Category: Uncategorised

Biodiversity education network is a joint project of five universities in Finland (the Universities of Eastern Finland, Helsinki, Oulu, Turku and the Jyväskylä) to develop a nationwide biodiversity education network and to answer to the learning needs in the field of biodiversity. The project is funded by the Ministry of Education and Culture. Biodiversity education network is collaborating with Climate University and Una Europa alliance in creating an online course about biodiversity, called Biodiversity.now. It consists of a 2-credit MOOC and a 3-credit project part.

Our goal is to design a multidisciplinary and interesting course to variety of learners. We want to pique students’ interest for biodiversity topics and offer diverse ways to understand and halt biodiversity crisis.

This course is designed for master’s level, but it is open to all people from different scientific fields. The MOOC-course contains five modules and pre-course part with biodiversity topics. Pre-course part is designed for the students who are less familiar with biodiversity. Topics of the course are biodiversity and its values, biodiversity crisis and causes of it, ways to halt biodiversity crisis, role of the media in biodiversity discussions and other recent topics.

When selecting pedagogical methods for the course, we pay attention especially to the possibilities of independent study, activation of students and deepening one’s understanding about biodiversity. We want to encourage learners to think about biodiversity from their field perspectives and personal interests.

Next steps in the course development are creating contents for the course, sorting out usage rights of the materials and planning the visual aspects for the course. If you are interested in creating content for the course, please contact us!

Biodiversity.now MOOC in a nutshell

• 2 credits masters level course in English
• Suitable for students from all scientific fields
• Course contains 5 modules that include following topics:
  • Why is biodiversity crisis a topical issue?
  • What causes biodiversity crisis?
  • Where can the crisis lead to?
  • How can we halt biodiversity crisis?
  • Other topical issues and how media influences our concept of biodiversity?
• Goal of the course is to activate students to think about biodiversity from the perspective of their own values, scientific field and future.
• Course is made in cooperation with Climate University, Una Europa and Biodiversity education network of Finnish universities.
• More info: biodiversityeducation.fi

Figure: The structure of the course. Modules include video lectures, reading materials and different exercises and quizzes to support learning.

Writers: Iida-Sofia Holma (UTU) and Elli Hämynen (UEF), biodiversity education network

The new Climate University cross-study agreement means that all students of the 18 collaborating higher education institutions can take Climate University courses from other institutions.

The Climate University collaboration includes the following institutions:

• University of Helsinki (coordinator)
• Aalto University
• Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences
• Häme University of Applied Sciences
• LAB University of Applied Sciences
• Lappeenranta University of Technology
• Laurea University of Applied Sciences
• Metropolia University of Applied Sciences
• Svenska handelshögskolan
• Tampere University
• Turku University of Applied Sciences
• University of Arts
• University of Eastern Finland
• University of Jyväskylä
• University of Lapland
• University of Oulu
• University of Turku
• University of Vaasa

 

The Climate University courses are:

• Ilmasto.nyt / Climate.now / (Klimat.nu coming soon)
• Kestävyys.nyt / Sustainable.now
• Kiertotalous.nyt / Circular.now
• SystemsChange.now
• Solutions.now
• ClimateComms.now
• Leadership for sustainable change
• Statistical tools for climate and atmospheric science
• Lukiolaisen Ilmasto.nyt

All the course materials are freely available online: www.climateuniversity.fi

To get credits from the courses, students need to register to a course organized by a CU university.

 

Register for the courses starting in January:

Leadership for sustainable change, 18.1.-6.3.2022, 5 ECTS  

A sustainable world needs leaders. This is a course about sustainable world and how to get there. 

Students of the University of Helsinki (course code ATM373), University of Jyväskylä (course code CEMS2610), Tampere University (course codes HAL.YPAT.341 or KAT.VAST.328 or LFC.360) and Hanken School of Economics (course code 22089-E) register via their own systems. Students of other Climate University institutions register here. Others register via Open University of Helsinki.

