Going online to inform the public about sustainability
Global changes are happening at breakneck speeds, threatening the relationship of humanity to its environment and natural resources. An innovative project seeks to make information about global environmental changes accessible to the general public online to increase awareness around the issue of sustainability.
A conifer forest in the Swiss Alps National Park, Photo: (cc) wiki user Hansueli Krapf User: Simisa
In connection with the Science Year 2012 devoted to sustainability research, the Institute for Environmental Communication or INFU at the University of Lüneburg wants to reach a broader public with its online knowledge platform. Here, the results of interdisciplinary research on issues related to climate change, sustainable development biodiversity loss or global food security will be featured in an effort to disseminate information to various potential stakeholders.
INFU began implementing the knowledge platform on September 1, 2011, compiling some two years of research conducted as part of the so-called Project Wissen (Project Knowledge). The effort is also an attempt to use communication technologies to better inform the public as part of the new “Social Contract for a Great Transformation” – the title of the 2011 flagship report by the Scientific Advisory Board of the Federal Government on Global Change.
The knowledge resource is being developed in cooperation with the University of Lüneburg. Visitors to the online platform will be able to search for topics as well as access a scientific literature database and listing of expert contacts.
For more than 10 years, INFU has been contributing to communication about research and teaching in the field of environmental sustainability, using interdisciplinary strategies to better communicate information. The institute works on behalf of four areas: education, participation, political communication and environmental information. The work’s aim is to promote individual, institutional and collective skills in the future context of global environmental change and sustainable development.
INFU: Institut für Umweltkommunikation
