwelling” and the circulation is complete.

This global process makes sure that the world’s oceans are continually being mixed, and that heat and energy are distributed around the earth. This, in turn, contributes to the climate we experience today.

Oceanographers have been continuously measuring the AMOC since 2004. These measurements have shown that the AMOC varies from year to year, and it is likely that these variations have an impact on the weather in western Europe. However it is too early to say for sure whether there are any long term trends.

Before 2004 the AMOC was only measured a few times, and to go back further into the past we need to look at indirect evidence (for example from sediments on the sea floor). The indirect evidence doesn’t always agree on the details, but it seems likely that there have been some large, rapid changes in the AMOC in the past (for example around the end of the last ice age).

Some scientists believe the changes to this ocean circulation poses a huge risk for Europe. The devastating droughts last summer were caused by the AMOC being at its lowest point in 1200 years, and now they say it is the weakest it has been in the last 1600 years. Watch the video which explains findings from recent research.

An example of their

However, according to the UK Met Office, climate models suggest that the AMOC will weaken over the 21^st Century as greenhouse gases increase. This is because as the atmosphere warms, the surface ocean beneath it retains more of its heat. Meanwhile increases in rainfall and ice melt mean it gets fresher too. All these changes make the ocean water lighter and so reduce the sinking in the ‘conveyor belt’, leading to a weaker AMOC. So the AMOC is very likely to weaken, but it’s considered very unlikely that large, rapid changes in the AMOC, as seen in past times, will happen in the 21^st Century.

Educators need to be careful not to exaggerate the impact of such processes as teachers should try to keep to the facts and data, as AMOC has only been measured regularly since 2004 – we simply do not know, nor can we yet predict with any accuracy, what the future will bring. But it is an important issue that we ought to teach about and its impact on the development of previous ice ages for example as polar ice melted.

Find out more about the AMOC

European Climate Pact meeting and education resources

January 4, 2023adaptation, conference, environment, mitigationKarl Donert

The European Climate Pact is celebrating two years of taking climate action together, in our worlds, for our planet.

On 1 February 2023, the European Commission is bringing together Climate Pact Ambassadors, experts and activists to take stock of the journey so far and discuss ways to build a more sustainable Europe for the future.

You can network with the people and organisations involved in the European Climate Pact, hear about their achievements, and learn how you can get involved.

Find out more and register here (EU login required) to attend physically in Brussels or virtually,

The European Climate Pact is an initiative of the European Commission supporting the implementation of the European Green Deal. It is a movement to build a greener Europe, providing a platform to work and learn together, develop solutions, and achieve real change.

The objectives of the Climate Pact are to:
– Raise awareness of climate issues and EU actions
– Encourage climate action and catalyse engagement
– Connect citizens and organisations that act on climate and help them to learn from each other.

The Pact provides opportunities for people,  communities, and organisations to participate in climate and environmental action across Europe.  By pledging to the Pact, European stakeholders commit to taking concrete climate and environmental actions in a way that can be measured and/or followed up.

The Climate Pact aims to help spread scientifically sound information about climate action and provide practical advice for everyday life choices. It will support local initiatives and encourage climate action pledges from both individuals or collectives, helping to mobilise support and participation.

Participating in the Pact is an opportunity for organisations to share their transition journey with their peers and collaborate with other actors towards common targets.

The Pact have created some educational tools and resources Find out more

Find out more about how to get involved

Visit the Climate Pact Web site

Key Takeaways Of COP 27

December 22, 2022adaptation, climate change, conference, environment, mitigationKarl Donert

COP27, or the 27th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), was held in November 2022 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

COP27 brought governments together to accelerate global efforts to confront the climate crisis. It was an important moment because the latest science shows that climate change is moving much faster than we are, pushing ecosystems and communities to their limits.

The main objective of COP27 was to advance the implementation of the Paris Agreement, a global pact signed in 2015 with the goal of limiting global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius. The COP27 resulted in a number of important conclusions, including the launch of a five-year work programme to promote climate technology solutions in developing countries and a mitigation work programme aimed at scaling up mitigation ambition and implementation.

The conference also emphasised the need for increased cooperation and ambition from all countries, as well as the importance of involving non-party stakeholders, such as businesses and civil society, in the global effort to combat climate change. Additionally, COP27 established a “loss and damage” fund for vulnerable countries hit hard by climate disasters and called for increased support for adaptation and resilience efforts. Overall, the COP27 reaffirmed the global community’s commitment to the Paris Agreement and the urgent need for action to address the climate crisis.

According to Forbes, the final COP 27 text also included a call for the “transformation of the financial system and its structures.”

They suggest momentum is building to reform the World Bank and other development finance institutions to meet the climate challenge.

The World Resources Institute have created a resource hub connected with COP 27 with latest news, articles, research, data and more.

Dealing with climate refugia

October 20, 2022adaptation, environment, mitigation, protectionKarl Donert

A ‘climate refugia’ is an area that might act as a refuge for biodiversity in case of climate change; a ‘biodiversity hotspot’ is an area with a higher than average level of biodiversity. The latter term is sometimes used for areas that host particular concentrations of rare or endemic species (without necessarily being specific in terms of total number of species).

Climate refugia are areas that remain relatively buffered from the effects of climate change over time, enabling them to play a vital role in safeguarding biodiversity. New research by Doxia et al. (2022) has identified sites that may serve as climate refugia in Mediterranean Europe over the next 50 years.

Why are climate refugia important?

In times of dramatic ecological upheaval, like that caused by climate change, identifying and protecting climate change refugia — areas relatively buffered from climate change over time — can help protect species from the negative effects of climate change in the short-term as well as provide longer-term protection for biodiversity and ecosystem function.