 

SystemsChange.now, 17.1.-27.3.2022, 5 ECTS

Climate change calls for urgent attention to the specific links between humans and our natural environment. Understanding these connections and their implications is crucial for responding to climate change as a global challenge. When we understand climate change as a systemic phenomenon, i.e. as the product of a certain system of connections between things, we unlock a powerful set of tools for making sense of it – systems thinking.

Students of the University of Helsinki (course code ATM379), Aalto University (course code MS-E2136), Tampere University (HALYAS14), University of Turku (MAAN7741) register via their own systems. Students of other Climate University institutions register here. Others register via Open University of Turku, here.

 

Ilmastoviestintä.nyt / ClimateComms.now, 17.1.-25.3.2022, 2 ECTS  

What is the role of communication in solving the climate crisis? ClimateComms.now dives into the importance and challenges of communicating about climate change, and covers the factors of effective climate communication. 

Students of the University of Helsinki (course code ATM382) and University of Oulu (course code 766382A) register via their own systems. Students of other Climate University institutions register here (see instructions). Others register via Open University of Oulu, here.

Voit suorittaa kurssin myös suomeksi. Ristiinopiskelun ilmoittautumislomake suomeksi täällä (ks. ohjeet).

 

NEW! Added 22.12.2021 

Climate.now basics, 10.1.-11.3.2022, 5 ECTS 

Turku University of Applied Sciences offers opportunity to study Climate.now basics (TE00BT85). TUAS students register in their own system, other UAS students register via Campusonline and other Climate University students register here. Course is also offered via Turku Open University of Applied Sciences, registration.

 

Climate University coordinators and teachers met in Jyväskylä in November 2021. Network is open to new collaborators. Join the email-list to stay updated!

Youth Climate and Nature Summit was held in Helsinki 23.10.2021, gathering hundreds of youth to discuss climate action. Climate University collaborators were present in Messukeskus. Read more about the experiences and our research project on Learning of the competencies of effective climate change mitigation and adaptation in the education system here.

After the long period of social distancing, we are more than delighted to have an opportunity to invite you to meet in person on 3.-4.11.2021. We organize a Climate University network meeting prior to Unifi sustainability seminar in Jyväskylä. The meeting is aimed for Climate University coordinators at higher education institutions (new and old), teachers teaching or interested to teach Climate University courses, and those who want to get to know better the Climate University network or see each other after long time. We will welcome new Climate University network members and discuss what do the new HEI cross-study agreements mean in practice. We will introduce the Climate University courses and workshop the network and course practices for future collaboration.  

 

Program:  

Wednesday 3.11.  

14:00 Welcome to Climate University  

• Welcome to new partners  
• Introduction to current activities and collaborations  
• Workshop on network practices  

15:30 Coffee break  

16:00-17:30 Program continues  

• Workshop on course practices for teachers   
• Next steps 

19:00 Dinner  

 

Thursday 4.11.  

9:00 Morning coffee and opening words 

9:15-11:00 Division to course groups  

• Circular.now /Kiertotalous.nyt 
• Climate.now /Ilmasto.nyt /Klimat.nu 
• ClimateComms.now /Ilmastoviestintä.nyt 
• Leadership for sustainable change  
• Lukiolaisen Ilmasto.nyt 
• Solutions.now 
• Statistical tools for climate and atmospheric science 
• Sustainable.now /Kestävyys.nyt  

11-12 Lunch 

12:15 Unifi seminar starts 

 

Registration:  

Please register here by 15.10.:  

https://elomake.helsinki.fi/lomakkeet/113575/lomake.html 

 

Practicalities:  

The meeting is organized at the Museum of Central Finland, Alvar Aallon katu 7, 40600 Jyväskylä (https://www.jyvaskyla.fi/keskisuomenmuseo).  

There are several hotels in Jyväskylä. From hotel Alba you can reserve a room with code KEVA2021. The prices are: 

• 95,00e /day / 1 p economy; 100,00e /day / 1 p standard; 112,00e / day / 1 p superior 
• 122,00e / day / 2 p standard; 155,00e / day / JrSuite for one with sauna; 175,00e /day / JrSuite for two with sauna.  

