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Short abstract:

The Futurium, the House of Futures in Berlin, contributes insights from its everyday work to the panel discussion and reflects on its participatory forms of science communications

Long abstract:

We – represented by our Director Dr Stefan Brandt – would like to contribute insights from our everyday work to the panel discussion. Together with the other participants we would like to reflect on how we can work on improving – as the conveners nicely phrased it in the panel description – “the strained relations between science and society in the context of the climate crisis by engaging citizens and scholars in new constellations”.

“We”, that is the Futurium, the House of Futures in Berlin: an exhibition / lab / event space located in the center of Berlin where everything revolves around the question: How can we collectively build sustainable futures? We are a mainly publicly funded institution with renowned partners from politics, science, foundations and business. Last year, we could welcome more than 760,000 visitors. With these figures, the Futurium is amongst the 10 most visited museum places in Berlin. Through our exhibits, workshops, events, and hand-on-experiences as well as through our educational material and (digital) communications we try to create participatory forms of science communications. With our approach, we aim at leaving the public-deficit model behind and instead building on and enhancing people’s futures literacies – in which scientific knowledge and reasoning takes center stage in the imagination of just and sustainable futures.

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Short abstract:

This research explores the role of visual artists in fostering dialogue and reflection on climate change. I will share initial insights based on artists' studio visits and curators' team meetings leading up to the KlimaatExpo exhibition at Muiderslot (opening June 2024).

Long abstract:

Over the past decade, a growing body of research has extensively analyzed the various narratives, claims, and representations of visual climate art. Yet, in these studies, the role of visual art in fostering processes of dialogue and reflection among viewers is often overlooked. This research focuses on artists with local fame, often women juggling art careers with other responsibilities, who may play a crucial yet undervalued role in local public deliberation on climate change. Embedded in local networks and typically motivated by personal expression rather than financial gain, they arguably play a crucial role in fostering dialogue and reflection within their communities. The study centers on the KlimaatExpo exhibition at the Muiderslot (June- September 2024), showcasing pieces by approximately 20 out of 2000+ local artists responding to an open call on climate art in 2022. The investigation aims to better understand the role of art in the climate debate by examining how local artists participating in the KlimaatExpo Muiderslot exhibition enable processes of public deliberation about climate change. To this end, we will perform ethnographic observations and interviews to explore both the intentions, challenges, and methods of participating artists and curators leading up to the exhibition, as well as the conversations among viewers sparked by the artworks during the exhibition. The exhibition opens in June 2024, so at the time of EASST, I will be able to share my first observations of the artists' studio visits and the curators' team meetings.

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Short abstract:

The I-CHANGE project addresses environmental challenges through citizen science. “Mani in Mappa!” proposes a dynamic citizen science approach using maps for research, education, and participation to enhance citizen awareness in sustainable urban mobility and to promote behavioral change.

Long abstract:

Climate change poses a significant threat to the well-being of humanity, territories, and resources. In the city of Bologna, Italy, environmental and societal challenges mirror those experienced globally in urban spaces such as air pollution, and intense urban mobility stemming from escalating urbanization. Addressing these issues, the H2020 I-CHANGE project aims to demonstrate the potential for collective behavioral change by actively engaging civil society in innovative citizen science initiatives (Goudeseune et al., 2020; Vohland, 2021). Research shows (Carlone et al., 2022; Kollmuss and Agyeman, 2002) that citizens are hindered by the absence of resources, infrastructure, and incentives to adopt pro-environmental behaviors. Simultaneously, they are supportive of projects addressing climate change with tangible outcomes (Abertnethy et al., 2022). Through co-designed tools and citizen science campaigns, communities can be involved in participatory environmental policies and adaptive climate measures to achieve a pro-environment lifestyle shift. This contribution proposes the "Mani in Mappa!” (Hands on maps) initiative as a potential citizen science activity that involves maps as a dynamic tool for scientific research, education, and participation. The scientific component involves applying the concept of citizen science, engaging citizens in the shared collection and processing of data on Bologna’s mobility system. The educational dimension is expressed through serious games, transforming gaming into a tool for message transmission, information exchange, and training. Finally, participation is facilitated by using participatory geographic information systems for public involvement. This multidimensional approach aims to enhance active citizen awareness in sustainable urban mobility and to promote behavioral change to sustainable mobility.

