Biodiversity is under intense pressure from human activity worldwide. David Attenborough explains why biodiversity is so important to humans, how biodiversity loss is impacting our world and how there is still time to change direction – if we act now.
Video by Oof Animation: Ana Stefaniak & Ignatz Johnson Higham Music by Marian Mentrup Sound design by Marian Mentrup and Timo Säilä The Royal Society is a Fellowship of many of the world’s most eminent scientists and is the oldest scientific academy in continuous existence. Visit our website to learn more: https://royalsociety.org/
The Paris Agreement adopted a target for global warming not to exceed 1.5°C. This sets a limit on the additional carbon we can add to the atmosphere – the carbon budget. Only around 17% of the carbon budget is now left. That is about 10 years at current emission rates.
Each country reports its annual greenhouse gas emissions to the United Nations. Scientists then set these emissions against estimates of the carbon absorbed by Earth’s natural carbon sinks. This is known as the bottom-up approach to calculating the carbon budget. Another way to track carbon sources and sinks is to measure the amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere from space – the top-down approach.
As well as tracking atmospheric carbon, ESA’s Climate Change Initiative is using satellite observations to track other carbon stocks on land and sea.
Satellites play a vital role in monitoring the rapid changes taking place in the Arctic. Tracking ice lost from the world’s glaciers, ice sheets and frozen land shows that Earth is losing ice at an accelerating rate. Currently more than a trillion tonnes of ice is lost each year. The sooner Earth’s temperature is stabilized, the more manageable the impacts of ice loss will be.
Did you know that 6-8% of all of the greenhouse emissions in the world can be attributed to food waste? Glasgow Science Centre and Love Food, Hate Waste Scotland teamed up to create these videos exploring the science behind why food waste is bad for our planet.
Video 1: The Carbon Cost of Food What is the carbon cost of your food waste? In this video we’ll take a look at the journey of food from farm to fork to really understand the impact of the food we throw away.
Now you’ve watched the video, have a discussion in class or at home, here are some questions to get you started. What is greenhouse gas? What other sources of methane are there? How could we reduce the amount of packaging we need for our food? What could we do to share this information with others and raise awareness?
Video 2: What Happens When Food Goes to Landfill Have you ever thought about what happens to the food that goes in the bin? And did you know that wasting food is linked to climate change? In this video we will break down what happens to your food when it’s thrown away.
Now you’ve watched the video, have a discussion in class or at home, here are some questions to get you started. What do we mean by carbon cost? Were you surprised to find out that food waste is as harmful as plastic waste? What is the difference between anaerobic and aerobic? What is biofuel?
Video 3: What Happens When Food is Recycled Correctly Have you ever considered the full potential of your food waste? Let’s find out what happens to your food when it’s recycled correctly.
Give it a try and let us know your results. You can send us photos or comments on Facebook and Instagram @glasgowsciencecentre or on Twitter @gsc1
Professor Jennifer Dungait and Professor Brian Cox investigate how different types of soil, even soil from the same field, can change how well plants grow, and how much food we’re able to produce. Learn more about the world underneath our feet via this fantastic video from the Royal Society.
Healthy soil is created in part by the tiny animals that live in the soil, that eat the soil and dead plants, and whose nutrient-filled poo gives the soil a good consistency. At Rothamsted Research, Jennifer and the team are researching how we can encourage small animals in soil to thrive.
This short 3 minute video shows the role of krill as superheroes of the Southern Ocean, supporting the Southern Ocean web of life whilst drawing down and storing carbon. They are climate heroes and climate victims. http://wwf.org.uk
Balancing Carbon is a key issue of climate change. This interactive globe allows you to explore our planet and discover how scientists are monitoring carbon and other greenhouse gases. Use the tool to navigate planet earth and see the technologies being used to support research into climate change. Click here to try out the interactive tool:
Our Breathing Earth was created by: University of Edinburgh, University College London, Plymouth Marine Laboratory, UK Space Agency, European Space Agency and The National Centre for Earth Observation.