The prices include buffet breakfast, wi-fi, parking and sauna during customer hours. Reservations online https://www.hotellialba.fi/ or e-mail: info@hotellialba.fi or phone: +35814636311. Free cancellation until 16:00 the arrival date. Rooms can be paid at the hotel or by invoice.  

The meeting is free of cost. Lunch, dinner, hotel or travel are not provided.  

 

Further information:

Laura Riuttanen, laura.riuttanen@helsinki.fi, +358 50 415 4746

The phenomenon of climate anxiety is nowadays much discussed in media (in Finnish: ilmastoahdistus, in Swedish: klimatångest). It is often characterized as related especially to younger people, and indeed many youth have recently spoken openly about their climate change anxiety. However, research has revealed that while the phenomenon is especially prevalent among certain groups of people, such as environmentalists and young adults, many different kinds of people feel various forms of climate anxiety. Often, climate anxiety manifests as worry or distress, but it can also feel very devastating: for example, people can feel that their future has been taken away from them.

There is evidence about climate anxiety from around the world and research is ongoing about the various forms and developments of this phenomenon. In a rare, nation-wide survey in Finland in summer 2019, 25% of the population recognized some kind of climate anxiety in themselves. Of the youngest age group in that survey, 15- to 30-year olds, the percentage was 33%. Stronger anxiety symptoms were reported by roughly 10% of the respondents.

In the Climate University course family, climate anxiety and climate emotions are discussed especially in two courses: SystemsChange.now and ClimateComms.now. The author of this blog, interdisciplinary eco-anxiety researcher Panu Pihkala, Ph.D., wrote materials for both of these courses.

Below, 10 major aspects of climate anxiety are discussed. At the end of the blog, a short bibliography of climate anxiety research is provided.

 

1. Climate anxiety is part of the wider phenomenon of eco-anxiety. Eco-anxiety (sometimes written ecoanxiety) can result either from the awareness of the global ecological crisis or from a local ecological problem. Climate anxiety is that part of eco-anxiety which is significantly related to climate change. However, because the climate crisis is linked with numerous other social and ecological issues, the lines between climate anxiety and other eco-anxiety are often difficult to see.

 

2. Climate anxiety is real: many forms of it have been found in research. It is sometimes claimed that only neurotic people feel climate anxiety, but research shows otherwise: there are many factors which influence the feelings of people. Exposure to climate disruption, for example, is a major factor, as well as young age.

 

3. What is commonly called “climate anxiety” is actually a scale of various reactions and emotions. Anxiety is a relatively good shorthand term for these feelings, but it is very important to recognize that there are many other feelings and psychological states involved. These include fear, worry, stress, feelings of helplessness, grief, guilt, frustration, anger, and even trauma or depression.

 

4. Climate anxiety is not primarily a disease; instead, it is an understandable reaction to the severity of the climate crisis. Some manifestations of climate anxiety are paralyzing and it would be important to help people to avoid them, but the overall phenomenon of climate anxiety (or, worry, or distress) should be valued as a caring response to the crisis.

 

5. Since the word anxiety is used in various connotations, it is important to analyze what various people mean with “climate anxiety”. For some people, including many health professionals, “anxiety” brings into mind anxiety disorders. On the other hand, there is much research about anxiety as an emotion, which helps a person to encounter troubling uncertainty. Then there is a long-standing discussion about existential anxiety, which is caused by the fundamental, difficult questions of life, such as death, guilt, or feelings of meaninglessness. The wide phenomenon of climate anxiety has been found to include all of the above, depending on the case.

 

6. People have often been silent about their feelings of climate anxiety or even denied them. As psychologists and many other scholars emphasize, it is difficult to encounter the climate crisis. Many psychosocial dynamics, such as socially constructed silence, have been present in relation to climate change and climate emotions. There is both recognized and unrecognized climate anxiety. People need safe spaces and emotional support to be able to encounter their difficult emotions. The phenomenon of climate anxiety is much older than the public discussion about it.

