Categories
General

Controversies about Climate Change

For some, the reduction of greenhouse gases is not going fast enough. Others doubt that climate change is happening or is caused by human activity. Rarely is a distinction made between climate change, climate protection policy and the way how climate change is under discussion. Different views are nevertheless indispensable for a democratic culture and its freedom of speech. If many people get involved, a broad process of awareness can be triggered, and the instrumentalisation of the issue by one side or the other can be disenchanted. And at the same time, the dramatic nature of the change could become clear. How to deal with it? What makes it so difficult to change the climate change? What needs to be transformed in terms of the energy supply? Is the arms industry the No. 1 climate polluter? To what extent should citizens change their consumption behaviour? What structural changes are necessary? When are moral arguments aimed at individual behaviour convincing?

These are some of the questions discussed during the workshop from 5th to 10th July 2021 at our partner organisation Action Synergy in Athens. The contribution to our online course “Criticism of climate protection policy – arguments and counter-arguments” was presented and will be published in November 2021.

Categories
Food for Thought

Artic Tipping Points

Ten-minute speech by Stefan Rahmstorf about the melting ice at the North Pole and the slowdown of the Gulf Stream – and the tipping or critical points to face a “major desaster of planetary scale”. We would not know how far away we are from these points but we move in that direction.

Categories
Food for Thought

The Gulf Stream

The Gulf stream is a worldwide circulation system. Amazing! It is discussed now if and in which way the climate change has an impact on the ocean currents. What about the consequences for Europe? Shall we expect a new Ice Age? Or more hot and dry summers? Find explanations in 5 minutes:

Categories
Activities General

Of Value: Water and Waste

Yet another internet meeting: The colleagues focused on contributions to our online course (MOOC). One was dedicated to the subject of waste recycling, the other on water and the prevention of water waste. One question was which knowledge of the readers can already be expected. Which aspects might be new and interesting for them?

The parts on the history of waste and how people in earlier centuries dealt with it were well received, as were the thoughts on 3xR, i.e. “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle“. Above all, the case study on Corviale-Ecopark aroused interest – and hope.

Water, on the other hand, is readily available to almost all citizens. Life is not possible without water. But what about the value of this precious resource? What does a “water footprint” say, what tips can be given to avoid wasting water? How can people in Roma communities learn to use water more consciously? What can others learn from them? The contributions are now slightly revised. The didactic parts will be tested in workshops. Gladly offline, then in spring/summer 2021.

Categories
Food for Thought

What means global warming?

Long and rich of content article in the Encyclopedia Britannica written by Michael E. Mann and Henrik Selin about Global Warming. With texts, videos, charts, and pictures to visualise the different phenomena and to explain global warming in general, climatic variation since the last glaciation, causes of global warming (including the greenhouse effect), radiative forcing, the influences of human activity on climate, natural influences on climate, feedback mechanisms and climate sensitivity, climate research, potential effects of global warming, global warming and public policy.

Enjoy reading and sure, you will learn a lot!

Categories
Food for Thought

Arctic Sea Ice Age Decline

See in short (2 min.) the development from January 1984 till October 2019

Categories
Food for Thought General

Is Climate Change Caused by Human?

It is often discussed whether the climate change is caused by human or not. Find here pro and contra arguments regarding: a) human activity, b) global warming, c) rise in sea levels, d) wheather events.

Categories
Activities General

Moving on, but not moving

European cooperation projects for adult education aim at sharing methods, creating a result together and to learn from each other, among other things by getting to know the working contexts of the partner organisations. At short management meetings or joint, longer workshops. Usually. But times are just not normal. So there was another online meeting today. The colleagues discussed possibilities to put all planned activities of the two-year project in practice and to bridge the time when all are in its ‘home zone’ and cannot travel. At the moment everyone is working on their contributions to the online course (MOOC) on climate change and is looking forward to testing its didactic parts together. In Athens, end of September. Hopefully.

Categories
Activities General

Transnational Meeting in Sofia, 17-19/01/20

  • Digital Camera P42001

Colleagues of the four participating organizations in Bulgaria, Germany, Greece and Italy met each other for a kick-off meeting. They gained various impressions from the educational activities of the Health and Social Development Foundation, the Bulgarian partner organization, and their main target group, Roma citizens. Furthermore, the whole project was planned in detail including the online course which the project partners are going to create. A fruitful starter!