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Short abstract:

Even with the effects of climate emergency in sight, in some Latin American countries as Mexico a great share of population seems to understate them. Ultimately, the issue is no longer a lack of information: Emotions must be taken into account when communicating climate emergency. A long way to go?

Long abstract:

Until recently, in Latin American countries like Mexico the communication of anthropogenic climate change focused on the rationality of humans, but not on their affectivity, probably because communication theories used to view cognition as disembodied, which prevented communicators from identifying emotions as a relevant factor in strategies to motivate actions facing the climate emergency. However, based on the embodied perspective of cognition (which necessarily includes emotions), viewing the connection cognition/emotion as an embodied experience (or, as James Jasper calls it, «the feeling-thinking processes») makes it easier to envision and understand how emotions relate to action. This, in turn, provides greater support for new communication proposals that seek to modify certain attitudes and actions related to the climate emergency.

As a first step of a larger project in search of new narratives and expressions that incorporate mobilizing emotions in the public communication of the climate emergency, I focused on learning the state of the art in the practice of incorporating emotions in texts intended to communicate the climate emergency to the public (mainly to young people), published in 12 Mexican science popularization magazines, and found that this trend, already present in some countries in the Global North, has generally failed to take root in the science communication culture of a Latin American country like Mexico.

Consequently, as a next step, I project to analyze emotions and their role on climate emergency communication more deeply, to propose new strategies of communication away from apocalyptic scenarios and nearer to people’s mobilizing emotions.

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Short abstract:

COALESCE is a project tasked with establishing the European Competence Centre for Science Communication. One of the project “themes” is climate, and we are currently conducting new research (building on existing knowledge and resources) into the challenges and needs of various stakeholder groups.

Long abstract:

Communicating about the climate is both more important, and more challenging, than ever. We live in a time of uncertainty that challenges the established relationships between science, media, politics, and publics. Climate science has been openly contested in the public arena by actors that raise doubts, or even deny scientific practice and evidence. Perhaps even more concerning are reports about people’s increasing feelings of helplessness and apathy regarding climate change.

"Soft” skills such as reflection, creativity, empathy, and design-thinking are essential for communicating the relevance and value of climate services. How can you engage various stakeholders in conversations about the climate? What is the role of values and emotions in these conversations? How can you turn a large and complex topic like “climate” into something tangible and concrete?

COALESCE is a four-year project funded by the EU commission, tasked with establishing the European Competence Centre for Science Communication and an associated Science Communication Academy (opening in 2027). At the heart of the COALESCE project is a desire to shift towards a new science communication ecosystem; one that is more reflective & adaptive and at the same time reliable and trustworthy. One of the project “themes” is climate, and we are currently conducting new research (building on existing knowledge and resources) into the challenges and needs of various stakeholder groups.

Interns from the VU will share some of the first results from the COALESCE project related to communication about climate crises.

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Short abstract:

We report on the outcomes of interviews held to map three climate change-related controversies and stakeholders’ experiences of conflict within them, and on how these key findings inform the development of an innovative form of theatre dialogues in which sticking with the tension is key.

Long abstract:

Climate change is increasingly proving to be a deeply polarizing and conflict-ridden societal issue. As a response to complex or “wicked” societal issues such as climate change, science communication research has developed various approaches to meaningfully engage publics and stakeholders in processes of scientific and technological development. Building on Chantal Mouffe’s conception of agonistic pluralism, we argue that while providing a great source of creativity, inspiration and impact, the “cocreative” focus of many of these approaches makes it difficult to keep conflict, tension, and controversy at the forefront of engagement practices. The concern is that these practices of cocreation leave the fundamentally conflictual nature of climate change unaddressed, and consequently provide little guidance for learning how to deal with conflict and prevent it from becoming antagonistic.