 

7. The phenomenon of climate anxiety is interlinked with climate change denial and the challenges of climate change communication, education, and advocacy. Psychological dynamics such as distancing are commonly used to keep anxiety further away. In some cases, anxiety can generate denial or disavowal, but the phenomenon of climate change denial is complex and shaped also by intentional political actions. Since there are so different kinds of publics, climate anxiety presents profound challenges to communication, education, and advocacy. Threatening messages of “doom and gloom” paralyze many people, but careful “fear appeals” may motivate some others. The baseline is that the emotional dimensions of communicating should always be considered carefully.

 

8. It should be remembered that experiences of climate anxiety are much shaped by various contexts and intersectional dynamics. For many people, there are profound sources of hardship and anxiety in their lives, much caused by structural problems and injustices. These kind of contextual factors greatly shape people’s feelings of climate anxiety. For many oppressed people, climate anxiety is “only” one part of the trouble they face. For wealthy people in industrialized nations, climate anxiety may be their first and foremost existential anxiety, but voices from other contexts need also be heard.

 

9. Traditional instructions for coping with anxiety are only partly relevant in relation to climate anxiety, because the climate threat is very real. There is much that can be applied from established methods of coping with anxiety: new mental models and revised habits can help to reduce catastrophizing and rumination. However, the common method of de-emphasizing the actual seriousness of the threat is not particularly suitable, since the climate crisis is happening all the time and is scientifically predicted to grow worse. What is needed are skills which help a person to continue functioning amidst the uncertainties, and naturally climate action by all kinds of people.

 

10. Experts recommend that coping with climate anxiety should include opportunities for efficacy, emotional support, and resilience building. It helps greatly if a person can feel that she/he can contribute positively, together with others, in building a more resilient world. However, the difficult emotions must also be lived through, or otherwise there is a danger of “climate burnout” due to constant busyness. There is a need to build resilience both on individual and community levels, including emotional and existential resilience.

 

A short bibliography of research and tips for coping

A report about climate anxiety and various methods that have been developed to encounter it (up to Summer 2019): https://mieli.exove.eu/en/climate-anxiety

 

Australian Psychological Society has published a wealth of materials for coping with climate change, including materials related to climate burnout, distress, and education:

https://www.psychology.org.au/for-the-public/Psychology-topics/Climate-change-psychology

 

Royal College of Psychiatry, London, has published materials related to eco-anxiety among young people. For parents and carers:

https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/parents-and-young-people/information-for-parents-and-carers/eco-distress—for-parents-and-carers?searchTerms=eco%20distress

For young people themselves:

https://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mental-health/parents-and-young-people/young-people/eco-distress—for-young-people?searchTerms=eco%20distress

 

Organizations which work with climate distress, climate grief and/or climate anxiety:

• Climate Psychology Alliance: https://www.climatepsychologyalliance.org/
• Psychology for a Safe Climate: https://www.psychologyforasafeclimate.org/
• GoodGrief Network: http://www.goodgriefnetwork.org/
• Climate Psychiatry Alliance: https://www.climatepsychiatry.org/

 

Analysis of various forms of anxiety in relation to the ecological crisis:

Pihkala, Panu (2020). Anxiety and the Ecological Crisis: An Analysis of Eco-anxiety and Climate Anxiety. Sustainability 12:19, 7836; https://doi.org/10.3390/su12197836

 

Ways to encounter eco-anxiety in education:

Pihkala, Panu (2020). Eco-anxiety and Environmental Education. Sustainability 12: 23, 10149; https://doi.org/10.3390/su122310149

 

Analysis and case examples of children’s climate anxiety:

Hickman, Caroline (2020). We need to (find a way to) talk about … eco-anxiety. Journal of Social Work Practice 34:4, 411-424. DOI:10.1080/02650533.2020.1844166.

 

Some psychologists have worked with eco-anxiety for a long time. See, for example, the website of Dr. Thomas Doherty, www.selfsustain.com, and the list of psychologists compiled by Susanne Moser at www.susannemoser.com

 

Useful websites:

– Britt Wray’s high-quality website and newsletter about eco-anxiety and related emotions: https://gendread.substack.com/

– Large bibliographies and many articles: https://www.climateandmind.org/

– Stories of eco-anxiety: www.ecoanxious.ca

 

Books about eco-anxiety and climate anxiety:

Gillespie, Sally. 2020. Climate Crisis and Consciousness: Re-imagining our world and ourselves. London & New York: Routledge.