Climate refugia, represents an area that increases chances of adaption and conservation in a changing climate. The key attribute of refugia is their relative persistence, despite changes in the climate in the surrounding landscape. Most refugia are located outside existing national protected areas, highlighting substantial protection gaps relevant to conservation planning.

Reference: Doxa, A., Kamarianakis, Y. and Mazaris, A. D. (2022) Spatial heterogeneity and temporal stability characterize future climatic refugia in Mediterranean Europe. Global Change Biology: 1–12.

Find out more

Webinar: the Universalisation of Climate Education

October 11, 2022conference, environment, teachingKarl Donert

A webinar hosted by UNESCO was held on 10th October I 15:00-16:30 CEST to look at the importance of quality climate education.

In this webinar, participants heard from leading organisations and departments in the field of climate change education, including UN agencies, ministries, and global NGOs. You will learn about the many efforts already being taken to secure universal climate education – and the obstacles we still need to overcome.

Speakers

Pramod Kumar Sharma – Senior Director of Education, Foundation for Environmental Education
Deirdre Hodson – Policy Officer, School Education Policy, European Commission
Won Jung Byon – Programme Specialist, Section of Education for Sustainable Development, UNESCO
Ewurasi Nnadozie – Head of International, Comms and Events, Sustainability and Climate Change Unit, UK Department of Education
Fleur Newman – Unit Lead, Action for Climate Empowerment, UNFCCC
Kathleen Rogers – President, Earthday.org

Visualising The Earth’s Ice Loss

September 29, 2022environment, protection, teachingKarl Donert

Visualising Earth’s Global Ice Loss Between 1994-2017

Visualising the amount of ice that is being lost from the Earth is very difficult to consider. Especially when it is estimated that nearly 70% of the Earth’s freshwater is locked up in glaciers and ice caps, ground ice, and permafrost. This ice is melting at an unprecedented rate.

This news item looks at different forms of visualisation to help improve our understanding of the significance of these changes.

Based on data from a new scientific survey (slater et al., 2021), this visualisation shows that 28 trillion tonnes of Earth’s ice has been lost between 1994 and 2017.

Over half (58%) of the ice loss occurred in the Northern Hemisphere, from Arctic sea ice and also grounded ice previously trapped in the Greenland ice sheet.

While rising temperatures lies behind most of this historical global ice loss, it’s worth being aware that lower levels of ice results in a positive feedback loop. Less ice means less of the sun’s heat is reflected away from the Earth, instead being absorbed back and further amplifying the global warming effect.

How does a glacier melt?

Change in the Arctic (European Space Agency

Global Ice Loss Visualised Over Paris -a visualisation of one year’s global ice loss

Reference: Slater, T., Lawrence, I.R., Otosaka, I.N., Shepherd, A., Gourmelen, N., Jakob, L., Tepes, P., Gilbert, L. and Nienow, P., 2021. Earth’s ice imbalance. The Cryosphere, 15(1), 233-246. https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/15/233/2021/

UN Plastic Pollution Treaty

July 12, 2022environment, mitigationKarl Donert

In March 2022, the United Nations took the first steps towards the approval of a plan to create the world’s first global plastic pollution treaty in Nairobi.

The UN member states held talks to agree on the outline of a pact about the soaring plastic pollution, one of today’s greatest environmental crisis widespread all around the globe. However, this great achievement for the planet has been shadowed by the news of war in Ukraine.

UN Heads of State, Ministers of environment and other representatives from UN Member States endorsed a historic resolution at the UN Environment Assembly (UNEA-5) today in Nairobi to End Plastic Pollution and forge an international legally binding agreement by 2024.

The resolution addresses the full lifecycle of plastic, including its production, design and disposal.

Read the Resolution

A representative of the Government of Japan said: “The resolution will clearly take us towards a future with no plastic pollution, including in the marine environment,”

The partners of the Teaching the Future project, as agents preoccupied with the environmental repercussions of today’s behaviour towards our planet, want to show our support and enthusiasm on this important achievement. All efforts on the promotion of a more sustainable design on plastic packaging would imply a change in the creation and consumption of any product.

Thus, and as Inger Anderson (Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme) stated, “this is a historic moment” that we must celebrate and emphasise.

Green Flag for one of our school partners!

July 5, 2022environment, Project News, teachingKarl Donert

One of the Teaching the Future project partners, Doukas School, and more specifically its primary school, received once more, this year the Green Flag from the Hellenic Society for the Protection of Nature.

The objective of this Programme is to change the behaviour of everyone within the school community so that the school will become a real “Eco School”.

This is achieved through the formulation and implementation of:

– an “Eco-code” (a set of environmental behaviour standards), and the implementation of
– an Environmental Action Plan (which involves all the surrounding area of the school and its conversion into a clean, attractive, and friendly space).

In every school, students and teachers establish an Environmental Committee, which addresses issues of energy, waste, and water. (later on, they can deal with other subjects such as transport, healthy living, biodiversity, consumerism, etc.).

At the same time, the Committee oversees the implementation of the “Action Plan” and the “Ecocode” with the participation of the whole school community. Finally, in order to achieve links with the local community and ensure the raising of public awareness, the school organises activities and events in cooperation with the local government and authorities.

Educational material is provided for all subjects dealt with by the Network.

Doukas Primary School was evaluated positively for the set of actions and the Eco-code that was implemented. Among others, it was awarded for the Actions “I learn about forests” (2nd grade) and “Recycle-Reuse” (3rd and 4th grade).

Doukas School contributes to all aspects of the Teaching the Future project and will develop internal and external evaluation of the results of the project:

– a report on Teaching the Future
– a digital data dashboard for accessing climate data / information
– a teacher training course

Find out more