Scotland has famously empty landscapes. Tourists travel to see the huge rolling hills and moorlands populated by deer and grouse. We think of these as a very natural environment, however it has been made this way by humans! Find out more about rewilding in this video from our friends at Dynamic Earth.
Do we need nuclear energy to stop climate change? More and more voices from science, environmental activists and the press have been saying so in recent years – but this comes as a shock to those who are fighting against nuclear energy and the problems that come with it. So who is right? Well – it is complicated. Find out about the potential of nuclear energy via this great video from Kurzgesagt.
Our home is burning. Rapid climate change is destabilizing our world. It seems our emissions will not fall quickly enough to avoid runaway warming and we may soon hit tipping points that will lead to the collapse of ecosystems and our civilization.
While scientists, activists and much of the younger generation urge action, it appears most politicians are not committed to do anything meaningful while the fossil fuel industry still works actively against change.
It seems humanity can’t overcome its greed and obsession with short term profit and personal gain to save itself. And so for many the future looks grim and hopeless. Young people feel particularly anxious and depressed. Instead of looking ahead to a lifetime of opportunity they wonder if they will even have a future or if they should bring kids into this world.
It’s an age of doom and hopelessness and giving up seems the only sensible thing to do. But that’s not true. You are not doomed. Humanity is not doomed. Learn more about how we can solve the climate crisis with this video from Kurzgesagt.
Never before in human history have we been richer, more advanced or powerful. And yet we feel overwhelmed in the face of rapid climate change. It seems simple on the surface. Greenhouse gases trap energy from the Sun and transfer it to our atmosphere. This leads to warmer winters, harsher summers. Dry places become drier and wet places wetter. Countless ecosystems will die while the rising oceans swallow coasts and the cities we build on them. So why don’t we just like… prevent all of that? Well, it’s complicated.
Climate Conversations invite environmental scientists, community representatives and decision-makers to discuss some of the most important themes of the climate crisis.
‘The Changing Arctic’ video brings together David Thomas, Professor of Arctic Ecosystems Research at the University of Helsinki and Crystal Martin-Lapenskie, former President of the National Inuit Youth Council to explore how the Arctic regions are changing through their first-hand experience. The conversation is convened by Jane Rumble, Head of Polar Regions Department, UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
You’ll be able to find the whole series as podcasts in all your usual places, and you can subscribe on the link below so they will be with you as soon as they’re released!
How can we predict extreme weather events, and measure the impact they have on life on this planet?
Hosted by Dragon’s Den investor and business expert Deborah Meaden, and featuring Dr Cornelia Klein and Steve Trent, this episode combines the science of storm patterns with the very real effects of extreme weather events on communities across the world. And, as the climate crisis develops, how well placed is the UK to deal with extreme weather events as they become increasingly likely? These conversations are the opinions of the contributors and not necessarily the views of NERC.
CLIMATE JUSTICE
EPISODE 4, CLIMATE CONVERSATIONS
“It can’t be about us without us.”
How can we make sure those most affected by the Climate Crisis have their voices heard?
How can we make conversations on climate change accessible to all? This episode explores the changes we need to consider. Fraser Stewart is a clean energy researcher at the University of Strathclyde, in conversation with Emmanuel Zuza, an agricultural researcher originally from Malawi, and Charles Baldaia, who grew up in a Brazilian favela. With thanks to Tori Tsui.
GEOENERGY
EPISODE 3, CLIMATE CONVERSATIONS
What’s it like under the ground and how might this play a part in powering our future
With Johann Macdougall of The Scottish Government, Dr Alison Monaghan from British Geological Survey and Bob McDonald & Colin Findlay, co-authors of A History of Coalmining in Rutherglen and Cambuslang.
GREEN FINANCE
EPISODE 2, CLIMATE CONVERSATIONS
How difficult is it for companies to commit to going greener, and what is the appetite for green finance from consumers and customers?
Polly Billington, CEO of UK100, speaks with Kate McKay from Glasgow savings and investments business Nude, and Dr Nicola Ranger, Deputy Director of the UK Centre for Greening Finance and Investment.