Ray, Sarah Jacquette. 2020. A Field Guide to Climate Anxiety: How to Keep Your Cool on a Warming Planet. Oakland: University of California Press.

Grose, Anouchka. 2020. A Guide to Eco-anxiety: How to Protect the Planet and Your Mental Health. London: Watkins.

Pihkala, Panu. 2017. Päin helvettiä? Ympäristöahdistus ja toivo. Helsinki: Kirjapaja. (In Finnish)

Weber, Jack Adam. 2020. Climate Cure: Heal Yourself to Heal the Planet. Llewellyn.

Albrecht, Glenn. 2019. Earth Emotions: New Words for a New World. Ithaca: Cornell University Press.

Pipher, Mary. 2013. The Green Boat: Reviving Ourselves in our Capsized Culture. New York: Riverhead Books.

Verlie, Blanche. 2022 [in print 2021]. Learning to live with climate change: From anxiety to transformation. New York: Routledge.

 

About psychological measures and scales:

There is an ongoing academic discussion about these. An initial climate anxiety scale developed by Susan Clayton & Brian Karazsia (2020) has been tested in several countries and modifications have been recommended. (Clayton is a pioneering researcher in climate change and mental health.) A promising development is the Hogg Scale for Eco-anxiety.

 

Dr. Panu Pihkala

University of Helsinki 

Several Climate University courses are available in the curricula this Autumn.

Climate.now is also taught at the University of Oulu 5.11.-16.12.2021 as either 2 ECTS or 5 ECTS course. University of Oulu students register in weboodi, course code 766383A. Registration via open university is open 12.8.-30.9. here: https://www.oulu.fi/fi/joy/koulutushaku/ilmastonyt-0

 

Find more about the courses at Climate University website.

Interested in getting Climate University courses  to your institution? Contact CU coordinator.

The online climate webinar called Green city was wrapped up last Thursday on 6.5.2021. Thank you for all the participants, both presenters and listeners.

Maksuton Vihreä kaupunki -webinaari järjestettiin torstaina 6.5.2021. Webinaariin osallistui nuoria ja opettajia lähes joka puolelta Suomea.

Tapahtuma järjestettiin kokonaisuudessaan verkossa ja väliaktivointeihin käytettiin menti-nimistä interaktiivista työkalua. Webinaarissa kolme puhujaa lähestyivät ilmastonmuutosta kaupunkisuunnittelun ja sopeutumisen näkökulmista. Puhujina olivat;

Leena Järvi, apulaisprofessori ilmakehätieteiden keskuksesta Helsingin yliopistosta – Puuston ilmastovaikutukset (pdf)

Riikka Äärelä, maisema-arkkitehti Helsingin kaupungilta – Hiilinielut ja varastot tiivistyvässä kaupungissa (pdf)

Susanna Kankaanpää, ympäristösuunnittelija ilmastonmuutoksen näkökulmasta Helsingin kaupungilta – Miten puusto auttaa sopeutumaan (pdf)

 

Jokaisen esityksen jälkeen kuulijoita aktivoitiin pienillä kysymyksillä. Näet kysymykset ja vastaukset alla. Saadut tiedot olivat monelle uutta ja vain tunnin mittainen tapahtuma sisälsi tiiviin paketin eri näkemyksiä ilmastonmuutoksen sekä hiilenkierron käsittelystä kaupungin näkökulmasta. Aiheet herättivät kysymyksiä ja keskustelua yleisössä ja toivon mukaan avarsivat myös nuorten tulevaisuuden kuvaa. Jokaisen puhujan polku on ollut erilainen ja oli kiinnostavaa kuulla miten kukin päätyi nykyisen ammattinsa pariin.