There is therefore a great need for exploring engagement approaches that make the conflictual nature of climate change salient and “productive”, and we believe theatre dialogues have great potential to contribute to this objective. In our contribution, we report on the outcomes of interviews held to map three climate change-related controversies and stakeholders’ experiences of conflict within them, and on how these key findings inform the development of an innovative form of theatre dialogues in which sticking with the tension is key.

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Short abstract:

Climate change necessitates a changing role for academics. How can academics delegitimise political and social ‘business-as-usual’? In this contribution, I point at several political roles academics could play, such as motivation, activism, sabotage, and legitimisation.

Long abstract:

On-going denial about the severity of climate change necessitates a changing role for academics. Where in the past the role of aloof fact-provider – or of honest broker (Pielke, 2003) –still held value, lethargy in the face of climate breakdown requires an openly political stance. Climate denial and deliberate misinformation (e.g. Oreskes & Conway, 2010) render the politics of knowledge imminently visible. Despite climate damages intensifying, most societies are “living in denial” (Norgaard), nominally accepting the need for political action but continuing ‘business-as-usual’. This is deeply problematic, as in the words of Andreas Malm, “the term ‘business-as-usual’ is commonly employed as a stand-in for the fossil economy”. Academics are complicit, as they often refrain from politicising this simple fact, reproduce it in the science-policy interface, and project all manner of business-as-usual futures. I argue for a more openly political academic stance. Rather than eschewing the political aspects of knowledge production or retreating to the bastion of neutrality, I argue for academics politicising the patent absurdity of sleepwalking into catastrophe. As an analogy, one might look to the fact that academics often play (sometimes paid) roles as business and political consultants – a role easily as political as encouraging civil disobedience or sabotage. This raises the question: how can climate scientists and academics at large politicise climate change and delegitimise political and social ‘business-as-usual’? From personal experience, I point at several political roles academics could play, such as crafting aspirational futures, sabotaging established procedures, legitimising (non-)violent resistance, and becoming activists themselves.

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Short abstract:

Due to climate science increasingly being a topic of political and public debate, roles of climate scientists are changing. Here, we address how these changes affect the practices and experiences of climate scientists and demonstrate ways in which climate scientists navigate the public sphere.

Long abstract:

With the climate crisis becoming more complex and public trust in (climate) science decreasing, climate scientists find themselves and their discipline to be contested and at the center of debate. How do these changes affect the practices and experiences of communicating climate scientists?

Through conducting interviews with climate scientists that are active in the public domain, we have gained insights into how these scientists view their role in the climate debate. We identified two dimensions along which the scientists’ perceptions of their roles differed, namely a degree of societal interaction and a degree of advocacy. We find that the challenges and motivations expressed by these scientists can be plotted along axes representing these dimensions, suggesting that their role perceptions influence their experiences in/of the public sphere.

Interestingly, scientists that refrain from both advocacy and public participation share concerns about the loss of credibility of science. Various scientists were hesitant about the level of advocacy they deem appropriate: some refrain from debate due to a sense of loss of objectivity and scientific authority, while others experience the same doubt yet are motivated by the urgency of the climate crisis. Additionally, we found that while 'distanced’ scientists share concerns about (a lack of) public knowledge, scientists that aim for more interactive forms of research wish to hear public views and have a less polarized view on the role of science. In other words, entering into more participatory forms of engagement holds the potential to depolarize climate scientists while protecting their credibility.

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Short abstract:

We performed an analysis of the children perceived image of the Science and Scientist, the Planet Earth, its sustainability and its future over the drawings collected for creating calendars, featuring drawings from contests for primary school children.

Long abstract:

Starting in 2005, INGV initiated a project involving the creation of calendars designed for schools, featuring drawings from contests for primary school children. Schools participate by submitting pupils' drawings on specific themes, which vary annually and align with Earth science subjects. Engaging primary school children in this project brings them closer to science and provides an opportunity to explore their perspectives on the Earth, science, the environment, and sustainable behavior. Drawing plays a crucial role in children's development, as it fosters imagination and serves as an effective means of expressing emotions. We start to analyze this extensive dataset by comparing drawings related to competitions with comparable main topics, such as children's perceptions of science, scientists, and their views on the Planet Earth, its sustainability, and its future.

We present a preliminary analysis of the children perceived image of the Planet Earth, its sustainability and its future over the drawings collected for the 2009 calendar: “The Earth of tomorrow is in my hands today”, the 2010 calendar: “Precious Earth” and the 2021-2022 calendar: “A future sized for the Planet”. The methodology involves a qualitative and statistical analysis of the drawings, representing the first comprehensive comparison of drawings created by primary school children across the entire Italian territory. This spans a decade or more, providing insights into how children's visions of Earth science subjects have evolved over time.

Furthermore, the results contribute to evaluating how science is portrayed, assessing whether it has fostered a shared understanding and a less stereotyped image.

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Short abstract:

This paper anticipates the ways in which participatory film might act as a means of co-producing a socially situated science. It does this by exploring material histories and local meanings of place and community alongside the UK's nuclear industry.

Long abstract:

The paper anticipates the use of participatory film as part of a wider methodology, including archival and ethnographic work, in developing a politics of communication between core and periphery communities in the UK's nuclear industry. The core community is the scientists, the policy-makers and the bureaucratic workers, while the periphery pertains to communities that host nuclear infrastructure like power stations and waste and storage facilities, as well as workers who build the infrastructure. It is therefore an experiment in a specific case of societal engagement around climate research.

The paradigm described in this panel's abstract, in which traditional science communication often assumes a lack of knowledge or understanding among the general public as the main problem, and finds solutions in explaining science more, is omnipresent in the core communities described above.

This paper proposes a mode of developing understanding, before any solutions are discussed. It takes into consideration the relations between the material histories and presences of energy industries more generally to suggest how multiple meanings of place and community can be, and are, formed. It recognises the affects extant in infrastructural presences (and absences) in how proximate publics make sense of their industrial past, and the significance of this for desires and expectations about the future.

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Short abstract:

Traditional science communication methods do not seem to reduce the distance between citizens and (knowledge) institutes. In our project, we are experimenting with citizens’ assemblies as a new form of research and science communication to bridge the gap between society and science.

Long abstract:

The sense of urgency surrounding climate change is ever increasing in research and policy domains, yet many citizens feel they have more pressing issues than climate change to contend with. Many feel researchers, policymakers and their institutes are too far removed from their own lived experiences. Traditional research methods and forms of science communication do not seem to reduce the distance between citizens and (knowledge) institutes. In this panel presentation we will share our experiences of organizing citizens’ assemblies to align climate science with citizens’ lived experiences by co-creating a “climate science knowledge agenda” with citizens, scientists and policymakers.

We will first briefly present:

Our theoretical and methodological underpinnings of the climate citizen assemblies; exploring if, how and why citizen assemblies contribute to the democratization of climate science.

Discuss the structure and methodologies used in the citizen assemblies, including methods employed, how to build relations between scientists and citizens; how to maintain the balance between public participation methods and research methods;

Our preliminary findings and themes from the citizen assemblies (including e.g. proposed climate science themes and questions; roles and collaborations between citizens, scientists, policymakers)

Our efforts to ensure social impact, e.g. through cross-sector, multi-stakeholder collaboration.

After the brief presentation, we wish to enter into a stimulating dialogue with other panel members about the enablers, barriers and hopes for outcomes of different forms of science communication and engagement methods for the democratization of climate science.

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Short abstract:

Examining climate perceptions, this paper bridges scientific knowledge and daily experiences. Using cultural anthropology, it explores collaborations by entities like Climate Leadership programs, addressing skepticism to enhance science-society relations through innovative communication.

Long abstract:

Global extreme weather events are daily media focal points connecting them to anthropogenic climate change. The urgency of the climate crisis sparks intensified discussions on actions and moral obligations. However, abstract scientific knowledge often lacks a link to everyday experiences, leading to divergent views on the crisis's historical basis and future projections.

This research explores the conflictual negotiation of the climate crisis, focusing on the intersection between everyday and scientific knowledge and the influence of generational perspectives. Engaged climate action, activism, and lobbyism play pivotal roles in bridging the gap between scientific knowledge, politics, and daily life. The paper investigates how governmental and non-governmental organizations, initiatives, and social movements collaborate to produce, transfer, and implement climate knowledge, with examples like Fridays for Future and Climate Leadership Programs activating climate-aware actors through knowledge dissemination, projects, and political engagement.

Adopting a cultural anthropological perspective, the research delves into how these entities produce and transfer climate knowledge. It explores how local actors integrate climate knowledge into daily life, addressing their needs for an uncertain energy future. Empirical methods, including interviews and participant observation, explore how local actors, in collaboration with social movements and climate leadership programs, navigate, negotiate, and pass on climate knowledge. The research addresses growing skepticism and trust issues in climate knowledge. By examining new forms of science communication and societal engagement, including social media campaigns, citizen assemblies, and societal activism, the paper aims to look at relations between science and society in the climate crisis context.

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Short abstract:

This paper explores how higher education might engage society in a hopeful manner with the climate crisis. I conceptualize hope as a practice that helps to navigate in phases of liminality. Drawing from reflections on two innovative courses, I empirically explore instances of hope within education.

Long abstract:

Climate change and sustainability have become key themes for higher education. During the heightened emotional and political reactions, traditional approaches centered on knowledge deficits arguably encounter their limits. Besides teaching about climate change, education could also aim to nurture hope. However, hope is a complex concept and in-depth theoretical engagement with hope in sustainability education is scant, notwithstanding e.g. Ojala’s (2017) valuable contributions. Therefore, in this paper, I explore how education might foster hopeful engagement with the climate crisis.

Theoretically, I approach hope as an active practice, exploring how, when and where hope is enacted in education. Inspired by Freire (1992) and by the way Solnit (2016) describes hope as ‘an electrifying force in the present’, I conceptualize a mode of hoping that is based on a dynamic tension between a feeling of friction with unsustainable aspects, and an attraction to a direction of change. I argue that such hope is practiced during phases of liminality, uncertainty, and plurality of moving in-between worlds, and that it can be felt through a meaningful discontinuity – an experience that signals to us that are moving in a valuable direction.

Empirically, I investigate such discontinuities through vignettes, based on my experiences as a teacher and reflective practitioner in two innovative courses that focused on ‘futuring’. Thereby, I distill characteristics of learning processes that might contribute to hope. Namely, that hopeful education amidst the climate crisis entails a combination of critical- and imaginative processes and engages learners in collective, active, and dialogic settings.

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Short abstract:

Coastal communities are affected by climate change impacts and often process this risk in their cultural heritage. In experimental settings in Alexandria, Jakarta and Bremen, we explore how this cultural heritage can be used to encourage sustainable and socially integrated climate adaptation.

Long abstract:

Coastal communities around the world are on the frontline of dealing with climate change impacts, such as sea level rise. And although the effects of this disposition are (in some cases extremely) tangible, the daily lives of residents are not affected by institutional climate reports that cover precisely these issues. The research project “Sinking Cities: Cultural Heritage as a transformational resource” at the City Science Lab in Hamburg focuses on how culture can fill this gap and play a pivotal role in building resilient coastal communities. The aim of this pioneer project is to better understand the role of cultural heritage in social transformation processes and propose paths of action for socially integrated and fair climate adaptation. Researching in three cities - Alexandria (EGY), Jakarta (IDN) and Bremen (GER), we argue that climate narratives are a continuum in cultural heritage and therefore should be considered more comprehensively: we aim to embrace historical, indigenous and local knowledge as well as present artistic practices, like staging, arranging and performing as a form of knowledge production to broaden the view on climate narratives and tap into the transformative knowledge they offer. With this strategy we seek to gain new insights into the socio-political intersection of culture and climate adaptation within transdisciplinary settings and formulate best practice examples for sustainable and socially integrated climate adaptation to be shared and followed.