On Monday, April 15, 2024, we the 6BC attended a lecture at the EGU General Assembly, where geoscientists from around the world gather to present and discuss research findings. It was a special event for us, as the conference hosted over 20,000 scientists representing over 130 countries. Gymnasium am Augarten had the honor of being one of the first schools in Vienna to participate.
The lecture was given by Joeri Rogelj, Professor of Climate Science and Policy at the Imperial College London, and Valérie Masson-Delmotte, senior scientist at the Climate and Environment Sciences Laboratory (LSCE). Discussions revolved around climate change, its impact, and human involvement, with statistical analysis. Additionally, commercial solutions were presented by the speakers. Some key insights from the lecture are, for example, that children today are exposed to extreme heat 4-7 times more often than people in the 90s, and that 91% of the additional heat due to climate change is absorbed by the oceans. Furthermore, agriculture and industry each contribute 25% of global CO2 emissions and rising ocean temperatures threaten coral reefs, seagrass beds, and polar ice.
Following the lecture, there was a Q&A session, where the audience had the opportunity to contribute, and the 6BC also took the initiative. Upon asking our important question what we as a school or individuals could do to mitigate global warming, we received the following answer: “While it’s important to emphasize that the largest producers of emissions are agriculture and industry and that politics should take action against it promptly, as individuals, we can reduce our ecological footprint and actively advocate for climate protection to raise awareness and garner attention.”
Subsequently, we had the opportunity to meet the two presenters and even conduct interviews with them. Fueled by our curiosity, we seized the opportunity to interview two more international scientists.
Both the attendance and active participation in the EGU conference will undoubtedly leave a lasting impact on us and shape our thinking sustainably.