Suuri kiitos puhujille mielenkiintoa ja ajatuksia herättävistä esityksistä, ja jokaiselle kuuntelijalle aktiivisesta osallistumisesta.

 

Tiistaina 11.5. alkoi myös Ilmasto.nyt tutustumiskurssi. Kurssi toimii pohjustuksena ilmastonmuutoksen kannalta tärkeille teemoille ja tarjoaa ainutlaatuisen tilaisuuden oppimiseen, sillä tämän kesän kurssi on ilmainen Avoimen yliopiston kautta. Ensimmäinen sessio sujui mukavasti ja oppilaat ovat päässeet aloittamaan kurssin parissa. Lisätietoa kurssista täällä: https://wiki.helsinki.fi/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=367946481

 

Ihanaa kesän alkua!

Janina Taurinen & Mikko Äijälä

The new language versions of the Climate University courses are now open and freely available:

Sustainable.now is a bachelor’s level basic course for anyone interested in sustainable development and climate change. The principles of sustainable development are linked to the 1.5 degree climate target. The course provides a solid information package on the concept of sustainable development and its ecological, social, economic and cultural dimensions, as well as the connections and tensions between them. The ethical perspective running through the course provides a basis for looking at sustainable development as a political and normative concept as well. The course also emphasizes the importance of agency as well as the different roles of the individual. The student is offered the opportunity to look at the sustainability of their own lifestyle from the perspective of individual choices, but on the other hand, sustainability and climate challenges are also presented as a structural and systemic problem. Practical examples and case descriptions illustrate sustainability challenges and their possible solutions. Through the team work assignments, the students deepen their understanding of sustainability challenges and receive peer support from other students. Team work assignments teach the student collective and multidisciplinary knowledge formation as well as collaboration skills that are essential in solving sustainability challenges. Find out more & link to the study material

The next opportunity to study the Sustainable.now course is offered by the University of Helsinki in September (course code ATM378). Follow CU blog, or join our email list for registration info and updates!

ClimateComms.now is a course about climate communication. What is the role of communication in solving the climate crisis? This course dives into the importance and challenges of communicating about climate change, and covers the factors of effective climate communication. During the course you learn to identify the different forms of communication related to climate change, to understand and critically analyze factors that are characteristic to climate communication and make it important yet challenging, to learn about issues that affect the messengers and recipients of climate change messages, and the keys to effective climate communication. Find out more & link to study material 

The ClimateComms.now course you can study at least in the University of Oulu, starting in January 2022 (course code 766382A).

Tervetuloa viettämään kesä ilmastokysymysten parissa! Ilmasto.nyt tutustumiskurssi perustuu Climate Universityn uuteen Lukiolaisen Ilmasto.nyt -kurssiin ja on tiivistetty versio jo monena vuonna järjestetystä Ilmasto.nyt -kurssista. Kurssin lisäksi järjestämme toukokuussa Nuorten ilmastowebinaarin, jossa kurssin aiheita käsitellään vierailevien puhujien kanssa ennen varsinaisen kurssin aloittamista. Sekä opiskelijat että opettajat ovat tervetulleita kuuntelemaan sekä maksutonta webinaaria että osallistumaan kurssille.

Ilmasto.nyt tutustumiskurssi (2 op, kurssikoodi FYS4027)

Ilmasto.nyt -tutustumiskurssi järjestetään 11.5 – 22.6.2021 Digicampus-kurssialustalla. Kurssi tarjoaa pohjustuksen ilmastonmuutoksen moninaisiin aiheisiin. Kurssin materiaalit ovat pääosin itseopiskeltavia, ja ne soveltuvat sekä lukiolaisille että kandidaatin tutkintoaan suorittaville opiskelijoille, kuin myös muuten vaan aiheesta kiinnostuneille. Kurssilla järjestetään tiistaisin klo 16-17 yhteinen Zoom-sessio, jossa halukkaat voivat osallistua keskusteluun ja kysyä kurssiin liittyviä kysymyksiä. Ainoastaan kurssin ensimmäinen ja viimeinen etätapaaminen ovat pakollisia kaikille osallistujille (ja ne järjestetään 11.5 ja 22.6.2021 klo 16-17). Kurssi on ilmainen ja sinne ilmoittaudutaan avoimen yliopiston kautta.