THE CHANGING ARCTIC
EPISODE 1, CLIMATE CONVERSATIONS
Discover how the Arctic regions are rapidly changing. Hear from those who explore the Arctic through research, and those who call it home.
With David N. Thomas of University of Helsinki , Crystal Martin-Lapenskie, former President of The National Inuit Youth Council (NIYC) and Jane Rumble from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
In 2021, Glasgow hosted the 26th Conference of Parties or COP26, but what does that mean and why is it so important? We invited Earth Scientist, Dr James Rae, and International Environmental Law expert, Dr Francesco Sindico to join us for a discussion to help explain climate change, net zero and why the COP conference is so important. You can watch that conversation here.
The Scottish Seabird Centre team joined us to tell us about Scotland’s incredible marine environment, the wildlife that can be found there, the threats it faces and what you can do to protect it.
With more than 20 species of whales, dolphins and porpoises, large colonies of seals, plus crabs, lobsters and starfish, Scotland’s marine environment is exceptional and diverse. Scotland is also internationally important for seabirds, with more than 5 million breeding here each year, including the iconic puffin and the gannet.
The over-riding threat to our marine environment is the risk posed by climate change. As 90% of the world’s global warming has been absorbed by the oceans, it is unsurprising that this is having a wide range of effects: increased sea water temperature, level and acidity; reduced oxygen levels, and a loss of the right conditions that enable species to thrive.
You can watch the session here and find out how increasing sea temperatures and extreme weather patterns have both indirect and direct effects on our wonderful marine wildlife.
If you would like further information on Scotland’s marine species and habitats please visit: www.seabird.org
Discover the most powerful tidal turbine in the world! Mechanical Engineer, John Bowman, explains how the O2 turbine works, the challenges the team at Orbital Marine Power have faced in its build and operation, and how tidal power could be a real solution to energy needs for coastal countries.
The year 2020 will be remembered as a year of a global pandemic, but it was also a year of record-breaking extreme weather. Wildfires, hurricanes, and flooding were all severe around the world, and here in Scotland we had the most rainfall in one day since records began. But why are we experiencing these weather conditions?
Join former BBC weather presenter and science communicator, Heather Reid, as she discusses the climate emergency, what we can do about it, and how Scotland is paving the way to a greener, more sustainable future.
Join former BBC weather presenter and science communicator, Heather Reid, as she discusses the climate emergency, what we can do about it, and how Scotland is paving the way to a greener, more sustainable future. You’ll have the opportunity to ask any questions at the end with our live Q&A session.
As part of the David Elder series of lectures, Astrid Werkmeister from the University of Strathclyde will lead you through a discussion on how satellite data is used to observe climate change and to support sustainable development all over the world.
You will see, how satellites use camera-like instruments to take pictures of melting glaciers, hurricanes, and other catastrophic events, which are all related to climate change.
Astrid will also explain, how we can monitor the air’s temperature and greenhouse gases all over the world, so that we can actually say, whether these are rising or falling.
In order to understand how satellites work, Astrid will show you, how satellites are built, brought into space and how they stay there. You will learn how some of the instruments on satellites work and how they can be used to not only to watch climate change happening but also how they are already being used to help people on the ground lead a more sustainable life and adapt to climate change.
One solution for individuals wanting to help fight the climate crisis is being a responsible consumer, because the amount of stuff we consume on the planet is the biggest cause of climate change. Around 80% of Scotland’s carbon footprint is from the products, materials and services we buy and use. Being aware of this and rethinking how we make more sustainable choices can really help.
Find out more from Zero Waste Scotland about why our lifestyles are fuelling the climate crisis and what action we can all take to help solve it – whether it be shopping for something secondhand, borrowing a tool instead of buying it, or simply making what we have last longer.
COP26 will see leaders from across the globe to discuss what steps can be taken to halt the climate crisis. Laura Piper explains what issues the delegates will discuss.
Louise Scott from STV news reports on trials of a hybrid electric plane. Operating from Orkney, the 6 seater plane uses an electric powered battery which can be charged from renewable energy sources so has much lower emissions compared to traditional planes. It also has an engine in case of an emergency.
