Science communication is becoming a widely recognized skill for both established and budding geoscientists alike. Outreach activities are beneficial in many ways, as they not only showcase science to the general public, but also give scientists the chance to develop transferable skills. If you’re in the market for a creative geoscience activity, one that especially appeals to a younger audience, l ...[Read More]
A young participant’s experience at the 2018 General Assembly: So much to discover!
Today we welcome probably one of the youngest participants who attended the 2018 General Assembly, Pariphat Promduangsri, a 16-year-old science baccalaureate student at Auguste Renoir high school in Cagnes-sur-mer, France, as our guest blogger. With a deep interest in the natural world and in taking care of the environment, Pariphat was a keen participant at the conference. She gave both oral and ...[Read More]
Giving back to the city: First EGU Public Lecture at the General Assembly 2018 in Vienna
The inaugural EGU Public Lecture, titled ‘After Paris: Are we getting the climate crisis under control?’, took place last April at the 2018 General Assembly in the Natural History Museum of Vienna. In this first public lecture, Stefan Rahmstorf, a climate scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research in Germany, took the audience on a fascinating journey through the climate system ...[Read More]
Geopolicy: including policy in science education?
Generally, students are taught basic science and given a rudimentary overview of the political system from a young age. I remember learning how to do basic experiments from the age of 7 and learning about the Australian Parliament not long after that. We had specific classes dedicated to various scientific disciplines in high school and when I went onto study environmental science in my Bachelors ...[Read More]
Union-wide events at EGU 2018
Wondering what to expect at the General Assembly this year? Here are some of the highlights: Union Symposia (US) For events which will have general appeal, regardless of your field of research, look no further than the Union Symposia. The very first session, organized in collaboration with the European and American space agencies (ESA and NASA) will highlight observation missions focused on Earth ...[Read More]
Open Positions on the EGU Education and Outreach Committees
Do you have experience in science education or outreach? Are you looking to get more involved with the EGU community? The EGU Committee on Education and the EGU Outreach Committee are both searching for members interested in promoting the geosciences as well as engaging with the groups inside and outside the science community. The Committee on Education, who is seeking a new committee chair, coord ...[Read More]
Communicating Antarctic science…in the Antarctic
Communicating the fragility of one of Earth’s remotest environments is hugely difficult, precisely due to the location of the poles. Jon Fuhrmann, a freelance science writer and guide on Antarctic cruises, discusses the potential benefits of taking tourists to these once inaccessible locations, especially when it comes to making members of the public aware of the challenges faced by the Eart ...[Read More]
MinCup: Elevating humble minerals to new heights
Throughout October and November, the world of (Earth science) Twitter was taken by storm: Day after day, Eddie Dempsey (a lecturer at the University of Hull, and @Tectonictweets for those of you more familair with his Twitter handle) pitted minerals against each other, in a knock out style popular contest. The aim? To see which mineral would eventually be crowned the best of 2017. Who knew fiery ( ...[Read More]
The role of exploration geologists in fostering healthy community-industry relationships
In November 2015, the failure of the Fundão tailings dam in Brazil devastated the surrounding landscape and local villages, killing 19 people and leaving the media filled with images of landslides, fallen infrastructure and ruined livelihoods. The limited communication and lack of relationship between joint operators BHP Billiton and Brazilian company Vale with the surrounding communities exacerba ...[Read More]
GeoTalk: How an EGU Public Engagement Grant contributed to video lessons on earthquake education
Did you know that the EGU has a public engagement grant scheme which, annually, awards two EGU members with 1000€ to help them develop an outreach project? The 2018 call for applications is currently open. In this GeoTalk interview, Laura Roberts talks to Solmaz Mohadjer, a winner of the first EGU Public Engagement Grants competition in 2016. If you are considering applying, then read on for tips ...[Read More]