Kurssin kolme keskeistä teemaa ovat

• ilmastonmuutoksen luonnontieteelliset perusteet (esimerkiksi kasvihuoneilmiö, hiilenkierto, ilmastomallit)
• ilmastonmuutoksen hillintä (esimerkiksi hiilineutraali energia ja uusiutuvan energian tuotanto, hiilijalanjälki, ilmastopolitiikka)
• ilmastonmuutoksen vaikutukset ja niihin sopeutuminen (esimerkiksi ekosysteemipalvelut, palauteilmiöt, ilmastonmuutokseen sopeutuminen)

 

Kurssin tarkempi kuvaus löytyy kurssin wiki-alustalta: https://wiki.helsinki.fi/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=367946481

 

Kurssille ilmoittaudutaan Avoimen yliopiston kautta:

https://studies.helsinki.fi/opintotarjonta/cur/hy-CUR-142447848/Avoin_yo_Ilmasto_nyt_tutustumiskurssi_kes%C3%A4

 

Nuorten ilmastowebinaari – Vihreä kaupunki

Maksuton Vihreä kaupunki -webinaari järjestetään torstaina 6.5.2021 klo 15-16.15. Webinaarissa ilmastonmuutosta lähestytään kaupunkisuunnittelun ja sopeutumisen näkökulmista. Webinaari soveltuu hyvin lukiolaisille ja muille Ilmasto.nyt tutustumiskurssista kiinnostuneille.

Tervetuloa kuuntelemaan ja keskustelemaan yhdessä Climate University:n tutkijoiden ja vierailevien puhujien kanssa!

Webinaarin ohjelma:

15.00-15.10 Tervetuloa

15.10-15.30 Leena Järvi (apulaisprofessori, Ilmakehätieteiden keskus, Helsingin yliopisto) – Puuston ilmastovaikutukset

15.30-15.45 Riikka Äärelä (maisema-arkkitehti, Helsingin kaupunki) – Hiilinielut ja –varastot tiivistyvässä kaupungissa

15.45-16.00 Susanna Kankaanpää (ympäristösuunnittelija, ilmastonmuutos, Helsingin kaupunki) – Miten puusto auttaa sopeutumaan

16.00-16.15 Koonti ja Ilmasto.nyt tutustumiskurssin esittely

 

Webinaari on maksuton eikä edellytä kurssille ilmoittautumista. Webinaarin osallistumislinkki lähetetään ilmoittautuneille. Ilmoittautuminen webinaariin:  https://elomake.helsinki.fi/lomakkeet/110980/lomake.html 

 

Webinaarin järjestävät yhteistyössä Helsingin yliopisto INAR, Helsingin kaupunki ja Lukioiden korkeakouluyhteistyö pääkaupunkiseudulla –hanke.

 

Tulevia tapahtumia:

Global Challenges camp for the youth 3.-4.8.

Kansainvälinen Global Challenges –leiri, joka sopii hyvin jatkoksi Ilmasto.nyt verkkokurssin teemoille. Lisätietoja löydät leiristä tiedekasvatuksen verkkosivuilta:

https://www2.helsinki.fi/en/science-education/for-children-the-youth-and-the-families/global-challenges-course-for-the-youth

 

4.-5.8. Teachers’ Climate Change Forum 

Opettajien kansainvälinen ilmastonmuutosfoorumi (TCCF):

https://www2.helsinki.fi/en/science-education/for-teachers-and-learning-communities/teachers-climate-change-forum

 

Janina Taurinen & Mikko Äijälä 

Helsingin yliopisto 

I started working at the University of Helsinki and also at Climate University, in August 2019 as a civil servant. My job was to produce video material for online courses, among other things as well.

In the beginning I felt a bit lost. I had never worked in an office environment before. My days were filled with watching tutorial videos for my video editing software and navigating around the university both online and literally. After a month of working at the university I went on a month-long bus trip in Eastern-Europe with my friends. It was marvellous and returned to work with a clearer mind.