Steven Brown from STV News reports on a powerful tidal turbine which is generating power to homes off Orkney. Renewable energy sources are an important way for us to reduce our emissions and fight climate change.
Laura Piper from STV News speaks to kind hearted volunteers who are helping toads make their annual migration to ponds for their breeding season. Without their help, the toads struggle to survive due to roads and houses being built on their migration route (first broadcast Spring 2021).
From changing suppliers to improving the biodiversity on our site, Glasgow Science Centres Green Team have been working hard to reduce our environmental impact. Discover the changes we have made on our journey towards carbon neutral.
You might hear the term Net Zero on news programmes and documentaries about climate change. Science Communicator Jennifer explains what Net Zero means and why its an important target in the fight against climate change.
We hear a lot about climate change in the media and it often comes alongside images of extreme weather. Science Communicator Jennifer explains the difference between climate change and weather and how climate change can cause extreme weather events acrss the world.
In November 2021, Glasgow hosts COP26, but what is COP26 and why is it important? Our Science Communicator Jennifer explains the purpose of the conference and why it is a crucial opportunity to tackle climate change.
Scientists can decode the pattern of a tree’s growth rings to learn which years were warm or cool, and which were wet or dry. Scientists combine the ring patterns in living trees with wood from trees that lived long ago, such as the wood found in old logs, wooden furniture, buildings like log cabins, and wooden ships, in order to build a longer historical record of climate than the lifespan of a single tree can provide. You can decode tree ring data to learn about past climates and extreme weather events using a simple simulation.
The Cairngorms National Park is the biggest in the UK and it’s amazing for wild plants. It supports over 1,900 species across diverse habitats, from the Caledonian pine woods to the tundra-like plateaus. Join us on a journey through the Cairngorms National Park as we highlight not only our rarest wild plants and habitats, but the people who came together for our Cairngorms Wild Plants project to save the “jewels in the Cairngorms crown.”
The Marine Conservation Society is the UK’s largest and leading marine conservation charity. We fight for the future of our ocean through people-powered action – with science on our side. Our resources take you through the role of blue carbon in aiding climate recovery, what our beach cleaning data tells us each year about plastics, and how to get involved. Plus, more about the secrets of our ocean creatures.
Become a citizen scientist and record simple data like how much litter you find on a beach clean, what type of seaweed you spot at the seaside and what animals you see at the UK coast. This data collected by people like you has been used to introduce the 5p carrier bag charge, properly label wet wipes as unflushable, campaign for a Deposit Return Scheme and more. Find out more in the links below.
When we think about air pollution our instincts are to look to urban areas. But our most sensitive species and beautiful habitats are affected by air pollution from miles away. Join Head of Plantlife Scotland, Alistair Whyte, as he reminds us what makes our mountaintops so important and the threats they face. Iconic landscapes, like the Cairngorms National Park, are in danger if we don’t recognise the silent killer advancing upon them. It’s not too late, clean air for the Cairngorms is still possible.
Take action today for #CleanAirDay Discover the Cairngorms Wild Plant Project by Plantlife Scotland in this video.
Scotland’s rainforest is a kind of temperate rainforest – a globally rare habitat found on less than 1% of the world’s surface, where a high level of rainfall, year-round mild temperatures and clean air provide perfect conditions for rainforest to develop. It’s found in other parts of the UK and Europe too, but the best rainforest in all of Europe is found right here in Scotland.
Only around 30,000 hectares are left – an area slightly bigger than Edinburgh. These woodlands face some large-scale threats. The top two are invasion of the non-native species rhododendron ponticum, which chokes these woodlands, and high deer numbers which prevent them regenerating. These woodlands are also quite small and fragmented – so they’re not very resilient to threats and we need to increase that resilience by expanding them and connecting them.
The Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest is a voluntary partnership of more than 20 different organisations that want Scotland’s rainforest to thrive once again. Not just for the benefit of the special plants and animals of the rainforest, but also for the people who live and work among them. Find out more from Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest.
