Climate Live: Pedro Pinho
in response to schools
in response to schools
The conference “Climate Live: Biodiversity” was held on the 6th of April, 2016 at Escola Secundária Carolina Michaelis (High Scool), in Porto, and had the participation of dozens of schools all over the country, using live streaming. During the break, we received live several questions to put to the speakers after their interventions. Pedro Pinho was one of the speakers invited to the event and he explained to basic and secondary education students, the potential effects of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems, particularly in forests in Portugal.
Here are the answers to the questions posed by the “junior journalists” of the schools participating in the conference:
Here are the answers to the questions posed by the “junior journalists” of the schools participating in the conference:
School S/3 Arquitecto Oliveira Ferreira (Vila Nova de Gaia): How can butterflies be introduced in the woods if the said woods are to be constructed by man, and thus may not possess the necessary conditions for the survival of the species?
Butterflies will not be introduced in the woods. The woods will be created in areas where they do not currently exist so that butterflies can move north as the temperature increases in the South. We do not know if the development of the woods will create the necessary conditions for the butterflies, but every year we can monitor whether or not it is working and adapt. For instance, if we know which species of flowers butterflies need, we can plant those species.
Inter-School Group of Sertã (Castelo Branco): Regarding butterflies, when creating passage points are we adapting the environment to the consequences of our actions?
Exactly. It is an adaptation measure to climate change effects. There are two types of measures we are taking to alleviate the effects of climate change: mitigation (how to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas effect) and adaptation (such as planting forests). Another adaptation measure example is to plant species that are adapted to the climate expected in the future because they are more resistant to drought.
Butterflies will not be introduced in the woods. The woods will be created in areas where they do not currently exist so that butterflies can move north as the temperature increases in the South. We do not know if the development of the woods will create the necessary conditions for the butterflies, but every year we can monitor whether or not it is working and adapt. For instance, if we know which species of flowers butterflies need, we can plant those species.
Inter-School Group of Sertã (Castelo Branco): Regarding butterflies, when creating passage points are we adapting the environment to the consequences of our actions?
Exactly. It is an adaptation measure to climate change effects. There are two types of measures we are taking to alleviate the effects of climate change: mitigation (how to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas effect) and adaptation (such as planting forests). Another adaptation measure example is to plant species that are adapted to the climate expected in the future because they are more resistant to drought.
Middle School Augusto Gil (Porto): If we are to repopulate plant species through a school initiative, to what entity must we address our request?
Solely as an opinion, local organisations have the knowledge to suggest the most appropriate species to each location, in case this case the City Council of Porto.
School E.B 2.3 João Villaret (Loures): If you cannot reduce the releasing of CO2, are the consequences irreversible?
The rise in temperature caused by increased concentration of greenhouse gas effect (including CO2) will be slow. The increase in temperature is expected to continue even if we stop using fossil fuels at this very moment due to the quantity of greenhouse gas effect that is already in the atmosphere. However, the greater the amount emitted, the higher the temperature will be. So, the negotiations at the United Nations try to reach an agreement on this concentration - the lower the emissions, the lower the temperature rise.
Inter-School Group of Boa Água (Sesimbra): What can we, as 8th-grade students, do to prevent climate change?
The main contribution of technology will be connected to the development of technology that allows us to create energy without producing greenhouse gases, to use at home, in industry and transport. Nevertheless, the greatest contribution will have to come from the citizens by changing consumption habits, for example, using transport that emit less greenhouse gas effect (bike instead of private car in the city, or train instead of plane in average distance travel) or adopting a diet that is less dependent on animal protein (because agriculture also emits greenhouse gas effect, especially meat production).
High School Dr. Joaquim Gomes Ferreira Alves (Vila Nova de Gaia): Why don´t awareness actions go beyond schools more often, considering that the main responsible entities are accessible there?
As far as I know the actions that aim at transmitting scientific knowledge take place at all levels, for instance at schools, local associations and city councils, as well as at the Republic Assembly. Here are some examples of this dissemination that goes beyond the school, they are from my research group, but are similar to many others:
http://www.cienciaviva.pt/divulgacao/cafe/saude.asp
http://echanges.fc.ul.pt/projetos/adaptforchange
Solely as an opinion, local organisations have the knowledge to suggest the most appropriate species to each location, in case this case the City Council of Porto.
School E.B 2.3 João Villaret (Loures): If you cannot reduce the releasing of CO2, are the consequences irreversible?
The rise in temperature caused by increased concentration of greenhouse gas effect (including CO2) will be slow. The increase in temperature is expected to continue even if we stop using fossil fuels at this very moment due to the quantity of greenhouse gas effect that is already in the atmosphere. However, the greater the amount emitted, the higher the temperature will be. So, the negotiations at the United Nations try to reach an agreement on this concentration - the lower the emissions, the lower the temperature rise.
Inter-School Group of Boa Água (Sesimbra): What can we, as 8th-grade students, do to prevent climate change?
The main contribution of technology will be connected to the development of technology that allows us to create energy without producing greenhouse gases, to use at home, in industry and transport. Nevertheless, the greatest contribution will have to come from the citizens by changing consumption habits, for example, using transport that emit less greenhouse gas effect (bike instead of private car in the city, or train instead of plane in average distance travel) or adopting a diet that is less dependent on animal protein (because agriculture also emits greenhouse gas effect, especially meat production).
High School Dr. Joaquim Gomes Ferreira Alves (Vila Nova de Gaia): Why don´t awareness actions go beyond schools more often, considering that the main responsible entities are accessible there?
As far as I know the actions that aim at transmitting scientific knowledge take place at all levels, for instance at schools, local associations and city councils, as well as at the Republic Assembly. Here are some examples of this dissemination that goes beyond the school, they are from my research group, but are similar to many others:
http://www.cienciaviva.pt/divulgacao/cafe/saude.asp
http://echanges.fc.ul.pt/projetos/adaptforchange
Extra features:
AdaptForChange project: improve the success of reforestation in semi-arid areas: adaptation in A climate change scenario
LTERmontado Project: Long Term Ecological Research - LTER) aims to study all ecological processes that occur in the long run (e.g. the effect of climate change.), and the impact of rare or episodic disturbance events (e.g. fires, deforestation), which are impossible to detect in the short-term.
Documentary “O Cante da Terra” (“The Song of the Earth”): Wildlife documentary directed by Daniel Pinheiro, as part of the project for the dissemination of biodiversity of Neves Corvo. It is a Somincor, Neves Corvo Mine production - Lundin Mining Corporation, a member company of the initiative Business and Biodiversity, with the scientific partnership of the Environmental Biology Centre of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon.
LTERmontado Project: Long Term Ecological Research - LTER) aims to study all ecological processes that occur in the long run (e.g. the effect of climate change.), and the impact of rare or episodic disturbance events (e.g. fires, deforestation), which are impossible to detect in the short-term.
Documentary “O Cante da Terra” (“The Song of the Earth”): Wildlife documentary directed by Daniel Pinheiro, as part of the project for the dissemination of biodiversity of Neves Corvo. It is a Somincor, Neves Corvo Mine production - Lundin Mining Corporation, a member company of the initiative Business and Biodiversity, with the scientific partnership of the Environmental Biology Centre of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon.