Update 19, February 2007

What contributions are science centres and museums making in your community? What best-practice approaches by science centres and museums make a difference to important government agendas such as increasing young people's interest in science careers or communicating challenging science topics to the public? This is a monthly update on a project focusing on such questions in the APEC region.

Release of Fourth Assessment Report by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

“Climate Change 2007” (2.2Mb, pdf), also known as the Fourth Assessment Report or AR4, is a massive report contributed to by some 600 authors from 40 countries. On the 2nd February, Working Group I of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) adopted the assessment of climate change detailed in the Summary for Policymakers.

The adoption of this assessment comes in the wake of the Stern Review, creating global recognition of the impact that humans have in driving climate change. It is, in effect, yet another call to action from a growing multitude of sources and voices. More than ever, science centres and museums have a vital role to play in creating public awareness and understanding of the drivers and processes governing climate change.

It’s not easy being green. Alternative Energy – barriers are not just financial.

Doctoral candidate from the Australian National University, David Barton, is used to looking for engineering solutions to problems. In particular he is interested in climate change solutions: how can energy be made greener and cheaper? Yet despite obvious financial incentives, he found that residents of some small islands off the coast of Australia were strongly opposed to the adoption of green power.

David discovered that people are not overly concerned with the technical aspects of alternative energy sources. What they really want to know is “how will this affect me?” David surmises that the introduction of alternative technologies on a broader social scale will be much more successful if it starts at the grass roots. David's research recenlty featured in the ANU Reporter.

Meeting the cultural needs of our communities

As climate change becomes ever more topical, how can science centres and museums contribute something to their communities that adds value? Further more, how can that value be measured? Douglas Worts has proposed a framework for critically assessing a museum programme. In his article (2.3 Mb, pdf) in the Journal of Museum Education, Worts discusses how museums should be attuned to the cultural shifts and needs of the community, particularly now as the global community is faced with the issue of climate change.

“It is hard to conceive of a more pressing issue today...Being responsive to the critical issues of our day...while engaging citizens in active ways helps justify the public funding of cultural organizations. It also makes sense that museums function as mirrors that enable a society to see itself more clearly and adjust its actions accordingly.” (Worts, 2006)

climateXchange - How’s your world?

As part of International Polar Year (to be launched 1 March 2007), science centres and museums across the world are invited to get involved in climateXchange, a project designed to raise awareness of climate change by focussing on local impacts.

People are invited to submit a picture, written piece or video detailing how climate change affects them and their community. Submissions will be posted on a Web site later in the year to allow users to click on a location and view a perspective on climate change in that area.

Science centres are invited to promote this initiative and to encourage submissions from their community. Need some inspiration? Work with a school to create a video or work with a community group to create a visual exhibition of what climate change means to them. No matter what you decide to do – get involved and put your community on the climateXchange map!

climateXchange is an excellent opportunity to be involved in local, regional and even global collaborations to further awareness of climate change. Expand the reach of your centre and tap into new audiences in your own community, your own country and perhaps around the world. To send a submission, register your interest or ask a question, please contact ipy@questacon.edu.au

A launch for your launch! IPY raises balloons around the world

International Polar Year will begin on 1 March 2007. That’s not very far away! Is your science centre or museum hosting a launch or running some activities to celebrate? If so, share your activity with others around the world by launching a virtual balloon on the IPY web site.

New on our website

For a summary of what’s new on the website each month, check on the main news page of the site.

Contact

APEC Science Centre Impact Project Secretariat
Questacon – The National Science and Technology Centre
King Edward Terrace, Canberra ACT 2600, Australia
E apecproject@questacon.edu.au