For the last 20 years robotic floats have drifted around our oceans and reported back their measurements every 10 days. Dr Alejandra Shanchez-Franks tells us about how they have revolutionised our understanding of the role of the oceans in climate change.
Observing how much impact climate change has on our oceans is important for human health and prosperity. Dr Beatriz Recinos Rivas explains how we measure sea surface temperatures (SST) from ships, ocean robots and from satellites orbiting the planet.
Climate change causes changes in ocean temperature, ocean acidification and deoxygenation, leading to changes in oceanic circulation and chemistry, rising sea levels, increased storm intensity, as well as changes in the diversity and abundance of marine species. We make observations of the sea water using a device called a Conductivity Temperature and Depth (CTD). Find out more from Dr Ben Moat.
Buzzzz! Fly into this interview with Andy Benson from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust (BBCT) as we shine a spotlight on the key differences between honeybees and bumblebees, explore why bumblebees are so important as pollinators in the UK’s ecosystems and highlight the fantastic work BCT are doing to help conserve our striped friends through citizen science projects like BeeWalk. You better BEE there!
Download the Bumblebee Conservatory Trust “Whats that Bumblebee” App below.
Join environmental activist Laura Young (also known as Less Waste Laura) as she shares tips and tricks on how to reduce waste and create a more sustainable future for our planet. Discover the inspiration behind her journey toward less waste and the positive impact individual actions can have on climate change. Includes Q&A session recorded during our February 2021 festival.
Watch a brand-new NERC funded animation about pollution and the citizen science project BiB Breathes, where children in Bradford have the opportunity to measure how much air pollution they’re exposed to on their way to and from school.
Join the team at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Edinburgh Zoo for a Live tour of the Greater One-Horned Rhinoceros enclosure. Meet rhinos Qabid and Sanjay, learn about rhinos, how climate change is affecting them and how Edinburgh Zoo are saving these animals through their important conservation work in Scotland and around the world.
Join the team at the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland’s Edinburgh Zoo for a Live tour of Koala Territory. Learn about koalas, how climate change is affecting them and how Edinburgh Zoo are saving these animals through their important conservation work in Scotland and around the world.
It’s not just polar bears and Arctic animals that are facing the threat of Climate Change, but animals in the Savannah too! Join GSC and WWF as we discuss the affects climate change will have on African species like sea turtles, mountain gorillas and African elephants.
It might be easy to see how Climate Change is affecting the polar regions but what about UK and Scotland? Join GSC and Sheila George, the Food and Environmental Policy Manager at WWF to discuss the effects Climate Change is having on our land, nature and communities.
With the ice melting in the Earth’s polar regions, Arctic communities are coming into more frequent contact with polar bears. Join Rhona Kent, a Polar Oceans Specialist, to explore how WWF are developing technology that helps to limit human and animal conflict in the Arctic
Air pollution and climate change are two very different issues, but like so many things on our planet they are also connected.
Kirsty Pringle from the University of Leeds, explains how air pollution affects children and how the BiB breaths projects aims to monitor children’s exposure to air pollution over a two year period.
Can you explain the link between Air Quality and Climate Change?
Air pollution and climate change are two very different issues, but like so many things on our planet they are also connected. Air pollution is the addition of chemicals into the atmosphere that can harm human health, whereas climate change is the addition of chemicals that can change the temperature of the planet.
Some of the pollutant chemicals that can damage our health can also affect the temperature, for example ozone pollution in towns and cities can cause breathing problems for humans, but it can also absorb radiation (similar to carbon dioxide) which will warm the atmosphere. So many of the chemicals that we emit in the atmosphere have a role to play in both air pollution and climate change.
On the other hand, climate change has the potential to affect the amount of air pollution, one example of this is that as the temperatures rise, wildfires are becoming more common, these can produce vast amounts of toxic smoke that can cause breathing difficulties.
What are the effects of air pollution on our health?