In November 2019 I attended my first Climate University workshop at Metropolia UAS. In the workshop we launched an idea of a #ClimateChallenge campaign, where the workshop attendees could challenge any individual or organisation to take a specific action against climate change. We received positive feedback from the challengers and decided to continue the filming of these challenges in the upcoming workshops. And so we did. In early March 2020 at Aalto University’s workshop (just before the first COVID-19 restrictions) we filmed more challenges. After Aalto, all of the remaining three workshops were online, but this didn’t stop us from filming the challenges. During my time at Climate University I filmed and sent 29 amazing challenges to various different organisations and individuals. Thank you everyone who contributed to the making of these challenges!

My other major task at Climate University has been the production and coordination of videos for the new Climate University courses, Sustainable.now and SystemsChange.now. During autumn of 2019 I was more invested in tasks regarding the courses of University of Helsinki, but in early 2020 I started to work on the Climate University course videos. We decided to make these videos with Unigrafia, which turned out to be a great decision. First I planed the videos with the course teachers and developers. They came up with the topics and the potential speakers. Then we all had a few meetings together with Heikki and Lauri from Unigrafia, where the course developers could ask questions and give their ideas for the videos. Then I started to contact the speakers and searched for locations for filming. I was able to make a schedule for the filming of the videos right before midsummer. Everything stood still during July, but things started rolling again in August. We filmed the videos with Lauri and Heikki during September and October. On set Heikki and Lauri took care of the technical side, while I instructed the speakers and asked the questions for the interviews. All of the speakers were excellent, which made the post-production much easier. Heikki and Lauri edited the videos and I gave my creative opinions and told them what should be fixed. We were supposed to get all of the videos on YouTube before the final Climate University workshop on 9th December. I worked long days and we were able to get most of the videos online on time. The rest of them were put up there before Christmas. For the first months of 2021 I have been fine-tuning Climate University’s YouTube channel so that everything is visually pleasing and in a unified format. I think the videos and the channel turned out very well. It was pleasure to work with Lauri and Heikki from Unigrafia as well as with the speakers and the course developers. The videos will give a fresh addition to the already great courses. I’ll put links to some of my favourite videos below.

On 1st July I officially became a conscious objector. I refused to complete my remaining civil service due to my non-violent beliefs. I had informed everyone at the university about it well beforehand and Laura and my other co-workers supported my decision, which felt great. I was hired to the university for seven more months as a trainee, starting in the beginning of August. I enjoyed a beautiful, sunny July travelling around Finland, visiting my friends and relatives. It was an easygoing month full of swimming and relaxing. It truly was one of the best months of my life. Then in August I returned to work and the following seven months have flown by me just like that. Now it is time to close this chapter in my life and embark upon new experiences.

All in all I have enjoyed working in Climate University. Although, the work hasn’t constantly been super exciting (I don’t think almost any work is), it has been important for me to work for something that truly makes a difference in the world. I have had great co-workers and I have learned a lot about making videos but also about the topics of the videos. I hope that the Climate University materials will spread around the world and I’m proud that I was able to contribute to the creation of them.

What comes next is a bit of a mystery for me, as it is for everyone else as well, because of the pandemic. The first thing I will do with me free time is reading and exercising. I won’t apply to any universities this spring, but I will maybe try to get a summer job. Something physical to balance the 1.5 years of working in an office. Gardener would be nice. What I do know is that I will soon go to jail for the conscious objection. I don’t know specifically what my new address will be and when it’s time for moving day. Luckily this is only a short-time arrangement, since I had so little time left of my service.

A big thank you to everyone who have worked with me during the past 18 months. Let’s all continue working for a sustainable future together!

A more detailed look on the reasons of my objection can be found here (sorry it’s only in Finnish).

Links to my favourite Climate University videos:

• Forests:

• Water and development:

• The ladder of inference:

Mikael Nummi 

Climate University colleagues want to thank Mikael for the good work! You have done a lot in only 18 months, and it has been a pleasure to work with you!