Air pollution is increasingly been shown to have a harmful effect in almost every organ of our bodies resulting in a range of diseases; it is thought to increase our chances of getting lung disease, heart disease, dementia and diabetes. More recently, there have also been studies that linked air pollution to levels of obesity and poor mental health. The mechanisms for these health effects are still not fully understood, but it is thought that exposure to air pollution causes stress to our bodies, which seems to speed up the ageing of our lungs and other organs, thus making us more susceptible to disease. It’s an area of science where new discoveries are being made really rapidly, so in a few years I’m sure we will know a lot more.
Can you tell us about the BiB breathes project?
The project is really exciting, there is increasing evidence that a significant fraction of the air pollution exposure in children happens during the school run, but it is tricky to know when and why exposure occurs. To address this, we are running a research project where we will train over 100 children across 12 schools in Bradford to be Citizen Scientists and take their own measurements of air pollution. The project will run over two years with children taking regular measurements throughout this time.
Why is Bradford a good city for this study?
Air pollution levels in Bradford are quite high, so in just over a year’s time a Clean Air Zone will be introduced in the city, this should reduce concentrations of pollution. Because our study runs for a year before and a year after the Clean Air Zone is introduced, the measurements from our citizen scientists should be able to tell us whether the Clean Air Zone has made a real change to the amount of pollution the children are breathing.
The BiB breathes project focuses on children and the air pollutants they are exposed to, are the effects of air pollution worse in children?
Unfortunately, yes, in addition to causing illness, the pollution can affect the children’s physical development. Children breath more frequently than adults, so more air passes in and out of their bodies (for their size). Because children are still growing air pollution can change how they grow. A recent study in London found that children who lived in areas with a lot of air pollution had smaller lungs than those living in cleaner areas (5% reduction in lung volume).
Children are also often exposed to more pollution than adults, especially pollution in car exhausts because they are shorter, so they are closer to car exhausts. I notice it walking on the school run, if there is a cloud of exhaust from an idling car, I’m tall enough to pass above the cloud but my kids have to walk straight through. That’s why it’s important not to leave the car engine running if you are parked up!
What has been the response of the children taking part? their schools and families. Are you aware of any campaigns or changes they have made as a result of their involvement?
The response has been fantastic, especially so considering how busy schools are at the moment. We have all 12 schools signed up and we did our first trial in November and the children really enjoyed taking part.
Are there any similar projects in Scotland?
There are a few projects that will measure air pollution in Scotland. One is called GEMM and will place sensors around Glasgow ahead of the COP26 conference. We have also placed some commercially available sensors at a couple of locations in Scotland, you can take a look at the data on this web page: https://www2.purpleair.com/.
Are there effects of air pollution on health?
Although we are right to worry about air pollution in the UK, the air here is cleaner than in many other countries – globally air pollution is estimated to lead to 4.2 million premature deaths each year, many of which are in India, Pakistan and parts of China and Africa where emission controls are often weaker and there are fewer measurements of air pollution. In the UK it is estimated that between 28,000 and 36,000 deaths a year can be linked to exposure to air pollution, it is the single largest environmental health threat.
As individuals, what action can we take to reduce air pollution and our exposure to pollutants?
There are a few things you can do to reduce your exposure:
Choose to walk a route in a city that is a few streets back from busy roads rather than along the road itself.
Walk upwind of the road rather than downwind to avoid pollution blowing at you.
Some schools have trialled “school streets” where the road outside the school is pedestrianised for a short time at drop-off and pickup times.
Walk and cycle rather than travelling by car or bus.
Be cautious about using fires and wood burners particularly on still nights where the smoke won’t be blown away. Even using clean fuel, they can still have a big effect on air quality.
Dr. Rae returns to help investigate climate science further, answer any questions and give advice on sustainable lifestyles by responding to questions put forward by our followers on social media.
Glasgow Science Centre is joined by Dr. James Rae to help us understand just what climate change is, why it’s so serious and how we can go about solving it.
Dr. James Rae is an Earth and Climate Scientist in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at St Andrews University. His main goal as a scientist is to develop our understanding of the carbon cycle and climate.
In 2015, Dr. Rae was awarded the European Geosciences Union Outstanding Young Scientist Award in Biogeochemistry, for his contributions to understanding past climate change and its causes.
